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

Encrease Our Triumphs with Thy Victories!
Let those, who hate Thy Name, before it flye,
Like Clouds of Smoke, chas'd by the Wind,
Which vanish as they mount on high,
And undistinguish't from the Common Skie,
No more in strange Fantastick figures lye,
But without mark, to know them by,
Leave not the smallest stain behind,
That in the air, one may their empty traces find:
Let their destruction suddain be,
Sooner than Wax do's melt,
When once the flames are felt,
And in Thine eye may they the fire, which burns them see!
But let the Righteous in Thy Pow'r rejoyce,
With Flutes, and Trumpets make a cheerful noise,
And the whole Consort joyn, and perfect with their voice!

II.

Make God your Song, Ye Just, and from His Wayes,
Which are in Heav'n, take theam your Verse to raise!
In Heav'n, where He in glory rides,
And with His rein the Winds, which bear him guides,
And by His Name Jehovah celebrate His Praise!
Above He rules, but His great Pow'r extends
To what soe're is done below,
The Cares of all His Creatures He do's know,
And visits the wide Earth's extremest ends:
Is a kind Father to the Fatherless,
The Widdows Counsel, and do's bless
Desparing Nuptials with a large increase;

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Making dead Wombs His voice to hear,
And her, that barren was, a numerous seed to bear:
And when to Him poor Captives cry,
Their tears move pitty in His eye;
And with His Arm He gives them Liberty;
Again returns them to their Land,
Made fruitful by His plenteous rain,
When on the Proud, He throws the Chain,
And turns their Pastures to a dry, and barren Sand.

III.

Lord, when Thou through the Wilderness did'st go,
And their great Journeis to thy Israel show,
And, though Thou fill'dst the Heav'ns, confind'st Thy self to'a Cloud below,
Sinai did at Thy Presence quake,
The Rocks bow'd down, and the whole Earth did shake,
And stubborn Israel in their horrors did partake;
Thou thundred'st, and to own Thy Power,
The Heav'ns let fall a mighty shower,
With whose cool drops Thou did'st restore
The sully'd beauties of the shriv'led Earth,
Giving its fruits, and flowers new birth,
And made'st it fairer, than it was before:
The desert with Thy blessing did abound,
New streams refresh't the weary ground,
And Jacob there a safe retreat from bondage found.
There He securely dwelt,
And all th' effects of mighty goodness felt:
There for His poor Thou did'st prepare,
And of His Armies took'st the care,
Still guiding them by Thine own hand,
Till by safe Conduct Thou hadst brought them to th' Promis'd Land.

IV.

Before the Camp God march't, and Victory
Follow'd Him close, in view of all,
Our Wives, who saw the Enemy fall,
To meet our triumphs laid their distaffs by,

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And took the Cymbal, and the Lute,
And sang to them that praise we shouted to the Flute.
They sang of Armies, and of Kings,
How soon their troops were put to flight,
E're they had well resolv'd to fight,
With all the Mirth, which certain conquest brings:
How God abroad did overcome,
And they divided the rich spoil at home;
And though amongst the Pots they long had lain,
Condemn'd to Brickilns, and the Mine,
How all the flames did but their Oar refine,
And made them with more Lustre shine,
When all their former beauties it had first restor'd again.
Like spotless Doves in their most glorious flight,
Reflecting from their wings the tremb'ling light,
In thousand colours, which the eye both dazle, and invite.

V.

And so look'd Palestine, when th' Heathen fell,
And spoils of Kings were scat'red there;
The Land, which was before as dark as Hell,
Receiv'd fresh verdure, and became with Trophies fair:
On high its head did bear,
As if with snowy Salmon, 'twould compare:
Basan's high Hill God did with blessings crown,
And on it show'rd such plenty down,
One would have thought that God had chose it for His own,
But hold, O Hill, raise not Thy self too high,
For Sion yet shall o're Thee reign,
With Her compar'd, Thou must fall down again,
And flat as Thine own Vallies lye;
For God in Sion to reside intends,
There must His House, and Altar be;
His dwelling place to all Eternity,
And the whole World to Her shall bow,
And yield their necks as well as Thou;
To Sion, whose Vast sway all bounds transcends,
Beyond the boundless space, where furthest Nature ends.

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VI.

On Her th' Eternal will erect His Throne.
God, whom the Powers of Heav'n, and Earth obey,
At whose dread Presence Sinai fled away,
When thither He to Israel, all in fire, came down.
Smoke and thick Light'ning did the mountain bound,
With twenty thousand flaming Chariots girt around,
The Guard Divine, whose wheels in Thunder did resound.
And when He thence arose, and up on high
Ascended with His glorious trains,
He lead Captivity in Chains,
And gifts on men bestow'd, as well as liberty:
To Traytors pardon granted, and a Land,
Which was the purchase of His Own right hand;
And if no more they would rebell,
With promise there to make His Court, and ever dwell.
To Him alone be all the Praise,
Who thus His Name, and Us can raise,
And with ten thousand Blessings crowns Our dayes!

VII.

'Tis He, who saves Us, and to Him belong
The keyes of th' Adamantine Gates of Death:
He opens, and none shuts, gives, and recalls Our breath,
Whose Name is, Our Salvation, Great and Strong:
Who will the Wicked tumble to the ground,
And make His Soul a passage through His Wound.
But to His People sayes “I will again
“Repeat the Wonders, which I heretofore have shown;
“And greater do, than e're I yet have done,
“On Basan get my self a Name,
“Bow down His neck, and raise in Mounts the liquid Plain:
“The Sea once more divide, to make you way,
“Now truly Red with purple streams, which flow,
“From your fierce En'mies veins, and my great blow,
“That Sea, as well as Ægypt's, trembling shall obey,
“And there you shall securely pass,
“And there your feet, and garments wash;

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“Your very dogs shall drink the blood,
“And gorg'd, with humane flesh, shall sport along the scarlet Flood.

VIII.

And so they did, and then Thy paths, O God, were seen,
And all Thy goings, nothing came between;
How Thou didst both their way, and Armies lead,
Before the Singers went, and then the Flutes,
The Maidens follow'd with their Lutes,
And fearful Women heard shrill Trumpets without dread.
“Bless ye, said they, the Mighty God!
“Ye streams, which from Old Jacob's spring proceed,
“The Faithfull Jacob's happy seed,
“And with you stablish His Divine Aboad!
“Let little Benjamin be there, and there
“The Governours of Judah, fam'd for War,
“Whil'st Learned Napthali, and Zabulon
“For the great day, and solemn pomp, compose a Song,
“And with their Numbers all the Tribes conduct along!
“Let God Himself new strength command,
“And since He ha's such wonders done,
“Perfect what is so well begun,
“And as we all before His Temple stand,
“Those heads, which he ha's sav'd, exalt with His own hand!

IX.

There, Lord, Our spoils to Thee We'll consecrate,
And Princes thither shall their Tribute bring;
And swear Alleg'ance to Thee as their King,
Thy Peace, and Friendship supplicate,
And on their knees receive new Titles to their State;
Those who refuse, and think their Pow'r so great,
That it or can resist, or vye with Thine,
And Heav'n with open blasphemies dare threat,
Against their Spears, Lord, make Thy Light'ning shine,
And or o'rethrow, or force them to a base retreat!
And to those roaring Bulls presumptuous noise,
And bleating of their Calves, oppose the Thunder of Thy voice!

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Till they for pardon sue, and all submit,
And as Thou on Thy Throne do'st sit,
Their necks and gifts lay humbly at Thy Feet!
Till Ægypt, and the Lybian Nations come,
And leaving all the Gods they had at home,
In Sion only seek the True, and Holy One!

X.

Praise Him all Kingdoms, and all Lands,
That God, who ha's in Heav'n set fast His Throne,
And all its Armies with His voice commands,
And makes them trembling His Dominion own!
His Mighty Voice abroad He sends,
That Voice, which tallest Cedars rends,
And makes His Thunder heard, to th' Worlds utmost ends!
Wisdom, and Strength, and Majesty,
To Israels Strength and Wisdom give,
Honour, and Praise to the Most High,
And endless Rule to Him, who doth for ever Live!
To Thee, O God most Worthy to be prais'd,
And in Thy Temple to be fear'd of all;
Who Jacob from the dust hast rais'd,
And so uphold'st, that He shall never fall:
Whose Sacred, and Eternal Name,
That for Him conquer'd thus, thus overcame,
Can only sounded be by an Immortal Fame.