Englands Parliamentary Chronicle, Paraphrase – Imprimatur
THE SONG of MOSES: PARAPHRASTICALLY And Metrically applyed to our Preſent-Purpoſe.
AS A Preparative whereunto, let mee beſeech every Religious Reader of this Parliamentary Chronicle, to rouſe up his Soule and raiſe up his Spirit, with this fervent and affectionate ejaculation of holy David, that Sacred and Sugred Singer of Iſrael.
Pſal. 57. 7, 8, 9, 10. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed, I will ſing and give Praiſe. Awake up, my Glory, awake, Pſaltery and Harp! Yea, I my ſelf will awake, right early. I will praiſe thee, O Lord, among the People, I will ſing unto thee among the Nations. For, thy Mercy is great unto the Heavens; And thy Truth reacheth unto the Clouds.
THE Song of Moſes, paraphraſtically applyed in Meeter, to our preſent purpoſe.
IF ever Moſes had juſt cauſe to ſing
The high-tun'd praiſes of heavens glorious King,
When God his Iſrael out of Egypt brought
And with ſtrong Arme and mighty Wonders wrought,
Them, from tyrannicall Tax-maſters freed,
And their Deliverance, (long before decreed)
Had, now, completely brought to paſſe, with Fame,
And all his People gladly ſaw the ſame;
Themſelves ſecure on Land, their Foes all drown'd,
And they had (thus) Gods Promiſe faithfull found:
Then, ſure, as juſtly, it to us belongs
With as enlarged-hearts to ſing ſuch Songs;
Even us, I ſay, Gods Engliſh-Iſrael,
It ev'ry-way befits, becomes, as well,
To magnifie and Omnifie Heavens name,
And with inceſſant ſounds of Trumps of Fame,
With Voice and Verſe, with tongues and hands and hearts
Triumphantly to put forth our beſt-Parts;
And with God-pleaſing Moſes, thus, to ſing
The endleſſe praiſe of heavens eternall King.
The Song.
SIng praiſe, ſing praiſe unto Jehovah high,
For, hee hath triumphed, moſt gloriouſly,
O're all our foes; The horſe and Rider, Hee
Hath tumbled down to deepeſt miſery.
Yea, all the rotten-Rout… of Romaniſts,
Papiſts and Prelates, Atheiſts, Royaliſts,
And mad-Malignants, voyd of Grace or Senſe,
To whom, God, now, hath made juſt recompenſe.
The Lord is our ſure-ſtrength and pleaſant-Song.
And unto him, yea, him alone belong
The precious praiſe of our Salvation ſweet,
Hee is our God, let us (as is moſt meet)
Prepare, for him, a holy Habitation
Who is our God, yea, God of all our Nation.
Let us make holy-haſte to edifie,
His glorious Church, in worſhips purity.
For, ſure, the Lord's a Man of War moſt ſtout
The Lord God is his Name, the world throughout;
The proudeſt Princes that againſt him roſe,
The ſtrongeſt, ſtouteſt hoſts of furious foes,
With all their boldeſt, braveſt Captains, Hee
Hath drown'd and drencht in Seas of miſery;
And, like a Stone, made them ſink deep and fall,
Death and deſtruction hath them ſwallowed all.
The Right hand of the Lord is moſt Victorious,
The Right hand of the Lord is ſtrong and glorious:
And full of Power, and Might, and Majeſty,
To daſh in peices each proud Enemy.
And in the Greatneſſe of thy glorious Might
Thou haſt o're thrown all that againſt Thee fight,
And mad'ſt their ſwelling Pride, but as a Bubble,
And by thy Wrath conſumedſt them like ſtubble;
And with thy Noſtrills eaſie Breath and Blaſt,
The ſwelling Waves were, like great Banks, up caſt,
And made, on heaps, to ſtand up, like a Wall,
And, ſo congealed that they could not fall:
And when thine Enemies, which ſaw this ſight,
(Stuft and ſtirr'd up with rancour, rage, and ſpight)
Said, in themſelves; So, ſo; I'le, now, purſue,
I'le overtake, and make them All to rue,
I will divide the ſpoile, and ſatisfie
My utmoſt Luſt upon them, till they dye,
I'le draw my Sword, and quickly them deſtroy,
My hand ſhall bring them all to dire annoy:
And thus, O thus, did ou… proud Enemies
Reſolve, o're us, to trea… and tyrannize,
All England, Scotland, Ireland quite to foil,
And 'mongſt themſelves, ſoon, to divide the Spoil;
But, in the midſt of their inſulting Pride,
The Lord Jehovah blew, brought back the tyde,
Turn'd all thoſe Watery Walls to liquid Waves,
And made the Ocean the eternall-graves,
Of all his Iſraels foes, who ſank, like Lead,
Into the Seas vaſte depth, till they were dead.
O, therefore, who (Great God) in like to Thee?
Who, 'mongſt all gods, to Thee compar'd may bee?
In Holineſſe moſt glorious, and in Praiſe,
Moſt fearfull, Working Wonders in our dayes!
When Thou thy powerfull Right hand ſtretcheſt out,
Thou mak'ſt the Earth devour thy Foes moſt ſtout;
But, Thou, in thy rich Grace doſt lead along
Thy Choſen Flock, and them redeem'ſt from wrong;
And, in thy ſtrength, doſt them moſt ſafely guide,
And, in thy holy Habitation hide.
The Heathens ſhall this hear and bee afraid,
With woe ſhall Paleſtina bee diſmaid;
The Dukes of Edom ſhall aſtoniſht bee,
And, when as Moabs mighty Men ſhall ſee
Gods mighty Wonders, they ſhall tremble All,
The Canaanites ſhall moulder, melt and fall.
Even France and Spain, and Rome and Denmark bold,
Shall bee amaz'd when they the things behold,
Which God hath d…ne for England, Scotland, and
Malignants all ſhall thus aſtoniſht ſtand;
And, fear and dread ſhall them ſoon overtake,
And Gods ſtrong Arm, as ſtill as Stones them make;
Till all thy People (Lord) paſſe over free,
Till they paſſe over, purchaſed by Thee;
Till Thou haſt brought them in, and planted, ſure,
Ʋpon thy holy Mountain to endure;
In thine Inheritance, thy precious Place,
Which, Thou, O Lord, haſt made, full fraught with Grace,
And heav'nly Glory, where Thy Self doth dwel,
Thy Sanctuary, where all joyes excell;
By thine own export Hand moſt rarely made
To all Eternity eſtabliſht, ſtaide,
Where, Thou, O Lord, moſt gloriouſly doſt Reign,
And ſhalt for ever, evermore remain.
For why? proud Pharaoh's Horſe and Chariots All,
His daring Horſemen, Riders ſtrong and tall,
Into the Sea, audaciouſly, did enter,
And, durſt into the Deep, moſt proudly venter,
But, ſodainly, the Lords great Blaſt did blow,
And all the Waves and Floods did backward flow;
And drench and drown them All, in Iſraels eye,
Whil…, This his People paſſed over dry.
Thus (as ſaid Jethro) in the very Thing
Wherein they proudly dealt, heavens glorious King,
Was admirably farre above them All,
And into utter Ruine made them fall.
And, thus (may I ſay) Englands glorious King,
To whom (ſo juſtly) wee theſe praiſes ſing,
Hath wondrouſly declar'd unto us All,
That, in the Things intended for our thrall,
By our Papiſtick, Atheiſtick Foes,
The Lord Jehovah, farre above them roſe,
And tumbled them into the Pit which they
Had digg'd, as deep as Hell, for our decay.
For this, O Lord, this great deliverance,
Our Soules, our Songs Thy Praiſe doe thus advance;
For this ſo great, ſo gracious Love, O Lord,
Our Hearts and Tongues thy Praiſes doe record:
For this ſo mighty Mercy, glorious King,
For evermore wee will thy Praiſes ſing,
And tell our Childrens Children of the ſame,
That they, when wee are dead, may blaze thy Fame,
To their Poſterity, for evermore;
O ſing aloud all Laud and Praiſe, therefore,
Advance, O England, then, thy cordiall-voyce,
To Heav'ns great King, who makes us thus rejoyce.
Omnis Gloria ſolius eſt Domini.
FINIS.
Imprimatur,
Ja. Cranford. Aprill 4. 1646.