University of Virginia Library

PSALM XLV.

[My heart is full of Christ, and longs]

PART I.

My heart is full of Christ, and longs
Its glorious matter to declare!
Of Him I make my loftiest songs,
I cannot from His praise forbear;
My ready tongue makes haste to sing
The beauties of my heavenly King.

Fairer than all the earth-born race,
Perfect in comeliness Thou art;
Replenish'd are Thy lips with grace,
And full of love Thy tender heart;
God ever bless'd, we bow the knee,
And own all fulness dwells in Thee.

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103

Gird on Thy thigh the Spirit's sword,
And take to Thee Thy power Divine,
Stir up Thy strength, almighty Lord!
All power and majesty are Thine:
Assert Thy worship and renown,
O all-redeeming God, come down!

Come, and maintain Thy righteous cause,
And let Thy glorious toil succeed;
Dispread the victory of Thy cross,
Ride on, and prosper in Thy deed;
Through earth triumphantly ride on,
And reign in all our hearts alone.

Still let the word of truth prevail,
The gospel of Thy general grace,
Of mercy mild that ne'er shall fail,
Of everlasting righteousness,
Into the faithful soul brought in,
To root out all the seeds of sin.

Terrible things Thine own right hand
Shall teach Thy greatness to perform:
Who in the vengeful day can stand
Unshaken by Thine anger's storm,
While, riding on the whirlwind's wings,
They meet the thundering King of kings?

Sharp are the arrows of Thy love,
And pierce the most obdurate heart:
Their point Thine enemies shall prove,
And, strangely fill'd with pleasing smart,
Fall down before the cross subdued,
And feel Thine arrows dipp'd in blood.

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104

O God of love, Thy sway we own,
Thy dying love doth all control;
Justice and grace support Thy throne,
Set up in every faithful soul;
Steadfast it stands in them, and sure,
When pure, as Thou their God art pure.

Lover Thou art of purity,
And hatest every spot of sin;
Nothing profane can dwell with Thee,
Nothing unholy or unclean:
And therefore doth Thy Father own
His glorious likeness in His Son.

Therefore He hath His Spirit shed,
Spirit of joy, and power, and grace,
Immeasurably on Thy head;
First-born of all the chosen race,
From Thee the sacred unction springs
That makes Thy fellows priests and kings.

PART II.

Sweet is the odour of Thy name,
Through all the means a fragrance comes;
Thy garments hide the sinner's shame,
Thy garments shed Divine perfumes,
That through the ivory palace flow,—
The church, in which Thou reign'st below.

Thy heavenly charms the virgins move,
And bow them to Thy pleasing sway;
They triumph in Thy princely love,
Thy will with all their hearts obey;
Revere Thine honourable word,
The glorious handmaids of the Lord.

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105

High above all, at Thy right hand,
Adorn'd with each diviner grace,
Thy favourite queen exults to stand,
Thy church her heavenly charms displays,
Clothed with the sun, for glory meet,
She sees the moon beneath her feet.

Daughter of Heaven, though born on earth,
Incline thy willing heart and ear;
Forget thy first ignoble birth,
Thy people, and thy kinsfolk here;
So shall the King delight to see
His beauties copied out on thee.

He only is thy God and Lord;
Worship Divine to Him be given,
By all the host of heaven adored,
By every creature under heaven;
And all the Gentile world shall know,
And freely to His service flow.

The rich shall lay their riches down,
And poor become, for Jesu's sake;
Kings at His feet shall cast their crown,
And humble suit for mercy make,
(Mercy alike on all bestow'd,)
And languish to be great in God.

Are not His servants kings? and rule
They not o'er hell, and earth, and sin?
His daughter is divinely full
Of Christ, and “glorious all within;”
All glorious inwardly she reigns,
And not one spot of sin remains.

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106

Clothed with humility and love,
With every dazzling virtue bright,
With faith which God vouchsafes to' approve,
Precious in her great Father's sight,
The royal maid with joy shall come,
Triumphant, to her heavenly home.

Brought by His sweet attracting grace,
She first shall in His sight appear
In holiness before His face,
Made perfect with her fellows here:
Spotless and pure, a virgin train,
They all shall in His palace reign.

In lieu of seers and patriarchs old,
Of whom she once did make her boast,
The virgin-mother shall behold
Her numerous sons a princely host,
Install'd o'er all the earth abroad,
Anointed kings and priests to God.

Thee, Jesus, King of kings, and Lord
Of lords, I glory to proclaim;
From age to age Thy praise record,
That all the world may learn Thy name:
And all shall soon Thy grace adore,
When time and sin shall be no more.