REShebe mi to watch in'arel my ways,

17 And, with continual grief oppress'd,

To sink I now begin ;
18 To thee, O Lord, I will confess,

To thee bewail my sin,
19 But whilst I languish, my proud foes

Their strength and vigour boast;
And they that hate me without cause

Are grown a dreadful host.
20 Ev'n they whom I oblig'd, return

My kindness with despite ;
And are my enemies, because

I choose the path that's right.
21 Forsake me not, O Lord my God,

Nor far from me depart;
22 Make haste to my relief, O thou,
Who mý salvation art.

PSALM XXXIX.
1

I kept my ;
I curl'd my hasty words, when I

The wicked prosp'rous saw.
2 Like one that's dumb, I silent stood,

And did my tongue refrain
From good discourse ; but that restraint

Increas'd my inward pain.
3 My heart did glow with working thoughts,

And no repose could take;
Till strong reflection fann'd the fire,

And thus at length I spake :
4 Lord, let me know my term of days,

How soon my life will erd:
The num'rous train of ills disclose,

Which this frail state attend.
5 My life thou know'st is but a span ;

A cypher sums my years ;
And ev'ry man, in best estate,

But vanity appears.
6 Man, like a shadow, vainly walks,

With fruitless cares oppress'di
He heaps up wealth, but cannot tell

By whom 'twill be possess'd.
ng Why then should I on worthless toys

With anxious cares attend?
On thee alone my stedfast hope

Shall ever, Lord, depend.

a

8, 9 Forgive my sins nor let me scorn'd

By foolish sinners be ;
For I was dumb, and murmur'd not,

Because 'twas done by thee.
10 The dreadful burden of thy wrath

In mercy soon remove ;
Lest my frail flesh too weak to bear

The heavy load should prove.
II For when thou chast'nest man for sin;

Thou mak'st his beauty fade,
(So vain a thing is he !) like cloth

By fretting moths decay'd.
12 Lord, hear my cry, accept my tears,

And listen to my pray'r,
Who sojourn like a stranger here,

As all my fathers were.
13 O! spare me yet a little time;

My wasted strength restore,
Before I vanish quite from hence,
And shall be scen no more.

PSALM XL.
1
I ,

Till he vouchsaf'd a kind reply ;
Who did his gracious ear afford,

And heard from heav'o my humble cry. 2 He took me from the dismal pit,

When founder'd deep in miry clay ;
On solid ground he plac'd my feet,

And suffer'd not my steps to stray. 3 The wonders he for me has wrought

Shall fill my mouth with songs of praise ;
And others, to his worship brought,

To hopes of like deliv’rance raisc. 4 For blessings shall that man reward,

Who on th' Almighty Lord relies ;
Who treats the proud with disregard,

And hates the hypocrite's disguise. 5 Who can the wondrous works recount

Which thou, O God, hast for us wrought? The treasures of thy love surmount

The pow'r of numbers, speech and thought.. 6 I've learnt that thou hast not desir'd

Off'rings and sacrifice alone;
Nor blood of guiltless beasts requir'd

For man's transgression to atone,

7 I therefore come-come to fulfil

The oracles thy books impart;
8 'Tis my delight to do thy will;
Thy law is written in my heart. .

PART II.
In full assemblies I have told

Thy truth and righteousness at large;
Nor did, thou know'st, my lips withhold

From utt'ring what thou gav'st in charge : 10 Nor kept within my breast confin’d

Thy faithfulness and saving grace ;
But preach'd thy love, for all design’d,

That all might that, and truth, embrace. 11 Then let those mercics I declar'd

To others, Lord, extend to me;
Thy loving-kindness my reward,

T'hy truth my safe protection be. 12 For I with troubles am distress'd,

Too numberless for me to bear ;
Nor less with loads of guilt oppress'd,

That plunge and sink me to despair.
As soon, alas ! may I recount

The hairs of this afflicted head ;
My vanquish'd courage they surmount,
And fill my drooping soul with dread.

PART III.
13 But, Lord, to my relief draw near,

For never was more pressing need ;
In my deliv’rance, Lord, appear,

And add to that deliv’rance speed. 14 Confusion on their heads return,

Who to destroy my soul combine ;
Let them, defeated, blush and mourn,

Eusnar'd in their own vile design. 15 Their doom let desolation be,

With shame their malice be repaid,
Who mock'd my confidence in thec,

And sport of my afħiction made.
16 While those who humbly seek thy face

To joyful triumphs shall be rais'd ;
And all who prize thy saving grace,

With me resound, the Lord be prais’d.

17 Thus, wretched though I am and poor',

Of me th’ Almighty Lord takes care :
Thou God, who only canst restore,
To my relief with speed repair.

PSALM XLI.
APPY the man whose tender care

Relieves the poor distress'd !
When troubles compass him around,

The Lord shall give him rest. 2 The Lord his life, with blessings crown'dg.

In safety shall prolong ;
And disappoint the will of those

That seek to do him wrong. 3 If he in languishing estate,

Oppress'd with sickness lie;
The Lord will easy make his bed,

And inward strength supply. 4 Secure of this, to thee, my God,

I thus my pray’r address'd ; “ Lord, for thy mercy,

heal

my soul, “Though I have much transgress'd." 3- My cruel foes, with sland'rous words,

Attempt to wound my fame ; 6 When shall he die," say they," and men

“ Forget his very name ?"
6 Suppose they forinal visits make,

'Tis all but empty show ;
They gather mischief in their hearts,

And vent it wbere they go.
7, 8 With private whispers, such as these,

To hurt me they devise :
“ A sore disease afflicts him now;

“ He's fall'n no more to rise."
9 My own familiar bosom-friend,

On whom I most rely'd,
Has me, whose daily guest he was,

With open scorn dely’d.
10 But thou n.y sad and wretched state,

In mercy, Lord, regard ;
And raise me up, that all their crimes

May meet their just reward.
Il By this I know thy gracious ear

Is open, when I call;
Because thou suffer'st not my foes

To triumph in my fall.

AS

12 Thy tender care secures my life

From danger and disgrace ;
And thou vouchsaf'st to set me still

Before thy glorious face.
13 Let therefore Israel's Lord and God

From age to age be bless'd ;
And all the people's glad applause
With loud Amens express'd.

PSALM XLII.
S pants the hart for cooling streams,

When heated in the chase;
So longs my soul, O God, for thee,

And thy refreshing grace.
2 For thee, my God, the living God,

My thirsty soul doth pine ;
O! when shall I behold thy face,

Thou Majesty Divine ?
3 Tears are my constant food, while thus.

Insulting foes upbraid ; « Deluded wretch! where's now thy God?'

And where his promis'd aid ?"
4 I sigh, whene'er my musing thoughts

Those happy days present,
When I, with troops of pious friends,

Thy temple did frequent.
When I advanc'd with songs of praise,

My solemn vows to pay,
And led the joyful sacred throng,

That kept the festal day.
5 Why restless, why cast down my soul ?

Trust God; who will employ
His aid for thee, and change these sighs

To thankful hymns of joy:
6 My soul's cast down, O God! but thinks

On thee and Sion still ;
From Jordan's bank, fronı Hermon's heights,

And Mizar's humbler hill. 7 One trouble calls another on,

And gath'ring o'er my head,
Fall spouting down, till round my soul

A roaring sea is spread.
8 But when thy presence, Lord of life,

Has once dispell'd this storm,
To thee I'll midnight anthems sing,

And all my vows perform,