Category: Songs of Christ

1    Blessed is he that wisely doth

          the poor man’s case consider;

     For when the time of trouble is,

          the Lord will him deliver.

2    God will him keep, yea, save alive;

          on earth he bless’d shall live;

     And to his enemies’ desire

          thou wilt him not up give.

3    God will give strength when he on bed

          of languishing doth mourn;

     And in his sickness sore, O Lord,

          thou all his bed wilt turn.

4    I said, O Lord, do thou extend

          thy mercy unto me;

     O do thou heal my soul; for why?

          I have offended thee.

5    Those that to me are enemies,

          of me do evil say,

     When shall he die, that so his name

          may perish quite away?

6    To see me if he comes, he speaks

          vain words: but then his heart

     Heaps mischief to it, which he tells,

          when forth he doth depart.

7    My haters jointly whispering,

          ‘gainst me my hurt devise.

8    Mischief, say they, cleaves fast to him;

          he li’th, and shall not rise.

9    Yea, ev’n mine own familiar friend,

          on whom I did rely,

     Who ate my bread, ev’n he his heel

          against me lifted high.

10   But, Lord, be merciful to me,

          and up again me raise,

     That I may justly them requite

          according to their ways.

11   By this I know that certainly

          I favour’d am by thee;

     Because my hateful enemy

          triumphs not over me.

12   But as for me, thou me uphold’st

          in mine integrity;

     And me before thy countenance

          thou sett’st continually.

13   The Lord, the God of Israel,

          be bless’d for ever then,

     From age to age eternally.

          Amen, yea, and amen.

1    Save me, O God, by thy great name,

          and judge me by thy strength:

2    My prayer hear, O God; give ear

           unto my words at length.

3    For they that strangers are to me

          do up against me rise;

     Oppressors seek my soul, and God

          set not before their eyes.

4    The Lord my God my helper is,

          lo, therefore I am bold:

     He taketh part with ev’ry one

          that doth my soul uphold.

5    Unto mine enemies he shall

          mischief and ill repay:

     O for thy truth’s sake cut them off,

          and sweep them clean away.

6    I will a sacrifice to thee

          give with free willingness;

     Thy name, O Lord, because ’tis good,

          with praise I will confess.

7    For he hath me delivered

          from all adversities;

     And his desire mine eye hath seen

          upon mine enemies.

1    Why dost thou boast, O mighty man,

          of mischief and of ill?

     The goodness of Almighty God

          endureth ever still.

2    Thy tongue mischievous calumnies

          deviseth subtilely,

     Like to a razor sharp to cut,

          working deceitfully.

3    Ill more than good, and more than truth

          thou lovest to speak wrong:

4    Thou lovest all-devouring words,

          O thou deceitful tongue.

5    So God shall thee destroy for aye,

          remove thee, pluck thee out

     Quite from thy house, out of the land

          of life he shall thee root.

6    The righteous shall it see, and fear,

          and laugh at him they shall:

7    Lo, this the man is that did not

          make God his strength at all:

     But he in his abundant wealth

          his confidence did place;

     And he took strength unto himself

          from his own wickedness.

8    But I am in the house of God

          like to an olive green:

     My confidence for ever hath

          upon God’s mercy been.

9    And I for ever will thee praise,

          because thou hast done this:

     I on thy name will wait; for good

          before thy saints it is.

1    After thy loving-kindness, Lord,
          have mercy upon me:
     For thy compassions great, blot out
          all mine iniquity.

2    Me cleanse from sin, and throughly wash
          from mine iniquity:
3    For my transgressions I confess;
          my sin I ever see.

4   ‘Gainst thee, thee only, have I sinn’d,
          in thy sight done this ill;
     That when thou speak’st thou may’st be just,
          and clear in judging still.

5    Behold, I in iniquity
          was form’d the womb within;
     My mother also me conceiv’d
          in guiltiness and sin.

6    Behold, thou in the inward parts
          with truth delighted art;
     And wisdom thou shalt make me know
          within the hidden part.

7    Do thou with hyssop sprinkle me,
          I shall be cleansed so;
     Yea, wash thou me, and then I shall
          be whiter than the snow.

8    Of gladness and of joyfulness
          make me to hear the voice;
     That so these very bones which thou
          hast broken may rejoice.

9    All mine iniquities blot out,
          thy face hide from my sin.
10   Create a clean heart, Lord, renew
          a right sp’rit me within.

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11   Cast me not from thy sight, nor take

          thy Holy Sp’rit away.

12   Restore me thy salvation’s joy;

          with thy free Sp’rit me stay.

13   Then will I teach thy ways unto

          those that transgressors be;

     And those that sinners are shall then

          be turned unto thee.

14   O God, of my salvation God,

          me from blood-guiltiness

     Set free; then shall my tongue aloud

          sing of thy righteousness.

15   My closed lips, O Lord, by thee

          let them be opened;

     Then shall thy praises by my mouth

          abroad be published.

16   For thou desir’st not sacrifice,

          else would I give it thee;

     Nor wilt thou with burnt-offering

          at all delighted be.

17   A broken spirit is to God

          a pleasing sacrifice:

     A broken and a contrite heart,

          Lord, thou wilt not despise.

18   Shew kindness, and do good, O Lord,

          to Sion, thine own hill:

     The walls of thy Jerusalem

          build up of thy good will.

19   Then righteous off ‘rings shall thee please,

          and off ‘rings burnt, which they

     With whole burnt-off ‘rings, and with calves,

          shall on thine altar lay.

1    Hear this, all people, and give ear,

          all in the world that dwell;

2    Both low and high, both rich and poor.

3         My mouth shall wisdom tell:

     My heart shall knowledge meditate.

4         I will incline mine ear

     To parables, and on the harp

          my sayings dark declare.

5    Amidst those days that evil be,

          why should I, fearing, doubt?

     When of my heels th’ iniquity

          shall compass me about.

6    Whoe’er they be that in their wealth

          their confidence do pitch,

     And boast themselves, because they are

          become exceeding rich:

7    Yet none of these his brother can

          redeem by any way;

     Nor can he unto God for him

          sufficient ransom pay,

8    (Their soul’s redemption precious is,

          and it can never be,)

9    That still he should for ever live,

          and not corruption see.

10   For why? he seeth that wise men die,

          and brutish fools also

     Do perish; and their wealth, when dead,

          to others they let go.

11   Their inward thought is, that their house

          and dwelling-places shall

     Stand through all ages; they their lands

          by their own names do call.

12   But yet in honour shall not man

          abide continually;

     But passing hence, may be compar’d

          unto the beasts that die.

13   Thus brutish folly plainly is

          their wisdom and their way;

     Yet their posterity approve

          what they do fondly say.

14   Like sheep they in the grave are laid,

          and death shall them devour;

     And in the morning upright men

          shall over them have pow’r:

     Their beauty from their dwelling shall

          consume within the grave.

15   But from hell’s hand God will me free,

          for he shall me receive.

16   Be thou not then afraid when one

          enriched thou dost see,

     Nor when the glory of his house

          advanced is on high:

17   For he shall carry nothing hence

          when death his days doth end;

     Nor shall his glory after him

          into the grave descend.

18   Although he his own soul did bless

          whilst he on earth did live;

     (And when thou to thyself dost well,

          men will thee praises give;)

19   He to his fathers’ race shall go,

          they never shall see light.

20   Man honour’d wanting knowledge is

          like beasts that perish quite.

Tune = God Moves In A Mysterious Way

(V) 1    Like as the hart for water-brooks
          in thirst doth pant and bray;
     So pants my longing soul, O God,
          that come to thee I may.

(V) 2    My soul for God, the living God,
          doth thirst: when shall I near
     Unto thy countenance approach,
          and in God’s sight appear?

(C) 3    My tears have unto me been meat,
          both in the night and day,
     While unto me continually,
          Where is thy God? they say.

(V) 4    My soul is poured out in me,
          when this I think upon;
     Because that with the multitude
          I heretofore had gone:

(V)     With them into God’s house I went,
          with voice of joy and praise;
     Yea, with the multitude that kept
          the solemn holy days.

(C) 5    O why art thou cast down, my soul?
          why in me so dismay’d?
     Trust God, for I shall praise him yet,
          his count’nance is mine aid.

6    My God, my soul’s cast down in me;
          thee therefore mind I will
     From Jordan’s land, the Hermonites,
          and ev’n from Mizar hill.

7    At the noise of thy water-spouts
          deep unto deep doth call;
     Thy breaking waves pass over me,
          yea, and thy billows all.

8    His loving-kindness yet the Lord
          command will in the day,
     His song’s with me by night; to God,
          by whom I live, I’ll pray:

9    And I will say to God my rock,
          Why me forgett’st thou so?
     Why, for my foes’ oppression,
          thus mourning do I go?

10  ‘Tis as a sword within my bones,
          when my foes me upbraid;
     Ev’n when by them, Where is thy God?
          ’tis daily to me said.

11   O why art thou cast down, my soul?
          why, thus with grief opprest,
     Art thou disquieted in me?
          in God still hope and rest:

     For yet I know I shall him praise,
          who graciously to me
     The health is of my countenance,
          yea, mine own God is he.

1    Great is the Lord, and greatly he

          is to be praised still,

     Within the city of our God,

          upon his holy hill.

2    Mount Sion stands most beautiful,

          the joy of all the land;

     The city of the mighty King

          on her north side doth stand.

3    The Lord within her palaces

          is for a refuge known.

4    For, lo, the kings that gather’d were

          together, by have gone.

5    But when they did behold the same,

          they, wond’ring, would not stay;

     But, being troubled at the sight,

          they thence did haste away.

6    Great terror there took hold on them;

          they were possess’d with fear;

     Their grief came like a woman’s pain,

          when she a child doth bear.

7    Thou Tarshish ships with east wind break’st:

8         As we have heard it told,

     So, in the city of the Lord,

          our eyes did it behold;

     In our God’s city, which his hand

          for ever stablish will.

9    We of thy loving-kindness thought,

          Lord, in thy temple still.

10   O Lord, according to thy name,

          through all the earth’s thy praise;

     And thy right hand, O Lord, is full

          of righteousness always.

11   Because thy judgments are made known,

          let Sion mount rejoice;

     Of Judah let the daughters all

          send forth a cheerful voice.

12   Walk about Sion, and go round;

          the high tow’rs thereof tell:

13   Consider ye her palaces,

          and mark her bulwarks well;

     That ye may tell posterity.

14        For this God doth abide

     Our God for evermore; he will

          ev’n unto death us guide.

1    God is our refuge and our strength,
          in straits a present aid;
2    Therefore, although the earth remove,
          we will not be afraid:

     Though hills amidst the seas be cast;
3         Though waters roaring make,
     And troubled be; yea, though the hills,
          by swelling seas do shake.

4    A river is, whose streams do glad
          the city of our God;
     The holy place, wherein the Lord
          most high hath his abode.

5    God in the midst of her doth dwell;
          nothing shall her remove:
     The Lord to her an helper will,
          and that right early, prove.

Psalm 46:6-11 | Tune: God Moves In A Mysterious Way

v 6    The heathen rag’d tumultuously,
          the kingdoms moved were:
     The Lord God uttered his voice,
          the earth did melt for fear.

v 7    The Lord of hosts upon our side
          doth constantly remain:
     The God of Jacob’s our refuge,
          us safely to maintain.

c 8    Come, and behold what wondrous works
          have by the Lord been wrought;
     Come, see what desolations
          he on the earth hath brought.

v 9    Unto the ends of all the earth
          wars into peace he turns:
     The bow he breaks, the spear he cuts,
          in fire the chariot burns.

v 10   Be still, and know that I am God;
          among the heathen I
     Will be exalted; I on earth
          will be exalted high.

c 11   Our God, who is the Lord of hosts,
          is still upon our side;
     The God of Jacob our refuge
          for ever will abide.

First Version (L.M.)

1    All people that on earth do dwell,         
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
2    Him serve with mirth, his praise forth tell,
          Come ye before him and rejoice.

3    Know that the Lord is God indeed;
          Without our aid he did us make:
     We are his flock, he doth us feed,
          And for his sheep he doth us take.

4    O enter then his gates with praise,
          Approach with joy his courts unto:
     Praise, laud, and bless his name always,
          For it is seemly so to do.

5    For why? the Lord our God is good,
          His mercy is for ever sure;
     His truth at all times firmly stood,
          And shall from age to age endure.

Second Version (C.M.)

1    O all ye lands, unto the Lord
          make ye a joyful noise.
2    Serve God with gladness, him before
          come with a singing voice.

3    Know ye the Lord that he is God;
          not we, but he us made:
     We are his people, and the sheep
          within his pasture fed.

4    Enter his gates and courts with praise,
          to thank him go ye thither:
     To him express your thankfulness,
          and bless his name together.

5    Because the Lord our God is good,
          his mercy faileth never;
     And to all generations
          his truth endureth ever.