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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52303	David's harp strung and tuned, or, An easie analysis of the whole book of Psalms cast into such a method, that the summe of every Psalm may quickly be collected and remembred : with a devout meditation or prayer at the end of each psalm, framed for the most part out of the words of the psalm, and fitted for several occasions / by the Reverend Father in God, William ... Lord Bishop of Gloucester.	Nicholson, William, 1591-1672.	1662 (1662)	Wing N1111; ESTC R18470	729,580	564

ill men as the 4 31 37 39 52 58 68 75 77 82 84 91 92 112 119 121 128. 5. Sect. Some are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which after deliverance from danger after enemies subdued after benefits received and evils averted thanks are returned to God as 18 23 27 30 31 33 34 46 48 60 65 66 76 103 104 105 106 107 108 111 114 115 116 118 119 122 124 125 126 129 135 136 138 139 144 145 146 147 148 149 150. Sect. Lastly Some there are which are of a mixt Nature for they consist partly of prayers partly of comforts partly of thanksgiving partly of admonitions partly of doctrine partly of exhortations so that we may truly call this Book of Psalms the Epitom of the whole Bible and an absolute Anatomy of a Christian man in which whatsoever is necessary for a devout soul may be fully found 4. DE SENSU Sect. Now that we may sing these Psalms with understanding necessary it is that we do know that there is in many of them as in other Scriptures a double sense there is a literal and there is a spiritual and mystical sense and one is subservient to the other Sect. 1. The literal sense is that which the Author first intends in what words soever his mind be expressed whether proper or tropical Sect. 2. The spiritual and mystical sense is when the words being true literally in the Type yet are referr'd to another matter to Christ or the Church as the Antitype And the Reason of this diversity is because that the Old Testament was a Figure of the New and the New of our future Glory we must then in very many places of this Book look further than David have one eye upon him and another eye upon Christ our Saviour Sect. This our Prophet was so lively a Type of Christ that in divers places of the Prophets Christ is in express terms call'd David as Jer. 30. Servient Domino suo Davidi Regi suo quem suscitaberis Ezek. 47. Suscitabo inquit Dominus super ea pastorem unum qui pascat eam servum meum David Hos 3. Posthaec revertentur filii Isräel quaerent Dominum Deum suum Davidem Regem suum When then we find in the Psalms a double sense the literal and mystical that of the letter must first be found out though our mind run upon the mystical as that which is the chief and principally intended for that must wait upon this as Hagar did upon Sarah and until the letter be well known the mystery contained under that letter will never be well and fully understood He that would rightly understand the true Analogy betwixt the Levitical sacrifices and the sacrifice of our Saviours soul for the sin of the whole World must first be well acquainted with those Mosaical Rites and so he that would exactly judge of those things which in the Psalms are mystically spoken of Christ must first see how they agree to David And as that man reads all the Ceremonial Law to very little purpose who dwells upon those shadows and figures and ariseth not to Christ whom they signified so doth not he study and interpret these Psalms to any great purpose who confines his thoughts in David or Solomon or any other and takes not occasion by the figure to search out the Truth Sect. Two sorts of men there have been very much mistaken in the Explication of the Psalms Sect. 1. The first are the Jews and Judaizants that refer whatsoever they find here to David and to that Age they make little or no account of Christ and the Church collected by him and under his Government Sect. 2. The other who setting by David as but a Cypher interpret every verse and sentence of Christ alone and of Christians That therefore both these Rocks as Scylla and Charibdis may be avoided I intend Deo Auspice to go in a middle way and as occasion shall be offered first to explain the literal sense and shew the truth of the words in David because that is the Basis and Key to the Mystery and then this literal sense being explain'd with all possible brevity to open unto you the spiritual and shew what respect any Psalm hath to Christ that so you may have an absolute full and perfect understanding of these spiritual Songs Quod quaedam etiam in iis Psalmis quae in Novo Testamento ad Christum referuntur sunt in literali sensu vera in Davide demonstrat Jansenius in Epist Dedic ante Psalmos quem consulas DAVIDS HARP strung and tuned PSAL. I. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Psalm is Who is the happy man Who happy this resolved or what may make a man happy THIS Question the Prophet resolves in the two first Verses 1. Negatively It is he 1. 1 Negatively That walks not in the counsel of the ungodly 2. That stands not in the way of sinners 3. Ver. 1 That sits not in the seat of the scornful 2. Positively It is he 1. 2 Affirmatively Whose delight is in the Law of the Lord. 2. Who doth meditate in the Law day and night Ver. 2 2. This happiness of the good man is illustrated two wayes 1. The good mans happiness illustrated By a similitude 2. By comparing him with a wicked man 1. The similitude he makes choice is that of a Tree not every Tree neither 1 By the similitude of a Tree that 1. is planted but that which hath these eminencies 1. It is planted it grows not of it self neither is wild 2. Planted by the Rivers of waters it wants not moisture to fructifie 3. It doth fructifie It brings forth fruit it is no barren Tree Ver. 3 4. The fruit it brings is seasonable fruit in its season 2 That brings forth seasonable fruit 5. It is alwayes green Winter and Summer the leaves wither not Clearly without any Trope Whatsoever this good man doth or takes in hand 3 And prospers it shall prosper 2. He shews this good mans happiness by comparing him with a wicked man 2 By comparing him with a wicked man in whom you shall find all contrary First In general Not so As for the ungodly it is not so with them 1 With him it is not so he is not happy not so in the plantation in the place in the seasonable fruit in the greenness in the prosperity so far from being like a Tree that they are like 1. Chaffe a light and empty thing Ver. 4 2. Chaffe which the wind whiffles up and down 2 He is like Chaffe 3. Chaffe which the wind scatters or driveth away 4. And never leaves scattering till it hath driven it from the face of the Earth Septuag Arab. Secondly Ver. 5 And that no man think that their punishment shall extend only to this life 3 Shall not stand in judgment in plain terms he threatens to them 1. Damnation at the great day

Harp to do all this So that of Cassiadore is true That the Book of the Psalms is a spiritual Library of most kind of Doctrines fit for Meditations c. As Ambrose Commune quoddam Medicinae promptuarium 3. Sect. The whole is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and came from one and the same Fountain One Word and Wisdom of God revealed these words to the sons of men one Holy Ghost indited them one Blood of the Lamb sealed them one Spirit of Inspiration moved in the Pen-men that set them down one Spouse of Christ hath received them and preserved them so that we may not nor dare not prefer one Prophet before another nor Evangelist before Evangelist or Apostle before Apostle In this House they are all Vessels of equal Honour and Authority Moses is no better than Samuel David a King than Amos the Heardsman not Peter than Luke or Luke than Paul 4. Sect. Notwithstanding as the parcels of this Book were published and delivered by divers Notaries in divers Ages and on divers Occasions so also may they serve for divers ends and purposes though all to make the Man of God perfect Precepts of Life and Worship we read in Moses Examples of Virtue and Piety in the Histories Predictions Promises and Threats in the Prophets the plain and true Doctrine of Salvation in the Evangelists and Epistles 5. Sect. But the Book of the Psalms is so composed that it comprehends whatsoever may be useful in all these so that it is much like the Israelites Manna which tasted and relished according to every mans desire and necessity Prophesies we find here to settle Promises to stay the wavering spirit In brief many Stories to delight a curious Reader Examples of Virtue enough and enough Rules for practice good store Dehortations from Vice Exhortations to Virtue Judgments brought on the wicked Mercies multiplied upon the righteous In a word A whole Treasury of Divine Truth 6. Sect. The Temptations and Afflictions of good men cannot be so many but in these Psalms they may find ease and remedy nor their Affections in Piety so inflamed but here they may find Forms to express them 1. Sect. For do our sins lie as a weight of Lead upon our souls or doth the heavy wrath of God sadden and molest the Conscience Here are words to be found that being sent up to God with Davids spirit may ease it Do Tyrants oppress us Doth the malice of man pursue us Do friends in this case forsake us nay which is more than all this Doth God from Heaven seem to write bitter things against us Whence can we fetch more ready and certain comfort than from this little Manual 2. Sect. Would you meditate on Gods Benefits keep a Record of his Providence Need you Exhortations to Piety Are your hearts inflamed to pray to or to praise God Not a Book of the Old or New Testament that can sooner and to more effect satisfie your desires than this What is it I pray that you may not learn out of the Psalms Here you may find ready made a Buckler of Fortitude the exact Scale of Justice a Rule for grave Temperance absolute Prudence the way of Repentance the Rules of Patience some of these may be fetch 't out of other Authors but not upon such grounds never instill'd from the like spirit 3. Sect. But I am yet too low Here you may learn the great Mysteries of Christianity and that stupendious good Will of God to all Mankind the whole work of mans Redemption the Incarnation the Passion the Resurrection the Ascension of the Son of God is so lively in divers Psalms expressed as if David had been an Eye-witness rather than a Prophet and to write a Story rather than a Prediction Sect. To collect all If our Patience be to be strengthned in our Afflictions if we are to call and cry to God for his help in Extremities if our Hope be to be under-prop'd if our Love and Piety be to be inflamed if our Faith to be confirmed about the great Mysteries of our Redemption if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be given to God in the exercise of which all the power of Religion doth consist every good and pious man ought to betake himself to this rich Treasury destined by God to these uses and yet left to us for those uses that we should not be to seek for comfort when we need nor for Forms of Thanksgiving when we have received 2. Sect. Now that all these advantages might the better be apprehended by us and have the deeper impression in us it hath pleased the Spirit of God to convey unto us in Poetry and Musical Numbers all this for God saw how hardly man would be drawn to that which is good and how prone we are to that which delights and therefore as skilful Physitians lap up their bitter Pills in sugar lest the sick Patient should be averse to what will restore and recover him so hath God by the smoothness of Musick conveyed his Precepts to the ear that listning to what we delight in we might at the same time learn what might do us good Sect. Scarce any Prophetical Prediction or Prophetical Precept is by the Vulgar remembred beyond the Church-door but the tune of the Psalms and the words too are longer lived Pueri modulantur domi vivi foro circumferunt That was the use in Basil's time and would it were in use still our Lives would be more holy and our Passions more calm For a Psalm doth calm the waves of our passions and quiet the soul it pacifies the anger of the mind and cools the flames of wantonness A Psalm unites friends reconciles enemies knits together disagreeing souls for who can think that man his enemy with whom he hath joined his voyce in singing a Psalm to his God Charity is the chiefest good amongst men of which the consent of the voyce puts us in mind A Discord we make in this heavenly Musick so often as there is not an union of souls as well as voyces in this Quire he sings out of Tune that is not in Charity Sect. This Symphony drives away evil spirits this Harmony brings the Angels to our help this is our Armour in the darkness of the night with this we ease the labour of the day A Psalm is an Ornament in the mouths of children and young men a comfort to the aged the best dress for women an honour to Virgins it is the work of the Angels the study of the Saints a spiritual sacrifice and a shadow of your future happiness this this Symphony beautifies our Festivals and graces all our Service To Beginners in Religion it is a Rudiment to Proficients an increase in grace to perfect men a foundation The voyce of the whole Church being in harmony and but one sets babes and sucklings to learn Hosanna better Scholars to go on in their praise and old M●asons to rejoyce that their God should be thus honoured with many

the sword then Judiciary power may well be understood Deut. 32.41 Rom. 13.4 And the Saints at the last day are to be Judges 1 Cor. 6.2 Mat. 19.28 Then the exercise of this judiciary power shall be The end of that power 1. Vers. 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen to reprove them and to pronounce a condemnatory sentence against them to exprobate to them their former life Wisd 5.1 c. and to pronounce punishment on the people To judge them to punishment 2. Vers. 8 To bind even the greatest their Kings in chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron The phrase is Metaphorical as is that of the Gospel Mat. 22. Bind him hand and foot and cast him into utter darkness The meaning of it is that at the day of Judgement the Saints shall approve the sentence passed by Christ against all Nero's Diocletians Herods Julians when they shall be bound in chains of darkness and crushed by Christs iron Scepter 3. Vers. 9 To execute upon them the judgement written The judgement against wicked doers and persecutors of Gods Church written in Gods Book and as certain as if engraven in a pillar His immutable judgement 3. This is the glory of all his Saints He concludes with an Epiphonema This glory of sitting with Christ in the clouds and judging the world is the Glory of all his Saints Allelujah An Appendix to the four last Verses in this Psalm BEcause these last verses have according to mens fancies been applyed to several purposes as they might suit best with their interests therefore I thought good to say a little more of them 1. The Jews first applyed them to the time succeeding their Captivity and fancied to themselves that the promise was made to them that they should have a two-edged sword in their hand that is power to execute vengeance on the heathen c. But he that shall read the story of the Maccabees and Josephus shall find that such a time never came that so far they were from binding Kings in chains that Kings held them in bondage as Antiochus Seleucus Tryphon Pompey c. This sence then can have no foundation in these words 2. Which the Jews that now live perceiving tell us that these words shall have the accomplishment at the coming of their yet expected Messias for then they shall be Lords of the world and bind all Kings they please in chains and Nobles with f●tters of Iron c. But never any such temporal Messiah shall come and therefore this is but a fiction of their own brain 3. The Anabaptists Millenaries Fifth-Monarchy-Men dream also of such a golden age they tell us of a thousand years that Christ shall come and with his Apostles reign upon the earth in which time his Laws only must take place and that his Saints shall have a two-edged sword in their hands execute vengeance and punish who they please binds Kings and Nobles in chains punish who they please and execute the judgement written And the consequent of this Doctrine is destructive and dangerous as experience hath taught us in Muncer John of L●yden our new Sectaries who upon it labour to unroot all Monarchies and destroy all that wear a Crown But this is but an illusion for of Christ it is said That him the Heavens must contain till the consummation of all things when Christ will come and take his Elect to him that where he is they may be also and that is into Heaven not on Earth Here then we may not expect to reign with him 4. A fourth opinion there is which is the most received and by very judicious Divines that these words are to be taken in a spiritual sense That by the Saints are to be understood Christ his Apostles and Successors that by the two edged Sword is to be understood the Word of God by Chains and Fetters the Lawes and Precepts of the Gospel by punishments the sharp rebukes used by the Ministers of the Word to stubborn sinners by the revenge taken on them Repentance which is a revenge taken for a former sin 2 Cor. 7.11 which being admitted the sense will run thus Let the hi●gh praises of God be in the mouth of his Ministers and the two-edged Sword of the Gospel Hebr. 4.12 in their hand to execute vengeance upon the Heathen to bring them to repentance and make them take revenge upon themsel●es for their former wayes and punishments to utter sharp rebukes upon the people to bind not the people only and Plebians but even the most mighty Kings and Princes Nobles and great men with the Lawes of Christ and Precepts of the Gospel as fast as if they were bound with Chains of Brass and Fetters of Iron And 't is known how the greatest Princes have submitted their necks to the yoke and Doctrine of Christ To execute upon them the judgment written Not that any of Christs Ministers usurp Authority over Kings and Princes in temporal matters for they are only to proceed according to the letter of their Commission Go and teach all Nations and acquaint the greatest Princes That if they obey and believe the Gospel they shall be saved but if they believe not they shall be damned This is the judgment written and it is executed when proclaimed and preached to them which if it take no place it is beyond their Commission to raise Arms against them This is no where written Now this is the honour of all his Saints of all those whom he hath entrusted with his Commission And indeed an honour it is unto them to be his Embassadors and Heraulds 5. The fifth interpretation is that which I mentioned before in the Analysis who apply the Text to the Judiciary power that the Saints receive at the last day and I rather embrace it than the former But I leave every one to his choice The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty ninth Psalm THOV art worthy O Lord God of Heaven and Earth Ver. 1 to whom a new Song should be sung in the Congregation of thy Saints and indéed how can it he otherwise that that people Ver. 2 who acknowledge thée the God that made them and the King who rules and governs them should do less than rejoyce in thée their Creator and be joyful in their Soveraign Ver. 3 To this end we tune our hearts and conform our voyces and because they are too little call for the assistance we do of all Musical Instruments Praise thee we will with Timbrel and Harp There is no merit at all in us why thou shouldst look upon us a mass of corruption and sin we find in our selves but nothing to deserve thy love Ver. 4 and yet thou in mercy hast béen pleased to take pleasure in us to redéem to justifie to sanctifie us and to beautifie all such as are méek in heart with salvation In thy good time O Lord bring us to glory Ver. 5 where we may be joyful with thy Saints