A manual of the book of Psalms · Martin Luther
PSALM LXVI.
_David exhorteth to praise God, to observe his great works, to bless him for his gracious benefits.—He voweth for himself religious service to God.—He declareth God’s special goodness to himself._ To the chief Musician, a Song _or_ Psalm. Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name; make his praise glorious. Say unto God, How terrible _art thou in_ thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. Come and see the works of God _he is_ terrible _in his_ doing toward the children of men. He turned the sea into _dry land_: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him. He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard; Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads: we went through fire and through water; but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy _place_.
I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings; I will pay thee my vows, Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. I will offer unto thee burnt-sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams: I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah. Come _and_ hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear _me_: _But_ verily God hath heard _me_; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed _be_ God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. This is a general thanksgiving, for God’s having rescued and delivered his people so often out of the hands of their enemies, and out of the very jaws of death itself; as he did at the Red Sea. The Books of Judges and Kings are full of these deliverances. These deliverances are no less great and wonderful, at this day, in the church, when God delivers those that fear him out of temptations, both internal and external. For Satan, of whom that earthly Pharaoh was so especial a type, being inflamed with so horrible a desire of distressing and destroying, daily persecutes the church: and he would, if he could, so harm every single one of the godly, and so beset them on every side, that they should see nothing but death, and an angry God: out of all these things, however, God delivers his own.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.