Austin apply this Psalm to the holy city of the Church of which that of Ierusalem was the figure tho S. Chrisostome and some other interpreters thiâ— it relates to the reestablishment of the city of Ierusalem after the Captivity of Babylon 1 GReat is our Lord Psalm 47. and worthy of all praise in the city of our God upon his holy mountan 2 With the joy of the whole earth mount Sion is founded on the side of the north stands the city of the great King 3 In the houses therof God will make himself known when he takes upon him to defend it 4 For behold the Kings of the earth did assemble And conspire against it 5 But when they saw it so defended they were astonish'd were frighted were driven away And were seised with trembling 6 They felt the pains of a woman in labour with a violent wind thou wilt break to pieces the ships of Tharsus 7 As wee have heard so now wee have seen in the city of the Lord of Hosts in the city of our God that God has founded her to last for ever 8 Wee have received thy mercy O God! in the midle of thy Temple 9 As is thy name so is thy praise spred to the ends of the earth thy right hand is full of justice 10 Let mount Sion rejoyce let the daughters of Judah be overjoy'd at the sight of thy judgments O Lord 11 Go round about Sion and incompass it relate those things from the top of its towers 12 Consider well its strength take a view of every house that you may make it known to the next generation 13 For he is God our God for ever and ever And he will reign eternally over us PSALME XXXXVIII Audite haec omnes gentes It is needles to be iniquisitive into the occasion of composing this Psalm since ther is nothing certain to be said of it and on the other side it consists only of morall instructions The Prophet represents the vanity of riches the unprofitablenes of worldly wisdom and shews that tho it often happens that the just are afflicted in this life and that the wickâ—d are in prosperity yet when death comes there will be an equall distribution made 1 HEar what I say all you Nations Psalm 48. be attentive all you inhabitants of the world 2 All that are born of the earth all sons of men both the rich and the poor 3 My mouth shall utter wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall bring forth prudence 4 I will give attention to parables And my proposition I will explain upon the harp 5 Why shall I be affraid in the evill day least I be found involved in the iniquity of my ways 6 They who confide in their strength And who glory in the abundance of their riches let them hear this 7 A brother wil not redeem a brother will a man vvho is a stranger redeem him he can not give for himself wherwith to appease God 8 Nor pay the ransom of his own soul he will allways toyle and labour and so live on to the presixt end of his days 9 He will not look upon death tho he sees wise men dying before him but the insensible man and the fool at last must perish 10 And they will leave their houses to strangers And their sepulchers will be their houses to the world's end 11 Their places of habitation passe from one generation to an other they have left their names to their lands 12 Man when elevated in honour looseth understanding he is compared to brute beasts that have no reason and he becomes like them 13 This way of theirs is the occasion of their fall And yet they please and applaud themselves 14 Like sheep to the shambles they are driven into hell And death will devour them 15 And the just will have dominion over them in the morning And all the props of their vvorldly glory will sink and faile them in hell 16 But God will redeem my soul from the power of hell when he has taken me into his protection 17 Be not concern'd when the unjust man becomes rich And his house is in great glory 18 For of all this when he dyes he will carry nothing with him nor will his glory accompany him when he goes below 19 During his life he shall be said to be happy And he will praise thee as long as thou do'st well with him 20 There he will enter where his fathers went before him And for ever he will not see light 21 Man when he is elevated in honour looseth understanding he is compared to brute beasts that have no reason and is become like them PSALME XXXXIX Deus Deorum Many of the holy fathers interpreters think this Psalm relates to the comings of our Saviour the one of mercy when he call'd mankind and established his Church the other of justice when he will come to judge the world Others apply it to the Israelites who vainly confided in their sacrifices and at that same time violated his law and neglected to obey his will Those two opinions may easily be reconciled in taking the Israelites to be the figure of the Christians and the judgment which God prononces against them to represent that which he will prononce at the last day against all who break his divine law 1 THe God of Gods Psalm 49. our Lord has spoken And has summon'd the earth 2 From the rising to the setting of the sun the splendor of his glory shines out of Sion 3 God will come our God will manifest himself And he will not be silent 4 Fire will flame out before him And a violent tempest will incompass him round 5 He will call to him the heavens from above and the earth from below to distinguish his people 6 Bring before him all his Saints who make a covenant with him by sacrifices 7 And the heavens shall proclame his justice for God is the supreme judge 8 Hear me my people and I will speak hear me Israel and I will testify to thee that I am God thy God 9 I will not accuse thee as to thy sacrifices for thy holocaustes are allways in my sight 10 I will not take your calves from your houses nor your goats from your herds 11 For all the beasts of the woods are mine All the cattell in the mountains and the oxen 12 I know all the birds of the air And the fruitfull beauty of the feilds comes from me 13 If I want meat I shall not tell you for the whole world is mine and all that it contains 14 Will I eat the flesh of bulls Or will I drink the blood of goats 15 Immolate to God a sacrifice of praise And pay your vowes faithfully to the most high 16 And call upon me in the day of tribulation I will sett you free and you shall honour me 17 But to the sinner God has said why do'st thou declare my laws And why do'st thou assume into thy
am poor and in necessity 2 Preserve my soul for j am holy my God! save thy servant who trusts in thee 3 Be mercifull to me O Lord for all the day I have cry'd out to thee make glad the soul of thy servant because to thee O Lord I have lifted up my soul 4 For thou O Lord art mild and benigne And full of mercy towards all that call upon thee 5 Give ear O Lord to my prayer And listen to the voice of my supplication 6 In the day of my tribulation I have cry'd out to thee Because thou art wont to heare me 7 There is none amongst the Gods like to thee O Lord and none whos works are like to thine 8 All the nations whom thou hast created shall come and adore thee O Lord and shall give glory to thy name 9 For thou art truely great and the doer of wonderful things Thou art the only God 10 Lead me O Lord in thy way And I shall enter into thy truth Let my heart rejoyee in reverencing thy name 11 I will praise thee O Lord my God! with my whole heart and I will give glory to thy name for ever 12 Because thy mercy hath been great upon me and thou hast rescued my soul from the lowest hell 13 O God! the wicked have rose up against me and a convention of powerfull men have not had thee before their eyes 14 But thou art compassionat and tenderhearted slow to punish and full of mercy and truth 15 Look towards me Psalm 86. and have mercy on me indow thy servant with power from thee save the son of thy handmaid 16 Give a signe of thy goodnes towards me that they who hate me may see it and be confounded For thou O Lord hast been still my helper and my comforter PSALME LXXXVI Fundamenta ejus David in this Psalme celebrates tâ—e praises of the Citty of Ierusalem which in the Prophetâ—ck sense may very â—ell be apply'd to the Church of Christ of which that Citty was the figure 1 THe foundations thereof are lay'd in the holy mountains Psalm 85. Our Lord Loves the gates of Sion more then all the tents of Jacob. 2 Glorious things are said of thee O City of God 3 I will remember Rahab and Babylon who shall know me 4 Behold the strangers and thos of Tyrus and the people of Ethiopia they have been ther. 5 Will it not be sayd to Sion Psalm 86. that multitudes of men have been born ther And that the most high himself was the founder of it 6 Our Lord will say it in the writings wherein are register'd the people and the Princes that have lived there 7 All thy inhabitants O Sion shall be replenished with joy PSALME LXXXVII Domine Deus salutis The Author of this Psalme describes and Laments his misery and prays to God to commiserate and help him that so he may praise his holy name 1 O Lord Psalm 87. the God of my safety I have cry'd out by day and by night before thee 2 Vouchafe to look upon my petition And give ear to my prayer 3 For my â—oul is oppressed with evills And my life is on the brink of the grave 4 I am reckon'd as one of thos that are to be lett down into the pitt I am become forlorn and destitute of all help free amongst the dead 5 Like the wounded that sleep in their sepulchers who are forgotten by thee and whom thy hand has rejected 2 They have laid me in a deep pitt In a place of darknes and in the shade of death 7 Thy fury lyes heavy upon me and thou hast made all thy waves overwhelme me 8 Thou hast separated fom me all my freinds and they have me in abomination 9 I have been shutt up without being able to get out my eyes languish with misery 10 To thee O Lord I have cry'd out the whole day I have stretch'd forth my hands to thee 11 Is it amongst the dead that thou wilt shew thy wonders Or will physitians raise them to life that so they may praise thee 12 Will any in sepulchers relate thy mercy and thy truth in the grave 13 Will thy wonders be known in the region of darknes and thy justice in the land of oblivion 14 But I O Lord have cry'd out to thee and early in the morning my prayer shall come before thee 15 Why O Lord doest thou reject my prayer why dost thou turn away thy face from me 16 I am poor and from my youth have been in labour and hardship And after I was exalred I was humbled again and am full of trouble 17 All thy anger has gone over me And the terrors thereof have almost distracted me 18 The whole day they have surrounded me like a flood of water And all at once they have beseig'd me 19 My freinds and my neighbours thou hast removed far from me And all my acquaintance fly me by reason of my misery PSALME LXXXVIII Misericordias Domini The Psalmist praiseth God for his wonderfull power for his care of his people for his favour shewn and promises made to David and his posterity Then complaining of contrary events he expostulats prayâ—th and blesseth God 1 THe mercys of our Lord I will eternally sing Psalm 88. 2 My mouth shall make known thy truth from generation to generation 3 Because thou hast said mercy shall be built up in heaven to last for ever Thy verity will there be firmly established 4 I have made a convenant with my Elect I have sworn to David my servant I will preserve thy race for ever 5 And I will erect thy throne which shall continue from age to age 6 The heavens shall declare thy wonders O Lord And in the assembly of saints thy truth will be magnify'd 7 For who in the heavens can equall our Lord and who amongst the sons of God shall be like to God 8 To God who is glorify'd in the assembly of his saints who is great and terrible aboue all that are about him 9 O Lord the God of Hosts who is like to thee Thou art all powerfull O Lord thy truth does incompasse thee round 10 Thou do'st govern the rage of the sea and thou do'st moderate the violence of the waves 11 The proud thou hast tamed like a man that is wounded by the strength of thy arm thou hast dispersed thy Enemys 12 Thine are the heavens and thine is the earth thou hast founded the univers with all it contains the north and the southern sea thou hast created 13 Thabor and Hermon with the praises of thy name Thy arme is all powerfull 14 Shew the might of thy hand and lett thy right hand be exalted justice and equity are the bases of thy throne 15 Mercy and truth will march before thee Happy the people that knows to celebrate thy praise 16 They will walk in the light of thy countenance O God! and all the day will joyfully praise thy holy name and by
countenance covers me all over 18 At the voice of those who insult and reproach me And at the sight of my enemy who persecuts me 19 All these things are come upon us and yet wee have not been forgetfull of thee nor have wee acted unjustly against thy covenant 20 And our heart has not gone backwards And thou hast not turn'd aside our steps from thy way 21 Thou hast humbled us in a place of affliction And the shadow of death has cover'd us 22 If wee have forgotten the name of our God if wee have stretched forth our hands to a strange God 23 Will not God ask an account of these things for he knows the secrets of the heart 24 But since for thee wee are every day put to death And look'd upon as sheep destin'd for slaughter 25 Rise up O Lord why do'st thou sleep rise up and do not cast us off for ever 26 Why do'st thou turn away thy face do'st thou forget our poverty and affliction 27 For our soul is brought down even to the dust And our belly 's are glued to the earth 28 Rise up O Lord and help us for the glory of thy name redeem us PSALME XXXXIV Eructavit cor meum S. Chrisostome S. Austin and almost all the interpreters agree that this Psalm is a kind of a spirituall Epithalamium representing the sacred union between Iesus Christ his spouse the Church S. Paul likewise in his Epistle to the Hebrews makes use of this Psalm to shew the everlasting reign of the only son of the father over his Elect. Some have thought that Salomon is the author and that it was made upon the occasion of his mariage with the daughter of Pharah tho others attribute it to David But all agree in this that the true sense of it intended by the holy Ghost regards the mistery of the Incarnation and the union sf the word with human nature 1 MY heart has thrown out a good word Psalm 44. I adress my works to the King 2 My tongue shall move like the pen of a fastwriting scrivener 3 Shining thou art in beauty above all the sons of men grace is diffused over thy lips therfore hath God blessed thee for ever 4 Gird thy sword on thy thigh thou who art all powerfull 5 Arm'd with thy majesty and thy beauty go on prosperouslly and reign 6 According to truth mildnes and justice And thy right hand shall make wonderfull progres 7 Thy arrows are sharp Nations shall fall under thee into the hearts of the Kings enemies thy arrovvs shall light 8 Thy Throne O God! is established for ever the scepter of thy Kingdome is the scepter of equity and justice 9 Thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity therfore hath God thy God anointed thee with the oyle of gladnes preferably to all that partake with thee 10 The sent of Mirrhe Cinnamon and cashia issued from thy garments and from thy yvory mansions for which the daughters of King have delighted thee in thy splendor 11 At thy right hand stands the queen in cloth of gold with variety of ornaments 12 Hearken daughter and see and be attentive with thy ears And forget thy country and the house of thy father 13 And the King will be taken with thy beauty for he is thy Lord and God and Nations shall adore him 14 And the daughters of Tyrus and all the rich of the laÌ„d shall come before thee with presents And offer their petitions 15 The cheif glory of this daughter of the King is from within in fringes of gold imbroider'd attire 16 After her Virgins shall be brought to the King those that are neerest her shall be brought to thee 17 They shall be brought with joy and triumph they shall be led into the Temple of the King 18 In room of thy fathers sons shall be born to thee thou shalt make them Princes over all the earth 19 They shall remember thy name from generation to generation 20 And therefore through out all ages the people shall publish thy praises PSALME XXXXV Deus noster refugium Since almost all the fathers agree that this Psalm according to the litterall sense regards the Church persecuted by the Infidels and deliâ—er'd from persecutions by the assistance of our Lord wee ought rather to adhere to this opinion then to that of some other interpreters who apply this Psalm only to David victorious over hâ—s enemies 1 GOd is our refuge Psalm 45. and our strength he is our support in our afflictions which ly heavy upon us 2 Therfore wee will not fear should the earth shake And should the mountans be overturn'd into the midle of the fea 3 The waves in a violent commotion have roar'd the force of the tempest made the mountains tremble 4 The river abounding with water brings gladnes to the city of God the most high has sanctified his Tabernacle 5 God is in the midle of it and it wil remain firme from the beginning of the morning God wil protect it 6 The Nations are in commotion and the Kingdoms are tottering at the voice of our Lord the whole earth did tremble 7 But the Lord of hosts is with us And the God of Jacob is our protector 8 Come and see the works of our Lord the wonders he has done upon the earth in making war cease from one end of it to the other 9 He will break the bow and the weapons in pieces And the bucklers he will cast into the fire 10 Be at rest and behold that I am God I will be exalted amongst the Nations and I will be exalted over all the earth 11 The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our protector PSALME XXXXVI Omnes gentes plaudite All the interpreters agree that the sense of the holy Ghost in this Psalm is concerning the triumph of Iesus Christ in his Ascension and the conversion of all the faithfull that are to follow him Tho some there are who think this Psalm was made upon the solemn translation of the ark into the Temple which Salomon had built for it 1 ALl yee Nations Psalm 46. clap your hands with Jubily and exclamations of joy give praise to God 2 For our Lord is the high and the terrible one the great King over all the earth 3 He has subdued the Nations for us And lay'd the Gentils under our feet 4 He hath given us an inheritance of his own Chusing the beauty of Jacob which he loved 5 God is ascended in triumph And our Lord with the foun'd of trumpets 6 Sing praises to our God sing sing praises to our King sing 7 For God is the King of the whole earth sing with understanding 8 God will reign over the Nations God sits upon his holy Throne 9 The Princes of the people are assembled and united with the God of Abraham because the potent Gods of the earth have been excessively elevated PSALME XXXXVII Magnus Dominus S. Ambroise S.