How long O Lord! shall I forgotten bee?
How long wilt Thou Thy bright Face hide from mee?
How long shall I my thoughts tosse to and fro
And bee thus vext by my insultinge foe?
Giue ease, O Lord; giue light unto mine eyes,
Lest death in endlesse sleepe doth mee surprise;
Lest my proud foe vaunt that hee doth preuaile,
And laugh at mee when I shall faint or faile;
But in Thy mercie all my trust is pight[187]
And thy saluation is my hearte's delight;
Of Thy sweet kindnes therefore sing will I,
And highly praise the name of God, Most High.
PSALM XIV.
'There is noe God,' the foole sayth in his heart,
Yet dares not with his tongue his thought impart;
All are corrupt and odious in God's sight,
Not one doth good, not one doth well, vpright.
God cast His eyes from Heauen on all mankinde,
And lookt if Hee one righteous man could finde;
But all were wicked, all from God were gone,
Not one did good, in all the world, not one;
Their throat an open graue, their flattering tongue
And lyinge lips, like stinge of wasps haue stung.
With bitter cursing, they their mouthes doe fill;
Their feet are swift the guiltles blood to spill;
Sad, wretched mischeife, in their wayes doth lye
But for the wayes of peace they passe them by;
Noe feare of God haue they before their eyes,
Nor knowledge, while these mischeifes they devise;
While they God's people doe with might oppresse
And eat them up like bread with greedines;
And since on God they neuer vse to call,
They fear'd when cause of feare was non at all.
But to the righteous man and to his race,
God present is with His protectinge grace;
Though fooles doe mocke the counsell of the poore,
Because in God hee trusted euermore.
Who shall saluation out of Sion giue
To Israell but God? Who shall releiue
His people and of Captiues make them free:
Thou Jacob joyfull, Israell glad shall bee.
PSALM XV.
Lord! who shall dwell in thy bright tent with Thee
And of Thy rest in heauen pertaker bee?
Euen hee that is vpright in all his wayes[188]
And from his hart speakes[189] truth in all hee sayes;
Who hath forborne to doe his neighbour wrong
Nor him deceau'd or slaunderèd with his tong;
Who of himselfe an humble thought doth beare
But highly valewes them which God doe feare;
Who of his promis doth himselfe acquitt,
Though losse hee suffer by performinge it;
Nor hath for bitinge vse his monie lent,
Nor tooke reward against the innocent;
Who shall obserue these poynts, and doe them all,
Assuredly that man can neuer fall.
PSALM XVI.
Mee thy poore seruant Lord! preserue and saue,
For all my trust in Thee repos'd I haue:
Lord! said my soule, Thou art my God, to Thee
My goods are nothinge when they offered bee;
But my delight are in those saints of Thine,
Which liue on Earth, and doe in vertue shine;
But they which runn to worshipp idolls vaine,
Shall multiply their sorrow and their paine.
Of their blood offerings will I not pertake,
Nor of their names shall my lipps mention make.
The portion of mine heritage and cupp
Is God Himselfe who houlds and keepes[190] mee upp;
In a faire ground to mee my lott did chance,
Soe I possesse a rich Inheritance:
Thankes[191] bee to God His warninge giues mee light,
My raynes with paine doe chasten me by night;
I looke to God in my endeauors all,
Hee stands soe neare mee that I cannot fall;
This hath my heart and tongue with joyes possest,
And now my flesh in hope to rise, shall rest;
My soule shall not be buryed in the graue,
Nor shall Thy Holy One corruption haue;
Shew mee the path of life; for in Thy sight
Doth endles pleasure rest and full delight.
PSALM XVII.
Heare my just cause Lord! heare my prayer and crie,
Which come from lipps not vs'd to faine or lie:
Lord, let my sentence from Thy mouth be giuen,
For Thou regards't things only just and euen;[192]
In the darke night of my aduersitie,
Thou did'st my heart examine, proue and trie;
And yet vpon this triall did'st not finde
My heart or tongue to any ill enclinde:
For that their workes against Thy Word are done
I doe their wayes which tende to ruine, shunn.
Lord! in Thy pathes doe Thou my goings guide,
Lest in this slippery life my footstepps slide:
Thy name haue I invok't, Thou shalt mee heare
And to my humble words incline Thy eare;
O Sauiour! of all those that trust in Thee
Thy mercies full of wonder shew to mee;
Preserue mee as the apple of Thine eye,
Under Thy winges in safetie let me lie;
Saue mee from them which Thy right hand oppose,
And from my ungodly circumuenting foes;
Their fatt estates doe them soe fortifie
As they presume to speake proud words and high;
In all my wayes in wait for mee hee lies,
To cast mee downe hee downewards casts his eyes
Euen like a lyon, watching for his prey,
Or lyon's whelpes which lurke beside the way.
Vp Lord! defeat, defeat this foe of mine,
That wicked man who is a sword of Thyne;
From wordly men vouchsafe my soule to saue,
Who in their mortall life their portion haue;
Whose bellies with Thy treasure Thou dost fill,
Who children haue, and leaue them wealth at will;
But I Thy face in righteousnes shall see
And with Thy presence shall contented bee.
PSALM XVIII.