A paraphrase upon the psalms of David :: :: University of Virginia Library

A Psalm of David the Servant of the Lord, who spake unto the Lord the words of this Song, in the day that the Lord deliver'd him from the hands of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul ------ And he said,

I.

Lord, I will love Thee, and Thy mighty praise
My humble Song to Heaven shall raise;
Thou art my Rock, my strength, my Power,
My God, my Help, and ever just,
My Buckler, Fortress, and strong Tower,
Who hast been always, and shalt always be my trust.
To Thee the Spoyls I consecrate,
Which by thy hand I from my Enemies took,
That, when in time to come, I on them look,
Thinking how in their ruin Thou preserv'dst my state,
And those remains of Triumph see,
I may new Trophies dress to Thee,
Who only sav'dst, and only worthy of my praise canst be.

II.

'Twas the most gloomy day I ever saw,
And Death in all its horrid shapes stood by;
Trouble without, within dispair did ly,
And not content by drops my blood to draw,
And leave when glutted, it my heart did gnaw,
That sensibly I could perceive my self to die.
Hell compass'd me with all her waves,
Enlarg'd her mouth, and thence did throw
In pitchy streams her terrors, and the graves
That by its train death might more dreadfull show,
And I, before hand, all its cruelties might know.

Before it lay devouring cares,
Envys, distrusts, and bands of snares,
Suspicions, jealousies, and fears,
Chains, and imprisonment, a wretched life,
Beyond the reach of fancy or belief,
With which around 'twas block'd so fast,
That thousand deaths must first be past,
E're one could touch the Blest, and Happy One at last.

III.

What to resolve, or what to do,
Which way to turn, or where to go,
I had no friend to tell me, nor my self did know.
At last to Heav'n I look'd, and there
A passage for my flight did see,
The Coast all empty, wide and clear;
But who on high my Soul could bear,
Or give me wings that I might thither flee?
And then aloud to God I cry'd,
And in my trouble made a noyse,
Anguish did help to raise my voyce,
And heard I would be, though I were deny'd.
“Lord bow Thyne ear, said I, to mee,
“Or suffer that my prayers ascend to Thee!
And up I sent them with a gale of sighs,
That sooner than my thought, had pierc'd the skyes
And entrance found, or made to His ears,
Whil'st I too slow to follow with mine eyes,
Reflecting ever on my fears,
Could only their desir'd return expect in tears.

IV.

I lookt not long, e're th' Earth began to shake,
The Rocks to tremble, and the Hills to quake,
And, to attest the presence of its God,
Who to the Judgment on a Cherub rode,
The World its fixt foundation did forsake;
Out from His nostrils a thick smoak did go,

And from His mouth devouring fire,
Which more impetuous, as it large did grow,
And made the Heav'ns almost with th' heat expire.
He bow'd the Heav'ns, and then came down,
Under his feet chain'd Darkness lay,
And tempests, that no will but His will own,
In hast flew on before, to make Him way;
He follow'd close, and their slow pace did chide,
Bid them with greater speed and swiftness ride;
And that He dreadfull might appear,
Yet not consume till got more near,
Dark waters and thick clouds His face did hide.

V.

Such His Pavilion, such the secret place,
To which His Glory did retire,
But yet how thick so e're the covering was,
The waters could not quench, nor clouds conceal the fire,
But it through both did force its way,
And all the louder thunders calls obey:
In thunder God aloud from Heav'n did call,
And made His voyce o're all the World be heard,
Hayl-stones, and coles of fire did at it fall,
Hail-stones & coles of fire, which those, who slighted thunder, fear'd.
These were the poyson'd arrows, which He threw,
In vain with Heav'n they saw it was to fight;
And since so swift it did their guilt pursue,
As vain thought all their flight,
And it was truly curse enough, to see the light.

VI.

Then were the Channels of the Ocean seen,
And Earths foundations did appear
Never so low before the Sun had been,
Or saw the wonders, which he met with there.
And down he stoopt his watry bed to view,
Which he till then ne're truly saw, or knew,

And scarce believ'd, that what he saw was true.
At thy rebuke, O God, it open stood,
And the same breath, which made, did part the Flood.
To Heav'ns high Vault the waves did rise,
And threatned all to break upon my head,
But I prevented them with shrieks and cries,
And from that deep Thou didst thy servant lead:
Which as the billows saw, more fraid than I, away they fled:

VII.

God from my Enemies my life did save,
And those who were too strong for me, subdu'd:
No sooner could I his assistance crave,
But with my prayers, I saw my help renew'd;
That weakness, which my foes did most enrage,
And to the certain prey did call,
Was my best argument His power t'engage,
Who did, unlook'd for, on them fall,
And found a way to conquest, when they thought they'd stopt up all.
To a large plain he brought me out,
Where I might see His wonders all about,
And by new tryalls His sure mercies prove:
He rescu'd me, because I was His love.
The Justice of my Title did defend,
And on my head set fast the Crown;
His wonted goodness to me did extend,
And, recompensing what my hands had done,
Their innocence both witness'd, & rewarded with His own.

VIII.

He saw how constantly I kept His way,
And ne're to th' beaten roads of sin withdrew;
How I His Judgments did obey,
And all His Laws before me lay,
To be my guides, least I should stray,
And when I fail'd, how I my Cov'nants did renew.

From my own sin my self I kept,
And found acceptance in His sight,
He rais'd me up, and held me, when I slipt,
And I before Him [counted] was upright,
So that forgetting what I did,
My Sins He only, not His Mercies hid:
My righteousness did recompense,
And both approv'd, and crown'd my Innocence.
For like Thy self, O God, Thou dost impart
Most just rewards to every mans desert;
And what he is to Thee, to Him again Thou art.
Mercy dost on the mercifull bestow,
And with the Righteous art upright,
Thy purity the perfect know,
(For thou alone first mad'st them so)
And to perfection by Thy strength they grow;
But those, who scorn Thee, Thou as much dost slight:
Bring'st down high looks, the Poor dost raise;
And Thy afflicted land to save,
Hast helps, as different as Thy ways,
And those, as many from it, as Death has to the grave.

IX.

'Twas Thou who mad'st my darkness bright,
And from the pit did'st bring me back;
Restor'dst, what I despair'd to see, the light,
And, that I should no beauties lack,
Did'st add new glories from Thine own great sight
By Thee I Nations have subdu'd,
Conquering, when I their troops but only view'd,
And Victory as much as them, pursu'd.
Through arms I follow'd her, o're Forts, and Walls,
Nor, till possess'd would give her o're,
Her flight but forc'd me on the more,
And anew made me help implore
Of Him, who gives it those, whom he to battle calls
The mighty God, whose way is just,
And Word like Silver try'd,

But more than silver purry'd,
The Widows and the Orphans trust:
Who never aid to them, who wanted it, deny'd,
The mighty God, who only is the Lord,
And as a Rock, on high, has set His Word,
From whence He has made bare His Arm, and flaming sword.
With that I girded was to th' fight,
More fatal than Goliahs, and more right,
For 'twas in war my Sword, surer than Parthian shaft in flight.

X.

For flye I did, but 'twas like them to overcome,
My feet were Hinds, both to o'retake, and bring me home;
I saw, and wounded from afarr;
God taught my hands the subtle arts of Warr,
And gave them strength a bow of Steel to draw,
And break a barr of Iron as if it were but straw,
His Shield protected me, His Discipline
Both held me up, and guarded round my head,
Above me made new glories shine,
And for my footsteps Palms and Laurels spread;
Which having thence a larger compass gain'd,
O're all the plains secure from sliding reign'd.
And then once more to th' Camp I went,
And with new heat my En'mies did assail,
Their flight could not my hand prevent,
But certain death it after sent,
That both pursu'd, o'retook, and did prevail,
Down to the Earth, but never more to rise,
I, by Thy strength, did hurle them to the ground,
My own could not their force confound,
But Thine did guide, and bless my Victories.
And now my Song Thy praises shall resound;
To Thee I will Thy right resign,
And since Thou didst my Triumphs meet,
And put my En'mies necks below my feet.
Those Laurels, which Thy conduct has made mine
By Thine own purchase, & my present shal again be Thine.

XI.

Small as the dust I to the empty wind
Them and their pride together did expose;
A while they mounted, but fell where they rose,
Again with mire and common dirt were joyn'd,
Like dross cast out, and never more with fire to be refin'd.
They cry'd for help, but none would save,
To God, but He attended not,
Whil'st to my prayers He gracious answers gave,
And for me kept those Honours He had got.
In Civil Warrs preserv'd me safe at home,
Made me abroad fierce Nations overcome,
Who heard no sooner of my Name,
But to submit their Empires came,
And, by accepting me to be their King, encreas'd their Fame.
With them came people quite unknown,
And from my hand each Prince receiv'd a Crown,
Which he more gloried in, and valued than his own;
When those, who yielded not, yet hop'd by flight
To scape the shame they got in fight,
My lustre only made more bright,
And like thick darkness, scattred at th' approach of morning light.

XII.

Blest be that God, who this has done!
My shield, my Rock, whose mighty hand
At once aveng'd me, and subdu'd my En'mies land,
And when to Hell He threw them down
My head not only rais'd, but did with mercy crown;
Who from the violent man deliver'd me,
And from his Throne made me the subject Nations see,
My Laws, and their own Kingdoms take upon the knee.
Therefore to Him alone my Verse I'l raise,
And what I sing, the Heathen teach His praise,
That They, as well as I, may know, and fear His ways.

I'l tell the glories, which to Him belong,
How great His Power, His arm how strong,
And this shall be the bearing of my Song,
“'Twas He that gave deliv'rance to our King,
“Who did to David mercy show,
“And from that never failing Spring,
“Will cause new blessings, on his seed to overflow.