Meditations Concerning Prayers for the Safety of England, Song
A ſpirituall ſong to the praiſe of Almightie God, for deliuering ENGLAND from the Spaniards.
By P. Turner Doctor of Phiſicke.
… Hadſt yu not watcht (ô lord) our coaſts to keep,
… And hadſt not thou wel warded al our bounds,
… Our cruell foes had caught vsus all a ſleep,
… And ſonck our ſhips & ſackt our hauen towns.
All laud therefore, from heart we yeeld to thee,
That hideſt not thy face from thine at neede,
But doeſt ſtill ſtand by them as now we ſee,
When bloudy foes do think them out to weede.
Hadſt thou not bin our Queene had bin no more,
And ſlauiſh yoke had all our necks oppreſt,
None ſhould hauehave taught, or followed thy lore,
Hadſt thou not bin who could hauehave this redreſt.
All laude therfore that heart can think or yeeld.
Be vntounto thee O Father deere for aie,
That waſt to vsus ſo ſtrong a fence and ſhield,
And of thy goodnes kept vsus from decaie.
Hadſt thou not bin, then had the man of ſin,
Set vp himſelfe, thy Church to ouerthrow,
And then what caſe had all thy ſaints bin in?
But thou O Lord wouldſt not let it be ſo.
O all the powers both of our ſoule and minde,
Sing laude and praiſe both now and euermore,
To our good God that was and is ſo kinde,
And hath repeld the Lion from our dore.
Hadſt thou not made thy windes for vsus to fight,
Hadſt thou not ſtretched forth for vsus thy hand,
Hadſt thou not put our proud foes all to flight,
O what ſhould then hauehave come to this our land.
All praiſe therefore to thee O Lord our God,
That letteſt thus thy mercies great appeare,
In ſauing vsus from cruell forraigne rod,
The Spaniſh Fleete and force that was ſo neare.
Hadſt thou not ouerwhelmde our foes with flouds,
Hadſt thou not cauſde the ſeas to be their graues,
Then had our ſtreetes bin died with our blouds,
And all our babes bin marked for their ſlaues.
Moſt humble thankes therefore vntounto thy grace,
With one accord we giuegive O God aboue,
Who thus haſt kept vsus from the Spaniſh race,
And let vsus taſt thy mercies and thy louelove.
And hadſt not thou vsus ſaued from our feares,
And heard the cries that ſtrangers made to thee,
In ſteede of Pſalmes we had now offred teares,
And ſlaine at once had bin both they and wee.
For ſauing vsus therefore from all theſe wrongs,
All laude to thee O our moſt holy King,
Who thus didſt turne our faſtings into ſongs,
With all our hearts we all vntounto thee ſing.
From high to lowe we muſt and doe confeſſe,
If thou hadſt let thoſe plagues on vsus to light,
Such are our ſinnes, and ſuch our wickedneſſe,
Thou hadſt done well, and we had had but right.
But Lord what thankes can ſinfull man deuiſe,
(whoſe thoghts & deeds cā ſtād him in no ſteed)
To offer thee, but thou maiſt them deſpiſe?
None none O God as of our ſelues indeed.
But therefore Lord, as at thy ſonnes requeſt,
Thou haſt vsus kept, and ſaued from all woe,
So for his ſake whom thou accepteſt beſt,
Accept the thankes which we doe yeelde alſo.
FINIS.
End of the text · Oliver Pigg, Meditations Concerning Prayers for the Safety of England (1589)