Heare (Lord my strength!) the crie I make to Thee!
I am but dead, if Thou seeme deafe to mee:
Heare, when with humble prayer, I Thee entreat,
With lifted hands before Thy mercy seate.
But rancke me not with those which wicked are,
Whose lipps speake peace, whose hearts are full of warr;
Accordinge to their actions let them speed,
And as their merrit is, soe make their need;
For that they see Thy workes, and yet neglect them,
Thou shall destroy and neuer more erect them:
The Lord bee praisd Who hath vouchsaft to heare,
And lend unto my prayer a gracious eare;
His sheild protects, His strength doth mee aduance;
My tongue shall sing His praise, my heart shall dance;
Hee to His seruants, force, and vertue, giues;
Through Him in safetie His annoynted liues.
Saue Thy peculier people, Lord! and blesse them,
And lift their heads aboue them that oppresse them.
PSALM XXIX.
Yee kings, since by God's power and grace, yee raigne,
Glory and power ascribe to Him againe;
Yeild Him the honnour due to His great name,
And in His glorious Courts, His praise proclaime;
His voyce doth cause the Seas, to swell and shake,
And in the heauens the dreadfull thunder make;
Jehouah's voice, effects of power doth breed,
It is a stronge and glorious voyce indeed;
His voyce the cedar doth in sunder teare,
The Cedars which Mount Lebanus doth beare;
Makes Lebanus, and Hermon hill, to tremble
And skippinge Calues and Unicornes, resemble;
Doth breake the clouds, and flames of fire deuide,
The deserts shake, euen Cades[206] desert wide;
Makes hindes to calue, for feare makes forrests bare,
While in His temple wee His praise declare;
The Lord vpon the water-floods doth raigne,
The Lord a Kinge for euer doth remaine;
The Lord shall still His people's strength encrease,
And giue to them the blessinge of His peace.
PSALM XXX.
Highly the Lord I praise Who setts mee high
Aboue my proud insultinge enimie;
Sicke to the death, I cried to God for ease,
And Hee hath cur'd my dangerous disease;
Hee from the graue hath lifted up my head
And hath reduc't[207] mee from among the dead.
Yee saints of His in songs His praise expresse,
With thankes[208] make mention of His holines;
For momentarie His displeasure is,
When in His fauour there is life and blisse;
Sad sorrow may continue for a night,
But joy returneth with the morninge light.
When my estate did prosper, then said I
I shall not fall, my seat is fixt on high.
But when Thou Lord, didst turne Thy face aside,
Then was I trubled, and to Thee I cride;
To Thee began I then againe to pray,
And in my humble prayer thus did say:
What profit can there by my death arise,
When buried in the graue my body lies?
Shall dust and ashes celebrate Thy name?
Or shall the silent Toombe Thy truth proclaime?
Lord, heare my prayer, and then Thy mercie show
In aidinge mee against my cruell foe!
Loe now to dancinge,[209] Thou hast turn'd my sadnes,
Out[210] of my sackloth girded mee with gladnes.
For this shall euerie good man singe Thy praise,
And I shall thanke and blesse Thee all my dayes.
PSALM XXXI.
In Thee, O Lord! haue I put all my trust,
Then rescue mee from shame, as Thou art just;
Giue eare, and soone from perill sett mee free;
Bee Thou a Rocke and stronge defence to mee;
Thou art my Rocke and Castle when I stray;
Bee Thou my Guide, and leade mee in the way.
Thou art my strength; O cleare mee from that net
Which priuily my foes for mee haue sett!
Into Thy hands[211] my soule I doe committ:
Lord God of truth Thou hast redeemèd it.
I hate all those which in vain lies delight,
For all my trust is in the Lord of might.
Thy mercies glad my heart: for in my woe
Thou hast vouchsaft my [weary] soule to knowe.
Thou hast not left mee prisoner with my foe,
But sett me free that I at large may goe.
Yeild to my trubles mercifull releife,
My eares waxe deafe, my heart doth melt with greife.
Few are my yeares, in number to be tould,
Yet sorrow, care, and greife, hath made mee ould;
My strength with prayer and anguish doth decay,
My joynts growe weake, my bones consume away;
I am a scorne to all my enimies,
But specially my Neighbours mee dispise;
My very presence did my friends affright,
And all my ould acquaintance shun my sight.
I am forgott as if I buried lay,
And viler then a broken pott of clay.
I heard the waylings of the multitude
And trembled while they did my death conclude;
But all my hope hath beene O Lord in Thee,
Whome I professe my only Lord to bee;
My tyme is in Thy hand, O doe not leaue
Mee in their hands which would my life bereue.
O turne to mee the brightnes of Thy face,
And saue mee through Thy mercy and Thy grace;
Make not mee blush which did invoke Thy name,
But put my foes to silence and to shame;
And let the lipps bee dumbe which vtter lyes
Against the righteous in spightfull-wise.
O what blessings, dost Thou keepe in store
For them that feare and loue Thee euermore;
Thou shalt protect them from the great men's pride,
And in Thy Tent from stormes of tongues them hide.
Blest bee the Lord Whose mercies manifold
Doe keepe mee safer then the strongest hold;
When I with passion was transported quite,
I said I was sequester'd from His sight;
And yet for all my weaknes, heard was I,
When to my Maker I did make my crie.
Loue Him yee Saints of His who guardeth those
Who trust in Him: and pay'st[212] their proudest foes.
Yee that rely on Him be strong of hart
And Hee to you shall heauenly strength jmpart.
PSALM XXXII.
Happie indeed and truly blest is hee
Whose sinnes remitted and faults couerèd bee;
To whome the Lord doth not jmpute his sinne,
Whose single heart hath not deceipt therein.
When I was silent I consum'd away,
And pyninge greife did waste mee day by day;
Thy hand on mee was heauy still, whereby
My moisture grewe like draught in Summer drie.
My sinne I will acknowledge Lord to Thee,
My secret faults shall not concealèd bee;
I said, I will my synnes to God confesse,
And God forthwith forgaue my wickednesse.
If good men seeke Him when Hee may be found,
The world's high waues shall neuer them surround;
Thou hid'st mee close and sauest mee from annoy,
And dost enuirone mee with songs of joy;
When Thou hast sett mee in Thyne owne right way,
Thine eye doth guide mee that I doe not stray.
Then must I not be brute, as horse and mule,
Which men with bitt and bridle only rule.
With many whipps, God doth the wicked chase
But doth with mercies faithfull men embrace;
Bee glad, rejoyce, and glory in the Lord
All yee whose hearts doth with His will accord.
PSALM XXXIII.