They shall not stand in judgment though some refer this clause to this life When he is judg'd by men causa cadet he shall be condemn'd 2. Exclusion from the company of the just Sinners shall not stand in the Congregation of the righteous 3. Ver. 6 The cause of both In the close he shews the cause why the godly is happy the wicked unhappy 1. Because the way of the righteous is known to God approved by him and defended 2. But the way studies plots counsels of the wicked shall perish The Prayer out of the first Psalm O Almighty and most merciful God who hast taught us by thy holy Word that the only way to obtain felicity Ver. 1 is to avoid evil and to do good never suffer me to walk in the counsels of the ungodly nor to stand in the way of sinners nor to acquiesce and sit down and rest in the Chair of the Deriders of Religion and Piety Ver. 2 But so renew and quicken all the faculties of my soul by the gracious assistance of thy Spirit that my delight may be to walk in the paths of thy Commandments and the meditations of my heart day and night taken up with the study of thy sacred Word and Will By nature I am a wild Trée Ver. 3 barren of good fruit be pleased then to transplant me and ingraff me into the true Olive root me in true faith sustain me in charity let those heavenly dews of grace and Rivers of waters which flow from thy Sanctuary moysten and comfort my dry soul so I may bud and knit and fructifi◠and in a fit season bring forth such fruits as may chear thee my God and be beneficial to man then I may expect happy successes and prosperity upon the work of my hande O Lord thou knowest my frailties no Trée more subject to the violence of tempests than I am to the fury and rage of enemies who if they may have their will will not leave one leaf upon me they will deprive me of my juice and devest me of my greenness O let not then the scorching heat of any temptation wither nor the storm of a winter persecution beat off a leaf of grace with which thou hast beautified my soul but in the midst of this fiery trial let me still flourish and in the coldest blast let me retain my life and fresh vigour that howsoever I séem to men to be in an unhappy condition yet I may have the testimony of thy Spirit within that thou who disposest all things to the best for those who love thée wilt make me prosper Prosper me therefore in my wayes prosper me in my actions prosper me in my afflictions prosper me in life prosper me in my death whatsoever I do let it prosper Should I sell my self to work wickedness consent to ungodly counsels or settle upon the lees of sin and sit down in the Chair of the scornful I can expect no such success from thy hand Ver. 4 thy mouth hath said it As for the ungodly it shall not be so with them though they may séem to men to be well rooted and excéedingly to flourish yet their prosperity is but for a moment their happiness light and vain Carried they are with every violent wind of lewd affections and empty Doctrines Ver. 5. 6. and therefore they shall be as the Chaffe which the wind drives from the face of the earth their way shall perish they shall never be able to stand in judgment But thou O Lord art a sure protection for thy people Grant therefore O Lord Ver. 6 that when I shall appear before thy Iudgment seat I may be able to stand with boldness in thy presence and let thy mercy absolve me from my sins for the merits of my Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen PSAL. II. The prime Subject of this Psalm is Christ the Type David THE persons we are chiefly to reflect on are three which make three parts of the Psalm The Enemies of Christ Christ the Lord. The Princes and Judges of the earth 1. The enemies to Christ are great men who are described here The first part The enemies of Christ described partly from their wickedness and partly from their weakness First Their wickedness is apparent 1. They furiously rage 2. They tumultuously assemble 3. They set themselves stand up 1 By their wickedness and take counsel against the Lord and against his Anointed 4. They encourage themselves in mischief saying Come and let us cast away their cords from us Ver. 1 All which is sharpned by the interrogative Why Secondly Their weakness 2 Their weakness for their plots vain in that they shall never be able to bring their plots and conspiracies against Christ and his Kingdom to pass for 1. What they imagine is but a vain thing Ver. 1 2. He that sits in Heaven shall laugh and have them in derision Ver. 4 3. He shall speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Ver. 5 4. For maugre all their plots Ver. 6 God hath set up his King upon his holy hill of Zion 2. At ver 6. begins the exaltation of Christ to his Kingdom The second part Christ by God exalted to be King which is the second part of the Psalm in which the Prophet by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brings in God the Father speaking and the Son answering First The words of the Father are Vnxi te in Regem I have set my King Ver. 6 where we have the inauguration of Christ or his calling to the Crown 1 His inauguration Secondly The answer of the Son I will preach the Law which sets forth his willing obedience to publish and proclaim the Laws of the Kingdom Ver. 7 of which the chief is Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee 2 His willing obedience Thirdly The reply of the Father 3 His reward containing the reward that Christ was to have upon the publication of the Gospel which was Ver. 8 1. An addition to his Empire by the conversion and access of the Gentiles 1 The amplification of his Kingdom Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost ends of the Earth for thy possession Ver. 9 2. And the confusion of his Enemies Thou shalt break them 2 The confusion of his enemies who would not have thee reign that did rage and stand up against thee with a Rod of iron and break them in pieces as a potters vessel 3. In the third part the Prophet descends to his Exhortation and Admonition The third part The Prophet exhorts and that very aptly for is Christ a King is he a King anointed by God is he a great King a powerful King so great that the Nations are his Subjects Ver. 10 so powerful that he will break and batter to pieces his Enemies Besides Kings 1. to is he the only begotten
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
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
us from the darkness of sin and ignorance Good God so affect my heart with the love of thy Law that I may desire it more than gold Ver. 10 yea than much fine gold let it be sweeter to my mouth than the honey-comb Grant good Lord that I who desire to be thy servant may be taught by it Ver. 11 and from the kéeping of it let me expect my reward and have my reward in this present life security and peace of conscience and be refreshed by the comforts of thy holy Spirit and in the life to come live with thée in those Mansions which thou hast prepared for those who kéep thy Law for ever But thou O Lord knowest the frailty of my flesh how weak my endeavours are how imperfect my obedience If none but the observers of thy Law shall be rewarded I must néeds despair of a blessing either in this or another life in that the Errors of my life which I know are very many and those which I know not are numberless How often do I commit that wickedness which I ought to leave undone and omit those Duties which I ought to have done How often doth vice steal upon me in the cloaths of vertue and Error and Falshood in the shape of Truth Who can tell how oft he offendeth Ver. 12 Therefore O my good God I beséech thée of thy infinite mercy cleanse me and wash oft these secret spots of my soul with the rest of which in particular I have no knowledge yet my conscience in general tells me that of such I am guilty And however so long as I carry about me this body of flesh Ver. 13 I must also carry about with me this body of sin yet I beséech thée keep me from presumptuous sins never suffer my will to be so over-born that I sin against thée with a high hand though it dwell yet let it not reign though it remain yet let it not dominéer and tyrannize in my mortal body Thy servant Lord I desire to be and no vassal drudge and slave to sin never then suffer it to have the dominion over me This is that great offence which is inconsistent with grace that turneth thée to be our enemy that excludes from the Kingdom of Heaven never never O Lord suffer me to be guilty of it Thou that hearest prayers to thée shall all flesh come Ver. 14 now with a prostrate soul and a penitent heart I appear before thy Throne and humbly beg audience Let these words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be alwayes pleasing and acceptable to thee O Lord thou art my Rock my Strength hold me up that through weakness I fall not from thée Thou O sweet Jesus art my Redeemer and hast bought my soul with a dear price that of thy precious blood frée me from the power of sin the sorrows of death the power of Satan and pains of Hell and bring me by thy Merits and Passion to everlasting life that I may reign with thée for ever PSAL. XX. Is a Form of Prayer delivered by David to the People to be used by them for the King when he went out to Battle against his Enemies THERE be three parts of it 1. A Vote or Benediction of the People for their King from ver 1. to 5. 2. A Congratulation or Triumph of the People after the victory supposed to be obtained from ver 5. to 9. 3. A Petition ver 9. 1. The Vote and Congratulation is directed to Davids person The first part by form of Acclamation the particulars are that he may have Ver. 1 1. Audience in his necessity The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble The vote of the people for the King 2. Protection The Name of the God of Jacob defend thee 3. Help and Strength in the Battle Send thee help strengthen thee which is amplified by the place Out of the Sanctuary out of Zion either from the Sanctuary where prayers were made for him so that they desire their prayers may be heard for him or E Coelo 4. Acceptance of his person testified by the acceptance of his offerings and sacrifices as that of Abel Oderetur omnia munera tua holocaustum tuum in cinerem redigat 5. Answer concession and grant of his Petitions Grant thee according to thy own heart and fulfil all thy counsel which is plainly set down in the next verse The Lord fulfil all thy Petitions Which granted they vow thanks The Vote being ended they perswade that it may be granted because it will redound to Gods glory for then they would shew themselves thankful and honour him for the victory 1. We will rejoyce in thy salvation or as some read it Do this O Lord ut exultemus That we may rejoyce In tua salute referring it to God as the Authour or to the King as saved 2. And in the Name of our God will we set up our Banners Joyfully will we enter into the City with displayed Ensigns and erect them triumphantly as Trophies of the victory to the honour of our God 2. Now follows the Congratulation and Triumph of their faith The second part for they give thanks as for a victory already obtain'd for to their faith it was certain Before they pray'd for Audience and Protection Ver. 6 here they testifie they were certain and secure of both They comfort themselves by faith that God will grant what they ask of him Now know I. 1. Of Protection Now know I that the Lord will save his Anointed 2. Of Audience He will hear him from his holy Heaven 3. Of Help Helping him with the saving strength of his right hand And the certainty of their victory proceeded solely from their confidence in God to him they impute it wholly in the former verse such was their gratitude which that it might be the clearer they illustrate it by an Argument drawn à dissimili they were not as the common sort of Souldiers that trust more to their Arms than to their Prayers 1. Amd the rather because they trust not in their Ammunition As most men do Hi in curru in equis Some put their trust in Chariots and some in Horses as the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10.6 2. But we do not so We will remember the Name of the Lord our God The use of Arms is common and lawful to good and bad men but the difference lies in the confidence Here is an elegant Antithesis 2. And therefore the success was according their confidence in their Armour and Ammunition destroyed our trust in God hath saved us They are brought down and fallen The third part A short ejaculation but we are risen and stand upright The whole sum of the Psalm is repeated in this Epiphonema 1. Save Lord. 2. Let the King that is Christ bear us when we call The Prayer collected from the twentieth Psalm O Lord which art King of Kings Lord of Lords and yet hast commanded us
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
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
the right and strait way we have not forgotten our God nor holden up our hands to any strange god No not when thou hast smitten us in a land of captivity where we converse with Dragons in the shape of men and every hour presents us with the face of death Should any such wickedness be in our hands it could not be hid from thée Thou Lord wouldst search it out for thou knowest the secret of the heart And now Lord what is our hope truly our hope is then in thée Thou art our King O God command deliverance for Jacob Give us power by thée to push down our enemies and through thy Name to tread them down that rise up against us We will not trust in our Bowe neither shall our Sword save us it is thou alone thou alone O Lord who must save us from our enemies who must put them to shame and confusion that hate us At this time we are in great distress Ver. 25 our soul is bowed down to the dust our belly cleaveth to the ground Awake therefore O Lord why sleepest thou arise and cast us not off for ever Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and oppression Arise for us and help us and redeem us for thy mercy sake then in God will we boast all the day long and praise thy Name for ever Ver. 8 Thy mercy will appear to be so wonderful and signal in our delivery that we will give thée perpetual and eternal thanks celebrate and extoll thy loving kindness from Generation to Generation PSAL. XLV An Epithalamium or spiritual Marriage-Song composed for the solemn espousal of Christ and his Church THE Type of the Messiah is Solomon of the Church especially of the Gentiles to be espoused Pharaoh's daughter Three parts there are of the Psalm 1. A Preface v. 1 2. 2. The body of the Psalm containing two commendations 1. Of the Bridegroom from ver 3. to 10. 2. Of the Bride from ver 10. to 18. 3. The Conclusion promissory and laudatory ver ult 1. In the Preface the Prophet commends the Subject he is to treat of The first part The Preface signifying 1. That is a good thing good as speaking of the Son of God Ver. 1 who is the chief good 2. And good for us for upon the Marriage of Christ to his Church depends our good 2. That the Authour of this Psalm and the Subject of it is God He was but the pen the instrument to write it full he was of the Holy Ghost therefore his heart was enditing and his tongue followed the dictate of his heart and presently became the instrument of the ready Writer viz. of the Holy Spirit My tongue is the pen of a ready Writer And so having insinuated into his Auditory 1. The second part By the commendation of the matter of which he is to treat viz. that it is good 2. That it tends to a good end viz. to the honour of the King i. e. Christ the King of his Church He falls upon the main business which hath two particulars 1. He turns his speech to Christ the King The excellency of Christ and commends him for many eminent and excellent endowments never was there such a Spouse 1. For his beauty Thou art fairer than the children of men 2. For his elocution and speech Full of grace are thy lips Ver. 2 3. For his valour and fortitude Gird thee with thy Sword upon thy thigh O most Mighty Ver. 3 4. For his happy success and prosperity in his Kingdom Ver. 4 And in thy Majesty ride on prosperously 5. For his equal administration of his Kingdom in Truth Meekness Righteousness Ride on because of Truth Meekness and Righteousness Ver. 5 6. For his Battels and Conquests Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the Kings enemies Ver. 6 whereby the people shall fall under thee 7. For the stability and eternity of his power Thy Throne O God Ver. 7 is for ever and ever 8. For his justice and equity The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter Thou lovest righteousness and hatest iniquity 9. For the fulness of his gifts and graces superlatively beyond all others Therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladness above thy Fellows 10. For his splendour both in his garments and buildings All thy garments smell of Myrrhe Ver. 8 Cinnamon and Cassia out of the ivory Palaces whereby they have made the glad There is nothing we can call good The commendation of the Church either internally or externally nothing praise-worthy in any Prince that may not be found in this King 2. From the Bridegroom he descends to commend the Bride which is the Catholick Church whom he sets forth 1. By her Attendance 1. No mean persons but Kings daughters and honourable women Ver. 9 2. By her Name Title and Dignity A Queen 3. By her Place On the right hand did stand the Queen 4. By her Attire and Vesture She stood in a vesture of gold of Ophir And in the very midst of this great Encomium His counsel to the Church he breaks off and by an Apostrophe turns his speech to the Church lest she forget her self in the height of her honour giving her this good counsel 1. Ver. 10 O daughter of the most High audi hearken mark what Christ saith 2. Vide look about and consider what is done for thee 3. Incline thine ear and be obedient 4. Forget thine own people and thy fathers house leave all for Christ thy old wayes Ver. 11 thy old opinions deny thy self 5. The consequence Gods favour and good will Reasons to perswade to obedience The consequence of which will be this So shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty ver 11. 6. And there is all the reason in the World that thou hear that thou be obedient and conformable to his Will 1. For first He is the Lord thy God and thou shalt worship him 2. Then again it will redound to thy benefit for thence will accrue unto thee great wealth Ver. 12 Tyre shall bring the purple and rich gifts The daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift and the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour ver 12. The counsel and admonition being ended The second Encomium of the Church he returns again to the Encomium of the Spouse and commends her 1. For her inward vertues and endowments The Kings daughter i. e. the Church Ver. 13 is all glorious within 2. For her externals whether doctrine manners offices which are as it were her cloathing 't is of wrought gold 3. For her Rites and Ceremonies They are as Needle-work of divers colours Ver. 14 in divers Churches 4. Her Maids of Honour Virgins holy and sincere souls men pure in heart in life and doctrine living in every particular Church these her companions shall follow her 1. These from all Nations shall
before the Jewes but now all universally Sing unto God ye Kingdoms of the Earth O sing praises to the Lord. Selah And that all Nations do it His Reasons 2. His Reasons to perswade it 1. The Majesty of God testified 1. 1 The Majesty of God By his works To him that rides upon the Heaven of Heavens which were of old 2. 2 His protection His power in his Thunder in his Word He doth send forth his voyce and that a mighty voyce 2. His wise protection and providence to his people Ascribe ye the power to God his excellency is over Israel and his strength is in the Cloud 3. 3 His goodness to his Church His communication of himself to his Church in particular 1. O Lord thou art terrible out of thy holy places 2. The God of Israel is he that gives strength and power to his people 3. Blessed be God with that Epiphonema he concludes The Prayer collected out of the sixty eight Psalm O God in Majesty terrible in thy protection of thy people most merciful since thy power is so great thy presence so powerful that at the blasting of the breath of thy Nostrils thy enemies vanish as a vapour when it is raised to the highest and those that hate thée haste from thy presence Why art thou absent from us why sléepest thou in this néedful time of trouble O Lord awake and arise for us and scatter our nay thy enemies they hate not us Ver. 1 but thée and thy Law and Ordinances make them to flie from thy face drive them away as smoke as wax consumes and melts before the fire Ver. 2 so let the wicked perish at thy presence O God so shall the righteous have just occasion to rejoyce Ver. 3 they shall rejoyce before thee their God they shall be exceedingly joyful O God Thou art infinite in thy Essence wonderful in thy works most merciful in thy wayes to the sons of men Thou ridest above upon the Heavens when we crawle upon this Dunghill of Earth Thou art Jehovah and hast a being in thy self a time there was when we were not and the time will come when we shall not be and what we are at present we have from thée O let us live then and we will praise thée Turn away thy wrath from us and we will rejoyce before thee and sing praises to thy Name As Orphans we are in this World be thou our Father as Widows be thou our Husband Ver. 5 destitute we are without any humane help left alone and solitary O gather us into Families and Societies for our rebellions against thée bound we are with Chains and brought into a dry Land hear the groans and sighs we send up unto thée and out of thy holy habitation make it appear that thou art present with us look upon the humble consider thy dispersed and distracted people have pity on the Widows and Orphans and let us dwell once more together in peace unity and plenty O God Ver. 7 when thou wentest before thy people Israel when thou didst lead them through the Wilderness then thou didst march before them in a cool Cloud by day and in a Pillar of fire by night the dull and heavy earth was moved at thy presence the Heavens drop't Manna the Clouds shot forth lightnings even Sinai it self trembled when thou gavest thy Law unto thy people and after thou brought'st them into a wealthy Land O Lord thy power is yet the same and thy goodness immutable go out before us a sinful Nation and yet thy people as thou didst rain down Manna for them so also we beg of thée to send us necessaries from above and let this our Land that hath béen long afflicted with many evils enjoy a quiet peace and her inhabitants the fruits of peace confirm us Lord in that inheritance which thou hast given us let thy Congregation dwell therein and of thy goodness not for our merits prepare and provide meat and rayment for thy people that hath béen long oppressed by Tyrants We have heard with our ears O God and our Fathers have told us what thou hast done in their time of old great is the company that have published in our hearing that by thy mighty power Kings with their Armies did flie and haste away and that thou hast given the spoil to be divided among thy Houshold-servants This puts us in hope that we even we that have béen for a long time cast aside as the off-scouring of all things and black and inglorious by many pressures shall yet be called for again and set in our inheritances our Dove-like and innocent faces shine as silver and glister as gold the Snow upon the top of Salmon shall not be so white as shall our innocence when thou by these afflictions hast purged away out dross and melted away our tin Such a mercy we cannot expect for our own sakes for we are a sinful people but Lord remember Zion and be gracious to Jerusalem This is the Hill of God in this thou desirest to dwell this thou hast chosen to dwell in for ever Shall then the other Hills insult over it shall the Kings of the Nations and pride of Tyrants trample it to the dust Thy Chariots O God are twenty thousands even thousands of Angels and thou Lord art among them as in Sinai Now Lord shew thy self in glory ascend on High get the victory and triumph over the enemies of thy-Church lead them Captives that have captiv'd us and make them bring and offer thee gifts that have robbed thy Temples and so change the hearts of the rebellious That thou Lord may'st dwell among them and be acknowledged and worshipped by them Bring thy people O Lord out of their troubles as thou of old didst deliver thy chosen from the fury of Og the King of Bashan or thy people Israel from the hands of Pharoah that pursued them to the depths of the red Sea Wound the head of thy enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his wickedness let thy Beloved wash their feet in the blood of their enemies and let the very Dogs lick their blood wisely they wrought against us conceiving they had inclosed us but thou art our God the God of our Salvation to thée belongs and thou hast shewed that there be in thy power many issues from death for where the help of man hath failed Thou hast reached forth thy hand and delivered us from the jaw of the Lyon and the paw of the Boar Blessed then be the Lord which daily loads us with benefits even the God of our salvation Make thy Word perfect O our God rebuke the multitude of the Spear-men restrain the fury of those whose rage and anger against us is no less than that of enraged Bulls still the tumults of the people scatter all those that delight in War for thy Temples sake at Jerusalem be propitious unto us and strengthen that O God which
found their hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. 4. The cause of this consternation At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the Chariot and Horse are cast into a dead sleep Thus God became Glorious and Excellent among good men 2 Terrible 2. Vers. 7 But he became Terrible also to wicked men So Terrible that 1. Thou even thou art to be feared for who may stand in thy sight when thou art angry None be he never so proud 2. Vers. 8 Of which this is an evident Argument Thou didst cause judgement to be heard from heaven It was so in the destruction of Senacherib The earth feared and was still Men saw it were amaz'd at it and put to silence And this work of God in overthrowing his enemies The effects of it and saving his Church he farther amplifies When God arose to judgement to save all the meek of the earth Vers. 9 The consequent was this 1. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee 1 Praise from the wicked The fierceness and rage of man against thy Church shall at last turn to thy praise confess they shall being conquered by thy hand that thou art mightier than they so did Pharaoh This is the finger of God so Julian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain 2 And victory Though they body and rally again yet thou shalt overcome and conquer their fury 3. In the Close he exhorts all Gods people to vow him honour The third part For which and to perform their vow 1. Vow and pay unto the Lord your Gâ—d let all that are round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared All to vow praises 2. And he adds his Reason in an Epiphonema 1. He shall cut off the spirits of Princes Take away from Tyrants their courage and prudence 2. He is terrible to the Kings of the earth They shall know he is God A Psalm of Thanksgiving after some great Victory collected out of the seventy sixth Hsalm O Omnipotent God and most merciful Father it hath pleased thy unspeakable goodness beyond any merit or desert of our's Ver. 1 to make thy self known to us in thy Gospel and thy Name great and famous in our Israel Declared thou hast to all Nations that Salem the City of peace is that place where thou wilt set up thy Tabernacle and Mount Sion thy Church Ver. 2 that habitation which thou wilt defend from the violent attempts of her malicious enemies Our ingratitude no question was very great and our provocations many our lives not answering to the light of thy Word which thou madest shine unto us and because we rebelled against thée therefore this great Army of rebellious men is justly risen up against us who threatned to unroot thy people and utterly to lay waste thy Zion But thou O Lord passing by our transgressions hast put a hook into the nose of our enemies and a bridle into their lips defended miraculously thou hast thy City Jerusalem for thy own sake and for thy servant Davids sake our blessed Saviour There hast thou broken the strength of the Bowe Ver. 3 and not suffered him to shoot an arrow there in our land thou hast made void their Shield dull'd the edge of the Sword scattered their Army and by thy power dissolved and brought to nothing all their warlike preparation and ammunition When we are compassed as it were with a darksom cloud of fear and even despaired of any help and succour then thou didst appear in glory thy excellence then arose to save us our aid was from Heaven our deliverance from above thy Kingdom established in righteousness and holiness far excéeds that power that is gotten by violence murder and robbery therefore they that came to spoil us are spoiled they are consumed and have slept their sleep out of which when they awaked they have béen amazed that in their hands of so much wealth and plunder which they dreamed of they found nothing which hapned unto them not by the course and ordinary changes and chances of things in this World no nor yet by our force and power but at thy rebuke O God of Jacob by thy command by the severity of thy judgment both the Chariot and those who trusted in it both the Horse and his Rider are fallen O Lord Thou even thou art terrible Thou even thou alone art to be feared Who is there though never so potent though defenced with the strongest Army that is able to resist thée that may stand in thy sight when thou art angry At this time thou hast fought from Heaven for us Thou didst make all people to hear thy judgments from thence and the Tyrants of the earth when they felt the power of thy hand trembled and shaked at it their heart melted and their knées smote together quiet they were and silent not daring to mutter against thée or against thy people O Lord the fierceness the rage the pride of man shall turn to thy praise even thy enemies the profanest men being humbled by thy judgments shall confess thy power and acknowledge thy hand say they shall This is the finger of God that thou Lord goest before thy people that thou hast done it and their posterity shall by their example be restrained from doing any such wickedness and by their fathers punishment taught to fear God And now O all ye which are Israelites indéed and perptually stand in his presence Vow unto your God for this his great mercy and pay the sacrifice of praise bring presents unto him whom alone you ought to fear and reverence To him I say vow and perform your vows who for your sake hath cut off the animosities and taken down the courage of Princes and made it appear That he will be a terrible God to all the Kings of the earth to whom be praise to whom be glory now and for ever Amen PSAL. LXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this Psalm the Prophet shews the bitter agony which a troubled spirit undergoes upon the sense of Gods desertion and the comfort again it receives upon the consideration of Gods great and gracious works Two parts of this Psalm 1. He sets forth the strife betwixt the flesh and the Spirit and how the flesh tempts to despair and calls into question the goodness and favour of God from ver 1. to 10. 2. Next he shews the victory of the spirit over the flesh being raised encouraged and confirmed by the Nature Promises and Works of God from the 10th verse to the end of the Psalm an excellent Psalm this is and of great use in all spiritual desertions 1. The first part I cryed unto God with my voyce even unto God with my voyce and he gave ear unto me Ver. 1 in the day of my trouble I sought the Lord ver 1 2. Here David shews the course he took to find ease in his extream trouble of soul he accused not
hear I say for he speaks upon a condition that they be not Backsliders the Prophet puts in a Caveat for that But let them not turn again to folly And this the Prophet confirms in the next verse by a vehement asseveration 1. Surely his salvation i. e. freedom from all dangers is nigh them that fear him 2. And the end is That glory may dwell in our land i.e. That our Land may be in a happy condition enjoying peace and the fruits of peace plenty laws liberty and quietness for glory here is opposed to devastation And this the Prophet amplifies by an enumeration of the consequences of peace The consequences of peace Inter arma silent leges silent virtutes Cruelty the opposite to mercy falshood and errour which is opposed to Truth Injustice the opposite to righteousness bears all the sway but when God shall speak peace to his people all will be contrary 1. Mercy and Truth are met together righteousness and peace have kissed each other A combination of mercy truth justice peace These vertues shall be in great honour viz. Mercy and Truth Righteousness and the study of peace and concord Justice and peace kiss for there is such a league betwixt these two that where peace is made without justice it is not like long to continue and Mercy and Truth must meet for it is no mercy to spare errour and falshood 2. Truth shall flourish out of the Earth i. e. Because men shall be lovers and observers of Truth in their bargains contracts leagues words and promises they shall make the earth flourishing and the land where peace dwells happy 3. And righteousness hath looked down from Heaven For as the rain that descends from Heaven doth make the earth fruitful so the justice that comes from Heaven Gods justice is that which will make a people happy for this will teach to love thy Neighbour as thy self Quod tibi hoc alteri which the statutes of Omri will not do 4. In a word which is the sum of all the promises 1 Tim. 4.8 1. They shall enjoy spiritual blessings For the Lord shall give that which is good 2. And temporal And our Land shall yield her increase 4. The last part Our duties for this blessing In the last verse for these mercies he sets down our Duty 1. Righteousness shall go before him i.e. God His Saints shall walk before him in holiness and righteousness 2. And shall set us in the way of his steps that is shall teach us to walk constantly and happily in the wayes of his Commandments all the dayes of our life Luk. 1.72 How this Psalm is aptly applied to Christ and his Kingdom both by all Ancient and Modern Expositors I leave it to be searched in the Authors themselves because the Application would be tedious and is not so consonant to my intent The Prayer collected out of the eighty fifth Psalm O Blessed Lord God we have béen beset with many troubles Ver. 1 but thou out of méer love hast delivered us from them Thou hast delivered thy people into captivity but hast again brought them from the house of bondage great have béen the provocations by which we have dishonoured thée and yet in mercy Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people infinite are our transgressions and yet Thou hast covered all our sins Though we have béen slaves of the flesh and Captives of the Divel yet Thou-hast taken away thy wrath Thou hast turned thy self from the fierceness of thy anger These experiences we have had of thy love these pawns and pledges of thy mercy therefore O merciful God we are bold to approach thy Throne and beg of thée with an humble heart that thou who art the God of our salvation wouldst turn us unto thee and wouldst also be turned unto us and cause thine anger which we have justly kindled against us to cease What hast thou changed thy self as I may so say into another nature so that thou who hast proclaimed thy self to be patient and long-suffering passing by sins and forgiving transgressions wilt thou be angry with us for ever wilt thou draw out thine anger to all Generations Return return O Lord receive us again to thy favour revive us again by the favour of thy countenance that thy people may rejoyce in thée let us have experience of thy mercy as thou hast promised and grant us thy salvation Make us who have béen heretofore contumacious and rebellious against thée to hearken to what our Lord God will speak for then we are assured that salvation would be near unto us and our land would be glorious for plenty liberty and peace O Lord speak peace once more unto us thy people who have béen miserably torn and wasted by the fury of war and we will never being assisted by thy grace turn back again to our former folly Put into us the bowels of thy mercy and make us studious of Truth let justice and peace méet and kiss in our hearts and be tyed together with such an indissoluble knot that we may bring forth plentiful fruits of righteousness and holiness Our land is now over-run with Errors and false Doctrine O let thy Truth flourish again amongst us we measure out justire by the crooked line of mans Ordinances O let thy righteousness look down from Heaven and cause us to love our Naighbours as our selves and do to others as we desire and expect they should do to us Godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come teach us then to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously soberly and godly in this present World That thou Lord may'st give us what is good and our land may yield her encrease Thou hast delivered us from the hands of our enemies O stir up our minds to be thankful unto thée and to make a conscience to serve thée in righteousness and holiness all the dayes of our life PSAL. LXXXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID in this Psalm being in trouble prayes unto God for continuance in grace and in an innocent life and complaining of the insolence of his Persecutors prayes for protection and some token of Gods goodness This Psalm then is a continued Petition and according to the various Arguments he useth to perswade it it may be divided into These four parts 1. The first is a Petition for safety drawn from his own person the Petitioner from ver 1. to 5. 2. The second a quickning of the same Petition from the Person and Nature of God from ver 5. to 14. 3. The third taken from the quality of his Adversaries ver 14. 4. A conjunction of all these three The first ver 15. The second ver 16. The third ver 17. 1. His Petition The first part The reasons from himself His prayer is varied by many forms Bow down thine ear hear me preserve my soul be merciful unto me rejoyce the soul of thy servant c. and
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
néedy to an opulent and a voluptuous life which the many aim at in their prayers but the end of this our Request is That thanks may be given to thy holy Name and that we may triumph in thy praise that the purity of that Religion which thou hast delivered and committed unto us may be conserved and propagated and thy worship now intermitted may be restored and thy praises which by the sadness of these times have béen silenced may again with triumph be heard in the Congregation Then with joyful lips we shall give thanks unto the Lord and by experience make it known That thou art good and that thy mercy endureth for ever Ver. 1 Not indéed as we ought not as thou deservest for who can utter the mighty Acts of the Lord or who can shew forth all his praise But we will do what we can exalt with our voyces and honour thée with our lives We will keep thy judgments and do righteousness at all times that thy praises may be comely in our mouths and our lives become thy Gospel Grant us this mercy O Lord and then the Priests shall sound forth at thine Altar Blessed be the Lord God of Israel and all the people shall say with a chearful heart Amen Hallelujah The end of the fourth Book of the Psalmes according to the Hebrewes PSAL. CVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Title of this Psalm is Allelujah because in it are set forth the praises of God for delivering such as are oppressed from four common miseries after every of which is expressed those intercalary verses Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness c. Then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble As also for the effects of his Providence who only by his power orders and governs the change and vicissitudes we see in the World There be four especial Points handled in this Psalm 1. A Preface in which he exhorts all to praise God especially the Redeemed ver 1 2. 2. A Declaration of his goodness in particular 1. To the banished and strangers famish'd from ver 3. to 9. 2. To the prisoners and captives from ver 10. to 16. 3. To the sick from ver 16. to 23. 4. To the Mariners from ver 23. to 32. 3. A praise of Gods Power and Providence which is evidently seen in the changes and varieties of the World of which he gives several instances by which it is proved That he is the sole Disposer and Governour of the Universe from ver 33. to 42. 4. The Conclusion which sets forth the use we are to make of it ver 42 43. 1. The first part He incites all to praise God This Psalm begins as did the former and the intention in it is the same viz. That we celebrate and set forth Gods praise yea and for the same Reasons O give thanks unto the Lord Ver. 1 1. For he is good 2. And merciful For his mercy endureth for ever 2. And those who he invites to perform this Duty are indeed all who are sensible that they have received any mercy or goodness from him any way Especially the redeemed in Soul or Body whom he calls the Redeemed of the Lord that men may know when they are freed from any evil that it is only by chance or by their wisdom c. Gods hand is in it he is the first and chief cause of it the rest inferiour instruments to bring to pass his Providence 1. Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so i. e. that he is good that he is merciful 2. Ver. 2 They say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy If the Holy Ghost by the enemy means the Devil then he speaks of our Redemption by Christ if by the enemy some Tyrant Tribulation c. then a corporal and temporal Redemption but the last is generally understood and especially is referr'd to the first afflicting misery Banishment and the next verse intimates so much 3. And gather'd them out of the Lands from the East and from the West from the North and from the South which is yet as true of our spiritual Redemption and Christs collection of his Church from all parts of the World Mat. 8.11 John 10.16 11.52 2. Most Expositors therefore begin the second part at the second verse But some at the fourth The second part but the matter is not much material In those two there was mention made of Gods goodness in their deliverance in their collection from all lands But in the following is an evident Declaration of what they suffered during their absence from their Countrey which is the first misery described here by the Prophet to which a mans life is subject And it is the heavier Cross when a man is forc'd to it by Banishment as is apparent by the complaints that have been made of it by those that have suffer'd they are sine foco sine lare Curat nemo vagos laedere nemo veretur Exul non curae creditur esse Deos. Omnes exhausti jam casibus omnium egeni And this is the misery which the Prophet first instanceth in this place which first he describes then shewes the course the Banished took and lastly acquaints us with the manner of their deliverance which is the method in the rest 1. The first kind of misery Banishment Their misery was 1. That they wander'd no small discomfort to an ingenuous nature to be a Vagrant to walk from place to place and not have a certain House to put his head in In which they 1. Wandered 2. In solitary places Gods people were for a time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pilgrims and strangers and all that time few and evil were their dayes 2. The place adds to the misery Banished men are not confined to solitary places alwayes though that they have not the company they desire yet company they may have but the case of these Banished was That they wander'd in the Wilderness in a solitary place they fovnd no City to dwell in Literally it was fulfilled in the Israelites while they travelled through the Wilderness 3. Hungry and thirsty omnium egeni Men may wander and be in solitary places 3 Suffer'd hunger and thirst but yet have a supply of necessary food To this pass sometimes Gods people come that they have nor meat nor drink as Eliah the Israelites David c. 4. 4 Even to fainting And the Famine may be so great that their souls that is their life is ready to faint in them This is the Incrementum that the Prophet useth to aggravate the misery of Banished men and are the several steps by which it riseth 2. The course they took Next the Prophet shewes us the Course that these banished and hungry souls took for ease and help and that it failed them not no nor the rest following that took the same Course and therefore he four times repeats it versu intercalari The way was
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
cannot be touch'd with the feeling of our infirmities Hebr. 4.15 6. Lastly The High Priest must be compassed with infirmities 6 Compassed with infirmities and so was Christ In all things like us sin only excepted He took our infirmities and bare our sorrowes and in all things it behoved him to be like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Hebr. 2.17 18. 2. A Priest then it is evident Christ is it remains now to shew 2 A Priest for ever 1. How he is a Priest for ever 2. How a Priest after the Order of Melchizedech 1. A Priest for ever Christ is said to be in respect of his Person his Office the Effect 1. In respect of his Person For he succeeded no Priest 1 In his Person his Vocation being immediate neither is any to succeed him in this Priesthood for he lives for ever and therefore needs not as the Priests under the old Law any Successor to continue his Priesthood to posterity whosoever since do any service for him are but his Under-Officers and Authoriz'd by him The plenitude of his Power shall never be transfer'd to any other he lives and keeps it in his own hands 't is but in vain to talk of a Successor 2. A Priest he is for ever in respect of his Office Not of offering 2 In his office of intercession for that is ended and was when he offer'd himself upon the Cross but in respect oâ—â— his Intercession in that for ever he doth intercede in Heaven to his Father for his people 3. A Priest he is for ever in respect of the Effect 3 In his effects 1. Redemption 2. Salvation because by that Sacrifice which he once offer'd on the Cross he becomes to all his the cause of these inestimable Effects Redemption and eternal Salvation in which sense that his Sacrifice once offer'd on the Cross may well be said to be Eternal 2. That Christ is a Priest that he is a Priest for ever is evident 3 After the order of Melchizedech it remains now to be examined How a Priest after the Order the Rite the Manner the Word and Power given and prescribed to Melchizedech or the similitude of Melchizedech 1. This Melchizedech suppose it were Sem was King of Salem 1 King and Priest and Priest of the most High God Gen. 14. So was Christ a King of Jerusalem above Gods own City and a Priest offering himself a sacrifice for sin 2. Melchizedech is by interpretation King of righteousness so is Christ 2 Our righteousness The Lord our righteousness Jer. 23.6 1 Cor. 1.30 3. Melchizedech is King of Salem i. e. peace 3 Our peace so Christ is the Prince of peace Isa 9.6 4. Melchizedech was without father without mother to us so 4 God for ever as being to us revealed by God so was this our Priest Having nor beginning of dayes nor end of life as touching his Godhead Apoc. 1.11 5. Melchizedech blessed Abraham ex Officio the greater the less 5 He blesseth and Christ blesseth us In turning every one of us from our iniquities Acts 3. ult 6. 6 Ordains the Sacrament Melchizedech brought forth bread and wine to refresh Abrahams Army and Christ hath in the Sacrament set forth bread and wine to refresh hungry and thirsty souls Thus much we can grant and yet not admit of the Popish Sacrifice Now I proceed in the Exposition of the Psalm The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath Ver. 5 His Kingdom and Priesthood must continue After that the Prophet had said That the Messiah should be a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedech He intimates in this verse That notwithstanding all opposition that should be made against him yet his Priesthood should be eternal as if he had said Many Kings of the earth shall conspire as did Herod Domitian Decius Maximinus Dioclesian Julian c. to overthrow Christs Priesthood and overturn Religion but it shall never be done his Priesthood and holy Rites shall stand and continue for 1. For God hath given him power to revenge the enemies of his Church The Lord is on thy right hand Given thee power who sits at his right hand which thou wilt use in defence of thy Church 2. And this thy Lord shall strike through Kings the greatest the potenst enemies 3. In the day of his wrath For such a day there is and that will come and when this day of revenge and vengeance comes the proudest Tyrant shall not escape He will recompence the slackness of revenge by the sharpness of the punishment he hath leaden feet but iron hands he will lay on Confringet Which the Prophet farther explains in the following verse This David explains in which Christ is described as a valiant Conqueror over his enemies 1. Ver. 6 He shall rule and judge not only over the Jewes but the Heathen also set up his power and judge the people in righteousness 2. He shall fill the places with dead bodies make such a slaughter among his enemies as enraged Souldiers do in the storm of a City that fill the Trenches with the dead The meaning is that the execution upon his enemies will be great and furious not one spared 3. He shall wound the heads over many Countries Even Kings and Monarchs those in the greatest Power and Authority Of this Herod the Persecutors Maximinus Dioclesian Julian c. are Examples The Prophet through the whole Psalm had spoken of Christs Exaltation Ver. 7 How he was set on Gods right hand and made a King How by the Oath of God he was made a Priest and how in the defence of his Priesthood and Kingdom he would subdue conquer and break to pieces his enemies In this last verse he acquaints us by what means he came to this honour His Cross the way to the Crown his Cross was the way to the Crown his Passion and Humiliation to his Exaltation He saith David shall drink of the Brook in the way therefore shall he lift up his Head as if he had said with the Apostle He humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross wherefore God hath also highly exalted him c. Phil. 2.8 9. Hebr. 2.9 12.2 Isa 5.11 12. 1. He shall drink To drink is to be afflicted Jer. 49.12 Matth. 20.22 2. He shall drink of the Brook de Torrente and that 's more than of the Cup His Passion set out by a Torrent for a Cup contains a certain portion of sorrowes but a Torrent a whole Ocean of miseries 2. In a Cup that which is â—â—unk may be clean and clear but in a Torrent a man can
expect none but muddy troubled water that then the Prophet saith He shall drink of the Torrent intimates That the drink offer'd him should be much and troubled And at his Passion he descended into the very depth of the Torrent and drank very deep of it 3. In the way That was while he was Viator in his Journey all the time of his life that preceded his Resurrection and Ascension 2. His Ascension and Honour But Claritas Humilitatis praemium because he thus humbled himself and willingly underwent his Death and Passion for the Glory of his Father and the Salvation of Mankind therefore shall God lift up his Head he shall ascend into Heaven sit at his right hand and be constituted the Judge of quick and dead he shall rise from the dead and have all power committed to him in Heaven and Earth The Prayer out of the One hundred and tenth Psalm O Almighty God most gracious and merciful Lord sinned all Mankind hath and by it incurr'd thy displeasure and by the disobedience of our first Parents had we not since added to that disobedience béen utterly lost it was not in the power of any creature to save us it was not within the compass of any humane or angelical ability to make our peace to get our pardon and to reconcile us again unto thée The sentence of death was passed upon us and nothing could respite the execution but thy own Ordinance A Mediator was wanting to interpose and hear all differences a Priest to step in and make an Atonement an Advocate to plead for thy people and allay the anger that was gone forth And such an one O merciful Lord Thou out of thy méer love hast in mercy provided for us Thou saidst to thy own Son Thou art a Priest for ever and thy own Son said Lo I come to do thy Will Ver. 4 and so by thy wonderful Decrée and his willing Obedience we are redéemed Who ever heard so strange a thing who could or would ever believe this report hadst not thou O God revealed it The zeal of the Lord hath done this for us the zeal of the Son of God hath done this brought to pass that which flesh and blood would never believe were it not That thou hast commanded it to be believed O mystery beyond comprehension which when we séem to comprehend yet we understand not the secret so far passeth what our weak capacity can reach unto And in this thou O merciful Father hast condescended to our infirmity for that thy Decrée and thy Sons love be never more doubted Thou hast secured us by an Oath an Oath of which thou wilt never repent That he is a Priest for ever A Priest must have something to offer and he offer'd himself a Priest must offer blood and he offer'd his own a Priest must step in and appease thy anger when it was at the highest a Priest must reconcile when the terms of difference were the greatest And such an High Priest thou hast sworn thy Son shall be given him for us and to us not only to them that lived then and before but to all thine that are now and shall be hereafter for thou hast ordained to be a Priest for ever O holy and good Father how much hast thou loved us who hast not spared thine one only Son but hast deliver'd him to be our Priest and our Sacrifice and therefore our Priest because our Sacrifice to Sacrifice himself upon the Altar of the Cross that he might cancel and nail there the Hand-writing that was against us and by death destroy him that had the power of death the Devil This could not be done till he had drank of the Brook in the way till all thy storms and waves had gone over him for so it behoved Christ to suffer Ver. 7 and to enter into his Glory But now all those indignities that agony those unknown sufferings are at an end and thou hast lifted up his head He that sacrificed himself on Earth is an High Priest an Advocate a Mediator an Intercessor for his Body in Heaven and there applies his purchase and continues this his Office for his Servants and Saints O Lord I am the meanest the most sinful of this Society so often as I provoke thée to anger by infirmity or surreptitious by enormous or presumptuous iniquities turn thy face from me a wretched Caitiff and behold those wounds in his hands féet and side and accept of that precious Sacrifice which he made upon the Cross for me hear the cry of those wounds that intercede for me at thy Throne of Grace I rely upon no other Advocate I will sue to no other Mediator if he be not able to save me then let me perish for ever speak peace to my soul in his Name be reconciled unto me in his blood and make his intercession so powerful unto me That I may be purged from my sins and turned from mine iniquities And this Supplication I do not only offer unto thée for my self but for all thy people Ver. 1 for whose sakes thou hast lift up his head and said unto my Lord Sir thou at my right hand All power is now given unto him both in Heaven and in Earth for he is not only a Priest but a King also a Scepter he hath and a Rod in his right hand this is the Rod of his strength and it came first out of Zion Ver. 2 I mean his Gospel that Law which came first out of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem O set thy King upon thy holy hill of Zion give him the Heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession break them with a Rod of Iron and dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel Oppose all those that oppose the growth and enlargement of his Kingdom Let him rule in the midst of thine enemies and sit at thy right hand until thou hast made all his enemies his Foot-stool O Lord let him preside and have the Dominion over all till there be no Adversary left that shall dare to oppose him in his Offices Behold we humbly beséech thée how in these our dayes there are risen up blasphemous and wicked men cruel and bloody Antichrists who go about to break his Bands asunder and dare boldly and impudently say of him We will not have this man to reign over us Be present then O Lord our Saviour at the right hand of thy people and strike through Kings Princes and Potentates in the day of thy wrath Exercise judgment against these blasphemous and heathenish Rebels let not thy Eye pity them nor thy Sword spare them but fill the places with their dead bodies and in what Countrey soever they remain what Aire soever they breath let their factious bodies and their Machivillian and Tyrannical heads and leaders receive their deaths wound from thy hand and fury O Lord pronounce a favourable sentence for thy Church and let
is the help of man This is our infirmity this is our sin And while we are compassed with this tentation our faith presents us thée alone a God both able and willing to help diffident then of all other helps we fly to thée we cry co thée being fully perswaded that our help must come from that Lord not from the arme of flesh Ver. 2 not from other gods but from th Lord alone who hath made heaven and earth By that power then O Lord that thou hast made heaven and earth we beg from thy merciful hands that thou wouldst come and save thy poor Church that is afflicted and persecuted by bloody and mercilesse enemies Lord Ver. 3 suffer not any of their insultations so far to prevail against us that the féet slip or fall in the way of Truth let not our faith be shaken nor our hope ashamed Thou art that good Shepherd that kéeps Israel séem not then any longer to these gréedy wolves to slumber and sléep in deferring to take vengeance upon them Ver. 4 lest they insult over us and say Where is now your God Return return O Lord to the ten thousands which mourn in Israel and vouchsafe to deal with us not as we are a sinful Nation a people loaden with iniquity but as thou art in thy self immense goodness and clemency inexhausted Make thy promise good to us and be our Kéeper be a shadow to us on our right hand a refreshment when the hottest Sun of persecution scorches our heads and any dark tentation cools our devotion O Lord preserve us from all evil if it be thy pleasure and though some disaster may lite upon our body and goods yet preserve our soul that being safe and preserved by thée we cannot miscarry Kéep us Lord in all our actions in all tentatious in all places at all times be present with us in out going out and at our coming in prosper whatsoever we take in hand and make the end thereof be successful never leave us in this present life but let thy grace guide us to that which is eternal through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The third Psalm of Degrees CXXII THE Ark was a Testimony of Gods presence among his people and a Type of the Church this was by David brought up and fix't at Jerusalem when the Jebusites were by him driven out of the Fort of Zion To the place where that was fixed the people of Israel were bound to ascend three times a year to worship and that with gladness of heart to which end they went up thither with a Pipe David then in the person of the people The sum of this Psalm 1. Expresseth his joy that he might join with the Church in Gods service ver 1 2. 2. Commends the Church under the name of Jerusalem for her Unity ver 3. Religious Worship ver 4. Policy Civil Ecclesiastical ver 5. 3. Exhorts all to pray for her Peace and Prosperity ver 6. And puts the Form of Prayer into their mouths ver 7. 4. Shewes his own readiness and professeth to do it or rather performs it ver 8 9. 1. The first part David congratulates that the Ark c. was setled The Proposition of this Psalm is a Congratulation in which he doth express his joy and thanks that so happy a time was come in which a certain place was assign'd where he and the people might meet and worship God in which the Ark of the Covenant which was a Testimony of Gods presence might rest which was not done till his time And he took it for an assurance that the Jewish Religion and the Kingdom or Scepter should not depart from Judah till Shilo came and for this he doth congratulate with the people 1. I was glad First he expresseth his own joy 2. When they said unto me Ver. 1 He was to hear of the unanimity of the people mutually exhorting one and other to this Service 3 We will go into the house of the Lord the place of his worship where we shall hear his Word call upon him give him thanks when I hear these words from them I am ravished with joy 4. And I will gladly join and bear a part with them Ver. 2 Our feet shall stand in thy gates O Jerusalem Hitherto our feet have not had a certain place to stand and worship thee the Ark being carried from place to place But now it is fixed at Jerusalem and we know whither from henceforth to resort our feet are quiet and rest stantes or rather constantes we will go up to the house of the Lord and constantly there serve thee it is a mercy to know where the Church is fix't to which we ought to resort 2. And upon this he takes an occasion to commend Jerusalem three wayes The second part 1. For the unity of it especially in Religion He commends Jerusalem expressed under the Metaphor of a City whose buildings were well compacted together till the Jebusites were thence expel'd it was two Cities but now it was but one Ver. 3 guided by the same Lawes ruled by the same Religion 1 For her Unity in which there was a great and admirable consent among the Citizens Jerusalem is builded as a City that is compacted together In such a City the Buildings are uniform orderly disposed handsomely erected and seated so in Jerusalem all things in Gods worship are uniform orderly beautiful and there is a wonderful harmony of minds and consent among the Citizens 2. He commends Jerusalem next that it was the place constituted for Gods worship Ver. 4 1. For thither the Tribes go up three times a year as was ordained Exod. 2 For Gods Service to which all Israel resort unanimously 23. to remember their Eduction from Aegypt the Law given his preservation of them in the Wilderness and conservation ever since for these were the ends of the three Feasts the Passeover Pentecost that of Tabernacles 2. The Tribes of the Lord An honourable Title bestowed on Gods people holy men out of every Tribe 3. Vnto the Testimony of Israel to the Ark of the Testimony Or as it was agreed by Covenant betwixt God and his people concerning which he testified his Will Exod. 23. 34. Dent. 16. 4. The end of their ascending was To give thanks unto the Name of the Lord that was their work and it must be ours Psal 84.4 Gods Will is that nunquam cesset à laude qui nunquam ab amore 3. He commends Jerusalem thirdly for the Civil Policy and Ecclesiastical Ver. 5 it was the Metropolis 3 For the Civil Policy and Ecclesiastical 1. For there do sit the Thrones of judgment the Tribunals and Courts of Justice are there 2. The Thrones of the house of David The Kings Court and Seat was there which was established in David and therefore the Prophet useth the word sitting as if he had said now setled there which before this time were not Nor in
it yea Ver. 2 that even those that now hold us in bondage may say Ver. 3 The Lord hath done great things for his people Yea and we also in thankfulness and in a just acknowledgment of thy favour will eccho back unto them The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we will be glad So great that we even in the enjoyment of it could scarse believe it or think it possible to be done we were even like unto those that dream But since we have experience of it our mouth shall be filled with laughter and our tongue with joy O Lord long it is that we have sowed in tears Ver. 5 O let us reap in jâ—y for many years we have gone on our way weeping Ver. 6 and eaten the bread of carefulness O let us come again with joy and gather the full fruits of our Piety and Religion for the Merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. PSAL. CXXVII THE Jewes were at this time very busie in building their Temple their Houses and the Walls of their City and that in all they should be sure to take God along with them the Prophet teacheth them That without his assistance all their labour would be in vain for that nothing can be gotten and conserved without his blessing That inheritances are from him and children the props of Houses are his blessing also This the Prophet shewes by these words repeated Nisi nisi frustra frustra and proves it by an Induction 1. Nothing can prosper without Gods help In Civil Affairs whether in House or City 1. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it God must be the chief Builder in the Family his blessing and help by prayer call'd for 1 In the family to the sustentation and nourishment of Wife Children Ver. 1 Servants Corn Cattle c. else all labour and industry is in vain 2. 2 Or City Except the Lord keep the City the Watchman wakes but in vain And 't is so in Kingdoms and Commonwealths also The Jewes had now a Trowel in one hand and a Sword in the other watchful they were against their enemies But the Prophet tells them that the Lord must be their Protector and Keeper otherwise the Watch would be to sittle purpose Magistrates Judges Officers their great Councel of little value And this he declares and illustrates Without his blessing all labour care is in vain by an elegant Hypotyposis of an industrious man that does all that may be to be rich great and safe but not calling for Gods blessing upon his labours 't is all in vain Such a man omits nothing that may be thought on or is to be done that he may thrive 1. He riseth early No man up before him he prevents the Sun Ver. 2 2. He sits up late No man goes later to Bed or takes less rest 3. He eats the bread of sorrowes He defrauds himself of necessary food fares very hard his mind is so taken up with labour care and fear that a pleasant morsel comes not into his mouth But all this without God is in vain It is in vain for you to rise up early c. Whereas with God it is far otherwise With it all goes well for to what before he said briefly and obscurely he subjoins this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so he gives his Beloved sleep So in his blessing in his help he gives to all those he loves who call upon him for assistance after the honest labours he gives a quiet and contented mind and sound sleep at night nor cares nor fears distract them 2. Children are a blessing from him After the Prophet had set down that nor in the House nor in the State nor in a mans private goods no man can prosper except God be with him he proceeds to shew Ver. 3 that children the stay props and continuance of a mans house are from him also about which he sets down their Generation Education and the Benefit that comes by them 1. For their Generation Their Generation that from the Lord Lo children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward He hath the key of the womb opens and shuts Rachel said to Jacob Give me children or else I dye What saith he am I in Gods stead Gen. 30.1 2. Children are inheritances that come of God and they are rura relicta non labore parta 2. For their Education being well brought up and in the fear of God and vertue they become to be of generous spirits Ver. 4 Education which is a blessing of God also for we see many that are brought up with great care and cost often degenerate But with Gods blessing they become brave men As Arrowes are in the hand of a mighty man so are the children of thy youth enabled to great Actions to defend themselves and others 3. And the Benefit will redound to the father in his old age Ver. 5 1. Happy is the man that hath his Quiver full of them full of such arrows 3 From them the parents receive comfort in their old age full of such children 2. He shall not be ashamed but they shall speak with the enemies in the Gate able enough he shall be to defend himself and keep off all injuries being fortified by his children and if it happen that he hath a Cause depending in the gate and to be tryed before the Judges he shall have the Patronage of his children and not suffer in his plea for want of Advocates his sons will stand up in a just cause for him The Prayer out of the One hundred and twenty seventh Psalm O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself It is not in man that walks to direct his steps Thou art our sirength and all our sufficiency is in thée vouchsafe therefore so to preserve Ver. 1 and direct us through the whole course of our lives that whatsoever we do may prosper Prosper thou the work of our hands O prosper thou our handy-work build thou our Houses and Families for us let our wives our children our servants our corn and Cattle be watered with the dew of heaven Watch thou upon the Walls of our Cities and assist and bless the Watch-men our Princes Prelates Ver. 2 Counsellors Magistrates and Souldiers with thy favour for we know without thy help except thou build with us and watch over us our building and waking is but vain It is vain for us to rise early to sit up late and to eat the bread of sorrowes anxiety and carefulness all our early labour and late endeavours accompansed with thrist and trouble of mind to come forward in our vocations are to no purpose if thou shalt blow upon it Prevent us then O Lord with thy gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thée Ver. 2 we may ever gloriâ—â—e thy holy
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
thy fear will I worship And yet not relying so much upon himself as in the goodness and mercy of God he professeth vers 7. As for me I will come into thy house upon the multitude of thy mercy and in thy fear will I worship toward thy Holy Temple In which observe 1. A difference betwixt bad and good men In their wayes and hope As for me Vers. 7 2. And shews his demeanour in Gods service That David would come to Gods house the place of prayer 3. But not presumptuously or Pharisaically Upon hope of mercy 4. There he would worship I will worship 5. But with reverence In thy fear I will worship And thus David having petitioned for audience The second part Davids Petition and deliver'd the grounds of his confidence he brings forth his Petition That his life be holy and innocent 1. Lead me forth in thy righteousness 2. Make thy way strait before me of which he gives this reason Vers. 8 Because of his enemies which dayly laid wait to intrap him and subvert him in his goings These his enemies he describes to the life The third part He farther describes his enemies By their Mouth Heart Throat Tongue 1. There is no faithfulness in his mouth 2. Their inward parts are very wickedness Vers. 9 3. Their throat is an open Sepulchre 4. They flatter with their tongue And then he falls to prayer again 1. Against his enemies 2. The fourth part He again prayes against them Then for Gods people or the Church 1. Against his enemies 1. Destroy thou them O God 2. Let them fall by their own counsels 3. Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions Vers. 10 Of which Imprecation he gives this reason For they be Rebels For they have rebell'd against thee Rebels not against David but against God for he that resists the power resists the Ordinance of God They have not rejected thee but they have rejectect me The fifth part And for Gods people The Conclusion contains his Prayer for Gods people whom he here describes and calls The righteous 2. They that put their trust in God 3. They that love his Name And he prayes for them that Vers. 11 1. They may rejoyce that they may shout for joy 2. They may be joyful in God And he adds this reason Whom he knows God will favour Because thou defend'st them thou wilt bless them and with thy favour thou wilt compass them as with a shield The Prayer collected out of the fifth Psalm O Most Gracious and Holy God who hast saught us that thou art not a God Vers. 4 who hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall any evil dwell with thee Vers. 5 in whose sight the foolish shall not stand Vers. 6 and by whom those who speak leasing shall be destroy'd Thou that hatest all the workers of iniquity and abhorrest both the blood-thirsty and deceitful man We a sinful Nation press'd with the weight of these grievous sins and sensible of thy heavy judgements Vers. 7 yet are bold to come into thy house upon the multitude of thy mercies and in thy fear to worship toward thy holy Temple We beséech thée to give us a true sight and sense of these our heinous transgressions that so our true repentance and amendment may move thée to repent of all the evil thou hast brought upon us Vers. 8 And hereafter lead us in thy righteousness iâ— an innocent and harmless course of life and make thy way strait before us that we erre not in it and fall not from it and from thée Thou who wast pleased to pay that dear ransome upon the Cross for us on purpose that thou might'st redéem us from all iniquity and purisle unto thy self a peculiar people zealovs of good works We beséech thée write thy law which is our way in our hearts that most excellent divine law of thine that we may know it and do it and turn every one from our iniquities Enemies O good God we have too many Vers. 9 besides the devil and the flesh to turn us out of this good way Enemies in the way of truth Enemies in the way of life Enemies in whose mouth there is no faithfulness Enemies Vers. 10 whose inward parts are very wickedness Roaring enemies whose throat is an open Sepulchre to devour us Lying crafty enemies who flatter with their lips for to deceive us Frustrate Gracious God their counsels destroy their power and forces cast all those out in the multitude of their transgressions who have rebell'd against thee Give ear Ver. 1 O Lord to our words and consider our Meditations hearken to the voice of our cry Ver. 2 our King and our God For unto thee do we pray To thee alone we fly Ver. 3 Our voice shalt thou hear in the morning In the morning will we direct our prayer unto thee and will look up expecting thy comfort and help from heaven to descend upon us O let us then hear the voice of joy and deliverance beâ—ime in the morning Vers. 11 that those who love thy name may rejoyce at thy justice done upon the wicked and at thy goodness and mercy shew'd toward the righteous let them glory and make their boast that thou art a just and a merciful God just to deliver thy people from evil and merciful to reward them with the chiefest good Arise O Lord to bless us and compass us with thy loving-kindness as with a shield Confirm us in faith and hope that we may rejoice make us love thy name that we may once more shout for joy Impute unto us thy righteousness that may make us just and give us the graces of thy holy Spirit that may make us righteous in our generation so that thou may'st be moved to bless us in this valley of tears and to crown us with blessings in the life to come where we may live an everlasting blessed life of love and holiness with thée O Father of mercies and with thy Son and holy Spirit for ever PSAL. IV. Which is the first of the Penitentials and is fit for a Penitent afflicted under Gods hand THE streins of this Psalm are two in general 1. A Petition to God for himself contain'd in the seven first verses â— An insultation over his enemies contain'd in the three last The Petition stands upon two leggs 1. A deprecation of evil 2. A petition of good First he prayes to God to avert his wrath The first part He prayes that God avert his wrath O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger nor chasten me in thy heavy displeasure Secondly he intreats to be partaker of Gods favour Have mercy upon me 1. Vers. 1 To his body Heal me O Lord. 2. Then to his soul Return O Lord deliver my soul oh save me 2 Shew mercy And this his Petition he inforceth upon divers and weighty reasons Vers. 2 1. Vers. 4 This he inforceth 1. From the greatness of his calamity From
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
not the wicked of which he complains nor Gods forbearance would not better Saul He grew worse and worse Behold he travelleth with mischief as a woman with child and hath conceived iniquity and brought forth falshood and ungodliness he hath made and digg'd a pit and is fallen into the ditch which he hath made Ver. 14 that lurking there he may take me His strength his counsels Ver. 15 his crafts the Militia the conceptions of his heart his pit and snares are all laid for my destruction and therefore David prayes that the just God would revenge his cause and retaliate the injury and he is fully perswaded it would so fall out His mischief shall-return upon his own head Ver. 16 and his wickedness and violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate And in faith prophesies his ruine The third part A Doxology 3. The close of the Psalm is a Doxology thanks that a true just and merciful God would judge for the righteous save those who are true of heart establish the just and take revenge upon the wicked for this saith David Ver. 17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord the most High The Prayer collected out of the seventh Psalm O Lord God by whose power all things do subsist and before whose Majesty all creatures tremble I at this time beset with cruel enemies do flie so thée for succour and deliverance O Lord thou art my God and Saviour Ver. 1 in thee alone I put my trust be not then absent from me in this néedful time of trouble Ver. 2 but save me that hopes in thée alone from all those that persecute me and deliver me My enemy is of a brutish cruel nature ready to rend my soul as a Lyon that is gréedy of his prey bent to tear me in pieces if there he none to redéem and deliver me out of his paw so great is his rage and fierceness against me an innocent Against thée only have I sinned Ver. 3 and done this evil in thy sight and for that I beséech thée enter not into judgment with thy servant but against them I have done no harm Ver. 9 Thou O God triest the hearts and reins Thou art a righteous Judge Judge me therefore O Lord Ver. 8 according to my righteousness and according to the integrity Ver. 3 that is in me O Lord God if I have done this iniquity that they lay to my charge Ver. 4 or if there be any wickedness in my hands if I have rewarded them evil that dealt friendly with me nay if I have not saved his life that now pursues me to take away mine and done him good that now without any cause is mine enemy Ver. 5 Can any such thing be produced against me then I am content to suffer Then let my enemy persecute me take me whom he persecutes and being taken tread down my life ignominiously upon the earth and lay my honour and the honest memory of my name my Crown and glory in the dust But thou O Lord beholdest their craft and fury against me a poor innocent Thou séest how they Ver. 14 as a woman travelleth with iniquity how they conceive in their hearts false and mischievous wayes to destroy me and that the mischief that they have conceived they bring forth and bring to effect so much as lies in their power Ver. 15 Thou seest how they lay snares and dig pits that I an innocent person may fall into them and be taken by them and perish in them Be not therefore O Lord Ver. 6 like one that sléeps defer not thy justice nor withhold thy power but being conscious of my innocency arise in thy anger lift up thy self above mine enemies by the declaration of thy justice and power make them know that thou art higher than they Awake for me in that judgment that thou hast commanded commanded thou didst Samuel to make choice of me and to anoint me King of Israel his judgment was thy judgment that judgment which thou hast decréed and given Ver. 15 thou knowest the fittest time to perform if that time be now come then awake for me and let my enemies fall into the ditch that they have made Ver. 16 then let their mischief fall on their own head and their violent dealing come upon their own pate O Lord let not the impiety of wicked men longer continue Vers. 11 Make it appear that thou art a just God angry with the wicked every day Vers. 12 and though thou art a God of much patience and longanimity Vers. 13 yet if the wicked man will not turn from his wicked way make them know that thou hast whet thy sword and art ready to strike them that thou hast bent thy bow and art prepar'd to shoot them hast set thy arrow to the string and art aiming to pieres them In a word that thou hast prepared the instruments of death weapons inflamed with wrath hatred and fury against the persecutours of thy Church and people O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end but establish the just Vers. 9 Restore thy Church to its prestine condition Vers. 7 so shall the Congregation of thy people compass thee about Religion which is now almost extinct shall again flourish and thy worship which is now dishonour'd with scandals and prophaneness shall again recover its ancient lustre by the méeting of thy people in thy house and joyful praises sent up to thée in the great Congregation For thy own Name-sake therefore and for thy honour exaâ—t thy power and shew thy strength and come amongst us Our sole defence is in thée O God Vers. 10 which savest and deliverest the upright in heart I will therefore praise the Lord according to his righteousness Vers. 17 and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high He hath kept defended protected me in so great dangers He will take a just reveâ—ge upon my enemies To his name therefore I give all honour glory laud and praise through Iesue Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen PSAL. VIII This Hymn is a Meditation of Gods excellent goodness and glory shining in his Creatures especially in man IT begins and ends with a general proposition David admires Gads greatness goodness c. figur'd by an exclamation which contains an Admiration for he doth admire what he cannot perfectly comprehend O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the world Vers. 1 who hast set thy glory above the heavens Such is the glory of thy Divinity power Vers. 1 goodness that it fills not only the earth but transcends the very heavens in which Angels and blessed Spirits though they know much more than we on earth yet cannot perfectly comprehend thy Majesty which fills all exceeds all Of which he gives divers instances This general being premised Of which he gives divers instances the Prophet descends to some particular
instances in which the excellency of Gods name doth appear and he gives forth three First Infants Secondly The heavens and the Luminaries therein Thirdly Man himself 1. The excellency of Gods power divinity and goodness appears in infants 1 In infants Out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings hast thou ordained strength 1. Vers. 2 The sucking of babes and speaking of infants are evident demonstrations of Gods strength and excellent name For who taught the babe to suck or the dumb infant to speak but the Lord our Governour 2. Or the innocent babes that dyed for him by Herods hand were Martyrs and declared his strength 3. Or the children that cryed Hosanna 4. Or by Babes is meant such as the worldly wise repute no better than children and fools by simple Prophets ignorant fishermen humble confessours hath he perfected his praise and still'd the enemy and the avenger confounded the wisest Philosophers and stopp'd the mouth of Devils 2. The next instance 2 In the heavens in which the glory and excellency of Gods name is manifested is the Heavens Moon Stars These are the works of his fingers Vers. 3 call'd here therefore Thy heavens Whose amplitude is great order and Orbs wonderful beauty admirable matter durable motion various yet stable Together with the stars whose multitude is numerous magnitude various order admirable influences secret and wonderful and the constant course of the Moon and the other great Luminary all which thou hast order'd and ordain'd When I say I consider this then I think with my self What is man Vers. 4 that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him 3 In Man which is his third instance to manifest the excellency of Gods providence and government of the world In which he reflects upon man in his baseness and his dignity 1. Whose vileness the Prophet considering In his baseness vileness and misery signified by the question What is man as if he should say What a poor creature how miserable what except dust and ashes when he was at the best for he was taken from the dust of the ground even then when God created him after his own image But now miserable dust while he lives and to dust he shall return when he dyes What then is this miserable creature of what worth of what value that thou so great so immense a Creatour of all other things that dwellest above the stars and celestial Orbs shouldst vouchsafe to visit and have a care of him 2. Admires the love and care of God to him For that is his Dignity that above all other creatures thy love is greatest to man This thou hast shew'd these wayes 1. 1 In visiting him In visiting him Thou visitest him and art mindful of him 1. Thou visitest him by conferring many temporal blessings on him 2. Thou wert mindful of him and visitedst him first by thy Prophets then in person by thy dear Son that brought Redemption to him when he was utterly lost 2. Vers. 5 In making him thy second creature The Angels first him next and not in all things inferiour to them 2 In making him little lower than the Angels Thou madest him a little lower than the Angels Lower indeed according to his body and bodily necessities but in the faculties of his soul resembling those celestial Spirits 3. 3 In adorning him with glory and worship In creating him after thy own image which when he had lost thou again repairedst and restoredst it making him a partaker of the Divine Nature in thy Son And so didst compass invest and adorn him with glory and worship 4. Vers. 6 In making him Lord of all thy creatures Thou mad'st him to have dominion over the works of thy hands 4 In making him Lord of all creatures and putt'st all things under his feet that they should all obey serve him as their Lord and turn to his use and profit which though true of man yet it especially belongs to Christ when he took our humane nature for he was heir of all things And we in Christ are restored to our dominion over the creatures Which the Prophet illustrates and amplifies in particular 1. Vers. 7 All sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the field 2. The fowls of the air the fishes of the sea c. He closes the Psalm with that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he began The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the world The Meditation or Prayer collected out of the eighth Psalm O Lord our God and governour Vers. 1 how great how admirable how ecxellent is thy Name not only in Judea but in all the earth Our words are too flat to express our senses and reason too weak to comprehend the wisdom of thy wayes the immensity of thy goodness which thou hast shew'd to the children of men Thy name and thy will thou hast made known in thy Word thy name thou hast magnified in thy works both which as often as we consider we are put into astonishment and admiration From this earth we cast up our eyes to heaven and in that Arch we behold nothing but matters of wonder for thou hast set thy glory above the heavens There is thy Seat and Throne of Majesty there the Angels and Saints praise thée there the Sun and the Moon with all the stars proclaim thy glory O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the earth thou hast set thy glory above the heavens And though this thy goodness is diffused and may be séen in all things yet it is in nothing more admirable than in thy providence for infants and sucklings Vers. 2 for out of the mouth of these thou hast ordained strength The child is no sooner born but thou hast ordained a teat for it to suck and a strange instinct to séek after it The young of any creature is no sooner brought forth but thou hast provided for it milk and nourishment by which it should live grow up increase and become strong So great is thy care thy love thy provision for all creatures But which is yet more wonderful these very infants and sucklings could no sooner speak but thou hast taught their tongues to sound forth Hosannah to the Son of David What were all thy Prophets and Apostles but as it were babes and sucklings rude and illiterate men and yet in their mouths thou didst perfect the praise It was not by the power of arms it was not by strength it was not by humane wisdom and prudence that thou didst convert the world and gather thy Church but thou didst make choice of those ignorant and weak men by whose mouths no better than Babes and Sucklings thou wouldst still that enemy of our souls the Devil and put to silence that avenger of our sins Satan who by thée is appointed to take and is well pleased that he may take a just and cruel
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
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
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
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
is thy God where is thy Helper thy Redéemer thy Deliverer But O my soul be of good comfort Why art thou cast down Ver. 11 why art thou so disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God The Prayer out of the forty third Psalm O God thou art my strength and comfort Judge me then Ver. 2 and plead my cause against this unmerciful people O deliver me from the deceitful unjust and cruel man why dost thou stand afar off as if thou hadst cast me aside why go I thus heavily because of the oppression of the enemy Ver. 2 that bitter enemy to me and to thy Church O send out thy Light and thy Truth Ver. 3 Compassed about we are with a fearful mist and darkness of errours and false opinions dispel these thick Foggs with the beams of thy Truth Driven even to the very brink of despair we are by our present calamities and yet we remember that thou hast made many comfortable promises to those that fear thy Name verifie these O Lord in us and to us and let these alwayes lead us and direct us in our way till they again bring us to thy holy Hill and to thy Temple where thine honour dwells and where thou hast promised to be present and to hear the supplications of thy servants Bring us again to thy House O God Thou Ver. 4 who art the God of our exceeding joy for then will we offer upon the Altar of a contrite heart a sacrifice of peace and thanksgiving yea upon the Harp and Organ will we praise thee O Lord our God Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Ver. 5 Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God Though the storms and waves of persecutions have gone over us and the depths of Tentations gaped very wide to swallow us up quick yet we are confident that with the Tentation thou wilt give the issue and so moderate the whole by thy grace and mercy that the solid joy of a good conscience shall never be taken from us O Lord enable us by the power of thy Spirit that in these our pressores we fall not from thée but expect deliverance from thy hand for which we will return thée thanks in the great Congregation through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XLIV IN this Psalm is lively expressed the Sufferings the Complaints the Assurances the Petitions which are offered to God by good men who suffer together with other in the common afflictions that God brings on his people The parts are two The Arguments to perswade his Petitions 1. A Petition from ver 24. to the end 2. The Arguments by which the Petition is quickned from ver 1. to 24. First He begins with the Arguments of which 1. The first part The first is drawn from Gods goodness of which he gives in particular viz. his Benefits and Miracles done for their Fathers 1 Arg. From Gods goodness to his people as if he had said This thou didst for them why art thou so estranged from us 1. We have heard with our ears O God and our Fathers have told us what Works thou didst in their dayes Ver. 1 and in the times of old The particulars of which are 1. Ver. 2 How thou didst drive out the Heathen viz. the Canaanites 2. How thou plantedst them 3. How thou didst afflict the people and cast them out ver 2. 2. This we acknowledge to be thy work which he expresseth 1. Ver. 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Negatively by remotion of what sâ—â—e might imagine They got not the Land in possession by their own Sword neither was it their own arm that helped them ver 3. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name be the praise 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Positively for it was thy right hand and thy arm and the light of thy countenance a meer gratuito because thou hadst a favour unto them no other reason can be assigned but that ver 3. 3. Ver. 4 Upon this consideration by an Apostrophe he turns his speech to God and sings an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For which he sings an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which the streins are 1. An open confession Thou art my King O God 2. A Petition Send help unto Jacob ver 4. 3. A confident perswasion of future victory but still with Gods help and assistance Ver. 5 ver 5 6 7. 1. Through thee will we push down our enemies 2. Through thee will we tread them under that rise up against us all through thee in thy Name by thy Power 4. An abrenunciation of his own power or arm For I will not trust in my Bowe Ver. 6 neither shall my Sword save me 5. A reiteration or a second ascription of the whole victory to God But thou hast saved us from our enemies Ver. 7 Thou hast put them to shame that hated us ver 7. 6. Ver. 8 A grateful return of thanks which is indeed the Tribute God expects and we are to pay upon any deliverance In God we boast all the day long The second Argument the present misery the Church was in and praise thy Name for ever Selah Secondly The second Argument by which he wings his Petition is drawn from the condition in which for the present Gods people were in before he had done wonders for their deliverance but now he had delivered them to the will of their enemies This would move a man to think that his good will was changed toward them Ver. 9 But thou hast cast us off The consequent lamentable and put us to shame and goest not forth with our Armies Of which the consequences are many and grievous although we acknowledge that all is from thee and comes from thy hand and permission 1. Ver. 10 The first is Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy ver 10. 2. The second we become a prey They which hate us spoil for themselves v. 10. 3. Ver. 11 The third we are devoured Thou hast given us as sheep appointed for meat killed cruelly when and as they please ver 11. 4. The fourth we are driven from out Countrey and made to dwell where they will plant us Thou hast scattered us among the Heathen inter Gentes Ver. 12 and that 's a great discomfort to live among people without God in the World 5. The fifth we are become slaves sold and bought as Beasts and that for any price upon any exchange Thou sellest thy people for nought and dost not increase thy wealth by their price ver 12. puts them off as worthless things 6. The sixth we are made a scorn a mock and to whom to our enemies nay for that might be born but even to our friends and neighbours Ver. 13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours a scorn
be brought to thee i. e. the Church 2. Ver. 15 They shall be brought with joy and gladness and enter into the Kings Palace Ver. 16 gladly and willingly they shall enter into his Courts on earth and after be received to a Mansion in Heaven 5. For her fruitfulness Barren she shall not be for she shall have many children The Churches gratitude good children and great for the Fathers the Patriarchs Prophets Priests in the old Law Apostles Evangelists and their Successors in the New that may be made Princes in all Lands her Officers are not contemptible 3. The third part The conclusion which is gratulatory for for this honour the Church would 1. Erect as it were a statue I will make thy Name to be remembred in all Generations 2. Ver. 17 The praise shall be perpetuated Therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever The Prayer collected out of the forty fifth Psalm LET the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart be alwayes acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redéemer Ver. 1 grant that my heart may endite a good matter and make my tongue a ready instrument of thy Spirit nimbly and aptly and solely to express what thou shalt dictate to me of the King of glory O thou wonderful God and Man the Messiah and Saviour of the World Ver. 2 Thou wert fairer in thy conception and more beautiful in thy birth than all the sons of men born we were all in iniquity and in sin our mother conceived us but thou wert holy in and from the womb being fréed and purified by the Holy Ghost from the stain and spots of our original corruption and when thou wast pleased to manifest thy self to the World thy lips were full of grace thy words drop'◠as the honey-comb never man spake like thée never was there such discourses of mercy such calls and offers of love by which thou didst encourage the weary and heavy-laden to come unto thée and we miserable sinners to be reconciled to God for which God hath blessed thee for ever and given thée all power in Heaven and Earth for which we bless thée for ever on Earth and hope to do it in Heaven Now since thou art the Lord of power Gird thy Sword I pray thee Ver. 3 upon thy Thigh O most Mighty conquer and subdue thy enemies whether impious Devils or devilish men take from the one that dominion which they usurp over thy people and bring the other readily and willingly to submit unto thée this will increase thy glory this will improve thy Majesty and Renown Ver. 4 and in thy power prosper and ride on that Truth and Meekness and Righteousness may flourish in thy Kingdom which is easie for thée to do because the right hand of thy power and Divine Omnipotence shall wonderfully teach and direct thée in this work causing thée to the admiration of all not to desist till thou hast obtained an absolute victory and lead in triumph thy enemies Let the words of thy Gospel be sharper than arrows Ver. 5 with a wonderful quickness let them pierce the hearts of many Nations that whereas now they are rebellious and enemies to thy Kingdom they may be wounded to their good that they may fall under thée even at thy foot-stool yield to thy command and be ready to do thy will whose Throne is for ever and ever Ver. 6 and the Scepter of whose Kingdom is a right Scepter Cause them to love that which thou lovest and hate that which thou hatest Thou lovest righteousness make them then in love with equity Ver. 7 thou hatest iniquity cause them to hate all injustice and since thou wast anointed with the oyle of gladness above thy fellows yet for thy fellows anoint also all those that thou hast taken into this fellowship with a fragrant portion of this thy holy oyle that they rejoyce to do thy will Let Kings Daughters noble and princely souls Ver. 9 stand among those thy Saints whom thou hast honoured and brought to thy obedience O let the Queen thy Church whom in mercy and loving-kindness in judgment and justice thou hast espoused to thée stand on thy right hand cloathed in a golden Robe of thy Righteousness O let the smell of their garments be as a Field that the Lord hath blessed Ver. 8 and the swéet of their vertues and graces more odoriferous in thy Nostrils than the perfumes of Myrrhe Cinnamon and Cassia compounded by the skilfullest art of the Apothicary And thou O Daughter so peculiarly beloved and elected by the Messiah consider and encline thine ear attend and give diligent héed what the King shall teach thée concerning the true God and his Service Our eyes are heavy and we cannot sée our ears are deaf and we cannot hear Lord open our eyes that we may sée and say thou Ephatha to our ears that we may hearken and soften our hearts that we may consider of the great honour thou hast done us Teach us to leave father and mother and house and land for thy sake to forget our own people and our fathers house and all that is most dear unto us the bewitching lusts of our own wills and the vanities of our former lewd conversation Enrich our hearts with thy gifts of Grace so shall the King have pleasure in our beauty and we shall acknowledge him for the Lord our God adore fear reverence and worship him Kéep our hearts O Lord in thy fear for then the Nations round about us shall séek and sue to us the Princes of Tyre shall come and bow to us and offer us gifts the rich also among the people shall intreat our favour and desire they may be united to our Communion Adorn us O Lord inwardly with thy Graces and outwardly with an orderly worship and discipline Let our chief glory be that which is within the hid man of the heart and then make us beautiful without in all the ornaments of true Religion vertuous works and Christian lives and over and above in the vestments of outward Ceremonies which are as it were the needle-work and embroydery of Holiness By all which the Virgin-souls of the people may be brought unto thee and accompany us to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven This may move them to enter into the unity of the Church with joy and gladness which is the door of those mansions which thou hast prepared for them in Heaven where they shall enjoy thy sight and thy presence for ever Raise up O Lord our King instead of the fathers of our profession the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles Apostclical men Bishops Pastours and lawful Ministers of thy Word whom thou may'st make Princes to féed and guide to govern and teach thy Church in all lands O Lord thy Mercies are so great and manifold to thy Church that I will make thy name to be remembred in all Generations O let the people praise thee and sing of thy honour for
places but especially The excellencies of the Church In the City of our God in the Mountain of Holiness Then he descends to set forth the Excellencies and Ornaments of the Church 1. It is the City of God Built govern'd by him He resides there 2. It is a Holy Mountain The Religion in it Holy The people a Holy people 3. Vers. 2 It is Beautiful for Situation God had put his beauty upon it 4. The joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion The joy of all the Land of Juda then and after of the whole earth Because the Law was to come out of Zion 5. The City of the great King that is God He founded it and rules in it Vers. 3 6. God is known in her Palaces In her is the knowledge of God yea and by an experimental knowledge to be an Asylum a sure refuge 2. And well it is that it is so for Jerusalem i.e. The Church hath many The second part The enemies of the Church and great enemies which vers 5. the Prophet begins to describe and desires that notice be taken of them for he points them out with an Ecce Fâ—r Lo. 1. They are many and powerful They were Kings a plurality of them Vers. 4 2. Confederate Kings The Kings were assembled Many and Mighty But prevail nor Vis unita fortior But all the endeavours of these Kings of these Confederate Kings came to nothing 1. They passed by together Together they came and together they vanished Vers. 5 2. They saw they wondered They saw the strength of this City and wondered how it should be so strangely delivered out of their hands And troubled at it 3. And upon it they were troubled they trembled and hasted away Fear took hold upon them Which the Prophet illustrates by a double Similitude 1. By a travailing woman Fear and trembling took hold upon them Vers. 6 as upon a woman in travail 2. By the fear of Mariners at Sea Vers. 7 when an Euroclydon threatens to tear their shâ—p Their amazement was such Gods protection of her as when Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an East-wind 3. Now follows the third part of the Psalm The third part in which are two especial points 1. A grateful acknowledgement of Gods protection of his Church 1 Gratitude Vers. 8 as he promised As we have heard so have we seen in the City of our God Heard we have that he will protect this City and we see that he hath done it and perswaded we are that he will alwayes do it God upholds the same for ever 2. And this shall never be forgotten by us Vers. 9 We have thought upon thy Name O Lord and loving-kindness in the midst of thy Temple 3. And so thought of it as to praise thee for it According to thy Name so is thy praise O God to the ends of the earth Vers. 10 All the earth shall know that thy righ-righ-hand is full of righteousness That thou with a powerful hand dost help thy people oppressed with injuries and dost punish their enemies by which thou dost give a manifest evidence of thy righteousness and justice The other point of the third part is an Exhortation to Gods people 1. That they exult and rejoice for that which God does for them 2 To which the Church is incited Let Mount Zion rejoice let the daughters of Judah be glad because of thy judgements in defending thy Church Vers. 11 in punishing their enemies 2. That they take especial notice of his miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem with all the particulars of it that notwithstanding the Army was great that lay against it yet no harm was done to any part of it Walk about Zion and go round about her and tell the Towers thereof Vers. 12 Mark ye well her bulwarks and consider her palaces See mark consider whether they are not all yet standing entire 3. And do it for this That you may tell it to the generation following Vers. 13 Leave it upon Record how miraculously God hath delivered you 4. Now for this there is good reason For this God Vers. 14 This God that so protects and defends his Church and takes revenge for us is our God by Covenant and promise for ever and ever and he will for ever keep this Covenant with us He will be our guide even unto death and in death Leave us he will not when all the world leaves us Therefore exult rejoice mark it and make it known to the generation to come The Prayer collected out of the forty eighth Psalm O Lord God of Israel Vers. 1 thou which dwellest betwixt the Cherubints thou art the God even thou alone of all the Kingdoms of the earth and yet amongst these thou hast erected to thy self an everlasting Kingdom and set thy King upon thy Holy Hill of Zion this thou hast chosen to be the City of our God the Mountain of Holiness This thou hast seated on a fruitful Hill ordained to be the joy of the whole earth In this City of the great king and in her Palaces thou hast hitherto made thy self known for a sure refuge Lord bow down thine ears and hear Lord now open thine eyes and see for lo the Kings of Nations are assembled they passed by together and are confederate against thee they lay their heads together with one consent and take counsel how they may lay Jerusalem in the dust O Lord let not our sins be of more power to destroy than thy mercy to save this thy City shew thy strength and come and help us let all our enemies be troubled let them hast away let fear take hold suddenly upon them as the pangs upon a woman in travail Break their power and dissipate their Armies as ships at Sea are broken to pieces by some violent and unexpected wind O Lord we have heard with our ears and our fathers have declared unto us what thou hast done in the dayes of old As we have heard so let it be seen in the City of our God make us experimentally to know that thou wilt establish this thy City thy Church for ever So shall we have just reason to think of thy loving-kindness and to magnifie thy mercy in the midst of thy Temple Vers. 13 to praise thy name to the ends of the Earth to exalt thy right-hand so full of righteousness to speak of thy judgements and to tell of all thy wonderous works to all generations to come O let Mount Zion rejoice and the daughters of Judah be glad for the bulwarks that yet stand fast and the palaces that flourish proclaim that this God is our God for ever and ever that he is a great Lord and greatly to be praised and that he will be our guide unto death Amen PSAL. XLIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AND the Doctrine it teacheth is That rich men be not proud of their wealth nor poor men dejected and troubled at their mean estate since all
2. Their treachery this The Mighty men are gathered against me They run and prepare themselves 3. They are diligent about it They return at Evening 2. Mad and set to do it they make a noise like a Dog and threaten boldly 3. Unwearied and obstinate in their purpose They go round about the City 4. Impudent and brag what they will do to me Behold they belch out with their mouth 5. And their words are bloody Swords are in their lips 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. And the cause of this is that they are proud and atheistical Who say they doth hear Secure they think themselves supposing they may contemn God and man neither regard what 's done or what becomes of poor David Ver. 3 4. 5. In the mid'st of which aggravations he inserts his own innocency Expresseth his own innocency They gather themselves together not for my transgression nor for my sin O Lord they run and prepare themselves without my fault And upon this he renews his Petition Ver. 4 1. Awake to help me and behold He renews his Petition 1. Thou therefore the Lord God of Hosts the God of Israel the Lord God of Hosts therefore powerful 2. The God of Israel therefore merciful 2. Awake to visit all the Heathen i.e. Punish the Heathen and the Israelites in this no better 3. And be not merciful to any wicked Transgressors i. e. malicious obstinate To this rage and implacable hatred of his enemies The third part Comforts himself in Gods promises he now begins to oppose the comfort he had upon the assurance of Gods promises this I know 1. Thou O Lord shalt laugh at them as it were in sport destroy them be their power never so great yet thou wilt laugh them to scorn 2. Them and all that are like them Thou shalt have all the Heathen in derision 3. I confess that Saul's strength is great but my Protector greater Because of his strength I will wait upon thee for God is my defence 4. This I am assured also That the God of my mercy that hath hitherto shewed me mercy shall prevent me come in feason to my help 2. Expresseth his desire about his enemies And God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies And to the 16th verse he expresseth what his desires were 1. Negatively He would not have them slain and eradicated He would not have them slain and be gives his Reason for it Slay them not lest my people forget for a dead man is quickly out of mind and his punishment out of mind and so few are the better for it 2. Positively The first degree of which is dispersion But 1. Sâ—attered vagrancy and banishment Scatter them which how heavy a judgment it is let the Jewes be witness 2. The second degree is Humiliation Bring them down O Lord our shield 2 Humbled Bring them from their power command honour to a low degree which is no small heart-breaking to a great spirit Fuimus Troes is never remembred without a groan And now he assigns the cause why he would have them scattered and brought low The causes that their blasphemies and lies may never be forgotten but they stand as a terrour to all lyars and blasphemers 1. For the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips 1 Taken in their own snaâ—e let them be taken in their pride The Jewes cryed Beelzebub Nolumus hum and taken they were 2. And for cursing and lying which they speak They cursed themselves his blood be upon us and upon them it is with a witness 3. He goes on in his desires Consume them O Lord emphatically consume them in wrath that they may not be which at first sight seems contrary to his first desire Slay them not But it is not so 4 Consumed for he speaks not of their life as if he would have them so consumed that they should not remain alive but he desires only a consumption of their power royalty command c. And so these words are a farther explication of his second desire Bring them down He would have them so brought down and consumed in their strength dignity command wealth riches that made them proud that they never be able any more to oppose God hurt his people trample upon Religion and his Church he would have them live 4. The final cause to deter others And shews the end why he would have them live and remain still it is ut cognoscant that they might know by their calamities and miseries That it is God that ruleth in Jacob and unto the ends of the Earth that he doth wonderfully govern and preserve his Church that is scattered over all the Earth 5. His insultation over them by a Sarcasm And now by a bitter Epitrope or Synchoresis rather he insults over them before at the 6th verse he shewed their double diligence threats malice to do mischief 1. They return at Evening Well esto be it so And at Evening let them return 2. They make a noise like a Dog Well Let them make a noise like a Dog 3. They go round about the City Well Let them go round about the City So withall they know that they shall be but in a miserable poor mean condition 1. Let them wander up and down for meat Let them find no setled habitation but wander among strange Nations to seek for necessary food 2. And grudge if they be not satisfied Let them be famelici so hunger-bit that is nor little that will satisfie them let them be alwayes grudging if they have not content so that if they be not satisfied they will stay all night be importunate and unmannerly Beggars vexed with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. The fourth part The Doxology The Conclusion is a Doxology and contains Davids thanks in which he acknowledgeth That God is his defence his refuge his strength of him therefore he would make his song 1. But I will sing of thy power 2. I will sing of thy mercy 1. Aloud 2. In the morning 3. The Reason he gives For thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble Both he repeats again 1. Vnto thee O my strength will I sing 2. The Reason The Reason For God is my defence and the God of my mercy And he joyns these two Attributes strength and mercy very well for take away strength from him and he cannot remove morcy and he will not protect both must go together in any one that will defend Power that he can mercy that he will otherwise 't is but in vain to hope for help from him David found God to be both and for both he extolls him The Prayer collected out of the fifty ninth Psalm OMy God Ver. 1 whom only I serve on whom alone I do depend deliver me I beséech thée from the hands of my enemies defend me from the malice of those that rise up against me
invitation to praise God The first part He invites all men to praise God and to do it affectionately and heartily 1. Ver. 1 Make a joyful song unto God all ye Lands 2. Ver. 2 Sing forth the honour of his Name 3. Make his praise glorious 4. Say unto God where he prescribes a Form to be used in Thanksgiving How terrible art thou in thy works viz. in redeeming and delivering thy people with a strong and powerful hand 2 To consider his works The effect Of which consideration he shews a double effect one upon Gods enemies 2. The other upon his people 1. 1 On enemies a feigned obedience Upon his enemies a feigned obedience a service done indeed perforce as the conquered do the Conquerors done with lying lips and an unwilling mind Through the greatness of thy power shall thy enemies submit themselves 2 On his people willing service or yield feigned obedience unto thee 2. Upon his people who willingly should magnifie him for his terrible works All the earth shall worship thee and shall sing unto thee they shall sing to thy Name Selah 2. He calls again to consider them especially in At the fifth verse begins the other part of his Invitation in which he exhorts men to consider Gods wayes as if the cause of their ingratitude were as it is indeed their inconsideration this idle carelesness he would have shaken off Come and see the Works of God not ite but venite Come and consider with me Ver. 5 2. delivering his people Then not his works at large but his terrible Works his Wonders his strange doings in the deliverance of his people of which he gives two instances 1. 1 At the red Sea The division of the red Sea when Pharoah pursued the Israelites he turned the Sea into dry land 2. The other the division of Jordan Josh 3. that Israel might pass through They went through the flood on foot 2 At Jordan Which he closeth with this Acclamation There did we rejoyce in him those miracles done for our Fathers concerned us their children we even we are the better for them and therefore in their loyns we did and we will ever rejoyce for it But being not satisfied with these instances as being particular 3 The 〈◊〉 instance of his providence more general In which appears and concerning one people only he calls us to come and see and consider Gods Power Providence Justice over the world His Power in ruling his Providence in beholding the Nations his Justice in punishing the rebellious 1. He rules by his power for ever The Kingdom is his and for ever his and he will administer it to the comfort of his people Vers. 7 to the confusion of his enemies 1 His power 2. His eyes behold the Nations 'T is true 2 His inspection that by a peculiar care he beholds the Jews but yet so that he neglects not other Nations for by his providence their Cities stand their policies are upheld they are provided of necessary food and rayment 3. Let not the Rebellious exalt themselves 3 His justice They shall not prosper as they desire Nor their endeavours succeed to their minds His justice will overtake them 2. And now again he renews his Invitation to praise God O bless our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard vers 8. The second part He again invites to praise God He exact no obscure secret or vulgar praise but publick manifest such as when the Noble deeds of some excellent man is set forth in Verse And that he move them to this the more willingly he makes mention of a peculiar mercy then well known to them though now hid to us Of which Vers. 8 that he might make them the more sensible And that for some special Mercy Till which came their condition lamentable he recounts in what condition they then were and the reason of it That it was for their trial and probation yet very sharp 1. To deaths door they were brought but unexpectedly saved and gifted with life Thou uphold'st our soul in life 2. At the dangers we were like to fall away Vers. 9 But thou sufferedst not our feet to slip We murmur'd not but were patient under thy â—and But God in thiâ— 3. For we knew that our afflictions came from thee Thou didst it 4. And we knew also for what end we suffer'd it was for our probation 1 Upheld them 2. Was the Author not destruction For thou O God hast proved us thou hast tryed us Vers. 10 5. Although that the trial was very sharp 3 The end to try and prove them which he illustrates by five Similitudes 1. From silver Tryed us as silver is tryed which is purged and refined in the fire 4 Which tryal was sharp 2. From a Net Inclosed we were imprisoned Vers. 11 without any hope of escape 3. From a burden In prison we were loaden with fetters Trouble upon our loines 4. From bondage and slavery Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads That is men did contumeliously and cruelly insult over us and set their feet upon our necks 5. From fire and water Merciless elements all kind of calamities we have undergone The fiery trial 5 But the issue was good and the waters have come to our soul But thou O God with the temptation hast given the issue Thou hast brought us out into a wealthy place 1. Thou hast proved and thou hast brought 2. Thou laidst the trouble and thou tookest it off yea and hast made us an ample recompence for thou hast brought us to a moyst pleasant a mene fertile rich place a happy condition a flourishing condition of things so that thou hast made us to forget all our trouble And for this Mercy it is especially that David exhorts the people to praise God Which if they should be so wretched as not to do yet he would not and so he descends to his own particular and sets them a fair example to follow 3. Where he proposeth an evidence of a grateful heart acknowledging the favour he had receiv'd for which before-hand he had vow'd thanks The third part For this he gives thanks and here he payes it 1. Vers. 13 I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings Empty he would not appear before his God but with his gift in his hand as was commanded in the Law 2. I will pay thee my vows His offerings were not so much a gift as a debt due upon vow Vow'd with his lips and spoken by his mouth when he was in trouble 3. This his vow should be paid of the best and the fattest liberally and freely I will offer unto thee burnt Sacrifices of marrow or fatlings with the incense of Rammes I will offer Bullocks with Goats 4. The fourth part And also because God had been good to him And that he do it there
thou hast wrought in us Bring down our enemies till they submit every one and humbly bring pieces of silver untill Princes come out of Egypt and strangers stretch forth their hands and become Homagers to thee our God O how glorious will be thy praise how excellent thy Name Ver. 32 when all the Kingdoms of the earth with one heart and one voyce shall sing praises to thee Thou ridest upon the Heavens which were of old Thou speakest from thence in Thunder and sendest out a mighty voyce therefore will we ascribe strength unto our God which is the God of Israel O God Thou art wonderful and terrible out of thy holy place when thou communicatest thy presence to thy servants Thou art the God of Israel that gives strength and power unto thy people Blessed therefore be our God Amen PSAL. LXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IN this Psalm David shews to what extream straits he was brought by malicious enemies and yet he is but the Type for the bitter passion of our Saviour are by these not obscurely set out to us The parts are 1. Davids prayer and the Reasons he useth for help from ver 1. to 23. 2. An imprecation against his enemies from ver 23. to 31. 3. His profession of thanks from ver 30. to the end 1. The first part His prayer and the occasion and reason He petitions Save me O God ver 1. and then adjoyns his Reasons which are many 1. The present condition in which he was in expressed by divers Metaphors comparing his enemies to waters 1 His present danger deep waters deep mire great floods 1. Ver. 1 Save me for the waters are come in unto my soul 2. I sink in the deep mire where there is no standing 3. I am come into the deep waters where the floods overflow me no more hope for me to escape without thy help than for a man of life who is compassed with the waves of the Sea Yea and that which adds to my grief I call to thee and thou seemest not to hear 1. I am weary of my crying 2. My throat is dry 3. My eyes fail while I wait upon my God nothing is wanting on my part and yet I have no answer and yet I will wait still for thou art my God 2. 2 From his enemies Farther yet when I consider my enemies I have reason to cry Save me for they are malicious 2. Many 3. Mighty 4. Injurious 1. Malicious They hate me without a cause 2. Many They are more than the hairs of my head 3. Mighty and injurious They that would destroy me being my enemies wrongfully are mighty Then â—restored that I took not away 3. 3 From his innocence From his innocence touching which he appeals to God O God Thou knowest how guilty I am of that which they impute to me for foolishness viz. I am not guilty and yet my faults are not hid from thee Before thee I confess that I am a sinner but not guilty of any folly done to them for that which they call folly viz. thy Service is my greatest wisdom 4. 4 From the hurt may come by it Lest if he suffer thus and be not saved others then by it will be discouraged fall away and judge it a vain thing to depend and rely upon thee and therefore he prayes Let not them who wait upon thee O Lord God of Hosts be ashamed for my cause let not them who seek thee be confounded through me O God of Israel 5. 5 That he suffers for Gods sake And the fifth Reason he gives which may be most perswasive that God hear and save viz. that what we suffer is not for his own but for Gods sake Because for thy sake have I suffered reproach shame hath covered my face for this I am become a stranger to my Brethren An 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Alien to my mothers children And upon this cause he stayes usque ver 13. and shews how he was affected toward God that he might make it appear For it was for that for this cause it was he suffered 2. And then how for it they were affected to him 1. 1 His zeal He was zealous for his God The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up and for this he suffered The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen on me 2. 2 A penitent He was religious a Penitent fasted usque ad castigationem animae I wept and chastned my soul with fasting but when I did this that also was turned to my reproof 3. He humbled himself even to wear Sackloth I made Sackloth my garment but he could not so please neither I became a Proverb to them to them of all sorts 1. To the high and such as were in Authority Those that sit in the Gate speak against me 2. To the low common and ordinary people And I was the song of the Drunkards 2. This I suffer for thy sake and therefore he now renews again his Petition He renews his Petition and enforceth it near upon the same Arguments and first he prayes earnestly hoping that he hath chosen for this a fit season But as for me my prayer is unto thee in an acceptable time 1. Hear me ver 13. Deliver me let me not sink let me be delivered ver 14. Let not the water-flood overflow me neither let the deep swallow me c. And again Hear me O Lord turn unto me Hide not thy face from thy servant Hear me speedily Draw nigh to my soul and redeem it Deliver me 2. Thus earnest he was in his prayer and his Arguments to perswade Audience are 1. Gods goodness mercy truth In the multitude of thy mercy hear me in the truth of thy salvation Hear me O Lord for thy loving-kindness is good Turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies 2. I am in very great troubles and dangers In the mire and like to sink in deep waters that overflow and are ready to swallow me in a pit whose mouth is ready to shut upon me I am in trouble therefore hear me speedily and deliver me 3. I am thy servant 't is for my service to thee I suffer therefore hide not thy face c. 4. Do it do it because of my enemies as if he had said Though I be not worthy for whom thou shouldst do this yet mine enemies are such that they deserve no favour they deserve not that I be left in their hands 1. They are scorners and that thou knowest Thou hast known my reproach my shame and my dishonour my Adversaries are all before thee in thy sight they do it 2. And this their base usage toucheth me near and puts me into an agony Reproach hath broken my heart I am full of heaviness 3. My friends stand afar off flie and forsake me And I looked for some to take pity but there was none and for comforters but I found none 4. Lastly they
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
shew thy power severity and mercy All which should breed in us fear and reverence But like those rebellious Israelites we have not kept thy Covenant nor walkt in thy Law we have forgot thy works and thy wonders then done we have turned back we have tempted thee our God these ten times we have provoked and grieved the holy One of Israel We have not remembred thy hand nor the day when thou deliverest us from the hand of the enemy Of a truth Lord when thy hand hath been heavy upon us by the pestilence famine or sword when thou by any of thy severe judgements didst stay us and bring us to the jaws of death then we sought thee then we returned and enquired early after God then we remembred that God was our Rock and the high God our Redeemer Novertheless we did but flatter thee with our mouths and lyed unto thee with our tongues for thy heavy hand was no sooner removed but our obedience was at an end We have again rempted and provoked the most High God we have not kept thy Testimonies but turned back and dealt unfaithfully with our fathers Thine own people were not more contumacious Israel not more stubborn forgetful wilful than we have been If they dissembled with thee we have done the like if they provoked grieved tempted thee we have done the like Our great deliverances have not wrought upon us thy apparent judgements have not bettered us thy returns of mercy have stiffned our hard hearts Wo be to us for our infidelity and disobedience whither shall we fly to whom shall we go Were it not that we consider that thou art the Father of mercies our hearts would faint Those words upon record are sweeter than honey and the honey-comb to our dying souls Israel was not right with him nor stedfast in his Covenant But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroy'd them not yea many a time he turn'd his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath For he remembred that they were but flesh a wind that passeth away and cometh not again Remember O Lord the mould of which we are made consider that we are but weak and vain flesh strive not alwayes with us remember that the breath in our nostrils is but a wind that passeth away and cometh not again then turn away thine anger and stir not up all thy wrath Out of thy meer compassion pardon and forgive our iniquity and destroy not the work of thine own hands Raise us by the power of thy Spirit and confirm us in thy truth that there never may be in us hereafter a heart of unbelief Never let us depart from the living God or harden our hearts from thy fear The natural branches are broken off and we who were slips of the wild Olive are graffed in of which we have not so much reason to boast as to tremble lest that thou who hast refused the Tribe of Joseph and cast aside the Tribe of Ephraim for their ingratitude rebellion impiety and disobedience shouldst upon the same ground reject us also We will not boast against the natural branches but come before thee with fear and hope with fear lest what hapned to them may befall us and yet with hope that the same mercy which followed them may yet follow us In the hottest of thy anger thou yet madest choice of the Tribe of Judah and sett'st thy love upon Mount Zion there thou built'st thy Sanctuary on high and sett'st it like the earth which never should move at any time David thou madest choice of to be their Prince and brought'st him to feed Jacob thy people and Israel thine inheritance Let this thy love notwithstanding our wickedness continue unto thy Church let the Tribe of Judah be dear in thy eyes take pleasure and do good to Zion build thy Sanctuary on high and make it conspicuous and beautiful in the eyes of her very enemies never let the gates of hell prevail against it Call thy servant David from his low condition to guide thy people and rule thy inheritance And let the power of thy Spirit be so effectual in him that he may feed thy people according to the integrity of his heart and guide them prudently with all his might So shall we who are the sheep of thy pasture give thee thanks for ever and ever PSAL. LXXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm was composed when the Church was oppressed as some conceive by Antiochus certain it is it was in a very distressed condition And it hath These parts Viz. 1. A Complaint for the desolation of Jerusalem from vers 1. to 5. 2. A Deprecation of Gods anger vers 5. 3. A twofold Petition 1. Against the enemies of the Church vers 6 7 10 11 12. 2. For the Church vers 8 9. 4. A Doxology vers 13. 1. The Complaint is very bitter and riseth by many degrees The first part The Complaint bitter and amplified by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. O God the heathen are come into thine inheritance The Antithesis is elegant The heathen those Wolves impure beasts are come into thy Land thy peculiar 2. Thy Holy Temple have they defiled Vers. 1 Prophaned the place consecrated to thy service 3. They have laid Jerusalem on heaps Funditus deleverunt Vers. 2 4. Their cruelty they have exercised upon the Dead The dead bodies of thy Servants have they given to be meat to the fowls of the aire the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the Land Vers. 3 5. A second part of their cruelty was that they made no more reckoning to let out the life-blood of a man than of so much water Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem 6. They wanted a grave And there was none to bury them 7. Vers. 4 And to make up the full measure of their calamities their enemies looked on and scoffed at it We are become a reproach to our Neighbours a scorn and derision to them that are round about us 2. The second part The misery being fully decipher'd in this pathetical Complaint next the Psalmist acknowledgeth the cause of their calamity and expostulates with God The cause Gods anger 1. The cause was Gods anger and jealousie 2. Vers. 5 He expostulates with God about it and deprecates it How long O Lord About which he expostulates with God wilt thou be angry for ever shall thy jealousie burn like fire i.e. Cessairasci 3. The third part And prayes And now he begins his Prayer which is two-fold First Against the enemy 1. Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee and upon the Kingdoms that have not call'd on thy name 1 For vengeance to fall on the enemy for their cruelty Not upon us but on them 2. And he adds the reason and 't is a reason of weight in which he respects not himself but Gods people For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste
agree not For by the son of man 1. Some understand Christ who is often call'd the son of man and is the man on Gods right-hand 2. The Jews Zerobabel or some other chief Leader Which Jansenius saith is the more probable opinion 3. Others the Jewish Nation and the whole body of that people whom God is pleased to call His Son Israel is my first-born who was the man of his right-hand because grown strong by his power To this opinion Musculus and Moller encline According to the first interpretation which is Basils the sense is this Let thy hand and power be shew'd by the man of thy right-hand thy Son and for his sake spare thy Vineyard and let not the enemy utterly waste it 2. According to the second he prayes that God would send them some strong and mighty Saviour or Deliverer 3. According to the third he prayes that God would shew his power and might and not suffer his people whom he had taken unto him in the place of a Son and to the glory of his name join'd to himself by the right-hand of his power and strength of Covenant now to the ignominy of his name to perish by the cruelty of wicked men 4. The fourth part The last part of the Psalm contains a promise of Gratitude That they would revolt and rebell no more but constantly adhere to God and renounce their Idols A vow of Gratitude 1. So will not we go back from thee We will no more be backsliders 2. Quicken us Revive us from this death this calamity Or Quicken us by thy Spirit and Grace 3. And we will call upon thy name We will serve thee and not any strange god And so he concludes the Psalm with that verse twice before set down and explain'd vers 3. vers 7. now repeated Turn us again O Lord God of hoasts cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved The Prayer collected out of the eightieth Psalm O Almighty and Merciful God Vers. 1 who hast béen accustomed to be present with thy people and to lead them and féed them as a good Shepherd doth his flock give ear at this time to our prayers and graciously hear now we call on thée Thou who art the Lord of all Spirits Vers. 2 and sits invisibly above the Cherubims manifest now thy power turn away thy srowning countenance and let the gracious light of thy face once more shine upon us Stir up thy strength which thou hast séemed to withdraw and come and save us from those evils with which we are at this present compassed and deliver us from those oppressors and oppressions we are forced to endure For those iniquities and grievous sins we have committed against thée Vers. 3 we do acknowledge that thou hast justly rejected us from thy grace and favour and as it were turn'd thy back upon us But gracious God turn us from our ungracious and malicious wayes and turn us unto thée that so thou may'st furn from thy sterce anger and turn unto us Assured we are that upon our turning thou wilt refurn and we shall revive we shall live the life of grace we shall be prosperous we shall be happy For so efficacious is the light of thy countenance that upon the least shine thereof upon us all our enemies will be put to flight and we shall be safe O Lord in this needful time of trouble we have as thou hast commanded called and cryed unto thee but thou séemest not to hear nor yet to answer our Petitions than which there cannot be a greater sign of thy displeasure O Lord God of hoasts that commandest all the Armies of heaven and earth vow down thine ear and hear us look down from heaven and consider our afflictions O Merciful and Almighty God how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people They know no other way to paci â—â—ée no other way to recover thy favour If thou reject our supplications we are undone for ever Heavy are the things which we now suffer so heavy that the bread we cat is soaked in tears and the drink we drink mingled with tears and that not sparingly but in a very great measure so that when we are to take our ordinary repast we have more mind to wéep than to take these refreshments for thou hast brought us to that low condition that our Neighbours who were wont to stand in feare of us strive who shall trample upon us and our enemies provoke and load us with ill words insult over and deride us But O Lord God thou which hast the power over all Armies now at length convert us unto thée by thy grace draw us from our evil wayes and receive us to thy favour which for some years thou hast with-held which if in mercy thou shalt vouchsafe then we shall be saved Thou Lord hast béen heretofore very gracious and indulgent to thy Church She is the Vine and we are the branches This Vine thou hast brought out of Egyptian darkness thou hast called it thy choice Vine thou hast planted it in a very fruitful hill thou hast fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof thou hast prepared room for it and caused it to take root and it flourished so much that it filled the Land the shadow thereof covered the Mountains and the boughs thereof were tall and spreading as the Cedars the branches reached from Sea to Sea and her green Cyences to the end of the earth In a word thou hast chosen planted senced rooted husbanded propagased extended this Vine Kings became her Nursing fathers and Queens her Nursing mothers O then why hast thou broken down the Hedges with which she was formerly secured Why hast thou withdrawn thy protection under which she was so safe To that pass being destitute of thy savour we are brought that all that pass by every one that lists now enters into thy Vineyard and without any prohibition pluck off the grapes The Boare out of the Wood doth unroot it the wild beasts out of the field crop devour and trample upon it Vers. 13 cruel and prophane tyrants more like beasts than men do riot in and depopulate thy Vineyard O thou Lord of hoasts who being angry hast turned away thy face from us take pity of thy own plant look down from heaven thy dwelling place and send us help from thence for vain is the help of man behold and visit yet once more this thy Vine with a pleasing countenance That Vine which not with another but with thy own right-hand thou hast vouchsafed to plant that Vine I beséech thée to restore to its former beauty look upon that people which thou hast call'd thy Son thy first-born a weak and unable people to help it self and subsisting only by thy strength that power with which to the honour of thy name thou hast fortified them against their enemies And now upon the withdrawing of thy hand the merciless enemy burns it with fire and hacks
each form hath a reason annexed 1. Ver. 1 Bow down thy ear hear me Ratio For I am poor and needy i. e. destitute of other help 2. Ver. 2 Preserve my soul Ratio For I am holy i.e. pious and studious of holiness ready to serve thee 3. Ver. 3 O thou my God save thy servant Ratio That trusteth in thee relies on thy help and for that exposed to dangers 4. Be merciful unto me O Lord Ratio For I cry unto thee dayly I cry and call without intermission 5. Rejoyce the soul of thy servant comfort me with thy presence and sense of thy favour Ratio For unto thee O Lord I life up my soul i. e. with great desire I long after thee And all these Reasons perswade to Audience from the person of the Supplicant who because he was in distress and yet studious to please his God did rely upon God and daily cry and earnestly desire the sense of his favour therefore he did lift up his soul to him The second part A continuance in his Petition from the nature of God 2. And yet he continues his Petition from the consideration of the Nature and Person of God to whom he prayes Hear me and turn away thy wrath 1. For thou O Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thee Ver. 5 give ear therefore unto my prayer and attend to the voyce of my supplications 2. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee Ratio For thou wilt answer me it runs thus Thou art merciful to them that call upon thee ver 5. I call None like to him in his works therefore thou wilt answer 3. There is none among the gods like unto thee O Lord neither are there any of their works like thy works None like in goodness wisdom power in thy works which thou dost to save thy people and therefore I call and cry to thee for help And this the Prophet amplifies in the two next verses as if he had said the event doth shew That there is none like thee no works like thy works for 1. All Nations which now worship Idols she ll come i. e. be converted and worship thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name 2. For thou dost great and wondrous things of which the conversion of the Gentiles is one Thou art God alone And upon this Reason Therefore he begs to be governed by his Word and Spirit that none is like God none comparable to him in his works 1. He falls to prayer again and first begs of God that he may be governed by his Word and Spirit for then he would be an obedient servant Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy Truth unite my heart to fear thy Name For which he professeth to be thankful 2. And secondly professeth he would be a thankful servant I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy Name for evermore To which he subjoyns his Reason For great is thy mercy toward me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Hell i. e. from the greatest troubles And upon both these his obedience and thankfulness he pleads to be heard 3. And yet he presseth another Argument viz. The third part He presseth his prayer from the nature of his enemies The person and quality of his Adversaries 't is but Reason that God hear him for he was beset with enemies and these were proud men 2. Potent men 3. Ungodly men 1. Proud they were The proud have risen up against me 2. Potent they were and many of them The Assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul 3. Ungodly men Atheists Scorners They have not set thee before them 4 And now he hath recourse again to his former Arguments The fourth part He amplifies his former Argument but amplifies them 1. First drawn from the Nature of God ver 5. But thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth 2. The second from his own condition ver 1 2. O turn unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strength unto thy servant and help the son of thy Handmaid i.e. one born within thy Covenant and of a poor humble mother 3. The third from the quality of his Adversaries that they which were Atheists might see Gods hand in his deliverance and confounded by it Shew me a token for good i.e. shew by some evident sign that thou art not angry with me but that thou hast received me into thy favour That they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me The Prayer collected out of the eighty sixth Psalm O Lord great in Power infinite in Majesty so great is our misery and poverty and so destitute we are of help Ver. 1 that we are unworthy of any gracious aspect from thée but since thou art a God who lookest upon thy néedy and poor servants vouchsafe us one good look let our humility bend thy Majesty Bow down thine ear to our prayers and condescend to our requests Ver. 2 Kéep our lives that we fall not into the hands of our enemies O thou who art our God sée'st and know'st that we desire and endeavour to serve thée in holiness preserve therefore the souls of thy servants who have no other hope but thée Be merciful unto us O Lord who every day call and cry to thee Rejoyce the grieved and sad souls of thy servants who renouncing all worldly helps do lift up their souls unto thee Give ear O Lord to our prayer and attend to the voyce of our supplications if not for our sake if not out of the consideration of our present miseries yet for thine own be to us now what thou hast alwayes béen and alwayes wilt be Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy toward all that call upon thee This Lord is the day of our trouble a day of darkness and gloominess and in this we call upon thée Lord hear us bow down thine ear and according to thy wonted mercy receive our Petitions O good God be propitious for if thou wilt thou canst relieve us among men some would but cannot some can but will not help And among the Angels there is none of what order soever like unto thée their power though great is not to be compared to thy power their works though marvellous are nothing to thy works which are so full of wonder that even those Nations who yet know thée not and are out of the Covenant upon whom thou hast together with us set thine own image even these being moved by the greatness of thy works shall at last come and bow and worship before thee and magnifie and glorifie thy Name for thou dost great and wondrous things Thou art God alone O God at this time because we have béen ungrateful
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
plague come nigh our dwelling Thou oftentimes even in this World takest vengeance upon the wicked Pharaoh and his Host are drowned in the red Sea Dathan and Abiram were swallowed up by the gaping earth if it be thy good pleasure O let our eyes behold and see the reward of the wicked Ver. 8 let us lay it to heart and consider it and rejoyce when we sée the vengeance but not for the calamities that befall these miserable men but because thy justice is magnified thy wisdom exalted thy love and care of thy people the poor flock of thy pasture in a strange manner made apparent by the punishment and recompence taken upon these impudent obstinate and rebellious sinners who have not set thée before their eyes As for thy people direct them in thy Truth and preserve them in the right way Ver. 11 make thy Law their light and guide that their works may be good and their lives holy and as thou hast given a charge to those ministring Spirits the Angels so command them to kéep thine in all their wayes let them bear them up in their hands Ver. 12 employ their wisdom power will and intelligence for their perseverance that through their misguided affections of love and fear they stumble not and fall at those impediments obstacles scandals and discouragements laid in their way as so many stones by the common enemy of thy Church and his complices He is a roaring Lyon in our way that goes about Ver. 13 seeking whom he may devoure He is an Adder in our path that is ready to bite our héel give us power to tread upon him and bruise his head He and the Tyrants Persecutors Sectaries and Hypocrites he hath raised are as young Lyons and Dragons to us arm us with magnanimity and constancy to trample them under our féet Our love we set upon thée therefore deliver us Ver. 14 we know and acknowledge thy Name thy Power thy Wisdom thy Goodness Ver. 15 therefore once more honour us and set us on high We earnestly and instantly cry unto thée and call upon thée hear us therefore and answer us the sorrows of our hearts are enlarged and our troubles are great make then this promise good unto us and be with us in trouble let thy bowels yearn upon us go along with us to our prisons leave us not in our extremities and make them know that they who pursue us do persecute thée And in thy good time O Lord take us from our miseries and take us to thy self honour and glorifie us with thy Saints in those Mansions which thou hast prepared for us set us upon our promised Thrones where we shall shine as the Sun in his glory Even so come Lord Jesus Ver. 16 come quickly This life because short and full of misery will give no satisfaction satisfie us with that in which is length and eternity of dayes here we live by faith but there we shall experimentally see and féel what we have believed shew us therefore O Lord thy salvation and let us be happy in thy presence for evermore Amen Amen PSAL. XCII A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath-day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Title of this Psalm shews to what end it was to be composed viz. To be a part of the Jewish Lyturgy and on the Sabbath-day to be sung to the honour and praise of God whom on that day especially they were to magnifie for his goodness and faithfulness in creating and by his especial Providence governing the World of which Providence the Prophet gives two especial instances the sudden fall of the wicked the prosperity and security of the godly the parts then of this Psalm Are two 1. First A general Proposition Thesis Axiom or Maxim ver 1. It is good to give thanks to the Lord c. which is explained ver 2. 3. and applied ver 4. 2. A particular Narration of such works in which the goodness and faithfulness of God doth especially consist viz. The Creation and Government of the World ver 4 5. And of the last he gives two instances 1. One in wicked men 1. Of their sottishness and stupidity 6. 2. Then of their sudden extirpation ver 7 8 9. 2. Another in the godly whose prosperity is great from ver 10. to 14. and security certain ver 15. He begins with a Maxime The first part The general maxime It is good i. e. just profitable pleasant and commendable to give thanks to the Lord. 2. And to sing praises with heart Vers. 1 tongue and with Musical Instruments to thy glorious Name O thou most High 2. The explanation of it And both parts he explains 1. That we give thanks at all times Morning and Evening in Prosperity and Adversity and in our praises especially to remember his loving-kindness Vers. 2 and his faithfulness These must be the matter of our thanksgiving 1 Good to praise God at all times for his loving-kindness It is good to shew forth thy loving-kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night vers 2. 3. It is good also to add to our voices Instruments of Musick to that end To sing praises to thy Name and glory upon an Instrument of ten strings and upon the Psaltery Vers. 3 upon the Harp with a solemn sound vers 3. As it was then usual in the Temple 2 Good to express it always 4. Vers. 4 And thus the Maxime being proposed and explained he applyes it to himself This he applies and shews the reason viz. and shews his own practice and the reason of it For thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work I will triumph in the works of thy hands vers 4. 1. The delight he took in Gods works Thou hast made me glad He was first delighted and affected with Gods work 2. And then he exults and triumphs in it The heart must be first truly affected with the work of God before a man shall take any true content or delight in it He must see God and his goodness in the Creature before he shall take any delight or content in the Creature Which yet came from Gods Spirit He must discern Gods faithfulness in his works and wayes before he shall take any content and exult in his works and wayes And this content and delight is also a work of the Spirit Tuexhilarasti Thou hast made me glad 2. The second part Mention he had made of the work and works of God and now he farther opens what they are First The Creation of the Universe Secondly His especial Providence in ordering the things of this world He shews what these works are in which he delighted particularly about man 1. First he begins with the work of Creation upon which he enters with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 5 not without less than an admiration O Lord how great are thy works 1 Of Creation which he admires and thy thoughts are very deep As
which they judge of all their Actions and so keep faith and a good conscience 3. They do righteousness at all times Alwayes they approve and do what is right true and just condemn hate and punish what is unjust these then are fit to praise God with their tongues because they praise him in their lives 2. After the Prophet had invited to the praise of God The second part and shewed who were fit to do it he falls upon his Petition which he proposeth in his own person for the whole Church in the two following verses He prayes for himself 1. Remember me Vulg. Nostri Me but not me alone rather thy whole Church By what we suffer Ver. 4 Thou hast seemed to forget thy Covenant and Promise but now call it to mind again 2. Which I expect not yet for any desert of mine but meerly out of thy good-will Remember me with the favour thou bearest to thy people 3. O visit me but yet not in wrath for such a visitation there is but in mercy and grace 4. With thy Salvation Save me at this time from my sins and from my present calamities And to this end I desire thy Favour thy gracious Visitation thy Salvation With the Church who are 1. That I may see the good of thy Chosen Be a partaker of and in their happiness 2. Ver. 5 That I may rejoyce in the gladness of the Nation Partake in the joy of the Nation which is the consequent of happiness 3. That I may glory with thine inheritance Glorifie thee with them and glory in thy Salvation But observe here the three eminent Titles given to Gods Church by which is set forth their happy condition 1. 1 Gods chosen First They are Electi a chosen people which is a glorious and a gracious Title and intimates being coupled to Beneplacitum Favour in the former verse that it proceeded not out of merit or fore-seen works but out of free-grace and meer love He chose whom he pleased and this foundation remains sure God knowes who are his 2. 2 His Nation They are his Nation his peculiar people chosen out of all other people brought to be of his Houshold and Family that they might be partakers of his Salvation for which they were to worship and praise him 3. 3 His heritage They are his inheritance Fallen to him and given to his son as the reward of his Passion In these two fore-going verses we find the happy condition of Gods people their Predestination in his favour good-will and election their Justification in his Salvation their Glorification in the Vision of Gods face where they are to rejoyce in the gladness of his people and glory with his inheritance 3. The third part To move God to mercy In the following part of the Psalm from ver 7. to 46. he makes use of a new Argument to move God to mercy He presents not the present condition the people of God were in not their captivity miseries afflictions but ingenuously confesseth how they had offended God and how justly they suffered for which being penitent he hopes for pardon He knew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. and therefore he begins with that 1. We have sinn'd with our fathers trode in their steps and fill'd up the measure of their sins He confesseth their sins and aggravates them 2. We have committed iniquity not only upon infirmity but upon malice and choice 3. We have done wickedly the intent and purpose in it was evil And by these three steps he exaggerates the sin the act the frequency the intent As every true Confessionist to God ought never to extenuate but to aggravate the offence against himself And because he had mentioned their fathers at large Enumerates their rebellions now he instanceth in their Rebellions they began betime not yet gone out of Aegypt but they murmured and rebelled Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Aegypt Ver. 7 That is laid not to heart 1. At the red Sea They remembred not the multitude of thy mercies but provoked him at the Sea even at the red Sea When they saw Pharaohs Army on one side and the Sea on the other they grew heartless diffident and murmured as is apparent Exod. 14.10 11 12. 2. This was their sin at that time But not Obstante God was then merciful to them Ver. 8 Nevertheless he saved them of which he assigns two causes When yet in mercy God saved them for his glory 1. For his Names sake To advance his glory his honour It was not for any worth or desert that was in them but that he might make it known that he was a God true in his Promises 2. That he might make his mighty power to be known Pharaoh and the Egyptians might have taken notice of it by the plagues he had already upon them but it seems they contemned and laugh'd at it Now therefore they should know his power to their utter ruine And in the following verses by a distribution he shewes the manner of their deliverance 1. By Gods rebuke and drying up of the Sea He rebuked the red Sea also Ver. 9 and it was dryed up 2. By the unheard of way he led them so he led them through the depths as through the Wilderness no more water there to offend them than in the sands of Arabia 3. By the Consequent of it And he saved them from the hand of him i. e. Pharaoh that hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy 4. And the waters covered their enemies there was not one of them left The effect was that for the present The effects on them for the present 1. It extorted will they nill they from them a confession that God was true in his promises Then believed they his words 2. It incited them to praise him They sang his praise 1 Faith and the Song is extant Exod. 15. 2 Praise 2. This was their first Rebellion which begot in them belief and thanks 2 But they rebelled again which the Prophet interserted not to commend their piety or to extenuate their sin and ingratitude but rather to aggravate both For these very men that were forced to confess his power and sing his praise for the overthrow of Pharaoh in the red Sea were scarce departed from those Banks but they for want of a little bread and water grew as impatient and distrustful as they were before and this was their second Rebellion Exod. 15.22 c. 1. Festinaverunt obliti sunt They made haste to forget Or They soon forgot which aggravates their sin Ver. 13 2. They forgat his Omnipotence his Providence And forgat him quickly as if they had not had but now a sufficient proof of both 3. They waited not for his Counsel Murmured with patience they expected not the end why God in his Wisdom and Counsel suffer'd them now to want which was to prove their
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
And he backs his Petition with a strong Reason drawn from the final cause Help me save me that they may know that this is thy hand that thou Lord hast done it That all men especially the Jewes may know by my rising again in despite of their watch and seal that it was not their malice nor power that brought me to this ignominious death but the whole matter my Passion suffering and death proceeded from thy hand Acts 2.23 cap. 3.18 And by his Resurrection he was declared to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 And in the close of his prayer His vote he sings as it were a Triumph over all his enemies the Devil Judas the Jewes those great enemies to him and his Church over them he insults in a bitter Epitrope 1. Let them curse speak evil of me call me a deceiver blaspheme me as the Jewes do in a solemn manner to this day 1 That God bless him let them esteem my followers as the off-scouring and out-casts of the World 2. 2 That the Jewes be confounded But bless thou So thou return me good for their cursing 2 Sam. 16.12 And not only to me in glorifying me and setting me on his right hand but for my sake bless all Nations that by faith in Baptism shall give up their names to me 3. When they arise For 1. Arise they will plot endeavour and oppose all they can both by force and fraud the establishment of my Kingdom 2. But let them be ashamed confounded and astonished that all their attempts are frustrate 4. 3 That he rejoyce But let thy servant for Christ took upon him the name and condition of a servant rejoyce not only that they are saved and their enemies confounded but because thy Name is thereby glorified And he continues his Imprecation But his adversaries cloathed with shame and comes over it again by way of Expolition Let my Adversaries be cloathed with shame and let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a Mantle Confounded at the last day for their ingratitude foolishness and malice before men and Angels and wrapp'd about with it as veste talari as with a Robe or a lined Mantle that comes about and covers every part of the body 4. And at last he closeth all with thanks which he opposeth to the confusion of the wicked The fourth part For which he would praise God publickly they for amazement and astonishment of heart shall be struck dumb as the man without the wedding garment but 1. I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth with great affection with a â—great Jubilee 2. Ver. 30 And that not closely among private Walls but in open Theater of the whole World yea I will praise him among the multitude Of which praise he renders this reason 1. He shall stand at the right hand of the poor i. e. such poor who are poor in spirit God will defend and save his people meek and humble and being conscious of their own wants and lack of strength are alwayes begging and beating at the door of God who is rich in mercy at the right hand of such a poor man he will stand as a Sword and Buckler to keep off every blow aimed at him for so it followes 2. I will stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul from the Devil and all his instruments Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his Church and he hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us and nail'd it to the Cross Col. 2.14 So that cùm à mundo damnamur à Christo absolvimur Tertull. The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and ninth Psalm O Almighty Merciful and Gracious Father Ver. 1 Thou art the God of whom we make our boast all the day long and desire to magnifie and praise all our life long who art alone the Witness of the honesty and integrity of our hearts hold not thy peace in this néedful time of trouble but be our Advocate and plead our cause against the wicked and deceitful men the enemies of thy Church and Oppressors of thy Truth and people It is not Lord Ver. 2 unknown to thée That the mouths of these wicked and false-hearted hypocrites are opened against thée our Religion and Profession It is not unknown unto thée That they not only load us with lies and blasphemies but that forgetful of all humanity and piety They have compassed us about with words of hatred Ver. 3 They hate and malice us and what foul aspersions their malice could invent those they have cast upon us But with this their malice was not satisfied for from words they came to blowes our blood have they shed like water by the fury of War and defiled their hands with the slaughter of innocents our Mothers Children have risen and sought against us without a cause For what cause have we given them except it were that in charity we would have taught and informed them in the Truth and continued them in the bosom of thy Church What cause except it were that we prayed for them Father forgive them for they know not what they do Ver. 4 but such is their ingratitude That for our love they are become our Adversaries they have rewarded us evil for good and hatred for our love And for our good-will Ver. 5 repay us with oppression and make use of their power and lay hold of the time put into their hands to destroy waste and root out thy inheritance As for us we have no means to resist their fury no power to oppose against their rage but our prayers and tears and therefore we will give our selves to prayer and first pray for them Lord lay not this sin to their charge Or if they shall persist and go on in their wickedness against them as thou hast taught us in this Psalm O Lord the Curses are bitter the Execrations are fearful and we know of what spirit we are we shall then leave it to thy Iustice to execute them as on whom and when thou shalt think fit not looking so much what these men of a reprobate mind have deserved as what is our Duty taught and enjoyned by thée To love our enemies to bless them that curse us to do good to them that hate us to pray for them that despitefully use us and persecute us Afraid we are lest we indulge too much to our humane affections of self-love anger hatred and impatience even in using this Form that thou hast taught and therefore we will forbear to curse them and sollicite for our selves Conscious we are to our selves that we have not lived a life worthy of thy Truth and Gospel revealed unto us which is the just cause that at this time Ver. 21 in thy worship there remains almost nothing which is not corrupted with Novelty and polluted with falshood But O merciful God give us true contrition
for our former ingratitude and forgive this great sin of thy people once more let thy light shine amongst us and do for us O Iehovah the Lord for thy Names sake because thy mercy is good deliver us Thou art the mighty Iehovah Thou then canst and thy mercy is great and therefore we hope thou wilt do it for us we plead no merit we ask it not for any desert but méerly for thy Names sake for we are assured that by the doing of it thy Name will be magnified thy Clemency thy Goodness thy Faithfulness in defence of thy Church and thy Iustice in executing vengeance upon the enemy will be exalted and celebrated Our condition O Lord at this time is very low poor we are and men of a troubled spirit néedy we are being robb'd and outed of our worldly Goods Ver. 22 our heart is wounded within us in a sharp and true compunction for our rebellions against Heaven drawing we are to our last home as the shadow that at Even departs and yet we can have no rest but are tost up and down from Herod to Pilate from Pilate to Herod as the Locust we have chastised ou◠soul with fasting till our knees are weak and our flesh is worn away for want of fatness And yer all this we could digest with patience were it not for the opprobrious language and usage we sustain from them it wounds our hearts and pierceth our souls that we should become a reproach to them when they these mockers of Religion these wolves in shéeps cloathing these monsters of men destitute of all humanity and piety looked upon us in our affliction so far they were from remembring to shew mercy That they persecuted us whom thou hadst smitten they shaked their heads at us and cryed Ah thou wretch Arise help us O Lord our God O save us according to thy mercy They blasphemously entitle thée to all their Actions they impute all to thy Providence ashamed they are not to declare That thou art pleased with all their enormities But O our God arise and in thy good time make them know That they were but thy Rod and thy Scourge that the blowes they gave were from thee and so many as thou pleasest in which they ought to take small content that it was thy hand thus for their sins to chastise thy people and that thou Lord hast done it and that being done Thou wilt take them and cast them into the fire Let them then O Lord curse Let them speak evil as they do of us let them vlaspheme and account us the off-scouring of the World out-casts and a spectacle to men and Angels But do thou O Lord bless bless thy people bless thine inheritance They arise against us but let them be ashamed and astonished that all their plots are frustrate and brought to naught Let our Adversaries be cloathed with shame and cover and enwrap themselves with their own confusion as with a Mantle This at the last day will be certainly done when they shall desire if possible to fly from the presence of the Almighty whereas thy servants then with great boldness shall stand in the presence of the Almighty and lift up their heads and rejoyce O Gracious God defend and help thy poor Church stand at the right hand of every one that is poor in spirit and of an humble heart save him from those that would condemn his soul So will we greatly praise the Lord with our mouths yea we will praise thee among the multitude in all the Churches of the Saints with great affections and many Jubilees we will honour thy Name and sound forth thy praise through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CX Propheticus de Regno Christi THIS Psalm is short in words but copious and deep in Mysteries the Subject of it without doubt is Christ which no Christian can deny since both St. Peter Acts 2.34 and St. Paul Hebr. 1.13 expounds it of Christ and Christ applieth it to himself Matth. 22.44 In this then Christ is described as a King and a Priest In it are to be considered 1. Christs Kingdom in the three first verses 2. His Priesthood in the fourth fifth sixth and seventh 1. The first part Christ a King As touching his Kingdom the Prophet first acquaints us with his Person 2. His Power and the Acquisition of it 3. The Continuance of it 4. The Execution of it first over his enemies and secondly over his own people which is the sum of the three first verses 1. The Person that was here to reign was Davids Lord 1 His Person his Son according to the flesh but his Lord as equal to God Phil. 2.6 7. As made flesh Ver. 1 the Son of David as born of a Virgin the Son of David but as Emmanuel the Lord of David which the Jewes not understanding could not answer Christs question Mat. 22.45 2. As for his Power the Authour of it was God The Lord said to my Lord. 2 His Power The Lord said said it that is Decreed it from everlasting And said it again when he made it known The Seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head 3. And of this Kingdom as I may so say he then took Possession 3 His Inauguration to his Kingdom at his Ascension when the Lord said unto him Sit at my right hand Christ as the Son of God was ever at Gods right hand equal with him in Might and Majesty but as Man was not exalted to this honour before his glorious Ascension Acts 2.34 Ephes 1.20 Phil. 2.8 This then was the day of Inauguration to his Kingdom 4. For the continuance of it It is to be donec 4 The continuance of his Kingdom which notes not a piece of time but a perpetuity Sit till I make all thy enemies thy foot-stool Sit he shall at Gods right hand that is in power and glory till he shall say to all Tyrants and Hereticks and Hypocrites and Antichrists Depart from me Mat. 25. Yet not so as if he were to be dethron'd then but till then he shall reign in a secret manner for now though he executes his Power yet it is not seen Tyrants acknowledge it not But when once all his enemies shall be made his foot-stool then he shall openly and visibly Rule Sitting at his Fathers right hand for evermore Bellarmine interprets it well Go on to reign neither desist to propagate and enlarge thy Kingdom by converting men to faith and obedience until there be not an enemy alive not a man which will not bow his knee to thy Name till all Opponents be beaten down 5. The beginning of this Kingdom was in Zion 5 The beginning of his Kingdom in Zion The Lord shall send the Rod of thy strength out of Zion 1. The Rod of his power and strength was his Scepter and his Scepter is his Word the Gospel the Wisdom of God 1 Thes 2.13 Ver. 2 The Sword of the Spirit
thy Gospel which came out of Zion and was planted by thy Apostles and diffused by the impulse and power of thy good Spirit Ver. 3 once more flourish amongst us so visibly and extraordinarily work for us That all men even thine enemies may acknowledge That this is the day of thy power Thy power it must be that can collect us whom Heresie Schism and Tyranny hath dispersed thy power to cause us to méet in our solemn Assemblies speak but the word O Lord and appoint the day and thy people will be a willing people they will méet out of love and joy of heart and offer thee free-will offerings in the beauties of holiness O holy Father we must with shame confess against our own souls that we have profaned thy Sanctuary by entring into it with our shooes on our féet and when we have béen in it we have too often offer'd the Sacrifice of Fools holiness is that virtue which becomes thy house for ever and this holiness is from the womb of the morning it comes not from the will of man it procéeds not from the will of the flesh it is a swéet and Virgin dew that distills from thy holy Spirit and as by the silver drops that descend from above the roots of the Herbs are moistned refreshed and cherished so by these secret dews of grace our dry hearts are quickned and recover life vouchsafe we beséech thée therefore to descend upon us with these dewes that being regenerate and born again we may grow and increase in holiness in obedience in alacrity in thy Service refresh us when we are weary make us shoot when we are at a stand ever let us retain the dew of our youth that being lively in all the exercises of Christianity we may at last be exalted and set at thy right hand as thou art seated at the right hand of thy Father and enjoy those heavenly Mansions which our Lord is gone to prepare for us Grant us this O heavenly Father for thy Son Jesus Christs sake to whom with thee and the Holy Sprit three Persons and one God be ascribed all Honour Glory and Praise for ever and ever Amen PSAL. CXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 T IS conceived that this Hymn was set by David to be sung at the Passeover and that it might be the easilier learned and remembred the Colons of it are in number as many and digested by order of the Hebrew Alphabet The Sum of it is an Exhortation to praise God for his wonderful favours and benefits bestowed upon the World at large and in special toward his people Israel and the Church Three parts there are of this Psalm 1. A Protestation of David to praise God and the manner how and the company with whom he would do it ver 1. 2. An Expression of the Reasons that moved him to it viz. his admirable benefits bestowed both general and special which he enumerates from ver 2. to 10. 3. A Conclusion or Inference upon the premises by way of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which he commends the fear of God ver 10. 1. The Title of the Psalm is Allelujah Praise ye the Lord Allelujah The first part He praiseth God himself And that this his Exhortation might pierce the deeper and that his Subjects might the more readily follow his example presently he vowes and protests 1. I will praise the Lord And expresseth the manner how he would do it and as indeed it ought to be done Ver. 1 2. Not hypocritically with the lips and mouth only 1 In sincerity but with the heart 2 In unity and with the Church 3. Not with a heart and a heart but with the whole heart 4. Not separately or Schismatically but in the Assembly of the upright and in the Congregation 1. Both in that Assembly where good and upright men are met 2. And also in the company of many even with the mix't multitude secretly among good men and openly in the Congregation he would praise God 2. And having made a pious confession of his readiness to practise the Duty The second part next sets down the ground and matter of his praise which contains the Reasons that moved him to it as if he had said Which he doing and perswading sets down his Reasons for it There be great and urgent causes that may move me and all others to praise God 1. The first of which is His works of power be it the Creation of the World and its Conservation or be they the favours shewed to his Church these are his works And these works of the Lord are great Ver. 2 1. Great not only for variety and beauty 1 Because his works great 1. Of Creation but that also in the least and most base creature his Wisdom admirable his Power wonderful there is nothing that came from his hand which is not very great and greatly to be admired 2. Great 2 Of Election for it was a great work of his to take to himself a people out of another people to make a Covenant with them to them to reveal his promises to give them a Law to settle among them a policy for Church and State c. This was also a great and admirable work 3. Fools and impious men indeed little consider these works Which fools little think of but wise men consider they think not of the Authour and therefore esteem them not much But in the eyes of all wise men they are exquisite works and they are sought out searched into by all them that take pleasure therein That are pleased both with the Authour the work and the use and end of them 2. Ver. 3 The second of these is His work of Wisdom in the governing of those creatures which he hath created 2 His work of wisdom in governing the World his Church which is 1. Honourable and his Church which he hath collected and this his work is 1. Honourable worthy of honour worthy of praise and therefore much more the Authour 2. And glorious Many Princes have done very glorious works but not to be compared to any work of God the Glory Magnificence and Majesty far exceeds them all 2 Glorious 3. 3 Is his work of Justice The third work is that of his Justice He is a righteous God and his righteousness endureth for ever Men may complain that they see wicked men exalted and his servants under the Cross oppressed and afflicted But the judgments and wayes of God may be secret and hid from us unjust they can never be for he never departs from the exact Rule of Justice though we cannot discern it nor search it out 4. 4 His work of mercy His fourth work is a work of mercy of which he would have a Record kept 1. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred as in the Jewish Feasts Ver. 4 2. And these proceeded from his meer mercy For the Lord is gracious
godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. of this David had experience 1. Ver. 3 I am afflicted very much outwardly inwardly and yet he was constant and resolved to keep his Oath and Vow 2. So that God did enable him He desires that God accept of his vow And of these two the inward affliction was the greatest and therefore he prayes Quicken me restore my decay'd strength as thou hast promised This now was a free-will-offering to swear and vow thus much proceeded freely from him and he expects not to merit by it but desires of God to accept of it Two things he asks in this verse 1. Ver. 4 Accept O Lord I beseech thee th◠free-will-offerings of my mouth Let my endeavours vowes to keep thy Law my invocation giving of thanks confession of my sin profession of thy Truth patience under the Cross be accepted by thee 2. And teach me thy judgments Without thy help I am not able to perform my vow give me therefore strength that I may perform what I have vowed 4. That I am resolved to keep my vow and thy Law appears in this that though for it I am daily in danger of life yet I forget it not I erred not from thy precepts 1. My life is in thy hand That is I am exposed to a present danger of life Ver. 5 a phrase it is borrowed from War where the Souldiers life is in his hand And then no dangers shall affright him from his duty and lies upon the valiant use of his Weapon for if he be a Coward and resist not stoutly his enemy he is like to lose it so Jeptha is said Judg. 12.3 Job 13.14 1 Sam. 28.21 Ver. 6 2. But yet though death be alwayes before my eyes yet do I not forget thy Law 3. And he shewes his danger by another similitude They have laid snares for me What they cannot do by force and violence they seek to do by craft they seek to take away my life by a snare as they do that hunt after wild Beasts both which were verified in Saul that fought against him and hunted after his life both by violence and subtilty he would have slain him 4. Yet I erred not from thy precepts But he would not lay violent hands on the Lords Anointed and therefore erred not 1 Sam. 23. 26. 5. He kept his resolution and vowes still Yet constant he was and now he goes on to shew his diligence and constancy in the study of piety and shewes the Reason 1. Thy Testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever Ver. 7 Such is the estimation of the godly Gods Law was his 1. Heritage when they compare the Word of God with other things they account them of no price The honey and the honey-comb hath no sweetness gold and silver are of no worth in comparison of it No not all Canaan it self Israels heritage all is but dung to it they therefore David chose for his inheritance He had but one Patrimony or Legacy left him which he esteems and loves beyond all 2. Yea and delighted in above all For they are the rejoycing of my heart 2 His delight Riches and wealth bring care and fear the Word of God joy to a pious soul for it is the Charter of salvation sealed and confirmed by God sealed by the Sacraments confirmed by the Oath of God secured and delivered to us by his Spirit and subscribed by the blood of Christ all which must upon necessity bring joy of heart 3. And upon it he concludes And he therefore adheres to it That he would be a faithful keeper of this great Treasure so long as he had a day to live he would co-operate with Gods Spirit 1. I have applied my heart or inclined my heart that is when on one part the Law of sin drew me and on the other part thy Law I inclined my heart to thy Law and not to the Law of sin The counsel of the soul is like a balance and the mind which hath the commanding power over the affections inclines the balance to that which is best 2. To fulfil and perform In purpose of heart and resolution he ever willed and desired it in performance he might fail To the end but never in his intention 3. Even unto the end His motions were not taken by starts he was no Temporizer whose goodness is like the morning dew the seed of Gods Word was rooted in his heart and therefore as he begun well so he would end well The Prayer O Gracious God in the night of this present life I am encompassed with darkness the Mists of ignorance do darken my understanding and a thick cloud arising from my affections Ver. 1 doth bewitch my will so that I neither know my way nor can choose that which is good O let then thy Word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path that I may not wander stumble and fall as it happens to those who adventure into dark places without a light without a lanthorn And great tentations I have to fall Ver. 3 for behold I am afflicted very much my soul is alway in my hand every day my life is in danger because I kéep thy righteous judgments Ver. 4 The wicked for this are become mine enemies and what they cannot do by violence that they labor to do by craft for they lay snares for me And yet O Lord Thou knowest the sincerity of my heart nor their force nor subtilty have béen able to overcome my constancy yet I do not forget thy Law yet I do not erre from thy Precepts And that to them my resolution may be the more fixed Ver. 4 and my constancy the more firm I have bound my self by oath and promise I have sworn and by the help of thy Spirit I will perform it Ver. 2 tyed my self I have by vow That I keep thy righteous judgments Accept O Lord I beseech thee the free-will-offerings of my mouth Ver. 4 those promises of obedience which I have made with a voluntary frée heart and teach me to moderate all my actions by thy rule of equity these I prefer before gold and silver these are swéeter unto me than the honey and the honey comb of these I estéem as my patrimony and my heritage they are indéed the joy and rejoycing of my heart be pleased then O Lord to quicken me in them according to thy Word and Promise and incline my heart to fulfil thy Statutes so long as I have a day to live Let me be nor Hypocrite nor Temporizer whose goodness is like the morning dew but grant that the seed of thy Word may take such déep root in my heart that it may bring forth fruit to everlasting life through Iesus Christ my Lord. 15. SAMECH IN this Section The Contents David 1. Declares his hatred to wickedness his detestation of wicked men 2. Expresses his love to Gods Law 3.
with a profession of his Integrity where we may not think that he is justifying himself before God but only declaring how unjustly he was oppressed by men Defensio est non arrogantia 1. Ver. 1 I have done judgment and justice Judgment is the effect of justice and by the exact Rule of Justice And prayes that God leave him not to his enemies David had so proceeded in judging the people that he had given to every one his own and yet he could not live free from the calumnies and slanders of wicked men and therefore he prayes 2. Ver. 2 Leave me not to my Oppressours And his Petition hath equity in it for 't is but equal that he who had been so just to others should have justice done him And by it we may learn to commend a just cause to God if we look for his assistance Now in this Petition David proceeds and useth many other Arguments to perswade it 1. Be surety or undertake for thy servant for good My enemies suspect me of injustice and violence but do thou interpose and be surety for me that it is not true neither that ever they shall find any such dealing at my hand or answer for me when I am not by for what they lay to my charge 2. Let not the proud oppress me His condition is miserable Ver. 3 that falls into the hands of proud men for their insultations are unsufferable and they merciless such he fears and prayes against them 3. And this he doth in an ardent manner and the reason is because he saw he was destitute of all humane help it was Gods help that only could secure him which he expected and almost fainted in the expectation of it 1. My eyes fail The eyes of faith and whole intention of my soul are fixed on thee and they are ready to fail while thy help comes not 2. My eyes fail for thy salvation Not only that which is temporal in the deliverance from mine enemies though I vehemently desire that too but for that salvation of Gods people mentioned Psal 106.4 4.6 3. For the Word of thy righteousness The ground that I wait for thy salvation is thy Promise thy righteous Word passed to me 4. And he proceeds in this prayer and desires God to deal with him But deal with him as an honest servant as with an honest servant not which did his Will but yet desired to do it and was displeased with himself and sorrowful when he did it not he pleads not meâ—â— but mercy 1. O deal with thy servant according to thy mercy Ver. 4 2. And teach me thy statutes which he often asks and is then obtained when God infuseth so much love into our hearts that we know and do his Will for knowledge without charity puffs up but edifies not 5. He asks the same again renewes his Petition with a Reason and this frequent Petition of the same thing shewes his ardent desire to obtain it I am no stranger unto thee but a domestick servant and therefore bound to obey thy Commands let me want no grace that may enable me to serve thee Ver. 5 I am thy servant give me understanding that I may know thy Testimonies It is a gift of thy donation only 6. And now he enters his complaint and useth that as a new Argument He complains of the ungodly that destroyed Gods Law that God hear him 1. It is time for thee Lord to work to do judgment against the wicked To us there is a time when God seems not to work in that he executes not his wrath against the wicked Ver. 6 in such a time it is no sin to pray with David That God would arise and work for a time it is when his Church is in a publick trouble the sins of the Amorites full and his people brought low 2. For they have destroyed thy Law Not only broken it disgraced but cast it aside and destroyed it A time then it is to work and execute now made it void 7. Which David was zealous to preserve But their malice and endeavours were not so great to evacuate and destroy Gods Law as Davids zeal and affection was bent and inflamed for the preservation of it which he useth as another Argument that God would not leave him in the hand of his Oppressours ver 1. Therefore I love 1. Therefore David was no Temporizer in Religion Ver. 7 whose affections toward Gods Word depended upon times and persons but his love appears in this That when his enemies fought to destroy it then he loves it They endeavour to make void therefore I love thy Law 2. I love thy Law He saith not he fulfilled it but only he loved it it is a good progress in godliness when we come thus far that we can say with David I love thy Law 3. And shews his love to it And that he might shew the greatness of his affection he mentions those things which are most loved gold fine gold or jewels to which his love was not so great as to Gods Commandments I love thy Commandments above gold yea above fine gold And he insists upon this point his love to Gods Law What would they make it void and cast it aside This makes me the more esteem it and judge that there is the more excellency in it Ver. 8 It must needs be good which wicked men set lite by Two things I find in me arising from hence which are quite contrary an esteem and hatred but yet of contrary objects 1. And his estimate of it Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right He had an high estimate of Gods precepts he thought them just in all things just because they prescribe nothing but that which is exactly just and just because they bring a just punishment on the Transgressors and a reward to the righteous 2. Therefore I hate every false way Nor one way but every way of sin and the flesh many they are but he hates them all and his hatred arose out of the justice and equity he perceived to be in Gods Law therefore I hate The Prayer O Most Omnipotent God I can no way excuse my self before thy Tribunal for my manifold breaches of thy Law For I have sin'd against Heaven and against thee and am not worthy to be call'd thy son but to man I have done no harm Ver. 1 I have alwayes born such a love to justice that I have done that which is just and equal Thus with a good conscience I can profess before thée and therefore I beséech thée leave me not in the hands of those who continually calumniate me and séek to oppress me Thou knowest O Lord Ver. 2 how they detract from me and invent lies against me when I am no by do thou then interpose in my behalf undertake to answer for me and suffer not the proud Transgressors of thy Law to bring upon me that force and injury
wound my good name both déeply and at unawares as fire they consume my good name as coals of Iuniper hoily invade waste my reputation and being set on fire by hell they will not easily be quench'd deliver then O Lord my soul from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue Let the power of thy Word and those sharp arrows by which all the craft and subtility of Satan is wounded and pierced through be sent forth against their impiety and the hot coals of thy anger burn up their malicious snares that they may sée that no profit shall redound to them from a false tongue It is a grief and corrasive to my soul that I am forced to sojourn among these cruel barbarous impious and inhumane creatures in the shape of men it is as if I sojourned in Mesech and dwelt in the Tents of Kedar even the Scythians would be more mild to me the Sarracens more merciful Help me therefore with thy powerful hand or else my pilgrimage upon earth without end will be protracted and sadned by these evils and miseries For they are enemies to peace and my soul hath too long dwelt among them Thou knowest O Lord that I am a man of peace nay peace it self I seek peace and ensue it but when I speak for peace they reject all treaties thereof and make them ready for battel Since then they are for War and I and the rest of thy Servants must hold a continual War against spiritual wickedness in high places do not deny O good Father to those who call upon thée thy aid and assistance and with patience let us fight a good fight being assured that from henceforth is laid up for us an immortal Crown of glory which thou wilt give unto all those that resist till death for the merits of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen PSAL. CXXI THE Scope of this Psalm is The Sum of the Psalme The Prophet in trouble flyes for help that other helps being overweak we put our trust in God and in his providence and gives divers reasons for it 1. In the first verse as most Interpreters conceive we hear Vocem hominis the voice of a man in danger that as a watchman gets him to some high Mountain in time of War and looks about to see who comes to aid him 1 Not to man or to a Mountain to hide himself or to a man that being out of his way gets him up to some Mountain and views what place is near where he may repose It shews that when we are in distress we too often fly to such things that cannot help I will lift up mine eyes to the hills Ver. 1 from whence comes my help 2. 2 But God But in the next verse the Prophet checks this vain confidence for in it we find vocem fidei The voice of a faithful soul that rejecting all confidence in auxiliary and secondary means reposeth his trust in God alone My help comes from the Lord. Ver. 2 Nor from other means nor false gods 3. The reasons of his confidence 1. Gods power And next he sets forth the reasons why he would trust in him 1. The first is his Omnipotency declared in his work of Creation He is the Lord that made heaven and earth Able then he is to help his creature 2. The second from his grace and goodness Ver. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved i. e. he will not suffer thee to fall and slide in the way 2 Goodness but strengthen thy feet and make them stable Thou shalt persevere in thy course Willing to help 3. From his vigilancy over thee He that keepeth thee will not slumber 3 Care so vigilant he is that he will give his eyes no rest Ver. 4 Which the Prophet yet insists on in the next verse Behold he that keeps Israel To protect his Church shall neither slumber nor sleep never omit his care over thee over Israel his people He is asleep saith Elijah of Baal and must be awaked God sleeps not Excubias agit 4. From the end of this his care and vigilancy it is to keep to protect Ver. 5 to keep off all dangers and bad influences from Israel 1. The Lord is thy Keeper Israel in general 1 To it a keeper and thy Keeper in particular A fiery Wall about his Church and it needs because his Church is continually exposed to dangers 2. The Lord is thy shade umbraculum 2 A shadow a quitoso upon thy right-hand He may allude to the custom used in hot Countries in which men use to carry or have carried Quittasols above their heads to keep off the heat of the Sun Or else to the Israelites when travelling in the Wilderness they had a cloud by day to cover them Paris in Homer fighting with Menelaus was by Venus covered with a cloud 3. So that the Sun shall not burn thee by day as it did Ver. 6 when it fell upon Jonas head nor the Moon by night To preserve from all evill no noxious influence from the Stars The sense of these Metaphors is nor the day of prosperity nor night of adversity shall hurt thee nor the heat of persecution nor the coldness of indevotion do thee wrong 5. In a word he shall keep thee not from this or that but the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil From all but not from all that which may light upon the body but from that which may destroy the soul He shall preserve thy soul that shall not perish 6. The Prophet concludes adding this sweet consolation 1. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in He is with his in the entrance progress end of their actions Via est vita and we are going out in it or coming in in it perpetually beginning or ending some action going abroad or returning and resting at home either we enter upon or perfect our work to begin it is to go in to do it to perfect it is to go out of it but the Lord promiseth to preserve us in both Or else David speaks as a souldier who goes out to battle when he is to fight and goes in when he returns home in this God promised to preserve him or else as a Magistrate who goes in and out before the people In all which God promiseth to be his Conducter and safe-guard 2. From this time forth for evermore And ever with them And this defence of God is here promised to be perpetual In all places in all times in all actions His help is present and efficacious verse 4 5. and constant verse 6 7 8. The Prayer O Almighty God because while we live in this valley of tears Ver. 1 we are within and without assaulted by enemies and every day in trouble we fly to the mountains and cast our eyes round to sée who comes to our aide and what and whom to trust to But all in vain for vain
up against us Men carnal corrupt men that look after nothing but to satisfie their own Ambition Lust Avarice Those arose seditiously tumultuously rebelliously of such the Proverb is true Home homini lupus 2. Which the Prophet verifies in the next verse expressing the danger that the Church was in from these men or Beasts rather by these two similitudes of Beasts of prey of waters 1. Ver. 3 Then they had swallowed us up quick that had been the consequent of their rising The danger the Church was in before delivered like Wolves and Bears they had rush'd upon us and devoured us as poor sheep eaten us even alive Though Bellarmine refers this Clause to waters also because Beasts tear before they devour and so eat not their prey alive But the Metaphor may be proper enough the other way for he shewes what they would do if they could and that in their fury they spare not a living soul By cruel enemies 2. The cause their wrath Which fury of theirs the Prophet conceals not but illustrates it by a Metaphor This they had done to us when their wrath was kindled against us Ver. 4 3. His other similitude is from waters Then the proud waters had gone over our soul And in the verse before Then the waters had overwhelmed us the stream had gone over our soul He compares the Enemies Army to a swelling Torrent that carries all before it 3. Ver. 6 Next acknowledgeth the deliverance and gives thanks to the Authour to be God alone He gives thanks for it Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us over as a prey into their teeth The deliverance was beyond expectation which he illustrates by another similitude of a Bird taken in but escaping out of a snare unexpectedly 1. Ver. 7 Our soul is escaped as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler taken to be killed 2. The snare is broken and we are delivered the Fowler is deceived of his prey 4. Ver. 8 He concludes the Psalm with a gratulatory Epiphonema 1. And relies on God Our help is in the Name of the Lord. The Church relies in all dangers upon God whether they be assaulted openly as by Bears and Wolves or secretly as the Fowler layes wait for the Bird yet her help is in Gods protection and tutelage 2. Who made Heaven and Earth i. e. The Creatour who hath all things in his hand and power and therefore is able to deliver us The Prayer EXcept thou Ver. 1 O Omnipotent and Merciful God shalt by thy power and favour assist and help us our enemies Swords drawn out against us must néeds dispatch and consume us for their wrath is so kindled against us that as Wolves and Bears devour the poor flock so have they rush'd into amongst us and desired to swallow us quick when they seditiously and rebelliously rose up against us yea the déep waters of the proud hath overwhelmed and gone over our soul Sought they have to swéep us away as a mighty Torreut and over-run us at once as an unexpected inundation doth the lower vallies And what they could not do by violence that they have attempted by close and secret practices for they have set snares for our souls as the crafty Fowler doth for the innocent Bird. O Lord avert thy anger from us and take not vengeance upon us according to our deserts be not wanting to thy own Ordinances to thy Name thy Truth which with us is like to suffer Bring to pass that we may at last say Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us over for a prey unto their teeth let their nets be broken Ver. 6 their plots vissolved weaken their strength and bring to naught their counsels and make a way for our souls to escape as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler from thée alone which hast made Heaven and Earth we look for help therefore we humbly beséech thée that for thy infinite goodness and mercy Ver. 8 thou wouldst be propitious to our prayers and deliver us from these fierce bloody and subtile enemies for the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSALM CXXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IT is the purpose of the Prophet to comfort the Church of God 1. The Sume By an assurance of her perpetuity both from Gods presence and protection ver 1 2. 2. That though God suffer them to be chastised by the wicked yet he will not leave them under the rod ver 3. 3. He prayes for the good 4. Sets down the portion of the wicked ver 4 5. 1. The first part In the beginning of the Psalm the Prophet sets down a general promise of the perpetuity of the Church because of Gods continual presence with her Ver. 1 And shews to whom it belongs 1. They that trust in the Lord. That trust in him The Church shall continue not with a vain confidence and presumption but that rely upon him by faith not fained out of a pure heart and a good conscience and aftervent love 2. These shall be as mount Zion which cannot be moved secure and immovable as is Zion not only immovable because a mountain but because a holy mountain consecrated and dear to God 3. Which the Prophet farther explains and assigns a perpetual duration to it but abides for ever which is a comfort to the Church Because God protects it of which Zion was the Type No tempest no storm no persecution no enemy shall destroy it Of which the Prophet gives a reason in the next verse by a Similitude for Zion which was in Jerusalem hath the mountains round about it for a wall of defence 't is not easie for an enemy to approach Jerusalem nor to take It was a Virgin-City never taken but twice and then when God took away his protection from it and delivered it to the hand and will of the Babylonians and Romans Which protection he will never take from his Church and therefore the Church is unexpugnable 1. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem 2. So the Lord is round about his people A wall of fire round about Ver. 2 Zach. 2. 3. From henceforth even for ever They that trust in the Lord shall be alwayes safe and secure for though they be temporally afflicted yet all shall work for their good He may take from them their wealth health c. yet he gives something better patience comfort with hope of eternal glory 2. Which the Prophet confirms preventing an objection The second part What shall those that trust in the Lord be safe and secure How comes it to passe then that they are oppressed to which the Prophet by way of prevention answers The power of the wicked shal never destroy it He grants it may be so but the oppression is not to continue The power of the wicked shall be over the just for their probation for their trial and correction but it shall not rest upon them it
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