The Songs of the Old Testament Translated into English Measures, Song 12
THE Prayer of DANIEL. Dan. 9.4.
The Argument and Vſe.
THis Prayer is written in the ninth Chapter of Daniels Prophecy: and herein, the Prophet very earneſtly beſeecheth God to be mercifull vntounto his people. The principall points conſiderable are theſe. Firſt, he confeſſeth God to be powerfull, iuſt, and mercifull, and that neuertheleſſe from the higheſt to the loweſt they had broken his lawes, and rebelled againſt him; for which, they worthily deſerued confuſion. Secondly, he aggrauateth their offences by diuers circumſtances, acknowledging, that as it is the ſame they hauehave deſerued, ſo it is the deſtruction they were forewarned of, that is come vponupon them. Thirdly, hauing acknowledged thus much, he humbly entreates, that God would be neuertheleſſe mercifull vntounto them: Firſt, in regard he had heretofore gotten glory by deliuering them: Secondly, for that they were his owne elected people: Thirdly, ſeeing they were already become a reproach vntounto their neighbours: Laſtly, euen for his owne and the Meſſiahs ſake. And all this he earneſtly entreats, (not for their owne worthineſſe, but) for the tender mercies ſake of God.
This Song may be properly ſung whenſoeuer any of thoſe particular iudgements are powred out, which the Prophets hauehave foretold ſhould be inflicted on theſe latter times; and it may be ſaid or ſung by the Church, or any member thereof (in her perſon) during any other affliction befallen her: or if we pleaſe, euen vponupon our priuate occaſions, prouided we formerly well apply it by our Meditations.
The Song.
… LOrd God almighty, great and full of feare, Who alwayes art from bre…ch of promiſe free, And neuer fayling to hauehave mercy where They doe obſerue thy lawes and honour thee. …
We hauehave tranſgreſt; oh! we, hauehave euill done.
We diſobedient and rebellious were;
For, from thy precepts we aſtray are gone,
And from thy iudgements we departed are.
We did thy ſeruants propheſies withſtand,
Who, to our Dukes, our Kings, and Fathers came,
And vntounto all the people of the land,
Proclaimed forth their meſſage in thy name.
In thee oh LORD, all righteouſneſſe haſt thou,
But open ſhame to vsus doth appertaine;
As fares it with the men of Iudah now,
And thoſe that in Ieruſalem remaine.
And to all Iſra'l, through thoſe Countries all,
In which, they far or nigh diſperſed be,
Becauſe of that tranſgreſsion, wherewithall
They hauehave tranſgreſſed and offended thee.
To vsus, our Kings, our Dukes, and Fathers doth
Diſgrace pertaine (oh LORD) for angring thee▪
Yet, mercy (LORD our God) and pardon both
To thee belongs, though we rebellious be.
For, as for vsus, we ſore hauehave diſobey'd
The Lord our God his voyce, and would not heare
To keepe his lawes, which he before vsus laid,
By thoſe his ſeruants, which his Prophet… were▪
Yea, all that of the race of Iſra'l be;
Againſt thy law extreamely hauehave miſdone:
And that they might not …iſten vntounto thee,
They from thy voice, oh LORD are backward gone;
Which makes both Curſe and Oth on them deſcend,
That in the Law of Moſes written was;
The ſeruant of that God whom we offend,
And now his ſpeeches he hath brought to paſſe.
On vsus, and on our Iudges he doth bring
That plague, wherewith he threatned vsus and them,
For vnderunder heau'n was neuer ſuch a thing
As now is acted on Ieruſalem.
As Moſes written Law doth beare record,
Now all this miſchiefe is vponupon vsus brought,
And yet we prayed not before the LORD,
That leauing ſinne, we might his Truth be taught.
For this reſpect, the LORD in wait hath laid,
That he inflict on vsus this miſchiefe might;
And ſeeing we his voyce hauehave diſobay'd.
In all his workes, the LORD our God's vpright.
But now, oh LORD our God, who from the land
Of cruell Aegypt brought thy people haſt;
And by the power of thine almighty hand,
Atchieu'd a name which to this day doth laſt:
Though we hauehave ſinned, and committed ill;
Yet LORD by all that righteouſneſſe in thee,
From thy Ieruſalem, thy holy hill,
Oh let thy wrath and anger turned be.
For by thoſe wicked things which we hauehave don,
And through our fathers ſinnes; Ieruſalem,
Yea, thine owne people hauehave the hatred won
And the reproach of all that neighbour them.
Now therefore to thy Seruant's ſuite encline,
His prayer heare our God, and let thy face,
Eu'n for the LORDS deare ſake, vouchſafe to ſhine
VponUpon thy, now forſaken, holy place.
Thine eares encline thou, oh my God, and heare;
Lift vp thine eyes, and vsus oh looke vponupon;
VsUs, who forſaken with thy Citty are,
The Citty, where thy name is called on.
For we vponupon our ſelues preſume not thus,
Before thy preſence our requeſt to make,
For any righteouſneſſe that is in vsus,
But for thy great and tender Mercies ſake.
LORD heare, forgiue oh LORD, and weigh the ſame,
Oh LORD performe it, and no more deferre,
For thine owne ſake, my God; for by thy name,
Thy Citty, and thy people called are.