remember what was done for them after They proved a rebellious people for which God humbled them and brought the Philistins and the Babylonian Kings against them who conquered them and kept them under and in subjection But God in this their oppression when they cryed and turned to him forsook them not but raised up some Judge King or other to deliver them as Gideon Sampson David Cyrus c. which the Prophet mentioneth in the next verses Ver. 23 Who remembred us when we were in our low estate for his mercy c. And hath redeemed us from our enemies for his mercy Psal 135.14 5. Lastly That this goodness is not extended only to his people 3 And his providence to all creatures but even to all Creatures is manifest in that he provides for nourishes and conserves every living creature for Caro here signifies every thing that hath life and bread all kind of nourishment by which the life is sustained Ver. 25 Who gives food to all flesh for his mercy endures for ever 6. He concludes as he begun O give thanks unto the God of Heaven The conclusion that we praise him for his mercy endureth for ever And he calls him the God of Heaven because he only made the Heaven and hath his Throne in Heaven Ver. 26 having the whole World under him and in his power that preserves moderates governs all things by his wisdom power mercy The Hymn collected out of the One hundred and thirty sixth Psalm O Omnipotent God so great is thy goodness so infinite is thy mercy to the sons of men that we are not able to express it because we cannot comprehend it Whatever we enjoy is from thy mercy whatever we hope to enjoy is thy mercy Thy mercy endures for ever and therefore we will sing of thy mercies from everlasting to everlasting Ver. 5 Whethersoever we cast our eyes we find objects of thy mercy whether we behold the Heavens framed by thy wisdom and adorned with great lights the Sun to rule the day or the Moon and Stars to govern the night or whether we look down upon the earth stretched out above the waters that it might be the habitation and yield food for all creatures in both these nay in all places they occur unto us ample Testimonies of thy bounty and mercy all which should we consider with a pious and serious mind we must néeds with an inflamed heart and free tongue never cease to sing with the Prophet Ver. 25 Thy mercy endureth for ever In the Creation of all things From Ver. 10. To Ver. 22. in giving food to all flesh thy mercy hath been wonderful But in the choosing gathering conserving revenging the wrongs and pardoning the sins of thy people more wonderful our hearts were as hard and as cold as a stone should we not consider what thou didst for thy people Israel which is an engagement to us what thou wilt do for thy Church For thy mercy endures for ever Thou smotest Aegypt and slew mighty Kings for their sakes Thou didst lead them as a Captain and provide Manna and Quails and waier for them as a father defend them from their enemies and never cease to prosecute them with mercy till thou givest them the heritage of the Heathen yea when they were brought to any low estate Thou redeemest them from their enemies for thy mercy endures for ever Thou therefore who art rich in bounty clemency and mercy that never can have an end behold we beséech thée thy Church and remember it now in a low estate remit our sins pardon our transgressions repent concerning thy servants and redeem us from our enemies for thy mercy endures for ever Thou which givest food to all flesh Ver. 25 féed our souls with the celestial Manna thy Word and thy Sacraments for thy mercy endures for ever So shall we give thanks to thee O Lord because thou art good and thy mercy endureth for ever Ver. 1 So shall we give thanks to the God of gods for his mercy endureth for ever So shall we give thanks to the Lord of lords for his mercy endureth for ever We will give thanks to the God of Heaven for his mercy endureth for ever Ver. 26 PSAL. CXXXVII AT the composure of this Psalm the Jewes were in captivity at Babylon under the heavy yoke of the Assyrian Tyrant far from their own Countrey banished from the Temple of God deprived of all publick Exercises of Religion scoffed and scorned by the pride and insultation of an enemy and now they begin to complain and pray remember what they were and what they are what they enjoyed and what they want that at Jerusalem they could sing songs of Zion but now at the Rivers of Babylon they must sit down and hang up their Harps The Psalm hath two parts 1. A complaint of Israel because of the insultation of the Babylonians in which they deplore their sad condition remember the pleasures of Jerusalem and the Religion of the Temple and long to be there from ver 1. to 7. 2. An imprecation for they pray for Divine vengeance to descend upon their Persecutors ver 7.8 9. Israels complaint in their captivity 1. Their complaint ariseth from the sense of their captivity which is aggravated The first part 1. From the place Babylon By the waters of Babylon 1 From the place a place far from their own Countrey where they served a cruel and barbarous people a people that were Aliens from the Covenant God made with Abraham Ver. 1 and scorners of their Religion that had wasted their City consumed with fire defiled robbed their Temple by them they were disposed to the Banks of the Rivers where in their fields they were forced to base and servile works 2. From the continuance of their captivity and misery There we sate down 2 From the continuance and misery took up the seats they alotted us and durst not remove for seventy years exposed to wind and weather and injuries of wild Beasts 3. From the effect it produced in them tears mourning yea 3 The effect tears we wept so we spent our time but our enemies cruelty was such that our tears wrought not any compassion on their hard hearts 4. From the cause that drew these tears from them 4 The cause the remembrance of Zion not so much their present calamities as the remembrance of what they enjoyed before but now were deprived of the Religion and Service of their God We wept when we remembred thee O Zion Toties quoties so often as they remembred the Temple the Feasts the Sacrifices the Songs the Hymns they sung to God in Zion so often they sate and wept 5. From the intensiveness of their grief so great it was 5 Their grief intensive that they laid aside whatever should provoke mirth they had more mind to weep than sing their Harps were unstrung Ver. 2 and their Instruments of Musick laid aside As for
thy hatred to sin and incorrigible sinners for this is caused for the wickedness of them that dwell therein Good God so let us lay to heart this judgment That our Houses be not desolate great and fair without an Inhabitant that ten Acres of Vineyard yield not a Bath and the seed of an Homer yield not an Ephah And in this vicissitude thy Mercy is as conspicuous as thy Iustice for on the contrary Thou turnest the Wilderness into a standing water and dry ground into Water-springs Put into the hearts of thy hungry to dwell there thither lead their Colonies in them let them prepare their Cities for habitation give life to the séed of the Fields which they sowe and water the Vineyards that they plant That they may yield them fruits of increase Bless them also O Lord so that they be multiplied greatly in the fruit of their bodies and suffer not their Cattle to decrease But yet if these sin against thée and kick after they are waxed fat visit their offences with the rod and their sin with scourges as thou didst multiply them so again diminish them as thou didst exalt them so again bring them low let some oppressing enemy or sharp and afflictive disease put them to grief and sorrow My bowels my bowels I am pained at the very heart my eyes do fail with tears and my liver is poured out upon the Earth for the Lord hath despised in the indignation of his anger the King and the Priest How long shall I sée thy Standard and hear the sound of thy Trumpet How long wilt thou poure contempt upon Princes and cause them to wander in a strange land where yet they can find no way no way of relief no way of help In mercy return good God and visit the séed of the righteous cast not his Crown to the ground for ever but set the poor man on high from affliction build him a sure house gather him and his family into one flock and fold become his Shepherd féed and govern him by thy singular Providence and Manuduction and let thy work in it be so manifest that all who sée it may fear and say This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes The righteous shall see and consider it and rejoyce and then all iniquity shall stop her mouth Make us wise O Lord to observe and in observing to consider and by considering to lay to heart these things That thou sitting in thy Throne above yet orderest the things below that honour and contempt are from thée that sickness and health are thy gife that relief in a Famine that restitution to the Banish'd that liberty to the Captive that deliverance from any furious storm and tempest is from thy hand that the barrenness of the ground is from thy curse and the fertility of the earth followes upon thy blessing for so shall we understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and fo◠his wonderful works to the children of men O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Let the redeemed of the Lord say so those whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gather'd them out of all lands and brought them into his Church that they bow their knees at the Name of Jesus by whom all mercies pass to us and to whom be all praise honour laud and dominion this day and for evermore PSAL. CVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm is wholly composed and drawn into one out of two Psalms The first part of it untill the 6th verse is verbatim taken out of the 57th Psalm beginning at the 7th verse the latter part from ver 6. to the end is taken out of the 60th Psalm beginning as it doth here at the 6th verse and is continued as here unto the end I shall not need therefore to Analyse and explain or insert a Meditation upon it since it is done already and therefore I pass on to the next PSAL. CIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE later Expositors expound this Psalm of Doeg Achitophel and other Persecutors of David and so it may be understood in the Type But the Ancient Fathers apply it to Judas the Traytor and the Jewes that put Christ to death which opinion because it is more probable being occasioned by those words of Peter Acts 1.20 which by him are applied to Judas out of this Psalm I shall expound it of Christ whom David doth personate and of Judas and the malicious Jewes very fitly understood in the persons of his wicked and slanderous enemies There be four parts of this Psalm 1. A short Ejaculation ver 1. and the Reasons of it express'd in a Complaint of the fraud and malice of his enemies ver 6. 2. A bitter Imprecation against them from ver 6. to 21. 3. A Supplication presented to God for himself from ver 21. and the Reasons to ver 30. 4. A profession of thanks ver 30 31. 1. The first part He begins with an ejaculation He begins with an Ejaculation Hold not thy peace O God of my praise ver 1. Observe 1. Ver. 1 The Epithite or Title he useth O God of my praise In the reading Translators vary O God for thus they read Deus laudis meae Deus laus mea Deus laudabilis mihi and they expound it 1. Either actively that is O God whom I praise even in my greatest pressures or calamities 2. Or passively Who art my praise the Witness and Advocate of my innocency and integrity when I am condemned by malicious tongues which sense seems fittest for this place and to this the Vulgar gives more light that thus reads it Domine laudem meam ne tacueres And Bellarmine puts the words into Christs mouth in which he desites that God would not conceal his Charity Innocence and other Virtues being very like that prayer John 17.5 Father glorifie thy Son 2. Hold not thy peace Hold not thy peace Tacere in Scripture when referr'd to God is to connive and rest and seems as it were not to regard and the contrary loqui to speak to do somewhat for revenge or deliverance This then is that which David here asks That when the malice of his enemies arrived at that height that it could be no longer endured that God would connive at them suffer them and hold his peace no longer but would declare his displeasure against them 2. The reason the malice of his enemies Whom he describes to be And after by way of Complaint he describes unto us their malicious nature and unsufferable conditions which he aggravates by an elegant Gradation For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me they have spoken against me with a lying tongue They were 1. Impious 2. Deceitful 3. Lyars Impiety deceit lying were then the ingredients of their sin Ver. 2 1. 1 Turpious For the
very garland and head of them is verity Two things he attributes to the Word of God Truth and Righteousness and they both serve very well to his present purpose to confirm him in his Petitions and constancy notwithstanding his many persecutors 1. 1 Truth Thy Word is true from the beginning Which perswasion is the mother of all obedience and faith for therefore we believe and obey it because we are perswaded it is true it begets such an assurance in our souls that no temptation or trouble is able to overcome it upon this St. Peter wisheth us to rely because it is a most sure Word 2 Pet. 1.19 The sure mercies of David God will not fail his people but according to his Word so it shall be 2. 2 Eternal justice And every one of thy righteous judgments endure for ever A reward remains for the righteous and a punishment for the wicked and with this assurance also David sustained himself against the delay of judgment against wicked men viz. A meditation of the eternal righteousness of Gods judgments he collected That for the present they might be spared but at length they would be punished seeing Gods judgments are everlasting The Prayer O Lord our afflictions at this time are great and our dangers are great we humbly therefore beséech thée to look down from thy holp Heaven and to consider our present trouble deliver us good Lord from our enemies for we do not forget thy Law Ver. 1 though we cannot perform it yet we have an especial regard to it and alwayes kéep it in memory desiring that our performances might be answerable to our destres Thou which art a just Iudge and to whom all judgment doth belong and to whom I have committed my cause plead my cause against mine Adversaries Ver. 2 and redéem my life from my unjust Oppressors according to thy promise quicken and revive my heart that is very much cast down by their insolencies Did my heart incline to any evil way I durst not appear in thy presence or expect so great a favour from thée Ver. 3 for salvation is far from the wicked As they are far from kéeping thy Law so also is salvation far from them when they séek not nor estéem thy statutes they cannot expect to be partakers of those promises which thou hast made to them that do séek them But thou O Lord knowest how I séek both them and thée Ver. 4 and thy mercies are great tender and many to those that fear thy Name according to these then deal with me and in equity deal with me that the remainder of my dayes which yet cannot be many may be comfortable The discomforts I have are infinite men and Devils Ver. 5 visible and invisible enemies on every side assault me tentations I méet with on the right hand and on the left and yet such is my love to thy Law Ver. 7 that hitherto I have not declined from thy Testimonies Consider then O Lord how I love thy precepts and according to thy loving-kindness deal with me and assist me and quicken me with thy grace that no tentation prevail over me Ver. 6 Let me not be seduced by any ill example and draâ—n to tread in the steps of wicked men for whose transgressions my heart is grieved because they keep not thy Word Ver. 8 which is a Word of Truth and Righteousness Never suffer me to decline from this Truth ever cause me to rely upon this Righteousness let me not be seduced by Errors nor be discomforted with the prosperity of wicked men whom though thou sparest for this present yet will at last poure upon them thy full Wols of vengeance because thy righteous judgments endure for ever O Lord get thy honour upon thy enemies but let the sure mercies of David never fail thy Church and people for thy Son Iesus Christs sake our only Lord and Saviour Amen 21. SCHIN DAVID in this Section shewes his love to the Law of God 2. The Contents David shewes his love to Gods Law And the perfection of his love 1. The first sign of his love was that notwithstanding he was persecuted for Gods sake yet he still was constant in his obedience to God Ver. 1 1. Princes have persecuted me Saul Ishbosheth Abner his son The signs of it 1. His constancy to it Absolon sought his life It is a great tentation to sustain injuries from any man but if from Princes a greater to persist and be constant then a notable Argument of love and fortitude 2. Without a cause Causes indeed were pretended but none found He spared Sauls life when he might have slain wept over Abner mourned for Absolon 3. But my heart stands in awe of thy Word This was the sign of his love this caused him to spare Gods Anointed revenge Ishbosheths death c. Though Princes degenerate and become Tyrants Touch them not let Gods Word awe thee 2. The second sign of his love is his joy and delight he took in Gods Law 2 His joy and delight in it He tells us that his joy in it exceeded that of men victorious in battel that returned loaden with spoiles Isa 9. David a Souldier and Conqueror could well tell what joy that was and yet he prefers this because it brings better tydings Ver. 2 I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great spoiles 3. A third sign of love to it was his hatred of all iniquity Ver. 3 and his abhorrence of falshood 3 His hatred of false wayes I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love It was no lite disliking of sin for a cold hatred of evil in time will be turned to liking no simple refusing of evil but an indignation against it a hatred an abhorrence Ye that love the Lord hate that which is evil for no man can serve two Masters Ver. 4 4. A fourth sign of his love was his fervour earnestness 4 His frequency to praise God and frequency of praising God Seven times a day do I praise thee Ver. 5 because of thy righteous judgments 5 The joy he took in Gods Saints and their peace and prosperity 5. A fifth sign of his love is the content he took that not only himself but others also were the better for loving of it He loved Gods Saints as well as his Law to these was 1. Great peace have they that love thy Law joy prosperity no peace to the wicked 2. And nothing shall offend them or they shall have no stumbling block Scandalize they will not actively nor be scandalized passively for that is offence taken by weak Christians who upon ignorance think that unlawful which is lawful or of Pharisees who interpret that to the worse part which they ought to interpret to the better But they which love the Law of God know why they love it they are perfect in charity nor weakling nor Pharisees and therefore they shall have no stumbling block 2.
sake whom thou hast sent to bless us Iesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour Amen PSALM IV. The occasion Trouble from enemies THERE be three parts of it 1. An entrance or petition for Audience vers 1. 2. An Apostrophe to his enemies which is Reprehensive 2 3. Admonitory 4 5 3. A Petition for himself and Gods people vers 6 7 8. The first part 1. He proposeth his request and suit for Audience Hear me when I call Vers. 1 Have mercy upon me or be graâ—ious unto me and hear my prayer He prayes for audience and mercy upon four grounds And he seeks to win attention from God by an insinuation implicitely containing four Arguments 1. Gods Covenant with man who hath promised to hear when we call 1 Gods promise Call upon me in trouble and I will hear thee I call Hear me therefore when I call 2. His own innocence He suffer'd without fault 2 His innnocence God is the Judge and Revenger of innocents Hear me therefore O God of my righteousness 3. He requests no more 3 Gods former goodness to him than what God had done for him at other times when he was in distress Thou hast enlarg'd me in trouble and why not now 4. It was mercy and favour to answer him then 4 And his mercy and it will be mercy and favour to do it again Have mercy upon me or be gracious to me 2. His Petition being thus headed and ended The second part he descends to the doctrinal part of the Psalm and turning himself to his enemies he 1. Sharply Reproves them 2. Then warns them and gives them good counsel 1. He turns his speech from God to men the chiefest but the worst of men 1 He reproves his enemies Filii Enosh O ye sons Virorum No Plebeians Vers. 2 but Nobles and chief men The charge he lays to them is 1. That they turn'd his glory into shame 1 That they fought against Gods decree They went about to dishonour him that God had call'd and anointed to the Kingdom 2. That they lov'd vanity A vain attempt they were in love with 2 That in vain 3. That they sought after leasing 3 That lyars They pursued that which would deceive them they would find at last that treachery and iniquity lyed unto it self for God had said he should reign and he must reign whatsoever they conceiv'd to the contrary was but a lye 4. That this his charge might have the more life 4 That obdurate in their rebellion he figures it with a stinging interrogation Vsque quo it is not Quare Why but Usque quo How long By which he doth aggravate their sins It had malice and pertinacy in it They did persist and continue in mischief And he asks How long they would do it But he would have them know that God had chosen and would hear him What never give over to prosecute him 2. And that they might if possible be drawn from their attempts he sends them a Noverint to read which hath two clauses 1. Let them know That God hath set apart him that is godly for himself Vers. 3 2. That God will hear when I or any good man calls upon him 2. 2 He gives them good counsel The Reproof both of Vanity and Malice of their attempts and ignorance being ended He gives them good counsel 1. Vers. 4 1 That they sin not by their anger That though they be angry yet that they let not the Sun go down upon their wrath That they stand in awe of God and sin not in their anger 2. 2 That they seclude their passions and interests That they commune with their own hearts their own conscience that they do it in their bed a fit time a fit place when retired from all Conspiratours that they be still then and seclude their passions and interests Then they should rightly judge whether they were not in an errour their anger causless and their prosecution vain and unjust 3. Vers. 5 3 That they serve God with an honest heart That they offer the sacrifice of righteousness That they serve and worship God with an honest sincere and contrite heart which is the best sacrifice 4. 4 That they trust in God That they put their trust in the Lord. They trust no more to their Lyes nor love their Vanities but relie upon Gods promises For then they would depose all their vain attempts 3. The third part Vers 6. The Question answer'd de Summo Bono The third part of the Psalm begins at the sixth verse with this Question of â—hose men that David reproves and counsels There be many that say Who will shew us any good And some Interpreters referre it 1. To their malice As if they had said Who will shew us the good that we so much desire and long for When shall we see David dead and confounded that which is so good in our eyes 2. Others make them words of insultation in great distress David now was and many said Who is there now that will stand by him and take his part and shew him and his any good any kindness favour or assistance 2. Which consists in the light of Gods countenance But Interpreters generally make it a serious question and a disquisition de summo bono Who will shew us that good which will make us happy To which David returns his answer in effect that it is not Bona animi nor bona fortunae nor bona corporis but the light of Gods countenance and therefore 3. His Petition or Prayer for it He preferres his Petition Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Gods countenance is his grace his favour his love and the light of his countenance the exhibition and expression of this grace favour The effects of it are love in which alone lies all the happiness of man Of which David expresseth two effects Gladness and Security 1. Vers. 7 1 Gladness Gladness and joy far beyond that which may be had from any temporal blessings Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn and wine and oyle increased Gladness beyond the joy in harvest and this joy is from the light of Gods countenance For tu posuisti Thou putt'st Thou signally 2. Vers. 8 2 Security Security express'd under the Metaphor of sleep I will lay me down in peace and sleep Just as in a time of peace and sleeping as securely as if there were at this time nor trumpet nor drumme nor clashing of armour rattling in his ears 3. For this safety God assur'd him To which he adds the reason For thou Lord alone makest me dwell in safety The Prayer collected out of the fourth Psalm O Most merciful and loving Father merciful in promising and faithful in performing thy promises which hast commanded us to call upon thée in time of trouble
shall my prayer prevent thée Lord why castest thou out my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to dye yea from my youth up thy terrours have I suffered with a troubled mind thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy displeasure hath cut me off This is the desire of my enemies Ver. 7 among whom I daily live who insult over me for my sins and labour to draw me to despair of thy mercies these come daily about me like water and compass me about together Oh let not their mischievous imagination prosper left they be too proud never let them cry there there so would we have it But I will praise the Lord for that he hath done I will wait on thy name for thy Saints like it well Ver. 8 therefore all ye workers of iniquity who have temptted me to sin and pressed me to despair Depart from me for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping Ver. 9 the Lord which I repeat with joy and comfort hath heard the voyce of my supplication the Lord hath received and graciously answered my prayer So let thine enemies perish Ver. 10 O Lord so let them be ashamed and suddenly confounded and sore vexed even as many as are adversaries to thy Church and thy Glory Amen PSAL. VII The occasion A slaunder and accusation laid against him by Cush the son of Jemini that he sought to kill Saul from which he frees himself before God THree parts there are of this Psalm 1. His Appeal to God by way of Petition ver 1.2 6. 2. The Reasons of it set down through the whole Psalm 3. The first part Davids Appeal to God by way of petition to which he desires God to be The Doxology or his Thanksgiving ver 17. 1. He begins his Appeal with a Petition for freedom and deliverance from his Persecutors Save me deliver me ver 1. in which he desires God to be 1. Attentive to him first upon the Relation that was betwixt them for he was his Lord his God secondly He trusted in him O Lord my God I trust in thee Ver. 1 ver 1. 2. 1 Attentive 2 Benevolous Benevolous For he was now in danger of death he had 1. Enemies 2. Many Enemies 3. Persecuting Enemies 4. But one above the rest a Lyon who sought first to catch then to tear and rend him to pieces so that if God forsook him he would do it Save me from those that persecute me and deliver me least he catch my soul as a Lyon and tear it in pieces while there is none to deliver ver 2. The second part His reasons of Appeal 2. And then he gives his Reasons why he doth appeal to his God which are his own Innocency and Gods Justice 1. He makes before God a protestation of his Innocency Accused he was 1 His innocency that he lay in wait and plotted for Saul's life and Kingdom but he purgeth himself shews the impossibility of it and that with a fearful imprecation 1. O Lord my God if I have done any such thing as they object Ver. 3. 4. if therâ— be iniquity in my hands if I have rewarded evil tâ— him that was at peace with me ver 3 4. which was indeed an impossible matter And imprecates evil to himself if it were not so for I have deliver'd him that without any cause is my enemy as Saul in the Cave 1 Sam. 24. 2. Upon which he falls to a fearful imprecation to light upon himself if he were any way guilty Then let my enemy persecute my soul and take it Ver. 5 let him tread down my life upon the Earth and lay mine honour in the dust In effect thus then let my enemy have his will upon me take both my life and my honour dearer than my life from me lay all in the dust Kingdom Life Fortunes whatsoever thou hast promised me and I expect 2. And which is the second Reason of his Appeal being thus innocent 2 Gods justice he call to God for justice Arise O Lord in thy anger lift up thy self Ver. 6 because oâ— the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded 1. The rage of my enemies is great 2. The judgment was thine that chose me from my Brethren to be King of thy people Israel Thou commandest Samuel to anoint me Arise thou therefore lift up thy self and awake for me 3. Besides this will be for thy Honour and Eâ—ification of thy Church 3 Gods glory The Congregation of thy people shall compass thee not me about Ver. 7 they will assemble to praise thee for their sakes therefore return thou on High Ascend the Tribunal and do justice Now upon this Argument of Gods justice He stayes upon Gods justice he dwells and insists till the last verse of the Psalm and he implores it upon the ingemination of his own innocency and the impiety of his enemies God the Judge 1. He avows God to be the Judge not of his cause alone but of the whole world The Lord shall judge the people Ver. 8 2. Then he importunes him to do justice to him and to wicked men He implores his justice 1. To him an innocent and upright person 1 To him an innocent Judge me O Lord according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me 2. To the wicked O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end Ve. 9 3. And yet again he prayes over the same thing but not only for himself 2 Upon the wicked In God all the properties of a a good Judge 1. Knowledge 2. Prudence 3. To save but all good men Establish the just and adds his Reason that God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He knows not only the words and deeds but the heart also The righteous Lord trieth the very hearts and reins and therefore fittest to be a Judge in whom is required knowledge and prudence 4. The other two properties of a Judge are to save to punish and the triumph of his faith is that he knows he will do both 1. He will save the just and upright in heart he will judge the righteous Ver. 10 and therefore his defence is in God 2. He will punish the wicked for he is angry with the wicked every day Ver. 11 And yet even to them he shews much clemency and forbearance 4 To punish he stayes for their conversion he whets bends sharpens prepares his instruments of death he cuts them not down shoots not till-there is no remedy 5 Clemency Marry If they will not turn he will whet his Sword Ver. 12 he hath bent his Bowe and made it ready Ver. 13 he hath prepared for him the instruments of death and ordains his Arrows against the Persecutors 5. But mercy shewed unto the wicked it seems will not mend and better him nor Davids innocency But forbearance mends
discipline and science strength defence that he had from god 4. from the safe custody that in the battle he receiv'd no wound Vers. 36 5. From the success of the battle He had his enemies in chase Vers. 37 and follow'd them in pursuit 6. From the greatness of his Victory Vers. 38 it was a compleat and full Conquest For by it his enemies were taken consumed wounded not able to rise they fell under his feet subdues their necks brought down c. 7. From the cause in which he takes nothing â—o himself but attributes the whole to God Thou hast girded me c. Thou hast subdued Thou hast given me the necks of my enemies Which is indeed acknowledged through the whole Psalm 2. The Consequent upon this Victory The consequent of the Victory viz. The enlargement of his Kingdom was the propagation and enlargement of Davids Kingdom 1. That before these Victories there was murmuring at him by the people but now being a Conquerour they were all quiet Thou hast deliver'd me from the strivings of the people His Crown was quiet Vers. 43 2. He was exalted to be the head of heathen Moabites Ammonites c. serv'd him Vers. 44 3. Nay a people whom I have not known Aliens shall serve me nay assoon as they hear of me they shall obey me c. Vers. 45 4. 'T is true indeed they shall dissemble in it and do it for fear more than love and take every occasion to fall off and fade away But yet however they shall do it submit and be content to serve me The fourth part Davids Doxology for his Victories The last part contains the main Scope and intent of David in this Psalm which is to celebrate and extoll the Name and Mercy of God for his Victories And it hath two parts 1. His present thanksgiving 2. And his profession for the future 1. The Lord liveth and blessed be my Rock Vers. 46 and let the God of my salvation be exalted And to that end in the two next verses he maketh mention again of his Victories and attributes the whole success to God 2. And he professeth that he will never cease to do it no not among the heathen Therefore I will give thanks to thee among the heathen and sing praises c. 3. And he professeth that he had great reason to do it Great deliverance giveth he to his King His one of his own chaise And sheweth mercy to his Anointed Uncto suo to David And not to David a lone but to his seed for evermore An 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Thanksgiving for some great Victory collected out of Psalm 18. O Lord whose eyes are brighter ten thousand times than the Sun thou who beholdest all the wayes of the children of men and wilt reward every man according to his doings Vers. 25 who to the good and innocent wilt shew thy self good and merciful and to the perverse and froward wilt shew thy self averse and severe We thy afflicted people have in the depth of our sorrows cryed unto thée and thou hast out of thy goodness saved us and hast brought down the high looks of the proud The sorrows of imminent death and the incursions of furious men like torrents of water encompassed us the snares they laid for us made us afraid the grave was open and ready to swallow us But in these our distresses we call'd upon the Lord and cryed unto our God and he heard us out of his holy dwelling in Heaven and the cry of our ardent and instant supplication was heard by him accepted and granted Lord when thou wentest out against our enemies when thou marchedst out into the field against Edom Vers. 13 the earth trembled and the heavens dropt the Lord also thunder'd from heaven and the highest gave his thunder hail-stones and coals of fire From Vers 7. to 15. He fought from Heaven the Starres in their courses fought against Sisera O my soul thou hast troden down strength For O Lord the Earth the Heavens the Mountains the lightning the thunder the dark and thick clouds the wind and rain the bail-stones and tempests all have obey'd thy voice and conspired at thy command to the destruction of our enemies to tear them to scatter them to discomfit them They were too strong for us Vers. 16 they took all advantages against us in the day of our trouble and weakness but then thou Lord wert our Protector and Defender even then he reached us his hand and help from Heaven he sent his Angels from above he took us he drew us he deliver'd he fréed us from our strongest Enemies from those who hated us from those bitter calamities which like many waters did environ our souls And he brought us out of these straits into a large and safe place he deliver'd us even because he had a favour unto us Thou Lord out of thy frée love and mercy hast done it So it was because so Lord it pleased thée What shall we give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto us Assist us with thy Grace and we will from henceforth keep thy wayes and not depart from our God as the wicked do His judgements shall alway be before us and we will not put away his Statutes from us We will walk more closely and uprightly with our God and keep ourselves from our own iniquity even from the temptation of that bosome-sin with which we have been hitherto defiled For then we know that the Lord will reward us after our righteous dealing and integrity according to the cleanness of our hearts and hands in his eye-sight We will therefore love thee Vers. 1 O Lord our strength for thou art our Rock and our Fortress and our Deliverer thou art our God our strong hold in thee will we trust our Buckler and the horn of our Salvation and our high Tower For who is God save the Lord Vers. 31 or who is the Rock save our God It is God that hath girded and arm'd us with strength and blessed us to make his work perfect He hath given us expedition in our actions and power to possess the strongest Fortresses He hath taught and instructed us in the art of Warre and fitted our arms making them in strength like a bow of steel nimble to shoot dextrous to hit and kill the enemy And in the very mouth of danger thou hast given us thy salvation for a shield and the power of thy right hand hath upholden and sustained us Vers. 36 that we fell not and thy favour hath made us great increased us in power and dignity We séemed to be inclosed and shut up in inexecrable difficulties but thou hast enlarg'd our steps and in these slippry places not suffered our féet to flide In thy name and power it is that we have pursued our enemies Vers. 37 that our féet being not wearied in the pursuit we have overtaken them that we have not turn'd again till we have
to make intercession for Kings and all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Hear the prayers of thy Church which we send up unto thée for our King now in the day of his trouble Ver. 2 let the power of that God who defended Jacob from the fury of his brother Esau protect him and set him on high in a safe place Send him help from thy Sanctuary thy Throne in Heaven strengthen and support him by those prayers that are offered out of Zion for him Remember O Lord those fervent supplications and intercessions that are daily offered at thy Throne of grace in his behalf and accept the vowes and sighs and groans sent up unto thée by thy afflicted people for his restitution Grant unto him according to his own hearts desire and fulfil and give good success to all his counsel and whatsoever he for the advance of thy glory piety justice and the good of his people shall request that be pleased to hear and deny him not the request of his lips Our enemies put their trust in their Arms and Ammunition and suppose that their strength of Horse and arm of flesh shall hold them up and kéep them safe in that power which they have got by violence blood perjury and hypocrisie But we will remember the Name of the Lord our God being assured that a Horse is but a vain thing to save a man neither shall he deliver any man by his great strength it is not these humane helps we put our trust in but in thy Name alone Truly when thou shalt perform this for us as we trust thou wilt then will we rejoyce in thy salvation and in the Name of our God will we set up our Trophies of victory O let his enemies be brought down Ver. 8 and fall flat before him and let all those who with a sincere heart séek to advance his cause and right thy Church and thy sincere worship Ver. 6 rise and stand upright Make it known That the Lord will save his Anointed that he hath heard him and the prayers that have béen offered for him from his holy heaven and that he hath restored him by the saving strength of his right hand Save Lord save the King the Church and thy People Let the King of Heaven thy Christ our Iesus whom thou hast exalted to be Lord and King hear us when we call Amen PSAL. XXI The Peoples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Carmen Triumphale THIS Psalm is the Peoples Thanksgiving after the Victory In the former Psalm they pray'd for David when he went out to War in this they praise God for the Conquest God gave him over his enemies and the singular mercies God bestowed on him Three parts there are of it 1. A general Proposition in ver 1. 2. A Narration which is twofold from ver 1. to 4. 1. An enumeration of the particular blessings bestowed on David from ver 1. to 6. 2. An account how God would deal with his enemies from ver 6. to 13. 3. A Vow or Acclamation ver 14. The Sum of the Psalm is contained in the first verse The King shall joy The first part the King shall be exceeding glad Ver. 1 Joy then is the affection that King and People were transported with for all that follows shew but the rise and causes of it The joy of the King in Gods salvation 1. The rise or object of it The strength of God the salvation of God 1. His strength by which he did subdue his enemies contemn dangers 2. His salvation by which he escaped dangers fell not in battle 2. The second part Then they make a large Narration of the goodness of God to Davids person in particular of which the severals are these following 1. God granted to the King what he ask'd with his heart and mouth Gods goodness to David Thou hast given his hearts desire and hast not witholden the requests of his lips 2. He granted unto him more than he asked was more ready to give Ver. 2 than David to pray Thou preventedst him with the blessings of goodness Ver. 3 3. He chose him to be King Thou hast set a Crown of pure gold upon his head in which God prevented him chosen him when he thought not of it 4. When he went to War He asked his life Ver. 4 and thou gavest him even length of dayes for ever and ever which is most true in Christ who was the Son of David in him his life and Kingdom is immortal 5. A great accession of Glory Honour Majesty he was no poor obscure King now as at first nor contemptible in the eyes of the people Ver. 5 but greater than Saul or any King of Israel that followed of which yet he was not to boast not in his power not in his riches wisdom but in Gods goodness His glory is great but in thy salvation Honour and Majesty hast thou laid upon him All which are sum'd up under the word Blessing in the next verse Ver. 6 For thou hast made him most blessed for ever And added this to the blessing that thou hast given him a heart to rejoyce in it Thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance 6. The continuance of these blessings which is another favour Ver. 7 with the cause of it Davids confidence in God The cause his trust in God For the King trusteth in the Lord and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved 2. Hitherto is the first part of the Narrative that concerned Davids person in particular now follows the effects of Gods goodness to him ab extra and the whole Kingdom in the overthrow of his enemies The overthrow of his enemies by God and necessary it was to add this since no Kingdom though abounding with good Laws Wealth Subjects prudently governed can be happy except it be defended and safe from enemies abroad Now here their ruine and destruction is described and the cause 1. God by Davids hand would do it Thine hand the Sword of God and Gideon 2. He would certainly do it Ver. 8 for he should find them out wherever they were Thy hand shall find out all thy enemies and thy right hand shall find out all that hate thee 3. Ver. 9 This was easie to do as easie as for fire to consume the stubble Thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven in the time of thy wrath the Lord shall swallow them c. 4. Ver. 10 This destruction should be universal it should reach to them and their posterity Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the Earth and their seed from among the children of men 5. Ver. 12 Their judgment fearful and unavoidable God would set them up as a Mark to shoot at that should turn their back and yet they should not so escape because when they fled God would overtake them with a bended Bow and shoot his Arrows upon them
notwithstanding our failings we shall have good hope to have thy righteousness imputed to us for our justification when we shall appear before the God of our Salvation O Lord who art the Saviour of all those that séek and open to thée I lift up my heart to thée being destrous to approach thy presence in the right place where thou may'st be found and the right time whilest thou may'st be found Open my dull ears and hard heart that thy Son my Saviour that King of Glory may come in and dwell with me Grant me grace Ver. 7 that I may still hear while he calls open while he knocks and kéep him with me after he is entred that I may ascend thy Hill and stand in thy holy place that I may not only sojourn in thy Tabernacle but also rest and dwell upon the Mountain of thy holiness And O Lord give this Grace unto all Princes that they shut not the gates nor of their Cities nor hearts against thy Son when he would enter and bring the glorious light of the Gospel rather let them set them wide open that there may be a frée passage for the King of Glory to enter for then thou Ver. 8 who art the Lord of Hosts and Mighty in Battle wilt go forth with their Armies and subdue before them their enemies O thou who art the King of Glory the Lord strong and mighty remember thy dwelling place that now lies waste and those doors in which we do hope everlastingly to praise thée By these we entred to offer unto thée our supplications before thée in these houses we were want to praise thée But now they are thrown down desolate and forsaken Arise therefore O Lord thou and the Ark of thy strength build again the walls of Jerusalem and set up the gates of Zion that thy people may enter in and magnifie thy Name singing with joyful lips Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen PSAL. XXV This Psalm is a continued and earnest Prayer of a man pressed with enemies danger and sensible of Gods heavy displeasure for his sin AND the several Petitions which he makes may make the Partition 1. His first Petition is that his enemies triumph not over him ver 2 3. 2. His second is for instruction ver 4 5. which he urgeth ver 8 9 10 12 13 14. 3. His third for mercy and forgiveness ver 6 7 11. 4. He inforceth and renews his first Petition ver 15 16 17 c. with many Arguments 5. He prayes for Gods people the Church ver 22. 1. He prefaceth with the profession of his faith and confidence in God The first part which is the chief wing of all prayer Vnto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Ver. 1. 2. O my God I trust in thee He relies not on nor seeks not after any humane helps David relies on God and prayes and upon this living hope he prayes 1. For his hope that it shame him not as it doth when a man hopes 1 That his hope be not frustrate and is frustrated Let me not be ashamed make it appear that I hope not in thee in vain 2. Let not my enemies triumph over me glorying that I am deserted Ver. 3 and this Petition he perswades by this Argument the consequent may prove dangerous if thou send me no help but it will be to thy glory if I be relieved for if he were delivered the faith and hope of others would be confirmed if deserted the good would faint and fail the wicked triumph and therefore he prayes O let none that wait on thee be ashamed but let them be ashamed which transgress that is do me wrong maliciously without any cause given them by me 2. Then he petitions for instruction The second part for instruction that he may be so alwayes governed and confirmed by the Word of God that he sink not under the Cross but relie on Gods Promises 1. Shew me thy ways and teach me thy paths Ver. 4 that thou dealest harshly with thy best servants bringest down before thou exaltest mortifiest before thou quicknest settest the Cross before the Crown Teach me shew me that this is thy way 2. Ver. 5 Direct me in thy Truth and teach me Make me remember that thy promises are firm and true yea and Amen to those that trust in thee this makes me hope still Thou art the God of my salvation on thee do I wait all the day 3. The third for mercy He prayes for mercy and a remove of his sin that might obstruct it 1. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses which have been ever of old Ver. 6 i.e. Deal mercifully with me as thou hast ever done to those that flie to thee in their extremities 2. Ver. 7 Remission of sin especially of the rebellious concupiscence which in youth most domineers And remission Remember not the sins of my youth nor my ransgressions Ver. 11 according to thy mercy remember me for thy goodness sake O Lord This Petition he repeats ver 11. For thy Names sake O Lord pardon my iniquity and upon this my confession for it is multa or magna great David here breaks off his prayer Of which that he may be the more assured he calls to mind Gods goodness and to confirm his confidence discourseth of the Nature and Person of God even in the greatest fervency of our prayers the greatness of our sins the unworthiness of our persons the anger of God against sin come into our minds stagger our hope and tell us we shall not be heard no better way than to confirm us than to call to mind the nature and the wayes of God with his people and this course David here takes he saith 1. 1 That he is good Good and upright is the Lord. 1. Good for he receives sinners gratis 2. Vpright constant and true in his promises therefore instruet He will grant me my request ver 4. He will teach sinners and me though a great sinner in the way 2. 2 Favourable The meek he will guide in judgment He will not suffer them to be tempted above their strength but will teach them what to answer and will not proceed secundnm rigorem juris but will interpret all in the most favourable sense 3. 3 All his wayes mercy and truth In a word All the wayes of the Lord are Mercy and Truth Mercy in that he freely offers remission of sins the graces of his Spirit government in this life mitigation of our calamities and at last a discharge from them and eternal life Truth in that he will perform what he hath promised To those that keep his Testimonies Non est mendax sed verax But with this caution that men perform with him for it is unto such as keep his Covenant and Testimonies i. e. in faith and a good conscience walk before him the Covenant
affrighted me nor flattery won upon me to turn to the right hand or unto the lest But I have put my trust in thee thy loving kindness hath been before my eyes and I have been pleased in the way of Truth Be merciful therefore to me Ver. 1 O Lord that I may go on as I have begun and suffer not my féet to slip in this way nor to fall out of the way By the way side there be too too many tempters and temptations the most are destitute of thy fear having one thing in their heart another upon their tongue in whose hands is mischief and their right hand is full of bribes But thou knowest O Lord That I have not sate in counsel with these vain persons neither will I go in and converse with these dissemblers for I have hated with a perfect hatred the Congregation the Assembly the Society of these Malignants and with my whole heart have detested their Covenants and Engagements I have not I will not sit with these wicked and evil doers lest I should be infected by them or countenance and confirm them in mischief and draw on others by my example They Lord have demolished and polluted thy dwelling place but I love the habitation of thy house by their irreverence in that place they dishonour thée but I will come and fall low before thy Foot-stool well knowing that there thine honour dwelleth And when thou shalt again open those doors unto me if I contracted any soil I will wash it off with a flood of tears and being an innocent among thy innocent people and about thy Altar I will adore and with the Quire of those that sing to thy Name I will praise and exalt thy Mercy and Majesty There will I publish with Thanksgiving and tell abroad all thy wondrous works There with Hymns and Psalms composed to that end I will declare to all men that are there present how wonderfully and mercifully thou hast wrought for me and for thy people in delivering us from the hands of our blood-thirsty enemies Since then O Lord I have alwayes detested and declined the counsels and confederacies of evil-doers since I have béen ever studious of Religion and loved the communion of Saints Take not away my soul with sinners and involve not my life in that perdition which here and hereafter is due to these men of blood and oppressors of the innocent As for me I have walked innocently wronging none nor desirous to wrong any though I have séen the wicked prosper in their wickedness and some have judged them happy men yet I am not moved with their multitudes success or example I will yet walk in my integrity therefore good God destroy me not with these evil doers be merciful unto me and redéem my soul from the evils with which I am encompassed and from those evils that hang over their heads My foot hath hitherto béen kept right by thy grace and mercy therefore when thou shalt bring me back again to thy Temple I will not be unthankful but I will sing praises to thy Name in and with the great Congregation Amen PSAL. XXVII To comfort one in Danger and Adversity against Despair THERE be four general parts of it David shews 1. How free he is in danger from fear and the causes ver 1 2 3. 2. He expresses his love to Gods House and Religion ver 4 5 6. 3. He prayes ver 7 c. 4. He exhorts to depend on God ver 14. Possible it is that some Man Friend or Foe might ask David The first part David fears not because God is with him what heart he had in his miseries and persecutions all the time of Saul To whom David might return this Answer That he was never disheartned he never did despair and the Reason was because God was his Light to guide him his Rock to save him his Strength to sustain and uphold him The Lord is my Light and my Salvation of whom then should I fear Ver. 1 The Lord is the Strength of my life of whom then should I be afraid Of which he had experience And this he amplifies in the next two verses first by experience he had already found this true When the wicked Ver. 2 even mine enemies came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell secondly he puts a case Say that an Host of men should encamp against me my heart shall not fear Ver. 3 though War should rise against me in this will I be confident The Arguments of his confidence were Gods goodness ver 1. And was therefore confident and his own experience ver 2. to which he adds three more in the 5 10 13 verses 1. That God would hide him in his Tabernacle ver 5. Ver. 5 2. That when his father and mother forsook him God took him up ver 10. 3. That he should see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living ver 13. He expresseth his great love and desire to the Tabernacle and House of God The second part His love to Gods house One thing I have desired this one before all other things and he was constant in it That emphatically I will seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my life and that for three ends Ver. 4 1. To behold the beauty of the Lord to taste how good and gracious the Lord is 2. To enquire in his Temple there to search the mind of God 3. To offer in his Tabernacle sacrifices of joy Ver. 6 and to sing praises to the Lord. And this was another Argument of his security For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me upon a Rock and now shall mine head be lifted up above all my enemies round about me In the last part he falls to prayer The third part 1. He prayes For Audience and an Answer Hear O Lord when I cry with my voyee have mercy upon me Ver. 7 and answer me 2. 1 The ground of his prayer obedience The ground of his prayer his obedience to Gods Command Thou hast said seek ye my face Thy face Lord will I seek 3. Ver. 8 The matter of his prayer in general Hide not thy face from me put not thy servant away in anger Ver. 9 in which he hath good hope to speed even upon former experience 2 The matter of his prayer in general that God desert him not Thou hast been my help be not now worse to me than thou hast been therefore leave me not now nor forsake me O God of my salvation when father and mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up 4. Ver. 10 The matter of his prayer in particular Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path In particular to he taught a way to escape his enemies i. e. Teach me
what to do that I may please thee and lead me in a plain path that I may escape the ambushes and snares of my enemies deliver me not over to their will for they seek my ruine Ver. 11 1. Who are They are perjured men false witnesses are rise up against me 2. Ver. 12 They are mischievously bent They breath out cruelty 5. 1 Perjured men And their cruelty and falshood is so great that I had fainted were it not for my hope in thee 2 Cruel men I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living Ver. 13 At last he concludes with an Exhortation The fourth part He takes heart and perswades others to it that all others would take out his example and in their greatest extremities be couragious and put trust in God as he did Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart Wait I say on the Lord Be an expectant for he that shall come will come in his good time The Prayer collected out of the twenty seventh Psalm O Heavenly Father whatsoever the World plots the Devil endeavours and wicked men conspire against us that we are fully perswaded shall come to nought Ver. 1 and be utterly frustrate For thou O Lord art our delight to direct and comfort us our salvation to deliver us the strength of our life to support us whom then should we fear of whom then should we be afraid when we have so powerful a Saviour to defend us Though an Host of armed men should encamp against us our heart should not fear though War should rise against us Ver. 5 in this we would be confident that in the time of trouble he will hide us in the secret of his Tabernacle he shall set us upon a Rock to which the malicious hand of our enemies shall never be able to reach How often have our enemies Ver. 3 no otherwise than ravening Dogs set upon us to fear and eat up our flesh and how often have they béen defeated and frustrated of their purposes and fallen before us This O Lord is thy doing this the work of thy hand Ver. 6 Thou only hast lift up our heads above our enemies round about us For which great mercy One thing I have desired of thee this One before all other things Ver. 4 and this I will ever seek deny me not that in peace and quietness I may dwell all the rest of my life in that place where the House of my God is that I may have experience of the beauty of holiness and taste of that delight with which thou dost affect thy servants by the manifestation of thy presence that I may there inquire and learn my Duty and make a progress in the knowledge of spiritual things Ver. 6 that I may there compass thy Altar and offer the Sacrifices of Joy and sing Psalms of Praise and Hymns of Thanks to thee my God O my God hear my voyce for I have long cried and called unto thee deliver me from mine enemies that pursue me Ver. 7 and bring me back and give me a quiet Mansion in the place thine Honour dwelleth being moved by my unjust persecution have mercy upon me and return me a favourable answer My careful heart hath alwayes thought upon thée and béen revived with thy command Seek ye my face call upon me in the day of trouble and therefore with elevated eyes and hands and with an intent heart I have sought thy face thy presence thy favour thy protection and I will never cease to séek it till I shall sée thée face to face And since from my heart I séek it O do not turn and hide thy face from me and deny me not thy favour Conceive not so great anger and displeasure against thy servant who yet have deserved it for his sins as to cast me away and deny me that help which thou hast hitherto graciously afforded me My father my mother my friends my acquaintance my neighbours have all stood afar and forsaken me in my trouble and wilt thou also leave me at this time This hath not béen thy custom for when I have béen destituâ—e Thou hast been my help when I have béen exposed Thou hast taken me up Forsake me not then now O God of my salvation be my Helper who without thée am nothing be my Saviour who except thou save am like to perish Teach me thy Law and set me in the way in which I am to walk make it plain to me that I mistake it not lest by the errour in thy way and transgression of thy Law being forsaken of thée I fall into those snares and ambushes which my enemies have set for me O never deliver me over to their will Consider O Lord their injustice who have suborned false witness against me and such as breath out cruel words to take away my life So great is their malice That I had utterly fainted but that I believe verily to receive that happiness which thou hast promised in this life and after to enjoy those good things which thou hast engaged to give in Heaven which is truly the Land of the living For these thy word is past and therefore I will wait on thee this shall make me of good courage and strengthen my heart I will wait I say on the Lord with patience and though he defer me I will not faint but I will be instant with him in prayer and beg his aid being assured that at the last he will hear me for the merits of Iesus Christ my Saviour Amen PSAL. XXVIII A Prayer for Help and a Thanksgiving THREE parts there are of this Psalm 1. A Prayer from ver 1. to 6. 2. A Thanksgiving from ver 6. to 9. 3. A Prayer for the Church ver 9. The first part is a Prayer to God and he first prayes for Audience ver 2. The first part He prayes for Audience Hear me And his prayer is so described that it sets forth most of the conditions requisite in one that prayes 1. The object God Unto thee O Lord I cry Ver. 2 2. His faith To thee I cry who art my Rock Ver. 1 The conditions required in a supplicant 3. His fervour it was an ardent and vehement prayer I cry 4. Humility it was a supplication Hear the voyce of my supplication 5. His outward gesture I life up my hands Ver. 2 6. According to Gods order Towards thy holy Temple His Argument to perswade Audience The Argument he useth to perswade Audience is drawn ab incommodo Lest if thou make as though thou hearest not Ver. 1 I become like them that go down into the Pit have no hope of life in me no comfort no heart at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he prayes for is that he might not partake with hypocrites 2. Then he expresses what he prayes for which is that either First He might not be
prorogue my life and for thine honour sake I entreat that thou respite me that thy servants may sée that thou hast made good thy Word unto me and thy enemies may not have occasion to deride the Truth of thy promises and blaspheme For this reason especially unto thee O Lord I cry in my distress and unto the Lord do I make my supplication Hear O Lord and have mercy upon me Lord be thou my Helper And when I thus prayed Thou O Lord in mercy hast heard me I cryed and thou hast healed me I called in the pit and thou stast lifted me up Thou hast brought my soul from the Grave Thou hast kept me alive that my enemies should not rejoyce over me Thou hast turned for me my heaviness into joy Thou hast put off my sack-cloth with which I am cloathed as became a Mourner and girded and compaised me on every side with gladness For thine anger in which thou didst justly chastise me though sharp was but for a moment and in thy favour I have found life weeping hath endured with me for a night but joy came to me in the morning Therefore my tongue shall sing and praise thee I will not be silent of thee O Lord my God I will extoll thy Name and give thee thanks for ever And all you who are his Saints joyn your voyces with me and give thanks to him remember that he is a good and merciful God remember that he is a holy God and will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth Generation Remember that he is a gracious God and will not alway be chiding nor keeps his anger for ever Appear then before him and where he is pleased to be present sing Praises to him O Lord we will â—lwayes send forth thy honour through the Name of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XXXI For one in anxiety of spirit THIS Psalm is composed and mixt of diverse affections for David sometimes prayes sometimes he gives thanks now he complains now he hopes one while he fears another while he exults This vicissitude of affections is sixfold and it may very well divide the Psalm 1. With great confidence he prayes to God from ver 1. to 6. 2. He exults for mercy and help received ver 7 8. 3. He grievously complains of the misery he was in from ver 9. to 14. 4. He prayes again upon the strength of Gods goodness from ver 15. to 18. 5. He admires and exults and proclaims Gods goodness from ver 19. to 22. 6. Lastly He exhorts others to love God and be couragious ver 23 24. In the six first verses He prayes The first part he prayes to God and shews his Reasons 1. Ver. 1 That he be never shame in his hope Let me never be ashamed 2. That he be delivered speedily delivered 3. Ver. 3 That God would be his Rock and House of defence to save him 4. That God would lead him and guide him Lead me guide me 5. That God would pull his feet out of the Net that they privily laid for him In effect his Petition is the same His Reasons viz. to be delivered from his danger and his Reasons to perswade God to do this for him Ver. 1 are 1. His faith and confidence In thee O Lord I put my trust 2. The reason of his faith God a Rock Thou art my Rock and Fortress 3. That this would redound to Gods honour For thy Names sake lead me 4. Thou art my strength 5. I rely upon thee Into thy hands I commit my spirit 6. Do to me as thou hast ever Thou hast redeemed me heretofore 7. I do not as other men trust to vain helps but on thee only I have hated them that regard lying Vanities but I trust in the Lord. And in effect as his Petition was the same so are his Reasons also His confidence in God to be his Deliverer his Fortress Rock Redeemerâ— c. In which we have an example of a man in misery that thinks he can never say enough for himself and that makes him descant on the same thing which is no flat Tautology but an elegant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Expolition Then again we have a pattern for a pious soul in trouble to imitate Ver. 1 that be the pressure never so great yet he sayes to his God Thou art my Rock my Fortress my Strength Thou hast redeemed me I know I shall not be ashamed of my hope therefore I will trvst in thee So he begins so he concludes this first part of his prayer 2. Next he exults and gives thanks for some former deliverance The second part and by the experience of that doubts the less in this Perhaps the Chorus sang this He exults and gives thanks Moller 1. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy And his reason follows from his experience 2. For thou hast consider'd my trouble 2. Thou hast known i. e. Vers. 7 seen my soul in adversity I have seen Upon his deliverance I have seen the afflictions of my people c. 3. And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy 4. But hast set my feet in a large room 3. And now he prayes again 2. The third part He prayes again And complains of what he suffer'd within and without 1. He prayes Have mercy upon me O Lord. Vers. 9 2. Then he complains Complains and in his complaint shews the reason of his prayer for mercy 1. Within at home he was in a sad case For I am in trouble my eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly Totus marcesco Of the sad case he was in My life is spent with grief and my years with sighing my strength faileth because of my iniquity and my bones are consumed 2. Without I have little comfort either from friends or enemies 1. I was a reproach among all my enemies 2. Then for my friends they stood afar off They especially but especially among my neighbours and I became a fear to my acquaintance They that see me without fled from me 2. And then he aggravates the greatness of his grief and scorn This he aggravates and contempt I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind u muertos y ydos no son amigos I am become as a broken vessel What more vile what more useless 3. And which is yet more the people they mock me I have beard the slaunder of the many 4. And the Consequent was mischievous Fear is on every side 2. While they conspire or took counsel together against me 3. And their counsel was they devised to take away my life What could enemies do more or friends permit And after his Complaint The fourtâ—â— part he comforts himself with his first and chief reason again But I have trusted in thee O Lord and said Thou art my God Vers. 14 Let them conspire take counsel and devise
what they can yet I know He comforts himself in God except thou permit them they are not able to do it Thou art my God in thee I trust For my time is in thy hand not in theirs i. e. My life And then he falls to prayer again which consists of three parts 1. A Deprecation 2. A Supplication 3. And an Imprecation He prayes yet againn 1. A Deprecation for he prayes that he come not into their power 1 He deprecates Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from them that persecute me 2. A Supplication Make thy face to shine upon thy servant save me for thy mercies sake Let me not be asham'd for I have call'd upon thee 2 Supplicate◠O Lord. 3. An Imprecation Let the wicked be ashamed and be silent in the grave as we usually say silent leges inter arma when they are of no force 3 Imprecates against the wicked So let the wicked dye be silent and have no power 2. Let the lying lips be put to silence which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous In which there be so many Arguments to quicken the grant of his Imprecation 1. The quality of their persons They are wicked impious men Whose qualities he sets forth 2. There is no truth in them they have lying lips Their words are false 3. And their actions worse they speak grievous things and that against the righteous 4. Then their intention is worst of all for they do it proudly contemptuously disdainfully despitefully It proceeds ex malo habitu In the fifth part he sets out the abundant goodness of the Lord to his people The fifth part and He admires Gods goodness to his people as it were a little carried beyond himself by a divine rapture or extasie in a holy admiration he exclaims O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up Vers. 19 which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men This goodness of God is often laid up and hid as it was to the Israelites in Egypt not seen for many years but after a long time it was brought forth and wrought even before the sons of men But then observe this goodness is laid up for none nor wrought for none but such as fear him 2. Put their trust in him expect and believe his promises Vers. 20 And the Acts and Works of his goodness are here specified 1. The specialties of it Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man 2. Thou shalt keep them secretly in a Pavilion from the strife of tongues Upon which consideration in gratitude he breaks out into a Benedictus 1. Blessed be the Lord for he hath shew'd me his marvellous kindness c. 2. For which he blesseth God And corrects his errour and former mistake I said in my haste tashly imprudently I am cut off from before thine eyes Such was his rash judgement But he confesseth and amends this his folly And corrects his errour Nevertheless thou heardst the voice of my supplication when I cryed unto thee 6. The sixth part He exhorts the Saints to And so he falls upon the last part which is an Exhortation to the Saints 1. That they love God 2. That they be of good courage for it was the same God still and he would be as good to others as he was to him 1. That they love for two reasons 1. For that the Lord preserveth the faithful 1 Love God 2. That he plentifully rewardeth the proud doer That was his Mercy this his Justice 2. 2 That they be couragious That they be of good courage For then he shall strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord. They despair not but keep their heart fix'd and firm to the profession of truth which would be a seal of their hope The Prayer collected out of the 31. Psalm O Merciful Father who art wont to take pity on those who are distressed have mercy on me a poor wretch Vers. 9 who am in trouble and great misery So many and so great are the sorrows of my heart that my eye is grown dim and consumed with grief my soul pines away and the activest parts of my whole body are dryed up and become unserviceable The best part of my life is spent in heaviness Vers. 10 and my years are unpleasant for mourning my iniquity and transgression against thée is so great that when I sadly think thereupon my vital spirits and strength fails me and the solidity and firmness of my bones is wasted with a consumption Yea though my affliction be so great and urgent yet among men I found not any to comfort me To my enemies I am become a proverb of reproach and to the many a scorn and derision they load me so thick with slanderous reports that fear is on every side they take counsel together to take away my life But these were enemies and I expected no other from them that which most déeply pierceth my heart is that all my friends should become miserable comforters these even these when they saw me destitute of thy help have forsaken me conveyed themselves away and fled from me there 's not a Neighbour that doth not scorn me not any of my acquaintance who is not afraid to own me I am forgotten as a dead man of whom being laid in the grave there is no remembrance I am of no more accompt than a broken vessel of which there is no estéem because of no use but is cast to the Dunghill Yet though I am brought to this pitiful condition I do not despair in thee O Lord I do put my trust I have said Thou art my God Suffer me not to be ashamed of my hope and expectation Vers. 2 Bow down thine ear to my complaint and deliver me for thy righteousness sake save me speedily from the hands of my enemies and from them that persecute me Make thy gracious countenance to shine upon thy servant and save me for thy meer Mercy It is only to thy hands to thy power and care I commend my spirit and life which they go about to take from me This at other times Vers. 5 thou hast redeem'd from their fury be then a good God now unto me and trus in thy promises and deliver me now They have laid a net and snare to take me at unawares but do thou pull me out of it Be my house and defence to save me my strength to confirm me my Rock to uphold me my light to lead and guide me They lie in wait for my blood but my time is in thy hand who art the Lord of life and death thou givest thou takest away O then shut me not up in the hand of the enemy set my feet in a large room and let me enjoy my liberty O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them
workers of iniquity are in great power riches and honour they are exalted like a Cedar of Lebanon and spread and flourish like a green bay Tree Expect they do all men should come and put their trust under their shadow which if any just man refuse they observe his way and mark his steps séeking an occasion and opportunity to destroy him for they are ready with a drawn Sword in their hand and a bended Bowe in their fist that they first cast down the poor and needy and then slay him that is innocent and of an upright Conversation Good God never suffer our faith and confidence to be shaken at these procéedings of thy Providence but with an equal and patient mind let us resign our selves to thy will and be content thou do what séems good in thy eyes being fully assured that all things shall work together for the best to those that love God O Lord let us rest in thee and wait patiently for thee for thou hast said it and thy Word is true That wicked doers shall be cut off and yet a little while and his person shall descend into the grave his pomp shall vanish his power come to naught his riches take the wing and flie away yea his very place shall not be and that there shall be no remainder of him in thy good time O Lord make good this thy promise and let him be cut down as the grass and wither as the gréen herb let his Sword that he hath drawn against the innocent enter into his own heart let the Bowe which he hath bent to wound the guiltless break in his hand and wound himself because he is the enemy of thy people he is an enemy to thée and therefore let him suddenly and wholly vanish away as smoke leaving no sign at all behind of his ill-purchased glory But as for the meek who with a patient soul delight in thée and chearfully undergo those affronts and injuries which the prosperity of the wicked shall lay upon them well knowing that all is done by thy wisdom and permission Give them and their posterity a sure possession in the earth and let them be delighted with abundance of peace and tranquility of conscience uphold Lord the righteous and let their inheritance be for ever Let the little they have be unto them better than the great riches of the ungodly which they have heaped together by unjust wayes make them content with it enjoy it swéetly and securely and let it alwayes be sufficient to supply their necessities and so bless Lord their substance that in the dayes of want and famine they may have enough forsake them not O Lord and suffer not their seed to beg their bread when by some misfortune they shall fall from a high estate and have experience of adversity or else if through infirmity they fall into sin yet Lord let them not be utterly cast down but even then put to thy helping hand and lift them up restore them to their former state and to thy favour This that they may the sooner recover recall them when they go astray and ever after order their steps in thy Word and delight in their way teach them to eschew evil and to do good so shall they dwell for evermore let them shew mercy and give and lend that their seed may be blessed Teach their mouth to speak wisdom and their tongue to talk of judgment let the Law of thee their God be in their heart that their steps and goings may not slide forsake not O Lord thy Saints love judgment and preserve them for ever leave them not good Lord in the hand of the wicked nor condemn them when they are judged approve not thou that unjust sentence which wicked men pass upon them O ye righteous then wait on the Lord and keep his way good God give us all grace to delight in thée and to commit our wayes unto thée well-knowing that thy servants shall be exalted when the wicked shall be cut off Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace O Lord let me dye the death of the righteous and let my latter end be like his when the Transgressours shall be destroyed and cut off together then Lord be thou a salvation to the righteous and their strength in time of trouble O Lord arise help us and deliver us deliver us from the wicked and save us because we put our trust only in thee Amen PSAL. XXXVIII VVhich is the third of the Penitentials in which he doth implore Gods mercy being grievously afflicted THE parts of it are two in general 1. A Deprecation begun in the first verse and continued in the two last 2. A grievous complaint of his sin disease misery Gods anger his friends and his enemies through the whole Psalm all which he useth as Arguments to move God to pity him and shew him mercy In the first verse The first part He deprecates Gods anger that the fears of his heart proceeding from the sense of Gods anger against his sin might be mitigated at least though rebuked yet not in wrath though corrected Ver. 1 yet not in rigour O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath nor chasten me in thy hot displeasure And so he falls instantly upon his complaint The second part His complaint amplified which he amplifieth divers wayes 1. From the prime cause God For thine arrows stick fast in me thy hand presseth me sore Ver. 2 because of thy anger 2. Ver. 3 From the impulsive cause his sin his iniquities ver 4. his foolishness ver 1 From within 5. 3. From the weight and gravity of his afflictions which in general were The arrows of God that stuck in his flesh the hand of God with which he was pressed which was so grievous That there was no soundness in his flesh no rest in his bones 4. By an induction of particulars where he declares many effects of his disease 1. Putrefaction and stink My wounds stink and are corrupt 2. A sad posture of body I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long 3. A torment of his bowels My loins are filled with a sore disease 4. A general disaffection of parts There is no soundness in my flesh 5. A debility and grievous plague I am feeble and sore smitten 6. A pain that forced from him an out-cry I have roared 7. The disquietness of his heart I have roared for the disquietness of my heart In the midst of which that he might not be thought to have let go his hold his hope his confidence in his God he turns his speech to him Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee he hopes he prayes still 8. The palpitation and trembling of the heart My heart pants 9. The decay of his strength My strength fails 10. The defect of his sight As for the light of my eyes it is gone
life I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were therefore parce Faith is alwayes strugling with tentations before ver 7. he is confident God is his hope but yet his calamities his sickness his enemies the brevity fugacity troubles of his life ever and anon come into his memory and therefore he prayes again for mitigation of these and his prayer ariseth by a gradation 1. He prayes for Audience Hear my prayer O Lord. 2. He inforceth his prayer Then that his cry for such it was be heard Give ear unto my cry 3. For admission of his tears Hold not thy peace at my tears the Reason is a stranger thy grace thy favour 4. For some relaxation and ease O spare me that I may recover my strength which he quickens with this motive before I go hence and be no more seen Restore me to thy favour in this life hereafter it will be too late to expect it Ne moriar desperans The Prayer collected out of the thirty ninth Psalm O Lord when I beheld the flourishing estate and successes of the wicked and the life of the godly worn out with sorrow and afflictions I being not able to comprehend the secret wayes of thy Providence was resolved to lay my hand upon my mouth and acquiesce in thy will and wisdom Even so Lord it pleased thée so thou wisely disposest and brings to pass all things and though I were able to put in a just Apology for this thy doing yet I said weithin my self Ver. 1 I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a bridle especially while the wicked is before me that I say nothing against thée my God nothing unworthy my self But while I was dumb with silence while I held my peace and refrained even from good words Ver. 2 that which my heart gave me I must justly speak the grief within me was so vehement and my sorrow was so stirred Lord I confess my own weakness and infirmity that my heart was like fire within me and in that intemperate heat zeal and indignation at the wickeds prosperity I spake thus unadvisedly and immodestly with my tongue being tyred and wearied out of my life I desired to dye O Lord make me know when this my miserable and calamitous life shall end in which I suffer such heavy things and of which I am over-weary make me know the period and measure of my dayes that I may be certain what and how long I am to suffer and what the delay is that I must be under this Cross Short I know my time is and easily measured as easie as a hand-breadth 't is a moment 't is as nothing in comparison of thée and eternity and wilt thou not then suffer me to swallow my spettle Behold all things that are in the World are vanity of vanities and man among the rest his labour his power his strength his favour promise much and little satisfie and wilt thou then contend with such an one and persecute him as the dry stubble O Lord man is but the shadow of a shadow which is the image of a thing and yet is truly nothing so he passeth away being onward his journey toward death never continuing his condition in one and the same state and wilt thou then add so his affliction This O Lord néeds not for he is apt to afflict himself that little time which thou hast given him which he ought to endeavour that he might enjoy in a quiet and peaceable manner is disquieted with the perturbations of the mind for he disquiets himself in vain with fear and joy and hope and a covetous desire especially he heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them The Prodigal and unthrifty here dissipates what he had with so much care and perhaps sin heaped together or else Thieves or enemies violently plunder and carry them away These considerations O Lord I must confess pierced my soul and these thoughts wounded my heart and made me a little impatient till by thy mercy I recollected my self and retired my heart from all things below and fixed upon thée For now Lord what wait I for what is my erpectation what my confidence what my wealth my power my command my strength my life No no Lord I renounce my trust in all or any of these Thou Lord only art my hope my rock my strong Castle my defence my help my subsistence Thou O Lord which savest all those who hope in thy mercy deliver me from all my transgressions and make me not a reproach to foolish men to whose hands thou hast now justly delivered me for my iniquities against this thy just procéeding I will not open my mouth because I know that thou who wilt and dost all things uprightly hast caused me thus to be troubled to correct my enormities and exercise my patience But yet O Lord I beséech thée make an end of beating me and remove thy stroak that sense of thy wrath those terrours of conscience and pains of body under which I groan for I am even consumed and am ready to faint by the blow of thy heavy hand Thou hast made me an example that when thou correctest and rebukest man for his iniquity Thou makest his beauty to consume away insensibly as the fair gloss doth from the garment that the Moth frets so vain a thing is man As therefore thou hast made me an example of thy justice so set me forth as a Monument of thy mercy in hearing my prayers and cries and considering my tears which I poure out before thée Lord hear my prayer and give ear to my cry and hold not thy peace at my tears for I am as all my fathers were a man in this World of a short continuance the City I séek is above my way thither through this vally of tears in which for a time I must sojourn a Citizen I am of that City a pilgrim and a stranger here and the time I am to abide in it is but a little while O spare me then and deal more remissly and kindly with me forbear these severe stroaks that I may a little recover my strength by an assurance of thy grace and favour unto me before I go hence and be no more séen among men Cease good Lord to smite and afflict me in this grievous manner give me some ease and relaxation of my pain lay no more upon me than thou wilt make me able to bear O let me recover my strength of faith and hope in thée in this my pilgrimage it is not long but I must depart from hence and not be séen any more in this land of the living Grant therefore good Lord that I leave not this World with a conscience oppressed and affrighted with the grief and burden of my sin but that being discharged of that guilt I may quietly and peaceably resign my soul into thy hands being cloathed and beautified by
be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me Aha Aha! 3. 3 He prayes for all good men The third part of his prayer is for all good men Let all those that seek thee be joyful and glad in thee let such as love thy salvation say continually The Lord be praised his Name be magnified In the Close And for himself he renews his Petition for himself and to move God the sooner 1. He puts himself into the number of the poor aflicted people he boasts not I am a just man a King a Prophet But I am poor and needy 2. Shews his hope and confidence Yet the Lord I know thinks upon me 3. He casts himself solely on God Thou art my Help and my Deliverer 4. Therefore make no long tarrying O my God delay me not The Prayer collected out of the fortieth Psalm O Lord I am poor and destitute of all humane help think upon me Thou art my Helper and Deliverer in all my troubles do not therefore longer delay me but send me some aid and comfort Withhold not thou thy tender mercies which thou hast hitherto shewed from me and let thy loving-kindness and truth in performing thy promises alwayes preserve me For troubles more than I can number are come about me and my iniquities which in my prosperity séemed to be at rest now muster themselves against me and arrest me before thy Tribunal so that I am not able to stand in thy presence or with confidence look up to thée they are multiplied and excéed in number the hairs of my head upon the view of which my soul is in a bitter agony and my heart and vital spirits fail me Great evils I have formerly suffered under thy hand but in those depths I ardently continually and patiently expected thee my Lord and thou didst incline thy ear to me and heard'st my cry be pleased then now O Lord to deliver me O Lord make haste to help me bring me out of this misery and calamity in which I am plunged as in some déep Pit or in some miry and thick Clay and being delivered set me upon a Rock and safe place and settle and confirm my goings that I may walk with a shady and inoffensive foot I know by experience That the man is blessed that makes the Lord his trust and relies not upon his wit his wealth his power these are all lying vanities and proud men that trust to them will be deceived I beséech thée therefore instruct me in thy Truth and kéep me from putting any confidence in such lyes and alwayes give me an humble soul to rely upon thy mercies and not upon my own counsels Didst thou take pleasure in Sacrifices and burnt-offerings then would I give them thée but these Ceremonies thou dost not now require nor ever didst estéem without the sacrifice of a contrite heart but thou hast boared my ear and made me thy servant teach me then my Duty and make me obedient to thy Will as was thy only Son of whom it is written in the Volume of thy Book Lo I come I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Many O Lord my God and wonderful are the Works which thou hast done not to me alone but to all those that trust in thée and thy thoughts which are for good to Mankind who can number They cannot be declared they cannot be spoken they cannot be set in order before thee But of all thy works of wonder that is most admirable that thou shouldest send thy only Son into the World fit him with a body and cloath him with our flesh bring him down and humble him to the state of a servant that he might do thy Will redéem lost man by making his soul a sacrifice for sin 'T is the wonder of wonders that upon the Cross he should shed his blood to save us weak men and without strength ungodly and without worth enemies and without love for scarcely for a righteous man will one dye But in this thou hast commended thy love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us O wonderful love O unexpressible mercy We that were ungodly sinners are justified by his blood we who were sons of wrath are through him saved from thy wrath we who were enemies are reconciled unto thée by his death we in him have received that perfect righteousness and justice which alone we dare plead before thy Tribunal his obedience being a full satisfaction for our disobedience his voluntary sacrifice the sole oblation with which thou art well-pleased And this mercy and faithfulness thou hast declared and published to the sons of men and sent thy servants into the World that they should proclaim these glad tidings of which thou hast called me the unworthiest of all thy servants to be an Embassadour And this thy righteousness have I preached in the great Congregation lo my lips have not refrained to speak of thy goodness I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart I have not concealed thy faithfulness in performing thy promises and thy salvation which thou fréely offerest to all penitent Believers This I have declared in the frequentest and fullest Assemblies For this I now suffer and bitter enemies I have That seek after my soul to destroy it O let them be ashamed and confounded together let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil let them receive confusion for the reward which is due to their iniquity let them be forsaken and destitute of help in the day of trouble as many as insult over me glory in their wickedness and say so would we have it Frée me O Lord from their hands That those who with an honest heart seek thee may see it and rejoyce and be glad in thee and those who love thy salvation expecting defence and deliverance from thée alone may have just reason continually to say The Lord be magnified who is so merciful and just toward his servants Amen PSAL. XLI IN this Psalm David shews how men should and how commonly they do carry themselves toward men in affliction and trouble 1. They should carry themselves compassionately and kindly which would make them happy and find mercy from God from ver 1. to 4. which is the first part of the Psalm 2. But they commonly carry themselves unkindly and afflict the afflicted of which David complains from ver 4. to 10. which is the second part 3. Upon which unkindness he flies to God and prayes for mercy ver 11. shews his hope and confidence in God ver 11 12. and blesseth him ver 13. which is the third part 1. He begins with an excellent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a grave sentence The first part He is blessed Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy i. e. any man in trouble want c. Ver. 1 This man
their hope who commend themselves to thy goodness and are favoured by thee The Prayer collected out of the fifty second Psalm O Lord God Almighty who hast seperated the Tribe of Levi to come near unto thée and hast commanded them to teach Jacob thy judgments and Israel thy Laws behold and look down from Heaven and consider the disgrace and injury we suffer for thy Name Thou hast sent us as shéep among wolves and as wolves they fall upon us and devour us counted we are as the off-scouring of all things for thy sake and made a spectacle to Men and Angels The tongue of the Mighty deviseth mischief against us like a sharp Razor they wound and cut Ver. 2 and work deceitfully instead of love they return us haired Their tongue is deceitful they speak lies against us and words that may devour us Nay to that height of pride and impiety they are come that they glory they boast in this mischief Ver. 1 as if in destroying of us they thought they should do God good service And now Lord what is our hope truly our hope is even in thée Thy goodness O Lord endureth continually we know whom we have trusted we know on whom we rely and we are assured that thou wilt perform thy promise unto us as they have sought to destroy us so shall God likewise destroy them for ever he shall take them away and pluck them out of their dwelling place and root them out of the Land of the living This the righteous shall live to see done with their eyes and for it serve thee their Lord with more fear and rejoyce before thee with the greater comfort being delighted not so much with their destruction as with the express of thy justice Laugh they shall and say So so let it happen unto all those who make not God their strength but trust to the abundance of their riches and strengthen themselves in their wickedness But O Lord let the fate of him that for thy sake is seperated from his brethren be altogether otherwise Let every one of the Tribe of Levi that seeks his God with a clean heart and in sincerity serve thee in thy house be like a green Olive tree full of fruit and full of youth and for ever and ever be joyful in thy mercy Which thing if thou wilt do for us then shall we praise thy Name then will we wait upon thee and expect to see thy goodness in the land of the living through Iesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour PSAL. LIII THIS Psalm is the very same with the fourteenth The Analysis then must be the same and the Prayer and therefore I refer you thither PSAL. LIV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID in danger in the Wilderness of Ziph composed this Psalm There be 2 parts of the Psalm 1. His Prayer for help and salvation from vers 1. to 4. 2. His Confidence that he should have help and upon it his gratitude to vers 7. David preferres his Petition in the two first verses 1. Save me plead my cause Hear my prayer The first part Davids Petition Give ear to the words of my mouth Earnest he is and he ingeminates his desire and yet he desires not to speed except his cause be just Vers. 1 If so it appear then he desires God to plead it Plead thou my cause 2. He produceth two grounds upon which he petitions The name The ground of it the strength of God 1. He that calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved I call Save me in thy Name 2. Thou art a powerful God able to do it Save me in thy strength And this his Petition he quickens by the greatness of his danger His enemies The greatness of his danger 1. Were strangers from them he could expect very little favour 2. They were violent oppressors formidable cruel tyrants and from such I must expect no mercy 3. Nothing can satisfie but my blood They arise not for me but against me and seek after my life 4. They are a sort of impious people They have not set God before their eyes Well yet be they Aliens The second part In which he expresses his confidence and by their works unworthy of the name of Israelites formidable and cruel men who will shew me no mercy bloody-minded whom nothing can satisfie but my life Impious and ungodly people that remember not that God hath a revengeful eye Yet I will not fear For behold God openly favours me 2. And is against them Me he favours and those who are with me 1. God is my helper As he hath promised so he hath done and will do to me 2. God is with them also that stand for me and uphold my soul Ecce Behold both these But he opposeth them that oppose me Is an enemy to them who are mine enemies He shall reward evil to such enemies that observe me Vers. 5 and lay wait for my soul Of which being assured in the Spirit of Prophecy he imprecates Destroy thou them And imprecates cut them off in thy truth Promised thou hast that it shall go well with the righteous but on the ungodly thou wilt rain snares fire and brimstone Let God be true Fiat justitia pereat mundus As thou hast said Cut them off Now for so great a mercy Vows to be thankful David vows not to be unthankful For this 1. He would Sacrifice I will praise thy Name 2. Vers. 6 He would do it with a cheerful ready heart which is the fat of the Sacrifice I will Sacrifice freely For which he gives two reasons 1. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which internally moved him unto it For it is good The reasons 6. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occasional or outwardly impulsive His deliverance 1. For he hath deliver'd me out of all my trouble 2. And mine eye hath seen to my great admiration and content his desire upon my enemies Delivered I am they confounded The Prayer collected out of the fifty fourth Psalm O Almighty Lord who heardst the cryes of thy people Israel when they were oppressed in Egypt Vers. 1 look upon the afflictions of us thy people who have just reason to groan under our hard Task-Masters and heavy burdens By experience we find that all the help of man is in vain we therefore invoke thy name and implore thy power Hear our prayer O God and give eat to the words of our mouth Now we stand in néed of thy strength now we have use of thy powerful arm since our enemies become strangers to their own blood and shew us no favour are violent oppressors and load us with heavy burdens are cruel tyrants from whom we must expect no mercy are bloody men whom nothing can satisfie but our lives are a sort of impious people that have not set thee before their eyes O God be thou our helper and Saviour and be present with all those that fight for thée and
is among the rest whose unkindness breaks my heart Had it been a professed enemy that had spoke evil of me and reproached me I could more patiently have borne it or had it béen one that openly hated me or proudly threatned my ruine that had done me this harm I would have withdrawn my self declined his company and avoided his attempts But that which makes the mischief unsufferable and my danger inevitable It is thou that hast spoken ill of me Thou that hast betray'd me who wast my intimate and bosome friend Thou who wast my familiar Thou to whom I intrusted my secrets Thou who wentest with me to the House of God one who séem'd to be of the same mind with me in all prophans and divine things His words were smoother than butter and softer than oyle when Vers. 21 as it appears since he had war in his heart and a sword to be drawn to destroy me For this is the man that hath now put forth his hand against me and not me alone but all such with whom he had made peace nor Oaths nor Covenant nor Articles of agréement can hold him he hath broken them all And his followers and favourites are no better than himself bloody and deceitful men they are They have seen no changes therefore they fear not God O Lord hear my prayer and afflict them Bring them down to the pit of destruction let them perish by some violent and immature death and never live out half their dayes But as for me I will in the midst of these troubles call upon my God I will hope and trust in thee and the Lord shall save my life Earnestly will I cry uncessantly at morning evening and at noon-day will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice Experience I have of his merciful hand he hath redeem'd my life miraculously in the battail that was set against me even then he hath secured me as in a time of peace Then he hath sent and set an Army of Angels for my guard so that there were many with me O Lord thou art immutable thou abidest of old thou art the same and changest not I will therefore cast my burden of cares and sorrows upon thee so for I am assured that thou wilt sustain me that I shall not sink under it Thou wilt not suffer thy righteous servant to be tost and tumbled by the persecution of wicked men for ever Amen PSAL. LVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID in banishment among the Philistines and being there in great danger of his life prayes complains of his professeth his confidence in God The Contents of it are 1. Davids Prayer vers 1 7 8. 2. The cause the fear of his enemies whom he describes vers 1 2 5 6. 3. His Confidence in Gods Word vers 3 4 9 10 11. 4. His Thankfulness vers 4 10 12 13. 1. He begins with a prayer for mercy little he was like to find from man The first part His prayer The second part from his God he expected it and therefore he prayes Be merciful to me O God 2. And then presently be subjoins the cause The cause his danger from his enemies the danger he was in by his bloody and cruel enemies whom he begins to describe 1. From their unsatiable raven like a gulf they would swallow me up Vers. 1 which he repeats in the next verse Man would swallow me my enemies at home and abroad would swallow me up Whom he describes 2. From the time Dayly they would do it without intermission 3. From their number Many there be that fight against me Of these he gives us a farther Description at the fifth and sixth verses 1. From their uncessantmalice Every day they wrest my words Vers. 5 All their thoughts are against me for evil 2. From their secret treachery craft vigilance Vers. 6 They gather themselves together they hide themselves their counsels lying as it were in ambush for me They mark my steps Go whither I will they are at my heels 3. From their implacable hatred nothing could satisfie them but his blood They lay wait for my soul In the very midst of this Complaint he inserts his courage and confidence The third part His courage 1. In Gods promise 1. What time I am afraid I will trust in thee 2. I will not fear He ariseth higher Even when he fears he will not fear His word his promise is pass'd to me for protection and I will trust to it In God I will praise his Word In God have I put my trust I will not fear what flesh for the proudest the mightiest enemy I have is but flesh and all flesh is grass I will not then fear what flesh can do unto me 3. Vers. 10 This reason he repeats again vers 10 11. 1. In God I will praise his Word In the Lord I will praise his Word 2. In God have I put my trust I will not fear what man can do to me And this his Confidence he quickens and animates 2 In Gods justice 1. First from his assurance that God would punish and bring down his enemies Vers. 7 Shall they escape for their iniquity No no. In thine anger thou wilt cast them down 2. 2 In Gods mercy in protecting him From his assurance of Gods Tutelage and paternal eye over him in all his dangers griefs complaints petitions banishment Men think Vers. 8 Non vacat exiguis rebus adesse Jovi he knew otherwise 1. Thou tellest and hast upon accompt my wanderings My flights Vers. 9 exile 2. Thou putt'st my tears into thy bottle Preserv'st them as rich Wine 3. Thou keep'st a Record of them Are they not in thy book 4. Thou putt'st my enemies to flight When I cry unto thee then I know my enemies shall be turned back for God is with me 4. The fourth part And therefore at last he concludes with thanks to which he holds himself bound by Vow 1. His thankfulness for his deliverance Thy vows are upon me Damnatus sum voti I owe thee thanks by vow and I will pay it I will render praises unto thee 2. Vers. 12 The reason is For thou hast delivered my soul from death 2. Vers. 13 Thou wilt deliver me Wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling 3. And the end is That I may walk before God in the light of the living That I may live awhile and walk as before thy eye as in thy sight uprightly sincerely The Prayer collected out of the fifty sixth Psalm O Lord Vers. 1 to whom all hearts are open no secrets are hid thou knowest and seest the secret counsels and open attempts of wicked men against thy people Their endeavours are to swallow us up day by day they fight to oppress us Many they are for number and mighty they are for power that fight against us O thou most High And their malice is no less than their might nor their watchfulness inferiour to
Wicked men these are corrupters of all Truth and Religion Blood-thirsty men these are that thirst after the blood of thy Saints and use all their force power and conspiracies to root them out of the Earth they lie in wait for our souls they are gathered together for our ruine O send us help from thy holy Heaven and save us from the rage of them who would eat us up Many many grievous offences we have committed against thée our God but it is not for these crimes they at this time invade us but they are haters of true Religion and implacable enemies to true Piety which because we maintain therefore they craftily take counsel and wisely they work to our destruction O Lord Thou knowest that without any fault or offence of ours they run and prepare themselves to Battel Therefore O just God who art a witness of our innocency and their cruelty be not like one that sléeps arise to help us that séek thée behold our miseries and stand up for us that stand for thée and since thou art the Lord of Hosts who hast all Armies at thy Command and the God of Israel whom thy people serve suffer not thy chosen to be thus oppressed by wicked men whose pride excéeds that of the Heathen Visit them in anger O Lord and be not merciful to them that offend of malicious wickedness they are an object of vengeance not of mercy execute then thy severe wrath upon them Are not their works altogether the symptoms of an obstinate and hard heart Earnest they are to execute their plots they run too and fro In the Evening when good men are at rest then they arise for mischief mad as Dogs to bring their purposes to pass They grinne they threaten they walk round the City observing where they may take their Prey Boldly they speak with their mouth what their heart intends and the words that procéed from thence are very Swords breathing to us nothing but death and utter extirpation Thy Majesty they regard not and as for man their pride and power is so great they care not who hears them for they know that few are able and fewer willing to help us But thou O Lord sittest in Heaven upon thy Throne and hearest and séest all things both our oppressions and their insultations frustrate their attempts evacuate their endeavours have their persons in derision and laugh all their projects to scorn Let them not be visited with the visitation of all men Slay them not lest the people forget it but scatter them among the people make them for their flagitious lyes and perjuries become Wanderers and Beggars Let them run here and there for meat and grudge if they be not satisfied Consume them O Lord consume in thy wrath bring them down from their Throne out them from their power and dignity let their unjust gotten goods perish and their great wealth come to nought that they may know that it is God that rules in Jacob and unto the end of the World The sin of their mouth is impudent the words of their lips blasphemy Ver. 12 their very preaching is cursing and lyes therefore spare them not but let them be taken by the pride of their words and fall into that snare of destruction in which they were wont to boast that they would catch other innocent men Make us so happy O our Eod that we may sée our desires upon thy enemies so shall we sing of thy power and praise thy mercy aloud in the Morning and all shall know that thou art a strong Tower of defence and a sure refuge to all that in sincerity of heart in the day of trouble call upon thée Unto thee O Lord will I sing for thou O God art my Refuge and the God of my Mercy Thou alone hast mercy on me and to thée alone will I call for mercy through Iesus Christ my Lord. Amen PSAL. LX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel Triumphale BEfore Davids time 1 Chron. 18. and in the beginning of his reign Israel was in a distressed condition He composed and quieted all And made War and conquered the Moabites c. Edom only was not vanquished In this Psalm then he gives thanks for his victories And prayes for assistance for the conquest of Edom. The parts of it in general are 1. A commemoration of the former lamentable distracted condition of the Israelites vers 1 2 3. 2. The condition of it under his reign much better from vers 4. to 9. 3. His thankfulness in ascribing all his victories to God from vers 9. to 12. 1. The first part The former condition of Israel which he laments In the first he shews that God was angry with Israel 1. Of which he laments the effects of his anger 2. And then prayes for the aversion 1. O Lord thou hast or hadst cast us off 2. Thou hast scattered us abroad thou hast been displeased 3. Vers. 1 Thou hast made the earth to tremble 4. Thou hast broken it 5. Thou hast shew'd thy people heavy things 6. Thou hast given us a drink the wine of astonishment Every syllable of which Congeries will appear to be most true to him that shall examine the story of the Israelites before Sauls reign under his government upon his death and the first entrance of David to the Kingdom The stirs he had and wars with the house of Saul until Ishbosheth was taken out of the way 2. Imputes to Gods anger All which wars civil and external with the calamities that flowed from them Vers. 1 he imputes to Gods anger vers 1. Thou hast been displeased 3. And prayes to God to turn to them And upon it prayes 1. O turn thee to us again Let us enjoy thy countenance which was averted Vers. 1 2. Vers. 2 Heal the breaches of the Land Close the wounds made by these contentions and it seems they were not yet all perfectly closed For he adds It shaketh 2. The second part But now the condition of it was much better All being brought under one King The present condition of Israel 2. And he victorious over his forreign enemies 1. Thou now hast given a Banner to them that fear thee All Israel all those that are thy servants are brought to acknowledge and fight under one standard Vers. 4 in effect have receiv'd me for their sole King the factions and parties being quieted David being King 2. That it may be display'd Set up that Israel may know under whom to fight and whose part to take 3. According to Gods promise Because of thy Truth Who by this hast made it appear that it was no fiction nor no ambition of mine to set up this standard But a Truth that I was by Samuel by thy special appointment Anointed to be King And I am now invested with the Crown for the performance of thy Truth and Promise 4. Vers. 5 And the end is especially that I should bring deliverance to thy
deny me and afford me no comfort And all this is done unto me without any fault or offence of mine Ver. 7 it is for thy sake I have born this reproach For thy sake shame hath covered my face for the zeal of thy House hath eaten me up I have béen very zealous for the Lord God of Hosts they have thrown down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets with the edge of the Sword very studious I have béen and fervent to maintain thy Religion in its purity which others have cast down and in it so much as lies in them have reproached thée but the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me Because thy Name was dishonoured I wept I chastned even my soul with fasting and whereas I ought for this to have béen more dear unto them I became a scorn even my humiliation and acts of repentance were turned to my reproach I testified also my sadness by my Sackloth and for this I became a Proverb of reproach The Iudges the chief of the City they which sit in the Gates speak against me condemning me and detracting from me and as for the common ordinary sort of people the Drunkards they made songs of me In a word They gave me Gall to eat and Vinegar to drink so inhumane they were that whereas in my greatest sufferings and extremities they ought to have refreshed and relieved me they increased my sorrows and under a colour of refreshment added affliction to the afflicted Now in the midst of these grievances that which most grieves my heart is the scandal of the Cross afraid I am lest that any of thy people looking upon those things which I suffer should estéem me stricken smitten of God and afflicted and thereby take an occasion to renounce the Truth of Religion and fall from thée I beséech thée therefore O Lord God of Hosts Let not them that wait on thee be ashamed for my sake let not them that seek thee be confounded for my sake O Lord God of Israel O Lord to remove this scandal there is no readier way than to bring them down to humble them and to poure the vials of thy wrath upon them Let then their Table be made a snare unto them and what should have been a welfare let it become a trap Gall and bitterness they have offered to me let their dainties be bitterness in their mouths and gall to their palates A snare they have laid for my féet and let that in which they hope to be prosperous and happy be an occasion of falling the very eating of the Paschal Lamb their ruine and thy Word the food of their souls an occasion of errour In hearing let them hear and not understand and in séeing let them sée and not perceive make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they sée with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed Inféeble them O Lord and make their loins to tremble and shake bow down their backs with slavery and hard bondage and press them continually with such burdens of miseries that they may groan and sigh under the heavy hand of their Oppressors Plentifully and speedily poure forth thy indignation upon them and let thy fiercest anger and vengeance continually pursue them let their houses be desolate not a stone left upon a stone and their land without an inhabitant let them procéed from one wickedness to another and add sin to sin till their iniquity come to the full neither ever let them repent them of their wicked wayes that thou might'st pardon and forgive their heinous transgressions or justifie them at thy great Tribunal with mercy thou wilt indulge to all true penitents And although hitherto they have béen reckoned among thy people of whom they are born and with whom thou hast established thy Covenant yet O Lord let them be blotted out of the Book of the living and not be written among the righteous And it is but just that all this happen unto them because when common humanity and thy Word also requires That we weep with him that weeps and lament with him that laments they have helped on the affliction for they persecute Him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded O Lord I am wounded I suffer justly under thy hand but to them I have done no harm at this time I am poor and sorrowful destitute of all humane help and affected with extream heaviness Arise then for me and let thy salvation set me up on High Deliver me O Lord from these troubles and so shall I praise thy Name with a Song Ver. 30 Save me from my enemies and I shall magnifie thee with Thanksgiving which sacrifice Ver. 31 I know will better please thee than the fat of fed Beasts or the incense of Rams Besides all those that are of a dejected spirit humbled and brought low at the sight of my afflictions will consider this sée they will That God heareth the poor and despiseth not those who are in captivity and imprisoned for his sake and they will be glad and rejoyce at it and the heart of all those that seek thâ—â— which was even dead before will then revive and live O Lord save Sion and build the Cities of Judah let men dwell there and have it in possession let the seed of thy servants inherit it and all those that love thy Name dwell therein so shall the Heaven and Earth praise thee and every thing that moveth therein Amen Amen PSAL. LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalme is the same with the five last verses of the fortieth Psalm The Contents of this Psalm are 1. The Prayer of David for himself that he may be freed from his enemies ver 1. which he repeats ver 5. 2. For the speedy destruction of the wicked ver 2 3. 3. For the prosperity of the godly ver 4. 4. The Arguments he urgeth to move God to grant his prayer 1. His miserable condition I am poor and needy 2. Gods office Thou art my Helper and Redeemer therefore make no long tarrying O my God The Psalm needs no farther Analysis because it is fully Analysed before in the end of the fortieth Psalm The Prayer out of the seventieth Psalm O Lord we therefore daily implore thy mercy because we are daily beset with danger Enemies we have without within us from whose malice and cruelty we can find no safety Ver. 5 except in thy favour and mercy Thou alone art our Help and Deliverer make then no long tarrying O my God rather make haste to deliver us Ver. 1 make haste to help us Many there are that seek after my soul let them be ashamed and confounded Ver. 2 many there are that desire my hurt let them be turned backward and put to confusion suddenly let them be turned back and put to flight Ver. 3 that rejoyce at
his coming injustice and iniquity prevailed in the world there were as many Religions as Nations for men walked in their own wayes Vers. 7 in his dayes it shall be otherwise O Lord therefore raise up thy power and come amongst us that all iniustice being put to flight righteousness may flourish and iniquity chased away holiness may take place and war and contention and strife and hatred being banish'd from among men there may be abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth It is the honour of thy Kingdom that it is established in equity and peace Oh that it might be increased and inlarged Vers. 8 It would be the very joy of our hearts to see thy dominion extended from Sea to Sea and from the river to the end of the earth that as all power is given unto thee in heaven and earth so all knees might bow unto thy name and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father Let the people that dwell in the Wilderness bow before thee and those Vers. 9 who were formerly thy enemies and inhabit the farther parts of the earth Vers. 10 become homagers unto thee and in sign of obedience and subjection to thy power bow themselves at thy feet Vers. 11 and kiss the very ground on which thou treadest Let the Kings of Tarshish and those that remain in the Islands bring thee presents and let the deceiv'd Princes of Arabia and Saba in a reverent and humble manner offer thee honourable gifts O let all Kings fall down before thee and all Nations become thy voluntary Servants Neither shall it ever repent any man of this his profession and reverent submission to thy Scepter since as it is thy office so also thou wilt deliver the needy when he cryeth thou wilt spare the poor thou wilt save and redeem their souls from deceit and violence O Lord we are thy people poor and needy destitute of all true goodness weak and oppressed by the cruel power and impetuous tyranny of the enemy of man-kind the devil Vers. 13 among men there is none to help us among Angels there is not one who can deliver us Vers. 14 and save us an object we are fit for thy power and mercy out of meer compassion arise for us to thee we cry upon thes we call deliver these poor and needy souls of ours from slavery and bondage from the heavy and bitter yoke of this Oppressor Be not severe and harsh to us that are thy Subjects but out of thy clemency spare us pardon the errors of those who are of an humble spirit and pass by the transgressions of those who do acknowledge their own weaknesses and disabilities look unto thy people that are of a broken heart and save their souls from sin from death from the curse of the Law from all evil O thou Saviour of the world which didst purchase that name with the price of thy own precious blood redeem thy people from deceit and violence The deceits and baits of sin are many with which we are too often taken the allurements of the world more with which we are bewitch'd the violences and assaults of the Prince that rules in the air most powerful to whom we too too often yield our selves captive O thou Redéemer of man-kind redéem our souls we beséech thée from this tyranny and base slavery Let not sin reign in our mortal bodies that we obey it in the lusts thereof But as thou hast shed thy blood to redéem us from this vassalage so let us be no longer flaves to sin and Satan but deliver us from this bondage frée us from this tyranny and as we have fornierly serded our lusts so hereafter let us serve thée in righteousness and holiness all the dayes of our life Then shall we hope for prosperity in our wayes Vers. 16 and thy blessing upon our labours the handfulls of corn we sow upon the tops of the hills shall yield us a plentiful increase and the ears shall be sat thick and full like the plenty of Lebanon our Cities shall be full of people and our people flourish as the grass which clothes and covers the ground with a pleasing gréenness O blessed Saviour live for ever and of thy Kingdom let there be no end To thée and to the advancement of thy service and honour let men bring of the gold of Arabia never let them think any thing too rich too good for thée Let thy Temples be had in honour and thou alone honour'd in thy Temples There let men bow with reverence There let prayer and intercessions be made continually to thée And there let men offer the Sacrifice of praise and thanks And thou O King of Saints who sits at the right-hand of thy Father receive the hymns which are presented in thy name hear and hearken to and hearken to and grant those petitions which thy people shall offer for the prosperity of thy Kingdom and the good successes of thy Gospel O let thy name be praised and the praise thereof endure for ever and let thy Fathers name be honour'd in thée as long as the Sun shall rejoice as a Gyant to run his course And according to thy promise made unto Abraham in thée let all the Nations of the earth be blessed with spiritual and everlasting blessings Him O everlasting Father thou hast blessed and glorified and in him and for him bless and glorifie us Blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel for he alone by his own power hath done these wonderful things for us He is our King and he saves and he delivers and he redéems and he spares his people pardoning our offences and passing by our iniquities right precious in his sight is the blood of his Saints Let his name be praised and had in perpetual remembrance and let the Majesty of his power the greatness of his mercy and the mercy of his righteousness be glorious for ever and ever and let the whole earth be fill'd with his Glory Amen Amen The end of the second book of the Psalms according to the Hebrews PSAL. LXXIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Prophet shews the grief that good men sustain at the prosperity of the wicked and at the pressures of the godly and how bitter a tentation this is but at last consulting the Will of God he finds and acknowledgeth that the felicity of wicked men ends in infelicity and the crosses of the godly are the way to happiness with which consideration he quiets his troubled soul Let then the Question be Who is the happy man whether the godly or ungodly he that serves God with a pure heart or he that serves his belly and lusts And the parts of the Psalm will be in general Are these 1. The Arguments produced for the happiness of the wicked from ver 1. to 10. 2. The impression these Arguments make too often in a carnal mind ver 2 3 10 11 12 13 14. 3. The Rejection of
His Prayer from ver 10. to 23. 1. Both the Complaint and Petition are first summarily comprized in the three first verses The first part His complaint aggravated by a gradation and afterward amplified through the whole Psalm The Exordium is full of passion for he expostulates with God about this calamity and aggravates it O God why hast thou cast us off c 1. From the Author of it it is thou Thou O God that dost it 2. Ver. 1 From the extremity of it Thou hast cast us off 3. From the time duration or continuance for ever 4. From the cause Anger smoking anger Thine anger smokes 5. From the object The sheep of thy pasture As if he had said when thou art a good and faithful God toward thine can'st thou so far forget thy Promise and Covenant to thy people as to cast them off for ever to cast them off and in anger in smoking anger thus to proceed against the sheep of thy pasture Why why Lord should it be thus Vis Deo grata est quae precibus adhibetur 2. And presently to his Complaint he subjoins his Petition Vers. 2 To this he joins his Petition Remember thy Congregation c. where every word is almost an Argument 1. Thy Congregation A chosen people 2. Whom thou hast purchased by a mighty hand from Pharaoh Argumenta ∣ tive 3. Of old thy people a long time since ever since thy Covenant with Abraham 4. The rod of thine inheritance dwelling in that Land which thou gavest them to inherit 5. Whom thou hast redeemed from their enemies the Canaanites c. 6. And honoured thee in Mount Zion in thy Temple where thou hast dwelt Remember thou O Lord this people and all these ingagements and cast us not off for ever And the qualities of the enemies 3. Or if these Arguments move thee not then look upon thine own dishonour Lift up thy fâ—et i. e. Set up thy self and march against thy enemies and the perpetual desolations which they have brought upon us Now that he might the better prevail with God he omits the vastations which were made no question through the whole Land and instanceth in their insolence to the house of God Lift up thy feet even to all that the enemy hath done wickedly in thy Sanctuary 1. As Lions and Beasts of prey They roare in the midst of the Congregations Their Sacriledge especially 2. As Conquerors They set up their Ensigns for signs of Victory 3. As prophane persons what our fore-fathers built with much cost art and piety that they break down rob and carry away Sacrilegiously A man was famous heretofore according as he had lifted up Axes upon the thick Trees hewed them out polished and dedicated them to the work of thy Temple But now these Sacrilegists break down all the carved work thereof with Axes and Hammers 4. And yet their fury stayes not here For after they have robb'd thy Temple and taken the dedicated Vessels not content with the spoyl They have cast fire into thy Sanctuary they have defiled it by casting down the dwelling-place of thy name to the ground 5. Nay their malice stay'd not here neither Their impiety was such that after they had destroy'd thy Temple they encouraged one another to do more mischief even to the depopulation of all the other Synagogues and Schools of Learning They said in their hearts Let us destroy them without exception all together They have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the Land 4. And that which yet imbitters his Complaint he professeth Gods desertion of his people that it was not with them now as heretofore Thou Lord now dost seem to cast us off indeed in our calamities heretofore we could enquire of thee and thou didst answer us either by some sign and miracle or by Urim and Thummim or by some Prophet But now 1. We see not our signs i. e. Miraculous deliverances 2. Or signs of thy presence in thy Temple 2. There is no more any Prophe as Isaiah c. who might promise us deliverance 2 He prayes again that God would look on the enemies blasphemy 3. Neither is there among us any that knows how long as did Jeremy the seventy years Captivity 5. He proceeds in his Complaint and presseth God to hear it from the contumely and blasphemy that these wicked wretches used toward God to which they were the more encouraged by his long-suffering and forbearance O God how long shall the adversary reproach Shall the enemy blasphem And remember his mercy and what he had done for his people in special thy name for ever Why withdrawest thou thy hand even thy right-hand pluck it out of thy bosome 6. But that now he return and with favour and mercy look upon the present calamities of his people Vers. 12 he useth other Arguments 1. The special favour and good-will he had long ago shew'd them For God is my King of old working salvation in the midst of the earth Of which he gives instances 1. Their miraculous deliverance out of Egypt and destroying of Pharaoh Thou didst divide the Sea by thy strength thou brakest the heads of the Dragons i. e. the Princes and Nobles of Egypt in the waters of the red Sea Thou brakest the heads of Liviathan in pieces and gavest him to be meat for the people inhabiting the Wilderness Basil saith that the Ethiopians upon Pharaohs overthrow in the red Sea invaded and possessed Egypt so that he and his Land was given as it were for meat to the inhabitants of the desert 2. Their miraculous preservation by bringing out of the Rock water to quench their thirst Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood Numb 20.11 3. Their wonderful passage through Jordan dry-foot Thou dryedst up mighty waters And for all by his general providence 2. Gods general providence in his Mercy to all men The instances are 1. His Order for day and night The day is thine and the night also is thine 2. His Order for the two great Luminaries Thou hast prepared the light and the Sun 3. His Order for Sea and Land Thou hast set all the borders of the earth 4. His Order for the year Thou hast made Summer and Winter Both in thy special and general providence He renews his prayer and enforceth it The second part thy Mercy and Power are sufficiently declared and upon these the Prophets affections being heightned he falls to an evident Petition 1. That God would remember his own glory and take revenge of his reproachful enemies Vers. 18 Remember this that the enemy hath reproached O Lord and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy Name 2. That he would remember his children those Turtle Doves dear to him 1. O deliver not the soul of thy Turtle Dove unto the multitude of their enemies 2. Forget not the Congregation of the poor for ever 3. That he would remember his Covenant made with Abraham
that they should inherit the Land which now they could not do in quiet For all the earth was full of darkness i. e. impiety and cruel habitations Plunderers every where And he goes on in his Prayer and useth two Arguments more 1. That Gods people be not ashamed of their hope and expectation and dependance on God O let not the oppressed return ashamed 2. From their gratitude Let the poor and needy praise thy Name In the close of the Psalm he more openly expresseth the affection of his heart for God and presseth him for help because the cause is his the enemies his the blasphemy against him and redounds to the dishonour of his name and that it dayly increaseth 1. Arise O Lord plead thine own cause 2. Remember how the foolish people reproach thee dayly 3. Forget not the voice of thine enemies 4. The tumult of those that rise against thee increaseth continually The Prayer to be collected out of the seventy fourth Psalm is needless it being so powerful methodical and easie a Prayer of it self I shall only then Paraphrase upon it AND why O God doest thou carry thy self toward us at this time Vers. 1 as if thou didst seem to have cast us off rejected us from thy care and favour wholly and for ever O good God why doth the severity of thy indignation smoke against those whom thou hast chosen to feed care for Vers. 2 and govern as if they had been thine own sheep thy selected flock O thou which hast seem'd for a long time to be unmindful of us remember we beseech thee thy Congregation which thou hast purchased with thy blood whom thou hast bought to be thy inheritance not yesterday nor to day but before the beginning of the world Remember Mount Zion that is now destroy'd by the enemy and that place wherein thou hast dwelt Therefore that thy mercy may be answerable to thy former love Vers. 3 with-hold not any longer the hand of thy Omnipotence and Iustice but make bare thy arm and lift up thy feet to the perpetual desolation and eternal destruction of every enemy that hath done wickedly in the Sanctuary Thy adversaries being become conquerors have cryed with a loud voice Vers. 4 and proudly boasted and roared as Lions in the midst of the Congregations they have prophaned thy Solemn Feasts they have thrown down thy Altars and slain thy Priests with the edge of the sword and they have set up their banners in thy Temples as manifest signs of their victories without any reverence had to thy holy place without any acknowledgement or honour exhibited to thy name by whose permission for our prophaneness they thus triumph over us and these confecrated places When they enter'd into these holy Oratories they shew'd no more reverence than if they had fet footing into some thick wood Those beams of Cedar which our fore-fathers out of piety and dedotion had polished and dedicated to the ornament and deanty of thy house these those rude and barbarous hands have broken down with Ares and Hammers Yea they have cast fire into thy Sanctuary they have prophaned the Tabernacle consecrated to thy name drawing it down to the ground despoyling it of all glory and the sincere worship of thy name being taken away instead thereof they have set up and worship'd their own indentions Nay their malice stay'd not here Not a Synagogue of the Land but hath felt their fury no School of the Prophets but hath groaned under their oppression They encourage each other in mischief Come say they let us destroy them all together Thus have they made all thy Solemn Festivals to cease and thy whole worship to be annihilated As for thy Prophets they are few left and those that are disgraced eiected imprisoned oppressed accounted the off-scouring of the world and made a spectacle to men and Angels thy Word in their mouths is estéemed a lye and the defence of thy truth held for superstition and the Traditions of men and with them thy holy Ordinances are all cast aside as â—â—ecessary Ceremonies O Lord how long wilt thou suffer the adversary to reproach Wilt thou be of that long-suffering and patience that the prophane shall blaspheme thy holy Name and by his blasphemies provoke thée to anger for ever Why as a lazy man is wont toda doest thou kéep thy right-hand in thy bosome why doest than not pluck it from thence and make these profane persons féel the blow and thy people the mercy It cannot be ascribed to thy want of power that thou art thus patient For thou art the same God now as of old Thou art the great King which hast wrought salvation for our fathers in the midst of the earth even in the sight of all people Marvellous and terrible were thy works Vers. 13 which thou didst for thy people of Israel Thou didst divide the Sea by thy strength and made the waters to stand on a heap till thy people were past through it Thou brakest the heads of that Dragon Pharaoh and all his hoast in the red Sea Thou didst cleave the Rock and turn'dst the flint-stone into a springing Well that thence the thirst of thy people might be satisfied as from a fountain And on the contrary thou hast dryed up the swiftest current and mest violent stream that thy people might pass dry-foot through it Neither is thy power declared only in these extraordinary miracles but also in all creatures The night and day were created by thee Thou hast prepared the light and the Sun Thou hast set the bounds of the Sea and all the borders of the earth Thou hast made Summer and Winter The vicissitudes of all things is a manifest of thy power and the change of all times and seasons is thy Ordinance wisely disposed for the commodity of man When then O Lord thy power is so great shew thy might and come amongst us remember this that the enemy hath reproached in effect imputed weakness and impotence to thée said in his heart What God shall deliver them out of my hand O Lord remember that the foolish people in prophaning thy Temples and trampling thy Prophets have blasphemed thy name being regardless of thy Omnipotence and secure upon thy patience We beséech thée suffer no longer the souls of those innocent mournful Turtle Doves who desire to worship and praise thée to be delivered to the multitude and rabble of the wicked neither leave destitute of thy favour and help for ever the Congregation of the afflicted people whose considence is thy care and security thy sole protection Have respect O Lord to the Covenant thou hast made with our fathers Never let the gates of Hell as thou hast promised prevail against thy Church which at this time can find no rest for the sole of her foot since the places of the earth are full of darkness and cruel habitations for bloody and deceitful men having their heart darkned are spread over the Land and by violence and
were This blow wrought not upon them 1. For all this for all this punishment they sinned yet more added sin to sin 2. 2 Incredulity And remained incredulous They believed not for his wonderous works Therefore the wrath of God pursued them still though with a slower pace to give that time of repentance 1. Therefore their dayes did he consâ—â—â—e in vanity Hope they had at their coming from Egypt Gods wrath for these to enter into Canaan but their hope proved vain God causing their carkasses to fall in the Wilderness 2. And their years in trouble For in their forty years continuance in the desert infected they were with many wants dangers stung with fiery Serpents set on by the Amalekites Now when they saw Which wrought in them Attrition that Gods wrath thus pursued them true it is that it wrought for the present some remorse in them they acknowledg'd and sought to God for a little while Attrite they were 1. When he slew them then they sought him 2. They return'd 3. And enquired early after God 2. And they remembred that God was their Rock 2. And the high God was their Redeemer Attrite But not true Contrition For they in this remorse were guilty I say they were but not contrite For all this their seeking returning enquiring was but a formality And therefore the Prophet as before he laid Obstinacy and Contumacy to their charge so in the following verses he impeacheth them of Hypocrisie and Inconstancy which is the Note of a dissembler 1. 1 Of Hypocrisie Of Hypocrisie Nevertheless they did but flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongue viz. when they call'd him their Rock as it is before The high God their Redeemer 2. For they had no sincerity in them Their heart was not right with him 2. 2 Of Inconstancy Of Inconstancy Neither were they stedfast in his Covenant They quickly forgot that as God was obliged by Covenant to them so again they were obliged to him And here the Prophet And yet God was merciful to them before he goes farther on with the Narration of their impiety inserts two verses to extoll the goodness of God even toward such Rebells 1. The fountain of which was his mercy Vers. 38 But he being full of compassion 2. The act of this his mercy He forgave their iniquity and destroy'd them not 3. The moderation of his anger and continuance of his mercy Though he were provoked often yet many a time turn'd he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath 4. That which was outwardly the motive to it The consideration of their frail condition 1. For be remembred that they were but flesh Gen. 6. full of vanity weakness 2. A wind that passeth away and cometh not again A mortal creature that dyes and revives not He continues the story of their Rebellions And after the intimation of Gods goodness he returns back again to his story of their disobedience and as if he were astonish'd at it he begins his Complaint with an Exclamation in which there is a Climax 1. How often Ten times at least Numb 14.22 2. How often have they provoked him by murmuring by repining at his doings 3. And that in the desert where I shew'd my protection of them More particularly They 1. Returned i. e. Rursus ad ingenium redeunt Or else they return'd back again in their hearts to Egypt 2. Tempted God vide Exod. 16. Cap. 32. Numb 11. Cap. 14. 16. 17. Cap. 3. And limited the Holy One of Israel That if he would not do as they would have him he should be an impotent and weak God sup vers 19 20. 4. And they lastly forgot all he had done for them in Egypt Forgetfulness is the fountain of impiety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nihil citius feuescit quam gratia 6. Now upon this their deliverance from Egypt because it was the greatest of Gods works he upbraids them for their forgetfulness Insists on their forgetfulness that he might the more upbraid their ingratitude and impiety On this he dwells long and first he delivers it in general terms 2. And after insists upon the particulars 1. They remembred not his hand nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy i. e. Pharaoh 2. How he wrought his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan This was forgot too The particulars of which signs and wonders now follow Of the plagues of Egypt 1. The first plague He turn'd their rivers into blood and the â—â—oods that they could not drink 2. the fourth plague he sent divers sorts of flies among them 3. the second plague and frogs that destroyed them 4. The eighth plague He gave also their increase to the Caterpillar and their labour to the locust 5. The seventh plague He destroyed their vines with hail and their Sycamore trees with frost He gave up also their Cattle to the hail and their flocks to hot thunder-boles In them God shew'd his Severity In all these plagues and those that follow God shewed his severity to the Egyptians He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger wrath indignation and trouble 2. He sent evil Angels among them 3. He made a way to his anger he spared not their soul from death 6. The first plague But gave their life over to the Pestilence 7. The last plague And smote all the first-born in Egypt The chief of their strength in the Tabernacles of Ham i. e. Egypt For Mizraim that peopled it was the son of Cham. Hitherto the Prophet hath recited the signs and wonders God did in Egypt for his people how he destroy'd their enemies with a mighty hand that being warn'd by their examples they took heed that they provoked him not to wrath which they did because they remembred them not 7. But Mercy to his people Now he enters a new way and recites the Mercies of God to them of which he began to speak at the eleventh and fourteenth verses above Of which the particulars are 1. How he brought his people through the red Sea And made his own people go forth as sheep 2. Vers. 52 That to bring them out being not enough as a Shepherd he led and fed them He guided them as a flock 3. And his intent was to secure them from fear For he led them on safely so that they feared not i. e. that need not fear since the Sea had overwhelm'd their enemies 4. And he left them not so alwayes to wander in the Wilderness but He brought them into the Land of Canaan 2. To the borders of his Sanctuary 3. Even to Mount Zion 4. The Mountain which he purchased with his right-hand They indeed fought for it but he gave them victory 5. He cast out the heathen before them And made the Tribes of Israel to dwell in their Tents 6. And divided them an inheritance by lot
Nor judgements nor mercies did awe them They still were stubborn and unthankful And made the Tribes of Israel to dwell in their Tents 8. But nor his mercies nor his judgements could keep in obedience this stiff-necked gain-saying people Ungrateful they were for all this After they were brought into the Land and setled in their inheritance the same they were which they were before For 1. Yet they tempted and provoked God 2. They were disobedient For they kept not his Testimonies 3. They turned back and dealt unfaithfully as their fore-fathers They brake the Covenant betwixt God and them sinning by the example of their fore-fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. They were inconstant in their resolutions starting aside like a deceitful bow that slips the nock when the Archer intends to shoot with it 5. And to make up the measure of their impiety at last they became impudent Idolators For they provoked him to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousie with their graven Images 9. Gods wrath for this grows more hot against his people Upon this as before the wrath of God overtakes them but now in a hotter manner than before Idolatry is one of the crying sins which God hears That which a man hears not troubles him not now this sin especially God hears and it troubled him 1. The Ark taken When God heard this he was wroth 2. And greatly abhorred Israel 2. He forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh and the Tent he placed among them 1 Sam. 4. 3. And he delivered his strentgh i.e. the Ark into captivity and his glory into the enemies hand 4. He gave his people up also to the sword and was wroth with his inheritance 5. The Priests Hophni and Phinehas were slain with the sword and their widows made no lamentation Being either taken and led away captive or dead as Phinehas wife 6. The sire consumed i.e. the wrath of God their young men and their maidens were not given to marriage for defect of young men and therefore not praised in Epithalamiis Thus the wrath of God overtook the Israelites But next he shews The Philistines that took it escaped not that the enemies even the Philistines that took the Ark and set it in the house of Dagon escaped not his hand This ignominy redounded to himself and he revenged it 1. Then at the taking of the Ark the Lord who seem'd to sleep before awaked as one out of sleep and like a mighty man that shouâ—s by reason of wine for vina addunt animos 2. And he smote his enemies i. e. the Philistines in the hinder parts i. e. with Emerauds or else made them fly and fall with their backs to their enemies which is dishonourable for a Souldier 3. Yea and he put them to a perpetual reproach vide 1 Sam. 5 6. Chapters 3. But how now did he deal with Israel The third part The mercy of God in bringing back the Ark and placing it Not as he had done before neiher For after the Philistines had suffered sharply for their impiety he caused them honourably to send the Ark home again after seven months 1 Sam. 6. A sign this was that his fierce anger was abated yet not so far but that some Monument should remain of his wrath against their Idolatry And therefore he would not suffer the Ark to be brought to Silo which was situate in the Tribe of Ephraim So saith the Psalmist 1. Moreover he refused the Tabernacle of Joseph 1 Not in Silo. and chose not the Tribe of Ephraim lest it should be abused either to Idolatry or at least to base gain as it was by Elies sons 2. But he chose the Tribe of Judah the hill of Zion which he loved 2 But in Iudah For it was carried to Betshemes a City of Judâ—h design'd for the sons of Aaron From thence to Kiriath-jearim thence to Gibea being translated to the house of Aminadah And after it had rested a while in the house of Obed-Edom it was brought by David to Jerusalem and setled in the hill of Zion which caused the Prophet to say 3 And at last in Zion The hill of Zion which he loved And he doth amplifie this Narration of Gods love to the Ark This mercy he amplifies and consequently the Church of which the Ark was but a type 1. From the splendour of the situation of Mount Zion 1 From the place And he built his Sanctuary like high places Strong and beautiful and eminent also as are Citradels higher than ordinary houses The Mountain Zion shall be raised above the tops of the hills Isa 2. 2. From the stability and fix'd position of it For there is no moving 2 From the stability of Zion or removing the Church It is like the earth which he hath established for ever 3. In choice of a King to be a Nursing Father to his Church He chose David also his servant He chose freely 3 In choice of David to be their King and not for any merit and worth that was in him for he was of a low degree a poor shepherd He took him from the sheep-folds when he was following the yews great with young 4. The end To feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance Which is the true institution and duty of a King 4 To feed them and govern them The Elogy given to David with which he concludes David did his duty So 1. He fed them according to the integrity of his heart 1. He fed them not flea and devour them 2. In integrity 5 And David did his duty Sincerely he perform'd his duty to God and man No dissembler 2. And guided them by the Skilfulnesse of his Hands In him there was Prudence and all the actions of his hands were guided by it The Prayer collected out of the seventy eighth Psalm WOnderful O Lord are thy wayes infinite thy mercies admirable thy patience and long-suffering toward the children of men Vers. 5 that we might know thée thou hast established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel that we might not forget our duty thou hast left thy Commandments upon Record that we should not be a stubborn and rebellious generation a generation that set not their hearts aright and start from our duties as a broken bow thou hast acquainted us with thy procéedings with thine own people in Egypt in the Wilderness and in that Land which thou hast divided to them for an inheritance We have heard with our ears O God and our fathers have told us what thou hast done in the time of old and we will not conceal thy works from the generation to come Thy wonders in Egypt were illustrious in the red Sea wonderful in the Wilderness prodigious in Canaan full of power The plagues of Egypt thy path in the waters the cloud by day the pillar by night the Manna the Quails the water out of the Rock
every man according to his works call these tyrants to an account for the male-administration of thy Laws Render them O Lord seven-fold into their bosomes So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture shall give thee thanks for ever PSAL. LXXXIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TO resolve this Psalm there is no difficulty For it branches it self into These parts 1. A short Ejaculation or Prayer vers 1. 2. A Complaint of the enemies of Gods Church which is the reason of his Prayer from vers 2. to 11. 3. A fearful Imprecation against them from vers 11. to the end 1. The first part An ardent Ejaculation The Prophet out of a holy impatience at the patience and long-suffering of God calls ardently and earnestly upon him as appears by the ingemination of the words that he would be no longer patient at the affronts and insultations of the Churches enemies The cause was his own not to be endured then longer Keep not thou silence Vers. 1 O God hold not thy peace be not still O God 2. The second part His complaint of enemies And next he begins to Complain which was the reason of his Petition These were enemies 1. To the people of God 2. To God himself vers 5. And then he tells us who they were from vers 6. to 9. 1. Vers. 2 He describes the enemies of the Church The Characters of which are Their Characters 1. They were Souldiers They make a tumult Their warlike fierceness is signified by it As Lions Bears 2. They were arrogant and proud They that hate thee life up their head And wilt thou then be silent 3. They are subtle men They have taken crafty counsel against thy people and consulted against thy hidden ones those whom thou hidest under the shadow of thy wings Thy peculâ—â—r Exod. 19.5 4. Their intent Their counsel broke out into action and they encouraged one another in mischief even to the total and final destruction of the Church Come say they let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance 2. Which Confederacy and Conspiracy was not only against the people of God but against God himself For they have consulted together with one consent nemine dissentiente The Conspirators and are confederate against thee 3. He gives us in a Catalogue of these Conspirators All the world against God and his Church The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ismaelites of Moab Vers. 6 and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tire Ashur also is join'd with them they have holpen the children of Lor. Selah 3. And having discovered the men and their attempts The third part He prayes to God to take revenge on them he prayes to God for revenge which consisted in four particulars 1. Their fall and ruine 2. Their persecution 3. Their terrour 4. And their disgrace Which he illustrates by divers similitudes 1. Of a wheel that easily runs down a hill 2. Of stubble driven away by the wind 3. As wood burnt up by the fire 4. Of a flame that consumes the Mountains 5. Of a tempest that throws down all things before it 1. Their ruine and fall he would have it total and exemplary That their ruine be total Do unto them as unto the Medianites as to Sisera as to Jabin at the brook of Kison Which perished at Endor and became as the dung of the earth Make them and their Princes like Oreb and Zeb yea all their Princes as Zeba and as Zalmunna Of which he interserts a reason Who have said Let us take to our selves the houses of God in possession 2. And this their ruine he would have sudden and violent 2 Sudden and violent as appears by the similitudes 1. Precipitate them whirl them down O my God make them like a wheel or unquiet in mind 2. Remove them as light things are blown away by the wind Make them as stubble before the wind 3 Terrible and shameful 3. Burn them as speedily as the fire burns the wood Or as the flame sets furs on fire on the Mountains 3. Persecute them with thy tempest 4. Make them afraid with thy storm 5. Fill their faces with shame These three parts of their punishment 1. Flight 2. Fear Terrour 3. Shame and Ignominy The ends of his prayer And that the Prophet might not seem uncharitable in this bitter imprecation he now shews the ends why he thus prayed These were two 1. The first That they might seek after God in effect be converted 1 That converted Do this to them that they may seek thy name O Lord. 2 Or confounded Or as others conceive Seek thy name meerly out of a servile fear of Gods vengeance and contain their fury not daring any further to attempt any thing against the Church Which the next verse confirms Let them be confounded and troubled for ever yea let them be put to shame and perish i. e. brought to utter destruction or at least so enfeebled that they may be said to perish 2. The second That thereby Gods glory may be the more exalted 3 And Gods name glorified viz. That men may know that thou whose name is Jehovah art the most High over all the earth i. e. not Lord of the Jews only but the Gentiles also Vt cognoscatur Junius That thy Eternity Majesty Power may be acknowledg'd by all men The Prayer collected out of the eighty third Psalm O Omnipotent God Vers. 2 so great is the hatred so many the conspiracies so secret and malicious are the counsels of our enemies against thee and thy people that were it not for the promises which thou hast made unto thy people we should despair and faint They have appeared in Arms and headed the iumultnous many against us They who by their impiety shew they hate thee have lift up in pride their head they have taken crafty counsel against they people and consulted against those whom thou hast taken under the shadow of thy wings So great is their malice and hatred to us that they have said in their hearts and encouraged each other in this mischief Come say they let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance yea their consultations and confederacies their Leagues and Covenant is not so much against us as against thy honour thy service thy truth which we endeavour to maintain They have consulted together with one consent and are confederate against thee yea so far they have prevailed that they have taken to themselves and their own use all the houses of God in possession Wherefore Vers. 1 O Lord we beseech thee keep no longer silence hold not thy peace be not still since thy enemies lift up their heads against thee awake and lift up thy head against them and thou who for thy people Israels safety didst shew thy
in heaven nor Monarch in earth his Peere For who in the heaven can be compared to thee O Lord Vers. 6 who among the sons of the Mighty i.e. Celestial Spirits can be likened to the Lord Which is so true that the very Angels fear and reverence his Majesty and ought to do it Vers. 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him And because this should be alwayes fix'd in our memory he comes over it again Vers. 8 vers 8. O Lord God of hosts who is strong like unto thee or to thy faithfulness round about thee 2. 2 No such Agent or Governor By his Agency in governing the world as for example First The Sea 1. Thou rulest the raging of the Sea when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them Thou brokest Rahab i. e. the Egyptian Pharaoh in pieces as one that is slain Thou hast scatter'd thine enemies with a strong arm viz. in the Red Sea 2. Heaven and earth The heavens are thine the earth also is thine 3. 3 No Creator but he alone By his Creation of all things As for the world and fulness thereof thou hast founded it The North and South thou hast created them Tabor and Hermon i. e. East and West shall rejoice in thy name And then he concludes this part of the Majesty and Power of God with this Epiphonema Thou hast a mighty arm strong is thy hand and high is thy right-hand 2. 2 The Subject of their praise is also his Attributes The other part of the praise which both the Prophet and the Angels sing to Gods honour is taken from his Attributes summ'd up in the 14. verse Justice and judgement are the habitation of his throne mercy and truth shall go before his face He presents God as a great King sitting in his Throne 1. The Basis of which is Justice and Judgement 2. The Attendants Mercy and Truth 1. Justice which defends his Subjects and does every one right 2. Judgement which restrains Rebels and keeps off injuries 3. Mercy which shews compassion pardons supports the weak 4. Truth that performs whatsoever he promiseth 4. The fourth part And in regard that God is powerful just merciful faithful he takes an occasion to set out the happy condition of Gods people that live under this King Blessed are the people In which rejoicing his people are happy divers wayes that know the joyful Sound do know that God is present with them and his Kingly Majesty is at hand to protect them The phrase is taken from Moses For the Law was given by sound of Trumpet The calling of the Feasts by sound of Trumpet At that sound they removed At that sound they assembled Balaam said Clangor Regis The sound of a King is among them Happy then are the people that know the joyful sound God present their King speaking ruling defending pardoning them That they are Happy the effects do evince which are 1. They shall walk in the light of thy countenance i. e. Though beset with troubles yet they shall walk confidently being assured of Gods favour 2. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day long Their joy is firm 3. In thy righteousness shall they be exalted They shall get a name strength In their Union and Communion with God they shall be happy Confident then joyful and strong they are in all temptations which yet they have not from themselves All is from God For Thou art the glory of their strength and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted Vers. 17 For the Lord is our defence the Holy One of Israel is our King 5. The Doxology being now ended The fifth part The Prophet enlarges himself on the Covenant made with David and the happiness of Gods people expressed and proved the Prophet now enlarges himself upon the Covenant formerly mentioned vers 4 5. exemplified in David but truly verified in Christ Which he continues to the 30 vers 1. Then i. e. when David was chosen to be King and invested with the Regal Robe Vers. 19 2. Thou spakest in Vision to thy Holy One. To Samuel for his anointing And saidst 3. I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people That is David in Type but Christ in the Antitype So explain'd I have found David my servant with my holy Oyle have I anointed him To which there follows the promises made to him The particulars of it 1. For his establishment and confirmation in the Throne With whom my hand shall be established mine arm also shall strengthen him 2. For protection against his enemies The enemy shall not exact upon him nor the son of wickedness afflict him 3. A Conquest over his enemies And will beat down his foes before his face and plague them that hate him 4. And that there be no doubt of the performance of these ample promises nor yet those that follow the Prophet interserts the cause viz. The Faithfulness and Mercy of God In Mercy he said it and it should so come to pass But my Faithfulness and Mercy shall be with him And now he goes on 5. His Horn shall be exalted He shall have as it were the strength of an Unicorn And this his exaltation appears 1. In the dilatation of his Empire I will set his hand also in the Sea and his right hand in the rivers i. e. From the Sea to Euphrates 2 Sam. 8. 2. In the Honour done him to call God Father his God his Rock He shall call me Thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my salvation 3. Then that God asserts and fixes this Prerogative upon him acknowledging him to be his Son his first-born Son Also I will make him my first-born higher than the Kings of the earth 4. In the perpetuity of his Kingdom which is rightly attributed to Gods mercy as vers 25. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him 5. In the promise made to his seed His seed also will I make to endure for ev er and his Throne as the dayes of heaven 6. And next the Prophet puts a Case and answers it The sixth part Object But what if Davids seed prove rebellious But what if Davids seed transgress Gods Covenant break his Laws violate his Statutes become rebels and disobedient will God then keep Covenant with them shall his seed endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of heaven To this doubt God answers from vers 30. to 38. shewing us how Davids seed if they transgress shall be dealt with 1. If his children forsake my Law That is my whole doctrine of Worship Religion Faith c. 2. And walk not in my judgements i. e. in those Laws which set out rewards and punishments 3. If they break my Statutes Those Statutes I have set down for my service
things for the best to his people although in the midst of calamities and troubles he seems to desert them 2. And that we may know that he did this from his heart he seals it with a double Amen Amen Amen So I wish so be it The Prayer collected out of the eighty ninth Psalm O God the Habitation of whose Throne is justice and equity and before whose face Mercy and Truth are perpetual attendants we unworthy wretches yet thy Servants do beseech thee that the effects of these thy attributes may be evidently séen in the gathering féeding amplifying protecting Vers. 1 and preserving thy Catholique Church So shall we sing of thy mercies for ever and with our mouths will we make known thy faithfulness to all generations Out of mercy thou hast béen moved to make a Covenant with thy elect that thou set thy Son upon the Throne of his father David and thou hast established with an Oath his seed and built up his Kingdom to all generations He is that mighty one on whom thou hast laid help He is that thy chosen whom thou hast exalted Thou art his Father and he is thy first-born Let then thy hand establish him with thy arm strengthen him Exalt the Throne of him whom thou hast anointed with thy Holy Oyle and make him higher than the Kings of the earth Make his seed to endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven Suffer not the enemy to exact upon him not the son of wickedness to afflict him Of this his séed this Kingdom in which we live is a principal part and our King a principal member Vers. 38 But now thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast been wroth with thine Anointed Thou hast seemed to make void the Covenant which thou hast made with thy Servant Thou hast prostituted his Diadem as if it were a profane thing and cast his Crown and Royal dignity to the ground and suffered it to be trampled upon by the feet of scorners Thou hast broken down his Forts and brought to ruine his strong holds Those fortifications which under thy protection were wont to be a safe-guard from the enemy are surprized demolished and razed So that every one that passeth by hath an opportunity to break into thy Vineyard and riot among the Vines every one liberty to fill his hand with spoile and rapine His adversaries are many and thou hast set up the power of their right-hand against him His enemies are mighty and thou hast given them occasion from their victories over him to rejoice Rejoice and triumph they do that thou hast blunted the edge of his sword and hast not given him victory in the battail It is their glory that thou-hast made his glory to cease and cast his Throne down to the ground These Tyrants boast these sons of Belial exult that thou hast shortned the dayes of his youth and covered him with dishonour How long Lord wilt thou hide thy self shall thy wrath burn like fire for ever We doubt not of thy power in thy mercy we hope Merciful God then raise up thy power and come amongst us O Lord God of hosts who is a strong Lord like unto thee or who among the sons of the mighty can be compared with thee Thou stillest the raging of the Sea when the waves thereof arise Thou hast overthrown that proud King of Egypt Pharaoh and destroyed many other thine enemies with a strong arm Strong is thy hand and high is thy right-hand Shew then thy strength in our weakness arise like a gyant refreshed with Wine and smite thine enemies in the hinder parts that their violence prevail no longer against us that they execute not their whole fury and hatred upon us To thée we who are men but of a short time call to for life To thée Vers. 47 we who now live but must shortly sée death earnestly cry to deliver our souls from the grave Hast thou made us for naught hast thou made all men in vain shall we draw out our short dayes in perpetual miseries Thou art our Father we are elected to be thy Sons let then thy faithfulness and thy mercy be with us Remember Lord the reproach of thy servants and how we do bear in our bosomes the rebukes of a profane people Remember that this reproach is cast upon thy name and the footsteps and long-suffering of thine Anointed is thereby slandered Remember Lord thy former loving-kindness which thou swarest to the seed of David in thy Truth Confess we do to our own shame that we have forsaken thy Law and have not walkt in thy Iudgements that we have broken thy Statutes and not kept thy Commandments and therefore we are content murmur not that thou visit our transgressions with the Rod and our iniquities with stripes but this is it we beg of thée that thou wouldst not utterly take from us thy loving-kindness nor suffer thy Truth to fail Break not thy Covenant nor alter the thing that is gone out of thy lips If the irreversible decrée be not past which we hope is not against this our Church yet let it stand for ever as the Sun and Moon those faithful Witnesses in heaven with the Catholique and never let the gates of hell prevail against it We know and believe that thou art a merciful God long-suffering and of great goodness and therefore in all things we suffer ready we are to say with thy servant Job The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken Blessed be Jehovah Amen Amen The end of the third book of the Psalms according to the Hebrews The fourth book of the Psalms follow PSAL. XC 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE inscription makes Moses to be the Author of this Psalm and because here is mention made in it of the Mortality of man the fragility of his nature and the brevity and misery of his life which proceeded from the wrath of God moved to cut off his life and punish him while he lives for his iniquity conceiv'd it is that Moses composed it upon some notable disobedience and rebellion of Israel while they were in the Wilderness for which God brought upon them an exemplary vengeance whether that of Corah Dathan or Abiram or the plague that consumed them for making the golden Calf or as the common opinion is for their murmuring upon the return and report of the Spies Numb 14. For which God sent a plague among them or else when God smote the people with a very great plague at Kibroth Hattaavah Numb 11. Which of these it was is uncertain One of these is supposed to be the occasion of the composition and that which moved God to indignation which Moses deprecates in the end and prayes to God to return and shew favour to his people There be four parts of this Psalm 1. An ingenious acknowledgment of Gods protection of them ver 1 2. 2. A lively Narration of the mortality of man his fragility and brevity of his life together with
under the person of a mighty King in whose Palace all things that may set forth his Majesty To be praised also for his Honour Majesty c. are presented to the eye of the Subject and Strangers Honour Majesty Strength Beauty So saith our Prophet Honour and Majesty are before him Vers. 6 Strength and Beauty are in his Sanctuary God is indeed invisible but his Honour and Majesty his Strength and Beauty may easily be seen in his ordering governing and preserving the whole world and his Church both which may not be unfitly call'd His Sanctuary and the last His Holy Palace Which he moves all Subjects to give their King 3. God he hath proved to be an universal King and now he perswades all his Subjects that is all kindreds of the people or the Families of the Nations to return unto their King his tribute his due their debt to wit his due honour and worship which he comprehends in these words Give bring an offering Vers. 7 worship fear proclaim him to be King 1. Give unto the Lord and again 1 To give him freely Glory and Strength Give unto the Lord Glory and Strength Give freely to him and solely attribute to him the glory of your being and well-being that he made and redeem'd you and that by the strength of his right-hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath pluck'd you out of the hands of your enemies This was the glorious Work of Mercy and Power Sing for this with the Angels Glory be to God on high 2. Give unto the Lord the honour due to his Name Remember 't is a debt Vers. 8 and a debt in equity must be paid And the honour due to his Name 2 The Honour due to his Name is To acknowledge him to be Holy True Just Powerful The Lord the faithful God good merciful long-suffering c. all that was proclaim'd before him Exod. 34.5 6 7. Defraud not his Name of the least Honour 3. 3 To bring him Offerings Bring an offering and come into his Courts Appear not before the Lord empty as the Jews were commanded to which out Prophet alludes They had their Sacrifices and we also have our spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ to bring 1 Pet. 2.5 And these are the Sacrifices of a contrite heart Confession of sin Mortification Prayer Fasting Alms. Bring these when ye come into his Courts into his presence and into his House of Prayer 4. Vers. 9 O worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness They that come into the presence of a King 4 To Adore him presently fall on their knees in token of their submission and homage when you come into the presence of your King do the like Adore 2. And remember to do it in the Beauty of Holiness which if referr'd to the material Temple consider that it is by relation a Holy place 5 In the Beauty of Holiness and should not then be profaned a Beautiful place and should not then be defaced but kept beautiful But if to be referr'd to the Spiritual Temple the Temple of the Holy Ghost that also is to be beautified with Holiness A holy life holy vertues 5. 6 And to do it in fear and reverence Fear before him all the earth Join fear to your Worship for a man may be too bold and saucy in the presence of this King Serve the Lord in fear and rejoice with reverence There is a fear that ariseth out of the apprehension of greatness and excellency in the person together with our dependance on and our subjection to him which both in body and mind makes us step back and keep a distance And this kind of fear causeth and produceth all Acts of Reverence and Adoration and this is it which the Prophet here calls for 6. Vers. 10 Say among the Heathen The Lord reigns Or as some point it Say 7 Proclaim him to be King The Lord reigns among the Heathen Be as it were Heraulds and proclaim as with sound of Trumpet God is King Christus Regnat Vive le Roy. Hosannah Now here the Prophet begins to set forth the Amplitude of Christs Kingdom The Amplitude of Christs Kingdom 1. Before it was confin'd to Judaea but now it is enlarg'd All Nations are become his Subjects he reigns among the Heathen 2. The Stability of it The stability of it The world shall be established that it shall not be moved the Laws of this Kingdom not to be alter'd as were those given to and by Moses but fix'd and to last for ever The Gospel is to be an eternal Gospel a standing Law 3. The Equity in it The equity to be observ'd in it He shall judge the people righteously for he shall give to those who observe his Laws great rewards but to such as contemn them break them and say Nolumus hunc regnare a condign punishment 4. The Prophet having described the King and the state of his Kingdom exulting in spirit at it Vers. 11 12. as if he had seen him coming to sit upon the Throne he calls not the Gentiles only whom it did very nearly concern but all creatures to rejoice with him heaven earth the Sea the fields the trees the woods And he calls all creatures to rejoice at it Although there be that by heaven understand the Angels by the earth men by the Sea troublesome and restless spirits by the trees fields and woods the Gentiles who were to believe But this needs not because such Prosopopeia's are frequent in Scripture The meaning is that as the Salvation was Universal so he would have the joy for it to be Universal To the words then Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad let the Sea roare Vers. 11 and the fulness thereof Vers. 12 Let the field be joyful and all that is therein then shall the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord. He incites all Creatures to rejoice for Christs coming both for the first And for his coming and the second for the first in which he consecrated all things for the second at which he will free all things from corruption Rom. 8. from vers 19. to 22. 1. For he cometh for he cometh to judge the earth To judge the earth Which first part of the verse the Fathers refer to his first coming Vers. 13 when he was incarnate and came to Redeem the world by his Death And was to the end to judge that is to Rule and Govern the world by his Word Ordinances and Spirit 2. And again He shall come to judge the world with righteousness With Equity and Truth and the people with his Truth Which coming though terrible to the wicked yet will be joyful and comfortable to the righteous For saith our Saviour Lift up your heads for your Redemption draws near And to comfort them and terrifie the wicked He tells them That he will judge in equity that is justice
in misery He repented according to the multitude of his mercies And the effect which all these Causes had was beneficial to them even in the time of their bondage and captivity for even their very enemies hearts were often turn'd to do them good as is evident in Jeremiah David Daniel Ezra Zerubbabel Mordecai and indeed the whole Nation under the Babylonian Philistian Aegyptian Persian Kings which the Prophet hath set down ver 46. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them Captives So this is that of the wise man When a mans wayes please God And caused their Oppressors to pity them he will make his very enemies at peace with him Prov. 16.7 But it seems this verse may be read otherwise and it is by the Vulgar Moller Musculus Dedit eos in misericordias or miserationes in conspectu omnium quo caeperant eos so that the sense is not as if all of them had from all that carried them away captive received mercy but that God in their afflictions put them into the bosom of his mercy even they seeing and wondring at it whose Bond-slaves they were for beyond all hope he freed his people from Aegypt the Ammonites Philistines c. so that they under whose Captivity they were must needs confess that God in mercy did defend and fight for them And this sense Bellarmine receives as more probable nor yet utterly rejecting the other 4. And this sense makes the way plainer to what followes the Petition The fourth part This consideration moves them and the Doxology for if God shew'd himself merciful in the time of his anger and made it apparent even to the very view of their enemies encouragement they might have 1. First To pray Save us O Lord our God and gather us from among the Heathen to give thanks in thy holy Name 1 To pray and to triumph in thy Praise 2. Then to give thanks 1. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel 2 To give thanks from Generation to Generation 2. And for it let the people do their Duty viz. the solemn and necessary Formes Let all the people say Amen Allelujah The Prayer out of the One hundred and sixth Psalm O Lord God which art great and fearful Ver. 45 Who keepest Covenant and Mercy toward them that love thee and keep thy Commandments we have sinned with our Fathers we have committed iniquity we have done wickedly The children of Israel were not more rebellious at the red Sea in the Wilderness after thou hadst brought them into the Land than we have béen unto thée We have forgotten thy wonders and provoked thée when beset with a Sea of troubles for we have soon forgot thy works and not waited for thy counsels We have envied nay murdered Moses in the Camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. A Calf indéed we have not made in Horeb nor worshipped the molten Image But we worshipped the Calf of our own brains and fall'n down to our own imaginations in Maozim we have put our trust and to this Idol of power we have cryed Thou art our god and thou shalt save us Thou hast promised to bring us to the celestial Canaan but we have despised that pleasant land and as if we did not believe thy Word we have murmured and in our hearts turned back again into Aegypt and set our affections on the Léeks and Onions and Garlick thereof though we vowed and professed to honour thée yet we have made it apparent that Mammon is our God and his Command is hearkned unto and not thy voyce We have provoked thée to anger with our inventions we have learned the works of the Heathen Ver. 38 and out-done them We have shed innocent blood even the blood of thy sons and daughters whom we sacrificed to our ambition and cruelty so that the Land is polluted with blood O Lord we confess that we have done wickedly and fouly and unthankfully have revolted from thée our Lord and God as was the mother so is the daughter we are our mothers daughter that hath loathed her husband and committed fornication in the sight of our God yet we will not despair when we consider thy great mercy which thou shewedst to a stiffe-necked people whom though enriched by thée with many Benefits and yet unmindful and ungrateful as they were set thée by and worshipped stocks and stones and the inventions of their own brains Thou yet didst not destroy them but after a fatherly correction didst restore to thy favour and didst condescend to be reconciled to them Then thou wert pacified with the intercession of Moses and the atonement of Aaron and when Phineas arose and executed judgment thy plague was stayed There be yet lest among thy people those who are zealous for thy Name who day and night intercede for pardon and mercy O Lord hear their prayers and let their cryes come unto thee and spare thy people whom thou hast redéemed with thy precious blood Though they have provoked thée with their Counsels and are brought low for their iniquity Nevertheless regard their affliction and hear their cryes that they send up unto thee Remember for them thy Covenant and repent according to the multitude of thy mercies And so soften and mollifie the hearts of those who have led us into Captivity that for cruelty even from them we may find pity and for the heavy burdens they have laid upon us some ease and relaxation O merciful Lord let not thy wrath for ever be kindled against thy people neither let it procéed so far That thou abhor thine inheritance We confess That it hath gone ill with Moses for our sakes insomuch that he is denied an entrance into the land of Canaan the lot of his inheritance But remember him O Lord and his Exiles with the favour thou bearest unto thy people O visit him with thy salvation that he may see the good of thy chosen that he may rejoyce in the gladness of thy Nation that he may glory in thee and glorifie thee with thine inheritance Our Fathers have sinn'd even from the first time of their Vocation to the clearer and purer knowledge of the Gospel and thou didst oftentimes sharply rebuke them and yet in the sharpest of those Visitations Thou remembring mercy Ver. 10 and thy promise didst mitigate their punishments and sentest them deliverance Thou savedst them from the hand of them that hated them and redeemedst them from the hand of the enemy Therefore now also although we know and confess that we have grievously offended thée with our sins and provoked thée to bring these heavy judgments upon us for our rebellions yet make us examples of thy mercy as thou hast done our forefathers Save us O Lord our God and gather us from all lands whether we are dispersed which we earnestly beg at thy merciful hands not that we are brought from a troublesom to a quiet from a miserable to an easie from a poor and
as is the water he drinks and pierce his marrow and bones as the oyle with which he anoints him let him carry it perpetually along with him as he doth his garment and his girdle For this is it which the Prophet intends by the following similitudes who would have the curse be not only piercing and efficacious but lasting and perpetual 1. Ver. 18 As he cloathed himself with cursing like as with a garment lov'd to have it alwayes about him 1 Efficaciously as a man doth the cloaths he most delights in 2. 2 Perpetually So let it come as waters into his bowels that the stomack concocts and turns into the very flesh of the Animal so let this curse be converted into his nature and manners 3. But water pierceth not the bones oyle will do that and therefore let it come as oyle into his bones The intent of the Prophet is That it be wholly outwardly and inwardly accursed deprived of all good and fill'd with mischief and all evil And as he would have the curse to be of great efficacy so he would have him carry it alwayes about him 1. Let it be unto him as the garment that alwayes covers him That is let it alwayes stick close to him as his garment which he puts not off least his nakedness appear 2. And for a girdle with which he is girded continually i. e. compass him and go round about him being fastned either with buckles or knots 1. Moller for a garment reads Pallium which is a Cloak that a man puts off at home and calls for when he goes abroad By which he conceives the Prophet desires that God would set some external mark upon him as a note upon him that he may be known to be a Cast-away 'T is noted of the Jewes that they carry an illsent about them and their ears are grown into a Proverb some say their Visage betrayes them 2. If Doeg were the Type of Judas as most agree in this Psalm then by the girdle also might be understood Cingulum militare which they cast not off while they were of that profession And he Doeg being a misitary man he would have the curse cleave as long to him and encompass him as did his girdle And now the Prophet concludes this part of the Psalm with an Exclamation and Vote He concludes the Imprecation with a vote by which he shewes that he was perswaded that his execrations were not in vain Let this be the reward of my Adversaries from the Lord and of them that speak evil against my soul The third part He prayes for protection For himself and his Church that say I am a Deceiver a Seducer and deny me to be the Son of God 3. The Prophet now turns from cursing into prayer and in the person of Christ directs his prayer to God for protection and deliverance both of himself and for the whole Church and as before he pray'd against Judas and the Synagogue and indeed foresaw the evils that were to fall upon them so doth in this pray for himself and in that for the Church foreseeing the many good things that should be conferred on that Body of which the Messiah was to be the Head 1. He begins his prayer in this Form But do thou to me O God the Lord Ver. 21 for thy Names sake because thy mercy is good Help he asks against his Persecutors on three grounds 1. Because his Lord was Jehovah the Fountain of all Being of all Power and therefore could if he would Upon Gods mercy repress his Persecutors 2. Because it would be for his honour Do it for thy Names sake thy Name i. e. thy Clemency thy Goodness thy Faithfulness in defence of thy Church and Justice in executing Vengeance on her enemies will be thereby celebrated and declared for the Name of God imports all this 3. Do it because thy mercy is good Deliverance is easily inclined to succour such as are in misery which animates me also to ask being assured that out of mercy thou wilt do it 2. Deliver thou me methinks this part of the Petition seems to have an eye to that houre in which Christ prayed Father save me from this houre John 12.27 O my Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me Mat. 26.39 For the reasons to perswade it are the same 1. Deliver me for I am poor and needy destitute of humane help And that because the Disciples slept fled 2. Deliver me for my heart is wounded within me my soul it exceeding sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26.38 And to these he adds many other Reasons the first of which illustrated by the two similitudes of the Evening shadow and the Locust Bellarmine very acutely refers to his apprehension in the Garden 1 His life short and he patient and silent and his being posted off from the High Priests to Pilate from Pilate to Herod and so back again 1. I am gone like the shadow when it declines which passeth away in a moment silently without the least noise So was Christ pull'd from his Disciples and led away as a Prisoner without any murmur 2 Unworthily used without any resistance without any defence He was led as a Lamb to the Slaughter Isa 53. 2. I am tossed up and down as the Locust Tossed from one Tribunal to another as the Locusts base Creatures that the wind carries from place to place Exod. 10.12 19. 3 Pains with trouble And so also it fell out to the Apostles and Martyrs who dyed patiently and were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tossed up and down the World 2. A second Reason from his debility or weak condition his body was now in 1. My knees are weak through fasting The little sustenance Christ took in the night before the Passion his watching in prayer that night makes this good 2. And my flesh faileth of fatness through the loss of much blood 4 Opprobriously used so faint he was that they compelled Simon of Cyrene to carry his Cross 3. A third Reason yet to move God to pity and deliver is taken from his opprobrious usage the Sarcasms and Scorns and Jeers they put upon him than which there is no injury more grievous to a Noble and ingenious spirit I am become also a reproach unto them when they looked upon me they shaked their head He prayes for the Resurrection which needs no illustration the four Gospels being an ample Comment upon this verse and so he concludes the Passion This is the first part of his prayer A second part there is of it which follows for a speedy Resurrection as he prayed before in the 22. Psalm which was also a Psalm of the Passion which is there set out to ver 18. And then he prayes as here that he might not lie long in the Grave ver 19.20 21. Help me O Lord my God save me from the pains of death Acts 2.24 according to thy mercy
morning and cried 2. Mine eyes prevent the night morning and evening he prayed 2. For audience deliverance increase of grace That which he pray'd for was 1. Audience Hear me O Lord And again Hear my voyce ver 5. 2. Ver. 1 Deliverance Save me ver 2. 3. Increase of grace Quicken me ver 5. 3. Ver. 2 The end that he desires salvation and grace 1. That he might keep Gods statutes First is That he might keep Gods Statutes Hear me I will keep thy Statutes 2. Ver. 1 Save me that I may keep thy Testimonies ver 2. 3. Ver. 2 I prayed and watched that I might meditate in thy Word ver 4. 4. Ver. 4 Quicken me according to thy Word for the self-same end ver 5. 4. His arguments to perswade it The Arguments he especially useth besides the former to move God to hear and grant his Petitions are 1. His faith and hope I cried because I waited and hoped in thy Word and promises 1 His faith 2. Gods mercy Hear my voyce according to thy loving-kindness The common Argument to be used by all Gods children 2 Gods goodness for were they never so righteous and just yet in mercy they must desire to be heard and not for their merits 3. The danger that he was now in by persecuting enemies 1. Ver. 6 They draw nigh they are at hand the danger is near 2. 3 The danger he was now in His comfort that God was near him Yea and great too for they are mischievously bent they follow after mischief hunted after all occasions to do evil 3. Most impious men they are far from thy Law they hate it shun it labour to make it odious in every eye 5. But the comfort is that they are not so near but thou art as near they to do mischief but thou to defend me let then their number power malice be what it will thy power and mercy is beyond it 1. Thou art near O Lord let then these my enemies be far from thy Law they cannot be far from thee Ver. 7 Thou art near and wilt reach them by thy justice And would not desert him and this is my comfort 2. For all thy Commandments are Truth Albeit the evil of wicked men follow me because I follow thee yet I know thy Commandments are true and it is not possible that thou shouldst desert thy servants who stand to the maintenance of thy Word their wickedness shall never escape thy hand of punishment they may punish my body but they cannot deprive me of my Crown of glory 6. He concludes with an Epiphonema Of which he is confident being assured upon his own experience of the stability and immutability of Gods Word I know thy Commandments are Truth for Ver. 8 1. Concerning thy Testimonies thy Will that thou hast testified in thy Word 2. I have known of old even ever since I began to look into them study them and practise them 3. That thou hast founded them for ever They are of eternal Truth immutable and indispensable and this is the Anchor of our souls that we be not carried away with the winds and waves of tentations The Prayer OVL of a vehement desire I have cried to the Lord for help and that not only with my tongue and voyce but with my whole heart Ver. 1 hear me good God which if thou wilt vouchsafe to grant I will more studiously and fréely séek to know and kéep thy statutes Ver. 2 I have called and eried to no other God but thée therefore save me from these pressures and dangers Ver. 3 and being by thée saved and delivered I will more diligently kéep thy Testimonies Neither have I only called upon thée by bay but I have prevented the bawning of the morning with a great cry I have sought thy face and implored thy help because I repose my sole hope in thy promisses I have prevented also the night watches my eyes day and night have béen intent upon thée that I might be occupied in the meditation of thy words both in those in which thou hast promised thy mercy and in those in which thou hast signified thy Will and exacted my obedience Hear therefore my voyce according to thy loving-kindness and according to that equity by which thou usest to procéed with all those that love thée and call upon thy Name quicken me with the sense of thy savour and deliver me from this imminent death and danger And the impiety of my enemies makes me be the more instant to obtain this mercy for they that persecute my soul are set upon mischief they hunt after my life nay they hate not me only but thy Law it is odious in their eyes they look strangely upon it and desire it should be as odious in others From this imminent dagger it is not possible for me to be safe but by thy hand and guidance As then they approach near to hurt so do thou approach near to help and make it appear by my deliverance that all thy promises are truth This I have known long since and now Lord let me have erperience of it again so shall I have just cause to praise thy judgments and sing of thy mercies and make it known That thou hast founded them forever nor the rage of man nor the malice of Devils shall be ever able to shake thy-Truth or evacuate thy promises which thou hast maâ—â— to thy Church in Iesus Christ our Lord. 20. RESH IN this Section David petitions to God for help in his affliction The Contents 2. Complains of the multitude of his persecutors 3. Laments their condition 4. And shewes his constancy and love to Gods Word 1. David in his affliction prayes to God David begins with a petition In afflictions it is some comfort to us to have our case known consider'd and examined especially by those that love us therefore David desires 1. Ver. 1 That God would consider his case Consider my afflictions so much at least 1 To help him 2. Then that he would help him Deliver me from my tempting enemies 3. His Reason to perswade both For I do not forget thy Law though I perfectly keep it not yet I have not cast it behind my back I do not forget it I desire to keep it This he could plead with a good conscience if not what he had done yet what he would have done therefore he could boldly make this request Deliver me 4. 2 To be his Advocate But yet he goes further and desires God to be his Advocate to him he appeals 1. Plead my cause and deliver me At the bar of men a just cause oftentimes miscarries for want of a good Advocate Ver. 2 and is born down by an unjust Judge wherefore I beseech thee who art the just Judge of the World take my cause in hand plead it to their faces and deliver me Arise up for me in the judgment that thou hast commanded 2.
the Amoritish Kings and the thirty one Kings of Canaan He smote great Nations and slew mighty Kings as for example Ver. 10 Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan Ver. 11 And gave away their land for an heritage Ver. 12 an heritage unto Israel his people All which is evident out of the books of Numb Deut. Joshua 5. The fifth part For this he extols God To the commemoration of the revenge that God took upon the enemies of his people and the benefits he bestowed on them he adds a conclusion formed into an Epiphonima in which he first extols Gods name and then shews his mercy to his people 1. Thy Name O Lord endures for ever i. e. for these thy wonderful works 2. And thy memorial throughout all generations Thy memory thy fame the remembrance of thy Acts shall flourish and remain to all posterity 2. And the reason is drawn from his mercy which excites us also to praise him 1. And shews his mercy to his people For the Lord will judge his people The world judgeth them forsaken but he is their keeper and defender and will judge their cause and at last take revenge on their persecutors and deliver them 2. And he will repent himself concerning his servants Though he punisheth his dearest children yet he will be at last entreated be propitious and kind and remove his heavy hand Psal 136.23 6. The sixth part 2. God above all gods The Prophet hath proved that God is absolutely great in himself which he proposed vers 5. And now he proves the second part of his proposition that our Lord is above all gods For being compared to the Idols of the Heathen he far exceeds them They were Divels not gods they the work of mens hands made of earthy materials they could not infuse life sense reason into their images as God did into his image man they nor saw nor heard nor moved For he shews their vanity divers ways And shews the vanity of Idols 1. From their matter wherof they were made The Idols of the beathen are silver and gold Ver. 15 2. From the efficient cause their makers men The work of mens bands 3. From their impotence from performing any act of life They have mouths but they speak not eyes they have but they see not They have ears but they hear not neither is there any breath in their mouths 4. From the sortishness and misery of those that worship them They that make them are like unto them Ver. 18 so is every one that trusteth in them The makers are blind mute deaf understand nothing at all who suppose that they can make gods And they that trust in them more sotrish that think a stone can help them 7. The seventh part In the last part he invites all the true worshippers of God to praise him because they are lively images of the living God they see they hear they speak they understand That therefore all praise God and therefore they praise that God from whom they the faculty of living hearing speaking seeing and understanding To this he invites 1. All Israel Bless the Lord O house of Israel 2. Ver. 19 Then the Priests Bless the Lord O house of Aaron 3. The Levites Bless the Lord O house of Levi. 4. Lastly of all the Laity Ye that fear the Lord bless the Lord. To which he adds his own vote concluding with this Epiphonima 1. Blessed be the Lord out of Zion where he shews his presence by the Ark. 2. Which dwelleth at Jerusalem who though he be every where by his Essence and presence yet peculiarly dwells in his Church by his inhabiting Spirit Let the Citizens of Zion and Jerusalem never cease to bless him The Hymn and Prayer collected from the One hundred and thirty fifth Psalm O Omnipotent God all we thy servants now gathered together in thy Spirit to blesse thy name and here met in the Courts of the house of our God to praise thee Ver. 1 do acknowledge that we have instnite reasons to pay this debt to thy divine Majesty For we know O Lord that thou art good good absolutely in thy self and gracious unto us and that all our goodnesse is as nothing in comparison of thee We know again that to sing praises unto thee is a pleasant thing and therefore our heart shall be glad when we send forth prayses unto thee with joyful lips Wee know also that thou art great and far above all Gods Thy benefits are innumerable not only which thou hast conferd upon thy chosen people thy Israel who is thy pecultar treasure but even which with a full hand thou hast poured forth upon all mankind For in heaven the earth the seas and in all deep places thou hast done whatsoever thou pleasedst Thou so orderest the clouds the vapours the lightning winds and rain that they may be obedient to thee and serviceable for the use and sustenance of man And when thou hast in thy power the hearts of all Kings and Princes thou so bendest them as may make most for the good and saidation of thy people upon them thou revengest their wrongs and deliverest in due time thy chosen people from their power and oppression Egypt the Amorites and Canaanites felt thy power whom thou smotest in thy anger plaguest and slew in thy wrath and gavest away their Land for an heritage even for an heritage to Israel thy people Thy Name O Lord endureth for ever Ver. 13 and thy memorial through all generations and therefore our hope which is grounded upon thy promises is thereby confirmed and increased that though thou art risen up in judgment against thy people yet at last it will repent thée concerning thy servants O merciful God arise we beséech thée and behold the miseries and calamities of thy poor servants and deal not with us according to the merit of our iniquities Pardon our offences and let it repent thée of the evil thou hast brought upon us We have liv'd unworthy of thy Name unworthy of our Vocation yet at last break the force of the Devil and his instruments and repress their pride and boldness that we be not compelled to fall down and worship the imaginations of their own brains which are little better than the Idols of the Heathens that nor saw nor spake nor heard nor understood Which mercy if thou will grant us then all that fear the Lord both Priest and people the whole house of Aaron of Levi and all Israel shall have just occasion to bless the Lord and say Blessed be the Lord out of Zion which dwelleth at Jerusalem Allelujah PSAL. CXXXVI THIS Psalm is of the same Argument that the former For in it all men are call'd upon to praise God for his greatness and goodness his providence and mercy in creating governing and ordering the world but especially his love shew'd to his people the Church All which works because they proceeded from his Mercy therefore
it rase it even to the foundations And thou O Babylon which hast done the work as I doubt not but as my God hath begun and will in his good time take a condign punishment upon the Edomites so also he will bring thée down Thou art miserable and thou shalt be miserable Happy shall that King and people be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones O merciful God whatever wrath and indignation is due unto us for the breach of thy Commandments and dishonouring thée in thy Service remove it O Lord from thy people and transfer it upon them that with an implacable malice pursue thy people and séek by all means to corrupt and waste thine inheritance which was purchased by the precious blood of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ PSAL. CXXXVIII DAVID delivered from his enemies and troubles and advanced to the Kingdom gives thanks to God acknowledgeth Gods goodnesse in hearing his prayers foretels the conversion of Kings shews that God regards the humble rejects the proud puts his trust in God for the future and prayes that God would continue and enlarge his mercy to him More briefly 1. In the three first verses he promiseth a grateful heart and to sing forth the praises of God because God heard his cryes and prayers and in tribulations sent him comfort 2. In the three next he shews what after Kings would do when the works and truth of God should be made known to them 3. In the two last verses he professeth his confidence in God shews what he hopes for from him and in assurance that God will perfect his work prayes him not to desert and forsake him David shews his thankfulness 1. First David shews his thankfulness which he illustrates and amplifies 1. The first part And illustrates it that From the manner of the doing of it done it should be cordially sincerely ardently totally I will praise thee with my whole heart 2. From the witnesses before whom it should be done Before the Gods will I sing praise Ver. 1 Coram Elohim Not only privately but publickly before the Potentates 1 He would do it heartily 2 Before all men whether Angels or Kings of the earth Psal 111.1 Psal 107.32 3. From the place the Temple then the Tabernacle a symbol of Gods presence with his people Ver. 2 It was as it were Gods Palace and there he ruled as a King 3 In the Temple and therefore he would fall low bow worship I will worship toward thy Holy Temple Which the Jews did when absent from Jerusalem Dan. 6. 4. 4 The causes inducing him to it From the causes inwardly inducing him to it I will praise thy Name for thy loving kindnesse and for thy truth 1. 1 Gods calling him to be King For thy loving kindnesse in calling me from the sheepfold to the Kingdom 2. 2 Performing his word And for thy Truth in performing thy promise In performing which 5. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name This clause is diversly read Thou hast magnified thy Name in thy Word that is in performing thy Word above all things Or Thou hast-magnified thy Name and thy Word above all things Or Magnificas cum toâ—o nomine tuo sermonem tuum Jun. All these have the same sense But the vulgar reads it thus Quoniam magnificasti super omne nomen sanctum tuum And Bellarmine by Sanctum tuum understands Christ who Luc. 1. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom he gave a Name above every Name I suppose our English Translation should be pointed thus Thus hast thou magnified thy Word above all thy Name or and above all thy Name For Musculus by and joyns the Substantives 3 For hearing and granting his petitions Magnificasti super omnia nomen tuum eloquium 6. From Gods facility in hearing and granting his petitions which he presented to his God in the time of his banishment and affliction Ver. 3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Infirme creatures we are and in temptations and afflictions must faint except God strengthen us Out of all these motives David would praise God 2. David having set down what God had done for him The second part in mercy call'd him from following the Ewes great with young ones anointed him to be a King heard his prayers strengthned him in his affliction and in truth performed his promises conceives it impossible but that either the Neighbour or future Kings should take this when they heard of it into their consideration and â—cknowledge the miracle and praise God for it This certainly is the literal sense This mercy to David was like to move other Kings to magnifie God though it may have an eye to the conversion of Kings in future to the faith 1. All the Kings of the earth Hiram Toe c. or the future Kings of Israel Judah shall praise thee when they hear the words of thy mouth what thou hast said of me David and of my seed Ver. 5 2. Yea They shall sing in the wayes of the Lord that is of the wayes of the Lord Muscul of his mercy truth clemency For great is the glory of the Lord he is very glorious in all his wayes his works his proceedings 3. Of which this is one Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly of which I David may be an instanÌ„ce But the proud he beholds afar off He removes far from him he will not have to do with them they are in remotis agendis of which Saul may be an example and the Devil 3. Because God who is high looks upon the lowly The third part With it so mov'd he was that he puts his affiance in God therefore David being conscious to himself of his own humility promiseth himself help from God in all his tribulation even for the time to come 1. If I walk in the midst of trouble that is on all sides exposed to trouble Ver. 7 2. Thou wilt revive me make me live and preserve me safe and untouch't 3. Thou shalt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies Thou by thy power shalt restrain their fury that would devour me and hinder their endeavours and enterprises 4. And thy right hand shall save me Thy power thy virtue thy Christ who in Isa 53. is call'd the arm of the Lord shall do it The last verse depends on the former because he knew And that that God who had would yet deliver him that as yet many troubles and afflictions remained to be undergone therefore he was confident that the same God who had hitherto delivered him would be a good God to him for the future and deliver him in time to come and so make his work perfect 1. The Lord will perfect that which concernt me not for any
merit but mercy 2. Of which he gives the Reason Thy mercy O Lord endureth 〈◊〉 â—ver Ver. 8 It is not for a moment it vanisheth not with one benefit For his mercy but 〈◊〉 is eternal so is it eternal and the resote I know that God will persâ—â— in me what he hath begun 3. And to that end he concludes with a prayer And for this he prayes Forsake not the work of thy own hands Thou which in mercy hast begun this work conserve increase perfect it because it is thine own work only and none of mine If we desire that God should perfect any work in us we must be sure that it is his work Absolons work had no blessing for it was none of Gods The Prayer out of the One hundred and thirty eighth Psalm O Lord I will praise thee with my whole heart neither will I do this privately and within the walls of my house but in publick and in the Assembly of thy Saints even before Angels and the greatest Princes who are Terrestrial gods Ver. 1 I will sing Psalms to the honour of thy Name I will bow my self and fall low and worship towards thy holy Temple and there praise thy Name for thy loving-kindness in making unto me many gracious promises and for thy Truth in performing what thou hast promised in both which Thou hast magnified thy Name Ver. 2 and thy Word above all things that are in heaven and earth Thou hast commanded me to call on thée in time of trouble and I in obedience to thy Word have call'd And in the day when I cryed Thou answer'dst me by which Thou hast magnified thy Word and in my weakest estate Ver. 3 Thou hast strengthned me with strength and consolation in my soul by which Thou hast magnified thy Name So many have béen thy mercies so wonderful thy Providence so strange thy protection toward me through my whole life so beyond expectation thy salvation sent unto me in my greatest dangers Ver. 4 That whosoever shall hear the words of thy mouth spoken of me and fulfilled in me will be ready to praise thee yea Ver. 5 they shall sing of the wayes of the Lord of thy wisdom thy power thy justice thy goodness and confess upon the consideration of thy works That great is the Majesty and Glory of our God For though thou art high most high in nature most high in power most high in command and empire Ver. 6 yet thou humblest thy self and hast respect to the lowly for whose sake thou humbledst thy self in thy Son didst vouchsafe to descend from Heaven and converse with them As for the proud Thou beholdest them afar off as no way approving their haughty thoughts O Lord remove far from me all pride of heart and create in me an humble spirit that thou may'st cast one good look toward me descend into my heart by grace and that I may from this low estate ascend unto thée Thou O Lord hast hitherto béen merciful unto me and deliver'd me from many troubles Ver. 7 but yet I carry about me a body of flesh and my sorrowes are not at an end I must look for afflictions and I expect them that which alone can arm me against these calamities is the experience of thy former mercies hitherto thou hast and I am assured that hereafter thou wilt deliver me Though then I walk in the midst of trouble I know thou wilt revive me Thou shalt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of mine enemies quell their fury and allay their rage and thy right hand shall save me O Lord perfect thy work in me that thou hast begun It procéeds not from my merâ—â— but thy mercy Ver. 8 and this thy mercy is not for a moment but endures for ever 〈◊〉 vanisheth not with one benefit but is eternal as thou art eternal And all the works that flow from me whether within me or done upon me are thy works forsake not then but protect and cherish the works of thine own hands nor leave me who am thy workmanship created after thine own image Good God renew in me what is decay'd by the fraud and malice of the Devil or my own frailty let thy grace pursue me and thy right hand uphold me that I may attain to that perfection of thy Saints in glory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXXXIX IN this Psalm David having aspersions laid upon him by his enemies appeals to God in justification of his innocency and he desires of God to be his Witness and Compurgator ver 23. Now that this his Appeal be not thought unreasonable he presents God in his two especial Attributes Omniscience and Omnipresonce Then he shewes how free he was like to be from the faults with which he was charg'd in that he loved goodness and good men and hated the wayes of wickedness and wicked men This is the Sum. The parts are 1. A Description of Gods Omniscience from ver 1. to 7. 2. The Description of his Omnipresence from ver 7. to 18. 3. Davids hatred of evil and wicked men from ver 19. to 23. 4. The Protestation of his own innocency which he offers to the Test and Tryal of God ver 23 24. 1. He begins with Gods Omniscience The first part Gods Omniscience He and takes upon him the person of mankind for what he saith of himself is as true of all men for we are all known to God Ver. 1 1. O Lord Thou hast searched me out proved examined Knowes tryed me by an exact search or scrutiny it needed not but he would have us know that God most accurately searcheth into all our wayes not the least thing we do is hid from him Thou searchest me out and knowest me Now what he said in general he opens in particulars Ver. 2 2. As first for our Actions he searches and knowes them 1 Our actions 1. Thou knowest my down-sitting and my uprising when where and for what cause I sit down or rise 2. For our thoughts he searches them also 2 Our thoughts Thou understandest my thoughts afar off from all eternity Thou knowest my counsels my cogitations even before I began to think them Ver. 3 3. The intents and purposes of our thoughts and actions 3 Our intents the ends we aim at Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my wayes 4. Yea and our words too There is not a word in my tongue but Ver. 4 O Lord Thou knowest it altogether 4 Our words And of this he gives this Reason because God is our Maker Ver. 5 toti quanti quanti sumus we are his work Thou hast beset me behind and before The Reason is because he is our Maker and laid thy hand upâ—â— me The Vulgar reads this verse thus Ecce Domine tu cognovisti omnia novissima antiqua mea tu formasti me posuisti super me manum tuam where Bellarmine saith there be
2. He goes on For thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble And that upon mercy Freedom he desires but still upon mercy 8. His last Petition is for the destruction of Satans Kingdom 1. Of thy mercies cut off my enemies 9 He petitions for the destruction of Satans Kingdom His reason and destroy all them that afflict my soul 2. His reason For I am thy servant a Client a Follower one under thy Protection and Patronage one of thy Family honoured with the dignity of thy servant and well contented to do my Duty and serve thee honestly therefore defend me and destroy my enemies for these in being mine are thy enemies The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty third Psalm being penitential O God Thou God of mercy and compassion Ver. 1 hear the prayer of an afflicted penitent soul and give ear to my humble supplications answer me O Lord in thy faithfulness and remit my sin in thy righteousness many promises I find thou hast made to a grieved spirit and to blot out the transgression of a returning sinner to which now in anguish of my spirit I lay claim Ver. 2 I believe thy promises I rely upon thy equity in performance of them as thou art then both faithful and just remit my sin Merits good God before thée I have none to plead I could produce a Bill loaden with a Mass of corruptions and rebellions these make me unworthy to approach thy presence and appear in thy sight O my God pity me for thy Names sake 〈…〉 thy own goodness sake and enter not into a severe account and reckoning with thy servant be not my adversary contend not in judgment with me for if thou shouldst call me to the Bar Ver. 3 I have nothing to put in against the dreadful sentence nothing of my own that can appease thy anger or abate the fury of one stroak of thy severe arm My case is the same with other men with all men when thou shalt call us to an account of our stewards place silent we must be as having nothing to say for our selves because in thy sight shall no man living be justified That enemy of Mankind hath persecuted my soul pursued me he hath with a whole storm of tentations and by these he hath smitten and wounded me and made me vile and contemptible in thy sight He hath so far prevailed Ver. 4 that I have fastned my affections on earth and earthly things Walked I have in the vanity of my mind my understanding hath béen darkned I have béen alienated from the life of God by ignorance and blindness of heart I became past séeling and gave my self over unto all lasciviousness working uncleanness with greediness and this hath brought me to the sad condition in which I am Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me and my heart within me is desolate shame and sorrow is upon me for so offending so gracious a God a stonishment and amazement possess my soul because I am destitute of thy comfort I put my mouth in the dust and my face in darkness and hate my self because I have yielded to that sin which I am sure that thou hatest just cause I have but yet I will not despair methinks as in thy servants from the beginning of the World Thou hast set me a pattern of repentance so thou hast prescribed me a remedy against desperation I remember then the dayes of old that Adam transgressed Ver. 5 and that thou graciously madest a promise unto him for the womans Seed to break the Serpents head that Noah was dronken and incestuous Moses refractery and disobedient Aaron â—â—olatrous and perverted by the people to sin to all which with infinite others when they turned unto thée by hearty repentance Thou gavest a pardon upon these monuments of thy mercy I will meditate upon these examples of thy grace I will muse and when I sée thy works of goodness in them and upon them encouraged I am to stretch forth my hands unto thée as hoping to receive the like savour and as a thirsly Land doth gape for the latter rain Ver. 6 so doth my soul hunger and thirst after thy righteousness as knowing well that without it my soul can neither be beautiful in thy eye nor yet fruitful in the works of piety or charity Hear me then gracious God spéedily and without delay for till thy grace descend Ver. 7 my spirit faints and fails hide not thy loving countenance from me any longer lest my heart become as cold as a stone within me and I be wholly comfortless and like them that go down into the pit cause me to hear of thy loving kindness and let the morning of thy grace comfortably shine upon me who have too long sate in the darkness of sorrow Ver. 8 for in thée alone is my confidence in thée my trust Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk Ver. 10 and teach me to do thy Will and let thy good Spirit lead me into the Land of righteousness Ver. 11 quicken me O Lord for thy Names sake and for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of this agony and trouble Thou art my God and I lift up my soul unto thee deliver me O Lord from my enemies for I flie unto thee to hide me and of thy mercies cut off mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul For thou art my Lord my Patron and I am thy Client and servant The seven following Psalms are Eucharists or Thanksgivings Hymns properly they are PSALM CXLIV An ode of David THis Psalm is of a mixt kind for in it is contain'd a thanksgiving A prayer And doctrine Interpreters are not agreed upon the occasion and time of the writing of it For some think being moved thereto by the Title that it was composed by David upon his victory over Goliah Others upon his victories after over the Philistines Ammonites c. Some again in the beginning of his reign before he was fully setled But be it as it will The parts of the Psalm are 1. A thanksgiving from vers 1. to 5. 2. A petition from vers 5. to 12. 3. A discussion of happiness and wherein it consists from vers 12. to the end 1. The first part He gives thanks In the beginning the Prophet gives thanks and praiseth God 1. He gives him thanks Blessed be the Lord. And he expresseth his reason Ver. 1 Which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight In general 1 For the Art of War God taught him Who hath taught me the Art of War In particular That taught my hands to use the sling and my fingers to choose the stones and direct them to the forehead of Goliah For this was Artis opus non virtutis Skill not strength which he taught me 2. Ver. 2 He praiseth God and that for many Titles He is my strength my goodness 2 Because his strength his goodness c.
have the Lord for their God This is an acute sense of this whole clause But if I mistake not David in earnest intends it as a blessing when men enjoy even Temporal blessings so it be with God For Godliness hath the promises of this life as well as that which is to come And it may not be conceiv'd that God created so many excellent things in this world only for fools and disobedient persons Temporal blessings the rewards of piety Besides many of his best Servants have enjoyed the particulars here mentioned let no man think then but they may be rewards of piety David therefore prayes 1. Ver. 12 Vt That our sons may be as plants grown in their youth Well planted well rooted green and flourishing Which is the first happiness of any family For sons are the pillars of any house They first desired and for them other things 2. Vt That our daughters may be as Corner-stones Antarij lapides Stones that joyn and knit the buildings Polished after the similitude of a Palace i. e. very beautiful specious hansome for upon such stones there is commonly most Art shew'd 3. Ver. 13 Ut That our garners may be full affording all manner of store Semper domus tota boni assidui Domini lccuples abundat haedo lacte caseo gallina c. Referta est cella vinaria olearea mellarea c. It hath in it newand old 4. Ver. 14 Ut That our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets Our flocks increase 5. Ut That our Oxen may be strong to labour Healthy not sickly 6. Vt That there be no breaking nor going out No plundering among us nor inroads made upon us as Job 1. But that we live in peace and enjoy our own 7. Vt That there be no complaining in our streets No screetches of women tumults of people cryes and clamours in our Cities as is usual in insurrections and irruptions of enemies This is a part of Davids prayer and it hath coherence with the tenth verse where he thanks God for delivering him from the sword This he desires God to continue that under his reign his people might be happy and enjoy the fruits of peace viz. that their sons might grow up as plants in their youth c. Which if it happen so they take in the last clause of the Psalm They make happy he pronounceth them a Happy people For he concludes all with this Epiphonema 1. Happy is that people that are in such a case Ver. 15 Such as he formerly named 2. Yea Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. With God That hath for his God the True God that is perswaded he is loved by him adopted to be his son and that he takes care of him For if they be happy who possess those outward blessings They must needs be much more happy who possess the fountain of those blessings and all other The Prayer collected out of the one hundred and forty fourth Psalm O Lord God of hoasts Ver. 1 we acknowledge that all military skill and power 〈◊〉 from thée for thou teachest our hands to War and our fingers to fight thou art our strength in the battel our fortress to fly to our tower to defend us the fountain and original of all our good our deliverer from danger and captivity our shield to protect us and kéep off all blows therefore we have and will ever hereafter relie and trust on thée The success which we have had at this time and the victory over our enemies is from thée and for it we bless and praise thy Holy Name Thou hast put into the hearts of the whole Army to be subdued and obedient to the conduct of their Leaders and valiantly to oppose themselves to the fury of the enemy to thée therefore we attribute the honour of this conquest and not to our own arm To thée this ready obedience and courage in this people and not to our own wisdom or directions Amazed Lord and astonished I am when I consider this mercy for what is man that man should obey him Or what is man in comparison of thy glory that thou shouldst set him over others to be obeyed Ver. 3 What is any son of man that thou takest notice of him or that thou shouldst make account of him Maâ—â—s like to vanity capable indéed of great things but till thou fill him like an empty vessel only full of thin aire vain studies he follows empty things he desires He is of a short life and of no continuance for his Dayes are as a shadow which alwayes shifts the place till night coming on it passeth away And wilt thou open thine eyes and look upon such an one and wilt thou take him from the shéepcoâ—e from following the shéep to be a Ruler over thy people thy people Israel O Lord establish this house and confirm this throne for ever But thou seest O Lord how thine own work is opposed Ver. 5 rebellious men there are that rise up against it and furious men who seek to destroy it Bow the heavens O Lord and come down and declare thy power from above to their confusion Send forth thy hand and rid and deliver me out of these great waters from these troubles and free me from the hand of them who are strangers to thy worship and true piety whose counsels are mischievous and their works profane for their mouth speaks vanity and their right-hand is a right-hand of falshood Rid me O Lord and deliver me from the violence and conspiracies of these men so will I sing a new song unto thee O God upon a Psaltery and instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee Experience hath taught me by my wonderful escape from an imminent death that it is thou that givest salvation unto Kings and hast delivered David thy servant from the hurtful and unjust sword Good God as thou hast hitherto protected and sustained me so restore me again to my people and let my government over them be prosperous successeful and peaceable Let the sons of my subjects be as young plants well rooted gréen and flourishing full of strength sap and youth and let their daughters be as corner-stones well composed and well beautified fair as the polished works of a Palace Lord blesse their substance and make them to abound in riches and plenty of all good things let their garners and storehouses be full afording all manner of store let their sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets Let their Oxen be strong and healthy to labour Suffer not any inrode from enemies abroad to be made upon them nor sequestrations at home to molest them let there be no tumults or complaints lamentation or mourning heard in the stréets of our Cities Give them O Lord these outward symbols of happiness and the rewards of godliness and obedience Ver. 15 For happy are the people that are in such a case But
destruction and blood overturning of Cities and polluting of holy Temples but thy destructions shall come to a perpetual end Vers. 17.18 and thy memorial shall perish Thou shalt fall into the pit that thou hast made and in the snare that thou hast set thy own foot shall be taken Thou shalt be brought to the sides of the pit thou without repentance shalt be turn'd into hell with all the people that forget God And therefore all ye servants of God Vers. 11 which trust in him sing praises unto God which dwelleth among his people and walks in the midst of the Candlesticks declare in the Congregation his marvellous works shew forth all his praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion and rejoice in his salvation So they Vers. 10 O Lord who know thy name thy eternal power justice and goodness toward them that trust in thee shall fall down and relie upon thee because thou hast never forsaken them who in their tribulations have sought thy help in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ PSAL. X. A Prayer to God to destroy the enemies of the Church and the oppressours of his people THERE be three parts of this Psalm 1. A Complaint 2. A Narration of his enemies malice 3. A Petition to be deliver'd from them The first part is a Complaint 1. The Complaint is contain'd in the two first verses Vers. 1 and it is double 1 Of Gods absence 1. Of Gods absence which is quickned by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 2 1. Why standest thou so far off O Lord 2. Why hidest thou thy self in times of trouble 2 Of his enemies 2. Then he complains of his enemies Whose Characters are The wicked in his pride doth persercute the poor These he describes by many Characters 2. The first is Insolency Pride and the effect persecution of good men The second part They being gotten to dignity places of honour and enrich'd Vers. 2 they become persecutours And they do it in Pride 1 Insolency and persecution This occasions an imprecation against them Let them be taken in the devices they have imagined They conspire and make Leagues to oppress good men let them be taken when they least think of it 2. The second Note of this wicked man is that he gloryeth in mischief 2 Boasting in wickedness which is a sign of extream malice Vers. 3 The wicked boasteth of his hearts desire 3. A third is that he applauds encourageth others in their rapine 3 Encouragement of others in mischief plunder and spoil to which they are moved by their covetousness He blesseth the covetous whom God abhorreth 4. A fourth is his Contempt of God and man and Perseverance in evil Vers. 5 1. Man he contemns His wayes prosper all succeeds well with him 4 A contempt he never thinks to be call'd to an account 1 Of Man Thy judgements are far out of his sight and therefore in scorn he slights and puffs at all his enemies 2. And God he reverenceth not Vers. 4 Through the pride of his countenance he will not seek after God 2 And God neither is God in all his thoughts 5. The fifth Note is his profane security He saith in his heart Vers. 6 I shall never be moved I shall never be in adversity Excessere metum mea jam bona 5 Profane security Major sum quam cui possit fortuna nocere 6. The sixth Note is his falshood His mouth is full of cursing 6 Falshood Vers. 7 deceit and fraud under his tongue is mischief and vanity Verborum faditas He will not stick at an Oath and curse himself and imprecate God to be a revenger if he perform it not that so under the colour of Religion and Piety he may deceive 7. The seventh is his Cruelty set out in the ninth and tenth verses 7 Cruelty and Hypocrisie Factorū rabies where he is compared to a Thief an Archer a Lyon Vers. 8 and if force will not do it craft shall Vbi non valet vellis leomnia assuit vulpinam for Vers. 9 he falleth down croucheth and humbleth himself Vers. 10 that the Congregation of the poor may fall into the hands of his Captains and strong ones He is animo vers 6. Ore vers 7. Opere malus vers 8 9 10. 8. The eighth Note upon him is that he is a close Atheist 8 Atheism Vers. 11 He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth away his face A petition to be freed from this wicked man and will never see it Which is the cause of his Cruelty Falshood Security c. The third part of the Psalm is a Petition to be freed from this wicked man The third part Arise O Lord lift up my hand forget not the humble Vers. 12 To perswade which he useth two Arguments 1. Vers. 13 That thereby God should assert his own glory For why should the wicked be suffer'd to blaspheme in this manner Wherefore do the wicked contemn God while he doth say in his heart Thou wilt not require it 2. Vers. 14 Taken from Gods glory nature office 1. In punishing wicked men 2. And defending the helpless Surely thou hast seen it for c. verse 14. Then he returns to his prayer 2 That God would set an end to his power and enforceth his second Argument taken from the justice and office of God 1. That he would out this wicked man from his power and strength Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man Vers. 15 seek out his wickedness till thou find none Till thou find none to punish let none escape Let them appear no more 2. Vers. 16 Then that he would hear and defend the righeous be no worse now to his people than he had been 3 That he would hear and defend the righteous as he had formerly 1. The Lord is King for ever and ever 2. He had expell'd the Canaanites before them The heathen are perish'd out of the land 3. Thou hast heard the desire of the humble Upon which he concludes with the expression of his confidence full of much comfort Of which he is confident 1. Thou wilt prepare the heart of the humble to wait on thee 2. Vers. 17 Thou wilt cause thine ear to hear 3. To the safety of the oppressed To judge the fatherless and poor 4. Vers. 18 To the ruine of the Oppressour That the man of the earth may no more oppress The Prayer collected out of the tenth Psalm for deliverance from tyrannous and oppressive enemies O Almighty and Merciful God whose eyes go through the world and doest sée to how many dangers thy poor Church is exposed and the rage and tyranny of wicked men against thy people we grievous sinners yet thy humble servants justly at this time for our transgressions against thée environ'd with cruel enemies and ready to be swallow'd up
by oppressing tyrants do prostrate our selves before thy Throne of mercy Vers. 1 and earnestly beséech thée to look upon our afflictions and not for ever to hide thy face from us O Lord why standest thou so far off as if thou hadst deposed all care of us and hadst quite forgotten us why hidest thou thy self and withdrawest thy eye thy hand thy help in this néedful time of trouble when our present calamities are so great that now we stand in most néed of thy ayd and succour The wicked being exalted to dignity and power Vers. 2 in the pride of his heart doth persecute the poor breathing nothing but fire and flames to devour thy people he conspires makes Leagues and takes counsel to oppress the just The wicked boasteth and gloryeth Vers. 3 that he hath attain'd to what his heart and soul desired and the covetous wretch flyes upon other mens goods Sacred and prophane Vers. 4 he catcheth and heaps up riches and blesseth himself in his rapine judging that he is the sole happy man Yea as if it were too little to insult over poor miserable men he abhorreth even the Lord he laughs at and contemns the anger and judgement of thee our God as if he were gotten to that heighth Vers. 4 that he should never be cast down Through the pride of his countenance he snuffeth at thee he saith in his heart There is no God No God that will regard Vers. 5 enquire into and avenge the deeds of men There hath been hitherto success and prosperity in his wayes and therefore his endeavours are alway grievous afflictive and heavy through oppression thy judgements are far above out of his fight he considers not that there is another day when the works of all men shall be examin'd and their impious works punished and therefore he goes on securely and puffs at contemns derides and with the breath of his mouth thinks to blow away all those he counts his enemies Vers. 6 He sings a Requiem to his soul He hath said in his heart I shall never be removed I shall never be cast down from this state and honour dignity and power from generation to generation I shall not be in adversity Yea Vers. 7 his mouth is full of cursing deceit and fraud under his tongue is mischief and vanity He is of a fraudulent and insidious nature and that he may the easilier cover this his craft and subtilty to deceive the imprudent he will not stick to bind himself with a vow an oath a curse when under these fair and religious words there lies nothing but vanity mischief and poyson And at last when all these frauds and deceits break forth as a high-way-man Vers. 8 he sits in the lurking-places of the Villages in the secret places he murders the innocent Vers. 9 his eyes as those of an Archer are privily levelling and aiming at the goods and life of the poor What by his For-like fraud he cannot compass he will do by violence for he lieth in wait secretly as a Lyon in his Den he lieth in wait to catch the poor harmless man when he takes him in his net he destroye him He fasts he prayes Vers. 10 he croucheth he humbleth himself that the Congregation of the poor may fall into the hands of his Captains or strong Ones O God his impiety his pride his covetousness his cruelty his hypocrisie his perjury is so great Vers. 11 because he hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hides his face and will never see it Arise O Lord lift up thy hand Vers. 12 hitherto thy hand hath séemed remiss and féeble in our protection but now O God declare thy power and shew the strength of thy arm and smite these our enemies on the cheek-bone let it never be cast in our téeth that thou hast forgotten the humble Why should he dare with his blasphemies thus to contemn and revile thee Why should he say in his heart Thou wilt not require it that thou carest not for things below Vers. 13 that thou wilt not punish the wicked nor avenge the just The imaginations of mans heart are but vain for surely thou hast seen it Vers. 14 for thou behold'st mischief and spite thou weighest the mischievous actions and spiteful dealings of the wicked against the innocent Vers. 15 to requite and revenge it in a season best known to thée And therefore O Lord we thy poor afflicted people as destitute of help as poor Orphans depriv'd of their Parents look for no humane succour nor seek after unlawful wayes but commit our selves and cause wholly to thee who art the helper and hast promised relief to the fatherless Break thou the arm and power of the wicked and evil man Vers. 16 seek our and take away his wickedness that there may remain no sign or step of his impiety punish him till thou find nothing to punish being condemn'd let him perish and come to eternal ignominy and contempt So shall thy people have reason to bless thee Vers. 17 break forth into singing and say The Lord is King for ever and ever and the wicked are perish'd out of the good land which he hath given to his people for an inheritance They are rooted out of the land of the living Thou O Lord art a gracious God Vers. 18 for thou hast heard the desire of the humble Hear us now then now in our distress O good God prepare our hearts to ask and cause thine ear to hear our Petitions Iudge the fatherless who is destitute of counsel help and strength frée thy oppressed people from the tyranny of the Oppressour let not the man of the earth who is from the earth and minds nothing but the earth be any longer exalted So shall thy afflicted people sing of thy mercies and return thée due praises through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XI In this Psalm David manifests his confidence in God in the midst of his extremities IT is composed Dialogue-wise betwixt David and those his Counsellours that perswaded to fly to some place of safety from Sauls fury which if he did not he was in a desperate condition It hath two parts 1. He brings in his Counsellours words vers 1 2 3. 2. To which he returns his answer vers 1. and confirms it vers 4. ad 7. 1. The first part The advice of Davids Counsellours You my Counsellours whether of good or bad will I know not tempt me that deposing all hope of the Kingdom I go into perpetual banishment such you say Sauls fury is against me Thus you advise Flee as a bird unto the mountain and your Arguments are Vers. 1 1. Vers. 2 The greatness of the danger I am in For lo the wicked bend their bow they make ready their arrow upon the string Their reasons that they may privily shoot at upright in heart 1 The great danger 2. The want of aid and assistance There was no hope of help For the foundations were cast