Psalms Of Watts 16-20
The
Psalms Of David
By Isaac Watts
In Metre
Psalm 16 - Part One.
Confession of our poverty.
1 Preserve me, Lord, in time of need
For succour to thy throne I flee,
But have no merits there to plead;
My goodness cannot reach to thee.
2 Oft have my heart and tongue confest
How empty and how poor I am;
My praise can never make thee blest,
Nor add new glories to thy name.
3 Yet, Lord, thy saints on earth may reap
Some profit by the good we do;
These are the company I keep,
These are the choicest friends I know.
4 Let others choose the Sons of mirth
To give a relish to their wine,
I love the men of heavenly birth,
Whose thoughts and language are divine.
Psalm 16 - Part Two.
Christ's all-sufficiency.
1 How fast their guilt and sorrows rise
Who haste to seek some idol god!
I will not taste their sacrifice,
Their offerings of forbidden blood.
2 My God provides a richer cup,
And nobler food to live upon;
He for my life has offer'd up
Jesus, his best beloved Son.
3 His love is my perpetual feast;
By day his counsels guide me right;
And be his name for ever blest,
Who gives me sweet advice by night.
4 I set him still before mine eyes;
At my right hand he stands prepar'd
To keep my soul from all surprise,
And be my everlasting guard.
Psalm 16 - Part Three.
Courage in death, and hope of the resurrection.
1 When God is nigh, my faith is strong,
His arm is my almighty prop:
Be glad, my heart; rejoice, my tongue,
My dying flesh shall rest in hope.
2 Tho' in the dust I lay my head,
Yet, gracious God, thou wilt not leave
My soul for ever with the dead,
Nor lose thy children in the grave.
3 My flesh shall thy first call obey,
Shake off the dust, and rise on high;
Then shalt thou lead the wondrous way,
Up to thy throne above the sky.
4 There streams of endless pleasure flow;
And full discoveries of thy grace
(Which we but tasted here below)
Spread heavenly joys thro' all the place.
Psalm 16 - Part One.
Verses 1-8. Support and counsel from God without merit.
1 Save me, O Lord, from every foe;
In thee my trust I place,
Tho' all the good that I can do
Can ne'er deserve thy grace.
2 Yet if my God prolong my breath
The saints may profit by't;
The saints, the glory of the earth,
The men of my delight.
3 Let heathens to their idols haste,
And worship wood or stone;
But my delightful lot is cast
Where the true God is known.
4 His hand provides my constant food,
He fills my daily cup;
Much am I pleas'd with present good,
But more rejoice in hope.
5 God is my portion and my joy,
His counsels are my light;
He gives me sweet advice by day,
And gentle hints by night.
6 My soul would all her thoughts approve
To his all-seeing eye;
Not death, nor hell my hope shall move,
While such a friend is nigh.
Psalm 16 - Part Two.
The death and resurrection of Christ.
1 I set the Lord before my face,
"He bears my courage up;
"My heart, and tongue, their joys express,
"My flesh shall rest in hope.
2 "Mv spirit, Lord, thou wilt not leave
"Where souls departed are;
"Nor quit my body to the grave
"To see corruption there.
3 "Thou wilt reveal the path of life,
"And raise me to thy throne;
"Thy courts immortal pleasure give,
"Thy presence joys unknown."
4 [Thus in the name of Christ, the Lord,
The holy David sung,
And Providence fulfils the word
Of his prophetic tongue.
5 Jesus, whom every saint adores,
Was crucify'd and slain;
Behold the tomb its prey restores,
Behold, he lives again!
6 When shall my feet arise and stand
On heaven's eternal hills?
There sits the Son at God's right hand,
And there the Father smiles.]
Psalm 17.
Portion of saints and sinners.
1 Arise, my gracious God,
And make the wicked flee;
They are but thy chastising rod
To drive thy saints to thee.
2 Behold the sinner dies,
His haughty words are vain;
Here in this life his pleasure lies,
And all beyond is pain.
3 Then let his pride advance,
And boast of all his store:
The Lord is my inheritance,
My soul can wish no more.
4 I shall behold the face
Of my forgiving God,
And stand complete in righteousness,
Wash'd in my Saviour's blood.
5 There's a new heaven begun,
When I awake from death,
Drest in the likeness of thy Son,
And draw immortal breath.
Psalm 17.
The sinner's portion, and saint's hope.
1 Lord, I am thine; but thou wilt prove
My faith, my patience, and my love;
When men of spite against me join,
They are the sword, the hand is thine.
2 Their hope and portion lies below;
'Tis all the happiness they know,
'Tis all they seek; they take their shares,
And leave the rest among their heirs.
3 What sinners value, I resign;
Lord, 'tis enough that thou art mine;
I shall behold thy blissful face,
And stand complete in righteousness.
4 This life's a dream, an empty show;
But the bright world to which I go
Hath joys substantial and sincere;
When shall I wake, and find me there?
5 O glorious hour! O blest abode!
I shall be near and like my God!
And flesh and sin no more control
The sacred pleasures of the soul.
6 My flesh shall slumber in the ground,
Till the last trumpet's joyful sound;
Then burst the chains with sweet surprise,
And in my Saviour's image rise.
Psalm 18 - Part One.
Verses 1-6, 15-18. Deliverance from despair.
1 Thee will I love, O Lord, my strength,
My rock, my tower, my high defence,
Thy mighty arm shall be my trust,
For I have found salvation thence.
2 Death, and the terrors of the grave
Stood round me with their dismal shade;
While floods of high temptations rose,
And made my sinking soul afraid.
3 I saw the opening gates of hell,
With endless pains and sorrows there,
Which none but they that feel can tell,
While I was hurried to despair.
4 In my distress I call'd 'my God,'
When I could scarce believe him mine;
He bow'd his ear to my complaint,
Then did his grace appear divine.
5 [With speed he flew to my relief,
As on a cherub's wing he rode;
Awful and bright as lightning shone
The face of my deliverer, God.
6 Temptations fled at his rebuke,
The blast of his almighty breath;
He sent salvation from on high,
And drew me from the deeps of death.]
7 Great were my fears, my foes were great,
Much was their strength, and more their rage;
But Christ, my Lord, is conqueror still,
In all the wars that devils wage.
8 My song for ever shall record
That terrible, that joyful hour;
And give the glory to the Lord
Due to his mercy and his power.
Psalm 18 - Part Two.
Verses 2O-26. Sincerity proved and rewarded.
1 Lord, thou hast seen my soul sincere,
Hast made thy truth and love appear;
Before mine eyes I set thy laws,
And thou hast own'd my righteous cause.
2 Since I have learnt thy holy ways,
I've walk'd upright before thy face;
Or if my feet did e'er depart,
'Twas never with a wicked heart.
3 What sore temptations broke my rest!
What wars and strugglings in my breast!
But thro' thy grace that reigns within,
I guard against my darling sin:
4 That sin which close besets me still,
That works and strives against my will;
When shall thy Spirit's sovereign power
Destroy it that it rise no more?
5 [With an impartial hand, the Lord
Deals out to mortals their reward;
The kind and faithful souls shall find
A God as faithful, and as kind.
6 The just and pure shall ever say,
Thou art more pure, more just than they;
And men that love revenge shall know,
God hath an arm of vengeance too.]
Psalm 18 - Part Three.
Verses 30-31,34-35, 46-50. Rejoicing in God.
1 Just are thy ways, and true thy word,
Great rock of my secure abode;
Who is a God beside the Lord?
Or where's a refuge like our God?
2 'Tis he that girds me with his might,
Gives me his holy sword to wield;
And while with sin and hell I fight,
Spreads his salvation for my shield.
3 He lives (and blessed be my rock!)
The God of my salvation lives,
The dark designs of hell are broke;
Sweet is the peace my Father gives.
4 Before the scoffers of the age,
I will exalt my Father's name,
Nor tremble at their mighty rage,
But meet reproach and bear the shame.
5 To David and his royal seed
Thy grace for ever shall extend;
Thy love to saints in Christ their head
Knows not a limit, nor an end.
Psalm 18 - Part One.
Victory and triumph over temporal enemies.
1 We love thee, Lord, and we adore,
Now is thine arm reveal'd;
Thou art our strength, our heavenly tower,
Our bulwark and our shield.
2 We fly to our eternal rock,
And find a sure defence;
His holy name our lips invoke,
And draw salvation thence.
3 When God, our leader, shines in arms,
What mortal heart can bear
The thunder of his loud alarms?
The lightning of his spear?
4 He rides upon the winged wind,
And angels in array
In millions wait to know his mind,
And swift as flames obey.
5 He speaks, and at his fierce rebuke,
Whole armies are dismay'd;
His voice, his frown, his angry look
Strikes all their courage dead.
6 He forms our generals for the field,
With all their dreadful skill;
Gives them his awful sword to wield,
And makes their hearts of steel.
7 [He arms our captains to the fight,
Tho' there his name's forgot:
He girded Cyrus with his might,
But Cyrus knew him not.
8 Oft has the Lord whole nations blest
For his own church's sake:
The powers that give his people rest,
Shall of his care partake.]
Psalm 18 - Part Two.
The conqueror's song.
1 To thine almighty arm we owe
The triumphs of the day
Thy terrors, Lord, confound the foe,
And melt their strength away.
2 'Tis by thine aid our troops prevail,
And break united powers,
Or burn their boasted fleets, or scale
The proudest of their towers.
3 How have we chas'd them thro' the field,
And trod them to the ground,
While thy salvation was our shield,
But they no shelter found!
4 In vain to idol-saints they cry,
And perish in their blood;
Where is a rock so great, so high,
So powerful as our God?
5 The Rock of Israel ever lives,
His name be ever blest;
'Tis his own arm the victory gives,
And gives his people rest.
6 On kings that reign as David did,
He pours his blessings down;
Secures their honours to their seed,
And well supports the crown.
Psalm 19 - Part One.
The book of nature and scripture.
For a Lord's-day morning.
1 Behold the lofty sky
Declares its maker God,
And all his starry works on high
Proclaim his power abroad.
2 The darkness and the light
Still keep their course the same;
While night to day, and day to night
Divinely teach his name.
3 In every different land
Their general voice is known
They shew the wonders of his hand,
And orders of his throne.
4 Ye British lands, rejoice,
Here he reveals his word,
We are not left to nature's voice
To bid us know the Lord.
5 His statutes and commands
Are set before our eyes;
He puts his gospel in our hands,
Where our salvation lies.
6 His laws are just and pure,
His truth without deceit,
His promises for ever sure,
And his rewards are great.
7 [Not honey to the taste
Affords so much delight,
Nor gold that has the furnace past
So much allures the sight.
8 While of thy works I sing,
Thy glory to proclaim,
Accept the praise, my God, my King,
In my Redeemer's name.]
Psalm 19 - Part Two.
God's word most excellent; or, Sincerity and watchfulness.
For a Lord's-day morning.
1 Behold the morning sun
Begins his glorious way;
His beams thro' all the nations run,
And life and light convey.
2 But where the gospel comes,
It spreads diviner light,
It calls dead sinners from their tombs,
And gives the blind their sight.
3 How perfect is thy word!
And all thy judgments just!
For ever sure thy promise, Lord,
And men securely trust.
4 My gracious God, how plain
Are thy directions given!
O! may I never read in vain,
But find the path to heaven!
PAUSE.
5 I hear thy word with love,
And I would fain obey;
Send thy good Spirit from above
To guide me, lest I stray.
6 O who can ever find
The errors of his ways?
Yet, with a bold presumptuous mind,
I would not dare transgress.
7 Warn me of every sin,
Forgive my secret faults,
And cleanse this guilty soul of mine,
Whose crimes exceed my thoughts.
8 While with my heart and tongue
I spread thy praise abroad,
Accept the worship and the song,
My Saviour and my God.
Psalm 19.
The books of nature and of scripture compared.
1 The heavens declare thy glory, Lord,
In every star thy wisdom shines;
But when our eyes behold thy word
We read thy name in fairer lines.
2 The rolling sun, the changing light,
And nights and days thy power confess;
But the blest volume thou hast writ
Reveals thy justice and thy grace.
3 Sun, moon, and stars convey thy praise
Round the whole earth, and never stand;
So when thy truth begun its race,
It touch'd and glanc'd on every land.
4 Nor shall thy spreading gospel rest,
Till thro' the world thy truth has run;
Till Christ has all the nations blest,
That see the light, or feel the sun.
5 Great Sun of Righteousness, arise,
Bless the dark world with heavenly light;
Thy gospel makes the simple wise,
Thy laws are pure, thy judgments right.
6 Thy noblest wonders here we view
In souls renew'd and sins forgiven:
Lord, cleanse my sins, my soul renew,
And make thy word my guide to heaven.
Psalm 19.
To the tune of the 113th Psalm.
The books of nature and of scripture.
1 Great God, the heaven's well-order'd frame
Declares the glories of thy name;
There thy rich works of wonder shine:
A thousand starry beauties there,
A thousand radiant marks appear
Of boundless power and skill divine.
2 From night to day, from day to night,
The dawning and the dying light
Lectures of heavenly wisdom read;
With silent eloquence they raise
Our thoughts to our Creator's praise,
And neither sound nor language need.
3 Yet their divine instructions run
Far as the journies of the sun,
And every nation knows their voice;
The sun, like some young bridegroom drest,
Breaks from the chambers of the east,
Rolls round, and makes the earth rejoice.
4 Where'er he spreads his beams abroad,
He smiles and speaks his Maker God;
All nature joins to shew thy praise:
Thus God, in every creature shines;
Fair is the book of nature's lines,
But fairer is thy book of grace.
PAUSE.
5 I love the volumes of thy word;
What light and joy those leaves afford
To souls benighted and distrest!
Thy precepts guide my doubtful way,
Thy fear forbids my feet to stray;
Thy promise leads my heart to rest.
6 From the discoveries of thy law
The perfect rules of life I draw,
These are my study and delight:
Not honey so invites the taste,
Nor gold, that hath the furnace past,
Appears so pleasing to the sight.
7 Thy threatenings wake my slumbering eyes,
And warn me where my danger lies;
But 'tis thy blessed gospel, Lord,
That makes my guilty conscience clean,
Converts my soul, subdues my sin,
And gives a free, but large reward.
8 Who knows the errors of his thoughts?
My God, forgive my secret faults,
And from presumptuous sins restrain;
Accept my poor attempts of praise
That I have read thy book of grace,
And book of nature, not in vain.
Psalm 20.
Prayer and hope of victory.
For a day of prayer in time of war.
1 Now may the God of power and grace
Attend his people's humble cry!
Jehovah hears when Israel prays,
And brings deliverance from on high.
2 The name of Jacob's God defends
Better than shields or brazen walls;
He from his sanctuary sends
Succour and strength, when Zion calls.
3 Well he remembers all our sighs,
His love exceeds our best deserts,
His love accepts the sacrifice
Of humble groans and broken hearts.
4 In his salvation is our hope,
And, in the name of Israel's God,
Our troops shall lift their banners up,
Our navies spread their flags abroad.
5 Some trust in horses train'd for war,
And some of chariots make their boast;
Our surest expectations are
From thee, the Lord of heavenly hosts.
6 [O! may the memory of thy name
Inspire our armies for the fight!
Our foes shall fall and die with shame,
Or quit the field with shameful flight.]
7 Now save us, Lord, from slavish fear;
Now let our hopes be firm and strong,
Till the salvation shall appear,
And joy and triumph raise the song.
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