The greatest thing

The greatest thing in all the earth
The greatest thing till death from birth
Is knowing that your every sin
Through Jesus Christ has been forgiv'n.

Without this fact I could not live,
If Jesus did not me forgive
Then how could I do anything?
My life would be a living death.

Psalm 55b

CM

If enemies my name abused,
Then that I could abide.
If foes it were against me raised,
From them I still could hide.

But it is you, a man like me,
My colleague, my close friend.
In sweetest fellowship were we,
We would God's house attend.

Let death my foes take and astound,
Let them alive relapse
Into the grave, for evil's found
With them, its lodging place.

But I, the LORD who saves, address
At evening, morn and noon.
I cry to God in my distress,
And my voice he hears soon.

Unharmed, he ransoms me, sets free,
He saves me from my foes,
Saves from the battle against me,
Though many do oppose.

God, who is on his throne always,
Will hear them and afflict,
Men who will never change their ways,
They who won't rev'rence God.

My companion attacks his friends,
His cov'nant keeps no more.
His speech as smooth as butter blends,
Yet in his heart is war.

His words, like oil, they soothe the pain
But drawn swords are they all.
Cast cares on the Lord; he'll sustain,
Won't let the righteous fall.

You'll bring down those with wicked ways,
Bloodthirsty liars, too.
They won't live out one half their days,
But I will trust in you.

Psalm 55a

CM

O God, now listen, hear my prayer,
Do not ignore my plea;
My thoughts give pain, I'm in despair,
O hear and answer me.

Enemy voice and wicked stare
Bring suff'ring down on me.
In anger into me they tear,
How they're reviling me.

Within, my heart is troubling me,
Death's terror me assails.
Trembling and fear besetting me,
In horror, my heart fails.

I said, doves' wings, Oh give to me!
I long to fly away
And be at rest; I long to flee
And in the desert stay.

I'd hurry to my hiding place,
Far from the tempest's sound.
The wicked, Lord, confuse, disgrace -
Their every word confound.

In the city, see vi'lence fight,
What strife that place befalls.
Both in the day and in the night
They're prowling on its walls.

Hatred, abuse, within abound,
Destructive forces work.
Threats and lies in the city found,
In every street they lurk.

Psalm 54

CM

O God, by your name, set me free
By your might, justify.
The words of my mouth heed, hear me,
O God, now hear my cry.

Arrogant foes attack me hard;
My life they will not spare.
They are ruthless, with no regard
For God; they do not care.

God is my help; the Lord, surely,
Who me sustains all through.
Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
In faithfulness, destroy.

I'll give a freewill sacrifice,
An offering to you;
To your name. Lord, I will give praise,
For your name's good, it's true.

For me deliv'ranc he supplies,
Saves me from all my woes,
They've looked in triumph have my eyes
On all my many foes.

Psalm 53

CM (St Agnews [Dykes])

The fool, he speaks to his own heart,
He says ‘There is no God.’
Their ways are vile, they are corrupt;
There’s no-one who does good.

God from the heavens the earth he scans 

All mankind to see.

Is there found one who understands
Or seeks to God to flee?

They’ve turned aside, yes, every one,
Corrupted they’ve become;
Those who do good - there now are none,
No, there’s not even one.

Do evil doers never learn? -
My people they’ve devoured,
As though they’re bread, there’s no concern,
They do not call on God.

There they all were in dread so great -
Where nothing was to dread.
Shamed there by God, for he did hate,
Their scattered bones God spread.

From Zion may salvation rise,
Oh God for Israel!
Jacob be glad, Isra’l rejoice

When God restoes us all.

Psalm 52

CM

You mighty one, why do you boast
Of sin; why boast all day?
You are a man who is disgraced
In God's own eyes today.

Your tongue, destruction it conceives;
It's like a razor keen,
Your mouth by practice, it deceives,
You love what is unclean.

You love what's evil not what's good,
Love lies, not staying true.
Yes, you adore each harmful word,
O tongue so vile, untrue!

God will arrange for your descent
To lasting ruin, damned.
He'll snatch and tear you from your tent,
Uproot you from the land.

The righteous they will see and fear;
“Here is the one who failed
To make,” they'll say, yes how they'll jeer,
“Make God his safe stronghold.”

“In his great wealth he trusted, he,
Grew strong destroying others!”
But I am like an olive tree
Flourishing in God's house.

I trust in God's unfailing grace
For ages yet to come.
For what you've done I'll always praise
For all that you have done.

With the faithful, before their face
Your name I will acclaim.

And in your name my hope I'll place
Because it's good, your name.

Psalm 51b

CM

From all my sins, Lord, hide your face,
Blot out iniquity.
Lord, make a pure heart in its place,
Renew resolve in me.

Me from your presence do not send
Or your pure Spirit take.
A willing spirit to me lend,
Salvation’s joy rewake.

And then I will transgressors teach
Your ways that are so true,
Then sinners will turn back, changed each,
They will turn back to you.

O God from bloodguilt set me free,
The God who saves me, yes,
And then my tongue will singing be
About your righteousness.

Open my lips, Lord, let me sing,
Let my mouth speak your praise.
If you craved off'rings, these I'd bring;
You don't want lambs to blaze.

The sacrifices sought by God -
A broken soul that cries;
A heart that's bruised and broken, God,
You never will despise.

In your good pleasure Zion make
To prosper and to grow;
And may Jerus'lem's walls not break,
Rebuilding may they know.

Then righteous sacrifice there'll be,
A whole burnt offering
To give delight to you, for see
To altars bulls we'll bring.

Psalm 51a

CM

O God, be merciful to me,
According to your grace;
According to your sympathy
Transgression’s stains efface.

Wash me from all iniquity,
Cleanse me from sin, I cry.
All my transgressions known to me,
My sin I can’t deny.

I’ve sinned against you, only you,
Done evil in your sight,
So when you speak, your words prove true
And when you judge, you’re right.

I’ve been a sinner from the start,
Conceived I was, in sin.
The truth you seek within the heart,
You wisdom teach within.

With hyssop cleanse and clean I’ll be;
Wash me more white than snow.
May joy and gladness come to me,
The bones you crushed bliss know.

From all my sins, O hide your face,
Blot out iniquity.
God, make a pure heart in its place,
Renew resolve in me.

Psalm 50

CMD

2 
True God, the Lord, the Mighty One,
He tells the earth to come
From where begins the rising sun,
To where the sun goes down.
From Zion, perfect beauty see -
God shines in bright array.
Our God comes forth; mute he'll not be,
For he has things to say.

Before him raging flames devour,
Around him tempests rage.
The heav'ns above, him stand before,
And earth, that he may judge:
“Bring me my sons of holiness,
Who gave their gifts in pledge.”
The heav'ns proclaim his righteousness,
For God himself is judge.

Hear now my people, I’ll declare,
Israel, hear this rebuke,
I'm God, your God so be aware,
Hear me against you speak.
I don’t reprove for sacrifice
Or off'rings that you've made.
They're ever set before my eyes.
I do not need your aid.

Goats from your pens I do not need
Nor bulls out of your stalls.
Each woodland beast is mine indeed,
Herds on a thousand hills.
The mountain birds I know them too,
All beasts I own in fields.
If hungry I would not tell you,
Earth's mine and all it yields.

The flesh of bullocks do I eat
Drink blood from goats do I?
Give God thank-offerings of meat,
Keep vows to the Most High.
And call out to me in the day
When troubles great you see;
I will deliver you, I say,
And you will honour me.

But to the wicked, God he speaks,
“And what right makes it yours
To take my cov'nant on your lips
Or to recite my laws?
Yes, my instruction you so hate
My words behind you throw.
You'll with a thief associate,
You'll with adult'rers go.”

“You use your mouth for evil crimes,
Your tongue it lies, what shame.
You've smeared your brother many times,
Your mother's son defame.
These things you've done and mute I stayed;
You thought me just like you.
But by me charges will be laid,
You'll see me confront you.”

Consider this and think it through,
All you who God forget:
Or into pieces I'll tear you,
With none to rescue yet.
The one who will thank-off'rings slay,
He will thus honour me.
And to the blameless now I say

I'll set that person free.

Catechism 8

Questions 53-67

CM

And now what is the fifth command?
To honour mum and dad.
What is taught by the fifth command?
They must be loved, obeyed.

Then next, what is the sixth command?
It says you shall not kill.
What is taught by the sixth command?
Repent from all ill-will.

What is in the seventh command?
Adultery must not be.
What is taught by this next command?
Keep heart, word, deed, stain-free.

And then what is the eighth command?
It says you must not steal.
What is taught by the eighth command?
Don't take. Be honest, real.

And what is it, the ninth command?
False witness do not bear.
What is taught by the ninth command?
Speak truth and say what's fair.

Fin'lly, what is the tenth command?
Don't want what you don't have.
What is taught by the tenth command?
Be pleased with what you have.

*****************

Can any keep these ten commands?
No, none since Adam's fall.
None ever kept these ten commands
Or can - we're sinners all.

Of what use are the ten commands?
Our duty thus we know,
It's made clear that we are condemned,
Our need of Christ they show.

Does God declare all men condemned?
No, though he justly could.
See, a gracious cov'nant he made,
Many to save - how good!

Catechism 6

Questions 34-41
CM

At Sinai how many commands
Did God give? - There were ten.
What can we call these ten commands?
God’s moral law. Amen.

Now, in the first four what is taught?
Duty to God. And then,
As for the other six what's taught?
Duty to fellow men.

What would the sum of all ten be?
Love God with all I am,
My neighbour as myself. Who's he?
That's any fellow man.

With those who love him and obey
God's happy – can that be?
Oh yes it is. We've heard him say
'I love them that love me'.

Is God pleased if men don't obey
Or love him? What's it say?
No. 'With sinners' we've heard him say
'God's angry every day'.

Yet more extra verses

The True God is so big,
He’s so strong and so mighty,
There’s nothing that he cannot do.
The mountains are his, the rivers are his,
The stars are his handiwork too.
The True God is so big,
He’s so strong and so mighty,
There’s nothing that he cannot do.

(Below are my two extra verses)

The True God is so great,
He’s so high but so gracious,
He sent down his Son men to save.
He lived without sin, then died on the cross,
Then went back to God from the grave.
The True God is so great,
He’s so high but so gracious,
He sent down his Son men to save.

The True God is so good,
He’s so kind and so loving,
He poured out his Spirit on all.
He changes men's hearts and turns them from sin,
He makes them respond to Christ's call.
The True God is so good,
He’s so kind and so loving,
He poured out his Spirit on all.

Psalm 49

CM

Hear this, you peoples all, take heed,
All who in this world live,
Both high and low, rich or in need,
Wise words my mouth will give.

Now from the utterance of my heart,
Full knowledge you will gain.
My ear to proverbs turns apart;
My harp makes riddles plain.

Why should I fear for evil days,
When wicked li'rs surround -
Who trust in wealth and give self praise
Because their goods abound?

No man another’s life buys back
Or pays to God enough -
The ransom price for life we lack,
No payment is enough -

None always live free from decay.
It's clear that wise men die;
The fool, the senseless, pass away,
They bid their wealth goodbye.

Their tombs their houses will remain,
Their dwellings, endless years,
Though lands for their own selves they named,
Though rich, not one endures.

For man is like the beasts that die.
For those, this fate's reserved,
Who trust themselves or who ally
With them, their speech approved -

Like sheep they to the grave will go
And on them death soon feed.
The upright ruling them they'll know
When morn shall night succeed.

Their forms will moulder in the grave,
Far from their halls of pride.
But God my life from death will save;
He’ll take me to his side.

Despair not when men surge ahead,
Their family fame grown strong;
For he’ll have nothing when he’s dead,
His fame will not last long.

Though while he lived he felt content -
And you’re praised when you thrive -
He to his fathers will be sent
And they will not revive.

Those men will never see the light.
A man whose wealth's heaped high
And yet his mind has no insight
Is like the beasts that die.

Psalm 48

Abends (8888)

Great is the Lord, most due our praise,
Within the city of our God,
His holy mount, whose heights amaze,
Its handsome heights make all earth glad.

Like Zaphon's utmost heights is Zi'n
The city of the great King's throne.
God is her citadels within;
That he's her fortress has been shown.

When kings joined forces and advanced,
They saw her and were staggered there;
They fled in fear, with trembling seized,
With pain like labouring women bear.

Like Tarshish ships destroyed they’ve been,
You shattered them with an east wind.
As we have heard, so we have seen,
There in the Lord Almighty’s land.

Within the city of our God:
God makes her safe for evermore.
Within your temple we, O God,
Seek on your constant love to pore

Just like your name, O God, your praise
Reaches all earth, both far and wide;
Your right hand’s filled with righteousness.
Your judgements make Zi’n’s towns all glad.

Walk all round Zion, go round her,
Count all her towers, her ramparts view,
All of her strongholds consider,
That you your sons may tell it to.

For this God is our God always;
Right to the end he’ll be our guide.
Great is the Lord, most due our praise,
Within the city of our God.

Psalm 47

Nottingham

All you nations, clap your hands;
Shout to God with joyful cry.
Awesome is the Lord Most High,
Great King over all earth’s lands!

Through us nations he's subdued,
Put beneath our feet our foes.
Our inheritance he chose,
Jacob’s Pride, whom he has loved.

God, midst joyful shouts, takes wing,
There the Lord midst trumpets' ring.
Sing God’s praises, praises sing;
Praises sing, praise to our King.

God is King, all earth’s his own;
To him sing a psalm of praise.
God rules lands, his sceptre sways;
God sits on his holy throne.

As the God of Abram’s own,
Nations’ heads together throng,
For earth’s kings to God belong;
Honoured, great is his renown.