O God, our Lord! how large is the extent
Of Thy great name and glorie excellent!
It fills this world, but it doth shyne most bright
Aboue the heauens, in th' vnapproachèd light.
By suckinge Babes thou dost thy strength disclose,
And by their mouth to silence put Thy foes.
When I see Heauen wrought by Thy mighty hand,
And all those glorious lights in order stand,
Lord! what is man that Thou on him dost looke!
Or of the Sonne of Man such care hast tooke!
Next Angells in degree Thou hast him plac't,
And with a crowne of honour hast him grac't:
Thou hast him made lord of Thy Creatures all,
Subjectinge them to his commaund and call;
All birds and aiery fowles are vnder him,
And fishes all which in the Sea doe swymme.
O Lord, our God! how large is the extent
Of Thy great name and glorie excellent!
PSALM IX.
Thee will I thanke euer with my hart entire,
And make the world Thy wondrous workes admire;
In Thee rejoyce, in Thee trihumph will I,
My songs shall praise Thy name, O God, most High!
While my proud foes are put to shamefull flight,
And fall and perish at Thy dreadfull sight.
Thou, righteous Judge, dost sitt vpon Thy Throne
And dost maintaine my rightfull cause alone;
Thou checkst the Heathen; and the wicked race
Thou dost destroy, and all their names deface.
O Enemy! behould thy finall fall,
Thy Citties perish and their names withall;
But God, our Lord, for euer shall endure,
His judgement Seate, Hee hath establisht sure,
Where Hee judges the World with equall right,
And measures Justice vnto euery weight:[185]
He likewise will become a Bulwarke strong
And tymely aide to them that suffer wrong.
Who knowes Thy name in Thee His trust will place,
Who neuer failest them that seeke Thy face.
O, praise the Lord! you that in Sion dwell,
His noble Acts among the Nations tell;
When of oppression Hee enquiry makes,
Of euery poore man's plaint Hee notice takes.
Haue mercy, Lord! and take into Thy thought
My trubles, which my hatefull foes haue wrought.
Thou from the gates of death my Soule dost raise,
That I in Sion's Gates may sing Thy praise;
The sweet saluation which Thou dost jmpart
Shall bee the joy and comfort of my heart.
The Infidells make pitts, and sinke therein,
Their feet are caught in their owne proper synne;
Thy judgement Lord, Thou hast thereby declar'd
When wicked men in their owne workes are snar'd:
Hell is a place for impious men assign'd
And such as doe cast God out of their minde;
But poore men shall not bee forgotten euer
Nor meeke mens' patience, if they doe perseuer.
Rise Lord! and let [not][186] man aboue Thee rise
And judge the Infidel with angrie eyes:
Strike them with feare, that, though they know not Thee,
Yet they may know that mortall men they bee.
PSALM X.
Why standest Thou O Lord! so farr away
And hids't Thy face when trubles mee dismay?
The wicked for his lust the poore man spoyles;
Lord! take him in the trap of his owne wiles.
Hee makes his boaste of his profane desires
Contemninge God, while hee himselfe admires:
Hee is soe proud, that God hee setts at naught,
Nay rather, God comes neuer in his thought.
Thy judgements Lord, are farr aboue his sight
This makes him to esteeme his foes soe light,
And in his hart to say, I cannot fall,
Nor can misfortune light on mee at all:
His mouth is full of execratons vile;
Under his tongue doth sit ungodly guile;
Close in the corners of the waies he lies,
And lurkes, and waits, the simple to surprize:
Euen as a lyon lurkinge in his den,
To assault and murther innocent poore men;
Gainst whom his eyes maliciously are sett,
To catch them when they fall into his nett.
Himselfe hee humbles, bowes, and crouchinge stands
Till poore men fall into his powerfull hands;
Then, in his heart hee sayth 'God hath forgott:
Hee turnes away his face and sees it not.'
Arise O Lord! and lift Thy hand on high,
The poore forgett not which oppressèd ly:
For why should wicked men blaspheme Thee thus
'Tush! God is carelesse and regards not us'?
Surely Thou seest the wronge which they haue done,
And all oppressions underneath the sunne;
To Thee alone the poore his cause commends
As th' only freind of him that wanteth freinds.
Lord! breake the power of the malicious minde
Take ill away, and Thou not ill shalt finde.
The Lord is kinge, and doth for euer raigne,
Nor miscreants shall within His Land remaine;
Hee hearkeneth to the poore, but first prepareth
Their hearts to pray; then their petition heareth:
That Hee poore orphans, may both help and saue,
That worldly men on them no power may haue.
PSALM XI.
I trust in God: to mee why should you say,
'Fly like a bird to mountaines farr away'?
Their bowes and arrowes wicked men prepare,
To peirce the hearts of them that faithfull are:
Euen him whome God hath made a corner-stone
They haue cast downe; but what hath Hee misdone?
God in His holy temple doth remaine,
The heauen of Heauens: where Hee doth sitt and raigne.
Upon the poore He casteth downe His eye,
The sonnes of Men He doth discerne and trie;
The just and righteous men Hee doth approue,
But hateth synners which their sinnes doe loue;
On them He rayneth snares, brimstone and fire,
This is their cup, their wages, and their hire;
The righteous God loues him whose way is right,
And on the just His gracious eye doth light.
PSALM XII.
Helpe Lord! for all the godly men are gon,
And of the faithfull, fewe there are, or non;
Each man to other doth vaine things jmpart,
With lipps deceiptfull, and with double hart;
The Lord will soone cutt of the lipps that lie,
And root out tongues that speake proud words and high.
'With mighty words wee will preuale' say they:
What Lord is Hee that dareth us gainesay?
'Now for the trubles and oppressions sore
The gronings and the sighings of the poore,
I will arise' sayth God, 'and quell their foes
That swell with pride; and them in rest repose.'
God's words are pure, and chaste, like siluer tride
Which hath with seauen fires bene purified.
Thou wilt preserue them Lord! and guard them still,
From this vile race of men which wish them ill.
The ungodly walke in circles, yet goe free
When such as feare not God, exalted bee.
PSALM XIII.