Mr. Richard Baxter 's PARAPHRASE ON THE Psalms of DAVID In METRE With other HYMNS Left fitted for the Press under his own Hand Licensed June 2d 1692. LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel And Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard 1692. An Advertisement THese are to assure the Reader That that this Paraphrastical Translation of the Psalms is the genuine Work and Product of the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter and left together with the Preface and the annexed Hymns compleated by him and written with his own hand fairly and accurately for the Press The Author was well known to multitudes and famed deservedly for his eminent Knowledge Judgment Godliness and Utterance and for all things constituent of an exemplary Christian and for the extraordinariness of his Ministerial Unction Diligence Faithfulness and Success Singing of Psalms he called and used as his Recreation When his sleep was intermitted or removed in the Night he then sang much and relished this course and practice greatly well And on the Lord's days whilst with me in the free-will Offerings of his Ministerial assistance in Charter-house-Yard for betwixt four and five Years where at my House he preached his last Sermon and in his own House near to mine he breathed his last breath he thought the Lord's-day's Service very defective without some considerable time 's being spent in this Divine Melodious Exercise of singing Psalms wherein his heart was warm and chearful And I have heard him say in sence equivalent unto the import of these words That he believingly expected that his Angelical Convoy would conduct him through all the intermediate Regions to his determined Mansion in his Heavenly Father's House with most melodious Hallelujahs or with something equally delightful For what Angels are how they appear to separated Souls and after what manner they express their Joys and Praises are things as yet beyond our reach and knowledge But that there are such things as Publick Solemn and Harmonious Praises offered unto the Great Jehovah and the enthroned Lamb by the whole Heavenly Chorus I see no cause to doubt But at the manner of this great Performance I have not confidence enough to guess much less dare I dogmatically or magisterially determine For I forget not what Mr. B. said repeatedly to me and with great accents of a pathetical concern upon his heart We know nothing We know nothing And this when near his end As to the Work it self when I press'd him to the Publication of it he modestly replyed that others had done so well as that he thought his own Work thence less needful and acceptable But after that he committed it to my perusal telling me that his great solicitousness was about reaching and representing David's inspired sence aright And he told me that he was most for that wherein there was least of Man and most of God So that if he be out-done in Poetry by others yet perhaps none will be found in an Essay of this kind more genuinely breathing David's sence and spirit nor any thing more fitted to the genuine gravity and decorum of this chearing and edifying Ordinance than what here is offered And I hope it will not fare the worse for being a part of that useful Mantle which he left when God remomoved him hence As to his other Works and particularly his Life did those who earnestly expect it know its bulk and worth as I do as on the one hand their Appetites would be sharper because of the Rational and Judicious Accounts he gives of God's gracious dealing with his Soul with the stupendious instances and methods of his peculiar Providence towards that with much more that I could pertinently hint So on the other hand none would severely censure me as delatory or neglectful that knew my pressing hindrances and the greatness of the Work But I assure the Reader that all meet care and hast and faithfulness in this Affair and in the seasonable production of his other Works in all observance of his own Orders and Directions communicated to me by his own word and writing shall be pursued by London August 2. 1692. Matthew Sylvester THE PREFACE 1. POetry as all inferiour things hath its conveniences and its inconveniences The inconveniences are that matter is oft forc'd too much to stoop to words and syllables and that conciseness keeps the matter from a full perception with any but well-prepared understandings The conveniences are that is spareth words avoiding the redundancies and repetitions which Oratory is usually guilty of and teacheth exactness of expression And that the delight of Harmony except in persons whose phantasie is herein impotent and maimed or minds diseased by Prejudice or Melancholy doth make the phantasie helpful to the mind and as it expresseth affections so doth it raise them § 2. The Tempter knowing this hath made great use of lascivitus vain and foolish Poetry yea and malignant to corrupt more the minds that are already corrupt and vain and to prepossess them against better things And God knowing it hath by his Spirit indited sacred Hymns and Psalms both for his publick and private Worship and excitation of holy desires and delights Which of old was done with the greatest helps that the Musical and Vocal melody could give The singing of Morning Hymns to Christ was the Note by which Pliny describeth to Trajan the persecuted Christians in his time in their Houses and their Meetings then called Conventicles of which see the Apology of the Church of England Chap. 1. and specially Justin's and Tertullian's Apologies And Godly Families have still been differenced from the ungodly by open singing the Praises of God when the other sing wanton and idle Songs Good Christians will not among Christians at least be ashamed that such Psalms of Praise be heard by their Neighbours into the Streets when Players or Ballad-singers are not ashamed more openly to sing amorous foolish ungodly or abusive Songs Our Psalms in Metre were set forth by Authority to be used both in Church and House laying apart all ungodly Songs and Ballads c. § 3. Some stumble at the singing of David's Psalms because there are many words not suited to their case But 1. May they not as well scruple reading or saying them in Prose Singing them in Metre is no more an owning of all we say as our case than saying or reading them is And by that reason they must not say the Songs of Moses the Book of Job Canticles Lamentations or the Gospel-Hymns or Scripture-Prayers 2. That may be recited as the common case of the Church yea or as a Narration of his case that wrote them which is not spoken as of our selves 3. And if this satisfie not such may choose at home Psalms suitable to them and in the Church be silent at the words which they dare not speak § 4. Some are stumbled that David's Psalms have so little about the Life
wholly answered my expectations I could not rest in the unpleasant harshness of the strictest Versions seeing Psalms lose their ends that lose their affecting pleasure I durst not venture on the Paraphrastical great liberty of others I durst make Hymns of my own or explain the Apocryphal but I feared adding to God's Word and making my own to-pass for God's Yet I scrupled not giving the sence of the Hebrew Text more fully than our strict Translation hath done by the addition of Adjectives and Adverbs because oft-times a Hebrew word doth signifie more than one Greek Latin or English word can open without such an Explicatory Adjective or Adverb So that my labour hath been both to avoid the harshness and unpleasantness of strict Versions and the boldness of copious Paraphrases And as I did it for my own use under my constant dying pains and solitude so I leave it for the secret or Family-use of those with whose Condition and spirits it best suiteth without disparaging the more excellent Labours of any others That is best for some in private that is not so for others § 6. I have in the end shewed why I have done that which no man ever did before me to fit the same Psalms to various Tunes and Measures longer and shorter specially to gratifie them by variety that are used to be dull'd with Customariness in the same and to give them Expository Notes who use but Obscure Abbreviation and Conciseness in words And I hope the Printer will make so visible a difference in the Characters that the additional words shall stumble none § 7. I have added the Apocryphal Hymns 1. For their Excellency and Usefulness 2. To confute them that think that no forms of Worship but those found in Scripture may be used or imposed 3. To confute the Casuists that tell the World that we are against all such Liturgick Forms Those that published the Old Church-Psalms added many useful Hymns that are still printed with the Psalms in Metre And doubtless Paul meaneth not only David's Psalms when he bids men sing with grace in their hearts Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Yea it is past doubt that Hymns more suitable to Gospel-times may and ought to be now used And if used they must be premeditated how else shall Congregations sing them And if premeditated they must be some way imposed How else shall the Congregations all joyn in the same I plead not for Imposing by cruel Penalties nor laying the Churches Love and Communion on a Tune or Metre There are three sorts of Imposing such Liturgick Forms of Psalms Praise or Prayer 1. One is when the Pastor is left free to his own discretion but yet his words of Prayer or Praise are a Form to the Congregation which he imposeth on them by the Authority of his Office obliging them to concur For if every one speak there his own words it will be liker a Bedlam than a Church 2. A Second way of Imposing is when the United Churches of a Nation for Edification and amiableness of Concord agree all on one Translation Version Metre or form of Words Which is useful First when Heresies are abroad to keep them out of the publick Worship And Secondly that people may know before-hand what the Worship of the Church is in which they are to joyn and may not say We know not what Worship you will offer to God till the Minister have spoken and the words be past And so there may be as many sorts of Worship as there are speakers And Thirdly Fore-knowledge may make amiable Concord easie to them And no doubt such an Agreement of Churches is good and amiable 3. And the Third way of Imposing is by the Laws of Christian Magistrates And who can say that they may not Command that amiable Concord which the Churches might of themselves agree in should the Magistrate leave them to their choice I do not say that Rulers should hang burn or ruine all persons that by weakness are against a commanded Version Metre or Tune or Form But good Christians should abhor all such vain scruples and self-conceits and affected singularity and disobedience as are against the sweet Concord of the Church § 8. It is a doleful case that Satan by subtilty hath so far prevailed with many honest Christians as to place their Religion in Negative Superstition that they may avoid Positive Superstition Touch not tast not handle not kneel not stand not up bow not use not those Forms which the common Congregations use c. And many by this are tempted to think that they are holyer than others because they avoid by erroneous singularity the lawful words and actions of others And they think men Prophane and Carnal that are not as superstitiously singular as they Not comparing the Men but the Cause I think it much less blameable to say with the Pharisee God I thank thee that I am not as other men Extortioners Unjust Adulterers or even as this Publican Than to say God I thank thee that I am not as other Christians that pray in a prescribed Form or use Responses or Communicate in the Parish-Churches or kneel at the Lord's Table or stand up at the Creed or Gospel c. The difference between these two cases is very notable The first sort are proud of that which is good The second take conceited erroneous Singularity for a mark of Piety Not that we should commit the least sin for complyance with any but as Augustine resolved in Lawful Customs to do as the Church doth where he comes so should all the lovers of Peace and Concord But as the late Lord Chief Justice Sir Matthew Hale in his Judgment of Religion and its corruptions who was no Schismatick and whose M.S. I keep saith The Christian Religion is a plain and holy thing fit for the Salvation and the Concord of all that sincerely own it But mens Additions have proved the Corrupters and Dividers And while one sort make a Religion of their own Inventions and think that it is no good Church-Government that maketh not some new Religion fitter for mens Consciences And another sort thinketh that it is sin to do any thing that is not in Scripture which men command us and so all Sects are turned superstitious and make Duties and Sins which God never made Instead of God's Religion which is plain saving and uniting the World is torn by mens Dividing Engines supposed by ignorance to be the means to heal it even by the Positive Superstition of one Party and the Negative Superstition of the other The sense of their Error that refuse David's Psalms and separate from all Churches that have any Imposed Forms of Liturgie hath occasioned this digression I confess my Metre and Tunes and Apocryphal Hymns are not in words found in the Scriptures nor are the words of my ordinary Preaching and Prayers there But they are commanded by the general Precepts of the Scripture Let all be done to Edification
high Let Peace abound on earth below To men Divine benignity Or Glory be to our glorious God Whose dwelling's in the highest heaven Let Peace come down on earth below Love and good will to men be given Or Glory to the Eternal God In heav'n which is his glorious place Let Peace on earth make her abode Let men receive his love and grace The Hymn called the Benedicte of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Paraphrased Christian Philosophy 1 LEt this great wondrous frame And all God's works therein On which his glorious name Inscrib'd is clearly seen Jehovah bless To magnifie The Lord most high His praise express 2 Ye holy Angels bright Who see Jehovah's face Where his Life Love and Light Make heav'n a glorious place The Lord still praise His Majesty Still magnifie Bless him always 3 Ye heav'ns so high and great In glory which excel The blessed holy seat Where Christ and Angels dwell His praise shew forth Him magnifie More gloriously Than we on earth 4 Ye unseen Powers above Which mortals little know Who under God do move And rule the things below Praise ye God's name As all his will Ye do fulfil Bless ye the same 5 Let the great glorious Sun Earth's mover life and light And the resplendent Moon Which shines to us by night God's Glory show Praise and declare Him whose ye are To us below 6 Ye numerous Stars of light Great Orbs and glorious all Though here to Mortals sight By distance ye seem small Your wondrous frame So great and high Doth magnifie The Lord's great name 7 Ye clouds and showers of rain And earth-refreshing dew Which do its store maintain And all its fruits renew To all mens sense Of us God's care You do declare And providence 8 Ye unseen winds that blow When and where God commands Moving the air below Both over sea and lands The Lord most high Your unknown course And potent force Do magnifie 9 God's wondrous work call'd FIRE Whose substance near and great We know not but admire Its motion light and heat Doth intimate What spirits are God's praise declare And celebrate 10 Winter 's and Summer's course The year 's revolving times Keep still by Divine force In their prescribed lines Each day and hour Do glorifie The Lord most high And praise his power 11 The sharp congealing cold The Frost the Ice and Snow We feel and do behold But not their secrets know These praise the Lord Who doth command Both Sea and Land And all the World 12 The glorious Heav'n-born light Earth's beauty joy and guide Black darkness silent night When men in rest abide Both nights and days Bless our great Lord Obey his word And speak his praise 13 Lightnings and Tempests fierce Make sinful mortals quake Thunders the mountains pierce God makes the earth to shake All these proclaim And dreadfully Do magnifie The Lord's great name 14 In this great fruitful earth Though small to all the rest Where mortals have their birth God's greatness is exprest It s numerous train Doth bless our God and all abroad His praise proclaim 15 Ye mountains vast and tall Even with the cloudy sky Whence all below seem small Which in the Valleys lye You to man's eye The power of God Shew all abroad And magnifie 16 The fields and fruitful ground Each plant and beauteous flower Where God's sweet gifts abound Which shew his love and power All this rich store High praises gives To him that lives For evermore 17 Fountains and pleasant springs Sweet streams that never rest Food health and pleasure brings Refreshing man and beast These always flow Praising God's love Which from above Feeds all below 18 The Ocean deep and wide Is in God's eye and hand And Rivers all that glide To it from every land God's wonders there Which dreadfully Him magnifie To all appear 19 Great Whales dwell in this deep The fish in wondrous store God there doth feed and keep And brings for man to shore Out of man's sight These glorifie The Lord most high And praise his might The fowls that fly in air And sweetly sing on earth God's chore that praise him are And shew his glory forth To our Great King All these rejoyce With chearful voice And to him sing 21 The beasts of divers sorts The wild servile and tame God makes feeds and supports To glorifie his Name To this design'd The Lord they bless His praise express Each in his kind 22 O man to whom all these Thy God hath servants made This God to LOVE and PRAISE Should be thy life and trade Learn and be wise Will only ye The Rebels be And God despise 23 Return man to thy Lord Follow not vanity Trust and obey his word And trust not to a lye He is thy God Now seek his face Obey his grace Prevent his Rod. 24 O ye his chosen flock Brought near him by his love His Church built on the Rock Redeem'd for Joys above Your God adore Your voices raise And sing his praise For evermore 25 Ye sacred Priests of God Whose worship ye attend Whose house is your abode Your days there sweetly spend Unweariedly Spread ye his fame His holy name There sanctifie 26 All ye that serve the Lord Devoted to his will Rul'd by his holy word Trust and obey him still In him rejoyce And magnifie The Lord most high With heart and voice 27 Ye spirits of the just Advanc'd by saving grace Who here in Christ did trust And now behold his face In heav'n above You joyfully There magnifie The God of Love 28 All Saints in heav'n and earth In whom Love's holy fire Kindled in the new birth Towards God doth still aspire Spend life and days Redeem'd for this The work of bliss The Lord to praise 29 With these Lord number me Let love draw up my soul From all its bonds set free Let nothing it controul That I to please And magnifie The Lord most high May never cease 30 One God in Trinity Let heaven and earth adore From all Eternity The same for evermore All Glory 's his Who needing none Himself his own Perfection is The Hymn of St. Ambrose called Te Deum c. 1 MOst Glorious God we here present Our joyful praise to thee The only God the Lord of all Confessing thee to be 2 Th' eternal Father Lord of all Thy works do thee proclaim For all are made to honour thee And glorifie thy name 3 Thee the blest Angels magnifie The Heav'ns and Powers thee praise Cherubs and all the glorious spirits Do cry to thee always 4 Most Holy Holy Holy God The universal Lord Thy present glorious Majesty Fills heaven and all the world 5 The glorify'd Apostles there Praise thee continually With them the blessed Prophets joyn Thy name to magnifie 6 There are the Martyrs noble hosts Employed in thy praise Thy holy Church in heav'n and earth Acknowledge thee always 7 Father in greatness infinite Thy One True Glorious Son The Holy Ghost the