 | Familiar letters and poems on several occasions |  |
PSALM CXXXVIII.
To thee, my God, my choicest Lays I'll bring,
And with glad Heart thy endless Mercy sing;
No other Pow'r will I invoke but thee,
To thee alone I'll bend the suppliant Knee.
My soul, my ev'ry Faculty, shall join,
In solemn Concert, at thy sacred Shrine;
Thy everlasting Love, thy Pow'r supreme,
And thy eternal Truth shall be my Theme;
For thou wast pleas'd to lend a gracious Ear,
When prest with Woes I pour'd the fervent Pray'r:
Sure I had died, but for thy kind Relief,
Who gav'st me Strength to overcome my Grief.
And with glad Heart thy endless Mercy sing;
No other Pow'r will I invoke but thee,
To thee alone I'll bend the suppliant Knee.
288
In solemn Concert, at thy sacred Shrine;
Thy everlasting Love, thy Pow'r supreme,
And thy eternal Truth shall be my Theme;
For thou wast pleas'd to lend a gracious Ear,
When prest with Woes I pour'd the fervent Pray'r:
Sure I had died, but for thy kind Relief,
Who gav'st me Strength to overcome my Grief.
O'er the wide Earth thy pow'rful Word is known,
And all its Princes bow before thy Throne;
The mightiest Monarchs own thy mightier Name,
Who all with one Consent thy Praise proclaim.
And all its Princes bow before thy Throne;
The mightiest Monarchs own thy mightier Name,
Who all with one Consent thy Praise proclaim.
In Heav'n thou reignst, with dazling Glory bright,
Resplendent in thy own amazing Light!
Yet from thy awful Seat, enthron'd on High,
Thou view'st the Humble with a gracious Eye;
In vain the proud Oppressers would be heard,
The poor Oppress'd shall have their Pray'rs prefer'd.
Resplendent in thy own amazing Light!
289
Thou view'st the Humble with a gracious Eye;
In vain the proud Oppressers would be heard,
The poor Oppress'd shall have their Pray'rs prefer'd.
With trembling Steps I tread a dang'rous Way,
Mark'd by my Foes to fall their certain Prey;
I see them swift to my Destruction run,
Un-knowing how the destin'd Ill to shun;
Fainting and fearful, I the Mischief see,
Void of all Hope, my God, but hope in thee!
In vain, alas, with mild persuasive Arts,
I strove to melt their unrelenting Hearts;
'Tis thou alone their Fury must oppose,
Whose Wisdom, ev'ry Spring of Passion knows.
Thou, only, knowst the Stubborn Heart to bend,
And only thou canst sure deliv'rance send;
Support me Lord, stretch thy all-saving Arm,
And guard me from the near impending Harm!
Once, in Distress, thy friendly Aid I sought,
And in Distress thy friendly Aid was brought;
Assist me now, as thou hast done before,
And peace, and perfect Happiness restore;
My Being I receiv'd at thy Command,
O save the Creature of thy forming Hand;
Then shall my Soul thy endless Mercy sing,
To thee, my God, my choicest Lays I'll bring.
Mark'd by my Foes to fall their certain Prey;
I see them swift to my Destruction run,
Un-knowing how the destin'd Ill to shun;
Fainting and fearful, I the Mischief see,
Void of all Hope, my God, but hope in thee!
In vain, alas, with mild persuasive Arts,
I strove to melt their unrelenting Hearts;
'Tis thou alone their Fury must oppose,
Whose Wisdom, ev'ry Spring of Passion knows.
Thou, only, knowst the Stubborn Heart to bend,
And only thou canst sure deliv'rance send;
290
And guard me from the near impending Harm!
Once, in Distress, thy friendly Aid I sought,
And in Distress thy friendly Aid was brought;
Assist me now, as thou hast done before,
And peace, and perfect Happiness restore;
My Being I receiv'd at thy Command,
O save the Creature of thy forming Hand;
Then shall my Soul thy endless Mercy sing,
To thee, my God, my choicest Lays I'll bring.
| Familiar letters and poems on several occasions | |