A paraphrase upon the divine poems. By George Sandys

PSALME CV.

As the 72.

TO God O pay your vowes; invoke his Name, And to the VVorld his noble Acts proclaime!

O sing his praises in immortall Verse, And his stupendious Miracles rehearse! You Saints, rejoyce, and glory in his Grace; His power adore; for ever seeke his Face. Old Abrahams Seed, you Sons of the Elect; You Israelites; O you, who God affect, Report the Wonders by his finger wrought, VVhen in your cause th'inferiour creatures fought. Jehovah rules the many-peopled Earth; His judgement knowne to all of humane birth. He never will forget his Promise past; His Covenants inviolable last, VVhich he to faithfull Abraham made before, And after to the holy Isaac swore: To Jacob sign'd, confirm'd to Israel; That their large Off-spring should in Canaan dwell. VVhen they, but few in number, wandered In unknowne Regions, and their Cattell fed: He did their lives from violence protect, And for their sakes even mighty Princes checkt. Touch not, said he, my Anointed: feare to wrong Those sacred Prophets, who to Me belong. [Part. 2] VVhen raging Famine in these Climats reign'd, He broke the Staffe of Bread, which life sustain'd: But Joseph sent before them; sold to save His Brethren, by whose envy made a slave. There for th'Accusers guilt in prison throwne; With galling fetters bound, for crimes unknowne; Tri'd with affliction, at the time decreed, At once by Pharaoh both advanc'd and freed. He of his houshold gave him the command, And made him Ruler over all his Land: His Princes to his government Subjects. The prudent Youth grave Senators directs. Then aged Jacob into Egypt came, And sojourn'd in the fruitfull Fields of Ham. God in that Land his people multipli'd; Their Foes, which now their greater strength envi'd, Hate what they feare: he alienates their hearts, To seeke their ruine by deceitfull Arts. Then Moses on a sacred Embassie [Part. 3] And Aaron sent; th'Elect of the most High. There wrought his dreadfull Wonders; from the Ile Of Sea-girt Pharo's to the Fals of Nile. He bade Cimmerian darknesse dim the Day: Th'assembled Vapours his commands obey.

He their seven chanel'd VVaters turn'd to Bloud; The Fishes strangled intheir native Floud. Frogs from the slimy, Earth in Millions spring; And skip about the Chambers of the King. All parts with swarms of noisome Flies abound: And Lice, like quickned dust, crawle on the ground. He storms of killing Haile, for Showers, bestowes; And from the breaking clouds his lightning throws: Blasts all the Vines, and Fig-trees in the Land; The VVoods, with Tempests torne, or naked stand. Innumerable Locusts these succeed; And Caterpillars on their leavings feed: They bite the tender Herbe, the bud, and flower; And all the virdure of the Earth devoure. Their Strength (the First-borne) slew: which fill'd their eares VVith Female screeches, and their hearts with feares. [Part. 4] Then He the Hebrews out of Goshen brought, In able health, with Gold, and Silver fraught. Th'inhabitants, whose teares augment the Nile, At their departure Joy, and Feare exile. A Cloud to shade them from the Sun was spread; And Nightly by a flaming Pillar led. At their request he sends them showres of Quailes; And Bread from Heaven, like Coriander, hailes. Cleaves the hard Rocks, from whence a Fountaine flowes, And unknowne Rivers to those Deserts showes: For he his sacred Promise call'd to minde, To Abraham his Friend and Servant sign'd. Thus he his People brought from servitude, VVhose long-felt miseries in joy conclude. From hence the Heathen by our Weapons chac'd; And us his sonnes in their possessions plac'd: That from his Statutes we might never swerve. O praise the Lord, and him devoutly serve!