Psalm 94:2. 16-23. Second Part.
G.o.d our support and comfort; or, Deliverance from temptation and persecution.
1 Who will arise and plead my right Against my numerous foes, While earth and h.e.l.l their force unite, And all my hopes oppose?
2 Had not the Lord, my rock, my help, Sustain"d my fainting head, My life had now in silence dwelt, My soul amongst the dead.
3 "Alas! my sliding feet," I cry"d; Thy promise was my prop; Thy grace stood constant by my side, Thy Spirit bore me up.
4 While mult.i.tudes of mournful thoughts Within my bosom roll, Thy boundless love forgives my faults, Thy comforts cheer my soul.
5 Powers of iniquity may rise, And frame pernicious laws; But G.o.d, my refuge, rules the skies, He will defend my cause.
6 Let malice vent her rage aloud, Let bold blasphemers scoff; The Lord our G.o.d shall judge the proud, And cut the sinners off.
Psalm 95:1. C. M.
A psalm before prayer.
1 Sing to the Lord Jehovah"s Name, And in his strength rejoice; When his salvation is our theme, Exalted be our voice.
2 With thanks approach his awful sight, And psalms of honour sing; The Lord"s a G.o.d of boundless might, The whole creation"s King.
3 Let princes hear, let angels know, How mean their natures seem, Those G.o.ds on high, and G.o.ds below, When once compar"d with him.
4 Earth with its caverns dark and deep Lies in his s.p.a.cious hand, He fix"d the seas what bounds to keep, And where the hills must stand.
5 Come, and with humble souls adore, Come, kneel before his face; O may the creatures of his power Be children of his grace!
6 Now is the time: he bends his ear, And waits for your request; Come, lest he rouse his wrath and swear "Ye shall not see my rest."
Psalm 95:2. S. M.
A psalm before sermon.
1 Come, sound his praise abroad, And hymns of glory sing; Jehovah is the sovereign G.o.d, The universal King.
He form"d the deeps unknown; He gave the seas their bound; The watery worlds are all his own, And all the solid ground.
3 Come, worship at his throne, Come bow before the Lord: We are his works and not our own; He form"d us by his word.
4 To-day attend his voice, Nor dare provoke his rod; Come like the people of his choice, And own your gracious G.o.d.
5 But if your ears refuse The language of his grace, And hearts grow hard, like stubborn Jews, That unbelieving race;
6 The Lord in vengeance drest Will lift his hand and swear, "You that despise my promis"d rest, "Shall have no portion there."
Psalm 95:3. 1 2 3 6-11. L. M.
Canaan lost through unbelief; or, A warning to delaying sinners.
1 Come, let our voices join to raise A sacred song of solemn praise; G.o.d is a sovereign King; rehea.r.s.e his honours in exalted verse.
2 Come, let our souls address the Lord, Who fram"d our natures with his word; He is our Shepherd; we the sheep His mercy chose, his pastures keep.
3 Come, let us hear his voice to-day, The counsels of his love obey; Nor let our harden"d hearts renew The sins and plagues that Israel knew.
4 Israel, that saw his works of grace, Yet tempt their Maker to his face; A faithless unbelieving brood That tir"d the patience of their G.o.d.
5 Thus saith the Lord, "how false they prove; "Forget my power, abuse my love; "Since they despise my rest, I swear, "Their feet shall never enter there."
6 [Look back my soul, with holy dread, And view those ancient rebels dead; Attend the offer"d grace to-day, Nor lose the blessing by delay.
7 Seize the kind promise while it waits, And march to Zion"s heavenly gates; Believe, and take the promis"d rest; Obey, and be for ever blest.]
Psalm 96:1. 1-10. &c. C. M.
Christ"s first and second coming.
1 Sing to the Lord, ye distant lands, Ye tribes of every tongue; His new discover"d grace demands A new and n.o.bler song.
2 Say to the nations, Jesus reigns, G.o.d"s own almighty Son; His power the sinking world sustains, And grace surrounds his throne.
3 Let heaven proclaim the joyful day, Joy thro" the earth be seen; Let cities shine in bright array, And fields in cheerful green.
4 Let an unusual joy surprise The islands of the sea; Ye mountains, sink, ye vallies, rise, Prepare the Lord his way.
5 Behold he comes, he comes to bless The nations as their G.o.d; To shew the world his righteousness, And send his truth abroad.
6 But when his voice shall raise the dead, And bid the world draw near, How will the guilty nations dread To see their Judge appear!
Psalm 96:2. As the 113th Psalm.
The G.o.d of the Gentiles.
1 Let all the earth their voices raise To sing the choicest psalm of praise, To sing and bless Jehovah"s name: His glory let the heathens know, His wonders to the nations show, And all his saving works proclaim.
2 The heathens know thy glory, Lord; The wondering nations read thy word, In Britain is Jehovah known: Our worship shall no more be paid To G.o.ds which mortal hands have made; Our Maker is our G.o.d alone.
3 He fram"d the globe, he built the sky, He made the shining worlds on high, And reigns complete in glory there: His beams are majesty and light; His beauties how divinely bright!
His temple how divinely fair!
4 Come the great day, the glorious hour, When earth shall feel his saving power, And barbarous nations fear his name; Then shall the race of man confess The beauty of his holiness, And in his courts his grace proclaim.
Psalm 97:1. 1-5. First Part.
Christ reigning in heaven, and coming to judgment.
1 He reigns; the Lord, the Saviour reigns; Praise him in evangelic strains; Let the whole earth in songs rejoice, And distant islands join their voice.