which wrought me this trouble and miserie 8 And hereupon I betook me to my never failing refuge of fervent and faithful prayer which I put up to the Lord again and again 9 Reasoning the matter thus in an humble boldness what satisfaction can my bloud make thee for my sin or how can my death glorifie thee comparably to my life and restorement what an opportunitie of praise wilt thou lose if thou takest away my life though I confess in justice I have forfeited it but consider if according to thy mercie and faithfulness thou so far beyond my merits shalt pardon and spare me what praise it will bring thee and how I and others for my sake shall be set on work to admire and magnifie the omnipotencie of thy grace and infallibilitie of thy promise 10 Therefore make not my life a prey to mine enemies but hear my prayer and in mercie pardon my sin and grant me deliverance be thou Lord my helper and saviour from my sin and danger 11 And upon my prayer the Lord hath helped me yea to thine everlasting praise be it spoken thou Lord hast been merciful to me and hast done away both my sin and thine anger quit me of mine enemies and restored me out of my sorrowful estate to a joyful condition and out of my humiliation and abasement into an established tranquillitie and happiness 12 And this thou hast done for me To the end I may by this merciful occasion have my tongue oiled from a heart enlarged to exalt thee in thy never to be forgotten praises by Psalms of thanks-giving and accordingly O Lord that art the God of all my happiness I will never forget this thy mercie but with everlasting thankfulness according to my dutie and thy desert will I celebrate the praise thereof unto thee The xxxi PSALM David by many circumstances in this Psalm does doubtless intend his sufferings and the great straits he was brought into under Absaloms rebellion against which he prayes and comforts himself by and from Gods former mercies shewn in his deliverance under Sauls persecution and in prayer urgeth hard upon God his great extremities under the burden of his sin and sufferings together with his injurious usage solitarie friendlesness and extream hazard of his life In all which afflictions he yet animates himself by his saith in God and earnestly persists in prayer to him even until he be fully heard and answered in his own preservation and his enemies overthrow And then blames his faith for sailing him upon the suddenness and greatness of his temptation but magnifies the goodness of God that yet was merciful and faithful to him And exhorts all the Godly never in no case to disbelieve the power and grace of God assuring the faithful that they shall ever find God so To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 THee O Lord do I make mine onely refuge in all mine adversities trusting in nothing but thy help and grace therefore at no time no more now then heretofore let me miscarrie nor my faith nor self be rendred a scorn to mine adversaries but do thou keep promise with me and deliver me 2 Lend an hearing ear to the prayer I put up unto thee and delay not to deliver me in mine extremitie which is urgent and requires speedy relief as my faith makes thee so let it find thee an all-sufficient support and safetie to me in all adverse fortune 3 For truly thou art all in all to me I have not any thing to trust unto nor do I trust in any thing but thee for defence and preservation therefore for the honour of thy faithfulness whereupon I solely depend take me into thy tuition and trase out my way for me by thy gracious and wise providence that I be not ensnared by mine enemies 4 Prevent their craftie counsels and subtile practises against me not suffering me to be entrap'd but so directing me in all my ways as to shun their deceits or if I by thine appointment and permitting providence fall into their snares deliver me out of them for there are none too wise or too strong for thee who art of wisdom and power sufficient either to prevent or to rescue me 5 I betrust my life and safetie to nothing but thy custodie there I deposit it now and for ever and good cause have I for thou hast given good testimonie of thy tender care and love to it and me thou hast rescued my life from temporal danger and my soul from spiritual and eternal O Lord thou hast hitherto made good thy word of grace and so I trust wilt still 6 I have been tempted and perswaded in my necessities to leave off depending on thee and to take other courses like other men but I have ever expressed my dislike of such counsels and reproved such counsellours that would have drawn me to seek mine advantages against mine enemies as they do against me by sinful and unjustifiable proceedings and have always both in word and deed declared my self to relie on the Lord for deliverance in his own way and time 7 And whilest I take this course I know I shall rejoyce in the issue yea I promise and assure my self before-hand that I shall ever have cause of gladness and joy in thy goodness and mercie for thou wilt still have as thou hast ever had a tender regard of me in my troubles testifying thy mindfulness of me by my manifold extraordinarie preservations and deliverances 8 Which thou hast given me from mine arch-enemie Saul who thought me his and that I could not escape him many a time when yet I did Yea thou hast set me free out of all those troubles with advantage of honour and happines 9 And now O Lord do as thou hast done shew me mercie in delivering me out of my present distress for my trouble is very great so that my sight is become dim with continual weeping and my spirits and vitals are wasted and decayd within me by my pensivenes 10 For my very life draws nigh to death with extream grieving and my time is cut off and shortened by the exhausting of my spirits with incessant sighings and lamentations Yea my natural strenght decays and wasteth by reason of my sin and thy displeasure so that my very bones are sensibly enfeebled with it 11 Mine old inveterate enemies and Sauls friends were all glad in heart to see mine affliction insulting thereupon but especially was I most injuriously and reprochfully used by my neer allies and friends Absalom and Ancitophel being forced to flie and shift for my self in a poor condition in so much as that those that wished me well and were mine entire friends and acquaintance durst not owne me or take part with me almost all that
that thou wilt be meet with wicked workers and pay them in their kind they that unjustly seek to destroy others shall themselves justly be destroyed by thee the righteous God and judge of all the world therefore will I keep me free from partner-ship with them in those their evil and injurious waies of wrong or revenge no such guilt will I bring upon my head and so I declare my self I fear thee though they do not 20 For they stick not presumptuously to despise and despite thee by open blasphemies and reproches of thy justice power and faithfulness scornfully abusing in the height of their pride and malice against thee and thine all those thine excellencies which thy people fear and reverence thee for 21 Thou Lord knowest how little good-will I bear to wickedness and wicked men I am far from having fellowship with them that I see bear an evil will toward thee thy worship or people my very heart riseth at such with indignation out of zeal to thee and it is no small trouble to me to see wicked men to provoke thee and bear themselves so contemptuously toward thee so great a God as they do 22 Yea from my heart root do I abominate wicked men in their wicked courses nor do I dissemble the matter but profess my self no friend or favourer of them no more nor so much than if they were mine own very enemies and hated me for my love to thee makes me more sensible of the dishonour and indignitie that is done thee than my self and worse can I endure it or them that do it 23 And in regard many that are mine enemies are also thine such as perversly sin against thee as well as injure me and that therefore I may play the hypocrite and dissemblingly make shew of hatred to them for thy sake when covertly it is for mine own thinking thereby to commend my self unto thee and gain upon thee by such a profession therefore do I willingly lay my self open before thee and uncover every corner of my heart for thee to see into it whether it be not as I say and that my thoughts and affections in this point be not sincere and upright against wicked men purely for wickedness 24 Yea spare not to make such discovery of me whether although I speciously seem to hate their persons if yet secretly I love not their waies and could find in my heart to practise wickedness as they do rather than pietie yea if there be any the least root of bitterness remaining in me or the least sin unmortified or abetted by me whereby I may incur thy displeasure that art an all-discerning God or grieve thy spirit who am judge of mine and if there be any such unknown to me for I know mans heart is deceitful convince me of it and convert me from it that by thy gracious powerful manu-mission I may be set free from thraldom to sin that leads to perdition the reward of every such transgression and by thy no less gracious and powerful manu-diction be ordered and inabled in my whole man through my whole life to walke in a perfect way of holiness that onely leads to everlasting life and thy well pleasing this Lord is my desire The cxl PSALM David in way of prayer makes his complaint against his wicked and violent persecutours Saul and Doeg and the rest of their considerates that by a saynt combination plot and labour to take away both his life and good name by all under-hand contriâ—anâ—â—s that may be Therefore he applies himself to God that hath preserved him from open now to protect him from secret violence and bring the evil they intend to him upon themselves yea remarkable judgements upon such impâ—nitâ—nts And promiseth himself and all others that suffers in a good cause with a good conscience as he doth happy deliverance and their enemies confusion To him that is the first and principall of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 O Lord that knowest the wrong I sustain by being thus unjustly persecuted of Saul and his complices that most wickedly and unmercifully prosecute me to the death that never wronged him nor them in all my life do thou that art a righteous Judge of oppressours and a gracious God to right the oppressed undertake my cause and me to vindicate the one and protect the other from the bloudy intentions of my causeless cruell enemy and enemies 2 Whose hearts are full of cursed contrivances how to mischief and undo me and to take away both my good name and life labouring to increase their party and stirre up others against me dayly by false suggestions plotting all manner of wayes and means by joynt advice and endeavour to wage war upon me that would fain be at peace 3 They labour to wound mine innocency as deep as they can possibly by lying and slanderous reports of me and vermin-like spit their venom at me behind my back by prejudicing the people against me with their false calumnies which they have ready at hand to poyson all ears that will give them the hearing It is their continuall practise 4 5 The good Lord watch for me to save me as they do against me to undo me and keep me from their destructive malice and power that have put in practise every way in the world to compass my ruin with extream and unappeasable violence doth Saul seek my life and to that end hath laid snares to catch and intrap me that I should not escape him as yet I bless thee I have done and pray still I may do by thy powerfull preservation and deliverance of me from him and those proud presumptuous wretches his Partizans that disdain the purpose though of God himself as touching me to be King over them and therefore try all conclusions and use their utmost endeavours to disappoint it by subtill stratagems and wicked devices laying as it were traps and toils nets and grins all manner of engins to catch me that craft can device the way they think I take as if I were some wild beast or monster among men of a perillous nature and dangerous consequence not fit to live They are restless to ruin me 6 In this my hazardous condition when I was thus way-laid on all hands I repaired to God as alwayes I do to extricate me out of it by faithfull prayer pleading my propriety in him and his grace which of grace he had vouchsafed me minded him of it and prayed him for it to lend me an hearing ear in my very great need for deliverance and preservation 7 Saying O gracious God the onely Lord Almighty the sole power I trust in and depend upon for safety I have found thee a deliverer and preserver in former dangers when my life hath laien at stake and been in hazard by open violence in the day
happy is that man whom in mercie God freely justifies and acquits from the guilt and punishment of his sin and seals it to him by the never-failing testimonie of his sanctifying spirit bestowed upon him creating him anew towards God in sinceritie and holiness 3 I can speak by experience for when as I loved my sin and lived in it and was loth to confess and forsake it not seeking pardon for it nor grace against it how bitter and burdensome at last did the Lord make it to me tormenting me within with most insupportable horrours to the sensible decay of nature by reason of his heavy displeasure and the want of his favour so that it made me restlesly to roar and crie 4 Yea incessantly without intermission was I tormented with fear and terrour so that I was even scorched and my natural moisture dried up with inward anguish like unto leaves and grass by a summers drought I speak it freelingly 5 This made me come off and glad I was to acknowledge my sin unto thee and ask forgiveness which I did not daring to conceal it any longer but spread it before thee with confession and deprecation And truly when once I did but feel my self throughly and sincerely resolved in my spirit no longer to hide and harbour it in my bosom but humbly in self-judging to lay it open before the Lord presently hereupon I felt my heart eased of mine inward pressures and cleared with the comfortable apprehension of the pardon of the guilt and punishment of my sin and thine acceptance of me into grace and favour again I speak it joyfully 6 This testimonie of mine touching thy ready mercie to humble penitents shall incite by the faith thereof all that are or desire to be Godly to make their addresses to thee in their trouble for sin in hope and full assurance to find the like mercie from thee in their miserie which is a time indeed wherein thou art readiest to afford help and comfort Surely in the greatest of outward troubles or inward perplexities such an one as flies to thee for refuge shall find as I have done that though like waves they may threaten and affright him yet they shall not overwhelm him but being in faith by prayer sought unto thou wilt command a calm in his soul as thou didst in mine 7 Thou art the refuge that my soul still flies unto for succour in all distresses and so thou hast approved thy self and so wilt ever do in time of need I am confident thou wilt never but shew me mercie in my miserie and so wilt ever give me cause to praise thee and rejoyce in thee still as I have need of thee by my manifold and seasonable deliverances To thy glorie I speak it 8 As I have learned of the Lord the way of wel-doing so will I as is my dutie teach it unto thee who ever thou art for thy welfare out of a care and and desire of thy good I will shew thee the readie and certain way of gaining the favour of God as I have found it and seen the experience of it so will I declare it to thee 9 Which is this walk humbly with thy God and be tractable to his will and pleasure not rebelliously persisting in sin and so foolishly provoking him against thee to reduce thee by extremities as we are fain to do brute beasts or plague thee with his judgements to keep thee within compass 10 For the wicked by their wickedness do but kick against pricks and heap up judgement to themselves But he that is the Lords by faith and obedience the sails of his soul shall be filled with the comfortable sense of Gods mercie and favour to him and he shall find the good effects thereof in the whole course of his life 11 Therefore if the wicked will still be so at their peril But as for the Godly they have chosen the better part for the Lord is their portion in whom they may and ought to be glad and rejoyce even all that believe in him for the pardon of their sins and are sanctified by his holy spirit such whatsoever the world think of them that are thus sincere and truly Godly which all are not that make profession and shew of religion have infinit cause of joy in their blessed and happie condition which they shall do well to put in practise and make conscience of by an answerable actual rejoycing and comfortable course of life to the conviction of the world and the honour of God The xxxiii PSALM In this Psalm the Godly are incited exceedingly to praise the Lord because of their faithful experience of his word and works his holy nature goodness and power manifested all the world over for which all men also ought to reverence him But principally his people Israel whose happiness he hath decreed and will bring to pass maugre all opposition of contrarie counsels and attempts in case they walk with him and hope in him he will be with them He underrates for Israel in the name of all the faithful that they will and do effectually hope in the Lord and promiseth in so doing they shall speed accordingly and lastly prayes it may be so 1 O all ye chosen Israel who are or should be Saints and servants of the Lord rejoyce and be exceeding glad all those that are so in that you have him for your portion and truly better and more seemly service they cannot do him that are partakers of his grace and spirit than to render him praise for his love and benefits towards them 2 Never think you can give too many or too much praise to God but learn to be skilful in it and every way in the very best manner and with the most raised affections look you perform it to him that so highly deserves it at your hands 3 As he vouchsafes new mercies so still do you indite new praises to him with thankful hearts set all your skill and might on work to magnifie him 4 For the word of promise which he hath made to the righteous is firm to be trusted and will not deceive the believing soul but is and ever shall be true to him and all his works of power and providence towards them and against their enemies are the fruits of his mercy and faithfulness 5 The Lord is righteous and holy hates the wayes of the world injury and oppression and contrarily loves justice and equity and such as practise them he is bountiful also and out of his goodness fills the earth with abundance of good things for the use of man 6 And as his goodness so his power wonderfully appears in the world for at his meer command the heavens and all those lightsome glorious ornaments therein were made and other way of Being they had none saving his command to Be. 7 And as the heavens above so the earth beneath sheweth his
2 I have no help but thine therefore quit thee answerably to the affiance I put in thee for my defence for thou art mine all in all therefore stand to me and appear for me fail me not but by thine Almighty power defend and keep me safe from my violent adversaries 3 Nor onely defend me but also offend them that would offend me secure me from my persecutors and prevent their cruel designs upon me Let thine actions outwardly speak thy loving kindness towards me and inwardly perswade mine heart to firm affiance in thee amidst mine afflictions 4 O Lord thou knowest in what place thou hast set me not as a private man therefore for revenge but as a Prophet and publick person representing thy Christ and Church do I accurse mine enemies and pray that they may not prosper in their designs but that confusion and destruction may be the portion of them that persecute my life let them be discomfited and brought to ruine that plot mine 5 Let thy violent and sudden judgements sweep them away past all help Yea with a divine and unresistable power from heaven do thou utterly defeat all their humane power wherein they put such confidence 6 And let them totally miscarry in their discomfiture so that they may not know how to escape to save themselves but void of power and policy let them stumble and fall and be followed at the heels by thine immediate judgements until they be overtaken and quite destroyed 7 Yea Lord let them be catched in thy trap as they have endeavoured to catch me in theirs using all manner of deceit and craft to compass my destruction and to take away my life unjustly without any desert or cause given by me 8 Measure to mine enemy as he would measure to me Let sudden destruction befall him when he least fears himself and makes most sure of me Yea let him be caught in his own very craft and the self-same ruin he intends to me let it fall on him 9 So wilt thou give me cause of rejoycing in thee and thy favour towards me yea and accordingly I will exceedingly rejoyce in thy saving mercy and will praise thee for it ascribing all my safety to it 10 Yea both soul and body each part and faculty with all their might in a joynt and joyful acclamation shall feelingly break out into unexpressible praises and thankful acknowledgements of thy transcendent power and goodness in my behalf So that I will make faithful publication of thee to be a non-such for poor afflicted persons to trust in and seek to when they are distressed and over-powered by unjust violence yea for the most impotent and despicable person living to flie to to be righted and relieved on him that wrongfully violates and oppresseth him be he never so much too hard for him 11 Thou O Lord knowst how falsly I as Christ shall be am accused by mine injurious adversaries to Saul who by might suppresses right and I can get no hearing but am partially and unduly proceeded against as guilty of such things as never so much as came in my thoughts nor am not suffered to clear my self 12 Yea they have dealt most inhumanely with me requiting all the good service that I have done them by preserving their lives with the apparent hazard of mine own against their enemies with the going about enviously to deprive me of mine as they shall Christ of his 13 Their carriage towards me is not as mine to them for when they ailed any thing were sick or in trouble so far was I from wishing them ill as is falsely suggested that I fasted and prayed for thy mercy to them and deliverance of them as for my self though I now perceive God having rejected them for their wickedness I lost my labour but not my reward for I have the comfort of a self-excusing conscience by it 14 Thou Lord knowest what manner of duty and love I bare to Saul how that had he been my brother a thousand times I could not have borne and shewed more tender affections to him than I did Yea my sorrow was as natural and passionate for him as a childs for his mother 15 But alas how differently have they walked towards me driving me into adversity and rejoycing at it all that envied and maligned me combining together against me to bring me to ruin and hatred yea base unworthy wretches men of flattering and lying tongues laid their heads together to accuse and calumniate me which being innocent I suspected not incessantly back-biting me and slandering mine innocency 16 They have scornfully derided me at their feasts and in their cups even such as I thought had been my friends but they prove false ones and have uttered their spitefull aspersions of me and threats against me 17 O Lord be moved to compassionate me and be not always a spectator of my miseries and a tolerator of mine enemies cruelties but take me and my cause into thy merciful consideration and let not my life be a prey to their hatred but preserve and deliver my pretious soul that principal part from the malicious rage of them that would unjustly deprive me of it by cruel death 18 Which when thou shalt have done and made me partaker of thy publick ordinances from which mine enemies have driven me I will promise to magnifie and praise thee with sacrifices of thanksgiving in the face of all Israel gathered together at thy Sanctuary 19 Seeing I stand for the right let not mine enemies that maintain a wrong cause against me ever have their wills upon me and rejoyce at mine unjust overthrow never let â—hem have cause mockingly to insult and contemptuously to jear in their sleeves at my destruction that they causelesly hunt after and hope for 20 For mine enemies are so implacably and violently bent against me that no parley or hope of peace can be had at their hands but they practise all manner of wayes by false accusations and treacherous machinations to molest and harm me yea utterly to ruin me that would fain live peaceably by them in the land of Israel without doing or thinking any harm unto them and not be driven thence 21 They have made me their table-talk belching out their hatred against me in impudent false assertions and joyful expressions at my misery 22 This their carriage towards me O Lord thou art privy to and hast seen their malice forbear no longer to rebuke them for it O Lord whom I serve and trust be not deaf to my cries nor a stranger to my wrongs but take my part and send me speedy help 23 Be provoked by mine enemies outrage and my wronged innocency to execute judgement on mine and my causes behalf upon the wrong-doers O my most gracious and Almighty Lord God 24 Such is my reighteousness and innocency in this matter as I put it into thine
stedfast though your state be various believe in him pour out your souls in fervent and faithfull prayer to him in my behalf and your own and take it upon my word who have tryed it as well as upon his who hath promised it God shall fail neither you nor me if we do so I dare ingage for him 6 Take man under what consideration you will and he is not to be confided in for if they be of low degree then base fear or mercinary lucre will byas them and betray you if of high degree pride humour or preferment sway them and make them as mutable as the wind You shall find no stedfastness in men of any condition but they are up and down now for you and anon against you a pair of empty scales is not more uncertain and moveable than they and therefore trust not in them rely not on them for they will deceive you 10 Least of all trust in sinfull courses go not about to make your selves rich and great by oppression and indirect waies that is not the way to be happy but miserable nay though you now increase in the wealth and well-fare of this world by honest and laudable courses yet put not your trust nor take not content in them nor promise your selves felicitie by them 11 God hath in his word told us how vain and inconsistent with our trust all sublunary things are of no power to render us happy or yield us support and by his providence he hath allso made it appear so defeating all such confidences and frustrating such expectations so that I and you also have heard it and seen it made good in experience the emptiness and incapacity of every thing under the sun to answer our trust and that the power thereof onely belongs to God 12 And as he onely hath power to answer our expectations and make good the hopes of them that depend upon him so is he tyed to it by those attributes of mercy and justice which to perswade our confidence in him are also held forth to us in legible characters both in his word and works having promised and daily performing acts of grace and favour to those that put their trust in his goodness and likewise in mercy to them both threatning and acting justice and judgements upon their injurious enemies wicked workers The lxiii PSALM David being in the wilderness of Ziph void of outward comforts and in some desertion of soul prayes for to be delivered out of his spiritual wilderness by the shedding abroad of the love of God in his heart which would comfort him beyond all his sorrows and from former experiences strengthens his â—aith and clears up his heart touching future dispensations not doubting but affirming the destruction of his enemies and his own advancement to the Kingdom for the good of the Church A Psalm made by David when he was in the wilderness of Ziph belonging to the tribe of Judah hiding himself from Saul 1 O God though I am in this solitarie condition am exile from amongst men and a companion for wild beasts yet is not my faith staggered nor my proprietie in thee impaired but still thou art the same God in relation to me and I have the same interest in thee that ever I had no trouble shall make me forget my dependencie nor cause me neglect mine addresses to thee whose favour and assistance I prefer before all things and will seek to thee for it in the first and principal place as undervalluing all things to it My soul and inward man is extreamly impatient of some sweet spiritual communion with thee which would infinitely refresh and animate both soul and body in this uncomfortable condition and barren wilderness where I have accommodations for neither 2 To be here immediately supplied from thee in default of those helps I had in thy Sanctuarie whence I am now driven with those heart-ravishing aprrehensions of thine almighty power and glorious grace as heretofore I have had in the celebration of them in thy Worship and Ordinances at thy Tabernacle by those emblematical representations and types of thy saving mercies so comfortably exhibited therein in their lively signals 3 The memory whereof though at distance mind me of thine unspeakable love in Christ which to a hungry soul and a believing sinner is of higher price and more desirable than life it self which without it is but death and however in outward respects my condition is so sad yet whensoever thou wilt let the taste of that thy love break in upon my spirit I know the power and virtue of it so well that I am sure mine inward refreshings will bear down the sense of mine outward wants and sufferings and I shall be able to praise thee whatsoever be my pressures 4 If I might be but alwaies thus made happy I should never be miserable but shall have cause enough to bless God for thus blessing me If I had no other happiness but this all my life long I should have no cause to complain but of perpetual rejoycing and confidence in God his goodness and mercy to me 5 Then shall my soul be as full as it can hold feasted with the bread of life and heavenly dainties far surpassing all creature-comforts even so full as to make me break out in thy praises uttered as in a rapture or extasie 6 Especially when in this sort I can call thee to mind in the night season in my retired thoughts and can express my mind when I lay awaking after this manner upon thee O how sweet is it 7 How low soever be my condition either for soul or body in respect of outward means yet in regard of my former experiences of thy goodness and faithfullness in all essays I will not be discouraged but in the faith of thee and thy tender respects to me I will clear up my heart 8 I am sorely pursued and my soul in this my sad condition pursueth after thee as fast as mine enemies do after me for I know that still thine heart is towards me and that by thy power and grace I am and shall be upheld 9 Yea I shall stand when by thy justice executed upon mine enemies they shall fall and live when they are dead and rotten however it be ebbe water with me now 10 I know they have not long to live their destruction is not far to and that they shall die a violent death when they do die as they have been cruel and bloudy-minded in their life so shall they die a bloudy death and shall fall by the sword of their enmies who shall expose their dead bodies to open disgrace and inconvenience for Foxes and vermin to prey upon not affording them the common courtesie of burial 11 But I that am appointed and anoynted of God to be their King shall live to rejoyce in his wondrous preservation and preferment of me to
given them Canaan the type of heaven which his people what ever they may suffer heâ—e shall be sure of For which mercies to all Israel but principally for his own particular ones which have been extraordinarie he promiseth praise with a free heart and a libâ—ral hand in all sorts of sacrifices appointed by God and would have the upright take notice for their learning that he never praid but was answered which he speaks to incourage such not Hypocrites who have no such priviledge as he and the rest of the â—aithful have whose prayers shall be effectual as his was To the President of the Quire is this Psalm committed for his ordering it to be sung and plaid by voices and instruments 1 THough all nations but we are as forreiners to God yet shall he have a Church of larger extent even all the World over that shall worship and praise him with joyful acclamations for his saving truths and benefits vouchsafed to them 2 They shall have their temple as well as we even the Gentils shall partake so liberally of his saving graces as that in the Antitype and complement of all our ceremonious musick they shall upon the coming of Christ his having a Church amongst them spiritually in a more divine strain than ours honour and magnifie his saving goodness gloriously praise him for it in higher degrees of faith and knowledge 3 Magnifie God for the terrible victories he hath at sundry times wrought upon the Gentils by the power of his might on the behalf of us his chosen people through the greatness of the power of whose grace shall these same rebellious Idolatrous Gentils one day be won to take Laws from God and become his people that now are in open enmitie against him and his Church to destroy it for which he so destroyes them 4 The time shall come that not we onely but the whole World shall know thee fear thee and believe in thee the Lord and shall offer thee that worship in substance which ours portrayes out in shadows the whole earth shall be thy temple and Quire for thy Church shall every where praise thee and magnifie thy saving goodness to them Lord let this thy Kingdom come 5 I would have all that are Gods in all ages often to recollect and consider for the strengthening of their faith and glorifying of God the wondrous things from time to time that he hath done for his Church and the works he hath wrought for the preservation of it how terribly he hath ever proceeded against the men of this World that have offended them and what judgements he hath alwayes executed upon such and ever will 6 How of old when his people Israel were in jeopardie and humanely impossible to escape being encompassed on all hands with unavoidable dangers the sea before and Pharaoh and his host behind how then the Lord by miracle wrought for them and divided the sea through which they passed upon drie land so also when they entred the land of Canaan what way the Lord made for them over Jordan in like sort though at that time it overflowed not going over it by help of boats or bridges but just as they did before through the red-sea the waters were divided miraculously and they went through on foot in the face of their enemies as if there had been no river betwixt O the joy that then was apprehended by our fore-fathers at the sight and experience of such wonderful power and goodness of God extended to his Church in their so supernatural accommodations for their safe transporting and their enemis destruction and disheartning which ought also in the memorie of it to rejoyce us and the people of God for ever being wrought by God as a pledge and assurance of his continual love towards the whole bodie of his Church and that he is the eternal Saviour of it from which act therefore ought to flow cause of rejoycing to us and all the Godly in all ages in the faith of the same immutable goodness 7 And power which shall never be weakened but as he then was so he is and ever will be of the same strength and sufficiencie to stand his Church in steed and to over-master their enemies nor will he be one jot less careful of his people hereafter than heretofore but as circumspect over them for their good in all parts of the world when they are universally called and gathered out of all nations to be peculiarly his as he was then to those that were so And as that ought to be an example and incouragement of joy and confidence for ever to the Church of God so of terrour and humbling to her enemies that having such a president before their eyes upon sacred and everlasting record dare rebel against God by wronging his people thinking to suppress and root them out because they are few and short of them for power and policie but it shall turn to their ruin in after-ages as well as then They may be sure of it 8 All Gods people ought to bless God and magnifie him for what he hath done and assuredly will do for his Church but especially we that are before-hand possessed of so many mercies and great deliverances we ought to resound and publish the praise of his famous acts for the Gentils to take notice thereof thence to be confirmed in faith and hope 9 From what he hath done for us who but for his care over us had long ere this been swallowed up a thousand times over of death and destruction by our many enemies which yet were never able to have their will of us but that still we are a people and have been upheld against as it were the whole world who because of Gods peculiar choice have a special malignant hatred to us 10 For Lord thou knowst what troubles we have undergone since we have been a people to thee and all to the end thou mightest have occasion to shew how firm thou art to us as thou hast ever made it to appear and to trie whether we will be as firm to thee in our faith in thee and worship of thee thou hast proved us over and over again by afflictions to give us testimonie of thee and that thou mightest have assurance of us a faithful sincere people 11 Thou thus to trie us and shew thy self hast many times led us into inavoidable dangers and to outward appearance exposed us into the power of our enemies to be destroyed by them and suffered them to oppress us sore as in Aegypt and otherwise 12 We have undergone as base and cruel usage as can be imagined counted no more of them than the dirt in the streets enduring the uttermost hardships under cruel task-masters and bloudie enemies as could possibly be invented and contrived against us and such things must thy Church alwayes look for in this World but thou hast made us
the Lord all the waies in the world 1 O Lord thou knowest that what ever be my dangers yet my faith still sticks close to thee and thy promises of deliverance let me therefore alwaies be preserved accordingly and now amongst the rest let no power or malice of mine enenemies ever be able to prevail against me to frustrate my hope or thy faithfulness 2 But alwaies remember thy gracious ingagements which though made to me of free-grace yet art thou bound in justice now to make them good therefore deliver me according to them and by thy wisdom and power bring to pass mine escape out of this perillous condition that I am in favour me with thine audience of this my request and let it be effectual and prevalent with thee to the preserving of my life 3 Let me find some securitie and certaintie of protection from thee stil upon the making out of my faith and prayer unto thee in every strait as that I may thereby be invited and encouraged to come as oft as I have need and never to fail thee because thou never failest me I know thy promise and purpose is to save me and so long I cannot perish for nothing can contradict thy will no earthly power can hurt me seeing thou hast undertaken to preserve me whom every thing must and shall obey 4 O God in whom I trust and whom I serve let me not fall into the hands of such wicked wretches that traiterously seek my life and have not the fear of God before their eyes deliver me from the power and from the purposes of this mine unnatural son and his complices that rebelliously seek to murther me to get the Kingdom 5 For though I seem helpless yet I am not hopeless O Lord my God I must do as I have done trust in thee still thou knowest I ever had a propensitie in all my necessitie to creep under thy wings as well young as old 6 I am not ignorant nor never was since thou gavest me understanding to consider it though it be a thing little thought of by most men how wonderfully I was conceived and preserved both in the womb and ever since by thy power and providence more than by any secondarie causes otherwaies all humane helps could never have brought me alive into this world it was and is thou O Lord that from first to last hast evermore upheld me else I had either never been or long before this had miscarried in so many dangers as I have gone through no part of my life but hath liberally tasted of thy praise-worthy mercies and benefits which I hope and purpose gratefully to remember and praisefully retaliate to my death 7 My condition is wonderfull strange and hopeless in most mens judgements who in diffidence of my success and in amazement at this prodigie of my sons rebellion against me and seeking my life they flie from me as if I were some monster few or none taking my part or ever thinking to see me prosper but what ever I am to them I know what thou art to me even an all-sufficient God able to protect me in and bring me out of this very distress and strange trial 8 Let me have still more and more experience of thy power and goodness fresh matter for my spirit to work upon all along my life furnish me with opportunities of praising and magnifying thee for I love to be so imployed and now especially is the time by delivering me 9 Leave me not voide of thy mercie and goodness now that by it hast carried me on thus far of my life be not less good when I have more need but as thou hast been my God the two foregoing parts of my life youth and middle-age so continue to be in this third and last wherein I have as much need if not more than ever 10 For all the waies in the world I am laboured to be depressed I am traduced and slandered to my people and rendered as an evil doer by mine enemies to cloak their wicked and unnatural rebellion and all the plots and waies that can be devised are set on foot and complotted by Achitophel and the rest to mischieve me that rather than their lives would bereave me of mine 11 Giving out that however God hath taken my part heretofore yet now for my prodigious sins God hath in his just judgement brought upon me these prodigious punishments that shall certainly bring me to ruine and therefore they assure themselves they need not fear the issue but that if they pursue me a proscribed person they are confident to overtake and defeat me my partie being so small and God mine enemie 12 But Lord let it appear that thou art not so much mine enemie as they think for nay that thou art still my gracious God and mighty deliverer by stepping in betwixt me and ruin so contrarie to their epexctations and wonderfull rescuing of me out of their power 13 Let me be preserved whom causelessly they seek to destroy and dethrone and let them that do so taste the bitter fruits of their own evil waies let destruction and confusion be their portion that would make it mine and let them to their shame be found themselves to be the evil doers and reap the disgrace they have sowed for me 14 And however the clouds gather over my head yet my hope shall bear up I will not despaire to the last but be confident that this storm will blow over and that I shall yet have this deliverance added to and above all the rest to praise thee for 15 I shall have cause to glorifie and praise thee for thy faithfulness all my life long thou wilt never fail me of thy promise touching deliverance and preservation but the same thou hast been thou wilt be so to me still in such like marvellous mercies which however my desire and purpose is to praise thee in some proportion to them which deserve so infinitely yet must I needs confess I am short of them they being so surpassing great and many and rather the object of mine admiration than thanks-giving which yet shall not be idle but alwais acting to my power 16 I will bear up and hold out stedfast in believing my faith shall not now no more than at other times flie back from God either by despair or taking to and relying on other helps and refuges his power shall supply my weakness It is his promise and faithfulness thereunto that I trust in and doubt not to praise him for by effectual experience now as ever heretofore I have done yea upon it and it onely do I depend and ever did so in all my difficulties 17 O God I have been trained up in the frequent experiences of thy never failing faithfulness and goodness to me all my life long alwaies heretofore hast thou done me good and never but given me cause of praise
and thanks-giving by mercifull and powerfull deliverances which I have celebrated accordingly 18 And now Lord approve thine unchangeableness make out thy goodness to the uttermost period of my life when I have most need stick closest to me now in my declining old age O God withdraw not thine assistance but still be helpfull to me and magnifie thy power in my weakness that I may have cause to declare thy stedfastness and al-sufficiencie to preserve and deliver out and out and may be a pattern to the faithfull throughout the whole series of my life not onely to the past but present and all succeeding ages and generations of thy power to protect by thy wonderfull deliverances vouchsafed me in all of them 19 And thy faithfulness is no less to be extolled than thy power and will be by this mercie magnified in the same degree equally sharing in the glorie of all the wonderous deliverances thou hast and shalt vouchsafe me O God how wilt thou alone be exalted and thy peoples faith strengthened when they shall consider what thou hast done for me from one end of my life to the other it will cause astonishment and admiration and make thee to rule alone in all thy peoples hearts 20 For my sake they shall never have cause to despare when they consider how often I was plunged into most intricate perplexities and yet by thine almighty hand hath been extricated out of them as I shall be out of this as well as all the rest and shall have a resurrection out of this state of death and miserie wherein I seem to be swallowed up as of the grave 21 Yea thou shalt make this humbling a step to my further exaltation and as a foil to my future glorie which shall shine the brighter for it and my present sorrows shall bring me an increase of comforts favour and peace with God and man shall succeed them 22 And as thou shalt exalt my glorie and increase my comforts so will I magnifie thee in thanks-giving and praises which with mine uttermost power and skill I will give thee and particularly for thy truths sake which hath so firmly stuck to me and never deceived me whensoever I relied upon thee for it who hast ever been a faithfull God unto me therefore will I all the waies I can devise celebrate thy praises in the most solemn and affectionate manner that may be O thou God of truth and never failing faithfulness to thine ellect and chosen people that put their trust in thee worship and serve thee in holiness and righteousness 23 Lord I will every way that instrument and voice art and nature inward and outward man can act and perform celebrate thy praises and that with energie of spirit in the joyfull impressions and apprehensions of the things I utter will I express my mind and not with bare lip labour my mouth shall speak my heart and both shall greatly rejoice in thy salvation 24 Nor shalt thou be the onely subject of my song or solemn worship but also of my discourse and common converse thy faithfulness and just performance of thy promises shall never be out of my mouth I will make it even my table-talk for all to take notice of when as thou shalt as I know thou wilt with shame and destruction disapoint and defeat mine enemies that conspire against me to take away my life and Kingdom The lxxii PSALM David having set Solomon upon his throne a little before he dyed praies for him and prophesies of him according to what he praies how blessed a King he shall prove and what a flourishing Church and Kingdom there shall be in his daies how he shall be admired abroad and beloved at home admirably prefiguring Christ and his spiritual Kingdom A Psalm made by David near his death for and concerning his son and successour Solomon and his government 1 O God thou by whom Kings reign as thou hast called me and my son Solomon after me to sway the Scepter of Israel so do thou inable both me for that little time I have yet to live and him in an happy succession to me with those gifts of wisdom and knowledge as also of justice and holiness that are fit for Israels King to have above the Tyrants of the world who is to represent the Messiah thy son his government in and over his Church 2 And Lord what I pray for I also prophesie in thy name concerning this my son and successour whom thou hast especially chosen before all his brethren to rule in my stead He shall with understanding and uprightness administer justice and judgement unto this thy people committed to his charge and with impartialitie with just and fatherly pitie shall he give easie access to and judge the cause of the poor of thy people as well as of the rich he shall be no accepter of persons thy proprietie in them shall make him accept and esteem them equally and administer justice to them accordingly 3 O the wonderfull happiness of peace and plentie by the blessing of God that shall be all the land over under his government by the righteous administration thereof 4 He shall not onely be a father to the poor of thy people Israel but a just impartial Judge also to all other poor that come under his governance and a mercifull protectour of the helpless one or other against those that by might would wrong and oppress them not suffering a just cause to miscarrie for want of money and friends to carry it on but himself shall be the poor mans advocate and the judge of his oppressour who shall not escape by his greatness but be severely yet justly censured according to his merits 5 In his time the Temple shall be built and the Church and people of Israel put into a flourishing condition the worship of God in the types and significant ceremonies thereof shall be in his time compleated never to receive any more augmentation after who shall reign as well long as happily and is to be the liveliest type of Christ the saviour and King of his Church who in the age of the Gospel when he is come and taken upon him the Kingdom shall have a people a Church as in all places so in all ages of the world that shall fear and worship him in spirit and truth according to those resemblances that shall be in Solomons daies 6 His wise and just administrations with sweet and gracious deportments shall clear up the hearts of his people and make Israel by the blessing of God grow again and be a flourishing Common-wealth that hath undergone sad times and afflictions formerly like as Christ shall with evangelical Doctrines and the heavenly divine graces of his spirit distil into and upon the hearts of his people to their spiritual growth and refreshing 7 Together with the worship of God shall the number of the righteous people
with thee in it nor ascribe it to ought else besides thee such extraordinary and strange vengeance didst thou take upon those blasphemous enemies as if it had been with the stroke and terrour of a Thunder-bolt from heaven and so terrifying it was to all nations where the fame of it came and it spread not a little ground the report of this wonderfull overthrow of so mighty an army as that none of them had the heart to invade us but were quiet and durst not stir though their fingers itched to be at us 9 Upon Gods executing this just and fearfull judgement on the Assyrian army in rescue of his own poor distressed people even all his whole Church and faithfull servants at once which he had upon the face of the whole earth that were in a helpless hopeless condition and had no remedy left but prayer 10 Surely Lord thy servants need fear nothing but thee for the rage and fury of thy peoples and Churches enemies shall serve not for theirs but their own destruction thou shalt so order the matter as that it shall prove but the ripening of their sins and the hastening of thy righteous judgements upon their heads and be occasion of thy peoples praises and thanksgivings to thee and shalt so terribly affright others that are like minded towards thy Church that they shall have no mind to meddle when they hear so great an army that gave out so great words and threats could effect nothing but came to such an end 11 O Israel and chiefly you inhabitants of Jerusalem vow praises and thanksgivings to the Lord for this unspeakable deliverance and miraculous preservation and forget not to pay what you owe in that kind let neither supine negligence now you are in peace and quietness nor unfaithfull covetousness hinder your solemn returns to God both with inward fervour and outward legall solemnities and sacrifices yea let all the heathen people and nations round about that hear of this wondrous work of God do homage to him as the onely God worthy to be worshipped and feared of all the world even Israels God 12 For as he hath done by these so shall he do by others even the Princes and Potentates of the earth if they take not warning thus they shall be served it shall cost them their lives if they blaspheme and rebell against God contemn his worship or distress his Church in his wrath shall he destroy them suddainly and make them a terrour to the Kings of the earth like as he hath made Senacherib exemplary unto them The lxxvii PSALM The Psalmist in grievous affliction and desertion labours to comfort himself with the success of former prayers in former distresses and by parallel difficulty in prevailing then so now but is overpowered with the extremity and prolixity of his present grief and the ineffectualness of his endeavours to minister comfort to himself which puts him upon an expostulatory interrogating himself with some diffidence touching the nature and promise of God for which he chides himself at last takes up another resolution and falls to work in a quite other way incouraging himself by the faith of those very things and experiences God to his Church in their distress which before he perverted and made use of to the encrease of diffidence To Jeduthun one of the prime musicians and the principall of all his lineage do I Asaph that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 O Lord how oft have I upon occasion put up my prayers unto thee even continually in my distresses of what sort soever I made thee still my sanctuary fled to thee by faithfull and fervent prayer and I do not know the time that ever I went without mine errant but was always heard and had my suite granted though long first and hardly gained 2 I will remember what a troublous fit I had under a painfull disease in what extremity I lay for a long time both in pain of body and anguish of mind finding neither remedy for the one nor comfort for the other though I sought to God earnestly and importunately in that my sad condition yet I could have no ease my pain was the same and my soul that nothing else could comfort could obtain no glimpse of Gods favour towards it to quiet and refresh it withall for a long season 3 Insomuch that I was even tired out with fruitless solicitations I was in such misery and found so little remedy though I prayed hard for it as that at last prayer it self became painfull to me I could not think of going to God having gone so oft and sped so ill but it troubled me when as all my complaints in so sad a condition moved nothing it even killed my very heart This case was I in and to this extremity was I brought 4 And as it was then so is it now thou hast cast me into such extream affliction and misery that it doth not onely take up whole dayes the pain of it but whole nights too without any intermission so that I can take no rest all the night long and so from night to night and I have praied so long and sped so ill that the trouble of my mind hath even stopped my mouth I can speak no more 5 I have cast about every way and considered every thing that might make for my comfort I have called to mind thy former gracious dispensations to thy people and servants of old in their distresses recorded purposely for thy Churches benefit in succeeding times 6 As also mine own former experiments and happy changes which thou hast made of sorrow into joy and praise I consider how many times thou hast ravished my heart with the sense of thy loving kindness and made me lie awake in the night season to bless and praise thee with a ravished heart not to weep and lament as now I do I think with my self what may comfort me and call to mind all things of that nature as also what should be the cause that no comfort can fasten but that there is so great and so long an estrangement and that I and comfort are so far asunder 7 Insomuch as then I think with my self surely I have seen all the comfort that ever I must have in this life and yet I cannot conclude it neither but the length and extremity of my grief makes me in some fear and doubtfulness interrogate with my self whether or no it will ever be other whether God is purposed thus to afflict me and withdraw the signs and sense of his favour from me always 8 Shall I never tast of mercy any more but must I wear away under trouble and sorrow thus shall his promise of pity and compassion whereupon I so much relie be for ever ineffectuall to me 9 Hath God quite forgotten me can he so contrary to his nature let me thus pine
twelve even it is destroied Judea the place where it grew is miserably wasted with fire and the people with the sword in thy wrathfull displeasure hast thou blasted this tender branch which is the more dejected at thy frowns because thy former favours were so resplendent upon it 17 Let thy power and grace appear in protecting and delivering this single Tribe of Judah's posterity the sole remainder of Jacobs sons who hath ever hitherto been mightily favoured and prospered by thee even for Davids sake that man after thine own heart who sprung out thence and whom thou madest a mighty King ruling Jews and Gentiles and endowing him with singular gifts and graces fit for that place and imploiment thou conferest upon him out of whose loins must also come the Messiah whom he tipified for as he is thy Son so shall he be Davids and Judah's whom thou hast set apart for that high office and glorious work of mediation placed him at thy right hand in power and furnished him with graces fit for this imploiment to rule sanctifie and save thy people his Church even the man that is thy fellow God and man the Almighty Mediatour and Sovereign King for his sake therefore put forth thy power in poor Judah's behalf for to restore her 18 Lord if thou wilt do thus for us thou wilt bind us to thee everlastingly we will then renew our covenant and keep it which by our back-sliding we have broken the cause of all our misery Let us but live again and we will not live to our selves but to thee thou shalt have the praise of our restauration and the obedience of our lives and conversation 19 Lord how ever our condition is very forlorne and miserably yet art thou that commandest the whole creation able to change it to what it was and to carry us into our own land and give us the use and enjoyment of thy worship again if thou wilt but turn thy frowns into favours and thy face upon us instead of thy back parts pardoning our sins and receiving us again into grace we shall be a happy people and see good dayes for all this The lxxxi PSALM The Psalmist quickens up the people of Israel to pour out praises to God as God himself also hath commanded them to do for all his mercies to them specially that great deliverance out of Egypt and by way of caution hints notwithstanding Israels ingratitude and unmindfulness of Gods providence and goodness at the bitter waters in the wilderness where they murmured and believed not as also after in Canaan which cost them full dear who else had been always a prosperous people and their land a plentifull land To him that is most skilfull upon Gittith the instrument used by Obed-edom the Gittite and his family do I Asaph that made this Psalm commit it for his ordering it in the Quire 1 AS we have received mercies and favours of great extraordinary natures from God so let our praises be sutable with heart and voice let all Israel in their solemn conventions magnifie the Lord acknowledge all those great things thankfully which by a mighty hand he hath done and wrought for them Let them with infinite exultation and confidence in God as theirs be loud and large in their praises 2 All we can do will be too little and come short of what the Lord demerits but let not us be wanting to the utmost of our power but with voice and instrument yea all manner of musicall instruments one and other specially the sweetest and choicest of them let us sound forth his praises that heaven and earth may ring of us 3 Be sure when you celebrate those solemn festivities appointed in the law as the new moon c. That you perform it in a faithfull chearfull manner and express it heartily by sound of trumpet and all other wayes as may most testifie your inward joy and best enliven it 4 This you ought to do not onely of gratuity but also of duty for God doth not onely deserve it but hath expresly enjoyned it as a statute and everlasting law for Israel to yield obedience to even these solemn meetings for solemn thanksgivings appointed of old by the God of our forefather Jacob. 5 Even then did he institute it when Josephs posterity had the precedency among all the Tribes not Judah as now it is ever since the time that God destroied the first born in Egypt and thereupon ordained the Passeover when miraculously he brought us out thence from being imbondaged under a people whom we understood not saving by blows as beasts do men they not speaking our language nor we theirs a people strange to God and as strangely using his Church that uncomfortably sojourned amongst them without civil converse 6 From the wofull slavery and cruell bondage of those Egyptian Tyrants and Task-masters did God by a strong hand wonderfully deliver us and made us free-men to serve him of bondmen serving them in hard labour of bearing burdens and doing base offices of brick-clamping and pot-making in kills furnaces 7 Thou criedst unto me sayes God in thy bondage in Egypt after also in thy danger at the red sea and I thou knowst heard thee and by a mighty hand and apparent signs of favour delivered thee from the one the other from on high plaguing and troubling thine enemies the Egyptians with thunder and lightning and delivering thee which I thought thou wouldst have remembred and for which I could not but believe thou wouldst have been thankfull and believing in my grace and providence in after-times but did I find it so when I tried thy faith meekness and patience a little after at the waters of strife no thou knowst I did not 8 9 10 Where yet for all thine ungratefull murmurings thou remembrest I did not reject thee nor so much as punish thee but took occasion thence to enter and renew my covenant with thee and to take thee into my service and make further proof of thee whereupon I made a statute and an ordinance that if thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God and walk as my people before me in obedience of those laws which I shall give thee worshipping none but me and keeping your distance to all other Gods worshipped by those that are not my people chusing me onely for yours by the same token I powerfully and with such sign of favour brought you out of the land of Egypt the Type indeed of a nearer spirituall relation whereby we are or ought to be united that then if thou wouldest but do thus if ever thou wantedst what thou wouldst have and was usefull for thee it should not be because I would not give it for then would I withhold no needfull blessings from thee but because thou didst not ask it the fault should be thine and not mine if in the faith of my gracious covenant-engagements
wert not God alone yet thou wilt now set their judgements right and let them know that none can pretend to Godhead but thy self as heaven is thy throne so the earth is thy foot-stool and shall be subdued unto Jesus Christ for that in him thou shalt be magnified beyond all that are called Gods who shall then appear to be what indeed they are Lying vanities and so shall be accounted of 10 Great shall be the numbers of Professours and pretenders to Christianity infinite will give their names to Christ and be ambitious to have his name named upon them in those dayes but there is more belongs to it than so He that is indeed the Lord Christs a loyall subject of his Kingdom and member of his Church must sincerely love him and that must appear by an upright walking with him and believing on him he must fear to offend him and therefore hate sin because it doth so and so doing be fearless as touching his salvation and preservation faithfully relying upon the truth and providence of God for both maugre both his ghostly and temporall enemies which God may suffer to hazard his Church and people for the triall of their faith and exercise of their graces but never to ruine them 11 For when ever God seems to plow and harrow his Church by persecutions and troubles that is his and her seeds-time then is he but husbanding his field weeding and clodding it all that time of darkness and infelicity is but the seed-season and preparatory to the breaking out of greater favour and grace upon her which he preserves in store she shall not lose but gain by it when the spring and harvest comes her joy shall be redoubled when the ecclipse is over Thus shall it be not with all professours but with the uncorrupt and pure in heart who are the Lords as well within as without in affections as actions whose ends and motives are principled from God and for God by faith in him and love to him 12 Let such righteous ones though they meet with never so many rubs in the way be so far from being dismaid at them as to go on with full sails of assurance and joy in God making no stop but over-topping all fear by faith still casting their eye upon Gods never-failing faithfulness and being as thankfull for a happy issue and deliverance out of their afflictions as if they had it because of the ingagement of Gods holiness which cannot deceive them The xcviii PSALM This Psalm is as if it had been made by Iohn Baptist himself pointing out Christ and his Kingdom already come through the propinquity and certainty of it shewing sorth the prais-worthy deliverance and universall benefit that to Iew and Gentile shall accrue thereby yea to the very irrationall and unsensible creatures whereupon be excites all rationall and irrationall to praise the Lord proportionably A Psalm to be sung 1 O what wonderfull occasions from time to time hath God given his people Israel of frequent and fresh praises by deliverance upon deliverance and all of them so strange and miraculous that we could not have the face to ascribe them to any but to him to whom we have endited and sung many a new Psalm for new mercies all which temporall salvations and our thanksgivings for them were but prefigurations of that one onely salvation of his Church by Christ God incarnate whose powerfull triumphant death and holy life active and passive obedience hath gotten so glorious a victory to his everlasting praise over all the spirituall enemies of his elect and faithfull people which as it is the deliverance whereof all others were but adumbrations so ought it to have the praise above them all joyntly or severally A Quire of Angels are but fit to celebrate this great and Gospel salvation the good news whereof ought much more to set the spirituall Preists and people of God on work to praise him for it that are saved by it 2 The heathen people have admired our salvations and wondrous deliverances many a time which the Lord hath wrought for us in their sight and hearing But they shall have much more cause to admire their own when God shall proclaim the year of Jubilee to the Gentiles and bring them by the redemption of the Messiah which is at hand out of the power of Hell sin death and darkness setting wide open to them the doore of life that were shut out and Preaching salvation of free-grace to all the world according to his promise 3 The promised Messiah which was to come of the seed of Israel our Father and in whom is to be accomplished all those covenanted engagements and Gospel promises made with Abraham of grace and mercy pardon and atonement God in faithfulness and fulness of time hath sent him in whom all the nations of the earth are to be blessed for the benefit both of Jews and Gentiles whose all-sufficient merit and common salvation shall in the fame and promulgation of it extend it self by a gracious and free tender to all people in all places of the world without exception our God is their God in and through Christ and his salvation both ours and theirs they being through grace adopted and ingrafted into one stock with us the faithfull seed of faithfull Abraham every where sharers in the blessing 4 5 6 We a corner of the world a few in comparison of the whole O how were we wont to resound and eccho out the Honour and praises of the Lord in that onely Temple with all manner of musicall Instruments and Voices for our temporall and comparatively petty deliverances from earthly enemies and humane captivities and imbondagements O with what ineffable rejoycings in the superlativest manner we could devise did we magnifie the Lord and set the Crown of all glory upon his head How much more now are his praises to exceed when as all the earth is his Church Christ himself the Saviour and the termes to and from which we are saved are heaven and hell the subject of his salvation our pretious souls as well as mortall bodies both redeemed not onely into a capacity but certainty of spirituall and eternall life and freed from death of both sorts What praises are enough for this how can the redeemed of the Lord each whereof is a Temple and each Temple a Quire sufficiently extoll the Lord the King Christ Jesus dead and risen yea ascended into glory Go not less in the praises of such a Saviour for his salvation in the universall Catholick Church than we did for ours in our particular nationall Sinagogue But let your faith praise him in full assurance your joy in heart-ravishment your love by being such as many waters cannot quench your hope anchored within the vail Let all these graces by a joynt harmony like the voices and instruments of the Temple be sublimated to their highest sphear of activity in the celebration of
vexation and affliction when they become a vexation unto him chastising them with wars plagues and civil oppressions that minisheth their number impoverisheth their plentie and renders their lives uncomfortable 40 Nor doth the Lord onely afflict wicked and degenerated underlings but Kings and Princes also are judged by him If they forget their duties unto him he makes their people do the like to them and casts their honour in the dust at home and abroad rendring them scornful and contemptible and intricates them into such Labyrinths of troubles that all their policie and King-craft cannot extricate them or shew them a way out 41 And as he pulleth down unjust and wicked Princes from the top of honour and voluptuousness into penury and disgrace so on the other hand is he as mindful to protect and deliver the poor oppressed people from under the inhumanity of such tyrants when they crie to him and maketh them able to overtop their oppressions and oppressours by advancing them and abasing these blessing them with a numerous of-spring and making them able in a state of liberty and freedom to spread forth their branches that ere-while were stocked by tyrannie and oppression witness our condition under and from under Pharaoh 42 Those that have eyes in their heads the godly-wise shall take notice of such dispensations of justice and providence respectively to good and bad and shall rejoyce in confidence and hope of Gods goodness to them and in the goodness of their conscience and conversation towards him when they see that God takes notice of men and their manners and that sooner or later he will make it appear so and as the good rejoyce to see the reins of government in Gods hand so the wicked are sorrie for it and down in the mouth to see they are under judicature and not lawless as they hoped they had been 43 Those whom God hath endowed with grace and spiritual understanding the onely true wisdom and will set themselves faithfully and heedfully to consider and observe his judgements upon wicked oppressours and his strange providences in the behalf of the innocent and humble suppliant to deliver bless and prosper him as he hath done us They shall experimentally perceive the love and tender affection the Lord bears his people that sincerely serve him trust in him and call upon him and how safe and comfortable it is to do so The cviii PSALM A Psalm made by David to be sung and plaid by voices and instruments THis 108 Psalm is made up or composed of the two latter parts of two foregoing Psalms viz. the 57. and 60. which being joyned together upon the same or like occasion of success and victory do here make one entire Psalm Therefore for these five first verses of this Psalm see the Paraphrase upon the five last verses viz. the 7 8 9 10 11. of the 57. Psalm they being the same And for these eight last verses of this Psalm see the Paraphrase upon the eight last verses viz. the 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. of the 60. Psalm they also being the same The cix PSALM David doth promiscuously and prophetically in this Psalm treat of Christ and himself And though Saul Doeg and Judas be eminently to be understood one or all of them by the third person singular in diverse verses yet for most part he intends thereby his enemies in the general as they were united in conspiracie against him together with the nation of the Iews embodied as it were in one â—oint combination against Christ as appears by the third person plural used in other verses chieflie in the 20th which is a summinarie and explanatorie conclusion to his fore-going maledictions shewing the persons he meant them to and for what And so passeth from his adversaries to himself where Christ is still here and there to be taken in Praying as their confusion so his preservation argued from Gods mercie his own miserie and the glorie that God will get and praises that he will give thereupon To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for his care and ordering it to be sung 1 O Lord as I know thou art not regardless of my unjust calumniations so I pray thee make it appear upon my calumniators let them find thou takest notice of the wrong they do me O God who hath all my life long given me cause to praise thee for thy goodness and with whom I am well accepted though of men rejected as the Messiah shall be 2 For such as make no conscience of what they say and that studiously abuse the ears of Saul whom they know hates me they spare not to let flie aginst me all manner of lies and slanders to gain them his favour and me his dis-favour 3 They do me all the wrong they can in word or deed reproching and threatening me on all hands as if they would eat me up alive and causelesly with open violence attempt to take away my life 4 5 Nay I did not onely walk inoffenssively towards them but did them many actual good offices and ever expressed my self a friend to them as occasion served and the more I have endeavoured to express my love and loyalty the more I am requited with hatred and malignity seeking my life that have saved theirs as the Jews do Christs but as he so I desire nor seek not revenge or like for like as to my self but refer me and my cause to be judged by God upon whose faith and protection I cast my self praying onely deliverance from them and that they may be of better minds 6 But in zeal to thee as they are enemies to thy Church and people and fore-runners of those that shall betray and murther the Messiah and as a Prophet and publick person so I wish that their deserts may over-take them let them reap oppression as they sow it let those that hate and persecute me for thy sake because I am thy select and anointed servant be as the Jews and Judas shall for betraying and crucifying the Lord of life how shall the one be captivated to the heathenish Roman Empire and the other exposed to Satan that enemy of mankind to prevail against him and destroy him even with his own very hands by making away himself 7 Let them find such favour as shall Judas at the hands of the Chief-priests and Elders upon his repentance even to be judged and condemned from his own confession out of his own mouth yea both by God and man be unpitied and unpardoned 8 Let them not live to the end of their lives as they may be prolonged by nature but cut short their daies by some violent and unnatural death such as Judas shall die and possess another more worthy of their place and office as Judas his
enemies 80 Let me be enabled by thy gracious assistance to keep faith and a good conscience stedfast to the end that I lose not the prize by falling short of the goal fainting either in faith or dutie and so render my self and cause a laughing-stock to mine enemies which is it they would have Caph. The eleventh letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the eleventh part 81 Lord I have waded through many and grievous troubles and with much long-suffering have a long time eagerly longed and looked for thy promised deliverance almost to the exhausting of my soul and spirit in sighs and groans after it but yet it comes not nevertheless I am still sustained in faith and am resolved to live and die in expectation of thy promise no length of time nor trouble shall null my hopes nor I am confident the thing I hope for 82 I have waited long dreely looked for the accomplishment of thy promise even to the weakening of my sight impairing my senses every foot thinking within my self as my mind gave me and occasion was offered that sure this is the time and that the opportunitie that I shall be delivered but still I am prolonged and put off sighing out my hopes with If not now Lord when then will the time be and what the means that must fulfil thy word and my desire 83 The scorching sun of adversitie hath allmost quite exhausted my radical moisture my spirits which should animate my members and extrinsical parts are spent with continual grief by reason of afflictions and disappointments of my longing expectations which lingringly consume and wast me into leanness and deformitie like a bladder or a skin-bottel hung up in a chimney that in tract of time will parch and crack and shrink up into wrinckles not like it self and so am I become yet though nature thus decayes grace does not by thy goodness to me I am for all that upheld in care and conscience to do thy will and believe thy word 84 Lord how long too is the end of my miseries consider how much of my life is allready spent and wasted in them even of mine who am appointed and designed by thee for great and special services in thy Church therefore consider me who would fain be imployed to shorten these dayes when shall they that unjustly would cut me off be themselves justly so served and I set free to serve thee 85 Mine enemies that scorn thy commands and me thy servant have not onely persecuted me with open violence but with cunning craft and dissimulation sought my life for their will is their Law and not thy word to which they yield no manner of obedience nor bear no regard but practice what them list though never so wicked and unjust so it serves their turns 86 But Lord I have another estimate of thy commandments I set not so light by them for I am sure they come from a faithful God who may suffer the wicked for a time to sin against them but the punishment due to those that break them shall befal them and so shall the reward promised to them that keep them in the faith whereof I do and will innocently persevere and pray thee to make it good in my help and deliverance from and upon these treacherous and unjust persecutours 87 Mine enemies men of the world that take all wayes and advantages upon earth against me had what one way and other by their continual vexations and my griefs allmost brought me down to the grave and got the better of me hadst not thou been above them and heaven more my friend than earth where I had no help but when I was at lowest hopeless and helpless as to outward appearance I still kept faith and a good conscience hoping in thee 88 Lord give me to enjoy that happie condition which of thy free grace and loving beneficence thou hast promised me which will be as a resurrection to life from death after so many sorrows as I have undergone so shalt thou both ingage and enable me when I am set free from these hinderances to do thy whole will and walk in thy Law which bears the stamp of Divine and royal authoritie upon it and therefore is worthy of reverend and solemn observance and obedience which then I will be sure to pay to it but now I cannot Lamed The twelfth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the twelfth part 89 Thy word and decree O Lord is as firm as thy self no chances nor changes here below can make void what thou above hast determined shall be nor can time it self wear out what thou that art eternal before all time hast appointed 90 Our faith may bear it self boldly upon thy faithfulness which according to thy word of truth and promise is allwayes the same how ever matters frame or seem to be out of frame therefore it is that the world is not long since dissolved because thou hast decreed and promised the continuance of it therefore and for no natural cause doth the earth thus long subsist in nature and order 91 All created Beings according to their several natures stations and operations are as at the beginning thou in wisdom determinedst them which else of themselves would run into confusion and destruction what Laws thou gavest them they keep and thereby are themselves kept and preserved for all the elements and elemental creatures as they are made by thee so they are made for thee to be at thy ordering and dispose and so they are and not at their own and it is well for us and them they are so 92 And surely Lord I hold by the self-same tenure the creation does as it had been long since dissolved and annihilated but for the Law of orderly existence thou laidst upon it whereby ever since it retains a beautiful being notwithstanding the contradictions that are in those primarie principles the elements as also the strange concussions and alterations that time and sin hath brought forth So unless I also had thy righteous word to stay my heart upon and to chear up my soul with which I knew would not fail me in those various providences and strange agitations which I have undergone I could never have lasted thus long but had long ere this been in my grave by the outward pressures and inward griefs I underwent 93 I have cause all the dayes of my life thankfully to remember and bear in mind and I hope I shall thy faithfulness according to what thou hast ordeined in thy word for me to trust in and yield obedience to many a time in mine extremitie when my spirit was readie to sink and die within me thou hast therewith comfortably revived and cheered me and set me upon my feet 94 Let me to the end have experience of thee to be the self-same God in truth and goodness preserve me in and deliver me out
have them in mind at every turn 110 I have been attempted upon and my life laid for by wicked dissemblers that rather than their lives would have had mine and cared not how nor which way yet I have not revenged my self nor taken indirect wayes against them as they do against me but have committed my cause to thee and kept thy commandments 111 I have abandoned all confidence and contentment in every thing saving thy precious promises and covenant-ingagements the testimonies of thy love wherewith alone I am sufficiently enriched and as well by voluntarie election as outward necessitie have chosen thy free grace testified in thy word as my chief and onely portion to be happie by for ever for my heart can take felitie in nothing else comparatively to them they rejoyce me above my sorrows 112 And as I have chosen thy free grace for ever to be happie by so in like sort have I given my self a free-will-offering unto thee again for ever to be thine in love and thankful obedience to thy commandments Samech The fifteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the fifteenth part 113 Temptations have wrought upon my corruptions and suggested this thing and that to me tending to misbelieving and misdoing but though I could not hinder my mind from entertaining the thoughts of them yet I allwayes set my will on work to dismiss and oppose them they had no room in my heart though they intruded into my head for there thy Law kept them out which hath anticipated mine affections and sequestred them to it self from all Heterodox suggestions to the contrarie 114 I abhor all sinful shifts and carnal securities thou onely art my securitie and defence what ever my danger be Thy word of truth and goodness do I flie to and confide in and in no earthly refuge whatsoever 115 This is the full and final purpose of mine heart therefore all that are not thus minded I renounce them as no friends nor counsellours of mine they that do evil and would have me do so avant for I am resolved what ever others think say or do to stick to my principles and to my God to be saved in the way of faith and Godliness or to perish 116 This is my purpose but Lord the power of performance is from thee and truly therefore do I purpose it because thou hast promised it thou hast said I shall and therefore is it that I say I will fail me not then I beseech thee neither of grace nor protection but grant me both that neither by my sin nor thy desertion I perish but may live holily and hopefully to thy glorie and my comfort and never have cause by my miscarriage either in sin or success to be ashamed of my confidence or frustrated of my expectation 117 Do thou Lord support and preserve me and then I am sure not to fall as on the other hand if thou do not uphold me I am sure not to stand whereby I shall be confirmed in well-doing for thy grace can onely establish me and thy gracious performances will strengthen and ingage me more and more in faith and obedience to the end 118 Thou hast made examples good store in several ages of the world of thy dislike of wicked workers worldly wise and carnal confident men by executing vengeance and bringing fierce destruction upon them and made it appear plain enough how vain and deceiveable such wayes and confidences are which thy word doth not warrant and that truth and safety are onely there to be had 119 I well know of what value and esteem wicked men how ever the world thinks of them are of with thee and what ends they make compared to the godly they are to thee as refuse dross to refined silver and so shall be differenced and distinguished by thee in thy wrath they shall be consumed with all their earthly confidences and go out like a snuff whilest those that serve thee and were as dross in the worlds eye are notwithstanding highly esteemed of thee and safely preserved by thee both living and dead they are precious to thee therefore do I stick to what thy word warrants and testifies to be thy will that I obey love and delight in spite of the wicked of the world their hatred and contempt of me and it 120 I see such effects of sin and so well know the doom of sinners that I fear more to offend thee and incurre thy displeasure than any evil that can else befal me from which I chiefly pray to be delivered Ain The sixteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the sixteenth part 121 Thou Lord knowest mine innocencie and the uprightness of mine heart and conversation to my very enemies in this very cause wherein I am so wrongfully and injuriously prosecuted and persecuted neither thinking nor doing them evil no not evil for evil therefore in thy righteousness take part with the righteous and leave me not to the mercie or rather expose me not to the crueltie of mine oppressours that seek my life 122 Do thou in grace and faithfulness own thy servant and his innocent cause for thine to protect him and it from the violence of his clamorous bloud-thirsty adversaries let them not by their potencie which makes them proud wrongfully ruin me as they desire to do I have waited long and dreely looked even to the weakning of my sight and impairing of my senses for thee to deliver me and fulfil the word of grace thy promise of salvation which thou the righteous God hast made unto me and will undoubtedly fulfil in righteousness 124 Lord thou knowest the hardship I undergo the temptations wherewith my faith and holiness is assaulted and endangered Good Lord have compassion upon me that am and desire to be thy faithful and obedient servant and in tender mercie deal gently with me lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil I know my frailty therefore in self-diffidence I pray thee at every turn stand by me to instruct and inable me what to do that I erre not 125 Thou hast honoured me to be thy servant both by effectual calling and special designment to extraordinarie imployment in thy Church therefore furnish me with such a measure of illumination and sanctification that I may walk worthy my high calling and evermore to the end approve my self that which I am by a proportionable measure of grace enabling and assisting me to know and do thy will constantly 126 It is high time O Lord for thee to shew thy self in some remarkeable manner against my proud enemies and to execute judgement upon them nor so much for my sake as thine own for such is their presumption that they care as little for thee as me slighting thy Law and scorning obedience to it as if it were a thing of nought to no purpose and of no authority 127
and temptations for I have not cast off thy Law though through strength of temptation I have warped but recollect my self and remember thy commandments approving and justifying as holy and desireable to conform thereunto The cxx PSALM David grounding his hopes upon former experience of mercie praies to be delivered from that sad disaster which Doegs slanderous misre-presentation of him to Saul had brought him into Prophetically he delivers his doom for it and sadly laments his own banishment by it whereof he shews the necessitie and pleads his own integrity Why these Psalms are called songs of degrees is unresolved amongst expositors nor is the thing much material to be known but it is concluded most probably for one of those two reasons Either from the ascending of the voice by a gradual rising in the tune or else because the Levites or Priests did sing them in the ascent of the stairs to the Temple or else standing upon the tops of the stairs or on some high place above the people where either they sung them alone or begun them to the people the better to be seen and heard 1 I Have had experience of Gods good grace to me for heretofore when I have been in jeopardie I put up my earnest prayer to him and truly I was heard in what I prayed for had deliverance and preservation out of my danger 2 And this incourageth me still to apply my self to him when ever I have need or that any thing aileth me Good Lord look upon my wronged innocencie the cause of my cruel persecution and deliver me from the mischievous false reports suggested against me by Doeg to Saul that fawning sycophant and lying informer for which I run hazard to lose my life if God preserve it not 3 Thou art in hope to get favour and preferment for this thy wicked officiousness whereas thy reward shall be of a far other nature I doubt not but God will requite thee he will give thee thy desert and pay thee thy wages for such service done against his chosen thy false and slanderous tongue shall have its recompence 4 Even the mischief that by falshood it brings upon me exasperating the displeasure and implacably inkindling the anger of Saul against me to destroy me shall justly by a mightier hand be retorted upon thy self for God shall one day let thy conscience loose upon thee which shall be as so many pointed arrows in thy bosom shot from an Almighty arm yea the unutterable torments and unquenchable fire of hell it self shall be thy portion 5 Wo is me that by thy pernicious lies I am persecuted and driven into exile from the enjoyment of Gods ordinances and Communion of his people in the land of the living to wander in strange places and cohabit amongst Gentiles void of the knowledge and fear of God and common humanity as bad to me as if I were in the barbarous and savage countrey and confines of Arabia being forced out of the pale of the Church to shift for my life 6 My life hath been in a great deal of danger along time and sundry wayes in the land of Canaan where I inhabited as long as possibly I could being loth to leave it till I must needs labouring by all means possible to be in peace with Saul that I might be quiet but nothing would do to gain his good opinion or perswade with him such deadly hatred does he and his partie bear me and so irreconcileable are they to me 7 Lord thou knowest how I have laboured for attonement and how much I desire peace contrarie to what is falsly suggested against me as if by rebellion I sought to get the Kingdom nor can I be heard speak for my self to acquit mine innocencie but am condemned and proscribed nothing will serve them but my bloud that they are resolved to have and with hostile rage proclaim it The cxxi PSALM The Psalmist abasing all false and earthly subtersuges advanceth God onely in his valuation and recommends him for sole protectour to the whole Church and every member of it to trust in and relie upon promising to such in his name safety against all annoyances and direction and success in their affairs and enterprises See the title of the 120 Psalm 1 MAny men have many refuges and different confidences whereunto in time of danger they flie and wherein they trust but for my part I put more confidence in faithful prayer addressed towards the sanctuarie of God that pledge of his presence scituate upon those hills Moriah and Sion in Jerusalem than in the highest mountain or strongest Fort on earth thence is my help and hope and from thence will I seek and expect it in greatest danger like as the faithful shall from heaven where shall be their confidence and whither the Churches prayers shall be addressed in all emergencies 2 Because the Lord God is there as in heaven especially resident for mine aid and assistance no Idol God do I mean such as the heathen worship and expect aid from but the onely true God that by his Allmighty power made heaven and earth from him and onely him who both can and will bestead me and all the faithful it is that I hope for help and so shall they 3 Be thou confident of it for thy self and let others for themselves be so too that are his and trust faithfully in him that he will protect and have a care of such that they shall not miscarry by any power or malice on earth no accident or emergencie can befal thee that he is not privy to whose eie is never off his church every member of it yea upon every member of that member from head to foot 4 Take it for a truth infallible That God that by his covenant of grace hath taken upon him the guidance and guardianship of his faithful Church and people will never break his word his protection is not as mans is subject to miscarriage and who himself had need be protected but he is omniscient as well as omnipotent he sees and knows all things allwayes so that nothing at no time acts without him nor can act against him to the prejudice of his people 5 And what he is to all his whole Church that he is to every one each member may apply the covenant and promises to it self that are made to the bodie touching grace and protection that God is particularly his undoubted helper and preserver yea that allwayes at all times in all perils he is at hand to shelter and shield him 6 Night and day will God protect thee from whatsoever would annoy thee no created Being whatsoever of it self hath or shall have power to offend thee The creatures above thee in the heavens sun moon and stars whose influences and operations thou of thy self canst not avoid by any humane wisdom or power are yet subject to God under him
been under sore dejections and grievous oppressions yet still upheld and in its lowest condition made to keep its feet to have a Being and raised in time to a well-being in despite of its potent adversaries by the Lord whose power many a time hath underpropt it and his grace restored it when it was low brought and who indeed in righteousness is pitiful to all that are wrongfully oppressed to right and relieve them and hath power to do it be their condition never so bad especially if they trust in him and seek to him whose Kingdom over the world is chiefly exercised in administring justice and mercie for and towards the afflicted 15 16 Whose goodness is as universal as his greatness and providencially extends it self to every creature that he hath made which also by instinct of nature it self waits upon providence seeks after and endeavours its own means of subsistence every one what is proper to its nature and kind as by and from God his ordination and especial dispensation thus acknowledging his supremacie both man and beast even the whole creation And he orderly in a suitable and seasonable manner supplies unto them food of several kinds in several seasons of both time and opportunitie for sustaining the nature and satisfying the hunger of all creatures of so many several kinds as are in the world and of every individual of each kind by his liberalitie and bountie so universally extended over the whole earth and providently dispensed to the sundry particulars in it which is onely then had when he gives it and therefore had because he gives it none being able to supply their own wants much less worthy to share in the honour of the worlds providing for both which is of the Lord alone who makes second causes instrumental to him and useful to man the power and governance of all creatures being his which therofore bringeth forth and increaseth because he appointeth and is satisfied because he dispenseth 17 Manifold dispensations there are in the world towards good and bad that seemeth strange to us but in this also is God and his government admirable and transcendently praise-worthy that nothing he does be it never so discrepant to humane reason and rules of policie amongst men but he is both righteous and holy in so doing for his will being the onely rule of both his works can none of them disaagree from either 18 His government and dispensation though it be to and over all yet principally and primarily doth it belong to the faithful as near as he seems to others yet is he far enough from them and as far as he seems from these who have the greatest share of adverse fortune in this life yet is he near unto them They that profess him publickly by adoration and worship and withal serve him sincerely in faith and affection that offer to find him fervent not fained prayer they shall be sure to find him a propitious God to a gracious heart accompanied with a holy life 19 Such as take care of him hee 'l take care of them they that fear to sin shall be satisfied with good such God will hear and answer graciously as hear and obey him conscionably and though sometimes by extraordinarie trials he may put them to it to ask yea crie hard for ease before they have it yet that is but to trie and exercise their graces with patient waiting and fervent importuning till the time the set time be come which he hath determined in himself as most opportune for him and them to be relieved and answered in and then though not till then they shall be sure of it when their fears are greatest and their hopes humanely least 20 The Lord will keep promise with all that fear to offend him out of love and desire to please him he may venture them but he will not lose them his eye is over and his hand under them for he has not many such that so love him nor therefore are there many that are so beloved of him and so they shall find that wickedly transgress against him that as he hath powerful grace in store to preserve the one so hath he vindicative justice to destroy the other which shall certainly fall to their lot every mothers son of them his Kingdom is administred by mercie and justice and so the good and bad shall find 21 My mind shall meditate of these thine admirable excellencies of several kinds exhibited to the world in general and thy people in particular both which are wholly under thy dominion and dispensation subject to thy greatness and sharers of thy goodness respectively common and special as also of thy mercie and justice My mouth shall extol them and praise thee the God of them that art so great in power so gracious in providence so rich in mercie and so severe in justice and let mankind in general in all times and places who ought to know thee under all and do know thee under most of these notions whereof they have dayly and frequent experience bless and magnifie thee in all thy holy attributes and properties that so shine forth in thy works of mercie power and righteousness all the world over in all the ages of it The cxlvi PSALM David exciteth all especially Gods people and most especially himself to praise the Lord principally by trusting in him and distrusting all but him Man both great and small being a perishable creature and God onely to be relied on but then that must be the true God and that also by a true faith acted upon his power goodness and never-failing faithfulness and that is every condition believing in God with a like never-failing stedfastness though our estate be various and miserable for that to the good he is ever graciously enclined and to the wicked quite contrarie As also for the perpetuitie and unchangeableness of his throne and dominion over his Church and people for their protection throughout all ages to the end of the world does the Psalmist again excite to praise him concluding as he began in this and so do every of these 5 concluding Psalms 1 2 AS it is the dutie so I wish it were the practise of all especially his people to be constant and conversant in praising God who himself is so constant and conversant in praise-worthie dispensations of several sorts and what I admonish others of I do much more so to my self that have cause beyond all men to praise the Lord and that with my whole heart throughout my whole life as well he deserves that I should spend and lay out my utmost strenght and best affections in praising him which I will be sure to do whilest my tounge can wag 3 4 But let your praises be real give God the praise of your faith which is thank worthie when in your hearts you set up his throne above all principalities and powers trust in him solely
Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers took counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying 3 Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us 4 He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure 6 Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion 7 I will declare the decree the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my Son this day hâ—ve I begotten thee 8 Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel 10 Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth 11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling 12 Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him Psalm 3. A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son 1 LOrd how are they encreased that trouble meâ— many are they that rise up against me 2 Many there be which say of my soul There is no help for him in God Selah 3 But thou O Lord art a shield for me my glory and the lifter up of my head 4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill Selah 5 I laid me down and slept I awaked for the Lord sustained me 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about 7 Arise O Lord save me O my God for thou hast smitten all â—ine enemies upon the cheek bone thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly 8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord thy blessing is upon thy people Selah Psalm 4. To the chief musician on Neginoth A Psalm of David 1 HEar when I call O God of my righteousness thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress have mercie upon me and hear my prayer 2 O ye sons of men how long will ye turn my glorie into shame how long will ye love vanitie and seek after leasing Selah 3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself the Lord will hear when I call unto him 4 Stand in aw and sin not commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still Selah 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the Lord. 6 There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us 7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased 8 I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord onely makest me dwel in safetie Psalm 5. To the chief musician upon Neginoth A Psalm of David 1 GIve ear to my words O Lord consider my meditations 2 Hearken unto the voice of my crie my King and my God for unto thee will I pray 3 My voyce shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up 4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquitie 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing the Lord will abhor the bloudie and deceitful man 7 But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercie and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy Temple 8 Lead me O Lord in thy righteousness because of mine enemies make thy way straight before my face 9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth their inward part is very wickedness their throat is an open sepulchre they flatter with their tongue 10 Destroy thou them O God let them fall by their own counsels cast them out in the multitude of their transgressioâ—s for thy have rebelled against thee 11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest him let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee 12 For thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield To the chief musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith A Psalm of David 1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure 2 Have mercie upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed 3 My soul is also soar vexed but thou O Lord how long 4 Return O Lord deliver my soul o save me for thy mercie sake 5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks 6 I am wearie with my groaning all the night make I my bed to swim I water my couch with my tears 7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief it waxeth old because of all mine enemies 8 Depart from me all ye workers of iniquitie for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping 9 The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receive my prayer 10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed let them return and be ashamed suddenly Psalm 7. Shiggaion of David which he sang unto the Lord concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite 1 O Lord my God in thee do I put my trust save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me 2 Lest he tear my soul like a Lion renting it in pieces while there is none to deliver 3 O Lord my God if I have done this if there be iniquitie in my hands 4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me Yea I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemie 5 Let the enemie persecute my soul and take it yea let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honour in the dust Selah 6 Arise O Lord in thine aâ—ger lift up thy self because of the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the judgement that thou hast commanded 7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about for their sakes therefore return thou â—e high 8 The Lord shall â—udge the people â—udge me O Lord according to my righteousness and according to mine integritie that is in me 9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end but establish the just â—or the righteous God trieth the heaâ—rs and reins 10 My defence is of God which saveth the upright in heart 11 God judgeth the righteous and God is angrie with the wicked every day 12 If he turn not he will wheâ— his sword he hath bent