The whole booke of Psalmes collected into Englysh metre by T. Starnhold, I. Hopkins, & others, conferred with the Ebrue, with apt notes to synge the[m] with al ; faithfully perused and alowed according to thordre appointed in the Quenes Maiesties iniunctions ; very mete to be vsed of all sortes of people priuately for their solace & comfort, laying apart all vngodly songes and ballades, which tende only to the norishing of vyce, and corrupting of youth.

☞ A thankes geuing after the receyuyng of the Lordes Supper.

THe Lorde be thanked for his gyftes, And mercy euermore: That he doth shew vnto his saynctes * 1.1 To him be laud therfore. Our tonges cannot so prayse the Lorde, As he doth right deserue: Our harts can not of hym so thynke, As he doth vs preserue.

His benefites they be so great, To vs that be but sinne: That at our handes for recompence, There is no hope to winne. O sinfull flesh, that thou shouldest haue, Suche mercyes of the Lorde: Thou doest deserue, more worthely, Of him to be abhord.

Nought els but sinne▪ and wretchednes, Doth rest within our heartes: And stubburnely against the Lorde, We dayly play oure partes. The sunne aboue in firmament, That is to vs a lyght: Doth shew it selfe more cleane and pure, Then we be in his sight.

The heauens aboue and all therin, More holy are then we: They serue the Lorde in theyr estate, Eche one in his degree. They do not stryue for mastership, Nor slake theyr office set: But feare the Lorde and do his will, Hate is to them no let.

Also the earth and all therin, Of God it is in awe: It doth obserue the formers wyll, By skilfull natures law. The sea and all that therin is, Doth bend, when God doth beck:

The spirtes beneathe doo tremble all, And feare his wrathfull check.

But we alas, for whom all these Were made them for to rule, Do not so know or loue the Lorde, As doth the Oxe or mule, A law he gaue for vs to know, What was his holy wyll: He would vs good, but we will not Auoyd the thing is ill.

Not one of vs that seketh out The Lorde of lyfe to please: Nor to the thyng that might vs ioyne Our Christ and quiet ease, Thus we are all his enemyes, We can it not deny: And he agayne, of his good wyll, Would not that we should dye.

Therfore when remedy was none, To bring vs vnto lyfe: The sonne of God, our flesh he toke, To mend our mortall stryfe: And all the law of God our Lorde, He did it full obey: And for our sinnes vpon the crosse, Hys bloud our dettes did pay.

And that we should not yet forget, What good be to vs wrought: A signe he left our eyes to tell, That he our bodyes bought.

In breade and wine here visible, Unto thyne eyes and tast, His mercyes great thou maist record, If that his spryte thou hast.

As once the corne did liue and grow, And was cut downe with sith, And threshed out with many stripes, Out from his huske to dryue, And as the mill with violence Did teare it out so small, And made it lyke to earthly dust, Not sparing it at all.

And as the ouen with fyre hot, Did close it vp in heat: And all this done that I haue sayd, That it should be our meat: So was the Lorde in his ripe age Cut downe by cruell death: His soule he gaue in torments great, And yelded vp his breath.

Because that he to vs might be, An euerlasting bread, with muche reproche and trouble great, On earth his lyfe he led. And as the grapes in pleasant tyme Are pressed very sore, And plucked downe when they be rype, Nor let to grow no more,

Because the ioyse that in them is, As comfortable drynke,

We myght receyue and ioyfull be, when sorowes make vs shrinke. So Christes bloud out pressed was, With nailes and eke with speare: The ioyse wherof doth saue all those, That rightly do him feare.

And as the cornes by vnitie, Into one lofe is knit: So is the Lorde and his whole churche, Though he in heauen sit. As many grapes make but one wyne, So shoulde we be but one: In fayth and loue, in Chist aboue, And vnto Christ alone.

Leading a lyfe without all stryfe, In quyet rest and peace, From enuye and from malyce both, Our heartes and tonges to cease. Which if we doo then shall we shew, That we his chosen be: By fayth in him to leade a lyfe, As alwayes willed he.

And that we may so doo in dede, God send vs all his grace: Then after death we shall be sure, With him to haue a place,

Robert Wlsdom.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sing this as the. xxx vii. Psa