Chapter VIII: Part 8

Psalm 147:3. 7-9 13-18. C. M. The seasons of the year.

1 With songs and honours sounding loud Address the Lord on high; Over the heavens he spreads his cloud, And waters veil the sky.

2 He sends his showers of blessing down To cheer the plains below; He makes the grass the mountains crown, And corn in vallies grow.

3 He gives the grazing ox his meat, He hears the ravens cry; But man, who tastes his finest wheat, Should raise his honours high.

4 His steady counsels change the face Of the declining year; He bids the sun cut short his race, And wintry days appear.

5 His hoary frost, his fleecy snow Descend and clothe the ground; The liquid streams forbear to flow, In icy fetters bound.

6 When from his dreadful stores on high He pours the rattling hail, The wretch that dares this God defy Shall find his courage fail.

7 He sends his word and melts the snow, The fields no longer mourn; He calls the warmer gales to blow, And bids the spring return.

8 The changing wind, the flying cloud, Obey his mighty word: With songs and honours sounding loud, Praise ye the sovereign Lord.

Psalm 148:1. P. M. Praise to God from all creatures.

1 Ye tribes of Adam, join With heaven, and earth, and seas, And offer notes divine To your Creator's praise: Ye holy throng Of angels bright, In worlds of light, Begin the song.

2 Thou sun with dazzling rays, And moon that rules the night, Shine to your Maker's praise, With stars of twinkling light: His power declare, Ye floods on high, And clouds that fly In empty air.

3 The shining worlds above In glorious order stand, Or in swift courses move By his supreme command: He spake the word, And all their frame From nothing came To praise the Lord.

4 He mov'd their mighty wheels In unknown ages past, And each his word fulfils While time and nature last: In different ways His works proclaim His wondrous Name, And speak his praise.

PAUSE.

5 Let all the earth-born race, And monsters of the deep, The fish that cleave the seas, Or in their bosom sleep, From sea and shore Their tribute pay, And still display Their Maker's power.

6 Ye vapours, hail, and snow, Praise ye Th' almighty Lord, And stormy winds that blow To execute his word: When lightnings shine, Or thunders roar, Let earth adore His hand divine.

7 Ye mountains near the skies, With lofty cedars there, And trees of humbler size, That fruit in plenty bear; Beasts wild and tame, Birds, flies, and worms, In various forms Exalt his Name.

8 Ye kings and judges, fear The Lord, the sovereign King; And while you rule us here, His heavenly honours sing: Nor let the dream Of power and state Make you forget His power supreme.

9 Virgins, and youths, engage To sound his praise divine, While infancy and age Their feebler voices join: Wide as he reigns His Name be sung By every tongue In endless strains.

10 Let all the nations fear The God that rules above; He brings his people near, And makes them taste his love: While earth and sky Attempt his praise, His saints shall raise His honours high.

Psalm 148:2. Paraphrased. L. M. Universal praise to God.

1 Loud hallelujahs to the Lord, From distant worlds where creatures dwell: Let heaven begin the solemn word, And sound it dreadful down to hell.

Note. This psalm may be sung to the tune of the old 112th or 127th Psalm, if these two lines be added to every stanza, viz.

Each of his works his Name displays, But they can ne'er fulfil the praise.

Otherwise it must be sung to the usual tunes of the Long Metre.

2 The Lord! how absolute he reigns! Let every angel bend the knee; Sing of his love in heavenly strains, And speak how fierce his terrors be.

3 High on a throne his glories dwell, An awful throne of shining bliss: Fly thro' the world, O sun, and tell How dark thy beams compar'd to his.

4 Awake, ye tempests, and his fame In sounds of dreadful praise declare; And the sweet whisper of his Name Fill every gentler breeze of air.

5 Let clouds, and winds, and waves agree To join their praise with blazing fire; Let the firm earth, and rolling sea, In this eternal song conspire.

6 Ye flowery plains, proclaim his skill; Vallies, lie low before his eye; And let his praise from every hill Rise tuneful to the neighbouring sky.

7 Ye stubborn oaks, and stately pines, Bend your high branches and adore: Praise him, ye beasts, in different strains; The lamb must bleat, the lion roar.

8 Birds, ye must make his praise your theme, Nature demands a song from you; While the dumb fish that cut the stream Leap up, and mean his praises too.

9 Mortals, can you refrain your tongue, When nature all around you sings? O for a shout from old and young, From humble swains, and lofty kings!

10 Wide as his vast dominion lies Make the Creator's name be known; Loud as his thunder shout his praise, And sound it lofty as his throne.

11 Jehovah! 'tis a glorious word, O may it dwell on every tongue! But saints who best have known the Lord Are bound to raise the noblest song.

12 Speak of the wonders of that love Which Gabriel plays on every chord: From all below and all above, Loud hallelujahs to the Lord!

Psalm 148:3. S. M. Universal praise.

1 Let every creature join To praise th' eternal God; Ye heavenly hosts, the song begin, And sound his Name abroad.

2 Thou sun with golden beams, And moon with paler rays; Ye starry lights, ye twinkling flames, Shine to your Maker's praise.

3 He built those worlds above, And fix'd their wondrous frame; By his command they stand or move, And ever speak his Name.

4 Ye vapours, when ye rise, Or fall in showers, or snow, Ye thunders, murmuring round the skies, His power and glory show.

5 Wind, hail, and flashing fire, Agree to praise the Lord, When ye in dreadful storms conspire To execute his word.

6 By all his works above His honours be exprest; But saints that taste his saving love Should sing his praises best.

PAUSE I.

7 Let earth and ocean know They owe their Maker praise; Praise him, ye watery worlds below, And monsters of the seas.

8 From mountains near the sky Let his high praise resound, From humble shrubs and cedars high, And vales and fields around.

9 Ye lions of the wood, And tamer beasts that graze, Ye live upon his daily food, And he expects your praise.

10 Ye birds of lofty wing, On high his praises bear; Or sit on flowery boughs, and sing Your Maker's glory there.

11 Ye creeping ants and worms, His various wisdom show, And flies, in all your shining swarms, Praise him that drest you so.

12 By all the earth-born race His honours be exprest; But saints that know his heavenly grace Should learn to praise him best.

PAUSE II.

13 Monarchs of wide command, Praise ye th' eternal King; Judges, adore that sovereign hand Whence all your honours spring.

14 Let vigorous youth engage To sound his praises high; While growing babes, and withering age, Their feebler voices try.

15 United zeal be shown, His wondrous fame to raise; God is the Lord: his name alone Deserves our endless praise.

16 Let nature join with art, And all pronounce him blest; But saints that dwell so near his heart, Should sing his praises best.

Psalm 149. Praise God, all his saints; or, The saints judging the world.

1 All ye that love the Lord, rejoice, And let your songs be new; Amidst the church with cheerful voice His later wonders shew.

2 The Jews, the people of his grace, Shall their Redeemer sing; And Gentile nations join the praise, While Zion owns her King.

3 The Lord takes pleasure in the just, Whom sinners treat with scorn; The meek that lie despis'd in dust Salvation shall adorn.

4 Saints should be joyful in their King, Ev'n on a dying bed; And like the souls in glory sing, For God shall raise the dead.

5 Then his high praise shall fill their tongues, Their hands shall wield the sword; And vengeance shall attend their songs, The vengeance of the Lord.

6 When Christ his judgment-seat ascends, And bids the world appear, Thrones are prepar'd for all his friends, Who humbly lov'd him here.

7 Then shall they rule with iron rod Nations that dar'd rebel; And join the sentence of their God On tyrants doom'd to hell.

8 The royal sinners bound in chains New triumphs shall afford; Such honour for the saints remains: Praise ye, and love the Lord.

Psalm 150. 1 2 6.

A song of praise.

1 In God's own house pronounce his praise, His grace he there reveals; To heaven your joy and wonder raise, For there his glory dwells.

2 Let all your sacred passions move, While you rehearse his deeds; But the great work of saving love Your highest praise exceeds.

3 All that have motion, life, and breath, Proclaim your Maker blest; Yet when my voice expires in death, My soul shall praise him best.

Doxology.

The Christian Doxology.

Long Metre.

To God the Father, God the Son, And God the Spirit, Three in One, Be honour, praise, and glory given, By all on earth, and all in heaven.

Common Metre.

Let God the Father, and the Son, And Spirit be ador'd, Where there are works to make him known, Or saints to love the Lord.

Common Metre.

Where the tune includes two stanzas.

1 The God of mercy be ador'd, Who calls our souls from death, Who saves by his redeeming word, And new-creating breath.

2 To praise the Father and the Son And Spirit all divine, The One in Three, and Three in One, Let saints and angels join.

Short Metre.

Ye angels round the throne, And saints that dwell below, Worship the Father, love the Son, And bless the Spirit too.

As the 113th Psalm.

Now to the great and sacred Three, The Father, Son, and Spirit be Eternal praise and glory given, Thro' all the worlds where God is known, By all the angels near the throne, And all the saints in earth and heaven.

As the 148th Psalm.

To God the Father's throne Perpetual honours raise, Glory to God the Son, To God the Spirit praise: With all our powers, Eternal King, Thy Name we sing, While faith adores.