Psalm 104

(10.10.10.10.11.11)

The Majestie, wisdom, & powre of God in the Creation & preservation of all his Creatures, is here described by excellent Metaphors. We may sing it to praise him for making & preserving all things to his owne glorie & for our confortable use, &c. The Title is; Halelujah.

1. Now shall my soul to praise the Lord assay;
For Lord my God, unbounded is thy might!
With glorie’s beames, thy self thou dost aray
And as with Robes, art cloth’d about with Light.
Thou curtaine-like, the heav’ns abrode displayest;
And in great flouds, thy chambers’ roofs thou layest,

2. The rowling Clouds, thy speedy Charrets are,
And winged windes, thy swift-paid Coursers be;
Thy Messages, the glor’ous Angells beare,
And burning fires, like servants, waite on thee.
The Globe of Earth, so firmly thou hast grounded,
That none can shake the structur thou hast founded.

3. As with a robe, with flouds thou clothdst the same,
And then the waves above the hills aspir’d:
But at thy Check, soone downe againe they came,
And when thy voice did thunder back retir’d:
From lofty heights, by winding Vallies tracinge;
They thither fell where first they had their placing.

4. And strongly there, thou boundest them about,
That they, no more the world should overflowe;
Among the Dales, clear springs, thou sendest out,
Which run between the mountaines to & fro.
Thou drink from thence to forrest heards convaiest,
And there the thirst of Asses wilde alayest.

5. Then by the Bancks of all those running Rills,
Among the boughs the birdes make melodies:
Thou from above, with shewres bedew’st the hills,
And giv’st enough, all Creatures to suffice.
For Cattell, grasse; for man, thou herbs ordainest;
And him with food, out of the earth sustainest.

6. From thence proceeds the hart-rejoicing-wine,
Refreshing oyle, from thence doth also flowe;
That pretious oyle which makes the face to shine;
And bread, wherby man’s hart more strong may grow.
Thy Cedars tall, due moysture have not wanted;
Not they, which high on Libanon, are planted.

7. The feather’d foules, their nests on them do build;
The lofty Firrs are dwellings for the storke:
For clyming goats, the mountains refuge yeald;
In craggy Rocks, the fearfull connies lurke.
The changing Moon, the tymes apointed showeth
The constant Sunn, his howr of setting knoweth.

8. Thou Darknes cal’st, so night shutts up the day;
And then abrode the Forresters do roame:
With roarings loud, the Lions hunt theyr prey,
And unto thee (O God) for meat, they come.
The rising sunn, anon returneth hither,
And in their denns, they couch againe together.

9. Then man till night, afresh his labour plies.
How many be thy wondrous works, O Lord!
In ev’ry thing thou art exceeding wise.
The spatious Earth by thee is fully stor’d;
And in the sea are many creatures dwelling,
Both great & small, whose number passeth telling.

10. There sail the shipps, & there thou didst creat
Leviathan to sport upon the Floud.
Thy Creatures all from thee expect their meat;
And that thou shouldst in season, give them food
Which thou bestow’st; & they (the same receiving)
Are filld with Goodnes of thy bounteous giving.

11. Thou hid’st thy face & loe, they troubled are;
Thou stopt’st their breath & lifeles dust they be:
Againe thou breath’st & they reviv’d appear,
And all the earth is new arayd by thee.
O let the Lord, with honour still be named,
And let him joy in that which he hath framed.

12. If with his eye, the earth he but survay.
The fearfull earth doth tremble at his look;
If on the hills, he but a finger lay,
His very touch doth make the hills to smoke.
And whil’st my Life or beeing is enjoyed,
To praise my God, my tongue shall be employed.

13. Sweet thoughts of him, conceaved are in me,
And in the Lord my hart shal ever joye:
For from his Land the wicked rooted be;
And he will them, perpetually destroy.
O let his praise for ever be confessed;
Praise God my soul & say: The Lord be blessed.

Most glorious Lord God! thy admirable powre & wisdome created the world (which having once overflowed for Sinn, thou didst againe replenish the same) continueng the maine Fabrick ever since; & therein mainetaining a succession of innumerable different Creatures by a wonderfull providence (with a speciall regard unto mankinde above them all) Give us therfore grace, we beseech thee, so to meditate thy workmanship, thy wisdome & thy great mercies herein; that our harts beeing regenerated & revived (by the breathings of thy holy Spirit) we may be thanckfull for thy great Favours: & that when our wickednes is rooted out, we (perceaving all to be good which thou hast created or ordained) may praise thy wisdome, thy goodnes, thy bountie, for ever & ever. Amen.

(10₄.11₂) 10.10.10.10.11.11

(rhyme scheme: ababcc)

Alternate Tunes (First Lines) (using 10₆ meter): Song 1 (Gibbons): O Thou, who at Thy first Eucharist did pray; Lord God, You now have set your; Eternal Ruler of the ceaseless round. Unde et memores: And now, O Father; Yorkshire: Christians, awake.