Cushan tents I saw diseas'd,
And the Midian curtains quake.
Have the floods, Lord! thee displeas'd?
Did the floods thee angry make?
Was it else the sea that hath
Thus provoked thee to wrath?
For thou rob'st thy horses there,
And thy saving-chariots through;
Thou didst make thy bow appear,
And thou didst perform thy vow;
Yea, thine oath and promise past,
To the tribes fulfilled hast.
Through the earth thou rifts didst make,
And the rivers there did flow;
Mountains, seeing thee, did shake,
And away the floods did go.
From the deep a voice was heard,
And his hands on high he rear'd.
Both the sun and moon made stay,
And remov'd not in their spheres ;
By thine arrows light went they,
By thy brightly shining spears :
Thou in wrath the land didst crush,
And in rage the nations thresh.
For thy people's safe release,
With thy Christ for aid went'st thou;
Thou hast also pierc'd the chief
Of the sinful household through,
And display'd them, till made bare
From the foot to neck they were.
Thou, with javelines of their own,
Didst their armies' leader strike;
For against me they came down
To devour me whirl-wind like;
And they joy in nothing more,
Than, unseen, to spoil the poor.
Through the sea thou mad'st a way,
And didst ride thy horses there,
Where great heaps of water lay;
I the news thereof did hear;
And the voice my bowels shook ; Yea, my lips a quiv'ring took. Rottenness my bones possest; Trembling fear possessed me, I that troublous day might rest; For when his approaches be Inward to the people made, His strong troops will them invade. Bloomless shall the fig-tree be, And the vine no fruit shall yield; Fade shall then the olive-tree, Meat shall none be in the field; Neither in the fold or stall, Flock or herd continue shall. Yet the Lord my joy shall be, And in him I will delight, In my God that saveth me, God the Lord, my only might; Who my feet so guides, that I, Hind-like, pace my places high.
THE HYMNS OF THE
New Testament.
THESE five that next follow, are the Hymns of the New Testament; between which, and the Songs of the Old Testament, there is great difference: for the Songs of the Old Testament were either thanksgivings for temporal benefits, typifying and signifying future benefits touching our redemption; or else, Hymns prophetically foreshewing those mysteries, which were to be accomplished at the coming of Christ; but these Evangelical Songs were composed, not for temporal, but for spiritual things, promised and figured by those temporal benefits mentioned in the Old Testament, and perfectly fulfilled in the New. Therefore these Evangelical Hymns are more excellent, than such as are merely prophetical; in regard, the possession is to be preferred before the hope, and the end before the means of obtaining it.
THAT magnified the Lord may be,
My soul now undertakes;
And in the God that saveth me
My spirit merry makes:
For he vouchsafed hath to view
His handmaid's poor degree;
And lo! all ages that ensue
Shall blessed reckon me.
Great things for me th' Almighty does,
And holy is his name;
From age to age he mercy shews
On such as fear the same.
He, by his arm, declar'd his might,
And thus to pass hath brought,
That now the proud are put to flight,
By what their hearts have thought.
The mighty plucking from their seat,
The poor he placed there;
And for the hungry takes the meat
From such as wealthy are.
But, minding mercy, he hath shew'd
His servant, Israel, grace,
As he to our forefathers vow'd,
To Abraham and his race.
BLEST be the God of Israel!
For he his people bought,
And in his servant David's house,
Hath great salvation wrought;
As by his prophets he foretold,
Since time began to be,
That from our foes he might be safe,
And from our haters free;
That he might shew our fathers grace,
And bear in mind the same,
Which by an oath he vow'd unto
Our father Abraham ;
That from our adversaries freed,
We serve him fearless might,
In righteousness and holiness,
Our life-time in his sight.
And of the highest thee, O child!
The prophet I declare,
Before the Lord his face to go,
His coming to prepare;
To teach his people how they shall
That safety come to know,
Which by remission of their sins,
He doth on them bestow.
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