full of Power and Majesty powerful for the conversion of many people and so full of Majesty that all the Potentates and wife men of the World fall low and worship thée make it of that strength that they be never able to resist it and of that efficacy that hey be willing to yield to it As for those tall and proud Cedars which obstinately and maliciously refuse to give thée the Honour due to thy Name break them in pieces and let them féel thy hand But for those who are moved by this thy voyce divide unto them the flames of thy spiritual fire that may illuminate and melt and purisse their blind hard and polluted cold hearts distribute and divide unto them the gifts of thy Spirit subdue their vices by thy Grace Let them méet in thy Temple and alwayes praise thée in the beauty of holiness Bless them with peace of conscience while they are in this vally of tears and trouble and receive them at last to an eternal peace in the life to come Amen PSAL. XXX The occasion of this Psalm was some grievous sickness or danger from which David was delivered TWO parts there are of it 1. The Rendition of praise and thanks ver 1 2 3. 2. An Exhortation to others to do it by his example and Gods dealing with him from ver 4. to the last He beings with his profession of praise The first part He praiseth God I will extoll thee O Lord and adds the causes 1. Ver. 1 For thou hast lifted me up as a man out of a dark deep pit 2. And adds the causes Thou hast not made my Foes to rejoyce over me but turned their mirth to sadness 3. Thou hast healed me in body and mind 4. Brought my soul from the Grave c. Lent me life when I was dying Of all which effects he conceals not the means by which he procured them O Lord my God I cryed unto thee Ver. 2 and thou didst all I have mentioned for me 2. The second part And exhorts the Church to praise him After he had given Thanks he speaks to the whole Church and exhorts by his example to acknowledge and celebrate the goodness of God in defending and delivering those which are his Sing unto the Lord O ye his Saints and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness Ver. 4 And to perswade them he gives the instance in himself in which he declares Lest they have experience of Gods anger as he had That God was justly angry with him but soon appeased 1. Angry he was but his anger endureth but for a moment but life and continuance of life is from his favour There may be heaviness for a night but joy cometh in the morning 2. And justly angry he was for my sin my carnal security In prosperity I was and in my prosperity I said I shall never be moved Lord by thy favour thou hast made my Mountain to stand strong 3. And the effect of his anger was my Trouble Thou didst turn away thy face and I was troubled This is the example he sets the Saints that they be not secure when the World goes well with them lest they have experience of Gods anger as he had Next he shewes how he behaved himself to avert Gods wrath How he averted Gods anger which also he proposeth as a pattern for them to follow in the like cause 1. Viz. By prayer He betook himself to prayer 2. And sets down the Form he used 1. He that is ill calls for the Physitian so did I this was the fruit of my chastisement I cryed to thee O Lord and unto the Lord I made my supplication 2. The Form he used And the Form I used was this thus pathetically I pleaded with God 1. What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit 2. Shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy Truth Can a dead man praise thee or canst thou make good thy promises to the dead 3. To which I added Hear O Lord and have mercy upon me O Lord be thou my Helper 3. And then shewes the effect of his prayer that it was turned And the consequent of it was he was relieved Thou hast turned my mourning into dancing Thou hast put off my sack-cloth and girded me with gladness 4. This God did for me and he did it for this end That my glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks to thee for ever Now O ye Saints ye see my case For which he gives thanks you see what course I took you see the effect and the end why God was so good to me it was That I should praise him and therefore I propose my example to you to imitate Betake you to God in your necessities and having obtained deliverance by your prayers remember to sing praises to God The Prayer collected out of the thirtieth Psalm INTO thy hands O Lord I commend my body my soul my thoughts my affections my goods whatsoever is mine I dedicate to thée beséeching thée to dwell with me for then no uncleanspirits shall have power over me nor heinous transgressions shall pollute and profane what thou hast bestowed upon me sanctiffe to my use and to thy honour all thy Creatures Thou Lord hast béen a bountiful God unto me and bestowed upon me many blessings which thou hast denied to many of thy better servants but I have béen an ungrateful wretch and in my prosperity forgot thée my God I forgot mine own condition and was so secure of thy favour that I began to be proud and puff'd up upon the conceit of mine own wisdom and strength Ver. 6 I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved I thought thou hadst made my hill so strong that I could not be shaken or overthrown by the force or practise of any enemy But now this sottish pride and presumption is shaked off from me experience I have that it is thy favour and goodness alone that must kéep me safe for thou didst only hide thy face from me and I was troubled Troubled in my body troubled in my house troubled in my estate I saw my self frustrate in my expectation Great trouble Lord is now upon me and thy wrathful displeasure doth now for my security and pride go over me But now O Lord take away thy hand from me for I am even consumed by thy heavy hand What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit How shall my life be beneficial to thy honour or to men if being taken away by an untimely death I be laid up in the Grave and my body rot in the Earth Shall the dust praise thee or shall it declare thy Truth Shall a dead man resolved into ashes sing praises to thy honour among men or make boast of thy faithfulness in performing what thou hast promised 'T is for thine honour then to
what they can yet I know He comforts himself in God except thou permit them they are not able to do it Thou art my God in thee I trust For my time is in thy hand not in theirs i. e. My life And then he falls to prayer again which consists of three parts 1. A Deprecation 2. A Supplication 3. And an Imprecation He prayes yet againn 1. A Deprecation for he prayes that he come not into their power 1 He deprecates Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from them that persecute me 2. A Supplication Make thy face to shine upon thy servant save me for thy mercies sake Let me not be asham'd for I have call'd upon thee 2 Supplicate◠O Lord. 3. An Imprecation Let the wicked be ashamed and be silent in the grave as we usually say silent leges inter arma when they are of no force 3 Imprecates against the wicked So let the wicked dye be silent and have no power 2. Let the lying lips be put to silence which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous In which there be so many Arguments to quicken the grant of his Imprecation 1. The quality of their persons They are wicked impious men Whose qualities he sets forth 2. There is no truth in them they have lying lips Their words are false 3. And their actions worse they speak grievous things and that against the righteous 4. Then their intention is worst of all for they do it proudly contemptuously disdainfully despitefully It proceeds ex malo habitu In the fifth part he sets out the abundant goodness of the Lord to his people The fifth part and He admires Gods goodness to his people as it were a little carried beyond himself by a divine rapture or extasie in a holy admiration he exclaims O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up Vers. 19 which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men This goodness of God is often laid up and hid as it was to the Israelites in Egypt not seen for many years but after a long time it was brought forth and wrought even before the sons of men But then observe this goodness is laid up for none nor wrought for none but such as fear him 2. Put their trust in him expect and believe his promises Vers. 20 And the Acts and Works of his goodness are here specified 1. The specialties of it Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man 2. Thou shalt keep them secretly in a Pavilion from the strife of tongues Upon which consideration in gratitude he breaks out into a Benedictus 1. Blessed be the Lord for he hath shew'd me his marvellous kindness c. 2. For which he blesseth God And corrects his errour and former mistake I said in my haste tashly imprudently I am cut off from before thine eyes Such was his rash judgement But he confesseth and amends this his folly And corrects his errour Nevertheless thou heardst the voice of my supplication when I cryed unto thee 6. The sixth part He exhorts the Saints to And so he falls upon the last part which is an Exhortation to the Saints 1. That they love God 2. That they be of good courage for it was the same God still and he would be as good to others as he was to him 1. That they love for two reasons 1. For that the Lord preserveth the faithful 1 Love God 2. That he plentifully rewardeth the proud doer That was his Mercy this his Justice 2. 2 That they be couragious That they be of good courage For then he shall strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord. They despair not but keep their heart fix'd and firm to the profession of truth which would be a seal of their hope The Prayer collected out of the 31. Psalm O Merciful Father who art wont to take pity on those who are distressed have mercy on me a poor wretch Vers. 9 who am in trouble and great misery So many and so great are the sorrows of my heart that my eye is grown dim and consumed with grief my soul pines away and the activest parts of my whole body are dryed up and become unserviceable The best part of my life is spent in heaviness Vers. 10 and my years are unpleasant for mourning my iniquity and transgression against thée is so great that when I sadly think thereupon my vital spirits and strength fails me and the solidity and firmness of my bones is wasted with a consumption Yea though my affliction be so great and urgent yet among men I found not any to comfort me To my enemies I am become a proverb of reproach and to the many a scorn and derision they load me so thick with slanderous reports that fear is on every side they take counsel together to take away my life But these were enemies and I expected no other from them that which most déeply pierceth my heart is that all my friends should become miserable comforters these even these when they saw me destitute of thy help have forsaken me conveyed themselves away and fled from me there 's not a Neighbour that doth not scorn me not any of my acquaintance who is not afraid to own me I am forgotten as a dead man of whom being laid in the grave there is no remembrance I am of no more accompt than a broken vessel of which there is no estéem because of no use but is cast to the Dunghill Yet though I am brought to this pitiful condition I do not despair in thee O Lord I do put my trust I have said Thou art my God Suffer me not to be ashamed of my hope and expectation Vers. 2 Bow down thine ear to my complaint and deliver me for thy righteousness sake save me speedily from the hands of my enemies and from them that persecute me Make thy gracious countenance to shine upon thy servant and save me for thy meer Mercy It is only to thy hands to thy power and care I commend my spirit and life which they go about to take from me This at other times Vers. 5 thou hast redeem'd from their fury be then a good God now unto me and trus in thy promises and deliver me now They have laid a net and snare to take me at unawares but do thou pull me out of it Be my house and defence to save me my strength to confirm me my Rock to uphold me my light to lead and guide me They lie in wait for my blood but my time is in thy hand who art the Lord of life and death thou givest thou takest away O then shut me not up in the hand of the enemy set my feet in a large room and let me enjoy my liberty O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them
I have sought thy precepts I am thine because I sought nothing but that which is thine and how I might please thee O how few can say this and upon this account cry to God O save me 4. Which to do David had very great reason at this time This he had reason to do having many enemies and those for he had bitter enemies from whom he could not be safe except God saved him two things he notes in them 1. Diligence Te wicked have waited for me waited for an opportunity 2. Cruelty Waited to destroy me Their malice was so great Ver. 7 that no less would satisfie them 1 Diligent in mischief 3. And here now in such an extremity 2 Cruel Amidst which Gods promise sustained him the comfort of Gods Word is very seasonable the consideration of that is able to stay a fainting soul Psal 124. with which David comforts himself here But I will consider thy Testimonies that thou hast testified that thou art able and wilt deliver those that trust to thy Word Dan. 6.16 22. 5. He hath shewed the perfection of Gods Word in establishing and upholding the frame of the World 2. And then the excellency thereof in bringing joy comfort help to an afflicted soul but in the close of this Section he compares it with all other things which we esteem as excellent and perfect be they Riches Honours Scepters Crowns Kingdoms c. among which the Word of God hath still the preheminence they fail but Gods Word endures 1. I have seen an end of all perfection Ver. 8 Jonah 's Gourd is smitten with a worm the golden head had feet of clay c. 3 The preheminence of Gods Word the fairest day is enter'd at night 2. But thy Commandment is exceeding broad Exceeding broad indeed for in it are contain'd all other National and Municipal Lawes they being nothing else if just but extracts of it or exceeding broad because all Lawes of a good life and the rewards of those that keep the Law and on the contrary the prohibitions of all vices and the punishments of Transgressors are contained in it Or exceeding broad because it is the Commandment of love which extends to God Angels men enemies Or exceeding broad which is nearer Davids purpose because it extends to and refresheth all that are in distress and affliction it abides by them in tentations while they live and forsakes them not in their death but conveyes them into their grave in peace and the comfort of it abides with them for ever when they are dissolved The Prayer O Omnipotent God Thou hast given us assurance of thy Faithfulness and Truth in the performance of thy Word and Promise made unto thy servants even by that constant order and continuance which we behold in thy creatures For why is it that those orbs above have béen so long-liv'd why are they not corrupted why do they continue in that excellent beauty Ver. 1 and perpetual motion but that thy Word is setled in Heaven Why is it that the foundations of earth do not decay and shake Ver. 2 but that thy faithfulness is to all generations they continue this day according to thy Ordinance for they are thy creatures Thou their Lord Ver. 3 and they must serve and do their homage to thée We alone are thy disobedient creatures and for this thou bringest us justly into trouble and under these we should have fainted and utterly perished had it not béen from the comforts that we receive from thy Word Ver. 4 it delights our souls and confirms our hearts even in the extremities of our sorrowes when we find in it thy Word many gracious promises made unto thy servants I will never therefore forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickned me Ver. 5 I was ready even to expire and dye till I meditated on and called to mind thy Law which by the power of thy Spirit hath encreased grace in me and by the promise of glory brought me again to life Ver. 6 For which promise I am thine and I vow my self to be thine I will no more be a servant to the Devil the World and the flesh I renounce them all I forsake them and betake my self wholly to thy service And since I have given my self wholly unto thée let me be thy care Ver. 7 O save me save me O my God for I am invironed with malicious and cruel enemies whom nothing can satisfie but my blood they are diligent and wait for an opportunity to destroy me and take away my life but thou O Lord hast testified that thou wilt deliver those that trust in thée and therefore I will consider in my troubles these thy testimonies I sée an end of all perfection Riches Honours Crowns Kings Friends fade and fail Ver. 8 and are but miserable comforters but thy Commandment is exceeding broad it extends to and refresheth all that are in affliction it abides by them in tentations while they live and forsakes them not in their death in life and death therefore I will adhere to this Take not then the comfort of thy Word out of my mouth while I live and never let it leave me till it hath brought me to eternal happiness through Iesus Christ my Lord and Saviour Amen 13. MEM. DAVID in this Section shewes his great affection to the Law of God The Contents Davids affection to Gods Word 2. And the many benefits and fruits he reaped from it 1. His affection is declared in the first verse which he pathetically expresseth 1. Ver. 1 O how I love thy Law wherein he calls God himself to be Judge of his love witnessing thereby that it was no counterfeit love but compleat and sincere 2. And he proves that which he sayes The nature of true love is to converse with and think on the thing beloved and it useth all means to obtain it So David here proves his love to God by the love he bears to his Law and his love to his Word by the thoughts he had on it All the day long is my meditation in it I think speak or do little else all the day 2. 2 The Encomium of it first And now he enters upon his Encomium or praise of Gods Word from the admirable effects that it might have in them who will meditate in it of which he makes himself the instance This he amplifies by comparing himself with three kinds of men his Enemies his Teachers the Ancients than all which he grew wiser by this meditation 1. Ver. 2 Thou through thy Commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies The Law of God being well thought on 1 It made him wiser than his enemies teacheth a man what how where and when to speak or to be silent to act or desist which wisdom Davids enemies wanted he was then wiser than they A great controversie there is who is the wise man the godly man or the Machivilian Gods Word will easily
us from the darkness of sin and ignorance Good God so affect my heart with the love of thy Law that I may desire it more than gold Ver. 10 yea than much fine gold let it be sweeter to my mouth than the honey-comb Grant good Lord that I who desire to be thy servant may be taught by it Ver. 11 and from the kéeping of it let me expect my reward and have my reward in this present life security and peace of conscience and be refreshed by the comforts of thy holy Spirit and in the life to come live with thée in those Mansions which thou hast prepared for those who kéep thy Law for ever But thou O Lord knowest the frailty of my flesh how weak my endeavours are how imperfect my obedience If none but the observers of thy Law shall be rewarded I must néeds despair of a blessing either in this or another life in that the Errors of my life which I know are very many and those which I know not are numberless How often do I commit that wickedness which I ought to leave undone and omit those Duties which I ought to have done How often doth vice steal upon me in the cloaths of vertue and Error and Falshood in the shape of Truth Who can tell how oft he offendeth Ver. 12 Therefore O my good God I beséech thée of thy infinite mercy cleanse me and wash oft these secret spots of my soul with the rest of which in particular I have no knowledge yet my conscience in general tells me that of such I am guilty And however so long as I carry about me this body of flesh Ver. 13 I must also carry about with me this body of sin yet I beséech thée keep me from presumptuous sins never suffer my will to be so over-born that I sin against thée with a high hand though it dwell yet let it not reign though it remain yet let it not dominéer and tyrannize in my mortal body Thy servant Lord I desire to be and no vassal drudge and slave to sin never then suffer it to have the dominion over me This is that great offence which is inconsistent with grace that turneth thée to be our enemy that excludes from the Kingdom of Heaven never never O Lord suffer me to be guilty of it Thou that hearest prayers to thée shall all flesh come Ver. 14 now with a prostrate soul and a penitent heart I appear before thy Throne and humbly beg audience Let these words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be alwayes pleasing and acceptable to thee O Lord thou art my Rock my Strength hold me up that through weakness I fall not from thée Thou O sweet Jesus art my Redeemer and hast bought my soul with a dear price that of thy precious blood frée me from the power of sin the sorrows of death the power of Satan and pains of Hell and bring me by thy Merits and Passion to everlasting life that I may reign with thée for ever PSAL. XX. Is a Form of Prayer delivered by David to the People to be used by them for the King when he went out to Battle against his Enemies THERE be three parts of it 1. A Vote or Benediction of the People for their King from ver 1. to 5. 2. A Congratulation or Triumph of the People after the victory supposed to be obtained from ver 5. to 9. 3. A Petition ver 9. 1. The Vote and Congratulation is directed to Davids person The first part by form of Acclamation the particulars are that he may have Ver. 1 1. Audience in his necessity The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble The vote of the people for the King 2. Protection The Name of the God of Jacob defend thee 3. Help and Strength in the Battle Send thee help strengthen thee which is amplified by the place Out of the Sanctuary out of Zion either from the Sanctuary where prayers were made for him so that they desire their prayers may be heard for him or E Coelo 4. Acceptance of his person testified by the acceptance of his offerings and sacrifices as that of Abel Oderetur omnia munera tua holocaustum tuum in cinerem redigat 5. Answer concession and grant of his Petitions Grant thee according to thy own heart and fulfil all thy counsel which is plainly set down in the next verse The Lord fulfil all thy Petitions Which granted they vow thanks The Vote being ended they perswade that it may be granted because it will redound to Gods glory for then they would shew themselves thankful and honour him for the victory 1. We will rejoyce in thy salvation or as some read it Do this O Lord ut exultemus That we may rejoyce In tua salute referring it to God as the Authour or to the King as saved 2. And in the Name of our God will we set up our Banners Joyfully will we enter into the City with displayed Ensigns and erect them triumphantly as Trophies of the victory to the honour of our God 2. Now follows the Congratulation and Triumph of their faith The second part for they give thanks as for a victory already obtain'd for to their faith it was certain Before they pray'd for Audience and Protection Ver. 6 here they testifie they were certain and secure of both They comfort themselves by faith that God will grant what they ask of him Now know I. 1. Of Protection Now know I that the Lord will save his Anointed 2. Of Audience He will hear him from his holy Heaven 3. Of Help Helping him with the saving strength of his right hand And the certainty of their victory proceeded solely from their confidence in God to him they impute it wholly in the former verse such was their gratitude which that it might be the clearer they illustrate it by an Argument drawn à dissimili they were not as the common sort of Souldiers that trust more to their Arms than to their Prayers 1. Amd the rather because they trust not in their Ammunition As most men do Hi in curru in equis Some put their trust in Chariots and some in Horses as the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10.6 2. But we do not so We will remember the Name of the Lord our God The use of Arms is common and lawful to good and bad men but the difference lies in the confidence Here is an elegant Antithesis 2. And therefore the success was according their confidence in their Armour and Ammunition destroyed our trust in God hath saved us They are brought down and fallen The third part A short ejaculation but we are risen and stand upright The whole sum of the Psalm is repeated in this Epiphonema 1. Save Lord. 2. Let the King that is Christ bear us when we call The Prayer collected from the twentieth Psalm O Lord which art King of Kings Lord of Lords and yet hast commanded us
be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me Aha Aha! 3. 3 He prayes for all good men The third part of his prayer is for all good men Let all those that seek thee be joyful and glad in thee let such as love thy salvation say continually The Lord be praised his Name be magnified In the Close And for himself he renews his Petition for himself and to move God the sooner 1. He puts himself into the number of the poor aflicted people he boasts not I am a just man a King a Prophet But I am poor and needy 2. Shews his hope and confidence Yet the Lord I know thinks upon me 3. He casts himself solely on God Thou art my Help and my Deliverer 4. Therefore make no long tarrying O my God delay me not The Prayer collected out of the fortieth Psalm O Lord I am poor and destitute of all humane help think upon me Thou art my Helper and Deliverer in all my troubles do not therefore longer delay me but send me some aid and comfort Withhold not thou thy tender mercies which thou hast hitherto shewed from me and let thy loving-kindness and truth in performing thy promises alwayes preserve me For troubles more than I can number are come about me and my iniquities which in my prosperity séemed to be at rest now muster themselves against me and arrest me before thy Tribunal so that I am not able to stand in thy presence or with confidence look up to thée they are multiplied and excéed in number the hairs of my head upon the view of which my soul is in a bitter agony and my heart and vital spirits fail me Great evils I have formerly suffered under thy hand but in those depths I ardently continually and patiently expected thee my Lord and thou didst incline thy ear to me and heard'st my cry be pleased then now O Lord to deliver me O Lord make haste to help me bring me out of this misery and calamity in which I am plunged as in some déep Pit or in some miry and thick Clay and being delivered set me upon a Rock and safe place and settle and confirm my goings that I may walk with a shady and inoffensive foot I know by experience That the man is blessed that makes the Lord his trust and relies not upon his wit his wealth his power these are all lying vanities and proud men that trust to them will be deceived I beséech thée therefore instruct me in thy Truth and kéep me from putting any confidence in such lyes and alwayes give me an humble soul to rely upon thy mercies and not upon my own counsels Didst thou take pleasure in Sacrifices and burnt-offerings then would I give them thée but these Ceremonies thou dost not now require nor ever didst estéem without the sacrifice of a contrite heart but thou hast boared my ear and made me thy servant teach me then my Duty and make me obedient to thy Will as was thy only Son of whom it is written in the Volume of thy Book Lo I come I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Many O Lord my God and wonderful are the Works which thou hast done not to me alone but to all those that trust in thée and thy thoughts which are for good to Mankind who can number They cannot be declared they cannot be spoken they cannot be set in order before thee But of all thy works of wonder that is most admirable that thou shouldest send thy only Son into the World fit him with a body and cloath him with our flesh bring him down and humble him to the state of a servant that he might do thy Will redéem lost man by making his soul a sacrifice for sin 'T is the wonder of wonders that upon the Cross he should shed his blood to save us weak men and without strength ungodly and without worth enemies and without love for scarcely for a righteous man will one dye But in this thou hast commended thy love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us O wonderful love O unexpressible mercy We that were ungodly sinners are justified by his blood we who were sons of wrath are through him saved from thy wrath we who were enemies are reconciled unto thée by his death we in him have received that perfect righteousness and justice which alone we dare plead before thy Tribunal his obedience being a full satisfaction for our disobedience his voluntary sacrifice the sole oblation with which thou art well-pleased And this mercy and faithfulness thou hast declared and published to the sons of men and sent thy servants into the World that they should proclaim these glad tidings of which thou hast called me the unworthiest of all thy servants to be an Embassadour And this thy righteousness have I preached in the great Congregation lo my lips have not refrained to speak of thy goodness I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart I have not concealed thy faithfulness in performing thy promises and thy salvation which thou fréely offerest to all penitent Believers This I have declared in the frequentest and fullest Assemblies For this I now suffer and bitter enemies I have That seek after my soul to destroy it O let them be ashamed and confounded together let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil let them receive confusion for the reward which is due to their iniquity let them be forsaken and destitute of help in the day of trouble as many as insult over me glory in their wickedness and say so would we have it Frée me O Lord from their hands That those who with an honest heart seek thee may see it and rejoyce and be glad in thee and those who love thy salvation expecting defence and deliverance from thée alone may have just reason continually to say The Lord be magnified who is so merciful and just toward his servants Amen PSAL. XLI IN this Psalm David shews how men should and how commonly they do carry themselves toward men in affliction and trouble 1. They should carry themselves compassionately and kindly which would make them happy and find mercy from God from ver 1. to 4. which is the first part of the Psalm 2. But they commonly carry themselves unkindly and afflict the afflicted of which David complains from ver 4. to 10. which is the second part 3. Upon which unkindness he flies to God and prayes for mercy ver 11. shews his hope and confidence in God ver 11 12. and blesseth him ver 13. which is the third part 1. He begins with an excellent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a grave sentence The first part He is blessed Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy i. e. any man in trouble want c. Ver. 1 This man
before the Jewes but now all universally Sing unto God ye Kingdoms of the Earth O sing praises to the Lord. Selah And that all Nations do it His Reasons 2. His Reasons to perswade it 1. The Majesty of God testified 1. 1 The Majesty of God By his works To him that rides upon the Heaven of Heavens which were of old 2. 2 His protection His power in his Thunder in his Word He doth send forth his voyce and that a mighty voyce 2. His wise protection and providence to his people Ascribe ye the power to God his excellency is over Israel and his strength is in the Cloud 3. 3 His goodness to his Church His communication of himself to his Church in particular 1. O Lord thou art terrible out of thy holy places 2. The God of Israel is he that gives strength and power to his people 3. Blessed be God with that Epiphonema he concludes The Prayer collected out of the sixty eight Psalm O God in Majesty terrible in thy protection of thy people most merciful since thy power is so great thy presence so powerful that at the blasting of the breath of thy Nostrils thy enemies vanish as a vapour when it is raised to the highest and those that hate thée haste from thy presence Why art thou absent from us why sléepest thou in this néedful time of trouble O Lord awake and arise for us and scatter our nay thy enemies they hate not us Ver. 1 but thée and thy Law and Ordinances make them to flie from thy face drive them away as smoke as wax consumes and melts before the fire Ver. 2 so let the wicked perish at thy presence O God so shall the righteous have just occasion to rejoyce Ver. 3 they shall rejoyce before thee their God they shall be exceedingly joyful O God Thou art infinite in thy Essence wonderful in thy works most merciful in thy wayes to the sons of men Thou ridest above upon the Heavens when we crawle upon this Dunghill of Earth Thou art Jehovah and hast a being in thy self a time there was when we were not and the time will come when we shall not be and what we are at present we have from thée O let us live then and we will praise thée Turn away thy wrath from us and we will rejoyce before thee and sing praises to thy Name As Orphans we are in this World be thou our Father as Widows be thou our Husband Ver. 5 destitute we are without any humane help left alone and solitary O gather us into Families and Societies for our rebellions against thée bound we are with Chains and brought into a dry Land hear the groans and sighs we send up unto thée and out of thy holy habitation make it appear that thou art present with us look upon the humble consider thy dispersed and distracted people have pity on the Widows and Orphans and let us dwell once more together in peace unity and plenty O God Ver. 7 when thou wentest before thy people Israel when thou didst lead them through the Wilderness then thou didst march before them in a cool Cloud by day and in a Pillar of fire by night the dull and heavy earth was moved at thy presence the Heavens drop't Manna the Clouds shot forth lightnings even Sinai it self trembled when thou gavest thy Law unto thy people and after thou brought'st them into a wealthy Land O Lord thy power is yet the same and thy goodness immutable go out before us a sinful Nation and yet thy people as thou didst rain down Manna for them so also we beg of thée to send us necessaries from above and let this our Land that hath béen long afflicted with many evils enjoy a quiet peace and her inhabitants the fruits of peace confirm us Lord in that inheritance which thou hast given us let thy Congregation dwell therein and of thy goodness not for our merits prepare and provide meat and rayment for thy people that hath béen long oppressed by Tyrants We have heard with our ears O God and our Fathers have told us what thou hast done in their time of old great is the company that have published in our hearing that by thy mighty power Kings with their Armies did flie and haste away and that thou hast given the spoil to be divided among thy Houshold-servants This puts us in hope that we even we that have béen for a long time cast aside as the off-scouring of all things and black and inglorious by many pressures shall yet be called for again and set in our inheritances our Dove-like and innocent faces shine as silver and glister as gold the Snow upon the top of Salmon shall not be so white as shall our innocence when thou by these afflictions hast purged away out dross and melted away our tin Such a mercy we cannot expect for our own sakes for we are a sinful people but Lord remember Zion and be gracious to Jerusalem This is the Hill of God in this thou desirest to dwell this thou hast chosen to dwell in for ever Shall then the other Hills insult over it shall the Kings of the Nations and pride of Tyrants trample it to the dust Thy Chariots O God are twenty thousands even thousands of Angels and thou Lord art among them as in Sinai Now Lord shew thy self in glory ascend on High get the victory and triumph over the enemies of thy-Church lead them Captives that have captiv'd us and make them bring and offer thee gifts that have robbed thy Temples and so change the hearts of the rebellious That thou Lord may'st dwell among them and be acknowledged and worshipped by them Bring thy people O Lord out of their troubles as thou of old didst deliver thy chosen from the fury of Og the King of Bashan or thy people Israel from the hands of Pharoah that pursued them to the depths of the red Sea Wound the head of thy enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his wickedness let thy Beloved wash their feet in the blood of their enemies and let the very Dogs lick their blood wisely they wrought against us conceiving they had inclosed us but thou art our God the God of our Salvation to thée belongs and thou hast shewed that there be in thy power many issues from death for where the help of man hath failed Thou hast reached forth thy hand and delivered us from the jaw of the Lyon and the paw of the Boar Blessed then be the Lord which daily loads us with benefits even the God of our salvation Make thy Word perfect O our God rebuke the multitude of the Spear-men restrain the fury of those whose rage and anger against us is no less than that of enraged Bulls still the tumults of the people scatter all those that delight in War for thy Temples sake at Jerusalem be propitious unto us and strengthen that O God which
his dwelling place The other part of his Prayer 2 For the Church is for pardon and help for the Church 1. He said vers 5. that God was angry and anger ariseth from sin First then he begs remission 1 Remission 1. O remember not against us our former iniquities 2. Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us Ratio For we are brought very low 2. 2 Help And then he prayes for help Help us O God of our Salvation using the most powerful Argument Gods glory Help us for the glory of thy name 3. Which both he conjoins His Arguments to prevail with God Then joins both together Deliver us and purge away our sins for thy Names sake And now he adds to his first reason viz. Gods glory two more why he desires sudden help which are The Blasphemy of the heathen 2. The Misery of his people at this time That if not delivered the enemy would Blaspheme 1. If they were not delivered the enemy was like to blaspheme and say Now wherefore should the heathen say Where is their God Therefore Let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenge of the blood of thy Servants which is shed 2. That their condition was miserable Our case is miserable we are an object of pity Let then the sighing of the prisoners come before thee according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to dye 3. And thirdly render unto our neighbours seven-fold into their bosomes i.e. largely even the reproach with which they have reproached thee O Lord. 4. The fourth part The Vote or Obligation to be thankful for the deliverance 1. So we that be thy people and sheep of thy pasture shall give thee thanks for ever The Doxology for their deliverance 2. We will shew forth thy praise to all generations We thy people thy sheep will do it For praise is not comely nor acceptable out of the mouth of a sinner The Prayer collected out of the seventy ninth Psalm O Merciful God and loving Father thou hast chosen us from among all people to be thine inheritance and hast omitted nothing either for our instruction or future happiness Thou hast written unto us the wonderful things of thy Law thou hast open'd to us the Mysteries of thy Gospel thou hast washed us with water and fed us with the flesh and blood of thy Son But with shame and confusion of face we confess before thee that we have walkt unworthy of so great mercies and unthankful wretches as we are have been disobedient to thy holy Will For this thy wrath and jealousie is justly kindled against us and it hath brought in a cruel and barbarous enemy upon us Vers. 1 These infidels and miscreants O Lord by thy permission have invaded that people whom thou hast chosen for thy inheritance They have prophaned with their imaginations and wasted without any reverence thy holy Temples and they have laid upon heaps Jerusalem Vers. 2 those houses which were dedicated and consecrated to thy honour Neither hath their fury only extended to these material buildings but they have shew'd their rage against the dead bodies of thy Saints sometimes the Temples of the Holy Ghost These they have not suffered to be brought with honour to the grave and to be gathered to their fathers in peace but have given them to be meat to the fowls of the air and the beasts of the Land While they liv'd they made no more account of their blood than of so much water that being spilt upon the ground cannot be gather'd up again and therefore without any commiseration they have poured it but round about Jerusalem Which affliction falling thus heavy upon us and suffered by us when our Neighbours that are enemies to thy truth behold they deride and mock us to them we are become a Proverb of reproach a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us not without the ignominy of thy Name in which they boast that we have bellev'd in vain But O Lord how long how long wilt thou be angry with us for ever shall thy jealousie and hot indignation be continually kindled and burn against us like a mighty fire that wastes and devoures all before it O let thy wrath cease from the shéep of thy pasture And if thou wilt be angry still pour out thy indignation upon the barbarous bloody and blasphemous people that have not known thée or if known dishonour'd thée and empty thy vials upon their heads who have not call'd upon thy name or if called yet hypocritically and so lyed unto thée These are the people that have devoured Jacob thy servant these have laid waste his dwelling place Let them not escape thy fury and force them to drink up the dregs of that Cup which is in thy hand and wring put the lées of it We beséech thée therefore for thy mercies sake and at the intercession of thy beloved Son our Lord that thou would'st not remember our former iniquities which we and our fathers have committed against thée but that passing by our demerits thy tender mercies would spéedily prevent us now that we are brought very low before we are utterly consumed Help us therefore now O God of our salvation to thée we fly to thée we cry help us and deliver us and that not for our selves for we have justly deserv'd thy wrath but for the glory of thy name For it will much redound to the honour of thy name that such sinners such men so low so disconsolate and helpless should be saved Come therefore O Lord and deliver us and purge away our sins for thy Names sake If we now perish under our enemies hands they will not insult only over us but thée ask they will in scorn and derision Where now is their God He is either so impotent that he cannot or so cruel that he will not deliver those whom he calls his people out of our hands Oh why should the heathen say this or blaspheme thus Be therefore O Lord known among the heathen in our sight by the revenge thou takest for the blood of thy servants which is shed O let the sighs and groans of those who are led Captive and now in prison come before thee and by the greatness of thy power preserve us the remainder and sons of those who have béen slain from death And to our malicious Neighbours Vers. 12 who have adjoyn'd themselves to our enemies and glory at our calamity render seven-fold unto them as they have reproached us so let them be a reproach So we that thou hast honour'd to be thy people and chosen to be the sheep of thy pasture shall give thee thanks for ever So shall we be encouraged to shew forth thy praise from generation to generation PSAL. LXXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE occasion of this Psalm is the same with the former viz. An oppression of Israel and devastation as
thou break a leaf driven too and fro Ver. 11 How long wilt thou pursue the dry stubble While thou Writest these bitter things against us our dayes are like a shadow and decliues and we are withered as grass whose beauty and glory fades in a moment But why art thou thus vexed O my soul Ver. 12 and why art thus disquieted within me O put thy trust in God Call to mind that he endures for ever and the remembrance of his Covenant to all generations 'T is thy promise O Lord we look to 't is thy Covenant only we hope in according to thy word arise and have mercy upon Zion pity thy poor afflicted people for the time to favour her is now very seasonable Ver. 13 yea the time is come For thy servants think upon and take pleasure in her stones not so much those stones with which those goodly structures Ver. 14 in which we were wont to meet and praise thee were built and beautified as those living stones built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Ver. 17 Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone and it pitieth them to see her in the dust In the dust Lord we favour them and for these we pray that they may be restored to their places in thy Sacred Temple Ver. 16 O regard the prayer of the poor destitute and despise not our desire for this will tend to thy honour and enlargement of thy Kingdom being alsured Ver. 15 that when the Lord shall build up Zion and when he shall appear in glory that the heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory Look down then O Lord from the height of thy Sanctuary and from heaven behold the earth Ver. 19 Hear the groaning of the Prisoners and loose those that are appointed to death Ver. 20 that they may declare the name of the Lord in Zion and his praise at Jerusalem Ver. 21 May we but obtain so great a mercy it shall be written for the generations to come and the people our children that shall be born Ver. 18 shall praise the Lord They shall praise thee and sing of thy mercy in the great Congregation even when the people are gathered together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. That thou wilt make an Inquisition for innocent blood I am assured that those who have profaned thy dwelling place shall be as a rolling thing before the wind Ver. 23 I do believe that they who have swallowed down riches shall vomit them up again I know for God shall cast them out of their belly But thou hast so weakned my strength in the way and so shortned my dayes that it is not likely I shall lide to sée it Lord might my eyes sée thy salvation I would willingly sing with old Simeon Ver. 24 Now let thy servant depart in peace Yet will I pray O my God take me not away in the midst of my age I am thy Creature O Lord created after thy own image yet not to live for ever on earth as thou shalt live in heaven for thy years are throughout all generations Even the earth whose foundation thou hast laid and the heavens which are the work of thy Power and Wisdom wax old as a garment and as a vesture shall be wrapt up they shall perish and be annihilated spare me a little then because I am a creature of a short continuance and can bear no proportion to thy esernity for thou art the same and thy years have no end But I yield my self to thy Will I submit my self to thy dispose if I cannot arrive to what I desire to sée Jerusalem in prosperity yet grant that I may see my Lord in the Land of the living for I am assured that the children of thy servants shall continue and their seed shall be established before thee and live in thy presence for evermore Amen PSAL. CIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Psalm to David THE Title shews the Psalm to be inspired into David by the Holy Ghost and the end is to comfort a soul heavy and laden but especially with the burden of sin To him every word in it drops like an Honey-comb so that had not the comfort been revealed and sent from heaven it could never have been believed that Almighty God should be so merciful to sinful man Three parts there are of this Psalm 1. The Exordium in which David by an Apostrophe turns to his own soul and stirs it up to bless God ver 1 2. 2. The Narration or an ample Declaration of the Benefits from the first to the last conferred by God upon him and others and the causes of them from ver 3. to 20. 3. A Conclusion in which he makes a motion to Angels and all other Creatures to joyn with him in the praise of God from ver 20. David stirs up his soul to praise God The first part to the last 1. David being fully perswaded that he was one of the number of the Elect stirs up himself in the person of the Elect to praise and speak well of God in the two first verses 1. Bless God think on the Benefit and bless the Benefactor Ver. 1 Extoll him with praises 2. O my Soul bless him because the Soul alone can know and inform the whole man what God deserves for his blessings 2. Again he would not have it a lip-labour but come from a heart affected with it Heartily done for quod cor non facit non fit 3. Not the Soul alone but that all that is within him Totum hominis And the whole man whatsoever is within his skin every part every faculty about him Will Understanding Memory Affections Heart Tongue Hand Eyes c. All joyn 4. And bless Jehovah for he gave them their Being and their Properties and Operations 2. Praise his holy Name his Essential Properties his Wisdom Power Goodness Justice for to oclebrate God in all these is To praise his holy Name 5. Bless the Lord O my Soul for he comes over it again Ver. 2 that he might press the Duty more emphatically and shew his vehement desire to have it done it shewes we freeze and are cold in the Duty and need a Goad to quicken us 6. And forget not all his benefits He repeats it and adds That we forget not His Benefits 1. Forget not He would not be guilty of the common Errour forgetfulness of a good turn for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which if it happen 't is impossible to be thankful and therefore Omnium ingratissimus qui beneficii accepti non reminiscitur Forget not then 2. All his benefits Not all no nor indeed any of them for not one but deserves a blessing 3. His benefits Some read Munera the Vulgar Retributiones If Munera they are freely given if Retributiones they are more than we can deserve yet it pleases him to accompt them so Let but a man well consider how many evils we
prorogue my life and for thine honour sake I entreat that thou respite me that thy servants may sée that thou hast made good thy Word unto me and thy enemies may not have occasion to deride the Truth of thy promises and blaspheme For this reason especially unto thee O Lord I cry in my distress and unto the Lord do I make my supplication Hear O Lord and have mercy upon me Lord be thou my Helper And when I thus prayed Thou O Lord in mercy hast heard me I cryed and thou hast healed me I called in the pit and thou stast lifted me up Thou hast brought my soul from the Grave Thou hast kept me alive that my enemies should not rejoyce over me Thou hast turned for me my heaviness into joy Thou hast put off my sack-cloth with which I am cloathed as became a Mourner and girded and compaised me on every side with gladness For thine anger in which thou didst justly chastise me though sharp was but for a moment and in thy favour I have found life weeping hath endured with me for a night but joy came to me in the morning Therefore my tongue shall sing and praise thee I will not be silent of thee O Lord my God I will extoll thy Name and give thee thanks for ever And all you who are his Saints joyn your voyces with me and give thanks to him remember that he is a good and merciful God remember that he is a holy God and will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth Generation Remember that he is a gracious God and will not alway be chiding nor keeps his anger for ever Appear then before him and where he is pleased to be present sing Praises to him O Lord we will â—lwayes send forth thy honour through the Name of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XXXI For one in anxiety of spirit THIS Psalm is composed and mixt of diverse affections for David sometimes prayes sometimes he gives thanks now he complains now he hopes one while he fears another while he exults This vicissitude of affections is sixfold and it may very well divide the Psalm 1. With great confidence he prayes to God from ver 1. to 6. 2. He exults for mercy and help received ver 7 8. 3. He grievously complains of the misery he was in from ver 9. to 14. 4. He prayes again upon the strength of Gods goodness from ver 15. to 18. 5. He admires and exults and proclaims Gods goodness from ver 19. to 22. 6. Lastly He exhorts others to love God and be couragious ver 23 24. In the six first verses He prayes The first part he prayes to God and shews his Reasons 1. Ver. 1 That he be never shame in his hope Let me never be ashamed 2. That he be delivered speedily delivered 3. Ver. 3 That God would be his Rock and House of defence to save him 4. That God would lead him and guide him Lead me guide me 5. That God would pull his feet out of the Net that they privily laid for him In effect his Petition is the same His Reasons viz. to be delivered from his danger and his Reasons to perswade God to do this for him Ver. 1 are 1. His faith and confidence In thee O Lord I put my trust 2. The reason of his faith God a Rock Thou art my Rock and Fortress 3. That this would redound to Gods honour For thy Names sake lead me 4. Thou art my strength 5. I rely upon thee Into thy hands I commit my spirit 6. Do to me as thou hast ever Thou hast redeemed me heretofore 7. I do not as other men trust to vain helps but on thee only I have hated them that regard lying Vanities but I trust in the Lord. And in effect as his Petition was the same so are his Reasons also His confidence in God to be his Deliverer his Fortress Rock Redeemerâ— c. In which we have an example of a man in misery that thinks he can never say enough for himself and that makes him descant on the same thing which is no flat Tautology but an elegant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Expolition Then again we have a pattern for a pious soul in trouble to imitate Ver. 1 that be the pressure never so great yet he sayes to his God Thou art my Rock my Fortress my Strength Thou hast redeemed me I know I shall not be ashamed of my hope therefore I will trvst in thee So he begins so he concludes this first part of his prayer 2. Next he exults and gives thanks for some former deliverance The second part and by the experience of that doubts the less in this Perhaps the Chorus sang this He exults and gives thanks Moller 1. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy And his reason follows from his experience 2. For thou hast consider'd my trouble 2. Thou hast known i. e. Vers. 7 seen my soul in adversity I have seen Upon his deliverance I have seen the afflictions of my people c. 3. And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy 4. But hast set my feet in a large room 3. And now he prayes again 2. The third part He prayes again And complains of what he suffer'd within and without 1. He prayes Have mercy upon me O Lord. Vers. 9 2. Then he complains Complains and in his complaint shews the reason of his prayer for mercy 1. Within at home he was in a sad case For I am in trouble my eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly Totus marcesco Of the sad case he was in My life is spent with grief and my years with sighing my strength faileth because of my iniquity and my bones are consumed 2. Without I have little comfort either from friends or enemies 1. I was a reproach among all my enemies 2. Then for my friends they stood afar off They especially but especially among my neighbours and I became a fear to my acquaintance They that see me without fled from me 2. And then he aggravates the greatness of his grief and scorn This he aggravates and contempt I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind u muertos y ydos no son amigos I am become as a broken vessel What more vile what more useless 3. And which is yet more the people they mock me I have beard the slaunder of the many 4. And the Consequent was mischievous Fear is on every side 2. While they conspire or took counsel together against me 3. And their counsel was they devised to take away my life What could enemies do more or friends permit And after his Complaint The fourtâ—â— part he comforts himself with his first and chief reason again But I have trusted in thee O Lord and said Thou art my God Vers. 14 Let them conspire take counsel and devise
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