Psalm 48
Words: Isaac Watts
v. 1--8. PART 1. The church is the honor and safety of a nation.
1 Great is the Lord our God,
And let his praise be great;
He makes his churches his abode,
His most delightful seat.
2 These temples of his grace,
How beautiful they stand!
The honors of our native place,
And bulwarks of our land.
3 In Zion God is known,
A refuge in distress;
How bright has his salvation shone
Through all her palaces!
4 When kings against her joined,
And saw the Lord was there,
In wild confusion of the mind
They fled with hasty fear.
5 When navies tall and proud
Attempt to spoil our peace,
He sends his tempests roaring loud,
And sinks them in the seas.
6 Oft have our fathers told,
Our eyes have often seen,
How well our God secures the fold
Where his own sheep have been.
7 In ev'ry new distress
We'll to his house repair;
We'll think upon his wondrous grace,
And seek deliv'rance there.
v. 10--14. PART 2.
The beauty of the church; or, Gospel worship and order.
1 Far as thy name is known,
The world declares thy praise;
Thy saints, O Lord, before thy throne,
Their songs of honor raise.
2 With joy let Judah stand
On Zion's chosen hill,
Proclaim the wonders of thy hand,
And counsels of thy will.
3 Let strangers walk around
The city where we dwell,
Compass and view thine holy ground,
And mark the building well;
4 The orders of thy house,
The worship of thy court,
The cheerful songs, the solemn vows,
And make a fair report.
5 How decent and how wise!
How glorious to behold!
Beyond the pomp that charms the eyes,
And rites adorned with gold.
6 The God we worship now
Will guide us till we die,
Will be our God while here below,
And ours above the sky.
