All gladness gladdest hearts can hold In merryest notes that mirth can yeild Let joyfull songs to God unfold To Jacobs God our sword and shield Muster hither Musicks joyes Lute and Lyre, and Tabrets noyse Let no instrument be wanting Chasing grief, and pleasure planting When evry Month beginning takes When fixed times bring Sacred dayes When any feast his People makes Let Trumpets tunes report his Praise This to us a Law doth stand Pointed thus by Gods own hand Of his League a sign ordained When his plagues had Egypt pained There heard I, earst unheard by me The voyce of God, who thus did say Thy shoulder I from burden free Free set thy hand from baked clay Vexed Thou my aid didst crave Thunderhidd I answer gave Till the streames, where strife did move thee Still I did with tryall prove Thee I badd Thee then attentive be And told Thee thus O Israel This is my cov'nant that with Thee No false nor forreign God should dwell I am God Thy God that wrought That Thou wert from Egypt brought Open me Thy mouth to feed Thee I will care, nought else shall need Thee. But (ah!) my people scornd my voice And Israel rebelled still So then I left them to the choyse Of froward way and wayward will Why alas! why had not they Heard my voice and held my way Quickly I their foes had humbled And their haters headlong tumbled. Subdued by me, who them annoy'd Had serv'd them now in servile state And of my grant they had enjoyd A lease of blisse with endless Date Flowër of the finest wheat Had been now their plenteous meat Hony from the rocks distilled Filled hath, yea over filled. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FOR WALT WHITMAN by DAVID IGNATOW THE MAN TO BE by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON THE SLAVE TRADE: VIEW FROM THE MIDDLE PASSAGE by CLARENCE MAJOR DEAR ELIZABETH: (FOR ELIZABETH DIFIORE) by KAREN SWENSON THE SLEEP by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING THE CALM [CALME] by JOHN DONNE |