The proud may treat the poor with scorn,
Made of the self-same clay,
And boast, as though their flesh were born
Of better earth than they.
Vain are their thoughts-their hopes are lost—
Full soon their memory dies;
Their name is written on the dust,
Wherein their body lies.
But GOD will our Redeemer be,
And from the greedy grave
His mighty Power shall set us free,
And to Himself receive.
THE GOD of gods, JEHOVAH, spake,
His call the world pervading,
From where the rays of Morning wake,
To where the West is fading.
From highest Heaven, His Blessed Place,
He shows his Glory-Token :
The LORD shines out-He comes apace-
His silence He hath broken!
Devouring fires before Him move-
A whirlwind sweeping round Him;
He calls unto the Heavens above,
And earth below hath found Him.
He summons all, to judge His own:
Bring all my saints before Me;
"The plighted ones, who round my Throne
'With Sacrifice adore Me.'
Then spake aloud the Heavens on high,
His righteousness revealing:
For GOD, in His dread Majesty,
Is Judge of mortals' dealing.
PSALM LI.
Ash Wednesday.
HAVE Mercy, LORD, on me,
As Thou wert ever kind;
Let me, oppressed with loads of guilt,
Thy wonted Mercy find.
Against Thee, LORD, alone,
And only in Thy sight,
Have I transgressed, and, though condemned,
Must own Thy judgment right.
Withdraw not Thou Thy help,
Nor cast me from Thy sight,
Nor let Thy Holy Spirit take
His everlasting flight.
Blot out my sins, O LORD,
Nor me in anger view;
Create in me a heart that's clean,
A spirit right renew.
A broken spirit is
By GOD most highly prized;
By Him a humbled contrite heart
Shall never be despised.
OUR souls, in each alarm,
Shall lean upon the LORD;
We'll cast our burdens on His arm,
And rest upon His Word.
Our thoughts shall reach His Throne,
When morning brings the light;
We'll seek His blessing every noon,
And pay our vows at night.
Thou wilt regard our cries,
O Thou Eternal GOD!
While sinners perish in surprise
Beneath Thy angry rod.
Thy Hand shall well sustain
The children of Thy Love:
The ground, which doth their hopes sustain,
No earthly power can move.
PSALM LVI.
Public Thanksgiving.
GOD counts the sorrows of His saints;
Their sighs affect His ears;
He has a book for our complaints,
And reckons all our tears.
So, in our day of silent prayer,
Our foes were scattered wide;
This have we known, for GOD was there;
The LORD was on our side.
Thy sacred vows are on us, LORD;
To Thee our songs we raise!
We'll tell how faithful is Thy Word,
How righteous all Thy Ways!
Thou hast redeemed us from the dead,
And still art near to stay
Our tottering feet, with Thee to tread
Thy bright and heavenly way.
O GOD, my heart is fixed, 'tis bent,
Its thankful tribute to present;
And with my heart my voice I'll raise
To Thee, my GOD, in songs of praise.
Awake, my glory! harp and lute,
No longer let thy strings be mute!
And I, my tuneful part to take,
Will with the early dawn awake.
Thy praises, LORD, I will resound
To all the listening nations round;
Thy Mercy highest heaven transcends,
Thy Truth beyond the clouds extends.
Be Thou, O GOD, exalted high!
And, as Thy glory fills the sky,
So let it be on earth displayed,
Till Thou art here, as there, obeyed!
WHEN, overwhelmed with grief,
My heart within me dies,
Helpless, and far from all relief,
To Heaven I lift mine eyes.
O lead me to the Rock,
That's high above my head,
And make the covert of Thy Wings
My shelter and my shade.
Within Thy Presence, LORD,
For ever I'll abide ;
Thou art the tower of my defence,
Where I may safely hide.
Thou givest me the lot
Of those that fear Thy Name:
When endless life Thy saints partake,
May I possess the same!
O GOD, my gracious GOD, to Thee
My morning prayers shall offered be;
For Thee my thirsty soul doth pant;
My fainting flesh implores Thy Grace
Within this dry and barren place,
Where I refreshing waters want.
When down I lie sweet sleep to find,
Thou, LORD, art present to my mind;
And, when I wake at dead of night,
Because Thou still dost succour bring,
Beneath the shadow of Thy Wing
I rest with safety and delight.
Because to me Thy wondrous Love
Than life itself doth dearer prove,
My tongue shall Thy glad praise proclaim;
My life, while I that life enjoy,
In Thy commands I will employ,
And ever bless Thy Holy Name.
FOR Thee, O GOD, our constant praise
In Sion waits, Thy chosen seat;
Our promised altars there we'll raise,
And all our zealous vows complete.
O Thou, who to our humble prayer
Didst always bend Thy listening ear,
To Thee shall all mankind repair,
And at Thy gracious throne appear.
Our sins, though numberless, in vain
To stop Thy flowing Mercy try;
Whilst Thou o'erlook'st the guilty stain,
And washest out the crimson dye.
Blest is the man, who, near Thee placed,
Within Thy sacred Dwelling lives!
Whilst we, at humbler distance, taste
The vast delights Thy Temple gives.
PSALM LXV. (Second Version.)
Harvest Thanksgiving.
ETERNAL Source of every joy!
Praise shall our hearts and lips employ,
While in Thy Temple we appear,
Whose Goodness crowns the circling year.
The clouds, disposed at Thy Command,
Their fatness drop through every land;
Her various blessings nature yields,
And plenty smiles in all her fields.
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