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
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
ever was so from the beginning as the poison of a serpent is to a man whom he maliced even in paradise And they are every whit as unalterable from this their cursed indisposition as an Adder is from his venemous nature no truth can take place nor reason prevail with them to be other than they are to the godly but are wilfully prejudiced and resolve to continue so and to do them all the mischief they can 5 Nothing can do good upon them but as the Adder will not suffer himself to be charmed and hindred from doing hurt but resists by stopping the Organ of hearing that inchantment cannot operate upon him so are they hardened against all right reason good advice threats and judgements nothing can fasten upon them to make them better disposed towards God and his faithfull servants 6 And as the serpent hath not more poison in him than mine enemies malice to me so nor have the Beast of prey more rage and fury in them in their hunger and anger than these men have against me not the fiercest sort of lions therefore O Lord watch over me narrowly to disable their attempts and disappoint their rage 7 Lord put a speedie end to them and their destructive purposes let them be as a teemed vessel wasting by degrees but yet speedily till there be none left let all their enterprises be fruitless and ineffectuall as he that discharges a broken arrow which falls aâ— his feet 8 Let these wicked wretches that are good for nothing but to do hurt to them that are good be like other unprofitable creatures of no long continuance yea the sooner they come to nought the better for if they live but to be able they have will enough to do all manner of mischief 9 Yea and so it shall be for when they are as it were putting the match to the powder ready to blow up the godly and innocent person God shall yet prevent them and by some suddain and remarkable judgement upon them swifter than thought shall disappoint and disable them when they least look for it and in their own conceits are furthest from death and danger shall the Lord in his fierce wrath suddainly snatch them hence 10 So that however they afflict the godly so long as God gives them leave yet the time will certainly come when the righteous shall see an end of their miseries and of their enemies too to their no small rejoycing to see God so mindfull of them and themselves so much in favour with him as to have the wicked destroied for their sakes and to fall at their feet who once hoped to tread upon their necks 11 So that any man that observes shall see and cannot but acknowledge that its good trusting in God and walking obediently to his will for such shall not lose their labour nor their confidence but God will recompence both in due time and that how ever the good and godly are for a time under the wheel and the wicked a top and things seem quite out of order yet God that while is not idle in heaven but takes notice of good men and their sufferings and of wicked men and their doings to judge them accordingly The lix PSALM David being beseidged in his own house prayes for deliverance alledging his enemies cruelty and his own innocency and that they may not prosper in their wicked indeavours and contempt of God which he assures himself and strengthens his faith in God against his bloud-thirstie adversaries whom he would not have quite cut off but brought to disgrace and indigency to exemplifie his wrath and justice against such both to his own people for their incouragement and the heathen for their instruction and that they may live to tast the bitter fruit of their own prodigious malice Lastly he rejoyces in God because of his present deliverance To the President of the Quire is this Psalm made by David committed for his ordering of it to be sung to the speciall tune of Michtam the sum and substance whereof is comprised in this one word Al-taschith signifying destroy not upon occasion of the danger David was in when Saul sent messengers which beset Davids house and watched it round about all night to have killed him in the morning 1 Sam. 19. 1 I must now as at all other times flie to thee for refuge O God of my salvation when I am in straits as at present thou knowest me to be out of which I pray thee to deliver me which else is impossible I am like to be assaulted so on every side by men that have laid an ambuscado for me and intend suddainly to surprize me the Lord shew me a way to escape them 2 I am thou knowest O Lord thy servant whom they go about to destroy and they are wicked wretches and bloudy-minded men deliver me therefore from such and let me not fall into their hands 3 For it is my life thou seest that they seek Saul and his wicked Courtiers contrive and attempt my destruction not that they have any just cause so to do for I have never done any thing but what stood with loyalty nor ever had a thought of other towards him Lord thou knowst it 4 When Saul bids them go how ready and diligent are they to be imploied against me that never did any thing to deserve it either from him or them be thou O Lord as watchfull to help me as they to destroy me and behold me specially in this my present danger to free me from it whom thou knowest to be guiltless and innocent 5 Therefore O Lord that art of infinite power and absolute command and a faithfull God to thy faithfull servants appear in the behalf of thine oppressed people and me more especially and pour out thy just displeasure upon all those that have no knowledge nor fear of thee but after an heathenish and irreligious manner are enemies to those that are thine Israel indeed though themselves be Israelites thou that art no respecter of persons shew no favour to any such wicked wretches nor be no more mercifull to them than if they were Infidels and Pagans indeed for their malice is as much against the godly and their sins against thee as great if not greater But execute righteous judgement upon all unrighteous men one as another 6 They are incessantly industrious to find me out rising early and ferreting every place where they think to have me and hold on so from morning to night and so from day to day asking and enquiring after me of every one they meet with railing and slanderous speeches backbiting and snarling at me and thus they do every where from house to house in Town and Countrey where they think to hear of me 7 They spare for no railing but let flie against me to all men cursing and threatning what they would do if they could catch me and what they
it and will for as he raiseth sea-tempests and therefore can lay them so he by his providence and appointment sends land-storms therefore can order quit them in like sort 5 And as thou art powerfull so art thou faithfull we need no more doubt of the one than of the other what thou hast promised as thou hast power so likewise hast thou will to perform it Thy grace of protection is as certain and infallible as thy power is omnipotent The obediential faith of thy holy performance of all that thou hast promised becomes thy Church the house of the living God which O Lord ought to be fixed and established by it and in it for ever what ever befall her The xciv PSALM In some very heavie pressure that lay upon the people of God in generall by by the heathens or else upon the faithfull under the wicked Kings and Iudges of Israel this Psalm seems to be made wherein God is earnestly called upon to take off the yoke which lay so heavily upon them by the tyrannie and persecution of bloudie and 〈◊〉 hemous wretches whom be counsells to do better and from their abuse of Gods own clemencie to their own perdition shews the blessed estate of Gods own people because of Gods fatherly chastisements He acknowledgeth God for his sole support which is his comfort when he is at a loss and is confident God will not always suffer tyrants to sit in his seat and rule over his Church but that he will find a time to judge them and deliver her out of their hands 1 2 O Almightie and righteous Lord God who hast power and to whom of right it belongs to revenge the injuries oppressions of thy Church appear in her behalf so that both she and her oppressours may see thou doest so Let her proud insulting enemies feellingly find that thou that art judge of all the earth favourest her cause and doest her right upon them 3 4 Lord it is not without cause that we crie to thee for as our pressures have been very great so they have been very long The wicked have had a long reign and lorded it with a witness over the good and by reason of thy delay they glory in their doings as if either thou couldst not or wouldst not punish them And what they think they stick not to speak even blasphemies against thee and cruelties against us and the more wickedness they commit the more they give themselves content boasting one to another and vying one with another who can do most mischief thy impunitie being their immunitie 5 6 They make pot-sheards of thy people O Lord loading them with such merciless oppressions and afflictions even thine own chosen and peculiar heritage and that because they are so as they break their very hearts and leave them not the name or face of a people scarce upon earth destroying all before them mercilesly breaking all laws humane and divine respecting neither age nor sex pitying none in any kind or condition though never such objects of compassion 7 And so hardened are they in their wicked courses and so presumptious by thy forbearance that they are confident thou regardest not what they do to thy people nor never will call them to account for it making a very aw-word of the God of Jacob. 8 Be men of more understanding than to harbour such vain thoughts of so great a God ye that though ye be heads and chief among the vulgar yet are as void of understanding and true judgement as the common people themselves be not still so foolish to persist in wickedness provoking the Lord but consider that the end must needs be bad and that you will repent when it is too late 9 For weigh with your selves whether it be reasonable to think that you can either act such things or speak such words and God not see nor hear them that gives ears and eyes to all men living shall the authour of those senses be senseless 10 He that is Judge of all the earth and punisheth the very heathens for their exorbitancies and unjust oppressions among themselves shall not he much more be righteous to revenge the wrongs done to his own people and have you such mean thoughts of God as to judge him any thing less than omniscient think you to escape or deceive him that gives you your selves the knowledge you have and all men else 11 The Lord very well knows what vain and wicked thoughts men naturally have of him how they abuse his clemencie as if he neither saw heard regarded nor will judge them for their wickedness because he delays to do it 12 Therefore what ever the world think of the godly under afflictions yet blessed is the man that is so much favoured of God as to be chastised for his faults and admonished of his dutie to Gods commandments whilst he suffers others to run riot without check or control 13 That he may make him meet for the inheritance of the saints prepare him for heaven which shall be the end of his course which is accompanied with sorrows as hell shall be of the wicked when they are prepared for it by a consummation of the number and measure of their sins by their libertie of sinning 14 For whatever we through shortness of spirit and impatience under afflictions may think of God as if he had disregarded his people yet it s nothing so God may cast them into afflictions but not because he rejects them but because he loves them he will find a time to make it appear so that for all that nay that therefore he is their God and they his dearly beloved because he doth afflict them when as he saves them by it suffering others to go to hell for want of it 15 But how ever things seem to be topsi-turvie the wicked a top of the wheel and the good under it yet there is a time when the world shall be set right again each man shall be paid his wages God shall take the government into his hands whereas now the reins seem to be let loose and in righteousness judge the good and the bad which is the time that all upright-hearted sincere Godly-ones long for and in hope of it shall notwithstanding all obstructions follow it in the way of pietie 16 Who is there beside thee O Lord willing or able to deliver me from under this tyrannicall oppression of wicked workers surely none in all the world If thou doest not save me I perish 17 Yea hadst not thou when time was been a present help so near was I to destruction I had certainly died and been silent in the grave instead of being now speaking to thee and praising of thee 18 When I concluded with my self there was no way but death then of a sudden beyond expectation in so eminent a danger did thy mercie appear to
that never rests in a place but by every blast of wind is driven to and fro 24 My sorrows are so great perils so many and mind so restless that through voluntarie abstinence and involuntarie faintness and decay of nature I am become stomackless and strengthless my joints enfeebled and my flesh macerated 25 And this my misery was so far from moving mercie or pitie in my persecutours that they rejoyced to see it and mocked at me yea and at thee too for it reviling me with taunting tearms saying in derision Is this the man that must be King of Israel and in disdainfull diffidence of any such matter wagging their heads at me by that reproachfull gesture scornfully concluding the contrarie like as they shall demean themselves to Christ hanging upon the Cross pass by him look upon him and in that dolorous posture afford him no other pitie then scornfull nods and bitter mocks 26 I am in a condition so desperate hopeless and friendless that none but thy self can or will stand me in any stead But though it be so with me yea if it were worse if worse could be I would not doubt either thy power or mercie nor shall the badness of my condition overthrow my faith of relation but I still believe thee to be as my God in Christ so as able and gracious to deliver me as powerfull and faithfull to raise him which I pray thee to do for thy mercies sake in him 27 That my wicked and ungodly enemies may by experience of thy just judgements upon themselves and evident signes of favour unto me know thou hast done it for me because none but an Almighty power and goodness could have effected it as shall appear to be in Christ his resurrection and Jews dispersion 28 Their cursed wishes false slanders and wicked devices Lord frustrate them nay let them bring forth quite contrary effects the more ill they intend me let the greater good befall me and let the evil befall themselves let them do nothing that they may have cause to brag of in the issue when they are most confident let them be least successfull in what they unjustly attempt but let me have cause to make my boasts of thee and rejoice when as they hang their heads for sorrow and shame 29 Let mine adversaries have no cause of insulting over me but be ashamed of all they have done when they see that it is not against me but thee they did it by the event let them see what a fair thread they have spun that ends in nothing but shame and confusion that that is the web they have taken so much pains to weave for themselves all this while 30 When thou shalt have so done whereof I am most sure and certain then will I publish thy praises and magnifie thy mercies in the sight and hearing of all thy people by Sacrifices and Psalms 31 For all my sad condition and the grievous plight I am in yet it shall appear God is not so far from me as they think for but that he is at hand to help when his mine and their time is come spight of what they can do to hinder and notwithstanding their confidence because of their power and my povertie yet he can and will save me from those that in their own thoughts have adjudged and concluded me to death The cx PSALM David that Kingly Prophet and sweet singer in this Psalm shews the glorious exaltation of Christ in our nature at Gods right hand there to rule as sole sovereign whence it shall come to pass that by his divine spiritual omnipotencie his Gospel shall be effectual to the creating this King a Kingdom of loving loyal subjects maugre all his and their enemies and opposers speciallie upon his first inthronization and royal nuptials his Church shall get ground spight of the divel and all those earthly Potentates he sâ—ts on work to hinder it Such power hath he by virtue of his Kingly office to protect his people against men and divels and of such â—fficacie is his Priesthood with God able to save his Church to the uttermost ever living to make propitiatorie intercession for them in the heavens And he concludes with rendering the reason of all this his high esteem and powerfull prevailancie with God and power over angels and men even because for the effecting of this his Mediatourship and mans redemption he shall drink of a full cup the bitter waters of affliction shall be poured out upon him and wrung out to him with an Almightie hand A Psalm which David made in the spirit of Prophecie 1 GOd the Father in his eternal councel and covenant said to his son who is God and man my Lord and Saviour whose resurrection ascention and sitting at Gods right hand in dominion and power I shadow out in mine advancement from my low and troublelous state to the throne and scepter of Israel for that thou who art my fellow in the God-head hast undertaken to do my whole will in the Redemption of man and condescended to take his nature the better to effect it and therein hath effectually wrought it by dying for sin but being without sin hath conquered death which could not hold thee and art risen and ascended into heaven I give thee therefore there all power and authority in that very nature to rule and exercise sovereign and supream Jurisdiction over the Church which thou hast purchased by thy bloud together with the empire and absolute dominion of all things else for the Churches sake whose King and sole Mediatour thou art and this thy government I give thee to execute in a throne of majestie equal with my self in the highest heavens thence in thy humane nature with divine power to dispense and transact all things belonging to this thy Kingdom whilest there is any Church or that I have any people on earth to be governed officiated for by thee even until I who am as solicitous of thine honour as thou art of mine by my power dispenced by thy self shall have subdued unto that thy humane nature once so contemptible all thine enemies whether divels men or things Jews or Gentiles that shall oppose or not submit to thy regiment yea death it self or whatsoever shall impede the compleating of that glorious Kingdom of thy Mediatourship in for and over the Church bone of thy bone and flesh of thy flesh until thou hast fulfilled her number and safely brought the last man and member of that thy mystical bodie to heaven there in body and soul to be glorified with thee till then I say shall this royal office of thine continue whereof having then given me a just account according to thy undertaking and my covenant thou shalt deliver up the regal state and Kingdom of that thy Mediatour-ship in the humane nature into my hands as God alone for ever after of my self in the divine nature onely to govern that glorified
the vile from the precious which here are undistinguished into the place of execution torment together But blessed are they that are Israelites indeed that worship God in spirit and in truth who onely are the Israel and Church of God grace and peace from God their Father through Christ their Saviour shall be their portion interessed in their consciences to their unspeakable consolation here with assurance of glory hereafter The cxxvi PSALM This Psalm shews the excess of joy the Iews specially the Godly had at Gods wonderfull infranchising them after their long captivitie in Babylon which the heathen themselves admired God for but much more his people who pray for accomplishment of those happy beginnings and promise out of their own experience and â—aith that all Gods people that undergo afflictions patiently shall have them end happily See the title of the cxx Psalm 1 AFter we had endured a long and grievous captivitie in Babylon the figure of Satan and Antichrist exiled out of our own countrey and from the priviledges we there enjoyed of worshiping God in Jerusalem at last when the set time was come prefixed long before by Jeremiah's prophesie and that according thereunto the Lord so miraculously moved the heart of Cyrus a heathen Potentate to proclaim our libertie with so much unexpected favour and accommodation for our journey and entertainment at our journeys end when we came into Canaan with leave there to dwell and to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple and there to worship God as formerly It was so great a mercy after so long a miserie so unexpected and improbable considering the disproportion of our abject condition and Cyrus his greatness not worth his taking notice of and so strange to come of himself an Infidel and Pagan together with the suddenness of it and the over-joy we conceived at it that we know not whether we apprehended it sleeping or waking we could scarce believe our own ears what we heard of it or our own hearts what we thought of it to be real fearing the certainty and yet hoping the truth 2 But when we had over-come our amazement and were come to our selves and had digested the certainty and wonderfulness of the thing O the unexpressable joy that we were in like men besides our selves not knowing how to vent our passions sometimes congratulating it amongst our selves with inarticulate laughter and hands lifted up to heaven in stupified admiration other-sometimes more soberly resolving our joy into articulate expressions of thanks and praises expressed in Psalms and Hymns And as God over-powered the King to grant it so he convinced the very heathens in their kind to magnifie him for it those with whom we were captive could not but see and admire the finger of God in this their own very act of our deliverance so much against their nature and interest and to acknowledge both the transcendencie of the King and of the power that wrought it to the glory of our God whom they were forced to magnifie in our behalfs that formerly had contemned both him and us 3 Surely we can say no less of it than they that the Lord hath wrought wonders for us yea let us at least go one step beyond them as we have cause If they that are blind Idolaters and bare spectatours are yet so far enlightened by it as to have the sight of God in it and to magnifie though not gratifie him for it let us do more every way indear it that are the immediate subjects of so rich mercie not onely see his power and greatness as they do but admire his love and goodness thank him for it as a benefit inestimable as well as praise him for it as a miracle and with a holy avarice take the praises out of their mouthes that are no sharers in it and appropriate both him and it wholly to our selves by a joyfull welcom of God again amongst us in his declarative goodness and thankfull acknowledgement of his favour 4 O Lord go on to shew thine omnipotencie as in begetting and beginning so in the progression and perfecting this great work of our return from captivitie and re-establishment in Canaan that as the sun in its season makes streams like rivers to run in the droughtie desarts of southern countries where naturally there are none to the refreshing of the thirstie traveller by dissolving snow and ice from high hils and remote parts so O Lord let thy favour now it is returned upon us go on to move and melt the heathenish hearts of Cyrus his Princes and people on our behalfs to our infinite rejoycing to forward us homeward to Judah out of this our Babylonish captivity under them which with so much hardship we have long endured as also the frozen and carnal hearts of thine own very Israel to accept this opportunity and offer themselves willingly as thy people shall do in the day of thy power and Gospel-jubilee in one joynt compleat bodie universally and unanimously to return as rivers by instinct run towards the sea from whence they came to repossess and replenish our desolate countrey that as a wilderness is uninhabited except by barbarous and savage people without form or beautie of Church or Common-wealth and neither for fear or sloth in respect of difficulties or dangers in the journey or at the journeys end faithlesly draw back chuse to stay and refuse to go as carnal Christians will the tender of grace imbracing rather this present world 5 The Lord will never quite forsake his people we are a perfect emblem of his faithfulness to the faithful that submit to him and wait upon him O the sad hearts that we left our countrey withall at the command of God by his prophet Jeremiah to put our necks into this long Babylonish yoak but our sins and Gods decree had so destined it either so or worse therefore though with great renitencie as the needie husbandman in time of dearth casts his corn which should stustain him for seed into the ground in hope of future gain by present loss so we with a willing willingness for obedience sake put our selves into thraldom loth to displease and as loth to leave our libertie and countrey in hope and expectation of a joyfull return and deliverance as the Church and people of God shall ever have out of their sufferings from out this bondage as now it is made good unto us our joy surpassing our sorrow a hundred fold 6 We are set for the incouragement of the Church in whole and in every part for what is true in the general is applicable to each particular the members singly sharing the promise among them that is made to the bodie joyntly therefore may all and every one that is godly be confident that what precious faith and patience in obedience to God they sow in affliction they shall at last reap it again in reward and consolation God will wipe all tears from their
counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance 13 The Lord looketh from heaven he beholdeth all the sons of men 14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth 15 He fashioneth their hearts alike he considereth all their works 16 There is no King saved by the multitude of an host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength 17 An horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength 18 Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy 19 To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine 20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord he is our help and our shield 21 For our heart shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy name 22 Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee Psalm xxxiv A Psalm of David when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech who drove him away and he departed 1 I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth 2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad 3 O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together 4 I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears 5 They looked unto him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed 6 This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles 7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them 8 O tast see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him 9 O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him 10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing 11 Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is he that desireth life and loveth many dayes that he may see good 13 Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile 14 Depart from evil and do good seek peace and pursue it 15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry 16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth 17 The righteous cry the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles 18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all 20 He keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken 21 Evil shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate 22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Psalm xxxv A Psalm of David 1 PLead my cause O Lord with them that strive with me fight against them that fight against me 2 Take hold of shield and buckler stand up for mine help 3 Draw out also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute me say unto my soul I am thy salvation 4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul let them be turned back brought to confusion that devise my hurt 5 Let them be as chaff bâ—fore the wind and let the Angel of the Lord chase them 6 Let their way be dark and slippery and let the Angel of the Lord persebute them 7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit which without cause they have digged for my soul. 8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares and let his net that he hath hid catch himself into that very destruction let him fall 9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord it shall rejoyce in his salvation 10 All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him 11 False witnesses did rise up they laid to my charge things that I knew not 12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. 13 But as for me when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth I humbled my soul with fasting and my prayer returned into mine own bosome 14 I behaved my self as though he had been my friend or brother I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother 15 But in mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together yea the abjects gathered themselves together against me and I know it not they did tear me and ceased not 16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth 17 Lord how long wilt thou look on rescue my soul from their destructions my darling from the lions 18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation I will praise thee among much people 19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoyce over me neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause 20 For they speak not peace but they devise deceitâ—ul matters against them that are quiet in the land 21 Yea they opened their mouth wide against me and said Aha aha our eye hath seen it 22 This thou hast seen O Lord keep not silence O Lord be not far from me 23 Stir up thy self awake to my judgement even unto my cause my God and my Lord. 24 Judge me O Lord my God according to thy righteousness and let them not rejoyce over me 25 Let them not say in their hearts Ah so would we have it let them not say we have swallowed him up 26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoyce at mine hurt let them be clothed with shame dishonour that magnifie themselves against me 27 Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause yea let them say continually Let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant 28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long Psalm xxxvi To the chief musician A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord. 1 THe transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyeâ— 2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes until his iniquity be found to be hateful 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity deceit he hath left off to be wise and to do good 4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed he setteth himself in a way that is not
cannot I so easily yield up my faith and distrust thy promise and goodness But am confident thou that art the Lord Almighty and my good God wilt now deliver me from mine enemies as thou hast ever done and wilt restore me to and maintain me in mine honour which thou hast given me and turn my sorrow into joy 4 Nor do I speak this presumptiously or by guess but am well assured of it by a special answer I received from God in mine earnest prayer which I made towards mount Sion where his Ark resides And this my confidence to find mercy with God I care not who know so sure am I of it 5 Which hath so comfortably secured me in mine own mind as that for all my trouble I can sleep as quietly and wake as chearfully as at any time before The Lord hath given me such a spirit of confidence and assurance that he will be the same God to me that he hath been and will sustain me now as he hath done heretofore maugre mine enemies 6 So that though I must needs confess in outward appearance my condition is very forlorn beeing fain to flie before mine enemies yet I am so comforted in God as that my faith is far above my fear so that though multitudes oppose me and the whole Kingdom as it were on every hand rebel against me and but a very few left to take my part whilest God is for me I care not who or how many be against me 7 And now O Lord let it appear that I speak the truth shew thy self in my behalf put forth thine Almighty power and save me who thou knowest am thine and one that trusts in thee and cause I have to do so for thou hast ever been gracious to me and defeated mine enemies though they have been never so strong and I in never such peril yet hast thou brought me out and set me free from the malicious cruelty of all those ungodly ones that have opposed me for such and none other have ever been mine enemies 8 So that it is neither the power of mine adversaries nor the straits I am in that shall make me doubt of deliverance whilest I have a God to trust in who can and will preserve me as he hath done for to him belongeth the glory of my preservation because he hath firmly purposed and faithfully promised his chief and choisest blessing to his Church and people by me which shall not be frustrated even his Son Christ to rule over them and to be victorious for them of whom he hath made me the Type Oh that Israel would understand this submit to it and praise him for it Fourth PSALM David first speaks to God by prayer and gaining comfort and confidence thereby he then speaks to his enemies by advice to leave off troubling him and themselves in vain for that they should never be able to get his Kingdom from him because God had given it to him and would keep it for him do what they could and therefore admonisheth them not headily to persist in sinning by rebelling but to advise with their pillow in a point of so great concernment and infallibility and to desist and subject themselves to the will of God so should they find pardon and favour with him which would be better to them than all worldly happiness which they were so greedy of and which for his part seeing he had done he feared nothing To him that is most skilful upon the stringed instrument Neginoth 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 suffer much in thy quarrel am put to many straits in all which I flie to thee therefore good Lord hear my prayer in such cases for though I my self be a sinner yet I trust in thy righteousness and make thee the judge of mine innocencie of whose goodness I have had large experiences for thou hast ever been faithful to deliver me out of all my dangers And therefore I will still believe in thee and pray to thee that thou wilt continue thy mercie as mine enemies continue their malice and hear me still as they give me cause to crie to thee for help 2 O ye that are too weak to resist the Almighty and as weak in understanding heavenly things how long will you perversly refuse to give and acknowledge that honour which God hath designed to me and will certainly fulfil in making me the Kingly type of the promised Messiah and in that relation to submit unto me Will you never be reclaimed But still vainly seek to destroy Christs spiritual Kingdom by indeavouring to dispossess me of mine which you shall never be able to compass though you labour it never so in hope to have it from me but deceive your selves and lose your labour I would you would take warning to seek the heavenly and not the earthly Kingdom which you are so greedie of 3 Indeed be advised and know to save you further trouble that I have not laboured to advance my self to this honour of a King for ambition sake but it was God who had a favour to me for the grace sake he hath wrought in me that hath designed me to this place and office wherein he is pleased to use me and as he hath raised me to it so will he never suffer me to be divested of it but will be sure to relieve me and give me the better of mine enemies whensoever in my need I call upon him 4 O that you would take my counsel to fear God not proudly passionately go on in sinning against him by opposing your selves against me Weigh but with your selves seriously the consequence of mine advice as to your everlasting welfare and in cold bloud consider the strange providences that have thus far carried on the work of mine advancement to the Kingdom maugre mine enemies and judge whether that do not promise as much as I prophecie and whether it were not therefore best for you to give over and be quiet I would you would consider it for your good 5 Come be perswaded to submit and render your selves the righteous and obedient servants and subjects of the Lord as a sacrifice due to him that deserves and expects it from you and in so doing trust in the Lord for mercie and grace which you shall be sure to find and trust not in your own power and policie to frustrate his will and pleasure 6 How many gape after this worldly and outward prosperitie and labour it tooth and nail as if that were their chiefest good But let me tell you the way to be happie indeed is to get the grace and favour of God to belong unto you this I for my part would have above all for me and mine to be happie by 7 For for my own part I am able to speak it to
ever for me to trust in He shews now that he hath not been idle all the while he seemed so but hath been fitting himself to execute judgement when the time shall come as now it is 8 And the wicked of the world shall ever find it so that though they think him remiss and careless how things go yet they shall find that he is not so but with most perfect wisdom righteousness and integrity will judge and punish the wicked all the world over sooner or later 9 And so also on the other side shall the poor and innocent when they are unjustly oppressed however they may likewise think him regardless yet shall they not find him so but if they flee to him trust in him he will be a refuge to them yea then when because of extremity they most need it and can least think or exspect it 10 And truly they that know thy power and goodness and have had triall of it will venture all upon thee For for my part I am able to say it that as I have sought to thee and none but thee so thou hast never failed mine exspectation nor been unfaithful to my trust but according to my praier and dependance have I ever found thee helpful to me and so shall others 11 O ye Ministers of his worship to whom I have recommended this Psalm of praise Lift up your voices in praises to the Lord that hath chosen Sion for the place of his special residence and solemn worship where accordingly you celebrate it let the people that resort thither hear you sing aloud his marveilous doings that they may also learn to praise him and trust in him 12 When the time cometh that mens sins are ripe and that he will call them to accompt and reckon with them for the bloud of the innocent which they have unjustly shed or coveted he will then make it appear that he remembers to right the wrongs of them that trust in him and seek to him and forgets not the cry of the afflicted that in singleness of heart and poverty of spirit makes his humble addresses to him as to his onely refuge 13 Though I have had many deliverances and thou hast given me great cause to praise thee for ridding me of a world of enemies yet I am not without but still have those that hate me and of meer malice vex and trouble me so that I suffer much by them good Lord still continue to be merciful to me and to deliver me thou that many and many a time hast delivered me when mine enemies had brought me to that pass that I knew not which way to turn me but death and destruction waited for me on every side 14 That I may muster up all thy mercies and praisefully proclaim them in the publick assemblies of Sion the place which of all Israel and Jerusalem thou hast chosen for thy publick and solemn worship Yea there I will most joyfully make known thy saving grace and favour to me 15 Thou hast vanquished the heathen and disappointed their plots and designs against me having ensnared them in the ruine they meant to me 16 All men that have eyes may see that thou favorest me and may be convinced that it is onely thy doing that mine enemies are foiled by the manner of thy effecting it and thine executing such wonderful and admirable judgments upon them making their own wicked enterprises against me the means to bring to pass their own destruction I cannot but extraordinarily put men on seriously to mind and muse on this thy remarkable providence Yea again and again I wish they would well consider this thing 17 And mark how my foes perish even so shall all the wicked of the world that rebel against Christ and resist his government and oppress his innocent and righteous people perish eternally in hell even all the nations of the world that know not God to serve him and believe in him like as the heathen people hereabout that take up arms against me come to ruine 18 For though God may defer his judgeing the wicked and his delivering the poor and needy that trust in him very long for so he did me yet will he not ever do so either first or last there will come a time when the poor afflicted ones shall be sure of what they have long praied and looked for 19 Thou O Lord hast long forborn the heathen but truely they are grown now to that greatness and insolency that if thou doest not shew thy self in my behalf they will have the better of me and so of thee whose quarrel I maintain Therefore look thou to it that they which are but men get not the better of thee by vanquishing me but by thy judgements upon them let them plainly see its thou that condemnest them and justifies me 20 O Lord by thy judgements upon them make them afraid to hold on their course of enmity and opposition against me by seeing thee to take part with me and so cause them to know by their ill success that for all their great power and multitudes of people they are too weak by humane strength which yet they trust in as if it were more to resist thee whose cause I maintain and fight for Yea Lord make them know it to purpose Tenth PSALM David represents to God his own and his peoples condition generally in this world under the insolent confidence of the wicked heaping unmeasurable pressures upon the godly by reason of his long-suffering towards them which makes them worse and not better as he finds by experience in his persecutors Saul and his complices And therefore praies the Lord to appear for his people against them that do but abuse his patience and doubts not but he will even destroy the Churches enemies as he did the Cananites for Israels sake being the same God in pittie and power now as ever 1 2 MOst merciful and righteous Lord why art thou contrarie to thy nature and promise a stranger to the trouble of thy people me and others and takest no knowledge of it to help us in it but seemeth to let the wicked afflict the godly without regard who by thy forbearance is heightned exceedingly in wickednes and takes a pride to vex and trample down the poor thinking to make themselves great by oppression but Lord do thou blast and utterly disappoint their wicked designs against them that are good and do thou turn all the evil they unjustly imagine against the innocent upon the nocent 3 And truly its time for thee to shew thy self for men grow shameless in wickednes and are confident by those courses to carrie all before them thinking meanly of all good men and the ways they walk that are not as wicked and worldly minded as themselves esteeming those onely wise and happie that heap up riches and grow great by hook or crook whom
the end for on thee only on thy good grace do I trust for preservatiō unto salvatiō 2 My soul hath firmly entred covenant with thee and chosen thee for its Lord to serve thee and to be saved by thee of thy free mercie abandoning all worth or goodnes of mine own as any ways meritorious or beneficial to thee that needeth nothing but hast all fulnes and cause of full contentednes in th◠self alone 3 Onely to thy children and sanctified ones here on earth do I labour to express my gratitude by what offices of love and respect I can shew for thy sake as they that to me are most excellent of all men in the world be their outward condition never so mean being happy to be a fellow servant and true worshipper of thee amongst them 4 Discomfort and destruction insted of peace and salvation shall be heaped upon them that forsaking thee have their hearts set upon any other God For my part I renounce all but thee and will serve and sacrifice to thee alone and will have nothing to do with their false worship nor once open my lips to any God but thee to swear by him or to pray to him 5 With the Lord alone am I well satisfied a singular portion rich inheritance do I account my knowledge of him interest in him thou art full content to me in thee and by thee shall I be ever happie blessed when other men of other confidences shall be miserable 6 In having thee for my God I have my hearts desire and think my self enriched beyond all earthly pleasures and profits which many in the world have which have not thee 7 I will ever bless and praise the Lord for revealing to me in his word the way of life and salvation when others sit in darknes and in the shadow of death and also teaching me effectually by the inward and secret inspiration and whisperings of his spirit consciously to walk in it when as others that know it externally for want of inspiration do wander from it 8 In what condition soever I have been I have still kept the eye of my faith full upon God and not suffered it to take to other things and because I make God my support and lean so wholly upon him I know he will not deceive my confidence but will sustain me in his favour and support me with his power and grace for ever till he bring me to glorie 9 And in the faith hereof my heart is comforted above all worldly sorrows even to the causing my tongue to break out in holy boastings and praises that instrument of speech wherein man transcends other creatures Yea in this confidence I dare die as well as live and by virtue of it cheerfully bequeath my body to the grave in certain expectation of a blessed resurrection thence 10 For as thou wilt enable Christ whose type I am and who shall spring from me to overcome all his sufferings and preserve him who is thy beloved son and solely without sin from the putrefaction which all men else that are sinners must sustain in the grave making him to triumph over death who is the resurrection and the life So by Christ shall I be set free in soul and body from wrath and mortality by a glorious resurrection to immortality and life 11 Yea thou wilt teach me the way of life and salvation and lead me in it until thou bring me into thy heavenly presence to partake and be possessed of those soul-satisfying and substantial joyes that are there and of those everlasting and immortal pleasures which Christ the head of his Church at thy right hand hath to bestow on all his glorified members The xvii PSALM David probably when he was in the cave encompassed by Saul makes his prayer and appeal to God impartially pleading his innocency against his enemies Further testifies that in conscience to God he durst never do as he was done by nor praies he never may but commits his matter over to God in prayer to be righted by him and delivered from the violence of his proud outragious enemies in his extream straights And again presseth hard upon the Lord to shew himself for him against them that have no interest in his special and saving favour onely share in his common mercies which he hath and prizeth as an happiness above all A Psalm of David in way of prayer 1 THou that art a righteous God hear the prayer of the righteous and innocent person heed my humble and vehement supplication let my prayer have audience which speaks nothing but truth of my self and enemies 2 Judge thou my cause against mine adversaries by clearing mine innocency behold the wrong I sustain and by thy just judgements do me right upon them according to my righteousness 3 Mine integrity is not unknown to thee for thou hast searched mine heart as well as seen mine actions thou hast put me upon the scrutiny and discovery of my self in my most retired thoughts yea in thought word and deed hast thou tried me and sifted me through great and many afflictions and neither hast nor shalt find unrighteousness in me for I am by thy blessed assistance fully purposed as to think so to speak the truth in all uprightness and not to seek mine advantage by lying and dissembling as do mine enemies 4 Concerning the wrongs they have done me I have been careful for all their unjust provocations to walk by the rule of thy word not rendring evil for evil nor requiting their injurious cruelty with the like though it lay in my power 5 And so Lord inable me ever to do to walk after thy word that I may never erre from thy truth nor by sinning forfeit my well doing and good success in the end which by thy promise in the way of obedience I am sure of 6 I have made thee my confidence and ever addressed me to thee for I know and believe according to thy promise thou wilt hear and do for me now Lord is a fit time and a needful I pray thee therefore withdraw not thy self but be intreated to take notice of me and to hear mine instant prayer 7 Shew thy love to me in marvellously delivering me and fulfilling the wonderful things thou hast promised me O Lord that usest to imploy thy power for their preservation that trust in thee for deliverance from them that unjustly oppress them 8 Do thou Lord watch carefully over me that am dear to thee and in tender compassion preserve thy weak and innocent one 9 From them that unjustly seek my ruine and pursue me to the death with mighty ods of power and strength 10 They bear themselves high in confidence of their own greatness and power wallowing in abundance and give out great swelling words in disdain and contempt of me an abject 11 They have hunted
2 I have no help but thine therefore quit thee answerably to the affiance I put in thee for my defence for thou art mine all in all therefore stand to me and appear for me fail me not but by thine Almighty power defend and keep me safe from my violent adversaries 3 Nor onely defend me but also offend them that would offend me secure me from my persecutors and prevent their cruel designs upon me Let thine actions outwardly speak thy loving kindness towards me and inwardly perswade mine heart to firm affiance in thee amidst mine afflictions 4 O Lord thou knowest in what place thou hast set me not as a private man therefore for revenge but as a Prophet and publick person representing thy Christ and Church do I accurse mine enemies and pray that they may not prosper in their designs but that confusion and destruction may be the portion of them that persecute my life let them be discomfited and brought to ruine that plot mine 5 Let thy violent and sudden judgements sweep them away past all help Yea with a divine and unresistable power from heaven do thou utterly defeat all their humane power wherein they put such confidence 6 And let them totally miscarry in their discomfiture so that they may not know how to escape to save themselves but void of power and policy let them stumble and fall and be followed at the heels by thine immediate judgements until they be overtaken and quite destroyed 7 Yea Lord let them be catched in thy trap as they have endeavoured to catch me in theirs using all manner of deceit and craft to compass my destruction and to take away my life unjustly without any desert or cause given by me 8 Measure to mine enemy as he would measure to me Let sudden destruction befall him when he least fears himself and makes most sure of me Yea let him be caught in his own very craft and the self-same ruin he intends to me let it fall on him 9 So wilt thou give me cause of rejoycing in thee and thy favour towards me yea and accordingly I will exceedingly rejoyce in thy saving mercy and will praise thee for it ascribing all my safety to it 10 Yea both soul and body each part and faculty with all their might in a joynt and joyful acclamation shall feelingly break out into unexpressible praises and thankful acknowledgements of thy transcendent power and goodness in my behalf So that I will make faithful publication of thee to be a non-such for poor afflicted persons to trust in and seek to when they are distressed and over-powered by unjust violence yea for the most impotent and despicable person living to flie to to be righted and relieved on him that wrongfully violates and oppresseth him be he never so much too hard for him 11 Thou O Lord knowst how falsly I as Christ shall be am accused by mine injurious adversaries to Saul who by might suppresses right and I can get no hearing but am partially and unduly proceeded against as guilty of such things as never so much as came in my thoughts nor am not suffered to clear my self 12 Yea they have dealt most inhumanely with me requiting all the good service that I have done them by preserving their lives with the apparent hazard of mine own against their enemies with the going about enviously to deprive me of mine as they shall Christ of his 13 Their carriage towards me is not as mine to them for when they ailed any thing were sick or in trouble so far was I from wishing them ill as is falsely suggested that I fasted and prayed for thy mercy to them and deliverance of them as for my self though I now perceive God having rejected them for their wickedness I lost my labour but not my reward for I have the comfort of a self-excusing conscience by it 14 Thou Lord knowest what manner of duty and love I bare to Saul how that had he been my brother a thousand times I could not have borne and shewed more tender affections to him than I did Yea my sorrow was as natural and passionate for him as a childs for his mother 15 But alas how differently have they walked towards me driving me into adversity and rejoycing at it all that envied and maligned me combining together against me to bring me to ruin and hatred yea base unworthy wretches men of flattering and lying tongues laid their heads together to accuse and calumniate me which being innocent I suspected not incessantly back-biting me and slandering mine innocency 16 They have scornfully derided me at their feasts and in their cups even such as I thought had been my friends but they prove false ones and have uttered their spitefull aspersions of me and threats against me 17 O Lord be moved to compassionate me and be not always a spectator of my miseries and a tolerator of mine enemies cruelties but take me and my cause into thy merciful consideration and let not my life be a prey to their hatred but preserve and deliver my pretious soul that principal part from the malicious rage of them that would unjustly deprive me of it by cruel death 18 Which when thou shalt have done and made me partaker of thy publick ordinances from which mine enemies have driven me I will promise to magnifie and praise thee with sacrifices of thanksgiving in the face of all Israel gathered together at thy Sanctuary 19 Seeing I stand for the right let not mine enemies that maintain a wrong cause against me ever have their wills upon me and rejoyce at mine unjust overthrow never let â—hem have cause mockingly to insult and contemptuously to jear in their sleeves at my destruction that they causelesly hunt after and hope for 20 For mine enemies are so implacably and violently bent against me that no parley or hope of peace can be had at their hands but they practise all manner of wayes by false accusations and treacherous machinations to molest and harm me yea utterly to ruin me that would fain live peaceably by them in the land of Israel without doing or thinking any harm unto them and not be driven thence 21 They have made me their table-talk belching out their hatred against me in impudent false assertions and joyful expressions at my misery 22 This their carriage towards me O Lord thou art privy to and hast seen their malice forbear no longer to rebuke them for it O Lord whom I serve and trust be not deaf to my cries nor a stranger to my wrongs but take my part and send me speedy help 23 Be provoked by mine enemies outrage and my wronged innocency to execute judgement on mine and my causes behalf upon the wrong-doers O my most gracious and Almighty Lord God 24 Such is my reighteousness and innocency in this matter as I put it into thine
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
never to live again Lord think other thoughts towards us bring us again into a comfortable condition and raise us up in joy as much as thou hast cast us down in sorrow by the return of thy reconciled favour to us which will infinitely rejoyce us 7 Let us be so happy as to see and feel the sweet effects of thy pardoning grace O good God by granting us a powerfull deliverance from under this misery and bondage 8 As pray so I will also expect an answer my faith shall listen diligently to the promise of God what it sayes as also to his providence what it will speak effectually by way of performance for his promises are then words he will do as he sayes and therefore I am confident how ever Gods time is now of punishing us so it will be of pardoning us his people shall have rest from these their troubles for his Saints the invisible Church sake that are amongst them but let them take heed of abusing such goodness by provoking the Lord again to wrath with back-sliding ingratitude lest he never take their words more 9 Surely deliverance from the Lord will make haste for the enfranchizing of all those that faithfully wait for it and will heartily imbrace it when it comes to the promoting and re-establishing his worship and service again in that land of his and ours though we are wrongfully disseiz'd of it and restoring it to its former glorie and splendour 10 Our return as it shall doubtless be so it shall be exceeding happie the very embleme of the salvation that comes by the Messiah to the Church and the glorious effects thereof for in our restauration there shall be an admirable commixtion of the mercie and truth of God thereby graciously fulfilling his promise touching the well-fare of his Church and freedom from her enemies together with a righteous obediential walking of his people with him in peace and tranquillitie Like as in Christ and in the restauration that he shall make of poor distressed sinners to a spiritual Libertie from their ghostly enemies sin and Satan there shall be a glorious reconciliation of those cross pleading attributes and properties in Gods divine nature and in the soul of every justified regenerate member of the Church for according to truth and righteousness Man that sinned hath died Christ being made a sacrifice and according to mercie and peace Man that hath sinned is saved and God he are reconciled and at one in the propitiation of his son so that in him the Laws threatnings and Gospels promises are agreed the rigour of Gods justice is fully satisfied all things in God peaceably accorded and God and man sweetly reconciled and man in his own conscience by the faith of all these comfortably quieted 11 We shall serve and obey God in truth and uprightness such sweet fruit shall Judea yield upon our restitution and God shall take pleasure in us and from heaven pour forth his righteous blessings upon us in grace and favour to us as it shall be with the Church when the Messiah that Truth of God shall be born in our nature of earthly parents with what satisfactorie content shall God then behold him and those justified sanctified members of his here below aswell as those glorified ones in heaven above and how shall he bless them 12 Yea the Lord shall be so reconciled to us that our evils shall be turned into their contrarie blessings he shall be our friend and make every thing else befriend us for good the creature shall be reconciled aswell as the creator and the land that our sins have made barren and fruitless shall by the blessing of God upon it be restored to that fertilitie it had heretofore when God was better served and it was better blessed and made to resemble the plenteous spiritual blessings that Christs enfranchized Church shall abound with here 13 God himself shall plentifully vouchsafe his graces and make us walk to his well-pleasing in holiness and righteousness as Christ shall his Church and set us in the right way which we have so miserably strayed from and enable us to walk it even the path of his precepts The lxxxvi PSALM David in this Psalm made probably either during Sauls persecution of him or after in mindfulness of that his estate personating himself as then it was with him praies for audience and deliverance because of his incessant intercessions and Gods innate goodness and promises himself what he praies for he extols God and prophesies all the World shall do so too prayeth for direction and establishment under his pressures promiseth praise for what God hath done for him and relates what manner of enemies his are as bad as bad can be but comforts himself in Gods opposit grace and goodness which he praies for a sensible sight and taste of by some remarkable act of providence and power for him against them to their shame and confusion and to his corroboration and consolation A praier that David made in the time of his grievous affliction recorded as a pattern and for the use of every faithful afflicted member of the Church 1 THou Lord that hast an ear for men in my case and heart too Let me I pray thee prevail for a gracious audience and though thou beest of so immense greatness and inhabitest heavens in unaccessable glorie yet Lord have regard to a poor worm on earth in this my deplorable helpless condition 2 That my life Lord is in danger thou knowest it and that my heart is upright towards thee and innocent towards man even to my very enemies thou Lord art not ignorant of it Therefore in righteousness deliver me out of their hands and save my life which they would destroy O Lord that art my God both in near relation and dear affection save me that thou knowest am entirely thine in loving obedience and faithful dependance and reliance 3 Let thy goodness and my miserie move thee to have mercie on me O Almightie Lord and to vouchsafe me deliverance for as I have cause my pressures being exceeding great and incessant so are my cries unto thee vehement and quotidian because my faith and hope is in thee 4 Set me free from my troubles and these despondencies of spirit that accompany them that I may with a joyful and thankful heart apprehend thy grace and mercie to me for Lord thou knowest my trust and confidence is in none besides thee as thou mayest perceive by my faithful and fervent addresses 5 For I know both from thine own word which I believe and mine own experience that thou art of a gracious compassionate nature to poor distressed suppliants and though just to punish sinners yet as ready to pardon penitents and to shew mercie of every kind both of forgiveness to humbled sinners and of deliverance to distressed innocents that in the faith thereof pray earnestly unto thee 6 And
vexation and affliction when they become a vexation unto him chastising them with wars plagues and civil oppressions that minisheth their number impoverisheth their plentie and renders their lives uncomfortable 40 Nor doth the Lord onely afflict wicked and degenerated underlings but Kings and Princes also are judged by him If they forget their duties unto him he makes their people do the like to them and casts their honour in the dust at home and abroad rendring them scornful and contemptible and intricates them into such Labyrinths of troubles that all their policie and King-craft cannot extricate them or shew them a way out 41 And as he pulleth down unjust and wicked Princes from the top of honour and voluptuousness into penury and disgrace so on the other hand is he as mindful to protect and deliver the poor oppressed people from under the inhumanity of such tyrants when they crie to him and maketh them able to overtop their oppressions and oppressours by advancing them and abasing these blessing them with a numerous of-spring and making them able in a state of liberty and freedom to spread forth their branches that ere-while were stocked by tyrannie and oppression witness our condition under and from under Pharaoh 42 Those that have eyes in their heads the godly-wise shall take notice of such dispensations of justice and providence respectively to good and bad and shall rejoyce in confidence and hope of Gods goodness to them and in the goodness of their conscience and conversation towards him when they see that God takes notice of men and their manners and that sooner or later he will make it appear so and as the good rejoyce to see the reins of government in Gods hand so the wicked are sorrie for it and down in the mouth to see they are under judicature and not lawless as they hoped they had been 43 Those whom God hath endowed with grace and spiritual understanding the onely true wisdom and will set themselves faithfully and heedfully to consider and observe his judgements upon wicked oppressours and his strange providences in the behalf of the innocent and humble suppliant to deliver bless and prosper him as he hath done us They shall experimentally perceive the love and tender affection the Lord bears his people that sincerely serve him trust in him and call upon him and how safe and comfortable it is to do so The cviii PSALM A Psalm made by David to be sung and plaid by voices and instruments THis 108 Psalm is made up or composed of the two latter parts of two foregoing Psalms viz. the 57. and 60. which being joyned together upon the same or like occasion of success and victory do here make one entire Psalm Therefore for these five first verses of this Psalm see the Paraphrase upon the five last verses viz. the 7 8 9 10 11. of the 57. Psalm they being the same And for these eight last verses of this Psalm see the Paraphrase upon the eight last verses viz. the 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. of the 60. Psalm they also being the same The cix PSALM David doth promiscuously and prophetically in this Psalm treat of Christ and himself And though Saul Doeg and Judas be eminently to be understood one or all of them by the third person singular in diverse verses yet for most part he intends thereby his enemies in the general as they were united in conspiracie against him together with the nation of the Iews embodied as it were in one â—oint combination against Christ as appears by the third person plural used in other verses chieflie in the 20th which is a summinarie and explanatorie conclusion to his fore-going maledictions shewing the persons he meant them to and for what And so passeth from his adversaries to himself where Christ is still here and there to be taken in Praying as their confusion so his preservation argued from Gods mercie his own miserie and the glorie that God will get and praises that he will give thereupon To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for his care and ordering it to be sung 1 O Lord as I know thou art not regardless of my unjust calumniations so I pray thee make it appear upon my calumniators let them find thou takest notice of the wrong they do me O God who hath all my life long given me cause to praise thee for thy goodness and with whom I am well accepted though of men rejected as the Messiah shall be 2 For such as make no conscience of what they say and that studiously abuse the ears of Saul whom they know hates me they spare not to let flie aginst me all manner of lies and slanders to gain them his favour and me his dis-favour 3 They do me all the wrong they can in word or deed reproching and threatening me on all hands as if they would eat me up alive and causelesly with open violence attempt to take away my life 4 5 Nay I did not onely walk inoffenssively towards them but did them many actual good offices and ever expressed my self a friend to them as occasion served and the more I have endeavoured to express my love and loyalty the more I am requited with hatred and malignity seeking my life that have saved theirs as the Jews do Christs but as he so I desire nor seek not revenge or like for like as to my self but refer me and my cause to be judged by God upon whose faith and protection I cast my self praying onely deliverance from them and that they may be of better minds 6 But in zeal to thee as they are enemies to thy Church and people and fore-runners of those that shall betray and murther the Messiah and as a Prophet and publick person so I wish that their deserts may over-take them let them reap oppression as they sow it let those that hate and persecute me for thy sake because I am thy select and anointed servant be as the Jews and Judas shall for betraying and crucifying the Lord of life how shall the one be captivated to the heathenish Roman Empire and the other exposed to Satan that enemy of mankind to prevail against him and destroy him even with his own very hands by making away himself 7 Let them find such favour as shall Judas at the hands of the Chief-priests and Elders upon his repentance even to be judged and condemned from his own confession out of his own mouth yea both by God and man be unpitied and unpardoned 8 Let them not live to the end of their lives as they may be prolonged by nature but cut short their daies by some violent and unnatural death such as Judas shall die and possess another more worthy of their place and office as Judas his
escaped God hath alwayes preserved me and in stead of mine enemies destroying me he hath destroyed them I am confident I must and shall ever do so God inabling me as he hath done I have been as hard beset as a man that hath a swarm of bees about his ears not knowing 'i th world how to avoid them ready to fall upon me on every hand with deadly devouring hatred which though it was very terrible for the time yet the Lord put an end to it made their malice to me the destruction of themselves like thorns consumed in their own flame and so shall he ever inable me against all mine enemies I am confident and that they shall never have better success 13 Mine utter ruin as an obstruction to this preferment hath been strongly endeavoured by him that had no small power in his hands nor small malice towards me but God hath both preserved me and advanced me maugre all that Saul could do and all his complices 14 The Lord alone was my defence and the ruiner of mine enemies who else had ruined me a thousand times over the glorie and praise belongs to him and he shall have it who hath perfected his promise given me final deliverance from all those troubles and seated me above the reach of those mine enemies 15 What cause of rejoycing hath God given to the families in Israel that fear the Lord how glad are they to see this day and such a change of things I and they so preserved and delivered from the malice of those that hated and sought the ruin of goodness and good-men and now to see them conquered and quite subdued and that by so apparent providence and Almighty power must needs rejoyce them greatly 16 It is he that deserves and I hope shall accordingly have the honour of it who by his sole power and victorious providence hath mightily effected it 17 As near as I have been to destruction many and many a time and as hopeful as mine enemies were of it so that both they and I my self have given me for a gone man yet God hath purposed otherwayes die I must not and therefore die I did not but am alive at this day and in a good condition preserved purposely of God by example and acknowledgement to manifest and magnifie what he hath done for me and what he can and will do for his Church whose person I bare and represented in all my troubles and enfranchisements 18 The Lord gave mine enemies much power over me so that I under-went sore trials and sad chastisements to teach me to know my self and sin but though he gave them liberty to afflict me yet not to destroy me as they hoped to have done but maugre their malice hath preserved my life though often endangered 19 O ye that are the porters and door-keepers of the Lords holy sanctuarie a place of late years disfrequented and sequestred from good and righteous men that properly have onely right and title to it Now by Gods good providence the case is well altered I and other such as I am that with upright hearts desire to serve the Lord have liberty and opportunity to do it therefore set the doors of the courts of the Tabernacle wide open for us that I and they may comfortably come and worship the righteous Lord there specially present and give him the due praises of all his faithful performances of those his gracious promises touching me and his Church in my time 20 I mean I say the gate of the Lords own Tabernacle where he is so peculiarly resident and will therefore there be especially worshipped set that open for me and all my fellow-saints and servants of God who as of right they ought so now I have power they shall have free access unto it having been too long secluded 21 Lord my heart is full and there I am purposed to empty it upon thee in most affectionate thanks and praises for thine often audiences gracious and effectual answers and principally for this complement of all thy promises in saving me from mine enemies and advancing me to the Kingdom so far above their power to hurt me 22 Insomuch as now I who heretofore was by Saul and his Grandees those great Artificers of State hatefully persecuted and disdainfully rejected as unworthy and unfit for this preferment like a refuse stone that is broken and cast out of the way by master-workmen as altogether useless and unserviceable for building and as the Messiah whom I prefigure shall be by Cajaphas with his confederates the chief Priests and Scribes those ring-leaders of the Jews who shall despightfully use him and cruelly crucifie him I say I that was thus refused am advanced from this my despicable condition to fit in the throne and wield the Scepter of Israel upon whom under God the Government and wellfare of Church and Common-wealth principally depends even as it shall be with Christ whom both in weal and woe I typifie he shall rise again from the dead and be gloriously advanced even in his humane nature so much contemned and hardly used to be Saviour Mediatour and King of and over the Church consisting then of Jews and Gentiles united in him and supported by him maugre her enemies as the sides and weight of a building are by a principal binding corner stone against all blasts 23 This strange transversion of a persecuted abject to become a King and a contemned condemned crucified man to be the sole Saviour and Monarch of the world is by the holy and wise ordination and effectual operation of God brought to pass both which are worth our wonder and admiration to see persecution produce dignitie and death life and glorie 24 This day of mine inthronization resembling that of Christs resurrection and glorious exaltation at his fathers right hand is the time and means whereby God hath and will make good all his promises of grace and happiness to his Church who lives therefore that hath the faith and acknowledge of these things and joyes not that he hath lived to so happie an hour as to see them thus fulfilled 25 O Lord it s a day indeed that thy Church hath cause to be glad of and so she is and prayes thee to add to her joyes and that now from henceforth all those blessed promises of happiness to thy King and people may be effectual and they prosperous 26 As Christ himself who is the Messiah and sent of God for the good and salvation of his people is blessed and diffuseth blessings to his people whom they again that are his Priests and the living Temples of the living God do gratifie with the return of blessings in behalf of his Kingdom praying the increase and consummation of it and offering the sacrifice of praise to him that by Gods gracious emission came to offer himself in sacrifice for them So let David the anointed of the Lord
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
powerfully enable me in the other let me through thine assistance be as able as willing to do thy will alwayes in all things 36 I know O Lord naturally I have the same corrupt and inordinate affections in me as others have as ready upon temptation to warp world-ward as another man but I know thou hast my heart in thy hands and though I cannot rule it thou canst so that I pray thee have an eye to it and keep an hand over it to dispose and bend it the way of thy will and from the worlds allurements of pleasure or profit let grace supersead me from corruption specially of covetousness the root of all evil 37 Let not my outward sences be caught and sinfully transported with the baits of the flesh or of the world but give me a sanctified understanding to believe truly and not seemingly of sublunary things and to know them to be as in their own natures they are vain and transitory that can convey no permanent nor substantiall good or content to a man but delude him with the shews thereof by a false medium carnall concupiscence and that serves to steal the heart from God but Lord avert both eyes and heart from them give me such active graces and lively affections that may have continuall influence into all the parts of body and soul and so dispose them in love to thee and desire of heavenly things that as dead to the world they may comparatively be indisposed to all things else 38 Lord fulfill those promises of grace and goodness wherein thou standest engaged unto thy servant Thou that art Jehovah in thy Being be so in thy word by giving it a being in all those gracious promises it comprehends and exhibits and wherein thou hast caused me to trust in confidence whereof I have wholly cast my self upon thy grace and providence minding alwayes to serve thee more than how to provide and shift for my self as men of the world do 39 Let not thy servant sinne against thee thereby to provoke thee against him to the loss of thy favour the forfeiting of thy protection and the exposing me to mine enemies scorn and insultation which I exceedingly fear as well for thy sake who art so deeply concerned in me as for mine own If at any time I do fall Lord let not that be my punishment be thou and not they my Judge for that thy judgements are like thy self righteous and good but theirs are like themselves merciless and wicked 40 Thou knowest my heart is perfect towards thee take notice of it O Lord how my desires and affections are upright and sincere to the knowing and doing of thy will according to thy word give me a spirit of power and enablement as well as of will and desire according to thy righteous as well as gracious engagements for thou art as just to fulfill promises as to inflict punishments Vau. The sixth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the sixth part 41 And as I desire that thou wilt enable me with a spirit of holiness to walk uprightly in the way so also that in mercy thou wilt remember me concerning the promised end that it may effect that for me even my preservation in and my deliverance out of my sad condition and many dangers as thou hast engaged thy self to do 42 By this means I that now onely live by promises unpossessed of the thing promised and therefore cannot at present effectually convince men of carnall understandings and void of faith shall then be able demonstratively to stop their mouthes that now flout me for mine improbable hopes and forreign expectations and because I bear my self upon thy word which they think will never be fulfilled but I am otherwise perswaded therefore O Lord let not my trust be deceived and they in their presumptuous impiety confirmed 43 And let me never so sinne against thee as thereby to have mine own mouth stopped and despoil my self of what thou hast promised me whereof in faith of thy truth and goodness I have openly declared my confidence according to thy word which Lord let me never have cause to retract nor to speak less in praise of thy faithfulness but more by thy turning promises into performances according to the hope I have had in thy just fullfilling what thou hast promised me and threatened mine enemies 44 So shalt thou oblige me when I am delivered out of these heavy pressures which lie upon me as so many clogs and hinderances which I shall never forget without making bawks in mine obedience which through temptation I have been forced to do and fear I shall still do without thy powerfull prevention in love and thankfulness to serve and please thee the utmost hour of my life if set at liberty 45 Yea when thou hast enfranchized me out of these incumbrances of fear and care and made me a man of liberty and authority in Israel I will as thy free-man and servant carry and demean my self in all manner well-pleasing walking in the way of thy service and keeping all thy commandments which never shall be a burden or bondage to me for to be at liberty and to have ability and opportunity to learn and do thy will according to thy word is that I beg above any thing and which I should esteem as my greatest felicity 46 When thou hast advanced me I also will advance thee and execute the office of a Prophet as well as of a King and think it no shame to do so by declaring to others as occasion is offered what thy will and word is even to Kings and mighty men of the earth with whom I shall then be of equall levell and so have opportunity in that condition to converse more with them than now I have and I promise to improve it when I have it 47 And then will I as a man set at liberty from restraint run the wayes of thy commandments by dayly and frequent doing them my delight shall be to be conversant in thine ordinances which I have longed for and heartily loved and desired to be an actour in but hitherto have been an exile from them which hath set a vehement edge upon mine appetite which then I will satiate 48 For then both heart and hand shall act for thee my whole man with my whole might shall be set on work to know and do thy whole will in thy law revealed which I have dearly loved and longed to do and will perform them in spirit as well as in letter for when my mind is free from these distractions it shall move in a higher sphear and be active in and about the Gospel-sence of thy laws and ordinances Zain The seventh letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the seventh part 49 Be mindfull of thy word of promise and voluntary ingagements made to me thy chosen though unworthy servant touching grace preservation and deliverance upon
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
for ever 23 Who remembered us in our low estate for his mercie endureth for ever 24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies for his mercie endureth for ever 25 Who giveth food to all flesh â— for his mercie endureth for ever 26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven for his mercie endureth for ever Psalm cxxxvii 1 BY the rivers of Babylon there we sat down yea we wept when we remembred Sion 2 We haâ—ged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song and they that wasted us required of us mirth saying sing us one of the songs of Sion 4 How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange land 5 If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning 6 If I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy 7 Remember O Lord the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem who said Rase it rase it even to the foundation thereof 8 O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us 9 Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones Psalm cxxxviii A Psalm of David 1 I will praise thee with my whole heart before thâ— Gods will I sing 〈◊〉 unto thee 2 I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name 3 In the day when I cried thou answeredsâ— me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. 4 All the Kings of the earth shall praise thee O Lord when they hear the words of thy mouth 5 Yea they shall sing in the waies of the Lord for great is the glorie of the Lord. 6 Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly but the proud he knoweth afar off 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble thou wilt revâ—ve me thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies and thy right hand shall save me 8 The Lord will perfect that which cocerneth me thy mercie O Lord endureth for ever forsake not the works of thine own hands Psalm cxxxix To the chief musitian A Psalm of David 1 O Lord thou hast searched me known me 2 Thou knowest my down â—itting and mine uprising thou understandest my thoughts afar off 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my waies 4 For there is not a word in my tongue but â—o O Lord thou knowest it altogether 5 Thou hast besâ—t me behind and before and laid thine haâ—d upon me 6 Such knowledge is too wonderfull for me it is high I cannot attain unto it 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence 8 If I ascend up into heaven thou art there if I make my bed in hell behold thou art there 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the 〈◊〉 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me 11 If I say surely the darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me 12 Yea the darkness hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkness and the light are both alike to thee 13 For thou hast possessed my reins thou hast covered me in my mothers womb 14 I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well 15 My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth 16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members are written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the summe of them 18 If I should count them they are moe in number than the sand when I wake I am still with thee 19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked O God depart from me tâ—erefore ye bloâ—dy men 20 For they speak against theâ— wickedly thine enâ—mies take thy name in 〈◊〉 21 Do not I hate them O Lord that haâ—â— thee and am I not grieved with these that rise up against theâ— 22 I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies 23 Search me O God and know my heart try me know my thoughts 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Psalm cxl To the chief musitian A Psalm of David 1 DEveâ— me O Lord from the evil man preserve 〈◊〉 from the violent man 2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart continually are they gathered together for war 3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent adders poison is under their lips Selah 4 Keep me O Lord from the hands of the wicked preserve me from the violent man who have purposed to overthrow my goings 5 The proud have hid a snare for me and cords they have spread a net by the way side they have set grins for me Selaâ— 6 I said 〈…〉 Lord thou art my God hear the voice of my supplications O Lord. 7 O God the Lord the strength of my salvation thou hast covered my head in the day of battell 8 Grant not O Lord the desires of the wicked further not his wicked deviâ—e least they exalt themselves Selah 9 As for the head of those that compass me about let the mischief of their own lips cover them 10 Let buâ—ning coals â—all upon them let them be cast into the fire into deep pits that they rise not up again 11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth evil shall hunt the violent maâ— to overthrow him 12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor 13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name the upright shall dwell in thy presence Psalm cxli. A Psalm of David 1 LOrd I cry unto thee make hast unto me give ear unto my voice when I cry unto thee 2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice 3 Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips 4 Encline not my heart to any evil thing to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity and let me not eat of their dainties 5 Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my head for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities 6 When their Judges are overthrown in stony
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
his afflictions the crueltie of his enemies the uprightnes of his cause and his peoples necessities A Psalm made by David 1 TO thee above O lord doth my soul faithfully address it self and its desires continually and to no other 2 O thou that by many gracious and sweet promises I know assuredly to be my God in thee onely do I put my trust let not me therefore miscarry and be defeated of my hopes and so both I and my faith be rendred a scorn to my wicked enemies 3 Yea Lord remember what a tie of truth and goodness lies upon thee towards them that in faith and holiness depend on thee and walk with thee as I do not to suffer such to miscarry and fail of their confidence or reward no let mine enemies do so who trust in other things and spitefully without any cause on my part break all Laws of Justice and Charity towards me so shalt thou magnifie thy faithfulness to the faithful and thy Justice upon the wicked 4 How ever other men walk towards me yet my desire is to keep touch with thee and therefore O Lord I pray thee in all my trials shew me thy promises and commandments appertaining to my present case and condition and teach me to understand what safety and reward there is in them that I may never depart from them 5 Powerfully enable me to stick close to thy word of truth by faith and obedience refusing every false way and refuge Thus instruct me both to do and know thy will in the midst of my temptations for thou art the God in whom I trust for all manner of preservation in wel-doing and wel-being on thee do I constantly depend every hour for every thing both for direction and protection in all my trials 6 O Lord forget not what fatherly pitty and love thou hast evermore born to thine and what expressions and manifestations thou hast made thereof upon all occasions as they have needed for they never yet failed thy people nor let them do so now to me that plead that priviledge to be one of thine to whom mercy successively belongs in my generation as to them in theirs 7 Call not to mind my sins long since committed before I knew thee nor the errors I was guilty of in that estate now to inflict their punishment upon me but contrarily according to that mercy thou hast in store for me and hast promised to me do thou pardon them and shew thy self gracious to me in mine afflictions and that of thy meer and free goodness O Lord not for any motive or merit of mine 8 Gracious and faithful is the Lord therefore will he and for no other reason both pardon self-judgeing and enable self-outed sinners to turn to him with all their hearts and to walk before him in all wel-pleasing 9 The humble and lowly-hearted that sensibly needs and sincerely craves supply of grace and wisdom from God he will give them a good understanding how to walk acceptably before him so as to have his favour and protection such shall not want supply of enlightning and enabling grace to know and do his will 10 However even the faithfull may think some of Gods wayes he takes towards them by the strangeness of them to be unagreeable to that mercy and truth is in him and his promises Yet be they never so contrary to flesh and bloud they are all of them consonant to his grace and faithfulness which he hath contracted with those that are in covenant with him and walk accordingly in faith and obedience 11 For thy truth and mercy sake O Lord and for no cause else do away my sin out of thy sight which is great and manifold and lies heavy on me and which else will certainly bring upon me soar afflictions as I have already felt they have done 12 Few there are that reverence and fear the Lord so as to seek to him to be pardoned their sins and made his servants but in this I may comfort my self and so may any else that in so doing I nor they shall not fail of our desires but that God in his love and goodness to such an one will so direct and guide him as that he shall not be given over to his own corrupt lusts but shall be instructed and enabled to walk in such a way as he shall best accept 13 And he that doth so though he may have troubles without yet he may be sure of peace within nor shall he be devoid of temporal blessings neither but sooner or later in Gods good time according to his covenant he will reward his service upon him and his posterity especially if they walk in his steps even with outward mercies of peace and plenty as we see it fulfilled to us according to promise made to our holy forefathers and so I doubt not shall it be to me and mine as God hath promised 14 However the godly are in the world neglected yet with God they are in special favour for in a gracious familiarity and good will he sweetly imparts the sacred mistery of his good pleasure and purpose of their salvation in a spiritual way to the spiritual man that fears to offend and desires to please him which as a secret is hid from the knowledg of the world who onely partake his common and outward benefits Yea such he will teach with an intimate instruction and impression of his spirit upon their hearts what are the covenant-graces priviledges and benefits belonging to and on his part to be bestowed upon them he will shew them the honour and happiness to be in covenant with him as also what are the covenant-duties and gratuitous returns reciprocally to be performed on their parts to him with enablement to do them in love and thankfulness by writing his law in their hearts 15 I will make nothing my trust but God nor will I ever cease to wait upon the Lord and pray unto him for deliverance but be my case never so desperate and my misery never so tedious yet will I confidently and with a fixed mind exspect it for according to his promise I know the time will come when I shall be set at liberty and disintangled from my troublesome dangers 16 As mine eyes are towards thee so Lord set thy face favourably to me-ward whom thou hast seemed long to have neglected Now therefore bethink thee and let me at last find grace in thy sight and give me a merciful deliverance for I am without any help but thine and greatly afflicted by many outward enemies and inward trials 17 My miseries strike deep into my soul which is very sore oppressed with grief O consider it in thy tender mercies and deliver me out of my great afflictions 18 Lord take me into thy consideration do but cast an eye upon the greatness of mine affliction and dolour and let it move thee
to compassion and pardon of all those my sins that may have caused thy displeasure that so I may find favour and receive some ease 19 My state is very forlorn and perillous if thou consider as I pray thee do and send help accordingly mine enemies for their number which is great and for their hatred of me which is to the death and their pursuit is accordingly with extream violence 20 They do all they can to take away my life O therefore do thou undertake to protect it from their rage and deliver me out of their hands Let me not miscarry by their power or policy and so I and my faith be rendred scornful and scandalous to them for I put my trust in thee thy truth and goodness therefore fail me not 21 Let the innocency of my cause and my just behaviour in it move thee to preserve me from the injustice of mine adversaries for on thee in respect of thy righteous promises do I trust and wait to be righted against their wrongs 22 O God that in thy faithfulness didest deliver Israel our Father out of all his troubles do the like by his seed and bring them into a state of peace and rest by and under me as shall the Church and faithful have one day by Christ. The xxvi PSALM David being slaundered by his enemies appeals to God to judge if he have done or thought as they say of him and whether to God and man his behaviour hath not been such as it should be which he is sure it hath the love of God constraining him Yea he hath declined all temptations to the contrary and is fully resolved to keep faith and a good conscience to the end And then praies That since he is and hath been studious of piety and innocency he may not be exposed to wicked mens cruelty nor his end be like theirs promising when God shall advance him to be as incorrupt and innocent in prosperity as in adversity And concludes with confidence of supportation and good success in Gods way which is the way he is in A Psalm made by David 1 MIne enemies condemn and censure me but Lord I appeal to thee who judgest with righteous judgement of whom I am sure I shall be acquit of all their slaunderous accusations for thou knowest that all I have done hath been with an honest heart in obedience to thee and without wrong-doing to any man nor have I so much as stepped out of the way by indirect and unlawful means to compass the fulfilling of thy promises but have both waited and believed in the Lord to do it in his own way and time Therefore I am confident that God in his grace and righteousness will uphold and prosper me and mine innocency against mine enemies 2 Having a clear conscience I freely expose and put my self into thine hands where I am sure of justice and truth to be examined and tried of those things whereof mine enemies unjustly accuse me both within and without as well touching the uprightness of mine heart in respect of pride or malice as the honesty and warrantableness of mine actions 3 For indeed I have such a tie upon me by reason of thy love and goodness to me which I alwayes with such thankful admiration and faithful dependance bear in mind as that it awes me from offending thee in any kind and makes me in return of love to thee to be most precise in my walking strictly observing to answer my duty to thy word and will in all things 4 Besides I have ever shunned occasions of evil not so much as taking counsel of men void of grace and conscience to do as they would have me nor will I ever consent to use or practise any crafty or hipocritical dealing like men that live and move more by policy than faith and honesty 5 I have ever detested both the company and counsels of wicked men nor will I be infected with them or adviced by them to go out of the way of faith and uprightness 6 My purpose is alwayes to tread an innocent path and to keep my self from doing unjust or unlawful things for such I know O Lord by those many legal cleansings thou hast instituted thou wilt onely accept of to worship thee and therefore will I be careful principally to maintain a pure conscience and conversation and then will I in comfort and confidence of thine acceptance of me and mine offering frequent thy tabernacle and there perform my ceremonial services of sacrifices and peace-offerings to thee 7 That so I may let all men know that do resort thither and declare to them both by those tokens of my thankfulness appointed in thy law for that purpose and by Psalms of praise the wonderful things thou shalt have wrought for me according to my trust in thee and thy promises which are my onely stay and thereby move them also to faithful thanksgiving 8 O Lord thou knowest my wayes have not been wayes of wickedness but of piety and holiness I have dearly loved and devoutly frequented thy holy ordinances in thy holy tabernacle and have been a diligent worshipper and honourer of thee there which thou hast ordained for that purpose and where thou art specially present 9 In thy goodness and mercy therefore remember me as such an one that desires and endeavours to serve thee in holiness and righteousness and expose me not to the wicked and bloudy hands of mine enemies nor bring that wrathful destruction upon me thou intendest unto them as the punishment of their iniquity and cruelty 10 Who plot and practise nothing but mischievous things and regard neither truth nor honesty but abuse their authority and pervert justice through corruption of bribes 11 But as for me if thou pleasest to set me in place of justice and authority then as I have carried my self in mine affliction so thou shalt find I will still keep a good conscience and walk in incorrupt and sincere wayes therefore O Lord think on me to deliver me out of my great affliction and misery and in mercy make good thy gracious promises to me 12 The unjust and unequitable wayes that mine enemies walk I am sure will bring them to ruine but as for me as I have troden the path of piety and equity so I am sure to find the reward of grace and mercy and to be upheld and made to stand when they shall stumble and fall This I know shall be my portion and for this before hand I vow praises and thanksgivings to God even in the publick congregations of Israel The xxvii PSALM David rowseth up his faith to overtop his fear by many arguments taken from former preservations and confidence that as God hath stirred up an earnest desire in him to worship him in his Tabernacle so he shall be preserved thereunto He further backs his faith with prayer pressing upon God the
with such power doth it operate even upon unsensible creatures That not onely the trees but also the mightie and unmoveable mountains whereon they grow are shaken by it and seem to jump up out of their places and from their center by the earth-quake which is begotten by that noise Even the mountains Lebanon and Hermon as great and weightie as they are are moved and in a moment rise and fall with the force of thunder 7 The thunder sends forth fearful and fiery-flashes of lightning from out the clouds and in an instant with a violent and sudden motion disperses and darts them hither and thither 8 The thunder by its mighty and frightful noise uttered as it were by the omnipotent mouth of God himself makes even the vast and savage wilderness yea that great and terrible one which the Israelites wandred in 40 years between Egypt and Canaan together with the wild beasts and formidable creatures therein which are so frightful to others themselves to quake and tremble 9 This noise of thunder so terrifies the most wild and untamedst creatures and which are of difficult production as are the Hinds that it makes them prevent natures season and for fear untimely cast their young and of such force it is that it layes the forrest in many parts of it plain by turning up trees by the rootes making a clear prospect through woods and groves This is one way whereby God gets himself glorie shewing this his greatness to the amazement of all men and all things and exspects of all men to be honoured thereafter But another and better way whereby he is honoured is now in his tabernacle and hereafter in his temple for saving-mercies with a sanctified worship where all the faithful do and must resort to give him the glorie and praises not onely of his greatness manifested in his works but chiefly of his goodness and mercie manifested in his word 10 O that the Kings and great men of the earth would therefore be awed by his works and won by his word to honour him and subject themselves to him and his holy ordinances and cease to rebel and rise up against him by opposing his Church and peoples quiet but if not The Lord that commands the raging seas and subdues their force can and will subdue theirs also for he shall bring all his enemies be they never so great under his feet and will reign for ever in and for his Church spite of all earthly power to the contrarie 11 The Lord will give his people the better of their adversaries be they never so potent and will establish them in peace and tranquillitie by and under me as Christ shall his Church in inward spiritual peace and consolation spite of all her enemies the world flesh or devil The xxx PSALM David upon his return to Ierusalem after Absaloms expulsion of him dedicates his house anew and thereat gratulates the mercies of God with this Psalm of praise for his deliverance and his enemies overthrow exhorting the Israel of God to rejoyce with him whom God had made such a monument of mercie to his people whom though for sin he may afflict as he did him yet will he remember mercie and hear their prayers as he did his to the end they may ever have cause to praise him as for his part he had and for ever would A Psalm of praise and thanks-giving made by David at his peaceable and victorious return to Jerusalem after Absaloms rebellion and appointed to be song with voice and instruments at the solemnity of dedicating his house by purging it from those incestuous filthinesses committed in it by him with his fathers concubines Whom therefore he put apart never to have any further knowledge of them 1 AS I have great cause so O Lord I will greatly magnifie the grace and mercie towards me for thou hast again exalted me and set me in my Kingdom and given me the better of mine enemies that traiterously rebelled against me and would have deposed me to have inthronized themselves in it 2 Lord God of infinit power and goodness such thou hast approved thy self to me when I was in distress I made thee mine onely refuge to thee alone did I in prayer and supplication make my moan and of thee sought I relief and thou hast accordingly quit me of all my troubles and restored me to my Kingdom in peace and safety as from death to life 3 O Lord to thy power and goodness do I wholly and solely ascribe my subsistence and recovery so miraculous and wonderful hath been my deliverance from such dangers that by no humane power could have been prevented from destroying me hadst not thou preserved me alive beyond all humane hope or help 4 O all ye my fellow-saints and servants the adopted and called of the Lord joyn with me to bless and praise him with joyful hearts in this my solemn memorial and thankful gratulation of his grace and faithfulness 5 For this my strange and speedy deliverance and restorement whereby he hath made me a monument of his goodness and mercie to his people everlastingly in all ages to encourage them to believe in him and pray to him be their sin and his displeasure seemingly never so great for that in faithfulness he will remember mercie even in judgement to such his anger is short-lived and makes the return of his favour much more sweet and precious like life from death If his people by sin grieve him he may justly withdraw the light of his countenance grieve them but grace and mercie sought to in faith and humilitie will soon remove the eclipse it shall be but as an evening to a morning the light of grace like that of nature will certainly return and with advantage for short sorrow makes welcome joy 6 And I for my part can give a full testimonie of this his dealing in my behalf for when as I was setled peaceably in my Kingdom and had brought under mine enemies my heart began to contract securitie and carnal confidence not living by faith and prayer as at other times but thought my self unchangeably happie never dreaming of such a strange revolt and rebellion 7 Acknowledging but with a mixture of too much carnal confidence in my present condition the grace of God in bestowing it on me and establishing it unto me not considering that he could as easily take it from me for sin as bestow it on me in mercie therefore God seeing cause withdrew his favour and support from me let me first fall into sin and then into danger to let me see what had preserved me from both to wit neither my goodness nor my good condition but his grace and favour and that onely can do it For notwithstanding all the obligations on his part and vows and promises on mine yet so soon as he ceased to dispense his auxiliarie favour and grace I fell into monstrous folly
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
wrought for thy children and servants from time to time and the thoughts of mercy and goodness which thou hast had towards us and shewed upon us that have believed in thee they are so many that we cannot count them nor orderly declare them should I go about particularly to praise thee for them or to tell the world of them my memory would yea could not but deceive me they are so numberless 6 Sacrifices and offerings though they be by the appointment of thy Law yet as they are commonly used or rather abused by formal and outward devotion thou carest not for them it is the kernel and not the shell comparatively that thou regardest to wit a bored pliable ear and yielding heart to do thy will in faith and obedience which blessed be thy name thou hast bestowed upon me whom herein thou hast made a type of thy sonne and servant Christ the onely acceptable sacrifice and substance of all shadows and which I know thou valuest in me above never so many burnt and sinne-offerings wherein others for most part put their religion 7 For by thy bestowing on me this spiritual ear and regenerate heart I am made apt and ready to offer and consecrate my self in all filial alacrity a sacrifice to thy service as it is written and prophesied of me in resemblance of Christ of whose son-like love and perfect obedience the whole Scripture foretells 8 I do as he much more shall delight to please and obey thee in all things O my God and his thy holy and righteous law is not to me as it is to the world untoothsome and harsh but pleasing and connatural as it shall be to Christ. 9 And what I have learned and known to be thy righteous will as a Prophet and faithfull servant of the Lord I have as Christ shall taken occasion to declare and teach it to thy people in the most solemn feasts and greatest concourse as might make most for thy glory and their edifying I have not ceased to do my duty to thee and them but have informed and instructed them O Lord I know thou knowst this and takest notice of my poor weak but sincere service herein 10 I have kept back nothing which I knew and whereof I ought to have informed them touching thee and thy good grace but both by mine example in praising thee and also by doctrine have I declared to them the faithfulness that is in thee and that thou hast and ever wilt shew to them that believe in thy promises for grace and salvation I have not smothered mine own experimented knowledg of thy mercifull loving kindness to such and thy truth in fulfilling what thou hast promised them but have taken the best opportunity to make it known most to thy praise and thy peoples edification 11 And as I have done so I will do still as thou givest me occasion therefore be as gracious and merciful as thou hast been let me find thy love and faithfulness ever at hand to preserve me 12 For I am now in as great need as ever I was being surrounded with manifold miseries and great dangers deserved punishments for mine iniquities which have arrested me and keep me prisoner under the burden of thy heavy displeasure which makes me of a dejected heart and countenance ashamed and afeard to make mine addresses to a God so displeased with a sinner so exceeding sinful as I am doubting my success and thy favour 13 Nor yet can I be silent my dangers on the other hand press so soar upon me therefore of thine own good grace O Lord deliver me from the burden of my sin and misery O Lord consider my great straits and delay not to relieve me for thou art gracious and pitiful 14 Let the shame and confusion which mine enemies would bring upon me fall upon themselves let them as they sin together so perish together that seek my life let them be defeated of their expectation and desire and come to a shameful end themselves that seek mine undoing 15 Let them be utterly ruinated and made desolate for a just reward and punishment of their shameful and sinful behaviour towards me that rejoyce unjustly and undeservedly at my misery 16 But contrariwise let all those that love me for Christs sake whose type I am and that trust in thee and religiously pray unto thee in their own and my behalf let both me and they have cause of joy and gladness in thy mercy towards us let such as love thy saving grace to trust in it and be happy by it ever have cause to speak and sing the praises of thee and it 17 But as yet it s otherwayes with me I am poor and desolate distressed both without and within yet I know I am not forgotten nor forsaken of God but that he is mindful of me at the worst and purposeth to do me good at the last My faith makes him all in all to me mine onely helper and deliverer and my condition presseth hard upon him to be so out of hand which is very desperate and therefore I beseech thee that art the God of all my faith and hope delay not to deliver me speedily least I perish utterly The xli PSALM Though this Psalm by the proprietie of its language is applicable in time of sickness yet the Scripture no where in the historical part of it mentioning any such bodily distemperature as the Psalmist here insists on it is conceived by interpretors and yet Psalms the sixth and thirtie eight import otherwayes rather to be spoken allegoricallie by David than reallie in allusion to his condition under Absaloms rebellion whereby being brought low and in a desperate state he was sorelie censured by his enemies and shamefully deserted by reason of his affliction which he here reproves commending the contrarie virtue of charitie and pittie which he knows is in God though it fail in men and accordinglie makes his prayer to find it from him his enemies and false friends so deceiving and traducinglie judgeing him which he prayes he may live to punish and hopes he shall upon probable signs of favour from God for which he blesseth him and for the assured confidence he hath that God will be as good as his word to his Israel and to him in Israels behalf 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 HOw rash are most mens judgements of men in affliction and thereupon how apt are they to abandon them But blessed is and shall be the man that judgeth with righteous judgement and not according to appearance knowing that God is both gracious and faithful and though he do cast down yet he can and will raise up again the afflicted that repent towards him and trust in him 2 Yea for all his dangers the Lord will and
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
that office whereof he shall give me possession as far remote as I seem to be from it now and that not onely to my joy but to the rejoycing of all his faithfull people who in sincerity of heart profess and serve him they shall joy and glory in me as the type of the Messiah his rule and governance over his Church who shall come as hardly by it and in the eyes of the world shall seem as unlike for it as I to be King of Israel And when it s their turn and mine to rejoyce on the contrary those that now make no conscience of any thing they do or say shall hang their heads and not have a word to speak in excuse or justification of themselves because of despondencie of spirit and their self-accusing consciencies as also shall Christs enemies at last The lxiv. PSALM David having some advertisement of great desigâ—s upon him by his â—â—â—mies prays God to preserve him from them who are so wickedly and mischievously bent against him and accordingly is confident of his deliverance and that Gods just and remarkable judgements shall beâ—al his adversaries to the aâ—â—esting of some with fear and others with joy To him that is the chief 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 O Lord my present calamitie puts me upon great and earnest importunity hear me I pray thee that am sore put to it and therefore both with heart and voice press hard upon thee for the rescue of my life out of mine enemies hands that endanger it greatly 2 Let thy protection equal mine enemies projects who turn every stone to compass mine undoing They have their private plottings conspirings to surprize or betray me but Lord do thou hide me that these hidden stratagems may never find me as also from their open violence for such is their malice and so cruelly are they bent that nothing shall be unattempted upon me 3 Incensing all they can against me with false and slanderous reports to the wounding of mine innocencie and set me up as a mark to discharge all their callumnies and falshoods upon 4 They know they believe me and yet though conscious to their own wickedness and mine innocencie they spare not to backbite me and privily to inform all manner of untruths against me to Saul they suggest and let flie any thing against me that they either hear or imagine never caring to wrong me nor fearing to offend God and provoke his justice 5 They animate one another with hopes to prevail against me at last and that I shall not scape them they consult to ensnare me at unawares by fraud and treaherie any way so it be done and think to carry the matter so privately and to cloak it so cunningly as that none shall suspect them nor nothing can prevent them of their hopes 6 They contrive exceeding subtilly and cast about in their thoughts and imaginations with a great deal of studie and diligence how and which way they may likeliest deceive and destroy me and many times make sure of it and indeed so close and dissembling they are that it is impossible for me to know or avoid them by any skill or power of mine 7 But though I miss the mark and shoot far short of finding out their devices and may be deceived by their dissemblings I am sure God he knows them they cannot scape him for all they lye at a close ward he knows how when and where to hit them even when they are most confident and least fear any ill to befall them shall his judgements overtake them 8 This shall be the want of all their lying reports and slanderous back-bitings instead of bringing evil upon me upon whom they design it they shall bring sin and that sin shall bring judgement upon themselves yea so remarkable shall the hand of God be upon them that men shall shun them as they did Korah and his complices 9 The justice and terrour of the Lord shall astonish men and make them both fear themselves and caveat others to beware of the judgements of God from this example for it shall awaken the minds of men and put them all that have any eyes in their heads to consider the justice power and terrour that accompanies this judgement in bringing their wickedness thus upon themselves and delivering me an innocent person 10 A wonderfull confirmation shall it be to all that are upright and cause of rejoycing to see the care that God hath over such to vindicate their integrities against evil doers and to deliver them out of their sufferings by executing apparent judgemens upon their enemies for their sakes how shall this make them trust God and trust in God what ever betide them Yea it shall make all that are sincerely Godly from this example of my deliverance and mine enemies overthrow with confidence to bear up themselves in God and despise the power and malice of all wicked men be they never so potent and politick The lxv PSALM David tells God with what saithfull expectations his people wait upon him for mercies to the end they might have new occasions to praise him and though for their sins they deserve no good from God yet shall be of Free-grace do them good which is a point of special comfort to the faithfull to whom God is a sure friend and ever will be and an enemie to their enemies and accordingly will keep and protect them all the world over for whose sake it is that mankind and all creatures enjoy such temporal blessings and needfull mercies as they do 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 both sung and plaid by voices and instruments 1 O God we desire to be mindfull of thy mercies and still as thou givest occasion of praise not to fail to return it we are ready O Lord if thou wilt administer fresh mercies to render thee the thanks of them and to worship thee for them as thou hast appointed not onely inwardly in spirit but also in thine Ordinances with Sacrifices and Free-will-offerings according to thy law will we do it 2 Thou Lord art the onely God of thy peoples prayers Let it more and more appear that thou hearest us and that our prayers are powerfull with thee for the good of this poor Church and thy servants and people under this administration that it may be upon Scripture-record for thy Church in after-ages to encourage their faith and to invite them all the world over to seek unto thee in hope and confidence of like audience grace and success from thee 3 Mine own and my peoples sins are they that stand in the way of our prayers and hinder good things from us so that I
fact of thine I am accused and condemned as a Traitour and a proud aspiring person which slanders though innocent yet shame me to think that I should be thus thought of when thou Lord knowest its nothing so 8 My nearest kinred mine own flesh and bloud that lay in a belly with me emulate and censure me as bad as others and think it is my pride and rashness that brings this trouble upon me and them for my sake whereupon they avoid me all they can 9 For truly Lord such hath been my zeal for thy Church and people the promoting the good and prosperity thereof according as thou hast promised and designed I should as that I am wholly taken up as shall the Messiah with the desire of it not mine own self-seeking or interest as I am falsely and slanderously reported by those that indeed are in heart thine enemies and wish and speak evil of me onely for thy sake as they shall of Christ who they strike at and wound through my sides as they shall thee through his 10 Let my behaviour be at never such a distance to the designs they fasten upon me let me walk never so unlike to such attempts more saint than either politician or souldier like mourning for the sins and lamenting the judgements of God upon the Kingdom instead of coveting it for my sake why it was all one this humbling my self and fasting before the Lord was judged to be done in hypocrisie and design 11 I could not so demean my self but whatsoever I did it was wrested to misprision if they saw me in sack-cloth they would point at me and say in derision Behold the King 12 It is not some but all of all sorts that are thus bent against me they that should be wiser graver and juster and of better example even the magistrats and men in office and judicature have their invectives and jears at me and much more the deboisheers and rabscalions in their cups and merry-meetings make sport with me and scornfully abuse me 13 After this sort do men demean themselves but as for me I study not to reveng my self or to return like for like no Lord thou knowest mine application and appeal is to thee and however I am so unacceptable to men yet not to God when all men put me from them then can I betake my self to God in prayer and be welcome he never refuses me accordingly O Lord let me find thee now for I am in the midest of a multitude of miseries therefore in my behalf oppose against them the multitude of thy mercies remember thy promises touching me my deliverance and preservation to fulfill them faithfully 14 For though to my sense and outward appearance according to the face of things in humane probability I cannot scape this danger yet my faith is not so extinct but I know all things are possible to God and therefore pray thee even for the greatness sake of my present affliction to deliver me out of it that I fall not into the hands of my cruel enemies nor by them but that thou wilt save me from drowning that am as it were already so near it that I have but this word to speak to thee before I sink quite over head and ears irrecoverably 15 Let not this torrent of afflictions overwhelm me O thou that commandest the raging seas much more land-storms let me not be swallowed up of them like a ship wracked in a Tempest thou knowest into what a depth of miseries I am implunged find a way out for me to escape and let them not bring me to an utter and untimely end 16 Let me not pour out my complaints in vain nor in effectually open my case unto thee but Lord consider what I say hear me to purpose grant me releif let thy loving-kindness which according to thy promise I know thou bearest me manifest it self in gracious beneficence for I am sure thy love is not a vain but a beneficent love thou art a benefactour to whom thou art a wel-willer accordingly good Lord let me find the sweet effects of the earnings of thy bowells and the tenderness of thy compassions towards me which I know to be very great in a happy and powerfull relief and release of me out of these miseries according to my prayers 17 And do not suffer me thus uncomfortably to remain under a cloud without sence of thy favour or experience of thy goodness who am related to thee as near as man can be to God for I am thy servant chosen by thee and devoted to thee and therefore under thy protection as also because of my trouble which as it is for thy sake so it is great and my danger imminent and so therefore must be and I pray thee so it may be thy help and succour 18 Thou seemest to be afar off though thou art not so in reallity for my dangers greaten upon me and the nearer they approach my life the farther seemingly at least art thou from it in compassion and providence but Lord change the scene come thou speedily to my rescue let thine own goodness and mine enemies ungratiousness move thee to work my deliverance 19 For thou Lord hast known mine innocency and their injuries how they have heaped up lies and disgraces upon me the wrong they have done me they are known to thee and so are the doers of them though they are so many I know them not all yet thou dost and both canst and wilt do me justice upon them 20 Who have so wronged and slandered me that knowing mine own innocency it cuts me to the very heart and is a great grief unto me and the more for that I have none to take my part for as some that know me to be innocent do against their own consciences traduce me so others that believe so of me their mouths for all that is stopt and they dare not or will not speak a good word for me but all men are against me or as good for none are for me to shew any compassion to my wronged innocency or to afford me any comfort and support in my misery 21 Nay instead of comforting me those that I had need of and applied my self unto added affliction to affliction in stead of affording me relief when I craved it they fell upon me with all manner of bitterness and soure usage wherein I am as a member mysticall of Christs body the Church militant so also a type of Christ personall that shall be thus befriended on the Cross comforted with no other cordials then gall and vineger in the agonie of his soul. 22 Let the present plenty and prosperity of mine enemies whereupon they bear themselves so high and which makes them so proud and merciless be the cause of thine humbling them low enough let abused mercies turn to curses as shall Christ himself be to his unjust and inhumane persecutours
with thee in it nor ascribe it to ought else besides thee such extraordinary and strange vengeance didst thou take upon those blasphemous enemies as if it had been with the stroke and terrour of a Thunder-bolt from heaven and so terrifying it was to all nations where the fame of it came and it spread not a little ground the report of this wonderfull overthrow of so mighty an army as that none of them had the heart to invade us but were quiet and durst not stir though their fingers itched to be at us 9 Upon Gods executing this just and fearfull judgement on the Assyrian army in rescue of his own poor distressed people even all his whole Church and faithfull servants at once which he had upon the face of the whole earth that were in a helpless hopeless condition and had no remedy left but prayer 10 Surely Lord thy servants need fear nothing but thee for the rage and fury of thy peoples and Churches enemies shall serve not for theirs but their own destruction thou shalt so order the matter as that it shall prove but the ripening of their sins and the hastening of thy righteous judgements upon their heads and be occasion of thy peoples praises and thanksgivings to thee and shalt so terribly affright others that are like minded towards thy Church that they shall have no mind to meddle when they hear so great an army that gave out so great words and threats could effect nothing but came to such an end 11 O Israel and chiefly you inhabitants of Jerusalem vow praises and thanksgivings to the Lord for this unspeakable deliverance and miraculous preservation and forget not to pay what you owe in that kind let neither supine negligence now you are in peace and quietness nor unfaithfull covetousness hinder your solemn returns to God both with inward fervour and outward legall solemnities and sacrifices yea let all the heathen people and nations round about that hear of this wondrous work of God do homage to him as the onely God worthy to be worshipped and feared of all the world even Israels God 12 For as he hath done by these so shall he do by others even the Princes and Potentates of the earth if they take not warning thus they shall be served it shall cost them their lives if they blaspheme and rebell against God contemn his worship or distress his Church in his wrath shall he destroy them suddainly and make them a terrour to the Kings of the earth like as he hath made Senacherib exemplary unto them The lxxvii PSALM The Psalmist in grievous affliction and desertion labours to comfort himself with the success of former prayers in former distresses and by parallel difficulty in prevailing then so now but is overpowered with the extremity and prolixity of his present grief and the ineffectualness of his endeavours to minister comfort to himself which puts him upon an expostulatory interrogating himself with some diffidence touching the nature and promise of God for which he chides himself at last takes up another resolution and falls to work in a quite other way incouraging himself by the faith of those very things and experiences God to his Church in their distress which before he perverted and made use of to the encrease of diffidence To Jeduthun one of the prime musicians and the principall of all his lineage do I Asaph that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 O Lord how oft have I upon occasion put up my prayers unto thee even continually in my distresses of what sort soever I made thee still my sanctuary fled to thee by faithfull and fervent prayer and I do not know the time that ever I went without mine errant but was always heard and had my suite granted though long first and hardly gained 2 I will remember what a troublous fit I had under a painfull disease in what extremity I lay for a long time both in pain of body and anguish of mind finding neither remedy for the one nor comfort for the other though I sought to God earnestly and importunately in that my sad condition yet I could have no ease my pain was the same and my soul that nothing else could comfort could obtain no glimpse of Gods favour towards it to quiet and refresh it withall for a long season 3 Insomuch that I was even tired out with fruitless solicitations I was in such misery and found so little remedy though I prayed hard for it as that at last prayer it self became painfull to me I could not think of going to God having gone so oft and sped so ill but it troubled me when as all my complaints in so sad a condition moved nothing it even killed my very heart This case was I in and to this extremity was I brought 4 And as it was then so is it now thou hast cast me into such extream affliction and misery that it doth not onely take up whole dayes the pain of it but whole nights too without any intermission so that I can take no rest all the night long and so from night to night and I have praied so long and sped so ill that the trouble of my mind hath even stopped my mouth I can speak no more 5 I have cast about every way and considered every thing that might make for my comfort I have called to mind thy former gracious dispensations to thy people and servants of old in their distresses recorded purposely for thy Churches benefit in succeeding times 6 As also mine own former experiments and happy changes which thou hast made of sorrow into joy and praise I consider how many times thou hast ravished my heart with the sense of thy loving kindness and made me lie awake in the night season to bless and praise thee with a ravished heart not to weep and lament as now I do I think with my self what may comfort me and call to mind all things of that nature as also what should be the cause that no comfort can fasten but that there is so great and so long an estrangement and that I and comfort are so far asunder 7 Insomuch as then I think with my self surely I have seen all the comfort that ever I must have in this life and yet I cannot conclude it neither but the length and extremity of my grief makes me in some fear and doubtfulness interrogate with my self whether or no it will ever be other whether God is purposed thus to afflict me and withdraw the signs and sense of his favour from me always 8 Shall I never tast of mercy any more but must I wear away under trouble and sorrow thus shall his promise of pity and compassion whereupon I so much relie be for ever ineffectuall to me 9 Hath God quite forgotten me can he so contrary to his nature let me thus pine
for the good and well-fare of his Church and to be a type of Christ be blessed in his own person and a means of much blessing unto Israel and blessed of them again with a prayer and praise to God for him and his Government Yea let the Priests of the Lord that wait upon the Altar whose office by the Lords special appointment it is to bless his people discharge their sacred function in performance of that holy action from out that sacred place where they immediatly attend the Lords service upon David and his people the figure of Christ and his Church and let him and them be blessed accordingly both of Priests and people that worship within or without in the Courts of the sanctuarie of the Lord. 27 God hath approved himself to be the Lord omnipotent for that he hath brought us out of a miserable estate void of temporal but especially spiritual felicitie having of late nothing but confusion amongst us in Church and Kingdom and reduced us to a comfortable condition in both principally in the enjoyment of the Doctrine and ordinances of his saving truth and holy worship which by David and Christ that blessed type and Antytipe are made to shine forth upon the Church and people of God after the dark times of Sauls reign and Gentilism like as the sun comforts and lightens all creatures when the darkness is past for which unspeakable and unvaluable mercie let us therefore bring those offerings and sacrifices the Law appointeth accompanied with sincere and hearty praise and thanks-givings before him and tie them with cords ready for their oblation and that in abundance answerable to his benefits and for the larger expression of our praises in proportion to those Holocausts of Hallelujahs that shall be offered under Christs regiment Let the people by their frank and liberal offerings find the Priests store of work in their sacrificing imployment at the Altar 28 For my part I am resolved to lead the way by mine example unto thy praising and magnifying and I confess cause I have to do so if I consider how much thou hast done for me and how thou hast made choice of me to this place and office of honour and service 29 As I begun so I conclude with hearty advice and instigation to be mindful of and thankful for the goodness of God whose mercie to his Church and faithful people never failed nor never shall The cxix PSALM This Psalm by the Author of it which some say and by many circumstances probably was David in his flight and exile is divided into 22 parts according to the number and order of letters in the Hebrew Alphabet each part containing eight verses and the first word of every verse in each part beginning with the same letter that is prefixet to the part it self as it is in order and succession in the Hebrew A. B. C. which its conceived was done for help of memorie The Psalm is without title and for the matter of it drives on no one particular subject but partly by the Psalmists own example and partly by rule is represented what is requisit to enter a man into and carrie him through a holy life specially in an afflicted state which are promiscuously scattered throughout the Psalm promises precepts documents prayers being variously intermingled and to be taken notice of accordingly by the Reader as they happen in his way as also the Authors exalting Gods grace and decrying self in his own person a president for all and a confutation of all self-opinionists or justiciaries whether Papists Armenians in judgement or practise mâ—n morally righteous or carnally confident Israelitish Christians which worship God but not in the spirit and rejoyce but not in Christ Iesus having confidence in the flesh contrarie to Paul Phil. 3.3 and David throughout this Psalm Aleph Is the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and is therefore here according to order prefixed to the first part of this Psalm to signifie that it is so and so do all the rest of the Letters in their ranck and order as they are prefixed to each part signifie alike numerarie orderly succession of the rest of the parts of this Psalm for instance The second letter Beth signifies that to be the second part and the third letter the third part and so of the rest 1 ALl men would be blessed but certainly happie and onely happie is here and shall be hereafter that man that seeks not after a sensual sinful felicitie as most do but on the contrarie throughout the whole course and trade of his life approves himself as one that walks towards heaven in heavens way in conscience to God avoiding the spots and stains of every sin in heart and life that may render him unpleasing or unsightly with God and strives to walk exactly in holy obedience to all his commandments to his well-pleasing 2 Yea they onely do and shall partake of true happiness peace of conscience and favour with God which deviate not into by-wayes of their own fancying but keep constant to an obediential walking with him according to the rules he in his word hath prescribed and commanded and that set so high a rate upon his grace and favour as to over-value it to all other happiness and therefore pray for it as their chiefest good and strive to walk worthy of it in all well-pleasing with sincere and entire obedience 3 Nor dare they transgress or willingly contract the least guilt of any known sinne upon themselves out of a filiall fear of displeasing God and forfeiting his favour but carefully tread his paths which onely lead to life and true happiness and bring with them sweet peace of conscience and seals of sincerity 4 And if it be asked what is the cause of the blessed mans exact walking and not taking the liberty that others do to sinne it is because he prefers Gods will before his own because the holy God strictly commandeth holiness therefore is he strict in observance to do thereafter to keep all and break none of his commandments 5 Lord let other men take other courses my prayer is and ever shall be that I may be so happy as to be enabled by thee to walk in well-pleasing to thee all my dayes and in all my wayes according to the rule of righteousness 6 Others think shame of holiness but I count it my glory yea the more holiness the less shame to come short of duty and sincerity is onely shame-worthy make me therefore in sincerity of heart and integrity of life to do thy whole will with my whole heart and then and never but then am I as I would be because then and onely then I am as I ought to be able to look God and man in the face free from an evil conscience 7 Truly Lord if I know mine own heart and I take it to be upright towards thee there is nothing that thou
which as thou hast commanded me so also hast thou effectually over-powered enabled me by thy spirit to rest in assured hope of thy faithfulness and my happiness thereby 50 Throughout all my long and tedious triall where with thou afflictedst me I have nothing to bear up upon but this and I bless thee for it this serves the turn to do it thy promise through faith doth comfort and cordialize my heart and hath done many a time when to sence and reason I have been a dead man 51 My faith and I for my faiths sake have been exceedingly slighted and scorned by mine enemies men of proud and carnall minds yet have I neither been afraid nor ashamed of my cause or confidence but haue stuck to thy promises in faith and obedience waiting the fulfilling of them 52 I was ever confident that as mine enemies had their time so thou wouldest have thine and that I should see thee as just in reward and punishment as heretofore when by miracle thou savedst thy people and destroyedst thine and their adversaries the consideration hereof knowing thee to be the same unchangeable God in omnipotency and faithfulness hath alwayes born up my heart comfortably in hope of no worse success 53 And were it not for thy word of promise and works of power and providence that the faith of these are a stay to me I were of all men most miserable for the horrid insolencies unjust violences of my wicked and graceless enemies that have no fear of God before their eyes but reject both thee and thy precepts it makes me tremble to think of it and the heavy judgements that will befall them for it so at present I feel the evil effects thereof being driven to extream straits and perplexities both of body and mind by these impious lawless wretches 54 For my life is no better to me by their persecution and prosecution of me from place to place than a perpetuall pilgrimage so that my dwelling is no dwelling for I am in a continuall peregrination restlesly changing my station sometimes in caves sometimes in desarts and sometimes in exile and banishment yet every where and at all times the memory and meditation of thine engagements and promises concerning me which bind thee by grace as laws do us by duty and are thy statutes as well as are thy commandments have cheared up my heart and were as my songs and instruments of musick heretofore were wont to be unto me at leasurable times in mine own house 55 I have made it my imployment and set my seriousest thoughts on work upon the minding and meditating thy faithfulness power and justice when others have been refreshing their bodies with rest in the night season then have I been refreshing my weary and carefull mind with pondering thee in thine excellencies O Lord and have been so setled in mind thereby as I have taken up a resolution by carnall and sinfull shifts never to prevaricate what ever come of me but to persist in faith and holiness to the end 56 These soul supportations renewed graces and heart comfortings the Lord vouchsafed me in the meditations of him his promises and properties because I was conscionable and carefull to walk alwayes in all things to his well-pleasing therefore did he reward and sustain me with these divine cordialls and comforts in the time of my comfortless peregrination Cheth The eighth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the eighth part 57 The comforts and confidences of worldly men are in worldly things there portion is here below in things I bless my God too low for me who have no happiness contentment or confidence short of God who is all in all to me and as Lord thou art mine so I have fully purposed to be thine and to yield thee faithful and fruitful obedience in dependencie on thy promises and conformitie to thy precepts 58 Lord thou knowest what value I have alwayes set on thy favour how above all blessings I have lain at thee for that as more to me than all besides so that before and above all have I preferred and sought it as my choicest and chiefest happiness and therefore beg of thee that I may ever be blessed with thy grace mercie and truth vouchsafed and fulfilled according to promise 59 Fearful was I to offend and forfeit that thy favour I set so much by and therefore was alwayes solicitous and thought-ful of the steps I took whether they tended to thy pleasing or displeasing and if at any time by temptation or frailty I began to be misbiassed or that actually I deviated before I was awar I quickly through thy grace recollected my self and faced about 60 When I found mine errour I soon quit it no reasonings of flesh and bloud prevailed to make me persist but by the power of thy grace I broke through all impediments to serve and please thee 61 Wicked men by wicked wayes have prospered and thriven and by combination have turned me out of all and enriched themselves with my spoils but for all that I have stuck to my tackling held close to faith and a good conscience in believing and doing as I was appointed and left their punishment and my vindication unto thee 62 And it no whit repents me but exceedingly rejoyceth me of that thy gracious supportation of my faith yea such peace of conscience it brings with it and such a seal of special favour it is unto me according to thy righteous ingagements to be thus inabled to walk holily as that the thoughts thereof are more sweet and refreshing to my mind than sleep to my nature and make me suspend the one even in the season thereof to feed upon the other and make thankful repayment of my debts and endearments contracted thereby 63 Thy wayes and they that walk in them are my delight I fear thee my self so I love all those that do so I have no pleasure as not in wickedness so nor in wicked men but the out-casts of the world such as I my self am that fear to offend thee and desire to please and serve thee these have my heart and with such will I stand and fall live and die 64 As a faithful Creator thou hast plentifully provided for man and beast nature is well stored with varieties of created conveniencies for all kinds of Beings upon earth which also are mercifully continued though long since forfeited by the fall But O Lord there is one thing necessarie and a mercie more worth than all these and that is to be able to see and seek a happiness that is above nature and that grows in no earthly soil to have a frameable and teachable heart Lord grant me that write thy Law in it and let both thy precepts and promises be believed and obeyed by me That is my desire Teth. The ninth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the ninth part 65 I have
evermore had and which many and many a time hath crushed them sore yet could never through the over-ruling hand of our Almightie and good God prevail to supplant and eradicate it as was their aim and desire to have done no nor never shall no more now than heretofore fear it not 3 4 The poor Church and people of God have undergone great hardship by the ungodly men of this world to whom it hath been meat and drink to afflict us witness our late Babylonish task-masters and as much pains have they taken to do it by plots and practices as the plow-man does to tear the ground in pieces and as cruelly they have handled us so far as ever God gave them leave and so they shall Christ himself whose husbandmen they are and ever have been and the Church his field wherein thereby he hath always sown his seed and reaped his harvest that hath been the use he put the Churches afflictions and persecutions to always notwithstanding them approving himself righteous and faithfull to his word and promise of grace and so is still and ever will be to remember mercie though the wicked world know none to abate of what it intends against them both for length of time and measure of affliction as we have experience in our late deliverance and to disappoint their purposes and machinations as he hath always done to his churches preservation and their destruction in his own time and by his almightie power maugre their malice 5 And as Lord thou hast ruined Babylon for our sakes so vouchsafe still to appear for thy Church against her enemies bringing them all to confusion that would do so by Sion the place of thy worship and type of thy Church for ever let not their malicious combinations and wicked projects take effect against the type or anti-type but utterly and shamefully defeat and frustrate them for it is for thy sake that they bear evil will to thy place and people 6 7 8 Lord let such haters of God and godliness however they seem to flourish and over-top thy poor Church come to nought both they all their wicked designs as the light corn that makes a fair shew on the ridge of an house for want of rooting withers in a moment before it ripen and comes to any perfection by the heat of the sun and is of no use nor regard so let alwaies the Churches enemies that are under a curse and not a blessing and at present our persecuting neighbours be blasted and in thy wrathfull displeasure destroyed both their persons and purposes let neither the one nor the other ever come to good like those empty ears let them be found by those they curry-favour with a dissembling lying generation great promisers and no performers and find favour accordingly Let not those that are spectatours of us and them whose pendulous judgements the event will preponderate the common errour of the world to judge and side according to success let them not have cause by their prospering against us to bless them and curse us and to misuse thy name against thine own people in behalf of thine and our enemies by blessing those whom thou cursest and cursing those whom thou blessest The cxxx PSALM The Psalmist sore afflicted under the sense of sin and miserie cries to the Lord for mercie making mercie his onely plea for himself and incouragement to persist in the obedience of faith and patient waiting and eager longing for appearance of grace And draws his practise into precept to all the faithfull people of God willing them to hold out hoping in mercie for deliverance through Christ whatever be their pressure sin or suffering See the Title of the 120. Psalm 1 IN the extream agony of my spirit now that I am to mine own sense and in all appearance quite over-whelmed with outward distress and inward terrour death on the one hand ready to devour me my sins and thy wrath on the other hand grievously afflicting and affrighting me yet as from the bottom of this gulph and sea of miseries have I sent forth mine ardent prayer in the faith of thy power and hopes of thy goodness O Almighty and mercifull Lord. 2 In such a case as this Lord let me not speak to a deaf ear but graciously grant me audience yea watch for my prayers at such a time for they shall never fail thee neither do thou fail them especially in such straits 3 If thou O Lord who art the righteous and terrible Judge of all the world a jealous God and a consuming fire doth take strict notice of our sins to take us to task and punish us for them according to our deservings by the law of righteousness and rule of justice alas in such a case what man can stand before thee in his own justification either to acquit himself as sinless or to make satisfaction being sinfull or in case he be able to do neither as no man can how shall he be able to bear and undergo thy judgement and heavy displeasure for sin without sinking under it no flesh can do it 4 But the case is otherwaies with thee towards poor humble hearted sinners and suitours to such thou standest not upon such terms of strictness for thou hast proclamed pardon to all such which by faith they may take out and plead for themselves as also a gracious acceptance of their weak but filiall services whereby they may be and are incouraged knowing thy loving kindness and mercy to worship and serve thee both by believing in thy promises though with much mixture of unbelief and doing thy commandments though in frailty and weakness short of perfection which none can reach yet in sincerity 5 Though my sinns be heavy and mine affliction burdensome upon me and have been so along time yet I despair not but in the faith of his forgiveness and compassion I wait for the sun to break out from under this cloud my soul is in continuall expectation of it and so long as I have his word for it I will hope and look for deliverance and mercy what ever be my fears and dangers 6 My soul longs for and looks out after the comfortable appearance of the grace of God to set me free from these my tedious insupportable miseries of his disfavour and the sad effects thereof with as eager a desire yea far more earnestly and affectionately do I and will I hold on to expect it than ever the poor weary Watch-man or Centry that hath been kept waking all Night prayes for Day-break that he may be discharged and have his liberty to take his rest 7 What ever be the afflictions of faithfull Israel the people of God let them for all that by no means relinquish their hope in the Lord his power and goodness but hold out in the assured confidence that God both is mercifull in himself however he seem and will be
at the right hand of his Father in the heavenly Jerusalem whose blessed exaltation unto the execution of those offices there is the desire and delight of his soul as being onely well pleased in him and reconciled by him therefore so is Sion here which is the representation of him and them 15 I will multiply blessings for so thou hast said upon the whole land for Sions sake that she may be provided with all manner of store for holy services Let not the poor Israelite fear to bring his offerings and disfurnish himself to worship me as I have appointed for if the service of my sanctuarie lessen his store if there he seek me faithfully he shall carrie such a blessing home with him as he shall have no cause to repent him for I will both bless him with lively-hood let him not fear it and bless it to him 16 The Priests that there officiate in consecrated garments shall be in like manner clothed upon with the saving and sanctifying righteousness of the Messiah which in their zeal and faithful discharge of their places they shall hold forth to the example and edification of their brethren who in the sinceritie of their hearts shall bless the Lord for such happie times wherein so much of God his grace and favour appears in blessing them with a holy Priest-hood and Divine worship and powerfully protecting both it and them 17 I will bless Sion and there shall David my servant be blessed not onely in himself during the time of his regencie but after him his successour and Gods anointed King Solomon shall far exceed him in power and glorie whose wisdom which I shall give him to govern by shall shine with that brightness as shall wonderfully increase his fame and dignitie the world over who shall be a lively pattern of the anointed Messiah that also shall spring out of the stock of David that spiritual Solomon the Prince of peace and mightie counsellour 18 And his enemies that would not he should rule over them but oppose his advancement or disturb his Government I will shamefully cut off both them and their enterprises but him will I bless with a flourishing reign of glorie and affluence at home and abroad resembling Christ both in his own happiness and his enemies confusion The cxxxiii PSALM David being received of all Israel for their King by common and joynt consent after much disagreement and war among the tribes some being for and some against him He shews the happie condition they were now in upon the change how amiable and acceptable unitie had rendered them to God what a flourishing Church and Common-wealth they had and should have by it and that nothing can be a greater blessing to them nor shall be to the Church and people of God in all ages than for them to honour their father and head in heaven by living in brother-hood here on earth See the title of the 120 Psalm the Authors name superadded here 1 COnsider well the singular mercie of God in uniting all the tribes sons of the same father both by nature and adoption that were so far asunder at deadly feud and open war among themselves to the hazard of the whole had not God graciously over-ruled them to peace and unitie under one head and to be all of one heart And as the mercie so the good and benefit of this union is worthie your consideration to move you to cherish and nourish it all you can for besides that Harmonie of hearts is it self an unestimable Jewel and beautiful ornament in the Church and among the people of God a very resemblance of that concord and consort which shall be in heaven the commodities also that issue thence to the publick and every mans particular weal is very considerable and impulsive how thereby all things go well and happily forward in Church and Common-wealth the worship and service of God that flourisheth the re-publick that does the like things are now orderly constituted magistracie maintained people protected justice administred and whereas before we weakened our selves by civil wars now we are strong to defend our selves and offend our enemies round about us In breef it renders us acceptable to God comfortable to our selves and an astonishment to our adversaries both profit and pleasure yea all manner of good that can be named is complicate in and productive from this one comprehensive mercie of concord we for our parts find the sweet of it and so shall the Church of God allwayes especially after such sowr dissentious as we have waded through 2 If I would compare this brotherly union of us so of the people of God in all ages in the pleasurable delectable part of it to any thing it must be to a non-such for such it is I cannot liken it to any thing that in all points better resembleth it than that rich sacred odoriferous ointment made by the special appointment of God himself for so is peace unitie in his Church for the consecration of Aaron and his sons to their holy office and service which being plentifully poured upon the High-priests head did diffuse it self down to his beard and so from thence to the holy vestments from top to toe such in perfect analogie is this general amity wrought by God among us in the sweet savour and blessed effects of it God by me your King and head consecrated as it were to mine office by this your unanimous consent and election as with an holy unction as well as by Gods immediate designation conveighing the benefit and sweetness thereof through the blessing and mediation of the Priestly office and service as by Aarons beard down to you again and so you made happie in the sweet and comfortable benefits and blessings of both by means of amitie and unitie with them and among your selves like as the Church mystical united to her head Christ at Gods right hand in glorie and at brotherly love and amitie in it self shall be unspeakably blessed with those Divine influences of grace and spirit derived from her King and Priest Christ Jesus by the mediation and ministration of his Evangelists and Gospel-ministers down to all the members of his bodie partakers of the sweet fruits and benefits of all his offices and thereby consecrated a sweet savour even Kings and Priests to God with the self-same spirit or holy unction to their infinite honour and consolation 3 And as brotherly love and concord is a pleasant and amiable thing in it self and sweet and acceptable with God so also it is exceeding profitable and brings with it abundance of blessings peace God is wont to bless with plentie whereas wars and discord are accompanied with curses and scarcitie Look how the fruitful dew that falls upon and from mount Hermon that fertil hill down into the fields of Bashan and so abundantly enricheth them to the owners benefit or look which is indeed a properer
the Temple it self with his Church on earth as well as in heaven Praise ye therefore the Lord ye that worship him without as well as within the holy sanctuarie of our God both Priests and people 3 Be not so much awed by fear to praise the Lord as induced by love for those lovely excellencies of grace and goodness that are in him and shine forth from him to his people let the faith and experience the Church hath had thereof in all ages tune your voice and instruments to the exaltation of his name in praise-worthy commemoration of all the good he hath either promised or performed which to do is delightfull to God and every good heart 4 Surely we far above all the world are debtors to God ow more in way of praise than ever we can pay him for this unestimable mercie and priviledge of adoption to be his peculiar to name his name upon and marked out of all the great fold of the world for his people and the sheep of his pasture even we a poor hand-full that came out of the loins of one man our Father Jacob that he should choose him and his out of all mankind to set his love upon and thus to honour as to esteem none else worth reckoning of but us and us as his treasure and Jewels of value whom he onely sets by as he shall by his Church and people in all the world and onely by them 5 Under what notion soever we apprehend God he is worthie our uttermost praises whether as good to us or as great in himself who indeed is of that immensitie as that his positive admits of no comparative degree he is abstractly great even greatness it self in power majesty beyond humane apprehension and capacity in the faith whereof yet we ought to praise him for so his people best know him and that not onely as absolutely and essentially so but also relatively and derivatively so to us this great God being greatly our God his greatness as it is superlative to all greatnesses whether humane powers or imaginarie deities so his grace shall extend it accordingly unto our protection and preservation against them and to the confusion of men and Idols that are set against him or us his Church and people 6 I mean the great and mightie God the sole Sovereign and Monarch of all the world both heaven and earth who of his meer will and by his onely word made all things to be that they are from the highest to the lowest whether in the heavens above or in the earth beneath or in the waters under the earth and the invisible depths of both down to the very center and as he commanded them to be so he rules and commands them now they are to be and do what he would have them and not otherwayes to his praise and his peoples security 7 He createth ruin by appointing and impowering the sun from all parts of the world sea and land to exhale the vapours which we see ascend on high into the middle region of the air where they engender clouds those clouds rain which by his providence is dispersed and dispensed all the world over what the earth sends up in exhalations from all parts it receives down again every where for its use in showers and dews Yea what a piece of Artifice do our eyes behold when by the force of thunder he sends lightning and rain fire and water out of one and the same cloud so that when we see the one break forth we conclude the other not far behind as if naturally fire produced water which are so contrarie but yet are made to cohabit till and be subservient when he pleaseth to dispose of them in storms and tempests The wind also blows when where and how he lists and not otherwayes how unruly and boisterous so ever it seem it breaks not prison of it self but is let out of its restraint by him without whose will and pleasure it cannot so much as breath who is the God of nature ordeining and ordering her in all causes and all their effects how rare soever beyond our knowledge and above our reach transacted in the heavens whereof these are few instances 8 Yea and on earth too where not a few things praise-worthie have been wrought by the same Almighty power for his people Israel whereof we will enumerate some a few of many as the high mightie slaughter he made of the first-born both of man and beast in Egypt with a strong hand bringing his people thence spite of Pharaohs power and oppugnation 9 He wrought miracles and made strange demonstration of his heavy displeasure by manifold judgements destructive signs and prodigies in the midst of thee O Egypt for their sakes when his people the Israelites had no harm there forcing thereby hard-hearted Pharaoh thy King and his courtiers to acknowledge his power and at last submit to his will 10 Nor in Egypt onely did he do wonders and execute judgements upon his Churches enemies but when by a mightie hand the destruction of the Egyptians he had brought them thence by the same out-stretched arm did he lead them through the wilderness destroying all that made opposition to them both Princes and people though far greater and every way better provided then they way-faring men were 11 As for instance Sihon the King of the Amorites and Og that mightie man the King of Bashan who opposed their passage these Kings and their people they destroyed on the other side Jordan and on this side even all the Kings and Kingdoms of Canaan thirty one in number those under Moses these under Josua were subdued by the Lord who fought for Israel against all their enemies 12 And he that is Lord of all the earth as before he had promised to Abraham so now he fulfilled his word by an effectual possession and implantation of his people Israel in the lands and possessions of all the foresaid Kings and Kingdoms gave them to them and their heirs for ever which he hath ever since preserved to and for them and their posteritie with as Almighty a hand as at first he gained and gave them 13 The glorious manifestations thou hast alwayes made of thy powerful goodness and gracious faithfulness in the behalf of thy people against their enemies ought to be renowned for ever hereafter in all ages which also shall produce experiments answerable to those thy properties which are ever the same in thy Churches behalf who shall transmit the grateful memorie of thy former mercies and miracles down from age to age and from one generation successively to another to thine everlasting glorie and their corroboration and comfort in the faith of thy faithfulness to thy covenant and promises the grand charter of the Catholick Church theirs as well as ours made to them as to us 14 For the Lord is his peoples according to covenant so
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
are brought down and fallen but we are risen and stand up â—ight 9 Save Lord let the King hear us when we call Psalm xxi To the chief musician A Psalm of David 1 THe King shall joy in thy strength O Lord and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoyce 2 Thou hast given him his hearts desire and hast not withholden the request of his lips Selâ—h 3 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head 4 He asked life thee and thou gavest it him even length of dayes for ever and ever 5 His glorie is great in thy salvation honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him 6 For thou hast made him most blessed for ever thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance 7 For the King trusteth in the Lord and through the mercie of the most high he shall not be moved 8 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee 9 Thou shalt make them as a fierie oven in the time of thine anger the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath and the fire shall devour them 10 Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth and their seed from among the children of men 11 For they intended evil against thee they imagined a mischievous device which they are not able to perform 12 Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them 13 Be thou exalted Lord in thine own strength so will we sing and praise thy power Psalm xxii To the chief musician upon Aijeleth-Shahar A Psalm of David 1 MY God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring 2 O my God I crie in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent 3 But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel 4 Our father 's trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them 5 They cried unto thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded 6 But I am a worm and no man a reproch of men and despised of the people 7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn they shoot out the lip they shake the head saying 8 He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him 9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mothers breasts 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb thou art my God from my mothers belly 11 Be not far from me for trouble is near for there is none to help 12 Many buls have compassed me strong buls of Bashan have beset me round 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths as a ravening and roaring Lion 14 I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels 15 My strength is dried up like a pot-sheard and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws thou hast brought me into the dust of death 16 For dogs have compassed me the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me they pierced my hands and my feet 17 I may tell all my bones they look and stare upon me 18 They part my garments among them and cast lots for my vesture 19 But be not thou far from me O Lord O â—â—y strength hast theâ— to help me 20 Deliver my soul from the sword my darling from the power of the dog 21 Save me from the Lions mouth for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns 22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee 23 Ye that fear the Lord praise him all ye the seed of Jacob glorifie him and fear him all ye seed of Israel 24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted neither hath he hid his face from him but when he cried unto him he heard 25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation I will pay my vows before them that fear him 26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied they shall praise the Lord that seek him your heart shall live for ever 27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord and all the kinreds of the nations shall worship before thee 28 For the Kingdom is the Lords and he is the Governour among the nations 29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him and none can keep alive his own soul. 30 A seed shall serve him it shall be accounted to the Lord for a Generation 31 They shall come and shall declare his righteousnes unto a people that shall be born that he hath done this Psalm xxiii A Psalm of David 1 THe Lord is my shepheard I shall not want 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures he leadeth me besides the still waters 3 He restoreth my soul he leadeth me in the paths of righteousnes for his names sake 4 Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies thou anointest my head with oyl my cup runneth over 6 Surely goodnes and mercie shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Psalm xxiiii A Psalm of David 1 THe earth is the Lords and the fulnes thereof the world and they that dwell therein 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the flouds 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place 4 He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his soul unto vanitie nor sworn deceitfully 5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousnes from the God of his salvation 6 This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face O Jacob. Selah 7 Lift up your heads O ye gates â—â—d be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glorie shall come in 8 Who is this King of glorie the Lord strong and mightie the Lord mightie in battel 9 Lift up your heads O ye gates even lift them up ye everlasting doors and the King of glorie shall come in 10 Who is this King of glorie the Lord of hosts he is the King of glorie Selah Psalm xxxv A Psalm of David 1 UNto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul. 2 O my God I trust in thee let me not be ashamed let
not mine enemies triumph over me 3 Yea let none that wait on thee be ashamed which transgress without cause 4 Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy paths 5 Lead me in thy truth and teach me for thou art the God of my salvation on thee do I wait all the day 6 Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have been ever of old 7 Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake O Lord. 8 Good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach sinners in the way 9 The meek will he guide in judgement and the meek will he teach his way 10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies 11 For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great 12 What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose 13 His soul shall dwell at ease and his seed shall inherit the land 14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his covenant 15 Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord for he shall pluck my feet out of the net 16 Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my distresses 18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain and forgive all my sinnes 19 Consider mine enemies for they are many and they hate me with cruel hatred 20 O keep my soul and deliver me let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee 21 Let integrity â— uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee 22 Redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles Psalm xxvi A Psalm of David 1 JUdge me O Lord for I have walked in mine innocency I have trusted also in the Lord therefore I shall not slide 2 Examine me O Lord and prove me try my reins and my heart 3 For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth 4 I have not sat with vain persons neither will I go in with dissemblers 5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers and will not sit with the wicked 6 I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compass thine Altar O Lord. 7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works 8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house the place where thine honour dwelleth 9 Gather not my soul with sinners nor my life with bloudy men 10 In whose hands is mischief and their right hand is full of bribes 11 But as for me I will walk in mine integrity redeem me and be merciful unto me 12 My foot standeth in an even place in the congregations will I bless the Lord. Psalm xxvii A Psalm of David 1 THe Lord is my light and my salvation whoÌ„ shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid 2 When the wicked even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell 3 Though an host should enâ—amp against me my heart shall not fear though warre should rise against me in this will I be confident 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord to enquire in his Temple 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me up upon a rock 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy I will sing yea I will sing praises unto the Lord. 7 Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me 8 When thou saidest seek ye my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek 9 Hide not thy face farre from me put not thy servant away in anger thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation 10 When my father and my mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up 11 Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies for false witnesses are risen up against me and such as breath out cruelty 13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living 14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Psalm xxviii A Psalm of David 1 UNto thee will I cry O Lord my rock be not silent to me lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit 2 Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee when I lift up mine hands toward thy holy oracle 3 Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts 4 Give them according to their deeds according to the wickedness of their endeavours give them after the works of their hands render to them their desert 5 Because they regard not the works of the lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them not build them up 6 Blessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications 7 The Lord is my strength my shield my heart trusted in him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth and with my song will I praise him 8 The Lord is their strength and he is the saving strength of his annointed 9 Save thy people and bless thine inheritance feed them also and lift them up for ever Psalm xxix A Psalm of David 1 GIve unto the Lord O ye mighty give unto the Lord glory and strength 2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness 3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters the God of glory thundereth the Lord is upon many waters 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful the voice of the Lord is full of Majestie 5 The voice of the Lord breaketh Cedars yea the Lord breaketh the Cedars of Lebanon 6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn 7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire 8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadâ—sh 9 The voice of the Lord maketh the Hinds to calve and discovereth the forrests and in
day is thine the night also is thine thou hast prepared the light and the sun 17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth thou hast made summer and winter 18 Remember this that the enemy hath reproched O Lord and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name 19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of the wicked forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever 20 Have respect unto the covenant for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of crueltie 21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed let the poor and needy praise thy name 22 Arise O God plead thine own cause remember how the foolish man reprocheth thee dayly 23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually Psalm lxxv To the chief musician Al-taschith A psalm or song of or for Asaph 1 UNto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare 2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly 3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved I bear up the piâ—lars of it Selah 4 I said unto the fools deal not foolishly and to the wicked lift not up your horn 5 Lift not up your horn on high speak not with a stiff neck 6 For promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south 7 But God is the judge he putteth down one and setteth up another 8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup and the wine is red it is full of mixture and he poureth out of the same but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them 9 But I will declare for ever I will sing praise to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut oâ—f but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted Psalm lxxvi To the chief musician on Neginoth a Psalm or song of or for Asaph 1 IN Judah is God known his name is great in Israel 2 In Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion 3 There brake he the arrows of the bow the shield and the sword and the battell Selah 4 Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey 5 The stout-hearted are spoiled they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands 6 At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the charriot and the horse are cast into a dead sleep 7 Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry 8 Thou didst cause iudgement to be heard from heaven the earth feared and was still 9 When God arose to judgement to save all the meek of the earth Selah 10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain 11 Vow and pay unto the Lord your God let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared 12 He shall cut off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psalm lxxvii To the chief musiâ—ian to Jeduthun A Psalm of Asaph 1 I cried unto God with my voice even unto God with my voice and he gave car unto me 2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted 3 I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Selah 4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak 5 I have considered the days of old the years of auncient times 6 I call to remembrance my song in the night I commune with my own heart and my spirit made diligent searâ—h 7 Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more 8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore 9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies Selah 10 And I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high 11 I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old 12 I will meditate also of all thy work and talk of thy doings 13 Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a God as our God 14 Thou art the God that doest wonders thou hast declared thy strength among the people 15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people the sons of Jacob and Joseph Selah 16 The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee they were afraid tâ—e deptâ—s also were troubled 17 The clouds poured out water the skies sent out a sound thine arrows also went abroad 18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven the lightnings lightned the world the earth trembled and shook 19 Thy way is in the sea and thy path in the great waters thy foot-steps are not known 20 Thou ledest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses Aaron Psalm lxxviii Maschil of or for Asaph 1 GIve ear O my people to my law encline your ears to the words of my mouth 2 I will open my mouth in a parable I will utter dark sayings of old 3 Which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us 4 We will not hide them from their children shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderfull works that he hath done 5 For he established a testimony in Jaâ—ob and apâ—ointed a law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children 6 That the generation to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise declare them to their children 7 That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments 8 And might not be as their fathers a stubbourn and rebellious generation a generation that set not their hearts aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God 9 The children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bowes turned back in the day of battel 10 They kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk in his law 11 And forgat his works and his wonders that he had shewed them 12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt in the field of Zoan 13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through and he made the waters to stand as a heap 14 In the day time also he led them with a cloud and all the night with a light of fire 15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths 16 He brought streams
young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thy commandments 11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sinne against thee 12 Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy statutes 13 With my lips have I declared all the judgements of thy mouth 14 I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches 15 I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy wayes 16 I will delight my self in thy statutes I will not forget thy word Gimel 17 Deal bountifully with thy servant that I may live and keep thy word 18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy law 19 I am a stranger in the earth hide not thy commandments from me 20 My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgement at all times 21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed which do erre from thy commandments 22 Remove from me reproach and contempt â—or I have kept thy testimonies 23 Princes also did sit and speak against me but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes 24 Thy â—eâ—timonies also are my delight and my counsellours Daleth 25 My soul cleavetâ—â— unto the dust quicken thou me according to thy word I have declared my wayes and thou heardest me teach me thy statutes 27 Make me to unâ—derstand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wonderous works 28 My soul melteth for heaviness strengthen thou me according unto thy word 29 Remove from me the way of lying and grant me thy law graciously 30 I have chosen the way of truth thy judgemâ—nts have I laid before me 31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies O Lord put me not to shame 32 I will run the wayes of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart He. 33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end 34 Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart 35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments for therein do I delight 36 Encline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness 37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy way 38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear 39 Turn away my reproach which I fear for thy judgements are good 40 Behold I have longed after thy preceptsâ— quicken me in thy righteousness Vau. 41 Let thy mercies come also unto me O Lord even thy salvaâ—tion aâ—cording to thy word 42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me for I trust in thy word 43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth for I have hoped in thy judgements 44 So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever And I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts 46 I will speak of thy testimonies also before Kings and will not be ashamed 47 And I will delight my self in thy commandments which I have loved 48 My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments which I have loved and I will meditate in thy statutes Zain 49 Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope 50 This is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickened me 51 The proud have had me greatly in derision yet have I not declined from thy law 52 I remembred thy judgements of old O Lord and have comforted my self 53 Horrour hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law 54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrim age 55 I have remembred thy name O Lord in the night and have kept thy law 56 This I had because I kept thy precepts Cheth 57 Thou art my portion O Lord I have said that I would keep thy words 58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart be merciful unto me according to thy word 59 I thought on my wayes and turned my feet into thy testimonies 60 I made hast and delayed not to keep thy commandments 61 The bands of the wicked have robbed me but I have not forgot thy Law 62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements 63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts 64 The earth O Lord is full of thy mercie teach me thy statutes Teth. 65 Thou hast dealt well with thy servant O Lord according unto thy word 66 Teach me good judgement and knowledge for I have believed thy commandments 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word 68 Thou art good and doest good teach me thy statutes 69 The proud have forged a lie against me but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart 70 Their heart is as fat as grease but I delight in thy Law 71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes 72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver Iod. 73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments 74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me because I have hoped in thy word 75 I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me 76 Let I pray thee thy merciful kindness be for my comfort according to thy word unto thy servant 77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live for thy Law is my delight 78 Let the proud be ashamed for they dealt perversly with me without a cause but I will meditate in thy precepts 79 Let those that fear thee turn unto me and those that have known thy testimonies 80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Caph. 81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation but I hope in thy word 82 Mine eyes fail for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort me 83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke yet do I not forget thy statutes 84 How many are the dayes of thy servant when wilt thou execute judgement on them that persecute me 85 The proud have digged pits for me which are not after thy Law 86 All thy commandments are faithful they persecute me wrongfully help thou me 87 They had almost consumed me upon earth but I forsook not thy precepts 88 Quicken me after thy loving kindness so shall I keep the testimonie of thy mouth Lamed 89 For ever O Lord thy word is setled in heaven 90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations thou hast established the earth and it abideth 91 They continue this day according to thine ordinances for all are