Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PSALM 104, by OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PSALM 104, by                    
First Line: Make, o my soul, the subject of thy song
Last Line: Prayse him, whom bands of time nor age can binde.


Make, O my Soul, the subject of Thy Song
Th'Eternall Lord! O Lord, O God of might
To Thee to Thee all Royall pomps belong
Cloathed art Thou in state and glory bright
For what is else this eye-delighting light
But unto Thee a Garment wide and long?
The Vaulted heaven, but a Curtain right
A Canopy Thou over Thee hast hung?

The Rafters that his Parlors roof sustain
In chev'ron he on chrystall waters binds
He on the winds, he on the clouds doth reign,
Riding on clouds, and walking on the winds
Whose winged blasts his Word as ready finds
To post for him as Angels of his traine
As to effect the purposes he minds
He makes no lesse the flamy fiür faine.

By him the earth a stedfast base doth beare
And stedfast so, as time, nor force can shake
Which once round waters garment-like did weare
And hills in Seas did lowly lodging take
But seas from Hills a swift descent did make
When swelling high by Thee they chidden were
Thy thunders' rore did cause their conduits quake
Hastning their hast with spurr of hasty feare.

So waters fled, so mountains high did rise
So humble vallys deeply did descend
All to the place Thou didst for them devise
When bounding Seas, with unremoved end
Thou bad'st they should themselves no more extend
To hide the Earth, which now unhidden lyes
Yet from the Mountains rocky sides didst send
Springs whispring murmurs, Rivers roaring cryes.

Of these the beasts, which on the plains do feed
All drink their fill, with these their thirst allay
The Asses wild, and all that wildly breed
By these in their self-chosen mansions stay
The free-born fowles, which through the empty way
Of yeilding aire wafted with wingy speed
To Art-like notes of nature-tuned lay
Make eareless bushes give attentive heed.

Thou, Thou of heav'n the Windows dost unclose
Dewing the mountains with Thy Bountys raine
Earth great with young her longing doth not loose
The hopefull plowman hopeth not in vain
The vulgar grasse, wherof the beast is faine
The rarer Herb man for himself hath chose
All things in brief, that life in life maintain
From Earths Old bowells fresh and yongly growes.

Thence Wine, the Counterpoyson unto Care
Thence Oyle, whose juice unplaits the folded brow
Thence bread, Our best, I say not daintyest Fare
Prop yet of hearts, which else would weakly bow
Thence Lord Thy leaved people budd and blow
Whose Princes Thou Thy Cedars dost not spare
A fuller Draught of Thy cupp to allow
That highly raysd above the rest they are.

Yet highly raysd, they do not proudly scorn
To give small byrds an humble entertain
Whose brickle neasts are on their branches born
While in the firrs tyhe storks a lodging gain
So highest hills rock loving goates sustain
And have their heads with climbing traces worn
That safe in rocks the Conyes may remain
To yeild them caves, their rocky ribbs are torn.

Thou make'st the Moon the Empresse of the Night
Hold constant Course with most unconstant face
Thou makest the Sun the Chariotman of light
Well know the start and stopp of dayly race
When he doth sett, and night his beames deface
To rome abroad Wood burgesses delight
Lions I meane, who roaring all that space
Seem then of Thee to crave their food by right.

When he retires, they all from field retire
And lay them down in Cave their home to rest
They rest, man stirrs to winn a Workman's hire
And works till sun have wrought his way to West
Eternall Lord, who Greatest art and Best
How I amaz'd Thy mighty Works admire
Wisdom in them hath evry part possest
Wherto in me no Wisdom can aspire

Behold the Earth, How there thy bountys flow
Look on the sea extended hugely wide
What watry troopes swymm, creep and crawle and go
Of great and small on that, this evry side
There the sayl-winged ships on waves do glyde
Sea monsters there their plays and pasttimes show
And all at once in seasonable tide
Their hungry eyes on Thee their feeder throw.

Thou givst, they take, Thy hand itself displayes
They filled feel the plentys of Thy hand
All darkned ly deprived of Thy rayes
Thou takest their breath not one can longer stand
They dy they turn to former dust and sand
Till Thy life giving spirit do mustering rayse
New companys to reinforce each band
Which still supplyed, never whole decayes.

So may it, O, So may it ever go
Jehovas Works, his glorious gladnes be
Who touching mountains, mountains smoking grow
Who eyeing Earth, Earth quakes with qivering knee
As for my self, my seely self in me
While life shall last in song his Worth to show
I framed have a resolute decree
And thankfull be, till being I forgo.

O that my song might good acceptance find
How should my heart in Great Jehova joy!
O that some plague this Irreligious kind
Ingrate to God would from the earth destroy
Meane while my soul uncessantly employ
To high Jehovas prayse my mouth and mind
Nay all, since all his benefitts enjoy
Prayse him, whom bands of time nor age can binde.





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