Vainly we gird on sackcloth, vainly kneel

With famished faces toward Jerusalem :

His heart is shut against us not to feel, His ears against our cry He shutteth them,

His hand He shorteneth that He will not save,

His law is loud against us to condemn :

And we, as unclean bodies in the grave Inheriting corruption and the dark, Are outcast from His presence which

we crave.

Our Mercy hath departed from His
Ark,

Gur Glory hath departed from His rest, Our shield hath left us naked as a mark

Unto all pitiless eyes made manifest.

Our very Father hath forsaken us, Our God hath cast us from Him: we oppressed

Unto our foes are even marvellous, A hissing and a butt for pointing hands, Whilst God Almighty hunts and grinds us thus;

For He hath scattered us in alien lands, Our priests, our princes, our anointed king,

And bound us hand and foot with brazen bands.

Here, while I sit, my painful heart takes wing

Home to the home-land I may see no

Born of thy body, as the sun and

moon

'Stablished for aye in sovereignty complete.

O Lord, remember David, and that

soon.

The Glory hath departed, Ichabod!

Yet now, before our sun grow dark at noon,

Before we come to nought beneath Thy rod,

Before we go down quick into the pit, Remember us for good, O God, our God:

Thy Name will we remember, praising it,

Though Thou forget me, though Thou hide Thy face,

And blot me from the Book which

Thou hast writ;

Thy Name will I remember in my praise And call to mind Thy faithfulness of old,

Though as a weaver Thou cut off my days

And end me as a tale ends that is told. CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI. (1830-1894).

PSALM CXXXVIII.

THEE wil I praise with my whol hart
My Lord my God alwaies:
Even in the presence of the God,
I will advance thy praise.
Towards thy holy temple I
Wil looke and worship thee:
And praised in my thankful mouth
Thy holy name shal be.

Even for thy loving kindness sake,
And for thy truth withall:

For thou thy name hast by thy word
Advanced over all.

When I did call, thou heardest me
And thou hast made also:
The powers of encreased strength
Within my soule to grow.

Yea all the kings on earth they shall,
Give praise to thee O Lord:
For they of thy most holy mouth,
Have heard the mighty word.
They of the waies of God the Lord
In singing shal intreat:

Because the mercy of the Lord
It is exceeding great.

The Lord is high and yet he doth
Behold the lowly sprite:

But he contemning knows a far
The proud and lofty wight.
Although in midst of trouble I
Do walke, yet shal I stand:
Renewed by thee O my Lord

Thou wilt stretch out thy hand.

Upon the wrath of all my foes

And saved shall I be:

By the right hand the Lord God wil
Performe his worke to me.

Thy mercy Lord endures for aie.
Lord do me not forsake:
Forsake me not that am the work
Which thine own hands did make.
THOMAS NORTON (1532-1584).

PSALM CXXXIX. "WHITHER SHALL I FLEE FROM THY PRESENCE?"

TAKE morning's wing, and fly from

zone to zone,

To Earth's remotest pole, and ere old Time

Can shift one figure on his dial plate, Haste to the frigid Thule of mankind, Where the scant life-drop freezes.-Or go down

To Ocean's secret caverns, 'mid the throng

Of monsters without number, which no foot

Of man hath visited, and yet returned To walk among the living. Or the shroud

Of midnight wrap around thee, dense and deep,

Bidding thy spirit slumber.—

Hop'st thou thus

To 'scape the Almighty, to whose piercing eye

Morn's robe and midnight's vestment are the same?

Spirit of truth!-why should we seek to hide

Motive or deed from thee?-why strive to walk

In a vain show before our fellow men,

At Sheol's mouth our bones are spread

Frequent as sheaves on fields just reaped The scattered bodies of the dead.

For that mine eyes are unto Thee,
O God, the Lord, in whom I trust,
Leave me not destitute, a prey

To machinations of th' unjust.

Keep from the snares they laid for me, From nets and gins of every shape; Bad men make fall in their own traps, Whilst I meanwhile unharmed escape. ABRAHAM COLES.

PSALM CXLII.

WITH my Voice I did make a Cry
To the Eternal God;
With my voice to the Eternal God
I made my humble Pray'r.

Before his Face I poured out
What I had thought upon;
Before his Face I uttered what
Was troublesome to me.

Within me when my Spirit failed,
Then Thou didst know my Path;
In the way where I should have walked
They laid a Snare for me.

Look on the Right hand, and behold; There's none does know me there; Refuge does perish from me, and There's none to seek my Soul.

O Thou Eternal God, to Thee
I make my cry, I said,
Thou art my Hope, my Portion in
The Land of Living Ones.

Attend unto my cry, because
I am brought very low;
Save me from my pursuers, for
They are more strong than I.

From out of Prison bring my Soul;
That I may praise thy Name;
The just shall be a Crown to me,
When thou rewardest me.

COTTON MATHER (1663-1728).

PSALM CXLIII.

LORD, hear my Pray'r & to my Cry
Thy wonted Audience lend;
In thy accustom'd Faith & Truth
A gracious Answer send.
Nor at thy strict Tribunal bring
Thy Servant to be try'd;
For in thy Sight no living Man
Can e'er be justify'd.

The spiteful Foe pursues my Life,
Whose Comforts all are fled;
He drives me into Caves as dark
As Mansions of the Dead.
My Spirit therefore is o'erwhelm'd,
And sinks within my Breast.
My mournful Heart grows desolate,
With heavy Woes oppress'd.

I call to mind the Days of old,

And Wonders thou hast wrought:
My former Dangers & Escapes

Employ my musing Thought.
To thee my Hands in humble Pray'r
I fervently stretch out;
My Soul for thy Refreshment thirsts
Like Land oppress'd with Drought.
Hear me with Speed, my Spirit fails,
Thy Face no longer hide;
Lest I become forlorn like them
That in the Grave reside.
Thy Kindness early let me hear,

Whose Trust on thee depends; Teach me the Way where I should go, My Soul to thee ascends.

Do thou, O Lord, from all my Foes,
Preserve & set me free;

A safe Retreat against their Rage,
My soul implores from thee.
Thou art my God, thy righteous Will
Instruct me to obey:

Let thy good Spirit conduct & keep
My Soul in thy right Way.

O for the Sake of thy great Name,
Revive my drooping Heart;
For thy Truth's Sake to me distress'd,
Thy promis'd Aid impart.

In pity to my Suff'rings, Lord,

Reduce my foes to Shame :
Slay them that persecute a Soul ·
Devoted to thy Name.

NAHUM TATE (1652-1715).
NICHOLAS BRADY (1659-1726).

PSALM CXLIV.

O LET Jehovah blessed be

Who is my rock of might
Who doth instruct my hands to war,
And my fingers to fight.

My goodness, fortress, my hye towre,
And that doth set me free:

My shield, my trust, which doth subdue
My people under mee.
Jehovah, what is man, that thou

Knowledge of him dost take?
What is the son of man, that thou
Account of him dost make?
Man's like to vanity: his dayes

Passe like a shade away.

Lord, bow the heav'ns, come down & touch

The mounts & smoke shall they. Lightning cast forth and scatter them: Thine arrows shoot, them rout, Thine hand, o send thou from above, Doe thou redeeme mee out. And rid mee from the waters great: From band of strangers brood: Whose mouth speaks lyes, their right hand is

A right hand of falsehood.

(2)

O God, new songs I'le singe to thee:
Upon the Psaltery,

And on ten stringed instrument
To thee sing praise will I.

It's hee that giveth unto Kings
Safety victorious :

His servant David he doth save

From sword pernicious.

Rid mee from hand of strange children, Whose mouth speaks vanity:

And their right hand a right hand is
Of lying falsity:

That like as plants which are growne up
In youth may be our sons;
Our daughters pallace like may be
Pollisht as corner stones:
Our garners full, affording store
Of every sort of meates:
Our cattell bringing thousands forth,
Ten thousands in our streets:
Strong let our oxen bee to work

That breaking in none bee
Nor going out: that so our streets
May from complaints be free.

O blessed shall the people be

Whose state is such as this: O blessed shall the people be, Whose God Jehovah is.

BAY PSALM Book (1640).

PSALM CXLV.

O LORD, thou art my God and King;
Thee will I magnify and praise:
I will thee bless and gladly sing
Unto thy holy name always.

Each day I rise I will thee bless,

And praise thy name time without end.

Much to be praised and great God is;
His greatness none can comprehend.
Race shall thy works praise unto race,
Thy mighty acts show done by thee.
I will speak of the glorious grace
And honour of thy majesty.

Thy wondrous works I will record.
By men the might shall be extoll'd
Of all thy dreadful acts, O Lord:
And I thy greatness will unfold.

They utter shall abundantly

The mem'ry of thy goodness great; And shall sing praises cheerfully

Whilst they thy righteousness relate. PSALMODY OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND (1895).

PSALM CXLVI.

HALLELUJAH!

PRAISE Jehovah, O my soul!
I will praise Him while I live:
While I shall have being, I

Will melodious praises give.

Not in princes put your trust,
Not on mortal man rely,
Breath departs, on the same day
His own projects with him die.

Happy he whose help and hope

On the Lord his God are laidHim, Who heaven made and sea With their countless people made.