1 Except the Lord do build the house,
the builders lose their pain:
Except the Lord the city keep,
the watchmen watch in vain.
2 ‘Tis vain for you to rise betimes,
or late from rest to keep,
To feed on sorrows’ bread; so gives
he his beloved sleep.
3 Lo, children are God’s heritage,
the womb’s fruit his reward.
4 The sons of youth as arrows are,
for strong men’s hands prepar’d.
5 O happy is the man that hath
his quiver fill’d with those;
They unashamed in the gate
shall speak unto their foes.
1 They in the Lord that firmly trust
shall be like Sion hill,
Which at no time can be remov’d,
but standeth ever still.
2 As round about Jerusalem
the mountains stand alway,
The Lord his folk doth compass so,
from henceforth and for aye.
3 For ill men’s rod upon the lot
of just men shall not lie;
Lest righteous men stretch forth their hands
unto iniquity.
4 Do thou to all those that be good
thy goodness, Lord, impart;
And do thou good to those that are
upright within their heart.
5 But as for such as turn aside
after their crooked way,
God shall lead forth with wicked men:
on Isr’el peace shall stay.
1 O Lord, I unto thee do cry,
do thou make haste to me,
And give an ear unto my voice,
when I cry unto thee.
2 As incense let my prayer be
directed in thine eyes;
And the uplifting of my hands
as th’ ev ‘ning sacrifice.
3 Set, Lord, a watch before my mouth,
keep of my lips the door.
4 My heart incline thou not unto
the ills I should abhor,
To practise wicked works with men
that work iniquity;
And with their delicates my taste
let me not satisfy.
5 Let him that righteous is me smite,
it shall a kindness be;
Let him reprove, I shall it count
a precious oil to me:
Such smiting shall not break my head;
for yet the time shall fall,
When I in their calamities
to God pray for them shall.
6 When as their judges down shall be
in stony places cast,
Then shall they hear my words; for they
shall sweet be to their taste.
7 About the grave’s devouring mouth
our bones are scatter’d round,
As wood which men do cut and cleave
lies scatter’d on the ground.
8 But unto thee, O God the Lord,
mine eyes uplifted be:
My soul do not leave destitute;
my trust is set on thee.
9 Lord, keep me safely from the snares
which they for me prepare;
And from the subtile gins of them
that wicked workers are.
10 Let workers of iniquity
into their own nets fall,
Whilst I do, by thine help, escape
the danger of them all.
First Version (C.M.)
1 Had not the Lord been on our side,
may Israel now say;
2 Had not the Lord been on our side,
when men rose us to slay;
3 They had us swallow’d quick, when as
their wrath ‘gainst us did flame:
4 Waters had cover’d us, our soul
had sunk beneath the stream.
5 Then had the waters, swelling high,
over our soul made way.
6 Bless’d be the Lord, who to their teeth
us gave not for a prey.
7 Our soul’s escaped, as a bird
out of the fowler’s snare;
The snare asunder broken is,
and we escaped are.
8 Our sure and all-sufficient help
is in Jehovah’s name;
His name who did the heav’n create,
and who the earth did frame.
Second Version (10.10.10.10.10.)
1 Now Israel
may say, and that truly,
If that the Lord
had not our cause maintain’d;
2 If that the Lord
had not our right sustain’d,
When cruel men
against us furiously
Rose up in wrath,
to make of us their prey;
3 Then certainly
they had devour’d us all,
And swallow’d quick,
for ought that we could deem;
Such was their rage,
as we might well esteem.
4 And as fierce floods
before them all things drown,
So had they brought
our soul to death quite down.
5 The raging streams,
with their proud swelling waves,
Had then our soul
o’erwhelmed in the deep.
6 But bless’d be God,
who doth us safely keep,
And hath not giv’n
us for a living prey
Unto their teeth,
and bloody cruelty.
7 Ev’n as a bird
out of the fowler’s snare
Escapes away,
so is our soul set free:
Broke are their nets,
and thus escaped we.
8 Therefore our help
is in the Lord’s great name,
Who heav’n and earth
by his great pow’r did frame.
1 Praise God. The Lord praise, O my soul.
2 I’ll praise God while I live;
While I have being to my God
in songs I’ll praises give.
3 Trust not in princes, nor man’s son,
in whom there is no stay:
4 His breath departs, to’s earth he turns;
that day his thoughts decay.
5 O happy is that man and blest,
whom Jacob’s God doth aid;
Whose hope upon the Lord doth rest,
and on his God is stay’d:
6 Who made the earth and heavens high,
who made the swelling deep,
And all that is within the same;
who truth doth ever keep:
7 Who righteous judgment executes
for those oppress’d that be,
Who to the hungry giveth food;
God sets the pris’ners free.
8 The Lord doth give the blind their sight,
the bowed down doth raise:
The Lord doth dearly love all those
that walk in upright ways.
9 The stranger’s shield, the widow’s stay,
the orphan’s help, is he:
But yet by him the wicked’s way
turn’d upside down shall be.
10 The Lord shall reign for evermore:
thy God, O Sion, he
Reigns to all generations.
Praise to the Lord give ye.
Second Version (L.M.)
TUNE: Before the Throne of God Above
1 O Lord, thou art my God and King;
Thee will I magnify and praise:
I will thee bless, and gladly sing
Unto thy holy name always.
2 Each day I rise I will thee bless,
And praise thy name time without end.
3 Much to be prais’d, and great God is;
His greatness none can comprehend.
4 Race shall thy works praise unto race,
The mighty acts show done by thee.
5 I will speak of the glorious grace,
And honour of thy majesty;
Thy wondrous works I will record.
6 By men the might shall be extoll’d
Of all thy dreadful acts, O Lord:
And I thy greatness will unfold.
7 They utter shall abundantly
The mem’ry of thy goodness great;
And shall sing praises cheerfully,
Whilst they thy righteousness relate.
8 The Lord our God is gracious,
Compassionate is he also;
In mercy he is plenteous,
But unto wrath and anger slow.
9 Good unto all men is the Lord:
O’er all his works his mercy is.
10 Thy works all praise to thee afford:
Thy saints, O Lord, thy name shall bless.
11 The glory of thy kingdom show
Shall they, and of thy power tell:
12 That so men’s sons his deeds may know,
His kingdom’s grace that doth excel.
13 Thy kingdom hath none end at all,
It doth through ages all remain.
14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall,
The cast-down raiseth up again.
15 The eyes of all things, Lord, attend,
And on thee wait that here do live,
And thou, in season due, dost send
Sufficient food them to relieve.
16 Yea, thou thine hand dost open wide,
And ev’ry thing dost satisfy
That lives, and doth on earth abide,
Of thy great liberality.
17 The Lord is just in his ways all,
And holy in his works each one.
18 He’s near to all that on him call,
Who call in truth on him alone.
19 God will the just desire fulfil
Of such as do him fear and dread:
Their cry regard, and hear he will,
And save them in the time of need.
20 The Lord preserves all, more and less,
That bear to him a loving heart:
But workers all of wickedness
Destroy will he, and clean subvert.
21 Therefore my mouth and lips I’ll frame
To speak the praises of the Lord:
To magnify his holy name
For ever let all flesh accord.
First Version (C.M.)
1 I’ll thee extol, my God, O King;
I’ll bless thy name always.
2 Thee will I bless each day, and will
thy name for ever praise.
3 Great is the Lord, much to be prais’d;
his greatness search exceeds.
4 Race unto race shall praise thy works,
and shew thy mighty deeds.
5 I of thy glorious majesty
the honour will record;
I’ll speak of all thy mighty works,
which wondrous are, O Lord.
6 Men of thine acts the might shall show,
thine acts that dreadful are;
And I, thy glory to advance,
thy greatness will declare.
7 The mem’ry of thy goodness great
they largely shall express;
With songs of praise they shall extol
thy perfect righteousness.
8 The Lord is very gracious,
in him compassions flow;
In mercy he is very great,
and is to anger slow.
9 The Lord Jehovah unto all
his goodness doth declare;
And over all his other works
his tender mercies are.
10 Thee all thy works shall praise, O Lord,
and thee thy saints shall bless;
11 They shall thy kingdom’s glory show,
thy pow’r by speech express:
12 To make the sons of men to know
his acts done mightily,
And of his kingdom th’ excellent
and glorious majesty.
13 Thy kingdom shall for ever stand,
thy reign through ages all.
14 God raiseth all that are bow’d down,
upholdeth all that fall.
15 The eyes of all things wait on thee,
the giver of all good;
And thou, in time convenient,
bestow’st on them their food:
16 Thine hand thou open’st lib’rally,
and of thy bounty gives
Enough to satisfy the need
of ev’ry thing that lives.
17 The Lord is just in all his ways,
holy in his works all.
18 God’s near to all that call on him,
in truth that on him call.
19 He will accomplish the desire
of those that do him fear:
He also will deliver them,
and he their cry will hear.
20 The Lord preserves all who him love,
that nought can them annoy:
But he all those that wicked are
will utterly destroy.
21 My mouth the praises of the Lord
to publish cease shall never:
Let all flesh bless his holy name
for ever and for ever.
Second Version (6.6.6.6.D.)
1 Oh, hear my prayer, Lord,
And unto my desire
To bow thine ear accord,
I humbly thee require;
And, in thy faithfulness,
Unto me answer make,
And, in thy righteousness,
Upon me pity take.
2 In judgment enter not
With me thy servant poor;
For why, this well I wot,
No sinner can endure
The sight of thee, O God:
If thou his deeds shalt try,
He dare make none abode
Himself to justify.
3 Behold, the cruel foe
Me persecutes with spite,
My soul to overthrow:
Yea, he my life down quite
Unto the ground hath smote,
And made me dwell full low
In darkness, as forgot,
Or men dead long ago.
4 Therefore my sp’rit much vex’d,
O’erwhelm’d is me within;
My heart right sore perplex’d
And desolate hath been.
5 Yet I do call to mind
What ancient days record,
Thy works of ev’ry kind
I think upon, O Lord.
6 Lo, I do stretch my hands
To thee, my help alone;
For thou well understands
All my complaint and moan:
My thirsting soul desires,
And longeth after thee,
As thirsty ground requires
With rain refresh’d to be.
7 Lord, let my pray’r prevail,
To answer it make speed;
For, lo, my sp’rit doth fail:
Hide not thy face in need;
Lest I be like to those
That do in darkness sit,
Or him that downward goes
Into the dreadful pit.
8 Because I trust in thee,
O Lord, cause me to hear
Thy loving-kindness free,
When morning doth appear:
Cause me to know the way
Wherein my path should be;
For why, my soul on high
I do lift up to thee.
9 From my fierce enemy
In safety do me guide,
Because I flee to thee,
Lord, that thou may’st me hide.
10 My God alone art thou,
Teach me thy righteousness:
Thy Sp’rit’s good, lead me to
The land of uprightness.
11 O Lord, for thy name’s sake,
Be pleas’d to quicken me;
And, for thy truth, forth take
My soul from misery.
12 And of thy grace destroy
My foes, and put to shame
All who my soul annoy;
For I thy servant am
1 I with my voice cry’d to the Lord,
with it made my request:
2 Pour’d out to him my plaint, to him
my trouble I exprest.
3 When in me was o’erwhelm’d my sp’rit,
then well thou knew’st my way;
Where I did walk a snare for me
they privily did lay.
4 I look’d on my right hand, and view’d,
but none to know me were;
All refuge failed me, no man
did for my soul take care.
5 I cry’d to thee; I said, Thou art
my refuge, Lord, alone;
And in the land of those that live
thou art my portion.
6 Because I am brought very low,
attend unto my cry:
Me from my persecutors save,
who stronger are than I.
7 From prison bring my soul, that I
thy name may glorify:
The just shall compass me, when thou
with me deal’st bounteously.
1 Lord, from the ill and froward man
give me deliverance,
And do thou safe preserve me from
the man of violence:
2 Who in their heart mischievous things
are meditating ever;
And they for war assembled are
continually together.
3 Much like unto a serpent’s tongue
their tongues they sharp do make;
And underneath their lips there lies
the poison of a snake.
4 Lord, keep me from the wicked’s hands,
from vi’lent men me save;
Who utterly to overthrow
my goings purpos’d have.
5 The proud for me a snare have hid,
and cords; yea, they a net
Have by the way-side for me spread;
they gins for me have set.
6 I said unto the Lord, Thou art
my God: unto the cry
Of all my supplications,
Lord, do thine ear apply.
7 O God the Lord, who art the strength
of my salvation:
A cov’ring in the day of war
my head thou hast put on.
8 Unto the wicked man, O Lord,
his wishes do not grant;
Nor further thou his ill device,
lest they themselves should vaunt.
9 As for the head and chief of those
about that compass me,
Ev’n by the mischief of their lips
let thou them cover’d be.
10 Let burning coals upon them fall,
them throw in fiery flame,
And in deep pits, that they no more
may rise out of the same.
11 Let not an evil speaker be
on earth established:
Mischief shall hunt the vi’lent man,
till he be ruined.
12 I know God will th’ afflicted’s cause
maintain, and poor men’s right.
13 Surely the just shall praise thy name;
th’ upright dwell in thy sight.
1 O thou that dwellest in the heav’ns,
I lift mine eyes to thee.
2 Behold, as servants’ eyes do look
their masters’ hand to see,
As handmaid’s eyes her mistress’ hand;
so do our eyes attend
Upon the Lord our God, until
to us he mercy send.
3 O Lord, be gracious to us,
unto us gracious be;
Because replenish’d with contempt
exceedingly are we.
4 Our soul is fill’d with scorn of those
that at their ease abide,
And with the insolent contempt
of those that swell in pride.
Ekklesia Muskogee is a reformed baptist church that gathers for worship in Muskogee, Oklahoma. We confess the 1689 second London baptist confession of faith. We affirm the five solas of the Reformation as well as the doctrines of grace (otherwise known as the five points of Calvinism), and each of our pastors would not be ashamed to be called a Calvinist. We are a church led by elders, of which there is a plurality (also called pastors and overseers in the Scriptures). Our mission is to make disciples, love cities, and plant churches.