me from the violent man Two qualities he had Malice and Violence And the effects were consonant to these qualities of which Ver. 1 1. The first was evil counsels meditations of deceitfulness 1 Who plotted mischief and wicked stratagems Which imagine mischief in their heart it is their study Ver. 2 Continually are they gathered together for War There was no Truce with them no peace to be had without any intermission they fought against me The Prince of darkness thus molests us continually offering to us unchaste desires tentations to infidelity scruples and perplexities c. 2. The second was the evil of their words 2 And calumniated him for their words were correspondent to their thoughts 1. They have sharpned their tongues with calumnies de tractions Ver. 3 reproaches frauds c. 2. Likea Serpent Adders poyson is under their lips They shoot out their Arrowes even bitter words as the Viper and Adder doth his poyson which without pain extinguisheth life which causeth a dead sleep to fall on the man and the senses to fail Sycophants wound and kill insensibly The tongues of Hereticks do the like distil by fair words poyson and so kill 2. He repeats his petition and adds To be delivered He repeats his petition and desires a protection as before from their thoughts and words so now from their actions also 1. Keep me O Lord from the hands of the wicked preserve me from the violent man 2. Ver. 4 And that he might move God the easier to grant his desire he shews their intentions From their hands For 1. They supplant him in his wayes 1. They have purposed to overthrow my goings They supplant precipitate me which is the Divels work who labours to supplant us in our wayes that we should not walk at all or walk slowly or fall in the wayes of God or else forsake or turn back from them Ver. 5 2. 2 They lay snares The way they took to compass their ends The proud have laid a snare for me and cords they have spread a net by the way-side they have set gins for me Selah As hunters and fowlers do for birds and beasts So the Divel shews the bait but conceals the hook He shews us pleasure or profit but conceals the bitterness of sin and loss of Gods favour and eternal life These are his snares in our way 2. The second part He flyes to God Against the evil and danger he protests his confidence in God and implores his aid 1. Constant he is to his principles notwithstanding all their malice violence machinations pride impiety I said unto the Lord Thou art my God I do not cast away my confidence I fly to thee Thou art my Lord I am thy servant and therefore 2. Hear the voice of my supplications O God 3. And that he might the better shew the ground of his Constancy he shews 1. What esteem he had of his God Thou art the strength of my salvation the vertue power fortification by which I may be safe from my enemies 2. What he had formerly done for him and therefore he doubted not but he would do it again Thou hast covered my head in the day of battel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God alwayes does good 3. The third part Prayes against them This is the other part of his Petition For as before he desired to be delivered and defended from his enemies so now he begins to pray that their plots and conspiracies might never have any good success but both they and their counsel◠perish together 1. Ver. 8 Grant not O Lord the desires of the wicked let them not have their wishes 2. Further not his wicked device Give no prosperity to what they undertake 3. Lest they exalt themselves Lest they triumph glory and exult that they have not conquered me but with thy help And so their fury rage and blasphemy fall upon thy people and prove destructive to them And after in plain terms he prayes against them He proceeds in his prayer and predicts their punishment As for the head of those that compass me about 1. Ver. 9 Deal with them Lege talionis Let the mischief of their own lips cover them Meo arbitratu delatores linguis auscultatores auribus pendeant Let them perish by their own counsels and lies Let them be taken in their own Craftinesse 2. Deal severely with them Let hot burning coles fall upon them let them be cast into the fire Let them suffer extreme punishment Let them fall from above from thy justice Let them be cast into the pits that they never rise up again without any hope of recovery 3. Let not an evil speaker a lyar a flatterer a detractor be established prosper or his house continue in the earth 4. Evil shall hunt give no rest but pursue till he take the violent man those who write their counsels and decrees in blood and by force and armes persecute Gods Church To overthrow him to his utter ruine The last part He promises safety to the righteous 4. To the Commination of punishment to the wicked he subjoyns by an Antithesis the promise of God for the defence and safety of the righteous and so concludes 1. I know and am certainly perswaded both my own experience and the example of my forefathers whom thou hast delivered in their trials and tentations 2. That the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor he may defer his help and their deliverance but he will not take it from them For he is a just Judge and therefore no doubt he will be an encouragement to the good and a terror to the evil doer he will defend the poor afflicted innocent and will revenge their wrongs upon their persecutors 3. And this he confirms and amplifies from the final cause which is double 1. That they praise him The end of it 1. That they praise him Surely the righteous shall give thanks to thy Name being delivered they attribute the honour not to themselves or their own innocency or merits but give the glory to his grace love and good will 2. That they remain before him in his Church militant and triumphant 2 That they dwel in his presence Delivered they shall be that they may dwell in his presence or coram vultu ejus be in his favour dwell in his house walk before his face here and enjoy the beatifical vision hereafter By the face a man is known fully not so by other parts vultus animi index the favour a man bears to another is known by his countenance very often In that then the upright shall dwell coram facie it is an argument they shall enjoy his favour in this life and that they shall fully enjoy his countenance and know him as they are known in the life to come The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and fortieth Psalm O Merciful Father it is not unknown to thée
shall my prayer prevent thée Lord why castest thou out my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to dye yea from my youth up thy terrours have I suffered with a troubled mind thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy displeasure hath cut me off This is the desire of my enemies Ver. 7 among whom I daily live who insult over me for my sins and labour to draw me to despair of thy mercies these come daily about me like water and compass me about together Oh let not their mischievous imagination prosper left they be too proud never let them cry there there so would we have it But I will praise the Lord for that he hath done I will wait on thy name for thy Saints like it well Ver. 8 therefore all ye workers of iniquity who have temptted me to sin and pressed me to despair Depart from me for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping Ver. 9 the Lord which I repeat with joy and comfort hath heard the voyce of my supplication the Lord hath received and graciously answered my prayer So let thine enemies perish Ver. 10 O Lord so let them be ashamed and suddenly confounded and sore vexed even as many as are adversaries to thy Church and thy Glory Amen PSAL. VII The occasion A slaunder and accusation laid against him by Cush the son of Jemini that he sought to kill Saul from which he frees himself before God THree parts there are of this Psalm 1. His Appeal to God by way of Petition ver 1.2 6. 2. The Reasons of it set down through the whole Psalm 3. The first part Davids Appeal to God by way of petition to which he desires God to be The Doxology or his Thanksgiving ver 17. 1. He begins his Appeal with a Petition for freedom and deliverance from his Persecutors Save me deliver me ver 1. in which he desires God to be 1. Attentive to him first upon the Relation that was betwixt them for he was his Lord his God secondly He trusted in him O Lord my God I trust in thee Ver. 1 ver 1. 2. 1 Attentive 2 Benevolous Benevolous For he was now in danger of death he had 1. Enemies 2. Many Enemies 3. Persecuting Enemies 4. But one above the rest a Lyon who sought first to catch then to tear and rend him to pieces so that if God forsook him he would do it Save me from those that persecute me and deliver me least he catch my soul as a Lyon and tear it in pieces while there is none to deliver ver 2. The second part His reasons of Appeal 2. And then he gives his Reasons why he doth appeal to his God which are his own Innocency and Gods Justice 1. He makes before God a protestation of his Innocency Accused he was 1 His innocency that he lay in wait and plotted for Saul's life and Kingdom but he purgeth himself shews the impossibility of it and that with a fearful imprecation 1. O Lord my God if I have done any such thing as they object Ver. 3. 4. if therâ— be iniquity in my hands if I have rewarded evil tâ— him that was at peace with me ver 3 4. which was indeed an impossible matter And imprecates evil to himself if it were not so for I have deliver'd him that without any cause is my enemy as Saul in the Cave 1 Sam. 24. 2. Upon which he falls to a fearful imprecation to light upon himself if he were any way guilty Then let my enemy persecute my soul and take it Ver. 5 let him tread down my life upon the Earth and lay mine honour in the dust In effect thus then let my enemy have his will upon me take both my life and my honour dearer than my life from me lay all in the dust Kingdom Life Fortunes whatsoever thou hast promised me and I expect 2. And which is the second Reason of his Appeal being thus innocent 2 Gods justice he call to God for justice Arise O Lord in thy anger lift up thy self Ver. 6 because oâ— the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded 1. The rage of my enemies is great 2. The judgment was thine that chose me from my Brethren to be King of thy people Israel Thou commandest Samuel to anoint me Arise thou therefore lift up thy self and awake for me 3. Besides this will be for thy Honour and Eâ—ification of thy Church 3 Gods glory The Congregation of thy people shall compass thee not me about Ver. 7 they will assemble to praise thee for their sakes therefore return thou on High Ascend the Tribunal and do justice Now upon this Argument of Gods justice He stayes upon Gods justice he dwells and insists till the last verse of the Psalm and he implores it upon the ingemination of his own innocency and the impiety of his enemies God the Judge 1. He avows God to be the Judge not of his cause alone but of the whole world The Lord shall judge the people Ver. 8 2. Then he importunes him to do justice to him and to wicked men He implores his justice 1. To him an innocent and upright person 1 To him an innocent Judge me O Lord according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me 2. To the wicked O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end Ve. 9 3. And yet again he prayes over the same thing but not only for himself 2 Upon the wicked In God all the properties of a a good Judge 1. Knowledge 2. Prudence 3. To save but all good men Establish the just and adds his Reason that God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He knows not only the words and deeds but the heart also The righteous Lord trieth the very hearts and reins and therefore fittest to be a Judge in whom is required knowledge and prudence 4. The other two properties of a Judge are to save to punish and the triumph of his faith is that he knows he will do both 1. He will save the just and upright in heart he will judge the righteous Ver. 10 and therefore his defence is in God 2. He will punish the wicked for he is angry with the wicked every day Ver. 11 And yet even to them he shews much clemency and forbearance 4 To punish he stayes for their conversion he whets bends sharpens prepares his instruments of death he cuts them not down shoots not till-there is no remedy 5 Clemency Marry If they will not turn he will whet his Sword Ver. 12 he hath bent his Bowe and made it ready Ver. 13 he hath prepared for him the instruments of death and ordains his Arrows against the Persecutors 5. But mercy shewed unto the wicked it seems will not mend and better him nor Davids innocency But forbearance mends
him this answer containing very remarkable Notes of a lively Member of the Church 1 In general 1. In general he is such a man who is 1 Upright 1. Upright in thought hath an honest heart He that walketh uprightly Ver. 2 2 Just 2. Just in his deed He works righteousness 3 True 3. True in his word He speaks the truth in his heart 4 Who eschews evil for he is not 2. In particular he is such a man who escheweth evil 1. In himself 1. Ver. 3 For he is no slanderer He back-bites not with his tongue 2. A slanderer c. He is no wrong doer Nor doth evil to his Neighbour 3. He is no reviler tale-bearer or hearer of them He takes not up a reproach c. 4. He is no favourer of sin in whose eyes a vile person is contemned 5. 2 He loves good men He is no oppressor or extortioner He puts not his money out to his poor brother to usury 6. Ver. 4 No briber He taketh no reward against the innocent 2. 3 He keeps his word Such a man he is That honours them that fear the Lord. 3. The second part His reward eternal salvation That sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not He will be sure to keep his word Piety and Charity is his Character 2. The Epiphonema hath it in these two points 1. Ver. 5 The party to whom this priviledge belongs He that doth these things For the doers of the Law shall be justified 2. Haec omnia haec 2. The promise made to him He shall never fall The life of Grace is the way to the life of Glory Potest in momentum movere sed non in aternum Resurget The Prayer out of the fifteenth Psalm that we may lead a life worthy of a Christian O Merciful and Bountiful God thou sole giver of Grace and Glory who hast made thy Tabernacle on Earth Ver. 1 a Type of that celestial Mansion thou hast promised us in Heaven and hast also taught us that we must first sojourn with thée in this before we shall come to dwell with thée in those everlasting habitations Give us Grace Ver. 2 that the whole old man of sin being put off we may walk uprightly before thée addict our selves to work righteousness and speak the truth plainly and sincerely from our hearts nor by dissimulation deceiving nor by fraud falshood and lies imposing upon our Neighbour Suffer us not with our tongues to detract from any mans good name and reputation Ver. 3 nor by false reports and whispers to backbite the absent let us not return evil for evil unto any much less evil for good nor with a contented mind receive a reproach against them Never let us respect any mans person if wicked Ver. 4 for their birth wealth power or glory nor palliate or flatter them in their vices but rather contemn all vile persons and on the contrary highly honour and love all those that fear the Lord. Make us faithful in our promises Ver. 5 and so religiously observant of our oaths that neither profit nor necessity compel us having sworn to our Neighbour to disappoint him Ver. 5 although it be to our own hinderance Remove from us all covetous destres and kéep us far from all unjust and oppressive contracts O let us never be corrupted with bribes and gifts to defend an evil cause and pronounce an unjust sentence Since those that do these things shall never fall or be removed from thy favour and presence vouchsafe to give us thy grace that our poor souls being purified from vitious habits and adorn'd with these Robes of Iustice Truth and Charity and sanctified by the merits of thy dear Son may live with thée eternally in Glory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XVI Mictham David Davids precious Jewel or Psalm of Gold literally to be understood of David but primarily and principally of Christ Acts 2. whom he calls Chasid Gods Holy One ver 10. and foretels his Passion Resurrection Ascension ver 9 10 11. TWO parts there are of this Psalm in general 1. A Petition ver 1. The first part Davids Petition for conservation 2. A Thanksgiving ver 7. 1. The Petition begins the Psalm 't is for preservation Preserve me O God Ver. 1 keep me to the Kingdom both temporal and eternal that thou hast promised He perswades it guard me guide me keep me To perswade God to this he produceth his Reasons 1. His confidence For in thee I trust this is a powerful plea 1 By his confidence in God 2. That his God for to trust God is the highest honour we can do him it sets the Crown on his head 2. His relation O my soul thou hast said unto the Lord Ver. 2 Thou art my God 3. For this I would shew my self thankful and return thee best of my best But what can I give save 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My goods or goodness my benificence or bounty is nothing unto thee 3 By his charity to the Saints Sacrifice thou needest not Psal 50.8 Nor art delighted in them but mercy thou requirest Hosea 6. 4. Then I will seek out thy Receivers Thy Saints that are in the earth Ver. 3 The Family of the Saints were the object of Davids bounty and his delight In whom he delights Illustratur à contrario But not in wicked men and Idolaters But my liberality and charity shall extend to the Saints that are in the earth and unto such as are excellent in whom is all my delight 5. But as for wicked men and Idolaters I have no delight in them they shall not partake of my bounty and goodness rather the contrary 1. They hasten after another god or endow another god They spare no cost but are lavish in endowing their gods Ver. 4 Israel part with Jewels c. 2. They offer their children to Moloch therefore 1. Their sorrows shall be multiplied I will punish them 2. I will not partake with them Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer To the Saints he would be liberal because God had dealt liberally with him 3. But detest them I will not take up their names with approbation within my lips ver 4. 6. And yet he gives another Reason why he would shew himself so thankful to God and bountiful and liberal to his Saints it was Gods great bounty and liberality to him Ver. 5. 6. 1. That God had set him out his portion and it was satisfactory The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup. 2. That God defended him in it Thou maintainest my lot ad corroborandum 3. And it was a fair portion The lines are fallen unto me in a fair ground or pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage Goodly indeed for it was a Crown 2. The second part of this golden Psalm is Davids Thanksgiving it begins The second part David gives thanks I
troubles from which thou hast delivered thy servant therefore I will praise thy name at all times and thy honour shall be continually in my mouth It shall be the boast of my soul and the joy of my heart that when I sought thée thou hast heard me and deliver'd me from those fears with which I was surprised For behold I a poor afflicted wretch forsaken by all contemn'd by all in the midst of my miseries have implored thy help and thou didst hear me out of thy Holy Heaven and camest down and savedst me from my troubles O let this thy mercy shew'd to me raise the hearts of thy afflicted people let all those who are of a méek and patient spirit under the cross heat thereof and be glad Let them magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together being fully perswaded that that God who sent his Angel and deliver'd me will also send his Angel to encamp round about them and will deliver them When their eyes are dejected even then let them look up to thée when their faces are clouded with sorrow then enlighten them with thy favourable countenance Refresh them with thy aspect as with a pleasing light and never suffer them to be ashamed that they have relied and put their trust in thée Though those bruitish men who prey and tear like Lions may want and suffer hunger yet let not those who séek thy name want any manner of thing that is good supply them with necessaries for this life and in their penury teach them to be content because thou hast made them to abound with the spiritual and true riches O teach them to taste and confess that the Lord is good and that the man is blessed that trusts in him O Lord let thy eyes be upon the righteous and thy ears open to their cry They are of broken hearts be nigh unto them they are of contrite spirits O save them they in their afflictions cry to thee O hear them and deliver them out of all their troubles Thou hast said it O make thy word good That many are the troubles of the righteous but do thou deliver him out of all And that we may be alwayes in thy favour and under thy care good God instruct-us ever in thy fear Keep O Lord our tongue from evil and our lips from speaking guile Teach us to depart from evil and to do good And because it is a hard matter to have peace with all men make us to live without offence and to seek peace so much as in us lies and to pursue it So shall we have our desires and obtain what we love long life sée many dayes and much good O Lord let thy face be against those that do evil and cut off the remembrance of them from off the earth Let their own malice if they persist in it slay the wicked and their death be miserable And let them which hate the righteous because his life is not like theirs but of another fashion be desolate adding sin unto sin to their destruction being destitute of thy grace destitute of thy favour for which they are subject to thy anger in this world and obnorious to eternal punishment But as for those who serve thée with a single heart though they are exposed to many troubles and over-weakly yield to many temptations yet O Lord redéem their souls from death deliver them from the craft and violence of Satan frée them from the dominion of sin and suffer them not to commit that great offence for which thou in thy just displeasure shouldst cast them off Pass by their weaknesses pardon their infirmities and negligences renew them daily by the power of thy Spirit increase their hope confirm their saith and because they put their trust only in thy mercy forsake them not leave them not but let the riches of thy mercy guide and conduct them through the many afflictions and troubles of this sinful world to that place of everlasting habitations that they may live with thée and rest with thée in glory and perpetual felicity for ever and ever And O Lord grant that I with thy Saints may have this for my portion through the merits of my only Redéemer Iesus Christ my Lord. Amen PSAL. XXXV Is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE parts of it are 1. A prayer for defence against his enemies In which he prayes first for protection vers 1 2 3 17 19 22 23 24 25. Then imprecates evil to fall on them vers 4 5 6 8 26. 2. A bitter complaint against the malice of his enemies which he pours out into the ears of God as motives to plead his cause vers 7 11 12 13 14 15 16 19 20 21. 3. A proposal of his trust and confidence in God for help and deliverance his joy in it vers 9 10. His thanks for it vers 18 28. and a motive to others to do the like vers 27. 1. The first part He prayes God to be his Advocate In the Courts of men and Princes innocents are often oppressed by false accusations and calumnies persecuted and over-borne by power He then First Prayes to God to be his Advocate his Patron and Protector 1. Litiga Plead my cause O Lord with them that serive with me Vers. 1 2. Fight against them that fight against me Take hold of the shield and buckler and stand up for my help Dram out also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute me 3. Say unto my soul Assure me I am thy salvation 2 He imprecates against his enemies Secondly He falls to an Imprecation against his enemies 1. Let them be confounded and put to shame c. vers 4. 2. Let them be as chaff before the wind c. vers 5. Vers. 4 3. Let their way be dark and slippery c. vers 6. 4. Let destruction come upon him at unawares vers 8. And here he interserts some reasons of his Petition and Imprecation 1. From the justice of his cause and their unjustice 3 The reasons of both Without cause they have hid a net c. vers 7. Vers. 7 2. Vers. 9 From his gratitude that being deliver'd he would be thankful And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord c. vers 9 10. 3. From his enemies dealing with him from vers 11. to 17. And so enters upon his Complaint The second part His complaint of his enemies which is the second part of the Psalm and upon this he stayes long And he layes to their charge 1. Perfidiousness and extream malice and perjury False witnesses did rise up Vers. 11 they laid to my charge things that I know not 2. Vers. 12 Ingratitude They rewarded me evil for good Good he did to them he when they were fasted and pray'd for them But they were cruel to him 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In my adversity they rejoiced c. 4. Mocking jesting jeering The abjects gather'd themselves against me they
transgressions of them with a pen of Iron and point of a Diamond with whom thou mindest to enter into judgment let not me O Lord be of that number let not my debt stand registred in that Book but of thy mercy and not my merit put it away and blot it out for if my sin stand upon thy account I am but a dead man Lord quicken me Lord forgive me my trespass and put away the hand-writing of thy Ordinance that is against me O Lord if thou wash me not I shall have no part with thée spots I have Ver. 2 that are not the spots of a son pollutions that are of a scarlet dye wash me then by thy vower from iniquity and cleanse me by thy Spirit from my sin or else as an Aethiop I shall never change my spots O Lord lest my uncleanness banish me from my fellowship with thée wash I beséech thée not my féet only but my hands and my head also Wash my féet that is my unclean affections wash my hands that is my unclean actions and wash my head that is my unclean imaginations cleanse me in all that the pollution of any do not cast me from thy presence O Lord I do not hide and conceal the iniquity of my bosom Ver. 3 I séek not to cover it as hitherto I have done but behold now I know it I acknowledge it I confess it to thée against my self therefore shew Lord some pity and compassion upon a miserable sinner and forgive it my sin is ever before me do thou therefore cast it behind thy back My sin is so secret to the eye of the World that no eye beholds it Ver. 4 to them I séem to be what I am not from them I find no trouble but thou O Lord art he to whom all creatures must render an account against thee then against thee I confess that I have grievously offended and done evil in thy sight and therefore it is not O Lord without cause that I suffer these heavy things from thy hands I have deserved them all and given thée just Reason to procéed against me as thou hast done and now I here acknowledge it before the world that thou mayest be justified and have the praise of righteousness even in those things which by the hands of men thou hast brought upon me Righteous art thou O Lord and just in thy judgments I know that in me that is in my flesh there dwells no good thing it is not one Fact only in which I am culpable Behold I was born in iniquity and in sin hath my mother conceived me A Transgressor I have béen from the womb for that bitter root of sin ingraffed in my nature hath gathered strength and shot forth new branches my understanding is darkned my will perverted and my affections bent to evil so that I am truly abominable in thy sight and ashamed of my self especially being conscious to those foul and enormous actual sins that grow from this polluted féed Behold Thou lovest Truth in the inward affections but wo is me I am a man of a double heart Thou hast often instructed my conscience by many secret motions of thy holy Spirit and taught me the way of wisdom but I foolishly have given a check to those inspirations and strayed like a lost shéep in the wayes of folly the light of my conscience I have put out and against my own knowledge I have transgressed Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin I thank God through Iesus Christ my Lord he hath shed his blood for me he alone is my Iesus Purge me then O Lord not with hyssop but with his blood nor Sope nor Niter nor Fullers Sope can make me clean but that stream which issued out of his wounds and side Purge me then with this blood and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow though my sins were as scarlet yet I shall be whiter than wool though they be red like crimson yet 〈◊〉 shall be white as the driven snow O Lord I hear within me the accusing voyce of a disquiet conscience which pursues accuseth and terrifies me O Lord let me hear the voyce of joy and gladness send down from above the Comforter who alone can speak peace to my soul and then my body which pineth away under this anguish and my bones which séem to be broken through my disconsolate condition shall again recover their wonted strength and my flesh upon me shall rejoyce If then Lord mark what is amiss who can abide it even thy dear Son when he endured the looks of thy angry face fell into agony his soul was heavy his flesh in such pain that he sweat thick clotts of blood how miserable then am I so long as thou shalt look upon me with an angry brow Hide O hide thy face from my sins and blot out all my misdeeds Turn thy angry look from me and look upon the face of thy Anointed that so thy anger when it reacheth me may as the Sun-beams passing through some thick cloud be refracted and mitigated O Lord by my sin I have grieved thy holy Spirit and forced thée who art properly my heart and life of my heart to forsake me come again Lord and restore life unto me without thée I am dead in trespasses and sins I have lost my life Ver. 10 and like a man wanting his quickning spirit when thou wentest away my life went away Return O Lord and come again and create a new heart within me Of my self I have fallen by thy assistance I must rise lend me then the helping hand of thy grace that may lift me up And being fallen my heart is foul Ver. 11 polluted and unclean and who is able to bring a clean thing out of an unclean This is a work much like the producing the first World out of the Tohu and Bohu set O Lord Almighty thy power to work again and create in me a clean heart Fallen I am into the old age of sin begin with me again and make me young and lusty as an Eagle Ver. 12 Cast me not away and forsake me not in my old age of iniquity as a dead man out of mind but let thy presence yet be with me and restore me to the joy of thy salvation O take not from me the graces and assistances of thy Spirit thy right Spirit thy holy Spirit thy frée Spirit A perverse spirit I find in my self thy Spirit will rectifie it and teach me to go the right way an unclean spirit I am possessed with thy Spirit will sanctifie it and purge it from pollution 't is the spirit of bondage to which I am subject thy Spirit can set it at liberty and make it frée impart therefore some nay a liberal portion of this thy Spirit that may teach me the right way that may set me in a holy course that may kéep preserve uphold and confirm me in it that
their malice For every day they wrest and put what sense they please upon our words all their thoughts are against us for evil They conspire assemble lie in wait for us Every word we speak every action we do they observe and mark that they may take away our lives In these extremities we have no security Vers. 1 but in thy mercy arise O Lord and maintain thine own cause be merciful unto us defend thy Truth and thy people that suffer for thy Truth Thou hast made to us many precious promises upon which give us grace so to rely that whatsoever sadness hardship calamity fall upon us that we may trust in thy Word and praise our God for that gracious Word of protection that hath procéeded out of thy mouth Why should we be afraid what man can do unto us when thou hast past thy word to be our Guardian It is not as the profane of the World imagine That thou hidest away thy face and wilt not see For if we are in banishment and pursued Thou tellest every step we take if our eyes drop down tears they are not lost for thou puttest them into thy bottle our sighs and groans are noted in thy Book When therefore now we are Exiles for thy sake and wander among a strange people Bottle up our tears hear our groans register our sighs before us and turn back our enemies Shall they escape by their iniquity in thine anger cast down the people O Lord. So shall we have just reason to praise our God for his Word bound we are by duty bound we have our selves by vow to do it For thy vows are upon us and therefore we will render praises unto thee O Lord deliver our souls from death and keep our feet from falling and we will walk in sincerity of heart before our God in the light of the living in this light the light of thy countenance give us grace to walk that we may live with thée for evermore through Iesus Christ our Lord. PSAL. LVII Ne Perdas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut Deprecatoriùs THIS Psalm was composed by David when he hid himself from Saul in the Cave 1 Sam. 24. The contents of it are His Petition ver 1. The Reasons that perswaded him to it from v. 1. to 6. His profession of thanks ver 5 7 8 c. 1. His Petition is ardent the Epizeuxis shews it The first part His Petition for mercy and it is for grace and protection Be merciful unto me O God be merciful unto me 2. And he presently subjoins his Reasons to perswade God to be merciful 1. From his faith and confidence he had in God alone The Reasons The second part 1. His affiance in God For my soul trusteth in thee and under the shadow of thy wings as the Chicken doth under the wing of the Hen shall be my refuge untill this Tyranny be over-past 2. From the sufficiency and efficiency of God I will call upon God 1. The most High sufficient then he is and able to deliver me 2. That performeth all things for me and will therefore effect it 2 Gods sufficiency and efficiency And upon this Argument he insists in the following verse He shall send from Heaven some miraculous way he shall do it send from Heaven and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up Selah God shall send forth his Mercy and Truth perform his word and mercifully save me 3. The third Reason of his Petition was 3 His great danger the extream danger he was then in by a cruel and merciless enemy 1. My soul is among Lyons a ravenous bloody creature Ver. 4 2. I lie even among those that are set on fire their anger and hatred to me is implacable 3. Even among the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp Sword They calumniate me and wound deeper than these weapons A Spear wounds near an Arrow afar off a Sword at hand near or far off they spare not to disgrace me fortiter accusant 4. And now he draws an Argument more strong than all the rest for he puts God in mind of that which he will not part with 4 Gods honour his Glory A glory it would be to him to be merciful to save and deliver and therefore he prayes Be thou exalted O God above the Heavens and let thy Glory be above all the earth that is shew thy Power and assert thy Glory let not the wicked thus exult which if thou shalt do thy Glory will be conspicuous above in Heaven and below over all the earth And then he falls again upon his complaint describing the practises of his enemies 1. He reiterates his danger But foretels the event They have prepared a Net for my steps insidiantur as Fowlers 2. So that my soul is bowed down my life is in great danger 3. They have digged a Pit before me intending to take me as some wild Beast but praised be God I foresee the event They are fallen into the Pit themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neque enim lex justior ulla est quam necis artificem arte perire suâ Upon the confidence of which David gives thanks The third part For it gives thanks which consists of which also may be a fourth Argument for no such way to procure a new favour as to be thankful and by his example we may learn how to give thanks two especial points our thanksgiving must consist of and we meet with both of them here the first is Commemoration the second Annunciation 1. He that will be thankful must treasure up in his heart and memory the courtesie that is done him 1 A Commemoration so had David done and therefore he mentions his heart and to make it more emphatical he names it again My heart 2. 2 An Affection After he remembers it he must be affected with it and resolve upon it so doth David My heart is ready or else My heart is fixed confirmed I am in it to be thankful and I cannot be altered 3. 3 An Annunciation 'T is not enough that a man carry about with him a thankful heart he must anunciare tell it abroad and make it known publickly what God hath done for him 1 With joy yea and do it joyfully too I will saith David sing and give praise 4. He must use all means he can to make it known Tongue Psaltery and Harp 2 By all means possible are all little enough whence by an Apostrophe David turns to these Awake my Glory i.e. Tongue awake Lute and Harp I my self will awake 5. 3 With fervency He must not do it in a sleepy manner but with contention and earnestness of spirit Awake awake I will awake 6. 4 Opportunely He must take the first opportunity to do it and not hang off and delay it I will awake early 7. 5 Publickly He must
mouth of the wicked Caiaphas Judas the Priests the Jewes moved with envy and malice 2. 2 Deceitful And the mouth of the deceitful is opened against me Deceitful those words were Master Thou teachest the way of God truly Tell us whither They sought to entrap him in his words 3. 3 Lyars They have spoken against me with a lying tongue He casteth out Devils through Belzebub the Prince of Devils He said he would destroy the Temple and raise it in three dayes And yet the mischief rises higher for this deceit and lying arose from hatred and malice 1. Ver. 3 They compassed me about with words of hatred manifesting in plain words the malice which they carried in their hearts 4 Malicious saying This man is not of God behold a gluttonous person and a wine-bibber Away with him Crucifie him Yea now but what evil hath he done that would be known why so much spoken against why so hated But such there was not which aggravates their fault 2. 5 Without cause They hated me gratis without a cause Hate and lie and speak ill they would because they would John 15. 4. Farther They were not only wicked deceitful and malicious but very ungrateful persons also I went about doing good healing every sickness Ver. 4 and evely diseases among the people and I loved them as a Hen her Chickens 6 Ungrateful and would have gathered them Now he is of a very ill nature that being beloved will not love again but he of a worse that for love will return hatred and this they did 1. For my love they are my adversaries Enough this to turn the heart of any man from them But 2. I give my self to prayer I pray'd for them on the Cross Father Ver. 5 forgive them they know not what they do Which base ingratitude of theirs he yet farther opens in fuller words ver 5. And they have rewarded me evil for good and hatred for my love I see that of Theognis is most true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fluctere naturam gratia nulla potest A Jew will ever be a Jew 2. The Prophet having complained of the malice hatred spiteful usage The second part An Imprecation and ingratitude of his Nation their crafty dealing with him the lies and slanders which they heaped upon him proceeds to pray against them and that in a most bitter and fearful imprecation Enemies he fore-saw they would be to the Son God and hinder so much as lay in them the flourishing estate of Christs Church yea and that nothing was of force to restrain or amend them and therefore he curses them with a curse the most bitter that ever fell from the lips of man and had it not been directed and inspired by the Holy Ghost not justifiable In particular Judas that was guide to them who took Jesus is pointed at But as Augustine observes he represented the person of the whole Synagogue the Imprecations then that are prayed for against him do also involve them respectively 1. The first is a fearful imprecation Set thou a wicked man over him Ver. 6 and let Satan stand at his right hand 1 That he be under the power of the wicked 1. Subject him to the will of some impious and wicked man to whose lust and violence he may be no better than a slave Others by a wicked man understand some false Teacher that may seduce him by false Doctrine But Bellarmine by Peccator here understands the Spirit of Covetousness which was set over Judas when he sold Christ to whom he unhappily serv'd till death 2. Let Satan stand at his right hand have full power over him let him stand 2 And Satan which signifies a perpetual and indefatigable endeavour to urge and press him forward till he effect the mischief intended and so it was in Judas and the Jewes for after that Satan had put into his heart to betray his Master and the Jewes had taken counsel to crucifie him Satan would never permit them to give it over till they had brought him to the Cross the Devil was their Guide and they followed him 2. The second is When he shall be judged let him be condemned Ver. 7 Find no mercy no favour at the Judges hand 3 When judged condemned but have the sentence of condemnation pronounced against him at the Bar of man and at the Bar of God Literally it fell out in Judas when his own conscience accused and condemned him for betraying the innocent the very High Priests that bribed him would not acquit him and he went out and became his own Executioner He hang'd himself 3. The third Let his prayer be turned into sin his supplication be abominable 4 Let his prayer be sin Prov. 28. For he turns his ear from hearing God why then should God hear him no prayer can be acceptable to God but through Christ none but from a heart purified by faith Nor any impious man that lives in a constant course of sin hath such a heart nor the Jewes nor Judas offer any prayer through Christ and therefore Davids curse is fallen upon them Their prayer is become sin 4. The fourth is the shortning of their life and their honour 1. Of their life Let his dayes be few Length of dayes is promised to the obedient 5 His life and honour short and is a blessing wherefore David prayes that this man may be of a short life which fell out in Judas for he enjoyed not long his bargain 2. And let another take his Office which without contradiction must be applied to Judas since St. Peter Acts 1. so interprets it And is at this day as true of the Jewes for they have no High Priest Another after the order of Melchizedech hath succeeded into the Priesthood of Aaron 5. Let his Children be fatherless and his Wife a Widow which must needs be the consequent of the former curse 6 His children fatherless for if his dayes be few a Widow must on necessity be left behind and fatherless children also This curse reacheth to his Family and he adds to it 1. Let his children be Vagabonds and beg Vagabonds the Jewes are to this day Vagabonds and beg and upon the overthrow of Jerusalem no better than Beggars for a longtime Juven Sat. 3. In qua te quaero proseuchâ 2. Let them seek their bread also out of desolate places Have no houses at all to dwell in but such as ruinous fallen and desolate i. e. dwell among old walls 7 His Goods spoiled by the Extortioner as Beggars and thence rome abroad to seek their bread 6. The sixth Execration is upon his Goods 1. Let the Extortioner catch all that he hath The Extortioner might be the Publicans who for their Extortions were hateful to the Jewes 2. And the stranger spoil his labour which was verified in Titus Souldiers that rip 't up the Bellies of the captive Jewes for gold
vigour thy growth And because the Prophet in the beginning of the verse spoke of Gods people of their holiness their willingness methinks it is most consonant to the drist of the Text to expound these words of their Regeneration also of their increase of their growth in grace and the causes of it the Word of God and the operation of his Spirit which as I said is the dew But I leave to every man to take for his guide in this case either the Ancient or Modern Divines Now I go on with the Psalmist 2. The Prophet having foretold Christs Kingdom The second part Christ a Priest now descends to predict his Priesthood under which his Prophetical Office may well be implied for the Priests lips were to preserve knowledge Ver. 4 and the people were to require the Law at their mouth Now that no man ever doubt that the Messiah was to be a Priest at his coming God hath confirmed with an Oath with an irreversible Oath 1. The Lord sware His Word had been enough but for Assurance 1 Confirmed by an Oath he hath given his Oath Beatos nos quorum causa jurat Deus sed miseros nos sine juranti quidem credimus It seems that in the Priesthood of Christ lies the main weight of our Redemption that God takes an Oath to assure us he should be a Priest that he should be a King that he should be a Prophet he swears not though he was to be both but he secures to us this Office because nor his being a King nor Prophet could have redeemed us had he not been a Priest to offer himself to dye to intercede to satisfie Gods wrath for us 2. Sworn he hath and he will not repent This is also added for our greater assurance Sometimes we shall read in Scripture of Gods Repentance 2 Of which God repents not as in the case of the old World in the case of Nineveh then he was to do justice and to destroy which Isaiah calls opus alianum But now he was to save the World by this Priest his Son and he takes an Oath to do in and he repents not nor ever will repent of it His sentence for judgment is ever conditional and then he is said to repent when he executes it not his words have not the effect Non affectu vertitur sed avertitur nostra penitentia orationibus But his Decree for mercy is absolute as it was here he will not repent nor alter the thing gone out of his lips 3. The matter of the Oath followes 3 The matter of the Oath Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech Not a word here that ought to pass without a Note 1. Thou is emphatical Thou Davids Lord art a Priest and none such a Priest but Thou 1 Thou art a Priest 2. Art For this Priest was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am and then it might rightly be said of him Thou art 3. A Priest whose Office thus the Apostle describes Hebr. 5.1 To be a person taken from among men yet ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity 4. 2 For ever For ever They truly viz. Aaron and his Successors were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death but this man because he continueth for ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood Hebr. 7.23 3 After the order of Melchizedech 24. 5. After the Order that is the Right the Law the Custom the Tradition or Rites 6. Of Melchizedech which is opposed to the Order of Aaron he was not then to be a Priest after the Order of Aaron but by a former and higher Order The difference betwixt the Aaronical Priesthood and Christs the difference lies in this 1. In the Constitution of him to the Priesthood He was made with an Oath and so were not any of Aarons Order This Saint Paul observes Hebr. 7.20 21. 2. In the Succession In Aarons Priesthood the High Priest being mortal as he began so also he ended he dyed and another succeeded But this Priest after Melchizedech had no Successor as Melchizedech he was without father on earth without mother in heaven he had neither beginning of dayes nor end of life Hebr. 7. 3. Melchizedech was King and Priest and so was Christ Aaron a Priest only 4. Aaron and his sons offered up Oxen Sheep first for their own sins then for the people Levit. 16.6 But Christ being holy blameless undefiled Hebr. 7.26 offered not any Sacrifice for himself but for our sins Isa 53.9 5. Aaron was a local Priest tyed to the Temple at Jerusalem a Priest of one people but Christ an universal Catholick Priest a Priest for all persons all places John 4.21 6. Aaron anointed with material Oyle Christ with the Holy Ghost Luke 4.18 21. 7. Aarons Priesthood temporary Christs for ever The difference betwixt his Priesthood Christ a Priest having the characters required by St. Paul and that of Aaron is evident though then no such Priest yet a Priest and according to Saint Pauls definition Hebr. 5.1 2. 1. A Priest is to be a person taken from among men a man then he must be though a select a choice man every man not fit for the Office and so was Christ a perfect man 1 A man 2. Ordained yet a choice man one of a thousand Cant. 1. 2. A Priest must be ordained by God For no man takes upon him that honour who is not called by God as was Aaron so Christ glorified not himself to be made an High Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son 3 For men this day have I begotten thee Hebr. 5. 3. The High Priest was ordained for men in things pertaining to God for men he is ordained that he may plead their cause to God to be their Advocate Mediator Interpreter and Reconciler in all those things in which men make their Addresses to God or God is to signifie his Will to them And so was Christ for he is the Advocate the Mediator for his people he reconciles man to God he interprets his Will to us by preaching the Gospel to the poor 4. 4 To offer sacrifice The High Priest was ordained that he might offer Gifts and Sacrifices for sins Their Sacrifices were the blood of Bulls and Goats which could not take away sins But as a Priest Christ offer'd also a Sacrifice a Sacrifice of blood but far more precious than that of Beasts being himself and his own blood Ephes 5.2 Hebr. 9.26 Hebr. 10.10 11 12. 5. 5 Compassionate The High Priest must have compassion on the ignorant and on those that are out of the way And such a Priest was Christ For we have not an High Priest which
of Gods favour A fourth Petition again he presents that he might have a sence and feeling of Gods favour 1. Make thy face to shine upon thy Servant For as the Sun by the intetposition of a cloud is obscured Ver. 7 and by it we are deprived of light and heat So when God doth not help us by his Grace he seems to hide his face upon which there follows a coldness and darkness upon the soul of which David having experience prayes Make thy face to shine for then the contrary effects would follow light and comfort of soul 2. And teach me thy statutes Illuminate me 4. Ver. 8 These Prayers of David testifie how he loved the Law and now he witnesseth the same by his grief He grieves for the wickedness of others his grief for the sins of others to that use he put his tears Rivers of water run down from my eyes because they keep not thy Law The sins of other men may become ours if we mourn not for them 1 Cor. 5.2 Ezek. 9.8 The Prayer O Lord Ver. 1 I never can be satisfied in the contemplation of thy Law in which I find so great depths Mysteries and wonders in few words I find most perfect wisdom and equity contain'd all vertues commanded all vices prohibited all men of all ages and all conditions taught their duties The very entrance into them gives light Ver. 2 and dispels the darkness of error and ignorance the continuance in them gives understanding to the simple who are of an humble spirit and submit and captivate their reason to thy wisdom The proud and malicious thou dost reject and to them the Lamp of thy Law gives no more light than a Candle hid under a Bushel O make me then of an humble spirit teach me to submit my natural and corrupted reason to thy divine revelations never let me think my self so wise in my own eyes that I néed not the teaching of thy Spirit so shall I hope to understand the wonderful things of thy Law Ver. 1 so shall my soul kéep them That I may obtain so great a favour Ver. 3 I have opened my mouth in prayer never did any man that is anhelous and almost stified more labour for breath than I have panted for this grace for I have excéedingly longed and desired to come to a right understanding of thy Commandments Behold I turn my prayer unto thée be thou converted and look upon me Ver. 4 look upon me with the eye of that mercy as thou usest to do upon those that love thy Name and thy Honour deal by me as thou art wont to deal with thy friends and dutiful servants for I desire to be in that number though O Lord I must néeds confess my self to be an unprofitable servant That I may be better hereafter order my steps Ver. 5 dispose and direct all my affections and actions according to the eract rule of thy Word and never permit any iniquity to have the dominion over me Though to my grief it will dwell yet never let it reign in my mortal body or so far dominéer that I obey it in the lusts thereof Ver. 7 I am sensible what a darkness comes over my soul upon thy displeasure and the withdrawing of thy countenance make then thy face to shine upon thy servant that all mists and darkness being dispelled I may be again refreshed and comforted by the bright beams of thy favour and withal teach me thy most just Statutes without the knowledge of which I can expect neither protection from thée nor felicity To with-hold and deter me from my duty to thée I find too many impediments tentations I have from men who scoff and mock at me because I keep thy Law that calumniate and detract from my good name because I adhere to thy Truth that oppress and undo me because I am constant in my obedience to thée O deliver me from the scorns and oppression of man and so being set at liberty I shall more readily and chéerfully keep thy precepts These are bitter enemies to thy truth and sons of Belial they have broke the yoke and cast oft thy bonds and yet for them my soul shall mourn in secret Rivers of water shall run down my eyes because they keep not thy Law Turn Lord even to these if it be thy good pleasure and turn them to thée for they are thy creatures and bear thy Image true it is that they have defaced it by rebellion but thou canst restore it by thy Spirit which if they shall go on to ver and grieve to rebell and provoke while he is at his work then number them to the sword and bow them down to the slaughter because when thou calledst they would not answer when thou spakest they would not hear but continued to do evil before thy eyes and did choose that wherein thou didst not delight Make them know that there is a God in Israel that will avenge his own cause and protect his people and get himself glory upon his enemies But let thy servants sing for joy of heart and rejoice in thy salvation for ever and ever 18. TSADDI IN this Octonary David again commends the Law of God from the Author The Contents from the equity contain'd in it from the purity and perpetuity of it 2. The consideration of which wrought in him zeal and love to it a care to remember it and a joy and delight in it 3. Notwithstanding all opposition 1. Ver. 1 David being rempted to impatience and distrust at the prosperity of the wicked David in trouble comforts himself with Gods justice comforts himself with the consideration of Gods righteous Nature Righteous art thou O Lord Thou alterest not with times thou changest not with persons thou art alwayes unto all the one and the same Righteous God 2. 2 He commends Gods Law as just And just are thy Judgements in giving rewards and distributing punishments righteousness is so essential to thee that thou canst no more defraud the godly of their promised comforts Ver. 2 nor let the wicked go unpunished in their sins than deny thy self to be God which is impossible 2. And from a righteous God hath proceeded a righteous Law For God forbid that the Judge of all the world should do unjustice The Testimonies which thou hast commanded are exceeding righteous and very faithful So that God is not only just in himself and just in his retributions but that very Law which he hath commanded us to keep contains in it exact justice The Laws of men may be unequal but Gods Law hath in it nothing but equity and Truth it gives liberty to no injustice or iniquity 3. Shews his zeal to it Now the first affection that this consideration wrought in David was an ardent zeal it anger'd and griev'd him that so just a God should be dishonored and so just a Law forgotten Ver. 3 1. My zeal hath even consumed me My zeal to thy Law