Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

Chapter 8: Psalms 131–150

255

Psalm 144 with Mary Sidney Herbert – God’s Protection Praised be the Lord of might, my rock in all alarms, by whom my hands do fight, my fingers manage arms.

My grace, my guard, my fort, on whom my safety stays, 1 to whom my hopes resort by whom my realm obeys. Lord what is man that thou should’st tender so his fare? 2 What hath his child to bow thy thoughts unto his care? Whose nearest kin 3 is nought, no image of whose days more lively can be thought, than shade that never stays. Lord bend thy arched skies with ease to let thee down; and make the storms arise from mountain’s fuming 4 crown, Let follow flames from sky, to back their stoutest stand; 5 let fast thy arrows fly, dispersing thickest band. 6

1 Stays – rests 2 Tender so his fare – have such regard for his welfare 3 Kin – relative 4 Fuming – smoking 5 Stoutest stand – strongest display of power 6 Band – group of men