a Million Let me be contemn'd and poor In thy Temple keep a Door Then with wicked men possess All that they call Happiness O thou Shield of our Defence O thou Sun whose influence Sweetly glides into our Hearts Thou who all to thine imparts Happy O thrice happy he Who alone depends on Thee PSALM LXXXV AT length thou hast thy Mercy shown Drawn from the Babylonian yoke Our Sins remov'd which did provoke Thy Wrath even that now overblown Great God our ruin'd State restore And let thy Anger flame no more O shall it like a Comet reign Extending to the yet unborn Wilt thou not quicken the forlorn That thine in Thee may joy again O show'r thy Mercy from above Preserve and fix us in thy love I will the Voice of God attend Who to his People speaks of Peace Such as in Sanctity increase Nor to their Sins again descend These soon with Freedom shall be blest That Glory may our Land invest Those Dayes shall consummate our Bliss Sweet Clemency with Truth shall meet High Justice gentle Peace shall greet Saluting with a holy Kiss For Truth shall from the Earth arise And Righteousness look from the Skies Then shall Jehovah distribute His Blessings with a liberal Hand The rich and ever grateful Land Abundantly produce her fruit For Justice shall before him go And her fair steps to Mortals show PSALM LXXXVI MY God thy Suppliant hear Afford a gentle Ear For I am comfortless And labour in distress My righteous Soul relieve So ready to forgive Thy Servant Lord defend Whose hopes on Thee depend Me from the Grave restore Who daily Thee implore From wasting Sorrow free The Heart long vow'd to Thee For thou art God alone To tender pity prone Propitious unto all Who on thy Mercy call O hear my fervent prayer And take me to thy care Then ready to be found When troubles most abound What God like Thee O Lord Of all by men ador'd Or underneath the Sun Such miracles hath done Zeal shall all hearts inflame T' adore and praise thy Name For thou art God alone Thy Power in Wonders shown Direct me in thy Way So shall I never stray My thoughts from Tempests clear United in thy Fear My Soul shall celebrate Thy Praise thy Power relate That hast advanc'd my head And rais'd me from the Dead The Proud against me rise And pow'rful Enemies All Rebells to thy Will My guiltless blood would spill But O thou King of kings From Thee sweet Mercy springs Still gracious slow to wrath True to thy Servants Faith Lord for thy Mercies sake Into thy Bosome take Thy Hand-maids Son O save From the devouring Grave Some happy Sign expose To my ashamed Foes That they thy Hate may see To them thy Love to me PSALM LXXXVII THe Lord hath with his Temple crown'd Moriah by his Choice renown'd Not all the Tents of Israel Or Mountains which in height excel He so affects or celebrates As lofty Sions stately Gates Ierusalem thou Throne of Kings Of Thee they utter glorious things Not by Iudea's narrow bounds Prescrib'd the Land which Nile surrounds Great Babylon proud Palaestine Rich Tyre which circling Seas confine And black-brow'd Aethiopians Shall yield thee Citizens and Sons All sorts of People foreign-bred As Natives there indenized In Sion built by immortal Hands Firm as the Mountain where it stands The Lord in his eternal Scroll Shall these as Citizens inroll Their Musick shall the Affections raise And Songs sung in Jehovah's praise Whose Blessings on this City shall Like Streams from Heavenly Fountains fall PSALM LXXXVIII MY Saviour both by night and day To Thee I pray O let my Cries transcend the Sphears And pierce thy Ears Lest Sorrow stop my fainting breath Now near the Jaws of greedy Death My light extinguish'd numbered Among the Dead Like men in battail slain the womb Of Earth their Tomb Forgotten as if never known By thy tempestuous Wrath o're thrown By Thee lodg'd in the lower Deeps Where Horrour keeps In Dungeons where no Sun displaies His cheerful Raies Crush'd by thy Wrath on me thy Waves Rush like so many rolling Graves My old Familiars now my Foes Deride my Woes My House becomes my Goal where I In Fetters lie Blind with my tears with crying hoarse Hands rais'd in vain a walking Coarse Wilt thou to those thy Wonders show Who sleep below The Dead from their cold Mansions raise To sing thy Praise Shall Mercy find us in the Grave Or wilt thou in Destruction save Wilt thou thy Wonders bring to light In Deaths long Night Or shall thy Justice there be shown Where none are known I have and still to Thee will pray Before the Sun restore the Day O why hast thou withdrawn thy Grace And hid thy Face From me who from my Infancy But daily die Whilst I thy Terrours undergo Distracted by these storms of woe Thy Anger like a Gulph devours My trembling Powers With troops of Terrours circled round In Sorrow drown'd Depriv'd of those that lov'd me most To all in dark oblivion lost PSALM LXXXIX OUr grateful Songs O thou eternal King Shall ever of thy boundless Mercies sing And thy unalterable Truth rehearse To after Ages in a living verse For what is by thy Clemency decreed Shall orderly and faithfully succeed Even like those never resting Orbs above Which on firm hinges circularly move Thus God unto his servant David swore This Cov'nant made I will for evermore Thy seed establish and thy Throne sustain Whilst Seas shall flow or Moons increase and wain The heavenly Hierarchy thy Truth shall praise The Saints below thy glorious Wonders blaze For who is like our God above the Clouds Or who so great whom humane frailty shrowds He to his Angels terrible appears And daunts the Tyrants of the Earth with fears Great God! how great when dreadful Armies joyn What God so strong what Faith so firm as thine Thy Bounds the Billows of the Sea restrain Thou calm'st the tumults of th' incensed Main Proud Rahab like a Coarse with blood imbru'd Hew'n down the strong with greater strength subdu'd Thine are the Heavens those Lamps which guild the Skies Round earth broad â—eas and all which they comprise Thou mad'st the Southern and the Northern Pole Whereon the Orbs coelestial swiftly rowl Hermon invested with the Morning Raies And Tabor with the Evenings sing thy praise Thy Arm excells in Strength thy hands sustain The World they made And guide it with a rein Justice with Judgement joyn'd thy Throne uphold Mercy and Truth thy sacred brows infold Thrice happy they who when the Trumpet calls Throng to thy celebrated Festivalls They of thy Beauty shall injoy the sight And guide their Feet by that informing light Thy Name shall daily in their mouths be found And in thy Justice shall their Joys abound Our Ornament in Peace our Strength in Wars Thy Favour shall exalt us to the Stars Thou Holy One of Israel our King
now a general Reproach to all The Syrian and base Edomite Deride and in our woes delight How long Lord shall thy jealous ire Devour like Fire Thy Anger in a dreadful show'r Of vengeance pow'r On those who know not thy great Name And think thy Worship but a shame For they have laid our Country waste Our Cities ras't Lord O remember not the crimes Of former times But for thy tender mercy save Our souls now humbled to the grave Lord for the glory of thy Name Redeem from shame O purge us and propitious be From thraldom free Why should the Heathen thus blaspheme And say Your God is but a Dream Against them let thy Vengeance rise Before our eyes And for our blood shed by their guilt Let theirs be spilt O hear the sighing Prisoners cry And save whom they have doom'd to die Our spiteful Neighbours Lord deride Thee in their pride With seven-fold vengeance recompense Their insolence So we thy flock our God will praise And to the Stars thy Glory raise PSALM LXXX THou Shepherd of thy Israel That Flock-like leadest Iosephs Race Who 'twixt the Cherubims dost dwell O hear shew thy inlightning Face Exalt thy saving power before Manasseh Ephraim Benjamin O from Captivity restore And let thy beams upon us shine Great God of Battail wilt thou still Be angry and our prayers despise Bread steep'd in tears our stomachs fill We drink the rivers of our eyes Our scoffing Neighbours fall at strife Among themselves to share our right Great God restore the dead to life And comfort by the quick'ning light This Vine from Aegypt brought the Foe Expel'd was planted by thy hand Thou gav'st it room and strength to grow Untill her branches fill'd the Land The Mountains took a shade from these Which like a grove of Cedars stood Extending to the Tyrian Seas And to Euphrates rowling Flood O why hast thou her Fences ras't Whilst every Stragler pulls her Fruit The browsing Heard her branches waste And salvage Boars plow-up her root Great God return this trampled Vine From Heaven behold with mild aspect Once planted by that Hand of thine The branches of thy own Elect. Which now cut down wild Flames devour Through thy fierce wrath to ruin brought Protect thy People by thy Power And perfect what thy self hath wrought Reviv'd we will thy Name adore Nor ever from thy Pleasure swerve O from Captivity restore And by thy powerful grace preserve PSALM LXXXI TO God our Strength your voices raise In sacred numbers sing his praise The warbling Lute sweet Viol bring And solemn Harp loud Timbrels ring The new Moon seen shrill Trumpets sound Your sacred Feasts with Triumph crown'd These Rites our God established When Israel He from Aegypt led Their necks with Yokes of bondage wrung Inured to an unknown tongue Your burdens I have cast away Said he and cleans'd your hands from clay Then sav'd when in your fears you cry'd And from the thundring Cloud reply'd I try'd you heard your murmurings At Meribah's admired Springs You Sons of Israel give ear I will instruct you would you hear Beware no foreign gods adore Nor their adulterate Powers implore I Thee alone brought from the Land Of Bondage with a mighty Hand I know and will supply thy need When naked cloath when hungry feed Yet would not they my Counsel brook But desperately their God forsook Whom I unto their lusts resign'd And errors of their wandring Mind O that they had my voice obey'd Nor from the paths of Virtue straid Then Victory their brows had crown'd Their slaughter'd Foes had spread the ground Then had I made their enemy Submit and at their mercy lye Themselves blest with eternal Peace Inriched with the Earths increase With flour of Wheat and Honey fill'd From breaches of the Rock distill'd PSALM LXXXII GOd sits upon the Throne of Kings And Judges unto judgement brings Why then so long Maintain you wrong And favour Lawless things Defend the Poor the Fatherless Their crying injuries redress And vindicate The Desolate Whom wicked men oppress For they of Knowledge have no Light Nor Will to know but walk in Night Earths Bases fail No Laws prevail Scarce one in heart upright Though Gods and Sons of the most High Yet you like common men shall die Like Princes fall Great God judge all The Earth thy Monarchy PSALM LXXXIII LOrd sit not still as deaf unto our cries For lo our Enemies in tumults rise Even those who thy Omnipotence deny And hate thy Name advance their Crests on high Dark counsels take and secretly contrive Their slaughter whom thy Mercy keeps alive Come say they let us with incessant strokes Hew down this Nation like a grove of Okes Till they no longer be and Israel die Both in his Race and ruin'd Memory They all in one confederacy have made A solemn League supply'd with foreign aid Fierce Idumaeans who in Nomades stray And shaggy Ismaelites that live by prey Th' incestuous Race that border on the Lake Of salt Asphalthis Savage Thieves who take Their name from servile Hagar they who dwell In Gebal Ammonites who Peace expell Stern Palaestines and wild Amalekites False Tyrians Ashur with Lots Sons unites Let them like Midian fall by mutual wounds Like Siscra fall like Iabin on the bounds Of Endor where swift Kison takes his birth Who lay like Dung upon the faâ—ned Earth Like Zeb and Orebs Princes made a prey For Wolves like Zeba and proud Zaâ—muna Who said let us these Israelites destroy And all the Cities of their God enjoy O let them like a wheel be hurried round Like chaff which whirlwinds ravish from the ground As Woods grown dry with age imbrac'd with fire Whose flames above the singed Hills aspire So in the Tempest of thy Wrath pursue And with thy Storms thy trembling Foes subdue O fill their hearts with grief their looks with shame Till they invoke thy late blasphemed Name Confound them with eternal Infamie That they through anguish of their Souls may die That men Jehovah's Wonders may rehearse The great Commander of this Universe PSALM LXXXIV O How amiable are Thy Aboads great God of War How I languish through restraint How my longing Spirits faint Lord for thee I daily crie Iâ— thy absence hourly die Sparrows there their young ones rear And the Summers Harbinger By thy Altar builds her nest Where they take their envy'd rest O my King O thou most High Arbiter of Victorie Happy men who spend their Days In thy Courts there sing thy Praise Happy who on Thee depend Thine their Way and thou their End Who through Baca travelling Make that thirsty Vale a Spring Or soft Show'rs from Clouds destill And their empty Cisterns fill Fresh in strength their course pursue Till they thee in Sion view Lord of Hosts incline thine Ear. O thou God of Iacob hear Thou our Rock extend thy Grace Look on thy Anointed's Face One Day in thy Courts alone Far exceeds
Thou our defence secure beneath thy Wing Thus spake Jehovah by his Prophets voice Of strenuous David have I made my choice On that Heroe powr'd my Sacred Oyl To guide my People and preserve from spoil â— will support him with my powerful Arm No â—oe shall tribute force nor Treason harm His enemies before his Face shall flie And those who hate his Soul by slaughter die Our Truth and Clemency shall crown his Daies And to the Firmament his Glory raise He â—rom the Billows of the Tyrian Main To swift Euphrates shall extend his Reign Who in his oft renew'd Devotions shall â—e Father God and great Protector call My Favorite he shall be and my First birth Rais'd above all the Princes of the Earth My Mercy him for ever shall preserve And from my Promise I will never swerve His Seed shall alwaies reign his Throne shall last While days have light and nights their shadows cast If they my Judgements slight forsake my Law My Rites neglect and from my Rule withdraw Then I with whips will their offences scourge With labour misery and sorrows urge Yet will not utterly my King forsake My Vow infringe or alter what I spake I by my Sanctity to David sware That he and his should never want an Heir To sway the Hebrew Scepter while the Sun His usual Race should through the Zodiack run While Men the Moon and radiant Stars should see The faithful witnesses of my Decree But thou art angry with thy own Elect And dost thy late affected King reject Infringe the Cov'nant to thy Servant sworn Thou from his Brows his Diadem hast torn Cast down the Rampier which his strength renown'd And all his Bulwarks levell'd with the ground Whom now his Neighbours scorn a common prey And spoil to all that travail by the way Thou addest strength and courage to his Foes Who now rejoyce and triumph in his woes Rebatest his sharp Sword unnerv'st his might And mak'st him shrink in fervour of the fight His splendor hast Eclipsed his renown In ruins buried and his Throne cast down His Youth consumed with untimely Age Mark'd out for shame the object of thy Rage How long shall he in thy displeasure mourn Still shall thy Anger like a Furnace burn O call to mind the shortness of my daies That dream of Man which like a Flow'r decays Who lives that can the stroke of Death defend Or shall not to the silent Grave descend Where is thy ancient Love thy plighted Troth Confirm'd to David by a solemn Oath Remember the Reproaches I have born Those of the Mighty and their bitter scorn Traduced by thy enemies abhorr'd Yet O my pensive Soul praise thou the Lord. Amen Amen A PARAPHRASE Upon the Fourth BOOK OF THE PSALMS of DAVID PSALM XC O Thou the Father of us all Our refuge from th' Originall That wert our God before The aâ—ry Mountains had their birth Or Fabrick of the peopled Earth And art for evermore But frail man daily dying must At thy Command return to Dust Or should he Ages last Ten thousand years are in thy sight But like a quadrant of the Night Or as a Day that 's past He by thy Torrent swept from hence An empty Dream which mocks the Sense And from the Phansie flies Such as the beauty of the Rose Which in the dewy Morning blows Then hangs the head and dies Through daily anguish we expire Thy anger a consuming Fire To our offences due Our sins although by Night conceal'd By shame and fear are all reveal'd And naked to thy view Thus in thy wrath our years we spend And like a sad discourse they end Nor but to seventy last Or if to eighty they arrive We then with Age and Sickness strive Cut off with winged hast Who knows the terror of thy wrath Or to thy dreadful anger hath Proportion'd his due fear Teach us to number our frail Daies That we our hearts to Thee may raise And wisely sin forbear Lord O how long at length relent And of our miseries repent Thy Early Mercy shew That we may unknown comfort taste For those long daies in sorrow past As long of joy bestow The works of thy accustom'd Grace Shew to thy Servants on their Race Thy chearful beams reflect O let on us thy Beauty shine Bless our attempts with aid divine And by thy Hand direct PSALM XCI WHo makes th' Almighty his retreat Shall rest beneath his shady Wings Free from th' oppression of the Great The rage of War or wrath of Kings Free from the cunning Fowlers train The tainted airs infectious breath His Truth in perils shall sustain And shield thee from the stroke of Death No terrors shall thy sleeps affright Nor deadly flying Arrows slay Nor Pestilence devour by Night Or Slaughter massacre by Day A thousand and ten thousand shall Sink on thy Right hand and thy Left Yet thou secure shall see their fall By vengeance of their lives bereft â—â—nce God thou hast thy Refuge made And do'st to him thy Vows direct No evil shall thy strength invade Nor wasting plagues thy roof-infect Thee shall his Angels safely guide Upheld by winged Legions Lest thou at any time shouldst slide And dash thy Foot against the Stones Thou on the Basilisk shalt tread The Mountain Lion boldly meet And trample on the Dragons Head The Leopard prostrate at thy Feet Since he hath fix'd his love on me Saith God and walked in my wayes I will his Soul from danger free And from the reach of Envy raise To him I his desires will give From danger guard in honour place He long long happily shall live And flourish in my saving Grace PSALM XCII THou who art inthron'd above Thou by whom we live and move O how sweet how excellent Is 't with tongue and hearts consent Thankful hearts and joyful tongues To renown thy Name in Songs When the Morning paints the Skies When the sparkling Stars arise Thy high favours to rehearse Thy firm faith in grateful Verse Take the Lute and Violin Let the solemn Harp begin Instruments strung with ten strings While the Silver Cimbal rings From thy Works my joy proceeds How I triumph in thy Deeds Who thy Wonders can express All thy Thoughts are fathomless Hid from Men in Knowledge blind Hid from Fools to Vice inclin'd Who that Tyrant Sin obey Though they spring like Flowers in May Parch'd with Heat and nipt with Frost Soon shall fade for ever lost Lord thou art most Great most High Such from all Eternitie Perish shall thy Enemies Rebels that against thee rise All who in their Sins delight Shall be scatter'd by thy Might But thou shalt exalt my Horn Like a youthful Unicorn Fresh and fragrant Odors shed On thy crowned Prophets head I shall see my Foes defeat Shortly hear of their retreat But the Just like Palms shall flourish Which the Plains of Iudah nourish Like tall Cedars mounted on Cloud ascending Lebanon Plants set in thy Court
Judgement his great Power affects Yet by Equity directs These celestial Twins imbrace These reflect on Iacobs Race O how holy above all Honour at his Foot-stool fall Moses Aaron heretofore Among those who Mitres wore Samuel by Vow desir'd Among those who were inspir'd These to him their Prayers preferr'd These by him as soon were heard These his Statutes rarely brake Unto these th' Almighty spake In the Pillar of a Cloud To his Service ever vow'd He did their Petitions hear Merciful and yet severe The Holy on his Holy Hill Glorifie and worship still PSALM C. ALL from the Suns uprise Unto his Setting Raies Resound in Jubilees The great Jehovah's Praise Him serve alone In triumph bring Your Gifts and sing Before his Throne Man drew from Man his Birth But God his noble Frame Built of the ruddy Earth Fill'd with caelestial Flame His Sons we are Sheep by him led Preserv'd and fed With tender care O to his Portals press In your divine resorts With Thanks his Power profess And praise him in his Courts How good how pure His Mercies last His Promise past For ever sure PSALM CI. OF Justice I and Mercy sing Which Lord from thee their Fountain spring The Graces that adorn a King Grave Wisdom shall my steps direct No Vice my heart nor Roof infect When wilt thou visit thine Elect No pleasure shall mine eyes misguide Who from the Tract of Virtue slide Just Hate shall from my Soul divide Who mischief in their Hearts contrive Delight in Wrong in Factions strive I from my peaceful Court will drive Who hath his Friend with Slander strook I will cut off nor ever brook A proud Heart and a haughty Look Mine Eyes the Faithful shall observe Those in my Family shall serve Who never from pure Virtue swerve But who are exercis'd in Guile Whose Tongues malicious Lies defile I from my Presence will exile And all the Wicked in the Land Will cut off with a timely Hand Nor shall they in Gods City stand PSALM CII ACcept my Prayers nor to the Cry Of my Afflictions stop thine Ear Lord in the time of Misery And sad restraint serene appear The Sighings of my Spirit hear And when I call with speed reply As Smoak so fleets my Soul away My marrow dry'd as Hearths with heat My heart struck down like withered Hay Through Sorrow I forsake my meat While meagre cares my Liver eat The clinging Skin my Bones display Like Desert-haunting Pelicans In Cities not less desolate Like Screech-Owls who with ominous strains Disturb the Night and day-light hate A Sparrow which hath lost his Mate And on a Pinacle complains Reviling Foes my Honour blast And frantick men my ruin swear For Bread I roll'd-on ashes tast Each drop I drink mixt with a tear For Lord O who thy Wrath can bear Thou raisest and dost head-long cast My Dayes short as the Evening shade As Morning dew consume away As Gâ—ass cut down with Sithes I fade Or like a flower crop'd yesterday But Lord thou suffer'st no decay Thy Promises shall never vade For thou shalt from thy Rest arise Since now th' appointed time draws near And look on Sions miseries Her Walls and batter'd Buildings rear Whose ruins to thy Saints are dear For they her Dust as sacred prise Thy Name then shall the Gentiles praise All Kings thy Honour celebrate For when the Lord shall Sion raise His Glory shall ascend in State So prone to hear the Desolate And succour them in all assaies Unto eternal Memory Our Histories shall this record And all that are created by His pow'rful Hand shall fear the Lord Who doth such Grace to his afford And on the Earth looks from on high To hear the pensive Captives grone The Sons of Death by him unbound His Name again in Sion known That Salem may his Praise resound When in his Service all the Round Of Earth shall there be joyn'd in one Yet Lord amidst these Hopes thou hast Consum'd my strength abridg'd my years Before my Noon of Life be past Let me not die thus drown'd in tears Time wasts not thee which all out-wears Thy happy Daies for ever last Thou mad'st the Earth thou didst display The Heavens in various motion roll'd These and their Glories shall decay But thou shalt thy existence hold They like a Garment shall grow old And in their changes pass away But thou art still the same before The World and after shalt remain You blessed Souls who God adore With Patient Hope your harms sustain For you shall prosper in his Reign And yours subsist for evermore PSALM CIII MY Soul and all my Faculties Jehovah praise sing till the Skies Re-eccho his ascending Fame My Soul O celebrate his Name Nor ever let the memory Of his surpassing Favours die He gently pardons our misdeeds And cures the Wounds which inward bleeds Hath from the Chains of Death unbound With Clemency and Mercy crown'd With Food our Hunger he subdues And Eagle-like our Youth renues His Justice he extends to all Oppressors by his Vengeance fall His sacred Paths to Moses shown His Miracles to Israel known From Him the Springs of Mercy flow Swift to forgive to anger slow For he will not for ever chide Nor constant to his Wrath abide But mildly from his Rage relents And shortens our due Punishments For as the Heavens in amplitude Exceed the Centre they include So ample is his Clemency To all who on his Grace rely As far as the bright Orient Is distant from the Suns Descent So far he sets from his Aspect Their Guilt who him with fear affect And as a Father to his Child So soft so quickly reconcil'd He knows the Fabrick of us all That dust is our Original Man flourisheth like Grass a Flower That blows and withers in an hour By scorching heat by blasting Wind Deflower'd and leaves no print behind But his firm Mercy shall imbrace His Saints for ever and their Race Those who his equal Laws fulfill Remember and perform his Will In Heaven the great Jehovah reigns And governs all that Earth contains You Angels who in strength exceed Who him obey with winged speed You ordred Hosts of radiant Stars O you his flaming Ministers All whom his Wisdom did create Through his large Empire celebrate His glorious Name with sweet accord Joyn thou my Soul to praise the Lord. PSALM CIV MY ravish'd Soul great God thy praises sings Whom Glory circles with her radiant Wings And Majesty invests then Day more bright Cloth'd with the beams of new-created Light He like an all-infolding Canopy Fram'd the vast concave of the spangled Skie And in the Air-imbraced Waters set The Basis of his hanging Cabinet Who on the Clouds as on a Chariot rides And with a reign the flying Tempest guides Bright Angels his attendant Spirits made By flame-dispersing Seraphims obey'd The ever-fixed Earth cloth'd with the Flood In whose calm bosome unseen Mountains stood At his rebuke it shrunk with