The Psalms of David in meter fitted to the tunes used in parish-churches / by John Patrick ...

PSALM LXXIV

[As the 100 Psalm.]

[ 1] WIll God for ever cast of those Whom for his own, we know, he For ever shall his Anger smoak Against his once beloved Flock? [ 2] Let not thy purchase, Lord, thy Lot So dearly bought, be quite forgot: But thy old dwelling call to mind, Sion, to which thou hast been kind. [ 3] Visit with Speed, and view with pity The lasting ruines of our City; Or in thy Holy House alone, What mischief th' Enemy has done. [ 4] Where we were wont thy Name t' adore, With rage they impiously roar: Their Banners there set up we see, In Token of their Viotory.

[ 5] As men in lopping off thick boughs, So here they; freely deal their blows. [ 6] Carv'd work, in which such skill wasshown, An Axe's stroak at once hews down. [ 7] The House, by being God's, that claims To be untouch'd they turn to flames; And level with the Ground thus lain, Is made by wicked hands profane. [ 8] They have design'd, such is their spight, To root out our Religion quite: Our Synagogues for this imploy'd, Not one is left, but all destroy'd. [ 9] And, as if God had left us, we No tokens of his Presence see; No Prophet now to us do's send, To tell us when our woes shall end.

Part II.

[ 10] How long, Lord, wilt thou bear with those, Who Trust in thee to Scorn expose? And hear'st what blasphemies they speak, That thou to save us art too weak. [ 11] Why, Lord, dost thou that hand withdraw, That kept thine Enemies in awe? Exert thy pow'r, and all will see Their Folly, who contend with thee. [ 12] We thy Protection seem to claim, Of old our King, and still the same. What strange Salvation in times past Has this Land seen, that now lies waste?

[ 13] The parted Sea retir'd in haste, Ope'ning a way thro' which we pass'd. On its return th' Egyptian host, Stern as Sea-Monsters, all were lost. [ 14] Phar'oh and all his Captains drown'd And spewed out, no grave they found, But in the Bellies of wild Beasts, And Fowls, which on them made their feasts. [ 15] From an hard Rock, cleft by a Rod, Streams flow'd, and shew'd the pow'r of God: Again, a flowing Stream do's stop, And a great River's dried up.

Part III.

[ 16] The Reg'ular changes that we see Of Day and Night, were made by thee: The proper Light that either needs, From Sun and Moon by turns proceeds. [ 17] Th' Earth's Limits and its various Climes, Diff'rence of Seasons And of times; The Summer's heat, and Winter's cold. That fruitful, this decay'd and old: These Changes wisely order'd were, So 'are those in our Condition here. [ 18] But Fools still prosp'rous grow so proud, They now blaspheme thy Name aloud. [ 19] Oh may thy Church, thy Turtle-Dove, Mournful yet chast, thy pity move: To Birds of prey expose her not, Tho' poor, too dear to be forgot.

[ 20] Thy Cove'nant made to us respect, Can'aan to give and to protect. Now all its dwellings doleful lie, With rapine fill'd and cruelty. [ 21] O let not the oppress'd complain, Their pray'rs and trust in God are vain; T'a good estate the helpless poor, That they may praise thy Name, restore, [ 22] Delay not, Lord, much less decline To plead our cause, since ours is thine; For these Fools Scoffs at our distress, Reproach thy Providence no less. [ 23] Forget not then th' insulting cries And Tumult of thine Enemies; Whose Pride, if it unpunish'd go, Their insolence will higher grow.