PSALM XLIII.
Judge thou my[227] cause, [O God!] and right mee then,
Against vngodly and deceiptfull men.
O God, my strength, why sett'st Thou mee aside
And leau'st mee to my foes' oppressinge pride?
Send forth Thy light and truth and guide mee still,
In the right way to Thy most holy hill.
God of my[228] joy, before Thine Alter high,
My thankfull harte, my harpe shall justifie.
Then why art thou my soule dejected soe?
Why art thou trubled and soe full of woe?
O put thy trust in God and thankfull bee,
For that sweete aide His presence giues to thee.
PSALM XLIV.
Lord! of Thy workes, our fathers haue vs tould,
Some in their dayes, and former times of ould;
How Thou hast rooted out the Pagan race,
And Thy choice people planted in their place:
Who did not with their owne sword winne the Land,
Nor make the conquest with their proper hand;
But by Thine Arme, Thy fauour and Thy grace,
Thy countenance and brightnesse of Thy face;
Thou art my Kinge, O God, and royal Guide,
And Thou for Jacob's safety dost prouide.
Wee through Thine aid our foes doe bouldly meet,
And by Thy vertue[229] cast them at our feet;
Therefore my trust I place not in my bowe,
Nor in my sword, to saue mee from my foe.
Thou only sau'st vs from our enimies,
Confoundinge them that doe against vs rise.
Wee boast and glory in our strength therefore,
And to Thy name singe praises euermore;
But now Thou standest of[f] and leau'st vs quite,
And dost not lead our armies out to fight;
Thou mak'st vs fly before our foes with feare,
While they from vs rich spoyles away doe beare;
Like sheepe, to feed them Thy poore flock is giuen,
Or scatterèd into seuerall Nations driuen.
Thyne owne deare people Thou dost sell for naught,
And setts on them noe price when they are bought;
Thou hast vs made vnto our Neighbours all,
An object of reproch and scorne withall:
To Nations which doe worship Idolls dumbe,
Wee are[230] a byword of contempt become;
All the day long my shame is in my sight,
Which makes me hide my face and shun the light,
Not able to endure the blasphemies
And scornes of my reuengefull enimies.
For all these ills wee doe not Thee forgett,
Thy blessed Couenant wee renounce not yet.
Our hearts recede not from the Lawe deuine,
Nor doe our footsteps from Thy pathes declyne;
Though wee in dennes of dragons haue bene plac't,
And with death's fearefull shadowes[231] ouercast.
If wee the name of our true God forgett,
And Idolls false wee in His place doe sett,
Shall not Hee search [it] out, Whose eye doth see
The heart of man whose thoughts most trubled bee?
But for Thy cause Lord wee are martir'd still,
Like sheep which slaughter-men cull out to kill.
Up Lord! why dost Thou seeme to slumber thus?
Awake and bee not alwayes farr from vs:
Why hidest Thou from vs Thy blessed face,
Forgettinge our distresse and wretched case?
Our soules euen to the dust are humbled lowe,
Our prostrate bodies to the ground doe growe.
Arise and helpe vs Lord! defend vs still,
And saue vs for Thy mercie's sake from ill.
PSALM XLV.
My heart is mou'd to vtter some good thinge,
Which I entend to offer to the kinge.
My tougue shall bee the pen, and swiftly write
What in my heart deuotion doth endite.
Fairest of men, whose lipps with grace abound,
Whom with eternall blessings God hath crown'd;
Gird Thy sharp sword vpon Thine armèd thigh,
And shew Thyselfe in power and majestie.
Ride on with Thy great honnour prosperously,
Raigne and trihumph, and bee Thou mounted high,
Borne vp with justice, truth and meeknes' wings:
And Thy right hand shall teach Thee dreadfull things;
Thine arrowes sharpe, shall make Thy foes to fall,
Which Thou shalt shoote and peirce their hearts withall.
Eternall is Thy judgement-seat O God!
Thy scepter is a true directinge rod;
Right hast Thou lou'd and loth'st vnrighteousnes,
And therefore God Thy God Who doth Thee blesse,
Hath powr'd on Thee O Prince of Princes best,
More oyle of gladnes then on all the rest:
Thy garments, which Thy person shall aray,
Brought out of Iuory wardrobes where they lay,
Of Myrrh, of Alloes, and of Casha smell;
Which odours doe refresh and please Thee well.
The queene, all cladd in gould at Thy right hand,
Daughters of Kings attendinge her, shall stand.
Attend faire daughter, listen and giue eare,
Forgett thy father's house and Cuntry deare.
Soe shall the Kinge take pleasure in thy beautie;
Hee is thy Lord, yield Him both loue and duty.
The Tyrian virgins shall bringe guifts to thee,
And merchants rich, thy suppliants shall bee.
The daughter of the Kinge is rich without,
Her gownes embroidered all with gould about;
And yet within, shee is more glorious farr,
The jewells of her minde more precious are.
In finest dressinge, with the needle wrought,
Shee with her fellow virgins shall bee brought.
They shall with joy, O Kinge bee brought to Thee,
And in Thy princely Courte receauvèd bee.
Thou in thy father's stead, O Bride shall gaine
Sonnes, which in sundry Prouinces shall raigne.
Thee Lord, will I remember, all my dayes,
And all the world shall giue Thee endlesse praise.
PSALM XLVI.
God is our hope and strength, which neuer failes;
Our present helpe, when mischeife vs assailes.
Though the earth remouèd, and the mountaines were
Amid the Ocean cast, wee would not feare.
Though raginge seas a dreadfull noise doe make,
Thou[gh] floodes and tempestes [roaring,] hills doe shake,
There is a streame, which though it bee not great,
Makes glad God's Cittie, and His holy seate.
God in her Center dwells, and makes His place
Unmoueable, by His preuentinge grace.
They were[232] enrag'd which heathen kingdomes sway,
But when God spake, the Earth did melt away.
The Lord of Hosts assists vs with His power,
And Jacob's God to vs becomes a Tower.
Come, and behould what workes the Lord hath wrought,
And Hee, His foes hath to destruction brought.
In all the world Hee warr to peace doth turne,
The bowe and speare doe breake and chariotts burne;
Bee quiet then and still, and know that I
Am Lord of the world and God Most High:
The Lord of Hosts assists vs with His power,
And Jacob's God to vs becomes a Tower.
PSALM XLVII.