Scripture Verse

Praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Psalm 107:8–9

Introduction

portrait
Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Words: Is­aac Watts, The Psalms of Da­vid 1719. Cor­rec­tion for sin, and re­lease by pray­er.

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),

Lyrics

From age to age ex­alt His name;
God and His grace are still the same;
He fills the hun­gry soul with food,
And feeds the poor with ev­ery good.

But if their hearts re­bel and rise
Against the God that rules the skies,
If they re­ject His heav’n­ly Word
And slight the coun­sels of the Lord;

He’ll bring their spir­its to the ground,
And no de­liv­er­er shall be found;
Laden with grief, they waste their breath
In dark­ness and the shades of death.

Then to the Lord they raise their cries;
He makes the dawn­ing light arise,
And scat­ters all that dis­mal shade
That hung so hea­vy round their head.

He cuts the bars of brass in two,
And lets the smil­ing pri­son­ers thro’:
Takes off the load of guilt and grief,
And gives the la­bor­ing soul re­lief.

O may the sons of men re­cord!
The won­drous good­ness of the Lord!
How great His works! how kind His ways!
Let ev­ery tongue pro­nounce His praise.