Thou art my strength, O Lord! Thee will I loue,
Thou art my Rocke, which nothing can remoue:
My God, in Whome my trust I will repose,
My Sauiour, sheild and horne, against my foes;
Lord, most praise worthy, pray will I to Thee
Soe shall I from my foes protected bee;
When deadly sorrowes did besett mee round,
And floods of wickednes did mee surhound[193]
When paines of hell I felt in my desease,
And pangs of death upon my soule did sease;
On God I callèd in that instant truble,
And my complaints unto the Lord did dubble:
But when His wrath and vengeance kindled were,
The Earth did quake, and mountaines shooke for feare,
And coles grew redd with His inflaminge jre;
Hee bowed the heauens, and did descend withall,
And shadowes darke beneath His feet did fall:
Hee ridinge on the Cherubins did fly,
And with the wingèd windes was borne on high;
Darkness His clossett, His pauilion wide
Made of blacke clouds, His face a while did hide;
But at His presence right away they flew
When haile and coles of fire abroad Hee threw;
The Lord from heauen did send His thunder lowd
With fire and haile from out the broken cloud;
A shower of arrowes on His foes did fall,
His thunderboults and lightenings slewe them all;
Fountaines were dride and the earthe's foundation mou'd
When synners, in His wrath, the Lord reprou'd;
But Hee from heauen shall send His angell's downe
And take mee vp when waters would mee drowne;
Hee from my foe, too mightie and too strong,
Shall saue mee when Hee doth mee mightie wrong,
Preuentinge mee [in] my disastrous day:
But then the Lord was my support and stay;
When I was captiue, Hee did sett mee free,
And brought mee forth because Hee fauoured mee.
He shall reward mee as my dayes bee right,
And hands be cleane[194]: soe shall Hee mee requite;
For I still kept his pathes, and did not shunn
To walke therein, as other men haue done:
But euer sett[195] His lawes before mine eyes,
And neuer did His holy words dispise.
My heart was vncorrupt before Him still,
Pursuinge goodnes and eschewinge ill;
Hee shall reward mee as my deeds bee right,
And hands bee cleane: soe shall He mee requite.
Unto the good Thou wilt Thy goodnes show,
And righteous men Thy righteousnes shall know;
The pure of heart shall Thee behold most pure
But froward men Thy curses shall endure;
Them will God raise, which under pressures ly,
And proud men humble which doe looke soe high;
Hee shall sett up for mee a candle bright,
My God shall turne my darkness vnto light.
Through Thee, an host of men, I conquere shall,
And with Thy helpe transcend the highest wal;[196]
God's way is pure, His word is tride with fire;[197]
Hee heals all them which unto Him retire;
For who is God? or who hath strength and power
Except our Lord, our God and only our?
Hee girdeth mee with furniture to fight,
And guideth mee, and houldeth mee upright;
My feet as swift as hart's feet Hee doth make,
And vp to honnor's tower Hee doth mee take;
Hee giues such strength unto my fingers weake,
As that my arme a bowe of steele shall breake.
Thy hands shall bee my safety and protection,
Thou shalt aduance mee with Thy sweet correction;
Thou for my feet shalt make a passage wide,
Soe as my steps shall neuer goe aside;
I shall pursue, and in pursuite outgoe,
And neuer turne till I haue quelld my foe;
When I him smite[198] he shall not rise at all,
If once at my victorious feet hee fall.
Thou hast girded mee with a sword of strength,
Wherewith I shall subdue my foes at length;
For thou shalt turne the stubburne necke about
Of them that hate mee till, I root them out;
Then shall they crie (but helpe there shall be non)
Euen to the Lord, Who shall not heare their mone.
My foes to powder I shall breake and bray
And tread them down like mire amid the way.
Thou my rebellious subjects shalt accord,
And ouer Heathen Nations make mee Lord;
A people whome I knowe not shall mee serue,
And with base adulation mee obserue;
These Aliens all, shall faint and bee dismaied
And in their strongest Castles bee afraid.
Liue Lord! my strength: and blessed bee therefore
And praisèd bee my Sauiour euermore,
Who doth repay my foes with vengeance due,
And unto mee my vassals doth subdue;
Who doth not only saue but sett mee high
Aboue my foes, and there[199] feirce crueltie.
For this, both of my thanks and praise to Thee,
The Heathen Nations witneses shall bee;
For wealth and power and blessings manie moe,
On Dauid and his race Thou shalt bestowe.
PSALM XIX.
The workmanship of heauen soe bright and faire,
Thy power O Lord, and glorie doth declare;
One day Thy praise doth to another preach,
One night another doth in order teach;
Where euer any tongue or voyce doth sound,
In all the world their speech is heard around.
In middest of heauen, the hands of God hath pight[200]
For the sunne's lodgeinge, a pauilion bright;
Who as a bridegroome from his chamber goes;
Or Giant, marchinge forth against his foes,
Hee issues; and from East to West doth runne:
His peircinge heat noe liueinge weight[201] can shun.
God's lawe is perfect and man's soule renues,
And simple mindes with knowledge it endues;
Right are His statutes and rejoyce the heart,
Light to the eyes His precepts pure impart;
His feare is cleane and soe endures for aye;
His judgements true and righteous euery way;
More sweet then honie, to bee valewed more
Then many heapes of finest goulden oare.
They rectifie withall Thy seruants minde,
And who soe keeps them, great reward shall finde;
But Lord who knowes how oft hee doth transgresse?
O clense mee from my secret wickednes!
Nor let presumptuous sinns beare rule in mee,
Soe shall I from the great offence bee free;
And Lord! my strength and Sauiour! soe direct
My words and thoughts as Thou maiest them accept.
PSALM XX.
The Lord giue eare to thee in thy distresse!
And bee thy Sheilde, when trubles thee oppresse!
And let His help come downe from heauen for thee!
And strength from Syon Hill imparted bee!
Let Him remember, and accept withall,
Thine offerings and thy sacrifices all;
And of His bountie euermore fulfill
Thy hearts desire; and satisfie thy will.
But wee will glory in our great God's name
And joy in our saluation through the same;
And pray unto the Lord our God, that Hee
The effect of all thy prayers will graunt to thee.
Hee now I know will heare, and helpe will bringe,
With His strong hand to His annoynted Kinge;
On chariots some, on horses some, rely,
But wee inuoke the name of God Most High.
Those others are bowed downe and fall full lowe,
When wee are risen and vpright doe goe.
Saue us O Lord of Heauen! and heare us thence,
When wee inuoke Thy name for our defence.
PSALM XXI.
Glad is the kinge, and joyfull is his hart,
That Thou O Lord, his strength and safety art;
That Thou hast giuen him what his heart desired,
And not denied him what his lipps required;
Preuentinge him with blessings manifould,
And crowninge him with pure refinèd gould.
Hee askt Thee life, Thou gauest him length of daies,
Euen endlesse life, to giue Thee endlesse praise;
His safety, through Thy prouidence deuine
With honour great and glorie makes him shine;
Blisse without end Thou wilt to him jmpart,
The sunn-beames of Thy face will cheare his hart:
For in Thy mercy hee doth trust withall,
Which stayes his stepps that hee shall neuer fall;
But Thy long hand shall reach Thy flyinge foe
And finde him when he most secure doth goe;
Thine enimies shall (when kindled is Thine ire)
As in a furnace be consumed with fire;
Their ofspringe from the Earth shall rotted bee,
Their second generation non shall see:
For against Thee and Thine their councell was,
Yet could not bringe their wicked plott to passe,
But turn'd their backes and put themselues to chase,
When Thou hadst bent Thy bowe against their face;
Bee pleased in Thine owne strength Thyselfe to raise,
Soe shall wee Lord, Thy power and mercie praise.
PSALM XXII.
My God! my God! why leauest Thou mee? and why
Dost Thou soe farr withdraw Thee from my crie?
I cry all day, but Thou dost not giue eare;
At night I cease not, yet Thou wilt not heare;
Yet Thou art holy still, Thou God of might,
Thy people's great renowne and glory bright;
When our forefathers plac't their hope in Thee
From cruell bondage Thou didst sett them free;
In Thee they trusted, and to Thee they prayed,
And neuer faild of Thy celestiall aid;
But as for mee, a worme not man, am I;
A scorne to euery man that passeth by;
They laugh and mocke, my poore estate to see;
They draw their mouth and shake their heads at mee;
And say, 'hee hop't in God, that Hee should saue him,
Now let God rescue him if Hee will haue him.'
But Thou Lord from my mother's wombe didst take mee,
And when I suck't her brest, didst not forsake mee;
Euen from my birth I was to Thee bequeathèd,
And Thou hast bene my God since first I breathèd.
O leaue mee not when trubles doe mee presse,
And there is non to helpe mee in distresse;
Many strong beasts haue mee invironèd
As fatt and feirce as bulls in Bashan fedd;
They runne on mee with open mouthes and wide;
Like hungry lyons rampinge in their pride.
My soule, like water on the earth is spilt,
My joynts are loosed, my heart like wax doth melt,
My synewes shrunke are, like a potsheard drie,
My tongue cleaues to my jawes, dead dust am I.
For many doggs haue compast me about,
I am besett with a malitious rout;
They peirce My hands and feet, and stare on Mee,
And euery ribb of My leane bodie see;
They spoyle Mee of My garments, and beside,
The parts thereof by lotts they doe deuide.
Lord! bee not farr, when I Thy help shall need,
Thou art My strength, O succour Mee with speed!
And sheild Mee from the sword, and from the power
Of doggs, which would My dearest Soule deuoure!
And from the lyon's mouth, and from the hornes
Of many, fearce, insultinge unicornes!
Among My kinn will I declare Thy name,
And in the great Assembly spread the same.
Yee that feare Him His praise and glory tell,
And honnour Him yee seed of Israell;
Hee scorneth not the poore, nor hides His face,
But heares his suit when hee laments his case.
When all Thy faithfull folke assembled bee,
I sound Thy praise and pay my vowes to Thee.
The Lord shall fully satisfie the meeke,
Their soule shall liue which His light face doe seeke;
The East and West shall turne to their right minde,
And to the true God's worshipp be inclinde;
Who doth, of all the world the Scepter beare,
Rules and commaunds the nations euery where;
The fatt shall eate and worshipp Him therefore,
And they that lye in dust shall Him adore.
Euen hee which cannot his own life preserue,
Nor quicken his owne soule, the Lord shall serue.
Their seed, O Lord! shall serue to worshipp Thee,
And with Thy chosen people numbred bee;
And to their children's children, shall expresse
Thine euerlasting truth and righteousnes.
PSALM XXIII.