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PSALM VIIL AUG. 14, 1653.

O JEHOVAH Our Lord, how wonderous great
And glorious is thy Name through all the earth!
So as above the Heavens thy praise to set

Out of the tender mouths of latest birth.

Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou
Hast founded strength, because of all thy foes,
To stint the enemy, and slack the avenger's brow,
That bends his rage thy providence to oppose.

When I behold thy Heavens, thy finger's art,
The moon and stars which thou so bright hast set
In the pure firmament, then saith my heart,
O what is man that thou rememberest yet,

And think'st upon him; or of man begot,

That him thou visit'st, and of him art found? Scarce to be less than Gods, thou madest his lot,

With honour and with state thou hast him crown'd.

O'er the works of thy hand thou madest him Lord,
Thou hast put all under his lordly feet,

All flocks, and herds, by thy commanding word,
All beasts that in the field or forest meet;

Fowls of the Heavens, and fish that through the wet
Sea-paths in shoals do slide, and know no dearth
O Jehovah our Lord, how wonderous great
And glorious is thy Name through all the earth!

APRIL, 1648. J. M.

Nine of the Psalms done into metre, wherein all, but what is within inverted commas, are the very words of the text, translated from the original,

PSALM LXXX.

1 THOU Shepherd, that dost Israel' keep,' Give ear in time of need,'

Who leadest like a flock of sheep

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Thy loved' Joseph's seed,

That sitest between the Cherubs bright,
Between their wings outspread,'

Shine forth, and from thy cloud give light,
And on our foes thy dread.'

2 In Ephraim's view and Benjamin's,
And in Manasse's sight,

Awake thy strength, come, and 'be seen
To' save us by thy might.'

3 Turn us again, thy grace divine

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To us,' O God, vouchsafe;'
Cause thou thy face on us to shine,
And then we shall be safe.

4 Lord God of Hosts, how long wilt thou,
How long wilt thou declare
Thy smoking wrath, and angry brow'
Against thy people's prayer!

5 Thou feed'st them with the bread of tears,
Their bread with tears they eat,
And mak'st them largely drink the tears
'Wherewith their cheeks are wet.'

6 A strife thou makest us and a prey'
To every neighbour foe,

Among themselves they laugh, they play,
And flouts at us they throw.

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7 Return us, and thy grace divine,'
O God of Hosts, vouchsafe,'
Cause thou thy face on us to shine,
And then we shall be safe.

8 A vine from Egypt thou hast brought,
'Thy free love made it thine,'

And drov'st out nations, proud and haught,'

To plant this lovely' vine.

9 Thou didst prepare for it a place,

And root it deep and fast,
That it began to grow apace,
And' fill'd the land at last.'

10 With her 'green' shade that cover'd' all,' The hills were overspread,'

Her boughs as high as' cedars tall
'Advanc'd their lofty head.'

11 Her branches on the western side'
Down to the sea she sent,

And upward' to that river 'wide'
Her other branches went.'

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12 Why hast thou laid her hedges low,
And broken down her fence,

That all may pluck her, as they go,
'With rudest violence?'

13 Thetusked' boar out of the wood
Up turns it by the roots,

Wild beasts there browse, and make their food

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Her grapes and tender shoots.'

14 Return now, God of Hosts, look down

From Heaven, thy seat divine,
Behold 'us, but without a frown,'
And visit this 'thy' vine.

15 Visit this vine, which thy right hand
Hath set, and planted 'long,'

And the young branch, that for thyself
Thou hast made firm and strong.

16 But now it is consumed with fire,
And cut with axes' down;
They perish at thy dreadful ire,
At thy rebuke and frown.

17 Upon the man of thy right hand
Let thy good hand be laid'
Upon the son of man, whom thou
Strong for thyself hast made.

18 So shall we not go back from thee
'To ways of sin and shame,'
Quicken us thou, then 'gladly' we
Shall call upon thy Name.

19 Return us, and thy grace divine,'
Lord God of Hosts, vouchsafe;'
Cause thou thy face on us to shine,
And then we shall be safe.

PSALM LXXXI.

1 To God our strength sing loud, and clear,' Sing loud to God 'our King,'

To Jacob's God, 'that all may hear,'
Loud acclamations ring.

2 Prepare a hymn, prepare a song,
The timbrel hither bring,
The cheerful' psaltery bring along,
And harp with' pleasant string."

3 Blow, 'as is wont,' in the new moon
With trumpets' lofty sound,'
The appointed time, the day whereon

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4 This was a statute' given of old '
For Israel to observe,'

A law of Jacob's God, ' to hold,
From whence they might not swerve

5 This he a testimony ordain'd
In Joseph, not to change,'
When as he pass'd through Egypt land,
The tongue I heard was strange.

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6 From burden, and from slavish toil,'
I set his shoulder free:

His hands from pots, and miry soil,'
Deliver'd were' by me.'

7 When trouble did thee sore assail,
'On me then' didst thou call,
And I to free thee, 'did not fail,
And led thee out of thrall.'

I answer'd thee in thunder deep,
With clouds encompass'd round;
tried thee at the water' steep'
Of Meriba' renown'd.'

8 Hear, O my people, hearken well,'
I testify to thee,
'Thou ancient stock of Israel,
If thou wilt list to me,

9 Throughout the land of thy abode
No alien God shall be,
Nor shalt thou to a foreign God
In honour bend thy knee.

10 I am the Lord thy God which brought Thee out of Egypt land;

Ask large enough, and I, 'besought,'
Will
grant thy full demand.

11 And yet my people would not hear
Nor' hearken to my voice;

And Israel, whom I lov'd so dear,'
Mislik'd me for his choice.

12 Then did I leave them to their will,
And to their wandering mind;
Their own conceits they follow'd still,
Their own devices blind.

13 O, that my people would be wise,
To' serve me all their days!'
And O that Israel would advise
To' walk my righteous' ways.

14 Then would I soon bring down their foes, 'That now so proudly rise,'

And turn my hand against all those,
'That are' their enemies.

15 Who hate the Lord should then be fain To' bow to him and bend;

But they, his people, should remain,'
Their time should have no end.

16 And he would feed them from the shock' With flower of finest wheat,

And satisfy them from the rock
With honey for their meat.'

PSALM LXXXII.

1 GOD in the great assembly stands
'Of kings and lordly states,'
Among the Gods, on both his hands,
He judges and debates.

2 How long will ye pervert the right
With judgment false and wrong.
Favouring the wicked by your might,
Who thence grow bold and strong?"

3 Regard the weak and fatherless,
Dispatch the poor man's cause,
And raise the man in deep distress
By just and equal laws.

4 Defend the poor and desolate,
And rescue from the hands
Of wicked men the low estate
Of him that help demands.

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5 They know not, nor will understand,
In darkness they walk on,

The earth's foundations all are mov'd
And out of order gone.

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