The Psalms of David Part 46

Give me a soul a-kin to thine To love mine enemies.

6 The Lord shall on my side engage, And, in my Saviour's name, I shall defeat their pride and rage Who slander and condemn.

Psalm 110:1. First Part.

Christ exalted, and mult.i.tudes converted; or, The success of the gospel.

1 Thus the eternal Father spake To Christ the Son, "Ascend and sit "At my right hand, till I shall make "Thy foes submissive at thy feet.

2 "From Zion shall thy word proceed, "Thy word, the sceptre in thy hand, "Shall make the hearts of rebels bleed, "And bow their wills to thy command.

3 "That day shall shew thy power is great, "When saints shall flock with willing minds, "And sinners crowd thy temple gate, "Where holiness in beauty s.h.i.+nes."

4 O blessed power! 0 glorious day!

What a large victory shall ensue!

And converts, who thy grace obey, Exceed the drops of morning dew.

Psalm 110:2. Second Part.

The kingdom and priesthood of Christ.

1 Thus the great Lord of earth and sea Spake to his Son, and thus he swore; "Eternal shall thy priesthood be, "And change from hand to hand no more.

2 "Aaron and all his sons must die; "But everlasting life is thine, "To save for ever those that fly "For refuge from the wrath divine.

3 "By me Melchisedek was made "On earth a king and priest at once; "And thou, my heavenly priest, shalt plead, "And thou, my king, shalt rule my sons."

4 Jesus the priest ascends his throne, While counsels of eternal peace, Between the Father and the Son, Proceed with honour and success.

5 Thro' the whole earth his reign shall spread, And crush the powers that dare rebel; Then shall he judge the rising dead, And send the guilty world to h.e.l.l.

6 Tho' while he treads his glorious way, He drink the cup of tears and blood, The sufferings of that dreadful day Shall but advance him near to G.o.d.

Psalm 110:3. C. M.

Christ's kingdom and priesthood.

1 Jesus, our Lord, ascend thy throne, And near the Father sit; In Zion shall thy power be known, And make thy foes submit.

2 What wonders shall thy gospel do!

Thy converts shall surpa.s.s The numerous drops of morning dew, And own thy sovereign grace.

3 G.o.d hath p.r.o.nounc'd a firm decree, Nor changes what he swore; "Eternal shall thy priesthood be, "When Aaron is no more.

4 "Melchisedek, that wondrous priest, "That king of high degree, "That holy man who Abr'am blest, "Was but a type of thee."

5 Jesus our priest for ever lives To plead for us above; Jesus our king for ever gives The blessings of his love.

6 G.o.d shall exalt his glorious head, And his high throne maintain, Shall strike the powers and princes dead Who dare oppose his reign.

Psalm 111:1. First Part.

The wisdom of G.o.d in his works.

1 Songs of immortal praise belong To my almighty G.o.d; He has my heart, and he my tongue To spread his Name abroad.

2 How great the works his hand has wrought!

How glorious in our sight!

And men in every age have sought His wonders with delight.

3 How most exact is nature's frame!

How wise th' Eternal mind!

His counsels never change the scheme That his first thoughts design'd.

4 When he redeem'd his chosen Son, He fix'd his covenant sure: The orders that his lips p.r.o.nounce To endless years endure.

5 Nature and time, and earth and skies, Thy heavenly skill proclaim: What shall we do to make us wise, But learn to read thy Name?

6 To fear thy power, to trust thy grace Is our divinest skill; And he's the wisest of our race, That best obeys thy will.

Psalm 111:2. Second Part.

The perfections of G.o.d.

1 Great is the Lord; his works of might Demand our n.o.blest songs; Let his a.s.sembled saints unite Their harmony of tongues.

2 Great is the mercy of the Lord, He gives his children food; And ever mindful of his word, He makes his promise good.

3 His Son, the great Redeemer, came To seal his covenant sure: Holy and reverend is his Name, His ways are just and pure.

4 They that would grow divinely wise Must with his fear begin; Our fairest proof of knowledge lies In hating every sin.

Psalm 112:1. As the 113th Psalm.

The blessings of the liberal man.

1 That man is blest who stands in awe Of G.o.d, and loves his sacred law: His seed on earth shall be renown'd; His house the seat of wealth shall be, An inexhausted treasury, And with successive honours crown'd.

2 His liberal favours he extends, To some he gives, to others lends; A generous pity fills his mind: Yet what his charity impairs He saves by prudence in affairs, And thus he's just to all mankind.

3 His hands, while they his alms bestow'd, His glory's future harvest sow'd; The sweet remembrance of the just, Like a green root, revives and bears A train of blessings for his heirs, When dying nature sleeps in dust.

4 Beset with threatening dangers round, Unmov'd shall he maintain his ground; His conscience holds his courage up: The soul that's fill'd with virtue's light, s.h.i.+nes brightest in affliction's night, And sees in darkness beams of hope.

PAUSE.

5 [Ill tidings never can surprise His heart that fix'd on G.o.d relies, Tho' waves and tempests roar around: Safe on the rock he sits, and sees The s.h.i.+pwreck of his enemies, And all their hope and glory drown'd.

6 The wicked shall his triumph see, And gnash their teeth in agony To find their expectations crost: They and their envy, pride and spite, Sink down to everlasting night, And all their names in darkness lost.]