PSALM IV.

August 10, 1653.

ANSWER me when I call,
God of my righteousness;
In straits and in distress
Thou didst me disenthrall

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
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,

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;

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.

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,

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,

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

Me safe where'er I lie :

As in a rocky cell

Thou, Lord, alone in safety mak'ṣt me dwell.

ΙΟ

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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.
Jehovah, thou my early voice

Shalt in the morning hear;

I' the morning I to thee with choice

Will rank my prayers, and watch till thou appear.
For thou art not a God that takes

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

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,

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.
For in his faltering mouth unstable

No word is firm or sooth;

Their inside, troubles miserable;

An open grave their throat, their tongue they smooth.
God, find them guilty; let them fall

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
Defend'st them: they shall ever sing,
And shall triumph 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

Him with thy lasting favour and good will.

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PSALM VI.

August 13, 1653.

LORD, in thy anger do not reprehend me,
Nor in thy hot displeasure me correct;
Pity me, Lord, for I am much deject,
And very weak and faint; heal and amend me:
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: oh, save me, for thy goodness' sake!
For in death no remembrance is of thee;

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
I' the 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

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

Mine enemies shall all be blank, and dashed

With much confusion; then, grown red with shame,
They shall return in haste the way they came,
And in a moment shall be quite abashed.

ΙΟ

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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),
He haste to tear my soul asunder,
Tearing and no rescue nigh.

If the 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.

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

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.

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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 bearth,
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 fingers' art,
The moon and stars, which thou so bright hast set
In the pure firmament, then saith my heart,
Oh, 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 mad'st his lot;

With honour and with state thou hast him crowned.

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