The fame of Ethiopia raise, with that of Tyre and Palestine; And grant that some amongst them born, Their age and country did adorn. 5 But ftill of Sion I'll aver, 6 7 that many fuch from her proceed; His gen'ral lift shall show, when read, T° PSALM LXXXVIII. O thee, my God and Saviour, I 2 Vouchsafe my mournful voice to hear; 3 For feas of trouble me invade, My foul draws nigh to death's cold fhade: 4 Like one whofe ftrength and hopes are fled, They number me among the dead: 5 Like those who, fhrouded in the grave, From thee no more remembrance have; 6 Caft off from thy fuftaining care, Down to the confines of defpair. 7 Thy wrath has hard upon me lain, Me all thy mountain waves have preft, 9 My eyes from weeping never cease; The dead, whom thou forfook'st alive? From death restore, thy praise to fing, Whom thou from prifon would'ft not bring? 11 Shall the mute grave thy love confefs? A mould'ring tomb thy faithfulness? 12 Thy truth and power renown obtain Where darkness and oblivion reign? 13 To thee, O Lord, I cry, forlorn; My pray'r prevents the early morn : 14 Why haft thou, Lord, my foul forfook, Nor once vouchfaf'd a gracious look ? 15 Prevailing forrows bear me down, Which from my youth with me have grown; Thy terrors paft diftract my mind, And fears of blacker days behind. 16 Thy wrath hath burft upon my head, Thy terrors fill my foul with dread; 17 Environ'd as with waves combin'd, And for a gen'ral deluge join'd. 18 My lovers, friends, familiars, all Remov'd from fight, and out of call; To dark oblivion all retir'd, Dead, or at least to me expir'd. TH PSALM LXXXIX. HY mercies, Lord, fhall be my fong; my fong on them shall ever dwell; To ages yet unborn my tongue thy never-failing truth fhall tell. 2 I have affirm'd, and ftill maintain, 3 4 5 thy mercy fhall for ever last; Thy truth that does the heav'ns fuftain, like them fhall ftand for ever fast. Thus fpak'ft thou by thy Prophet's voice, "With David I a league have made; "To him, my fervant, and my choice, "by folemn oath this grant convey'd: "While earth, and feas, and fkies endure, "thy feed fhall in my fight remain; "To them thy throne I will infure, "they shall to endless ages reign.' For fuch ftupendous truth and love, both heav'n and earth just praises owe, By choirs of angels fung above, and by affembled faints below. 6 What Seraph of celestial birth 7 to vie with Ifrael's God fhall dare? Or who among the gods of earth with our Almighty Lord compare? With rev'rence and religious dread his faints should to his temple prefs; His fear through all their hearts should spread, who his Almighty Name confefs. 8 Lord God of armies, who can boast 9 of ftrength or pow'r like thine renown'd; Of fuch a num'rous faithful hoft, as that which does thy throne surround? Thou doft the lawless fea controul, and change the profpect of the deep; Thou mak❜ft the fleeping billows roll; thou mak'ft the rolling billows fleep. 10 Thou brak'ft in pieces Rahab's pride, and didft oppreffing pow'r difarm; Thy scatter'd foes have dearly try'd the force of thy refiftless arm. 11 In thee the fov'reign right remains of earth and heav'n; thee, Lord, alone 12 The poles on which the globe does reft 13 Thy arm is mighty, ftrong thy hand, 14 thou truth and mercy doft maintain. 15 Happy, thrice happy they, who hear thy facred trumpet's joyful found; Who may at feftivals appear, with thy most glorious prefence crown'd. 16 Thy faints fhall always be o'erjoy'd, who on thy facred Name rely, And, in thy righteousness employ'd, above their foes be rais'd on high. 17 For in thy ftrength they fhall advance, whofe conquefts from thy favour fpring; 18 The Lord of hofts is our defence, and Ifrael's God our Ifrael's King. 19 Thus fpak'ft thou by thy Prophet's voice, "A mighty champion I will fend; "From Judah's tribe have I made choice "of one, who shall the reft defend. 66 20 My fervant David I have found, "with holy oil anointed him; 21 "Him fhall the hand fupport, that crown'd, "and guard, that gave the diadem. 23 24 22 "No prince from him fhall tribute force, no fon of ftrife fhall him annoy; "His fpiteful foes I will difperfe, "and them before his face deftroy. My truth and grace fhall him sustain; "his armies, in well order'd ranks, "Shall conquer, from the Tyrian Main "to Tigris and Euphrates' banks. 26" Me for his Father he fhall take, "his God and Rock of fafety call; "Him I my firft-born fon will make, "and earthly kings his fubjects all. 28" To him my mercy I'll fecure, 25 27 29 30 31 32 33 "my cov'nant make for ever fast: "His feed for ever fhall endure; "his throne, till heav'n diffolves, shall last. PART II. "But if his heirs my law forfake, "and from my facred precepts stray; "If they my righteous ftatutes break, "nor ftrictly my commands obey; "Their fins I'll vifit with a rod, "and for their folly make them smart "Yet will not cease to be their God, "nor from my truth, like them, depart. 34" My cov'nant I will ne'er revoke, 35 "but in remembrance faft retain; "The thing that once my lips have spoke "fhall in eternal force remain. "Once I have fworn, but once for all, "and made my holiness the tie, "That I my grant will ne'er recal, "nor to my fervant David lie: 37 36" Whose throne and race the conftant fun "fhall, like his course, establish'd fee; "Of this my oath, thou conicious moon, "in heav'n, my faithful witness be." 38 Such was thy gracious promife, Lord; but thou haft now our tribes forfook, Thy own anointed haft abhor'd, and turn'd on him thy wrathful look. 39 Thou feemeft to have render'd void the cov❜nant with thy fervant made; thou haft his dignity destroy'd, and in the duft his honor laid. 40 Of ftrong holds thou haft him bereft, and brought his bulwarks to decay; 41 His frontier coafts defenceless left, a public fcorn, and common prey. 42 His ruin does glad triumphs yield to foes, advanc'd by thee to might; 43 Thou haft his conqu'ring fword unfteel'd, his valour turn'd to fhameful flight. 44 His glory is to darkness fled, his throne is levell'd with the ground; 45 His youth to wretched bondage led, with fhameo'erwhelm'd and forrow drown'd. 46 How long shall we thy abfence mourn? wilt thou for ever, Lord, retire? Shall thy confuming anger burn, till that and we at once expire? 47 Confider, Lord, how fhort a space thou doft for mortal life ordain; No method to prolong the race, but loading it with grief and pain. 48 What man is he that can controul death's ftrict unalterable doom? Or rescue from the grave his foul, the grave that must mankind intomb? 49 Lord, where's thy love, thy boundless grace, the oath to which thy truth did seal, Confign'd to David and his race, the grant which time fhould ne'er repeal? 50 See how thy fervants treated are with infamy, reproach and spite; |