Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Edward Farr, ed. Select Poetry of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. 1845.

Psalm VII

XXXIX. Joseph Hall

ON thee, O Lord my God, relies

My onely trust from bloudy spight;

Of all my raging enemies

Oh let thy mercy me acquite;

Lest they, like greedy lyons, rend

My soule, while none shall it defend.

O Lord, if I this thing have wrought;

If in my hands be found such ill;

If I with mischief ever sought

To pay good turnes, or did not still

Doe good unto my causeless foe

That thirsted for my overthrow;

Then let my foe in eager chase

O’ertake my soule, and proudly tread

My life below, and with disgrace

In dust laye downe mine honour dead.

Rise up in rage, O Lord, eft soone

Advance thine arm against my fo’ne.

And wake for me, till thou fulfill

My promis’d right: so shall glad throngs

Of people flock unto this hill.

For their sakes then reuenge my wrongs

And rouse thyself. Thy judgments be

O’er all the world: Lord, judge thou me.

As truth and honest innocence

Thou find’st in me, Lord, judge thou me;

Settle the just with sure defence:

Let me the wicked’s malice see

Brought to an end: for thy just eye

Doth heart and inward reines descry.

My safety stands in God, who shields

The sound in heart, whose doome, each day,

To just men and contemners yeelds

Their due. Except he change his way,

His sword is whet, to blood intended;

His murdering bow is ready bended.

Weapons of death he hath addrest,

And arrowes keene to pierce my foe,

Who late bred mischiefe in his breast;

But when he doth on travell goe,

Brings forth a lye; deep pits doth delve,

And falls into his pits himselve.

Back to his own head shall rebound

His plotted mischiefe; and his wrongs

His crowne shall craze: but I shall sound

Jehouah’s praise with thankful songs,

And with his glorious name expresse,

And tell of all his righteousnesse.