The .cvi. Psalme.
Confesse
, confesse vnto the Lorde, for he is good I saye:
Confesse to hym for hys mercie, continueth for aye.
Who can be able to declare, the stronge worckes of the Lorde?
Or to speake of all hys prayses, and the same to recorde?
Oh happie are they that do kepe, iudgmēt and therin staye:
Right so are they happie that do worcke rightuousnes alwaye.
Lord for the loue thou bearest to thy flocke remembre me:
And visite me Lorde for the health, that remayneth in the.
That I may se thy chosen sorte, lyue in felicitie:
And maye reioyce wyth thy people, and with thy stocke glorie.
He haue synned as greatly as euer our fathers dyd:
We haue done vniustly and haue wrought thynges that are wycked.
Thy wonders in Egypt they dyd not weygh and scanne wysly:
Ne kept thy greateste benifites, in perfect memorie.
And when they came vnto the sea, there were they vnruly
At the red sea, I saye, they were rebelles stoute and sturdie.
Yet dyd the Lorde preserue them all, for his names sake only
That hys strength and hys myghtie powre myght be more knowne therby.
And he rebuked the red sea, and forthwyth it was drye:
And then he led them through the depe, as through desert saflye.
And he saued them pullynge them, out of theyr enmyes powre.
And eke from theyr enimies handes, he dyd them deliuer.
But the waters ouerwhelmed, theyr enmies in such sorte:
That none of them was lefte on lyue, to make therof report.
Then gaue they credite to his wordes, & gan his prayse to synge:
But streyght waye they forgate his worckes myndynge his lawes nothynge.
They burned wyth concupiscence, in the desert doubtlesse:
So they tempted and proued God, in the rude wyldernes.
And he gaue the thynge that they dyd so ernestly desyre:
But wythall he gaue them a plage, for theyr rewarde and hyre.
More ouer in theyr tentes they dyd Moses enuie and hate.
And so dyd they Aaron that was to the Lord consecrate.
Wherfore the earth dyd open hir, & dyd Dathan swalowe:
And all Abirase companye, it dyd ouerwallowe.
The fyre also burned full hotte in these mens companie:
The flameynge fyre that burned vp, men that were vngodly.
More ouer they made them a calfe, at Oreb that montayne:
And gaue honour to an Image that fyre had molt certayne.
So chaunged they the maiestie, of theyr God most myghtie:
For an Image of oxe or cowe, that eateth grasse dayly.
And they forgate God vtterly, that had them falsly kept:
And that had wrought so noble thynges in the land of Egypt.
They forgate him I saye, that had, at Cham greate wonders wrought:
And fearefull thynges at the, red sea, through which he had them brought.
He had decreed to destroye them, tyll Moses his chosen:
Had made request in theyr behalfe, and his anger broken.
They dyd also forsake the land, that they had desyred:
Geueyng no credite to the worde, of him that promised.
And in theyr tentes they murmured, and dyd in herte repyne:
Neither were they obedient, vnto goddes worde diuine.
Then sware he to them that he would, destroye them in deserte:
And theyr seede emonge the heathen, and scatter them aparte.
Then dyd they ioyne them selues vnto Ball Peor, as theyr heade:
And then they eate of thynges offred, vnto goddes that were deade.
And by theyr owne studies and wayes, they dyd kendle Goddes Ire:
That most cruel destruction, myght be theyr worthy hyre.
As when good Phine has stode vp, and thought good to destroye:
The shamlesse worckar of his wil, that plage myght cease therby.
Which thynge was imputed to him, for iustice right and true:
And in lyke maner shall it be, whylse tyme shall continue.
At the water of stryfe also, theyr Lorde they prouoked.
And for theyr sakes good Moses was, at Goddes hande punished.
For they had so vexed his mynde, and eke his pacience:
That he spake some thynge wyth his mouth that lacked reuerence.
More ouer, they spared such men, as the Lorde bade them stroye:
They occupied wyth the Heathen, and learned theyr worckes therby.
So that they worshypt theyr Idoles, which were to them a snare:
For to deuelles they kylled theyr sonnes, and daugthers wythout care.
The gyltlesse bloude of theyr childrē, they shed in sacrifice:
To the Chananites Images, in most vngodly wise.
And in theyr dedes they were vncleane, & wycked was theyr waye:
And in theyr owne intentions, they wandered astraye.
And the Lorde was excedynge wrath, wyth his people therfore:
And hated his enheritaunce, that had synned so sore.
In so much that he gaue them vp, into the heathens handes:
And would theyr enimies shoulde rule, boeth them and eke theyr landes.
Yea theyr enimies vexed them, and dyd them sore agreue:
And caused them magre theyr heade vnder theyr powre to lyue.
Sometyme he set them free but they, by theyr wayes that were vayne:
Prouoked him, and theyr mysse lyfe, made them styll pore agayne:
Yet when he sawe theyr miseries, and hearde theyr dolefull crye.
Myndfull of his promes to them, he shewed his greate mercie.
He pitied them, I saye, after his plentie of mercies
And made them fynde fauour in the syght of theyr enimies,
Kepe vs (O Lord that arte our God) and gather thyne elect
From emonge the heathen that do, not loue the nor thy secte.
Kepe vs, I saye, that we maye styll thyne holy name confesse.
And celebrate the wyth prayses, after thy worthines.
The Lord God of Israel is, to be praysed for aye
Let all the people saye Amen, prayse ye the Lord I saye.
