Depart from me, for the voice of my weeping
The Lord hath heard, the Lord hath heard my prayer,
My supplication with acceptance fair
The Lord will own, and have me in his keeping.
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 CUSH THE BENJAMITE AGAINST HIM.
LORD, my God, to thee I fly;
Save me, and secure me under
Thy protection while I cry;
Lest as a lion (and no wonder)
He haste to tear my soul asunder,
Tearing, and no rescue nigh.
Lord, my God, if I have thought
Or done this; if wickedness
Be in my hands; if I have wrought
Ill to him that meant me peace,
Or to him have render'd less,
And not freed my foe for nought,
Let the enemy pursue my soul,
And overtake it; let him tread
My life down to the earth, and roll
In the dust my glory dead,
In the dust, and, there outspread.
Lodge it with dishonour foul.
Rise, Jehovah, in thine ire,
Rouse thyself amidst the rage
Of my foes that urge like fire,
And, wake for me, their fury assuage;
Judgment here thou didst engage
And command, which I desire.
So the assemblies of each nation
Will surround thee, seeking right;
Thence to thy glorious habitation
Return on high, and in their sight,
Jehovah judgeth most upright
All people from the world's foundation.
Judge me, Lord; be Judge in this
According to my righteousness,
And the innocence which is
Upon me cause at length to cease
Of evil men the wickedness,
And their power that do amiss.
But the just establish fast,
Since thou art the just God that tries
Hearts and reins. On God is cast
My defence, and in him lies,
In him who, both just and wise,
Saves the upright of heart at last.
God is a just Judge and severe,
And God is every day offended;
If the unjust will not forbear,
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
For them that persecute.) Behold
He travails big with vanity;
Trouble he hath conceived of old
As in a womb, and from that mould
Hath at length brought forth a lie.
He digg'd a pit, and delved it deep,
And fell into the pit he made;
His mischief, that due course doth keep,
Turns on his head; and his ill trade
Of violence will, undelay'd,
Fall on his crown with ruin steep.
Then will I Jehovah's praise
According to his justice raise,
And sing the name and deity
Of Jehovah the Most High.
PSALM VIII. AUG. 14, 1653.
O JEHOVAH Our Lord, how wondrous great
And glorious is thy name through all the earth!
So as above the heavens thy praise to set
Out of the tender mouths of latest birth.
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou
Hast founded strength, because of all thy foes,
To stint the enemy, and slack the avenger's brow,
That bends his rage thy Providence to oppose.
When I behold thy heavens, thy fingers' art,
The moon and stars, which thou so bright hast set
In the pure firmament; then, saith my heart,
O what is man, that thou rememberest yet,
And think'st upon him; or, of man begot,
That him thou visit'st, and of him art found?
Scarce to be less than gods, thou madest his lot;
With honour, and with state, thou hast him crown'd.
O'er the works of thy hand thou madest him lord,
Thou hast put all under his lordly feet;
All flocks, and herds, by thy commanding word,
All beasts that in the field or forest meet,
Fowl of the heavens, and fish that through the wet
Sea-paths in shoals do slide, and know no dearth.
O Jehovah our Lord, how wondrous great
And glorious is thy name through all the earth!
Nine of the Psalms done into metre, wherein all, but what is in a different character, are the very words of the text, translated from the original.
I 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,
Between their wings outspread,
Shine forth, and from thy cloud give light,
And on our foes thy dread.
2 In Ephraim's view and Benjamin's,
And in Manasseh's sight,
Awake thy strength, come, and be seen
To save us by thy might.
3 Turn us again, thy grace divine
To us, O God, vouchsafe;
Cause thou thy face on us to shine,
And then we shall be safe.
4 Lord God of Hosts, how long wilt thou,
How long wilt thou declare
Thy smoking wrath, and angry brow,
Against thy people's prayer?
5 Thou feed'st them with the bread of tears;
Their bread with tears they eat ;
And makest them largely drink the tears
Wherewith their cheeks are wet.
6 A strife thou makest us, and a prey
To every neighbour foe,
Among themselves they laugh, they play,
And flouts at us they throw.
7 Return us, and thy grace divine,
O God of Hosts, vouchsafe;
Cause thou thy face on us to shine,
And then we shall be safe.
8 A vine from Egypt thou hast brought,
Thy free love made it thine,
And drovest out nations, proud and haut,
To plant this lovely vine.
9 Thou didst prepare for it a place,
And root it deep and fast,
That it began to grow apace,
And fill'd the land at last.
10 With her green shade that cover'd all,
The hills were overspread;
Her boughs, as high as cedars tall,
Advanced their lofty head.
II Her branches on the western side
Down to the sea she sent,
And upward to that river wide
Her other branches went.
12 Why hast thou laid her hedges low,
And broken down her fence,
That all may pluck her, as they go,
With rudest violence?
13 The tusked boar out of the wood
Upturns it by the roots,
Wild beasts there browse, and make their food
Her grapes and tender shoots.
14 Return now, God of Hosts, look down
From heaven, thy seat divine;
Behold us, but without a frown,
And visit this thy vine.
15 Visit this vine, which thy right hand
Hath set, and planted long,
And the young branch, that for thyself
Thou hast made firm and strong.
16 But now it is consumed 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
Let thy good hand be laid;
Upon the Son of man, whom thou
Strong for thyself hast made.
18 So shall we not go back from thee
To ways of sin and shame;
Quicken us thou, then gladly we
Shall call upon thy name.
19 Return us, and thy grace divine,
Lord God of Hosts, vouchsafe;
Cause thou thy face on us to shine,
And then we shall be safe.
I 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,
The timbrel hither bring,
The cheerful psaltery bring along,
And harp with pleasant string.
3 Blow, as is wont, in the new moon
With trumpets' lofty sound,
The appointed time, the day whereon
Our solemn feast comes round.
4 This was a statute given of old For Israel to observe,
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,
The tongue I heard was strange.
6 From burden, and from slavish toil,
I set his shoulder free;
His hands from pots, and miry soil,
Deliver'd were by me.
7 When trouble did thee sore assail,
On me then didst thou call,
And I to free thee did not fail,
And led thee out of thrall.
I answer'd thee in thunder deep,
With clouds encompass'd round;
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