Thus see we, that what so ever the old Poets have written in ti mes past concerning the excellency of the music of their Minstrels, it is altogether nothing else than a very type, figure, cloud & shadow of this our Minstrel David, which doth y• very same thing in deed, which they feigned in words. So that all the glory & praise of true Music ought of right only to redound unto our most excellent Musician David. And although he showeth himself a very perfect Musician & conning Minstrel in all his other songs & Psalms, yet me think in this our Psalm he far excelleth & almost overcometh himself, his Harp soundeth so pleasantly & his song is so full of most sweet & delectable harmony. Neither doth he entreat of vain, childish, light ⟨image 6⟩& trifling things, but of serious, 1grave, earnest & weighty matters. For he singeth of faith, of the confession of his faith, of good works of the cross, trouble & affliction, of the vanity & naughtiness of man, of the benefits of God, of the inuo cation & calling on the name of y• LORD, of the vows to be performed unto the LORD before his people, of the death of Saints and how precious it is in the sight of God, of the free deliverance from Satan, sin, death, hell, desperation. &c. through Christ, of the Sacrifice of praise, and, as I may at the last make an end, of the right institution of a Christen mans life in this world. What song may be compared unto this our song? What Harp maketh so goodly & pleasant melody, as this Harp of David doth? Let all minstrels give place to this our Minstrel. Let all Harps ⟨image 7⟩& other musical instruments be silent & hold their peace, when Davids harp entereth & cometh in place. Let all songs be banished, when Davids Psalms be song. For what so ever David singeth, it is excellent & incomparable. He with 2his songs exciteth, provoketh & en flameth the minds of the faithful & diligent hearers unto the love & desire not of transitory but of heavenly things. He comforteth the comfortless. He exhorteth the sinner unto amendment of life. He lifteth up the desperate unto the hope of God's mercy. He corroborateth & maketh strong the weak. He healeth the diseased. He raiseth up the dead unto life. He maketh the sad merry. He exhilarateth & rejoiceth y• merely disposed.
Thus se we, that what so euer the olde Poetes haue wrytten in ti mes past cōcernyng ye excellency of ye musike of theyr Minstrelles, it is altogither nothīg elles than a very type, figure, cloud & shadow of this our Mynstrell Dauid, which doth y• very same thynge in dede, which they fayned in wordes. So that al the glory & prayse of true Musyke ought of ryght only to redowne vn to oure moost excellente Musicion Dauid. And althoughe he sheweth hymselfe a very perfecte Musicion & connynge Mynstrell in all his other sōges & Psalmes, yet me thīke in this our Psalme he farre excelleth & almoste ouercōmeth himself, his Harpe soundeth so pleasauntly & his songe is so ful of moost swete & delectable armony. Neither doth he entreate of vayne, childish, lyght ⟨image 6⟩& tryflynge thiges, but of serious, 1graue, earnest & weyghty matters. For he syngeth of fayth, of the confession of his fayth, of good workes of the crosse, trouble & affliccion, of the vanitie & noughtynes of man, of the benefites of God, of the inuo cacion & callynge on the name of y• LORDE, of the vowes to be performed vnto the LORDE before his peo ple, of the deathe of Saynctes and howe precious it is in the syght of God, of the free delyueraunce from Satan, synne, death, hell, desperacion. &c. thorowe Christ, of the Sacrifice of prayse, and, as I maye at the last make an ende, of the ryghte institucion of a Christen mans life in this worlde. What songe may be cōpared vnto this our song? What Harpe maketh so goodly & plesaūte melodye, as this Harpe of Dauid doth? Let all mynstrels gyue place to this our Mynstrel. Let all Harpes ⟨image 7⟩& other musicall instrumentes be silente & holde theyr peace, whan Dauids harpe entreth & cōmeth in place. Let all songes be banysshed, whan Dauids Psalmes be songe. For what so euer Dauid syngethe, it is excellent & incōparable. He wt 2his songes exciteth, prouoketh & en flameth ye myndes of the faythefull & diligent hearers vnto the loue & desyre not of trāsitory but of heauē ly thynges. He conforteth the conforteles. He exhorteth the synnner vnto amendmēt of lyfe. He lyfteth vp the desperate vnto the hoope of Goddes mercy. He corroborateth & maketh stronge the weake. He healeth the diseased. He rayseth vp the dead vnto lyfe. He makethe the sad mery. He exhilarateth & reioycethe y• merely disposed.
- 1Note how many godly & goodly things are entreated of in this Psalm.Note howe many godly & goodly thynges are entreated of in thys Psalme.
- 2Behold what David doth.Beholde what Dauid doth.
