Psa. 78.
[_]
Maschil, for Asaph. It commemorates the Iewes obstinate
incredulitie, with God's plagues & Mercies interchangeably
sent among them vntill the tyme of David
.
Wee should vse it, to warne vs of God's long-suffring
toward the whole humane Nature, whose perversenes,
is here mistically set forth, as also, the sending
of the true David, Iesus Christ.
[1]
Now to my Law (my people) give thine eare,
&, wel observ what weighty things are tolde:
For, lo, my lipps a problem shal declare
And, plainely sing, grave sayengs, dark, & old:
That, nether what our Fathers have revealed,
Nor what we know, be from our babes concealed.
2
God's powr & praisfull wonders I wil blaze,
His Testaments, to Iacob, I will showe;
How he, likwise, in Isr'el setled lawes,
Which they were bound to let their childrē know
That so, they might to their next ages teach them,
And, Age to age, for ever after preach them.
3
That they, in God, a faithful hope might place,
And not forget his works, or his command,
As heretofore their Fathers head strong race,
Whose hart, with God, vprightly did not stand;
Like Ephr'ims brood, who bows & weapōs bearing
Forsook the Feild, the day of battell fearing.
4
Gods law they brak, his cov'nant they did slite
And on his works or marvailes never thought:
Yet, many signes & wonders in their sight,
In Zoan feildes, & Egipt-land he wrought.
To make their way, the sea, in twaine he cleaved
And, high on heaps, the rowling waters heaved.
5
A pillerd-Cloud, by day he made their guide,
A Column-fir'd, to clear the night he sent.
More over, he the Rocks did then divide,
And streams like seas, along the Desert went.
From craggy flints, sweet waters forth he brused,
And springs from thēce, like Rivers were diffused.
6
But they went on to move his anger, still,
And much provokd the wrath of God, most high,
By tempting him their lustings to fulfil,
And craving flesh, their longings to supplie.
For, with distrust, they ask'd if God were able,
In that wilde place, to furnish out a table.
7
Springs flowd indeed (sed they) when rocks he smot,
But, can he bread & flesh as wel provide?
Which when God heard, with Iacob he was hot,
And, in his wrath he did with Isr'el chide;
Because, no faith to his firm promise giving,
They stil remain'd in trustles vnbeleeving.
8
He naitheles, the gates of heav'n vnclos'd,
And made the clouds, raine Manna for their meat
The bread of heav'n, among them he dispos'd,
And Angells food, vnworthy men did eat.
A wind South-East-by East, he then ordained,
And flesh as dust, & foules as sand, it rained.
9
These fild ther camp, & fluttred round their tēts
Til they were cloid with what their lust persu'd:
Yet none of them his fleshlie minde repents;
which God avengd, ev'n whē the meat thei chewd
For, his feirce wrath, on Isr'el down he poured,
And, of their cheefs, the fattest he devoured.
10
Yet, sin'd they stil, & set his works at naught;
For which, their time he wasted out in vaine,
(Afflicting them, til after him they sought)
And, then in shew, they did repent againe.
Yea, then his powre to bear in mind they seemed,
And said, he was the God that them redeemed.
11
In which altho he knew their flattring mouth
And lieng tōgues, did nought but falshood speak;
Tho, him, their hart affected not in truth,
And, tho, they stil his holy League did break,
Of his meer grace, he naitheles forgave them,
And, from his wrath, ev'n he himself, did save thē.
12
For, them to be but flesh, in minde he bare,
And gone like windes, which never shal retire;
That they perverse eu'n in the Deserts were,
Yea, that ev'n there, they much incens'd his yre,
Provoking him, by false & fain'd repenting,
The holy-one of Isr'el discontenting.
13
Nor on his powre, nor on those daies they thought,
Wherin he from their foes did set them free;
They minded not, the signes in Egipt wrought,
Nor those which they in Zoan feilds did see:
How, he with bloud, the wholsom springs distasted
How, them with flies of divers kinds he wasted.
14
How, he with frogs their stubborn foes anoyd
How, their encrease, the Caterpillers pild.
How, then, the Locust al their fruits enioy'd
Nor how the frost, their vines destroid & kild;
Nor how, cold haile, & burning bolts of thunder,
Did slay their flocks, & break their trees asunder.
15
For, he did hurl on them his furious wrath;
To them, both fears, & harmful-sprites he sent;
Vnto their deaths, his rage did make a path,
And then, to wrack, both men & cattel went;
He, of their lives, their eldest-born bereaved
Through Egipt-land, where Cham his lot receaved,
16
Then, like a flock, his people forth he led,
Through places wilde cōducting thē like sheep.
He kept them safe, without all cause of dread,
Whil'st he, their foes o'rewhelmed in the deep;
And also gave, when al this grace was done them,
That holy hill, which his right-hand had won thē.
17
Before their face, the gentiles thēce he took,
And what was theirs, to Isr'el gave by lot,
Yet stil, almighty God they did provoke,
And his commands, they still regarded not;
But, being like their Fathers, double-harted,
Like broken bowes, from him, aside they started.
18
The Lord was wroth & Iealous when he saw
Their Images, & their hill-alters rear'd,
And, ther-vpon, from Isr'el did with drawe
His former love, & so incens'd appear'd
That, of his place among them, he repented
And left his Tent in Siloh, vnfrequented.
19
By thraldom then, he took way their powr,
He gave their strength & glorie to their foe,
He caus'd the sword his people to devour,
And with his Land, exceeding wroth did grow.
Consuming heat, their yongmens vigor tired:
Their maides, by none, in wedlock were desired.
20
Then by the sword, his preists away he took,
Whome to bewaile, the widdows were not spar'd
But, lo, the Lord from sleeping then awook,
As when with wine a mighty man is chear'd.
Their hinder parts, with secret-sores he wounded;
And al his foes with lasting shame confounded.
21
Then he the Tent of Ioseph did refuse,
And Ephr'ims tent he did likewise reiect:
But, Iudah's tribe it pleased him to chuse,
Ev'n Syon hill. which he did best affect;
And, there, aloft he rais'd his habitation,
To be as firm, as is the Earth's foundation.
22
He from the flocks, his servant David chose,
Frō bigwombd ewes, & from attending sheep:
His heritage, to him, he did dispose,
And Iacob's flock, & Isr'els heards to keep.
So, with pure thoughts, discreetly thē he guided,
And, food for them, sincerely he provided.
