Psalms and Hymns of Prayer and Thanksgiving.  
MADE By WILLIAM BARLOW, Bishop of Lincoln, For his own Chapel and Family only.  Dulcis apud Deum Cantor est vir probus, quamuis sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. HIERON. in Epist. ad Eph. 
1613.   

THE CONTENTS.  

THe Penitents Confession. Page 1  
The Sinners Confidence. 4  
Our saviours birth. 6  
Nouembers Thanksgiving. 12  
Christ's Resurrection. 17  
A Psalm for the King's Majesty, on the 24. of March. 24    

PROPER PSALMS.  

The Penitents Confession.  
To the tune of the 51. Psalm.  

The first part.  

THy mercy, Lord, I wholly need,  
Yet dare not crave it at thine hands;  
Thou sayst his prayers shall not speed,  
who is entrapped in sinful bands:  
Can I then hope, or boldly come,  
which nothing am but filth and sin;  
Polluted from my mother's womb,  
in thought, in life, without, within?   

2  
Thy glory doth amaze me quite,  
consuming fire thou seem'st to me;  
I fear and quake before thy sight,  
mine heart doth faint, approaching thee:  
Thine anger hot against sinners is,  
their sacrifice thou dost detest;  
The cleansed hands, no thoughts amiss,  
the purest life, do please thee best.   

3  
How dare I then to th' Heavens high,  
or Thee which sittest in glory there,  
Once look, or lift my sinful eye,  
whose heart, whose thoughts, whose hands uncleere,  
Corrupt, defiled, distained are,  
most loathsome (which myself must rue)  
If once my conscience do not spare  
to lay them open unto my view?   

4  
The guilt, the filth, the weight of sin,  
affrights, confounds, and makes me sink:  
Dismay, shame, sorrow, never linne,  
but force me to the hopeless brink:  
Thy wrath I fear, thine eyes I shun,  
myself I loathe, mine heart I break:  
If mercy fail, I am undone,  
here must I die, here must I wreak.   

5  
But why should I doubt of thy grace,  
or dread thy mercies sweet to crave,  
Since thou desirest to turn thy face  
on him which would thy mercies have?  
In judgement thou dost not delight,  
much grieving at a sinners fall,  
And tak'st it for despair or spite,  
if fallen, he will not on thee call.    

The second part.  

TO Moses (Lord) thou dost proclaim  
the self long-suffering, loath to strike:  
Thy Prophets all assure the same,  
that death of men thou dost not like:  
Yea, thou expectest their return,  
and call'st upon them thee to seek:  
Thou profer'st grace to men forlorn,  
and showst thyself a God most meek.   

2  
But were thy proffers none at all,  
or Prophets silent were herein:  
No more assurance could befall,  
then that thy Son did die for sin.  
Thy dearest Son, our Saviour kind,  
that spotless Lamb, the mighty God,  
The scorn, yet ransom of mankind;  
which felt, and broke thy furious rod.   

3  
In vain thou didst not down him send,  
so to afflict his body dear,  
His blood to spill, his flesh to rend,  
his side to pierce, his head to tear:  
Such torments he hath not endured,  
for his own faults in any deal:  
Man's safety he thereby procured,  
for by his stripes he did us heal.   

4  
His blood was price of ransom large,  
and bathe to cleanse my sinful soul,  
Admit that price for my discharge,  
purge through that bath what's in me foul:  
Grant me thy spirit, that pledge of grace,  
t'assure my heart of mercy come:  
Forgive, forbear, forget, out-raze,  
my sin, thy wrath, my guilt, thy doom.   

5  
Make soft this stony heart of mine,  
t'embrace thy word, to melt with grief;  
This flesh corrupt reform betime,  
lest sins adjourned find no relief:  
To all thy mercies I resort,  
vouchsafe them all on me to send,  
Prevent my fall, my ways support,  
assist my course, and crown mine end.  
To thee then blessed Trinity, 
Bis.   
O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost;  
My soul shall say in verity,  
thou God delight'st in mercies most.     

The Sinners Confidence.  
To the tune of the 124. Psalm.  

O Lord thou hast  
commanded men to pray,  
And promise given  
to hearken what they say;  
Most specially,  
when that they troubled be:  
(The troubled mind  
most welcome is to thee)  
I troubled pray,  
but prayers nought comfort me.   

2  
I pray and sin,  
and sin and pray amain;  
I sin and pray,  
and pray, but sin again:  
O God what will  
become of me poor wight?  
If thou shouldst judge  
according unto right;  
Damned should I be,  
and cast out of thy sight.   

3  
'tis true, if thou  
no mercy shouldst extend;  
My hopes were vain,  
in vain my prayers I spend:  
But since thou (Lord)  
whilst not a sinner die,  
I dare approach  
and to thy mercies fly,  
Assuring me  
my sins thou wilt pass by.   

4  
Not for myself,  
who wretched sinner am;  
To whom belongs  
nought but confounding shame:  
But for the death  
of thy beloved Son,  
Without whose blood  
mankind had been undone:  
By it alone,  
my soul her peace hath won.   

5  
Then pray my soul,  
but cease again to sin;  
At least delight  
not (wilfully) therein:  
So think of grace,  
that thou God's judgement fear:  
Sin he abhors,  
though sinners he forbear:  
To him be praise,  
his Son, and Spirit most dear.    

Our saviours birth.  

The first part.  

IF any day (Lord) shined to man,  
wherein thy power and love  
Conjoined for good of all the word,  
a Father thee to prove:  
'Twas Christmas day, 
* that  this blessed day,  
which 
‡ oft  now we celebrate,  
When God for man ' came God and man,  
hell's fury to abate.   

2  
A day which puts us all in doubt,  
what first we should admire:  
Thy love, or grace, or power divine,  
all three did here conspire:  
Exceeding love, t'abase thy Son,  
for man a worm and dust:  
But mercy more, t'incarnate him,  
for sinners and unjust.   

3  
But that he should man's flesh assume  
yet perfect God remain;  
That virgins womb should him conceive,  
yet free from touch of stain:  
This was thy power, that dazzles quite,  
all human wit and skill:  
The wise doth daunt, and sathan quell,  
who man had thought to spill.   

4  
(Lord) what is man that thou shouldst thus,  
grace and extol his nature?  
His flesh is filth, his entrails dung,  
His life a breath, a vapour.  
Thy Son true God, even as thyself,  
eternal, pure, a spirit:  
If other nature he would take,  
next was the Angels bright.   

5  
The case all one, for both had sinned,  
and Gods just wrath provoked;  
'Twas man had fallen, so Angels had,  
hell had them both enyoaked:  
To rescue Angels from their loss,  
was never his intent:  
That nature therefore he would take,  
which to redeem he meant.    

The second Part.  
To the tune of the 148 Psalm.  

YEt Angels were the chief,  
these news which did convoy;  
The virgins first belief,  
an Angel raised with joy;  
The very morn,  
an Angel told,  
And did unfold,  
when he was borne.   

2  
His name he did define,  
a Saviour, Christ the Lord;  
Confirmed it with a sign,  
which strong might make his word:  
And show'd the place,  
the manger and Inn,  
The swaths he lay in,  
his birth and race.   

3  
Those tidings to make sure,  
an host of Angels bright,  
Lift up their voices pure,  
God praising in the height:  
Assuring men  
Of Gods good will,  
And peace to their fill,  
By Christ come then.   

4  
Thus Angels which no part,  
of comfort nor release,  
Need by him incarnate,  
their joying would not cease:  
Even for man's sake,  
Who of this birth,  
Both in heaven & earth,  
The fruit should take.   

5  
Yea blazing star above,  
bright glittering in the sky,  
As Herald of God's love,  
points where the Babe doth lie.  
The Sages three,  
With odours and gold,  
(Which was foretold)  
Greet him on knee.   

6  
Unworthy then, us say,  
the name of Christ to bear,  
If that we will not weigh  
this birth, this love so dear.  
To us alone,  
This child was meant,  
This Son he was sent,  
This holy one.    

The third part.  

NOw since the benefit is ours,  
if Angels, much more we,  
Ought praises sing, which best befit  
the glorious Trinity.  
For this his incarnation strange,  
all persons three contrived,  
The Father him sent, the Son flesh took,  
by the Spirit he was conceived.   

2  
What each here did, let us the same  
perform in our degree;  
For not in tongue alone, in acts  
this birth expressed must be:  
The Father first, showed love, grace, might,  
more than we could desire,  
All which we must examples make,  
not only them admire.   

3  
Since God on high loved us below,  
we ought love one another:  
The justest God released man's sins,  
man must forgive his brother.  
In one to join both God and man,  
that power exceeds our line,  
Yet in this flesh we may, we must,  
have minds, show works divine.   

4  
The second person flesh became,  
(O strange humility!)  
Th'eternal God bereaved himself  
of all sublimity.  
Avaunt all vaunt of birth, of race,  
of learning, beauty, wealth:  
Christ had all these, yet left them all,  
to work mankind his health.   

5  
The holy Ghost, the person third,  
the Virgin pure infused,  
Of her was borne this happy babe,  
the Serpent's head which bruised:  
Open we our hearts to this good spirit,  
that entering by his grace,  
He may anew in us Christ form,  
sin wholly to displace.   

6  
O dreadful blessed Trinity,  
in this new birth accord,  
That infantlike, we pure may be,  
chaste, harmless, meek (O Lord:)  
Accept us (Father) for thy sons,  
us (Christ) as brethren take,  
breath life, give strength, (O holy spirit)  
us God's true children make.   

7  
O jesus sweet, whose birth us saved,  
from Satan, sin, and death,  
So break their force, that they may not  
us damn to hell beneath:  
Heaven thou forsook'st (O babe thus born)  
to make us just by thee:  
Lord with thy justice so us cloth,  
that there our place may be.   

8  
And since of heaven to make us heirs, 
Bis.   
thou took'st the flesh of man;  
Here make us sons, there crown us saints,  
sweet jesus say Amen.   
Christo nato Laus summa incarnato sola    

Nouembers Thanksgiving.  

The first part.  

SHed tears, clap hands, yield sighs, rejoice  
our mirth with throbs allay;  
The trembling and triumphing voice  
do both befit this day:  
This day, whose danger dread did make,  
whose rescue quit annoy,  
Record the one, 'twill cause us quake,  
th'escape will raise our joy.   

2  
The power of hell, the arm of Rome,  
combined themselves, ah woe!  
This day to make the day of doom,  
our State to overthrow:  
By bloody men; not men, but fiends,  
whose shape and hearts did differ.  
men's looks did harbour devils minds,  
our Church and Realm to shiver.   

3  
This Realm, which flourished had so long,  
with peace and plenty store;  
This Church, which truth had kept from wron●  
home schisms, and foreign lore:  
Yea, this was it which eaused their ruth,  
and stirred them to conspire,  
'Twas England's peace, 'twas Church's truth  
which set their rage on fire.   

4  
And rage of fire was their design,  
close couched as a net;  
When King, Queen, Prince, and Royal line,  
Peers, Prelates, Commons met:  
One train, one touch, one slash, one blow,  
One frush, one hoist, one hour:  
Had finished what they did fore-trow,  
and crushed the lands whole power.   

5  
Our Realm made headless, void of guide,  
our State confusion mere,  
Our Land a prey on every side,  
the Gospel banished clear:  
Our streets with clamour had been filled,  
our streams had run blood red:  
Our eyes with tears been thick distilled,  
our hearts through horror dead.   

6  
Then on this day, this dismal day,  
can we sing Psalms of gladness?  
Affrighted thoughts, deep sighs, dismay,  
this days design best witness:  
Cease we to sing, let's quake for dread,  
and tremble while we think,  
Of their so monstrous bloody read,  
who swore our Realm to sink.    

The second part.  
To the tune of the 124. Psalm.  

HAd their lewd plot,  
for death and change designed,  
Attained the end,  
which wrath and oath defined:  
No cause of joy,  
no matter were to sing;  
But war and blood,  
which horror use to bring:  
Then praised be God,  
from whom our joy did spring.   

2  
Close they conspired,  
yet he their secrets knew:  
Deep they did dig,  
and he their engines view;  
They silence swore,  
but God their silence broke:  
The oath they took  
upon their wafer cake,  
Could not beguile  
him, who doth ever wake.   

3  
Scarce durst they trust  
their tongues with what they thought,  
Much less their pens,  
what with their tongues they wrought;  
Yet their own tongues  
and pens their facts made plain,  
Their riddles dark  
gave light them to arraign,  
Even when they thought  
most sure their Powder train.   

4  
Let then no man  
lay claim to this disclose,  
It was the Lord  
alone, that kithed our foes;  
Our King inspired  
their riddle to assoil,  
Their knot to break,  
their project thus to foil:  
Such care hath God  
for Kings anoint with oil.   

5  
Great is his power  
in every rescue made:  
But this was strange,  
the plot so close was laid,  
So long held on,  
even to the very day:  
Secure were we,  
and confident were they.  
Give fire, quoth Vaux,  
Hold off, our God did say.   

6  
The knife which was  
for Izacks' throat prepared,  
Even at the touch  
was stayed, and he was spared.  
From Sodoms' fire  
Let hardly scaped free,  
Yet saved he was:  
So were the Children three:  
Like was our case,  
from death even snatched were we.   

7  
So that this day  
our Birthday we may call:  
We were not, and  
we were, at th' instant all:  
As men therefore  
joy at their children's birth,  
So sing we Psalms  
of laud, of glee, of mirth,  
To God alone,  
who guides both heaven and earth.   

8  
This day is his,  
through that deliverance strange,  
Which we among  
the solemn Feasts will range.  
O blessed God,  
thou Saviour of all men,  
Which kepst us safe  
from that prodigious den,  
Thy name be praised  
for evermore, Amen.     

Christ's Resurrection.  

The first part.  

WHat greater cause can Christians have  
th' eternal God to praise,  
Then that our Lord out of his grave  
this day himself did raise?  
Not full three days were passed when he  
was nailed unto the cross,  
Sustaining on that cursed tree,  
with scorn and pain, our loss.   

2  
His head with thorny crown was priest,  
his body's joints were stretched,  
The dearest blood out of his breast  
with javelin keen was fetched.  
His vital spirits with torture spent,  
his ghost he yielded up:  
And paid to Nature what she lent,  
by drink of deadly cup.   

3  
Dead sure he was, so taken down,  
balmed, spied, in linen bound,  
In grave was laid (not earthy mown)  
hewn out of rocks most sound,  
Which covered was with massy stone,  
sealed, grounceled, watched with men.  
Close he was couched, as fully gone,  
no life was looked for then.   

4  
The Priests 'gan scoff, the people doubt,  
th'Apostles hearts did quail,  
To see their Master thus cast out,  
their Saviour so to fail.  
We hoped, said some of them, that he  
would Israel have restored:  
And us advanced next him to be,  
our King and Sovereign Lord.   

5  
Lo, he, not minding promise made,  
lies past recovery dead:  
This day the third since he was laid  
in grave, oblivions bed.  
Yea, strongest in faith, erst fierce to fight,  
were now so unbelieving.  
Not Angels, women, men, not sight,  
persuade could he was living.   

6  
To grave they come, and find the stone  
rolled off, the clothes cast by:  
His mother tells them he is gone,  
and void the grave they spy:  
Perplexed they lurk, 'twixt hope and grief,  
expecting this event,  
Striving with faith and unbelief,  
wondering what should be meant.    

The second Part.  
To the tune of the 148 Psalm.  

IN this distress, that joy  
might fearful doubts remove;  
Himself doth news convoy,  
their faith thereby to prone:  
And saith, 'tis I,  
Be not afeard,  
'tis sooth ye have heard,  
Truth cannot lie.   

2  
Have not the Scriptures told,  
that Christ should die, and rise?  
This might have made you bold,  
were you but Scripture wise:  
The root of jesse,  
(Fast deep in the ground)  
Springs not in a stound,  
lives ne'ertheless.   

3  
Have you so soon forgot  
(O dull Disciples mine)  
The type by jonas lot,  
which I gave for a sign?  
As he in the fish,  
So I in the tomb,  
Should live as in womb  
And not perish.   

4  
In Nature's course you find  
(whereof I once foretold)  
The corn which men do grind,  
and it for bread do mould,  
It will not thrive,  
Nor the seed take birth,  
Till it rot in the earth,  
And so revive.   

5  
How oft did I it preach,  
(in words direct and plain)  
That death should me attach,  
yet I should rise again?  
Killed I must be,  
(By Elder and Scribe,  
And those of my Tribe)  
But or days three.   

6  
Yet, though you me now see,  
you take me for a spirit:  
And trembling seem to flee  
amazed and affright:  
Come near and try,  
A spirit, at once,  
Hath not flesh and bones  
As you see have I.   

7  
He willed to set him meat,  
prepared for their store,  
Which he did take and eat,  
at th'instant them before.  
Not far from brink,  
He caused their drag,  
Such fishes to lag,  
That the ship 'gan sink.   

8  
Even doubting Thomas, who  
reports would not believe,  
By touch did feel and know,  
that sure he was alive:  
The wounds accord,  
His hand in the side,  
Forced him that he cried,  
O God my Lord.    

The third part.  
To the tune of the 45. Psalm.  

CHrist jesus our Lord is raised  
from death, from grave, from hell,  
Whose bands, rot, rage (his name be praised)  
by rising he did quell.  
Though Satan thought him sure,  
when once his life was gone;  
Sopposing mankind past all cure,  
their Saviour now had done.   

2  
Yet when he found that death,  
Christ's triumph proved to be,  
The grave to save▪ descent beneath,  
make way for victory:  
He roves, he raves amain,  
but rage is more than force;  
Blunt is his sting, cut short his train,  
broke are his darts in course.   

3  
Death is by death devoured,  
and hell in hell subdued,  
The grave in grave itself is scoured,  
and sin doth sin exclude:  
O death where is the sting,  
and hell thy victory?  
Come sin, thy marshaled forces bring;  
defeated back they fly.   

4  
These once were terrors fierce,  
before their strength was broke,  
Till Christ by rising from his hearse  
did lead them all in yoke.  
Against us they may avail,  
and tempt us by surprising,  
But cannot as they will prevail,  
he lives that conquered rising.   

5  
Shall we then light-let sin,  
not eyeing Satan's lure;  
Or hell contemn; not fear deaths gin;  
do ill, and walk secure?  
No, God forbid: As he  
died, sin in us to kill:  
So did he rise again, that we  
might do his righteous will.   

6  
The end of that his rape  
was us to justify,  
That we, in heaven, sins guilt might scape,  
in earth sins acts might fly.  
Assurance eke to give,  
that though our bodies dead  
Corrupt in grave, yet raised shall live,  
and live with Christ our head.   

7  
(Lord) help us rise aright:  
first raise our faith to thee,  
Then raise our minds by thy good spirit,  
in earth heavens joys to see.  
Our souls these corpse must leave,  
these bodies lie in grave,  
Though low they lie, yet up them heave,  
both souls and bodies save.   
Amen.     

A Psalm for the King's Majesty on the 24. of March.  


O God, who powr'st on us amain  
thy blessings manifold,  
And nought requirest, but that thy name  
for them may be extolled:  
To us this day thou gav'st a King,  
our greatest worldly bliss,  
Thy praise therefore t'extol and sing,  
this day we'll never miss.   

2  
Long was this day desired to come,  
by those which did us hate,  
Full hoping that Eliza's doom,  
our land would quite amate:  
At least that thy Religion true,  
(with us so long professed)  
Into Rome's superstition new  
should then be changed, as best.   

3  
Which to effect, they plots laid down,  
by pen, by force, by slight,  
On foreign head to plant the Crown,  
through feigned pretence of right:  
Contrived there were invasions,  
by Malcontents at home,  
Who joined with other nations,  
to show their love to Rome.   

But thou which seest from heaven above,  
their complots didst deride;  
Preventing, of thy wont love,  
all harm which might betide.  
For though that Queen so from us hent,  
our hearts appalled much;  
(Whose wise courageous government  
kept us from dangers touch.)   

5  
Yet thou mad'st known thy love & might,  
conjoined for England's sake,  
In midst of darkness raising light,  
caused joy, when hearts did quake.  
No sooner was that Phoenix gone,  
but (so thou didst aread)  
In all the world survives this one,  
and he becomes our head.    

The second Part.  

THe right was his by blood, not blade,  
the womb a King him bore;  
And Nature's dower was perfect made,  
by educations lore:  
Zeal, learning, virtue, birth by kind,  
do show, to England's fame,  
That grace, art, nature, were combined  
a perfect King to frame.   

2  
King JAMES he hight, Great Britan's light,  
who powerful as the Sun,  
Doth cherish Truth with all his might,  
and errors darkness shun:  
A King, who David's praise deserves,  
framed fit to Gods own heart,  
For with his heart that God he serves,  
from whom he will not start.   

3  
Lord bless him with full length of days,  
his years let doubled be;  
Protect thou him at all assays,  
from danger quit him free:  
So tender him, as thou wouldst keep  
the apple of thine eye,  
In war, in peace, waking, asleep,  
still hold him thee fast by.   

4  
Confound his foes, not only those  
who shall rise up in arms,  
Or mischief with their tongues disclose,  
or work his outward harms:  
But also those, who in their hearts  
conceive against him ill,  
Reveal their secretest inward parts,  
before they work their will.    

The third part.  

STrength thou his hand, when, truth to seal,  
he writes, or fights against sect;  
His pen, his sword, his skill, his zeal,  
guide, edge, increase, direct.  
Vouchsafe to him that promise great,  
to David firmed for good,  
That when he long hath held his seat,  
succeed may of his blood.   

2  
His wife, our Queen, sweet CHARLES his son,  
Princess ELIZABETH  
Bless, that of them we still have one  
to reign while man hath breath.  
Our sins may shorten half his days,  
thy wrath they so incense;  
(For sinful subjects wicked ways  
good Kings oft rid from hence.)   

3  
Sins most we fear, yet least omit;  
they vex thee, us they please;  
On us them wreak, him clear acquit,  
his Throne safe guard in peace:  
Or rather, though we wrath deserve,  
two mercies join in one,  
Forgive our sins, our King preserve,  
so dread we shall have none.   

4  
Unto our prayers (Christ) 
Bis.  bend thine ear  
thou God and guide of men;  
What for ourselves, and King most dear  
we ask, grant Lord: Amen.   
FINIS.