Psalm CIII. Benedic anima mea Domino, &c.
I
A Psalm of David. Versiculus.
Arise my Soul, and to th' Almighty King,
Sprightly, and cheerful Hallelujahs sing!
Call all thy Forces up, thy Love, thy Fear,
And every part compleatly fill,
Be sure no Idle Passion, Soul, be there,
But to them joyn thy Judgement, Fancy, and thy Will!
With every sence, and every power rejoice,
And add to all a well tun'd voice;
Thus rise, my Soul, and to th' Almighty King,
Sprightly, and cheerfull Hallelujahs sing!
II
Let thy Song be of what thy self ha's known,
And to the Worlds experience bring Thine own!
Sing of His Name, who cast thy sins away,
And made them all forgotten be,
And though His hand awhile upon thee lay,
'Twas only that restor'd thou might'st His Bounty see;
Who beyond Hope thy life from death did save,
When all had doom'd it to the grave;
And for those thorny cares, which girt it round,
Thy head with love, and tender mercies, crown'd.
III
He Thy Old Age do's with new favours bless,
And as thy years His kindnesses increase;
Thy years have not the Symptomes of decay;
For as the Eagle still grows young,
And moulting her old plumes again looks gay,
As youthfull as she ever was, and fall as strong,
After her prey as lustily can fly,
As e're shee did, and soar as high,
He like the Eagles do's Thy youth renew,
And gives Thee both its strength, and beauty too.
IV
Those whom the Wicked with oppression grieve,
The Lord do's or avenge, or else relieve.
Thus unto Moses He His Way made known,
And helpless Israel this did see,
When from the cruel chains, which kept them down,
But farr more cruel Masters, He first set them free:
'Tis not a little thing His wrath will move,
Inflame His rage, or quench His love;
Nor for Our Sins will He for ever chide,
But seeks them rather, than his Face to hide.
V
Such are His Mercies, when we must confess
Our Sins might justly make their number less,
And him a sharper sentence to have past;
But when to be put farr from Thee,
Behind Thy back we fear'd, Lord, to be cast,
Our Sins were only set, where we deserv'd to be:
And this alone for Thy dear Mercies sake,
Without the least claim we could make,
To which Our good no more proportion beares,
Than the small point of Earth to Heaven's vast Sphears.
VI
How could it else be that they durst appear,
Whose guilt had added horror to their fear?
Love made Him break the knott, and set Our Sins
As far from us, but from Him more,
Than the bright East, where the young Sun begins
To take his Journy, is from the West where he gives o're
The most indulgent Fathers tender Love
Is hate, compar'd to His above;
For none so well as He, who made, can spare,
Who both knows whence we came, and what we are.
VII
From Earth Our mean Original we have,
A part of what must be e're long Our grave?
Frail Mortal Man, whose dayes are like the grass,
A Short-liv'd flower, which stands a while,
But like those blustering storms, that o're it pass,
Flies with them, and is gon e're it began to smile:
But to Eternity Gods Love extends,
And all the blessings which He sends,
To Childrens Children, and their Seed endure,
To them, who keep it, like His Cov'nant sure,
VIII
Above the Heav'n God has prepar'd His Throne,
Heav'n's but the Cloth of State He treads upon;
There do's He rule, and Sovereign Laws dispence,
And Kingdoms where He please, bestow,
Scepters, and Crowns are all receiv'd from thence,
And Kings to Him their Thrones, as well as Beings ow;
The Angels are his Ministers of State,
And to observe His Pleasure wayt;
Bless Him ye Angels, who in strength excell,
And what His Will is, you who do it, tell!
IX
You hear the Words, which from His Mouth do flow,
And having hear'd, strait to perform them go,
As swift, as you are ready at His call,
Praise Him, who made your place so high,
And let weak Mortals, who did lower fall,
To whom you oft are sent, on your wings upward fly!
Praise Him His Works, 'tis all that you can do,
For Him, who did so much for you!
Praise Him, my Soul, and to th' Almighty King,
Sprightly, and cheerfull Hallelujahs sing!
