The whole Psalter translated into English Metre :: :: University of Virginia Library

Psalme. CVII.

The Argument.

This hath fiue partes distinct: where diuers men be bid:
The Lord to prayse: to preach hys power: who them from perils rid.

The Quiere.

The rearefreyt of the Psalme.

God graunt that we would: prayse euer agayne,
The Lord for hys grace: so to sing in our quiere
The wonders he doth: for the children of men,
Whose mercy so nere: to all doth appeare.
To all doth appeare.

Confitemi ni domino

The Meane.

1

O prayse the Lord all ye,
Due thankes to hym extende:
For good he is: whose gentlenes,
Shall last till world doth ende.

2

Let them say thus in thankes: who were by God made free:
Whom he redeemd: from cruell hand: of troublous enmitie.

3

And whom he gatherd nye: from countries strange and wyde:
From East and West: from North and South: in citie safe to byde.

4

Who wandred out of way: in desertes wildernes:
And found no way: to dwelling towne: to stay in restfulnes.

5

When hunger felt and thirst: nye pynde by famishment:
Whose hartes within: dyd melt away: for needefull nourishment.

311

The Rectors.

6

Who thus afflict: when they did cry,
To God in meeke complaintes:
He them dyd saue: most louingly,
From all theyr hard constrayntes.

7

For he led them: the way full kynde,
Both ryght and prosperous:
Wherby they dyd: a citie fynde,
To dwell commodious.

The Quiere.

8

God graunt that they would: prayse hartely then:
The Lord for hys grace: so to sing in theyr quiere:
The wonders he doth: for the children of men,
Whose mercy so neare: to them dyd appeare,

9

For that he refresht: theyr bodely neede,
Where thirsty they strayd: as wyth anguishe opprest:
Theyr soule dyd he ease: of theyr hunger in speede,
To set them in rest: wyth foode of the best.

The Meane.

10

And they that sate in darke: in deadly shadowes blacke:
Afflict in bondes: and iron chaynes: and felt all comfortes lacke.

11

They thus deserud for why: gods wordes they did detest,
The counsayles eke: they did despise: of all the worthiest.

12

He then brought downe their hartes: wyth griefes most tedious:
They fell full faynt: none helpyng them: so far rebellious.

312

The Rectors.

13

Who thus afflict: when they dyd cry,
To God in meeke complayntes:
He them dyd saue: most louingly,
From all theyr hard constrayntes.

14

For he them brought: from sorrowes long,
From darke and deadly shade:
He brake their bondes: and fetters strong,
To freedome they to wade.

The Quiere.

15

God graunt that they would: prayse hartely then,
The Lord for hys grace: so to sing in theyr quiere:
The wonders he doth: for the children of men,
Whose mercy so neare; to them dyd appeare.

16

For that he releast: their burdenouse holde,
The gates that in brasse: were inuincible fast,
As also the barres: that in yron were folde,
By hym were they brast: set ope at the last.

The Meane.

17

And fooles that lewdly did: by surfet foule transgres,
And were for al theyr sinnes afflict: by sicknes fell excesse.

18

Who meat in tast abhord: though sweete and wholesome dyght,
And then came nigh: to death hys gates: to stop theyr breth and sight

The Rectors.

19

Who thus afflict: whan they do crye,
To God in meke complayntes:
He them did saue: most louinglye,
From all their hard constrayntes.

313

20

For he then sent: his worde anone,
He them restord by myght:
Wherby they scapte: destruction,
From perill saued quite.

The Quiere.

21

God graunt that they would: prayse hartely then,
The Lorde for hys grace: so to sing in their quiere:
The wonders he doth: for the childer of men,
Whose mercy so neare: to them did appeare.

22

That offer they may: the sacrifice pure,
Iust thankes of their lippes: out of hart so to rayse:
Hys workes to renome: so the world to allure.
His walkes and his wayes: most gladly to prayse.

The Meane.

23

And they that enter do: the sea wyth shyp and sayle,
To worke theyr feates: in waters depe: for lyfelodes great auayle.

24

They see Gods dreadfull workes: in tempestes them they note,
His meruels eke: of thynges so houge: in depe also in flote.

25

God speakth and strait ryse vp: the wyndes of blustring stormes
Which vp do hoyse: the bellowes rage: in gastly grisly formes.

26

Theare ships rise vp to heauen: agayne to deepe they fall:
Thus tosse in waues: the mariners: great feares their hartes apall.

27

They to and fro be tost: they reele as man full dronke:
Theyr arte thē faylth: theyr wits be gone: they fare as men but sonke

314

The Rectors.

28

Who thus afflict: when they do cry,
To God in meke complayntes:
He them doth saue: most louingly,
From all their harde constrayntes.

29

For he the stormes: doth calme in sea,
the waues he stilleth their dinne:

30

Then glad are they: that still they be,
Safe hauen he driueth them in.

The Quiere.

31

God graunt that they would: prayse hartely then,
The Lord for hys grace: so to syng in their quiere:
The wonders he doth: for the childern of men,
Whose mercy so neare: to them dyd appeare.

32

Hys fame to aduaunce: as duely they ought,
Downe set as they be: with the people in place:
To prayse hym aright: for indempnitie wrought,
Where elders in space: their courtes do embrace.

The Meane.

33

So let men note Gods myght: in dread of hym to stand:
Which turnth moist soyle: to wildernes: & dryeth vp springs to land

34

A fruitefull earth he makth: as salt and barren ground:
The dwellers sinnes: be cause therof: where in their liues be found

35

So he the desert makth: to flow wyth water springes:
And soyle most dry: from barennes: by runnyng brookes he bringes.

315

36

And there he setth to dwell: all hungry nedefull men:
To build themselfe: a city strong: as Forte therto to renne.

37

And there the fieldes they sowe: and vineyardes large they plant
Sweete frutes to beare: of yeres increase: to feede their neede & want

38

All them he blessth wyth store: they then increase most hye:
And suffreth not theyr cattell once: to droupe or yet to dye.

39

But when they fall to sinne: he them decayth agayne:
By cruell powers: he bringth them low: with cares opprest & payne

The Rectors.

40

When thus afflict: they feele decay,
By Princes great abuse:
Though out of way: a tyme they stray,
At last he them reduce.

41

For he the poore: returnd by smart,
Doth rayse from misery:
His householdes yet: he makth in part,
As flockes of sheepe to ligh.

The Quiere.

God graunt that they would: prayse hartely then,
The Lorde for hys grace: so to sing in their quiere:
The wonders he doth: for the chylder of men,
Whose mercy so neare: to them did appeare.

42

That tymely they may: this ponder aryght,
As righteous man: in his duety so glad:
Is prest to reioyce: wyth a godly delyte,
Where mouth of the bad: shall dumly be sad.

316

The conclusion.

Mans hart that is wise: these things wil aduise,
Pure thankes to procure: to hys God for his cure,
And thus hys deuise: may he iustly comprise,
Ryght oft is hys vre: by loue to allure,
Kynde mercy so sure: in hym doth endure,
Extoll hym I say: both by night and by day,
Ren neuer astray: from his mercifull way.

Certayne verses of the sayd Psalme otherwise translated.

When thus they cryed to God: thus set in woes excesse:
Ryght soone he dyd: deliuer them: from all theyr hard distresse.

For he led them the way: both ryght and prosperous:
Wherby they did: a citie fynde: to dwell commodious.

O that men would then prayse: the Lordes benignitie:
To tell what actes: ful strange he doth: to mans posteritie.

For that he doth refresh: the soule in thyrst so dry:
And filleth the soule: that hungry is: wyth goodnes largely.

317

When thus they cryed to God thus set in woes excesse:
Ryght soone he dyd: deliuer them: from all theyr hard distresse.

For he then brought them forth: from darke and dedly shade:
He brake theyr bondes: and fetters strong: to freedom sure to wade.

O that men would then prayse: the Lordes benignitie:
To tell what actes: ful strange he doth: to mans posteritie.

For he the gates of brasse: hath all to shiuers broke:
And burst the barres: a sunder quite: in yron forgd by stroke.

When thus they cryed to God: thus set in woes excesse:
Ryght soone he dyd deliuer them: from all theyr hard distresse.

For he then sent hys worde: he them restord by might:
Wherby they scapte: destruction: from peryll saued quite.

O that men would then prayse: the Lordes benignitie:
To tell what actes: ful strange he doth: to mans posteritie.

That they would offer hym: of thankes the sacrifice:
And full tell out: hys workes so great: in glad and thankfull wyfe.

When thus they cryed to God: thus set in woes excesse:
Ryght soone he dyd: deliuer them: from all theyr hard distresse.

For he dryueth down the stormes: and makth them soone to cease
So that the waues: be still agayne: wherby they winne release.

Then are they glad at hart: because at rest they bee:
He bringth them thus: to that theyr hauen: which they so glad wold see.

318

O that men would then prayse: the Lordes benignitie:
To tell what actes: ful strange he doth: to mans posteritie.

That they would hym exalt: when people most be met:
And prayse hym due: where Elders bee: together ioyntly set.

Though he doth beare a whyle: that tyrantes them oppresse,
And suffer them: to go astray: in wandryng wyldernesse.

Yet he doth helpe the poore: from hys great misery:
Hys householdes yet: he makth in part: as flockes of shepe to lye.

The righteous man wyll this: expend and eke reioyce:
Where that the mouth: of wickednes: shall whole be stopt in voyce

Who that is wyse I say: will ponder all these thynges:
They shall so know: what mercies free: the Lord in sorow bringes.