Lord ! how illustrious is Thy Name!
Whose pow'r both heav'n and earth proclaim!
Thy glory Thou hast set on high,
Above the marble-arched sky.
The wonders of Thy pow'r Thou hast
In mouths of babes and sucklings plac'd:
That so Thou might'st Thy foes confound,
And who in malice most abound,
When I pure heav'n, Thy fabric, see,
The moon and stars dispos'd by Thee,
O what is man, or his frail race,
That Thou shouldst such a shadow grace?
Next to Thy angels most renown'd,
With majesty and glory crown'd:
The king of all Thy creatures made,

Part I.

O THOU that art my confidence,
And strong defence;
From those who my sad fall intend
Great God, defend;
Lest lion-like, if none control,
They tear my persecuted soul.

If I am guilty, if there be
Deceit in me,
If ill I ever to my friend
Did but intend,
Or rather have not succour'd those
Who were my undeserved foes;

Let them my stained soul pursue,
With hate subdue;

Lord , Thy deserved wrath assuage,
Nor punish in Thy burning ire;
Let mercy mitigate Thy rage,
Before my fainting life expire.

O heal! My bones with anguish ache;
My pensive heart with sorrow worn;
How long wilt Thou my soul forsake?
O pity, and at length return!

O let Thy mercies comfort me,
And Thy afflicted servant save!
Who will in death remember Thee,
Or praise Thee in the silent grave?

Vex'd by insulting enemies,
My groans disturb the peaceful night;
My bed wash'd with my streaming eyes,

To hear me, Lord, be Thou inclin'd;
My thoughts O ponder in Thy mind,
And let my cries acceptance find.
Thou hear'st my morning sacrifice;
To Thee, before the day-star rise,
My pray'rs ascend with steadfast eyes.

Thou lov'st no vice; none dwells with Thee;
Nor glorious fools Thy beauty see;
All sin-defil'd detested be.
Liars shall sink beneath Thy hate,
Who thirst for blood and weave deceit,
Thy rage shall swiftly ruinate.

I to Thy temple will repair,
Since infinite Thy mercies are,
And Thee adore with fear and pray'r.

Thou , Guardian of my truth and me,
That from these straits hast set me free,
O hear my pray'r;
Be I Thy care;
For mercy lives in Thee.

You sons of men, how long will you
Eclipse my glory, and pursue
Lov'd vanities;
Delight in lies,
To man, to God untrue?

Know, God my innocence hath blest,
And will with sov'reignty invest;
His gentle ear
Prepar'd to hear
My never vain request.

Sin not, but fear; surcease, and try
Your hearts, as on your beds you lie:
Pure gifts present
With pure intent,

My God, how are my foes increas'd!
What multitudes against me rise!
Who say, Give we his soul no rest
Whom God forsakes and men despise.

But Thou art my support, my tow'r,
My safety, my choice ornament;
Before Thy throne my pray'rs I pour,
Heard from Thy Sion's high ascent.

No fears affright my soft repose;
Thou my night-watch, my guard by day;
Not myriads of armed foes,
Nor treason's secret hands dismay.

Arise, O vindicate my cause!
My foes, whom wicked hate provoke,
Thou, Lord, hast smit their canker'd jaws,

How are the Gentiles all on fire!
Why rage they with vain menacings?
Earth's haughty potentates and kings
'Gainst God, against His Christ conspire:
Break we, say they, their servile bands,
And cast their cords from our free hands.

But God from his caelestial throne
Shall laugh, and their attempts deride;
Then high incens'd, thus check their pride,
(His wrath in their confusion shown):
Lo! I my King have crown'd, and will
Enthrone on Sion's sacred hill.

That great decree I shall declare;
For thus I heard Jehovah say:

As on Euphrates' shady banks we lay,
And there, O Sion, to thy ashes pay
Our funeral tears; our silent harps, unstrung,
And unregarded on the willows hung.
Lo, they who had thy desolation wrought,
And captiv'd Judah unto Babel brought,
Deride the tears which from our sorrows spring,
And say in scorn, Asong of Sion sing.
Shall we profane our harps at their command,
Or holy hymns sing in a foreign land?
O Solyma! thou that art now become
A heap of stones, and to thyself a tomb!
When I forget thee, my dear mother, let

The Lord my shepherd, me His sheep
Will from consuming famine keep.
He fosters me in fragrant meads,
By softly-sliding waters leads;

My soul refresh'd with pleasant juice,
And lest they should His name traduce,
Then when I wander in the maze
Of tempting sin, informs my ways.

No terror can my courage quail,
Though shaded in death's gloomy veil;
By Thy protection fortifi'd,
Thy staff my stay, Thy rod my guide.

My table Thou hast furnished,
Pour'd precious odours on my head:
My mazer flows with pleasant wine,

O Thou, who all things hast of nothing made,
Whose hand the radiant firmament displayed,
With such an undiscerned swiftness hurled
About the steadfast centre of the world;
Against whose rapid course the restless sun,
And wandering flames in varied motions run,
Which heat, light, life infuse; time, night, and day
Distinguish; in our human bodies sway:
That hung'st the solid earth in fleeting air
Veined with clear springs, which ambient seas repair,
In clouds the mountains wrap their hoary heads;
Luxurious valleys clothed with flowery meads;