He knows not God, and therefore he
Abhorreth all his ways;
So proud, he fcorns to bow a knee;
So thanklefs, fcorns to praife.
5 His ways directly lead to hell;
And thine are far above;
Thy ways with him can never dwell,
Thy truth can never move.
Oppofing him, at thee and thine,
He madly ftorms and fneers,
And puffs at all thy ways divine,
And oppofitely fteers.
6 His vaunting heart hath vainly said,
I never fhall be mov'd,
Nor in the dungeon low be laid,
Nor ever difapprov'd.
7 His mouth is full of foul deceit,
Obfcene and bitter words,
Which modefty forbids repeat:
He fpeaketh darts and fwords.
In ambush, by the city gates,
He lurketh in the dark,
A rav'ning wolf, that eager waits
His palling prey to mark;
Then, when he fees the innocent,
He springs upon the prey;
And, when his hellifh rage is fpent,
He takes the life away.
9 His evil eye's upon the good;
He turn's to ev'ry fhape;
That he may riot in their blood,
And nothing may escape:
Now, roaring like a lion strong,
He tries the open course;
That he may feize the flying throng,
And overpow'r by force:
10 Now, couching private in his den,
And crouching as in fear,
He fends his eyes along the plain,
To watch, furprise, and tear.
II His heart's his only counsellor;
And there he hath decreed,
That God will ne'er obferve him more,
Nor caufe his heart to bleed :-
For God is far above, says he,
And I am far below;
How can he fuch a distance fee,
To spy a friend or foe?
12 Jehovah, rife, arife, my God,
And vindicate my cause;
Lift up thy hand, finite with thy rod
The man who mocks thy laws.
Let not the humble be forgot,
The meek afflicted one:
How they contrive, and fight, and plot,
That he may be undone!
13 But wherefore do they God contemn?
And his Belov'd deride?
They think, he never will condemn,
Nor check their daring pride.
14 But thou, Jehovah, haft beheld,
And feen their defp'rate fpite,
Against thy Chrift who have rebell'd:
Their fury, Lord, requite.
Lo, I to thee commit my caufe,
And with thee leave my plea;
Jehovah, judge me by thy laws,
By them avenge thou me.
15 Beat back, and break the fword and arm
Of my infulting foe;
And let himfelf firft bear th' alarm
Down to the fhades below.
16 Meffiah now, "exalted, reigns
Th' eternal, fov'reign King:
The worlds to come, in pious strains,
Their own Meffiah fing.-
The faithlefs, God-defpifing race,
Are fled before his name;
And painted hypocrites, fo bafe!
Lie buried in their shame.
17 For God hath heard the humble cries Of his obedient Son,
And rais'd him to the heav'nly skies,
Because his will was done.
18 Thus God hath fav'd the fatherless,
And judg'd the widow's caufe ;
And pluck'd the heirs of righteousness
From hell's devouring jaws.
SEE the illuftration of Pfalm lxxv,
Meffiah's foes against him rise;
But he defies them all,
And fearless to his mountain flies,
From whence be fees them fall:
For his foundation ftands fecure,
The righteoufnefs of God;
While they the fierceft ftrokes endure
Of God's avenging rod.
I TEHOVAH's wings around me fpread;
His wifdom, pow'r, and love,
Shall guard and well defend the head
Of me his Turtle-dove:
Why fay ye then, Poor trembler, fly
Unto thy mountain strong?"
For I have built my neft on high
The cherubim among.
2 I fee the fowlers bend their bow,
Their arrows on the string;
But laugh at all their fool'ries, now,
Below my Saviour's wing.
They thought to smite me in the dark, And ftain their shafts with blood; But, lo, they mifs'd the faireft mark! They aim'd their shafts at God. 3 If God's foundations be deftroy'd, What hath Meffiah done? Himself in vain he hath employ'd, His kingdom ftill unwon! But thou haft pledg'd thine holiness, Jehovah, unto me,
When I fulfil thy righteousness,
I fhall thy kingdom fee.
In balance of thy holy will,
To weigh both great and small,
Thou reigneft on thy holy hill,
The fov'reign Judge of all.
For thou art juft, and juftice thou
Wilt give to ev'ry one;
Behold, thy pledged justice, now,
Is claim'd by me, thy Son.
Thy Son hath done thine holy will,
And magnify'd thy law;
Thy loyal fubjects all to fill
With godly fear and awe.
But those who fpurn thy precious grace,
And trample on my blood,
Shall fink to hell before my face,
O'erwhelm'd as with a flood.
For thou, my God, wilt not forbear
To judge the impious train,
To fill their trembling heart with fear,
And, on their heads, to rain
Fire, ftorms, and tempefts, burning coals,
With fierce fulphureous flames,
Thy terrors breathing through their fouls-
Thus perifh let their names!
7Jehovah loveth uprightness,
And it alone regards;
Meffiah pleads his righteoufnefs,
And claims his due rewards:
Behold, eternal life for us,
He purchas'd by his blood:
Let Chriftians glory in the cross,
By which they're just with God!
THIS Pfalm, like the laft, abundantly plain of itfelf, needs no particular illuftration; only the judicious reader will confult the marginal referen
The Prince Meffiah intercedes
For his own elect faithful race;
But prays to quash the impious, deeds
Of all the fcorners of his graces
Though hypocrites may reign a while,
Advanc'd to fame by this world's god;
The Lord at length fhall judge the vile,
And fmite them with his iron rod.
EHOVAH, help me, help me foon;
My ftrength begins to wafte away,
My life is like the waning moon,
My body foon will turn to clay:
Jehovah, fave thine elect race;
In faving me thou faveft them;
The godly men do fail apace,
And few remain to praife thy name.
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