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· III.

And thou thine anger didft affwage
that all thy wrath was gone,
And fo didft turn thee from thy rage
with them to be at one.

IV.

O Saviour God, do thou then turn thy people unto thee,

Put all thy wrath from us apart angry cease to be.

and

V.

Shall thy fierce anger never end,
but ftill be pour'd on us,
And shall thy wrath itself extend
unto all ages thus?

VI.

That in thee may thy people joy
wilt thou not us revive?
Shew us thy mercy, Lord, to us
thy great falvation give.

Christmas

Christmas Day.

PSALM LXXXV.

See the title to the former part, p. 171.

I'LL

I.

hear what God the Lord doth fay, to his he fpeaketh peace,

And to his faints, and they fhall not return to foolishness.

II.

Surely his Jefus is at hand
to fuch as do him fear,
That his great glory in our land
may dwell and flourish there.

III.

Mercy and truth in him fhall meet
in one to take their place,
And righteousness hath kiffed
in him they shall embrace.

IV.

peace

When he the truth fhall from the earth

fpring up most pleasantly,

Then righteoufnefs with loving face

fhall look from heaven moft high.

V.

Yea, what is good the Lord fhall give, our land fhall yield increase;

Juftice to fet us in his steps fhall go before his face.

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PSALM

PSALM XLV.

In this hymn the Lord Jefus Chrift is celebrated for his beauty, for his majefty, and for the eternal glory of his kingdom. The happy fouls, whom he draws to love him by his word and Spirit, are here spoken of as his bride, united to him in a bond of affection never to be broken. The mutual love of this heavenly bridegroom and his bride is here treated of. His affection to her is altogether wonderful: But never to be more admired, than in the miracle of this day. It was the admiration and the joy of angels. Although he took not on him their nature, but ours; yet they had their fong ready to welcome him into our world. O that we were as ready today. We have more reafon, than they had; let us try to fing in as high a strain of praife. O for hearts to love him, not as he deferves; that cannot be, but as far as we can. If Christ be indeed formed in us,, his birth-day fhould excite in us every grateful fentiment: And we should now bring him our offering, fome fruit of our new birth, even a fong of praise to God manifest in the flesh. May we fing of this his marvellous love to-day, and for ever.

I.

MY heart doth take in hand

a godly fong to fing,

The praise that I fhall fhew therein pertaineth to the King.

II.

My tongue fhall be as fwift

his honor to indite

As is the pen of any scribe who useth faft to write.

III.

O fairest of all men

thy lips with grace are pure, For God hath bleffed thee with gifts for ever to endure.

IV.

Thy royal feat, O Lord, for ever shall remain, The fceptre of thy kingdom doth all righteousness maintain.

V.

Because thou didst love right and didft the ill deteft, Therefore hath God anointed thee with joy above the rest.

AFTERNOON.

PSALM XIX.

This is another Christmas hymn. It treats of the glory of the Lord Chrift, as difplayed in the works of nature, and in the word of grace. The material heavens are a record of his glory, wifdom, power, and goodness; but efpecially the fun in the heavens is the inftituted emblem of the uncreated light: In them hath he fet a tabernacle for the fun, which reprefents Chrift's tabernacling among us in a body of fefh; and as the fun communicates light, life, and every material bleffing through the world, fo Chrift communicates light, and life, and every fpiritual bleffing through his fyftem. He is as delighted as any happy bridegroom, as able as any strong man to run a race, to send out his light and his truth into

all

all lands, and his words unto the ends of the world; by which he brings his people to believe in him and to rejoice in his falvation. If he has made his word effectual by the power of his Spirit, then we know the meaning of this fweet hymn, and can fee its application to the fubject of this day. May this glorious fun of righteousness now arife upon our hearts with his bright beams, and give us clearer knowledge of the great mystery of godlinefs, God manifeft in the flesh. Thus our faith will increase, and we fhall fing of his love with growing gratitude. May our fong of praife be lengthened out, till in his light we fee and enjoy the light of life everlasting.

THE

I.

HE heav'ns and firmament on high
dó wondrously declare

God's glory and omnipotence,

his works and what they are.

II.

The wond'rous works of God appear by ev'ry days fuccefs,

The nights likewife which their race run the felf fame thing exprefs.

III.

There is no fpeech nor tongue to which
their voice doth not extend,
Their line is gone through all the earth
their words to the world's end.

IV.

In them the Lord made for the fun a tent of great renown,

Who like a bridegroom ready trimm'd comes from his chamber down.

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