1 Give thanks to God, invoke his name,
And tell the world his grace;
Sound through the earth his deeds of fame,
That all may seek his face.
2 His cov'nant which he kept in mind
For num'rous ages past,
To num'rous ages yet behind
In equal force shall last.
3 He swore to Abr'am and his seed,
And made the blessings sure,
Gentiles the ancient promise read,
And find his truth endure.
4 "Thy seed shall make all nations blest,
"(Said the Almighty voice)
"And Canaan's land shall be their rest,
"The type of heav'nly joys.
5 [How large the grant! how rich the grace!
To give them Canaan's land,
When they were strangers in the place,
A small and feeble band!
6 Like pilgrims through the countries round
Securely they remov'd;
And haughty kings, that on them frown'd
Severely he reprov'd.
7 "Touch mine anointed, and mine arm
"Shall soon avenge the wrong!
"The man that does my prophets harm
Shall know their God is strong."
8 Then let the world forbear its rage,
Nor put the church in fear;
Isra'l must live through ev'ry age,
And be th' Almighty's care.
Pause First.
9 When Pharaoh dar'd to vex the saints,
And thus provok'd their God,
Moses was sent, at their complaints,
Arm'd with his dreadful rod.
10 He call'd for darkness; darkness came
Like an o'erwhelming flood:
He turn'd each lake and ev'ry stream
To lakes and streams of blood.
11 He gave the sign, and noisome flies
Thro' the whole country spread;
And frogs in baleful armies rise
About the monarch's bed.
12 Thro' fields, and towns, and palaces
The tenfold vengeance flew:
Locusts, in swarms devour'd their trees
And hail their cattle slew.
13 Then by an angel's mid-night stroke
The flow'r of Egypt dy'd;
The strength of ev'ry house was broke,
Their glory and their pride.
14 Now let the world forbear its rage,
Nor put the church in fear;
Isra'l must live thro' ev'ry age,
And be th' Almighty's care.
Pause Second.
15 Thus were the tribes from bondage freed,
And left the hated ground:
Rich with Egyptian spoils they fled,
Nor was one feeble found.
16 The Lord himself chose out their way,
And mark'd their journeys right,
Gave them a leading cloud by day,
A fiery guide by night.
17 They thirst; and waters from the rock
In rich abundance flow,
And folo'wing still the course they took,
Ran all the desert through.
18 O wond'rous stream! O blessed type
Of ever-flowing grace!
So Christ our rock maintains our life
And aids our wand'ring race.
19 Thus guarded by th' Almighty hand,
The chosen tribes possest
Canaan, the rich, the promis'd land,
And there enjoy'd their rest.
20 "hen let the world forbear its rage,
The church renounce her fear;
Isra'l must live thro' ev'ry age,
And be t'e Almighty's care.