The psalms :: :: University of Virginia Library

Jehovas praise, Jehovas holy fame
O shew O sound, his actes to all relate:
To him your songs, your psalmes unto him frame;
Make your discourse his wonders celebrate.
Boast ye God-searchers in his sacred name
And your contracted hartes with joy dilate:
To him, his arke, his face, lett be intended
Your due inquest, with service never ended.

Record, I say, in speciall memory
The miracles he wrought, the lawes he gave,
His servantes you, O Abrahams progeny
You Jacobs sonnes, whome he doth chosen save.
We first and most on him our God relye
All be noe boundes his jurisdiction have:
And he eternally that treaty mindeth,
Which him to us, untearmed ages bindeth:

A treaty first with Abraham begun,
After againe, by oath, to Isaack bound,
Lastly to Isaacks god-beholding sonne
Confirm'd, and made inviolably sound.
I give in fee (for soe the graunt did runne),
Thee and thine heirs the Cananeian ground:
And that when few they were, few, unregarded,
Yea strangers too, where he their lott awarded.

They strangers were, and roam'd from land to land,
From Realme to Realme: though seatlesse, yet secure;
And soe remote from wrong of meaner hand
That kings for them did sharp rebuke endure.
Touch not I chardge you, my anointed band,
Nor to my Prophetts least offence procure.
Then he for Famyn spake: scarse had he spoken,
When Famyn came, the staff of bread was broken.

222

But he for them to Aegipt had foresent
The slave-sold Joseph kindly to prepare:
Whose feete if fretting Irons did indent,
His soule was clog'd with steely boultes of care;
Till fame abroad of his divining went,
And heav'nly sawes such wisdome did declare
That him a message from the king addressed
Of bondage ridd, of freedome repossessed.

Noe sooner freed, the Monark in his handes
Without controll both house and state doth lay;
He Rulers rules, Commanders he commands;
Wills and all doe: prescribes and all obay.
While thus in tearmes of highest grace he stands,
Loe, Israell to Aegipt takes his way,
And Jacobs lyne from Holy Sem descended,
To sojourne comes where Cham his tentes extended.

Who now but they in strength and number flowe?
Rais'd by their god their haters farre above?
For, chang'd by him, their entertainers grow
With guile to hate, who erst with truth did love.
But he with sacred Moses wills to goe
Aron his choise, those mischiefes to remove:
By whose greate workes their senders glory blazed,
Made Chams whole land with frightfull signes amazed.

Darknes from day the wonted sunne doth chase
(For both he bidds and neither dares rebell),
Late watry Nilus lookes with bloudy face:
How fisshes die, what should I stand to tell?
Or how of noisome froggs the earth-bred race
Croak where their princes sleepe, not only dwell?
How lice and vermyn heav'nly voice attending
Doe swarming fall, what quarter not offending?

Noe rayny cloude but breakes in stony haile:
For cheerefull lightes dismayfull lightnings shine:
Not shine alone, their firy strokes assaile
Each taller plant: worst fares the figg and vyne,
Nor, cal'd, to come, doe Catterpillers faile
With locustes more then counting can define:
By these the grasse, the grace of fieldes is wasted,
The fruites consum'd by owners yet untasted.

223

Their eldest-borne, that Countries hopefull spring,
Prime of their youth, his plague doth lastly wound;
Then rich with spoile, he out his flock doth bring;
In all their tribes not one a weakling found.
Aegipt once wisht, now feares, their tarrying,
And gladdly sees them on their journey bound;
Whome God in heate a shading cloude provideth,
In dark with lamp of flamy piller guideth.

Brought from his store, at sute of Israell
Quailes in whole Beavies each remove pursue;
Himself from skies, their hunger to repell,
Candies the grasse with sweete congealed dew.
He woundes the Rock, the Rock doth, wounded, well:
Welling affoordes new streames to Channells new,
All for God's mindfull will can not be dryven
From sacred word once to his Abraham given.

Soe then in joyfull plight, his loved bands
His chosen troupes with triumph on he traines:
Till full possession of the neighboure lands,
With painlesse harvest of their thancklesse paines,
He safely leaves in their victorious hands,
Where nought for them to doe henceforth remaines,
But only to observe and see fullfilled,
What he (to whome be praise) hath said and willed.