2 To vindicate my words and thoughts
I'll make no more pretence;
Not one of all my thousand faults
Can bear a just defence.

3 Strong is his arm, his heart is wise;
What vain presumers dare
Against their Maker's hand to rise,
Or tempt th' unequal war?

4 [Mountains by his almighty wrath
From their old seats are torn;

He shakes the earth from south to north, And all her pillars mourn.

5 He bids the sun forbear to rise; Th' obedient sun forbears;

His hand with sackcloth spreads the skies, And seals up all the stars.

6 He walks upon the stormy sea; Flies on the stormy wind;

There's none can trace his wondrous way, Or his dark footsteps find.]

25}

HYMN 82. B. 1. L. M. or b

Fountain, Old Hundred.

Holiness of God, and mortality of men.

1 SHALL the vile race of flesh and blood
Contend with their Creator, God?
Shall mortal worms presume to be
More holy, wise, or just than he?
2 Behold he puts his trust in none
Of all the spirits round his throne;
Their natures, when compar'd with his,
Are neither holy, just, no wise.

3 But how much meaner things are they
Who spring from dust and dwell in clay!
Touch'd by the finger of thy wrath,
We faint and vanish like the moth.

4 From night to day, from day to night,
We die by thousands in thy sight:
Bury'd in dust whole nations lie,
Like a forgotten vanity.

5 Almighty Pow'r, to thee we bow;
How frail are we, how glorious thou!
No more the sons of earth shall dare
With an eternal God compare.

26}

1

2

PSALM 99. 2d Part. S. M.
St. Thomas, Dover.

Holiness and vengeance of God.
EXALT the Lord our God,

And worship at his feet:

His nature is all holiness,

And mercy is his seat.

When Israel was his church,
When Aaron was his priest,

When Moses cry'd, when Samuel pray'd,

He gave his people rest.

3

Oft he forgave their sins,

4

Nor would destroy their race,

And oft he made his vengeance known,
When they abus'd his grace.

Exalt the Lord our God,
Whose grace is still the same;

Still he's a God of holiness,
And jealous for his name.

27}

HYMN 87. B. 2. C. M.

Abridge, Bedford.

Incomprehensibility of God.

1 HOW wondrous great, how glorious bright

Must our Creator be!

Who dwells amidst the dazzling light
Of vast infinity!

2 Our soaring spirits upward rise
Tow'rd the celestial throne:

Fain would we see the blessed THREE,
And the Almighty ONE.

3 Our reason stretches all its wings,
And climbs above the skies;
But still how far beneath thy feet
Our grov❜lling reason lies!

4 [Lord, here we bend our humble souls, And awfully adore :

For the weak pinions of our minds
Can stretch a thought no more.]

5 Thy glories infinitely rise

Above our lab'ring tongue;
In vain the highest seraph tries
To form an equal song.

6 [In humble notes our faith adores
The great mysterious King,

While angels strain their nobler powers, And sweep th' immortal string.]

28

HYMN 170. B. 2. L. M.

Islington, Gloucester.

Incomprehensibility and sovereignty of God.

1 [CAN creatures to perfection find
Th' eternal, uncreated Mind?

Or can the largest stretch of thought
Measure and search his nature out?

2 'Tis high as heav'n, 'tis deep as hell,
And what can mortals know or tell?
His glory spreads beyond the sky,
And all the shining worlds on high.

3 But man, vain man, would fain be wise;
Born like a wild young colt, he flies
Through all the follies of his mind,
And smells and snuffs the empty wind.]

4 God is a King, of power unknown;
Firm are the orders of his throne;
If he resolve, who dare oppose,

Or ask him why, or what he does?

5 He wounds the heart, and he makes whole;
He calms the tempest of the soul:
When he shuts up in long despair,
Who can remove the heavy bar?

6 He frowns, and darkness veils the moon,
The fainting sun grows dim at noon;
The pillars of heaven's starry roof
Tremble and start at his reproof.

7 He gave the vaulted heav'n its form,
The crooked serpent and the worm;
He breaks the billows with his breath,
And smites the sons of pride to death.
8 These are a portion of his ways:
But who shall dare describe his face?
Who can endure his light, or stand
To hear the thunders of his hand?

29}

HYMN 26. B. 2. L. M.

Quercy, Wells.

Invisibility of God.

1 LORD, we are blind, poor mortals, blind,
We can't behold thy bright abode;
O! 'tis beyond a creature mind,
To glance a thought half way to God.
2 Infinite leagues beyond the sky,

The great ETERNAL reigns alone;
Where neither wings nor souls can fly,
Nor angels climb the topless throne.
3 The Lord of glory builds his seat
Of gems incomparably bright;
And lays beneath his sacred feet
Substantial beams of gloomy night.

4 Yet, glorious Lord, thy gracious eyes Look through, and cheer us from above: Beyond our praise thy grandeur flies,

Yet we adore, and yet we love.

30}

PSALM 142. C. M.

Canterbury, Barby, Wantage.

or b

Kindness of God, or God the hope of the helpless. 1 TO God I made my sorrows known, From God I sought relief;

In long complaints before his throne
I pour'd out all my grief.

2 My soul was overwhelm'd with woes,
My heart began to break;

My God, who all my burdens knows,
He knows the way I take.

3 On ev'ry side I cast mine eye,
And found my helpers gone;
While friends and strangers pass'd me by,
Neglected or unknown.

4 Then did I raise a louder cry,
And call'd thy mercy near,
"Thou art my portion when I die,
"Be thou my refuge here."

5 Lord, I am brought exceeding low:
Now let thine ear attend;

And make my foes, who vex me, know
I've an almighty Friend.

6 From my sad prison set me free,
Then shall I praise thy name;
And holy men shall join with me
Thy kindness to proclaim.

31 HYMN 105. B. 2. C.M.

Christmas, Arlington.
Longsuffering of God.

1 AND are we wretches yet alive?

And do we yet rebel?

#or b