The Psalms of David Part 34

5 "Come, let us join," they cry, "To root them from the ground, "Till not the name of saints remain, "Nor memory shall be found."

6 Awake, almighty G.o.d, And call thy wrath to mind; Give them like forests to the fire, Or stubble to the wind.

7 Convince their madness, Lord, And make them seek thy Name Or else their stubborn rage confound, That they may die in shame.

8 Then shall the nations know That glorious dreadful word, Jehovah is thy name alone, And thou the sovereign Lord.

Psalm 84:1. First Part. L. M.

The pleasure of public wors.h.i.+p.

1 How pleasant, how divinely fair, O Lord of hosts, thy dwellings are!

With long desire my spirit faints To meet th' a.s.semblies of thy saints.

2 My flesh would rest in thine abode, My panting heart cries out for G.o.d; My G.o.d! my King! why should I be So far from all my joys and thee?

3 The sparrow chuses where to rest, And for her young provides her nest: But will my G.o.d to sparrows grant That pleasure which his children want?

4 Blest are the saints who sit on high, Around thy throne of majesty; Thy brightest glories s.h.i.+ne above, And all their work is praise and love.

5 Blest are the souls that find a place Within the temple of thy grace; There they behold thy gentler rays, And seek thy face, and learn thy praise.

6 Blest are the men whose hearts are set To find the way to Sion's gate; G.o.d is their strength, and thro' the road They lean upon their helper G.o.d.

7 Cheerful they walk with growing strength, Till all shall meet in heaven at length, Till all before thy face appear, And join in n.o.bler wors.h.i.+p there.

Psalm 84:2. Second Part. L. M.

G.o.d and his church; or, Grace and glory.

1 Great G.o.d, attend, while Sion sings The joy that from thy presence springs To spend one day with thee on earth Exceeds a thousand days of mirth.

2 Might I enjoy the meanest place Within thine house, O G.o.d of grace, Not tents of ease, nor thrones of power, Should tempt my feet to leave thy door.

3 G.o.d is our sun, he makes our day; G.o.d is our s.h.i.+eld, he guards our way From all th' a.s.saults of h.e.l.l and sin, From foes without, and foes within.

4 All needful grace will G.o.d bestow, And crown that grace with glory too: He gives us all things, and withholds No real good from upright souls.

5 O G.o.d, our King, whose sovereign sway The glorious hosts of heaven obey, And devils at thy presence flee, Blest is the man that trusts in thee.

Psalm 84:3. 14 2 3 10. Paraphrased. C. M.

Delight in ordinances of wors.h.i.+p; or, G.o.d present in his churches.

1 My soul, how lovely is the place To which thy G.o.d resorts!

'Tis heaven to see his smiling face, Tho' in his earthly courts.

2 There the great Monarch of the skies His saving power displays, And light breaks in upon our eyes With kind and quickening rays.

3 With his rich gifts the heavenly Dove Descends and fills the place, While Christ reveals his wondrous love, And sheds abroad his grace.

4 There, mighty G.o.d, thy words declare The secrets of thy will; And still we seek thy mercy there, And sing thy praises still.

PAUSE.

5 My heart and flesh cry out for thee, While far from thine abode: When shall I tread thy courts, and see My Saviour and my G.o.d?

6 The sparrow builds herself a nest, And suffers no remove; O make me like the sparrows, blest, To dwell but where I love.

7 To sit one day beneath thine eye, And hear thy gracious voice, Exceeds a whole eternity Employ'd in carnal joys.

8 Lord, at thy threshold I would wait, While Jesus is within, Rather than fill a throne of state, Or live in tents of sin.

9 Could I command the s.p.a.cious land, And the more boundless sea, For one blest hour at thy right hand I'd give them both away.

Psalm 84:4. As the 148th Psalm.

Longing for the house of G.o.d.

1 Lord of the worlds above, How pleasant and how fair The dwellings of thy love, Thy earthly temples are!

To thine abode My heart aspires, With warm desires To see my G.o.d.

2 The sparrow, for her young, With pleasure seeks her nest; And wandering swallows long To find their wonted rest: My spirit faints With equal zeal To rise and dwell Among thy saints.

3 O happy souls that pray Where G.o.d appoints to hear!

O happy men that pay Their constant service there!

They praise thee still; And happy they That love the way To Zion's hill.

4 They go from strength to strength, Thro' this dark vale of tears, Till each arrives at length, Till each in heaven appears: O glorious seat, When G.o.d our king Shall thither bring Our willing feet!

PAUSE.

5 To spend one sacred day Where G.o.d and saints abide, Affords diviner joy Than thousand days beside; Where G.o.d resorts, I love it more To keep the door Than s.h.i.+ne in courts.

6 G.o.d is our sun and s.h.i.+eld, Our light and our defence With gifts his hands are fill'd, We draw our blessings thence; He shall bestow On Jacob's race Peculiar grace And glory too.

7 The Lord his people loves; His hand no good withholds From those his heart approves, From pure and pious souls: Thrice happy he, O G.o.d of hosts, Whose spirit trusts Alone in thee.

Psalm 85:1. 1-8. First Part.

Waiting for an answer to prayer; or, Deliverance begun and completed.

1 Lord, thou hast call'd thy grace to mind, Thou hast revers'd our heavy doom: So G.o.d forgave when Israel sinn'd, And brought his wandering captives home.

2 Thou hast begun to set us free, And made thy fiercest wrath abate; Now let our hearts be turn'd to thee, And thy salvation be complete.

3 Revive our dying graces, Lord, And let thy saints in thee rejoice; Make known thy truth, fulfil thy word, We wait for praise to tune our voice.