3 Within thy churches, Lord, I long to find my place, Thy power and glory to behold, And feel thy quickening grace.
4 For life without thy love No relish can afford; No joy can be compar"d to this, To serve and please the Lord.
5 To thee I"ll lift my hands, And praise thee while I live; Not the rich dainties of a feast Such food or pleasure give.
6 In wakeful hours at night I call my G.o.d to mind; I think how wise thy counsels are, And all thy dealings kind.
7 Since thou hast been my help, To thee my spirit flies, And on thy watchful providence My cheerful hope relies.
8 The shadow of thy wings My soul in safety keeps; I follow where my Father leads, And he supports my steps.
Psalm 65:1. 1-5. First Part. L. M.
Public prayer and praise.
1 The praise of Sion waits for thee, My G.o.d; and praise becomes thy house; There shall thy saints thy glory see, And there perform their public vows.
2 O thou, whose mercy bends the skies To save when humble sinners pray, All lands to thee shall lift their eyes And islands of the northern sea.
3 Against my will my sins prevail, But grace shall purge away their stain; The blood of Christ will never fail To wash my garments white again.
4 Blest is the man whom thou shalt choose, And give him kind access to thee, Give him a place within thy house, To taste thy love divinely free.
PAUSE.
5 Let Babel fear when Sion prays; Babel, prepare for long distress When Sion"s G.o.d himself arrays In terror, and in righteousness.
6 With dreadful glory G.o.d fulfils What his afflicted saints request; And with almighty wrath reveals His love to give his churches rest.
7 Then shall the flocking nations run To Sion"s hill, and own their Lord; The rising and the setting sun Shall see their Saviour"s name ador"d.
Psalm 65:2. 5-13. Second Part. L. M.
Divine providence in air, earth, and sea; or, The G.o.d of nature and grace.
1 The G.o.d of our salvation hears The groans of Sion mix"d with tears; Yet when he comes with kind designs, Thro" all the way his terror shines.
2 On him the race of man depends, Far as the earth"s remotest ends, Where the Creator"s Name is known By nature"s feeble light alone.
3 Sailors, that travel o"er the flood, Address their frighted souls to G.o.d; When tempests rage and billows roar At dreadful distance from the sh.o.r.e.
4 He bids the noisy tempest cease; He calms the raging crowd to peace, When a tumultuous nation raves Wild as the winds, and loud as waves.
5 Whole kingdoms shaken by the storm He settles in a peaceful form; Mountains establish"d by his hand, Firm on their old foundations stand.
6 Behold his ensigns sweep the sky, New comets blaze and lightnings fly, The heathen lands, with swift surprise, From the bright horrors turn their eyes.
7 At his command the morning-ray Smiles in the east, and leads the day; He guides the sun"s declining wheels Over the tops of western hills.
8 Seasons and times obey his voice; The evening and the morn rejoice To see the earth made soft with showers, Laden with fruit and drest in flowers.
9 "Tis from his watery stores on high He gives the thirsty ground supply; He walks upon the clouds, and thence Doth his enriching drops dispense.
10 The desert grows a fruitful field, Abundant food the vallies yield; The vallies shout with cheerful voice, And neighb"ring hills repeat their joys.
11 The pastures smile in green array; There lambs and larger cattle play; The larger cattle and the lamb Each in his language speaks thy Name.
12 Thy works p.r.o.nounce thy power divine, O"er every field thy glories shine; Thro" every month thy gifts appear; Great G.o.d! thy goodness crowns the year.
Psalm 65:3. First Part. C. M.
A prayer-hearing G.o.d, and the Gentiles called.
1 Praise waits in Sion, Lord, for thee; There shall our vows be paid: Thou hast an ear when sinners pray, All flesh shall seek thine aid.
2 Lord, our iniquities prevail, But pardoning grace is thine, And thou wilt grant us power and skill To conquer every sin.
3 Bless"d are the men whom thou wilt choose To bring them near thy face, Give them a dwelling in thine house To feast upon thy grace.
4 In answering what thy church requests Thy truth and terror shine, And works of dreadful righteousness Fulfil thy kind design.
5 Thus shall the wondering nations see The Lord is good and just; And distant islands fly to thee, And make thy Name their trust.
6 They dread thy glittering tokens, Lord, When signs in heaven appear; But they shall learn thy holy word, And love as well as fear.
Psalm 65:4. Second Part. C. M.
The providence of G.o.d in air, earth, and sea; or, The blessing of rain.
1 "Tis by thy strength the mountains stand, G.o.d of eternal power; The sea grows calm at thy command, And tempests cease to roar.
2 Thy morning light and evening shade Successive comforts bring; Thy plenteous fruits make harvest glad, Thy flowers adorn the spring.
3 Seasons and times, and moons and hours, Heaven, earth, and air are thine; When clouds distil in fruitful showers, The author is divine.
4 Those wandering cisterns in the sky, Borne by the winds around, With watery treasures well supply The furrows of the ground.
5 The thirsty ridges drink their fill, And ranks of corn appear; Thy ways abound with blessings still, Thy goodness crowns the year.
Psalm 65:5. Third Part. C. M.
The blessing: of the spring; or, G.o.d gives rain. A psalm for the husbandman.
1 Good is the Lord, the heavenly King, Who makes the earth his care, Visits the pastures every spring, And bids the gra.s.s appear.
2 The clouds, like rivers rais"d on high, Pour out, at thy command, Their watery blessings from the sky, To cheer the thirsty land.
3 The soften"d ridges of the field Permit the corn to spring; The vallies rich provision yield, And the poor labourers sing.