University of Virginia Library

Judges V.

[Your great Preserver celebrate]

[Part 1.]

Your great Preserver celebrate:

As the 8. Psalme.

He who reveng'd our wrongs of late;
When you, his sonnes, in Israels Aid
Of life so brave a Tender made.
You Princes, with attention heare;
And you who awfull Scepters beare;

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16

While I in sacred Numbers sing
The Praise of our eternall King.
When he through Seir his Army led,
In Edoms fields his Ensignes spread;
Earth shooke, the Heavens in drops descend;
And Clouds in teares their substance spend.
Before his Face the Mountaines melt:
Old Sinai unknowne fervor felt.
When Israel Sangars Rule obey'd,
And Jael, that Virago, sway'd;
She bold of heart, He great in Warre;
Yet to the fearefull Travailer
All wayes were then unsafe: who crept
Through Woods, or past when others slept.
The Land uncultivated lay:
When I arose, I Deborah,
A Mother to my Countrey grew;
At once their Foes, and feares subdue.

Part. 3.

Nor shall the noble Memory
Of our strong Aids in silence die:
The Quiver-bearing Ephramite
March't from his Mountaine to the Fight:

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17

Those who on Amalek confine,
The small Remaines of Benjamin:
From Machir, Princes: Not a few
VVise Zebulun with Letters drew:
The valiant Chiefes of Issachar,
VVith Deborah, troopt to this Warre;
VVho downe into the Valley tread
The way which noble Barak led.
But Reuben from the rest disjoyn'd
By Hils and Flouds, was so in mind.
Did'st thou these glorious VVars refuse,
To heare the bleating of the Ewes?
O great in Councell! O how wise!
That couldst both Faith and Fame despise.
Gilead' of thundring Drums afraid,
Or slothfull, beyond Jordan staid.
Dan his swift-sailing Ships affects,
And publique Liberty neglects:
VVhile Ashur on his Cliffes resides,
And fortifies against the Tides.
But Zebulun, and Nepthali,
VVho never would from danger flye,
VVere ready, for the publike good,
On Tabors top to shed their bloud.

Part. 4.

Then Kings, Kings of the Canaanites,
On Taanach Plaines addrest their Fights;
VVhere swift Megiddo's VVaters ran:
Yet neither Spoile nor Trophee wan.
The Heavens 'gainst Sisera fought; The Stars
Mov'd in Battalia to those VVars:
By ancient Kishon swept from thence;
VVhose Torrent falling Clouds incense.
Thou, O my joyfull Soule, at length
Hast trod to Dirt their puissant Strength.
Their wounded Horse with flying haste
Fall head-long, and their Riders cast.
Thus spake an Angel; Cursed be
Thou Meroz, all who dwell in thee;
That basely would'st no aid afford,
In that great Battaile to the Lord.
Cinœian Hebers VVife, thou best
Of VVomen, be thou ever blest;
Blest above all: Let all that dwell
In Tents, thy Act, O Jaell, tell.
She brought him Milke, above his wish;
And Butter in a Princely Dish.

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18

A Hammer, and a Naile she tooke,
This into Sisera's Temples strooke.
He fell, fell downe, downe to the Flore;
Lay where he fell, bath'd in his Gore;
Lay groveling at her Feet: and there
His wretched Soule sigh'd into Aire.