II. A Hymn consolatory, in Time of Persecution. The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's seat is in heaven his eyes consider the poor: and his eyelids try the children of men. : Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. For thou shalt keep thy people that are in adversity: and shalt bring down the high looks of the proud. For thou shalt save them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever: for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness: his countenance will behold the thing that is just. For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord: I will set him in safety from him that swelleth against him. For the Lord will not fail his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance: until righteousness turn again unto judgment, and all such as be true in heart shall follow it. O how plentiful is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee: and that thou hast prepared for them that put their trust in thee, even before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them privily, by thine own presence, from the provoking of all men: thou shalt keep them secretly in thy tabernacle from the strife of tongues. Great plagues remain for the ungodly: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord, mercy embraceth him on every side. He calleth upon the Lord, and the Lord heareth him: yea, and saveth him out of all his troubles. He delivers their souls from death, and feedeth them in the days of famine: they shall not be confounded in the perilous time, and in the days of dearth they shall have enough. The Lord ordereth a good man's going: and maketh his way acceptable to himself. Though he fall, he shall not be cast away: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. Thou, Lord, shalt save both man and beast: how excellent is thy mercy, O God! and the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. O taste and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayers. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them: and delivereth them out of all their troubles. O love the Lord, all ye his saints.: for the Lord preserveth them that are faithful, and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer. The salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord: which is also their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall stand by them, and save them: he shall deliver them from the ungodly, and shall save them, because they put their trust in him. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. The following Hymns may be said in the public or private Calamities of a Church, of a Family, of a single Person, under Persecution or Oppression, false Imprisonment, unjust and vexatious Lawsuits, &c. III. My soul waiteth still upon God: for of him cometh my salvation he verily is my strength and my salvation, so that I shall not greatly fall. : Thou also shalt light my candle: the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be light. Thou hast given a token for such as fear thee: that they may triumph because of the truth. Therefore were thy beloved delivered: help me with thy right hand, and hear me. O praise the Lord which dwelleth in Sion: show the people of his doings. For when he maketh inquisition for blood: he remembereth, and forgetteth not the complaint of the poor. For the poor shall not always be forgotten: the patient abiding of the meek shall not perish for ever. He hath not despised nor abhorred the low estate of the poor: he hath not hid his face from him, but when he called unto him, he heard him. Wherefore should the wicked blaspheme God: while he doth say in his heart, Tush, thou, God, carest not for it? Surely thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest ungodliness and wrong, that thou mayest take the matter into thine hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; for thou art the helper of the friendless. Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the poor: thou preparest their heart, and thine ear hearkeneth thereto; To help the fatherless and poor to their right: that the man of the earth be no more exalted against them. O cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall nourish thee and shall not suffer the righteous to fall for ever. : Hold thee still in the Lord, and abide patiently upon him but grieve not thyself at him whose way doth prosper, against the man that doth after evil counsels. For wicked doers shall be rooted out: but they that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. Yet a little while and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. IV. A Hymn consolatory and petitory for the Church and Clergy, in Times of Persecution. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be always praising thee. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee: in whose heart are thy ways. Blessed is the people, O Lord, that can rejoice in thee: they shall walk in the light of thy countenance. For the Lord is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are towards us they cannot be reckoned up in order to thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Many shall see it and fear: and put their trust in the Lord. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh occasion to slay him: but the Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord, and put his trust in him: and all they that are true of heart, shall be glad. Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right: for that shall bring a man peace at the last. They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy. He that now goeth on his way weeping, and beareth forth good seed, shall doubtless come again with joy, and bring his sheaves with him. The Lord from out of Sion shall so bless thee, that thou shalt see Jerusalem in prosperity all thy life long, and peace upon Israel. For God will save Sion, and build the cities of Judah: that men may dwell there, and have it in possession. The posterity also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name, shall dwell therein. Arise, O Lord, into thy resting-place: thou and the ark of thy strength. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. Thou madest room for it: and when it had taken root, it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it: and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedar trees. Why hast thou then broken down her hedge: that all that go by, pluck off her grapes? The wild boar out of the wood doth root it up and the wild beasts of the field devour it. Turn thee again, thou God of hosts: behold and visit this vine, and the place of thy vineyard, that thy right hand hath planted; and the branch that thou madest so strong for thyself. Turn us again, O God: show the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness. Let thy saints sing with joyfulness. So we thy people, and sheep of thy pasture, will give thee thanks for ever. We will show forth thy praise, from generation to generation. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. If there be occasion, add Psalm lxxxix. xxi. and lxi. Then for the Lesson read Judges, ii. or iii. 1 Sam. xxxi. Ezra, ix. If there be Famine, or Dearth, or Drought, read Jeremiah, xiv. If two Lessons be read at one Meeting, then let one of the former Hymns be read between the two Lessons, and omitted before. If but one Lesson be read, or after the Second Lesson [if there be two] say this Psalm. Plead thou my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: for they have laid their net to destroy me without a cause; yea, even without a cause have they made a pit for my soul. Let not them that are mine enemies, wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye, that hate me without a cause. For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land. They rewarded me evil for good: to the great discomfort of my soul. Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment: even unto my cause, my God and my Lord. Judge me, O Lord my God, according to my righteousness: and let them not rejoice over me. And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him: yea, the poor and needy from him that spoileth him? Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants. Trust in the Lord, and do good: so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. |