PSALMS.

SELECTION 1. (PSALM 1.)

The Righteous and the Wicked contrasted.

THAT

HAT man hath perfect blessedness
Who walketh not astray,

In counsel of ungodly men,

Nor stands in sinners' way;

2 Nor sitteth in the scorner's chair:
But placeth his delight

Upon God's law, and meditates
On his law day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree that grows
Near planted by a river,

Which in his season yields his fruit,
And his leaf fadeth never:

4 And all he doth shall prosper well.
The wicked are not so:

But like they are unto the chaff,
Which wind drives to and fro.

5 In judgment therefore shall not stand
Such as ungodly are;

Nor in th' assembly of the just

Shall wicked men appear.

6 For why? the way of godly men

Unto the Lord is known: Whereas the way of wicked men Shall quite be overthrown.

(8)

SELECTION 2. (Ps. 4.)

An Evening Psalm.

GIVE ear unto me when I call,
God of my righteousness:

Have mercy, hear my prayer; thou hast
Enlarged me in distress.

2 O who will show us any good?
Is that which many say:
But of thy countenance the light,
Lord, lift on us alway.

3 Upon my heart, bestowed by thee,
More gladness I have found,

Than they, ev'n then, when corn and wine
Did most with them abound.

4 I will both lay me down in peace,
And quiet sleep will take;
Because thou only me to dwell
In safety, Lord, dost make.

SELECTION 3. (Ps. 5.)

Drawing nigh to God.

GIVE ear unto my words, O Lord,

My meditation weigh:

Hear my loud cry, my King, my God;
For I to thee will pray.

2 Lord, thou shalt early hear my voice:
I early will direct

My prayer to thee; and, looking up,
An answer will expect.

3 For thou art not a God that doth
In wickedness delight:

Neither shall evil dwell with thee,
Nor fools stand in thy sight.

4 All that ill-doers are thou hat'st;
Cutt'st off that liars be:

The bloody and deceitful man
Abhorred is by thee.

5 But I into thy house will come
In thine abundant grace;
And I will worship in thy fear
Toward thy holy place.

SELECTION 4. (Ps. 8.)

God exalted and Man humbled.

HOW excellent in all the earth,
Lord, our Lord, is thy name!

Who hast thy glory far advanced
Above the starry frame.

2 From infants' and from sucklings' mouth
Thou didest strength ordain,
For thy foes' cause, that so thou might'st
Th' avenging foe restrain.

3 When I look up unto the heav'ns,
Which thine own fingers framed,
Unto the moon, and to the stars,
Which were by thee ordained;

4 Then say I, What is man, that he
Remembered is by thee?

Or what the son of man that thou
So kind to him shouldst be?

5 For thou a little lower hast
Him than the angels made;
With glory and with dignity
Thou crowned hast his head.

SELECTION 5. (Ps. 15.)
The acceptable Worshipper.
ITHIN thy tabernacle, Lord,
Who shall abide with thee?
And in thy high and holy hill
Who shall a dweller be?

WIT

2 The man that walketh uprightly,
And worketh righteousness,
And as he thinketh in his heart,
So doth he truth express:

3 Who doth not slander with his tongue
Nor to his friend doth hurt;

Nor yet against his neighbour doth
Take up an ill report:

4 In whose eyes vile men are despised;
But those that God do fear
He honoureth; and changeth not,
Though to his hurt he swear.

SELECTION 6. (Ps. 19.)

The Excellence of the Divine Law.

GOD'S law is perfect, and converts

The soul in sin that lies;

God's testimony is most sure,
And makes the simple wise.

2 The statutes of the Lord are right,
And do rejoice the heart;
The Lord's command is pure, and doth
Light to the eyes impart.

3 Unspotted is the fear of God,

And doth endure for ever:

The judgments of the Lord are true
And righteous altogether.

4 They more than gold, yea, much fine gold, To be desired are:

Than honey, honey from the comb,
That droppeth, sweeter far.

5 Moreover, they thy servant warn
How he his life should frame;

A great reward provided is
For them that keep the same.