polluted with bloud 39 Thus were theâ— defiled with their own works and went a whoring with their own inventions 40 Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people insomuch as he abhorred his own inheritanâ—e 41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen and they that hated them ruled over them 42 Their enemies also oppressed them they were brought into subjection under their hand 43 Many times did he deliver them but they provoked him with their counsel and were brought low for their iniquitie 44 Nevertheless he regarded their affliction when he heard their crie 45 And he remembred for them his Covenant and repented according to the multitude of his mercies 46 He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives 47 Save us O Lord our God and gather us from among the heathen to give thanks unto thy holy name and to triumph in thy praise 48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting let all the people say Amen Praise ye the Lord. 1 O Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercie endureth for ever 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so whom he hath redeemed from the hands of the enemy 3 And gathered them out of the lands from the East and from the West from the North and from the South 4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitarie way they found no Citie to dwell in 5 Hungrie and thirstie their soul fainted in them 6 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses 7 And he led them forth by the right way that they might go to a Citie of habitation 8 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 9 For he satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness 10 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death being bound in affliction and iron 11 Because they rebelled against the words of God and contemned the counsel of the most high 12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour they fell down and there was none to help 13 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses 14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and brake their bands in sunder 15 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children ofmen 16 For he hath broken the gates of brass and cut the bars of iron in â—â—nder 17 Fools because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted 18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat and they draw near unto the gates of death 19 Then they crie unto the Lord in their trouble he saveth them out of their distresses 20 He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction 21 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanks-giving and declare his works with rejoycing 23 They that go down to the sea in ships that do business in great waters 24 These see the works of the Lord â—nd his wonders in the deep 25 For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof 26 They mount up to the heaven they go down again to the depths their soul is melted because of trouble 27 They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end 28 Then they crie unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distresses 29 He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still 30 Then are they glad because they be quiet so he bringeth them unto their desired haven 31 Ohâ— that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderfull works to the children of men 32 Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly of the elders 33 He turneth rivers into a wilderness and the water-springs into drie ground 34 A fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein 35 He turned the wilderness into a standing water and drie ground into water-springs 36 And there he maketh the hungrie to dwell that they may prepare a Citie for habitation 37 And sow the fields and plant vineyards which may yield fruits of increase 38 He blesseth them also so that they are multiplied greatly suffereth not their cattel to decrease 39 Again they are minished and brought low through oppression affliction and sorrow 40 He poureth contempt upon Princes and causeth them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way 41 Yet setteth he the poor on high and maketh him families like a â—lock 42 The righteous shall see it and rejoyce and all iniquitie shall stop her mouth 43 Who so is wise and will observe those things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. Psalm cviii A Song or Psalm of David 1 O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise even with my glorie 2 Awake Psalterie and harp I my self will awake early 3 I will praise thee O Lord among the People and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations 4 For thy mercie is great above the heavens and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds 5 Be thou exalted O God above the heavens and thy glorie above all the earth 6 That thy beloved may be delivered save with thy right hand and answer me 7 God hath spoken in his holiness I will rejoyce I will divide Sechem and meet out the valley of Succoth 8 Gilead is mine Manasseh is mine Ephraim also is the strength of mine head Judah is my law-giver 9 Moab is my wash-pot over Edom will I cast my shoe over Philistia will I triumph 10 Who will bring me into the strong citie who will lead me into Edom. 11 Wilt not thou O God who hast cast us off and wilt not thou O God go foâ—th with our hosts 12 Give us help from trouble for vain is the help of man 13 Through God we shall do valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our enemies Psalm cix To the chief musitian A Psalm of David 1 HOld not thy thy peace O God of my praise 2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceiptful are opened against me they have spoken against me with a lying tongue 3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred and fought against me without a cause 4 For my love they are mine advâ—rsaries but I give my self unto prayer 5 And they have rewarded me evil for good and hatred for my love 6 Set thou a wicked man over him and lâ—t
the end for on thee only on thy good grace do I trust for preservatiō unto salvatiō 2 My soul hath firmly entred covenant with thee and chosen thee for its Lord to serve thee and to be saved by thee of thy free mercie abandoning all worth or goodnes of mine own as any ways meritorious or beneficial to thee that needeth nothing but hast all fulnes and cause of full contentednes in th◠self alone 3 Onely to thy children and sanctified ones here on earth do I labour to express my gratitude by what offices of love and respect I can shew for thy sake as they that to me are most excellent of all men in the world be their outward condition never so mean being happy to be a fellow servant and true worshipper of thee amongst them 4 Discomfort and destruction insted of peace and salvation shall be heaped upon them that forsaking thee have their hearts set upon any other God For my part I renounce all but thee and will serve and sacrifice to thee alone and will have nothing to do with their false worship nor once open my lips to any God but thee to swear by him or to pray to him 5 With the Lord alone am I well satisfied a singular portion rich inheritance do I account my knowledge of him interest in him thou art full content to me in thee and by thee shall I be ever happie blessed when other men of other confidences shall be miserable 6 In having thee for my God I have my hearts desire and think my self enriched beyond all earthly pleasures and profits which many in the world have which have not thee 7 I will ever bless and praise the Lord for revealing to me in his word the way of life and salvation when others sit in darknes and in the shadow of death and also teaching me effectually by the inward and secret inspiration and whisperings of his spirit consciously to walk in it when as others that know it externally for want of inspiration do wander from it 8 In what condition soever I have been I have still kept the eye of my faith full upon God and not suffered it to take to other things and because I make God my support and lean so wholly upon him I know he will not deceive my confidence but will sustain me in his favour and support me with his power and grace for ever till he bring me to glorie 9 And in the faith hereof my heart is comforted above all worldly sorrows even to the causing my tongue to break out in holy boastings and praises that instrument of speech wherein man transcends other creatures Yea in this confidence I dare die as well as live and by virtue of it cheerfully bequeath my body to the grave in certain expectation of a blessed resurrection thence 10 For as thou wilt enable Christ whose type I am and who shall spring from me to overcome all his sufferings and preserve him who is thy beloved son and solely without sin from the putrefaction which all men else that are sinners must sustain in the grave making him to triumph over death who is the resurrection and the life So by Christ shall I be set free in soul and body from wrath and mortality by a glorious resurrection to immortality and life 11 Yea thou wilt teach me the way of life and salvation and lead me in it until thou bring me into thy heavenly presence to partake and be possessed of those soul-satisfying and substantial joyes that are there and of those everlasting and immortal pleasures which Christ the head of his Church at thy right hand hath to bestow on all his glorified members The xvii PSALM David probably when he was in the cave encompassed by Saul makes his prayer and appeal to God impartially pleading his innocency against his enemies Further testifies that in conscience to God he durst never do as he was done by nor praies he never may but commits his matter over to God in prayer to be righted by him and delivered from the violence of his proud outragious enemies in his extream straights And again presseth hard upon the Lord to shew himself for him against them that have no interest in his special and saving favour onely share in his common mercies which he hath and prizeth as an happiness above all A Psalm of David in way of prayer 1 THou that art a righteous God hear the prayer of the righteous and innocent person heed my humble and vehement supplication let my prayer have audience which speaks nothing but truth of my self and enemies 2 Judge thou my cause against mine adversaries by clearing mine innocency behold the wrong I sustain and by thy just judgements do me right upon them according to my righteousness 3 Mine integrity is not unknown to thee for thou hast searched mine heart as well as seen mine actions thou hast put me upon the scrutiny and discovery of my self in my most retired thoughts yea in thought word and deed hast thou tried me and sifted me through great and many afflictions and neither hast nor shalt find unrighteousness in me for I am by thy blessed assistance fully purposed as to think so to speak the truth in all uprightness and not to seek mine advantage by lying and dissembling as do mine enemies 4 Concerning the wrongs they have done me I have been careful for all their unjust provocations to walk by the rule of thy word not rendring evil for evil nor requiting their injurious cruelty with the like though it lay in my power 5 And so Lord inable me ever to do to walk after thy word that I may never erre from thy truth nor by sinning forfeit my well doing and good success in the end which by thy promise in the way of obedience I am sure of 6 I have made thee my confidence and ever addressed me to thee for I know and believe according to thy promise thou wilt hear and do for me now Lord is a fit time and a needful I pray thee therefore withdraw not thy self but be intreated to take notice of me and to hear mine instant prayer 7 Shew thy love to me in marvellously delivering me and fulfilling the wonderful things thou hast promised me O Lord that usest to imploy thy power for their preservation that trust in thee for deliverance from them that unjustly oppress them 8 Do thou Lord watch carefully over me that am dear to thee and in tender compassion preserve thy weak and innocent one 9 From them that unjustly seek my ruine and pursue me to the death with mighty ods of power and strength 10 They bear themselves high in confidence of their own greatness and power wallowing in abundance and give out great swelling words in disdain and contempt of me an abject 11 They have hunted
the righteous whose confidence is in God and can find in his heart in obedience to him to be charitable with that he hath is blessed of God with enough for his own comfortable subsistence and the relief of the needie 22 For he hath temporal blessings in store for them on whom he hath bestowed his favour and grace and they shall have a comfortable subsistence when as others far greater and of more account in the world living in sin and being in hatred with God shall unexspectedly be undone and destroyed 23 God prospers him that is good and gives a good issue to his undertakings because he takes pleasure in and receives honour from his conscionable and serviceable walking 24 He may be low brought and hard set but he shall never be quite forsaken of God nor rendred to the will of his enemies to his utter undoing For the Lord hath an eye to him and an hand on him to keep him from drowning though he let him sink they may be cast down but not destroyed 25 All my life long which is no short one I have ever taken notice of Gods dealing with his people and have always observed his faithfulness to the faithful how that they that have trusted in him and walked with him have never been quite forsaken of him though they have oft and many a time been put soar to it yet hath he never falsified his word of promise and providence but whereas I have seen the wicked turned naked out of all and glad to be beholden to to the righteous as Esau was to Jacob for a mess of pottage the Lord on the contrarie hath always provided so competently and contentedly for them that they have never needed to crave relief from the ungodly 26 The righteous mans propertie is still to be doing good trusting in the Lord more than in riches and therefore whereas others hoard up all they can get he lends gives as there is cause to them that want and hopes to be never the poorer for it counting it his riches to lay out not to lay up nor is he for God rewards his good deeds upon his posteritie after him and blesseth them for his sake 27 Wouldst thou then have a blessing upon thy self and derive it to thy posteritie take the course the godly do forsake sin and serve God and thou shalt find that that 's the onely way for thee and thine to be happie from generation to generation 28 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness and will bless them that love and practise it they that are holy and practise holiness hee l stick as close to them as they do to him and will never fail them of his promises that he hath made to them and theirs but the wicked shall find he as much hates them as he loves the godly either they or their posteritie shall smart for their wickedness and be rooted out by it 29 The righteous liver shall by the blessing of God subsist and derive a subsistence from himself to his children of peace and happiness and the favour of God generation after generation 30 The righteous man as he himself is good so he loves to be doing good and to instruct others as oportunitie serves specially his own like as God hath instructed him with the knowledge of his wayes of holiness and righteousness wherein he is conversant both in walking and talking 31 The Law of God whom he loves and who he knows loves him is written in his heart and naturalized therein which shall keep him from sin and for which God will prosper and preserve him from evil maugre Satan and the World 32 Yea though the wicked watch him never so narrowly by power or policie to ruine him 33 For the Lord will not forget his promise nor withdraw his providence so as to expose him without support or supply nor will God judge him as they do nor condemn him upon their accusations but will defend him acquit his innocencie and revenge his wrong 34 Trust stedfastly in the Lord patiently waiting upon him in his own time to fulfil his own promise and shew forth his mercie to thee in thy trouble and keep a good conscience by walking unweariedly and with a constant course in and after his commandments and he will at last do great things for thee thou shalt certainly be a top of the wheel and shall see the wicked under thee how ever they at present over-top thee 35 I speak what I have seen and what others shall see if they wait and observe to wit The wicked most formidably powerful and priding themselves in great prosperitie flourishing like a bay-tree in earthly felicitie 36 Yet have I lived to see him quite blasted and withered so as if he never had been such a man and all this in my time 37 So likewise have I marked the righteous man and so I would have others to do to prevent rash judgement and that they may see what I say to be true to wit That though he that is faithful and sincere towards God may have a time of sadness and suffering yet it s most certain his end shall be most comfortable for either he shall out-live his miseries here as oft they do or leave them behind him with a peaceable and joyful departure out of this life from them to the Lord his God who will receive him into everlasting happiness 38 Whereas on the contrarie well may the wicked fare for a while but in the end judgement shall devour them and as they have been brethren in evil so shall they be fellows in punishment none shall escape The end of the wicked shall not be death but destruction wrath shall slay them happines forsake them and confusion receive them 39 So it is with them but so shall it not be with the righteous whose salvation is not placed in false refuges as is wicked mens but in the power and faithfulness of the Lord he is their strength and trust in time of trouble 40 Who will not deceive them but will certainly relieve and release them he both must and will do it for he is bound by his grace and truth to save them that trust in him and destroy the wicked enemies of his Church and that bond hee 'l never break The xxxviii PSALM David lying soar oppressed at once both under some bodily distemper and many enemies humbly repairs to God in prayer Wherein first he bewaileth his sin and Gods displeasure and then his sufferings both in bodie which were very grievous and also in mind But yet comforts himself in this that the groans and prayers which those miseries forced from him were heard and regarded of God though he had not present relief but continued worse and worse And still holds out praying and ripping up his whole estate to God how it fared with him on the one side and with
ever was so from the beginning as the poison of a serpent is to a man whom he maliced even in paradise And they are every whit as unalterable from this their cursed indisposition as an Adder is from his venemous nature no truth can take place nor reason prevail with them to be other than they are to the godly but are wilfully prejudiced and resolve to continue so and to do them all the mischief they can 5 Nothing can do good upon them but as the Adder will not suffer himself to be charmed and hindred from doing hurt but resists by stopping the Organ of hearing that inchantment cannot operate upon him so are they hardened against all right reason good advice threats and judgements nothing can fasten upon them to make them better disposed towards God and his faithfull servants 6 And as the serpent hath not more poison in him than mine enemies malice to me so nor have the Beast of prey more rage and fury in them in their hunger and anger than these men have against me not the fiercest sort of lions therefore O Lord watch over me narrowly to disable their attempts and disappoint their rage 7 Lord put a speedie end to them and their destructive purposes let them be as a teemed vessel wasting by degrees but yet speedily till there be none left let all their enterprises be fruitless and ineffectuall as he that discharges a broken arrow which falls aâ— his feet 8 Let these wicked wretches that are good for nothing but to do hurt to them that are good be like other unprofitable creatures of no long continuance yea the sooner they come to nought the better for if they live but to be able they have will enough to do all manner of mischief 9 Yea and so it shall be for when they are as it were putting the match to the powder ready to blow up the godly and innocent person God shall yet prevent them and by some suddain and remarkable judgement upon them swifter than thought shall disappoint and disable them when they least look for it and in their own conceits are furthest from death and danger shall the Lord in his fierce wrath suddainly snatch them hence 10 So that however they afflict the godly so long as God gives them leave yet the time will certainly come when the righteous shall see an end of their miseries and of their enemies too to their no small rejoycing to see God so mindfull of them and themselves so much in favour with him as to have the wicked destroied for their sakes and to fall at their feet who once hoped to tread upon their necks 11 So that any man that observes shall see and cannot but acknowledge that its good trusting in God and walking obediently to his will for such shall not lose their labour nor their confidence but God will recompence both in due time and that how ever the good and godly are for a time under the wheel and the wicked a top and things seem quite out of order yet God that while is not idle in heaven but takes notice of good men and their sufferings and of wicked men and their doings to judge them accordingly The lix PSALM David being beseidged in his own house prayes for deliverance alledging his enemies cruelty and his own innocency and that they may not prosper in their wicked indeavours and contempt of God which he assures himself and strengthens his faith in God against his bloud-thirstie adversaries whom he would not have quite cut off but brought to disgrace and indigency to exemplifie his wrath and justice against such both to his own people for their incouragement and the heathen for their instruction and that they may live to tast the bitter fruit of their own prodigious malice Lastly he rejoyces in God because of his present deliverance To the President of the Quire is this Psalm made by David committed for his ordering of it to be sung to the speciall tune of Michtam the sum and substance whereof is comprised in this one word Al-taschith signifying destroy not upon occasion of the danger David was in when Saul sent messengers which beset Davids house and watched it round about all night to have killed him in the morning 1 Sam. 19. 1 I must now as at all other times flie to thee for refuge O God of my salvation when I am in straits as at present thou knowest me to be out of which I pray thee to deliver me which else is impossible I am like to be assaulted so on every side by men that have laid an ambuscado for me and intend suddainly to surprize me the Lord shew me a way to escape them 2 I am thou knowest O Lord thy servant whom they go about to destroy and they are wicked wretches and bloudy-minded men deliver me therefore from such and let me not fall into their hands 3 For it is my life thou seest that they seek Saul and his wicked Courtiers contrive and attempt my destruction not that they have any just cause so to do for I have never done any thing but what stood with loyalty nor ever had a thought of other towards him Lord thou knowst it 4 When Saul bids them go how ready and diligent are they to be imploied against me that never did any thing to deserve it either from him or them be thou O Lord as watchfull to help me as they to destroy me and behold me specially in this my present danger to free me from it whom thou knowest to be guiltless and innocent 5 Therefore O Lord that art of infinite power and absolute command and a faithfull God to thy faithfull servants appear in the behalf of thine oppressed people and me more especially and pour out thy just displeasure upon all those that have no knowledge nor fear of thee but after an heathenish and irreligious manner are enemies to those that are thine Israel indeed though themselves be Israelites thou that art no respecter of persons shew no favour to any such wicked wretches nor be no more mercifull to them than if they were Infidels and Pagans indeed for their malice is as much against the godly and their sins against thee as great if not greater But execute righteous judgement upon all unrighteous men one as another 6 They are incessantly industrious to find me out rising early and ferreting every place where they think to have me and hold on so from morning to night and so from day to day asking and enquiring after me of every one they meet with railing and slanderous speeches backbiting and snarling at me and thus they do every where from house to house in Town and Countrey where they think to hear of me 7 They spare for no railing but let flie against me to all men cursing and threatning what they would do if they could catch me and what they
evermore had and which many and many a time hath crushed them sore yet could never through the over-ruling hand of our Almightie and good God prevail to supplant and eradicate it as was their aim and desire to have done no nor never shall no more now than heretofore fear it not 3 4 The poor Church and people of God have undergone great hardship by the ungodly men of this world to whom it hath been meat and drink to afflict us witness our late Babylonish task-masters and as much pains have they taken to do it by plots and practices as the plow-man does to tear the ground in pieces and as cruelly they have handled us so far as ever God gave them leave and so they shall Christ himself whose husbandmen they are and ever have been and the Church his field wherein thereby he hath always sown his seed and reaped his harvest that hath been the use he put the Churches afflictions and persecutions to always notwithstanding them approving himself righteous and faithfull to his word and promise of grace and so is still and ever will be to remember mercie though the wicked world know none to abate of what it intends against them both for length of time and measure of affliction as we have experience in our late deliverance and to disappoint their purposes and machinations as he hath always done to his churches preservation and their destruction in his own time and by his almightie power maugre their malice 5 And as Lord thou hast ruined Babylon for our sakes so vouchsafe still to appear for thy Church against her enemies bringing them all to confusion that would do so by Sion the place of thy worship and type of thy Church for ever let not their malicious combinations and wicked projects take effect against the type or anti-type but utterly and shamefully defeat and frustrate them for it is for thy sake that they bear evil will to thy place and people 6 7 8 Lord let such haters of God and godliness however they seem to flourish and over-top thy poor Church come to nought both they all their wicked designs as the light corn that makes a fair shew on the ridge of an house for want of rooting withers in a moment before it ripen and comes to any perfection by the heat of the sun and is of no use nor regard so let alwaies the Churches enemies that are under a curse and not a blessing and at present our persecuting neighbours be blasted and in thy wrathfull displeasure destroyed both their persons and purposes let neither the one nor the other ever come to good like those empty ears let them be found by those they curry-favour with a dissembling lying generation great promisers and no performers and find favour accordingly Let not those that are spectatours of us and them whose pendulous judgements the event will preponderate the common errour of the world to judge and side according to success let them not have cause by their prospering against us to bless them and curse us and to misuse thy name against thine own people in behalf of thine and our enemies by blessing those whom thou cursest and cursing those whom thou blessest The cxxx PSALM The Psalmist sore afflicted under the sense of sin and miserie cries to the Lord for mercie making mercie his onely plea for himself and incouragement to persist in the obedience of faith and patient waiting and eager longing for appearance of grace And draws his practise into precept to all the faithfull people of God willing them to hold out hoping in mercie for deliverance through Christ whatever be their pressure sin or suffering See the Title of the 120. Psalm 1 IN the extream agony of my spirit now that I am to mine own sense and in all appearance quite over-whelmed with outward distress and inward terrour death on the one hand ready to devour me my sins and thy wrath on the other hand grievously afflicting and affrighting me yet as from the bottom of this gulph and sea of miseries have I sent forth mine ardent prayer in the faith of thy power and hopes of thy goodness O Almighty and mercifull Lord. 2 In such a case as this Lord let me not speak to a deaf ear but graciously grant me audience yea watch for my prayers at such a time for they shall never fail thee neither do thou fail them especially in such straits 3 If thou O Lord who art the righteous and terrible Judge of all the world a jealous God and a consuming fire doth take strict notice of our sins to take us to task and punish us for them according to our deservings by the law of righteousness and rule of justice alas in such a case what man can stand before thee in his own justification either to acquit himself as sinless or to make satisfaction being sinfull or in case he be able to do neither as no man can how shall he be able to bear and undergo thy judgement and heavy displeasure for sin without sinking under it no flesh can do it 4 But the case is otherwaies with thee towards poor humble hearted sinners and suitours to such thou standest not upon such terms of strictness for thou hast proclamed pardon to all such which by faith they may take out and plead for themselves as also a gracious acceptance of their weak but filiall services whereby they may be and are incouraged knowing thy loving kindness and mercy to worship and serve thee both by believing in thy promises though with much mixture of unbelief and doing thy commandments though in frailty and weakness short of perfection which none can reach yet in sincerity 5 Though my sinns be heavy and mine affliction burdensome upon me and have been so along time yet I despair not but in the faith of his forgiveness and compassion I wait for the sun to break out from under this cloud my soul is in continuall expectation of it and so long as I have his word for it I will hope and look for deliverance and mercy what ever be my fears and dangers 6 My soul longs for and looks out after the comfortable appearance of the grace of God to set me free from these my tedious insupportable miseries of his disfavour and the sad effects thereof with as eager a desire yea far more earnestly and affectionately do I and will I hold on to expect it than ever the poor weary Watch-man or Centry that hath been kept waking all Night prayes for Day-break that he may be discharged and have his liberty to take his rest 7 What ever be the afflictions of faithfull Israel the people of God let them for all that by no means relinquish their hope in the Lord his power and goodness but hold out in the assured confidence that God both is mercifull in himself however he seem and will be