A paraphrase upon the psalms of David :: :: University of Virginia Library

Where greatest Stars have room enough to move,
And seem but points to th' vast Expansion;
The Heav'ns, whose Arms the World embrace,
Which o're our heads, under our feet do go,
And alike neer themselves make every place,
Their great Creators glory show;
The mighty God, who by His powerfull hand
At first did make, and with His Word does bid them stand.

II

His Will gives Laws unto the day,
Makes darkness in its turn succeed the Light;
Both light, and darkness, His commands obey,
And by alternate powers rule day and night:
Through the whole World their Line is gone,
All Nations do their language understand,
Nor was there ever savage Nation known,
Who in them could not read His hand,
In their own tongues all read what's written there,
For Heav'n alone's the Universal Character.

III

From thence God makes His Sun to shine,
Which like a Bridegroom from his bed does rise,
Blushes at first, but then looks gay and fine,
And with his lustre dazles our weak eyes:
At first he gently seems to move,
And Heav'ns steep hill in state walks up, but when
Mid-day is toucht, like's own beams from above,
To th' Earth he shoots himself again;

From East to West round the whole world does wheel,
And makes dull minerals, unseen, his influence feel.

IV

These Works of Thine we see below,
And in them Thy great Wisdom all adore;
But by Thy Law we come our selves to know,
And what we oft have heard, t'experience more:
Just as Thy self are all Thy Wayes,
Thy Statutes, and Commandments pure, and right;
Teaching us how we should exalt Thy praise,
One gives us joy, the other light:
To Thee they all direct, our Leaders are,
And where Thou art, not only bring, but fix us there.

V

The Fear of God true pleasure is,
Is always clean, is always full of love,
Opens the way to an eternall bliss,
And by its constancy its truth does prove:
Unjust that sentence cannot be,
Which from the Righteous Judge of all does go;
His Judgments are from all injustice free,
Are Just themselves, and make us so:
The finest gold near them looks wan, and pale,
And hony from the Comb do's of its wonted sweetness fail.

VI

Gain, and reward in them are found,
Sometimes they are my staff, sometimes my guide,
But, Lord, how often have I fell to ground,
And in my secret wandrings gone aside!
Cleanse me, O God, and through Thy grace
Let not presumptuous sins of me take hold,
But let my Innocence still keep its place,
And make me in the Judgment bold!
Hear me, O Thou, who my Salvation art,
That when my'heart moves my lips, Thy Spirit may move my heart.