Psalm III

  August 9, 1653

  When he fled from Absalom

  Lord how many are my foes,

  How many those

  That in arms against me rise.

  Many are they

  5 That of my life distrustfully thus say,

  No help for him in God there lies.

  But thou Lord art my shield, my glory;

  Thee through my story

  Th’ exalter of my head I count;

  10 Aloud I cried

  Unto Jehovah; he full soon replied

  And heard me from his holy mount.

  I lay and slept, I waked again,

  For my sustain

  15 Was the Lord. Of many millions

  The populous rout

  I fear not though encamping round about

  They pitch against me their pavilions.

  Rise Lord, save me my God for thou

  20 Hast smote ere now

  On the cheek-bone all my foes,

  Of men abhorred

  Hast broke the teeth. This help was from the Lord;

  Thy blessing on thy people flows.

  Psalm IV

  August 10, 1653

  Answer me when I call,

  God of my righteousness;

  In straits and in distress

  Thou didst me disenthrall

  5 And set at large; now spare,

  Now pity me, and hear my earnest prayer.

  Great ones how long will ye

  My glory have in scorn,

  How long be thus forborne

  10 Still to love vanity,

  To love, to seek, to prize

  Things false and vain and nothing else but lies?

  Yet know the Lord hath chose,

  Chose to himself apart

  15 The good and meek of heart

  (For whom to choose he knows);

  Jehovah from on high

  Will hear my voice what time to him I cry.

  Be awed, and do not sin,

  20 Speak to your hearts alone,

  Upon your beds, each one,

  And be at peace within.

  Offer the offerings just

  Of righteousness and in Jehovah trust.

  25 Many there be that say

  Who yet will show us good?

  Talking like this world’s brood;

  But Lord, thus let me pray,

  On us lift up the light,

  30 Lift up the favour of thy count’nance bright.

  Into my heart more joy

  And gladness thou hast put

  Than when a year of glut

  Their stores doth over-cloy

  35 And from their plenteous grounds

  With vast increase their corn and wine abounds.

  In peace at once will I

  Both lay me down and sleep,

  For thou alone dost keep

  40 Me safe where’er I lie;

  As in a rocky cell

  Thou Lord alone in safety mak’st me dwell.

  Psalm V

  August 12, 1653

  Jehovah to my words give ear,

  My meditation weigh;

  The voice of my complaining hear,

  My King and God, for unto thee I pray.

  5 Jehovah thou my early voice

  Shalt in the morning hear;

  I’ th’ morning I to thee with choice

  Will rank my prayers, and watch till thou appear.

  For thou art not a God that takes

  10 In wickedness delight;

  Evil with thee no biding makes;

  Fools or mad men stand not within thy sight.

  All workers of iniquity

  Thou hat’st; and them unblest

  15 Thou wilt destroy that speak a lie;

  The bloody and guileful man God doth detest.

  But I will in thy mercies dear,

  Thy numerous mercies, go

  Into thy house; I in thy fear

  20 Will towards thy holy temple worship low.

  Lord lead me in thy righteousness,

  Lead me because of those

  That do observe if I transgress;

  Set thy ways right before, where my step goes.

  25 For in his falt’ring mouth unstable

  No word is firm or sooth;

  Their inside, troubles miseráble;

  An open grave their throat, their tongue they smooth.

  God, find them guilty, let them fall

  30 By their own counsels quelled;

  Push them in their rebellions all

  Still on; for against thee they have rebelled;

  Then all who trust in thee shall bring

  Their joy, while thou from blame

  35 Defend’st them; they shall ever sing

  And shall triúmph in thee, who love thy name.

  For thou Jehovah wilt be found

  To bless the just man still,

  As with a shield thou wilt surround

  40 Him with thy lasting favour and good will.

  Psalm VI

  August 13, 1653

  Lord in thine anger do not reprehend me,

  Nor in thy hot displeasure me correct;

  Pity me Lord for I am much deject,

  Am very weak and faint; heal and amend me,

  5 For all my bones, that even with anguish ache,

  Are troubled, yea my soul is troubled sore

  And thou O Lord how long? turn Lord, restore

  My soul, O save me for thy goodness’ sake,

  For in death no remembrance is of thee;

  10 Who in the grave can celebrate thy praise?

  Wearied I am with sighing out my days,

  Nightly my couch I make a kind of sea;

  My bed I water with my tears; mine eye

  Through grief consumes, is waxen old and dark

  15 I’ th’ midst of all mine enemies that mark.

  Depart all ye that work iniquity.

  Depart from me, for the voice of my weeping

  The Lord hath heard, the Lord hath heard my prayer;

  My supplication with acceptance fair

  20 The Lord will own, and have me in his keeping.

  Mine enemies shall all be blank and dashed

  With much confusion; then grow red with shame;

  They shall return in haste the way they came

  And in a moment shall be quite abashed.

  Psalm VII

  August 14, 1653

  Upon the words of Chush the Benjamite against him

  Lord my God to thee I fly;

  Save me and secure me under

  Thy protection while I cry,

  Lest as a lion (and no wonder)

  5 He haste to tear my soul asunder,

  Tearing and no rescue nigh.

  Lord my God if I have thought

  Or done this, if wickedness

  Be in my hands, if I have wrought

  10 Ill to him that meant me peace,

  Or to him have rendered less,

  And not freed my foe for naught;

  Let th’ enemy pursue my soul

  And overtake it, let him tread

  15 My life down to the earth and roll

  In the dust my glory dead,

  In the dust and there outspread

  Lodge it with dishonour foul.

  Rise Jehovah in thine ire,

  20 Rouse thyself amidst the rage

  Of my foes that urge like fire;

  And wake for me, their fury assuage;

  Judgement here thou didst engage

  And command which I desire.

  25 So th’ assemblies of each nation

  Will surround thee, seeking right;

  Thence to thy glorious habitation

  Return on high and in their sight.

  Jehovah judgeth most upright

  30 All people from the world’s foundation.

  Judge me Lord, be judge in this

  According to my righteousness

  And the innocence which
is

  Upon me: cause at length to cease

  35 Of evil men the wickedness

  And their power that do amiss.

  But the just establish fast,

  Since thou art the just God that tries

  Hearts and reins. On God is cast

  40 My defence, and in him lies,

  In him who both just and wise

  Saves th’ upright of heart at last.

  God is a just Judge and severe,

  And God is every day offended;

  45 If th’ unjust will not forbear,

  His sword he whets, his bow hath bended

  Already, and for him intended

  The tools of death, that waits him near.

  (His arrows purposely made he

  50 For them that persecute.) Behold

  He travails big with vanity,

  Trouble he hath conceived of old

  As in a womb, and from that mould

  Hath at length brought forth a lie.

  55 He digged a pit, and delved it deep,

  And fell into the pit he made;

  His mischief that due course doth keep,

  Turns on his head, and his ill trade

  Of violence will undelayed

  60 Fall on his crown with ruin steep.

  Then will I Jehovah’s praise

  According to his justice raise,

  And sing the name and deity

  Of Jehovah the most high.

  Psalm VIII

  August 14, 1653

  O Jehovah our Lord how wondrous 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,

  5 Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou

  Hast founded strength because of all thy foes

  To stint th’ enemy, and slack th’ avenger’s brow

  That bends his rage thy providence to oppose.

  When I behold thy heavens, thy fingers’ art,

  10 The moon and stars which thou so bright hast set

  In the pure firmament, then saith my heart,

  O what is man that thou rememb’rest yet,

  And think’st upon him; or of man begot

  That him thou visit’st and of him art found?

  15 Scarce to be less than gods, thou mad’st his lot,

  With honour and with state thou hast him crowned.

  O’er the works of thy hand thou mad’st him Lord,

  Thou hast put all under his lordly feet,

  All flocks, and herds, by thy commanding word,

  20 All beasts that in the field or forest meet,

  Fowl of the heavens, and fish that through the wet

  Sea-paths in shoals do slide, and know no dearth.

  O Jehovah our Lord how wondrous 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 in a different character 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

  Thy lovèd Joseph’s seed,

  5 That sitt’st 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,

  10 And in Manasseh’s sight,

  Awake* thy strength, come, and be seen

  To save us by thy might.

  3 Turn us again, thy grace divine

  To us O God vouchsafe;

  15 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

  20 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.

  25 6 A strife thou mak’st us and a prey

  To every neighbour foe;

  Among themselves they *laugh, they *play,

  And *flouts at us they throw.

  7 Return us, and thy grace divine,

  30 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,

  35 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,

  40 And filled the land at last.

  10 With her green shade that covered all,

  The hills were overspread;

  Her boughs as high as cedars tall

  Advanced their lofty head.

  45 11 Her branches on the western side

  Down to the sea she sent,

  And upward to that river wide

  Her other branches went.

  12 Why hast thou laid her hedges low

  50 And broken down her fence,

  That all may pluck her, as they go,

  With rudest violence?

  13 The tuskèd boar out of the wood

  Upturns it by the roots,

  55 Wild beasts there browse, and make their food

  Her grapes and tender shoots.

  14 Return now, God of Hosts, look down

  From Heav’n, thy seat divine,

  Behold us, but without a frown,

  60 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.

  65 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

  70 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,

  75 Quicken us thou, then gladly we

  Shall call upon thy name.

  Return us, and thy grace divine

  Lord God of Hosts vouchsafe,

  Cause thou thy face on us to shine,

  80 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.

  5 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

  10 With trumpets’ lofty sound,

  Th’ appointed time, the day whereon

  Our solemn feast comes round.

  4 This was a statute giv’n of old

  For Israel to observe,

  15 A law of Jacob’s God, to hold

  From whence they might not swerve.

  5 This he a testimony ordained

  In Joseph, not to change,

  When as he passed through Egypt land;

  20 The tongue I heard, was strange.

  6 From burden, and from slavish toil

  I set his shoulder free;

  His hands from pots, and miry soil

  Delivered were by me.

  25 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 answered thee in * thunder deep

  30 With clouds encompassed round;

  I tried thee at the water steep

  Of Meriba renowned.

  8 Hear O my people, hearken well,

  I testify to thee

  35 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

  40 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.

  45 11 And yet my people would not hear,

  Nor hearken to my voice;

  And Israel whom I loved so dear

  Misliked me for his choice.

  12 Then did I leave them to their will

  50 And to their wand’ring mind;

  Their own conceits they followed still,

  Their own devices blind.

  13 O that my people would be wise

  To serve me all their days,

  55 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

  60 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.

  65 16 And we would feed them from the shock

  With flour 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.

  5 2 How long will ye *pervert the right

  With *judgement false and wrong,

  Favouring the wicked by your might,

  Who thence grow bold and strong?

  3 *Regard the *weak and fatherless,

  10 *Despatch 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

  15 Of wicked men the low estate

  Of him that help demands.

  5 They know not nor will understand,

  In darkness they walk on;

  The earth’s foundations all are *moved

  20 And *out of order gone.

  6 I said that ye were gods, yea all