Not a cloud obfcur'd my sky,
Could I think a tempeft nigh?
5 Little, then, myself I knew,
Little thought of Satan's pow'r;
Now I find their words were true,
Now I feel the stormy hour!
Sin has put my joys to flight,
Sin has chang'd my day to night.
6 Satan afks and mocks my woe,
"Boafter, where is now your GOD?"
Silence, LORD, this cruel foe,
Let him know I'm bought with blood:
Tell him, fince I know thy name,
Tho' I change thou art the fame
XLV. Pleading for mercy. Pfal. vi.
I IN mercy, not in wrath, rebuke
Thy feeble worm, my God!
My fpirit dreads thine angry look,
And trembles at thy rod.
2 Have mercy, LORD, for I am weak,
Regard my heavy grones;
O let thy voice of comfort fpeak,
And heal my broken bones!
3 By day my bufy beating head
Is fill'd with anxious fears;
By night upon my reftlefs bed,
I weep a flood of tears.
4 Thus I fit defolate and mourn,
Mine eyes grow dull with grief;
How long, my LORD, ere thou return,
And bring my foul relief?
5. O come and fhew thy pow'r to fave,
And spare my fainting breath;
For who can praife thee in the grave,
Or fing thy name in death?
6 Satan, my cruel envious foe,
Infults me in my`pain;
He smiles to fee me brought fo low,
And tells me hope is vain.
7 But hence, thou enemy, depart!
Nor tempt me to despair;
My Saviour comes to cheer my heart,
The LORD has heard my pray❜r.
XLVI. None upon earth I defire befides thee, Pfal. lxxiii. 25.
OW tedious and taftlefs the hours, When JESUS no longer I fee; Sweet profpects, fweet birds, and sweet flow'rs,
Have loft all their sweetness with me;
The mid-fummer fun fhines but dim,
The fields ftrive in vain to look gay;
But when I am happy in him,
December's as pleasant as May.
D 3
2 His name yields the richeft perfume,
And sweeter than mufick his voice;
His prefence difperfes my gloom;
And makes all within me rejoice:
I fhould, were he always thus nigh,
Have nothing to wifh or to fear;
No mortal fo happy as I,
My fummer would laft all the year.
3 Content with beholding his face,
My all to his pleasure refign d;
No changes of feafon or place,
Would make any change in my mind:
While blefs'd with a fenfe of his love,
A palace a toy would appear;
And prifons would palaces prove,
If JESUS would dwell with me there.
4 Dear LORD, if indeed I am thine,
If thou art my fun and my fong;
Say, why do Ilanguish and pine,
And why are my winters fo long?
O drive thefe dark clouds from my sky,
Thy foul-cheering prefence reftore;
Or take me unto thee on high,
Where winter and clouds are no more.
XLVII. The believer's fafety. Pfal. xci.
7 Ntarnate GOD! the foul that knows
I
Thy name's myfterious pow'r;
Shall dwell in undisturb'd repofe,
Nor fear the trying hour.
2 Thy wisdom, faithfulness and love,.
To feeble helpless worms,
A buckler and a refuge prove,
From enemies and ftorms.
3 In vain the fowler spreads his net,
To draw them from thy care;
Thy timely call inftructs their feet,
To fhun the artful snare.
4 When like a baneful peftilence,
Sin mows its thousands down
On ev'ry fide, without defence,
Thy grace fecures thine own."
5 No midnight terrors haunt their bed,
No arrow wounds by day;
Unhurt on ferpents they fhall tread,
If found in duty's way.
6 Angels, unfeen, attend the faints,
And bear them in their arms;
To cheer the fpirit when it faints,
And guard the life from harms.
7 The angel's LORD, himself is nigh,
To them that love his name;
Ready to fave them when they cry,
And put their foes to fhame.
8 Croffes and changes are their lot,
Long as they fojourn here;
But fince their Saviour changes not,
What have the faints to fear?
HAT man no guard or weapons needs,
Whose heart the blood of JESUS knows ;
D. 4
But fafe may pafs, if duty leads,
Thro' burning fands or mountain-fnows.
2 Releas'd from guilt he feels no fear,
Redemption is his fhield and tow'r;
He fees his Saviour always near
To help, in ev'ry trying hour.
3 Tho' I am weak and Satan ftrong,
And often to affult me tries;
When JESUS is my fhield and fong, -
Abafh'd the wolf before me flies.
4 His love poffeffing I am bleft,
Secure whatever change may come;
Whether I go to Eaft or Weft,
With him I ftill fhall be at home.
If plac'd beneath the northern pole,
Tho' winter reigns with rigor there;
His gracious beams would cheer my foul,
And make a fpring throughout the year.
6 Or if the defarts fun-burnt foil,
My lonely dwelling e'er fhould prove;
His prefence would fupport my toil,
Whofe fmile is life, whofe voice is love.
XLIX. He led them a right way. Pfal cvii. 7.` -
WHEN Ifrael was from Egypt freed,
The LORD, who brought them out,
Help'd them in ev'ry time of need,
But led them round about (y).
2 To enter Canaan foon they hop'd,
But quickly chang'd their mind;
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