6 Be this alone my fervent prayer: Whate’er my lot may be, Or joys, or sorrows—may they form My soul for heaven and thee!
90 C. M. Majesty of God. Psalm 18.
The Lord descended from above And bowed the heavens most high, And underneath his feet he cast The darkness of the sky.
2 On cherubim and seraphim Full royally he rode; And on the wings of mighty winds, Came flying all abroad.
3 He sat serene upon the floods, Their fury to restrain; And he, as sovereign Lord and King, For evermore shall reign.
91 S. M. Now we know in part. 1 Cor. 13:12.
Thy way is in the sea; Thy paths we can not trace; Nor solve, O Lord, the mystery Of thy unbounded grace.
2 Here the dark vails of sense Our captive souls surround; Mysterious deeps of providence Our wandering thoughts confound.
3 As through a glass we see The wonders of thy love; How little do we know of thee, Or of the joys above.
4 In part we know thy will, And bless thee for the sight; Soon will thy love the rest reveal In glory’s clearer light.
5 With joy shall we survey Thy providence and grace; And spend an everlasting day In wonder, love and praise.
92 S. M. He careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7.
How gentle God’s commands! How kind his precepts are! Come, cast your burdens on the Lord, And trust his constant care.
2 His bounty will provide, His saints securely dwell; That hand which bears creation up, Shall guard his children well.
3 Why should this anxious load Press down your weary mind? O, seek your heavenly Father’s throne, And peace and comfort find.
4 His goodness stands approved, Unchanged from day to day; I’ll drop my burden at his feet, And bear a song away.
93 S. M. Praise for mercies.
O bless the Lord, my soul! Let all within me join, And aid my tongue to bless his name Whose favors are divine.
2 O bless the Lord, my soul! Nor let his mercies lie Forgotten in unthankfulness, And without praises die.
3 ’Tis he forgives thy sins; ’Tis he relieves thy pain; ’Tis he that heals thy sicknesses, And gives thee strength again.
4 He crowns thy life with love, When rescued from the grave; He that redeemed our souls from death, Hath boundless power to save.
5 He fills the poor with good; He gives the sufferers rest: The Lord hath justice for the proud, And mercy for the oppressed.
6 His wondrous works and ways He made by Moses known; But sent the world his truth and grace By his beloved Son.
94 S. M. Psalm 23.
The Lord my shepherd is; I shall be well supplied: Since he is mine, and I am his, What can I want beside?
2 He leads me to the place Where heavenly pasture grows, Where living waters gently pass, And full salvation flows.
3 If e’er I go astray, He doth my soul reclaim, And guides me in his own right way, For his most holy name.
4 While he affords his aid, I can not yield to fear; Tho’ I should walk thro’ death’s dark shade, My shepherd’s with me there.
95 S. M. His mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 103.
My soul, repeat his praise Whose mercies are so great; Whose anger is so slow to rise, So ready to abate.
2 High as the heavens are raised Above the ground we tread, So far the riches of his grace Our highest thoughts exceed.
3 His power subdues our sins, And his forgiving love, Far as the east is from the west, Doth all our guilt remove.
4 The pity of the Lord, To those that fear his name, Is such as tender parents feel: He knows our feeble frame.
5 Our days are as the grass, Or like the morning flower: If one sharp blast sweeps o’er the field, It withers in an hour.
6 But thy compassions, Lord, To endless years endure; And children’s children ever find Thy words of promise sure.
96 S. M. The fountain.
God is the fountain whence Ten thousand blessings flow; To him my life, my health, and friends, And every good, I owe.
2 The comforts he affords Are neither few nor small; He is the source of fresh delights, My portion and my all.
3 He fills my heart with joy, My lips attunes for praise; And to his glory I’ll devote The remnant of my days.
97 7s, double. Psalm 136.
Let us with a joyful mind Praise the Lord, for he is kind; For his mercies shall endure, Ever faithful, ever sure. Let us sound his name abroad, For of gods he is the God Who by wisdom did create Heaven’s expanse and all its state;
2 Did the solid earth ordain How to rise above the main; Who, by his commanding might, Filled the new-made world with light; Caused the golden-tresséd sun All the day his course to run; And the moon to shine by night, ’Mid her spangled sisters bright.