"O God, thou cast us out" is an example of the full verse anthem. These generally are written giving the chorus a dominant role. They usually alternate a flexible homophonic texture with an imitative one, and are full of harmonic expressiveness of the text. The text of this anthem is taken from Psalm 60 and is extremely penitential and heart rending; the subject is damnation. Purcell set it to two trios of voices or six soloists; two trebles, countertenor, tenor, and two basses, and a six part choir. The texture is strongly imitative throughout and the harmonies, resulting from the six part texture, are extremely rich. There are two main choral sections, one at the beginning and one at the close. In the center is a verse in which the two trios sing back and forth to one another, and then unite in a six part texture.

We are cast out at the opening to an angular melody and we are "scattered abroad" to a scattering movement in the melody. God is "displease" to an ever more intense harmonic language that builds.

"Thou hast moved the land" is set in a smoothly homophonic style that is for the alto, soprano, and bass voices. The trebles enter over an octave above them on a second theme and with insistent dissonance they cry "Heal the sores thereof". The harmonies become more complex and compelling.

There is a break back to triple time homophony as the singers pray "Be thou our help." The bottom voices interchange with the upper, and then meld into one texture. The full chorus closes the anthem on a striding descending theme full of power and might. God "treads down our enemies" with a descending scaler theme that is full of force.

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