Psalm 68 (Exurgat Deus)

Let God but rise, his very face shall cast
On all his haters flight and disarray:
As smoke in wind, as wax at fire doth wast,
At Gods aspect, th'unjust shall flitt away.
The just meane while shall in Jehovah's presence
Play, sing, and daunce. Then unto him, I say,
Unto our God, nam'd of eternall essence,
Present your selves with song, and daunce, and play.

Prepare his path, who throned on delightes,
Doth sitt a father to the orphan sonne:
And in her cause the wronged widow rights,
God in his holy house late here begun.
With families he empty houses filleth,
The prisoners chaines are by his hands undone:
But barren sand their fruitlesse labour tilleth,
Who crossing him rebelliously doe runn.

O God, when thou in desert didst appeare,
What time thy folk that uncouth journey tooke:
Heav'n at thy sight did sweat with melting feare,
Earth bow'd her trembling knee, Mount Sinay shook.
The land bedew'd; all wants by thee restored,
That well thy people might the country brook,
As to a fold with sheep in plenty stored,
So to their state thy shepherds care did look.

There, taught by thee, in this tryumphant song,
A virgin army did their voices try:
Fled are these kings, fled are these armyes strong:
We share the spoiles that weake in howse did ly.
Though late the chymney made your beauties loathed,
Now shine you shall, and shine more gracefully,
Then lovely dove in cleare gold-silver cloathed,
That glides with feathered oare through wavy sky.

For when God had (that this may not seeme strange)
Expeld the kings with utter overthrow,
The very ground her mourning, clouds did change
To weather cleare, as cleare as Salmon snow.
Basan, huge Basan, that soe proudly standest,
Scorning the highest hills as basely low,
And with thy top soe many tops commandest,
Both thou, and they, what makes ye brave it so?

This mountainett, not you, doth God desire:
Here he entends his lodging plott to lay:
Hither Jehovah will him self retyre
To endlesse rest, and unremoved stay.
Here twice ten thousand, doubled twice he holdeth,
Of hooked chariotts, clad in warrs array:
And hence more might, more majesty unfoldeth,
Then erst he did from Sinay mount display.

Ascended high, immortall God thou art,
And captyves store thou hast led up with thee,
Whose gathered spoiles to men thou wilt impart:
Nay, late thy rebells, now thy servants bee.
Blest be the Lord, by whom our bliss encreaseth,
The God of might by whom we safety see:
God, our strong God, who us each way releaseth,
And ev'n through gates of death conducts us free.

God of his enimies the heads shall wound,
And those proud lookes that stiff in mischief go,
From Basan safe, and from the deepe undrownd,
I brought thee once, and oft I will do so.
This said by hym, thy foote in bloud was. stained,
Thy doggs tongues died in bloud of slaughtred foe:
And God, my king, men saw thee entertained
In sacred house with this tryumphant show.

In vantgard marcht, who did with voices sing:
The rereward lowd on instruments did play:
The battaile maides, which did with tymbrells ring:
And all, in sweete consort, did jointly say:
Praise God, the Lord, of Jacob you descended,
Praise him upon each solemn meeting day:
Benjamin, little but with rule attended,
Judah's brave lordes, and troupes in faire array.

Stout Nepthaly with noble Zabulon:
And sith our might thy bidding word did make,
Confirme, O God, what thou in us hast done,
From out thy house, and that for Salems sake.
So kings bring giftes, so in thee check Their ending
These furious wanton bulls, and calves shall take
These arrow-armed bands, which us offending,
Are now soe ready warr to undertake.

They shall bring silver stooping humbly low,
Egipts greate peeres with homage shall attend:
And Æthiop with them shall not forslow
To God with speed like service to commend.
Then kingdoms all to God present your praises,
And on the Lord your singing gladnes spend:
Above the heav'n of heav'ns his throne he raises,
And thence his voice, a voice of strength doth send.

Then of all strength acknowledge God the well,
With brave magnificence and glory bright
Shining no less on loved Israeli,
Then showing in the cloudes his thundring might,
Thou from the shryne where Jacob thee adoreth,
All folk, O God, with terror dost affright:
He (prais'd be he) with strength his people storeth,
His force it is in which their forces fight.