The Song of Abraham and Sarah.
Come on then, let us now begin to sing
with hearts in one accord,
The praises of the sovereign heavenly king
our only God and Lord.
His only hand doth give us whatsoever
We have, or shall hereafter have for ever.
It is only he that doth maintain
the he aven that is so hie,
So large in compass and in space so main:
and eke the starry sky,
The course whereof he stablished hath so sure,
That ay withouten fail it doth endure.
The scorching heat of summer he doth make,
the harvest and the spring:
And winters cold that maketh folk to quake,
in season he doth bring.
Both wethers, fair, and foul, both sea & land,
Both night and day be ruled by his hand.
Alas good Lord! and what are we that thou
⟨p. 5⟩didst choose and entertain
Only us of all the world, and now
doth safely us maintain
So long a time from all the wicked routs
In town & country where we come throughout
Thou of thy goodness drewest us away
from places that are given
To serve false gods: and at this present day
hast wanderingly us driven,
To travel still among a thousand dangers,
In nations unto whom we be but strangers.
The land of Egypt in our chiefest need
thou madst to have a care,
Thy servants bodies to maintain and feed
with fine and wholesome fare,
And in the end compelledst pharaoh,
Full sore against his will, to let us go.
Four mighty Kings that were already gone
away with victory,
I overtook and put to flight anon
before they could me spy.
And so I saw the fields all stained red
With blood of those which through my sword lay dead.
From God received well this benefit:
For he doth mind us still,
As his deer friends in whom he doth delight,
⟨p. 6⟩and we be sure he will,
Perform us all things in dew time and place,
As he hath promised of his own free grace.
To us and unto our posterity
this land belongs of right,
To hold in honour and felicity
as God it hath behight,
And we believe it surely shall be so,
For from his promise God will never go.
Now tremble you ye wicked wights therefore,
which sowed are so thick
Throughout the world, & worship now such store
of gods of stone and stick,
which you your selves with wicked hands do carve,
To call upon and vainly for to serve.
The Song of Abraham and Sara.
Come on then, let vs now begin to sing
with hartes in one accord,
The prayses of the souerein heauenly king
our onely God and Lord.
His onely hand doth giue vs whatsoeuer
We haue, or shall hereafter haue for euer.
It is alonly he that doth mainteine
the he auen that is so hie,
So large in compasse and in space so mayne:
and eke the starrie skie,
The course whereof he stablisht hath so sure,
That ay withouten fayle it doth endure.
The skorching heate of sommer he doth make,
the haruest and the spring:
And winters cold that maketh folke to quake,
in season he doth bring.
Both wethers, faire, and fowle, both sea & land,
Both night and day be ruled by his hand.
Alas good Lord! and what are we that thou
⟨p. 5⟩didst choose and enterteyne
Alonly vs of all the world, and now
doth safely vs mainteine
So long a time from all the wicked rowtes
In towne & coūtry where we come throughouts
Thou of thy goodnes drewest us away
from places that are giuen
To serue false gods: and at this present day
hast wandringly vs driuen,
To trauell still among a thowsand daungers,
In nacions vnto whom we be but straungers.
The land of Egypt in our chiefest neede
thou madst to haue a care,
Thy seruants bodies to mainteine and feede
with fine and wholsom fare,
And in the ende compelledst pharao,
Full sore against his will, to let vs goe.
Foure mightie Kinges that were already gon
away with victorie,
I ouertooke and put to flight anon
before they could me spie.
And so I saw the feeldes all stained red
With blud of those which through my sword lay dead.
From God receiued well this benefite:
For he doth mind vs still,
As his deere freendes in whom he doth delight,
⟨p. 6⟩and we be sure he will,
Performe vs all thinges in dew time and place,
As he hath promist of his owne free grace.
To vs and vnto our posteritie
this land belongs of right,
To hold in honor and felicitie
as God it hath behight,
And we beleue it surely shall be so,
For from his promise God will neuer goe.
Now tremble you ye wicked wights therefore,
which sowed are so thicke
Throughout ye world, & worship now such store
of gods of stone and sticke,
which you your selues wt wicked hāds do carue,
To call vpon and vainly for to serue.
