9. Lord, bring my soul out of the straits and dread, Wherein my foes have her imprisoned; Lord, loose her bands, that for the same And that the righteous men May flock to me again, And they with me Sing praise to thee. PSALM CXLVI. By Joseph Bryan. 1. O, my soul, do thou give praise, And sing lays To the Lord, God ever living. 2. And my tongue, till tied by death, Praise to him shall still be giving. 3. Put no trust in potentates, Nor in states, Nor in wealth, in strength, or feature, For in them no help is found Sure or sound, Nor in any other creature. 4. For their staff of life is breath, Which by death Soon is craz'd; their corpse they cherish, When as they, soon after birth, Turn to earth, All their thoughts, plots, councils perish. 5. Blest is he whose soul so learns, And discerns These false hopes, and them forsaketh; Who the God of Jacob's seed, At his need His sure help and refuge maketh. 6. Who both heaven and earth did make, And but spake, And the sea, with her hid treasure. And doth keep his word and oath Firmly both, And in keeping them takes pleasure. 7. Who doth justice execute, Ne'er being mute For the wrongfully oppressed: Who, with plenteous bread doth feed Loosing prisoners distressed. 8. God restores the blind to sight, And sets right Limbs distorted, lameness curing; And his love to him that still Doth his will, Is for evermore enduring. 9. God relieves the fatherless, In distress Widows' plaints to him are moving. Strangers safely he protects; But rejects Godless men, no good ways loving. 10. God, thy God, on Sion hill Reigneth still; Still in glory higher raised, |