VIII. Henry Ainsworth. Psalm CVII. Edward Farr, ed. 1847. Select Poetry, Chiefly Sacred, of the Reign of King James the First

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Edward Farr, ed. Select Poetry of the Reign of King James the First. 1847.

Psalm CVII

VIII. Henry Ainsworth


CONFESSE ye to Jehovah thankfully,
For he is good: for ever his mercy,
Let the redeemed of Jehovah say,
Whom he from foes’ hand hath redeem’d away,
And gather them out of the lands did hee,	5
From east to west, to north, and fro the sea.

They in the wildernes in desert way
Wandred; no dwelling city find did they;
Hungry and thirsty eke: that them within
Their soul hath faynting overwhelmed bin,	10
And to the Lord they cryde in their distresse:
He freely rid them from their anguishes.

And in a right way he did make them goe,
A dwelling citie for to come unto;
Confesse they to Jehovah his mercy,	15
His marvels eke to sonns of man earthly;
For he the thirsty soul hath satiated,
And hungry soul with good replenished.

They that in darkness and death’s shadow bide,
In yron and affliction fast tyde,	20
Because against God’s words they did rebell,
And did despise the Highest one’s counsell:
Then humbled he their heart with toilsom grief;
They stumbled down, and none did yield releif.

And they the Lord in their distresse besought,	25
He sav’d them from their sorrowes, He them brought
From darknes and death’s shade, and broke their bands.
Let them confesse Jehovah’s mercy, and
His marvels to men’s sonns. For dores of brass
He broke, and hewd asunder yron barrs.	30

Fools, for the way of their transgression,
And for their vices, have affliction;
Al meat their soul abhorreth lothsomly,
And to the gates of death approch they nye.
When to the Lord they crye in their distresse,	35
He saveth them out of their anguishes.

He sendeth forth his word and them healeth:
From their corruptions delivereth.
Confess they to Jehovah his mercy,
His marvels eke to sonns of man earthly;	40
And offer offrings of confession;
And let them tell his works with showting song.

THE SECOND PART. They that in ships unto the sea down goe,
That in the many waters labour doe,
They see Jehovah’s operations,	45
And in the deep his wondrous actions.
For he sayth, and doth rayse the wind stormy,
And it doth lift the waves thereof on high.

They mount to heav’ns, down to the deeps they goe;
Their soul it melts away in evil woe:	50
They reel and stagger like a drunken wight,
And all their wisdom is upswallowed quight:
And to the Lord they cry in their distresse,
And he outbrings them from their anguishes.

The storm he to a silent calm doth set,	55
And then their waves alayed are quiet;
And they rejoyce because they are made still,
And he them leads to haven of their will.
Confess they to Jehovah his mercy,
His marvels eke to sonns of man earthly.	60

And in the people’s church exalt they him,
And in the elder’s sitting prayse they him:
He turns the rivers to a wildernes,
And springs of water to a thirstines;
A land of fruit to salttnes barren,	65
For wickednes of them that dwell therein.

He turns the desert to a waters’ pool,
And land of drought to waters of plentifull,
And there he seateth them that hungry are:
And they a dwelling city doe prepare,	70
They vinyards also plant, and sow the fields,
Which fruit of usual revenue yields.

And he them blesseth, and they are increast
Greatly, and he minisheth not their beast.
Agayn they are diminisht and brought low,	75
By close restreint, by evil and sorrow:
He powrs contempt on bountiful princes,
And makes them err in waylesse wildernes.

And poor from povertie he makes up rise,
And putteth as a flock his families.	80
See shall the righteous, and joyful bee,
And stop her mouth shall all iniquitie.
Who wise is, and will these things heedful learn,
And they Jehovah’s mercies shall discern.

CONTENTS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

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