PSALM 90. First Part. L. M.
Man mortal, and God eternal. A funeral psalm.
THRO' ev'ry age, eternal God!
Thou art our rest, our safe abode; High was thy throne, ere heav'n was made, Or earth thy humble footstool laid.
2 Long had'st thou reign'd ere time began,
Or dust was fashion'd into man;
And long thy kingdom shall endure,
When earth and time shall be no more.
3 But man, weak man, is born to die,
Made up of guilt and vanity:
Thy dreadful sentence, Lord, was just,
66 Return, ye sinners, to your dust."
4 A thousand of our years amount
Scarce to a day in thine account;
Like yesterday's departed light,
Or the last watch of ending night.
5 Death, like an overflowing stream,
Sweeps us away: our life's a dream;
An empty tale; a morning flow'r,
Cut down and wither'd in an hour.
6 Our age to seventy years is set;
How short the term! how frail the state!
And if to eighty we arrive,
We rather sigh and groan, than live.
7 But oh! how oft thy wrath appears,
And cuts off our expected years!
Thy wrath awakes our humble dread:
We fear the pow'r that strikes us dead.
Teach us, O Lord, how frail is man;
And kindly lengthen out our span;
Till faith, and love, and piety,
Fit us to die, and dwell with thee.
PSALM 90. Second Part. C. M.
Man frail, and God our refuge.
UR God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home!
2 Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth receiv'd her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same.
3 Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the op'ning day.
4 Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.
PSALM 90. Third Part. C. M.
Infirmities and death the effects of sin.
ORD, if thine eyes survey our faults,
And justice grows severe,
Thy dreadful wrath exceeds our thoughts,
And burns beyond our fear.
2 Thine anger turns our frame to dust;
By one offence to thee,
Adam and all his sons have lost
Their immortality.
3 Life, like a vain amusement flies,
A fable or a song:
By swift degrees our nature dies,
Nor can our joys be long.
4 'Tis but a few, whose days amount
To three score years and ten;
And all, beyond that short account,
Is sorrow, toil, and pain.
5 Almighty God, reveal thy love,
And not thy wrath alone:
O let our sweet experience prove
The mercies of thy throne!
PSALM 90. Fourth Part.
Breathing after heaven.
RETURN, O God of love, return;
Earth is a tiresome place:
How long shall we, thy children, mourn
Our absence from thy face?
2 Let heav'n succeed our painful years,
Let sin and sorrow cease;
And, in proportion to our tears,
So make our joys increase.
3 Thy wonders to thy servants show,
Make thy own work complete;
Then shall our souls thy glory know,
And own thy love was great.
4 Then shall we shine before thy throne, In all thy beauty, Lord;
And the poor service, we have done,
Meet a divine reward.
PSALM 91. First Part. L. M.
Safety in public diseases and dangers.
Shall find a most secure abode;
Shall walk all day beneath his shade, And there at night shall rest his head. 2 Then will I say, "My God, thy pow'r "Shall be my fortress and my tow'r: "I, that am form'd of feeble dust, "Make thine almighty arm my trust." 3 Thrice happy man! thy Maker's care Shall keep thee from the fowler's snare, Satan, the tempter, who betrays Unguarded souls a thousand ways. 4 Just as a hen protects her brood From birds of prey, that seek their blood, Under her feathers; so the Lord Makes his own arm his people's guard. 5 If burning beams of noon conspire To dart a pestilential fire,
God is their life: his wings are spread To shield them, with an healthful shade. 6 If vapours with malignant breath
Rise thick, and scatter midnight death,
Israel is safe: the poison'd air
Grows pure, if Israel's God be there.
7 What tho' a thousand at thy side,
At thy right hand ten thousand died;
Thy God his chosen people saves
Among the dead, amid the graves.
8 But if the fire, or plague, or sword,
Receive commission from the Lord,
To strike his saints among the rest;
Their very pains and deaths are blest.
9 The sword, the pestilence, or fire,
Shall but fulfil their best desire:
From sins and sorrows set them free,
And bring thy children, Lord, to thee.
PSALM 91. Second Part. C. M.
Protection from evil, guard of angels, and salvation.
1 JE sons of men, a feeble race,
Expos'd to ev'ry snare,
Come, make the Lord your dwelling-place,
And try, and trust his care.
2 No ill shall enter where you dwell;
Or if the plague come nigh,
And sweep the wicked down to hell,
"Twill raise his saints on high.
3 He'll give his angels charge to keep
Your feet in all their ways;
To watch your pillow, while you sleep,
And guard your happy days.
4 Their hands shall bear you, lest you fall,
And dash against the stones:
Are they not servants at his call,
And sent t' attend his sons?
5 Adders and lions ye shall tread;
The tempter's wiles defeat:
For he that broke the serpent's head
Puts him beneath your feet.
6 "Because on me they set their love,
"I'll save them; (saith the Lord)
"I'll bear their joyful souls above
"Destruction, and the sword.
7 "My grace shall answer when they call;
"In trouble I'll be nigh:
"My pow'r shall help them when they fall, "And raise them when they die.
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