Praise the Lord, O my soul.
Psalm 103:1
Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of David 1719. Blessing God for His goodness to soul and body.
Music: Park Street Frederick M. A. Venua, circa 1810 (🔊 pdf nwc). Repeats last line of each verse.
If you know where to get a good picture of Venua (head & shoulders, at least 200×300 pixels),
Bless, O my soul, the living God.
Call home thy thoughts that rove abroad,
Let all the powers within me join
In work and worship so divine.
Bless, O my soul, the God of grace;
His favors claim thy highest praise:
Why should the wonders He hath wrought
Be lost in silence and forgot?
’Tis He, my soul, that sent His Son
To die for crimes which thou hast done;
He owns the ransom and forgives
The hourly follies of our lives.
The vices of the mind He heals,
And cures the pains that nature feels;
Redeems the soul from hell, and saves
Our wasting life from threatening graves.
Our youth decayed, His power repairs;
His mercy crowns our growing years:
He satisfies our mouth with good,
And fills our hopes with heav’nly food.
He sees th’oppressor and th’oppressed,
And often gives the sufferers rest;
But will His justice more display
In the last great rewarding day.
His power He showed by Moses’ hands,
And gave to Israel His commands;
But sent His truth and mercy down
To all the nations by His Son.
Let the whole earth His power confess.
Let the whole earth adore His grace;
The Gentile with the Jew shall join
In work and worship so divine.