The psalms :: :: University of Virginia Library

The mightie God, the ever living lord,
All nations from earthes uttermost confines
Sommoneth by his pursevant, his worde,
And out of beauties beautie, Sion shines.
God comes, he comes, with eare and tongue restor'd:
His garde huge stormes, hott flames his usshers goe:
And called, their apparrence to record,
Heav'n hasteth from above, earth from below.

He sits his peoples judge, and thus commandes:
Gather me hither that beloved line,
Whome solemn sacrifices holy bandes
Did in eternal league with me combine
Then when the heav'ns subsigned with their handes,
That God in justice eminentlie raignes:
Controlling soe, as nothing countermandes
What once decreed his sacred doome containes.

You then, my folke, to me your God attend:
Hark, Israell, and hear thy peoples blame:
Not want of sacrifice doth mee offend,
Nor doe I misse thy alters daily flame.
Too mee thy stall no fatted bull shall send:
Should I exact one hee-goat from thy fold?
I, that as farr as hills, woodes, fieldes extende,
All birdes and beasts in known possession hold?

Suppose mee hungrie; yet to beg thy meate,
I would not tell thee that I hungrie were:
My self maie take, what needs mee then entreate?
Since earth is mine, and all that earth doth beare?
But doe I long the brawnie flesh to eate
Of that dull beast that serves the plowmans neede?
Or doe I thirst, to quench my thirsty heate,
In what the throates of bearded cattell bleed?

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O no: bring God of praise a sacrifice;
Thy vowed debts unto the highest paie:
Invoke my name, to mee erect thy cries,
Thy praying plaints, when sorow stopps thy waie;
I will undoe the knott that anguish tyes,
And thou at peace shalt glorifie my name:
Mildly the good, God schooleth in this wise,
But this sharpe check doth to the godlesse frame:

How fitts it thee my statutes to report?
And of my covenant in thy talk to prate
Hating to live in right reformed sort,
And leaving in neglect what I relate?
See'st thou a thief? thou grow'st of his consorte:
Dost with adult'rers to adultrie goe:
Thy mouth is slanders ever-open porte,
And from thy tongue doth nought, but treason flow.

Naie ev'n thy brother thy rebukes disgrace,
And thou in spight diffam'st thy mothers sonne:
And for I wink a while, thy thoughts imbrace:
God is like mee, and doth as I have done.
But loe thou see'st I march another pace,
And come with truth thy falshood to disclose:
Thy sinne, reviv'd, upbraides thy blushing face,
Which thou long dead in silence didst suppose.

O laie up this in marking memorie
You that are wont Gods judgments to forgett:
In vaine to others for release you flie,
If once on you I griping fingers sett.
And know the rest: my dearest worship I
In sweete perfume of offred praise doe place:
And who directs his goings orderlie,
By my conduct shall see Gods saving grace.