sun by their blackness and greatness 12 And then suddainly changing the face of the heavens from that immensity of darkness to such an extraordinary and supernatural brightness which ushered in his presence as instantly dispelled those foresaid clouds wherein before he terribly appeared and then again as terribly in the contrary temperament of the sky being all of a light fire by flashes of lightening which even consumed and burnt up what was combustible accompanied with showers of hail issuing from those clouds so broken with the brightness of his appearing 13 Or when as the Lord raised terrible thunder-claps in the heavens and sent forth that dreadful voice of his to the amazement of his peoples enemies the Egyptians and others and therewith powred down upon them hailstones mingled with fire which beat them and burnt them up like straw or stubble 14 Yea when he shot his mortal thunderbolts amongst them and put them to flight frighting them out of all order and array and discharged his swift and penetrating lightnings upon them and utterly routed and discomfited them 15 And when his people being in danger upon their prayer God made the very sea it self dry and fordable for their safe retreat and their enemies ruine And the bottom of that deep concave and Abisse whereinto the earth received the water at the creation was disclosed by the seas dividing it self at the Lords command and by the winds that he raised to interrupt its course and force it to a stand 16 As much as all this hath he done for me though by a more occult way of providence he hath wrought and fought from heaven for me many a time and after diverse manners he ever had a special eye to me and care of my safety and from manifold and great dangers hath he powerfully maugre the force and malice of mine enemies delivered me 17 Yea from Saul who was my mightiest and cruelest enemy and from all that sided with him against me in hatred to me hath he most miraculously delivered me whom else I could never have escaped nor prevailed against considering their strength above mine 18 For in humane power and policy they were ever too hard for me in the time of mine adversity and persecution But I firmly trusted in the Lord who was alwayes on my side and still sustained and delivered me notwithstanding all they could do 19 Yea he hath not onely brought me out of my troubles but moreover hath advanced me highly and stated me in a most happy condition from out those straits I was in And the reason why he thus wrought for me and had such care over me to deliver me was his good grace and free favour to me 20 And to the honest cause which I maintained and which he sustained in my behalf prospering me in it and for it and mine innocent and just behaviour against mine enemies injustice and cruelty hath he recompenced with their downfal and mine advancement 21 For in all my troubles I was careful to keep a good conscience towards God in doing justly and walking uprightly and did not saving the slips of humane frailty and infirmity at any time perversly step aside or fail in my duty to God whom I ever found so gratious 22 For I was sincere and had alwayes his righteous precepts in mind and memory to order my self and my wayes impartially thereafter and did not refuse upon any reason or occasion to yield obedience to them 23 Nor was mine inward man wanting but he that sees all things knows my obedience was performed from my heart in faith and affection to the commander as well as to the commandment and that in love to him I bridled and refrained my self from the sin that either by nature or occasion I was most prone and tempted to 24 And now I find I am no loser by it for the Lord in mercy hath had consideration of the justice of my cause and of mine innocent and holy demeanour and hath rewarded me accordingly with the ruine of mine enemies and mine own preservation and advancement 25 I and mine enemies are a pattern of thy truth and justice and that thou wilt reward all manner of men according to their works they that shew mercy shall find mercy at thine hands as I have done in my deliverance and they that exercise their faith and love towards thee shall find both love and faithfulness from thee again 26 And such as are undefiled in the way careful to walk uprightly and do justly according to thy commandments shall in the end find thee just in thy promises and gracious in thy providences and on the contrary so shall they find thee cross in providence and just in judgements that proudly and perversly erre from thy precepts 27 For thou wilt not fail to save and deliver the innocent and oppressed that trust in thee and call upon thee but on the other hand wilt be sure to bring to ruine those that set light by thee and thine 28 I may say it for so I have and shall find it more and more to be true for thou both hast and wilt make my condition prosperous and happy the Lord in whom I trust and whom I have ever found trusty to me as he hath out of love and faithfulness begun so I know and believe he will go on until he have estated me in perfect peace and prosperity and made me as happy as ever I was miserable 29 For by what thou hast done I know what thou wilt do in that by thy power I have been wonderfully preserved in battel and defeated mine enemies and by thy assistance have escaped many perils and skaled their fortresses even so shall I do still 30 As for God you need not doubt him for his way of proceeding towards his people is a most absolute and perfect way full of wisdome justice and truth his promises have alwayes been found true and never deceived them that trusted to them for according to them he ever was and ever will be a preserver and defender of all them that faithfully depend upon him 31 And the contrary is very foolishness for who is a God to be trusted in and depended on save the Lord Almighty onely and who can defend and protect but that God who hath shewed such wonderful strength and power in our preservation that relied on him 32 It is God and God alone that hath made me of mean and impotent to become thus considerable and potent above mine enemies and that maketh all my proceedings prosperous and successefull 33 He enables me to over-run conquer all mine enemies with ease and expedition and subdues them under me making me Lord of them and all their strength 34 He puts power and skill into me and makes me both too cunning and too strong for mine enemies 35 Thou hast not onely thus given me power
canst give me or do for me shall better please me and more oblige me to praise and thank thee with an honest gratuitous heart and conversation than thy teaching of me by thy word and spirit to know and do thy commandments the onely righteous rule of faith and manners 8 O Lord my purpose of heart is to keep thy commandments and to walk exactly in faith love and obedience as thou enjoynest but alas I know mine own imbecillity and the necessity of thy continuall inablement hereunto by thy spirit and grace which if withdrawn I am at a loss therefore Lord in pitie of my weakness and in prosecution of the good work begun in me that desire to fear thy name leave me not to my self nor lead me not into temptation to buckle with it in mine own strength let no sinne cause separation though correction but remember mercy and renew in me a right spirit when I do go wrong as who doth not Beth. The second letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the second part 9 Young men are aptest to go astray and therefore had need to be inquisitive and circumspect of themselves and their wayes how to avoid the pollutions of mind and manners whereunto their age prompts them with a more than ordinary aptitude and doubtless I speak it knowingly the onely remedy for such distemperature is for them to be conversant in thy word and thence to observe with a child-like disposition what pleaseth and displeaseth thee their heavenly father and in conscience thereunto carefully to regulate their inward and outward man accordingly by believing and obeying 10 O Lord thou knowest my heart to be perfect with thee for thou hast made it so how that I have neither been partiall nor unsincere in mine obedience but entirely endeavoured alwayes in all things to please thee as desirous above all things of thy grace and favour fearing to forfeit it which good Lord grant I may never do by going astray from thy precepts therefore I beseech thee watch over me that no temptation mislead me on the right or left hand out of the way of thy commandments in which I desire to walk from one end of my life to the other without deviating 11 I have Lord stored up thy word in mind and memory especially such and so much of it as I knew was of present and practicall concernment to me in my condition with full purpose of heart to keep close thereunto and not sinfully to suffer my self to be seduced there-from what ever happened 12 Thou Lord art onely blessed in and of thy self from whom as from a fountain flowes forth all derived blessedness unto thy creature which thou art wont to confer most upon them that please thee best as a gracious remuneration of their love and service Lord therefore teach me to know and enable me to do thy will revealed in thy word that I may partake thy blessedness be sharer in thy holiness and happiness here and hereafter 13 As I have found thy law usefull to me by my knowledge of it and framing my course of life according to it so have I endeavoured to make it to be to others and therefore have I according to my measure of light and the duty of my place and office taught it publickly and privately not concealing any truth I knew might make for thy glory and their edifying when I had oportunity of time and occasion 14 My delight and care I bless thee for giving me such an heart hath been more to hear understand and practise those things which in thy word are testified to be thy will and more sweet peace and consolation have I had when I have been so happy as to attain the knowing and doing of them than they that set their hearts to heap up riches when they have their desire of opulency and affluence 15 Therefore whereas worldlings cast in their minds and occupy their thoughts how to enhance their earthly store because their delight is there my meditations shall be otherwayes imploied my care and thoughts shall be how to know more and practise better thy will revealed for therein is my delight and thereto will I bend my mind studying how best to please thee 16 To know and do what pleaseth thee shall be a pleasure unto me yea nothing shall more delight me and therefore am I fully purposed to make thy word the subject of my meditation day and night and the rule of mine obedience in weal and wo. Gimel The third letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the third part 17 Lord thy promises to thy people are comprehensive of all good things as thou hast made them so fulfill them Let me thy servant reap the blessed fruits of thy grace and bounty according to them touching life temporall and spirituall grant me both and what conduces unto both as a faithfull creatour and gracious redeemer that by grace I may live both the life of grace and nature 18 Lord thou knowest what great impediments there are that hinder our knowledge and acquaintance with thee even in those things thou hast revealed of which yet we are ignorant and seeing we see not there being a two-fold vail that interposeth betwixt a right understanding and them the one over our hearts blindly mistaking the mind and meaning of the spirit and stumbling at the stumbling stone the letter The other over thy law and covenant it self exprest in dark and typicall umbrages and dispensations full of wonderous divine excellency in their signification and antitypicall meaning but impossible to be understood but by thy more than litterall revelation Therefore dispense thy spirit who onely knows the mind of God and can onely make it known unto thy servant draw aside thy curtaines of my blindness and thy laws darkness that in thy light I may see light and be made able to behold the mysticall and spirituall tenderness of thy whole law and covenant both in the morall typicall dispensation of it which unfolded to a spirituall eye are admirable and ravishing portraying as in a table the divine history and mistery of mans redemption and salvation with all that heavenly wisdome free-grace and Almighty power that shines therein 19 I am thine and properly belong to another world onely here I must for a time lead a transient life because it is thy will more than mine who though I am in the world yet not of the world but in mind and heart estranged from it therefore seeing it is thy pleasure that I must live mine appointed time to serve thee on earth take it into consideration what divine light and guidance is requisite so to do and vouchsafe me it proportionably least I wander out of thy way the world and flesh with which I here converse being strangers and estranged thereunto and apt to mislead me if thy word and spirit be not alwayes a light and guide unto me 20
as a vessel unemptied taking taint by long standing in any one condition and therefore God hath ordered it that the soul as the Sea shall purge it sel◠by its constant vicissitudes of ebbings and flowings whether the winds blow without or not But least Christians wonder at such fortunes as befall them God hath shewen us that we sail but the course of other men that went before us and have landed safely through many cross winds and high Seas in a happy issue or conclusion and David is the highest Sea-mark in all the Bible for men of shipwracked souls bodies states or names to cast their eye upon who ever lived that endured such and such variety of affliction for that he was to be the type as of the Crown so of the cross of Christ yea and of every Christian or the Church in generall And therefore what state soever thou beest in the Psalms are as an Apothecaries stop full of boxes and they are full of all manner of store for men in all tempers and distempers at all times and in all tunes to make use of especially when thou hast to do in a good cause against a wicked enemy Bodily weakness disabling me for other imploiments gave me opportunity to make thus much more progress in Scripture-paraphrase and though the Psalms which being so frequently used ought the better to be understood may primâ facie seem to need none yet they that look into them with inspection will find much more sence than lies above board besides that of coherence and connexion the hardest part of paraphrase which most Readers omit and most expositours neglect rendering though a true sence of the Text if disjoyned yet not carefully considering the scope of the contexture they give not the sence in its full propriety which is the endeavour of Thine in the work of the Lord. G. F. Advertisements premised WHerein the word Maschil is prefixed to a Psalm it imports it to be a Psalm of direction instruction or information in some sort or other Where the word Selah is affixed to any sentence or verse it is to be understood by way of Emphasis or as an Emphaticall close to the matter foregoing suitable to it by way of Exaggeration or Amplification for Impression sake And so in like sort the word Higgaion which signifies to muse or meditate is to be taken when and where it is affixed to a sentence as where Higgaion Selah concludes a verse The first PSALM The Contents The Prophet to induce to godliness and disswade from wickedness shews in this Psalm that the first of these does onely make men happie and blessed and the other doth certainly and eternally make men miserable 1 WOuldst thou be a blessed man mistake not then but know upon the word of a Prophet speaking from God that He and He onely is here and shall be for ever hereafter happie and blessed to wit with the favour of God true peace of conscience and joys of heaven the onely true happiness that maugre the opinion of the world to the contrarie shuts his ear to the sinful perswasions of wicked men not suffering himself to be seduced to lead their lives much less willingly and impudently gives himself over to a course of sinning and least of all with brazen face scorns and opposes the ways of God and them that walk them 2 But on the contrarie is ruled by the Word studying it and walking those ways which it prescribes and commands with as much pleasure and content of mind as wicked men take in sin keeping it in mind and memorie to order his ways according to it that in nothing nor at no time sin may mislead him 3 And God shall so bless this his holy care and industrie that his soul shall be plentifully fed from heaven with the never-failing influences of Grace and Consolation to the making him fruitful in every good work and work comfortable in every condition and inable him to hold forth a holy profession throughout prosperitie and adversitie to the end maugre the world and wicked men to the glorie of God and honour of Religion and his own great advantage too here as well as hereafter thereby procuring the blessing of God upon all he hath and doth 4 Whereas the wicked have no firm footing in any good condition for in the way they walk God will never bless them nor respect them but as they are nought so will he set them at nought and will make it appear he does so when he executes his displeasure upon them which shall part them from the prosperitie they enjoyed in this life with a fearful farewel never exspecting to see good day again 5 For the conscience of their wicked ways and the expectation of that just and fearful sentence Go ye cursed to be pronounced upon them shall make them hang the head in deep despair at the great Assize when as the godly shall be able to lift up their heads with joy nor shall such sinful wretches ever set foot within heavens threshold or have any fellowship or share there in the happiness of the saints 6 For however wicked men that know not things that differ think as well and better of themselves and their ways than of the godly and theirs Yet God knows the difference and shall one day make them to know it too when he comes to judge and reward every one according to his works then he will make it appear what notice he took of the godly and how he approved them the world contemned And the wicked they shall see and find for all their confidence and jolity where their way will end and to what a woful condition it will bring them at last Even to everlasting destruction Second PSALM David finding great opposition in his coming to the Kingdom both at home by the House of Saul and they that sided with them and also abroad by confederacy of neighbour-Princes and People He shews them both their folly and danger in so doing for that as a Prophet he does assure them that God hath designed him to rule both over Iews and Gentiles as a figure of Christs doing the like in his spiritual Kingdom all the world over and therefore exhorts them to desist and submit to the will of the Lord and not to their utter undoing put from them the Grace that is offered them in Christ whose type onely he was and of whose Kingdom he prophesies which would make them blessed for ever 1 HOw senselesly do the Gentile and Heathen nations amongst us and about us yea and so many that are of Israel too so violently oppose my Government and refuse their subjection to me which nevertheless shall be effected maugre all their rage and resistance for that herein I am to be a type of Christ the Son of God his universal Sovereignty over Jews and Gentiles which by the wicked of both sorts shall in like manner be opposed but in
to Saul that though he be mine utter enemie and hath wrongfully and without any cause at any time given by me laboured my destruction which nature can ill brook yet even then in that time of open hostilitie when I had him at advantage and might have rid my self of him once or twice such was my respect and loyaltie to him and fear of sinning against thee that I delivered him though to the hazard of mine own life thereby 5 If thou Lord who knowest all things know me guilty of this persidious treacherie whereof I am accused then in thy righteous judgement let Saul never cease to seek my life till he have it and then let him put me to as shameful a death as ever any suffered and brand me for a most treacherous ignominious wretch to all posteritie even from my heart I wish it 6 But Lord thou knowest its otherways therefore in thy just displeasure and in the greatness of thy power bestir thee in my behalf to right me on my false accusers and bloudie persecutors because of their unjust violence against me and delay no longer but take this season of their sinning to destroy them and fulfil that righteous decree and judgement which is gone forth of thy mouth concerning the making me the Kingly type of Christ over Israel 7 And I will cause thy sanctuarie to be erected upon Sion so shall all Israel meet solemnly to worship thee therefore for thy peoples sake who do now want the means of serving and seeking thee as they desire seat thy self upon thy Tribunal to do justice which now thou hast long forborn and shew forth thy power from heaven as formerly thou hast done in their behalfs 8 The Lord will right this wrong which his people sustain in having his worship deteined from them and I pray thee consider my case too O Lord to right me also on mine enemies who have deprived me of thine ordinances for that thou knowest me just in my behaviour and in mine heart upright towards Saul and most falsly slandered in those things whereof I am accused and for which I am persecuted 9 O Lord do thou put an end to the wicked practises of mine ungodly enemies but make good thy promise of mine establishment in the throne of Israel who fears thy name and am just in all my dealings for thou that knowest the inward thoughts and desires of mens hearts canst judge whether I or mine enemies be the wrong-doors 10 My trust is wholly in the Lord for my preservation against the furie of mine implacable and malicious adversaries who I know will not let the upright hearted man perish who fears to sin and hath a care to walk honestly 11 God though he seem slack yet will sooner or later judge the righteous mans cause and as well as the wicked seem to prosper yet hath God a continual eye upon them and their evil ways whereby his displeasure is daily increased against them 12 He indeed waits a time to see if the wicked will repent and turn from his evil ways but if after he have waited a while he turn not then will he be the more inraged severe in the execution of justice for which he hath all things in a readiness when the time comes 13 Yea he is preparing all the while he lets him live in sin to bring upon him utter destruction for it at last and the proud persecutors of the poor and godly he means in the end to make them the marks at whom he will discharge all his quiver of plagues and punishments 14 The world shall see that after he hath taken a great deal of pains and been at much trouble to compass his wicked ends by wicked means and hath with much studie contrived mischievous devices against the innocent the end will be that he will be deceived in his expectation both of the righteous mans ruin and his own prospering for he shall be the man that shall perish with all his machinations but the upright man shall be preserved in his innocencie 15 After he hath long set his wits a work and moiled and toiled to compass the godly mans destruction God shall so bring it about that his very design upon the righteous shall turn to his own utter undoing 16 All the ill he meant to others shall light upon himself and his violence against the good shall fall heavie upon him to his utter destruction 17 That day I know and am sure I shall live to see though it seems afar off when I shall have cause to praise the Lord for keeping promise with me and for all his righteous judging me according to mine innocencie in my deliverance and mine enemies downfall and when this is which I am sure will be I promise before hand in the faith of it that I will praise the power and goodness of the Lord God Almightie who rules over all and raiseth and abaseth whom he pleaseth Eighth PSALM David having honoured God with his absolute and relative title of Sovereigntie extols the excellencie of his manifested attributes which appear in his works by way of interrogation as unable otherways to express them to their worth shewing how both great and small yea the smallest things most convincingly set forth the praise of his admirable power and gracious goodness and providence towards mankind even to the confounding and confuting all ungodly and perverse Atheists And shews that for his own part when he seriously considers the workmanship of God in the Heavens and his creating the lights that shine therein for mans use together with his gracious rebestowing the use and dominion of the creature upon him by a new title of Redemption and heaven to boot when as he had lost all by sin and was worthie of none he cannot but with admiration acknowledge his great goodnes to man yea he cannot enough admire both his greatnes and goodnes To him that is most skilful upon Gittith the instrument used by Obed-Edom the Gittite and his family do I David that made this Psalm commit it for his ordering it in the Quire 1 MOst glorious Lord who hast the dominion over all the world and specially over us thy chosen how full of renown is thy power wisdom and greatness all the world over by reason of those admirable creatures and glorious Lights the Sun Moon and Starrs which thou hast created and placed up on high to shine through the ayrie regions to give light and convey heat to all that live upon earth 2 Yea every thing high and low great and small hold forth thy glory and manifest thy prais-worthy power and providence The very instinct and infant oratory that thou puttest into the new born babe to cry after the Mothers breasts making that silly creature so wise as to seek its subsistence so soon as it hath a Beeing and by moving pity therewith to be able also
to procure it when it is utterly of it self helpless and at anothers finding this doth most convincingly testifie to thy praise thy power and providence in despight of all wicked and ungodly Atheists that list not to acknowledg thee and stops the mouth of the most perverse and devillish-minded caviller against thee whilst they must needs see thy great power and as great goodness whereof themselves have shared in putting that instinct into little children to provide for themselves and that power in nature to accommodate their need with food suting their weak estates and that love and pity in parents to understand their meaning by instinct 3 When for my part I take view and seriously consider that wonderfull workmanship of thine the Heavens with their infinite height and vast extent and the world of great and weighty Clouds that pass and repass therein and those foresaid Lights of Moon and Starres which thou hast appointed to move in their courses and appear in their Seasons and to give Light and influence down below 4 It maks me thankfully acknowledg and wonder at that great goodness thou hast shewed to man above all how unsensible soever others are of it whom thou madest out of dust and clay that thou shouldest set so much by him as to create and ordain such things for his use and shouldest further have such continuall regard to him that is of such ill desert by sin and so little worth by nature frail and mortall subject to generation and corruption as to exercise such a daily care and providence over him from first to last and to redeem him out of his lost estate by taking his nature 5 For notwithstanding all these superexcellent and permanent creatures yet hast thou given him and renewed unto him the principal place in the order of creation next the Angels honouring him with a greater dominion and likeness to thy self in heavenly and angelical qualities than any thing but they and made him capable of that celestial and everlasting glory and happiness which they enjoy with thee by the redemption which thou hast afforded him in Christ who himself became lower than the Angels by suffering in our nature that he might invest him with a title to heaven and the glory and happiness that is there which in virtue of his resurrection he is already possessed of for him 6 And restore him again to his dominion over the creature having as at first put the rule of all terrestriall things into his hands though they were made by thee and not by him and hast subordinated every creature to his use and regiment 7 The multitude of sheep and neat that are every where in the world yea both tame and wild beasts are subjugated to his dominion and ordained for his service 8 The fowl that flee above him yet are subjected under him and the fish that inhabit the great vast and deep seas and live and move there invisibly to man are yet ordained for him and subordinated to him 9 O Lord whom we must needs acknowledge to be Lord over us though thou hast made us Lords over all its admirable to consider how many wayes and in how many and sundry things thy wisdom power providence greatness and goodness excels towards mankind by what thou hast provided for him and doest bestow upon him furnishing every place both above and below throughout the whole world with infinite store and variety of all good creatures for his sake Ninth PSALM David breaks out into a joyful and faithful praising of God for his many wonderful deliverances his enemies overthrows and his executing judgement according to the justness of his cause and his enemies wickedness shewing his adversaries by the success the difference between their trust and his and the different judgement that righteousness and unrighteousness shall ever have from God encouraging all Gods people to take notice of what he hath done for him thereby to strengthen their faith for themselves He praiseth the Lord and excites others to it who when the time cometh will punish the oppressor and right the oppressed And after praises given for former victories having further need of his help because of more enemies he praies him still to be his deliverer that still he may have farther matter of praise and rejoycing in him Stirring up all men to take notice of the admirable defeats God hath given to his wicked enemies and that so all the Churches enemies shall be served Concluding with prayer to God not to suffer himself to be wounded in his honour through his sides by his proud enemies To him that is most skilful upon the instrument Muth-labben so called some conceive from the victory he had in the duel fought with Goliah to which this Psalm is chiefly set do I David that made it recommend it for the care and ordering of it in the Quire 1 O Lord I have often praied to thee and alwaies sped so well as that now I will praise thee with as good a heart and will as ever I praied unto thee for my preservation in my greatest danger and will let the world know what wonderfull things thou hast done for me from time to time by dedicating a Psalm of praise to thee for them 2 I will wonderfully chear up my heart in the apprehensions of thy favour to me so amply manifested and will with publick praises glorifie thy power and goodness which have appeared in thy marvellous works O God of infinite might and Majesty 3 Mine enemies though they vex me sore and persecute me long yet when the time comes that thou wilt foil them then they shall be able to make no resistance but in thy just displeasure shall certeinly come to nought 4 As hath been already made apparent for maugre their power and malice thou hast still hitherto maintained and manifested my title to the Kingdom to be just my cause to be honest by thy righteous judgements whereby thou hast made it appear more than once that thou art and wilt prove thy self a righteous judge 5 Thou hast punished all that were against me whether they were my heathen and forraign enemies that knew less what they did yet they have smarted for it or my wicked countreymen and domestick foes who should have had more understanding them therefore hast thou quite destroied and divested of all their power and authority and cut of all title to the throne of Israel from them and their posterity for ever 6 O thou mine implacable enemy that wouldest never be reconciled till thou wast ruined which now thou art and all thy destructive plots and practises with thee never to trouble me more Both themselves and the great Cities and Fortresses they builded for to establish their dominion and eternize their name hast thou Lord destroied and caused them and their memorials to perish for ever 7 But the Lord who is my city of refuge abides for
yet the Lord abhors and counts the greatest fools 4 The wicked have had such a time of it against the godly and therewith are grown so high-minded and self-confident that he never cares whether God be with him or against him he thinks least of him or sets least by him of any thing 5 Leading a life as if there were no God for his whole trade and course is composed of nothing else but disobedience to God and injurie to men and because he feels not thy judgements he is therefore fearless and thinks they will never befal him but that he is safe enough not caring a jot but setting at nought both God and all that take Gods part with me against him 6 And hath fully concluded in the pride of his heart and confidence of his present condition that he shall never be worse than he is but shall ever prosper and never taste of misfortune 7 He stands in no aw of God nor scruples no sin but gives libertie of speech to himself to curse swear and forswear lie and dissemble in so much as that he is altogether conversant in mischievous speeches and self confident boastings not any truth or good comes from him 8 He every where fore-laids me lying in wait near high ways and neighbour Towns to catch me and seeks in holes and corners where he thinks I hide my self or may pass by to find me out and murder me without any cause given watching diligently all opportunities and means to take me at unawares who am poor and friendless 9 He is as greedily affected and as cruelly disposed towards me as a Lion to his prey seeking all advantages against me never regarding mine innocencie and the unjust sufferings he exposeth me to studying by all means possible to seduce and to entrap me in my simplicitie that he may circumvent me to destroy me 10 And as proud as he is yet in subtilty he can abase himself and with glavering speeches and fawning behaviour indirectly endeavour the overthrow of the innocent and distressed that by fair pretences he may deceive and bring them under his power and execute his rage upon them by the hands of his privado's desperate Assassinats 11 And in all this is confident of impunitie taking for granted because at present he perceives not God to mind him that therefore he never will but as he thinks what 's past is forgotten so he shall speed no worse for the time to come 12 But Lord let him find it otherways by some manifestation of thy self in judgement good God have a care of thine honour and mine innocence and other thy people who are concerned in me yea of thy whole Church which is resembled by me by executing some remarkable judgement and let not the world have cause to think thee careless of the afflicted that humbly depend upon thee 13 Why shouldest thou by thy forbearance give the wicked such occasion to insult over thee and slight thy judgements confidently promising himself that thou wilt never call him to an account for what he does 14 But its sure enough that thou takest notice of the mischievous and spiteful carriage of the wicked both against God and those that are godly for what ever they think yet I know thou precisely markest them to pay them home with condigne punishment in the faith whereof it is that the poor afflicted man I and others that in this world must look to fare as I do puts himself and his cause over into thine hands to be righted for that thou art the helper of the helpless and distressed against oppressors 15 Weaken thou the power of the wicked wherein he so much trusteth and which he imploys to evil purposes trase him quite through the course and trade of his iniquities even to the uttermost end of them and punish him accordingly 16 The Lord that governs his Church and people hath approved himself and ever wil to be the supream commander and disposer of all and over all for their sakes as appears by his wonderful works for how hath he destroyed the heathen in this land which he promised to bestow upon Israel and made it holy of prophane in so much as they are wasted to just nothing who were potent and numerous and his worship and worshippers planted in it maugre their resistance after that sort shall he do by the enemies of his Church and people destroy them as these 17 For it hath been alwayes Gods manner to trie his peoples faith and patience till they see a need of him and make their humble addresses to him and then to help them Yea when he has a purpose and sees it time to work their deliverance and destroy their enemies then doth he inspire them with a more than ordinarie spirit of prayer and faith to seek and hope for those very things 18 Which shall certainly come to pass for therefore hath God deferred it and always doth until most remarkably for his peoples greater good and his greater glorie he may vindicate their oppressions and enfranchise them from under the tyrannie of their oppressors who when they are at the highest in carnal confidence and the godly at the lowest in worldly diffidence that 's Gods time to rescue these and ruin those The xi PSALM David by protesting his trust in God silences his companions and rejects the advice they gave him to save himself by flight and give over expecting the Kingdom disswades them from disheartning him and shews how he no whit doubteth but by the justice of God his wicked enemies for all their malicious designs upon him should perish in their wickednes and that he should be sustained in his uprightnes 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 IN the Lord whom I know to be a sufficient safeguard do I trust to fulfil his promise How then is it that you my companions dispair and to the grief of my soul counsel me distrustfully to give all for lost abandon the cause and never more to look after it but how to save my self 2 For though its true the power and malice of mine enemies is great yet consider this They are wicked and manage an unrighteous cause maliciously seeking my destruction whom they in their own consciences know to be upright and innocent and therefore I am confident it shall turn to theirs 3 Do not ye tempt me by despair to relinquish a righteous cause and to distrust a righteous God For faith and an upright heart are the onely foundations that a righteous man hath to support himself withall and if you undermine them you quite undoe him 4 Be confident of this therefore that God is neither absent nor idle but is present in his tabernacle here below to hear the prayer of the
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
infinite power for thereto hath he given a surface above the waters which he hath notwithstanding they were once uppermost and would be so again confined to their concave or the pit he digged for them for all their fluid and spreading nature there he keeps them safe from breaking out and overwhelming the earth again 8 And as the faithfully righteous have cause to praise the Lord for his word and works as being happy in him for their God that is of such power and truth so also from that light and power which is imparted to them out of the creation should all the world one and other submit to his authority and know it to be their duty to honour and obey him reverencing his commandments and fearing his powerfull judgements 9 For all things that they see how great and wonderfull soever above and beneath them were made meerly by his fâ—at or word of command yea the great and weighty globe of the earth was established for ever by its sole and onely center without any other prop or pillar through the Almighty command of God for it so to be 10 And the Lord is as wise as powerfull defeating in his peoples behalf all the machinations that their enemies device against them frustrating and making ineffectual all the plots of the Gentils round about against his chosen 11 For the gracious purposes of the Almighty towards his shall stand good spite of all opposing power and policy yea they shall never be frustrated but ever be effectual and succesfull in the behalf of those that trust in him to the worlds end 12 O therefore blessed are we above all the world who have the knowledge and worship of the true God and so have him in a special manner gracious to us and Lord over us Yea happy are the people whom he hath picked out from amongst all people unto the adoption of sons and servants as we are 13 This God who is our God is in heaven and from thence he beholds and governs all men and all their actions 14 Yea from heaven the place of his most glorious and special residence doth he all-knowingly see and dispose of all men and all things here below 15 The Lord knows all men within and without for he made all and therefore knows all no man made himself but he alike made all as any and therefore knows all as well as any even the subtilest and wisest devices of the deepest politicians he is privy to and considers the events ordering them after his mind and not after theirs 16 So that be mans confidence never so great though he be a King and have never such authority and power or if for bodily strength he be equal to a Giant yet can it neither conquer nor keep himself from being conquered if God be not purposed to favour him 17 If God help not nothing can an Horse which men trust much in be he never so swift or strong will deceive and can neither safeguard his rider nor harm his opposer if God forbid it 18 The gracious favour and good providence of God is worth all which they are sure of that in fear obey him and by faith trust in his goodness and mercy over whom he keeps a carefull and watchful eye 19 To deliver them from the deadly plots of their enemies and other dangerous perils and to sustain and provide for them in times of scarcity and want when he lets other men starve 20 We therefore that are the Lords people ought and I hope we do with one heart and mind faithfully and affectionately seek to him and trust in him as our onely preserver and defendor as do and ever will the faithful 21 And this we may be sure of that we shall find him faithfull he will not fail us but we shall have cause of joy and thanksgiving in the manifestation of his grace and favour to us if so be that we fail not to put our trust stedfastly in his power and goodness which for his holiness sake can never deceive them that trust therein as do the faithful 22 Let Lord accordingly thy merciful loving-kindness and gratious providence be for ever vouchsafed unto thy people who make thee their stay and strength alone xxxiv PSALM For his deliverance mentioned in the title David in the ravishing apprehension thereof excites himself and others to praise the Lord greatly and to believe in him so too promising as he sped so should they in so doing be their danger never so great and their help humanely never so small He would have them that doubt it but try him by trusting and assureth them they shall experimentally find all true that he sayes touching Gods goodness And out of his duty to God and love to the godly he instructs them as a prophet and from his own experience how to out-live temptations and afflictions and be happy and blessed to wit by eschewing evil and doing good for to such and such onely the Lord is good and gracious for the wicked shall certainly smart for their wickedness it shall cost them their undoing A Psalm made by David when as being forced to flie from Saul and not knowing where to be safe in Israel he betook himself to Gath of the Philistins where being known by reason of his late conquest of Goliah and hated for the destruction that befel their Host thereby he was therefore in great danger and put to his shifts to feign himself mad for which being contemned of the King he was dismissed his presence and so escaped again to Judea 1 SO great hath been the goodness and power of God in my behalf as that I will never forget to magnifie him for it but will ever bear it in remembrance and continually be speaking of his praise-worthy mercies to me in my deliverance 2 Yea from my very soul and inmost affections will I praise him and confidently tell both what he hath done and what thereupon I believe he will do for me whereby I shall I am sure incourage all self-denying believers to the worlds end to hope in him in trouble and adversity and for present shall have such as fear God and wish me well partakers of my joy 3 And such I call upon to help me in exalting the Lord and with heart and voice to joyn with me in magnifying his loving-kindness and power the better to amplifie his praises 4 For I in mine extremity put up my prayers faithfully and fervently to the Lord and was presently answered and freed from my dangers by his good providence 5 And as it was with me so shall it be for certain with other his people that from mine example humbly rely upon him and in extremity not knowing which way to turn them with fervency of spirit by faithful prayer and ejaculation cast their eyes towards heaven they shall find favour and have a
hands to be judge of and pray thee O thou my righteous and good God in thy justice and faithfulness to defend the cause of thy servant where the fault is there let the punishment light and let not them that are wicked have cause to rejoyce at my destruction that am innocent 25 Let them never have cause to rejoyce in my ruin and say when they see it It is as we would have it let them not prey upon me and boast themselves against me and say we have our desire 26 Let them O Lord as enemies to Christ and his Church be shamefully defeated of their hopes and brought to utter destruction even the whole rout of them that unjustly wish me ill and rejoyce to see it befall me Let disgrace and obloquy be their portion that seek to make it mine and that proudly insult over me in my misery 27 And on the contrary let them as friends of Christ and his Church have their hearts desire and their bellies full of joy and comfort that out of love and pitty to mine innocency and the cause of Christ as it is engaged in me wish well to me and take part with me Let such have cause for ever to remember with praise and thankfulness thy loving-kindness and mercy to me thine annointed and chosen one shewn in my preservation and prosperous success against mine enemies and in thy vindication of mine innocency against my false malignant accusers 28 And I for mine own part promise that thy praises shall never die on my hand but when as thou shalt have fulfilled thy goodness and truth to me I will all my life long preach and declare thy faithfulness and grace for the defence of thy people and thy righteous judgements against their wicked enemies to invite others to trust in thee and wait upon thee of both which I shall be then a singular example which I will perpetually publish to thy no less singular glory The xxxvi PSALM David gives as I conceive the character of Saul and the rest of his enemies branding them deeply for wicked men and treacherous But with all incourageth himself in the superlative faithfulness mercy and loving-kindness which God hath promised and keeps in store for his people that serve him and trust in him which shall not deceive them and which he prayes may be ever the portion of all the godly but more especially of himself in his preservation and his enemies destruction To him that is first and principal of all the Quire is recommended for the care and ordering of it to be sung by David the designed and dedicated servant of the Lord this Psalm which himself made 1 THe constant course of wickedness which appears in my perverse and malicious enemies adures me that I may with a safe conscience censure them to be wicked men void of all conscience and piety enemies to God and goodness and that both they and their cause is naught 2 It clearly appears they are so for that they proudly bolster up themselves in their own evil wayes without remorse or amendment and so its like will ever do till God by his judgements convince them how hateful they are 3 They make no conscience to slander and dissemble they have quite given over the profession and practise of godliness and honesty counting it foolishness and practise nothing but craft and iniquity as if that were the onely wisdom 4 They set all their wits a work to do mischief night and day early and late they make a very trade of it with might and main endeavoring to work wickedness never scrupeling to act any thing be it never so sinful but the worse it is the better they like it 5 Yet have I no cause to dread them considering how far thy mercy and truth wherein I trust is able do for me above what they can do against me which as far exceeds them their power and policie as the heavens and the clouds above do the earth beneath 6 Thy righteousnes goes as far beyond all that they by unrighteousnes can do against thy people as great mountains do little mole-hills and thy wisdom is not to be fathomed by reason it is to it as the Sea to shallowes All thine infinit excellencies are thy peoples inheritances whom thou certainly wilt preserve and bless maugre their enemies who notwithstanding the worlds sinfulness preservest man and beast of thy meer faithfulness and them much more 7 Thy goodness appears to be so great in thy promises and such abundance of loving kindness and mercie is held forth therein as that it is a most sweet and powerful attraction to draw men to thee to trust in thee for salvation and protection whose eyes thou openest and whose hearts thou disposest 8 And such as do convert to thee and repose themselves upon thee with trust and confidence they shall not repent it but shall feel and find infinit soul-satisfaction in the track of pietie and use of holy ordinances and thou shalt utterly quench their thirst after the world and sin by inspiring them with thy divine and heavenly grace and consolation to their surpassing ravishment and content 9 For in thee and from thee onely is the life of grace and true consolation to be had in the light of thy countenance and gracious favour shining upon us and by thy illuminating us therewith we shall have inward light and happiness when we are otherways never so in darkness and infelicitie 10 O Lord as thou hast promised so perform thy grace and favour to them that are enlightned by thee and drawn to thee withdraw not the light of thy countenance from such as serve thee and believe in thee but shine upon thy faithful and sincere people and bless them with preservation and safetie answerable to thy promise and their trust 11 As thou hast so still continue to succour me and prevent the attempts of my proud and wicked enemies upon me who would tread me under foot let them not with all their might and malice be able to stagger my faith in thee nor compass my ruin 12 But let me for my part be able to see by experience and to say to thy glorie There are my wicked enemies for all their pride and power destroyed by the just judgement of God and that according to thy promise by thine almighty power they are utterly subdued under me and fallen without likelihood of recoverie The xxxvii PSALM David grounding much upon his own experience and observation of Gods dealing with himself presseth many excellent exhortations upon the people of God advising them to patience faith and comfort in God promising them in so doing a happie issue to themselves and an unhappie to their wicked adversaries which exhortations and promises doubled and redoubled the better to take impression and beget incouragement is the substance of this whole Psalm A Psalm made by David
1 BE not thou that belongest to God angrie or agrieved to see wicked men to prosper and to go unpunished in the world neither envie thou the happiness of sinners in their affluence of worldly felicitie nor be moved by it to step out of thy way into theirs 2 For it is but for a very little while that they do so their happines is short-lived commonly God by some unexpected judgement and untimely end snatches them from it or if not yet at best its mortal like themselves and dieth with them 3 But whilest they trust in their strength or store do thou trust in God and whilest they go on in sinning do thou go on in serving the Lord so shalt thou and thy posteritie inherit the promise of life and blessing to survive the wicked maugre their power and malice that at present Lord it as if life and inheritances were not the gifts of God but theirs by an indeleble proprietie whom yet God will extirpate and doubt not but trusting in him and being careful to do thy dutie to him he will provide what is needful for thee and will bless thee with convenient food and raiment as much as a gracious heart and contented mind desires for Godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come they shall not hinder it 4 Also the whilest they make riches and pleasures their God and greatest good do thou make God and his good grace thy riches and chief delight and so God will give thee what shall be for thy good and withhold from thee what may do thee hurt which is the desire of every gracious heart 5 Be not over solicitous and careful in and about thine affairs but ease thy mind on God when thou art engaged in his cause or by his providence pass them over to him to manage for thee trusting withall that according to his goodness and faithfulness he will order and dispose them and thou shalt find every thing to prosper better in his hands than in thine and a good success to follow upon it 6 And though thy pietie and innocencie may be rewarded with obloquy and oppression yet be sure the time will come and be comforted in it when God shall right all thy wrongs and vindicate thine uprightness if thou trust in him to do it to thy full satisfaction and the worlds conviction as certainly as light springs out of darkness and day out of night and as clearly as the sun shines in his greatest brightness for all eyes to see it 7 How ever things frame relie thou upon God with a stedfast unwavering faith and a quiet contented mind be not hastie nor impatient of the end but stay Gods leasure submissively to his will and believingly in his promise to the very uttermost period of his pleasure And though thou in a good cause go by the worse and others in a bad one succeed and prosper yet let it not unsettle thy faith or distemper thy spirit to see wicked men fortunate in wicked ways and evil designs 8 At any rate suppress passionate misprisions of God his truth or righteousness and beware of casting off a meek spirit and entertaining a wrathful envious disposition incident in such temptations let not distemper seize upon thee however matters go but specially not so far as to move thee to forgo thy faith and and obedience and to fall to sinful shifts and practises 9 For so thou and they shall fare alike even both be cut off in Gods displeasure whereas if thou hold on in patient and faithful waiting on the Lord thou shalt at last find it to be the most successeful and prosperous course and that in so doing God will bless and provide for thee when as they and their hopes shall perish 10 For if thou wilt but have a little patience and stay Gods leasure it shall not be long before the wicked have their reward though God may let them prosper for a while yet the time will come when either their happiness shall be taken from them or they from it yea thou or thine shall see an end of him and his to your admiration and God his exaltation 11 But on the contrarie they that wait patiently and bear meekly they shall find it the best and happiest way for that God will preserve them and at last bless them with rest and safetie when the wicked shall perish 12 The malice of the wicked indeed is every way very provoking both in real wrongs causelesly working against the righteous in irritating deportments manifesting his inward rancor and imbittered mind against him when he cannot prevail 13 But there 's no danger for God laughs to see his folly so to fret himself and labour in vain to root out the faithful and Godly man when as all that while he is but digging his own grave and hastening his own destruction for the more he endangers him and hath him at a lift the speedier shall be his own ruin to make way for his preservation 14 The wicked do all they can by wit or power to overthrow the poor opressed innocent man and set themselves with all their might to slay without cause the good even because they are good 15 But God shall make use of their power and violence against themselves for they shall work their own destruction and the aim they have at the Godly shall be defeated and they preserved spite of all their power and malice 16 The righteous man that trusts in God and serves him is happier and richer in a little that God gives him than the wicked are with much ill gotten goods wherein they put great confidence 17 For the carnal confidences and strength of the wicked wherein they trust shall be weakened made ineffectual against the Godly and their faith but them will God sustain be they never so despicable and void of secundarie helps spite of all adverse power 18 The Lord hath decreed to a minute how long the righteous shall suffer and remembers his promise touching their surviving happiness after their miseries and their enemies oppressions to keep it which he will certainly do to their well-being here or if not for ever hereafter in heaven 19 Which confidence of theirs shall make them hold up their heads when others droop in times of distress Yea their hope and trust in God shall yield them their bellies full of content even in death 20 When as the wicked for want of it shall comfortlesly pine away and the ungodly ones for whose sake those judgements are sent together with all their substance shall in the Lords anger be consumed by them as the fire melts lambs grease yea they shall be quite consumed 21 The wicked for all his abundance and abundant confidence therein by Gods just judgements are oft times impoverished and put to borrow and disabled to pay again whereas
the righteous whose confidence is in God and can find in his heart in obedience to him to be charitable with that he hath is blessed of God with enough for his own comfortable subsistence and the relief of the needie 22 For he hath temporal blessings in store for them on whom he hath bestowed his favour and grace and they shall have a comfortable subsistence when as others far greater and of more account in the world living in sin and being in hatred with God shall unexspectedly be undone and destroyed 23 God prospers him that is good and gives a good issue to his undertakings because he takes pleasure in and receives honour from his conscionable and serviceable walking 24 He may be low brought and hard set but he shall never be quite forsaken of God nor rendred to the will of his enemies to his utter undoing For the Lord hath an eye to him and an hand on him to keep him from drowning though he let him sink they may be cast down but not destroyed 25 All my life long which is no short one I have ever taken notice of Gods dealing with his people and have always observed his faithfulness to the faithful how that they that have trusted in him and walked with him have never been quite forsaken of him though they have oft and many a time been put soar to it yet hath he never falsified his word of promise and providence but whereas I have seen the wicked turned naked out of all and glad to be beholden to to the righteous as Esau was to Jacob for a mess of pottage the Lord on the contrarie hath always provided so competently and contentedly for them that they have never needed to crave relief from the ungodly 26 The righteous mans propertie is still to be doing good trusting in the Lord more than in riches and therefore whereas others hoard up all they can get he lends gives as there is cause to them that want and hopes to be never the poorer for it counting it his riches to lay out not to lay up nor is he for God rewards his good deeds upon his posteritie after him and blesseth them for his sake 27 Wouldst thou then have a blessing upon thy self and derive it to thy posteritie take the course the godly do forsake sin and serve God and thou shalt find that that 's the onely way for thee and thine to be happie from generation to generation 28 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness and will bless them that love and practise it they that are holy and practise holiness hee l stick as close to them as they do to him and will never fail them of his promises that he hath made to them and theirs but the wicked shall find he as much hates them as he loves the godly either they or their posteritie shall smart for their wickedness and be rooted out by it 29 The righteous liver shall by the blessing of God subsist and derive a subsistence from himself to his children of peace and happiness and the favour of God generation after generation 30 The righteous man as he himself is good so he loves to be doing good and to instruct others as oportunitie serves specially his own like as God hath instructed him with the knowledge of his wayes of holiness and righteousness wherein he is conversant both in walking and talking 31 The Law of God whom he loves and who he knows loves him is written in his heart and naturalized therein which shall keep him from sin and for which God will prosper and preserve him from evil maugre Satan and the World 32 Yea though the wicked watch him never so narrowly by power or policie to ruine him 33 For the Lord will not forget his promise nor withdraw his providence so as to expose him without support or supply nor will God judge him as they do nor condemn him upon their accusations but will defend him acquit his innocencie and revenge his wrong 34 Trust stedfastly in the Lord patiently waiting upon him in his own time to fulfil his own promise and shew forth his mercie to thee in thy trouble and keep a good conscience by walking unweariedly and with a constant course in and after his commandments and he will at last do great things for thee thou shalt certainly be a top of the wheel and shall see the wicked under thee how ever they at present over-top thee 35 I speak what I have seen and what others shall see if they wait and observe to wit The wicked most formidably powerful and priding themselves in great prosperitie flourishing like a bay-tree in earthly felicitie 36 Yet have I lived to see him quite blasted and withered so as if he never had been such a man and all this in my time 37 So likewise have I marked the righteous man and so I would have others to do to prevent rash judgement and that they may see what I say to be true to wit That though he that is faithful and sincere towards God may have a time of sadness and suffering yet it s most certain his end shall be most comfortable for either he shall out-live his miseries here as oft they do or leave them behind him with a peaceable and joyful departure out of this life from them to the Lord his God who will receive him into everlasting happiness 38 Whereas on the contrarie well may the wicked fare for a while but in the end judgement shall devour them and as they have been brethren in evil so shall they be fellows in punishment none shall escape The end of the wicked shall not be death but destruction wrath shall slay them happines forsake them and confusion receive them 39 So it is with them but so shall it not be with the righteous whose salvation is not placed in false refuges as is wicked mens but in the power and faithfulness of the Lord he is their strength and trust in time of trouble 40 Who will not deceive them but will certainly relieve and release them he both must and will do it for he is bound by his grace and truth to save them that trust in him and destroy the wicked enemies of his Church and that bond hee 'l never break The xxxviii PSALM David lying soar oppressed at once both under some bodily distemper and many enemies humbly repairs to God in prayer Wherein first he bewaileth his sin and Gods displeasure and then his sufferings both in bodie which were very grievous and also in mind But yet comforts himself in this that the groans and prayers which those miseries forced from him were heard and regarded of God though he had not present relief but continued worse and worse And still holds out praying and ripping up his whole estate to God how it fared with him on the one side and with
his enemies on the other A Psalm made by David in soar affliction both to mind God of his pitious state to gain relief and himself of sin and the fruit thereof to humble him under it 1 O Lord I confess my self a sinner and to deserve thy punishment but remember thou art good and merciful therefore let thy chastisements be fatherly not in rigour void of compassion and forgivenes 2 Which me thinks thou art for thou hast wounded me deep in body and mind thy punishing hand is exceeding heavie upon me 3 My diseased body is all over tormented with extream pain which in thy displeasure thou hast cast me into My sin hath brought me into a miserable condition my very bones feel the smart of it 4 For mine iniquities have overwhelmed me with a deluge of wrath and like a thick cloud have intercepted thy favour from me They and their sad effects lie so heavie upon me that my spirit is almost overwhelmed by them and my very life endangered 5 My disease is very grievous painful and loathsome for which I condemn my self and acquit thee for I may thank mine own folly my sin hath caused my suffering 6 Yea it hath brought me into a heavie case for my trouble is great by reason of it the weight thereof presseth me soar I have no ease but continual sorrow for it and by it 7 For I lie under a grievous maladie noisomly diseased all my body over tormented so that by reason thereof my loins fail me that should support me and my strength every where else is decayed 8 Through the length and nature of my distemper I am extreamly weakned in nature and constitution my bones are as if they were broken And my mind is as much out of order as my bodie through the extream anguish of my sins guilt and Gods heavie displeasure which hath forced upon out-cries from me 9 But yet this comforts me that thou O Lord takest notice and art privie to my cries which in faithfulness I put up unto thee though thou doest not seem to do so and my groans are known to thee though hitherto they bring no relief from thee 10 For yet it s worse with me and no better for still mine heart languisheth with sorrow more and more and my strength it decayes and my sight through sorrowful mournings is grown dim and mine eyes almost quite benighted 11 I am very forlorn and destitute of help and comfort for my disease is so dangerous and lothsome that my very friends are forced from me who in their hearts entirely love me and would not forgo me could they safely accompanie me and possibly endure me yea all men not onely my friends and acquaintance but my nearest kindred and allies are so too 12 And at once both thus my friends forsake me and mine enemies endanger me endeavouring mine utter destruction by all possible means secret or open any way by word or deed to do me mischief which they terribly threaten is their desire and continual endeavour 13 But I sustained my self in faith and patience not rendring evil for evil in the sense of mine unworthines and faith of thy goodnes I was silent commending my self and them respectively unto thee for mercie and justice 14 I refrained both from impatience and revengeful retributions of any kind committing my cause to thee in meekness and humilitie 15 I gave place to wrath for that in thee O Lord is my hope and confidence that in thy good time thou wilt do me right on them that injure me and will hear the crie of my wronged innocencie and my prayer for deliverance O Lord my God in whose faithfulness I trust and whose servant I am 16 For to thee have I and do I make my prayer for support and deliverance least if mine enemies should procure mine undoing it would be thy dishonouring and the shame of my faith and profession I know that would be the issue by those experiences I have had of their behaviour for upon all advantages they have disparaged me and my cause and been raised in self-confidence above me and my hopes 17 I crie unto thee for support and deliverance for God knows of my self without it I am readie every foot to perish and to be utterly depressed with the greatness of my calamitie such and so uncessant is my grief that I must needs else sinke under it 18 Yea I have prayd unto thee for mercie and that with promise and full purpose of heart to repent of my sin that caused my suffering I have promised humbly to confess it and heartily to lament it and have done it accordingly 19 This Lord hath been my manner to confess my sin pray thy pardon submit to thy punishment wait for thy mercie and yet still I remain sick and weak in miserie and distress whilest my wicked and graceless enemies are notwithstanding in health and strength feel nothing of that I doâ— yea I every way decrease and they increase my friends grow less and mine enemies more the combination of such as mortally and injuriously hate me greatens exceedingly 20 And such and so ill-natured men are my adversaries that as I render not them evil for evil so contrarily they render me evil for good and hate me for no other cause but because I am good and do good 21 Now Lord consider what I have said and the arguments I have used both touching my self and mine enemies and do accordingly Let me that am thus destitute of all help but thine and that walk close with thee and depend firmly on thee not be forsaken but find thee faithful and gracious to uphold and deliver me 22 Vouchsafe me thine helping hand before I perish which I am in imminent danger to do O Lord that by thy promise and my faith art my onely preserver and deliverer The xxxix PSALM David for his sin suffering as is most probable under Absaloms rebellion resolves patiently to bear the opprobries that were cast upon him by his adversaries and so did onely makes his address to God by prayerful expostulation desiring to know an end of his miseries though it were with the end of his life shewing the vanitie of him every man and everything and that happiness is onely to be had in the grace and favour of God Praying him to pardon his sins for which he justly suffered and in mercie to mitigate his displeasure which had almost quite consumed him and so is able to do the whole world And lastly with cries and tears intreats for pitie in this short sojourning state of mortallitie and that he may tast and see the favour of God in his restorement before he die To Jeduthun one of the prime musicians and the principal of all his linage do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung
thoughtful desire towards the place of thy worship where thou art more especially present 7 Thou hast brought an inundation of misery upon me troubles come so thick successively one in the neck of another like waters falling from the clouds which rise higher and higher and implunge me lower and lower as a ship in a storm in extremity of weather ready to sink so am I wave upon wave endlesly assailing me to the continual hazard of my life Yea the waters both above and below the firmament the windows of heaven are as it were opened and give the watch-word to the fountains of the deep to be broken up as at the deluge and both of them seem to threaten to overwhelm and devour me at once as then they did the world by thine appointment 8 Yet I am not left without inward support in the midst of mine outward troubles I am confident I shall see the sunne of righteousness shine through the clouds with healing in his wings and by the power and grace of God I doubt not but a happy day will succeed this uncomfortable night to the chearing of mine heart nor in the interim shall I be destitute of mercy and goodness but shall ever and anon by particular providences before I arrive at my full establishment have cause of thanksgiving and praise and incouragement to offer up my prayers in faith of him for my preserver at present and deliverer at last 9 I will humbly and faithfully mind him of my condition and his obligation to me and praying say thou that by thy promise and my faith art my great and sole support how is it then that thou hast thus left me why go I mourning and find no relief from under the heavy oppressions and wrongs of mine enemies 10 Whose reproachful and scornful blasphemies against thy word and my faith in it taunting me as one deluded by trusting in thee and rejected by thee wound me to the very heart and torment me exceedingly 11 Yet such is my faith in thee notwithstanding the opposition it receives and all the heavy burdens that lie upon me as that I cannot but rebuke my soul for being dejected at these things and rouse it up to trust and hope still in thee that one day I shall have my mourning turned into rejoycing and my prayers into praises for the good success and gracious favour thou wilt shew me in delivering me as thou hast promised and as I believe The xliii PSALM David under Sauls persecution appeals to God to judge his cause and prâ—yâ—s to be delivered according to his gracious promise that so he may worship him in Sion which he promises to do joyfully and thankfully and quickens up his drooping spirit by the hopes thereof 1 JUdge for me and in my behalf O righteous God and maintain my just and honest cause against an unjust and wicked people that set themselves against me and in me oppose the Lord himself O deliver me thou that art righteous and onely all-sufficient from them and their cheiftane that dealeth deceitfully and injuriously with me 2 For thou and thy promise is all the strength I have and that I trust in why doest thou seem then to neglect me and doest thus expose me to my malignant adversaries Why go I continually mourning because of the intollerable oppressions and injuries of mine enemies 3 O Lord shew forth thy favour and grace and fulfill thy word of promise to me Let them spite of mine enemies bring me into that estate thou hast promised me wherein I may enjoy thy publick worship and frequent thine Ark and Tabernacle in Sion for there shall that be the place thereof 4 Then will I go with a merry heart and carry my peace-offerings and thankfully sacrifice them to God upon his altar even to God who shall at that time by reason of his favour and grace be unspeakable joy and consolation to me I am ravished with the very thoughts of that day when I shall have such exceeding cause of joy and praise which I will abundantly offer up unto him and in the skilfullest and chearfullest manner I can devise upon the Harp which of all instruments I can best finger will I praise thee O Almighty and my most gracious God 5 And seeing these sorrows shall have an end and such an end accompanied with so much happiness be not dejected at thy present sufferings O my soul but chear up thy self in faith and hope for thou shalt praise the Lord in stead of praying to him for thy great and his gracious deliverance xliv PSALM The people of Israel being in grievous captivity The Author of this Psalm accosts God with his Covenant-mercies shewn of old to their forefathers whose seed they are and whose God he also is and so they are confident will in his good time approve himself But in the mean time their extremities are very great and his favour quite eclipsed And yet they are faithful to him chosing rather to die than forsake him and therefore prayes him to pity their case and hear their prayers joined with fasting and deep humiliation for help and succour A Psalm made for the instruction of the Church in afflictions shewing the use of them and carriage in them and committed to Heman the chief musician of the familie of the Korathites for him and them to sing 1 WE have heard it both by word and writing from thy servants and our forefathers O gratious God the grace and goodness thou shewdst to thy people Israel then in their times long ago at their first coming into a Canan 2 How then thou wroughtest for them and shewdst forth thy mighty power against the many heathenish nations and their great strength which notwithstanding thou didst subdue and vanquish in thy peoples behalf driving out them to make way for these whom thou according to promise didst plant in their steads by a marvellous out-stretched arm wherewith thou didst oppress the Cananites destroying some and expelling others from out that land 3 For it was not their own power and might that possessed them of the promised land nor was it their own strength that either preserved them from their enemies or subdued them but it was thy power and strength and thy gracious goodness and presence with them that did it for them because they were the people whom thou hadst chosen and to whom thou hadst promised thy grace and assistance 4 Thou Lord art still the God and King of thy people whom they serve and in whom they trust remember therefore the Covenant of protection and mercy thou madest with Jacob and his seed and as thou fulfillest it to him in his own person so now make it good also to him in his posterity by setting them free from their enemies as thou didst him from his 5 That so by thy powerfull assistance we may now do by our enemies as our forefathers did
Covenant and mercy-seat signs of thy favour to us and presence with us which did much incourage us to seek unto thee and there to mind thee as of those speciall relations and ingagements so of all thy former acts of love and kindness which when we called to mind exceedingly upheld our hearts in the midst of our greatest dangers and gave us argument of prayer unto thee and faith in thee for the like grace in the like occasion to be shewn again and again as oft as thy people and this place stands in need 10 According to the greatness of our deliverances which thou hast wrought whereby the fame of thy grace and power to us-ward is spread throughout all the earth such is the increase of thine honour and renown amongst those people far and near And whilst others behold thee onely in thy power and goodness to us and admire thee for it we have reason to see farther and to acknowledg more of thee than so even thy faithfulness also according to what thou hast promised in all these wonderfull works of deliverance which thou hast wrought for us with an out-stretched arm of power and strength for all the world to take notice of 11 And though thy works do challenge the honour and praise that is due unto thee for them from all Nations where the fame of them is spread yet chiefly from us that experiment the good of them and the goodness of thee to us that dost so great things for us and for thy holy mountain the figure of thy Church in all ages situate amongst us whereby thou givest cause of joy and gladness not onely to it but to all thy people round about it that are so secured and safeguarded by it from all their enemies which for the preservation of it and them thou hast destroyed with such remarkable manifestation of thy judgements upon them and favour unto it and us 12 The better to stirre you up to praise and rejoycing and confidence in God take an exact view and advisedly consider the beauty and strength that he hath bestowed upon this place the type of heaven it self above all places in the world how though it hath been so often and so mightily attempted by enemies yet how fruitlesly on their behalf that have not been able to deface the least beauty nor to weaken the least strength belonging to it but that round about on all sides God hath defended it as Christ shall his Church every where that nothing is diminished though surrounded with armies of enemies on every side The walls and towers as you may see are still the same they were 13 Her fortifications not one jot demolished her beautifull Temple and palaces no whit impaired O wonderfull deliverance O infinite grace consider it again and again what God hath done to and for his people and peculiar place of residence that you may declare it to your children and they to theirs to strengthen their faith in God and to gain him the praises of after ages who as well as we will tast the sweet of these past and present mercies and which are a pledge of future favours unto them 14 For this God whom we worship in Jerusalem and who hath wrought such deliverances for it is one and the same his power and goodness unchangeable to his own faithfull people and servants in one age as well as in another and shall be made so to appear even to the end of the world and though he be always theirs yet then chiefly shall he shew himself their God and guid when they have most need of him and are in greatest danger xlix PSALM The Psalmist that what he should say might be more effectuall and take the better impression with all sorts and conditions of men good and bad high and low it being matter both of weight and difficulty he therefore doth introduce it with a serious preamble Of weight both for the godly to understand thereby to frame themselves to a patient enduring of afflictions from the wicked in this life with assured hope of reward and deliverance in the life to come when as their enemies shall perish and also for the great ones of the world to know that they may learn not to put their confidence and felicity in riches and honour which are transiunt and shall perish with themselves to the neglect of true happiness Of difficulty to be practised and submitted to both of the one and the other the godly being too apt to fear dissidence and impatitiency by reason of their present sufferings and they that enjoy the affluence of the world to abuse it to their own destruction A Psalm committed to Heman the chief musician of the family of the Korathites for him and them to sing 1 THat which I am about to speak in this ensuing Psalm is of that weight and universall concernment that I wish it may come to the knowledge of all men that live upon the face of the whole earth now or hereafter and so many as it does I wish them to be heedfull of it 2 Let none exempt themselves for every man let his condition be what it will good or bad is concerned one as well as another in what by the spirit of God I shall teach them 3 It is no vain or needless thing that I am about to utter that which I shall speak is that wisdom which God himself hath taught me not any thing hatched in mine own brain nor phancy but such understanding as God hath revealed to that end therefore shall I from mine heart declare it to you 4 I for my part confess my self a learner in such things as I shall teach you from God and therefore though I am used as Gods instrument to declare them yet will I consider them with the uttermost care and diligence I can for my self as I would have you to do for your selves And what I shall speak shall be by way of Psalm sung to the Harp the better to affect both my self and you with it which being of so divine a nature is not easily understood by men that in whole or in part are flesh and bloud as we all are and therefore need to be the better heeded 5 Why should I or any child of God distrustfully lay to heart mine afflictions by wicked worldly men yea though God himâ—elf set them on work to punish me and deservedly too for my sinfull wayes and that in such a manner as there seems to speak humanely no way to escape the danger but to perish under it 6 For what are they that I am afraid of but vain and foolish men that trust not in God but in deceiveable riches which is all they have to glory in knowing no other happiness 7 Which yet stands them in no stead as to free them from death temporall or to the obtaining life eternall as to these they have no priviledg
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
is not to be expressed the outrages of the enemie and the miseries of thy poor people they torture them to death that adhere to thee and will not apostatize and desert thy Laws and ordinances to profess and practise their Idolatrie and superstition and after death will not afford them burial but expose them above ground as not worthie the common curtesie of nature to have so much as a burying place on earth whose souls are with thee in heaven but lie like common carrion and are suffered to rot and stink and be torn in pieces and devoured by ravenous beasts and birds 3 They have made havock of all thy faithful people that for pietie sake resorted to and inhabited in and about thy holy Citie Jerusalem shedding there the bloud of such holy Martyrs unmeasurably and by strict watch and barbarous edicts kept the bodies of such precious souls unburied nor would suffer without imminent peril of their lives nay certain ruine any of their brethren that were left alive to do that office of charitie and humanitie for them nor indeed could they if they would the dead were so many and the living so few 4 We O Lord that through thy grace and powerful assistance were wont to be the terrour of the heathen round about us and by thy presence and worship amongst us were heretofore the glorie of all the World now they that were our slaves and subjects are our Lords and masters and use us not onely cruelly but abuse us scornfully reproching and deriding us together with thee and thy worship because of our present condition and theirs none pitie us no not our next neighbour-nations but scornfully taunt us 5 O Lord take notice of it and be moved to vindicate thine own dishonour and have some compassion also upon thy distreâ—sed people for Lord we know well enough that this could not befal us if our sins and thine anger were not the causes But Lord remember thou hast been angrie heretofore but never after this sort thou wast wont to commix mercie with displeasure Lord be not less good to us than to our forefathers let there be an end of our miserie and thy furie and let not our whoredoms and thine enraged jealousie quite consume us as fire doth straw 6 Lord such furie would better become thee towards thine enemies than thy chosen people these indeed for their sins may deserve punishments but let utter destruction be the portion of them that neither know nor worship thee that have neither relation to thee nor commerce with thee nor thou knowest never will but in their pride and ignorance contemne thee and serve other Gods 7 And such are they that have thus cruelly butchered us thine onely Israel thy friends Jacobs posteritie and by slaughter captivitie and devastations have unpeopled and ruinated the whole land where we have dwelt so long and which thou promisedst to him and his posteritie after him which yet now are cast out of it by these prophane heathen 8 O for mercie sake muster not up the provocations of old those murmurings against thee mistrusts of thee apostatizings from thee that we have ever been guiltie of from the very first to make war upon us for them now but forgive and forget them for we shall never be able to stand under them And instead of remembring them call to mind thy tender mercies and bowels of compassion which thou hast ever professed to be in thee in thy peoples behalf when they have been in miserie and greater never befel them than these we now are in for we are at the very last gasp to so low and miserable an estate are we brought as thy people have scarce a beeing but certainly will have none at all shortly such sorrows and sufferings will make a final end of them if thou in mercie speedily prevent it not by some redress 9 Which good Lord vouchsafe us Help us out of this miserable destructive condition thou that onely canst do it and who we cannot chuse but hope wilt do it because thy glorie is so much concerned in it and thou as well as we sufferest so much by it Though we confess we can not scarce hope by reason of our sins which are greater than our sufferings but Lord as our benefit will be great so thy glorie will not be small if thou wilt do away sins and sufferings by thy pardon and power which therefore we beg of thee 10 For as things now stand thou hast no honour we are punished but the heathen are not converted Thy justice and terrour upon us hath no other operation upon them to drive them into contempt and insultation not onely over us but thee for they stick not to say where is the God of the Hebrews he that was wont he could deliver them This Lord they say in derision of thee and thou sufferest it to go unpunished though thou thus punishest us But Lord let us few that are left alive of the many thousands of Israel though in captivitie yet be remembered and pitied by thee let our enemies know and us see that thou art a God still and the same God too as able as heretofore by some remarkable and just vindication of that deluge of bloud of thine own people and precious servants that hath been shed and cries for vengeance against them 11 Yea Lord let both the innocent bloud already shed as also the unjust sufferings and miserable calamities of those of thy people that are yet alive the imprisonments and cruelties practised upon them and the heavie sighs and direful groans which in those pressures are forced from them come all before thee to move with thee as to revenge the one so to preserve the other which thou hast power enough to do though they and death are not far asunder 12 Put forth thy power accordingly in our behalfs but chiefly in thine own let them not escape thee for their cruelties but Lord pay them home for their blasphemies these wicked Idolatrous heathens and those pitieless neighbouring nations that notwithstanding all they have heard and seen of thee since thou broughtest us among them are no more knowing of thee nor bear no more reverence to thee than to scorn and reproch thee because of our miserie Good Lord let them smart for it 13 Who are none of thy people and we that are thine onely peculiar shall thereby have cause given us for ever to remember thy power and goodness when thou shalt thus revenge the dead preserve the living and right thy self and will never forget so great a mercie but will be for ever thankfull to thee and praise thee for it yea our children and childrens children through all generations will we instruct and engage to do the like The lxxx PSALM The Psalmist upon the captivitie of Judah and those of the rest of the tribes that adhered to her and were led captive with her indites this prayer
people have cause to remember and acknowledge and with joyfull hearts to praise thee for especially for that transcendent work of mercy in chosing us from out all the world to be thine which together with those concomitant powerfull dispensations and manifestations of thy self in our behalfes from time to time gives cause to me and them to triumph and glory in faith and hope 5 O Lord how unconceivable is thy power and wisdom in all thy decrees counsels and dispensations towards both thy Church and the enemies thereof in thy strange providences and marvellous judgements 6 Which yet are little taken notice of by most men so worldly minded and sensually disposed are people ordinarily that God is not in all their thoughts spending their time more like beasts than men of reason minding the creature more than the Creatour who is never so much as owned much less honoured by the earthly minded and wicked Athiesticall persons of the world in any thing he doth though never so remarkable 7 Neither the hazardous condition that they themselves are in in this their earthly felicity which they take to be a speciall note of Gods peculiar favour to them that they can sin and yet prosper when others that are holy and strict in their wayes are at an ebb-water in poverty and misery not considering that God gives wicked men their hearts desire here le ts them swim in plenty and pleasure for a while during a short life that they may compleat their sins to the sum totall and he his judgements even unto everlasting destruction in endless pains never to enter into his rest 8 They neither understand themselves nor thee O Lord God never imagining that thou rulest in the highest heavens and thence judgest of all men and their actions here below But whatever their vain thoughts are thou art the everlasting King of thy Church and people and the righteous judge of thine and their enemies and so they shall find thee to be to the worlds end 9 For as sure as Gods in heaven so sure shall the wicked of the earth however they prosper and whatever they may think of themselves compared with other men come to ruine and utter destruction for though they think God their friend yet doth he know and reckon them for his enemies and as such shall his proceedings be towards them for all evil doers though they be many and the godly few in all ages and places they shall be weeded out and consume away by the hand of God upon them they and their felicity shall part and be everlastingly seperated 10 But as despicable as the godly are in the eyes of worldlings they shall have their turn I and other thy faithfull servants shall see better dayes when they shall see worse principally in heaven that everlasting sabbatism when our turn comes to rise then they shall fall and there is no doubt but that day will come when we shall be made able by thee whose faithfulness is engaged for it to lift up our heads and enjoy those everlasting consolations hoped for and those divine honours of being Kings and Priests unto thee 11 The faithfull shall not fail of the grace promised them and the justice to be executed upon their enemies but they shall undoubtedly be both eye and ear-witnesses of the righteous judgements of God upon the wicked of the world that hate and persecute them 12 The righteous however they be decried and depressed by wicked worldlings yet shall God so bless them that they shall out-grow their miseries and over-top their enemies Gods Church and his people of whom it consists shall grow in grace untill they arrive in glory 13 Those that are Israelites indeed which by the spirit and faith are made members and have taken rooting in the family and Church of God shall thrive and come on prosperously in spirituall graces by use of holy means in frequenting his sanctuary and sanctifying his Sabbath to Gods glory their own assurance and unspeakable rejoycing They that are rooted here in grace shall grow up from grace to grace and be crowned at last with eternall life in the heavens 14 These trees and plants of Gods own planting by a divine supernaturall supply of spirituall sap and nourishment contrary to the course of nature the elder they grow the better they shall flourish and fructifie both on earth and to all eternity in heaven 15 Thus shall both the wicked perish and the godly flourish to shew that however by outward appearance of providences and weakness of faith the Lord seems oft-times to us to go against himself and break his word yet it s nothing so the Lord for all that is faithfull true of his promise a never failing refuge to every true believer and there is no such thing as our sinfull imagination and unbelief-fancy of him not the least uâ—righteousness in word or deed The xciii PSALM The Psalmist goes about to settle the faith of the Church in the Empire and omnipotency of the Lord her God together with his faithfull engagements the holy performances whereof she is bound to believe and relie upon for ever 1 THe Church and people of God ought to know and believe this for an infallible maxim in practicall as well as dogmaticall divinitie that The Lord reigneth He that is their God is God and King of all and over all the empire and regalitie of the whole world is his the resplendent majestie whereof appears in all created Beings in heaven and earth and in that power which he so effectually and dexterously manifests for his Churches preservation and their enemies confusion whereby the world also is centred so firm as upon a basis so that though it hang like a ball in the air yet it is as firm and immoveable as the fixed mountains 2 This dominion of thine O Lord glorious in its administrations of protection and government hath ever been never was there any vacation of it and as it hath been so it shall be from everlasting to everlasting as thou thy self art 3 As in nature thou Lord hast ordained in the waterie element thereof vâ—â—y formidable and dreadfull agitations as in the tempestuous ragings of the sea the over-flowing of great waters making a hideous noise such storms and concussions are raised on land too even all the earth over against thy Church tossed as a ship at sea and boistrously handled by wicked and unreasonable men that rage against her readie to be swallowed up and devoured by them 4 But as high as these waves and tempests of danger and destruction to thy Church do mount yet is the Lord in heaven both higher and mightier than they be they never so terrible for noise and number he can allay and quiet them at his pleasure yea though the Church be as a boat in a storm at sea in the midst of gusts and surges God can preserve
false gods readily embrace his truth take the Lord for your God and give your selves to him to be his people count it your happiness to be so that you may have the honour and priviledge to be admitted to put up prayer and to offer praises to him as your God that once were aliens and without God in the world now Christ hath taken down the partition-wall and brought God and you together again be much with him in faithfull and gratefull praising of him 3 Learn this lesson well that the Lord is God and that he onely is so you that have been used to Idolize other gods do so no more own him and honour him for the onely Iehovah that hath being and hath it of himself and that is the sole Creatour of all men we made not our selves and then nothing else but he did nay it is he that hath begotten us again he hath of and by his grace made us new creatures this we are sure is as much of him and as little of our selves as the former those that are his people may thank him they are so their souls had never been renued nor saved by any thing they themselves could have done or suffered vocation justification and sanctification are the gifts of God to his Elect as are all the faithfull of what nation soever of whom we Israelites now his peculiar are a type and as he hath done us in the manifestation of grace and administration of providence such singular love will he bear to his Church for ever 4 Seeing we are to be all one Church begin betime joyn fellowship with us in the worship of this one onely true God do as we do now frequent his holy Temple worship him in the Courts and Ordinances thereof whilest they are till they cease and then in holy Christian assemblies worship him in spirit and truth be thankfull to him and magnifie him for the unspeakable goodness and power manifested in so great salvation 5 For though we be evil yet the Lord is good and though our sins provoke his judgements against us yet his long-suffering and mercy is like himself everlasting we have found it so and so shall his Church in all ages his faithfulness according to the covenant of grace shall not fail on his part though it be too often broke on ours it shall be perpetuated in Christ and for Christ to his Church The ci PSALM David drawing nigh towards the possession of the Kingdom so long promised and delaid to forward the accomplishment preingageth himself to God that he will praise him for it when he hath it and serve him faithfully in it both as a King and a pater-familias in walking uprightly and avoiding sin carefully neither countenancing it in himself nor othors whether in Citie or Countrey Church or Common-wealth but on the contrary the good and godly shall be they he will prefer and imploy A Psalm made by David 1 O Lord when thou shalt in favour to thy servant have seated me in the throne I will magnifie thy free grace and mercifull beneficence in bringing me out of such trouble and hazard unto such an honour and dignity as also thy righteousness and justice when thou shalt have executed those judgements upon mine enemies which thou hast threatned 2 When thou hast advanced me to it I hope I shall walk worthy of it my full purpose is with godly wisdom to order all mine affaires and not be as most Kings are wise to their own and their Kingdoms destruction by exercising their policy to advance their tyranny and governing by no rule of reason or justice but by the arbitrary dictates of their own inordinate appetites I purpose to be wise with other manner of wisdom and to tread in quite other steps in obedience to thy Laws and dispensation of Justice and good government to my people when they are mine Lord when shall that day be that thou wilt come in the full accomplishment of thy promises to me I hope I shall not give thee cause to repent thee whensoever it is for my purpose is to be both a good King over my people and a carefull head over my Court and family to breed my successours and rule my servants and officers as well as my subjects in the fear of God giving good example in my place to all under me both of innocency and sincerity 3 I will watch against the temptations incident to that estate condition whereof it is full will therefore purposely avoid occasions of evil whereby I know beforehand I shall miscarry if not carefully shunned specially then when my power is almost equall with my will therefore in a holy fear of sinning I will turn my back upon allurements refuse their offers and walk in a steady resolved course of holiness and righteousness without coveting an evil covetousness abusing my power to gratifie unlawfull desires for I hate warping and back-sliding such defection is extream distastfull to me by Gods help such corrupt thoughts shall never lodge in my breast nor such wickedness hang at my heels to hinder my progress in piety and good government though I know before-hand the baits that will lie in my way but I will not stoop to take them up 4 I hope then to be rid of this heart which now by reason of my bitter afflictions is sore put to it and oft enclines to discontent and untuneableness but I hope then to be free from the temptation and consequently from the distemper and to be never the prouder for mine honour which I come so hardly by and which whensoever I have it it must be of thy free gift but of meek demeanour both towards thee above me and my fellow-brethren though subjects under me And as I will not allow of wickedness in my self so nor in any other no wicked person nor no person in the practise of any wickedness shall have my countenance to credit him 5 I know how incident Princes are to be misled by whisperers and what false reports they hear by giving ear to flatterers and back-biters to the unjust prejudice of the innocent but I will take a course with such men I will watch mine ears as well as mine eyes will severely punish those that I catch doing so nor shall any proud vain-glorious fool draw me from an humble walking with God such shall see that I know humility and Sovereignty are not incompatible but consistent I will neither pride it over my brethren my self nor suffer any else because of his place or office about me to do so 6 My countenance shall be to the good and not to the bad and my care shall be to find out such as are faithfull and sincere-hearted towards God to entertain and imploy such who I know will also be faithfull and uncorrupt in their places the man that is a practiser of piety and honesty and in the course of his life walks
thou art bound no never to forget neither all nor any of them but to sum them up in thank-ful praises to his name 3 Who hath called thee to be faithfull and of his onely good grace hath freely in the merits of his son forgiven thee all thy sins justified thee from their guilt and pardoned their punishment so that from an heir of hell thou art translated to be an heir of heaven And hath also enabled thee by the spirit of regeneration to walk worthie so rich grace in mortifying thy lusts and raising thee to newness of life and conversation by his sanctifying quickening graces bestowed upon thee 4 Who to save thy life lost his own gave it a price for thee the virtue whereof hath influence every day and hour upon thee O my soul for every trespass thou committest dying virtually as oft as thou sinnest whereby thou art kept from perishing everlastingly as else thou hadst done and wouldst do continually and though the bodie wherein thou doest officiate do die a temporal death and lie down in the grave as all men must yet at that instant shalt thou be translated to live with him in Heaven that died for thee on earth instead of being sent to Hell according to thy demerits and at the resurrection shalt have a happie re-union with a glorified incorruptible bodie having honoured and enriched thee here with the first fruits of glorie pardoning protecting regenerating justifying graces more than I can enumerate because of his love and mercie to thee and for no cause else 5 Who feasts thee with Spiritual and Heavenly dainties suting thy tast and appetite answers all thy prayers touching requisit graces and comforts so that whensoever thy stock of either seems to be spent thy graces enfeebled and thy comforts exhausted then at thy request comes God with sweet and seasonable supplies and maketh them and so thee that wast a dying to live again vigorous and active like an eagle that by casting her beak and feathers and new-ones coming in their stead resumes her former agilitie and strength till then disabled so is thy regenerate part and sanctified habits by fresh auxiliaries and immediate breathings revived when at a loss 6 And not onely in spiritual soul-desertions but also in external bodily afflictions does the Lord appear seasonably for when I was oppressed and opened my case to God pleading mine innocencie and mine enemies injurie how did he judge my cause against them and upon them and so will he do for all his faithful upright innocent people in their wrongful pressures in a season most comfortable and profitable he will deliver them and judge their oppressours 7 Witness his wonderful works of old in the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt he did foretel to Moses what powerful and terrible judgements he would bring upon the Egyptians and how wonderfully in truth and righteousness he would enfranchise his people and what he said he did all he told to Moses by promise he made it good by experience in the sight of all the twelve tribes Israels posteritie he faild not in a tittle nor shall his Covenant of grace made with our redeemer Christ touching his redeemed 8 And as the Lord betwixt man and man is pitiful to the oppressed especially to his Church and terrible to their enemies So is he also betwixt himself and them a very graciously disposed God in respect of the sins and deserved punishments of his people as Israel well experimented all along the wilderness exceeding readie to shew mercie and to pardon sin and punishment when it is petitioned for not easily provoked nor apt to anger as they found and extream readie to grant forgiveness of one sin after another if the sinner pray it uprightly God will grant it willingly even the pardon of all our sins though both many and great as theirs were 9 And when he does visit our sins upon us for he will not alwayes bear with us so nor then will he be alwayes wroth against us punish us he may destroy us he never will no nor yet be alwayes angrie at us or frown upon us his face shall clear up and his favour shine forth after a while faithful prayer will scatter those clouds 10 We of all the World have cause to acknowledge him such an one he hath not done by us as we have deserved our experiences from time to time have made good all his gracious properties of grace long-suffering and plenteous mercie having ever been a God exceedingly bearing with us and forbearing of us though a provoking ungreatful people towards him 11 For the immensity of his mercie is superlative to any natural comparison no dimensions can proportion it the height of heaven above the earth does not resemble it to us such and beyond it is his mercie in preterition and pardon to his people that unfeinedly repent them of their sins and with full purpose of heart Covenant to fear and serve him 12 Consider the heavens either for height or wideness and which you think is the greater for the help of your faith conclude that so great and greater is the mercie of God towards such as turn to him and walk with him sincerely The East and West shall as soon come together as the sins of such shall be laid to their charge how grievous so ever they have been for at a greater distance and disproportion hath God sundred a penitent sinner and his sins even as far as infinite is from finite Christ himself who is God having taken them off of him upon himself 13 You that are earthly parents know what are the bowels of a father to a child when with tears and prayers it begs pardon for its offences such for such comparisons we are fain to use for the help of our natural apprehensions and far greater are the earnings of God and his compassions towards those that in the faith of his mercie repent of their transgressions beg pardon of their punishments and promise and perform upright obedience 14 For the Lord knoweth of what brickle matter we are made he remembers how transitorie our natures are so that should he deal with us after our sins and would punish us according to our provocations he would have no people left on earth to serve him or to carrie on the existence and being of a Church so that our frailtie moved him to mercie and not to do as sin would have him cut our short lives shorter 15 Man being no better than grass both sprung out of the earth hath a little time of Being alotted him here wherein he takes some contentment during part of that little in his youthful season as a flower that hath its moneth to spring flourish and decay in so at best is mans condition by course of nature but besides that naturally he is so frail and momentany he is subject to be cut off by infinite accidents that
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
sure to do it and no doubt had done it long ere this but that God would not let them but still preserved and wonderfully delivered us from being swept away with a total destruction as was intended and easie else to have been effected by them 6 O let us lay it seriously to heart and heartily bless and praise the Lord our God for so long preserving and so many sundry times delivering us by no less than miraculous power from the crueltie and outrage of such barbarous bloudie enemies and that hath not been provoked by our sinful ingratitude himself to give us for a prey to their destructive malice as in justice he might 7 But hath brought us notwithstanding all their power malice and treacherie wherewith we have been long insnared and indangered on all hands into a state of libertie and freedom not onely given us our lives for a prey but a libertie from them yea a superioritie above them insomuch as now we are asmuch too strong for them as they were wont to be too strong for us and have them asmuch at an under as they had us their strength is become weakness and by his goodness our weakness is become strength too strong for them 8 Let the power and goodness of God have the praise and glorie of what is done and wrought for us both as to our preservation and exaltation and as in time past we have found him so for time to come let us believe in him as ought the Church and people of God to do in all ages of the world Let us and they magnifie his power and goodness in all estates and times not despairing in adversitie nor presuming in prosperitie but in the one hopefully and in the other humbly believe in him as our all-sufficient and onely deliverer and preserver not fearing nor Idolizing an arm of flesh or second causes but rely on and seek to the onely true God that made all things and disposeth all things and is able to help above all power to hurt if we believe and to hurt above all power to help if we presume The cxxv PSALM For the encouragement of the faithful and sincere hearted the Psalmist tells them as what they must meet with so what they may trust in firm protection in their sorest affliction And addeth praier to promise But bids the hypocrites hands off tells them their doom that are in but not of the Church to whom onely blessedness belongs See the title of the 120 Psalm 1 BElieve firmly in the Lord and you shall be established every such an one is as dear to God as mount Sion it self where is his Temple Ark and all his sanctuarie-worship every faithful servant of God being spiritually all these a living Temple Priest and sacrifice a very heaven on earth in whom God is really more than typically present and to whom belongs all the promises made to the Church in general so that though he may be externally assaulted and seemingly indangered with ghostly enemies and manifold temptations and trials as Jerusalem by the Gentile nations round about yet shall the same invincible guard and protection be upon him and them that so believe as upon it so that the gates of hell shall never prevail against them to un-establish or disinterest them as to the rock whereon they and the whole Church of God are built unmoveably by faith Christ Jesus 2 See you the hills that compass this Citie Jerusalem hence let your faith helped by setting your imagination on work raise a suitable Idea of Gods encompassing his faithful Church and people yea every such one by his Almighty power and guard of Angels for their sure defence and preservation against all assaults of the world and divel who also surround them and this is as everlasting as those mountains an infallible truth for all and every faithful servant of the Lord in all ages and places of the world now and ever to trust unto 3 Not that the godly are in this world exempt from oppression and temptation no for they are the great eye-sore of Satan the Prince of the world and all his malignant instruments and natural Subjects the men of the world which with their utmost malice and power shall labour to afflict the faithful as the Gentile nations do Israel and partly for their sins partly for their trial and exercise of their graces which God sets much by they may be permitted to sit sore upon their skirts and put them to it but this be sure of that the siedge shall be raised before the Town be taken no afflictions nor afflictors by what ever wicked practises shall any longer be permitted to oppress the righteous than they have grace to sustain them under it God allwayes gages one by the other afflictions to the faithful are often less never more tempted they may be and sint hey may by their frailtie and strength of temptation but fall away by sinning they never shall for God is faithfull who will not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that they may be able to bear it 4 This is thy promise which as in faithfulness it is made so as faithfully shall it be performed to those that are faithful and holy but thou wilt be sought unto by them and for them for thy promise and its performance is of grace not of debt even to the righteous themselves O Lord therefore be intreated in the name and for the sake of all thy people to be ever mindful of it to do according to it in time of need Let mercie and protection be extended seasonably and effectually to those that themselves are good and suffer in a cause that is good by those that are evil Yea bless with all manner of blessings those that in sinceritie of heart believe in thee and are careful to please thee with integritie of soul and universalitie of obedience active and passive 5 But as for those linsy-woolfy professours Israelites after the flesh that have a room in the Church but no firm rooting in religion that serve the Lord in shew and not in substance neither know him perfectly believe in him firmly nor serve him sincerely either with a right heart or by a right rule but are divided in their faith and affections trusting and obeying by halves deviating into by-wayes and carnal confidences of their own to their own self-pleasing such hypocrites counterfeits in pietie how ever commixed with the Godly partakers of their outward priviledges and formal worshippers of the same God in the self-same ordinances yet the all-seeing and heart-searching eye of God knows them notes them and esteems them as bad as the very Gentiles who worship Idols these making an Idol of the true God when they worship him and their reward and portion shall be alike judgement shall be pronounced against them both and they cast out
eyes let them not fear it how improbable soever as he hath done from us Jeremiahs good sighs that went out of Canaan submittingly carrying along with us the faithfull hope and expectation of Gods engagement though loth to depart from that good land which God had given us to worship him in but yet did put our selves upon adventure and have out-lived our sorrows and at last enjoy those promises in their accomplishment though after so many years in all which time God hath preserved us and his promise sustained us in hope and now at the appointed period delivered us by an Almighty hand and strange providence to our admiration and joy unspeakable and should encourage us to take the opportunity God hath now put into our hands not consulting with flesh and bloud to break through all difficulties and discommodities either in the journey or at the journeys end which fear and faithlesness may represent to deter us in confidence that as they that obedientially came do live to go so they that in this imperfect condition adventures upon God obey his call and rely upon his grace shall in like sort be enabled to undergo and survive all imaginable evils and have their faith and patience abundantly rewarded with grace and peace and themselves at last established again in quiet in the holy Land and Citie The cxxvii PSALM This Psalm is conceived to be penned rather by Solomon himself than by David â—or him and to be a compendium of his Ecclesiastes the stile and matter owns him the subject it treats being politicks government civil and domestick the part appointed him by God more especially to act both in scripture and in practise which he handleth not as a meer moralist or Philosopher but as a divine instructing in all civil and natural affairs to eye God by faith and to make him the efficient and final cause in all publick transanctions and private business or blessing else we take course to set God against us and so to loose all our labour in all we do and in all we hope and desire And sheweth what is the best and most desirable blessing under heaven that brings most happiness to a mans self and makes him most usefull to the publick to wit a numerous and godly off-spring See the Title of the 120. Psalm the Authours name super-added here 1 MOst men act upon their own principles in their own affairs and callings without any eye to God or faith in God for direction or success apprehending issues naturally to ensue upon use of means as they project and design whereas it is far otherwaies for the Lord is all in all nothing can prosper without him it is not enough towards the building of an house whether materially or civilly considered to have the persons and things that conduce thereunto the art of Artificers and the wisdom of a Pater-familias will not serve to erect or order and well govern it or raise and enrich posterity without the blessing of God he can and doth therefore often times blast their endeavours and befool their skil because he is not made the first cause and the last end not sought to for a blessing nor intended to be blessed for the success when second causes are set up above him and a man is his own Idol and kisseth his own hands And as in government domestick so in that which is civil and popular there is the same errour committed men of place States-men and politicians stand on their heads like children and shake their heels at heaven but let such learn from me that know it and by the blessing of God have as much wisdom if not more than other men that it is neither wise for sight and advice nor vigilancie and diligence nor power and strength it is indeed nothing either in a militarie or civil way that can order or secure any countrey place or people from forreign or intestine evils but the gracious provident and watchfull eye and ruling hand of God none can prevent accidents over-rule hearts frustrate designs bless endeavours but the Lord alone infinite unexpected occurrences will nay shall purposely fall out to endanger and deceive them that are carnally confident in an arm of fleshly wisdom strength or diligence if not to ruin them Therefore use the means but subserviently trust in the Lord onely seek him and seek to him faithfully and self-denyingly else look not to succeed or prosper or not to be blessed but cursed in prospering either in the one or other 2 How do men moil and toil in the world some to compass riches others other designs their heads and hands in continual action scarce allowing themselves time to cherish and sustain nature by sleep or food which very repasts are also imbittered by inordinate carefulness through diffidence and vnacquaintance with God not considering that all they do is fruitless and labour lost if God pronounce not a Fiat and say not Amen to what they design and sollicit though never so eagerly which yet is certainly true if they did believe it and knew to live by faith how would it moderate and quiet their thoughts make their lives much more comfortable and enjoy themselves and the blessings God gives them with contentment for so do all they that inwardly feed upon the sweet sense and assurance of Gods love and are happier in that than the cares of the world can make them and whose hearts by believing are staied on the Lord for this he recompenceth it into their bosoms with recumbancy of spirit so that they enjoy him themselves and the blessings less or more he bestows upon them free from perplexities with abundant soul-satisfaction and continual quiet which carking wordly-minded men loose and their labour besides 3 And as some mens ambition and contentment is in honour and riches and such like earthly felicities whereto they bend themselves with might and main and think to compass them by wit and industrie but are deceived so others desire to be rich in children and a good desire it is if moderated by submission and mixed with faith but in this also do men and women miscarrie having their expectation more upon natural causes in natural production than upon Gods supernatural agencie Whereas it is nor strength nor pregnancie of nature in either sex that can assure posterity but the power and free-gift of God that can onely make parents happy with a happy issue which he dispenseth of grace to whom he pleases 4 A numerous and virtuous off-spring is an unspeakable blessing of God he that hath them is fitted by them for all assaies as a strong and valiant man skilful in martial affairs and plentifully provided of ammunition darts and arrows can with honour and advantage to himself them that imploy him for offence and defence discharge them hither and thither so a father blessed with an hopefull and plentifull issue in the flower of his age is himself blessed by it and of
that though he do yea must both in justice and mercie chastize them for their aberrations thereby to humble and reduce them For impunitie would argue him no father nor they no children as sure I say as he is both just and gracious to lay the rod upon them for sin so he is as merciful and faithful to take it off again when of sinners they become penitents and renew their covenant to be his he will soon be theirs and repent as well as they and then wo be to their enemies we have and shall ever find it so 15 That he hath ever approved himself the onely God of power to deliver us when the time hath come maugre all the Powers on earth that have been against us and their gods to boot which cannot preserve them that worship them against the power of the Almighty whom we onely serve of all the world besides which is heathen and their gods meer Idols at best made of gold and silver nor are they so much as their own makers but have their Beings from men they make them that made not themselves therefore must they needs be goodly Gods 16 They are meer liveless statues without sense or motion able neither to speak nor see having no better mouthes nor eyes than man can make them 17 Their ears are like their eyes the one blind the other deaf and their mouthes as breathless as speechless for such an inversion of nature as men to make Gods can produce no better effects 18 And they that make them are as void of understanding as they of life and sense that against reason can think such things fit to be worshipped for Gods which are their creatures not they theirs and so is every one that seeing what they are and knowing whence they come putteth confidence of good or evil in them both their Gods and they are alike blockish and as void of power as understanding as plainly appeareth when our God appears for us against them 19 Let therefore your faith and zeal be laid out upon no such imaginarie deities nor your fear upon any earthly powers do you that are the posteritie of Jacob from whom you have the name of Israel given of God himself walk worthie such a father and servant of the Lord by honouring and praising him and him alone all of you own him and honour him for your Lord and God specially you that are his in principal place and office by special designation you Priests the sons of Aaron let your zeal exceed as much as do your engagements 20 And you that are of an inferiour rank in the Priest-hood ye Levites remember also your ingagements to honour and praise the Lord who hath called you to so sacred an office about his Temple do your duties worthie your places but because no doubt too many are as formal people so formal Priests that serve the Lord if at all more in shew than sincerity therefore my exhortation is chiefly to you both Priests and people that are regenerate Israelites indeed Priests of the Lord as well as of the Temple endowed with the true fear of God and sanctifying graces of his spirit you are they that I hope and exhort and that God looks should honour and serve him with praise and thanks in faith and spirit worthie your selves and him your God as a chosen generation a royal Priest-hood a holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 21 Let all Israel whether in power or profession his visible or invisible people of what rank or qualitie soever Prince Priest people resort unto the place appointed for his solemn worship mount Sion where his sanctuarie is seated and there joyn their forces and affections to bless and serve him who is especially present there of all Israel having preferred Jerusalem to be the place of his residence and of all his glorious dispensations where he will be blessed of his people and whence he will bless them again that honour and serve him Therefore fail not on your part praise him and pray to him that is and will be your God if you do so The cxxxvi PSALM This Psalm for the magnifying of mercie it is thought was sung daily in the Tabernacle and Temple 1 Chron. 16.41 Jer. 33.11 and this clause for his mercie endureth for ever so oft repeated was sung by turns of the Levites and oft used for the burden of the song at solemn celebrations of remarkable mercies 2 Chron. 7.3 and 6. and 20.21 The drift of the Psalmist is to advance covenant-mercie that Church priviledge in the eyes of the faithful as the great and allmost onely thank-worthie benefit by which God himself and all that is Gods is his Churches the fountain of all good general special of creation and providence to the world to the Church which therefore we should behold in every thing and thank God for in all things 1 GOds greatness is better known and more taken notice of than his goodness but this ought principally to be his peoples studie to see all he does as well the acts of his grace and that a stable covenant-grace as of his power Therefore ye that are so be sure to do so be thankful to him and faithful in him for his goodness sake that is so transcendent even to the sins of all mankind in general who live move and have their beings in and from him notwithstanding them and to his Church in particular as appears by his many gracious promises and great performances temporal and spiritual in goodness made and in mercie made good sin cannot finally hinder the current of his grace which is as himself everlasting as in being so in acting an ever overflowing fountain whose mercies therefore are renewed every morning 2 3 Exalt him in his greatness yea in the full dimensions of it superlatively prefer him to all things in heaven and earth principalities powers or imaginarie deities Praise him as such but withal be thankful to him that is such so great and yet of such condiscention in continual dispensation of mercies for the consideration of his goodness setteth forth his greatness with greater beautie and sweetness which by reason thereof becomes a useful propertie and encouragement to his Church and people to draw nigh to him and trust in him for ever 4 And as for his mercie sake he is to be honoured in what he is essentially being thereby that to us and for us which he is in himself so also in what he does for his mercie and free grace it is the cause of the manifestation of so great power in all those glorious works of wonder wrought so apparently by the immediate hand and finger of God who onely is Almighty for and in his peoples behalfs in all their dangers notwithstanding all their sins as we can witness in an everlasting
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
of battell against the enemie as now it doth by secret machinations of inveterate deadly foes no less endangering it 8 And as I pray for my self by virtue of mine interest and near relation to thee so give me leave to pray against my wicked enemies that are also thine that what they desire to bring to pass against me may not take effect blast thou their wicked designs which I am sure can take no place if thou doest not more or less allow them which I pray thee do not but the contrarie least they vain-gloriously magnifie their cause and disparage mine and being fleshed with success blasphemously set light by thee as well as me compared with themselves which else they will be sure to do 9 As for the chief hunts-men the principal ringleaders and occasioners of this my trouble and persecution Saul and Doeg that set the multitude on work to betray and entrap me every where where I come whom they have deceived and misled by their false reports let that they intend to bring upon me even destruction fall heavily and unavoidably upon them that they may by no means escape it but in thy justice be themselves taken in the net they laid for others 10 Let such impenitent reprobate minded men come to an exemplarie end by some severe and formidable judgement as did Sodom and Gomorrah consume them utterly by thy vengeance and fiery indignation yea by sudden and fearfull destruction as thou didst Korah and Dathan remove them once for all from off the face of the earth where they do so much mischief in opposing thee and the coming of thy Kingdom that they may rest in perpetuall darkness of death which onely can stitle them and hold their hands and whence they shall never more return to do as they have done being thereby everlastingly disposed of 11 Lord let not any man much less mine enemies by lying and slandering and such wicked unworthy wayes prosper in his designs against the plain and sincere hearted least it incourage other earth-worms that know not God nor care not for heaven to take the like courses when they see them thereby brought to ruin and the wicked contrivers succesfull and fortunate against them No I am confident and dare pronounce it in the name of the Lord that the wicked purposes and contrivances of the ungodly bloud-thirsty man be he higher or lower wherewith he hunts others to the death if he could catch them shall follow him at heeles and drive him into such a trap and snare at last that he shall never escape even utter destruction 12 And on the other hand I dare promise as much for God on the behalf of them that for his sake are unjustly wronged and persecuted be they never so poor and their oppressours never so potent God will patronize both them and their cause against the wrong-doers stand to them and appear for them to do them right and justifie their innocence of this I am confident for his truth is ingaged for it and his glory is concerned in it I doubt not to find it so in mine own particular though it fare ill with me now 13 Sure enough the time will come that they that with a good and honest heart mannage a righteous cause though they may and must be content to suffer for a time as long and as much as pleaseth God yet they shall see a happy end of their sufferings and the miserable catastrophe of their oppressours to their exceeding great cause of joy in and thankfulness to God that by his grace and power hath brought it so about beyond expectation or probability They that are upright and so hold out under affliction keeping a good conscience toward God and man patiently waiting and enduring shall happily survive their afflictions and afflictours here so that God shall lead them through and land them safe on the other side as I doubt not he will do me where the residue of their dayes they shall propitiously enjoy the Lord for their God or if they miscarry in them as so he may permit yet shall they not miscarry by them but shall be happier in heaven whither they shall translate them than earth could have made them in a full fruition of him there in that glorified estate whither no sorrow shall follow them The cxli. PSALM David and his men being in great danger by Sauls surprise probably either in the wilderness of Engeddi or of Ziph and having opportunity and temptation of revenge prayes that God would deliver him both from death and sinne in that strait Is greatly troubled that so many innocents should so prosecute him through misunderstanding wishes they would take another course more agreeable to charity for whom yet his charity shall move him to pray that they may not perish with their malicious mislâ—aders in hope that when they are removed out of the way by Gods just judgâ—ments these will then be reduced and hear reason though now their ears are charmed And lastly represents his and his partizans perillous case to God but withall his faith in God praying for his own deliverance and his enemies subversion A Psalm made by David 1 LOrd no danger is so great nor eminent as to stifle my faith or stop my mouth but be it what it will be I make my moan unto thee even now in this mine extremity wherein I am not a little concerned nor thee to make hast to my rescue being sore laid to be not therefore a stranger to me nor deaf to hear me but graciously compassionate my misery and hear me effectually now and alwayes when in such straits I supplicate thy Majesty 2 Let my prayer which I dayly put up unto thee in the virtue of Christs mediation ascend and be accepted of thee as the Type thereof that perpetuall fragrant incense-offering burnt each morning in the sanctuary â—nd let my supplication the spirituall sacrifice of a faithfull heart be as pleasing as the appointed meat-offering every evening 3 Lord my temptations are great and provocations many suffering so unjustly and ungratefully as I do under a tedious and trying persecution that exerciseth all the faith and patience I have and were it not for thy supporting auxiliary grace would be too hard for me notwithstanding mine which can of it self ill grapple with such adversaries and adversities without out-breaches of corruptions whereto my mind and mouth in thoughts and words are over prone therefore good Lord carefully keep and restrain me that through sinfull impatience or incogitancy I sometime or other forget not my self and imprudently let fall either words or rash discontent towards thee or of sinfull revenge towards mine adversaries unworthy the Mediatour and Lamb-like patience of him whom I prefigure in these my durances but may patiently wait and bear what is thy pleasure to the utmost time and measure as he shall not sinning so much as in word or thought 4 I
well know mine own naturall inclination what it is how prone to evil mine heart and affections are specially upon temptation yea to any or to every evil of words or actions how vild soever and that unavoidably if thou decline it not thou must bend it the contrary way by thine over-powering efficacious grace grace-ward or else it will warp sin-ward with the weight or attraction of temptation I have no confidence in it but onely in thee in whose hands are all hearts and mine more especially dispose thou 〈◊〉 therefore to good and not to evil to right and not to wrong-doing of no kind less nor more let no temptation in no condition upon no occasion prevail with me to sinne but so establish my heart and strengthen my graces that I may make constant resistance without envying their happiness that prosper by undue courses whilest I in the practise of piety find nothing but misery keep me from being taken with their golden baits of earthly felicity to the loss of heavenly for that shall be their reward that live in sinne how sweet soever it is at present to their corrupt tasts and so shall it to be mine if I leave the way I am in of serving thee to serve sinne whence Lord deliver me 5 O that I might be free from the temptations of these wicked malicious persecutours Saul and his chieftaines that so impiously against their own consciences traduce me to the people and unworthily seek my life by all sinister courses tempting me to the like wicked wayes of revenge and retaliation which I find I can hardly forbear so injurious are my sufferings and hazardous my condition it being humanely impossible to shift them by lawfull and conscionable courses without taking all advantages as they do And that the well-meaning innocent people that perpetrate nothing of malice but through credulity and misprision are misled to do that they do against me O that they would not so erre but would question and blame me to my face in a fair and friendly manner as becomes one towards another touching what they hear and too easily take upon trust I should take such dealing exceeding kindly and interpret those reproofs no acts of enmity and hostility but friendly and good offices Who though they do not so but suffer themselves thus to be misled to the wronging me in this sort yet wish I no ill to them but pity them for their unhappy ingagement in so bad a cause and shall be heartily sorry when any hurt befalls them for it as I know there will which when it doth I will pray for them as for my self 6 When the time comes for God to execute vengeance on their Rulers and Commanders who now so bewitch the people and that they fall by the sword in mount Gilboa and the Kingdom so unexpectedly be translated to me then will the people be brought to a right understanding of me when I shall declare to them that I never sought the Kingdom as they had been made believe but it was the purpose and good will of God to cast it upon me for their good and the happiness of all Israel which shall follow thereupon they shall then be won to believe and hope so to their comfort when they see it so wonderfully brought about merely by providence and Gods just judgement maugre the malice and power of mine enemies their seducers to the contrary 7 The danger of me and all that take part with me in regard of its eminency and mine enemies rage is as great as great can be sure we are all of us to be slain if taken and that in a barbarous cruell manner too hewen in pieces and piece-meal exposed above ground no mercy alive nor dead can such Traitours as we are counted to be expect but the uttermost rigour and exemplary severity that can be inflicted are we sure of 8 But Lord in this strait of me and mine I am not so dejected as to let fall my faith nor to cease prayer but to thee a gracious and omnipotent Lord God to whom belong the issues from death do I in the vehement ardency of my spirit make mine address for relief in this mine extremity my confidence is more because of thee thy power and goodness in which I trust then is my fear by reason of my dangers greatness therefore be not wanting to save my life which I give for lost if thou save it not for other help or helper I have none 9 I know nothing is impossible to God the snares and grins that mine enemies lay privily for me are known to thee though by mine ignorance I may be hazarded yet by thy providence I hope to be prevented Keep me from being caught which else I shall be and from being made a prey to malicious bloud-thirsty men that are void both of piety and humanity 10 Let my wicked enemies be overtaken in their own projects by thy just judgements who art able to ensnare them in and by their own craft and to make it appear that simple honesty is the best policy and wicked policy the greatest simplicity and most self-destructive make them manifest examples of it by thine out-witting and mine escaping them but their not escaping thee The cxlii PSALM David shut up in the cave at Engeddi by an in raged multitude layes seidge to God by servent and incessant prayer who he confesseth saved him by his wisdom and contrivance when his own had almost undone him He sheweth his heart made some excursions toward the creature but in vain and quickly with-called it self and betook it again to God as to all that was left him and therefore presseth hard upon him for deliverance particular and generall that he and the righteous may once be acquainted that now are strangers and may joyntly praise him Davids instruction to the faithfull in time of extremity to pray as he did when he was hid in the cave of Engeddi begirt with Sauls Army 1 AS was mine extremity so was mineimportunity I was hard beset and I beset God as hard incessantly urging my condition upon him again and again iterating it in his ears so that I gave him no rest whilest my danger lasted 2 I made my moan unto him how injuriously my life was sought for him to right me and how my danger increased to a very crisis for him to relieve me shewed him how nothing humanely was betwixt me and utter destruction if he interposed not death was unavoidable 3 When I was at my wits end and knew no way to escape when I thought this thing and that thing but saw safety in nothing that I could imagine then hadst thou designed the way of my deliverance how I should come out of that so eminent perill else I could never have been preserved for that which I took to be my safest course there to hide my self in the wilderness of Engeddi proved of all other
not cancel them but day by day will I recount and recal them and afresh magnifie thee for them and bless thee that blesseth me yea live I never so long they shall never die but all that I am or shall ever be I will be it of thee and acknowledge it to thee thy praise and glorie 3 In Majestie power and grace transcendent is the Lord the worlds sole Sovereign and how ought his praises to be suitably superlative whose greatness in glorie and every other excellencie is infinite and incomprehensible rather to be admired than understood by men of finite and shallow capacities as his works declare 4 The world shall never be without matter of praise that shall set forth the immensity of thee the Lord whose praise-worthy works of power justice mercie shall be renewed upon the face of the earth continually every generation shall have a succession of them which shall accordingly by thy people be observed and transferred in their gratulatorie memorials from one to another the fathers shall tell and teach what their forefathers taught and told them and the additions thou hast made in their time of works of wonder and acts of power and grace to their posterities and they to theirs to the worlds end 5 I for my part will extol thee in the age that I live in and leave a copie for after-ages to write by and do the like in exalting thy supream superlative honour and glorie that is essential to thee the Sovereign Majestie of heaven and earth and in magnifying thine Almightie power so wonderfully specified in the works of creation preservation and destruction acted and evident in the world respectively to good and bad 6 Those that give themselves to observation as I do shall have cause enough whilest the world endures to extol thy powerful justice upon thine and thy Churches enemies in the terrible execution of it by formidable judgements such as former ages have been full of and after-ages shall not be wanting in and I will be sure to do my part towards it in preaching thy Sovereign justice and power how able thou art to confound them and how terribly thy displeasure shall be executed upon evil doers wicked despisers of God and oppressours of his people 7 Such faithful observers shall also have abundant matter stored up in memorie of thy goodness and mercie yea manifold and remarkable mercies to thy Church and people which they themselves shall bless and praise thee for and teach them to others even to succeeding generations to be remembred of them in like sort and shall rejoyce exceedingly in their own and the Churches constant experience of thy faithfull performances of thy gracious promises freely made and in righteousness made good touching thy blessings to them and thy judgements upon their enemies 8 They shall have cause to magnifie Gods manifold gracious properties by manifold sweet experiences and to say of him as he by Moses sayeth of himself That he is as good as great Gracious in promising and performing Compassionate over his people in their afflictions though afflicted for their sins which he is slow to punish and very forbearing to execute his just displeasure where and when or as oft as it is deserved and as ready mercifully to forgive their sin when committed and remove his judgements when inflicted upon their repentance as they themselves can wish be their sins what they will never so great he can and will forgive them upon conversion and repent of his punishing when they repent of their provoking 9 And though covenant-grace and pardoning mercie be the portion of his own peculiar yet to those that are not so but strangers yea enemies to him he is beneficial even to all good and bad God is good and declares it by large dispensations of manifold good things creative and providential Though sin hath brought an over-flowing deluge of displeasure into the world and shut up the whole creation man and all things that were made for his use under a curse and Divine severity yet cannot this hinder on Gods part his being merciful who freely extends his liberal beneficence to every creature supplying their wants maintaining and taking care for their subsistencies from the least to the greatest 10 There is nothing in the whole world in that its kind and nature sets not forth thy praise-worrhy goodness and greatness O thou Sovereign and sole Lord thereof and above all thy peculiar people chosen and called have cause not onely for common mercies whereof together with the rest of the world they liberally partake to praise thee but for special love-tokens of grace and favour which the world knows not what belongs to wherewith thou peculiarly blessest them shall they actively bless and magnifie thee in love and thankfulness 11 Thy saints they shall not by bare instinct or meer necessitie of nature passively praise thee as others do that are subjects at large of the Kingdom of thy power onely but as those that are received into grace shall they magnifie the glorious excellencie of that thy Kingdom of grace as well as of power whereof more especially they are subjects and knowingly in the comfortable experience of their own hearts declare the happiness of that estate transcendent to any worldly one both for dignity and security the King of saints being the onely Lord God glorious in Majestie and omnipotent in power as his acts declare 12 From the enlargements of their hearts in the love and admiration of thee they shall publish to the world that so best understands thee the memorable atchievements which thou hast in sundry ages brought to pass thereby to spread thy fame and gain thee the glorie of thine omnipotencie and sole Sovereigntie over the world the pomp and power thereof as sundry times and wayes upon sundry nations and mightie potentates thou hast made it manifest by demonstrative evidence in thy Churches and peoples behalf 13 Yea all the excellent prerogatives and properties of thy Kingdom and empire shall they preach and promulgate to gain thee the precedencie of worldly honour which though never so great yet is transient and momentanie on top of the wheel to day and under it to morrow whereas thy dominion and Sovereigntie as it excels in power and dignitie so in permanence and perpetuitie thou canst crush earthly Kingdoms their Princes and people but they with all their might and malice can neither crush thee nor thine neither weaken thy power lessen thy glorie nor extirpate thy Church but as thou so it maugre all the world is of an infinite date no period can be put to either for both shall everlastingly endure and every age shall make it appear so by the admirable works of governance and powerful preservation of thy Church and Kingdom founded upon an everlasting covenant 14 Otherwise his Church had been extirpated many a day ago every age lifting at it so that it hath
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
wonderous works one as well as another from of the globe of the earth and sea here below as well as from heaven on high Let his immense power be magnified in framing such depths as well as heights even those vast and profound seas adequate for those huge and formidable whales and sea-dragons which he hath made and disposed of there as their proper place and element And so ye exhalations and meteors whether of fire or water that by the force of the sun are drawn from the earth into the air and there by an Almightie power severally disposed of into divers forms and beings and to several ends and all as pleaseth God whether unto thunder lightenings hail snow rain mists storms and tempests all of you jointly severally as God pleaseth to use you sometimes for good sometimes for evil whose will in both you must and do obey acting as by him and not your selves so for him to fulfil his command and do the errand whereon he sends you set ye forth the power and greatness of God to his praise in doing his pleasure 9 And ye earthly heights as well as waterie depths ye hils and mountains of several quantities and dimensions higher and lower greater and less also ye trees that grow upon the earth of several natures to several uses some for fruit and some for timber as all of you are of and from the Lord so are you for and to him you ought to be to his praise who gave you your several kinds and existences for the use and benefit of man 10 Ye that exceed these vegetives which yet are excellent in their kind toward the making up the beautifull frame and order of nature you I say that are a form higher in the creation ye animals endowed with sence as well as life and first ye four footed beasts and cattel of several sorts and kinds which are so manifold great and small one and other yea and you that by gods ordination are under the same Genus but of a far different Species that instead of going upon feet are wonderfully facilitated to creep upon your bellies as also you several fowl that live in another element the air dexterously conveying your selves by flight from place to place with wings instead of feet do you in your several kinds natures and places set forth the Almighty power and wisdom of the Creatour of all things 11 12 And you who enjoy the best of beings next the angels comprehending the perfection of all living creatures vegetative and sensitive with a superaddition of a reasonable soul you men and of men principally you that are principal ye Kings and great men of the world lead you the way and go before others in good example that have so much cause above others to magnifie God and celebrate his praise And all ye people also not onely in but under authoritie both high and low do you the like Chiefly ye great men look you to it to whom it principally appertains and who for the most part are most deficient and too high to do homage but be your power or wisdom never so great yet be so wise and lowly as to let God be both greater and wiser and be you never so beneficial in your places yet let God be acknowledged the best benefactor by you and those that are under you who is above all as in greatness the sovereign King and Judge of all the earth so in goodness administring righteous judgement and yielding just protection And though principally yet not onely doth this duty of praise belong to great men no nor yet to men whether you respect their age or sex for though their priviledge in both regards engage them comparatively beyond others yet it belongs to all of all ages and sexes both men and women to them that are in their prime for mind body with strength and beauty as young men and maids and them also that are growing to it or gone beyond it old men and children for as in civil government there are degrees of places offices higher and lower as princes peopele so in nature there are and must be degrees of ages succession of generations as fathers children both which are respectively thereby beautified with orderly subsistence which else would be a confused paritie each setting forth the praise-worthy wisdom of God in their gradual subordinations as high and low so young and old some governing some governed one generation coming another going to the praise of the God of nature that so orders things in the great Common-wealth thereof and in that variety of creatures ages and sexes as to produce so beautiful and orderly a progression from one end of the world to the other 13 All the whole creation consisting of infinite particulars never all of them to be enumerated in their several kinds and capacities let them joyn in this harmonie of Halelu-jah celestial and terrestrial creatures every of them severally and all of them joyntly make up a Quire of praising God for his praise-worthy excellencies of several sorts specified in their several kinds some as men and angels actually offer up others as all other creatures declaratively set forth the greatness and goodness power wisdom and glorie of their maker who therefore made them and who excels all created excellencies all and every of them being but borrowed from the fountain of his sole sufficiencie He onely is originally and they derivatively good whose transcendent Majestie and glorious excellencie inherent in himself is infinitly superlative to all earthly Majesties and all natural excellencies whether in the heavens above or the earth here beneath yea though you could fancie them all in one collective bodie and frame an Idea of all created perfections the glorie riches beautie order of all creatures in one entire resplendencie and representation yet is he alone infinitely beyond them all in all their several excellencies joyntly considered and to be praised both above them and for them who himself both is all above all and all in all 14 He is worthy praise from all creatures for what they are and have derivatively from him but that which is of greatest note and most praise-worthie is the Crown of all the rest which he hath set upon his peoples head his Covenant-mercie and grace and that not onely in promise but performance having in and by me as he hath and shall spiritually by and in Christ wonderfully blessed and prospered his people brought them out of all their sorrows and set them above all their enemies and therefore is he if to the creatures much more to his elect and chosen people especially the called and sanctified ones among them matter of praise who hath exatalted and preferred them to that praise-worthie priviledge of being his in a peculiar singular way of grace and adoption differing from all men and all creatures besides I mean his Israel the people of his Covenant made with their