From HORACE9. Joking decides great things, Stronger and better oft than earnest can1o. From SOPHOCLES". 'Tis you that say it, not I. You do the deeds, And your ungodly deeds find me the words'. From SENECA'3. There can be slain No sacrifice to God more acceptable, Than an unjust and wicked king14. PSALM 1. Done into verse, 1653. BLESS'D is the man who hath not walk'd astray [sway'd, As thy possession I on thee bestow The Heathen; and, as thy conquest to be Earth's utmost bounds: them shalt thou bring full low With iron sceptre bruis'd, and them disperse Like to a potter's vessel shiver'd so. And now be wise at length, ye kings averse, Be taught, ye judges of the Earth; with fear Jehovah serve, and let your joy converse With trembling; kiss the Son lest he appear In anger, and ye perish in the way, If once his wrath take fire, like fuel sere. Happy all those who have in him their stay. PSALM III. Aug. 9, 1653. When he fled from Absalom. LORD, how many are my foes! How many those, That in arms against me rise; That of my life distrustfully thus say; The exalter of my head I count; Unto Jehovah; he full soon replied, Of many millions The populous rout I fear not, though, encamping round about, They pitch against me their pavilions. Rise, Lord; save me, my God; for thou Hast smote ere now On the cheek-bone all my foes, Of men abhorr'd Hast broke the teeth. [Lord; This help was from the Thy blessing on thy people flows. PSALM IV. Aug.10, 1653. ANSWER me when I call, Now pity me, and hear my earnest prayer. My glory have in scorn? To love, to seek, to prize, Thing false and vain, and nothing else but Yet know the Lord hath chose, Chose to himself apart, The good and meek of heart ; (For whom to choose he knows) Jehovah from on high [lies, Will hear my voice, what time to him I cry. Be aw'd, and do not sin; Speak to your hearts alone, Upon your beds, each one, 14 From Tenure of Kings, &c. Pr. W. vol. i. Offer the offerings just 315. Of righteousness, and in Jehovah trust. My soul; O save me for thy goodness sake: Who in the grave can celebrate thy praise? I' the midst of all my enemies that mark. De part from me; for the voice of my weeping Thou, Lord, alone, in safety mak'st me dwell. The Lord will own, and have me in his keeping. PSALM V. Aug. 12, 1653. JEHOVAH, to my words give ear, My meditation weigh; The voice of my complaining hear, My King and God; for unto thee I pray. Jehovah, thou my early voice Shalt in the morning hear: I' the morning I to thee with choice Mine enemies shall all be blank and dash'd With much confusion; then, grown red with shame, They shall return in haste the way they came, And in a moment shall be quite abash'd. PSALM VII. Aug. 14, 1653. Upon the words of Chush the Benjamite against him, Will rank my prayers, and watch till thou appear. LORD, my God, to thee I fly; For thou art not a God that takes In wickedness delight; Evil with thee no biding makes; Fools or mad men stand not within thy sight. Thou hat'st; and them unblest The bloody and guileful man God doth detest. Thy numerous mercies, go Into thy house; I, in thy fear, Will towards thy holy temple worship low. Lead me, because of those Set thy ways right before, where my step goes. For,in his faltering mouth unstaile, No word is firm or sooth; Their inside, troubles miserable; [smooth. An open grave their throat, their tongue they By their own counsels quell'd; Their joy; while thou from blame And shall triumph in thee, who love thy name. To bless the just man still; PSALM VI. Aug. 13, 1653. LORD, in thine anger do not reprehend me Save me and secure me under Lord, my God, if I have thought Let the enemy pursue my soul, Rouse thyself amidst the rage So the assemblies of each nation Judge me, Lord; be judge in this But the just establish fast, Since thou art the just God that tries God is a just judge and severe, His sword he whets, his bow hath bended Already, and for him intended The tools of death, that waits him near. (His arrows purposely made he As in a womb; and from that mould He digg'd a pit, and delv'dit deep, His mischief, that due course doth keep, Fall on his crown with ruin steep. April, 1648. J. M; Nine of the Psalms done into metre, wherein all ut what is in a different character, are the very words of the text, translated from the original. PSALM LXXX. 1. THOU Shepherd, that dost Israel keep, Give ear in time of need; Who leadest like a flock of sheep Thy loved Joseph's seed; That sitt'st between the cherubs bright, 2. In Ephraim's view and Benjamin's, Awake thy strength, come, and be seen 3. Turn us again, thy grace divine And then we shall be safe. 4. Lord God of Hosts, how long wilt thou, Thy smoking wrath, and angry brow 5. Thou feed'st them with the bread of tears; And mak'st them largely drink the tears 6. A strife thou mak'st us and a prey Among themselves they laugh, they play, And then we shall be safe. 8. A vine from Egypt thou hast brought, And drov'st out nations, proud and haut, 9. Thou didst prepare for it a place, And fill'd the land at last. 10. With her green shade that cover'd all, Her boughs as high as cedars tall 11. Her branches on the western side And upward to that river wide Her other branches went. 12. Why hast thou laid her hedges low, 13. The tusked boar out of the wood Wild beasts there brouze, and make their food 14. Return now, God of Hosts, look down And visit this thy vine. 15. Visit this vine, which thy right hand 16. But now it is consum'd with fire, And cut with axes down; They perish at thy dreadful ire, At thy rebuke and frown. 17. Upon the man of thy right hand 18. So shall we not go back from thee PSALM LXXXI. 1. To God our strength sing loud, and clear, Sing loud to God our King; To Jacob's God, that all may hear, Loud acclamations ring. 2. Prepare a hymn, prepare a song, A law of Jacob's God, to hold, From whence they might not swerve. 5. This he a testimony ordain'd In Joseph, not to change, When as he pass'd through Egypt land; His hands from pots, and miry soil, 7. When trouble did thee sore assail, 8. Hear, O my People, hearken well; Thon ancient stock of Israel, If thou wilt list to me: 9. Throughout the land of thy abode No alien God shall be, Nor shalt thou to a foreign God In honour bend thy knee. 10. I am the Lord thy God, which brought Thee out of Egypt land; Ask large enough, and I, besought, 11. And yet my people would not hear, And Israel, whom I lov'd so dear, 12. Then did I leave them to their will, 13. O, that my people would be wise, 14. Then would I soon bring down their foes, That now so proudly rise; And turn my hand against all those, That are their enemies. 15. Who hate the Lord should then be fain To bow to him and bend; But they, his people, should remain, Their time should have no end. 16. And he would feed them from the shock And satisfy them from the rock PSALM LXXXII. 1. GOD in the great assembly stands 2. How long will ye pervert the right Who thence grow bold and strong? 4. Defend the poor and desolate, Of him that help demands. 5. They know not, nor will understand, The Earth's foundations all are mov'd, 6. I said that ye were gods, yea all 7. But ye shall die like men, and fall As other princes die. 8. Rise, God; judge thou the Earth in sight, This wicked Earth redress; For thou art he who shall by right PSALM LXXXIII. 1. BE not thou silent now at length, 2. For lo, thy furious foes now swell, And they that hate thee, proud and fell, 3. Against thy people they contrive 4. Come, let us cut them off, say they, Till they no nation be; That Israel's name for ever may Be lost in memory. 5. For they consult with all their might, 6. The tents of Edom, and the brood, 7. Gebal and Ammon there conspire, And hateful Amalec, Whose bounds the sea doth check. 8. With them great Ashur also bands, And doth confirm the knot: All these have lent their armed hands To aid the sons of Lot. 9. Do to them as to Midian bold, That wasted all the coast; To Sisera; and, as is told, Thou didst to Jabin's host, When, at the brook of Kishon old, 10. At Endor quite cut off, and roll'd 11. As Zeb and Oreb evil sped, 12. For they amidst their pride have said, 13. My God, oh make them as a wheel, Like stubble from the wind. 14. As when an aged wood takes fire The greedy flame runs higher and higher 15. So with thy whirlwind them pursue, 16. And, till they yield thee honour due, Lord, fill with shame their face. 17. Asham'd, and troubled, let them be, Troubled, and sham'd for ever; Ever confounded, and so die With shame, and'scape it never. 18. Then shall they know, that thou, whose name Jehovah is alone, Art the Most High, and thou the same PSALM LXXXIV. 1. How lovely are thy dwellings fair! O Lord of Hosts, how dear The pleasant tabernacles are, Where thou dost dwell so near! 2. My soul doth long and almost die O living God, for thee. 3. There even the sparrow, freed from wrong, Hath found a house of rest; The swallow there, to lay her young Even by thy altars, Lord of Hosts, And home they fly from round the coasts 4. Happy, who in thy house reside, Where thee they ever praise! 5. Happy, whose strength in thee doth bide, And in their hearts thy ways! 6. They pass through Baca's thirsty vale, That dry and barren ground; As through a fruitful watery dale, Where springs and showers abound. 7. They journey on from strength to strength With joy and gladsome cheer, Till all before our God at length In Sion do appear. 8. Lord God of Hosts, hear now my prayer, O Jacob's God give ear; 9. Thou God, our shield, look on the face 10. For one day in thy courts to be, A thousand days at best. I, in the temple of my God, Had rather keep a door, Than dwell in tents, and rich abode, With sin for evermore. 11. For God, the Lord, both sun and shield, Gives grace and glory bright; No good from them shall be withheld 12. Lord God of Hosts, that reign'st on high; That man is truly blest, Who only on thee doth rely, PSALM LXXXV. 1. THY land to favour graciously 2. The iniquity thou didst forgive 3. Thine anger all thou had'st remov'd, From thy fierce wrath which we had prov'd Far worse than fire to burn. 4. God of our saving health and peace, Thine indignation cause to cease Wilt thou thy frowning ire extend 6. Wilt thou not turn and hear our voice, That so thy people may rejoice By thee preserv'd alive? 7. Cause us to see thy goodness, Lord, To us thy mercy shew; Thy saving health to us afford, And life in us renew. 8. And now, what God the Lord will speak, I will go straight and hear, For to his people he speaks peace, And to his saints full dear, To his dear saints he will speak peace ; But let them never more Return to folly, but surcease, |