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Ver. My ways inclos'd as with a wall
Of firm hewn stone he hath;

9

And to defeat my counsels all
He crooked made my path.

DALETH.

10 He close laid wait as for the prey
A lion and a bear;

II And turning quite aside my way,
Did me in pieces tear:

12

He laid me waste, and in the dark,
His bow of fury hot

He bent, and at me as a mark

His barbed iron shot.

HE.

13 His quiver-darts, so fierce fet off,
Into my reins made way;
14 To all the folk I was a scoff,
Their music all the day.

15

I'm made the subject of their song,
And fill'd until I shrunk

With bitterness and wormwood strong
With which he made me drunk.
VAU.

16 With gravel stones my teeth he brake;
With ashes cover'd me:

17 From peace, my foul, now gone to wrack,

Is far remov'd by thee.

Forgetting blifs as overpast,

I spake this desp'rate word,

18 "My strength is gone, my hope is loft,

" And perifh'd from the Lord.”

ZAIN.

19 Despair was fed by minding all
My miseries and woes;
The bitter wormwood and the gall,
My foul keeps mind of those :
Hence funk and bow'd within me 'tis;
But why so very fad?

20

21 Despair, begone; I've hope from this,

I mind anon to add.

:

CHETH.

Ver. 'Tis of the Lord's compaffions great

22

And his unfailing love,

We are not all confum'd as yet,
For ftill his bowels move:

23 They new with every morning roll;
Thy truth is great and high:
24 The Lord's my portion, faith my foul;
Hence in him hope will I.

TETH.

25 God's good to them that on him wait, To fouls that feek his face.

26 'Tis good that one, with hope fedate, Expect his faving grace.

27 And for a man, by forrow broke,
'Tis good with filent mouth,
And heart fubmifs to bear the yoke
And trouble in his youth.

JOD.

28 He quiet fits alone brought low
By having born the rod;
29 With mouth put in the dust, if fo
There may be hope in God.

30 His cheek he to the smiter's will
Revengeless doth affign;
Fill'd with reproach, he bears the fill,
With patience half divine.

CAPH.

31 The Lord will not reject for ay:

32

33

But though he caufeth grief;

Yet he his pity will display,

And timely grant relief.

His mercies thwart not with his dart,
For when he smites, ev'n then

Not willingly nor from his heart,
He grieves the fons of men.

LAMED.

34 Mens Cruel deeds they can't abide, To crush earth's captive race, 35 To turn the poor man's right afide, Before the fovereign's face;

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37 Who's he that speaks, and then 'tis done, When nay's JEHOVAH'S will? 38 Out from the mouth of th' highest One Comes not both good and ill.

39 O why then should a living man

Dare enter his complaint,
For penal ill; a guilty man

For's own fin's punishment?

NUN.

40 Come let us search and try our ways,
Not murmur at the rod,

But for our fins our fouls abase,
And turn again to God.

41 Let us lift up our heart and hands-
Whole to the God of heav'n:

42 We have rebell'd 'gainst thy commands; Thou, Lord, haft not forgiven. SAMECH.

43 Thy wrath us hid, purfu'd, nor stopt,
But flew and did not spare;
44 Thyfelf hid with a cloud that opt
No through-pass for our pray'r.
45 The world's vile filth thou hast us made,
Which with contempt they use;

We ly among the nations spread,
The scum and the refuse.

PE.

46 Wide mouths 'gainst us our en'mies all Have made, and scoffing joy'd;

47 Fear and a snare upon us fall,
We're wasted and destroy'd.
48 Mine eyes to weeping fountains turn.
Whence briny rivers flow,
While I my people's daughter mourn
And moan her overthrow.

+ Qq

AIN.

Ver. With tears still trickling down, mine eye

49

Incessant cannot rest,

50 Till God look down, and, from on high, Behold our cafe distress'd.

51 Mine eye affects my heart with pain,

To fee the ruin vast

Of Salem's race, the doleful bane

I fee, and stand aghaft.

TZADE.

52 With causelefs hate my eager foes, Me like a bird did chase;

53 My life within the dungeon close, Then with a stone depress.

54 High did the swelling waters grow, My head was overflown, Then faid my hopeless heart, "I'm now "Cut off, and quite undone."

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55 Time was, when from the dungeon low
I pray'd, and thou didst hear:
56 Lord, hide not from my breathing now,
Nor from my cry, thine ear.

57 What day of dread I call'd on thee,
Thou didst not stand remote,
But drewest near to comfort me,
By faying, FEAR THOU NOT.

RESH.

58 Lord, thou the causes of my foul
Wast wont to plead for me;

Thy love did threat'ning death's control,
My life to save and free.

59 Judge now my cause, Lord; thou hast seen

My wrongs by men of strife,

60 Seen all their rage and vengeance keen,

And plots against my life.

SHIN.

61 Lord, thou their vile reproach hast heard,

Their machinations all;

62 The lips of those that rofe, and jear'd And fpat at me their gall.

Ver. Their daily projects me to drub,

63

Their fitting down efpy,

And rifing up at every club

Their music still am I.

TAU.

64 Reward them as from thee they swerve,
Their heart with grief confume,
65 To shew they for their works deserve
They curse to be their doom.
66 As me they chase and fue to death,
With them in wrath be ev'ns;
Pursue and raze them from beneath
The great Jehovah's heav'ns.

CHAP. IV.

ZION bewaileth her pitiful Estate, occafioned by the direful Effects of the Famine, the facking of JERUSALEM. She confeffetb ber Sins, and acknowledgeth that the Iniquities of ber Leaders were the Caufe of all these Calamities. EDOM's Destruction foretold, and the Return of ZION's Captivity.

ALEPH.

THE temple-gold, how now fo dim,

That glifter'd once so gay;

How has the finest gold so trim,
Now chang'd its bright array!
The temple-stones now tumbled down,
That lay in stately square,
On top of every street o'erthrown,
Lie scatter'd here and there.
BETH.

2 Lo! Zion's fons, of precious mould,
Her faints, her priests, her peers,
That might compare with pureft gold,
More fine than Ophir bears;
How bafely are they now esteem'd!
As pitchers vile and coarfe,
Wrought by the potter's hand, and deem'd
But earthen ware, and worse!

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