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, Oh, 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? O'er the works of Thy hand Thou mad'st him lord; Fowl of the heavens, and fish that through the wet And glorious is Thy name through all the earth! April, 1648. 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. PSALM LXXX. 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, 10 20 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, 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 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, And drov'st out nations proud and haut, 9 Thou didst prepare for it a place, And root it deep and fast, That it began to grow apace, And filled the land at last. 10 20 30 40 10 With her green shade that covered all Her boughs as high as cedars tall II Her branches on the western side 12 Why hast Thou laid her hedges low, That all may pluck her, as they go, 13 The tusked boar out of the wood Wild beasts there browse, 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 And the young branch, that for Thyself 16 But now it is consumed with fire, 17 Upon the Man of Thy right hand 50 60 70 18 So shall we not go back from Thee Quicken us Thou; then gladly we 19 Return us, and Thy grace divine, Cause Thou Thy face on us to shine, 08 PSALM LXXXI. I To God our strength sing loud and clear; To Jacob's God, that all may hear, 2 Prepare a hymn, prepare a song; 3 Blow, as is wont, in the new moon, 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 ordained In Joseph, not to change, When as he passed through Egypt land; 80 10 20 6 From burden, and from slavish toil, His hands from pots, and miry soil, 7 When trouble did thee sore assail, I answered thee in thunder deep, I tried thee at the water steep 8 Hear, O my people, hearken well: I testify to thee, Thou 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, Will grant thy full demand. 11 And yet My people would not hear, 12 Then did I leave them to their will, 30 40 50 Their own conceits they followed still, |