wonderous works one as well as another from of the globe of the earth and sea here below as well as from heaven on high Let his immense power be magnified in framing such depths as well as heights even those vast and profound seas adequate for those huge and formidable whales and sea-dragons which he hath made and disposed of there as their proper place and element And so ye exhalations and meteors whether of fire or water that by the force of the sun are drawn from the earth into the air and there by an Almightie power severally disposed of into divers forms and beings and to several ends and all as pleaseth God whether unto thunder lightenings hail snow rain mists storms and tempests all of you jointly severally as God pleaseth to use you sometimes for good sometimes for evil whose will in both you must and do obey acting as by him and not your selves so for him to fulfil his command and do the errand whereon he sends you set ye forth the power and greatness of God to his praise in doing his pleasure 9 And ye earthly heights as well as waterie depths ye hils and mountains of several quantities and dimensions higher and lower greater and less also ye trees that grow upon the earth of several natures to several uses some for fruit and some for timber as all of you are of and from the Lord so are you for and to him you ought to be to his praise who gave you your several kinds and existences for the use and benefit of man 10 Ye that exceed these vegetives which yet are excellent in their kind toward the making up the beautifull frame and order of nature you I say that are a form higher in the creation ye animals endowed with sence as well as life and first ye four footed beasts and cattel of several sorts and kinds which are so manifold great and small one and other yea and you that by gods ordination are under the same Genus but of a far different Species that instead of going upon feet are wonderfully facilitated to creep upon your bellies as also you several fowl that live in another element the air dexterously conveying your selves by flight from place to place with wings instead of feet do you in your several kinds natures and places set forth the Almighty power and wisdom of the Creatour of all things 11 12 And you who enjoy the best of beings next the angels comprehending the perfection of all living creatures vegetative and sensitive with a superaddition of a reasonable soul you men and of men principally you that are principal ye Kings and great men of the world lead you the way and go before others in good example that have so much cause above others to magnifie God and celebrate his praise And all ye people also not onely in but under authoritie both high and low do you the like Chiefly ye great men look you to it to whom it principally appertains and who for the most part are most deficient and too high to do homage but be your power or wisdom never so great yet be so wise and lowly as to let God be both greater and wiser and be you never so beneficial in your places yet let God be acknowledged the best benefactor by you and those that are under you who is above all as in greatness the sovereign King and Judge of all the earth so in goodness administring righteous judgement and yielding just protection And though principally yet not onely doth this duty of praise belong to great men no nor yet to men whether you respect their age or sex for though their priviledge in both regards engage them comparatively beyond others yet it belongs to all of all ages and sexes both men and women to them that are in their prime for mind body with strength and beauty as young men and maids and them also that are growing to it or gone beyond it old men and children for as in civil government there are degrees of places offices higher and lower as princes peopele so in nature there are and must be degrees of ages succession of generations as fathers children both which are respectively thereby beautified with orderly subsistence which else would be a confused paritie each setting forth the praise-worthy wisdom of God in their gradual subordinations as high and low so young and old some governing some governed one generation coming another going to the praise of the God of nature that so orders things in the great Common-wealth thereof and in that variety of creatures ages and sexes as to produce so beautiful and orderly a progression from one end of the world to the other 13 All the whole creation consisting of infinite particulars never all of them to be enumerated in their several kinds and capacities let them joyn in this harmonie of Halelu-jah celestial and terrestrial creatures every of them severally and all of them joyntly make up a Quire of praising God for his praise-worthy excellencies of several sorts specified in their several kinds some as men and angels actually offer up others as all other creatures declaratively set forth the greatness and goodness power wisdom and glorie of their maker who therefore made them and who excels all created excellencies all and every of them being but borrowed from the fountain of his sole sufficiencie He onely is originally and they derivatively good whose transcendent Majestie and glorious excellencie inherent in himself is infinitly superlative to all earthly Majesties and all natural excellencies whether in the heavens above or the earth here beneath yea though you could fancie them all in one collective bodie and frame an Idea of all created perfections the glorie riches beautie order of all creatures in one entire resplendencie and representation yet is he alone infinitely beyond them all in all their several excellencies joyntly considered and to be praised both above them and for them who himself both is all above all and all in all 14 He is worthy praise from all creatures for what they are and have derivatively from him but that which is of greatest note and most praise-worthie is the Crown of all the rest which he hath set upon his peoples head his Covenant-mercie and grace and that not onely in promise but performance having in and by me as he hath and shall spiritually by and in Christ wonderfully blessed and prospered his people brought them out of all their sorrows and set them above all their enemies and therefore is he if to the creatures much more to his elect and chosen people especially the called and sanctified ones among them matter of praise who hath exatalted and preferred them to that praise-worthie priviledge of being his in a peculiar singular way of grace and adoption differing from all men and all creatures besides I mean his Israel the people of his Covenant made with their
and I am withered like grass 12 But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance unto all generations 13 Thou shalt arise and have mercie upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof 15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glorie 16 When the Lord shall build Sion he shall appear in his glorie 17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer 18 This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. 19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuarie from heaven did the Lord behold the earth 20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner to loose those that are appointed to death 21 To declare the name of the Lord in Sion and his praise in Jerusalem 22 When the people are gathered together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. 23 He weakened my strength in the way he shortned my dayes 24 I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my daie 2 Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed as the Eagles 6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed 7 He made known his wayes unto Moses his acts unto the children of Israel 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and plenteous in mercy 9 He will not allwayes chide neither will he keep his anger for ever 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercie toward them that fear him 12 As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removeth our transgressions from us 13 Like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him 14 For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust 15 As for man his dayes are as grass as a flower of the field so he flourisheth 16 For the wind passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more 17 But the mercie of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousness unto childrens children 18 To such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his commandments to do them 19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all 20 Bless the Lord ye his angels that excel in strength that do his commandments hearkening unto the voice of his word 21 Bless ye the Lord all ye his hosts ye ministers of his that do his pleasure 22 Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion bless the Lord O my soul. Psalm civ 1 BLess the Lord O my soul O Lord my God thou art very great thou art clothed with honour and Majestie 2 Who coverest thy self with light as with a garment who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain 3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters who maketh the clouds his chariot who walketh upon the wings of the wind 4 Who maketh his angels spirits his ministers a flaming â—ire 5 Who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed for ever 6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment the waters stood above the mountains 7 At thy rebuke they fled at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away 8 They go up by the mountains they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them 9 Thou hast set a bound that they may may not pass over that they turn not again to cover the earth 10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys which run among the hils 11 They give drink to every beast of the field the wild asses quench their thirst 12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation which sing among the branches 13 He watereth the hils from his chambers the earth is satisfied with the fruit of his works 14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattel and hearb for the service of man that he may bring forth food out of the earth 15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man and oyl to make his face to shine and bread which strengtheneth mans heart 16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap the Cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted 17 Where the birds make their nests as for the stork the fir-trees are her house 18 The high hils are a refuge for the wild Goats and the rocks for the conies 19 He appointeth the moon for seasons the sun knoweth his going down 20 Thou makest darkness and it is night wherein all the beasts of the forrest do creep forth 21 The young lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God 22 The sun ariseth they gather themselves together and lay them down in their dens 23 Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour until the evening 24 O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches 25 So is the great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great 26 There go the ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein 27 These wait all upon thee that thou maist give them their meat in due season 28 That thou givest them they gather thou openest thine hand they are filled with good 29 Thou hidest thy face they are troubled thou takest away their breath they die and return to their dust 30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth 31 The glorie of the Lord shall endure for ever the Lord shall rejoyce in his works 32 He looketh on the earth and it trembleth he toucheth the hills and they smoak 33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being 34 My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. 35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more bless thou the Lord O my soul. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cv 1 O Give thanks unto the Lord call upon his name make known his deeds among the people 2 Sing unto him sing Psalms unto him talk ye of all his wonderous works 3 Glorie ye in his holy name let the heart of them rejoyce that â—ear the Lord. 4 Seek
Satan stand at his right hand 7 When he shall be judged let him be condemned and let his prayer become sin 8 Let his daies be few and let another take his office 9 Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow 10 Let his children be continual vagabonds and beg let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places 11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath and let the stranger spoil his labour 12 Let there be none to extend mercie unto him neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children 13 Let his posterity be cut off and in the generation following let their name be blotted out 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembred of the Lord and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out 15 Let them be before the Lord continually that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth 16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercie but persecuted the poor and needy man that he might even slay the broken in heart 17 As he loved cursing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in blessing so let it be far from him 18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with a garment so let it come into his bowels like water and like oyl into his bones 19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually 20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord and of them that speak evil against my soul. 21 But do thou for me O God the Lord for thy names sake because thy mercy is good deliver thou me 22 For I am poor and needy and mine heart is wounded within me 23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth I am tossed up and down as the locust 24 My knees are weak through fasting and my flesh faileth of fatness 25 I became also a reproach unto them when they looked upon me they shaked their heads 26 Help me O Lord my God O save me according to thy mercie 27 That they may know that this is thy hand that thou Lord hast done it 28 Let them curse but bless thou when they arise let them be ashamâ—d but let thy servant rejoice 29 Let mine adversaâ—ies be clothed with shame and let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a mantle 30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth yea I will praise him among the multitude 31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul. Psalm cx A Psalm of David 1 THe Lord said unto my Lord fit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool 2 The Lord â—shall send the rod of thy strength out of Sion rule thou in the middest of thine enemies 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth 4 The Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck 5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath 6 He shall judge among the heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies he shall wound the heads over many countries 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall he lift up the head Psalm cxi 1 PRraise ye the Lord I will praise the Lord with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation 2 The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein 3 His work is honourable glorious and his righteousness endureth for ever 4 He hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred the Lord is gracious and full of compassion 5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him he will ever be mindfull of his covenant 6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works that he may give them the heritage of the heathen 7 The works of his hands are verity and judgement all his commandments are sure 8 They stand fast for ever and ever and are done in truth and uprigâ—tness 9 He sent redemption unto his people he hath commanded his covenant for ever holy and reverend is his name 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments his praise endureth for ever Psalm cxii 1 PRaise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his commandments 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the upright shall be blessed 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house and his righteousness endureth forever 4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness he is gracious and full of compassion and righteous 5 A good man sheweth favour and lendeth he will guide his affairs with discretion 6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is established he shall not be afraid untill he see his desire upon his enemies 9 He hath dispersed he hath given to the poore his righteousness endureth for ever his horn shall be exhalted with honour 10 The wicked shall see it and be grieved he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away the desire of the wicked shall perish Psalm cxiii 1 PRaise ye the Lord praise O ye servants of the Lord praise the name of the Lord. 2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermorâ— 3 From the 〈…〉 the sunne unto the 〈◊〉 down of the 〈◊〉 the Lords name is 〈◊〉 be praised 4 The Lord is high above all nations and his glory above the heavens 5 Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high 6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth 7 He raiseth up the poore out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill 8 That he may set him with Princes even with the Princes of his people 9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyfull mother of children praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxiv 1 WHen Israel went out of Egypt the house of Jacob from a people of a strange language 2 Judah was his sanctuary and Israel his dominion 3 The sea saw it and fled Jordan was dâ—iven back 4 The mountains skipped like ramâ— and the little hills like lambs 5 What ailed thee O thou sea that thou fleddest thou Jordan that thou wast driven back 6 Ye mountains that ye skipped like rams and ye little hills like lambs 7 Tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord at the
infinite power for thereto hath he given a surface above the waters which he hath notwithstanding they were once uppermost and would be so again confined to their concave or the pit he digged for them for all their fluid and spreading nature there he keeps them safe from breaking out and overwhelming the earth again 8 And as the faithfully righteous have cause to praise the Lord for his word and works as being happy in him for their God that is of such power and truth so also from that light and power which is imparted to them out of the creation should all the world one and other submit to his authority and know it to be their duty to honour and obey him reverencing his commandments and fearing his powerfull judgements 9 For all things that they see how great and wonderfull soever above and beneath them were made meerly by his fâ—at or word of command yea the great and weighty globe of the earth was established for ever by its sole and onely center without any other prop or pillar through the Almighty command of God for it so to be 10 And the Lord is as wise as powerfull defeating in his peoples behalf all the machinations that their enemies device against them frustrating and making ineffectual all the plots of the Gentils round about against his chosen 11 For the gracious purposes of the Almighty towards his shall stand good spite of all opposing power and policy yea they shall never be frustrated but ever be effectual and succesfull in the behalf of those that trust in him to the worlds end 12 O therefore blessed are we above all the world who have the knowledge and worship of the true God and so have him in a special manner gracious to us and Lord over us Yea happy are the people whom he hath picked out from amongst all people unto the adoption of sons and servants as we are 13 This God who is our God is in heaven and from thence he beholds and governs all men and all their actions 14 Yea from heaven the place of his most glorious and special residence doth he all-knowingly see and dispose of all men and all things here below 15 The Lord knows all men within and without for he made all and therefore knows all no man made himself but he alike made all as any and therefore knows all as well as any even the subtilest and wisest devices of the deepest politicians he is privy to and considers the events ordering them after his mind and not after theirs 16 So that be mans confidence never so great though he be a King and have never such authority and power or if for bodily strength he be equal to a Giant yet can it neither conquer nor keep himself from being conquered if God be not purposed to favour him 17 If God help not nothing can an Horse which men trust much in be he never so swift or strong will deceive and can neither safeguard his rider nor harm his opposer if God forbid it 18 The gracious favour and good providence of God is worth all which they are sure of that in fear obey him and by faith trust in his goodness and mercy over whom he keeps a carefull and watchful eye 19 To deliver them from the deadly plots of their enemies and other dangerous perils and to sustain and provide for them in times of scarcity and want when he lets other men starve 20 We therefore that are the Lords people ought and I hope we do with one heart and mind faithfully and affectionately seek to him and trust in him as our onely preserver and defendor as do and ever will the faithful 21 And this we may be sure of that we shall find him faithfull he will not fail us but we shall have cause of joy and thanksgiving in the manifestation of his grace and favour to us if so be that we fail not to put our trust stedfastly in his power and goodness which for his holiness sake can never deceive them that trust therein as do the faithful 22 Let Lord accordingly thy merciful loving-kindness and gratious providence be for ever vouchsafed unto thy people who make thee their stay and strength alone xxxiv PSALM For his deliverance mentioned in the title David in the ravishing apprehension thereof excites himself and others to praise the Lord greatly and to believe in him so too promising as he sped so should they in so doing be their danger never so great and their help humanely never so small He would have them that doubt it but try him by trusting and assureth them they shall experimentally find all true that he sayes touching Gods goodness And out of his duty to God and love to the godly he instructs them as a prophet and from his own experience how to out-live temptations and afflictions and be happy and blessed to wit by eschewing evil and doing good for to such and such onely the Lord is good and gracious for the wicked shall certainly smart for their wickedness it shall cost them their undoing A Psalm made by David when as being forced to flie from Saul and not knowing where to be safe in Israel he betook himself to Gath of the Philistins where being known by reason of his late conquest of Goliah and hated for the destruction that befel their Host thereby he was therefore in great danger and put to his shifts to feign himself mad for which being contemned of the King he was dismissed his presence and so escaped again to Judea 1 SO great hath been the goodness and power of God in my behalf as that I will never forget to magnifie him for it but will ever bear it in remembrance and continually be speaking of his praise-worthy mercies to me in my deliverance 2 Yea from my very soul and inmost affections will I praise him and confidently tell both what he hath done and what thereupon I believe he will do for me whereby I shall I am sure incourage all self-denying believers to the worlds end to hope in him in trouble and adversity and for present shall have such as fear God and wish me well partakers of my joy 3 And such I call upon to help me in exalting the Lord and with heart and voice to joyn with me in magnifying his loving-kindness and power the better to amplifie his praises 4 For I in mine extremity put up my prayers faithfully and fervently to the Lord and was presently answered and freed from my dangers by his good providence 5 And as it was with me so shall it be for certain with other his people that from mine example humbly rely upon him and in extremity not knowing which way to turn them with fervency of spirit by faithful prayer and ejaculation cast their eyes towards heaven they shall find favour and have a
way shewed them to escape in the greatest and doubtfullest dangers nor shall they have cause to hide their heads because of their miscarrying for God will deliver them and they shall praise him 6 They shall make me their instance and incouragement of their faith how that as I in my poor and hazardous condition cried to the Lord for mercy and was graciously heard and delivered so they shall take heart to do the like in a like estate in confidence of like success from God who is graciously pittiful to all that in affliction faithfully seek to him as I did 7 Nor matters it how humanely helpless and desolate any such seem to be for God hath given his faithful and obedient people in charge to Christ and his ministering spirits the holy Angels to yield them divine assistance who accordingly have a watchful eye over them to prevent their hurt and procure their good maugre all their enemies 8 Make but proof of God as I have done by believing in him and relying on him and you shall find him no worse but by faith and experience shall be able to affirm him as I do to be sensibly gracious and good to such as seek to him for it is as true and undeniable as any thing can be that he certainly and he alone is blessed and shall be happy that makes him and him onely his trust and confidence 9 O therefore stick close to the Lord you that are his people and depart not from him be your temptation what it will be by mistrust or misdoing for be sure of it you shall not want the Lords gracious presence with you and providence for you if you so do 10 Faithfully relying upon and seeking to the Lord is the most effectual and prosperous way any man can take all else is fallible wisdom strength whatsoever is relied upon Though a man had the force and courage of the stoutest lion yet as they notwithstanding theirs go without their prey till providence supply it them so shall he notwithstanding his of what he stands in need if he seek it not of God who onely is to be confided in and sought to for whatsoever we need or desire for to such hath he engaged himself as farre as is desireable even to give them what is good for them whatever else they want God and his goodness shall be theirs to their hearts contentment 11 Come all ye that are the children of the most High and as dear to me as mine and that in love and meekness desire to walk well-pleasingly towards God Give ear to what I say as an experienced man and true Prophet And it shall shew you your hearts desire even how to walk acceptably with him 12 What man is he that doth desire to out-live his enemies and the miseries he sustains by them and would be blessed of God with a long and happy life which though all would have yet all men take not the way to get but by their sin procure themselves misery and destruction therefore hearken thou to such instructions as will effect it 13 Do what God commands thee in word and deed refrain thy tongue and lips from revengeful slaunders or deceivable lies to or against any 14 Be not tempted or enticed either by the provocations of thy nature or the worlds corruptions to wrong or deceit and on the contrary study and endeavour to walk holily and righteously in all things towards God and men in all manner of well-doing seek the favour of God carefully maintain peace with men and pursue it earnestly with the uttermost self-denial in meek holy and righteous walking 15 For onely they are in favour with God and have the eyes of the Lord watchful over them for good that are good and he is very inclinable to hear the cries of such in affliction and to send them relief accordingly 16 But on the contrary in stead of a long and happy life the anger of the Lord is against them that are evil whom by his judgements he shall in justice cut off both them and theirs 17 The good its true may be afflicted as well as the bad but with this difference that they have the Lord to go and bewail themselves unto and the Lord hath promised to hear them and hath approved himself manifoldly as good as his word and so will still to such for if they call he will answer and ease them of their troubles 18 For the Lord is apt to pitty them that he sees humbled under his afflicting hand and very ready to relieve them in their extremities and doth deliver them that self-judgeingly in the sense of their unworthiness in time of misery seek to him for mercy 19 Those that are righteous and live godly have many enemies and suffer as many if not more trials and afflictions than do the wicked but still as I say with this difference the Lord that brings them in leads them out 20 And spite of all the power and malice of their enemies who if they could would grind them to powder yet shall they not be able to fasten the least evil upon them which the wise providence of God not appointed for their good for he keeps them so safe that not so much as their little finger shall take hurt or a hair of their head perish by any will or power of man 21 But now contrary-wise the malicious evil wayes of the wicked shall be their utter ruine and they that wickedly persecute the godly shall in stead of compassing their destruction procure their own and their posterities for ever 22 Whereas for the comfort of the godly let the lives of his people that faithfully trust in him and dutifully serve him be it never such hazard and danger by the power of their enemies yet he that redeemed their souls from everlasting destruction can and will preserve and deliver them I can put a probatum est unto it and none of all those that depend upon him and trust in him shall be destroyed by the wrath of man as shall the wicked by the wrath of God for he will preserve them I know by experience The xxxv PSALM David in the name of Christs and the Churches enemies prayes for the confusion of his own because of their unjust and inhumane dealing promising exceedingly to praise God when he shall be delivered from their violence and wrong making God the judge betwixt him and them and praying him to maintain his innocency against their unrighteousness by making them examples of his justice and him of his mercy so shall he purchase to himself much praise from the whole Church but specially from himself which he shall be sure of A Psalm made by David 1 O Lord oppose mine opposers be thou the defendor of mine innocency and the preserver of my life against my slanderous back-biters and persecuting enemies to whom be thou an enemy
given them Canaan the type of heaven which his people what ever they may suffer heâ—e shall be sure of For which mercies to all Israel but principally for his own particular ones which have been extraordinarie he promiseth praise with a free heart and a libâ—ral hand in all sorts of sacrifices appointed by God and would have the upright take notice for their learning that he never praid but was answered which he speaks to incourage such not Hypocrites who have no such priviledge as he and the rest of the â—aithful have whose prayers shall be effectual as his was To the President of the Quire is this Psalm committed for his ordering it to be sung and plaid by voices and instruments 1 THough all nations but we are as forreiners to God yet shall he have a Church of larger extent even all the World over that shall worship and praise him with joyful acclamations for his saving truths and benefits vouchsafed to them 2 They shall have their temple as well as we even the Gentils shall partake so liberally of his saving graces as that in the Antitype and complement of all our ceremonious musick they shall upon the coming of Christ his having a Church amongst them spiritually in a more divine strain than ours honour and magnifie his saving goodness gloriously praise him for it in higher degrees of faith and knowledge 3 Magnifie God for the terrible victories he hath at sundry times wrought upon the Gentils by the power of his might on the behalf of us his chosen people through the greatness of the power of whose grace shall these same rebellious Idolatrous Gentils one day be won to take Laws from God and become his people that now are in open enmitie against him and his Church to destroy it for which he so destroyes them 4 The time shall come that not we onely but the whole World shall know thee fear thee and believe in thee the Lord and shall offer thee that worship in substance which ours portrayes out in shadows the whole earth shall be thy temple and Quire for thy Church shall every where praise thee and magnifie thy saving goodness to them Lord let this thy Kingdom come 5 I would have all that are Gods in all ages often to recollect and consider for the strengthening of their faith and glorifying of God the wondrous things from time to time that he hath done for his Church and the works he hath wrought for the preservation of it how terribly he hath ever proceeded against the men of this World that have offended them and what judgements he hath alwayes executed upon such and ever will 6 How of old when his people Israel were in jeopardie and humanely impossible to escape being encompassed on all hands with unavoidable dangers the sea before and Pharaoh and his host behind how then the Lord by miracle wrought for them and divided the sea through which they passed upon drie land so also when they entred the land of Canaan what way the Lord made for them over Jordan in like sort though at that time it overflowed not going over it by help of boats or bridges but just as they did before through the red-sea the waters were divided miraculously and they went through on foot in the face of their enemies as if there had been no river betwixt O the joy that then was apprehended by our fore-fathers at the sight and experience of such wonderful power and goodness of God extended to his Church in their so supernatural accommodations for their safe transporting and their enemis destruction and disheartning which ought also in the memorie of it to rejoyce us and the people of God for ever being wrought by God as a pledge and assurance of his continual love towards the whole bodie of his Church and that he is the eternal Saviour of it from which act therefore ought to flow cause of rejoycing to us and all the Godly in all ages in the faith of the same immutable goodness 7 And power which shall never be weakened but as he then was so he is and ever will be of the same strength and sufficiencie to stand his Church in steed and to over-master their enemies nor will he be one jot less careful of his people hereafter than heretofore but as circumspect over them for their good in all parts of the world when they are universally called and gathered out of all nations to be peculiarly his as he was then to those that were so And as that ought to be an example and incouragement of joy and confidence for ever to the Church of God so of terrour and humbling to her enemies that having such a president before their eyes upon sacred and everlasting record dare rebel against God by wronging his people thinking to suppress and root them out because they are few and short of them for power and policie but it shall turn to their ruin in after-ages as well as then They may be sure of it 8 All Gods people ought to bless God and magnifie him for what he hath done and assuredly will do for his Church but especially we that are before-hand possessed of so many mercies and great deliverances we ought to resound and publish the praise of his famous acts for the Gentils to take notice thereof thence to be confirmed in faith and hope 9 From what he hath done for us who but for his care over us had long ere this been swallowed up a thousand times over of death and destruction by our many enemies which yet were never able to have their will of us but that still we are a people and have been upheld against as it were the whole world who because of Gods peculiar choice have a special malignant hatred to us 10 For Lord thou knowst what troubles we have undergone since we have been a people to thee and all to the end thou mightest have occasion to shew how firm thou art to us as thou hast ever made it to appear and to trie whether we will be as firm to thee in our faith in thee and worship of thee thou hast proved us over and over again by afflictions to give us testimonie of thee and that thou mightest have assurance of us a faithful sincere people 11 Thou thus to trie us and shew thy self hast many times led us into inavoidable dangers and to outward appearance exposed us into the power of our enemies to be destroyed by them and suffered them to oppress us sore as in Aegypt and otherwise 12 We have undergone as base and cruel usage as can be imagined counted no more of them than the dirt in the streets enduring the uttermost hardships under cruel task-masters and bloudie enemies as could possibly be invented and contrived against us and such things must thy Church alwayes look for in this World but thou hast made us
amends at last and all that thou promisedst hast thou performed for thou hast by a strong hand invested us in a happie condition and possessed us of a fruitful land spite of all our enemies so shall thy Church have deliverances here but let not them never doubt of heaven hereafter 13 14 What I would have others do I hope I shall not fail for mine own part to practise I am resolved upon consideration of what I have recounted that thou hast done for us and I am sure wilt do for thy Church to give thee praise and thanks not onely inwardly in my heart but also outwardly in the eyes and for the example sake of all others according to thine appointment by solemn sacrifices and especially for my self who have been in not a few nor those no small troubles at what time I vowed them to thee and have tasted accordingly of not a few and those no small deliverances 15 What ever thou hast commanded to be offered thee I will do it to the full in the performance of my thanks and acknowledgement of thy mercies both for number and worth even the best I can get what charge soever I am at And that with a free heart 16 Thou hast set me up as a pillar and monument of thy unspeakable goodness to thy servants which I hope and do desire that all thy people in all ages of the World would take notice of and to that end I will leave it upon record even the wondrous mercies I have partaked of and miraculous preservation that I have had 17 How that I never in my need put up my prayer to him in fervour and faith but I had a return answerable and my prayer was turned to praise 18 I speak not this to embolden hypocrits as if they were so priviledged who are apt enough to pray in their need as well as the Godly but for the incouragement of the sincere and upright such as I bless God I am harbouring the love of no known sin in me I know how I should have sped if I had not as I have done but have had the deaf ear turned upon me and well I had deserved it as all hypocrits and carnal formal professers do 19 But assuredly the Lord from time to time hath heard me and answered me too very graciously yea he hath carefully had respect to me whensoever I poured out my heart before him in the anguish thereof in time of trouble 20 I bless the Lord he hath blessed me and not sent me away without mine errand when as I have come to him in prayer and supplication nor withheld his mercie from me in mine extremitie but hath effectually appeared for me and so he will for all that trust in him and seek to him as I have done The lxvii PSALM The Psalmist praies that God would in such a sort be good to Israel that the Gentils may note it and be won by it to imbrace his saving truth and serve him as well as they But for the full â—ffecting of their conversion he wishes heartily for the comming of Christ and his Kingdom and the happie dayes that shall be then all the World over To him that is most skilful upon the stringed instrument Neginoth to which this Psalm is chiefly set is it committed for his care and ordering it be sung and plaid 1 THe good Lord be merciful unto us in the pardon of our sins and graciously benevolent and propitious in multiplying blessings upon us and manifesting his favour to us so as it may be notorious in the eyes of the World Even so be it 2 That the whole earth that now wander out of the way may be brought to acknowledge thee for the only true God to worship thee aright when they perceive the mercies that we that do so do enjoy above all others may be brought to hearken enquire after the saving righteousness thou hast revealed to us whereof they are utterly ignorant 3 Lord let the Gentils as well as we have the knowledge and experience of thy rich mercie and saving goodness that they may praise thee for it yea spread and proclaim it to all the World that thou mayest every where have a people to magnifie thee for it upon the whole earth 4 When shall Christ come to proclaim the year of Jubile even life and salvation to the Gentils to their unspeakable joy and thy unspeakable praise and to take the Government into his hands which he shall sway with equitie and justice both to the good and to the bad Lord hasten it 5 Let the Gentils as well as we have the knowledge and experience of thy rich mercie and saving goodness that they may praise thee for it yea spread and proclaim it to all the World that thou mayest every where have a people to magnifie thee for it upon the whole earth 6 O that this time were now for when it is happie shall those dayes be when the Messiah shall come infinite of blessings of every sort temporal and spiritual will he bring with him The whole earth that is cursed by the fall shall by him be blessedly restored and made a Canaan fruitful to God and man and God who was become a stranger by it shall by and in him be as much and more his peoples in more near proprietie and relation than ever and bless them with better blessings through grace than ever they were and could be capable of other wayes 7 Then shall be a time of sweet harmonious interchangeable correspondencies betwixt heaven and earth God he shall pour out his spirit upon all flesh and spread his Gospel over the whole earth and accompany it with no small store of temporal mercies and his people shall from all the ends of the World be hereby gathered to him and give up themselves in faith and obedience to be his The lxviii PSALM David upon the great victories he had had over his enemies and the remove of the Ark to its setled abode in Ierusalem praies and prophesus the infelicitie of the adversaries of Gods Church and the prospâ—ritie of the righteous whereof he advises them to be confident and therein to rejoyce for God in mercie will be mindful of the oppressed and injustice of the oppressors whereof they had had ample experience by marvellous deliverance out of Aegypt settlement in Canaan in the gaining whereof he gave them wonderful victories and as their case was prospâ—rous then so he prefigures it shall be again now in his time both Church and Common-wealth shall flourish because of the favour of God to them and his protection over them for he is to be a resemblance of Christ after his ascension victor over all his enemies Having shewn the happie consequences of the Arks remove he amplifies the manner of its transportation from the house of Obed-Edom in what order and with what harmonie
us or presence with us are now remaining all such signs have quite left us neither know we whither to go nor how to do to enquire of thee as formerly our predecessours were wont to do in straits never age nor miserie was like to this since thy people were a people for we have not so much as one prophet that were wont to have whole schools of them nor prophetess in all the whole land who can either instruct us what to do to reconcile our selves to thee nor how long it will be before thou beest reconciled and thy favour renewed to us as it was ever heretofore wont to be after some short space 10 O God find out a way to let us know the end of our miseries and the rather for the disgrace thou sufferest the whilest for thine honour lies in the dust as well as we through our sides thou art wounded and divided as if thou also wert conquered and that thou canst not deliver nor restore us now as heretofore though thou hast been too hard for our enemies yet now they are too hard for thee thus thine omnipotencie is impeached and thou scorned as a God that art not able to succour and befriend thy people Let the consideration hereof move thee 11 Lord why doest thou suffer thy self thus to be dishonoured and thy people thus to be destroyed heretofore thou wast alwayes wont to appear for them upon less occasions and powerfully to preserve them and to be jealous for thy worship and Lord why art thou not so now why doest thou not put forth thy power and magnifie thy grace now as then Good Lord be intreated to do so who canst if thou wilt 12 For Lord thou knowest how thou hast ever been related to us and we to thee above all the World as King and people and what remarkable protection and great deliverances both before and since we were planted in Canaan thou hast vouchsafed us answerable to such relations in the sight and to the admiration of all both far and near upholding us thus long a people to thee in the navel of the earth in despight of all the enmitie and combinations that have been against us round about We have not forgotten and we pray thee also to remember it what thou didst for us when thou broughtest us thitherward out of Egypt how thou miraculously made the sea drie-land for us to pass through and by thine Almightie power madest the water to stand like walls on our right hand and on our left till we were safely landed on the other side and till the whole Host of the Egyptians in pursuit of us was ingaged and ensnared in the deep and then thou causedst the waters to come together again and so destroyedst that bloud-thirstie and mightie armie in their own element even the Egyptians by inundation of water that are a nation above all the World blessed and preserved by it and as it were bred and born in it like the Crocodile in Nilus 14 Even Pharaoh himself and all his armie utterly perished there whose countrey of Egypt by the mightie over-flowings of that famous river is as it were a Sea and he the whale and master-fish therein even he with all his host was drowned in the red-sea where whale-like he purposed to have devoured the whole Host of Israel and cast up on that side towards the wilderness where thy people were safe on shore to be a prey to them and provision for them of many necessaries in that their journey towards Canaan through the wilderness chiefly for their faith to feed upon in all their after-straits and necessities and their carcasses to be devoured by wild beasts and ravenous birds 15 Thou then wast pleased to work wonders every way for us as well for our preservation against extremities of nature hunger and cold as from our enemies Insomuch as when thy people Israel extreamly provoked thee yet wast thou gracious to them and in their distress didst cleave the rock in Horeb and after that too and madest thence to flow sweet and plentiful streams for their refreshing and supply of them and their cattel and when they were to possess the promised land thou didst make way through Jordan even then when it overflowed all its banks for their entering into Canaan as thou didst before at the red-sea for their comming out of Aegypt that is madest it drie land for them to pass 16 17 Thou canst do but what thou wilt there are no bounds to thy power but thy will Thou that rulest all times and in all places ordeining and ordering day and night sun and moon and stars in the heavens above and hath scituated the earth and the several climates thereof so as they are accommodating it and the inhabitants thereof with meet and fruitful seasons of summer and winter 18 Thou art the God whom we worship above all the World thou that art thus Almightie whilst our enemies worship stocks and stones and yet they triumphing in their success reproch us with thee even with thee O Lord and this heathenish Idolatrous nation magnifie their Gods above thee because they are now above us saying thou didst not because thou couldest not deliver us and so blaspheme thine omnipotencie and nullifie thy very essence and being Now O Lord as thou art severe to punish us so forget not we pray thee to vindicate thine honour and to plague them answerably to the greatness of their provocations 19 Resume thy goodness toward us Thou hast but one spouse one nation and people in all the World that by contract are married to thee do not thou O Lord so far obdurate thy self against this wife of thy bosom thine helpless and harmless Israel to expose her to a barbarous prophane nation to be preyed upon and devoured as a Turtle by a Hawk or a Lamb by a Wolf but work their deliverance and restauration and forget not thy poor distressed and captived people to leave them in that estate for ever 20 But remember and fulfill the obligations of grace thou boundest thy self in to our forefathers thy friends and servants how thou wouldest be their God and the God of their seed after them to bless them which we are even we that are now led captive out of the land of the living God into the dark corners of the world amongst a people that know not the Lord and that have as little true humanity as divinity for for thy sake because we belong to thee and worship thee whom they neither know nor serve are we used with all manner of barbarism and cruelty by them 21 O let not no more now then heretofore in Egypt the pressures of thy people go unpunished but magnifie thy power in our wonderfull deliverances and our enemies confusion that for thy sake have reproached us Let us find thou art a God that hearest prayer and fulfillest the desire of thy poor necessitated people
them throughout their travel in the wilderness as Christ is to his Church and people all along their life The lxxviii PSALM The Prophet after an attractive insinuating preamble to gain attention for edification and caution from what shall be delivered falleth to depaint as in a table and in a compendious map to set forth the world of gracious priviledges which peculiarly God hath bestowed and conferred on Israel and the wonderfull unspeakable things he did for them and the many miraculous mercies that he had vouchsafed to them from time to time all along from Egypt to their establishment under David and Solomon Together with their monstrous ingratitudes of gross unbelief and rebellious provocations endlesly persisted in by all their forefathers throughout so many ages as expired betwixt their coming out of Egypt to those dayes Also interweaves the just and terrible judgements of God acted upon them though with much long-suffering and unwillingness for those their unfaithfull and disobedient ingratitudes with their feigned repentances and constant backslidings and notwithstanding all records Gods gracious perseverance towards them and faithfull performance of his promise in bringing that Church and Kingdom unto so flourishing a condition as it enjoyed under David and Solomon A Psalm advertising the people of Israel of Gods mighty works and singular favours to their forefathers and their ill requitals of them made probably by Asaph the seer or some other holy man of God and committed to his successours that bare his name 1 THus saith the Lord by me his Prophet hearken diligently to the doctrine that I am about to teach you give good attention to what I shall speak for it is of concernment to you 2 Though it was acted long before your time For that I am about to deliver doctrinall truths couched in historicall examples transacted and recorded of old but of good use for ever 3 It is what hath been inculcated continually by our fathers and their fore-fathers successively from age to age have these things been taught and pressed the godly in every generation have been carefull to derive the knowledge of them to their posterity for their benefit and the glory of God 4 And as it hath been transmitted to us by them with intention to pass it down throughout all the generations of Israel accordingly let us also that are their children hand it still down-ward to our posterity and theirs even the doctrin of the prais-worthy acts of God those powerfull deliverances that he wrought and miraculous mercies he vouchsafed his people in times past 5 For this was not done as a bare arbitrary act of care by our parents but as a duty also laid upon them by God who gave them in charge to do so as also to transfer his holy covenant made up of commandments and promises both by doctrine and exemplary observation of faith and obedience down to their children 6 That so the next generation following might learn what to know and how to do by the early teaching and good example of the next fore-going that so they also being well instructed and timely trained up in their tender years might grow so ripe and perfect as also in like sort to convey them to their children as they received them from their fathers 7 To the end that all of us from first to last might learn to fix our hope and confidence upon the Lord alone and believe in him as a gracious and al-sufficient God unto us throughout all ages and in all conditions considering and ever bearing in mind what he had don for our fore-fathers what wonders he had wrought for them to be standing presidents and pledges to posteritie that so they might be well acquainted both with his works and word by the one to learn to believe in him and by the other to reverence and obey him 8 Thus the godly Patriarks Prophets and teachers of old were wont to do take pains to indoctrinate youth in the works and waies of God to keep still alive a godly seed a spiritual people to the Lord that might not be as was for most part their fore-fathers for all their good instructions an untractable stiff-necked unbelieving people as lived upon the earth refusing their own mercies murmuring and rebelling against God his magistrates ministers and oppugning all that would have done them good and made them happy who for all that God did or could do for them which were admirable things and marvelous mercies he could not gain them heartily and sincerely to be his so as to believe in him stedfastly love him cordially and obey him uprightly but were with every temptation drawn away from him to distrust him and to imbrace sin and Idolatrie rather than his worship and service 9 In so much as the children of Ephraim though strong enough in men and arms furnished with those kind of weapons and skill to use them wherewith they were able to gall and beat back the enemy at a distance and never come to handle blows yet how cowardly being degenerated in faith and good conscience did they by the just judgement of God turn their backs and flie before their enemies the Philistines and caused the rest to do so too even to the loosing of the Ark chiefly intrusted in their Tribe and after for their sinfull revolting from the true worship of God to Jeroboams Idolotrous calves how did they and their partizans the ten Tribes fall before the enemie and wast away until they were led captive and extinct Let us beware 10 They totally fell off from God to whom they were tyed by all manner of bonds even by special contract and covenant mutually stipulated betwixt God and them he promising to be their protector and deliverer and they to believe in him as such than which they did nothing less and no wonder when as they had quite forsaken him his Tabernacle-worship at Shiloh and his Temple at Jerusalem and took to high places Jeroboams calves nor would they be reclaimed by any thing God could do or his Prophets say 11 Most ungratefully turning their back upon and forsaking that God that had done such wonders for his people whereof they were both eye and ear-witnesses for they were not ignorant of what he did of old as well as of late the wonders and the great things that were done by him they knew well enough but they set light by them let them slip out of memory and note though well enough instructed in them by our godly forefathers 12 Who ever were carefull to derive the memory and notice of such mercies down to posteritie though for the generalitie Israel as well in the twelve as in the ten Tribes hath ever been of a degenerate revolting disposition from God which should caution us to be careful for we have heard of the marvellous miracles God wrought before their faces and for their sakes the wonderfull plagues he brought upon the
in pieces lifts it on high with the greater violence to dash it against the ground 11 Thy poor Church O Lord whom I personate to thee it is even at sun-setting it is but a shadow of a Church and people no substance or Being left and that shadow too is extinguishing it is expiring like the shadows that towards sun-setting now are and anon are not so soon as the sun is gone down Like the grass that is mown withered with the sun and sapless such are thy people miserably parched with grief and sorrow and utterly comfortless 12 Thus it is with thy Church she is at last gasp she hath as it were received the sentence of death in her self But thou that art her God her support and strength canst never die nor she as considered in thee interessed in thy faithfulness though in outward appearance she be perishing yet thy truth past in promise to her which is thy self cannot fail thou wilt certainly remember to make it good to the uttermost period even to the Worlds end shall it endure and therefore so shall thy Church as low as it is brought at present 13 Therefore Lord though we seem to be dying our faith begins to sprout we are in hope that these our greatest extremities are thine immediate opportunities and that as thou hast lifted us up and cast us down so now thou casts us down to lift us up Yea we are very confident our sorrows are shorter-lived than we that we shall out-live them for all this yea we shall see a speedy end of them and that thou art even now about to shew thy self for us and to restore thy Church and in mercie pardon her sins which thou hast punished all this while and suddenly ease her of her miseries which she hath so long undergone and make Sion that was the glorie of the whole earth flourish again for as thou art mindfull of thy promise so are we that is that livens our faith and clears our heart even the thought of the expiration of the seventy years which is now drawing on the time appointed prophesied and promised by thee to end our captivitie and restore us to mercy which time is now accomplished revives our hopes 14 For such is the love thy servants bear to thee thy worship and the place appointed for it where thou hast promised thy presence that it is not the devastations which before hand they know they shall find there that does any whit discourage them no they are joyed to think that ever they shall set footing there and see that sacred rubbish that remains of that glorious fabrick what travel or pains so ever they undergo which they purpose to re-edifie 15 When thou hast thus wonderfully brought about our restauration after so long captivitie and the re-edification of that thy ruinated Temple what an amazement shall it put the heathen into how shall they admire thine omnipotencie that thus raised the dead and saved us as a brand out of the fire Yea the Princes and potentates of the whole earth hearing shall be strucken with astonishment at so glorious and Almightie a work 16 When the time comes which is now at hand that both thy spiritual and local Sion O Lord shall be restored and repaired by thee thy worship and worshippers in statu quo O how glorious wilt thou then appear in the eyes of Jews and Gentiles 17 And this be confident of that as God at this time hath extraordinarily stirred up his people to hope and pray to be delivered out of his destitute condition and made them more than ordinarily sensible of the loss of their countrey and happie priviledges they there enjoyed and ardently desire to return thither again so will he effect it and not let them lose their labour and pray in vain 18 This deliverance like that out of Egypt shall be upon everlasting record and renown for all posteritie and after-ages to admire and be strengthned thereby in the faith of Gods all-sufficiencie truth and grace And those of us that shall be gathered together again into the land of Judah in a formed bodie and an orderly way of worshipping the Lord from out this confusion and Chaos where we are neither a people nor a Church but a scattered mixture of vagrant folk O how shall we jointly praise the Lord and his power that hath thus raised us from the grave and as it were created us again out of the very dust nay the nothing whereinto we are resolved as Christ shall his Church 19 For from heaven which his sanctuarie was wont to represent hath the Lord heard and seen our moans and miseries though he be there in unaccessable glorie and majesty yet from that height hath he vouchsafed to pitie us here below that are no better then the earth we tread on 20 And to hear the groans we sent up to him in that sorrowful condition and save the lives and restore the liberties of his people a poor remainder of them who were destined to death and destruction aswel as the rest that they killed in hot bloud having sworn to root us all out every mothers son and not leave us a name upon earth 21 This shall the Lord do to the end his people so heard and so saved may magnifie the glorious power and rich grace of God in Sion as aforetime and praise him in Jerusalem his royal Citie and place of special residence 22 Which they shall do when they are embodied there again and reduced from that dissipation and confusion they now lie under which shall be a lively adumbration of the calling of the Gentiles and the gathering of Church and Kingdom from out the Kingdoms of the earth every where to believe in and and worship him many whereof shall be won and induced to give in their names unto him by that great deliverance like as when that great Jubile and goal-delivery by Christ himself shall be which is not far behind 23 Long have we looked for his coming and much hath his people suffered in the profession of his truth and for it in the interim the whilest they have lived in expectation of that happiness even to the loss of many yea almost of all his whole Church here in Babylon as must be the lot of the Church inhabitant in this world to suffer even death it self in way to the end the salvation of their souls 24 But I put my self before the Lord in the name of his faithful people and poor Church still remaining The ciii PSALM 2 O thou soul of mine that art of such transcendent excellencie to all sublunarie created beings and so adapted for to praise the Lord above them all do not thou burie thy talent in a napkin nor steward it unseeming thy trust to whom he hath committed such praise-worthie endowments and on whom he hath bestowed such thank-worthie benefits natural and divine which
his sins expose him to if God did not guard him as a field-flower that lieth open to men and beasts wind and weather 16 Subject to be despoiled of its beauty and laid along by every blast that blows and as gay as it is now appears straightway it disappears and is not and such is man 17 But for all this that man is of himself thus subjected by sin to return to dust and nothingness every moment yet is the mercie of God long-lived his Church and faithful people who shall never fail upon the face of the earth shall find that it shall never fail them but they and theirs throughout all generations that believe in him and filially fear him shall have the benefit of it grace and protection 18 Even all in all ages that enter Covenant with God and are careful and conscionable in the keeping of it by stedfast believing in him and exact walking with him in universal obedience to all his commandments seasonably and respectively calling to mind his will and their dutie as occasion requires to do accordingly in all occurrences 19 The glorie of the Lord is most perspicuous in heaven where his throne of dominion and rule is principally placed and he in his excellencies far more conspicuous there than the creature here doth or can represent or demonstrate him being seen of us thereby as but through a glass darkly from whence yet he extends his Sovereigntie hither ordering and governing aswell all things here as there especially his Church and that for ever 20 As the Lord appears most glorious in heaven so you his glorified angels that excel all other creatures in all manner of excellencies whose strength though derivative and created yet exceeds all humane power yea all humane imagination who are as fellow-creatures so fellow-servants with us yielding obedience to his commandments aswel as we and do his will revealed and commanded from his mouth as we from his word do you I say with us and for us bless the Lord and praise him both in his greatness and goodness 21 You that are so many millions waiting upon him and ministring at his pleasure what he commands do you even that whole heavenly army of glorious and mightie angels again and again bless and praise him that is as much above you in power and place as you are above us 22 And as his dominion is aswell over the earth and all things there and in the firmament above the earth as in heaven so ought his praises to be extended Even every creature that he hath made for so far extends his governance in all places throughout all ages ow him all the honour that in their kinds and after their created abilities they can do unto him But chiefly O thou my soul that art not onely beholden to God for a created being but for redemption and salvation which of free grace he hath vouchsafed thee a mercie far exceeding all meer created bounty do thou therefore above all in heaven and earth praise the Lord and bless his holy name answerable to thine ingagements so far beyond theirs The civ PSALM This Psalm as it is subsequent to the last so it is coherent with it made doubtless by the same Author the beginning and end of both being alike and the argument not unlike The one treating of God as a gracious redeemer of his Church and people and the benefits that redownd thereby the other as a powerful Creatour of all things heavens earth seas and all things in them together with their orderly conservation and provident preservation All which things strikes the Psalmist into admiration and puts him upon ingagement to constant meditation and praise wishing none might live that live not to the Lord in like sort 1 O Thou my soul my best and principal part praise thou the Lord the Lord Almighty which is the onely true God whom I worship and serve Thou Lord art wonderfully great in power and dominion the whole frame and order of nature in the great work of creation shew thee to be such specially the heavens whose scituation is above as thou art which as in a mirrour shew forth thine incomparable honour and Majesty in those glorious lights which is the visiblest representation of thee to our capacities thy throne being there 2 Thou hast spread the light over our heads throughout the aery element so that it is filled therewith and the Heavens where thou art seem to be covered thereby from our sight who can onely see on this side those supernal luminaries And as the light so that vast expanse of heaven thy Princely pavilion is drawn between thine unaccessible Majesty and us like the curtains of a royal Tent. 3 Who as he hath laid the foundation of the earth which is his foot-stool in the depths of the sea so hath he laid the floor of his upper loft the heavens where principally he resides as great men do above stairs amongst the clouds that spread like a sea far and wide over our heads on which he seems to ride as great men do in Chariots directing the uncertain motions thereof hither and thither and so also disposeth of the winds in their swift transition and sudden mutation to go and do as pleaseth him 4 Who therefore hath made the glorious angels those heavenly messengers of his not of such natures as we sublunaries are but spirits agil and active to come and go of his errands and do his pleasure here below instantly and effectually as far distant as it seems making those celestial ministers of his to execute his fiery indignation either visibly appearing as flames of fire as sometimes they have done so the Israelites were consumed in the wilderness or invisibly destroying his enemies but suddenly and terribly like as fire devoures combustible matter 5 Who also hath by his transcendent supernatural wisdom so established the earth upon its center as a house upon a firm foundation so that though it be pendent as a ball in the air and therefore seems nothing more moveable yet indeed there is nothing more immoveable all the winds and storms that overthrow other things that have foundations cannot stir this that hath none but from the first creation to the uttermost dissolution of all things it shall continue firm 6 In the first creation thou didst overflow all the earth and encompassed it with those waters that are now the sea they then spread themselves over the earth as a garment over a mans body so that no drie land appeared the mountains as well as the valleys were then under water 7 Until thou wast pleased to command the contrarie and then when thou preparedst that great Abyss to receive them that now contains them and biddest them contrarie to their nature that would still be overflowing all and drowning the whole earth to retire into it as into their mansion and place of abode they in reverence
their neck serves meerly to hold their heads on their shoulders but is of no Organicall use at all for speech c. 8 And they that make them are as void of true understanding as they of sence that can so against the light of reason think such things fit to be worshipped which they make and which made not them and that when they are made are but inanimate statues short of all living creatures even the meanest and what must they then be that put confidence of good or evil in such but irrational senceless people and as little able to do good or hurt as they saving thou the onely living God orders and appoints them 9 O ye sonns of Israel your fathers with whom and his seed God made an everlasting covenant whatever befall you let not an evil heart of unbelief to depart from the living God to dumb and deaf Idols possess you as he hath peculiarly chosen and adopted you for his people from out all the world so do you him for your God from all other Gods trust in him relie upon him for your sole helper and defendour against these Idols and Idol worshippers which can do you just so much hurt as he for your sinns permits them and no more 10 O ye Preists and Levites that are the successours and assistants of faithfull Aaron in that high office of Preist-hood and more immediate worshippers of the high God within his holy Temple do you exemplarily declare your faith of and in the Lord alone that hath so highly honoured you above your brethren that he is of power al-sufficient and faithfull of his word and promise to protect and restore his people and you to their places and your imployments 11 But chiefly you that are nearer and dearer to God than any externall adoption or office can make men you that are Israelites indeed spirituall Priests and Levites the adopted and called of the Lord that have the spirit of reverence and godly fear in you do you as I hope you will not fail to do trust assuredly in God for he is your help and shield against worse enemies than these that can but destroy the body and that do but serve to typifie the power that our ghostly enemies have over us by sinne as these for sinne and Gods greater power to deliver us from them as from these which he will certainly do 12 No doubt is to be made of it but that as God hath done so he will do exercise mercy in deliverance as well as justice in afflicting us if we seek to him and that he see us mindfull of him he will be so of us as ever heretofore in like case to ours now he was wont to be Israel and the Priest-hood is still dear to him for old love to our forefathers and the covenant he made with them and for Aaron his servants sake that Preistly type of our powerfull Mediatour and therefore will he certainly bless us with joyfull deliverance and restauration 13 Yea for his covenant sake he will bless Israel and Aaron according to the letter but thank them for it that amongst you are so in the spirit with whom properly and principally that covenant is made these of what outward condition soever high or low are dear to God whom he will certainly bless and the rest for their sakes 14 You are the men that have the promise of this life and of a better as you are the blessed seed of blessed Abraham in whom his name is upheld because his faith is inherited by you so shall the Lord raise you up faithfull successours a more numerous off-spring than ever yet his Church produced from generation to generation shall the faithfull your heirs and successours flourish and multiply 15 As you are the promised seed so are you heirs of the blessed promise He that by his Almighty power made the heavens and the earth is your God and for your sakes made he them and with both heavenly and earthly blessings will he bless you 16 The Lord made both and governs both but so that heaven the heaven of heavens which is superlative to all the rest is the more immediate place of his glorious residence and inhabitancy and the earth of mans which he hath bountifully furnished with all needfull things for his sustentation and existence there 17 And why hath the Lord done so lent me life and livelihood here below but that they should imploy their time and improve those blessings to the praises of him in the highest for its true that God made the earth and all things in it for man but he made man for himself for his praise and glory who yet praise him not but serve other Gods all the world but we so that if we should perish that are his onely Church on earth the praises of the Lord would cease upon it which must not be whilest it is to have a being he is to have a people that shall glorifie him 18 Therefore O Israel O house of Aaron and especially ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord that he will be your help and shield for the Lord will not unchurch himself no nor us neither we are the people though unworthy that his name is and shall be named upon chosen out of all the earth so that how ever we are at the graves mouth yet deliverance will come and we shall be restored else nature must be dissolved which cannot be considering what promises are yet to be fulfilled Therefore be confident in hope and in the faith hereof ingage our selves for future when God shall so bless us that we will answerably bless and praise him yea in full assurance let us begin at present and be doing in that dutie now aswel as hereafter that the Lord may see the useful existence of a Church for ever on earth for that they alwayes and they onely praise him What ever your condition be then though it were worse than it is which at present is bad enough be sure to praise the Lord for which you live and have your Beings and in you all the world which else should cease The cxvi PSALM David being possessed of the Kingdom according to promise looks behind him to see the difficulties God carried him through to mind himself to his mercies and his own ingagements for them And in the first place offers the Lord his affections promiseth him his faith for future because of what is past and therefore excites his soul to comfortable confidence and peaceable acquiescence together with a gratuitous walking with God recalling his offs and on s he is in an extasie how to return to God that brought him out of them and resolves to celebrate his praises in the most publick and solemn manner according to the prescript of the Law Assuring all Gods people from his example that in their greatest danger God hath the greatest care Magnifies the Lord that
comparison for brotherly love is a celestial benefit how the spiritual dew is dispensed from God in heaven on those holy consecrated mountains Sion and Moriah where he vouchsafes his presence unto his people who resort thither to worship him and where they meet with soul-enriching graces and consolations othergets blessings than the dew of Hermon which makes them abound in faith and godliness to their own eternal as well as temporal felicitie such like is peace and love among the Israel and people of God it self is a special blessing from heaven and brings with it all manner of blessings from thence both temporal and spiritual if ever we mean to be rich and happie this is the way to live and love as sons of one father and mother God and the Church members of one body under one head the Messiah as all Israel shall be through love and obedience to David and his successours ruling in Sion as types of Christ. The cxxxiv. PSALM David being a man of fervour and affection in the service of God gives a watch-word to the watch-men of the Temple the Priests and Levites and in them to gospel-Ministers not regardlesly to passe over their duties but to be imployed for the whilst as Christ himself is for ever in praying for the people and Church of God and blessing both God and them and that in a proportionable zeal here to Christ and his saints in heaven in their respective imployments there See the title of the 120 Psalm 1 YOu that are by the special appointment and ordination of God chosen as Christ himself from among all your brethren and preferred to the honour of sanctuarie-administration continually in his presence consider the place you hold whom and what you personate even Jesus Christ in his Priestly office at the right hand of God who ever liveth to make intercession and offer thanks-givings for his Church to his father have that allwayes in your eie and be active suitably stand not idle in your offices nor keep not sleepie centry in the sanctuarie but as your turns come to watch do service there as well night as day rouse up your spirits call to mind the moral meaning of your imployments which is to improve your nearer interest in God by virtue of your offices for the good of his Church and people as Christ does in heaven continually through Christ presenting to God in the Churches behalf the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanks-giving for his mercies vouchsafed together with prayers and supplications for the continuation and constant gracious dispensation of them still as there is need 2 I say again busie and lay out your selves in those sacred and religious imployments of praise and prayer neither idle nor nifle out your time and Turn in the sanctuarie nor yet with formalitie or hypocrisie do you do your service to him as bare pretenders but as holy and real performers clap your wings in your night-watches let your hearts be in heaven and your hands in token of the fervour of your spirits lifted up thitherwards and so bless the Lord not betwixt sleeping and waking but with the whole soul and bodie too considering he whom you worship is a spirit and his proper place of residence is above in the heavens whose service there for condiscention sake you personate in the sanctuarie here in types shadows wherein you must not stick but by them mount up higher even to him where he is in spirit and faith externally manifested by suitable comportment of bodily action and expression such as are significant and adorative commensurable to Gods glorie and greatness your own hearts puritie faith and fervour and the Divine condition of the Church-Triumphant in heaven 3 Your office is double faced upward and downward you are in Christs stead like Jacobs ladder on which and by which blessings are to ascend and descend for as you are the mouth of the Church and people of God to offer him their thanks and praises blessing him continually in their behalfs as Christ does the father for the elect so likewise are you to be the mouth of God down to his people to bless them from him which doubtless is as an honourable so a full imployment if you set your selves to do it as it ought to be done with that zeal and reverence the Church oweth to her head and with that delight and love the head hath in and to his bodie and fellow-members Pray therefore for and as presenting the person of Jesus Christ that effectual mediatour in his name also faithfully bless ye the Israel of God that do worship him in Sion his place of residence with the blessings of his special protection and salvation who is the onely true God and Allmighty master of heaven and earth The cxxxv PSALM The Psalmist quickens up the people of Israel in general the Priests and Levites more particularly but most especially the faithful of both sorts to magnifie and praise the Lord and this he doth by way of argument taken from the congruitie delectabilitie and dutie of it from such a people to such a God who as he is greatly to be preferred for his self-sake and the excellent power that is in him so for the effects of it towards them the grateful memorie whereof should ever be upheld for his glorie and his peoples faith sake All other Gods being but puppits he onely is God and onely to be blessed as such especially of them that are his onely people and Priests his Church preferred by him of all the world to that honour who therefore ought to honour him how and where he will be worshipped 1 O That all sorts of people would consider their dutie of praising God conscionably to discharge it in spirit and power to magnifie him for his greatness as Lord of and over all yea for his excellent attributes and properties not onely absolute but relative of grace and goodness and for his alonenes for as there is no God like him so there is no God but him O ye servants of the Lord chosen by him and set apart for that purpose what ever others do forget not you your duties not onely of your persons but of your places to praise the Lord worthily with hearts enlarged with the apprehensions of him and his manifold excellencies 2 I mean ye Priests and Levites principally be you especially conversant in this service of praising the Lord in his holy Temple where you are priviledged to administer like to the glorified saints in heaven that stand in his presence for ever more praising the Lord. Yea and all others also that are admitted to the participation of grace and that worship him in his ordinances though at greater distance whether Levites or people whose persons and praises faithfully tendered in spirit are yet really accepted and graciously regarded by the God of Israel whose presence is as well in the courts which also are sanctified as in
the Temple it self with his Church on earth as well as in heaven Praise ye therefore the Lord ye that worship him without as well as within the holy sanctuarie of our God both Priests and people 3 Be not so much awed by fear to praise the Lord as induced by love for those lovely excellencies of grace and goodness that are in him and shine forth from him to his people let the faith and experience the Church hath had thereof in all ages tune your voice and instruments to the exaltation of his name in praise-worthy commemoration of all the good he hath either promised or performed which to do is delightfull to God and every good heart 4 Surely we far above all the world are debtors to God ow more in way of praise than ever we can pay him for this unestimable mercie and priviledge of adoption to be his peculiar to name his name upon and marked out of all the great fold of the world for his people and the sheep of his pasture even we a poor hand-full that came out of the loins of one man our Father Jacob that he should choose him and his out of all mankind to set his love upon and thus to honour as to esteem none else worth reckoning of but us and us as his treasure and Jewels of value whom he onely sets by as he shall by his Church and people in all the world and onely by them 5 Under what notion soever we apprehend God he is worthie our uttermost praises whether as good to us or as great in himself who indeed is of that immensitie as that his positive admits of no comparative degree he is abstractly great even greatness it self in power majesty beyond humane apprehension and capacity in the faith whereof yet we ought to praise him for so his people best know him and that not onely as absolutely and essentially so but also relatively and derivatively so to us this great God being greatly our God his greatness as it is superlative to all greatnesses whether humane powers or imaginarie deities so his grace shall extend it accordingly unto our protection and preservation against them and to the confusion of men and Idols that are set against him or us his Church and people 6 I mean the great and mightie God the sole Sovereign and Monarch of all the world both heaven and earth who of his meer will and by his onely word made all things to be that they are from the highest to the lowest whether in the heavens above or in the earth beneath or in the waters under the earth and the invisible depths of both down to the very center and as he commanded them to be so he rules and commands them now they are to be and do what he would have them and not otherwayes to his praise and his peoples security 7 He createth ruin by appointing and impowering the sun from all parts of the world sea and land to exhale the vapours which we see ascend on high into the middle region of the air where they engender clouds those clouds rain which by his providence is dispersed and dispensed all the world over what the earth sends up in exhalations from all parts it receives down again every where for its use in showers and dews Yea what a piece of Artifice do our eyes behold when by the force of thunder he sends lightning and rain fire and water out of one and the same cloud so that when we see the one break forth we conclude the other not far behind as if naturally fire produced water which are so contrarie but yet are made to cohabit till and be subservient when he pleaseth to dispose of them in storms and tempests The wind also blows when where and how he lists and not otherwayes how unruly and boisterous so ever it seem it breaks not prison of it self but is let out of its restraint by him without whose will and pleasure it cannot so much as breath who is the God of nature ordeining and ordering her in all causes and all their effects how rare soever beyond our knowledge and above our reach transacted in the heavens whereof these are few instances 8 Yea and on earth too where not a few things praise-worthie have been wrought by the same Almighty power for his people Israel whereof we will enumerate some a few of many as the high mightie slaughter he made of the first-born both of man and beast in Egypt with a strong hand bringing his people thence spite of Pharaohs power and oppugnation 9 He wrought miracles and made strange demonstration of his heavy displeasure by manifold judgements destructive signs and prodigies in the midst of thee O Egypt for their sakes when his people the Israelites had no harm there forcing thereby hard-hearted Pharaoh thy King and his courtiers to acknowledge his power and at last submit to his will 10 Nor in Egypt onely did he do wonders and execute judgements upon his Churches enemies but when by a mightie hand the destruction of the Egyptians he had brought them thence by the same out-stretched arm did he lead them through the wilderness destroying all that made opposition to them both Princes and people though far greater and every way better provided then they way-faring men were 11 As for instance Sihon the King of the Amorites and Og that mightie man the King of Bashan who opposed their passage these Kings and their people they destroyed on the other side Jordan and on this side even all the Kings and Kingdoms of Canaan thirty one in number those under Moses these under Josua were subdued by the Lord who fought for Israel against all their enemies 12 And he that is Lord of all the earth as before he had promised to Abraham so now he fulfilled his word by an effectual possession and implantation of his people Israel in the lands and possessions of all the foresaid Kings and Kingdoms gave them to them and their heirs for ever which he hath ever since preserved to and for them and their posteritie with as Almighty a hand as at first he gained and gave them 13 The glorious manifestations thou hast alwayes made of thy powerful goodness and gracious faithfulness in the behalf of thy people against their enemies ought to be renowned for ever hereafter in all ages which also shall produce experiments answerable to those thy properties which are ever the same in thy Churches behalf who shall transmit the grateful memorie of thy former mercies and miracles down from age to age and from one generation successively to another to thine everlasting glorie and their corroboration and comfort in the faith of thy faithfulness to thy covenant and promises the grand charter of the Catholick Church theirs as well as ours made to them as to us 14 For the Lord is his peoples according to covenant so
ones for ever in all ages to do them good protect and save them spite of all worldly power or malice Such a God is thy God O Israel whom thou worshippest in his sanctuary upon his holy hill Sion of which accordingly he will bless preserve as the type of his Church universal which as his shall be upheld by him who himself is everlasting whilest the world endures Therefore praise ye the Lord trust in him and in nothing else all ye that are now or shall hereafter be his people the true worshippers of the onely true God The cxlvii PSALM David exceedingly exciteth the people of God his Israel to be frequent and conversant in praising the Lord by sweet motives and powerfull arguments proper and common shewing sometimes his tender care in speciall over his Church then again illustrating him by his native excellencies also by his gracious just and different dispensations to good and bad all having relation to his people whom he again stirs up to the dutie of thanksgiving and praise by acts of powerfull providence above and below to beast and birds He further cautionizeth them not to be misled in judgement so as to think the favour of God or success from God is attainable by humane inducemâ—nes or probabilities no but by faith and holy fear which being the things that indear us to God he again incites gods people to praise him for the priviledge of such truths revealed and such graces exhibited whereby they are so blessed and prospered with peace and plentie by him who as Lord paramount commands the whole creation and is obeyed by it both in heaven and earth but he is Israels and Israel his after a more peculiar and excellent manner than any other nations or all the worlds besides for which he concludes they ought to praise him answerably 1 O Ye people of the Lord be much busied in praising him no greater testimonie of a good heart towards God than to be praisefully affected and disposed nothing we can do more profitable and available to our selves for it keeps the heart in a holy frame and tunableness in the exercise of faith and love to God-ward and gains upon him exceedingly who is much delighted with that kind of service and sacrifice to have the honour done him and homage paid him that 's due unto him from the creature specially his people that do it with faith and understanding it is a work well becoming these to magnifie the Lord both for what he is in himself considered and also to them in grace and gracious dispensations 2 Who indeed deserves praise but he That is all in all specially to his Church it is he that laieth the foundation of it in election and builds it progressively by faith and sanctification and finisheth his work of grace and his peoples happiness in glorification like as out of all the world Jerusalem is the chosen place of his worship and Israel a chosen people to worship him both which he of meer grace by an Almightie power doth bless and build up unto a flourishing state and condition and that notwithstanding their many enemies Yea he brings his people Israel out of their several mis-fortunes and dispersions to be the sole subjects of his Kingdom and to be united under me their head his substitute in a formed Church and Common-wealth thereby to live happilie and serve him acceptably as in like sort he shall call his chosen all the world over into one body his Church under one head Christ to serve and honour him and partake of his happiness It is he that doth both the one and the other 3 God many times is pleased to break and bruise his people with outward afflictions and inward depressions of mind and conscience by the weight of sins guilt or his dis-favour but it is but to find his grace and spirit work to shew his skill and to verifie his word who healeth them again with the balm of Gilead the light of his countenance ariseth upon such a soul after some conflict for God is tender over his people specially in distress and most specially in soul-agonies when they pant under a troublesom spirit he is the true Samaritan that poureth in wine and oyl and binds up the wound of his Church and chosen which the world without or trouble within hath made 4 He that can number the numberless stars from one end of the heavens to the other and knoweth them particularly and distinctly one by one as many as they are having indeed made them all and ordained each one its orb and office causing them to appear and act in their seasons orderly and successively without confusion notwithstanding their infinite number as also their variable manifold and inter-winding courses he as well knoweth the number of the stars on earth as in heaven his people wheresoever dispersed upon the face of the whole earth to gather them into his bodie as Israel into Canaan from their dispersions yea every particular person and member of his Church universal knows he to bring him in in his season age and generation and both where and how to imploy him in what station of the world and place in his Church for the service of him and it 5 For as the Lord is great in knowledge so also in power there can no bounds be set to either he is infinite in understanding past our capacitie a fit object of of our faith and subject of our praise in all his proceedings 6 As appears by the certain conclusions he brings out of uncertain providences how those that meekly and humbly undergo their time and portion of sufferings the share of all his servants wherein they seem to themselves and others to be forlorne and helpless he by an Almightie hand beyond imagination relieves and releaseth them makes them able with joy to over-top their sorrows how despicable soever they were in the eyes of the world whereas on the contrarie those that with worldly pomp and affluence are lifted up to do wickedly against him or his Church oppressing them or contemning him these as high as they are in power and pride and though they seem to the world and themselves in respect of their present condition to be as immoveable as a mountain God notwithstanding nay therefore ruinates them and lets the world see the difference of good and bad of them that fear him and also of them that fear him not 7 Consider the thank-worthy goodness of God to stir you up to zeal and gratitude when you praise him in Psalms and Hymns which neglect not to do even to do with all your might and the best of your skill both of voice and instrument and all too little to give God his due specially we his peculiar people cannot do too much in this way who by special priviledge are the onely people of all the world that worship the onely true God 8 For it is he
onely as creatures but sons and servants under the dispensations of grace on his part toward them and laws and ordinances of holiness and righteousness on their part toward him 20 This peculiar priviledge hath the Israel of God above the whole world besides and that by the meer and free grace of God all nations in nature being alike to him it is neither the people nor the place that makes the difference but his election which for any reason out of himself might have passed upon any other people as well as you they might have had the sun of righteousness the star of Jacob risen in their Hemisphere the word and will of God savingly and sanctifyingly revealed to them as it is to you and you have been in darkness as they are at this day but in mercy it is quite contrarie you have what they want and they want what you have even all the world are in darkness and in the shadow of death for want of the word of light and life of holiness and righteousnes on his part and theirs but you be ye therefore stirred up to suitable praise and thanks-giving O ye his peculiar people for such rare and singular mercies and benefits so peculiarly bestowed upon you The cxlviii PSALM David being himself a man of a praisefull spirit an inlarged heart to God-ward in that way feeding that happie temper by frequent observations and and deductions He also factours for God and negotiates in this Psalm with all things in all places to be industrious in his dutie he summons heaven and earth to pay their tribute and do their homage to the most high God for all they themselves are and have as being the maker of them and giver of that and who himself is all that and much more And the better to effect his design when he hath first bespoke them in the general from heaven to earth he also makes a scedule or enumeration of several created existencies of both sorâ—s and of different rancks ages and sexes exciting them all severally by name to make up a joint harmony and Quire according to their utmost capacities of praisefull solemnization to the Lord paramount But principally and above all his Church and chosen people so much obliged to him beyond all for his 〈…〉 love to them in exalting them so high in his favour by Covenant-inâ—â—â—est 1 ALl creatures that have their being from the Lord one other in their several kinds places and offices wherein he hath disposed them set ye forth his glorious greatness and goodness unto the praise thereof More particulary all ye rational and irrational one whose position and residence is above in the heavens whether within the Imperial or on this side it be occupied in his praises according to your several natures some actively towards God others declaratively towards men which is the end of all our beings and of that your advancement also into such a superiority of place and excellencie of nature and offices above sublunaries 2 But in particular principally and primarily ye that are his glorious Angels the immediate favourites and domesticks in the court of heaven which in infinite number he hath created to serve and honour him there and dignified with eminencie and proximitie to himself above all his creatures even to the numberless number of you his heavenly hosts do I speak who are ordained to do his commands that commands in chief over all created beings how excellent soever do you I say who ow it and are enabled to it above all joyn with the rest of your fellow creatures in this duty of praise your proper office to mend the musick 3 Also you inanimate creatures that possess the suburbs of those celestial mansions and in your kinds are glorious and excellently usefull endowed with singular proprieties and significant representations of the greatness and goodness of him that made you that you are and honoured you with the places you hold and the offices you perform even all the Lunaries of heaven great and small sun moon and stars that by day and night according to your appointments and capacities enlighten the earth and the inhabitants thereof act you your part in praising the Lord by doing his will and manifesting his power and glorie run your courses keep your orders do your offices that all times and seasons which are ruled by you that are ruled by him may exalt him 4 From the lowest to the highest of all those several spheres all which are above the firmament wherein are diversly situate first the fixed stars and then the moveable planets in their several and subordinate orbs and the ponderous clouds that weigh so heavy containing such oceans of waters in you and yet hang so high above the aerie regions all you excellent creatures of several natures in your gradual existences above in the heavens do you declare as indeed you do the praise-worthy work-manship of him that is above all that hath so orderly disposed you in that vast expanse such variety and infinite of created lights and clouds fire and water that do severally inhabite those upper lofts and chambers over our heads without confusion intermixtion and destruction of nature which else would follow 5 Do you and every of you jointly and severally according to that power wisdom and goodness that shines forth in you declare the glorious skill of such celestial arts to the praise of the Artificer in those admirable transcendent properties of his who was able to bring forth such things of such use and in such an order by his meer fiat he but bid them be and they were he made use of no other tools or instruments to build so great and strange a structure but his bare word of command which gave being to all those celestial altitudes with the stars and meteors that inhabite them 6 And as his word gave them a being at first so also did he command their perpetuity and orderly existence and influence to the last wherefore it is that they have continued all this while and must do so from one generation to another to the end of the world not by the power and efficacie of their own natures which in that regard are as all things else are reductive to a nothingness every moment but by his eternal decree and edict past upon them is it that these supernatural creatures are the same in existence that ever they were as also in their motions and operations which are guided by God his appointment and providence unalterably to those ends and effects for which he hath ordained them 7 8 So also all ye creatures though in inferiour situations who yet have the same Creatour and are the products of the self-same wisdom and power that the heavens and the things contained in them are whose habitations are in these lower parts terrestial or aerial do you also praise him Let the great God have glorie from all his
good Let them be strong in strength and with a mightie irresistable power prevail against all opposers as indeed they shall like as shall Christ by his word and spirit in the mouth of his Ministers to the setting up of his Kingdom all the world over Israel shall be prevalent over the heathen and Gentile nations round about that have so cruelly vexed and plagued them their turn is now come to be under and ours to be over to revenge and punish Gods dishonour and his peoples miseries upon them as the Church shall triumph over the wicked at the glorious appearing of Christs Kingdom 8 Yea as well Princes as people shall be brought into subjection Israel shall have dominion over all her enemies of what ranck so ever and shall lead captivitie captive under me as Christ and his Church shall do overcome at last their over-comers we shall have a resurrection out of our long endured miseries and be free-men when as ours and the Churches enemies how great soever shall have their declension and abasement no power on earth can hinder the powerful decree of heaven nor resist the execution thereof when the set time is come as now it is neither Kings nor nobles who then shall be but like other men easily vanquishable for all their power and authoritie as they shall be by Christ either brought into subjection and fealtie to him in his Kingdom of grace or led in triumph by him at his appearing in his Kingdom of glorie when his Church shall be triumphant 9 What the Lord hath promised in his peoples behalf and threatened to their enemies is now to be fulfilled even their destruction or subjection not by their own power but by the power of his word and promise who is faithful and almightie therefore shall it come to pass and in the faith thereof shall they prevail under me as shall the Church of Christ under him either ministerially to vanquish them or ultimately to triumph over them in a final and total destruction This glorious priviledge have the people of God his Israel which are or should be saints and his saints his really sanctified and adopted ones which are indeed his onely Israel thus by the power of his might the faithfulness of his never failing promise to overcome or overthrow all their rebellious opposers oppressours Therefore both one and other Israel now and Israel hereafter even all the people of God chew the cud upon this your happie condition through the mercie and grace of God in Christ and praise him for it The cl PSALM David never wearie of this theme presseth hard upon all principally the Church and people of God to praise the Lord and that both in and by his commanded worship as also by the book and borrowed helps of nature creation and providence and the glorious manifestations he makes of himsâ—â—f herein and this to be done with Heart and Art to the utmost of both He concludes that all flesh by nature is bound to do it and Israel by grace 1 YE that are the people of the Lord be much imployed in this singular service of praising and magnifying him that is so much yours above others and that have his peculiar residence amongst you in his sanctuarie the resemblance of heaven where is his proper residence such is the condiscention of his Divine greatness and Majestie to be worshipped as in heaven by glorified saints so also here by sanctified ones which be sure you neglect not that are his chosen priviledged people worhsip him here below with your minds above as you extend your voices so enlarge your graces eye him and reverence him in his heavenly sanctuarie when you draw nigh to praise him in his earthly where he principally resides in glorie and Majestie even above the firmament which so manifests his greatness and magnifies his power in the infinit extension of it and the varietie of excellent creatures that are in it to draw your soul upward though your bodies are prostrate and to give you to understand that it is the great God of heaven whose wonders shine in the firmament above that you are to magnifie in your sanctuarie-praises here beneath 2 Whose works of power are not onely in the firmament but extended like it every where upon the face of the whole earth for all which both above and below you ought to praise him and that with faith and reverence proportionable to such powerful efficatiousness that can bring forth such wonderful effects of creative and providential omnipotencie as every where he doeth especially for his people all which shews with what surpassing greatness he excelleth whose throne is so high above all and his power in and over all the glorie and reverence whereof as he expects it so we ought to render it with praisefull adoration that are the peculiar people of such a God 3 4 5 Muster up all your forces to this work and dutie Praise him in his sanctuarie with the utmost expression can be made tune all your stringed instruments and that unto the highest key and make your wind instruments speak out aloud Let nature Art and grace put forth themselves to the utmost with the highest affections and utmost expressions celebrate his praises on earth as in heaven who deserves it and whose deserts do far transcend it 6 Let all flesh breathing give glorie to God their Creatour and praise his name that is so praise-worthie in the eyes of all by the manifold manifestations of his infinite and superlative excellencies in their own particulars and in the whole creation so plainly appearing but most especially ye that are especially the Lords praise ye the Lord not onely for the generalitie of greatness and goodness that all the world partakes the knowledge and benefit of but be ye so ravished with the peculiaritie of the grace mercie and love of God to you respectively as to put forth your selves in a return of praise above nature suitable and acceptable magnifying grace with grace singing and making melodie in your hearts to the Lord your God FINIS 1 BLessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornfull 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper 4 The ungodly are not so but are like the chaft which the wind driveth away 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous 6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous but the way of the ungodly shall perish Psalm 2. 1 WHy do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing 2 The
his bow and made it readie 13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors 14 Behold he travelleth with iniquitie and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falshood 15 He made a pit and digged it and is fallen into the ditch which he made 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head and his violent dealing shall come upon his own pate 17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousnes and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high Psalm 8. To the chief musician upon Gittith A Psalm of David 1 O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the earth who hast set thy glory above the Heavens 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thineâ— enemies that thou mightest still thâ— enemie and the avenger 3 When I consider thy Heavens the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Starrs which thou hast ordained 4 What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels hast crowned him with glory and honour 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet 7 All sheep and Oxen yea and the beasts of the field 8 The fowl of the aire and the fish of the sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea 9 O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth Psalm 9. To the chief musiciâ—n upon Muth-labben A Psalm of David 1 I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will shew forth all thy marvellous works 2 I will be glad and rejoyce in thee I will sing praise to thy name O thou most high 3 When mine enemies are turned back they shall fall and perish at thy presence 4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause thou â—atest in the throne judgeing right 5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen thou hast destroied the wicked thou hast put out their name for ever and ever 6 O thou enemy destructions are come to a perpetual end and thou hast destroied cities their memory is perished with them 7 But the Lord shall endure for ever he hath prepared his throne for judgement 8 And he shall judge the world in righteousnesse he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness 9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in times of trouble 10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee 11 Sing praises to the Lord which dwelleth in Sion declare among the people his doings 12 When he maketh inquisition for blood he remembreth them he forgetteth not the cry of the humble 13 Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death 14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Sion I will rejoyce in thy salvation 15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made in the net which they hid is their own foot taken 16 The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah 17 The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God 18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten the exspectation of the poor shall not perish for ever 19 Arise O Lord let not man prevail let the heathen be judged in thy sight 20 Put them in fear O Lord that the nations may know themselves to be but men Selah Psalm 10. 1 WHy standest thou afar of O Lord why hidest thou thy self in times of trouble 2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined 3 For the wicked boasteth of his hearts desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth 4 The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts 5 His ways are always grievous thy judgements are far above out of his sight 6 He hath said in his heart I shall not be moved for I shall never be in adversity 7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud under his tongue is mischief and vanitie 8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages in the secret places doth he murder the innocent his eyes are privily â—et against the poor 9 He lieth in wait secretly as a Lion in his den he lieth in wait to catch the poor he doth catâ—h the poor when he draweth him into his net 10 He croucheth and humbleth himself that the poor may fall by his strong ones 11 He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it 12 Arise O Lord O God lift up thine hand forget not the humble 13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God he hath said in his heart Thou wilt not require it 14 Thou hast seen it for thoâ— beholdest mischief and spite to require it with thy hand the poor committeth himself unto thee thou art the â—eâ—per of the fatherless 15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man seek out his wickâ—dness till thou find none 16 The Lord is King for ever and ever the heathen are perished out of his land 17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear 18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed that the man of the earth may no more oppress Psalm xi To the chief musician A Psalm of David 1 IN the Lord put â— my trust how say ye to my soul flee as a bird to your mountain 2 For lo the wicked bend their bow they make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart 3 If the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do 4 The Lord is in his holy temple the Lords throne is in heaven his eyes behold his eye lids trie the children of men 5 The Lord trieth the righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth 6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousnes his countenanâ—e doth behold the upright Psalm xii To the chief musician upon Sheminith A Psalm of David 1 HElp Lord for the godly man ceaseth for the faithful fail from among the children oâ— men 2 They speak vanitie every one with hiâ— neighbour with flattering lips and witâ— a double heart 〈◊〉 they speak 3 The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips and
counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance 13 The Lord looketh from heaven he beholdeth all the sons of men 14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth 15 He fashioneth their hearts alike he considereth all their works 16 There is no King saved by the multitude of an host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength 17 An horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength 18 Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy 19 To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine 20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord he is our help and our shield 21 For our heart shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy name 22 Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee Psalm xxxiv A Psalm of David when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech who drove him away and he departed 1 I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth 2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad 3 O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together 4 I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears 5 They looked unto him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed 6 This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles 7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them 8 O tast see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him 9 O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him 10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing 11 Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is he that desireth life and loveth many dayes that he may see good 13 Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile 14 Depart from evil and do good seek peace and pursue it 15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry 16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth 17 The righteous cry the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles 18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all 20 He keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken 21 Evil shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate 22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Psalm xxxv A Psalm of David 1 PLead my cause O Lord with them that strive with me fight against them that fight against me 2 Take hold of shield and buckler stand up for mine help 3 Draw out also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute me say unto my soul I am thy salvation 4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul let them be turned back brought to confusion that devise my hurt 5 Let them be as chaff bâ—fore the wind and let the Angel of the Lord chase them 6 Let their way be dark and slippery and let the Angel of the Lord persebute them 7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit which without cause they have digged for my soul. 8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares and let his net that he hath hid catch himself into that very destruction let him fall 9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord it shall rejoyce in his salvation 10 All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him 11 False witnesses did rise up they laid to my charge things that I knew not 12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. 13 But as for me when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth I humbled my soul with fasting and my prayer returned into mine own bosome 14 I behaved my self as though he had been my friend or brother I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother 15 But in mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together yea the abjects gathered themselves together against me and I know it not they did tear me and ceased not 16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth 17 Lord how long wilt thou look on rescue my soul from their destructions my darling from the lions 18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation I will praise thee among much people 19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoyce over me neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause 20 For they speak not peace but they devise deceitâ—ul matters against them that are quiet in the land 21 Yea they opened their mouth wide against me and said Aha aha our eye hath seen it 22 This thou hast seen O Lord keep not silence O Lord be not far from me 23 Stir up thy self awake to my judgement even unto my cause my God and my Lord. 24 Judge me O Lord my God according to thy righteousness and let them not rejoyce over me 25 Let them not say in their hearts Ah so would we have it let them not say we have swallowed him up 26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoyce at mine hurt let them be clothed with shame dishonour that magnifie themselves against me 27 Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause yea let them say continually Let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant 28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long Psalm xxxvi To the chief musician A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord. 1 THe transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyeâ— 2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes until his iniquity be found to be hateful 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity deceit he hath left off to be wise and to do good 4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed he setteth himself in a way that is not
Lord of hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge Selah Psalm xlvii To the chief musician A Psalm for the sons of Korah 1 O Clap your hands all ye people shout unto God with the voice of triumph 2 For the Lord most high is terrible he is a great King over all the earth 3 He shall subdue the people under us and the nations under our feet 4 For he shall chuse our inheritance for us the excellencie of Jacob whom he loved Selah 5 God is gone up with a shout The Lord with the sound of a trumpet 6 Sing praises to God sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises 7 For God is the King of all the earth sing ye praises with understanding 8 God reigneth over the heathen God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness 9 The Princes of the people are gathered together even the people of the God of Abraham for the shields of the earth belong unto God he is greatly exalted Psalm xlviii A song and Psalm for the sonnes of Korah 1 GReat is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the Citie of our God in the mountain of his holiness 2 Beautifull for scituation the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion on the sides of the North the Citie of the great King 3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge 4 For â—o the Kings were assembled they passed by together 5 They saw it and so thâ—y marvelled they were troubled and hasted away 6 Fear took hold upon them there and pain as of a womaâ— in travell 7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an Eastwind 8 As we have heard so have we seen in the Citie of the Lord of hosts in the Citie of our God God will establish it for ever Selah 10 We have thought of thy loving kindness O God in the midst of thy Temple 10 According to thy name O God so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth thy right hand is full of righteousness 11 Let mount Sion rejoyce let the daughters of Judah be glad because of thy judgements 12 Walk about Sion and go round about her tell the towers thereof 13 Mark ye well her bulwarks consider her palaces that ye may tell it to the generation following 14 For this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guid even unto death Psalm xlix To the chief musician A Psalm for the sons of Korah 1 HEar this all ye people give ear all ye inhabitants of the world 2 Both low high rich poor together 3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding 4 I will encline mine ear to a parable I will open my dark saying upon the Harp 5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil when the iniquity of mine heels shall compass me about 6 They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches 7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother nor give to God a ransom for him 8 For the redemption of their soul is precious and it ceaseth for ever 9 That he should still live for ever and not see corruption 10 For he seeth that wise men die likewise the fool and the brutish person perish 11 Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling places to all generations they call their lands after their own names 12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not he is like the beasts that perish 13 This their way is their folly yet their posterity approve their sayings Selah 14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave death shall feâ—d on them and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling 15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave for he shall receive me Selah 16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich when the glory of his house is increased 17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away his glory shall not descend after him 18 Though whilst he lived he blessed his soul and mâ—n will praise thee when thou dost well to thy self 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers they shall never see light 20 Man that is in honour and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish Psalm l. A Psalm of Asaph 1 THe mighty God even the Lord hath spoken called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof 2 Out of Sion the perfection of beauty God hath shined 3 Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him 4 He shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people 5 Gather my saints together unto me those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice 6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness for God is judge himself Selah 7 Hear O my people and I will speakâ— O Israel and I will testifie against thee I am God even thy God 8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt-offerings to have been continually before me 9 I will take no Bullock out of thy house nor He-Goats out of thy folds 10 For every beast of the forrest is mine and the cattell upon a thousand hills 11 I know all the fowls of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine 12 If I be hungry I would not tell thee for the world is mine the fulness thereof 13 Will I eat the flesh of Bulls or drink the bloud of goats 14 Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most high 15 And call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me 16 But unto the wicked God saith what hast thou to do to declare my statures or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth 17 Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee 18 When thou sawest a thief then thou consentedst with him and hast been partaker with adulterers 19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil and thy tongue frameth deceit 20 Thou â—iâ—test and speakest against thy brother thou slanderest thine own mothers sonne 21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes 22 Now consider this ye that forget God least I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver 23 Who so offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psalm li. To the chief musician A Psalm of David when Nathan the Prophet came unto him after he had gone in to
day is thine the night also is thine thou hast prepared the light and the sun 17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth thou hast made summer and winter 18 Remember this that the enemy hath reproched O Lord and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name 19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of the wicked forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever 20 Have respect unto the covenant for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of crueltie 21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed let the poor and needy praise thy name 22 Arise O God plead thine own cause remember how the foolish man reprocheth thee dayly 23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually Psalm lxxv To the chief musician Al-taschith A psalm or song of or for Asaph 1 UNto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare 2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly 3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved I bear up the piâ—lars of it Selah 4 I said unto the fools deal not foolishly and to the wicked lift not up your horn 5 Lift not up your horn on high speak not with a stiff neck 6 For promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south 7 But God is the judge he putteth down one and setteth up another 8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup and the wine is red it is full of mixture and he poureth out of the same but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them 9 But I will declare for ever I will sing praise to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut oâ—f but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted Psalm lxxvi To the chief musician on Neginoth a Psalm or song of or for Asaph 1 IN Judah is God known his name is great in Israel 2 In Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion 3 There brake he the arrows of the bow the shield and the sword and the battell Selah 4 Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey 5 The stout-hearted are spoiled they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands 6 At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the charriot and the horse are cast into a dead sleep 7 Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry 8 Thou didst cause iudgement to be heard from heaven the earth feared and was still 9 When God arose to judgement to save all the meek of the earth Selah 10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain 11 Vow and pay unto the Lord your God let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared 12 He shall cut off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psalm lxxvii To the chief musiâ—ian to Jeduthun A Psalm of Asaph 1 I cried unto God with my voice even unto God with my voice and he gave car unto me 2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted 3 I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Selah 4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak 5 I have considered the days of old the years of auncient times 6 I call to remembrance my song in the night I commune with my own heart and my spirit made diligent searâ—h 7 Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more 8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore 9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies Selah 10 And I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high 11 I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old 12 I will meditate also of all thy work and talk of thy doings 13 Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a God as our God 14 Thou art the God that doest wonders thou hast declared thy strength among the people 15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people the sons of Jacob and Joseph Selah 16 The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee they were afraid tâ—e deptâ—s also were troubled 17 The clouds poured out water the skies sent out a sound thine arrows also went abroad 18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven the lightnings lightned the world the earth trembled and shook 19 Thy way is in the sea and thy path in the great waters thy foot-steps are not known 20 Thou ledest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses Aaron Psalm lxxviii Maschil of or for Asaph 1 GIve ear O my people to my law encline your ears to the words of my mouth 2 I will open my mouth in a parable I will utter dark sayings of old 3 Which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us 4 We will not hide them from their children shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderfull works that he hath done 5 For he established a testimony in Jaâ—ob and apâ—ointed a law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children 6 That the generation to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise declare them to their children 7 That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments 8 And might not be as their fathers a stubbourn and rebellious generation a generation that set not their hearts aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God 9 The children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bowes turned back in the day of battel 10 They kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk in his law 11 And forgat his works and his wonders that he had shewed them 12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt in the field of Zoan 13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through and he made the waters to stand as a heap 14 In the day time also he led them with a cloud and all the night with a light of fire 15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths 16 He brought streams
Lord a new song sing unto the Lord all the earth 2 Sing unto the Lord bless his name shew forth his salvation from day to day 3 Declare his glory among the heathen his wonders among all people 4 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised he is to be feared above all gods 5 For all the gods of the naâ—ions are idols but the Lord made the heavens 6 Honour and majestie are before him strength and beautie are in his sanctuarie 7 Give unto the Lord O ye kindreds of the people give unto the Lord glorie and strength 8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name bring an offering and come into his courts 9 O worship the Lord in the beautie of holiness fear before him all the earth 10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved he shall judge the people righteously 11 Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad let the sea roar and the fulness thereof 12 Let the field be joyfull and all that is therein then shall all the trees of the wood rejoyce 13 Before the Lord for he cometh for he cometh to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth Psalm xcvii 1 THe Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of Isles be glad thereof 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him righteousness judgement are the habitations of his throne 3 A fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about 4 His lightenings enlightned the world the earth saw and trembled 5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth 6 The heavens declare his righteousnes and all the people â—ee his glory 7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images that boast themselves of idols worship him all ye gods 8 Sion heard was glad and the daughters of Judah rejoyced because of thy judgements O Lord. 9 For thou Lord art high above all the earth thou art exalted far above all Gods 10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil he preserveth the souls of his Saints he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked 11 Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart 12 Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous give thanks at the remembrance of his holinesâ— Psalm xcviii A Psalm 1 O sing unto the Lord a new song for he hath done marvellous things his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten himself the victory 2 The Lord hath made known his salvation his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen 3 He hath remembred his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God 4 Make a joyfull noise unto the Lord all the earth make a loud noise and rejoyce and sing praise 5 Sing unto the Lord with the harp with the harp and the voice of a Psalm 6 With trumpets sound of corner make a joyfull noise before the Lord the King 7 Let the sea roar the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein 8 Let the flouds clap their hands let the hils be joyful together 9 Before the Lord for he cometh to judge the earth with righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equitie Psalm xcix 1 THe Lord reigneth let the people tremble he sitteth between the cherubims let the earth be moved 2 The Lord is great in Sion and he is high above all people 3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name for it is holy 4 The Kings strength also loveth judgement thou doest establish equity thou executest judgement and righteousness in Jacob 5 Exalt ye the Lord your God and worship at his foot-stool for he is holy 6 Moses and Aaron among his Priests and Samuel among them that call upon his name they called upon the Lord and he answered them 7 He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar they kept his testimonies and the ordinance that he gave them 8 Thou answeredst them O Lord our God thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions 9 Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy hill for the Lord our God is holy A psalm of praise 1 MAke a joyfull noise unto the Lord all ye lands 2 Serve the Lord with gladness come before his presence with singing 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise be thankfull unto him bless his name 5 For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations Psalm ci A Psalm of David 1 I will sing of mercy judgement unto thee O Lord will I sing 2 I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way O when wilt thou come unto me 3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the work of them that turn aside 4 A froward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked person 5 Who so privily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer 6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithfull of the land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me 7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight 8 I will early destroy all the wiâ—ked of the land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the citie of the Lord. Psalm cii A Prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed pourâ—th out his complaints before the Lord. 1 HEar my prayer O Lord and let my cry come unto thee 2 Hide not thy â—ace from me in the day that I am in trouble encline thine ear unto me in the day when I call answer me speedily 3 For my dayes are consumed like smoak my bones are burnt as an hearth 4 My heart is smittâ—â— and withered like grass so that I forget to eat my bread 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin 6 I am like a Pelican of the wilderness I am like an Owl of the desert 7 I watch and anâ— as a sparrow alone upon the house top 8 Mine enemies reproch me all the day and they that are mad against me are sworn against me 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down 11 My dayes are like a shadow that declineth
presence of the God of Jacob. 8 Which turned the rock into a standing water the flint into a fountain of waters Psalm cxv 1 NOt unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truths sake 2 Wherefore should the heathen say where 〈◊〉 now their God 3 But our God is in the heavens he hath done whatsoever he pleased 4 Their Idols are silver and gold the work of mens hands 5 They have mouths but they speak not eyes have they but they see not 6 They have ears but they hear not noses have they but they smell not 7 They have hands but they handle not feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through their throat 8 They that make them are like unto them so is every one that trusteth in them 9 O Israel trust thou in the Lord he is thy help and thy shield 10 O house of Aaron trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield 11 Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield 12 The Lord hath been mindfull of us he will bless us he will bless the house of Israel he will bless the house of Aaron 13 He will bless them that fear the Lord both small and great 14 The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children 15 You are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth 16 The heaven even the heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the children of men 17 The dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into silence 18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore Praise the Lord. 1 I Love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications 2 Because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live 3 The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of hell-gate hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow 4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my Soul 5 Gracious is the Lord and righteousâ— yea our God is merciful 6 The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me 7 Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee 8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling 9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living 10 I believed therefore have I spoken I was greatly afflicted 11 I said in my hast All men are liars 12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me 13 I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. 14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints 16 Oh Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds 17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanks-giving will call upon the name of the Lord. 18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people 19 In the courts of the Lords house in the middest of thee O Jerusalem praise yâ— the Lord. Psalm cxvii 1 O Praise the Lord all ye nations praise him all ye people 2 For his merciful kindness is great towards us and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxviii 1 O Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good because his mercie endureth for ever 2 Let Israel now say that his mercie endureth for ever 3 Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercie endureth for ever 4 Let them now that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever 5 I called upon the Lord in distress the Lord answered me and set me in a large place 6 The Lord is on my side I will not fâ—ar what can man do unto me 7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me 8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man 9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in Princeâ— 10 All nations compassed me about but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them 11 They compassed me about yea they compassed me about but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them 12 They compassed me about like bees they are quenched as the fire of thorns for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them 13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me 14 The Lord is my strength and song and is become my saltion 15 The voyce of rejoycing and salvation is in the Tabernacles of the righteous the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly 16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly 17 I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. 18 The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not given me over unto death 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness I will go in to them I will praise the Lord. 20 This gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter 21 I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation 22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner 23 This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes 24 This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it 25 Save now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperitie 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. 27 God is the Lord which hath shewed us light bind the sacrifice with cords even unto the horns of the Altar 28 Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God I will exalt thee 29 O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercie endureth for ever Aleph 1 BLessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart 3 They also do no iniquity they walk in his wayes 4 Thâ—u hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently 5 O that my wayeâ— were directed to keep thy statutes 6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandments 7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgements 8 I will keep thy statutes O forsake me not utterly Beth. 9 Wherewithall shall a
O Lord who shall stand 4 But there is forgiveness with thee that thou maiest befeared 5 I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning 7 Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption 8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Psalm cxxxi A song of degrees of David 1 LOrd my heart is not haughtie nor mine eyes loftie neither do I exercise my self in great matters or in things too high for me 2 Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a child that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned child 3 Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever Psalm cxxxii A song of degrees 1 LOrd remember David and all his afflictions 2 How he sware unto the Lord and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob. 3 Surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my house nor go up into my bed 4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to my eye-lids 5 Until I find out a place for the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. 6 Lo we heard of it at Ephratah we found it in the fields of the wood 7 We will go into thy Tabernacles we will worship at thy foot-stool 8 Arise O Lord into thy rest thou and the Ark of thy strength 9 Let thy Priests be clothed with righteousnâ—s and let thy saints shout for joy 10 For thy servan Davids sake turn not away the face of thine anointed 11 The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David he will not turn from it of the fruit of thy bodie will I set upon thy throne 12 If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimonie that I shall teach them their children also shall fit on thy throne for evermore 13 For the Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation 14 This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it 15 I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her poor with bread 16 I will also clothe her Priests with salvation and her saints shall shout aloud for joy 17 There will I make the horn of David to bud I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed 18 His enemies will I clothe with shame but upon himself shall his Crown flourish A song of degrees of David Psalm cxxxiii 1 BEhold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie 2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garment 3 As the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Sion for there the Lord commanded the blessing even life for evermore Psalm cxxxiv. A song of degrees 1 BEhold bless ye the Lord all ye servants of the Lord which by night stand in the house of the Lord. 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuarie and bless the Lord. 3 The Lord that made heaven earth bless thee out of Sion Psalm cxxxv 1 PRaise ye the Lord praise ye the name of the Lord praise him O ye servants of the Lord. 2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord in the courts of the house of our God 3 Praise ye the Lord for the Lord is good sing praises unto his name for it is pleasant 4 For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel for his peculiar treasure 5 For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all Gods 6 Whatsoever tâ—e Lord pleased that did â—e in heaven and in earth 7 He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth he maketh lightnâ—ngs for the rain he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries 8 Who smote the first-born of Egypt both of man and beast 9 Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee O Egypt upon Pharaoh and upon all his servants 10 Who smote great nations slew mightie Kings 11 Sihon King of the Amorites and Og King of Bashan and all the Kingdoms of Canaan 12 And gave their land for an heritage unto Israel his people 13 Thy name O Lord endureth for ever and thy memorial O Lord through all generations 14 For the Lord will judge his people and he will repâ—nt himself concerning his servants 15 The Idols of the heathen are silver and gold the work of mens hands 16 They have mouthes but they speak not eyes have they but they see not 17 They have eaâ—s but they heâ—r not neither is there any breath in their mouthes 18 They that make them are like unto them so is every one that trusteth in them 19 Bless the Lord O houâ—e of Israel bless the Lord O house of Aaron 20 Bless the Lord O house of Levi ye that fear the Lord bless the Lord. 21 Blessed be the Lord out of Sion which dwelleth at Jerusalem Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxxxvi 1 O Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercie endureth for ever 2 O give thanks unto the God of Gods for his mercie endureth for ever 3 O give thanks to the Lord of Lords for his mercie endureth for ever 4 To him who alone doth great wonders for his mercie endureth for ever 5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens for his mercie endureth for ever 6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters for his mercie endureth for ever 7 To him that made great lights for his mercie endureth for ever 8 The son to rule by day â—or his mercie endureth for ever 9 The moon and stars to rule by night for his mercie endureth for ever 10 To him that smote Egypt in their first-born for his mercie endureth for-ever 11 And brought out Israel from among them for his mercie endureth for ever 12 With a strong hand and a stretched-out arm for his mercie endureth for ever 13 To him which divided the red-sea into parts for his mercie endureth for ever 14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it for his mercie endureth for ever 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the red-sea for his mercie endureth for ever 16 To him which led his people through the wilderness for his mercie endureth for ever 17 To him which smote great Kings for his mercie endureth for ever 18 And slew famous Kings for his mercie endureth for ever 19 Sihon King of the Amorites for his mercie endureth for ever 20 And Og the King of Bashan for his mercie endureth for ever 21 And gave their land for an heritage for his mercie endureth for ever 22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant for his mercie endureth
for ever 23 Who remembered us in our low estate for his mercie endureth for ever 24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies for his mercie endureth for ever 25 Who giveth food to all flesh â— for his mercie endureth for ever 26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven for his mercie endureth for ever Psalm cxxxvii 1 BY the rivers of Babylon there we sat down yea we wept when we remembred Sion 2 We haâ—ged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song and they that wasted us required of us mirth saying sing us one of the songs of Sion 4 How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange land 5 If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning 6 If I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy 7 Remember O Lord the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem who said Rase it rase it even to the foundation thereof 8 O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us 9 Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones Psalm cxxxviii A Psalm of David 1 I will praise thee with my whole heart before thâ— Gods will I sing 〈◊〉 unto thee 2 I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name 3 In the day when I cried thou answeredsâ— me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. 4 All the Kings of the earth shall praise thee O Lord when they hear the words of thy mouth 5 Yea they shall sing in the waies of the Lord for great is the glorie of the Lord. 6 Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly but the proud he knoweth afar off 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble thou wilt revâ—ve me thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies and thy right hand shall save me 8 The Lord will perfect that which cocerneth me thy mercie O Lord endureth for ever forsake not the works of thine own hands Psalm cxxxix To the chief musitian A Psalm of David 1 O Lord thou hast searched me known me 2 Thou knowest my down â—itting and mine uprising thou understandest my thoughts afar off 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my waies 4 For there is not a word in my tongue but â—o O Lord thou knowest it altogether 5 Thou hast besâ—t me behind and before and laid thine haâ—d upon me 6 Such knowledge is too wonderfull for me it is high I cannot attain unto it 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence 8 If I ascend up into heaven thou art there if I make my bed in hell behold thou art there 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the 〈◊〉 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me 11 If I say surely the darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me 12 Yea the darkness hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkness and the light are both alike to thee 13 For thou hast possessed my reins thou hast covered me in my mothers womb 14 I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well 15 My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth 16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members are written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the summe of them 18 If I should count them they are moe in number than the sand when I wake I am still with thee 19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked O God depart from me tâ—erefore ye bloâ—dy men 20 For they speak against theâ— wickedly thine enâ—mies take thy name in 〈◊〉 21 Do not I hate them O Lord that haâ—â— thee and am I not grieved with these that rise up against theâ— 22 I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies 23 Search me O God and know my heart try me know my thoughts 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Psalm cxl To the chief musitian A Psalm of David 1 DEveâ— me O Lord from the evil man preserve 〈◊〉 from the violent man 2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart continually are they gathered together for war 3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent adders poison is under their lips Selah 4 Keep me O Lord from the hands of the wicked preserve me from the violent man who have purposed to overthrow my goings 5 The proud have hid a snare for me and cords they have spread a net by the way side they have set grins for me Selaâ— 6 I said 〈…〉 Lord thou art my God hear the voice of my supplications O Lord. 7 O God the Lord the strength of my salvation thou hast covered my head in the day of battell 8 Grant not O Lord the desires of the wicked further not his wicked deviâ—e least they exalt themselves Selah 9 As for the head of those that compass me about let the mischief of their own lips cover them 10 Let buâ—ning coals â—all upon them let them be cast into the fire into deep pits that they rise not up again 11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth evil shall hunt the violent maâ— to overthrow him 12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor 13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name the upright shall dwell in thy presence Psalm cxli. A Psalm of David 1 LOrd I cry unto thee make hast unto me give ear unto my voice when I cry unto thee 2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice 3 Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips 4 Encline not my heart to any evil thing to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity and let me not eat of their dainties 5 Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my head for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities 6 When their Judges are overthrown in stony
earth in that very day his thoughts perish 5 Happie is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God 6 Which made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is which keepeth trust for ever 7 Which executeth judgement for the oppressed whiâ—h givâ—th food to the hungry the Lord looseth the prisoners 8 The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down the Lord loveth the righteous 9 The Lord preserveth the strangers he relieveth the fatherless and widow but the way of the wicked he turneth it upâ—side do 〈◊〉 10 The Lord shall reign for ever even thy God O Sion unto all generations Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxlvii 1 PRaise ye the Lord for it is good to sing praises unto our God for it is pleasant and praise is coâ—ly 2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem he gathereth together the out-casts of Israel 3 He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds 4 He telleth the number of the stars he calleth them all by their names 5 Great is our Lord and of great power his understanding is infinite 6 The Lord lifteth up the meek he casteth the wicked down to the ground 7 Sings unto the Lord with thanks-giving sing praise upon the harp unto our God 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds who prepareth rain for the earth who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains 9 He giveth to the beast his food and to the young ravens which crie 10 He delighteth not in the strenght of horse he taketh not pleasure in the leggs of a man 11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercie 12 Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Sion 13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates he hath blessed thy children within thee 14 He maketh peace in thy borders and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat 15 He sendeth forth his commandement upon earth his word runneth very swiftly 16 He giveth snow like wooll he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes 17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels who can stand before his cold 18 He sendeth out his word and meltâ—th them he causeth his wind to blow and the waters flow 19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes his judgements unto Israel 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not known them Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxlviii 1 PRaise ye the Lord praise ye the Lord from the heavens praise him in the heights 2 Praise ye him all his Angels praise ye him all his hosts 3 Praise ye him sun and moon praise ye him all ye stars of light 4 Praise him ye heavens of heavens ye waters that be above the heavens 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded they were created 6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever he hath made a decree which shall not pass 7 Praise the lord from the earth ye dragons all deeps 8 Fire hail snow and vapour stormy wind fulfilling his word 9 Mountains and all hils fruitful trees and all Cedars 10 Beasts and aâ— cattel creeping things and flying fowl 11 Kings of the earth and all people Princes all Judges of the earth 12 Both young men and maidens old men and children 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is excellent his glorie is above the earth and heaven 14 He also exalteth the horn of his people the praise of all his saints even of the children of Israel a people near unto him Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxlix 1 PRaise ye the Lord sing unto Lord a new the song and his praise in the congregation of saints 2 Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Sion be joyfull in their King 3 Let them praise his nâ—me in the dance let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp 4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meek with salvatâ—â—â— 5 Let the saints be joyful in glorie let them sing aloud upon their beds 6 Let the high praiseâ— of God be in their mouth and a two edged sword in their hand 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishments upon the people 8 To bind their Kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron 9 To execute upon them the judgement written this honour have all his saints Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cl 1 PRaise ye the Lord praise God in his sanctuary praise him in the firmament of his power 2 Praise him for his mightie acts praise him according to his excellent greatness 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet praise him with the psaltery and harp 4 Praise him with the timbrel dance praiâ—e him with the stringed instruments and organs 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals praise him upon the high sounding cymbals 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
and great commander in chief the Lord of Hosts even of all the numberless number of created beings in heaven and earth is with us the God of Jacob that mightily delivered him is on our side and in covenant with us to do the like for us in time of danger and difficultie Let us therefore be comforted in him The xlvii PSALM The Author of this Psalm which seems to be penned in the time of the glorious condition of the people of Israel under David and Solomon in the name of the Iewish Church and nation invites all the world to yield obedience to the Government of Christ typified in theirs then ascendent and to be partakers of their happiness and tells them the danger of refusing for as Christ must prevail so must his Church and people whose happiness he greatly extols because of the love and presence of God with them for which he stirs them up mightily to magnifie the Lord. And prophesies the enlargement of Christs Kingdom over and amongst the Gentils by the Almightie over-ruling hand of God and the glorious condition of the Evangelical Church under him as of theirs under David or Salomon and far beyond it A Psalm committed to Heman the chief musician of the familie of the Korathites for him and them to sing 1 O That all the world would be advised to share in our happiness by entertaining that common salvation tendred them in the Messiah now as it were ascended into heaven in that pledge of his presence the Ark pitched upon Sion and that now they would subject themselves unto him together with us not of constraint but of a willing mind with joyful and thankful hearts as one day they shall receiving him for their Lord and King that he might triumphantly reign over Jews and Gentils 2 For they that refuse voluntarie subjection to him will have cause to repent it they will find him even the Messiah whom they slighted in his types on earth to be the most high God reigning not onely in heaven but on earth also yea all the world over as he will make it appear by executing terrible vengeance upon such as rebel against him 3 But for our parts that are his chosen people we shall be blessed of the Lord and how ever the Gentils do stubbornly refuse to come in unto us partake of our priviledges and subject themselves to his government among us yet shall they be made subject to us and to our Kings the types of Christ whose spiritual Kingdom shall enlarge it self over all the world over-powring by his spirit the most ignorant and rebellious to receive him and be subject to him 4 As he hath graciously made choice of us for his people so will he accordingly give us the utmost he hath promised to our forefathers his faithful servants and their faithful seed concerning both an earthly and heavenly inheritance maugre all enemies temporal or spiritual and dignifie us the seed of holy Jacob his beloved with those excellent priviledges appropriated by promise of Temple-worship and royal government figuring Christ his King and priestly office An honour unspeakable 5 How do we see it made good to us in that the Lords Ark the sure pledge and token of his presence with us and favour to us is at this time to be fixed in its abiding place upon mount Sion whether it is triumphantly carried with joyful acclamations and sound of trumpet answerable to the welcome entertainment of Christ in the hearts of his Gospel-converts and faithful people in his Church Evangelical on earth and his glorious entertainment at his ascention by saints and Angels in heaven 6 O that we could rise up to their pitch of praise and gratitude for this unestinable mercie and priviledge we enjoy of the gracious presence and divine favour of God in Christ to us and amongst us in its lively types but though we cannot but come short of what it merits from us yet let us lay out our selves to the utmost of our skill and abilities in praising magnifying and exalting the Lord both for his own excellencies and for our interest and proprietie in him and them as a people ought to do that have such a God for their King and gracious benefactor 7 We above all people have cause to praise him for though he be King of all the whole earth yet of us in a differing manner and eminencie so that though honour be due to him from all creatures yet more especially from us for that none have that knowledge of him and peculiar obligation to him that we have Therefore we are not to praise him as others that know him onely by acts of creation and providence and are subjects at large but with a saving Gospel-understanding of him in the Messiah and powerfully not formally acting-faith in our hearts answerably to the praises of our lips 8 And though we be now the onely peculiar of God and all the world but we are as it were exempted out of grace and favour Yet are the heathen as well as we under his government and power And the same God that hath been gracious to us can make them also his people when he pleaseth And doubtless will from heaven his place of holiness remember in truth and faithfulness the promises made to and concerning them for light to shine out of Sion to them that sit in darkness which he is able to fulfil and bring them in to himself accordingly 9 Yea and which he will certainly do in great abundance even Kings and Kingdoms that now are heathenish shall imbrace the faith of Christ preached amongst them out of Jerusalem and be ingrafted into the stock of faithful Abraham our predecessour as well as we our selves whose seed they all are that do or shall believe upon the face of the whole earth and have as good a right to the God of Abraham as we whose priviledge ought not to be in the flesh but in the spirit by and in which spirit shall Jews and Gentils be united when the power of God shall be made manifest in Christ then shall the great as well as the small belong unto God and how ever they have refused subjection to him and stood in opposition against him yet they shall take Laws from him and and that right willingly becomming of enemies friends yea under him protectors and defendors of their fellow-brethren believers in Christ throughout all the earth Thus shall God in Christ be universally worshipped and his Kingdom enlarged far beyond the bounds of Jewry The particion shall be taken down and his dominion shall be throughout all the world as Davids and Salomons is over Jews and Gentils The xlviii PSALM This Psalm seems to be made upon some notable deliverance that Ierusalem had from some potent armie made up of several nations that had besiedged it but by a special and immediate hand of God wâ—re wonderfully defeated and sent away
can neither have what I pray for nor do what I would successfully by reason of them but notwithstanding our sins yet my prayer shall be that in mercy thou wilt pardon them and make us a holy people to thee and my confidence is that though our sins do abound yet thy grace shall super-abound to do this for us 4 For were it not for thy Free-grace and Election no one man upon the face of the whole earth much less a nation could ever partake of thy favour and have their prayers heard their sins would hinder them But though all men are deservedly out of favour by sin yet there is a way of grace to bring even sinners into respect with thee And for all his sins yet blessed is such a man for there are not many of them compared with the world whom of Free-election thou thus hast made choice of to bestow thy grace upon and made able by faith to see thee a reconciled and pardoning God unto him and willing to receive both his person and his prayers into acceptance and audience and priviledged to frequent thy presence in thy Sanctuary and perform thy worship there with assurance of welcom and spiritual imbraces whensoever he comes the oftner the better I and others of this number I am sure shall find it so we shall never lose our labour but when we come to ask grace we shall have it and so often as we resort to thy tabernacle and they in after-ages to thy temple signs alike of thy presence nay all that are thine and offer up prayers of faith to thee in heaven when there shall be neither tabernacle nor temple which is their anti-type and signification they shall have but what they will of thee even their hearts desire what heaven and thy grace can afford them and us 5 Such power have thy people and their prayers with thee as that nothing shall be impossible to them if thy Church have need and be in extremity why that will be but thine opportunity miraculously to deliver them by evident judgements upon their enemies setting forth the power of prayer and thy faithfulness to them who hast a tender regard of their preservation and such as thou art now to us a few faithfull ones in a corner of the world such shalt thou be when thy Church is enlarged amongst the Gentiles to all that are thine all the world over far and near in Continents and in Islands every where in all places thou shalt be their God hearing prayer and yielding salvation to them that trust in thee 6 For as by the creation thou hast made thy power to appear to all people in all the world so shall thy grace extend it self and those that imbrace the tender of it shall be as firm immoveable by any human power as the mountains being established and begirt with thine 7 Who art able to master the most masterful things in the world which generally is enraged at thy Church and people where ever they be in it they are tossed and turned like a ship at sea in a storm which as thou canst calm bring safe to land so canst thou yea so wilt thou too uphold thy Church in the middest of her tumultuary perplexities and troubles which in all places she is exposed unto also deliver her out of them 8 Thy grace to and protection of thy Church shall be to all ages and in all places most observable as well as here amongst us for the same thou art now the same thou shalt ever be to the wicked enemies of thy faithfull people terrible in thy judgements upon them for their sakes for whom also it is that thou exerciseth such gracious providence upon the whole earth continuing the frame of nature which else would dissolve and ordering each creature in its place time and station to do its office all the world from sun rising to sun setting fare the better for them 9 The earth and all things in it are therefore seasonable graciously and plentiously supplied with apt showers in times of need sent from Heaven down upon it where thou hast ordained the clouds to store up abundance of water to be at thy dispose for the good of the creature causing thereby such plenty of corn to grow fit for mans gathering upon the face of the earth thus husbanded by God 10 By thy blessing upon mans labour it is the earth brings forth such plenty sending seasonable showers upon tillage-land when its drie and seasonable sun-shine when its wet so that both ridge and furrow fructifie by interchangeable softnings and hardnings as there is cause and the corn by this means from first to last through thy blessing is made to grow and prosper which otherwaies would miscarry and the taste of bread fail 11 Thou makest the earth to excel with the beautifull varieties and rich blessings that thou bestowest upon it and causest it in the summer time to bring forth when and where thou pleasest to visit it with fruitfull and seasonable showers from above 12 Which not onely are bestowed upon the inhabited and husbanded places of the world for man to reap the profit of but also upon the unpeopled places where wild beasts and such creatures range there for their use and sustenance dost thou extend thy bounty making those places also that want the benefit of Art and husbandry and which in their own nature are less capable both hills and plains by thy blessing from above to fructifie and flourish in their kind with all needful conveniences for those creatures thou hast appointed to feed thereupon and inhabit therein 13 Thus are all places blessed by thee the wilderness and mountains brings forth plentie of grass and cattel in their kind and the pasturable grounds which men make use of they abound with heards and flocks in their kind the plowed and cultured places also they super-abound in their kind with the abundance of corn and grain of several sorts that grow thereon so that they seem to be sensible in a kind of thy blessings to and upon them by the return they make and bring forth of plentie and beautie and thereby to offer their praises to thee again and do occasion abundance of joy and gladness in the owners and inhabitants that reap the profit of these thy gracious providences The lxvi PSALM David foreâ—els the happie condition of the Gentils how that God shall have his Church among them as unlikely as it is that shall worship and serve him faithfully which he will he as careful of and propitious to as ever he was to them and what things he hath done for them are not to be forgotten but to be had in remembrance of the faithful in all ages as the pledge of like mercie and protection unto them as the praise-worthie deliverances he hath wrought for them out of all their sufferings and dangers that they have long undergone and
it was conveyed thence to Ierusalem whither he excites all Israel to come and duely frequent iâ— and promises himself as much of them both one and other assuring thâ—m that as its God that hath put them into this good condition so must be preserve them in it and therefore must be sought to for it and then shall the Church flourish from a tabernacle to a temple even like unto Gospel-times when Gentils as well as Iews shall make up the Church whereof he would have the world take notice and be 〈◊〉 to God for it when it is who now onely is made manifest to them by works of creation by which they are to know him and for which they are to praise him even him who is at present the God which they the Israelites worship and who from heaven and his sanctuarie hath so blessed them and overthrown their enemies as he hath done To the President of the Quire is this Psalm committed by David that made it for his ordering it to be sung and plaid by voices and instruments 1 THine Ark O Lord the token of thy presence hath hitherto been in obscuritie in comparison of what it shall be upon this remove of it to Jerusalem there to be placed upon thy holy hill where it shall be in far more eminencie than formerly and thy worship and service better acted and frequented And as hath been thine Ark so hath been thy self under a cloud towards thy people till now that I doubt not will be far otherwayes for time to come and wilt let the World see that as thy glorie and worship is promoted and thy people awakened as it were out of their supine neglect of thee to honour and serve thee so wilt thou arise for them to do them good and make them a flourishing nation under me the type of Christ and his Government so that their enemies which hereafter shall be thine because theirs shall by thy power and in thy wrath be discomfited and confounded in all their attempts against them and they shall destroy and be victorious over all that have formerly triumphed over them and though still they hate them yet shall they not now in the flourishing estate of thy Church be able any more to hurt them Lord let all these things be so 2 Let thine and thy Churches enemies come to nought scatter their forces and vacate their counsels and let it appear by the nature and manner of thy destructive judgements upon such wicked wretches that it was thee that didst it in the behalf of thy people and for their sakes with whom and for whom thou art as really present as thine Ark is present in Jerusalem 3 Let it be now the portion of thy faithful ones thy poor afflicted people to joy their while in thy presence as they have been sadned a long time at thine absence let them so clearly see thee for them and with them as may even ravish their hearts and raise up their spirits exceedingly 4 In confidence of this that he will now be with and do after this sort for us his Church and people in the faith of it I say for ye need not doubt it sing praises to him for it even for his grace and faithfulness to us and the just remuneration of our enemies which he counts his let your thoughts be of him and praises to him answerable to his greatness let your faith pierce the Heavens to behold him there in his glorie and majestie over-looking the World from thence and ruling and ordering all things here by his mightie power who onely hath his being of himself and gives being to every thing else which can be said of no God or Gods besides him as such be sure to magnifie and praise him and in the faith hereof that this his infinit power absolute regiment and glorious independant Being shall be improved and imployed for you do you rejoyce in him 5 God is both gracious to help those that are in need and just to relieve those that are oppressed have they never so few friends or many enemies this though all the World be against us we shall even therefore be sure of him on our side he will from heaven hear our prayers put up to him in his tabernacle take our parts and judge our cause against them that are against us 6 Those that are comfortless exiles solitarily wasting their dayes far from home in penurie and pressures incident to banishment amongst strangers God hath his eye on such to pitie them and to give them a settled habitation in a comfortable enjoyment of their possessions and relations at home he hath compassion on those that suffer for his sake which they shall not do alwayes but shall have deliverance from under their yoaks and bonds and be preferred to a free and happie condition when as those that are wicked and oppress them shall be transplanted from that their prosperous estate and made miserable 7 We have cause to say so that have had so great experience of his power and goodness towards us in that wonderful enfranchising of us out of our Aegyptian thraldom and destroying the Aegyptians before our faces what wonders did he work to bring it to pass which we have cause to record in all the circumstances of it as a certain pledge to his Church for ever of his care over her How then when the Lord by evident tokens of his presence in a pillar of fire and cloud conducted and protected his people our fore-fathers out of Aegypt through the red-sea and along throughout the desert wilderness Let it never be forgotten 8 How then I say he did appear with them and for them altering the very course of nature many times for their supply and benefit both the heaven and the earth the one and the other though sensless of all other things yet seemed sensible of the presence of the Lord with his people The earth quaking with awful reverence the clouds doing fealtie and paying their tribute in emptying themselves of their exhalations Sinai also that mightie mountain when in that dreadful manner God gave the Law and manifested his presence upon it was affected at it with signs of terrour and amazement and all this was when he undertook the protection and conduct of his people Israel the emblem of his Gospel-Church and her travel through this world her wilderness to Canaan which is above 9 And though we left behind us the fruitful plains of Aegypt over-flowed with Nilus yet hast thou brought us into a good land of hils and valleys blessed by thee from heaven with seasonable and fructifying showres whereby thou didst approve it to be a land of promise and thy gift having made good it to thy people and thy blessings unto it as it stood need 10 Thy Church and people Israel chosen to be so from out the whole earth as thou hast placed them so thou hast preserved them
temptation of corrupt fleshly reasoning occasioned by the wickeds prospiritie and his own infelicitie that had almost cost him a fall and made him cast off all care of religion and fear of God had not God taken up the business that was in controversie in his mind he abruptly thereupon silenceth all doubts and disputes and in the very beginning and first entrance into the Psalm breaks through all difficulties and dissidences wherewith he had been sore pestred affirming and declaring for the instruction and strengthning of the godly that maâ—ger all objections to the contrarie God is every jot as good as his word for so he had found by experience and befools himself for his mis-judging of God and the Godly as he had done and too highly prizing the wicked mans happie condition in this life acknowledgeth Gods infinite mercie in this his seasonable illumination and supportation of his faith so much staggered but now resolved and thereby enabled to declare God to be righteous in all his works and that to the faithfull he will ever approve himself such A Psalm made by Asaph 1 I Have had my share of trials and my share of temptations thereupon and also my share of experimented providences and mercies from God so that when all things are rightly weighed after a long debate and conflict betwixt flesh and spirit concerning the one and the other whether God be or be not to his people as he hath promised I must needs conclude he is God and as good as his word to Israel but to what Israel for there was my mistake not to all that go under that name because they are the seed of Jacob so called for all are not Israel that are of Israel but to the Israel in spirit not in the letter to them belongs the promise and performance of grace and goodness to such as are purified by faith not onely in the outward part by legal purifyings which are but umbrages but in the hidden man of the heart by effectual operation of faith and the spirit of grace to such the Lord is gracious and ever will be I know it by experience and so shall they let them never doubt it nor question the truth of Gods word and promise because of seeming contraridictoriness in his work of providence thereunto but take it upon the word of a Prophet as well as a promise it is a truth whatsoever is suggested to the contrarie by carnal and corrupt reason God is so will be so and cannnot be otherwise 2 I confess it is no easie matter to be thus perswaded considering the strange order that is in Gods providences and dispensations I my self for all I can now speak it boldly yet the time was when I was as misbelieving as other men extreamly staggered I was in my faith and judgement touching the truth of the promise and the goodness of God according thereunto I was almost fallen from faith and consequently from hope reverence and every thing of that nature ready to to turn Atheist as touching the points of Gods truth and goodness truly I was even going if God had not staied me to deviate and shift for my self by carnal policie and creature-confidence as I saw others do 3 For like a fool as I was I fastened mine eyes upon the outward face of things I saw them that are best suffer most those that are worst prosper best which put me into a passionate envy of them that clouded my judgement so that I could not but raise foolish conclusions upon foolish premises and think with my selfe that surely it is not God but Fortune that orders matters thus or if it be God that then he cannot bring both ends together punish his people prosper the wicked and yet be good to the one and just to the other 4 Whom contrarie to their demerits he lets live in such felicitie all their daies for for all their sins they have the world at will their minds and consciencies free from trouble their constitutions strong and bodies healthfull they feel no punishments nor pains in either neither living nor dying for after a prosperous life I thought I should see God meet with them at their deaths whereas they died as they lived without either pangs of bodie or horrour of conscience to mine admiration and stumbling 5 A man would almost think that judges with worldly judgement as I did that sin and wickedness were the high-way to happiness and that the promises were rather made to the bad than the good for whilest the godly undergo concussions and agitations within and without they live in a serene clime under a perpetual calm and feel not the twentieth part of what the righteous suffer 6 And therefore they brave it over them and pride themselves as the onely men on earth whom God favours far above the Godly whom they look contemptibly upon maligne and oppress them even for their pietie and povertie sake judging them therefore hated of God and so justly persecuted of men and themselves his onely friends and he theirs 7 They pamper their carcasses live deliciously fair well and thrive well upon it they have no want of Worldly wealth and outward felicitie God pours honey into their hive they prosper wondrously even beyond their own desires and expectations 8 Their plentie and voluptuousness makes them quite forget God to be above them they live sensually and sinfully as if they were controlable by none and with open face do injustice and wrong bragging of their power to oppress and threatning thunderbolts to the poor and despised people of God 9 Who if they make their appeal to heaven pray for and plead Gods power to protect them against theirs they contemn them and blaspheme God yea bid defiance both to God and man not caring for God above them and thinking all the world else to be below them for their proud and presumptuous speeches import no less 10 Whereupon it is that the people of God are in my very case they stumble and allmost fall and are in grievous agonies not onely by outward affliction but every way which is worse by inward diffidences and debates in themselves whilest the good are thus extreamly under and the bad a top of the wheel 11 Insomuch as I did so do they begin to question through the infirmitie of the flesh and their astonishment at the strangeness of such proceedings the providence and administration of God whither at all he that is in heaven heed these things below or if he do then how they can stand with his wise and righteous dispensations and word of promise 12 For thus they say within themselves who are they that come on and prosper in the World why generally the wicked and ungodly have most and do best is it not so every where 13 And who are they that have least and are most under hatches why truly they that fear God
joyfull praises of his coming from heaven to earth to redeem his Church Yea all that is within you praise his holy name for so great salvation wrought not onely by the power as all the rest were but also by the person of God himself whom you ought therefore with studied thankfulness and elaborate expressions of joy and honour entertain and usher into the world worthy his greatness and best expressing your high esteem of such unvaluable grace 7 8 9 These three last verses being the same in sence and almost in letter with the 11 12 13 being also the three last verses of the 96 Psalm see the Paraphrase upon them for the explanation of these Saving that those words in the eighth verse of this Psalm let the hills be joyfull together signifie that as all people are admitted into the same priviledge with the Jews by Christ so all places have the same fellowship in propriety and title to God and his worship as hath the hill of Sion once his peculiar Iohn 4.21 The xcix PSALM The Psalmist probably upon some deliverance magnifies the Lord in relation to his people the Iews and their happy condition above all people exciting them to praise God answerably to his mercies and righteousness even that God which hath ever been their God and done great things for them by his servants of old 1 THe Amighty God whose throne is in the heavens is pleased in behalf of his Church and chosen people to make it appear that he also hath dominion upon earth by their powerfull preservation and their enemies destruction therefore let the heathen people our neighbour nations that so malign us take it into serious consideration and tremble to think of provoking him by injuring his Church Let them rather and all the rest of the Gentiles with a reverentiall fear submit themselves to his regiment and be gathered into the number of his people worshipping him not after their own imaginations but in the manner and place that he hath appointed the Temple where onely he hath fixed his presence upon the mercy-seat between the Cherubims which condescention of the great God of heaven full of incomprehensible majesty and holiness to reside on earth ought to make even the whole creation sensible of it by way of Allegiance and subjection to him and honour of the place where and the people amongst whom he is pleased to erect his throne 2 Wonderfull great hath the power of God appeared in the preservation of his people and the defence of his holy Temple in the behalf whereof he hath mightily approved his wisdom and power infinitely to exceed all humane policy and strength of the great Sages and confederate forces of the world which sundry times he hath dissipated and strangely defeated 3 O therefore let thy people who have been so extraordinarily blessed by thee return answerable thanks unto thee and praise thee for those righteous and terrible judgements executed upon their enemies wherein thou hast manifested such Almighty power and gracious providence and hast thereby approved thy self a holy God faithfull of thy word and promise 4 And as well righteous as holy not exercising a Tyrannicall absolute Arbitrary power over the creature yea though thou canst yet thou wilt not but affectest to subject thy proceedings to the rules of righteousnese ordering thy power by thy justice and putting it forth by way of judgement which thou both justly and severely executest upon sinners and enemies to thee and thy people unto whom both by thy works and word president and precept thou holdest forth and recommendedst equity and righteousness for them to walk thereafter yea thou art not partiall to thine owne people the seed of Jacob no more than to the heathen but if they sin they smart for it in righteousness thou punishest them as well as others 5 Magnifie and praise O ye his people this your God the onely Lord come frequent his Temple the onely place on earth where he that sits in heaven is pleased to be present there bow down with adoration and reverence before him as at the foot-stool of the great and glorious Majesty of heaven worshipping him in spirit with holiness of heart abasing your selves and exalting the Lord who onely is holy and his worship holy all other Gods throughout the world being vain Idols and their worship sin and superstition 6 That God that hath made himself known to you as by eminent Miracles so by eminent Messengers such as the memory of them is famous and honourable amongst you how much more ought God to be so Moses and Aaron those chosen worthies that in the beginning were prime Rulers and Peers of his Church and Samuel an honourable Prophet in the after-ages of it what gracious answers did he vouchsafe to their prayers These holy men powerfull intercessours Types of the Messiah the great Mediatour of his Church how ever and anon were they heard when they prayed for the people and what salvation was vouchsafed still at their request 7 These Saints and servants of God had familiar communication with him as Moses and Aaron all the way in the wilderness they had God present with them ordering and advising their course in that great charge that lay upon them whose command and covenant they faithfully delivered over to the people and observed themselves 8 These holy men were beloved and honoured by the holy Lord God who for us his peoples sake put them into office made them intercessours yea effectuall prevailing-ones such as Christ shall be many a time passing by the sins of Israel for their sakes whom thou didst not nor wouldest not have punished but forgiven and forgotten too had not iterated provocations and back-slidings from thee and thy commandments to Idolatry and wil-worship forced thee to take vengeance and minded thee of the abuse of former long-suffering which then thou also reckonedst with them for when once thine anger did break forth 9 See the fifth verse of this Psalm onely the word holy-hill here instead of foot-stool there means the same thing viz. The Temple built upon his holy hill mount Sion The c. PSALM The Psalmist excites the Church and people of God among the Gentiles as well as Iews to praise the Lord and imbrace his salvation so freely bestowed upon them who are so dear to him whom therefore he would have turn proselites apace and lose no time but glorifie him both now and hereafter for his grace to his Church in all ages A Psalm penned to stir up the people to praise the Lord. O give thanks sing forth the praises of the Lord and of his great gracious salvation in Christ all ye people of the earth not Jews onely but Gentiles also every where where the glad tidings of it come to entertain it joyfully and praise him for it thankfully 2 Cast off all old superstitious and vain worship of
enemies 80 Let me be enabled by thy gracious assistance to keep faith and a good conscience stedfast to the end that I lose not the prize by falling short of the goal fainting either in faith or dutie and so render my self and cause a laughing-stock to mine enemies which is it they would have Caph. The eleventh letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the eleventh part 81 Lord I have waded through many and grievous troubles and with much long-suffering have a long time eagerly longed and looked for thy promised deliverance almost to the exhausting of my soul and spirit in sighs and groans after it but yet it comes not nevertheless I am still sustained in faith and am resolved to live and die in expectation of thy promise no length of time nor trouble shall null my hopes nor I am confident the thing I hope for 82 I have waited long dreely looked for the accomplishment of thy promise even to the weakening of my sight impairing my senses every foot thinking within my self as my mind gave me and occasion was offered that sure this is the time and that the opportunitie that I shall be delivered but still I am prolonged and put off sighing out my hopes with If not now Lord when then will the time be and what the means that must fulfil thy word and my desire 83 The scorching sun of adversitie hath allmost quite exhausted my radical moisture my spirits which should animate my members and extrinsical parts are spent with continual grief by reason of afflictions and disappointments of my longing expectations which lingringly consume and wast me into leanness and deformitie like a bladder or a skin-bottel hung up in a chimney that in tract of time will parch and crack and shrink up into wrinckles not like it self and so am I become yet though nature thus decayes grace does not by thy goodness to me I am for all that upheld in care and conscience to do thy will and believe thy word 84 Lord how long too is the end of my miseries consider how much of my life is allready spent and wasted in them even of mine who am appointed and designed by thee for great and special services in thy Church therefore consider me who would fain be imployed to shorten these dayes when shall they that unjustly would cut me off be themselves justly so served and I set free to serve thee 85 Mine enemies that scorn thy commands and me thy servant have not onely persecuted me with open violence but with cunning craft and dissimulation sought my life for their will is their Law and not thy word to which they yield no manner of obedience nor bear no regard but practice what them list though never so wicked and unjust so it serves their turns 86 But Lord I have another estimate of thy commandments I set not so light by them for I am sure they come from a faithful God who may suffer the wicked for a time to sin against them but the punishment due to those that break them shall befal them and so shall the reward promised to them that keep them in the faith whereof I do and will innocently persevere and pray thee to make it good in my help and deliverance from and upon these treacherous and unjust persecutours 87 Mine enemies men of the world that take all wayes and advantages upon earth against me had what one way and other by their continual vexations and my griefs allmost brought me down to the grave and got the better of me hadst not thou been above them and heaven more my friend than earth where I had no help but when I was at lowest hopeless and helpless as to outward appearance I still kept faith and a good conscience hoping in thee 88 Lord give me to enjoy that happie condition which of thy free grace and loving beneficence thou hast promised me which will be as a resurrection to life from death after so many sorrows as I have undergone so shalt thou both ingage and enable me when I am set free from these hinderances to do thy whole will and walk in thy Law which bears the stamp of Divine and royal authoritie upon it and therefore is worthy of reverend and solemn observance and obedience which then I will be sure to pay to it but now I cannot Lamed The twelfth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the twelfth part 89 Thy word and decree O Lord is as firm as thy self no chances nor changes here below can make void what thou above hast determined shall be nor can time it self wear out what thou that art eternal before all time hast appointed 90 Our faith may bear it self boldly upon thy faithfulness which according to thy word of truth and promise is allwayes the same how ever matters frame or seem to be out of frame therefore it is that the world is not long since dissolved because thou hast decreed and promised the continuance of it therefore and for no natural cause doth the earth thus long subsist in nature and order 91 All created Beings according to their several natures stations and operations are as at the beginning thou in wisdom determinedst them which else of themselves would run into confusion and destruction what Laws thou gavest them they keep and thereby are themselves kept and preserved for all the elements and elemental creatures as they are made by thee so they are made for thee to be at thy ordering and dispose and so they are and not at their own and it is well for us and them they are so 92 And surely Lord I hold by the self-same tenure the creation does as it had been long since dissolved and annihilated but for the Law of orderly existence thou laidst upon it whereby ever since it retains a beautiful being notwithstanding the contradictions that are in those primarie principles the elements as also the strange concussions and alterations that time and sin hath brought forth So unless I also had thy righteous word to stay my heart upon and to chear up my soul with which I knew would not fail me in those various providences and strange agitations which I have undergone I could never have lasted thus long but had long ere this been in my grave by the outward pressures and inward griefs I underwent 93 I have cause all the dayes of my life thankfully to remember and bear in mind and I hope I shall thy faithfulness according to what thou hast ordeined in thy word for me to trust in and yield obedience to many a time in mine extremitie when my spirit was readie to sink and die within me thou hast therewith comfortably revived and cheered me and set me upon my feet 94 Let me to the end have experience of thee to be the self-same God in truth and goodness preserve me in and deliver me out
prosperitie of it the Government and worship in it consists the happiness and tranquillitie of all Israel chiefly the Israel of God whose heaven upon earth Jerusalem is where they worship and serve the God of Israel seek his face and enjoy his presence therefore pray I for her prosperitie and well-fare that they may be blessed with her and by her who are interessed and concerned equally in her felicitie with my self I as the head and they as the bodie 9 It is the zeal I have to the Church and glorie of God that makes me pray thus and for which I will spend and be spent therefore will I lay out mine uttermost endeavours to compass the good and well-fare of Jerusalem that that singular happiness and priviledge of the sanctuarie and sanctuarie-worship of the Lord God of Israel who there is present with us his people and from thence hears our prayers and to which appertains so many excellent promises and by it to us redounds so many precious priviledges and benefits and where is performed the onely true honour and service to the onely true God in all the world Therefore for these reasons do I will I evermore pray and faithfully endeavour the good of this place and so let all others do that are good together with me as members of the Church bodie mystical typified in this resemblance The cxxiii PSALM The Church and people of Israel being at present either under Babylons captivitie or Antiochus his crueltie some Prophet or holy man of God bespake the Lord in this pathetical short psalm in her behalf uttering much of the spirit in few words for afflictions commonly swell the heart too big for the mouth which makes him here to pray rather by signs than words with his eies rather than his tongue yea with both he presseth hard upon God for free grace to shew them mercie in their unspeakable miserie professing their patient waiting till then See the title of the 120 Psalm 1 WHat the present distress and calamities of thy poor Church and people Israel are thou Lord knowest right well utterly helpless and hopeless forlorn and disconsolate none on earth favouring us shewing any mercie or compassion to us but exercise all manner of crueltie and scorn towards us yet Lord in thy Churches and mine own behalf I am an humble suitor to thee in the agonie of my heart who I dare not can not believe hast quite forgotten to be gracious though thou seemest so as things frame here below but O thou that inhabitest the heavens and hast thy reserves of good will and pleasure there known to thy self unknown to us but hoped in by us and power to bring them to pass though to us impossible as much above all sublunarie powers as heaven is above earth to thee there with groans and sighs lift we up our eyes speechless with grief for thee graciously to look down upon us here in this our calamitie 2 Look how bond-men and bond-women who by their condition are as we exposed to hard and uncourteous usage depend upon the free grace and beneficence of their masters and mistesses can chalenge nothing no wages nor reward but wait with patience till pitie and compassion move them to extend their hand of favour and good will to them so do we under this just deserved punishment of long and grievous thraldom by cruel task-masters humbly and patiently wait till thine own mercie move thee towards us a sinful undeserving people yet thy people and thou our God by grace and election which hold us in hope 3 Good Lord take our case into consideration and commiseration to pitie us at last and to shew mercie to us a people that are made the very scum and scorn of our proud imperious enemies who for thy sake whose name we bear and whose we are do Lord it over us with disdain which imbitters our sorrows and breaks our hearts 4 Yea Lord it is not to be spoken how afflictive the reprochful vilifications of our insolent enemies are to us who judging by events because of our calamities scoff and scorn us as a vain besotted people that believe in we know not what and worship we know not whom and boast themselves unmeasurably over us our God and religion to our unutterable grief because of their superioritie and present felicitie which puffs them up with pride and contempt even to blasphemie The cxxiv PSALM David mindes Israel in their prosperitie of their adversitie to make them mindful of God praiseful to God and evermore dependent on God as his Church and people ought ever to be in their transmutations of estates and fortunes See the title of the 120 Psalm the Authors name superadded here 1 2 3 NOw that the Lord hath been pleased to bring us to the happie condition we are in we should do well to look back we the Israel and and Church of God and consider from the beginning to this day ever since we were a people chosen of the Lord out of the world to name his name upon what a world of enemies we have had and perils we have waded through before and since we came into this land where we have been a continual eye-sore not onely to the natives remaining in it but to all the mightie nations and Gentile people bordering round about it who severally and joyntly by combination of great men and Potentates have sundry times and wayes subtilly projected and violently attempted our utter abolition which to speak humanely was inavoidable had not the Lord our good God miraculously from time to time delivered us from their furie and preserved us a people to this day maugre all they could do as he shall his Church spite of the wicked world its power and malice who else long ere this had been no people nor nation but destroyed again and again by those many mightie barbarous enemies of ours that on all hands from all quarters have assailed us with most mortal and bloudie purposes greedy to prey upon us and with that odds of strength that they were able to have devoured us and as it were swallowed us alive as easily as the great fish does the little ones or the savage and ravenous beast tears his prey in pieces if God had not over-powered them and been for us against them when we were altogether unable to make resistance which now we should do well to weigh seriously and in all humilitie to acknowledge thankfully to his praise and glorie 4 5 Yea to consider that when all mankind was as it were against us and we were like sheep in the midst of Wolves and Bears that with mightie power and rage have broken in upon us like an unresistable torrent able to over-run the whole land and destroy man woman and child as easily as the sea or some mightie river drowns the countrey when it breaketh the banks and with pride and confident disdain made
that though he do yea must both in justice and mercie chastize them for their aberrations thereby to humble and reduce them For impunitie would argue him no father nor they no children as sure I say as he is both just and gracious to lay the rod upon them for sin so he is as merciful and faithful to take it off again when of sinners they become penitents and renew their covenant to be his he will soon be theirs and repent as well as they and then wo be to their enemies we have and shall ever find it so 15 That he hath ever approved himself the onely God of power to deliver us when the time hath come maugre all the Powers on earth that have been against us and their gods to boot which cannot preserve them that worship them against the power of the Almighty whom we onely serve of all the world besides which is heathen and their gods meer Idols at best made of gold and silver nor are they so much as their own makers but have their Beings from men they make them that made not themselves therefore must they needs be goodly Gods 16 They are meer liveless statues without sense or motion able neither to speak nor see having no better mouthes nor eyes than man can make them 17 Their ears are like their eyes the one blind the other deaf and their mouthes as breathless as speechless for such an inversion of nature as men to make Gods can produce no better effects 18 And they that make them are as void of understanding as they of life and sense that against reason can think such things fit to be worshipped for Gods which are their creatures not they theirs and so is every one that seeing what they are and knowing whence they come putteth confidence of good or evil in them both their Gods and they are alike blockish and as void of power as understanding as plainly appeareth when our God appears for us against them 19 Let therefore your faith and zeal be laid out upon no such imaginarie deities nor your fear upon any earthly powers do you that are the posteritie of Jacob from whom you have the name of Israel given of God himself walk worthie such a father and servant of the Lord by honouring and praising him and him alone all of you own him and honour him for your Lord and God specially you that are his in principal place and office by special designation you Priests the sons of Aaron let your zeal exceed as much as do your engagements 20 And you that are of an inferiour rank in the Priest-hood ye Levites remember also your ingagements to honour and praise the Lord who hath called you to so sacred an office about his Temple do your duties worthie your places but because no doubt too many are as formal people so formal Priests that serve the Lord if at all more in shew than sincerity therefore my exhortation is chiefly to you both Priests and people that are regenerate Israelites indeed Priests of the Lord as well as of the Temple endowed with the true fear of God and sanctifying graces of his spirit you are they that I hope and exhort and that God looks should honour and serve him with praise and thanks in faith and spirit worthie your selves and him your God as a chosen generation a royal Priest-hood a holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 21 Let all Israel whether in power or profession his visible or invisible people of what rank or qualitie soever Prince Priest people resort unto the place appointed for his solemn worship mount Sion where his sanctuarie is seated and there joyn their forces and affections to bless and serve him who is especially present there of all Israel having preferred Jerusalem to be the place of his residence and of all his glorious dispensations where he will be blessed of his people and whence he will bless them again that honour and serve him Therefore fail not on your part praise him and pray to him that is and will be your God if you do so The cxxxvi PSALM This Psalm for the magnifying of mercie it is thought was sung daily in the Tabernacle and Temple 1 Chron. 16.41 Jer. 33.11 and this clause for his mercie endureth for ever so oft repeated was sung by turns of the Levites and oft used for the burden of the song at solemn celebrations of remarkable mercies 2 Chron. 7.3 and 6. and 20.21 The drift of the Psalmist is to advance covenant-mercie that Church priviledge in the eyes of the faithful as the great and allmost onely thank-worthie benefit by which God himself and all that is Gods is his Churches the fountain of all good general special of creation and providence to the world to the Church which therefore we should behold in every thing and thank God for in all things 1 GOds greatness is better known and more taken notice of than his goodness but this ought principally to be his peoples studie to see all he does as well the acts of his grace and that a stable covenant-grace as of his power Therefore ye that are so be sure to do so be thankful to him and faithful in him for his goodness sake that is so transcendent even to the sins of all mankind in general who live move and have their beings in and from him notwithstanding them and to his Church in particular as appears by his many gracious promises and great performances temporal and spiritual in goodness made and in mercie made good sin cannot finally hinder the current of his grace which is as himself everlasting as in being so in acting an ever overflowing fountain whose mercies therefore are renewed every morning 2 3 Exalt him in his greatness yea in the full dimensions of it superlatively prefer him to all things in heaven and earth principalities powers or imaginarie deities Praise him as such but withal be thankful to him that is such so great and yet of such condiscention in continual dispensation of mercies for the consideration of his goodness setteth forth his greatness with greater beautie and sweetness which by reason thereof becomes a useful propertie and encouragement to his Church and people to draw nigh to him and trust in him for ever 4 And as for his mercie sake he is to be honoured in what he is essentially being thereby that to us and for us which he is in himself so also in what he does for his mercie and free grace it is the cause of the manifestation of so great power in all those glorious works of wonder wrought so apparently by the immediate hand and finger of God who onely is Almighty for and in his peoples behalfs in all their dangers notwithstanding all their sins as we can witness in an everlasting
being a peculiar propertie of thine the onely wise God I stand at gaze and admire it and thee the God of it that is the nearest that I a poor finite foolish creature can come to so infinite a wisdom 7 Had I a mind to shift out of thy sight or knowledge as those have that walk in waies of wickedness whither can I go to do it or how possibly can I avoid thy presence that art both omniscient and omnipresent 8 There is neither height nor depth that can obscure or hide me from thine all-seeing eye or ubiquitarie being if I could ascend into the heavens there I should be sure to find thee where thou art more especially or if knowing and fearing that I run into the contrary extream and by death seek a burying place out of thy sight why it is utterly impossible For the earth and under the earth the very grave it self is visible to thee thy sun shines into it though ours do not there thou art in power and presence as well as in any other place knowing and disposing every crum of dust 9 If in any instant as the light upon sun-rising disperseth it self I could convey my self from where I am to the remotest parts of all the world over sea as well as land thinking by so sudden shifting my place and sight to so great distance to quit thy presence and deceive thy sight as one may mans 10 But I should find I am mistaken and that as swift as I may conceive my self to move thou wilt out-go me and be there with me and before me conveying me all the way thither if ever I come there and ordering me there as here and where instead of being at libertie and free from thee to do mine own will I shall find my self under thy cognizance and power not able to stir a foot think nor act one jot more or less than thou dispenseth and disposeth 11 12 If according to humane apprehension I foolishly imagine and perswade my self that though by transmigration of place I cannot in the day time shift thy sight yet no doubt when the sun is down and that I can see nothing nothing not God himself can then see me but that I am then at mine own dispose to do what I fancie without discoverie even that very darkness mid-night it self shal though indeed it be a cover from man that sees by created light yet shall it respecting God be none at all who sees not by a borrowed light as we do but by his own and so sees all men and all their actions alwaies night as well as day there is no difference to his uncreated all-seeing eye that needs no help nor is capable of no hinderance 13 And Lord no wonder thou shouldest thus know and discern me in all places and touching all things thoughts as well as deeds within as without for from my very first initiation and beginning to be wast thou in me and with me yea thy power made me therefore thine eye saw me even my most inward parts were then ordered by thee in their being and so have they been ever since in their acting as my very reins are in me so art thou in them by thy power and efficacie even in all those secret closeted parts of nature which thou causedst to be thus externally covered over with flesh and skin in my conception whereby though born into the world they are yet hid from mans eyes but not from thee and thine who as thou framedst and madest them in the dark womb where and when no man saw them so under this skin covering are they also open and perspicuous to thee 14 And though divine art and skill in framing my many inward parts and their concurrences be thus hid from mine eyes yet so much knowledge have I of it as to know my self both within and without to be wonderfully framed by an incomprehensible power and wisdom that makes me astonished at the consideration of it and fear and reverence thee the God of such transcendencies and never shall my mind reflect upon my self that am thine Artifice but with praise to thee the great and wise Artificer Yea Lord which way soever we look either with the eyes of mind or bodie we cannot but acknowledge all created substances in the heavens and the earth in their several kinds and orderly sub-ordinations to be all and every of them marvellously framed and extream wisely contrived and disposed which hath not taken me up a little time nor a few thoughts but many and many a serious consideration have I had of them and of thee thy power and greatness manifested in them to glorifie thee answerably my soul hath not been idle touching thy works in general and mine own fabrick in particular both bodie and soul which thou hast so marvellously made and endowed but been studious in practical Philosophie wherein in a sanctified way studying the creature for the Creatours sake and mine own spiritual improvements I have made good proficiencie 15 All that I am my bones veins and sinews every thing of me was known to thee even from the very first conception of them when nature made my several parts and of them an entire body in the unseen cavern of my mothers womb there they were most artificially framed joynted and contrived and all this by thee in heaven seemingly at infinite distance and in as it were the darksom cells and concaves of the earth where no light comes for such is the shop thou madest me in where yet thou sawest and orderest all the marvellous proceeding of my conception and formation here below 16 Thou sawest and knewest me when I was in my Chaos mine Embrio even in that confused slimy congealed lump and substance of mine original matter before nature had concocted and digested it into any form of parts and members which yet in thine eternal decree and praeordination were appointed to be and which for that onely reason by thine onely power concurring with thy will was in process of time such and so long as thou hast ordained for nature to ripen and heat and moisture to bring to maturity in at last formed into a comely and beautifull order worthy the name of thy creature and bearing thine Image even this didst thou produce out of most unlikely materials by thy skil in thy time 17 18 Nor art thou onely admirable in thy creative power and goodness but otherwaies also thy word declares by manifold promises and prophecies very gracious and mercifull intentions and inclinations toward me in a special manner and thy works of grace and providence have also shewn as much which I can better admire than number for they are numberless which occupy my thoughts continually day and night alwaies but when I am asleep 19 And as my thoughts are of thy wisdom power and goodness so also am I mindfull of thy justice and holiness how
well know mine own naturall inclination what it is how prone to evil mine heart and affections are specially upon temptation yea to any or to every evil of words or actions how vild soever and that unavoidably if thou decline it not thou must bend it the contrary way by thine over-powering efficacious grace grace-ward or else it will warp sin-ward with the weight or attraction of temptation I have no confidence in it but onely in thee in whose hands are all hearts and mine more especially dispose thou 〈◊〉 therefore to good and not to evil to right and not to wrong-doing of no kind less nor more let no temptation in no condition upon no occasion prevail with me to sinne but so establish my heart and strengthen my graces that I may make constant resistance without envying their happiness that prosper by undue courses whilest I in the practise of piety find nothing but misery keep me from being taken with their golden baits of earthly felicity to the loss of heavenly for that shall be their reward that live in sinne how sweet soever it is at present to their corrupt tasts and so shall it to be mine if I leave the way I am in of serving thee to serve sinne whence Lord deliver me 5 O that I might be free from the temptations of these wicked malicious persecutours Saul and his chieftaines that so impiously against their own consciences traduce me to the people and unworthily seek my life by all sinister courses tempting me to the like wicked wayes of revenge and retaliation which I find I can hardly forbear so injurious are my sufferings and hazardous my condition it being humanely impossible to shift them by lawfull and conscionable courses without taking all advantages as they do And that the well-meaning innocent people that perpetrate nothing of malice but through credulity and misprision are misled to do that they do against me O that they would not so erre but would question and blame me to my face in a fair and friendly manner as becomes one towards another touching what they hear and too easily take upon trust I should take such dealing exceeding kindly and interpret those reproofs no acts of enmity and hostility but friendly and good offices Who though they do not so but suffer themselves thus to be misled to the wronging me in this sort yet wish I no ill to them but pity them for their unhappy ingagement in so bad a cause and shall be heartily sorry when any hurt befalls them for it as I know there will which when it doth I will pray for them as for my self 6 When the time comes for God to execute vengeance on their Rulers and Commanders who now so bewitch the people and that they fall by the sword in mount Gilboa and the Kingdom so unexpectedly be translated to me then will the people be brought to a right understanding of me when I shall declare to them that I never sought the Kingdom as they had been made believe but it was the purpose and good will of God to cast it upon me for their good and the happiness of all Israel which shall follow thereupon they shall then be won to believe and hope so to their comfort when they see it so wonderfully brought about merely by providence and Gods just judgement maugre the malice and power of mine enemies their seducers to the contrary 7 The danger of me and all that take part with me in regard of its eminency and mine enemies rage is as great as great can be sure we are all of us to be slain if taken and that in a barbarous cruell manner too hewen in pieces and piece-meal exposed above ground no mercy alive nor dead can such Traitours as we are counted to be expect but the uttermost rigour and exemplary severity that can be inflicted are we sure of 8 But Lord in this strait of me and mine I am not so dejected as to let fall my faith nor to cease prayer but to thee a gracious and omnipotent Lord God to whom belong the issues from death do I in the vehement ardency of my spirit make mine address for relief in this mine extremity my confidence is more because of thee thy power and goodness in which I trust then is my fear by reason of my dangers greatness therefore be not wanting to save my life which I give for lost if thou save it not for other help or helper I have none 9 I know nothing is impossible to God the snares and grins that mine enemies lay privily for me are known to thee though by mine ignorance I may be hazarded yet by thy providence I hope to be prevented Keep me from being caught which else I shall be and from being made a prey to malicious bloud-thirsty men that are void both of piety and humanity 10 Let my wicked enemies be overtaken in their own projects by thy just judgements who art able to ensnare them in and by their own craft and to make it appear that simple honesty is the best policy and wicked policy the greatest simplicity and most self-destructive make them manifest examples of it by thine out-witting and mine escaping them but their not escaping thee The cxlii PSALM David shut up in the cave at Engeddi by an in raged multitude layes seidge to God by servent and incessant prayer who he confesseth saved him by his wisdom and contrivance when his own had almost undone him He sheweth his heart made some excursions toward the creature but in vain and quickly with-called it self and betook it again to God as to all that was left him and therefore presseth hard upon him for deliverance particular and generall that he and the righteous may once be acquainted that now are strangers and may joyntly praise him Davids instruction to the faithfull in time of extremity to pray as he did when he was hid in the cave of Engeddi begirt with Sauls Army 1 AS was mine extremity so was mineimportunity I was hard beset and I beset God as hard incessantly urging my condition upon him again and again iterating it in his ears so that I gave him no rest whilest my danger lasted 2 I made my moan unto him how injuriously my life was sought for him to right me and how my danger increased to a very crisis for him to relieve me shewed him how nothing humanely was betwixt me and utter destruction if he interposed not death was unavoidable 3 When I was at my wits end and knew no way to escape when I thought this thing and that thing but saw safety in nothing that I could imagine then hadst thou designed the way of my deliverance how I should come out of that so eminent perill else I could never have been preserved for that which I took to be my safest course there to hide my self in the wilderness of Engeddi proved of all other
the powers of my soul that is left me 9 Thy effectuall grace in my powerfull deliverance is mine humble and earnest suit I put up unto thee that mine enemies who seek and make sure of my life may not destroy it which they will certainly and suddenly do if thou prevent not to whom onely I flie from them for no place on earth can escape them 10 And as I beg to be preserved by thy power out of the hands of mine enemies so by thy grace out of the power of my corruptions which by reason of my temptations are very stirring and hardly suppressed inclining me upon occasion to deviate but my trust is in thee and prayer unto thee for this as well as that sinne being as death to me therefore for thy goodness sake which hath so freely and so fully ingaged thee to be every way a gracious God unto me and specially in soul-concernments Lord teach me at every turn and in every strait what is thy will and how to obey it by the powerfull energie of thy spirit which himself is good and can make me so by his efficacious impowering my spirit thereunto maugre all temptations within or without yea all my life long effectually dispose me to walk in the way of holiness and righteousness which onely leads unto everlasting life the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness a pattern whereof shall be that flourishing estate of thy Church in holiness shortly to be accomplished to thine Israel by and under me a figure of Christ which good Lord teach me how to attain to that my sins debar me not so great a blessing 11 For the glory of thy power which is so highly esteemed and little feared by mine enemies do thou manifest it in as it were my resurrection from the dead for such am I in effect and in all humane appearance and for thy faithfulness sake both in point of grace and justice be mindfull of me thy servant wrongfully oppressed and persecuted to set me free from these deadly dangers I am continually in 12 And of meer compassion to me in so great misery undertake my cause and quarrell that without cause am thus persecuted to the death by violent and bloudy enemies who are untreatable and from whom I must never expect other till thou shalt disable them to destroy me by destroying them which I pray thee do as an act of mercy to my wronged innocency let none escape that would not have me do so that my soul may be free from these distractions to serve thee for thereunto through mercy am I designed and by grace am I called The cxliv. PSALM David being in part possessed of the Kingdom blesseth God for that which he acknowledgeth to be of him as also all his atchievements and deliverances and aggravates the greatness of God goodness to him from the baseness and disparity of him to God whom he prayes extraordinarily to stand for him against and rid him of his remainder of enemies as bad as the rest and promiseth upon finall deliverance to tune all his instruments to his praise as the sole Saviour specially of him and again iterates his request that the times of Israels tranquillity under him and his may hasten that they may once be happie after so much miserie which then they shall be with the ample possession of temporall felicities of all kinds and God to boot which will make them or any people happie that are so blessed A Psalm made by David 1 MAgnified be the Lord for his praise-worthy goodness to me in so marvellously inabling me beyond either naturall ability or acquired skill to do things so much above my self in souldiery as through his assistance I have done to mine own and all mens admiration and to such wonderfull success as I have had thereby 2 But it was the Lord and of him onely who hath and doth shew me so many favours and is so bountifull and beneficent to me as I cannot express it but in the abstract of goodness it self so freely are they acted and so manifoldly multiplied to descend into particulars were infinite but what can be imagined by way of offence to mine enemies or defence to my self that the Lord is and hath been to me and I am confident so will be still He it is that hath brought and will go on irresistably to bring this stubborn stiff-necked people of Israel to submit to me as their King who so hardly are removed from their prejudices concerning me and brought to believe the truth of promises touching me 3 Lord I cannot when I reflect upon my self and thee the disproportion 'twixt my nature and essence frail mortal dust and ashes here below and thy spiritual eternal incomprehensible Being and infinite Majestie in heaven above but admire That such an earth-worm as man the whole kind whereof is at best but as the drop of thy bucket subject to generation and corruption should be so regarded of thee as to expend and lay out so much of thy wisdom care and providence upon him especially considering what he is becom by sin not worthie the name of a creature that by nature is thine enemy and that yet thou shouldest exercise so much grace and goodness towards him sundry wayes 4 Man in respect of thee is as the most vain and emptiest thing in the world is to him for substance a thing of nothing and for duration as momentanie and uncertain is his life subject to time and change as the shadow which is as transient as the sun is moveable 5 Yet such is thy goodness to this poor inconsiderable creature that thou art pleased to work miracles many times for the preservation of a very few yea of one single person that belongs unto thee and to descend as it were from thine imperial throne of Divine Majestie to help here on earth wonderfully when thine are in extremitie and so Lord vouchsafe to do now manifest thy presence as when in thick and darksome clouds thou formerly descendedst and made the mountains seem all on fire under thee such let be thine out-goings against mine and thy Churches enemies consume those mountainous powerful adversaries that oppose themselves against thee in thy wrathful displeasure a little whereof will serve to do it as high and mightie as they are in their own vain imaginations 6 Thy peoples extraordinarie dangers have produced extraordinarie and miraculous effects of providence for their preservation and so let it do still let thy power be now as evident as when with thunder and lightening thou foughtest for them destroyedst and discomfitedst their enemies heretofore 7 When earthly helps fail from heaven do thou send succour and set me free from this deluge of trouble and troublesome adversaries that break in upon me like an unresistable torrent let me not fall into the hands of those that though they are visible Israelites of the seed and family
fore-fathers specially they that are in Covenant the faithfull seed of faithful Abraham Isaack and Israel a people that through grace are precious and nearly related to him not for any inherent natural excellencie or meritoriousness in them above the rest of the created world which far out-strips them in motives of that nature but because freely chosen especially if effectually called grace being the onely motive that made him difference them from and indear them above all the world for sons and servants redeemed out of the hands of all their enemies and exalted to participation of fellowship and glorie with Christ the head of his Church whom respectively Israel and I resemble Therefore as he hath thus exalted you above all so do you him with praise proportionable to his goodness so superlative and peculiar The cxlix PSALM David in these five last Psalms is treating upon several Theams to enlarge the praises of God in the hearts and mouths of men principally of his people and therefore he intermingles common and created with special and peculiar excellencies and benefits of which latter sort this Psalm consists viz. of Gods singular good will to his people and saints whom he stiles here and else where in divers Psalms by the name of Israel because Israel was or ought to be such not onely in outward election but inward vocation for such at least they figured and therefore are the terms promiscuously used And these he would first have lay a foundation of joy in believing and knowing their superlative happiness in their near relation to and interest in God and Gods in them and favour to them and then to make the result of that their joy excess of praise yea he would have them discern their condition as well glorious and honourable as beneficial and joy thereafter in absolute certaintie and tranquillitie of mind praise-fully and proportionably enlarged And concludes with a prophetical prayer of Israels happiness now under him as the saints shall have certain and triumphant felicitie by Christ in their enemies vanquishments both many and great to the utmost of what is promised and threatened respectively for which honour he would have them as to be sensible of it so to be praise-full for it 1 O Ye the people and chosen of the Lord out of all the earth be you conscionable and carefull to give God his praises which he deserves specially at your hands above all the world besides let not your praises that are heirs of grace and partakers of such preheminences be like the sons of nature the children of this world who inherit but the good things thereof raise up your hearts to a higher pin celebrate you his name after another sort as he is singular in goodness to you so be you in gratefulness to him yea let every special mercie which in special grace at any time he vouchsafesh unto you be solemnized afresh from time to time by thanks-giving with praiseful affections and united harmonie in Temple-musick at the solemn meetings of his people there to worship and honour him especially his saints 2 Well may Israel afford to sing special praise and new songs to the Lord whom he hath pecualiarly chosen out of all the world and so made them as it were a new people begotten again out of the lost-lump of mankind not onely by the power of creation as at first which in effect the fall dissolved but by the grace of adoption and covenant smitten freely with their fore-father and in him with them Let this prerogative royall exceedingly affect the whole Church and people of God thankfully and praisefully toward him and comfortably in themselves by the faithfull apprehension of so rich mercie vouchsafed them as to be not subjects at large as the whole earth is but even sons and servants chosen by him to be his to serve and worship him in Sion where and how he hath appointed out of all the world besides that follow their own inventions and condiscending himself to be theirs in grace protection and government so as to none else 3 Let them be so ravished with this peculiarity of the grace mercie and love of God unto them as to lay out themselves again upon God with the utmost of their strength skill and affection in his praises by all wayes and means as may best express them to his glorie and increase of their own grace and consolation 4 For though all mankind be degenerated by the fall so that he that made them hath no pleasure in them Yet hath it pleased him to elect a few out of many an Israel whom he hath made and as it were re-created to be his and to serve him and in these he takes contentment to do them good and to receive the returns thereof in praise and thanks-giving from them and to that very end will he shew himself powerful for them and gracious to them that meekly wait and faithfully depend upon him in delivering and exalting them after a wonderful sort to the admiration of all the earth that shall have them in singular esteem for a non-such for such a people serving such a God of salvation as is not in the world besides like as he shall crown his sanctified ones his faithfull spiritual Israel and their graces with the eternal salvation in heaven triumphant over all and out of all this worlds miseries to his unspeakable praise and the worlds wonder that here despise them as the Gentils did us till God wrought a change 5 Let the Lords people his holy ones which all Israel should be consider the glorious state and condition they are advanced into by being so even the sons of the most high heirs of heaven a glorie beyond all earthly preheminence or created excellencie whatsoever and in this let them comfort themselves both above all comforts and discomforts the world can afford or inflict and with joyful praises magnifie the Lord that hath done so great things for them and with sweet peace and tranquillitie of mind possess their souls to the un-utterable consolation thereof A type of which is that blessed condition God is investing his Church and people Israel into at present by and under me making them triumphantly glorious over all their enemies abroad with abundance of securitie and peace at home wherein they ought exceedingly to rejoyce and joyfully to praise the God of heaven that hath thus advanced them and altered their condition even as those glorified saints in heaven do and shall that there enjoy an absolute and everlasting rest 6 7 Let Israel observe the singular mercies to them surpassing all to all people and the mightie victories which God bestowes upon them over their enemies types of the saints adoption and the conquests they shall have over their corruptions and the Church her adversaries which by the power of his might shall be subdued thereby to fill their mouthes with proportionable praises to a God so great and graciously
enemy 10 As with a sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me while they say dayly unto me where is thy God 11 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him Psalm xliii 1 JUdge me O God plead my cause against an ungodly nation O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man 2 For thou art the God of my strength why dost thou cast me off why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy 3 O send out thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy hill and to thy tabernacles 4 Then will I go unto the altar of God unto God my exceeding joy yea upon the harp will I praise thee O God my God 5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Psalm xliv To the chief musician for the sonnes of Korah Maschil 1 WE have heard with our ears O God our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days in the times of old 2 How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand and plantedst them how thou didst afflict the people and cast them out 3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword neither did their own arm save them but thy right hand and thine arm and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them 4 Thou art my King O God command deliverances for Jacob. 5 Through thee will we push down our enemies through thy name will we tread them undâ—r that rise up against us 6 For I will not trust in my bow neither shall my sword save me 7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies hast put them to shame that hated us 8 In God we boast all the day long and praise thy name for ever Selah 9 But thou hast cast off put us to shame and goest not forth with our armies 10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy they which hate us spoil for themselves 11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat and hast scattered us among the heathen 12 Thou sellest thy people for nought and dost not increase thy wealth by their price 13 Thou makest us a reproch to our neighbours a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us 14 Thou makest us a by-word among the heathen a shaking of the head among the people 15 My confusion is continually before me and the shame of my face hath covered me 16 For the voâ—â—e of him that reprocheth and blasphemeth by reason of the enemie and avenger 17 All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy covenant 18 Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps deâ—lined from thy way 19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death 20 If we have forgotten the name of our God or stretched out our hands to a strange God 21 Shall not God search this out for he knoweth the secrets of the heart 22 Yea for thy sake are we killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter 23 Awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise cast us not off for ever 24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and our oppression 25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust our belly cleaveth unto the earth 26 Arise for our help and redeem us for thy mercie sake The xlv Psalm To the chief musician upon Shoshannim for the sons of Korah Maschil A song of loves 1 MY heart is enditing a good matter I speak of the things which I have made touching the King my tongue is the pen of a ready writer 2 Thou art fairer than the children of men grace is poured into thy lips therefore God hath blessed thee for ever 3 Gird thy sword upon thy high O most mightie with thy glorie and thy majestie 4 And in thy majestie ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things 5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the Kings enâ—mies whereby the people fall under thee 6 Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the scepter of thy Kingdom is a right scepter 7 Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness therefore God thy God hath annointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows 8 All thy garments smell of myrrh and a loes and caslia out of the ivory palaces whereby they have made thee glad 9 Kings daughters were among thy honourable women upon thy right hand did stand the Queen in gold of Ophir 10 Hearken O daughter and consider and encline thine ear forget all thine own people and thy fathers house 11 So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for he is thy Lord and worship thou him 12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour 13 The Kings daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of wrought gold 14 She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needle work the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee 15 With gladness and reâ—oycing shall they be brought they shall enter inâ—o the Kings place 16 In stead of thy fathers shall be thy children whom thou maiest make princes in all the earth 17 I will make thy name to be remembred in all Generations therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever Psalm xlvi To the chief musician for the sons of Korah A song upon Alamoth 1 GOd is our refuge strength a very present help in trouble 2 Therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof Selah 4 There is a river the streams whereof shall make glad the Citie of God the holy place of the tabernacles of the most high 5 God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved God shall help her and that right early 6 The heathen raged the Kingdoms were moved he uttered his voice the earth melted 7 The Lord of hosts is with uâ— the God of Jacob is our refuge Selah 8 Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth he breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear insunder he burneth the chariot in the fire 10 Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted among the heathen I will be exalted in the earth 11 The
springing thereof 11 Thou crownest the earth with thy goodness and thy paths drop â—atness 12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness and the little hills rejoyce on every side 13 The pastures are clothed with flocks the valleys also are covered over with corn they shout for joy they also sung Psalm lxvi To the chief musician A song or Psalm 1 MAke a joyful noise unto God all ye lands 2 Sing forth the honour or his name make his praise glorious 3 Say unto God How tâ—rrible art thou in thy works through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee 4 All the earth shall worship thee shall sing unto thee they shall sing to thy name Selah 5 Come and see the works of God he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men 6 He turned the sea into drie land they went through the floud on foot there did we rejoyce in him 7 He ruleth by his power for ever his eyes behold the nations let not the rebellious exalt themselves Selah 8 O bless our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard 9 Which holdeth our soul in life and suffereth not our feet to be moved 10 For thou O God hast reproved us thou hast tried us as silver is tried 11 Thou broughtest us into the net thou laidst affliction upon our loins 12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads we went through â—fire and through waterâ— but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place 13 I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings I will pay thee my vous 14 Which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble 15 I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings 〈…〉 incâ—nse of rams I will offer bullocks witâ— goats Selah 16 Come and hear all ye that fear God I will deâ—lare what he hath done for my soul. 17 I cried unto him with my mouth and he was extolled with my tongue 18 If I regard iniquitie in my heart the Lord will not hear me 19 But verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my prayer 20 Blessed be God which hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercie from me Psalm lxvii To the chief musician on Neginoth A psalm or song 1 GOd be merciful unto us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon us Selah 2 That thy way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all nations 3 Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee 4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy for thou shalt judge the people righteously and govern the nations upon earth Selah 5 Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee 6 Then shall the earth yield her increase and God even our own God shall bless us 7 God shall bless us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him Psalm lxviii To the chief musician A psalm or song of David 1 LEt God arise let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him slie before him 2 As smoke is driven away so drive them away as wax melteth before the fire so let the wicked perish at the presence of God 3 But let the righteous be glad let them rejoyce before God yea let them exceedingly rejoyce 4 Sing unto God sing praises to his name extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Iab and rejoyce before him 5 A father of the fatherless and a judge of the widows is God in his holy habitation 6 God setteth the solitarie in families he bringeth out those that are bound with chains but the rebellious dwell in a drie land 7 O God when thou wentest forth before thy people when thou didst march through the wilderness Selah 8 The earth shook the heavens also dropped at the presence of God even Sinai it self was moved at the presence of God the God of Israel 9 Thou O God didst send a plentiful rain whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was wearie 10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein thou O God hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor 11 The Lord gave the word great was the company of those that published it 12 Kings of armies did flie apace and she that tarried at home divided the spoil 13 Though ye have lien among the pots yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold 14 When the Almightie scattered Kings in it it was white as snow in Salmon 15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan an high hill as the hill of Bashan 16 Why leap ye ye high hills this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in yea the Lord will dwell in it for ever 17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels the Lord is among them as in Sinai in the holy place 18 Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivitie captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them 19 Blessed be the Lord who dayly loadeth us with benefits even the God of our salvation Selah 20 He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death 21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses 22 The Lord said I will bring again from Bashan I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea 23 That thy foot may be dipped in the bloud of thine enemies and the tongue of thy dogs in the same 24 They have seen thy goings O God even the goings of my God my King in the sanctuary 25 The singers went before the players on instruments followed after amongst them were the damsels playing with timbrels 26 Bless ye God in the congregations even the Lord from the fountain of Israel 27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler the princes of Judah and their councel the princes of Zebulon and the princes of Naphtali 28 Thy God hath coÌ„manded thy strength strengthen O God that which thou hast wrought for us 29 Because of thy Temple at Jerusalem shall Kings bring presents unto thee 30 Rebuke the company of spear-men the multitude of the bulls with the calves of the people till every one submit himself with pieces of silver scatter thou the people that delight in war 31 Princes shall come out of Egypt Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God 32 Sing unto God ye Kingdoms of the earth O sing praises unto the Lord. Selah 33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens which were of old lo he doth send out his voice and that a mightie voice 34 Ascrib ye strength unto God his excellencie is over Israel and his
strength is in the clouds 35 O God thou art terrible out of thy holy places the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people blessed be God Psalm lxix To the chief musician upon Shoshannim A Psalm of David 1 SAve me O God for the waters are come in unto my soul. 2 I sink in deep mire where there is no standing I am come into deep waters where the flouds overflow me 3 I am weary of my crying my throat is dried mine eyes fail while I wait for my God 4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head they that would destroy me being mine enemies wrongfully are mighty then I restored that which I took not away 5 O God thou knowest my foolishness and my sins are not hid from thee 6 Let not them that wait on thee O Lord God of hosts be ashamed for my sake let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake O God of Israel 7 Because for thy sake I have born reproach shame hath covered my face 8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren and an aliant unto my mothers children 9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up and the reproaches of them that 10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting that was to my reproach 11 I made sack-cloth also my garment and I became a proverb to them 12 They that sit in the gate spake against me and I was the song of the drunkards 13 But as for me my prayer is unto thee O Lord in an acceptable time O God in the multitude of thy mercy hear me in the truth of thy salvation 14 Deliver me out of the mire and let me not sink let me be delivered from them that hate me and out of the deep waters 15 Let not the water â—loud overflow me neither let the deep swallow me up and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me 16 Hear me O Lord for thy loving kindness is good turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies 17 And hide not thy face from thy servant for I am in trouble here me speedily 18 Draw nigh unto my soul and redeem it deliver me because of mine enemies 19 Thou hast known my reproach and my shame and my dishonour mine adversaries are all before thee 20 Reproach hath broken my heart and I am full of heaviness and I looked for some to take pitie but there was none for comforters but I found none 21 They gave me also gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave me vineger to drink 22 Let their table become a sâ—are before them and that which should have been for their welfare let it become a trap 23 Let their eyes be darkned that they see not and make their Ioiâ—es continually to shake 24 Pour out thine indignation upon them and let thy wrathfull angâ—r take hold of them 25 Let their habitation be desolate and let none dwell in their tents 26 For they pâ—rsecute him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded 27 Adde iniquitie to their iniquitie and let them not come into righteousness 28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous 29 But I am poor and sorrowfull let thy salvation O God set me up on high 30 I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnifie him with thanksgiving 31 This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs 32 The humble shall see this and be glad and your heart shall live that seek God 33 For the Lord heareth the poore and despiseth not his prisoners 34 Let the heaven and earth praise him the seas and every thing that moveth therein 35 For God will save Sion and will build the Cities of Judah that they may dwell there and have it in possession 36 The seed also of his servants shall inherit and they that love his name shall dwell therein Psalm lxx To the chief musician A Psalm made by David to bring to remembrance 1 MAke hast O God to deliver me make hast to help me O Lord. 2 Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soule let them be turned backward and put to confusion that desire my hurt 3 Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say Aha Aha 4 Let all those that seek thee rejoyce and be glad in thee and let such as love thy salvation say continually Let God be magnified 5 But I am poor and needy make hast unto me O God thou art my help and my deliverer O Lord make no tarrying Psalm lxxi 1 IN thee O Lord do I put my trust let me never be put to confusion 2 Deliver me in thy righteousness and cause me to escape incline thine ear unto me and save me 3 Be thou my strong habitation whereunto I may continually resort thou hast given commandment to save me for thou art my rock and my fortress 4 Deliver me O my God out of the hand of the wicked out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man 5 For thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my trust from my youth 6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb thou art he that took me out of my mothers bowels my praise shall be continually of thee 7 I am as a wonder unto many but thou art my strong refuge 8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day 9 Cast me not off in the time of old age forsake me not when my strength faileth 10 For mine enemies speak against me and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together 11 Saying God hath forsaken him persecute and take him for there is none to deliver him 12 O God be not far from me O my God make hast for my help 13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt 14 But I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more 15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day for I know not the numbers thereof 16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine onely 17 O God thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works 18 Now also when I am old and gray-headed O God forsake me not until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation and thy power to every one that is to come 19 Thy righteousness also O God is very high who hast done great things O God who is like unto thee 20 Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again
and shalt bring me again from the depths of the earth 21 Thou shalt increase my greatness and comfort me on every side 22 I will also praise thee with the Psalterie even thy truth O my God unto thee will I sing with the harp O thou holy one of Israel 23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee and my soul which thou hast redeemed 24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long for they are confounded for they are brought unto shame that seek my hurt Psalm lxxii A Psalm for Solomon 1 GIve the King thy judgements O God and thy righteousness unto the Kings son 2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgement 3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people and the little hills by righteousness 4 He shall judge the poor of the people he shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressour 5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure throughout all generations 6 He shall come down like rain upon the new mowen grass as shours that water the earth 7 In his daies shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth 8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth 9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick â—dust 10 The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts 11 Yea all Kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him 12 For he shall deliver the needy when he cryeth the poor also and him that hath no helper 13 He shall spare the poor and needy and shall save the souls of the needy 14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence and precious shall their bloud be in his sight 15 And he shall live and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba prayer also shall be made for him continually and daily shall he be praised 16 There shall be an handfull of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon and they of the citie shall flourish like grass of the earth 17 His name shall endure for ever his name shall be continued as long as the sun and men shall be blessed in him all nations shall call him blessed 18 Blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who onely doth wondrous things 19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever and let the whole earth be filled with his glorie Amen and Amen 20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended Psalm lxxiii A Psalm of Asaph 1 TRuly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart 2 But as for me my feet were almost gone my steps were well nigh slipt 3 For I was envious at the foolist when I saw the prosperitie of the wicked 4 For there are no bands in their death but their strength is firm 5 They are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued like other men 6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain violence covereth them as a garment 7 Their eyes stand out with faâ—ness they have more than heart can wish 8 They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning oppression they speak loftily 9 They set their mouth against the heavens their tongue walketh through the earth 10 Therefore his people return hither and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them 11 And they say how doth God know and is there knowledge in the most high 12 Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the World they increase in riches 13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed mine hands in innocencie 14 For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning 15 If I say I will speak thus behold I shall offend against the generation of thy children 16 When I thought to know this it was too painful for me 17 Untill I went into the sanctuarie of God then understood I their end 18 Surely thou didst set them in slipperie places thou calledst them down into destruction 19 How are they brought into desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrours 20 As a dream when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their image 21 Thus my heart was grieved and I was pricked in my reins 22 So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee 23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand 24 Thou shalt guid me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glorie 25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee 26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever 27 For lo they that are far from thee shall perish thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee 28 But it is good for me to draw near to God I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all thy works Psalm lxxiv. Maschil of or for Asaph 1 O God why hast thou cast us off for ever why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pastâ—â—â— 2 Remember the congregation which thou hast purchased of old the rod of thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed this mount Sion wherein thou hast dwelt 3 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations even all that the enemie hath done wickedly in the sanctuarie 4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations they set up their ensigns for signs 5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees 6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers 7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuarie they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground 8 They said in their hearts Let us destroy them together they have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the land 9 We see not our signs there is no more any prophet neither is there any among us that knoweth how long 10 O God how long shall the adversarie reproch shall the enemie blaspheme thy name for ever 11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand even thy right hand pluck it out of thy bosom 12 For God is my King of old working salvation in the midst of the earth 13 Thou didst divide the Sea by thy strength thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters 14 Thou brakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness 15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the floud thou driedst up mightie rivers 16 The
false gods readily embrace his truth take the Lord for your God and give your selves to him to be his people count it your happiness to be so that you may have the honour and priviledge to be admitted to put up prayer and to offer praises to him as your God that once were aliens and without God in the world now Christ hath taken down the partition-wall and brought God and you together again be much with him in faithfull and gratefull praising of him 3 Learn this lesson well that the Lord is God and that he onely is so you that have been used to Idolize other gods do so no more own him and honour him for the onely Iehovah that hath being and hath it of himself and that is the sole Creatour of all men we made not our selves and then nothing else but he did nay it is he that hath begotten us again he hath of and by his grace made us new creatures this we are sure is as much of him and as little of our selves as the former those that are his people may thank him they are so their souls had never been renued nor saved by any thing they themselves could have done or suffered vocation justification and sanctification are the gifts of God to his Elect as are all the faithfull of what nation soever of whom we Israelites now his peculiar are a type and as he hath done us in the manifestation of grace and administration of providence such singular love will he bear to his Church for ever 4 Seeing we are to be all one Church begin betime joyn fellowship with us in the worship of this one onely true God do as we do now frequent his holy Temple worship him in the Courts and Ordinances thereof whilest they are till they cease and then in holy Christian assemblies worship him in spirit and truth be thankfull to him and magnifie him for the unspeakable goodness and power manifested in so great salvation 5 For though we be evil yet the Lord is good and though our sins provoke his judgements against us yet his long-suffering and mercy is like himself everlasting we have found it so and so shall his Church in all ages his faithfulness according to the covenant of grace shall not fail on his part though it be too often broke on ours it shall be perpetuated in Christ and for Christ to his Church The ci PSALM David drawing nigh towards the possession of the Kingdom so long promised and delaid to forward the accomplishment preingageth himself to God that he will praise him for it when he hath it and serve him faithfully in it both as a King and a pater-familias in walking uprightly and avoiding sin carefully neither countenancing it in himself nor othors whether in Citie or Countrey Church or Common-wealth but on the contrary the good and godly shall be they he will prefer and imploy A Psalm made by David 1 O Lord when thou shalt in favour to thy servant have seated me in the throne I will magnifie thy free grace and mercifull beneficence in bringing me out of such trouble and hazard unto such an honour and dignity as also thy righteousness and justice when thou shalt have executed those judgements upon mine enemies which thou hast threatned 2 When thou hast advanced me to it I hope I shall walk worthy of it my full purpose is with godly wisdom to order all mine affaires and not be as most Kings are wise to their own and their Kingdoms destruction by exercising their policy to advance their tyranny and governing by no rule of reason or justice but by the arbitrary dictates of their own inordinate appetites I purpose to be wise with other manner of wisdom and to tread in quite other steps in obedience to thy Laws and dispensation of Justice and good government to my people when they are mine Lord when shall that day be that thou wilt come in the full accomplishment of thy promises to me I hope I shall not give thee cause to repent thee whensoever it is for my purpose is to be both a good King over my people and a carefull head over my Court and family to breed my successours and rule my servants and officers as well as my subjects in the fear of God giving good example in my place to all under me both of innocency and sincerity 3 I will watch against the temptations incident to that estate condition whereof it is full will therefore purposely avoid occasions of evil whereby I know beforehand I shall miscarry if not carefully shunned specially then when my power is almost equall with my will therefore in a holy fear of sinning I will turn my back upon allurements refuse their offers and walk in a steady resolved course of holiness and righteousness without coveting an evil covetousness abusing my power to gratifie unlawfull desires for I hate warping and back-sliding such defection is extream distastfull to me by Gods help such corrupt thoughts shall never lodge in my breast nor such wickedness hang at my heels to hinder my progress in piety and good government though I know before-hand the baits that will lie in my way but I will not stoop to take them up 4 I hope then to be rid of this heart which now by reason of my bitter afflictions is sore put to it and oft enclines to discontent and untuneableness but I hope then to be free from the temptation and consequently from the distemper and to be never the prouder for mine honour which I come so hardly by and which whensoever I have it it must be of thy free gift but of meek demeanour both towards thee above me and my fellow-brethren though subjects under me And as I will not allow of wickedness in my self so nor in any other no wicked person nor no person in the practise of any wickedness shall have my countenance to credit him 5 I know how incident Princes are to be misled by whisperers and what false reports they hear by giving ear to flatterers and back-biters to the unjust prejudice of the innocent but I will take a course with such men I will watch mine ears as well as mine eyes will severely punish those that I catch doing so nor shall any proud vain-glorious fool draw me from an humble walking with God such shall see that I know humility and Sovereignty are not incompatible but consistent I will neither pride it over my brethren my self nor suffer any else because of his place or office about me to do so 6 My countenance shall be to the good and not to the bad and my care shall be to find out such as are faithfull and sincere-hearted towards God to entertain and imploy such who I know will also be faithfull and uncorrupt in their places the man that is a practiser of piety and honesty and in the course of his life walks