up against us Men carnal corrupt men that look after nothing but to satisfie their own Ambition Lust Avarice Those arose seditiously tumultuously rebelliously of such the Proverb is true Home homini lupus 2. Which the Prophet verifies in the next verse expressing the danger that the Church was in from these men or Beasts rather by these two similitudes of Beasts of prey of waters 1. Ver. 3 Then they had swallowed us up quick that had been the consequent of their rising The danger the Church was in before delivered like Wolves and Bears they had rush'd upon us and devoured us as poor sheep eaten us even alive Though Bellarmine refers this Clause to waters also because Beasts tear before they devour and so eat not their prey alive But the Metaphor may be proper enough the other way for he shewes what they would do if they could and that in their fury they spare not a living soul By cruel enemies 2. The cause their wrath Which fury of theirs the Prophet conceals not but illustrates it by a Metaphor This they had done to us when their wrath was kindled against us Ver. 4 3. His other similitude is from waters Then the proud waters had gone over our soul And in the verse before Then the waters had overwhelmed us the stream had gone over our soul He compares the Enemies Army to a swelling Torrent that carries all before it 3. Ver. 6 Next acknowledgeth the deliverance and gives thanks to the Authour to be God alone He gives thanks for it Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us over as a prey into their teeth The deliverance was beyond expectation which he illustrates by another similitude of a Bird taken in but escaping out of a snare unexpectedly 1. Ver. 7 Our soul is escaped as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler taken to be killed 2. The snare is broken and we are delivered the Fowler is deceived of his prey 4. Ver. 8 He concludes the Psalm with a gratulatory Epiphonema 1. And relies on God Our help is in the Name of the Lord. The Church relies in all dangers upon God whether they be assaulted openly as by Bears and Wolves or secretly as the Fowler layes wait for the Bird yet her help is in Gods protection and tutelage 2. Who made Heaven and Earth i. e. The Creatour who hath all things in his hand and power and therefore is able to deliver us The Prayer EXcept thou Ver. 1 O Omnipotent and Merciful God shalt by thy power and favour assist and help us our enemies Swords drawn out against us must néeds dispatch and consume us for their wrath is so kindled against us that as Wolves and Bears devour the poor flock so have they rush'd into amongst us and desired to swallow us quick when they seditiously and rebelliously rose up against us yea the déep waters of the proud hath overwhelmed and gone over our soul Sought they have to swéep us away as a mighty Torreut and over-run us at once as an unexpected inundation doth the lower vallies And what they could not do by violence that they have attempted by close and secret practices for they have set snares for our souls as the crafty Fowler doth for the innocent Bird. O Lord avert thy anger from us and take not vengeance upon us according to our deserts be not wanting to thy own Ordinances to thy Name thy Truth which with us is like to suffer Bring to pass that we may at last say Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us over for a prey unto their teeth let their nets be broken Ver. 6 their plots vissolved weaken their strength and bring to naught their counsels and make a way for our souls to escape as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler from thée alone which hast made Heaven and Earth we look for help therefore we humbly beséech thée that for thy infinite goodness and mercy Ver. 8 thou wouldst be propitious to our prayers and deliver us from these fierce bloody and subtile enemies for the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSALM CXXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IT is the purpose of the Prophet to comfort the Church of God 1. The Sume By an assurance of her perpetuity both from Gods presence and protection ver 1 2. 2. That though God suffer them to be chastised by the wicked yet he will not leave them under the rod ver 3. 3. He prayes for the good 4. Sets down the portion of the wicked ver 4 5. 1. The first part In the beginning of the Psalm the Prophet sets down a general promise of the perpetuity of the Church because of Gods continual presence with her Ver. 1 And shews to whom it belongs 1. They that trust in the Lord. That trust in him The Church shall continue not with a vain confidence and presumption but that rely upon him by faith not fained out of a pure heart and a good conscience and aftervent love 2. These shall be as mount Zion which cannot be moved secure and immovable as is Zion not only immovable because a mountain but because a holy mountain consecrated and dear to God 3. Which the Prophet farther explains and assigns a perpetual duration to it but abides for ever which is a comfort to the Church Because God protects it of which Zion was the Type No tempest no storm no persecution no enemy shall destroy it Of which the Prophet gives a reason in the next verse by a Similitude for Zion which was in Jerusalem hath the mountains round about it for a wall of defence 't is not easie for an enemy to approach Jerusalem nor to take It was a Virgin-City never taken but twice and then when God took away his protection from it and delivered it to the hand and will of the Babylonians and Romans Which protection he will never take from his Church and therefore the Church is unexpugnable 1. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem 2. So the Lord is round about his people A wall of fire round about Ver. 2 Zach. 2. 3. From henceforth even for ever They that trust in the Lord shall be alwayes safe and secure for though they be temporally afflicted yet all shall work for their good He may take from them their wealth health c. yet he gives something better patience comfort with hope of eternal glory 2. Which the Prophet confirms preventing an objection The second part What shall those that trust in the Lord be safe and secure How comes it to passe then that they are oppressed to which the Prophet by way of prevention answers The power of the wicked shal never destroy it He grants it may be so but the oppression is not to continue The power of the wicked shall be over the just for their probation for their trial and correction but it shall not rest upon them it
Lord. Vers. 7 The administration of his Kingdom is 1. Eternal The Lord shall endure for ever Vers. 8 2. His Office to be Judge He hath prepared his Throne for judgement 3. He is an universal Judge He shall judge the whole world 4. He is a just Judge He shall judge in righteousness Which begets a confidence in his people he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness 5. He is a merciful Judge to his people Vers. 9 For the Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in time of trouble 5. The effect or consequent upon this his execution of justice which is the confidence thence arising in the hearts of his people which are here describ'd by their knowledge of God 2. Seeking him Vers. 10 They that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee 2. An Exhortation to others to praise God 2 He exhorts others to praise God Sing praises to the Lord that dwells in Zion that is in the midst of his people and Church to defend them Declare among the people his doings The second part Of which he assigns the reason that he is a just God and will require their blood at the hands of those that oppressed and slew them Vers. 11 An inquisition for blood he will make And when he makes inquisition for blood For his justice he remembreth them the innocent unjustly oppressed and slain Vers. 12 and forgets not the cry of the humble The cry of their blood shall be heard 3. A Petition for himself that God would shew him mercy 3 He Petitions for favour and look upon his affliction Have mercy upon me O Lord The third part consider the trouble of them that hate me thou that lifts me up from the gates that is the power of death Vers. 13 As if he had said Do by me now as thou hast done heretofore And the Reason or Argument by which he perswades God to hear him and shew mercy is drawn from the final cause Vers. 14 he looks not so much upon himself as Gods honour it is That he may have just cause to praise God which he vows That I may shew thy praise 2. All thy praise 3. In thy Church in the gates of the daughter of Zion 4. That I may do it with joyful lips 5. Which I will do I will rejoice in thy salvation 4. And then as if he were shewing forth this praise in the Congregation The fourth part he sings forth his Song of Triumph his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over his enemies in Metaphors And performs in a Song of Triumph 1. The heathen are sunk down into the pit that they made 2. In the net which they hid is their own foot taken 3. This is the Lords doing Vers. 15 Therefore though wicked men did doubt before of his providence and justice yet Vers. 16 now the Lord is known by the judgement he executes For 4. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah Which is a thing exceedingly to be meditated on and not forgotten 5. The wicked shall be turn'd to hell and all the people that forget God Vers. 17 their breath is in their nostrils and dye they must which is some comfort to those they oppress and if they repent not Vers. 18 suffer eternal punishment 2. But the chief comfort is The fifth part is A Petition and proceeds from Gods justice and his goodness toward the innocent unjustly oppressed For the needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever Their hope shall not be frustrate Vers 19 5. The Conclusion is Petitory Arise O Lord. Against the enemies of the Church 1. Let not man prevail over thy people 2. Let the heathen be judg'd in thy sight Vers. 20 3. Put them in fear O Lord now they fear nothing That they may fear being in their height and prosperity they are insolent and proud manifest thy divine presence to their terrour For then 4. And know themselves to be but men They will know themselves to be but men infirm and mortal creatures and not insult over thy people and glory upon their own strength and prosperity The Prayer and Hymn out of the ninth Psalm for the Church in affliction persecuted and oppressed by enemies I Will praise thee Vers. 1 O Lord with my whole heart and I will make known to others as much as in me lies those wonderful works which thou hast done for thy people in all ages Vers. 2 I will not be glad and rejoice so much in the vain and empty things of this life as in thée the giver of them and for that I will sing praise to thy name O thou most high higher than all things in this world and far beyond all praise that I can give For thou Vers. 7 Lord who art from all eternity and shall continue the same for ever Vers. 8 hast prepared thy seat to judge the world on which being ascended thou wilt judge the world in righteousness rewarding every man according to his deserts repaying good things to those who know thy name and séek thée but heavy judgements to those who dishonour thée and oppress thy people Have mercy upon me Vers. 13 O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me Vers. 4 O thou that sittest in the Throne and judgest right maintain my right and my cause Vers. 16 and lift me up from the power of death Make thy self known by executing judgement for me Vers. 3 O let my enemies be turn'd back and perish at thy presence Vers. 18 Forget not the cry of the needy and let not the expectation of the poor perish for ever Vers. 12 Make inquisition for that innocent blood of thy servants which they have poured out like water that cannot be gathered up again and forget not the voice of Abels blood that yet from the earth cryes unto thée O God we have heard with our ears and our Fathers have declared unto us the noble works that thou didst in their dayes and in the old time before them Vers. 5 how thou hast destroy'd the wicked and rebuked the heathen and put out their name for ever and ever Vers. 9 Arise therefore O Lord be a refuge to the oppressed Vers. 19 a refuge in this needful time of trouble let not man prevail and let thy enemies be judged in thy sight Put them in fear O Lord that they may know themselves that they are not God but weak infirm and mortal men Now they are proud of their victories and puff'd up with their successes O break the hardness of their heart with some calamities and fearful disasters that being brought to consider their own frail condition and intolerable insolence they may cease to pride it against thée and thy Church O thou enemy Vers. 6 thou breathest nothing but
as bread 2. 2 That they are guilty Impiety For they call not upon God 4. 1 Of injustice Now that his testimony is true he convinceth them 1. 2 Of impiety By the light of their own conscience An non sibi sunt conscii Have they no knowledge Ver. 4 Know they not that all this is true that they do this and this 1 By the testimony of their own conscience which is naught as Doth not their own heart tell them all this is true 2. By the effect that which follows an evil conscience an extream fear and horrour Trepidarunt trepidatione They are alwayes in an extream fear which shews that all is not well They said there was no God But for all that 3 The effects shew by which he also convicts them their heart tells them That God is in the Generation of the Righteous and they shall dearly answer for the eating up of his people 3. Ver. 5 By a second effect which is their scorn and derision of any good counsel 1 An extream fear and horrour that the man whom they esteemed poor and contemptible gave them If any man who had the fear of God before his eyes chanc'd to say unto them 2 Their desperate contempt of good counsel O my Brethren do not so wickedly they scoff'd at it they made a mock at it and did all they could to shame him for it if he replied That God was his Refuge he whatever they said to the contrary ' trusted in God They made light of it and were apt to return He trusted in God Ver. 6 that he should deliver him let him deliver him now Nay of God himself if he will have him Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor because the Lord is his Refuge The second part of the Psalm The second part contains a Petition for the Church and an exaltation upon the favour exhibited 1. Ver. 7 He prayes that God would send salvation to his people 2. And that it be He prayes for the Church Out of Zion because Christ was set a King upon the holy hill of Zion that is the Church O that the salvation of Israel were out of Zion 2. Of which the consequent would be the joy of his people For then the consequent would be the joy and rejoycing of his people for their deliverance from captivity spiritual and temporal When the Lord turneth the captivity of his people then shall Jacob rejoyce and Israel shall be right glad The Prayer out of the fourteenth Psalm O Most holy and undefiled Majesty in comparison of whose purity all other things are impure we miserable wretches conceived in sin and born in iniquity do confess and acknowledge that we are laden with those fruits growing from that bitter root and that till we are born again by thy Spirit we are wholly corrupt in thy sight the faculties of our souls are very much wounded Ver. 1 so foolish we are and blinded in our understanding that we labour to perswade our selves There is no God no God that knows cares for or will judge the actions of men in this World so averted we are from thée in our wills that we bear no affection at all to that which is good though to compass our own ends we profess to know thée in words yet in déeds we deny thée Ver. 2 for our lives are corrupt our works abominable and such as sends up a stinking savour into thy nostrils there is not one of us that doth the good thou hast commanded not a man that understands as thou hast revealed thy self in thy Word or séek to honour thée to fear thée to put his whole trust and confidence in thée not a man that she we that love he ought to his Neighbour O Lord if thou shalt look down from Heaven Ver. 3 and shalt set thine eyes to consider the wayes of the children of men Thou shalt not sée a wise man amongst us not a man that sets his heart seriously to enquire and religiously to séek after God For we are all gone aside we have béen sway'd by our desires and lusts and turned from thy wayes to our own Ver. 4 we are become unprofitable and filthy and reprobate to every good work Wo wo unto us which are such workers of iniquity against the light of our conscience we have oppressed thy people and with delight devoured them as a man would eat bread daily easily gréedily No religious Bond is able to restrain us for that God whom we should call upon we invoke not that God whom we should honour we worship not Impious wretches we are and leaving then the Well of living water we have digg'd to our selves Pits that will hold no water sacrificing to our own inventions our own arm our own net For this our wickedness thy just judgment hath overtaken us Ver. 5 and we tremble and are afraid lest thou should utterly forsake us thy presence is indéed in the generation and company of the righteous these thou dost defend and kéep secure from fear but our conscience doth so sharply accuse us and the guilt of our malicious wickedness so far load us that we have just reason to fear rejection from thy face and the extreamest of thy wrath and indignation Ver. 6 And so much the more because when thy servants thy Ministers of whom the World was not worthy have given us warning to trust in thée after their example we have laboured to shame them and derided and mocked at their counsel But O Iust God Ver. 6 though thou dost poure out the vials of thy wrath upon the wicked yet in judgment remember mercy and deliver thy people be among the generation of the righteous protect thy servants by their refuge and hide them under the shadow of thy wings till thy anger be over-past Send thy Israel salvation out of Zion that place over which thy Son is King Ver. 7 Bring back thy people from Captivity from the prison and bondage of sin and from the cruel yoke which the Oppressor hath laid upon their necks so shall Jacob rejoyce and Israel shall be glad PSAL. XV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or A Psalm of Doctrine in which we have the Character of a sound Christian TWO parts it hath 1. The first delivered in form of a Dialogue betwixt the Prophet and God from ver 1. to 5. The first part Davids question Who shall dwell 2. The Epiphonema in the end of the last verse 1. The question proposed by David to God 1. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle 2. Who shall rest upon thy holy Hill That is because all are not Israel Ver. 1 which are of Israel therefore David asks of God 2 The answer made by God containing the Notes of a good man who shall dwell as a true Member in the Tabernacle or the Church Militant and who shall rest in the Church Triumphant 2. To which question God returns
hence I shall dwell with thée in that celestial house above and with them sing Honour and Glory to thee who sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for evermore Amen PSAL. XXIV Of Christs Dominion and the Church and his Ascension THE Subject of this Psalm is Christ calld The King of Glory vers 7. And it hath two parts 1. The first that concerns Christs Lordship which is in general over the whole world vers 1 2. But in particular the Church from vers 3. to vers 7. 2. An Exhortation to all men to receive Christ for their King The first part of this Psalm shews that God is King of all the world The first part Christs Dominion but in his Kingdom he hath two kind of Subjects 1. Either all men in general For the earth is the Lords Vers. 1 and all that therein is the compass of the world and they that dwell therein 1 Over all And of it he gives a reason from the Creation of it He ought to have the dominion of it Vers. 2 and all in it For he hath founded it upon the Seas and establish'd it upon the floods 2. But all are not his Subjects in the same way There are a people 2 Over the Church whom he hath call'd to be his Subjects in another manner A Mountain there is which he hath sanctified and chosen above all other Hills to make the Seat of his Kingdom 't is the Church and over them that live in it he is in a more peculiar manner said to be a Lord than of the whole earth And these are more properly call'd his Servants and Subjects And yet among these there is a difference too For some only profess to be his Servants and call him Lord as Hypocrites some other there are that are his Servants really and truly And that this difference be taken notice of the Prophet asks Quis Vers. 3 Who shall ascend into the bill of the Lord And Who shall stand in his holy place In which some of his Subject are hypocrites As if he should say Not Quisquis 'T is not every one for Infidels are not so much as in the Church Hypocrites howsoever in the Church are no true Members of the Mystical Church and some which come to the Hill of the Lord yet stand not in his Holy place For many believe only for a season and few continue faithful to death 3. That then it be truly known 2 Others true Subjects Their Characters who they are over whom he is truly Rex gloriae The King of glory The Prophet gives us their Character and sets down three distinctive Notes by which they may be known 1. Cleanness of hands He that hath clean hands à cade furto c. Vers. 4 is free from all external wicked actions 1 Clean hands For the hand is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Purity of heart For external purity is not enough except the heart 2 A pure heart the Fountain of our actions be clean Hypocrisis est in cor consentiat 3. Truth of the tongue is not guilty of lyes and perjuries 3 A true tongue He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity nor sworne deceitfully After that the Prophet had given the Character by which you may know the man he then assigns his reward and ends with an acclamation 1. Their reward a blessing This is he that shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness i. e. be justified from the God of his Salvation 2. Vers. 5 Vers. 6 This is the generation of them that seek thee i. e. These are the people of God Because these are alone the people of God let other boast themselves and please themselves as they list yet these are the godly party these they that seek thy face O Jacob i.e. O God of Jacob. This part is an Exhortation to all men in the whole world The second part especially Princes Nobles He exhorts all to receive Christ Magistrates that they receive acknowledge and worship Christ as King 1. Life up your heads O ye gates i. e. O you Princes that sit in the gates Vers. 7 lift up your heads and hearts be ye lift up you everlasting doors portae mundi and the King of glory shall come in 2. Vers. 8 To which good counsel the Prophet brings in the Princes asking this Question in scorn and contempt Which they deride Who is the King of glory To which he answers The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battle I tell you who he is To their ruine one able to destroy you and will destroy you if you reject him For he is far beyond all the strength and power of men He is the Lord mighty in Battle Dominus excercituum And that his Exhortation pierce the deeper he ingeminates it with the answer vers 9 10. I know this last part is otherwise interpreted and I dislike it not See Bellarmine The Prayer out of Psalm 24. which was composed to be Sung on the Sabbath O Omnipotent God the Creatour and preserver of the whole Vniverse Vers. 1 who art Lord of the whole earth of whose fulness all partake and to whom all that dwell in the world owe homage and subjection For thou hast created the Globe of this earth upon which we tread Vers. 2 and so immoveably founded and fixed it upon the floods that the violence of the Sea doth not overwhelm it nor the waves thereof ascend above it We acknowledge that the whole stock of men that walk upon this earth and are sustain'd from it as they are thy creatures so they are thy vassals and that thou hast a just dominion over them This is an Argument of thy Power and Majesty But thy love to man-kind hath far more abounded in that out of all Nations thou hast cast thy eye upon a select company vouchsafed to call them into thy Church Vers. 3 in which thou hast set thy Seat as sometime in Mount Zion that thou wilt dwell among these be adored by these and give a favourable answer to the petitions that these shall make unto thée Of these thou requirest integrity purity fidelity Clean hands a pure heart Vers. 4 and a faithful tongue These are the generation that séek thée and to these thou hast promised thy blessing thy mercy Grant therefore O Lord. that we may have hands clensed from all impure actions a heart frée from all hypocrisie and base affections a tongue that will never take thy Name in vain either rashly deceitfully or maliciously but that in heart word and déed we may be so sincere that we may be accompted by thée of that number who are worthy to ascend into the Hill of the Lord and dwell remain and continue in thy Holy place O Lord afford us thy grace thus to seek thee and then we shall never despair of thy blessings and
the Ark or else by the setling of it in the Temple by Solomon to foretel the Ascension of Christ into heaven who was the true Ark of the Covenant and the Propitiatory Then there was a Jubilee and so there must be at the remembrance of this It contains a Prophesie of Christs Kingdom and it hath two especial parts First Christs ascension typified An invitation to sing praises to Christ Secondly The reasons that perswade to it 1. Vers. 5 The Ascension of Christ is under the Arks ascension typified Verse 5. God is gone up with a shout His invitation to praise God for it the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet 2. Upon which he invites that we do that at this feast which was then done Vers. 1 viz. That we clap hands and sing praises That this be done 1. Cheerfully O clap your hands for clapping of hands is an outward sign of inward joy Nahum 3.19 2. Universally O clap hands all ye people 3. Vers. 6 Vocally Shout unto God with the voice of melody 4. Frequently Sing praises sing praises sing praises sing praises vers 6. And again sing praises vers 7. It cannot be done too often 5. Knowingly and discreetly Sing ye praises with understanding know the reason why you are to praise him 3. Now these reasons are drawn from his Greatness and his Goodness 2 The reasons to perswade to it 1. He is Great He is the Lord the most high 2. Terrible 3. A great King over all the earth All power at his Ascension 1 God great given to him in heaven and earth Vers. 2 2. He is a Good God Vers. 7 1. In collecting his Church by subduing the Nations 2 Good and that in four respects not by a Sword but by his Word and Spirit by which he would subdue their iniquities the iniquity of the Jew first Vers. 3 and then of the Gentile For the Law was to come out of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem To the discipline of that Religion and Service which we profess both were to submit and therefore both might well be said to be subdued to us and be brought under our feet Vers. 4 2. In honoring and rewarding his Church He shall chuse out an heritage for us even the worship of Jacob whom he loved 1. His Church was his choice A chosen generation a select people 2. His heritage for he will dwell among them and provide an inheritance for them blessings on earth and an inheritance in heaven 3. This is the worship and glory of Jacob of Jacob after the Spirit the Kingdom Priest-hood and all the promises made unto Jacob and the Fathers being theirs 4. The cause His love only He chose Vers. 7 c. because he loved 3. In increasing and amplifying his Church God is the King now of all the earth not of the Jews only For he reigneth over the heathen also He sits upon a Throne of Holiness rules by his Holy Word and Spirit making them Holy who were unholy 2. Yea and a willing people also For the Princes of the people are gathered together even the people of the God of Abraham 4. In protecting his Church whether by himself Vers 9 or by the Princes he raiseth up for her defence For the shields of the earth belong unto God Princes and Prelates are shields of the Church but God is the chief He is greatly exalted The Eucharistical Prayer collected out of the forty seventh Psalm O Lord God who hast exalted thy Son Iesus Christ with great Triumph into the Kingdom of heaven we beséech thée leave us not comfortless but send to us thy Holy Spirit to comfort us and exalt us to the same place whither our Saviour is gone before And thou O blessed Saviour Vers. 5 who when thou hadst finished our Redemption on earth didst ascend to the beaven in great glory and Majesty Vers. 2 and satest down on the right-hand of thy Father and art become the Lord the most high terrible and a great King over all the earth receive the petitions of thy humble Servants present them at the Throne of Grace and make intercession for us Subdue the people by the power of thy Spirit Vers. 3 and bring the Nations under thy féet by the sharp edge of thy Word Cause those who are yet strangers and aliens from thy worship to fall low before thée and perswade all those who are yet afar off to come néer and to embrace thy Gospel and the truth and equity of thy Law The time was Vers. 4 when in Judah only God was known and thy Name was great in Israel it was the excellency of Jacob which thou didst love but now thou hast merited Vers. 7 and art ordained to be the King of all the earth since therefore thou hast chosen these also for thine inheritance Vers. 4 reign thou even over the Heathen Vers. 8 and subduing their iniquities sit upon thy Throne of Holiness among them O happy day Vers. 9 when not the meanest and lowest but the greatest and the noblest when the Princes of the people shall be gathered together and be united to the people of the God of Abraham being all worshippers of the same God professors of one and the same Faith and partakers of one and the same mercy For then should the name of our God who is truly the shield and defence of his people be greatly exalted in the earth The praises of our God should then be in our mouths Vers. 7 and with-wisdom and understanding should we sing our Psalms heart and hand affections and work being every way agréeable to our Psalmodie O Lord infinite and wonderful are thy wayes and works toward the children of men but the work of Redemption by the blood of thy dear Son farre excéeds them all For this love for this mercy O work upon our hearts to sing praises to thy honour our tongues to sing praises to thy glory our lips to shout with the voice of melody O all ye Saints of his Vers. 1 Clap your hands for joy shout for triumph sing praises to God Vers. 5 sing praises sing praises to our King sing praises Let hands and tongue and works and words be ready prest to sing praises to the God of Jacob. Amen PSAL. XLVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 UNder the Type Jerusalem is set down the happiness of the Church which is alwayes protected by Gods favour Three parts there are of this Psalm 1. The excellencies and priviledges of the City of God from vers 1. to 4. 2. A Narration of a miraculous deliverance she obtain'd and upon it the Terrour that fell on her enemies from vers 4. to 8. 3. An Exhortation to consider it and praise God from vers 8. to 15. 1. The first part He begins with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised Great in himself Vers. 1 and greatly to be praised for all things in all
places but especially The excellencies of the Church In the City of our God in the Mountain of Holiness Then he descends to set forth the Excellencies and Ornaments of the Church 1. It is the City of God Built govern'd by him He resides there 2. It is a Holy Mountain The Religion in it Holy The people a Holy people 3. Vers. 2 It is Beautiful for Situation God had put his beauty upon it 4. The joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion The joy of all the Land of Juda then and after of the whole earth Because the Law was to come out of Zion 5. The City of the great King that is God He founded it and rules in it Vers. 3 6. God is known in her Palaces In her is the knowledge of God yea and by an experimental knowledge to be an Asylum a sure refuge 2. And well it is that it is so for Jerusalem i.e. The Church hath many The second part The enemies of the Church and great enemies which vers 5. the Prophet begins to describe and desires that notice be taken of them for he points them out with an Ecce Fâ—r Lo. 1. They are many and powerful They were Kings a plurality of them Vers. 4 2. Confederate Kings The Kings were assembled Many and Mighty But prevail nor Vis unita fortior But all the endeavours of these Kings of these Confederate Kings came to nothing 1. They passed by together Together they came and together they vanished Vers. 5 2. They saw they wondered They saw the strength of this City and wondered how it should be so strangely delivered out of their hands And troubled at it 3. And upon it they were troubled they trembled and hasted away Fear took hold upon them Which the Prophet illustrates by a double Similitude 1. By a travailing woman Fear and trembling took hold upon them Vers. 6 as upon a woman in travail 2. By the fear of Mariners at Sea Vers. 7 when an Euroclydon threatens to tear their shâ—p Their amazement was such Gods protection of her as when Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an East-wind 3. Now follows the third part of the Psalm The third part in which are two especial points 1. A grateful acknowledgement of Gods protection of his Church 1 Gratitude Vers. 8 as he promised As we have heard so have we seen in the City of our God Heard we have that he will protect this City and we see that he hath done it and perswaded we are that he will alwayes do it God upholds the same for ever 2. And this shall never be forgotten by us Vers. 9 We have thought upon thy Name O Lord and loving-kindness in the midst of thy Temple 3. And so thought of it as to praise thee for it According to thy Name so is thy praise O God to the ends of the earth Vers. 10 All the earth shall know that thy righ-hand is full of righteousness That thou with a powerful hand dost help thy people oppressed with injuries and dost punish their enemies by which thou dost give a manifest evidence of thy righteousness and justice The other point of the third part is an Exhortation to Gods people 1. That they exult and rejoice for that which God does for them 2 To which the Church is incited Let Mount Zion rejoice let the daughters of Judah be glad because of thy judgements in defending thy Church Vers. 11 in punishing their enemies 2. That they take especial notice of his miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem with all the particulars of it that notwithstanding the Army was great that lay against it yet no harm was done to any part of it Walk about Zion and go round about her and tell the Towers thereof Vers. 12 Mark ye well her bulwarks and consider her palaces See mark consider whether they are not all yet standing entire 3. And do it for this That you may tell it to the generation following Vers. 13 Leave it upon Record how miraculously God hath delivered you 4. Now for this there is good reason For this God Vers. 14 This God that so protects and defends his Church and takes revenge for us is our God by Covenant and promise for ever and ever and he will for ever keep this Covenant with us He will be our guide even unto death and in death Leave us he will not when all the world leaves us Therefore exult rejoice mark it and make it known to the generation to come The Prayer collected out of the forty eighth Psalm O Lord God of Israel Vers. 1 thou which dwellest betwixt the Cherubints thou art the God even thou alone of all the Kingdoms of the earth and yet amongst these thou hast erected to thy self an everlasting Kingdom and set thy King upon thy Holy Hill of Zion this thou hast chosen to be the City of our God the Mountain of Holiness This thou hast seated on a fruitful Hill ordained to be the joy of the whole earth In this City of the great king and in her Palaces thou hast hitherto made thy self known for a sure refuge Lord bow down thine ears and hear Lord now open thine eyes and see for lo the Kings of Nations are assembled they passed by together and are confederate against thee they lay their heads together with one consent and take counsel how they may lay Jerusalem in the dust O Lord let not our sins be of more power to destroy than thy mercy to save this thy City shew thy strength and come and help us let all our enemies be troubled let them hast away let fear take hold suddenly upon them as the pangs upon a woman in travail Break their power and dissipate their Armies as ships at Sea are broken to pieces by some violent and unexpected wind O Lord we have heard with our ears and our fathers have declared unto us what thou hast done in the dayes of old As we have heard so let it be seen in the City of our God make us experimentally to know that thou wilt establish this thy City thy Church for ever So shall we have just reason to think of thy loving-kindness and to magnifie thy mercy in the midst of thy Temple Vers. 13 to praise thy name to the ends of the Earth to exalt thy right-hand so full of righteousness to speak of thy judgements and to tell of all thy wonderous works to all generations to come O let Mount Zion rejoice and the daughters of Judah be glad for the bulwarks that yet stand fast and the palaces that flourish proclaim that this God is our God for ever and ever that he is a great Lord and greatly to be praised and that he will be our guide unto death Amen PSAL. XLIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AND the Doctrine it teacheth is That rich men be not proud of their wealth nor poor men dejected and troubled at their mean estate since all
the righteous but in that morning the upright shall have dominion over them They and their beauty shall consume together in the grave when the Lord shall exalt his Servants to eternal Glory Good God when thou hast blessed us with wealth and when we abound in honour give us understanding hearts that we think on these things that our time is short our riches vain our houses frail our honours fading that there is a life after this in which we must be happy or miserable so then let us set our hearts upon these transitory advantages that we never forget the desire of that life to come so use this World as if we used it not making it a passage to the celestial Canaan Amen PSAL. L. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Prophet by a Prosopopeia brings in God prescribing rules for his Worship The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then or the main debate in this Psalm is How God will be honour'd in his Church which because that none can teach but God himself therefore he brings him in speaking to his people Two general parts it hath 1. The Majesty and Authority of the person that is to judge this debate described from vers 1. to 7. 2. The sentence by him given from vers 7. to 23. The Prophet begins with an Elegant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calls an Assize The first part The Majesty and Authority of God the Judge summons a Court presents us with a Judge produceth Witnesses cites those who are to answer and having seated the Judge on the Throne gives forth his charge 1. He presents the Judge in Authority and Majesty The mighty God Vers. 1 even the Lord hath spoken He is Deus Deorum other gods there may be so called so feined but he is the God Almighty over them all vers 1. 2. The place whence he comes to judge is his Church Out of Zion the perfection of beauty God hath shined To Zion the Law was given and out of Zion the Law was to come according to which Law he would judge and therefore it was rightly said That out of Zion the Lord hath shined 3. His coming to judgement is like to be terrible It was so Vers. 3 when he gave his Law upon Mount Sinai and 't is like to be so when he shall come to require it Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about 2 Pet. 3.10 Luk. 21.25 26. Secondly Those that are cited here to appear before him Vers. 5 are call'd his Saints not only those who are truly such but all that bear the name Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me with Sacrifice i. e. undertaken to worship me as I have appointed Not as if others were excluded and should not come to judgement but because those they are who know his Will with whom God hath the contest in this place Vers. 1 Thirdly Against these he produceth his Witnesses The heavens the earth The Lord hath called the earth from the rising of the Sun Vers. 4 unto the going down thereof He shall call to the heavens above and to the earth that he may judge his people And the heavens shall declare his righteousness Witness his judgement to be just and other it could not be For God is Judge himself Next follows the Charge given by God himself the Judge to which The second part The charge at the Tribunal that he might win attention he thus prefaceth Hear O my people and I will speak O Israel and I will testifie against thee I am God even thy God Vers. 7 1. I am God therefore worship and obedience is due to me from all creatures 2. I am thy God thou my people therefore due from thee especially 3. I will speak judge and determine this Controversie about my Worship 4. I will testifie against thee and convince thee for what is amiss A double Worship there is 1. Ceremonial and External 2. 1 About outward worship Spiritual and Moral and I will speak and testifie of both First A duty then there was owing in Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Law which indeed I expect because I have commanded but let no man think that I am satisfied with the outward Act except they be brought perform'd and offer'd with an honest heart 1. I will not then reprove thee for thy Sacrifices or thy burnt-offerings Vers. 8 to have been continually before me These thou bringest and these I accept and that thou according to my Ordinance thou hast brought I reprove not But that thou think'st that by this External service howsoever performed 2 About inward worship without the outward rejected I am pleased and that for these thou deservest a pardon that is it which I reprove 2. For I without an inward reflexion upon that obedience unto my command and a sincere and loving faithful penitent heart in the offer of them will never think my self honour'd Vers. 9 I will take no Bullock out of thy house nor he-goats out of thy folds And that for two reasons 1. First I need them not I am rich and Opulent For every beast of the Forrest is mine Vers. 10 and the Cattle upon a thousand Hills I know all the fowls of the Mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine Vers. 11 if I were hungry I will not tell thee for the world is mine and the fulness thereof 2. My perfection is such that I need it not The gods of the Heathen may be pleased and fed as their Hierophantae taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indore carnium with the fumes of their Sacrifices and complain of starving when they were detain'd But think'st thou that I will eat the flesh of bulls Vers. 12 or drink the blood of goats I need no meat of thy provision Upon these terms then these Sacrifices though of mine own institution please me not Ex antithesi then I shall acquaint thee with those Sacrifices that worship which will please 2. Inward worship required which hath two parts And here begins the second part of the Charge concerning Moral and Spiritâ—â— Worship which is Synecdochically declared by the two parts of prayer Thanksgiving and Petition or Invocation 1. Vers. 14 Thankfulness he expects Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most High 2. Vers. 15 Invocation he looks for And call upon me in the day of trouble Which being done he makes an Indenture with us 1. On his part that he will deliver us I will deliver thee 2. On our part that we return him the Glory of our deliverance And thou shalt glorifie me 3. No worship accepted from hypocrites And yet here he puts in his exception against some men viz. Hypocrites and impious men For praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner and a petition presented by an obstinate rebellious profane soul shall not be heard To such he
indulgence to this sin In giving him 1. A right spirit there was a crooked and perverse spirit that had prevailed over him he judged not as he did before of Gods Law but perversly opposed it he desires that God would give him a spirit to judge rightly as he did before and firmly to resolve to keep to that was the right and strait way to happiness Renew O Lord in me a right Spirit 2. A holy Spirit The profane carnal spirit is opposed to this 2 A boly spirit and to that he hearkned by this holy Spirit he was wont to be carried which opposed all carnality but such good and sweet motions he perceived to be departed and therefore he desires of God a restitution of this holy Spirit this sanctifying and renewing Spirit that might again kindle in him the love of God holy motions agreeable to Gods Law and an obedience to the same Take not thy holy Spirit from me 3. A free Spirit He found that ever since he fell into his sin he did his duty 3 A free spirit and served his God with an ill will with much reluctancy he took no delight in the doing of it as he did before this therefore he begs that God would again give and restore to him a free Spirit that freely chearfully willingly he might run the way of Gods Commandments and that he would so uphold him with his Spirit that he might constantly continue in the same to his lives end Uphold me O Lord with thy free Spirit 2. Hitherto the Prophet hath presented his three Petitions The second part of the Psalm in which he vows three things and upon the confidence of these he makes his vows first to teach others secondly to praise God thirdly to offer him the best sacrifice a sacrifice which should be instead of all sacrifices which he knew would accept a contrite heart 1. Then that is after my pardon obtained and my reconciliation unto thee I shall teach Ver. 13 for a man under guiltiness himself is not meet to speak and declare a pardon to others His first vow to teach others 2. I will teach thy wayes to sinners not my wayes of sinning but thy methods of pardoning viz. That to the stubborn thou wilt shew thy self froward and stubborn but to the penitent such as I am thou wilt shew mercy 3. And the effect will be That sinners shall be converted unto thee They who were perverted before and averted from thee being encouraged by the mercy I have found shall be converted 2. His second vow to praise God His second vow and promise is to praise God My tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness Ver. 14 my mouth shall shew forth thy praise But to this he was unapt so long as he remained in his sin Ver. 15 for praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner And also unable to do without Gods special assistance But because not fit to do this he prayes and therefore he prayes for a capacity to do both 1. 1 For remission Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God and then my tongue shall sing 2. 2 For assistance O Lord open my lips and then my mouth shall shew forth thy praise 3. His third vow is about a sacrifice which should be better than any then in use not the sacrifice of a beast but the sacrifice of a heart a heart well-conditioned His Preface to his third vow Negatively That God delights not in sacrifices seasoned with contrition and sorrow such he knew God would accept and such he should have 1. Thou desirest no sacrifice That is the outward in comparison of the inward would the outward please I would not be behind for that also I would give it thee but I know Thou delightest not in burnt-offerings without the heart 2. Nor in the heart till contrite No nor with the heart neither till it be broken and contrite broken for sin and contrite for meer love that it hath offended so good a Father I vowe therefore to bring thee this sacrifice this is instead of all other instead of many sacrifices this thou wilt not despise and this I will tender The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit His third vow a contrite heart The third part in which he prayes for the Church a broken and a contrite heart Thou O God wilt not despise 3. David having finished his prayers and vows for himself forgets not to petition for Jerusalem for Gods Church and the reason might be a religious fear in him lest for his sin Jerusalem might suffer such a thing might happen for so it did when he numbred the people Peccant Reges plectuntur Achivi His method was to be commended and his charity 1. His method first to be reconciled to God himself before he prayes for others for the prayers of a righteous man prevails much and the Apostle speaks of intercession 2. His charity for we are alwayes bound to remember the afflictions of Joseph and to pray for the peace of Jerusalem He prayes then for her 1. Ver. 18 That God who out of his good pleasure did choose a Church would out of his meer good will and love preserve it 1 That God protect his Church Do good in thy good pleasure to Zion 2. That he would have a special favour even to the material buildings Build thou the walls of Jerusalem 2 Even the walls for these fall not alone Religion and the Service of God fall when the Temple and Houses of God fall to ruine Probatum est 3. Then Religion would flourish For the consequence of Jerusalems prosperity would be this That Religion would flourish with it Then there would be sacrifices burnt-offerings and Holocausts Ver. 19 then they shall offer Bullocks upon thine Altar And which is yet more we shall offer And God pleased with it and thou shalt accept Then thou shalt be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness We being reconciled unto thee justified sanctified righteous upon thy account and in favour all our sacrifices shall find a gracious acceptance The Prayer collected out of the fifty first Psalm O Almighty Lord and most merciful God thou hast shewed compassion to many penitent sinners since the very beginning of the World thou never rejectedst any that sought to thée with a penstent soul and therefore Lord since thou art the same and no shadow of change in thée I beféech thée cloze not that door of mercy on me that hath béen opened to receive so many before me and let not those Rivers of compassion be dried up to me that have flowed so plentifully to others Have mercy on me O Lord on me Ver. 1 that have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am not worthy to be called thy son but according to thy goodness and multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquities I know Lord thou hast thy debt-book wherein thou writest the
I never more fall from thée but with a frée willing loving and an ingenuous soul I may constantly kéep the strait paths of thy Commandments all the dayes of my life this this will be an assurance unto me That I am restored to the joy of thy salvation And being restored my self I shall first labour to confirm my Brethren and then also I shall praise thée I will teach sinners in the way as my example hath seduced them so shall my exemplary Repentance again reduce them I will shew them my tears by which I have recovered thy grace my sorrow my confession by which I have pacified thy wrath what they are to do if they will recover thy favour and how ready thou art to forgive and be reconciled if they do it by which many a poor sinner shall be converted to thee And then they with me and I with them shall sing aloud of thy righteousness That thou art a righteous God that punishest the wicked and impenitent a righteous God that hast promised and performest thy Word in pardoning the believing penitent O Gd of my salvation open my lips which my sin hath shut up and closed and my tongue shall sing of thy mercies all the day long which being offered upon the Altar of a broken tender melting and contrite heart thou hast promised to accept Wouldst thou be pleased with the first-born of my body for the sin of my soul I would not detain it Hadst thou any delight in the fat of Rams or sed Beasts I would bind these sacrifices with cords even to the horns of the Altar but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings but he that offereth thée thanks and praise he honoureth thée but he that brings a heart broken for his sin he pleaseth thée and to him that presents a soul truly contrite that he hath offended so kind a Father thou wilt look this broken heart I bring to thée this contrite spirit I bere sacrifice before thée O Lord accept of this offering of me thy thankful but weak and miserable except thou be merciful servant And in the last place being perswaded that I am reconciled unto thée Ver. 18 I pray not for my self alone but for thy whole Church Do good in thy good pleasure to Zion and build thou the walls of Jerusalem When thy servants think upon her stones it pitieth them to sée her in the dust my sins as well as others have brought upon her this ruine but Lord turn from thy fierce wrath and once more repair her breaches let this City flourish once again let peace be within her Walls and plenteousness within her Palaces but especially a happy progress in true Religion and fear of thy Name Then shalt thou be pleased not with burnt-offerings and oblations Ver. 19 but with the calves of our lips and Hymns and Psalms which they who confess thy Name shall sing melodiously in their hearts to thée O my God I will sing of thy Name and exalt thy power and mercy for ever Amen PSAL. LII THIS Psalm was composed by occasion of Doegs cruelty in falling upon and slaying the Priests of God 1 Sam. 21 22. and the Subject is Doegs malice and Gods goodness Three parts there are in this Psalm 1. An Invective against Doeg and his fall from ver 1. to 6. 2. The comfort that Gods people should take in it ver 6. 3. The security and flourishing estate of those who trust in God and Davids thanks for it ver 9. 1. David begins with an abrupt Apostrophe to Doeg The first part and figures it by an Erotesis Why boastest thou thy self in mischief thou Mighty man and answers Ver. 1 that this boasting was but vain The goodness of God endures continually An invective against Doeg 1. His Character which was enough to quiet any soul that was affrighted with his brags and threats And so having put this black character upon him that he was a malicious bloody man and arrived to that height of impudence that he boasted in mischief he descends to particulars and sets him out in his colours especially by the ill use of that part by which he did most mischief his tongue 1. Thy tongue worketh mischief like a Rasor working deceitfully 1. Which is an instrument to cut the Beard but it comes too near the Throat 2. When this is done a deceit there is in it for the man who came under the edge of the Rasor expected no such usage 2. Thou lovest evil more than good His wickedness was habitual he bore a love to it 3. Thou lovest lying rather than to speak righteousness An enemy he was to the truth and by lyes and flatteries ready to destroy good men 4. Which David in the next verse more plainly expresseth Thou lovest all devouring words O thou false tongue he was as it were all tongue and wholly false and deceitful This is his Character now David foretels his ruine and total destruction which he amplifies from the Author by a Congeries of words 2 His ruine God shall likewise destroy thee for ever he shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the Land of the living The Rooters up of Gods Priests shall be unrooted 2. The second part The comfort Gods people take in it Then follows how Gods people should be affected upon Doegs fall 1. They The Righteous shall set it and fear fear and reverence God more than before as taking a just revenge on a wicked man 2. And they shall laugh at him using this bitter Sarcasm Lo this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthned himself in his wickedness This ruine is justly hapned to him he trusted in his gold more than God and by adding one wickedness to another thought to strengthen himself But such a fearful end shall not fall upon David The third part The flourishing estate of the good not any good man when a wicked man shall be unrooted he shall flourish as an Olive that is never destitute of leaves nor fruit a good and bad man are here opposed and their successes 1. As for me I am like a green Olive Tree fruitful and green 2. An Olive Tree planted in the House of God without which the fruits are but sowre and the leaves bare leaves only 3. His faith is the cause of it An Olive lasts long two hundred years and long liv'd a good man shall be for ever and ever to a good life longaevity is promised here hereafter eternity 4. And the Reason of all this the good mans faith I trust in the mercy of God Upon which his Conclusion being full of confidence Which is accompanied with praise and hope and expectancy follows 1. I will praise thee for ever because thou hast done it 2. And I will wait on thy Name for this is good before thy Saints this alone is the foundation of
shall fear and shall declare the work of God for they shall then wisely consider it is his doing Digitus hic Dei But the effect that this their punishment shall have on the righteous will be other viz. not only consider it and fear and acknowledge his justice but 1. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord rejoyce for the revenge God hath taken 3 On the righteous 2. 1 Joy in God And shall trust in him that he will alwayes protect and deliver the innocent 2 Confidence 3. 3 Exultation And all the upright in heart shall glory make their boast of God and tell it abroad what their God hath what he will do for them The Prayer collected out of the sixty fourth Psalm THOU O Lord beholdest the mischievous practises of our enemies against us from thée it is not hid how they whet their tongues as a Sword and shoot out their arrows even bitter words secretly they wound us that are of a true heart and suddenly they aim and hurt us that have not deserved it from their hands They are obstinate and confirmed in mischief They take counsel together and encourage themselves privily they lay snares for us being destitute of any fear of thée our God or careless of the law of man indefatigable they are in their wayes and every day searching new devises to ruine us the inward thought of every one of them and their heart are deep and unsearchable But O God thou art our God to thée we flie for help hear our prayers O God preserve our life from fear of the enemy hide as from the secret counsel of the wicked and from the insurrections of the workers of iniquity make their own tongue to fall upon themselves shoot at them with a swift arrow that suddenly they may be wounded Then shall all those that lay to heart their punishment be amazed and flie from them all men shall fear and declare the work of God and wisely consider and lay to heart thy power and justice in the strange punishment of wicked men But as for the righteous having had experience of thy goodness in the fréeing of the innocent he shall be glad in the Lord and trust in thee his God and being secure in thy Providence and Protection and conscious to the uprightness of his own soul he shall glory and make his boast of thee all day long Amen PSAL. LXV Is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm is wholly a Psalm of Thanksgiving and 't is the Prophets purpose to set us a pattern how and for what we are to praise God both for spiritual and temporal blessings and that first for those and then for these and that this praise is most acceptable to him in his Church viz. in Zion Two general parts of it 1. He thanks God for his singular benefits to his Church from ver 1. to 6. 2. He thanks him for the common benefits to all Mankind from ver 6. to the end 1. He sets forth the grace of God to his people The first part An Eucharist to God of which he reckons many particulars 1. That he made choice of Israel to serve worship praise him Ver. 1 Praise waiteth for thee O God in Zion 1 For his Election of Israel and unto thee shall the vow be performed 2. That he was so propitious to hear their prayers Thou that hearest prayer 2 For hearing prayers to thee shall all flesh come all thy afflicted people in their distresses 3. To admit men to confession of which we have here a Form 3 For admitting them to confession My iniquities prevail against me not to extenuate our sins before God but to aggravate them 1. For number iniquities 2. For quantity words or matters of iniquities 3. For efficacy They prevail against me are too mighty for me to conquer without thy grace 4. That he grants us remission and pardon As for our transgressions 4 For remission thou shalt purge them away 5. That he elects a peculiar people to himself 5 For reconciliation to whom also he will after an offence be reconciled in which lies their happiness Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts 6. That he satisfies those that dwell with an honest heart in his Courts 6 For his word and Sacraments with the goodness of his House even of his holy Temple viz. by the comforts of his Word and grace of his Sacraments 7. That he protects defends and governs his people 7 For his protection and governance By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us i. e. our prayers O God of our salvation 1. Thou answerest us when we cry and implore thy help 2. By terrible things as in Egypt by signs and wonders 3. And the motive to it is thy justice He concludes with an Elogy of God and his Providence that there be a just revenge taken upon thy enemies and a just retribution to thy people All which he concludes with a double Elogy of God 1. Shewing what he is peculiarly to his people O God of our salvation 2. 1 In special What he is to all The confidence of all the ends of the earth and of them that are afar off upon the Sea for he sustains all be they where they will in him they live The second part and move and have their being 2. And so he descends from his peculiar Providence viz. that care and love and the benefits which from thence flows to his Church 2 In general to speak of his general Providence in ordering and sustaining the whole World of which he gives several instances 1. 1 Ordering Kings He by his strength setteth fast the Mountains being girded with power which literally is true but tropologically Kingdoms Empires 2. He stilleth the noise of the Seas the noise of their waves for to that he sets bounds 2 People and the tumult of the people He stills Divels Tyrants Armies Seditions so that they that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens viz. either the strange signs thou shewest in Heaven above or the Earth beneath or else the vengeance thou bringest on tumultuous seditious men 3. 3 All in Heaven Thou makest the out-goings of the Morning and Evening to rejoyce orderest the course of the Sun Moon Stars 4. Thou visitest the Earth and waterest it thou greatly enrichest it with the River of God 4 On earth which is full of water c. usque ad ver 11. In which the Prophet amplifies this mercy of God viz. That the rain that the Rivers which water the Earth are from Gods store Fertility his blessing the riches it yields the corn it brings forth the fatness the crown of the year is from him 5. They the Clouds the Rivers of God drop upon the Wilderness c. ver 12
defence of Zion his Church for God is among them as in Sinai in the holy place In glory and Majesty there in Sinai and in glory and Majesty here in Zion And yet he hath not done with his Arguments to perswade us to praise God Two Arguments more to praise God 1. The Arks ascension which was a Type of our Saviours Two there are yet behind 1. His strange and wonderful works 2. And the performance of his promises Now among his great works there was none so glorious as was the Ascension of our Saviour of which the Arks ascension to Jerusalem at this time was a type and therefore he instanceth in that 1. Before which it may well be thought that David and the people used these words of Acclamation Ascendisti in altum Thou hast ascended up on high Vers. 18 i. e. Thou O God whose presence is shadow'd out by the Ark hast ascended from an obscure house to a Kingly Palace Zion 2. Thou hast led captivity captive those that led us captives being captives themselves and now led in Triumph 3. Thou hast received gifts for men i. e. spoils and gifts from the Kings that be conquered or who now became homagers unto him and redeemed their peace 4. Yea for the rebellious also formerly so but now Tributaries 5. That the Lord God might dwell among them Might have a certain place to dwell in and the Ark not carried from place to place as before This is the literal sense but the Mystical is other and must be referr'd to our Saviours Ascension the Apostle being our Author for it Eph. 4. 1. Ascendisti in altum When the cloud carried him from earth to heaven 2. Then he led captivity i. e. Those which captiv'd us captive viz. Death the Devil Sin the power of Hell the curse of the Law 3. He receiv'd and gave gifts to men 1. The Apostles Evangelists Prophets Doctors and Teachers were those gifts 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graces Gists of the Spirit 4. Yea for the rebellious also Paul a persecutor call'd Austin a Manachaean c. 5. That he might dwell among them for to that end St. Paul saith these gifts were given to the work of the Ministry to the edification of the Church to the building up the body of Christ Ephes 4. Of Christs ascension two effects The two effects then of this Ascension were One toward his enemies the other for his friends When thou ascendest up on high 1. 1 To his enemies Thou ledst captivity captive That was the consequent on his enemies 2. Thou receivedst and gavest gifts That 's for his friends 2 To his friends for which he sings a Benedictus Blessed be God for he comes over both these again but by an Epanodos speaking of the last first Ver. 19 1. The gifts to his friends Blessed be God which loadeth us with benefits Ver. 20 even the God of our salvation He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death he knows many wayes to deliver even in ipsa morte when there is no hope 2. The conquest of his enemies for such he counts obstinate impenitent and malicious sinners those he will destroy even the highest the heads of them God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his wickedness 2. His last Argument is 2 The salvation of his people Gods performance of his promise to his to save them as if he had said Although you should be in so great straits as you were in the Wilderness when you fought with Og King of Basan or at the red Sea yet I will fetch you out and deliver you as I did them his word is past for it The Lord said Ver. 22 1. I will bring again from Basan from dangers as great as that was 2. I will bring my people again from the depth of the Sea Ver. 23 when there is no hope 3. And for thy enemies they shall be destroyed by a great effusion of blood That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thy enemies The pomp at the ascent of the Ark. The fourth part and the tongue of thy Dogs in the same Thou shalt waste and be glutted with their blood 4. And now he descends by an elegant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set before our eyes the pomp and shew which was used in the Ascent and deduction of the Ark and the proceeding of it 1. The people were all present to see the pomp They have seen thy goings O God even the goings of my God my King in the Sanctuary 2. The manner used in the pomp The Singers go before the Players on Instruments followed after amongst them were the Damsels playing with Timbrels 3. In the pomp they were not silent and that they be not he exhorts them Bless ye the Lord in the Congregations ye that are of the Fountain of Israel i. e. Jacobs posterity 4. And he gives in the Catalogue of the Tribes that were present all but these especially 1. There is little Benjamin Jacobs youngest son or now the least wasted with War with their Ruler the chief Prince of their Tribe 2. The Princes of Judah and their Counsel 3. The Princes of Zebulun and Princes of Napthali the farthest Tribes therefore the nearest To the pomp he annexeth a prayer 5. And in the midst of the pomp he interserts a prayer which hath three Votes before which he prefixeth this ingenuous acknowledgment that all the power and strength of the Kingdom of Israel was from God Thy God hath commanded thy strength and then he prays Ver. 28 1. For the confirmation establishment continuance of this strength 1 For confirmation of the Kingdom Strengthen O God that which thou hast wrought in us and let this be evidenced by the Kings and Tributaries that shall bring gifts Because of thy Temple at Jerusalem shall Kings bring presents to thee 2. For the conquest and subduing of the enemy 2 For conquest of the enemies untill they become Tributaries and do their Homage Rebuke the company of Spear-men the multitude of the Bulls and Calves of the people i. e. Kings Princes and their potent Subjects For increase of the Kingdom till every one submit himself with pieces of silver scatter thou the people that delight in War 3. For the increase of Christs Kingdom of which Davids was but a Type by the access of the Gentiles Princes shall come out of Egypt Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God These by a Synecdoche put for all Nations 5. The fifth part He renews his invitation to praise God This excellent Psalm draws now toward a Conclusion and it is a resumption of that he principally intended viz. that God be blessed honoured praised to which he first exhorts and then shews new Reasons for it 1. He exhorts all Nations to perform this Duty
were inhumane They gave me Gall to eat and in my thirst they gave me Vinegar to drink Nothing more true than these four degrees in Christs Passion such enemies he found such Jewes 2. His prayer being ended The second part An imprecation he fitly subjoins a heavy imprecation by way of a Prophecy 1. And first he prayes That as they gave him Gall and Vinegar in his thirst that they might find the like at their Table Let their Table be made a snare to them and that for their welfare a Trap A heavy judgment The degrees are eight when that which God ordains for our necessity delight content health prosperity should be our hurt discontent sickness death 2. That they be struck blind and he means not so much in body as in mind a grievous judgment when a man can neither see imminent dangers nor future evils Let their eyes be darkned that they see not 3. That they be infeebled in their bodies and counsels Make their loyns continually to shake i. e. let them be unfit for War and action or as Saint Paul renders it Ever bow down their backs let them be in perpetual slavery and carry burdens 4. That they suffer speedily greatly and continually 1. Greatly for he prays effunde poure out and that is commonly out of a full Vessel and plentifully 2. Speedily Poure out thy indignation on them for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil 3. Perpetually Let thy wrathful anger take hold of them for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. That their Countrey be wasted and their posterity thrust from their inheritance and houses Let their habitation be desolate and none dwell in their Tents And here the Prophet interserts a Reason which was their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or which is worse their adding affliction to affliction so far from commiseration that they help to increase the grief of those whom God hath wounded For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to grieve those whom thou hast wounded 6. That they may fill up the measure of their iniquity and so be ripe for Gods Sickle Add iniquity to iniquity withdraw thy grace that they sin freely 7. That they dye in the state of impenitency Let them not come into thy righteousness 8. That they finally perish Let them be blotted out of the Book of the living and not be written with the righteous 3. The third part He sings praise Hitherto we have heard Davids complaints and prayers but now out of the sense of divine protection he breaks out into praises 1. Ver. 29 He confesses his own condition As for me I am poor and sorrowful and then acknowledgeth Gods help Let thy salvation set me on high And assures himself of Gods acceptance The effects shall be 2. Then with full voyce he sings praise I will praise the Name of God with a Song and will magnifie it with Thanksgiving 3. And of this praise he promiseth himself acceptance This also shall please the Lord better than an Oxe or Bullock that hath Horns and Hoofs And the effect of this his praise for his deliverance 1 Joy to the afflicted will be double First upon the godly poor afflicted people and secondly upon the whole World 1. The effect upon the poor will be joy The humble and meek shall see this and be glad and your heart shall live that seek God their sad heart shall revive 2. The Reason is For the Lord heareth the poor and despiseth not his Prisoners David and Christ he heard and this gives assurance that he will hear suos vincta those that suffer for him Then secondly 2 Thanksgiving in all men the effect it shall have upon the whole World is a general Thanksgiving 1. Let the Heaven and the Earth praise him the Seas and every thing that moveth therein 2. And the Reason he gives for it is worth noting which is his goodness to his Church and people 1. For Gods goodness to his Church In saving them from their enemies He will save Zion 2. In confirming his Kingdom among them He will build the Cities of Judah 3. In giving them security and peace That men may dwell there and have it in possession 4. In conserving it perpetually that the Cates of Hell shall not prevail against it The seed also of his servants shall inherit it and they that love his Name shall dwell therein Not Hypocrites but they who love him sincerely and worship him in Spirit and Truth The Prayer collected out of the sixty ninth Psalm O Blessed Lord God who art more ready to grant than we to ask let this be the time when my prayer shall be accepted by thée O God Ver. 13 in the multitude of thy mercy hear me Hear me O Lord for thy loving-kindness is good Turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies and hide not thy face from thy servant for I am in trouble Hear me speedily Ver. 1 and save me O my God The waters are come even unto my soul Ver. 1 O let not the water-flood overflow me neither let the deep swallow me up and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me I sink in deep mire where there is no standing deliver me out of the mire Ver. 2 and let me not sink Now in the midst of these extremities I am weary with crying unto thee my throat is dry and hoarse through my daily complaining yea and my eyes are grown weak and dim in looking upward Ver. 18 and in waiting for help from my God Draw nigh then unto my soul and redeem it and let me have an experience of the truth of thy salvation My enemies O Lord are many and mighty and malicious Ver. 4 Those that hate me are more in number than the hairs of my head Mighty they are also Ver. 5 and most injurious for they call me to an account for that I never took and punish me for that I never deserved O Lord Thou knowest my foolishness Ver. 4 and my faults are not hid from thee against thee only I have sinned but to them I have done no harm and yet such is their malice that they séek to destroy me wrongfully and without any cause of mine séek to take away my life To thée O Lord all things are manifest Thou hast known my reproach my shame and my dishonour and my Adversaries are alwayes before thee and this reproach is so great that it hath even broken my heart and I am full of heaviness and which is yet more grievous in this my distress I looked for some to take pity on me but I found none and for comsorters but I found none for not only my enemies afflicted me but even my friends ran from me Ver. 8 and forsook me I am become as it were a stranger unto my Friends and Brethren and an Alien to those who are of my own blood my mothers children and most familiar friends stand staring upon my trouble
seventy fifth Psalm for the King those that are in authority and for the Church under affliction O Almighty God Lord of all power King of kings and Lord of lords who hast taught us by thy holy Prophet that promotion comes nor from the East nor from the West nor from the North nor from the South but that thou art the righteous Judge that puts down one and sets up another Establish we beséech thée in the Throne of this Kingdom thy faithful Servant our bread Soveraign Let the dew of thy abundant blessings fall upon his head give him the success of David the wisdom of Solomon and the zeal of Josiah Take pleasure in him O Lord and restore him to his just right and people and make him a most mighty Protector of thy heritage a most religious Defender of thy Sacred Truth and a gracious Governor to all his Subiects When he shall receive the Congregation Vers. 2 and at any time sit in judgement Vers. 10 let him judge according to right let him cut off the horn the pride the power of wicked men and on the contrary be studious to honour and exalt the right and humble desires of the righteous At this time the foundations of the earth are out of course the earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved Vers. 3 The seats of justice are corrupt all Laws are silenc'd an indulgence is given to theft and rapine Religion is trode under foot and men in their manners are dissolute being guided by their own counsels and swayed by their own affections How is the faithful City become an Harlot It was full of judgement righteousness lodged in it but now Murderers Our Princes are become rebellious and companions of Thieves every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards they judge not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them Set up then thy Servant upon the Throne that he may restore our Iudges as at first and our Counsellours as at the beginning Religion and Iustice are the Pillars of the Land they are now ready to fall or rather fallen O let him bear up these Pillars repair the breaches of this distracted Church and Kingdom and confirm both Laws and Iustice being heard to speak and a right order for thy worship and service being re-establishes So shall this our Land be call'd again The City of righteousness the holy and faithful City Give him O Lord courage in the execution of his Office Vers. 4 let him make the wicked to pass under the whéel and the ambitious arrogant and proud to know that in his Kingdom they are not to deal foolishly nor yet being confident of their power to exalt their horn and in contempt of all Laws exercise rapine and violence Let such as set their horn on high be brought down by his hand and those that are contumacious and stiff neck'd fort'd to bow to his yoke and made to féel that he carries not the sword in dain but that as he is the Minister of God for good to those that do good so also he is the Minister of God a revenger of wrath upon him that doth evil And now having presented unto thée our supplications for our King we are bold also to offer unto thy Majesty our humble petitions for that part of thy Church which thou hast committed to his care this for many years thou hast fed with the bread of tears and entertain'd with the water of affliction But it is our comfort that the Cup is in thy hand Thou measurest out our draughts and beginnest such a portion as thou pleasest The wine is indéed red and of a high colour but yet it is full of mixture with the tartness of thy great displeasure there is mixt the swéetness of thy promises engaged thou art that we shall taste and drink no déeper of it than thou wilt make us able to bear O Lord make thy Word good unto us stay thy hand turn from thy fierre wrath let it suffice that we have drunk so déep of this Cup. There remains only the dregs behind and as we have béen inebriated with this wine so let the ungodly of the earth wring out the dregs and suck them out So shall we have just râ—â—son to declare the equity of thy justice Vers 9 and to sing praises to the honour of the God of Jacob. Unto thee O Lord Vers. 1 will we give thanks yea unto thee will we give thanks for that thou art near and thy name is ready to help all that call upon thee of which the exaltation of our King and the deliverance of thy people will be a miraculous declaration Thy Church shall for ever remember thy just judgements and sing forth with full voice thy praises when they shall sée the horns of the wicked broken and those preserved and secured who have wholly addicted themselves to the study of justice and piety as we are taught and commanded by our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ PSAL. LXXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel Triumphalis THE Glory and Power of God is in this Psalm amply set forth in his defence of Jerusalem and Zion which were types of his Church and it hath Three parts 1. The Prerogative of Judah and Israel vers 1 2. 2. A Narration of Gods Majesty in his Church from vers 3. to 11. 3. An Exhortation to worship and serve God vers 11 12. 1. 1 The Jews Prerogative The first part In the two first verses is set forth the Jews Prerogative above other Nations 1. Vers. 1 That God was known among them In Judah is God known 2. That his Name was great in Israel Great for his manifold deliverance Vers. 2 Illustrious 3. 2 Gods zeal for his Church At Salem is his Tabernacle his Temple his seat of worship His presence singular 4. His dwelling in Zion I will dwell in the midst of them and I will be their God 2. The second part Next he declares Gods power and Majesty and vindicating his people and destroying their enemies There i. e. at Jerusalem before Zion as in the dayes of Senacherib Or else in the Land of Judah There brake he the arrows of the bow By which he shew'd himself 1. Glorious the shield and the sword and the battail Selah By which he became Glorious 2. And Terrible vers 7. 1. Glorious Thou art more Glorious and Excellent viz. among good men than the Mountains of prey Than the Kingdoms gotten by violence murder and robbery And this his glory was made manifest in these particulars 1. That they who came to spoyl were spoyled The stout-hearted are spoyled 2. They have slept their sleep Either dead Or overtaken with so deep a slumber that like men surpriz'd by a deep sleep and suddenly awaked they were amaz'd and knew not which way to turn themselves Their hands were feeble their courage lost 3. Which he explains in the words following And none of the men of might have
Nor judgements nor mercies did awe them They still were stubborn and unthankful And made the Tribes of Israel to dwell in their Tents 8. But nor his mercies nor his judgements could keep in obedience this stiff-necked gain-saying people Ungrateful they were for all this After they were brought into the Land and setled in their inheritance the same they were which they were before For 1. Yet they tempted and provoked God 2. They were disobedient For they kept not his Testimonies 3. They turned back and dealt unfaithfully as their fore-fathers They brake the Covenant betwixt God and them sinning by the example of their fore-fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. They were inconstant in their resolutions starting aside like a deceitful bow that slips the nock when the Archer intends to shoot with it 5. And to make up the measure of their impiety at last they became impudent Idolators For they provoked him to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousie with their graven Images 9. Gods wrath for this grows more hot against his people Upon this as before the wrath of God overtakes them but now in a hotter manner than before Idolatry is one of the crying sins which God hears That which a man hears not troubles him not now this sin especially God hears and it troubled him 1. The Ark taken When God heard this he was wroth 2. And greatly abhorred Israel 2. He forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh and the Tent he placed among them 1 Sam. 4. 3. And he delivered his strentgh i.e. the Ark into captivity and his glory into the enemies hand 4. He gave his people up also to the sword and was wroth with his inheritance 5. The Priests Hophni and Phinehas were slain with the sword and their widows made no lamentation Being either taken and led away captive or dead as Phinehas wife 6. The sire consumed i.e. the wrath of God their young men and their maidens were not given to marriage for defect of young men and therefore not praised in Epithalamiis Thus the wrath of God overtook the Israelites But next he shews The Philistines that took it escaped not that the enemies even the Philistines that took the Ark and set it in the house of Dagon escaped not his hand This ignominy redounded to himself and he revenged it 1. Then at the taking of the Ark the Lord who seem'd to sleep before awaked as one out of sleep and like a mighty man that shouâ—s by reason of wine for vina addunt animos 2. And he smote his enemies i. e. the Philistines in the hinder parts i. e. with Emerauds or else made them fly and fall with their backs to their enemies which is dishonourable for a Souldier 3. Yea and he put them to a perpetual reproach vide 1 Sam. 5 6. Chapters 3. But how now did he deal with Israel The third part The mercy of God in bringing back the Ark and placing it Not as he had done before neiher For after the Philistines had suffered sharply for their impiety he caused them honourably to send the Ark home again after seven months 1 Sam. 6. A sign this was that his fierce anger was abated yet not so far but that some Monument should remain of his wrath against their Idolatry And therefore he would not suffer the Ark to be brought to Silo which was situate in the Tribe of Ephraim So saith the Psalmist 1. Moreover he refused the Tabernacle of Joseph 1 Not in Silo. and chose not the Tribe of Ephraim lest it should be abused either to Idolatry or at least to base gain as it was by Elies sons 2. But he chose the Tribe of Judah the hill of Zion which he loved 2 But in Iudah For it was carried to Betshemes a City of Judâ—h design'd for the sons of Aaron From thence to Kiriath-jearim thence to Gibea being translated to the house of Aminadah And after it had rested a while in the house of Obed-Edom it was brought by David to Jerusalem and setled in the hill of Zion which caused the Prophet to say 3 And at last in Zion The hill of Zion which he loved And he doth amplifie this Narration of Gods love to the Ark This mercy he amplifies and consequently the Church of which the Ark was but a type 1. From the splendour of the situation of Mount Zion 1 From the place And he built his Sanctuary like high places Strong and beautiful and eminent also as are Citradels higher than ordinary houses The Mountain Zion shall be raised above the tops of the hills Isa 2. 2. From the stability and fix'd position of it For there is no moving 2 From the stability of Zion or removing the Church It is like the earth which he hath established for ever 3. In choice of a King to be a Nursing Father to his Church He chose David also his servant He chose freely 3 In choice of David to be their King and not for any merit and worth that was in him for he was of a low degree a poor shepherd He took him from the sheep-folds when he was following the yews great with young 4. The end To feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance Which is the true institution and duty of a King 4 To feed them and govern them The Elogy given to David with which he concludes David did his duty So 1. He fed them according to the integrity of his heart 1. He fed them not flea and devour them 2. In integrity 5 And David did his duty Sincerely he perform'd his duty to God and man No dissembler 2. And guided them by the Skilfulnesse of his Hands In him there was Prudence and all the actions of his hands were guided by it The Prayer collected out of the seventy eighth Psalm WOnderful O Lord are thy wayes infinite thy mercies admirable thy patience and long-suffering toward the children of men Vers. 5 that we might know thée thou hast established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel that we might not forget our duty thou hast left thy Commandments upon Record that we should not be a stubborn and rebellious generation a generation that set not their hearts aright and start from our duties as a broken bow thou hast acquainted us with thy procéedings with thine own people in Egypt in the Wilderness and in that Land which thou hast divided to them for an inheritance We have heard with our ears O God and our fathers have told us what thou hast done in the time of old and we will not conceal thy works from the generation to come Thy wonders in Egypt were illustrious in the red Sea wonderful in the Wilderness prodigious in Canaan full of power The plagues of Egypt thy path in the waters the cloud by day the pillar by night the Manna the Quails the water out of the Rock
shew thy power severity and mercy All which should breed in us fear and reverence But like those rebellious Israelites we have not kept thy Covenant nor walkt in thy Law we have forgot thy works and thy wonders then done we have turned back we have tempted thee our God these ten times we have provoked and grieved the holy One of Israel We have not remembred thy hand nor the day when thou deliverest us from the hand of the enemy Of a truth Lord when thy hand hath been heavy upon us by the pestilence famine or sword when thou by any of thy severe judgements didst stay us and bring us to the jaws of death then we sought thee then we returned and enquired early after God then we remembred that God was our Rock and the high God our Redeemer Novertheless we did but flatter thee with our mouths and lyed unto thee with our tongues for thy heavy hand was no sooner removed but our obedience was at an end We have again rempted and provoked the most High God we have not kept thy Testimonies but turned back and dealt unfaithfully with our fathers Thine own people were not more contumacious Israel not more stubborn forgetful wilful than we have been If they dissembled with thee we have done the like if they provoked grieved tempted thee we have done the like Our great deliverances have not wrought upon us thy apparent judgements have not bettered us thy returns of mercy have stiffned our hard hearts Wo be to us for our infidelity and disobedience whither shall we fly to whom shall we go Were it not that we consider that thou art the Father of mercies our hearts would faint Those words upon record are sweeter than honey and the honey-comb to our dying souls Israel was not right with him nor stedfast in his Covenant But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroy'd them not yea many a time he turn'd his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath For he remembred that they were but flesh a wind that passeth away and cometh not again Remember O Lord the mould of which we are made consider that we are but weak and vain flesh strive not alwayes with us remember that the breath in our nostrils is but a wind that passeth away and cometh not again then turn away thine anger and stir not up all thy wrath Out of thy meer compassion pardon and forgive our iniquity and destroy not the work of thine own hands Raise us by the power of thy Spirit and confirm us in thy truth that there never may be in us hereafter a heart of unbelief Never let us depart from the living God or harden our hearts from thy fear The natural branches are broken off and we who were slips of the wild Olive are graffed in of which we have not so much reason to boast as to tremble lest that thou who hast refused the Tribe of Joseph and cast aside the Tribe of Ephraim for their ingratitude rebellion impiety and disobedience shouldst upon the same ground reject us also We will not boast against the natural branches but come before thee with fear and hope with fear lest what hapned to them may befall us and yet with hope that the same mercy which followed them may yet follow us In the hottest of thy anger thou yet madest choice of the Tribe of Judah and sett'st thy love upon Mount Zion there thou built'st thy Sanctuary on high and sett'st it like the earth which never should move at any time David thou madest choice of to be their Prince and brought'st him to feed Jacob thy people and Israel thine inheritance Let this thy love notwithstanding our wickedness continue unto thy Church let the Tribe of Judah be dear in thy eyes take pleasure and do good to Zion build thy Sanctuary on high and make it conspicuous and beautiful in the eyes of her very enemies never let the gates of hell prevail against it Call thy servant David from his low condition to guide thy people and rule thy inheritance And let the power of thy Spirit be so effectual in him that he may feed thy people according to the integrity of his heart and guide them prudently with all his might So shall we who are the sheep of thy pasture give thee thanks for ever and ever PSAL. LXXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm was composed when the Church was oppressed as some conceive by Antiochus certain it is it was in a very distressed condition And it hath These parts Viz. 1. A Complaint for the desolation of Jerusalem from vers 1. to 5. 2. A Deprecation of Gods anger vers 5. 3. A twofold Petition 1. Against the enemies of the Church vers 6 7 10 11 12. 2. For the Church vers 8 9. 4. A Doxology vers 13. 1. The Complaint is very bitter and riseth by many degrees The first part The Complaint bitter and amplified by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. O God the heathen are come into thine inheritance The Antithesis is elegant The heathen those Wolves impure beasts are come into thy Land thy peculiar 2. Thy Holy Temple have they defiled Vers. 1 Prophaned the place consecrated to thy service 3. They have laid Jerusalem on heaps Funditus deleverunt Vers. 2 4. Their cruelty they have exercised upon the Dead The dead bodies of thy Servants have they given to be meat to the fowls of the aire the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the Land Vers. 3 5. A second part of their cruelty was that they made no more reckoning to let out the life-blood of a man than of so much water Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem 6. They wanted a grave And there was none to bury them 7. Vers. 4 And to make up the full measure of their calamities their enemies looked on and scoffed at it We are become a reproach to our Neighbours a scorn and derision to them that are round about us 2. The second part The misery being fully decipher'd in this pathetical Complaint next the Psalmist acknowledgeth the cause of their calamity and expostulates with God The cause Gods anger 1. The cause was Gods anger and jealousie 2. Vers. 5 He expostulates with God about it and deprecates it How long O Lord About which he expostulates with God wilt thou be angry for ever shall thy jealousie burn like fire i.e. Cessairasci 3. The third part And prayes And now he begins his Prayer which is two-fold First Against the enemy 1. Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee and upon the Kingdoms that have not call'd on thy name 1 For vengeance to fall on the enemy for their cruelty Not upon us but on them 2. And he adds the reason and 't is a reason of weight in which he respects not himself but Gods people For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste
to thee for what thou hast done the proud are risen up against us and a whole assembly of armed and violent men have invaded us and sought after our souls and all they imagine is to take away our lives and thy worship not without a great and high contempt of thy Name But thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth Turn thée then unto us and have mercy upon us give thy strength unto thy servants save those who are thy Vassals and deliver our souls from the nethermost Hell O Lord we are oppressed do thou answer for us teach us the way in which we are to go and we will walk in thy Truth unite our hearts close unto thée and we will take delight to fear thy Name shew some token of thy favour at last to us that they which hate us may see it and be afraid let them sée it openly That thou Lord hast holpen us and comforted us So shall we praise thee O Lord our God with all our heart and we will magnifie and glorifie thy Name for evermore PSAL. LXXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm is short but sweet for it contains many excellent priviledges of the Church of God of which every one must be a Member that hopes for salvation whosoever was the Authour it was his purpose to excite men to be in love with the Assemblies of Gods Saints and to that purpose the dignity and amplitude of the Church is set forth in this Psalm and the notes of her beauty and perfection may well serve for the Analysis 1. The Church commended 1. For the foundation laid on a holy Mountain First the Church is here commended for her foundation the Authour of it is God it is his foundation and it is surely laid not in the sand but upon a Mountain and no common Mountain neither but a consecrated place laid it is in the holy Mountains His foundation is in the holy Mountain No question the Prophet alludes to the hill of Zion Ver. 1 which was the Type of the Catholick Church and indeed the foundation of it 2 From Gods love to her For the Law was to come out of Zion 2. Ver. 2 The second Prerogative of the Church is taken from Gods love and favour to it 3 From the predictions that went of her far beyond that of any other Assembly The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3. Now besides the commendation it hath from the builder which was God and his free love to it Ver. 3 a third Prerogative it hath and that is from the testimony and predictions of the Prophets 4 From the increase of it by the access of the Gentiles Isaiah Haggai Saint John who not Glorious things are sprken of thee Thou City of God Selah 4. And one of those glorious things foretold by the Prophets was the great increase and amplitude of the Church Ver. 4 by the access of the Gentiles even those Nations which were the greatest enemies to Gods people should become friends and Citizens of this City even the Egyptians Babylonians Tyrians Aethiopians in effect all the Gentiles of what language Countrey soever 1. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me i. e. among my friends and family Behold Phylistia and Tyre with Aethiopia some of all Nations are come into my family there is one Fold one Shepherd 2. This man was born there this man whom you now see a Citizen of Zion was an Alien he was born there in Egypt Babylon c. 5. But now having renounced his Countrey and his fathers house Vers. 5 his Idols and old wayes it shall be said of Zion Vir Vir 5 From her continuance for ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This and that man was born regenerate and become a new man in her Here he receiv'd his adoption and the earnest of the Spirit 6. Farther yet the felicity of this City shall in this far exceed all other 6 From her free Denizons whose names are that whereas they fall to decay and perish this shall our-last all time The gates of hell shall not prevail against it For the most highest shall confirm and est ablish her 1 Eniâ—ll'd 7. A seventh Prerogative of the Church is That God agit Censum Vers. 6 and does as it were enrole the names of the Citizens So that now there is no difference betwixt Jew and Gentile bond nor free all are one in Christ Jesus The Lord shall count when he writes up the people That this man this cast-off Gentile was burn there Be as free a Denizon and have all the priviledges and prerogatives of this City as the natural Jew 8. Another Prerogative of these Citizens is 2 And they shall enjoy a perpetual Solemnity That they shall enjoy a perpetual Solemnity grief and sorrow shall cease and with Songs and instruments of Musick they shall sound forth Gods praises As well the siagers as players on instruments shall be there 9. Lastly He concludes the Psalm with an excellent Epiphonema Vers 7 that indeed comprehends all that can be said in the praise of the Church viz. For that in her all good is to be found All my springs are in thee Here are the fountains of living water Here are to be found the hidden treasures of all knowledge Here the waters that will refresh a thirsty soul and a fainting spirit Here all comforts all content The waters that are muddy and troubled in other streams in this are as clear as Cristal 'T is Virgo aqua A Prayer collected out of the eighty seventh Psalm for the Catholick Church O Lord Iesas Christ that by thy Almighty power madest all creatures both visible and invisible that by thy wisdom hast disposed all things in a comely order and now doest govern them that by thy unspeakable goodness yet doest preserve protect and promote all actions and successes who by thy mercy doest restore what is decay'd renew what is fallen and raisest the dead Vouchsafe to cast thy eye upon and view with a pleasing countenance thy well-beloved Spouse thy Church which thou hast purchased with thy blood and betroth'd to thy self in righteousness and in judgement and in loving-kindness and in mercies Look upon her with that amiable and merciful face wherewith thou pacifiest all things in heaven and earth Vers. 1 This is that new City that new Jerusalem which thou hast founded upon the Mountains of holiness Thy holy Apostles and Prophets were at thy command the chief Labourers in the building of it and all men since as living stones are built upon their Doctrine Be pleased then to love the gates of this City by which all must enter that look for salvation and prosecute with greater care and affection this thy chosen Spouse than thou didst the old Synagogue even as thou didst love the hill of
now and at the day of judgement Jehovah is become the Supreme King and all other Kings and Powers become his Vassals and Servants A benefit so great that he moves the world to be glad of it Let the earth rejoice let the multitude of the Isles that is the inhabitants of both be glad thereof All men wheresoever and whatsoever for if they be oppressed by Tyrants yet the Lord they serve is Mightier the Kingdom is his all Power in heaven and earth given into his hands and he can repress and bring into order the proudest Tyrants He hath this name written on his thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 For the good 2. And 't is most certain that he will make use of his Scepter for the good of his Subjects and for the confusion and ruine of their and his enemies which is often done in this life but if deferr'd for some reasons best known unto him yet it shall be certainly done at the last day when his appearance will be very terrible yet comfortable to His. For 1. Clouds and darkness shall be round about him Vers. 2 as it was when he gave the Law in Sinai Of his Subjects 2. Righteousness and Judgement the habitation the Basis of his Throne 1. Righteousness justly to pass sentence in the defence of his people And so comfortable to them 2. Judgement to be poured out upon his enemies And so a terrible day to them 3. A fire goeth before him and burns up his enemies round about Vers. 3 His lightnings enlightned the world the earth saw it and trembled The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth For the confusion of his enemies In which three verses are set down the terror of that day as it is described Mat. 24 29 c. 2 Pet. 2.10 c. Psal 18.7 c. Which fire yet shall not hurt the godly it shall burn up only his enemies as is here said 4. And at this day the heavens declare his righteousness When his appearing shall be glorious when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and the Trump of God 1 Thess 4. 2. And all people his glory appearing in the clouds of heaven with all the Angels about him when every knee of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth shall bow unto him Phil. 2. 2. Upon the consideration of Christs Soveraignty The second part Upon which the Prophet and his glorious appearance at the last day our Prophet imprecates and exhorts 1. He imprecates that confusion and a curse may fall upon all Idolators Confounded be all they that serve carved Images Vers. 7 and boast themselves of Idols Which is indeed their shame 1 Imprecates 2. 2 Exhorts He exhorts Adore him all ye gods ye that excell in power on earth ye Angels that excell in power in heaven adore worship invocate submit to this King For this was and ought to be the practice of Gods people 1. Vers. 8 Sion heard of it heard that the Lord reigned that he would come to judge the quick and dead 3 And the people of God exult that Idolators should be confounded that Christ only was to be adored and rejoiced at it and was very well pleased with the News and desired it should be so 2. Vers. 9 The daughters of Judah that is the people of God rejoiced because of thy judgements O Lord did exult because thou O Lord do'st judge all men with a just judgement 3. But that which did most of all excite and heighten their joy was the exaltation of Christ to the Throne that the Lord of Gods people was now to be the Supreme Lord. Glad they were because Thou O Lord art high above all the earth high above all Kings and earthly Monarchs that thou art exalted far above all gods i. e. far above all Angels who are called gods by participation and far above all Devils who are worshipped as gods by an error of judgement 3. The third part The Character by which Gods people may be known At the eighth verse he made mention of the Church and call'd them Zion he spoke of the people of God under the name of the daughters of Judah and he saith they did exult and rejoice at it But that no man footh up himself with this Title for there be many who lay claim to Zion that belongs not to Zion and seem to rejoice that Christ is King who wish in their hearts it were otherwise Vers. 10 The Prophet sets down an infallible Character by which the Elect may be known viz. The Love of God and the infallible consequent of it The Hatred of evil to which he exhorts Ye that love the Lord hate evil 1. 1 They love God O you that make God your choice and Christ your King not feinedly but truly not with the lips alone but with the heart that fear and worship God not according to the external work but according to the Spirit of the Law 2. 2 They hate evil See that ye hate evil 't is not sufficient to fly it to decline from it but you must detest and hate it which without the work of the heart will never be done For the heart is the fountain of all actions good or bad from it before God they have their denomination and acceptance As out of the heart proceeds the love of the chief good so out of the heart again proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries c. Mat. 15. And that we lend the easier ear to this counsel The reward for this work the Prophet proposeth two great rewards to those that love the Lord and hate evil 1. Enemies they have in this life that hate them that seek to oppress thâ—m against these God promiseth protection from these deliverance 1. Vers. 10 He preserveth the souls of his Saints often their lives but alwayes their souls 1 Preservation which is a benefit beyond the other The Accuser of the brethren shall not hurt them 2. He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked sometime out of their hand that they fall not into it and sometime out of their hand when they are in it Ovis erepta lupo Now this is their first reward 2. Vers. 11 A second reward there is in the next verse That in their miseries they shall be fill'd with content 2 In miseries they shall find comfort and find comfort when they little expected it but then they must be righteous and upright in heart 1. 1 Light content Light is sown for the righteous or as the old Translator reads out of the Septuagint Light is risen up to the righteous The diversity as Moller and Bellarminâ— arose out of the nearness of the two Hebrew words Zarahh and Zarach Zarahh signifying Seminare and Zarach oriri
chief Ruler as 2 Sam. 8.18 1 Chron. 18.17 and so it may have reference to Moses a chief Prince but in the proper sense to Aaron for he was the chief Priest Samuel 2. And Samuel no Priest but a Levite yet chief Judge among those call'd on his name 3. They called upon the Lord for themselves and the people and he answered them Of Moses the story is extant Exod. 32.31 Of Aaron Numb 16. 46 47 48. Of Samuel 1 Sam. 7.5 9 10. 4. Vers. 7 He spake unto them that is to Moses Exod. 33.8 9 11. and unto Aaron Numb 12. from 5. to 8. But unto Samuel we read not that he spake in the cloudy Pillar And now he aptly adds the reason why God so readily heard these three Why he heard them it was because they were his servants and obey'd the commands of their King For as Christ saith He that loves me will keep my Commandments He then that will be heard in his prayers Because they were obedient servants ought to hear God in his Commands So did they 1. They kept his Testimonies those Precepts that were common to all others 2. And the Ordinances he gave them as Publick persons who were to rule in Church and State And that this was a great mercy and favour to them and the people the Prophet acknowledgeth by his Apostrophe to God in the next verse 1. 1 He answered them Thou answeredst them O Lord our God Which the Story confirms Vers. 8 2. 2 He forgave them Thou wast a God that forgavest them that is the people for whom Moses and Aaron and Samuel pray'd For as Moller observes in Hebrew the Relative is often put without an Antecedent 3. 3 Even when he punished the people Though thou takest vengeance on their inventions The Calf was broken Exod. 32. and the false gods put away 1 Sam. 7. Though their sin was remitted yet a temporal and corporal punishment follow'd them Numb 14.23 30. Numb 20.12 2. The second part The Prophet concludes the Psalm Carmine Ambaebaeo with the repetition of the fifth verse The Conclusion of all That we only what he calls there Gods footstool he here calls Mount Zion And in the verse is contained the full scope and intent of the whole which is That we exalt our King and adore him 1. Exalt the Lord our God not that we can do it Vers. 9 or make him higher but we must contribute what we can to his exaltation 1 Exalt God which is then done when we gratefully acknowledge his Power in defence of his Church and his Clemency in hearing our prayers and the Intercessions of his servants for us 2. Worship at his Holy Hill 2 Adore which literally is to be understood of Zion the place which he had chosen for his worship where now the Tabernacle was and after the Temple was built But concerns us also that live in the Catholique Church to serve him in unity meeting together in such holy places which are set apart for his worship 3. For the Lord our God is holy which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or reason For he is Holy why Zion was Holy and many other persons and things in relation to him A consideration very necessary as Musoulus well observes for this profane age The Prayer collected out of the ninty ninth Psalm O Omnipotent Lord who reignest sitting above she Cherubims and governest the whole world by thy wisdom Vers. 1 though the enemies of thy Church be many yet will we not fear though the whole earth be moved yet will we not be afraid For the Lord is great in Zion and high above all people Vers. 2 Yet because the united force of our enemies is great and their iniquity twisted together for the ruine of thy Church Vers. 3 that they be not alwayes prided with their success and thy people over-much disheartned arise O Lord and make them know that thy name is great terrible and holy so great that thou canst and so holy that thou wilt and so terrible that thou wilt in fury take vengeance upon pride and iniquity We are assured O Lord Vers. 4 that thy authority and Kingly power loves equity that thou doest establish equal Laws and doest execute judgement and righteousness in thy Church by punishing the wicked and rewarding the just Arise up for us therefore in the judgement that thou hast commanded and reward the just according to the integrity of their hearts stir up thy strength and come amongst us and help us for thy Name-sake O God our King and Saviour And if at any time our wickedness go over our heads to provoke thy wrath against us then turn thy face from us upon thy dear Son our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ whose intercession is far more powerfully with thée than that of Moses or Aaron and Samuel could be for thy people He is our High Priest be mindful of his invocation his Sacrifice his Blood his tears his cryes which he offered upon the Altar of the Cross for us His blood speaks better things than that of Abel That of Abel shed by us cryes aloud for vengeance against us and what we suffer are the effects of that cry the revenge of that blood O blessed Saviour still the cry of that blood with thy blood wash the stains of it away with those streams which issued from thy bloody side and for the merit of that blood hear the prayers of Moses Aaron and Samuel who had no hand in that blood but kept and do yet keep thy Testimonies and the Ordinance thou gavest them that offer unto thee for themselves and for thy people They dayly call upon thée hear them O Lord our God and answer them though the sin of this people be great yet forgive them though thou takest vengeance according to their inventions So shall we praise thy great and terrible Name for it is Holy So shall we exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool for he is Holy We will exalt the Lord that reigneth over us our God that delivers us and hears our prayers and worship at thy Holy hill and chant with a loud voice that the Lord our God is holy for evermore PSAL. C. A Psalm of Praise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Title shews the Scope that it was composed for a form to praise God yea and in the publique Congregation and therefore is well chosen to be a part of our Liturgy There be two parts of this Psalm 1. An Exhortation to praise God vers 1 2 4. And the manner how to be done 2. The reasons that perswade to it vers 3 5. 1. He exhorts to praise God In his Exhortation to praise God required it is 1. The first part That the praise be Universal none exempted from it All ye lands or all the earth Vers. 1 2. That it be hearty full and performed with a cheerful soul Make a
5 Reproach From the reproach of them who had been his friends but were now his enemies for a wicked man thinks himself reproached by a good mans honest conversation Wisd 5. Mine enemies reproach me all the day long and they are mad against me are sworn against me have conspited by an Oath to undo me 6. And that which made them so mad and sweâ—r was my repentance which I testified by ashes on my head 6 Sadness and tears in my eyes I have caten ashes like bread my dayly food and mingled my drink with weeping I drank tears with my wine that is I was fed with bitterness and sustain'd with tears which they derided And now behold the reason why every true penitent is thus humbled All these increased by the sense of Gods anger it is not for want nor yet for want of wit but it is out of a true sense of Gods anger which he hopes to pacifie by his sorrow and humiliation 1. Ver. 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath for my former sin 2. Which I collect thus Thou hast formerly lifted me up then sure I was in thy fovour but hast now cast me down whence I may well conclude that I am in disfavour with thee 3. And the effect plainly shews it For my dayes are as a shadow that declines and am withered like grace Become mortal flying fading from thy wrath raised by my own default 2. The second part He yet comforts himself in Gods promises Hitherto the Prophet hath petition'd and complain'd His case was lamentable yet he is notswallow'd up of sorrow Heart he begins to take and comfort he promiseth himself in the Eternity and Immutability of God and his love to his Church Hence he conceives hope of reconciliation and being moved by the Spirit of God foretells the restauration of Zion and Jerusalem and typically the state of Christs Church 1. To his Church on which he will have mercy and had when he restored them True I wither away as grass and so shall all Individual men But 1. Thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and therefore thy Church and promises to thy Church 2. And thy Remembrance from generation to generation The Covenant which thou hast made shall be remembred from father to son Ver. 13 till the worlds end 2. Thou seemest now to sleep But thou shalt arise 1. Thou shalt have mercy on Zion and save thy people 2. For the time to favour her yea the set time is come Literally the seventy years of the Captivity were neer expired Typically by the Spirit the Prophet foresaw and conceiv'd the Redemption of the Church in the future as a thing present And both he calls a time of favour for from the favour and mercy of God both proceeded 3. And this Consideration wrought a double effect This wrought a double effect 1. One upon Gods people for the present viz. an earnest desire to have it so Ver. 14 Earnest they were that Jerusalem should again be built the Church set up For thy servants take pleasure in her stones 1 A desire to have it so and favour the dust thereof Ver. 15 2. The other upon the Heathen 2 Another on the Heathen viz. Compassion Conversion So the Heathen shall fear thy name which began when Darius and Cyrus saw and acknowledged the Prophesies and obeyed them 2. And all the Kings of the earth thy glory which was truly fulfill'd in the conversion of Constantine c. to the Faith And he adds the cause why Kings and Nations should be so strangely converted because he had beyond all belief and expectation of man Ver. 16 so strangely delivered his people from Captivity and so miraculously set up his Kingdom in his Church This shall be done When or because the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in glory Before he cast his people into the grave as it were without any hope of life or restitution but when he shall bring them from thence he shall make his glory and honour manifest And that which moved him to it was the prayers of his people Ver. 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer Which effects followed on their prayer Of this mercy a Record to be kept Now lest the Jews should conceive that what was done for them did concern them only and not their Children or to speak more properly the whole people of God in all ages to come God would have a Record kept of it 1. This shall be written for the generation to come 2. And the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord Ver. 18 Cum viderint impleta quae praedicta And of this he assigns two reasons even the self-same set down at the 16. and 17. Verses 1. For be hath looked down from the height of his Sanctuary Ver. 19 from the heaven did the Lord behold the earth 2. To hear the groans of the prisoners Ver. 20 to loose those that are appointed to death That the glory be returned to God Now this Mercy from God calls upon us for our Duty for the proper end of it was and the effect that it should work upon us is that we should be thankful Therefore he looked down therefore he heard the groans of the prisoners c. That being freed 1. They should declare the name of the Lord in Zion Ver. 21 and his praise in Jerusalem 2. And this praise should be compleated Ver. 22 When the people are gathered simul or in unum united together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. The Gentiles join with the Jews in it And here methinks I hear the Prophet breaking off his comfort The Prophet laments he shal not live to see it and breaking out in the midst of his prophecy with Balaam As if he had said I am assured all this shall come to pass and be done for Gods people but alas who shall live when God doth this Whosoever shall I shall not certainly For he weakned my strength in the way and hath shortned my dayes Ver. 23 Yet my desire is it might be otherwise Yet he desires he might and in this my desire is but the same with many Kings and Prophets that have gone before me all which long and desired to see the flourishing estate of the Church under the Messiah and therefore Ver. 24 I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my age But suffer me to draw out my life to see that that all good men have aspired to see to wit that I may behold Christ promised in the flesh and be a partaker of the glory of his Kingdom Which Petition And presseth that he might Perswading God to it upon 24. The consideration of Gods eternity and immutability that it might be the easier granted he presseth it by a Collation of Gods Eternity and Immutability with his own life As if he should say Spare me
is the help of man This is our infirmity this is our sin And while we are compassed with this tentation our faith presents us thée alone a God both able and willing to help diffident then of all other helps we fly to thée we cry co thée being fully perswaded that our help must come from that Lord not from the arme of flesh Ver. 2 not from other gods but from th Lord alone who hath made heaven and earth By that power then O Lord that thou hast made heaven and earth we beg from thy merciful hands that thou wouldst come and save thy poor Church that is afflicted and persecuted by bloody and mercilesse enemies Lord Ver. 3 suffer not any of their insultations so far to prevail against us that the féet slip or fall in the way of Truth let not our faith be shaken nor our hope ashamed Thou art that good Shepherd that kéeps Israel séem not then any longer to these gréedy wolves to slumber and sléep in deferring to take vengeance upon them Ver. 4 lest they insult over us and say Where is now your God Return return O Lord to the ten thousands which mourn in Israel and vouchsafe to deal with us not as we are a sinful Nation a people loaden with iniquity but as thou art in thy self immense goodness and clemency inexhausted Make thy promise good to us and be our Kéeper be a shadow to us on our right hand a refreshment when the hottest Sun of persecution scorches our heads and any dark tentation cools our devotion O Lord preserve us from all evil if it be thy pleasure and though some disaster may lite upon our body and goods yet preserve our soul that being safe and preserved by thée we cannot miscarry Kéep us Lord in all our actions in all tentatious in all places at all times be present with us in out going out and at our coming in prosper whatsoever we take in hand and make the end thereof be successful never leave us in this present life but let thy grace guide us to that which is eternal through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The third Psalm of Degrees CXXII THE Ark was a Testimony of Gods presence among his people and a Type of the Church this was by David brought up and fix't at Jerusalem when the Jebusites were by him driven out of the Fort of Zion To the place where that was fixed the people of Israel were bound to ascend three times a year to worship and that with gladness of heart to which end they went up thither with a Pipe David then in the person of the people The sum of this Psalm 1. Expresseth his joy that he might join with the Church in Gods service ver 1 2. 2. Commends the Church under the name of Jerusalem for her Unity ver 3. Religious Worship ver 4. Policy Civil Ecclesiastical ver 5. 3. Exhorts all to pray for her Peace and Prosperity ver 6. And puts the Form of Prayer into their mouths ver 7. 4. Shewes his own readiness and professeth to do it or rather performs it ver 8 9. 1. The first part David congratulates that the Ark c. was setled The Proposition of this Psalm is a Congratulation in which he doth express his joy and thanks that so happy a time was come in which a certain place was assign'd where he and the people might meet and worship God in which the Ark of the Covenant which was a Testimony of Gods presence might rest which was not done till his time And he took it for an assurance that the Jewish Religion and the Kingdom or Scepter should not depart from Judah till Shilo came and for this he doth congratulate with the people 1. I was glad First he expresseth his own joy 2. When they said unto me Ver. 1 He was to hear of the unanimity of the people mutually exhorting one and other to this Service 3 We will go into the house of the Lord the place of his worship where we shall hear his Word call upon him give him thanks when I hear these words from them I am ravished with joy 4. And I will gladly join and bear a part with them Ver. 2 Our feet shall stand in thy gates O Jerusalem Hitherto our feet have not had a certain place to stand and worship thee the Ark being carried from place to place But now it is fixed at Jerusalem and we know whither from henceforth to resort our feet are quiet and rest stantes or rather constantes we will go up to the house of the Lord and constantly there serve thee it is a mercy to know where the Church is fix't to which we ought to resort 2. And upon this he takes an occasion to commend Jerusalem three wayes The second part 1. For the unity of it especially in Religion He commends Jerusalem expressed under the Metaphor of a City whose buildings were well compacted together till the Jebusites were thence expel'd it was two Cities but now it was but one Ver. 3 guided by the same Lawes ruled by the same Religion 1 For her Unity in which there was a great and admirable consent among the Citizens Jerusalem is builded as a City that is compacted together In such a City the Buildings are uniform orderly disposed handsomely erected and seated so in Jerusalem all things in Gods worship are uniform orderly beautiful and there is a wonderful harmony of minds and consent among the Citizens 2. He commends Jerusalem next that it was the place constituted for Gods worship Ver. 4 1. For thither the Tribes go up three times a year as was ordained Exod. 2 For Gods Service to which all Israel resort unanimously 23. to remember their Eduction from Aegypt the Law given his preservation of them in the Wilderness and conservation ever since for these were the ends of the three Feasts the Passeover Pentecost that of Tabernacles 2. The Tribes of the Lord An honourable Title bestowed on Gods people holy men out of every Tribe 3. Vnto the Testimony of Israel to the Ark of the Testimony Or as it was agreed by Covenant betwixt God and his people concerning which he testified his Will Exod. 23. 34. Dent. 16. 4. The end of their ascending was To give thanks unto the Name of the Lord that was their work and it must be ours Psal 84.4 Gods Will is that nunquam cesset à laude qui nunquam ab amore 3. He commends Jerusalem thirdly for the Civil Policy and Ecclesiastical Ver. 5 it was the Metropolis 3 For the Civil Policy and Ecclesiastical 1. For there do sit the Thrones of judgment the Tribunals and Courts of Justice are there 2. The Thrones of the house of David The Kings Court and Seat was there which was established in David and therefore the Prophet useth the word sitting as if he had said now setled there which before this time were not Nor in
Name attributing the success to thy mercy only Never suffer us to be distracted with anxiety for the things of this life or be over-sollicitous for to morrow but having used those means which thou hast ordained honest labour and a competent thrist let us rely upon thy Providence and compose our minds to rest and sléep in it for this is the acquiescence thou givest to those thou lovest We know O Lord that children are the props of our Families Ver. 3 and that these are thy blessings also For children are an heritage of the Lord and the fâ—â—it of the womb are thy Reward Thou O God hast the Keyes of Heaven and Hell of Rain and Providence of the Grave and of the womb let not then thy servants féel the curse of dry breasts and a barren womb but make us joyful parents of children that may increase the number of thy redéemed Give us thy grace and favour that we may instruct them with diligence and méekness govern them with prudence and holiness and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord provide for them such useful imployments That they may be as Arrowes in the hand of a mighty man Ver. 4 defences and succours to our old age If it he thy blessed Will let them live to a full age and make us happy that we have our quivers full of them from whose powerful arm may be shot quick and sharp arrowes into the very hearts of those Ver. 5 who are enemies to all Piety thy Gospel and thy Truth fill O Lord thy Church with such children of youth who while they oppose the Adversary and maintain the sincerity of Religion in word and déed may never be ashamed nor yield when they speak with the enemies in the gate Grant us these things O gracious Father for thy Son our Lord Iesus Christs sake PSAL. CXXVIII IN this Psalm the Prophet perswades to fear God upon the several Rewards that attend upon Piety The Contents are these 1. He describes the pious man and pronounceth him blessed ver 1. 2. He proposeth the particulars of his blessing ver 2 3 5 6. 3. He gives his Acclamation to it ver 4. 1. The first part That man that fears God He describes the man who is to expect the blessing two qualities be must have 1. He must fear the Lord Fear to offend him not decline from him Ver. 1 2. Is Blessed He must walk in his wayes For this is the true character of his fear 3. This man shall be blessed yea every such man high or low rich or poor there is no exception Blessed is every one In a happy condition 2. The second part And the blessedness and happiness consists in these particulars 1. He shall enjoy those Goods which he hath honestly gotten with the labour of his hands Ver. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands His happiness is not in having much 1 In his goods but enjoying it Eccles 6.1 2. 2. Happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee So well that he shall have enough for himself and be able to relieve others and leave somewhat to his children 3. 2 In his wife Happy he shall be in his marriage too often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But he that fears the Lord and marries in the Lord shall be happy in his match 1. Ver. 3 His wife shall be as a fruitful Vine Fatifera non steriliâ— 2. Upon the walls of thy house Domi porta modest and shamefac't staying at home and caring for the things of the house while her Husband is taking care abroad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. 3 In his children Happy in his children 1. Thy childreâ— like the Olive-branches Fresh green spredding fruitful and pledges of peace not like sharp Thorns and a pricking Hedge 2. Round about thy Table It will be a comfort to see them sit with them eat with them and hear their pretty Discourse Now these temporal happinesses the Prophet concludes with an Acclamation Lo 〈…〉 the man be blest that fears the Lord. Thus in his goods Ver. 4 wiâ—â— â—â—ildren The third part 3. But there is a blessing attends him far beyond all this The Acclamation the summe of which is Ver. 5 1. Gods blessing The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion God shall-bless him by a federal blessing a Church-blessing 2. Thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem 1 With a Church-blessing the peace and prosperity of the Church all thy dayes 3. Yea thou shalt see thy childrens children Ver. 6 Et natos natorum qui nascuntur ab illis 2 With grand-children 4. And peace upon Israel 3 With a peaceable life And a flourishing Commonwealth and Kingdom for by peace is understood all prosperity The Prayer out of the One hundred and twenty eighth Psalm O Holy and just God if no blessing or happiness can befall any Ver. 1 but those which fear thée and walk in thy wayes we must needes acknowledge the cause to be just why we are brought into these straits and woful afflictions For when thou hadst opened unto us a full Sea of mercies and beyond our deserts confer'd upon us infinite and unspeakable benesits we have neglected thy fear and gone a whoring after our own inventions and thy Commandments being cast aside we have walked after our own wayes O Lord pardon our iniquities and be merciful to our sins Ver. 2 put thy fear into our hearts and obedience to thy Lawes Ver. 3 so shall we yet hope to eat the labour of our hands that we may yet be happy that our wives may be as the fruitful Vines upon the walls of our houses and our children as the Olive-branches round about our Tables Good God however thou please to deal with us yet remember thy afflicted Church and bless her out of thy high and holy place of Zion Ver. 5 she is thy Spouse let her then flourish as a fruitful Vine Ver. 6 and bring forth children unto thée let her sée her childrens children and enjoy a perpetual and a setled peace After our great troubles and afflictions it would be the rejoycing of our hearts might we but sée the good of Jerusalem all the dayes of our life and behold thy people Israel that are now divided by Factions and Schisms united in a Christian peace O thou who art the God of peace grant us this for his sake who made our peace thy only Son our Saviour Iesus Christ PSAL. CXXIX THE intent of the Prophet in this Psalm is to comfort the Church in affliction and to stir her up to glorifie God for his Providence over her alwayes over her for her good and bringing her enemies to confusion and a sudden ruine The Contents are 1. The indefatigable malice of the enemies of the Church ver 1 2 3. 2. That their malice is in vain for they pâ—â—â—ail not from ver 2. to 4. God saves them
3. For they are accursed and cut off from ver 4. to 8. 1. The first part God puts into the mouth of his people what they may comfortably say to their enemies The indefatigable malice of the enemies of the Church even in their greatest extremities when their malice is at the highest 1. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth may Israel now say Ver. 1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth In which observe Ver. 2 1. Her afflictions many c. That afflictions do attend Israel and must be expected by all that will live righteously in Christ Jesus 2. That these afflictions are many for sape Many a time have they afflicted me 3. That this affliction began with the Church even from the righteous Abel and hath continued ever since the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs felt it It is from my youth 4. This affliction was a fore affliction which the Prophet by an elegant Metaphor illustrates Ver. 3 of a Plow and Plowers and Furrows drawn out at length The Ploâ—â—â—s plowed upon my back and made long Furrowes They dealt unmercifully with me as the Husbandman doth with his ground tears it up with his share and spares not the green gundon till be hath turn'd it all up 2. The second part But all this their malice all their fighting is to no purpose oppugnâ—runt non expugnaruâ—â— 1. They prevail not Yet they have not prevailed against us they have not prevailed to extinguish the Church Ver. 2 prevailed they have to reduce hâ—r to a low and sad condition but they have not destroyed her nor never shall for the gates of hell shall not prevail against her â—â—â—rabit ut palma 2. The Reason is The Lord is righteous A righteous a good a just Lord and out of his Justice he protects all those that he hath under his Tuition and punisheth their Adversaries Ver. 4 3. For God delivers her For this righteous Lord hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked hath cut asunder their Tacklings Chains Repes with which they plowed and made their Furrowes He hath delivered Israel from their oppressors 3. The third part In the following verses to the end the Prophet either by way of inâ—â—â—â—â—ion or prediction And takes revenge on her enemies sets down the vengeance that God would bring upon the enâ—mies of his Church for their malice which hath three degrees 1. Ver. 5 The first of which is That they fail of their hopes and their attempts frustrated Let them all be confounded ashamed and turn'd back that hate Zion that are Osores Persecutors 2. The next is That their persons prove useless and quickly perish Let thou be as grass growing on the house-tops grass in a Medow is good for somewhat on house-tops for no use It withereth before it groweth up Mowed it is never Wherewith the Mower fills not his hand nor he that binds up the sheaves that rakes it together fills his bosom 3. The last is a want of a blessing from God or man No man saith so much as God speed as is usual to do to Workmen in Harvest Neither do they which go by say Bendithy châ—y The blessing of the Lord be upon you we bless you in the Name of the Lord. They were about an ill work Who durst say God bless or prosper you in it The Prayer out of the one hundred and twenty ninth Psalm O Omnipâ—tent and merciful God it is not unknown to thée how that people whom thou hast chosen unto thée for thy heritage hath béen in all Ages afflicted and vered by cruel Tyrants Ver. 1 even from that time that thou madest a Covenant with our fathers to this very day They have fet their Plowes to work upon our backs wounded us with afflictions and â—nrrowed us with sorrowes The escape out of one danger hath but béen the entrance into another and of these there hath béen a continuance as in a plow'd land in which furrow is added to furrow and ridge to ridge till the whole be turned up But thou whom we serve hast shewed thy self unto us a good Master a righteous and a just God Thou hast cut asunder all the cords of the wicked in which they trusted the snare is broken and we are delivered their hopes and expectation is eluded their endeavours brought to naught Though they had plotted our vestruction Ver. 2 Yet they have not prevailed against us This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes especially when we call to mind our ingratitude toward thée and our unexcusable disobedience But now we humbly beséech thée look not upon our merits but upon the glory of thy Name for we deserve not only these but far greater punishments Ver. 5 But of thine infinite mercy pour not upon us the hottest of thine indignation but let it rest upon those that are enemies to thy Truth let them all be confounded and turned back that date and séek to extirpate Zion let them quickly wither away as the grass that grass that growes upon the house-top as an unprositable and an unuseful thing let them perish and never be harvested or brought into thy Barn make it appear That the séed of their frauds and deceits cannot fill the hand much less the bosom and heart of any one that hoped to carry in heavy sheaves from them O Lord preserve thy people in their integrity and kéep them from joining their counsels with them let none of thine that go by and sée what is done say The blessing of the Lord be upon you we bless you in the Name of the Lord But let thy blessing rest upon thy people and upon thine inheritance whom thou hast chosen kéep them from all evil increase them in all goodness for the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXXX Being one of the Penitentials IN this Psalm the Spirit of God proposeth to us the case of a person oppressed with the wrath of God against sin yet flies to God for mercy and trusts to receive from him comfort remission and pardon The Contents are these 1. Acknowledging his miserable condition he prayes to be beard ver 1 2. 2. He desires remission of sin ver 2 4. 3. He makes mention of his hope and confidence ver 5 6. 4. He exhorts Gods people to trust in him ver 7 8. 1. The first part David begging with an ardent affection and desire pathetically he prayes that he may be heard Davids cry to be heard he likens himself to a man in the bottom of a Pit or that must cry aloud to be heard 1. Ver. 1 Out of the depths have I cryed to thee O Lord. De profundis non de profundo Because a true penitent cryes out of two depths the depth of his misery and the depth of his heart sensible of that misery 2. Ver. 2 Lord hear my voyce Although I be in these depths and thou dwellest on high
appear before thee and let not that happen to them that fell to the Bethshemites 1 Sam. 6. 3. He prayes for the King that is himself For thy servant Davids sake 3 For the King turn not away the face of thine Auointed Ver. 10 1. For thy servant Davids sake David is not here to be taken absolutely for his person only but as having the Covenant and Promise made to him and God could not be better put in mind of the promise than by mention of the person to whom it was made He prayes not then to be heard for Davids merits but for the promise made to David 2. Turn not away the face of thine Anointed That is suffer me not who am Anointed in my fathers stead and sit upon his Throne to depart from thy presence ashamed and confounded rejecting my prayer In this Form Bathsheba petitioned to Solomon for Adonijah 1 Kings 2.20 I desire one small Petition of thee ne avertas faciem meam which we translate Say me not nay Or else this phrase imports That we turn our face from God when we sin and he turns away his face from us and so long as we continue in that state our faces are turned from God Solomon then might pray That when at any time he turned his face from God that God would not continue his face from him but look back upon him as Christ did on Peter that so he might repent and amend and not alwayes stand with his face from God for though we freely sin and turn our face from God yet if God be pleased with a merciful eye to look upon us and pity us that so by his mercy and pity we desire and endeavour to sin no more then he does not turn away our face shame and confound us for ever Solomon in this sense prayes Suffer not my face to be turned from thee which will be done If thou suffer not thy face to be turned from me 2. The second part Gods promise made to David The Prophet now proceeds to reckon up the promises made to his father David which were confirmed by an Oath from God that these being remembred he might the easilier prevail in his Petitions asking of God as it were a due debt in which we are to observe 1. Ver. 11 The manner of the promise he confirmed by his own Oath The Lord hath sworn in truth to David 1 Confirmed by oath having no greater to swear by he swear by himsel 2 The matter of his oath 2 Sam. 12.13 Isa 55.3 Psal 89.34 It was mercy to promise but greater for assurance to bind himself by a faithful Oath and irreversible Oath He will not turn from it he will not repent of it Psal 110.4 2. 1 As it relates to Christ absolute The matter of his Oath expressed in the end of the eleventh and in ver 12 13 14. 1. For the seed of David as it concerns Christ is categorical and absolute Of the fruit of thy body I will set upon thy Seat which words are refer'd by St. Peter unto Christ Acts 2.30 According to the flesh he was from Davids seed Ver. 12 and it is observable that the Prophet speaks reservedly De fructu ventris not de fructu femoris for by the mothers side Christ was to be of Davids seed not by the fathers 2. Again I will set upon thy Seat Luke 1.32 Davids Seat was Zion and Zion typically 2 As it relates to Davids seed hypothetical Isa 2. is the Church over that Christ was to reign as David in Zion 2. For the seed of David as it relates to his posterâ—y the Oath is hypotherical and conditional If thy children will keep my Covenant and my Testimonies that I shall teach them their children shall 〈◊〉 upon thy Throne for evermore 1 Chron. 28.9 Psal 89.28 to 37. Ezek. 21.26 For if his posterity observed not the Law 3 And to Zion i. e. the Church eternal but worshipped their own inventions the promise was at an end 3. As the external Kingdom was by this Oath annexed to one Family so by the same Oath and Covenant Ver. 13 the external worship was assigned to one place 1. Ver. 14 For the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation 2. This my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it From the time of the promise performed Zion was the Seat of the Sanctuary and so continued to the coming of the Messiah so long Zion was Civitas Regia Sacerdotalis But Zion was but a Type of Christs Church The promise which God makes to his Church The third part of which these words are more truly verified for this Christ hath truly chosen and it shall be his rest for ever with it he will be for ever present efficacious in the hearts of Believers and approve their works and worship to the worlds end 3. In the last part of the Psalm the Prophet brings in God promising to his Church many good things 1. Ver. 15 First He promiseth such abundance of temporal things that the poor shall not want I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her poor with bread Godliness hath the promise of this life as well as that which is to come Ver. 16 2. Ver. 17 He promiseth for a second blessing That her Priests should be endued with holiness and her Saints shout for joy which answers to the Petition in the ninth verse 3. The third Benefit is That there the Kingdom of David to arise viz. The Kingdom of the Messiah There will I make the horn of a David to flourish that is the power Luke 1.69 I have ordained a Lamp for mine Anointed 1 Kings 11.36 15.4 John 5.35 4. The fourth Benefit is the confusion of their enemies Ver. 18 and eternal Authority in this Kingdom His enemies will I cloath with shame but upon himself shall his Crown flourish The Prayer out of the One hundred and thirty second Psalm Ver. 1 O Lord merciful and gracious declare thy self mindful of the séed of our David be â—uindful O Lord of all his mildness charity and patience Ver. 2 in which he suffered with a constant and invincible fortitude many and great afflictions Remember O Lord his dowes remember how mindful he was of his oath given unto thée for the proservation of thy Church and Truth He gave his eyes no sleep nor slumber to his eye lids that he might uphold the places deckcated to the Lord the habitations of the mighty God of Jacob. These O Lord for our sins Thou hast suffered to be demolished and profaned wicked men are come into thine inheritance and made thy house of proper a den of Thieves Arise O Lord and reward the proud after their deservings Then will we go into thy Tabernacle we will worship at thy footstool Arise O Lord into thy rest and come with us into that place that thou hast peculiarly chose unto thy self and
and before all others for ye are the servants of the Lord chose out of the people to this service 3. Ye are those which by night stand in the house of the Lord ye are appointed Levit. 8. Numb 18. and must therefore stand upon your watch In the Temple you ought not to be sleepy and idle for you were set for another purpose Therefore 4. Lift up your hands by prayer in the Sanctuary before the Ark of the Covenant which was the symbol of his presence And to bless the people 5. Bless the Lord laud and magnifie his Name The other part of your office is to bless the people let not that be forgotten neither but say in this Form of words 1. Which they do The Lord blesse thee Let them know from whom the blessing comes 2. Out of Zion So long as they remain'd in the unity of the Church no blessing to be expected The form of blessing when Zion was left 3. That Lord who hath made heaven and earth He that hath power to bless and hath given and must give his blessing to all creatures without which they will not be blessed to thee The Prayer collected out of the one hundred and thirty fourth Psalm O Merciful God that hast chosen the Tribe of Levi and taker us neere unto thy self give us grace and abilities to perform our duties to thee We are thy chosen servants we are to stand in the house of the Lord cause us therefore night and day to stand consciouably upon our watch to lift up our hands in thy Sanctuary to offer up our prayers continually unto thee and to intercede for thy people and never let us forget to bless thee our Lord and thy people in thy name And moreover we intreat of thee dear Father that thou wouldst ever do good to thy people out of Zion who fly unto thée for a blessing Thou art the Lord who hast made heaven and earth deliver us from our present difficulties and dangers and since thou hast vouchsafed to call us to the knowledge of thy truth give us a hoart to land and praise thy holy Name for ever and ever Amen Here endeth the Psalms of Degrees PSAL. CXXXV IN this Psalm the Prophet invites the servants of God to praise him and Ministers especially vers 1 2. by arguments drawn 1. From his goodness especially in his election of Israel vers 3 4. 2. From his greatness and power shewed in his works from vers 5. to 8. 3. From his justice shewed upon the enemies of Israel from vers 8. to 13. 4. From his loving kindness extended and to be extended to his servants vers 13 14. 5. He invites the Levites to praise God The first part Having derided the vanity of Idols from vers 15. to 19. he returns to his exhortation calling upon all to blesse God from vers 19. to 21. 1. He calls upon the Ministers of Religion especially to attend to the recitation of divine praises and in the same words of the former Psalm 1. Ver. 1 Praise ye the Lord praise ye the Name of the Lord praise Him O ye servants of the Lord. 2. Ver. 2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord in the Courts of the house of our God 2. The second part The reasons And now ingeminating his words again he produces his reasons to perswade it 1. Ver. 3 Because the Lord is worthy of all praise Praise the Lord for he is good What is good is worthy of praise 1 Because he is good what is bad worthy of dispraise But God is absolutely good not comparatively nor by participation from himself good not from any other and therefore praise the Lord because he is good 2. 2 It is a pleasent work Sing praises to his Name because it is pleasant it is no troublesome work or laborious but full of delight sweetness content The Hebrew word Nahim may be referred to the Lord to his Name or to the praise so that the sense may be sing unto the Lord because the Lord is sweet or sing to his name for it is sweet or sing unto the Lords Name for it is a pleasant and an action of content that delights the soul Ver. 4 3. Praise the Lord for his love to Israel which imposeth a debt and obligation to praise him 3 They tyed to do it because God chose Jacob. 1. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself to be his inheritance portion 2. And Israel to be his peculiar treasure Rom. 9. Malach 1. I have lâ—ved Jacob and hated Esau And this obligation lies upon Christians now The third part 3. The next Argument which the Prophet useth to perswade to the praise of God is from his greatness of which he was assured For I know first that the Lord is great secondly Ver. 5 that our Lord is above all gods 4 Because God is great And first that the Lord is great and of great power he proves by many instances 1. From his Empire and universal dominion in heaven the earth the seas c. Ver. 6 1. Whatsoever the Lord pleased that he did In his works Nothing is impossible to him We would do many things but cannot He does all by his free will not out of any need but we work for the most part because we want necessity compels us 'T is but 't fithen we give to him the praise not to our selves 2. He doth all things what he pleaseth in all places in heaven earth seas hell And these last words the Prophet amplifies by setting down some especial places in which his works are most apparent 1. In the earth 1 In the earth He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth from all parts East West North South Ver. 7 which are endued with several qualities 2. In the air and clouds above He maketh lightning for the rain 2 Aire A wonder that fire should be mixt with water and not distinguished 3. In the water For he brings the winds out of his treasures 3 The water A third wonder for nothing is more obscure than the generation of the winds out of his treasures they come from his rich and secret power John 3. 4. The third argument the Prophet useth to perswade us to praise God The fourth part is from his justice in taking vengeance of the enemies of his people as 5 Because just 1. Upon the Aegyptians Ver. 8 1. Who smote the first-born of Aegypt both of man and beast For instance on Egypt and it was evident that it was his hand because the first-born only were smitten and of the Aegyptians onely and not of Israel 2. Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee O Aegypt upon Pharaoh and all his servants Exod. 7.8 9 10 11 12. in brief he minds us of all the signs and plagues of Aegypt 2. On the Amoritish Kings Sihon and Og 2 On
the Amoritish Kings and the thirty one Kings of Canaan He smote great Nations and slew mighty Kings as for example Ver. 10 Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan Ver. 11 And gave away their land for an heritage Ver. 12 an heritage unto Israel his people All which is evident out of the books of Numb Deut. Joshua 5. The fifth part For this he extols God To the commemoration of the revenge that God took upon the enemies of his people and the benefits he bestowed on them he adds a conclusion formed into an Epiphonima in which he first extols Gods name and then shews his mercy to his people 1. Thy Name O Lord endures for ever i. e. for these thy wonderful works 2. And thy memorial throughout all generations Thy memory thy fame the remembrance of thy Acts shall flourish and remain to all posterity 2. And the reason is drawn from his mercy which excites us also to praise him 1. And shews his mercy to his people For the Lord will judge his people The world judgeth them forsaken but he is their keeper and defender and will judge their cause and at last take revenge on their persecutors and deliver them 2. And he will repent himself concerning his servants Though he punisheth his dearest children yet he will be at last entreated be propitious and kind and remove his heavy hand Psal 136.23 6. The sixth part 2. God above all gods The Prophet hath proved that God is absolutely great in himself which he proposed vers 5. And now he proves the second part of his proposition that our Lord is above all gods For being compared to the Idols of the Heathen he far exceeds them They were Divels not gods they the work of mens hands made of earthy materials they could not infuse life sense reason into their images as God did into his image man they nor saw nor heard nor moved For he shews their vanity divers ways And shews the vanity of Idols 1. From their matter wherof they were made The Idols of the beathen are silver and gold Ver. 15 2. From the efficient cause their makers men The work of mens bands 3. From their impotence from performing any act of life They have mouths but they speak not eyes they have but they see not They have ears but they hear not neither is there any breath in their mouths 4. From the sortishness and misery of those that worship them They that make them are like unto them Ver. 18 so is every one that trusteth in them The makers are blind mute deaf understand nothing at all who suppose that they can make gods And they that trust in them more sotrish that think a stone can help them 7. The seventh part In the last part he invites all the true worshippers of God to praise him because they are lively images of the living God they see they hear they speak they understand That therefore all praise God and therefore they praise that God from whom they the faculty of living hearing speaking seeing and understanding To this he invites 1. All Israel Bless the Lord O house of Israel 2. Ver. 19 Then the Priests Bless the Lord O house of Aaron 3. The Levites Bless the Lord O house of Levi. 4. Lastly of all the Laity Ye that fear the Lord bless the Lord. To which he adds his own vote concluding with this Epiphonima 1. Blessed be the Lord out of Zion where he shews his presence by the Ark. 2. Which dwelleth at Jerusalem who though he be every where by his Essence and presence yet peculiarly dwells in his Church by his inhabiting Spirit Let the Citizens of Zion and Jerusalem never cease to bless him The Hymn and Prayer collected from the One hundred and thirty fifth Psalm O Omnipotent God all we thy servants now gathered together in thy Spirit to blesse thy name and here met in the Courts of the house of our God to praise thee Ver. 1 do acknowledge that we have instnite reasons to pay this debt to thy divine Majesty For we know O Lord that thou art good good absolutely in thy self and gracious unto us and that all our goodnesse is as nothing in comparison of thee We know again that to sing praises unto thee is a pleasant thing and therefore our heart shall be glad when we send forth prayses unto thee with joyful lips Wee know also that thou art great and far above all Gods Thy benefits are innumerable not only which thou hast conferd upon thy chosen people thy Israel who is thy pecultar treasure but even which with a full hand thou hast poured forth upon all mankind For in heaven the earth the seas and in all deep places thou hast done whatsoever thou pleasedst Thou so orderest the clouds the vapours the lightning winds and rain that they may be obedient to thee and serviceable for the use and sustenance of man And when thou hast in thy power the hearts of all Kings and Princes thou so bendest them as may make most for the good and saidation of thy people upon them thou revengest their wrongs and deliverest in due time thy chosen people from their power and oppression Egypt the Amorites and Canaanites felt thy power whom thou smotest in thy anger plaguest and slew in thy wrath and gavest away their Land for an heritage even for an heritage to Israel thy people Thy Name O Lord endureth for ever Ver. 13 and thy memorial through all generations and therefore our hope which is grounded upon thy promises is thereby confirmed and increased that though thou art risen up in judgment against thy people yet at last it will repent thée concerning thy servants O merciful God arise we beséech thée and behold the miseries and calamities of thy poor servants and deal not with us according to the merit of our iniquities Pardon our offences and let it repent thée of the evil thou hast brought upon us We have liv'd unworthy of thy Name unworthy of our Vocation yet at last break the force of the Devil and his instruments and repress their pride and boldness that we be not compelled to fall down and worship the imaginations of their own brains which are little better than the Idols of the Heathens that nor saw nor spake nor heard nor understood Which mercy if thou will grant us then all that fear the Lord both Priest and people the whole house of Aaron of Levi and all Israel shall have just occasion to bless the Lord and say Blessed be the Lord out of Zion which dwelleth at Jerusalem Allelujah PSAL. CXXXVI THIS Psalm is of the same Argument that the former For in it all men are call'd upon to praise God for his greatness and goodness his providence and mercy in creating governing and ordering the world but especially his love shew'd to his people the Church All which works because they proceeded from his Mercy therefore
David exhorts to praise God The first part He begins with a Dialogism 1. He speaks to all Praise ye the Lord. 2. Ver. 1 Then by an Apostrophe he turns to himself Praise the Lord O my soul 3. And his soul answers While I live will I praise the Lord I will sing praises to my God while I have my being while I am and shall be 2. The second part But because the foundation of this praise is the trust and confidence which men have in God Dehorts from confidence in Princes for from which they are retarded by admiring over-much and relying upon the power and help of Kings and Princes the Prophet therefore subjoins his Dehortation and gives his Reasons for it 1. Ver. 3 Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man 2. His Reasons for it are 1. 1 Their impotency First Their Impotency There is no help in them They may seem potent but they cannot save themselves much less other men Ver. 4 2. 2 Mortality Their Fragility and Mortality Their breath goeth forth they return to the earth in that very day their thoughts perish 3. The third part But happy he that relies on God Those men cannot be happy that trust to them but now on the contrary If a man will be happy the Prophet shewes upon whom he must trust and rely which is on God for 1. Ver. 5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help him to whom Jacob trusted 2. And whose hope is in the Lord his God Not in impotent and short-liv'd men And this he confirms by divers Reasons The fourth part Because he is 1. 1 Omnipotent First From his Omnipotence He is God the Creatour he made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that is therein Able then to protect Ver. 6 2. 2 Faithful From his Veracity Who keeps Truth for ever His word is passed for our protection and he will perform it Potest vult quia promisit Ver. 7 3. 3 Just From his Justice He executeth judgment for the oppressed He defends the innocent and punisheth the unjust Good trusting then to him 4. Ver. 8 4 Merciful From his Mercy 1. He giveth food to the hungry Relieves men in their wants 2. The Lord looseth the Prisoners Another Act of grace and the rest follow 3. The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind Whether spiritually or corporally 4. The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down By sin wrath misery 5. From his Love The Lord loveth the righteous Ver. 9 5 Loving Of which the effects are 1. The Lord preserveth the strangers 2. He relieveth the fatherless and widow 3. But the ungodly find a quite contrary effect because they are noâ—â—ons of love but wrath But the way of the wicked he turns upside down Their glory perisheth and with it the hope of those fools that trusted to them 6. From the Eternity of his Kingdom therefore to be praised 6 Eternal and trusted to for ever Kings dye and perish but he is a King for ever in Zion i.e. Ver. 10 in his Church The Lord shall reign for ever even thy God O Zion unto all Generations Praise ye the Lord. The Hymn and Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty sixth Psalm O Omnipotent and most Merciful God Ver. 1 Thou art worthy to receive honour and glory and therefore with all my heart and soul while I live I will praise thee while I have any being I will sing praises to my God Thou art my staffe to trust to my sole confidence and my hape as for the greatest and most potent of the sons of men I dare not rely on them Ver. 3 for they are unable in their greatest exigence to help themselves much less to relieve others Their breath goeth forth and they return to the earth whence they came and in that very day all their high thoughts and proud attempts perish and vanish together with them Who then can be happy that relies upon such empty broken réeds Ver. 5 that trusts to such brittle earthen vessels Leaving then all earthly dependances as weak and miserable comforters To thee will I trust who art the God of Jacob the Lord of thy Church and people being assured That he is only happy whose hope is in the Lord his God Thou O Lord hast made Heaven and Earth the Seâ— and all that is in it Ver. 6 Thou dost confirm the Truth of thy promises by an exact performance Ver. 7 Execute then judgment for the oppressed give food to the hungry loose thy prisoners from their bonds and chains open the eyes and illuminate the understandings of those who are blinded in sin and errour Raise O Lord the hearts of such as are contrite and bowed down prosecute the righteous and innocent with thy love and favour preserve the stranger relieve the fatherless and widow and turn-upside down the way the plots devices and frauds of wicked mâ—n Turn O Lord the counsel of Achitophel into foolishness An which since we know to be thy wondrous wâ—â—ks and have experience of the performance of them to thy faithful servants in all Ages our faith is thereby confirmed Ver. 10 and our hope sustained in the miâ—st of our present troubles and calamities Wherefore being encouraged by this hope we humbly beséech thée look upon the sad condition of thy Church Thou O God reignest in Zion build then the decayed and ruined walls of Jerusalem and preserve and provide for this widow and her fatherless children amidst the storms and fury of her merciless oppressors for the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXLVII A Hymn THE Scope and intent of the Prophet in this Psalm is to stir up men to praise God for which he produceth many Arguments The occasion of the composing of it was the reduction of the Jewes from the captivity of Babylon and therefore it is supposed that Haggai and Zechariah the Prophets were the Authours of it and therefore some Interpreters put their names in the Title of it The parts are 1. An Exhortation to praise God ver 1. which is repeated ver 7. 12. 2. The Arguments to perswade to it Gods bounty wisdom power providence justice and mercy through the whole Psalm 1. He invites to praise God The first part The Exhortation is briefly proposed Praise the Lord ver 1. which the Prophet as the Chanter of the Quire begins and after some reasons given repeats in more words Ver. 1 Sing unto the Lord with Thanksgiving sing praises upon the Harp unto our God ver 7. And yet again at ver 12. Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Zion where the Arabique Greek and Latine Translators begin a new Psalm but in the Hebrew they are conjoyned and but one Hymn 2. The second part Now the Prophet hath no sooner ended his Exhortations but to every one of them singly he annexeth his Reasons To
Gods Providence 1 From his Providence of which he gives divers instances 1. Ver. 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds and prepareth rain for the earth When he brings clouds over the face of heaven The instances of it four it is not in his purpose to obscure or darken the beauty of it but to water and moisten the earth without which it will not be fruitful Psal 104.13 14. Jer. 14.22 2. Who makes grass to grow on the Mountains in the most barren places to which the rain will not suffice except God co-operate with it 3. He giveth to the Beast his food He giveth it them they gather it 4. Ver. 9 And to the young Ravens which cry Naturalists tell us That the Raven seeds not his Chickens till they be plumed not owning them till they be like them all which time God sustains them But others that no Bird so soon suffers his young to prey for themselves as the Raven being then deserted by the Dam croâ—itant invocant and God hears and sends them meat Job 38.41 Christ useth this Argument that we rely on Gods Providence Mat. 6. Luke 12. Yea Object But how shall we be deliver'd we see no means but here the infirm and distrustful Jew may argue Alas we see no means for our deliverance we have no Strength no Ammunition nor Horse nor Armour for War no nor yet hearts to fight How shall we be delivered The Prophet prevents and answers this objection viz. That God who is to gather them needs no help at all he can do it without means as well as means 1. Ver. 10 He delights not in the strength of an horse which is a warlike creature Resp. God can do it without means and will 2. He takes not pleasure in the legs i. e. nimbleness agility valour of a man that is in any military preparation or power so far forth as if they were necessary means and he could not do his work without them these he will have in ordinary use but not trusted to he delights not in that But he placeth his delight in his servants and those some way or other he will deliver 1. The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear him not in the Majesty rich noble or superficial Pharisee but in those that fear him and trembles at his words 2. And in those that hope in his mercy That put their confidence that out of mercy love goodnesse he will deliver them 3. He again repeats this proposition and calls to the Church to perform it The third part of the second Section where in the Greek and Vulgar begins a new Psalm Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Zion He again exhorts to praise God Though others be negligent to praise God yet be not thou Not Jerusalem not Zion And then recites four arguments for which he would have Zion sing praises Ver. 12 1. Security and defence 2. Benediction 3. Peace 4. Jerusalem especially Sustenance or provision 1. Jerusalem is a City secure being defended by God 1 For her Security For he hath strengthened the barrs of thy gates Gates and barrs do well to a City Ver. 13 but then alone the City is secure when God makes them strong The true ammunition of a City is Gods defence Arms Lawes wealth c. are the barrs 2. Jerusalem is a happy City For he hath blessed thy children within hee 2 Benediction thy Kings Princes Magistrates c. with Wisdom Religion Piety c. 3. Jerusalem is a peaceable City He maketh peace in thy borders 3 Peace The very name intimates so much For Jerusalem interpreted is Visio pacis 4. Jerusalem is a City provided by God with necessary food and provision Ver. 14 For He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat 4 Abundance Now that it is God that doth all this for Jerusalem the Prophet makes good by other things that he doth for the whole world The Prophet proves this by his general providence for which he needs not any instruments and under-officers to do it by but only his word and his command 'T is but for him to say the word and what he will is done He sends forth his command upon earth and his word runs very swiftly it pierceth all things Ver. 15 and presently execution follows upon it Heb. 1.3 Wisd 7.22 24. 8.1 For instance 1. He giveth snow like wooll Ver. 16 Sometimes great flakes of it like locks of wooll or else to cover the earth as a winter-garment a man He brings frost snow ice and keep it warm from the nipping of the cold winds as is evident in Northern Countries 2. He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes That thickens the aire as if ashes were cast into it For I have observed that with a hoar-frost commonly there is a mist which resolves into rain within twenty four hours 3. He casteth forth his ice like morsels That is fragments of ice 4. Who can stand before his cold That is able to endure it had not he provided clothes furrs fire against the violence and rigor of it Described he hath the vehemency of the cold in the snow frost ice Annd dissolves and melts it next he shews with what facility and celerity he dissolves and removes it Only by his Word 1. He sends out his word and melts them 2. He causeth his wind to blow His South wind and the waters flow Ice and Snow are resolv'd into water But note here that the Prophet calls it His ice His cold His word His wind that we may know that the constipation and resolution is from him and therefore we depend upon his providence for out food and raiment c. 4. This is an act of Gods providence in common to all Nations 2 The special Act of his providence to his people and by it he teacheth all Nations to acknowledge their Creator But there is a peculiar Act of his providence extended to his people in which other Nations did not nor do not yet communicate with them viz. The knowledge of his word and manifestation of his Will and this is a new argument by which he perswades them to praise God The knowledge of his word and will What Israel might that now the Christian Church may say and that with advantage 1. He shews his word unto Jacob his statutes and judgments unto Israel To them he spake by Moses and the Prophets To us by his own Son his Apostles and their successors 2. He hath not dealt so with any Nation with none at that time And now to none who belong not to the spiritual Jerusalem which is the Church 3. For all these benefits praise the Lord. And as for his judgments The Evangelical Preceps and Rules of life and salvation they have not known them Now for all these benefits and for all these reasons Hallelujah Praise ye the Lord. The Hymn or Prayer Collected out
expect none but muddy troubled water that then the Prophet saith He shall drink of the Torrent intimates That the drink offer'd him should be much and troubled And at his Passion he descended into the very depth of the Torrent and drank very deep of it 3. In the way That was while he was Viator in his Journey all the time of his life that preceded his Resurrection and Ascension 2. His Ascension and Honour But Claritas Humilitatis praemium because he thus humbled himself and willingly underwent his Death and Passion for the Glory of his Father and the Salvation of Mankind therefore shall God lift up his Head he shall ascend into Heaven sit at his right hand and be constituted the Judge of quick and dead he shall rise from the dead and have all power committed to him in Heaven and Earth The Prayer out of the One hundred and tenth Psalm O Almighty God most gracious and merciful Lord sinned all Mankind hath and by it incurr'd thy displeasure and by the disobedience of our first Parents had we not since added to that disobedience béen utterly lost it was not in the power of any creature to save us it was not within the compass of any humane or angelical ability to make our peace to get our pardon and to reconcile us again unto thée The sentence of death was passed upon us and nothing could respite the execution but thy own Ordinance A Mediator was wanting to interpose and hear all differences a Priest to step in and make an Atonement an Advocate to plead for thy people and allay the anger that was gone forth And such an one O merciful Lord Thou out of thy méer love hast in mercy provided for us Thou saidst to thy own Son Thou art a Priest for ever and thy own Son said Lo I come to do thy Will Ver. 4 and so by thy wonderful Decrée and his willing Obedience we are redéemed Who ever heard so strange a thing who could or would ever believe this report hadst not thou O God revealed it The zeal of the Lord hath done this for us the zeal of the Son of God hath done this brought to pass that which flesh and blood would never believe were it not That thou hast commanded it to be believed O mystery beyond comprehension which when we séem to comprehend yet we understand not the secret so far passeth what our weak capacity can reach unto And in this thou O merciful Father hast condescended to our infirmity for that thy Decrée and thy Sons love be never more doubted Thou hast secured us by an Oath an Oath of which thou wilt never repent That he is a Priest for ever A Priest must have something to offer and he offer'd himself a Priest must offer blood and he offer'd his own a Priest must step in and appease thy anger when it was at the highest a Priest must reconcile when the terms of difference were the greatest And such an High Priest thou hast sworn thy Son shall be given him for us and to us not only to them that lived then and before but to all thine that are now and shall be hereafter for thou hast ordained to be a Priest for ever O holy and good Father how much hast thou loved us who hast not spared thine one only Son but hast deliver'd him to be our Priest and our Sacrifice and therefore our Priest because our Sacrifice to Sacrifice himself upon the Altar of the Cross that he might cancel and nail there the Hand-writing that was against us and by death destroy him that had the power of death the Devil This could not be done till he had drank of the Brook in the way till all thy storms and waves had gone over him for so it behoved Christ to suffer Ver. 7 and to enter into his Glory But now all those indignities that agony those unknown sufferings are at an end and thou hast lifted up his head He that sacrificed himself on Earth is an High Priest an Advocate a Mediator an Intercessor for his Body in Heaven and there applies his purchase and continues this his Office for his Servants and Saints O Lord I am the meanest the most sinful of this Society so often as I provoke thée to anger by infirmity or surreptitious by enormous or presumptuous iniquities turn thy face from me a wretched Caitiff and behold those wounds in his hands féet and side and accept of that precious Sacrifice which he made upon the Cross for me hear the cry of those wounds that intercede for me at thy Throne of Grace I rely upon no other Advocate I will sue to no other Mediator if he be not able to save me then let me perish for ever speak peace to my soul in his Name be reconciled unto me in his blood and make his intercession so powerful unto me That I may be purged from my sins and turned from mine iniquities And this Supplication I do not only offer unto thée for my self but for all thy people Ver. 1 for whose sakes thou hast lift up his head and said unto my Lord Sir thou at my right hand All power is now given unto him both in Heaven and in Earth for he is not only a Priest but a King also a Scepter he hath and a Rod in his right hand this is the Rod of his strength and it came first out of Zion Ver. 2 I mean his Gospel that Law which came first out of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem O set thy King upon thy holy hill of Zion give him the Heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession break them with a Rod of Iron and dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel Oppose all those that oppose the growth and enlargement of his Kingdom Let him rule in the midst of thine enemies and sit at thy right hand until thou hast made all his enemies his Foot-stool O Lord let him preside and have the Dominion over all till there be no Adversary left that shall dare to oppose him in his Offices Behold we humbly beséech thée how in these our dayes there are risen up blasphemous and wicked men cruel and bloody Antichrists who go about to break his Bands asunder and dare boldly and impudently say of him We will not have this man to reign over us Be present then O Lord our Saviour at the right hand of thy people and strike through Kings Princes and Potentates in the day of thy wrath Exercise judgment against these blasphemous and heathenish Rebels let not thy Eye pity them nor thy Sword spare them but fill the places with their dead bodies and in what Countrey soever they remain what Aire soever they breath let their factious bodies and their Machivillian and Tyrannical heads and leaders receive their deaths wound from thy hand and fury O Lord pronounce a favourable sentence for thy Church and let
thy Gospel which came out of Zion and was planted by thy Apostles and diffused by the impulse and power of thy good Spirit Ver. 3 once more flourish amongst us so visibly and extraordinarily work for us That all men even thine enemies may acknowledge That this is the day of thy power Thy power it must be that can collect us whom Heresie Schism and Tyranny hath dispersed thy power to cause us to méet in our solemn Assemblies speak but the word O Lord and appoint the day and thy people will be a willing people they will méet out of love and joy of heart and offer thee free-will offerings in the beauties of holiness O holy Father we must with shame confess against our own souls that we have profaned thy Sanctuary by entring into it with our shooes on our féet and when we have béen in it we have too often offer'd the Sacrifice of Fools holiness is that virtue which becomes thy house for ever and this holiness is from the womb of the morning it comes not from the will of man it procéeds not from the will of the flesh it is a swéet and Virgin dew that distills from thy holy Spirit and as by the silver drops that descend from above the roots of the Herbs are moistned refreshed and cherished so by these secret dews of grace our dry hearts are quickned and recover life vouchsafe we beséech thée therefore to descend upon us with these dewes that being regenerate and born again we may grow and increase in holiness in obedience in alacrity in thy Service refresh us when we are weary make us shoot when we are at a stand ever let us retain the dew of our youth that being lively in all the exercises of Christianity we may at last be exalted and set at thy right hand as thou art seated at the right hand of thy Father and enjoy those heavenly Mansions which our Lord is gone to prepare for us Grant us this O heavenly Father for thy Son Jesus Christs sake to whom with thee and the Holy Sprit three Persons and one God be ascribed all Honour Glory and Praise for ever and ever Amen PSAL. CXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 T IS conceived that this Hymn was set by David to be sung at the Passeover and that it might be the easilier learned and remembred the Colons of it are in number as many and digested by order of the Hebrew Alphabet The Sum of it is an Exhortation to praise God for his wonderful favours and benefits bestowed upon the World at large and in special toward his people Israel and the Church Three parts there are of this Psalm 1. A Protestation of David to praise God and the manner how and the company with whom he would do it ver 1. 2. An Expression of the Reasons that moved him to it viz. his admirable benefits bestowed both general and special which he enumerates from ver 2. to 10. 3. A Conclusion or Inference upon the premises by way of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which he commends the fear of God ver 10. 1. The Title of the Psalm is Allelujah Praise ye the Lord Allelujah The first part He praiseth God himself And that this his Exhortation might pierce the deeper and that his Subjects might the more readily follow his example presently he vowes and protests 1. I will praise the Lord And expresseth the manner how he would do it and as indeed it ought to be done Ver. 1 2. Not hypocritically with the lips and mouth only 1 In sincerity but with the heart 2 In unity and with the Church 3. Not with a heart and a heart but with the whole heart 4. Not separately or Schismatically but in the Assembly of the upright and in the Congregation 1. Both in that Assembly where good and upright men are met 2. And also in the company of many even with the mix't multitude secretly among good men and openly in the Congregation he would praise God 2. And having made a pious confession of his readiness to practise the Duty The second part next sets down the ground and matter of his praise which contains the Reasons that moved him to it as if he had said Which he doing and perswading sets down his Reasons for it There be great and urgent causes that may move me and all others to praise God 1. The first of which is His works of power be it the Creation of the World and its Conservation or be they the favours shewed to his Church these are his works And these works of the Lord are great Ver. 2 1. Great not only for variety and beauty 1 Because his works great 1. Of Creation but that also in the least and most base creature his Wisdom admirable his Power wonderful there is nothing that came from his hand which is not very great and greatly to be admired 2. Great 2 Of Election for it was a great work of his to take to himself a people out of another people to make a Covenant with them to them to reveal his promises to give them a Law to settle among them a policy for Church and State c. This was also a great and admirable work 3. Fools and impious men indeed little consider these works Which fools little think of but wise men consider they think not of the Authour and therefore esteem them not much But in the eyes of all wise men they are exquisite works and they are sought out searched into by all them that take pleasure therein That are pleased both with the Authour the work and the use and end of them 2. Ver. 3 The second of these is His work of Wisdom in the governing of those creatures which he hath created 2 His work of wisdom in governing the World his Church which is 1. Honourable and his Church which he hath collected and this his work is 1. Honourable worthy of honour worthy of praise and therefore much more the Authour 2. And glorious Many Princes have done very glorious works but not to be compared to any work of God the Glory Magnificence and Majesty far exceeds them all 2 Glorious 3. 3 Is his work of Justice The third work is that of his Justice He is a righteous God and his righteousness endureth for ever Men may complain that they see wicked men exalted and his servants under the Cross oppressed and afflicted But the judgments and wayes of God may be secret and hid from us unjust they can never be for he never departs from the exact Rule of Justice though we cannot discern it nor search it out 4. 4 His work of mercy His fourth work is a work of mercy of which he would have a Record kept 1. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred as in the Jewish Feasts Ver. 4 2. And these proceeded from his meer mercy For the Lord is gracious