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PSALM 119. First Part. C. M.
The blessedness of saints, and misery of sinners.

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BLEST are the undefil'd in heart,

Whose ways are right and clean;

Who never from thy law depart,

But fly from ev'ry sin.

2 Blest are the men that keep thy word,
And practise thy commands;
With their whole heart they seek the Lord,
And serve him with their hands.
3 Great is their peace who love thy law,
How firm their souls abide !
Nor can a bold temptation draw
Their steady feet aside.

4 Then shall my heart have inward joy,
And keep my face from shame;
When all thy statutes I obey,

And honour all thy name..

5 But haughty sinners God will hate;
The proud shall die accurst:
The sons of falsehood and deceit
Are trodden to the dust.

6 Vile as the dross the wicked are;
And those that leave thy ways
Shall see salvation from afar,
But never taste thy grace.

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PSALM 119. Second Part. C. M:
Spiritual mindedness.

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O thee, before the dawning light,
My gracious God, I pray;

I meditate thy name by night,
And keep thy law by day.

2 My spirit faints to see thy grace,
Thy promise bears me up;

And, while salvation long delays,
Thy word supports my hope.
3 Seven times a-day I lift my hands,
And pay my thanks to thee:

Thy righteous providence demands
Repeated praise from me.

4 When midnight darkness veils the skies, I call thy works to mind;

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My thoughts in warm devotion rise,
And sweet acceptance find.

PSALM 119.

THOU

Third Part. C. M.

Repentance and obedience.

HOU art my portion, O my God:
Soon as I know thy way,

My heart makes haste t' obey thy word,

And suffers no delay.

2 I choose the path of heav'nly truth,
And glory in my choice:
Not all the riches of the earth
Could make me so rejoice.

3 The testimonies of thy grace,
I set before mine eyes;
Thence I derive my daily strength;
And there my comfort lies.

4 If once I wander from thy path,
I think upon my ways;
Then turn my feet to thy commands,
And trust thy pard'ning grace.

5 Now I am thine, for ever thine,
O save thy servant, Lord!

Thou art my shield, my hiding-place;
My hope is in thy word.

6 Thou hast inclin'd this heart of mine,
Thy statutes to fulfil :

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And thus, 'till mortal life shall end,
Would I perform thy will.

PSALM 119.

HOW

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Instruction from scripture.

W shall the young secure their hearts,
And guard their lives from sin?
Thy word the choicest rules imparts'
To keep the conscience clean.
2 When once it penetrates the mind,
It spreads such light abroad;
The meanest souls instruction find,
And raise their thoughts to God.
3 'Tis, like the sun, a heav'nly light
That guides us all the day:
And thro' the dangers of the night,
A lamp to lead our way.

4 The men that keep thy law with care,
And meditate thy word,
Grow wiser than their teachers are,
And better know the Lord.

5 Thy precepts make me truly wise;
I hate the sinner's road:

I hate my own vain thoughts, that rise;
But love thy law, my God.

6 The starry heav'ns thy rule obey;
The earth maintains her place :
And these thy servants night and day
Thy skill and pow'r express.

7 But still thy law and gospel, Lord,
Give lessons more divine;

Nor earth stands firmer than thy word,
Nor stars so nobly shine.

Thy word is everlasting truth;

How pure is ev'ry page!

- That holy book shall guide our youth, And well support our age.

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PSALM 119. Fifth Part. C. M.
Delight in scripture.

HOW I love thy holy law!
'Tis daily my delight :

And thence my meditations draw
Divine advice by night.

2 My waking eyes prevent the day,
To meditate thy word:

My soul with longing melts away,
To hear thy gospel, Lord.

3 How doth thy word my heart

engage

How well employ my tongue!
And in my tiresome pilgrimage,
Yield me a heav'nly song!
4 Am I a stranger, or at home,
'Tis my perpetual feast;
Not honey, dropping from the comb,
So much allures the taste.

5 No treasures so enrich the mind;
Nor shall thy word be sold
For loads of silver well refin'd;
Nor heaps of choicest gold.

6 When nature sinks, and spirits droop,
Thy promises of grace

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Are pillars to support my hope;

And there I write thy praise.

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PSALM 119. Sixth Part. C. M.

Holiness and comfort from the Word.

LORD, I esteem thy judgments right,

And all thy statutes just;

Thence I maintain a constant fight
With ev'ry flatt'ring lust.

2 Thy precepts often I survey;
I keep thy laws in sight,
Thro' all the bus'ness of the day,
To form my actions right.

3 My heart in midnight silence cries,
"How sweet thy comforts be!"
My thoughts in holy wonder rise,
And bring their thanks to thee.
4 And when my spirit drinks her fill,
At some good word of thine;
Not mighty men, that share the spoil,
Have joys compar'd to mine.

PSALM 119. Seventh Part. C. M.
Imperfection of nature, and perfection of scripture.
1 ET all the heathen writers join,
To form one perfect book;

Great God! if once compar'd with thine,
How mean their writings look!

2 Not the most perfect rules they gave
Could show one sin forgiv'n;
Nor lead a step beyond the grave;
But thine conduct to heav'n.

3 I've seen an end of what we call
Perfection here below:

How short the pow'rs of nature fall!
And can no farther go.

4. Yet men would fain be just with God,
By works their hands have wrought;
But thy commands, exceeding broad,
Extend to ev'ry thought.

5 In vain we boast perfection here,
While sin defiles our frame;

And sinks our virtues down so far,
They scarce deserve the name.

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