praise And in my Song recount of all Thy Wayes More tunefull Measures will invent new strings put on And raise my Harp with the great Subject to Thy Throne For God Salvation gives to Kings And David out of all His troubles brings From strangers who that love pretend Which He dares never trust their mouths so proudly speak Whose right hands faith they plighted break And swords which they have drawn into their hearts shall send V. He makes Our sons like Fruitful plants to grow And their increase to Him alone we owe Our daughters to be Corner stones polisht and fair Which different Houses joyn and their supporters are From Him alone comes all Our store And that Our presses with new Wine run o're That Our full Barnes no want have known Our stacks no emptiness but with those sheaves are crown'd With which He first did load the ground And now them so that with the mighty weight they groan VI. He to ten thousands multiplies Our sheep More than our folds can pin or pastures keep Our Oxen fat and strong not it as labour know But freely yield their necks to th' Service of the Plow Down at Our Gates no Enemie sits There 's no Al'arm or mourning in our streets Thrice happy lands which thus can say And undisturb'd can thus enjoy the fruits of Peace If there be any lands like these Yet those whose God 's the Lord are happier far than They. Psalm CXLV Exaltabo te Deus meus Rex c. MY God My King I will sing praise to Thee Till like Thy Name my songs Eternal be Every day Lord will I sing praise to Thee Till like Thy Name my songs Eternall be Great is the Lord and worthy of all Praise And as Himself Unsearchable His Wayes One age to count His Works will ne're suffice Their number to so great a sum do's rise The next shall take it and the next from them And in their songs improve the lofty Theam Sing of the Honour of His Majesty How farr He is exalted and How high Speak of His Reverend Acts His greatness show Above how full of Love of dread below Of all His Goodness and what He has done Both for His Peoples Glory and His Own The Lord is gracious do's with Love o'reflow Plenteous in Mercy and to anger slow Kind as a Father o're whose Works there shine Glories of Mercy mixt with rayes Divine All Thy Workes praise Thee and Thy power proclame Thy Kingdoms beauties and Thy Holy Name Thy Saints shall bless Thee and Thy Acts make known And to Posterity continue down How to Eternity Thy Rule extends And that Thy Empire Lord knowes neither bounds nor ends The Lord upholds all those who fall do's raise The Poor on high that they may see His Wayes On Him the eyes of all His Creatures wait To Him they look and He provides them meat Opens His Hand do's their desires fulfill And as He answers theirs performes His Will So Just is He so Righteous in His wayes That were We silent stones would speak His Praise And to ' His afflicted Peoples Prayers so near That their requests e're finisht granted are And when to Him for help they send their cryes His Truth prevents them oftner than denies For the desires of such who Him do fear Shall be fulfil'd and He their groans will hear Will crown their Love and with His Own right hand Destroy their Foes and on their ruins make them stand Let the whole World O God sing praise to Thee And like Mine may their songs Eternall be Psalm CXLVI Lauda anima mea Dominum c. I. ARise my Soul and Thy great subject take The Worlds Creators praises sing That Ground Thy Numbers will more flowing make And fill with spirit the heaviest string He is my song and He my Verse shall raise And only with my life shall end my Praise II. Trust not in Princes for their strength is vain In Kings place not your confidence The greatest King cannot himself maintain But lives himself at Gods expence Is Earth and when He but His breath recalls Into that Earth whence he was taken falls III. Death layes him level with his vilest Slave No more his Acts remembred are Though his Atchievements follow to the Grave And deck his Herse they leave him there With his last breath to air his Counsels go And his high thoughts ly with his Carkass low IV. But happy he who has his trust in store And do's on Jacobs God depend He need no forreign succour to implore But up to Heav'n his wishes send And of his certain aids he ne're shall miss For the true God his mighty keeper is V. He Heav'n and all the glories of it made Those beauteous fires we see above Where greatness makes His Enemies afraid But in His Saints enflames their love Who on the floods commands the Earth to stand And holds them in the hollow of His hand VI. To Him for Justice the Oppres'd do cry Who all their groans and plaints do's hear And to His great Tribunall when they fly He on their Judges turnes their feares With His good things the hungry Soul do's fill And makes deaf chaines hear and obey His Will VII He made the eye and gave it all its light Lifts from the dust the poor mans head Renews each morning both their life and sight Whom sleep had numbred with the dead His Common Providence is over all But His Choice blessings on the Righteous fall VIII The unreguarded stranger is his care And He for th' Orphan do's provide Himself comes down and heares the Widows prayer When her deaf Friends are turn'd aside Th' inexorable Wicked man o'rethrowes And makes him feel the weight of his own blowes IX Such is Thy King O Sion whose Command Being and life gives every thing Exempt from his Dominion is no land Thy God O Sion is Thy King His Powerfull influence do's around extend And as His Rule Thy Praise should know no end Hallelujah Psalm CXLVII Laudate Dominum quoniam c. I. YOU who th' Almighty God adore To His great Name sing praise His Power you cannot honour more Nor more advance your laies This is the Service which to Him you owe And this of all he best accepts below II. Jerusalem the Great the Fair 'T is God who made Her so Her People though they scattred are He like Her stones do's know And both will gather both in ' His hand will take His City One th' Other His Temple make III. The troubled heart with care deprest He up on high do's raise Refreshes weary Souls with rest And sinners shews His Wayes And like a Friend who all their miseries feels Binds up the broken and the wounded heales IV. Those rich Enamels of the sky The Stars which shine above Have several Names He knowes them by And at His Will they move To Him they look and looking only thence Have all their luster Formes and Influence V. Great is
Will His Thunder makes them fear And those who get most off yet think they are too near VIII From the bright East Thou mak'st Thy Sun to go Before him creeps in Chains the Captive night And in the West when he from us draws low 'T is but to spread his Conquests with his Light And till he comes again Bids the Moon fill his place and in his stead to raign IX Thou visitest the Earth and giv'st it rain Of Thy rich blessing it do's freely spend The Earth returns its thanks to Heav'n again In flowers which thither their sweet Odours send As Customs which they pay To Thy dread Throne who dost their Mothers heat allay X. The Flood of God whose Spring-head's in the clouds When on the weary ground it showers distills The softned ridge unto its furrow crowds And all it's clots the quick'ning moysture fills Thou by degrees dost bring The Tillage on and Harvest to succeed the Spring XI Plenty with every shower from Heav'n pours down The Earth do's by thy constant bounty grow Thy goodness do's the year with blessings crown And all Thy steps drop fatness where they go They on the Deserts drop Whose parched Sands drink deep of Thy o'reflowing Cup. XII The little Hills drink deep and look more fair The Valleys pledge till they can drink no more The Shepheards and their flocks both merry are And all the Plains with Corn are cover'd o're With peace and fruits abound And make the distant Mountains with their Songs resound Psalm LXVI Jubilate Deo omnis terra c. I. REjoyce O World and to Thy God sing praise Let Seas and Isles and Lands His Name resound Together with His Sun your voices raise And in Eternal Jubilees go round For if that rise His mighty Power to show Much more should you on whom it shines do so II. Say to the Lord How mighty is Thy Power Which even Thy Enemies must unforc't confess To th' Earth they bow themselves and would fall lower But that instead Thou tak'st this poor address Th' Earth shall worship Thee and their loud same Shall fill her Trumpet only with Thy Name III. See what He did to raise it how His hand At once declar'd Him Terrible and Good When raging Seas were turn'd to firm dry land And Israel past through th' admiring Flood Then 't was we view'd and troad His secret Wayes And roaring Deeps stood lift'ning to His Praise IV. He rules o're all Him Heav'n and Earth obey The Universall and Eternall King His eyes the Wicked and the Good survey And under chains His Hand the Proud do's bring Raise not Thy self too high proud dust for fear The Wind which fills thy sayles should overbear V. Rejoyce ye Nations and to God sing praise Let Seas and Isles and Lands his Name resound Together with His Sun your voices raise And in Eternal Jubilees go round For He from falls our sliding feet do's save And with new Life returns us from the grave VI. Like Silver in the Furnace we were try'd And felt unusual flames rage all about But thence as Silver throughly purify'd We only left our dross when we came out The purer metall had no base alloy And all our griefs made way for greater joy VII Low were we brought the net upon us cast And on our loyns prodigious weights were laid Through Water tryal and through fire we past And a derision to our foes were made But He who there upheld us by His hand Brought us Himself at last to'th' Promis'd Land VIII With praises to Thy House my King I 'le go And make my thanks in clouds of Incense rise There solemnly I 'le pay the willing Vow Which my lips off'red in my Miseries Bullocks and Ramms I 'le on Thy Altar lay And thence with Flames renew the Wasted day IX You who have known th' Almighty Love draw near And to my Speech your ready minds incline Attend to that just witness which I bear And to your own experiences take Mine When I in sighs to God my voyce did raise And pray'd in groans He turn'd them into praise X. Had I kept some reserve within my Heart In hope to hide it He had stop't His Ear But I unbowel'd my most secret part And then He did not only see but hear Praise Him who thus His glory did display Nor turn'd His own Face nor my Prayers away Psalm LXVII Deus misereatur nostri c. I. SAve us O God and Thy poor Servants bless Thy Goodness and Thy Pow'r declare In Mercy help us in Our great distress And We no more will doubt Thy Love or Care Let through the World Thy Mighty Name be known And what We praise may the whole Earth with Rev'rence own II. Rejoyce ye Nations for your God is here Who by His Wisdom rules o're all The Kings and Kingdoms governs and that fear They strike in you He makes on them to fall Let through the World His Mighty Name be known And what we praise may the whole Earth with Rev'rence own III. Then shall the Lord our Land both save and bless His Goodness and His Power declare And then Our fields shall give their full increase And with His blessing look more gay and faire The Lord shall bless us and His Name make known And what We praise the whole Earth shall with Rev'rence own Psalm LXVIII Exurgat Deus dissipentur c. I. GRreat Leader of the Sacred Hosts arise And scatt'ring Thy Proud Enemies Encrease Our Triumphs with Thy Victories Let those who hate Thy Name before it flye Like Clouds of Smoke chas'd by the Wind Which vanish as they mount on high And undistinguish't from the Common Skie No more in strange Fantastick figures lye But without mark to know them by Leave not the smallest stain behind That in the air one may their empty traces find Let their destruction suddain be Sooner than Wax do's melt When once the flames are felt And in Thine eye may they the fire which burns them see But let the Righteous in Thy Pow'r rejoyce With Flutes and Trumpets make a cheerful noise And the whole Consort joyn and perfect with their voice II. Make God your Song Ye Just and from His Wayes Which are in Heav'n take theam your Verse to raise In Heav'n where He in glory rides And with His rein the Winds which bear them guides And by His Name Jehovah celebrate His Praise Above He rules but His great Pow'r extends To what soe're is done below The Cares of all His Creatures He do's know And visits the wide Earth's extremest ends Is a kind Father to the Fatherless The Widdows Counsel and do's bless Desparing Nuptials with a large increase Making dead Wombs His voice to hear And her that barren was a numerous seed to bear And when to Him poor Captives cry Their tears move pitty in His eye And with His Arm He gives them Liberty Again returns them
shall joyn with them and that is of the truly Honorable and Learned Gentleman Sir Philip Sidney It was a long time from my first hearing of it e're I could get a sight of the Papers neither should I at last have obtained the favour had I not us'd the mediation amongst several others to whom I am obliged of one to whom all good Learning of what kind soever it be must remain perpetually indebted and in this all will agree with me when they know I mean the Learned Dr. John Wilkins Dean of Rippon This Paraphrase as I remember Dr. Donne calls by the name of Sir Philips and the Countess of Pembroks translation and not without good reason as far as I could judge by that cursory view I had of it during the short time it remained in my hands There appearing that difference as I conceived in the composition which is wont to be in the aires of Brother and Sister not so unlike as to have no resemblance nor yet so perfectly resembling as to have nothing but the sex to distinguish them I mention not here a thousand others who have done excellently particular Psalms as my Lord Bacon Sir Hen. Wotton Bishop Hall Mr. Herbert c. and instead of many more that absolutely compleat Gentlewoman whose leave I very hardly obtained to honour this volume of mine with two or three versions long since done by her the truly vertuous Mrs. Mary Beale amongst whose least accomplishments it is that she has made Painting and Poesy which in the Fancies of others had only before a kind of likeness in her own to be really the same The Reader I hope will pardon this publick acknowledgement which I make to so deserving a person when I shall tell him that while as a Friend and one of the Family I had the convenience of a private and most delightful retirement in the company of her worthy Husband and her self I both began and perfected this Paraphrase But without all these in naming the two first above the Bishop of Chichester and Mr. Sandys I have said enough to call my self into question for daring to offer any thing at this part of Scripture after them I must therefore clear my self and here do it of all ambition to vie with or envy to detract from the true value of their labours which must be judged meriting all Praise and I am sure neither of these can be longer objected against me than till any one shall be pleased to take the pains to compare all three together and then it will immediately appear how great the difference is between us both as to the stile manner of composition and disposing of the Numbers The Bishops is close exactly answering the Text and for that kind of measure which himself has truly observ'd to be the least graceful of any very smooth and roundly expressed though that Essay of his on the CXXX Psalm in Heroick verse paraphrased for an Anthem make it to be wish't he had us'd a like freedom in the rest Mr. Sandys on the otherside though he has confin'd himself to almost as near a rendring of the words has us'd greater variety of measures and such as have by experience been found to be very agreeable to Musick the life and spirit of Poesy In mine will yet appear a greater liberty both as to the expression and the different sort of stanzas which I have us'd but with what success I must refer to my Reader of whose favour I shall have greater need to excuse my faults than justice and severity to examine them I know all that has ever yet been assay'd may be infinitely out-done and I should be so far from grieving at it though now a little concern'd that I heartily wish this way of mine may give the first occasion to some excellent Person to undertake another version and publish the Book of Psalms with greater beauties than ever it has appeared in since it left Jerusalem In the mean time I could be content I must confess that this tryal of mine might be kindly received that so I might thereby be encouraged to prosecute another design in this way which at present lies before me The History of the first great week of the World wherein new discoveries of that and nature make the subject more large and comprehensive for verse than ever it has been and in the performance of which I promise my self great assistance by the unwearied and most successful labours of The Royal Society which seems to be rais'd in this last age not only for the improvement of Natural Philosophy in the general but amids the invention of new for the restauration of decay'd Arts and amongst them all of none more than this of serious profitable and sober Poesy As for the manner which I have endeavoured to observe it has been to give as near as I could the true sense and meaning of the Psalm and in as easy and obvious terms as was possible suiting them to the Capacity of the meanest which I found my self the better able to do by having the difficulties resolv'd to my hands by the labours of that truly Pious and Learned Divine Dr. Hen. Hammond though I made use also as occasion required of other Commentators If I have in any place not perfectly agreed with him as in several left them since it is not in matters of Faith I beg that the same liberty may be given to me which is indulg'd to all who write this way I have bound my self all along to observe one certain measure in a Psalm and after I had fixt the first stanza made the rest like it endeavouring so to dispose my Numbers that neither the length of the staff should cause a too close and often repetition of the same Rhyme nor the shortness of the measure confine the Fancy and hinder the freedom of expression generally closing it with a verse of more than ordinary length as being not only most proper for that place as a band to the staff and sense but more tuneable and graceful For this reason also have I taken notice of the Versus intercalares as I may call them where they fell and made no scruple on occasion given in the text though it may be the words were not the very same to make them more evident in my Version For the Historical Psalms I chose the Heroick or five foot couplets as most suitable using it very sparingly elsewhere The XVIII L. LXVIII and CIV I have done after Mr. Cowleys Pindarick way endeavouring by the kind of verse which is various and uncertain to imitate the many and suddain changes which are in those Psalms The XXI and LXXII I have with very little straining of the Text brought down to our times and without offence to any I hope in the first parallel'd his Majesties sufferings with those of David in the other the Happiness and Glory of his Kingdom with that of Solomon heartily wishing that the sincerity of my
begin Bear date from the same place and day Together came together stay Scarce any joy appears between Yet through that God who helps me I have Conqueror been II. My Enemies came and with their plough My tender back did cruelly run o're My tender back with cruel furrows tore They plow'd but nothing hop'd would grow But then God did the furrows sow From my fresh wounds new armes I bore And o're them brought the wheel who plow'd o're me before III. The Righteous God has strook in two And broke those snares which for Our feet they made Has all their plots and mischiefs open lai'd And though they thought He did not know Discover'd what they thought to do Made them of their own snares afraid May Sions foes with their own wrongs thus be repai'd IV. May God upon their glory blow And like the grass which on some aged Wall Looks fresh and gay and almost out of call With scorn beholds the fields below So may they flourish wither so So may they stand so may they fall Till in one ruine perish grass and mound and all V. The Reaper cannot fill his hand In vain the husband man do's give it rest In vain expects with sheaves to fill his breast It thrives not like his other land That growes but this is at a stand That by each passenger is blest But none for this do's ever put up one request VI. There stirrs not as you pass a prayer But all struck silent as they there go by First look up if their prayers will reach so high And think them better us'd else where Nor like these shall you wishes hear Th' Almighty grant prosperity And what Our blessings want may His to Thee supply Psalm CXXX De profundis clamavi c. I. OUT of the depths unto the Lord I cry'd Deep Seas of Miserie Where I lay But o're my soul the waves did ride And louder roar'd when I began to pray Ah! still their noise and be not Lord as deaf as they II. I know I have deserv'd these miseries And greater plagues might justly fear And if Thou should'st to judgement rise Indeed despair of ever coming near For those great sins which harden mine may stop Thy ear III. But Lord there is forgiveness still with Thee Thou wait'st Thy Favours to bestow I wait when Thou wilt gracious be My hope alone do's from Thy Mercie flow And since Thou wait'st Lord to be gracious Ah be so IV. For as the Watchman who has stood all night Upon the guard do's long for day Looks when the Sun will make it light Just so attending on the Lord We stay Till the bright Sun of Righteousness His beames display V. Hope in Thy God O Israel and Thy trust All times upon His Mercie place He who has promis'd Thee is just And if with confidence Thou seek His Face Thy sins He 'l take away and freely give His Grace I. PLung'd in the depths of sin and misery Where I could nothing see but Death Ready to stifle my complaining breath With which to Thee my God I sent my Cry Hoping at length to reach Thine ear And by my often calls get Thee to hear Hear me I said let not my Cries be vain Lest I no strength should have to Cry again II. Eternall God should Thy all-seeing eye Severely marke Our often strayes Our wandrings i' th' forbidden dangerous wayes Of basest sin and fond Iniquity Who then could in Thy presence stand Or bear the weight of Thy enraged hand But Thou art mighty in Thy Pardoning love O let us fear that we may grateful prove III. Wherefore I 'll wait for Thee my gracious Lord Till Thou Thy Favours shalt dispence And make me feel their powerful influence My Soul for this shall hope in Thy sure word For Thee I 'll wait with more desire Than they who for the Morning light enquire That from their weary watch they may be freed Yea more than they wherefore my God make speed IV. Let Israel on the Lord repose His trust With whom both Mercie is and love The constant streames that flow from Him above Like whom there 's none so good yet none so just For though He did a ransom find 'T was such as through't His Justice brighter shin'd From Him Redemption shall to Israel come Which to their land and Him shall bring them home Psalm CXXXI Domine not est exaltatum c. I. NO Lord Thou knowst I am not so And yet Thou all my soul dost know Alike before Thee open ly My Innocent heart and humble eye Which have no pride but from the malice of my Foe II. I do not to the Crown aspire Nor what 's my Sovereigns Lord desire Such thoughts beyond m' ambition go Too high for me who am so low And yet my humble Soul beneath the Crown looks higher III. To Thee I look on Thee attend Hoping Thou wilt my Right defend The Crown is but an empty thing And what it has not cannot bring Not after that but Thee O God my prayers I send IV. For I restrain my self in this Just like a child that new wean'd is From ' his Mothers breast who though he cry And grieves at first those streames are dry Forgets it and streight loaths what he was wont to kiss V. As I have done may Israel do And wean'd from all things here below Unto their God alone attend And only on His help depend On God who greater things than Kingdoms can bestow Psalm CXXXII Memento Domine David I. LORD REmember David and His vow And all the troubles He did undergo Whilst for Thy Ark He sought a Resting place Abroad He suffred and at home But when He thought the worst was overcome This still remain'd and His great trouble was II. Remember Lord the Oath He made And how solicitous to see it pai'd Within my house said He I 'll come no more Nor on soft couches wait for sleep My very Bed shall watch against it keep Girt round with Pious Cares and arm'd all o're III. I 'll search till I the place shall find Which God Himself has for His Rest design'd We know it Lord and to it each remove How first at Shilo Thou didst reign Then in a grove and unfrequented plain Places still innocent because once Thy love IV. Look how Thy Courts we reach with praise And as We bow Our knees Our voices raise Arise O God and Thy great journy take Thou and Thy Ark together rise Before Thee scatter all Thine Enemies And Sion Thy delight Thy Residence make V. Let all Thy Priests Their praises sing And with loud shouts Thy Saints their Offrings bring Let Thy Annointed in the Roll be one And for Thy Servant Davids sake To whom Thou freely didst Thy Promise make This Happiness confirm unto His Son VI. In Truth Thou didst to David swear Witness Thy self Thou shalt not want an heir But of Thy seed I on Thy Throne will set And if Thy Children