the merits of thy only Son my Lord and only Saviour Iesus Christ Amen PSAL. XL. VVhich is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THERE be two main parts of this Psalm 1. A Thanksgiving from ver 1. to 11. 2. A Prayer from ver 11. to the end Thankfulness consists in the exercise of two vertues Truth and Justice 1. Truth causeth us to acknowledge the benefit and from it we have received it 2. Justice ties us to be grateful and to perform some duties as evidences of our thankful mind and both these we meet with in the first part David begins with the profession of his thankfulness The first part David waits on God and he premits to it his confidence I waited patiently for the Lord then shews the success or what God did for him 1. The success of his waiting He inclined his ear and heard my cry 2. He brought me also out of the horrible pit out of the mire and clay 3. He set my feet upon a Rock being drawn from danger he set me in a safe place 4. He established my goings he confirmed my steps that I slip and slide no more 5. And he hath moved me to be thankful He hath put a new song into my mouth He is thankful even a thanksgiving unto our God The deliverance was not common and therefore the praise should not be common but expressed by a new and exquisite song Of which he conceived the consequent would be And conceives others by his example would wait and be thankful also In his thanksgiving he shews the blessed man that his example would be a common document many shall see it my deliverance my thanks and shall fear God and acknowledge his providence and protection and shall put their trust in the Lord. And so he falls upon his form of thanksgiving and First Pronounceth the man blessed that relies on God affirmatively 1. Blessed is the man that makes the Lord his trust reposeth his hope in him 1 He it is that relies on God 2. Negatively trusts on no man respects not the proud men proud of their wealth 2 Not on man wit or power nor such as turn aside to lies trust on lying vanities 3 Admires Gods works which will deceive Secondly Then by an exclamation admires Gods mercies and goodness to his people 1. For their multitude and greatness Many O Lord my God are thy Works 2. For the strangeness they are not vulgar but miraculous Thy wonderful Works 3. For the incomparable wisdom by which they are done and ordered Many O Lord my God are thy wondrous Works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I would declare them and speak of them they are more than can be numbred 2. And so having in words acknowledged his thankfulness 4 His real thanks by obedience he descends to speak of the other part of his gratitude his real thanks to which in equity he thought himself bound viz. To be obedient to Gods voice which is the best sacrifice and indeed far beyond all legal sacrifices as is apparent in Christ to whom these words and the obedience contained in them is principally attributed and by way of accommodation belongs to every one of his Members who means to be thankful for his Redemption 1. And first he acquaints us that the outward worship is to little worship Which was 1. Sincere inward if sincerity and true piety inwardly be wanting Sacrifice and offerings thou didst not desire burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required Not these absolutely but as subservient to true piety and the internal obedience of the heart without which they are of little value I will have mercy and not sacrifice 2. To this end Aures perforasti mihi Thou hast opened boared 2 Outward and made a window in my ear made me docible and thy servant 3. And I will be obsequious a willing and voluntary servant Then said I lo I come this thy whole Law requires 3 Voluntary such in Christ in the Volume of thy Book it is written 4. He describes his singular obedience 1. That he performed it chearfully and with complacency 1 Chearful I delight to do thy Will O my God 2. That he did it heartily Thy Law is within my heart 2 Hearty The obedience of eyes hands and feet may be hypocritical and feigned that which is done with the heart cannot that the heart thou requirest and that thou shalt have to that purpose I have placed thy Law there 3. That he did it charitably to the benefit of others 3 Charitable for our good he published the Gospel 1. I have preached righteousness in the great Congregation 2. I have not refrained my lips and that thou knowest Feci sine fuco In the publication of the Gospel 3. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart 4. I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation 5. I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and truth from the great Congregation The commendation of the Gospel In which verse we have the commendation of the Gospel that it is righteousness for it justifies it sanctifies that it is Gods truth and faithfulness for in it his promises are performed that it is our salvation freeing us from sin death To which we must be obedient Gods wrath hell which must be published and preached in the great Congregation and to it obedience must be yielded to which there be four things necessary set down in this place 1. The help of Gods Spirit Thou hast opened my ears 2. A ready and willing mind Then said I lo I come 3. A ready performance in the work I delight to do thy Will 4. That a respect be had to Gods Law Thy Will is within my heart And thus having premised his thanks for some deliverance already receive The second part He petitions for favour he thought he might be the bolder to petition for continuance of this mercy and favour for the future upon which he now enters in these words Withhold not thou thy mercy from me O Lord let thy loving-kindness and truth continually preserve me His reasons for it Of which Petition he adds a necessary Reason drawn from the greatness of his evils and sins 1. For innumerable evils have compassed me his miseries were many His sad condition 2. My iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more in number than the heirs of my head 3. Therefore my heart faileth me my agony is great my vital spirits fail And therefore prayes again Be pleased O Lord to deliver me And for the confusion of his enemies make haste to help me 2. The second part of his prayer is for the confusion of his wicked enemies Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it let them
Zion and make choice of it for thy peculiar habitation more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Thou séest Lord with what winds with what storms this thy holy City is assaulted there be who are ready and bent to raze it oven to the foundations Have mercy therefore upon the inhabitants of this City O Lord and thou who hast promised to protect these Walls give the glory to thine own name And suffer not those thy enemies who have not known thée or do envy thy glory Vers. 5 continualiy to reproach thy name and triumph over thy people though they cry Down with it down with it to the ground yet do thou who art the most High establish and confirm it and never suffer the gates of Hell to prevail against it Many Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God The Gates are of pearls the stréets of gold the light in it beyond that of the Sun so that the glory of it was far to excéed the old Temple The glory of any City is in the multitude of the inhabitants bring in hither all Nations and let them walk in the light of this City that they may be saved let the Kings of the Nations bring their glory and honour unto it Day and night let these gates stand open and let those of Rahab and Babylon enter by them and those who were born in Philistia and Tire with Ethiopia be regenerated and born again in her of water and of the Holy Ghost When thou shalt enrole and write up the names of thy Citizens in the book of life set it down in fair Characters that this Alien this Stranger from the Common-wealth of Israel was born in thy house And declare it to the whole world at the day of judgement that his portion shall be with thy natural children In the mean time establish unity and concord betwixt all Nations and let us live in such love and peace that there be no dissonancy no jarres no tumults among us but such an Harmony as is among those who with joyful hearts who with Songs and Musical Instruments sound forth thy praises In Zion are the Springs of living water In Zion are to be found the hid treasures of all knowledge In Zion alone are the cléer fountains of all content all joy Lord evermore refresh our thirsty souls with this water enrich out souls with this treasure Affect us with some degrée of this joy while we remain in this City below and give us full draughts of it when we shall be translated into that heavenly Jerusalem which is above through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. LXXXVIII THIS present Psalm expresseth to the life the sad case of an afflicted and a troubled soul complaining to God upon the vehemence of the disease and sense of death that he could feel no comfort Four parts of this Psalm 1. A Petition vers 1 2. 2. The cause of this Petition the misery he was in which he describes from vers 3. to 9. 3. The effect which this his miserable condition wrought upon him which was 1. A special Prayer vers 9 13. 2. An expostulation with God for deliverance vers 10 11 12. 4. A grievous Complaint from vers 14. to 18. 1. The first part His Petition grounded on four Arguments The Prophet offers his Petition but before he commenceth it he premiseth four Arguments that may perswade the admittance of it 1. His confidence and reliance on God O Lord God of my salvation Vers. 1 2. His earnestness to speed I have cryed 3. His assiduity in it Day and night 4. Yea and that sincerely Before thee And then he tenders his request for audience Let my prayer come before thee Vers. 2 encline thine ear unto my cry 2. And then next he sets forth the pitiful condition he was in The second part that thereby he might move God to take compassion which he amplifies divers wayes The sad condition he was in 1. From the weight and variety of his troubles many they were and press'd him to death For my soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh to the grave Vers. 3 2. From the danger of death in which he was which is illustrated by three degrees 1. That he was Moribundus no hope of life in him even by the estimate of all men I am counted with them that go down to the pit I am as a man that hath no strength 2. That he was planè mortuus but as a dead man Free among the dead Freed from all the business of this life as far seperate from them as a dead man 3. Yea dead and buried Like the slain that lie in the grave whom thou remembrest no more i.e. to care for in this life and they are cut off from thy hand i.e. thy providence thy custody as touching matters of this life 3. And yet he farther amplifies his sad condition by two Similitudes Which he amplifies by two Similitudes 1. Of a man in some deep dark Dungeon Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darkness in the deeps As was Jeremiah Cap. 37. 2. Of a man in a Wrack at Sea that is compassed with the waves to which he compares Gods anger Thy wrath lieth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves Vndaque impellitur unda The recourse of his troubles was perpetual one no sooner gone but another succeeded 2. And to add to this his sorrow his friends And over and above his friends afforded him no comfort Which he amplifies by an Auxesis whose visits in extremity use to alleviate the grief of a troubled soul even these proved perfidious and came not at him He had no comfort from them Which was Gods doing too the more was his grief The auxesis is here very elegant 1. Thou hast put away my acquaintance far from me Thou 2. Thou hast made me an abomination to them No less an abomination 3. I am shut up I cannot come forth As a man in prison I cannot come at them and they will not come to me 3. The effect of which grievous affliction was threefold 1. The third part The effects this wrought on him An internal grief and wasting of the body 2. An ardent affection in prayer And 3. An expostulation with his God 1. My eye mourns by reason of affliction An evidence it is that I am troubled and grieved to the heart 1 A wasting of the body that my eye droops and fails For when the animal and vital spirits suffer a decay the eye will quickly by her dimness deadness and dulness discover it 2. It produced an ardent affection a continuance 2 A fervency in prayer and assiduity in prayer which is here made evident by the adjuncts 1. His voice I have call'd dayly upon thee It was 1. Clamor 2. Assiduns 2. By the extension of his hands I have stretch'd out my hands to thee Men use to do so when they expect
be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me Aha Aha! 3. 3 He prayes for all good men The third part of his prayer is for all good men Let all those that seek thee be joyful and glad in thee let such as love thy salvation say continually The Lord be praised his Name be magnified In the Close And for himself he renews his Petition for himself and to move God the sooner 1. He puts himself into the number of the poor aflicted people he boasts not I am a just man a King a Prophet But I am poor and needy 2. Shews his hope and confidence Yet the Lord I know thinks upon me 3. He casts himself solely on God Thou art my Help and my Deliverer 4. Therefore make no long tarrying O my God delay me not The Prayer collected out of the fortieth Psalm O Lord I am poor and destitute of all humane help think upon me Thou art my Helper and Deliverer in all my troubles do not therefore longer delay me but send me some aid and comfort Withhold not thou thy tender mercies which thou hast hitherto shewed from me and let thy loving-kindness and truth in performing thy promises alwayes preserve me For troubles more than I can number are come about me and my iniquities which in my prosperity séemed to be at rest now muster themselves against me and arrest me before thy Tribunal so that I am not able to stand in thy presence or with confidence look up to thée they are multiplied and excéed in number the hairs of my head upon the view of which my soul is in a bitter agony and my heart and vital spirits fail me Great evils I have formerly suffered under thy hand but in those depths I ardently continually and patiently expected thee my Lord and thou didst incline thy ear to me and heard'st my cry be pleased then now O Lord to deliver me O Lord make haste to help me bring me out of this misery and calamity in which I am plunged as in some déep Pit or in some miry and thick Clay and being delivered set me upon a Rock and safe place and settle and confirm my goings that I may walk with a shady and inoffensive foot I know by experience That the man is blessed that makes the Lord his trust and relies not upon his wit his wealth his power these are all lying vanities and proud men that trust to them will be deceived I beséech thée therefore instruct me in thy Truth and kéep me from putting any confidence in such lyes and alwayes give me an humble soul to rely upon thy mercies and not upon my own counsels Didst thou take pleasure in Sacrifices and burnt-offerings then would I give them thée but these Ceremonies thou dost not now require nor ever didst estéem without the sacrifice of a contrite heart but thou hast boared my ear and made me thy servant teach me then my Duty and make me obedient to thy Will as was thy only Son of whom it is written in the Volume of thy Book Lo I come I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Many O Lord my God and wonderful are the Works which thou hast done not to me alone but to all those that trust in thée and thy thoughts which are for good to Mankind who can number They cannot be declared they cannot be spoken they cannot be set in order before thee But of all thy works of wonder that is most admirable that thou shouldest send thy only Son into the World fit him with a body and cloath him with our flesh bring him down and humble him to the state of a servant that he might do thy Will redéem lost man by making his soul a sacrifice for sin 'T is the wonder of wonders that upon the Cross he should shed his blood to save us weak men and without strength ungodly and without worth enemies and without love for scarcely for a righteous man will one dye But in this thou hast commended thy love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us O wonderful love O unexpressible mercy We that were ungodly sinners are justified by his blood we who were sons of wrath are through him saved from thy wrath we who were enemies are reconciled unto thée by his death we in him have received that perfect righteousness and justice which alone we dare plead before thy Tribunal his obedience being a full satisfaction for our disobedience his voluntary sacrifice the sole oblation with which thou art well-pleased And this mercy and faithfulness thou hast declared and published to the sons of men and sent thy servants into the World that they should proclaim these glad tidings of which thou hast called me the unworthiest of all thy servants to be an Embassadour And this thy righteousness have I preached in the great Congregation lo my lips have not refrained to speak of thy goodness I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart I have not concealed thy faithfulness in performing thy promises and thy salvation which thou fréely offerest to all penitent Believers This I have declared in the frequentest and fullest Assemblies For this I now suffer and bitter enemies I have That seek after my soul to destroy it O let them be ashamed and confounded together let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil let them receive confusion for the reward which is due to their iniquity let them be forsaken and destitute of help in the day of trouble as many as insult over me glory in their wickedness and say so would we have it Frée me O Lord from their hands That those who with an honest heart seek thee may see it and rejoyce and be glad in thee and those who love thy salvation expecting defence and deliverance from thée alone may have just reason continually to say The Lord be magnified who is so merciful and just toward his servants Amen PSAL. XLI IN this Psalm David shews how men should and how commonly they do carry themselves toward men in affliction and trouble 1. They should carry themselves compassionately and kindly which would make them happy and find mercy from God from ver 1. to 4. which is the first part of the Psalm 2. But they commonly carry themselves unkindly and afflict the afflicted of which David complains from ver 4. to 10. which is the second part 3. Upon which unkindness he flies to God and prayes for mercy ver 11. shews his hope and confidence in God ver 11 12. and blesseth him ver 13. which is the third part 1. He begins with an excellent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a grave sentence The first part He is blessed Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy i. e. any man in trouble want c. Ver. 1 This man
indulgence to this sin In giving him 1. A right spirit there was a crooked and perverse spirit that had prevailed over him he judged not as he did before of Gods Law but perversly opposed it he desires that God would give him a spirit to judge rightly as he did before and firmly to resolve to keep to that was the right and strait way to happiness Renew O Lord in me a right Spirit 2. A holy Spirit The profane carnal spirit is opposed to this 2 A boly spirit and to that he hearkned by this holy Spirit he was wont to be carried which opposed all carnality but such good and sweet motions he perceived to be departed and therefore he desires of God a restitution of this holy Spirit this sanctifying and renewing Spirit that might again kindle in him the love of God holy motions agreeable to Gods Law and an obedience to the same Take not thy holy Spirit from me 3. A free Spirit He found that ever since he fell into his sin he did his duty 3 A free spirit and served his God with an ill will with much reluctancy he took no delight in the doing of it as he did before this therefore he begs that God would again give and restore to him a free Spirit that freely chearfully willingly he might run the way of Gods Commandments and that he would so uphold him with his Spirit that he might constantly continue in the same to his lives end Uphold me O Lord with thy free Spirit 2. Hitherto the Prophet hath presented his three Petitions The second part of the Psalm in which he vows three things and upon the confidence of these he makes his vows first to teach others secondly to praise God thirdly to offer him the best sacrifice a sacrifice which should be instead of all sacrifices which he knew would accept a contrite heart 1. Then that is after my pardon obtained and my reconciliation unto thee I shall teach Ver. 13 for a man under guiltiness himself is not meet to speak and declare a pardon to others His first vow to teach others 2. I will teach thy wayes to sinners not my wayes of sinning but thy methods of pardoning viz. That to the stubborn thou wilt shew thy self froward and stubborn but to the penitent such as I am thou wilt shew mercy 3. And the effect will be That sinners shall be converted unto thee They who were perverted before and averted from thee being encouraged by the mercy I have found shall be converted 2. His second vow to praise God His second vow and promise is to praise God My tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness Ver. 14 my mouth shall shew forth thy praise But to this he was unapt so long as he remained in his sin Ver. 15 for praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner And also unable to do without Gods special assistance But because not fit to do this he prayes and therefore he prayes for a capacity to do both 1. 1 For remission Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God and then my tongue shall sing 2. 2 For assistance O Lord open my lips and then my mouth shall shew forth thy praise 3. His third vow is about a sacrifice which should be better than any then in use not the sacrifice of a beast but the sacrifice of a heart a heart well-conditioned His Preface to his third vow Negatively That God delights not in sacrifices seasoned with contrition and sorrow such he knew God would accept and such he should have 1. Thou desirest no sacrifice That is the outward in comparison of the inward would the outward please I would not be behind for that also I would give it thee but I know Thou delightest not in burnt-offerings without the heart 2. Nor in the heart till contrite No nor with the heart neither till it be broken and contrite broken for sin and contrite for meer love that it hath offended so good a Father I vowe therefore to bring thee this sacrifice this is instead of all other instead of many sacrifices this thou wilt not despise and this I will tender The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit His third vow a contrite heart The third part in which he prayes for the Church a broken and a contrite heart Thou O God wilt not despise 3. David having finished his prayers and vows for himself forgets not to petition for Jerusalem for Gods Church and the reason might be a religious fear in him lest for his sin Jerusalem might suffer such a thing might happen for so it did when he numbred the people Peccant Reges plectuntur Achivi His method was to be commended and his charity 1. His method first to be reconciled to God himself before he prayes for others for the prayers of a righteous man prevails much and the Apostle speaks of intercession 2. His charity for we are alwayes bound to remember the afflictions of Joseph and to pray for the peace of Jerusalem He prayes then for her 1. Ver. 18 That God who out of his good pleasure did choose a Church would out of his meer good will and love preserve it 1 That God protect his Church Do good in thy good pleasure to Zion 2. That he would have a special favour even to the material buildings Build thou the walls of Jerusalem 2 Even the walls for these fall not alone Religion and the Service of God fall when the Temple and Houses of God fall to ruine Probatum est 3. Then Religion would flourish For the consequence of Jerusalems prosperity would be this That Religion would flourish with it Then there would be sacrifices burnt-offerings and Holocausts Ver. 19 then they shall offer Bullocks upon thine Altar And which is yet more we shall offer And God pleased with it and thou shalt accept Then thou shalt be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness We being reconciled unto thee justified sanctified righteous upon thy account and in favour all our sacrifices shall find a gracious acceptance The Prayer collected out of the fifty first Psalm O Almighty Lord and most merciful God thou hast shewed compassion to many penitent sinners since the very beginning of the World thou never rejectedst any that sought to thée with a penstent soul and therefore Lord since thou art the same and no shadow of change in thée I beféech thée cloze not that door of mercy on me that hath béen opened to receive so many before me and let not those Rivers of compassion be dried up to me that have flowed so plentifully to others Have mercy on me O Lord on me Ver. 1 that have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am not worthy to be called thy son but according to thy goodness and multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquities I know Lord thou hast thy debt-book wherein thou writest the
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.
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
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
the Anaphora Quousque quousque quousque How long what for ever 2. The second part He petitions that His Petition set down in the third verse of which there be three degrees opposed to the parts of his complaint ver 1 2. 1. 1 God would look on him Look upon me or consider me Thou hast hitherto seemed to turn away thy face but once behold me and shew me one good look 2. 2 Hear him Hear me Thou hast seemed to have forgotten but now I pray thee remember me Ver. 3 and shew that thou dost not neglect my prayer 3. 3 Illuminate him Lighten my eyes I have been vexed in my soul and agitated various counsels to recover thy favour but do thou instruct me and illuminate me what course I shall take Now that this his Petition might be the sooner heard This Petition he enforceth he presseth many Arguments 1. 1 From the relation betwixt God and him From that Relation that was betwixt him and God O Lord my God hear me 2. 2 From the event 1. Death From a bitter event that was like to follow upon the repulse and delay if God heard him not he should die his heart failing him Lest I sleep the sleep of death 3. Ver. 4 From another consequent that would follow viz. the boasting and insultation of his enemies 2 Insultation of the enemy Lest my enemy say I have prevailed against him and those that trouble me rejoyce when I am removed But though he were delay'd yet he despairs not for 3. The third part He yet despairs not In the close the Prophet professeth his faith joy thankfulness 1. His faith I have trusted in thy mercy 2. Ver. 5 His joy My heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation 3. Ver. 6 His thankfulness I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me The Prayer collected out of the thirteenth Psalm Ver. 1 O Lord how long wilt thou so carry thyself toward me as if thou hadst altogether blotted me out of thy Memory How long O Lord as if thou wert angry dost thou hide thy face and turn thy countenance from me seeming to have no care of me or to shew me the least favorable aspect How long shall I be in a doubt what to do Ver. 2 and deliberate with my self whither or to whom to flie for succour in this my extremity I am daily oppressed with sadness and sorrow in my heart while nothing presents it self to my mind that may ease my grief Besides my enemy thinks that he hath gotten the upper hand over me O Lord how long shall he exalt himself insult and cruelly and proudly triumph over me 'T is enough 't is enough O Lord that thou hast turned away thine eyes from me 't is enough Ver. 3 that thou hast long shut thine ears at the voice of my complaint Now cast upon me one kind look consider my adversities and hear my grievous moans Thou whom I only serve Thou upon whom alone I do depend In these great evils in this agony of soul Ver. 4 in this déep darkness of discomfort I live and pine I pine and grieve and my eyes are grown dim with floods of tears but do thou O Lord with the chearful light of thy countenance dispel this thick darkness that is come over my soul lighten mine eyes that I may sée some way of escape lest being oppressed with the sense of my misery I be swallowed up of sorrow and surpressed by a deadly sléep of despair Should such a thing happen my enemy will rejoyce at it and be apt to boast I have prevailed against him and those that trouble me will be glad when I am moved or removed But O Lord though hitherto I behold outwardly no other things Ver. 5 but signs of thine anger and displeasure yet as I have alwayes trusted so I will trust not in my merits but thy mercy and my heart when thou shalt frée me from this grief and fear shall rejoyce and be glad in that salvation thou shalt send me And for very joy from a grateful heart I will give thée thanks Ver. 6 and sing Hymns to the honour of my Lord who hath repaid me good for the hope that I have reposed in him and I will chant Psalms to the praise of that God who hath dealt lovingly and bountifully with me declaring the greatness and goodness of his power and love for my deliverance ever and ever PSAL. XIV Which is Practical Atheists Character TWO parts there are of this Psalm 1. The Description of the Practical Atheist from ver 1. to 7. 2. A Petition for the Church ver 7. 1. The Atheist is here noted out to us divers wayes The first part The practical Atheist described 1. From his name Nabal a Fool or rather a Churle 1 By his name no natural Fool but a sinful a Fool in what he should be wise 2. His hypocrisie or cunning He saith but he will not have it known 1 By his name 't is to himself he saith in his heart he is a close politick Fool. Ver. 1 2 His hypocrisie 3. His saying or his chief and prime principle There is no God 3 His principle No God which is manifested 4. From his practice confessing God in his words for some politick advantages yet in his works he denies him for 1. His heart is wicked and unregenerate They are corrupt 1 By his corrupt heart 2. He is guilty of the sin of Commission in a very high degree They have done abominable works 2 By his works which are abominable 3. And he is guilty of the sin of Omission There is none that doth good This in general after the Prophet descends to some particulars 3 Never good Davids conviction of the Atheist 2. David demonstrates what he said three wayes and convinceth them 1. By the testimony of God himself for he brings him in as a witness against them and such a witness that cannot be deceived for he is 1. An eye-witness Prospectat He looks on 1 By God who is an eye-witness 2. He is in Heaven above them and by that advantage may see all He looks down from Heaven 3. And all he sees and is diligent to enquire Ver. 2 He looks from Heaven upon the children of men From heaven sees all 4. And enquires into his actions And the end is to enquire into their Religion To see if there were any that would understand and seek after God 2. Ver. 3 And then he gives his testimony in these general terms They are all gone aside And gives this testimony they are all become filthy there is none that doth good no not one 3. 1 In general that not one good And then in the next verse he reckons up two especial sins of which they were guilty Injustice and Impiety 1. Ver. 4 Injustice For they eat up his people
begins with a Petition and it is for Audience The first part He petitions for Audience and he perswades it upon two Reasons 1. The justice of his cause 2. The sincerity of his heart 1. Hear the right O Lord attend unto my cry give ear unto my prayer 2. Ver. 1 That goeth not out of feigned lips it comes from a sincere heart and not from the lips only And gives the Reasons therefore hear it 2. Then again there be other Reasons why I desir'd to be heard Ver. 6 1. I am apt to slip and fall from thee Hold up my goings c. Ver. 5 2. The danger I am in is great and it must be a strange miracle Ver. 7 some special grace if I perish not Shew thy marvellous loving kindness Ver. 13. 14. 3. My Enemies insolent and mighty and thy Sword only can deliver me The second part He appeals to God as his Judge Arise O Lord disappoint him and cast him down c. ver 13 14. 2. His Appeal to God since a verdict must pass upon me Let my sentence come forth from thy presence for I know that thou art a just Judge Ver. 2 thou art sway'd with no prejudice Let thine eyes behold the things that is equal and then I am assured it will go well with me Ver. 3 For thou hast before this time taken me to task Being conscious of his innocency and hast found nothing and I am resolv'd that thou shalt find nothing nothing as touching that cause that my Enemies alledge against me 1. Nothing in my heart Thou hast proved my heart 2. Nothing in my tongue For I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress 3. Ver. 4 Nothing in my hand For concerning the works of men which are mischievous by the words of thy lips I have had so great regard to that which thou hast expresly in thy Word prohibited That I have kept my self from the paths and wicked wayes of the Destroyer of him that to satisfie his own lusts breaks all Lawes Perfasque nefasque ruit 4. And yet desires assistance I confess indeed that I am a poor weak and infirm creature apt to fall as other men Ver. 5 without thou sustain me by thy grace do thou therefore keep me in this mind ever Hold up my goings in thy paths thâ—t I slip not And this first Petition he renews again Ver. 6 and quickens it by his assurance and confidence to be heard He renews his Petition I have called upon thee for thou wilt hear me O God Encline thine ear to me and hear my speech And he puts in a special Petition which hath two parts or clauses Ver. 7 1. Shew thy marvellous loving kindnesses More than ordinary which he perswades from the person of God O thou that savest by thy right hand them that put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them 2. Ver. 8 That he would save him with the greatest care and vigilancy as a man would preserve the apple of his eye as the Hen her Chickens Keep me as the apple of thine eye hide me under the shadow of thy wings And to perswade this Ver. 9 he fetcheth his Argument from his present necessity he was inviron'd with enemies And perswades it from the quality of his enemies wicked men deadly enemies whom he describes 1. Capital enemies they were and they oppressed him They compass'd him about 2. Ver. 10 Powerful proud rich enemies they were Men inclosed in their own Fat with their mouth they speak proudly They insult and threaten him Ver. 11 3. Their counsels were fixt and bent to ruine him Figentes lumine terram 4. Ver. 12 Cruel they were as Lyons like a Lyon c. ver 12. 5. Ver. 14 Enemies they were that prosper'd in their designs ver 14. They are men of this World 2. They have their portion and look for no other in this life 3. Their bellies are fill'd 4. Their children are many 5. And they leave off their substance to their Babes Therefore he petitions the third time Ver. 13 ver 13. Arise O Lord disappoint him He petitions yet again The third part 1. Faith c. 3. The Conclusion containing the expectation of David opposed to his enemies felicity 1. In the life As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness 2. In this life to come when I awake up i. e. rise from the dead after thy likeness I shall be satisfied with it The Prayer collected out of the seventeenth Psalm I Have called unto thée O Lord be not deaf to my prayer but attend to my cry Ver. 1. 6. Encline thine ear and hear my speech be favourable to the justice of my cause and grant my petition which I make unto thée from the bottom of my heart and offer unto thée not with feigned and dissembling lips I know that thou art a just Iudge who art sway'd with no prejudice to thée therefore I do appeal Let my sentence come forth then from thy presence Ver. 2 and let thine eyes which behold all things consider that which is just and right and look upon that which is equal betwixt me and my accusers For my innocence is not unknown to thée for thou hast proved my heart Ver. 3 whether it were sincere or no thon hast visited me by a night of crosses and temptations and often spoken unto me and searched me out by many thoughtful cogitations which thou hast sent into my soul when déep sléep falls upon man Thou hast tried me as gold in the fire by many a sharp tribulation and yet hast not found any perfidiousness or malicious falshood in me for I have purposed notwithstanding the provocations and great pride and injuries which cruel men have laid upon me that my mouth shall not offend and blaspheme Ver. 4 And though it be a difficult thing for flesh and blood not to wish and speak and return ill to such impious and injurious Malefactors yet in all my life I have had an eye to thy Commandments and by the words of thy lips I have kept my self from the wayes and works and paths of those who attempt to corrupt thy Truth and destroy thy Law But I do not impute this my innocence Ver. 5 and Christian Conversation to my own strength I am not as the Pharisee proud ot it for whatsoever is in me good and vertuous I attribute it wholly to thy grace and benignity I am a weak creature as apt to fall and sin as any I beséech thée therefore who by thy preventing grace hast caused me to enter into the way of thy Commandment go along with me by thy concomitant grace in it Uphold my goings in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not that nor my desires nor actions deviate from the right way and so I become worthy that thy talent of grace be taken from me So many enemies I have that lay wait to subvert me in
destroy'd them and consum'd them that we have wounded them Vers. 38 till they were not able to rise that they are fallen under our feet And that we should do thus valiantly it is not our strength and skill in Warre but thy goodness For it is thou Lord only that hath girded us to battle thou hast subdued under us those that rose up against us Thou hast given us the necks of our enemies that we might destroy them that hate us In their trouble and distress they cryed to the Lord who is wont to hear those that cry and call to him but wretches they were and unworthy and therefore there was none to hear to the Lord whom they before derided and contemn'd did they cry but he would not hear them Then being destitute of thy help and forsaken by thée we beat them as small as the dust which the wind whiffles away from the face of the earth we cast them out as dirt of the streets which is troden to nothing by the féet of every passenger O Lord deliver our King from the strivings and tumults Vers. 43 and contradictions of the people restore Him to His Crown and rights and make Him the Head to this people who for their perfidiousness and perjury deserve it not bring down this rebellious Nation this heathenish people and let them fall down and submit to Him and those who out of malice and self-ends would not acknowledge Him serve Him Assoon as they hear of His name let them obey Him and not as if they were méer strangers and aliens to Him reject Him any longer and laying aside all dissimulation willingly and readily yield homage to Him The Lord who liveth be His Rock and blessed be His name and let the God of His Salvation be exalted Avenge Him and subdue the people under Him deliver Him from His enemies kéep Him as the apple of thine eye lift Him up above those who have risen up against Him and preserve Him from the tyranny and treachery of the violent man So shall all honest Subjects and true-hearted Israelites that bear any good-will to Zion celebrate thée O Lord who art foorthy to be praised and give thanks unto thee among the people and sing praises to thy name O Lord send deliverance to the King shew mercy to thy Andinted to restore Him to His Throne and people bless Him in His person and bless Him in His posterity for evermore Amen PSAL. XIX This Psalm is Doctrinal and teacheth us the way to know God His Glory is the Subject THERE be two parts of it The first is Doctrinal 2. Penitential The Doctrinal parts â—ath two Members 1. The first member teacheth us to know God by natural reason even from the book of the Creatures from vers 1. to vers 7. 2. But because this way is unsufficient to save a soul therefore in the second part we have a better way prescribed which is The Book of the Scriptures whose excellencies are described from vers 7. to vers 11. The Penitential part begins at the twelfth verse For since the reward to be expected proceeds from the keeping of Gods Law and Davids heart told him he had not kept it therefore he beggs pardon and grace from vers 12. to 14. By the Glory of God understand his Goodness The first part The Declaration of God from the creatures especially the heavens his Wisdom his Power in a word all his Attributes of which we have a double Declaration 1. A testimony from the Creatures but especially the Heavens whose Magnitude Beauty Order variety perpetual motion light influences c. declare that there is an Omnipotent wise good God and Creatour of them Vers. 1 With this David begins The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work 2. Vers. 2 The vicissitude of Day and Night proceeding from their motions declare this also Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge c. 1. The Heavens then are diligent Preachers for they preach all day and all night without intermission One day telleth another and one night certifies another 2. Vers. 3 They are leraned Preachers for they preach in all Tongues For there is nor speech nor language but their voices are heard among them 3. Vers. 4 They are Universal and Catholique Preachers for they preach to the whole world Their sound is gone through all the earth and their words to the end of the world 3. Vers. 4 But among all these Creatures the Sun for which God in heaven hath set a Throne 2 The Sun or Tabernacle makes the fairest and clearest evidence or declaration and that three wayes especially 1. Vers. 5 By his splendour light beauty He riseth as gloriously as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber 1 By his splendour 2. Vers. 6 By his wonderful celerity and quickness of his motion running every several hour 225. 2 By his motion Germain Miles as Math maticians teach He rejoiceth as a strong man to run his race His going forth is from the end of the heaven and his circuit is to the end of it and yet is not tired nor weary 3. 3 By his heat The second part By his strange and miraculous heat that pierceth even to the Minerals concocts matures enlives all things Sol homo generant hominem Nothing is hid from the heat thereof 2. 2 The Declaration by his Word Which is commended But because this Declaration is not sufficient to make man happy therefore hath God made a farther Declaration and revealed himself in his Word the Scripture call'd here The Law which is here commended 1. Vers. 7 From the Authour It is the Law of the Lord. 2. In many respects From the Sufficiency thereof It is perfect 3. From the Utility It converts the soul gives wisdom to the simple 4. From the Infallibility The Testimony of the Lord is sure 5. Vers. 8 From the perspicuity and plainness of it The Statutes of the Lord are right Without perplexities ambiguities sophisms windings turnings 6. From the effect it breeds in the Soul it quiets the troubled conscience They rejoice the heart Justificati pacem habemus 7. From the purity of it The Commandments of the Lord are pure they admit no feces of foul Opinions nor give countenance to any sin 8. Vers. 8 From the effect it hath upon the soul It enlighteneth the eyes for it dispells all ignorance doubting of God carnal security diffidence false worship And makes us understand our own deformities defects c. 9. Vers. 9 From the Sincerity of it The fear of the Lord is clean Other Religions are polluted with humane inventions strange Ceremonies Sacrifices Worships Lusts Wickedness gods This not so but the contrary 10. From the continuance of it It is to be a perpetual standing Law It endureth for ever Aeternum Evangelium 11. And therefore both From the truth and equity contain'd in it True and righteous
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
hence I shall dwell with thée in that celestial house above and with them sing Honour and Glory to thee who sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for evermore Amen PSAL. XXIV Of Christs Dominion and the Church and his Ascension THE Subject of this Psalm is Christ calld The King of Glory vers 7. And it hath two parts 1. The first that concerns Christs Lordship which is in general over the whole world vers 1 2. But in particular the Church from vers 3. to vers 7. 2. An Exhortation to all men to receive Christ for their King The first part of this Psalm shews that God is King of all the world The first part Christs Dominion but in his Kingdom he hath two kind of Subjects 1. Either all men in general For the earth is the Lords Vers. 1 and all that therein is the compass of the world and they that dwell therein 1 Over all And of it he gives a reason from the Creation of it He ought to have the dominion of it Vers. 2 and all in it For he hath founded it upon the Seas and establish'd it upon the floods 2. But all are not his Subjects in the same way There are a people 2 Over the Church whom he hath call'd to be his Subjects in another manner A Mountain there is which he hath sanctified and chosen above all other Hills to make the Seat of his Kingdom 't is the Church and over them that live in it he is in a more peculiar manner said to be a Lord than of the whole earth And these are more properly call'd his Servants and Subjects And yet among these there is a difference too For some only profess to be his Servants and call him Lord as Hypocrites some other there are that are his Servants really and truly And that this difference be taken notice of the Prophet asks Quis Vers. 3 Who shall ascend into the bill of the Lord And Who shall stand in his holy place In which some of his Subject are hypocrites As if he should say Not Quisquis 'T is not every one for Infidels are not so much as in the Church Hypocrites howsoever in the Church are no true Members of the Mystical Church and some which come to the Hill of the Lord yet stand not in his Holy place For many believe only for a season and few continue faithful to death 3. That then it be truly known 2 Others true Subjects Their Characters who they are over whom he is truly Rex gloriae The King of glory The Prophet gives us their Character and sets down three distinctive Notes by which they may be known 1. Cleanness of hands He that hath clean hands à cade furto c. Vers. 4 is free from all external wicked actions 1 Clean hands For the hand is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Purity of heart For external purity is not enough except the heart 2 A pure heart the Fountain of our actions be clean Hypocrisis est in cor consentiat 3. Truth of the tongue is not guilty of lyes and perjuries 3 A true tongue He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity nor sworne deceitfully After that the Prophet had given the Character by which you may know the man he then assigns his reward and ends with an acclamation 1. Their reward a blessing This is he that shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness i. e. be justified from the God of his Salvation 2. Vers. 5 Vers. 6 This is the generation of them that seek thee i. e. These are the people of God Because these are alone the people of God let other boast themselves and please themselves as they list yet these are the godly party these they that seek thy face O Jacob i.e. O God of Jacob. This part is an Exhortation to all men in the whole world The second part especially Princes Nobles He exhorts all to receive Christ Magistrates that they receive acknowledge and worship Christ as King 1. Life up your heads O ye gates i. e. O you Princes that sit in the gates Vers. 7 lift up your heads and hearts be ye lift up you everlasting doors portae mundi and the King of glory shall come in 2. Vers. 8 To which good counsel the Prophet brings in the Princes asking this Question in scorn and contempt Which they deride Who is the King of glory To which he answers The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battle I tell you who he is To their ruine one able to destroy you and will destroy you if you reject him For he is far beyond all the strength and power of men He is the Lord mighty in Battle Dominus excercituum And that his Exhortation pierce the deeper he ingeminates it with the answer vers 9 10. I know this last part is otherwise interpreted and I dislike it not See Bellarmine The Prayer out of Psalm 24. which was composed to be Sung on the Sabbath O Omnipotent God the Creatour and preserver of the whole Vniverse Vers. 1 who art Lord of the whole earth of whose fulness all partake and to whom all that dwell in the world owe homage and subjection For thou hast created the Globe of this earth upon which we tread Vers. 2 and so immoveably founded and fixed it upon the floods that the violence of the Sea doth not overwhelm it nor the waves thereof ascend above it We acknowledge that the whole stock of men that walk upon this earth and are sustain'd from it as they are thy creatures so they are thy vassals and that thou hast a just dominion over them This is an Argument of thy Power and Majesty But thy love to man-kind hath far more abounded in that out of all Nations thou hast cast thy eye upon a select company vouchsafed to call them into thy Church Vers. 3 in which thou hast set thy Seat as sometime in Mount Zion that thou wilt dwell among these be adored by these and give a favourable answer to the petitions that these shall make unto thée Of these thou requirest integrity purity fidelity Clean hands a pure heart Vers. 4 and a faithful tongue These are the generation that séek thée and to these thou hast promised thy blessing thy mercy Grant therefore O Lord. that we may have hands clensed from all impure actions a heart frée from all hypocrisie and base affections a tongue that will never take thy Name in vain either rashly deceitfully or maliciously but that in heart word and déed we may be so sincere that we may be accompted by thée of that number who are worthy to ascend into the Hill of the Lord and dwell remain and continue in thy Holy place O Lord afford us thy grace thus to seek thee and then we shall never despair of thy blessings and
affrighted me nor flattery won upon me to turn to the right hand or unto the lest But I have put my trust in thee thy loving kindness hath been before my eyes and I have been pleased in the way of Truth Be merciful therefore to me Ver. 1 O Lord that I may go on as I have begun and suffer not my féet to slip in this way nor to fall out of the way By the way side there be too too many tempters and temptations the most are destitute of thy fear having one thing in their heart another upon their tongue in whose hands is mischief and their right hand is full of bribes But thou knowest O Lord That I have not sate in counsel with these vain persons neither will I go in and converse with these dissemblers for I have hated with a perfect hatred the Congregation the Assembly the Society of these Malignants and with my whole heart have detested their Covenants and Engagements I have not I will not sit with these wicked and evil doers lest I should be infected by them or countenance and confirm them in mischief and draw on others by my example They Lord have demolished and polluted thy dwelling place but I love the habitation of thy house by their irreverence in that place they dishonour thée but I will come and fall low before thy Foot-stool well knowing that there thine honour dwelleth And when thou shalt again open those doors unto me if I contracted any soil I will wash it off with a flood of tears and being an innocent among thy innocent people and about thy Altar I will adore and with the Quire of those that sing to thy Name I will praise and exalt thy Mercy and Majesty There will I publish with Thanksgiving and tell abroad all thy wondrous works There with Hymns and Psalms composed to that end I will declare to all men that are there present how wonderfully and mercifully thou hast wrought for me and for thy people in delivering us from the hands of our blood-thirsty enemies Since then O Lord I have alwayes detested and declined the counsels and confederacies of evil-doers since I have béen ever studious of Religion and loved the communion of Saints Take not away my soul with sinners and involve not my life in that perdition which here and hereafter is due to these men of blood and oppressors of the innocent As for me I have walked innocently wronging none nor desirous to wrong any though I have séen the wicked prosper in their wickedness and some have judged them happy men yet I am not moved with their multitudes success or example I will yet walk in my integrity therefore good God destroy me not with these evil doers be merciful unto me and redéem my soul from the evils with which I am encompassed and from those evils that hang over their heads My foot hath hitherto béen kept right by thy grace and mercy therefore when thou shalt bring me back again to thy Temple I will not be unthankful but I will sing praises to thy Name in and with the great Congregation Amen PSAL. XXVII To comfort one in Danger and Adversity against Despair THERE be four general parts of it David shews 1. How free he is in danger from fear and the causes ver 1 2 3. 2. He expresses his love to Gods House and Religion ver 4 5 6. 3. He prayes ver 7 c. 4. He exhorts to depend on God ver 14. Possible it is that some Man Friend or Foe might ask David The first part David fears not because God is with him what heart he had in his miseries and persecutions all the time of Saul To whom David might return this Answer That he was never disheartned he never did despair and the Reason was because God was his Light to guide him his Rock to save him his Strength to sustain and uphold him The Lord is my Light and my Salvation of whom then should I fear Ver. 1 The Lord is the Strength of my life of whom then should I be afraid Of which he had experience And this he amplifies in the next two verses first by experience he had already found this true When the wicked Ver. 2 even mine enemies came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell secondly he puts a case Say that an Host of men should encamp against me my heart shall not fear Ver. 3 though War should rise against me in this will I be confident The Arguments of his confidence were Gods goodness ver 1. And was therefore confident and his own experience ver 2. to which he adds three more in the 5 10 13 verses 1. That God would hide him in his Tabernacle ver 5. Ver. 5 2. That when his father and mother forsook him God took him up ver 10. 3. That he should see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living ver 13. He expresseth his great love and desire to the Tabernacle and House of God The second part His love to Gods house One thing I have desired this one before all other things and he was constant in it That emphatically I will seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my life and that for three ends Ver. 4 1. To behold the beauty of the Lord to taste how good and gracious the Lord is 2. To enquire in his Temple there to search the mind of God 3. To offer in his Tabernacle sacrifices of joy Ver. 6 and to sing praises to the Lord. And this was another Argument of his security For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me upon a Rock and now shall mine head be lifted up above all my enemies round about me In the last part he falls to prayer The third part 1. He prayes For Audience and an Answer Hear O Lord when I cry with my voyee have mercy upon me Ver. 7 and answer me 2. 1 The ground of his prayer obedience The ground of his prayer his obedience to Gods Command Thou hast said seek ye my face Thy face Lord will I seek 3. Ver. 8 The matter of his prayer in general Hide not thy face from me put not thy servant away in anger Ver. 9 in which he hath good hope to speed even upon former experience 2 The matter of his prayer in general that God desert him not Thou hast been my help be not now worse to me than thou hast been therefore leave me not now nor forsake me O God of my salvation when father and mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up 4. Ver. 10 The matter of his prayer in particular Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path In particular to he taught a way to escape his enemies i. e. Teach me
what to do that I may please thee and lead me in a plain path that I may escape the ambushes and snares of my enemies deliver me not over to their will for they seek my ruine Ver. 11 1. Who are They are perjured men false witnesses are rise up against me 2. Ver. 12 They are mischievously bent They breath out cruelty 5. 1 Perjured men And their cruelty and falshood is so great that I had fainted were it not for my hope in thee 2 Cruel men I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living Ver. 13 At last he concludes with an Exhortation The fourth part He takes heart and perswades others to it that all others would take out his example and in their greatest extremities be couragious and put trust in God as he did Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart Wait I say on the Lord Be an expectant for he that shall come will come in his good time The Prayer collected out of the twenty seventh Psalm O Heavenly Father whatsoever the World plots the Devil endeavours and wicked men conspire against us that we are fully perswaded shall come to nought Ver. 1 and be utterly frustrate For thou O Lord art our delight to direct and comfort us our salvation to deliver us the strength of our life to support us whom then should we fear of whom then should we be afraid when we have so powerful a Saviour to defend us Though an Host of armed men should encamp against us our heart should not fear though War should rise against us Ver. 5 in this we would be confident that in the time of trouble he will hide us in the secret of his Tabernacle he shall set us upon a Rock to which the malicious hand of our enemies shall never be able to reach How often have our enemies Ver. 3 no otherwise than ravening Dogs set upon us to fear and eat up our flesh and how often have they béen defeated and frustrated of their purposes and fallen before us This O Lord is thy doing this the work of thy hand Ver. 6 Thou only hast lift up our heads above our enemies round about us For which great mercy One thing I have desired of thee this One before all other things Ver. 4 and this I will ever seek deny me not that in peace and quietness I may dwell all the rest of my life in that place where the House of my God is that I may have experience of the beauty of holiness and taste of that delight with which thou dost affect thy servants by the manifestation of thy presence that I may there inquire and learn my Duty and make a progress in the knowledge of spiritual things Ver. 6 that I may there compass thy Altar and offer the Sacrifices of Joy and sing Psalms of Praise and Hymns of Thanks to thee my God O my God hear my voyce for I have long cried and called unto thee deliver me from mine enemies that pursue me Ver. 7 and bring me back and give me a quiet Mansion in the place thine Honour dwelleth being moved by my unjust persecution have mercy upon me and return me a favourable answer My careful heart hath alwayes thought upon thée and béen revived with thy command Seek ye my face call upon me in the day of trouble and therefore with elevated eyes and hands and with an intent heart I have sought thy face thy presence thy favour thy protection and I will never cease to séek it till I shall sée thée face to face And since from my heart I séek it O do not turn and hide thy face from me and deny me not thy favour Conceive not so great anger and displeasure against thy servant who yet have deserved it for his sins as to cast me away and deny me that help which thou hast hitherto graciously afforded me My father my mother my friends my acquaintance my neighbours have all stood afar and forsaken me in my trouble and wilt thou also leave me at this time This hath not béen thy custom for when I have béen destituâ—e Thou hast been my help when I have béen exposed Thou hast taken me up Forsake me not then now O God of my salvation be my Helper who without thée am nothing be my Saviour who except thou save am like to perish Teach me thy Law and set me in the way in which I am to walk make it plain to me that I mistake it not lest by the errour in thy way and transgression of thy Law being forsaken of thée I fall into those snares and ambushes which my enemies have set for me O never deliver me over to their will Consider O Lord their injustice who have suborned false witness against me and such as breath out cruel words to take away my life So great is their malice That I had utterly fainted but that I believe verily to receive that happiness which thou hast promised in this life and after to enjoy those good things which thou hast engaged to give in Heaven which is truly the Land of the living For these thy word is past and therefore I will wait on thee this shall make me of good courage and strengthen my heart I will wait I say on the Lord with patience and though he defer me I will not faint but I will be instant with him in prayer and beg his aid being assured that at the last he will hear me for the merits of Iesus Christ my Saviour Amen PSAL. XXVIII A Prayer for Help and a Thanksgiving THREE parts there are of this Psalm 1. A Prayer from ver 1. to 6. 2. A Thanksgiving from ver 6. to 9. 3. A Prayer for the Church ver 9. The first part is a Prayer to God and he first prayes for Audience ver 2. The first part He prayes for Audience Hear me And his prayer is so described that it sets forth most of the conditions requisite in one that prayes 1. The object God Unto thee O Lord I cry Ver. 2 2. His faith To thee I cry who art my Rock Ver. 1 The conditions required in a supplicant 3. His fervour it was an ardent and vehement prayer I cry 4. Humility it was a supplication Hear the voyce of my supplication 5. His outward gesture I life up my hands Ver. 2 6. According to Gods order Towards thy holy Temple His Argument to perswade Audience The Argument he useth to perswade Audience is drawn ab incommodo Lest if thou make as though thou hearest not Ver. 1 I become like them that go down into the Pit have no hope of life in me no comfort no heart at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he prayes for is that he might not partake with hypocrites 2. Then he expresses what he prayes for which is that either First He might not be
corrupted by the fair perswasions of hypocrites Secondly Or that he might not be partaker of their punishments Draw me not away with the wicked and workers of iniquity upon whom he sets this mark Ver. 3 Who speak peace with their Neighbours but mischief in their hearts Against whom he imprecates 3. Against whom he useth this imprecation which is the second part of his prayer Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Ver. 4 give them after the work of their hands render unto them their desert He doth not simply pray that punishment may overtake them but that it may be proportionable to their desert and he prayes earnestly for it as appears by the often repetition of words importing the same thing which that it seem not strange in the next verse he gives the Reason that they were enemies to Piety and contemners of God far from repentance and any hope of amendment Do this unto them Because they were enemies to piety Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands And then intimates that this their punishment was just and that it should come from above Ver. 5 Therefore he shall destroy them and not build them up Then there follows an excellent form of giving Thanks The second part His thankfulness into which he falls by an admirable Acclamation Blessed be the Lord of which blessing he assigns the Reasons which excellently expresseth the chief parts of Thanksgiving 1. Ver. 6 That God heard him He hath heard the voyce of my supplications 2. The Reasons of it That he would be his Protector The Lord is my strength and my shield 3. Ver. 7 For his grace of confidence My heart trusted in him 4. That from him he had relief I am helped 5. The testification and annuntiation of his Gratitude Therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth and in my song will I praise him He remembers the Indenture I will deliver thee and thou shalt praise me and therefore with heart and tougue he gives thanks 6. And that God should be sure to have all the Honour he repeats what he said before Ver. 8 The Lord is not my strength but their strength i. e. of all those that are with me and he is my strength also the strength of salvation for there were a plurality of them of his Anointed He concludes the Psalm with a Prayer The third part He commends the Church to Gods care and tuition in which he commends the whole Church to Gods Care and Tuition 1. Save thy People in the midst of these Tumults and Distractions 2. Bless thine-Inheritance that they may increase in knowledge piety wealth 3. Feed them and give them a better Shepheard than Saul 4. Lift them up for ever Make their name famous among the Gentiles give them dominion over them that it may be known they are thy peculiar people The Prayer collected out of the twenty eighth Psalm VNLD thée O Lord with all intention of heart and fervour of spirit I cry forsake me not and withdraw not thy help from me be not deaf and still silent to answer my prayers Ver. 1 lest I become as heartless and hopeless as they that descend into the grave Ver. 2 Hear the voyce of my supplications when I call unto thee when with affectionate desire and heat I lift up my hands to thy Mercy-seat Suffer me not to be corrupted with the fair perswasions of hypocrites Ver. 3 nor to be drawn away and deceived by the flattering lips of the workers of iniquity lest I be partaker of their sin and punishment who give good words and speak peace to their Neighbours when yet they imagine mischief in their hearts I know Ver. 4 O Lord that thy justice will overtake their sin and therefore as thou hast decréed Reward them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours Ver. 5 give them after the work of their hands pay them what they have deserved I know they are malicious sinners that break thy Commands not upon ignorance and infirmity but presumptuoufly and with a high hand Shew thy great works in the Earth they regard it not let thy power of thy hand work wonders they pass it by without the least observance therefore O Lord destroy them with an irreparable ruine and never permit them to be raised and built again Blessed and thrice blessed be the Lord Ver. 6 to whose ears this my supplication is come and who I am certain will grant what I have asked of him The Lord is my strength to confirm me my shield to defend me in him my heart trusted and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth my mouth I will open to his honour my song shall be of him all the day long and with a chearful mind and a grateful tongue I will praise him Lor save thy people and bless thine inheritance save them with thy hand bless them that they may increase in knowledge piety and wealth feed them with thy Word and lift up their heads above those that hate them that it may be known they are thy chosen Israel the people of thy love Be unto them a Tower of strength against the face of their enemy and send them salvation by the hand of thy Anointed and at last bring them to eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Another out of the same Psalm O Heavenly Father we humbly beséech thy goodness when we cry unto thée to hear our supplications for if thou turn away thine ear and neglect to give us Audience in these our pressures and afflictions the men of thy hand will prevail against us and bring down our life unto the pit We do acknowledge before thée that our wayes have béen perverse our works wicked and the imagination of our hearts only vain and evil continually yet O Lord we desire to be holy render therefore not unto us not according to our deserts but according to thy great mercies Of thy insinite goodness reckon us not with the workers of iniquity suffer us not to be seduced by and punished with wicked men as we have deserved return unto them O Lord seven-fold into their bosome but to us thy people be propitious Be unto us O Lord strength and a buckler save us in our dangers féed us in our necessities favour us in our enterprises and give us success in our actions O Lord we are thine inheritance the people that thou hast adopted to be thy children and heirs heap upon us here thy mercies and hereafter bring us to an everlasting inheritance in Heaven by the precious merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XXIX An Exhortation to praise God THERE be two parts of this Psalm 1. The Exhortation it self ver 1 2. 2. The Reasons to perswade drawn 1. From his Power from ver 3. to 11. 2. From the Protection of his people ver 11. The Exhortation which is
that fear thee It passeth mans understanding to conceive and the eye of humane reason sées it not which judgeth of all things by the present success This thou hast reserv'd in secret for those which serve thée with a sincere heart and in thy good time thou by great works which thou wilt do for those who trust in thee wilt manifest it even before the sons of men The pride of man is great and in their pride they attempt to throw down those who in sincerity worship thée their tongues are sharp and contentious and in their malice they invent many lyes and scandals against them but thou O Lord wilt hide those thou lovest in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man and wilt keep them secretly as in a Pavilion from the strife of tongues And yet I pressed with the consideration of many evils in which I thought my self forsaken said rashly in my hast Surely I am cut off from before thine eyes thou wilt never certainly cast any favourable look toward me Such was my infirmity so great my inconsideration But thy mercy passed by even then my weakness and setled my staggering soul Notwithstanding my imperfections thou heardst the voice of my Supplications when I cryed unto thee Hear me then now O Lord consider my troubles know that my soul is in adversity have mercy upon me for I call unto thée for help and let me not be ashamed But as for the wicked let them be put to confusion and let them be cut off for the grave that they be able to do no more mischief Let those that invent and speak lyes be put to silence that with pride disdain and cruelty speak against the righteous Blessed be the Lord and praised be his name who hath not only delivered me out of danger but hath shewed unto me in a superabundant manner his marvellous great kindness and loaded me with happiness glory and superfluity of all things yea and set me in a safe and defenced place O lovâ— ye the Lord all ye his Saints all ye that serve the Lord in holiness murmure not against his providence but when ye sée me a man destitute of all humane help delivered hope for the same favour from his hands be of good courage and strengthen your hearts O Lord preserve the faithful and though the wicked flourish and pride it in their success yet look upon our affliction and plentifully reward the proud doer As for those who with an honest heart serve thée give them constancy and perseverance in thy love fear and Truth and let their hope in thée be well rooted and confirmed through the Son of thy love Iesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour Amen PSAL. XXXII Is Doctrinal and sets forth the happiness of one whose sins are remitted THE Title of the Psalm is Maschil and at the eighth verse the reason is given I will instruct thee and teach thee In this then there is an instruction given especially about these three points which divide the Psalm 1. The Happy estate of a justified person vers 1 2. 2. The unhappy condition of that man who is not assured that he is justified and reconciled to God vers 3 A justified person is happy 4. and the way prescribed how to gain that assurance vers 5. 3. A Lesson given for obedience after a man is brought into that state v. 8 9. 1. The Prophet first instructs us in what justification consists It is a free remission The first part How he must be qualified a covering of sin a non-imputation of iniquities 2. How the man must be qualified that obtains it He must have an honest sincere and upright heart Vers. 1 be far from guile doubling hypocrisie vers 3. Now such a one he pronounceth Vers. 2 A Happy man Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered He must confess his sin not excuse or hide it Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputes not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile who doth not excuse palliate extenuate his sin but confesseth it 2. The second part And this he makes good by his own experience he hid his sin he doubled with God he confessed not and he was in an unhappy and unquiet condition all the while This David did he hid it 1. I held my peace I confessed not I did not ask pardon and When I held my peace And he was unquiet in his soul and kept silence dissembled my sin 2. I was wounded with the sting of a guilty conscience fears horrours troubles of soul c. My bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me my moysture is turn'd into the drought of Summer 3. But when he confessed it And then he shews you the way he took to recover his happiness which was a clear contrary course He would conceal his sin no longer from which he had so much unrest but he was resolv'd to open and display it before his God 1. Vers. 5 I acknowledg'd my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid 2. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord. Of which the effects are divers 1 He obtained remission 1. The first upon himself He recover'd his happiness consâ—â—ing in Remission And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin 2. 2 By his example others seek for grace The second upon the whole Church upon every good man that took out and follow'd his example For this i. e. that thou hast been so merciful to me Vers. 6 and pardoned me a penitent confessor shall every one that is godly pray unto thee for pardon in a time when thou may'st be found in the day while grace is offered 3. Vers. 6 Comfort in extremities and safety in the greatest dangers Surely in the floods of great waters 3 And are secure in extremities in an inundation of calamities the troubles shall not come nigh him that depends upon Gods goodness and mercy and is reconcil'd unto him by repentance And he shews the reason from his own experience God was his Protector 1. Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble 2. Thou shalt compass me about with Songs of deliverance deliver me and make me sing for joy and give thanks 3. And now David sets down the Duty of a justified person The third part David instructs a justified person in his way that he be after his pardon obedient to his God and that not out of compulsion but freely and willingly About which that he be not to seek either God from Heaven or David in his person becomes his Doctor I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go I will guide thee with my eye Vers. 8 And a good servant needs no stripes he will observe nutum or nictum heri As my eye is alwayes over you carefully to instruct
confusion together that take pleasure at my hurt and let them be cloathed with shame and dishonour that magnifie themselves against me So shall my soul be joyful in thee O Lord it shall rejoyce in thy salvation I will not be unthankful nor stupid upon the sense of thy mercy my heart shall exult and all my bones sinews strength shall join in thy praise and say O Lord Who is like unto thée in goodness power mercy and justice Who I say is like unto thée who by thy immense power and goodness deliverest the poor man who is destitute of all help from the violent hands of those who are too strong for him the indigent and afflicted from him that spoileth him As for me I will give thee thanks in the great Congregation I will praise thee among much people and my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long O Lord be merciful to thy poor afflicted and persecuted Church and in thy good time deliver thy people from the hand of the Oppressor Let them shout and be glad that favour and stand up in the defence of a righteous cause yea let them say continually let the Lord be magnified who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants Amen PSAL. XXXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE end of this Psalm is to implore God that out of his goodness he would deliver David and all good men from the pride and malice of the wicked To this purpose 1. He sets down a Character of a wicked man and his grievous estate from ver 1. to ver 5. 2. He makes a Narrative in the commendation of Gods mercy from ver 1. to ver 10. 3. He prayeth for the continuance of Gods goodness to his people petitions against his proud enemy and exults at his fall ver 10 11 12. 1. The first part Howsoever other men may judge of wicked men bless them while they prosper Ver. 1 and speak well of them yet my censure and judgment of them is this The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart A character of a wicked man that there is no fear of God before his eyes Sic apud me statuo sic decerno This is Davids postulatum and he first sets it down as the bitter root from which all the ill fruit following doth grow and so he enters upon an induction of particulars and by them describes a wicked man 1. Ver. 2 His first note is the pleasure the glory the boasting he takes in wickedness He flattereth himself in his own eyes 1 He calls evil good His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love to himself is so great that a great sin in his sight is no sin vice is vertue falshood truth 2. 2 He continues in it The second that in this he continues and will not be perswaded out of it untill his iniquity be found to be hateful till God by some heavy judgment hath past his sentence and dislike against it 3. Ver. 3 The third is his hypocrisie aliud corde aliud ore The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit 2 He is an hypocrite He gives goodly words but hath war in his heart 4. 4 He is obstinate The fourth is his pertinacy in evil and his abrenunciation of good Desinit adhibere intelligentiam he hath left off to behave himself wisely or he will not understand that he may do good 5. Ver. 4 And in the fifth verse he bundles up as it were his sins 1. He plots evil and deviseth mischief upon his bed 5 He is studious in wickedness 2. He sets himself in the way that is not good 3. He abhors no evil He invents wickedness he sets about it to perfect it yea though it be of the highest strain he swallows it and nauseates it not This is the description of a wicked man which some men beholding begin to wonder at Gods patience that he will endure this a buse and affront and are apt upon it to question his providence to whom that David may return an answer he enlargeth himself upon Gods mercy and goodness Gods patience and mercy from which this his long-suffering doth proceed And two streins there are of it the first absolute and general extended to all 2. The other particular The second part which is exhibited to the faithful only First In general God is good to all which is seen in his bountifulness 1 To all even all creatures his fidelity and his justice and his preservation of all things 1. Thy mercy O Lord is in the Heavens Thou preservest them 2. Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the Clouds They water the Earth as it s promised 3. Thy righteousness is like the great Mountains immoveable 4. Thy judgments are a great deep unsearchable past finding out 5. Thou Lord preservest man and beast in thee we live move and have our being 2 But particularly to his people which he admires Secondly But of his special care and providence as it stands in relation to the faithful he gives another account 't is a precious thing he sets a price upon it and admires it O how excellent is thy loving kindness O Lord Ver. 7 Quam preciosa Of which the consequent is in the faithful hope confidence Upon which the faithful comfort in distress 1. Therefore the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy wings 1 Trust 2. The effects of it 2 Are satisfied the plenty of all good things prepared for the faithful 1. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House 2. Thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasure 3. To which he adds the cause For in thee is the Fountaine of life and in thy light we shall see light He concludes with a Prayer 1. For all Gods faithful people 2. For himself The third part He prayes that this effect may light 1. He prayes that this peculiar and precious mercy might light upon the heads of all those that serve God in sincerity O continue thy loving kindness to them that know thee Ver. 10 and thy righteousness to the upright of heart 1 On Gods people 2. He prayes for himself that he may be defended from the pride and violence of wicked men Let not the foot of pride come against me 2 On himself and let not the hand of the wicked remove me Ver. 1 3. Lastly He closes all with this exulting Epiphonema 3 His acclamation upon it There are the workers of iniquity fallen There when they promised to themselves peace and security and said tush no harm shall happen to us there and then are they fallen They are cast down and shall not be able to rise The Prayer collected out of the thirty sixth Psalm O Omnipotent God Ver. 5 such is the amplitude of thy mercy that it extends it self far and wide so that from the lowest Earth to
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
grief and scorn is fallen upon me justly for my sin To them Lord I have done no hurt but thée I have offended and to thée I will declare my iniquity and be sorry for my sin I beséech thée therefore O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath nor chasten me in thy hot displeasure Forsake me not O Lord my God be not far from me for I séem to be destined and appointed to bear stripes and affliction and my sorrow is continually before my eyes But in thee O Lord is my hope answer for me O Lord my God in my prayer I have and will alwayes say Lord hear me lest otherwise my enemies should rejoyce over me for when my foot at any time slippeth they proudly insult and magnifie themselves against me make haste to help me O Lord my salvation Amen PSAL. XXXIX THIS Psalm is conceived to be penned upon the same occasion with the former in some grievous distress he was that 's certain whether by Absolom or Shimei or some great sickness uncertain However as he professed before at his sufferings and in juries he was patient and silent I was as as a deaf man that heard not and as a dumb man c. Psal 38.13 14. Yet here he confesseth that the tentation was so sharp and the provocation was so great that he could not choose but speak he could hold no longer but must needs burst out yet as there so here his complaint and petition is to his God There be three parts of the Psalm 1. A Manifest of his resolution and full purpose of heart for silence ver 1. and the consequence upon it ver 2 3. 2. His Expostulation with God about the shortness and variable condition of life ver 4 5 6. 3. His Petition for remission from sin ver 8. from punishment ver 10. for a farther respite and grace ver 12 13. First David acquaints us here with his resolution Dixi I said I decreed The first part Davids resolution to be silent I fully purposed and it was filent and dumb in the presence of his enemies 1. I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue and again I will keep my mouth as with a bridle while the wicked is before me Ver. 1 2. And this resolution for a while he kept I was dumb with silence Ver. 2 I held my peace even from good even from a just defence But his heart boyled within him sain he would speak 3. But I found in this very great difficulty nay impossiblity 1. For all this while my sorrow was stirred it was pain to me to be silent 2. My heart was hot within me I was in flame to utter my mind Ver. 3 3. And while I was thus musing the fire burst out what was within And at last he burst out and spake in a querulous manner The second part I saw could not be concealed no more than fire for a while raked up in embers and at last I spake with my tongue Secondly But better it had been he had been silent still since in a querulous manner he begins to expostulate with God Lord let me know mine end and the measure of my dayes what it is As if he had said Ver. 4 Better it were my dayes were ended and I in my Grave than to be thus vexed in body and mind without by enemies and perfidious friends and if yet it must be so it were well I knew the end of it and how long I must be under this Cross and were my life what others is The condition of mans life yet it hath many properties to alleviate the comforts of it 1. It is very brittle and frail Make me know how frail I am Ver. 4 1 Frail. 2. It is very short it may be measured out by a hand-breadth 2 Short which is no long measure nor a yard that is made of it Behold thou hast made my dayes as a hand-breadth Ver. 5 3. Nay which is yet of less reckoning 'T is as nothing before thee a nihil 3 A Nihil 4. 'T is full of vanity Verily every man at his best state in his strength 4 Vain riches power is altogether vanity his labours promise much satisfie little 5. 'T is unstable and uncertain as a shadow the image of a shadow 5 Uncertain Surely every man walketh in a vain shadow Ver. 6 6. 'T is full of trouble and disquiet Surely they are disquieted in vain 6 Troublesome 7. His labours are for he knows not whom He heapeth up riches 7 Laborious and knows not who shall gather them Thus David querulously expostulates but presently recollecting himself 2 He checks himself he stops and checks as it were his immodesty nor the brevity nor the vanity nor the uncertainty nor the anxiety of his life shall hereafter much trouble him he had a surer Rock than any worldly thing whereon to rely which was his God And now Lord 3 And shewes God to be his stay what wait I for my hope is in thee Let others toyle for riches admire dignities empires pleasures let them be proud of these and complain that their life is too short to enjoy these But I have far a stronger hold to trust to even thee O Lord who I am perswaded wilt be propitious to me and be my stay among all the variety and instability of humane things this was his comfort Thirdly The third part He prayes Then upon this confidence he falls to prayer 1. For remission of sin Deliver me from all my transgressions 2. 1 For remission For defence against ill tongues Make me not a reproach to the foolish 3. Pardon for his immodest expostulation upon promise not to do the like I was dumb 2 For defence I opened not my mouth hereafter I will humble my self under thy hand 3 Pardon for his impatience and be silent for thou hast done it my affliction is from thee 4. 4 A remove of punishment and pleads for it A remove of his punishment Take away thy plague away from me 1. And he adds the cause either remove thy hand or I must needs yield and perish I am even consumed by the means or by the blow of thy hand 2. And this he amplifies by a similitude of a Moth and adds a second Reason When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty consume away as a Moth which is bred in the Garment and insensibly corrodes Upon divers Reasons frets eats it as doth some disease our body that bred in it consumes it And for confirmation he repeats his former words ver 5. delivering it here in a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely every man is vanity Selah mark that 3. To which may be added a third The consideration of our present condition in this life we and all our fathers are but pilgrims and strangers in this
his soul as every good man ought in the like vicissitudes of trial and combate by a full assurance faith confidence of Gods favour and protection 1. Chiding himself for his discontent and diffidence Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me 2. Then encourageth and revives his heart upon Gods goodness and faithfulness Hope thou in God for I shall yet give him thanks who is the help of my countenance and my God PSAL. XLIII THIS Psalm is of the same nature with the former and is as it were the Epitom of it and it contains two chief things 1. A Petition which is double 1. One in the first verse 2. The other in the fourth verse Davids Petition that God would be his Judge 2. A comfortable Apostrophe to his own soul ver 5. First He petitions to God The first part 1. That being righteous he would be his Judge Judge me O Lord. 2. That being merciful he would plead his Cause Plead my Cause Ver. 1 3. That being Omnipotent he would deliver him Deliver me ver 1. Of this he assigns two Reasons 1. The first the unmerciful condition of his enemies The Reasons of it two 1. They were a factious bloody inhumane people Plead my cause against an ungodly Nation an unmerciful people ver 1. 2. They were men of deceit and iniquity Deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man ver 1. 2. The other from the Nature of God and his relation to him Ver. 2 For thou art the God of my strength ver 2. Thou hast promised to defend me His expostulation upon it and upon it he expostulates 1. Why hast thou cast me off For so to the eye of sense it seems to me 2. Wh◠go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy ver 2. Secondly The second partt of his Petition is The second Petition for Gods favour that he may be restored to Gods favour and reduced from banishment to his Countrey ver 3. 1. O send forth thy Light and thy Truth Ver. 3 the light of thy favour and countenance and make thy promises true to me let them lead me ver 3. 2. Let them guide me whether to my dignity and honours No I ask not that so much as to thy holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles where I may enjoy the exercises of piety ver 3. Thirdly Ver. 4 Now that he might the more move God to hear his Petition he does as good as vow Which if granted he vows to be thankful that this courtesie should not be cast away upon an ungrateful wretch thankful he would be and make it known how good God had been unto him 1. Then will I go to the Altar of God unto the God of my exceeding joy the joy and content he would take in this should not be vulgar 2. Yea upon the Harp will I praise thee O God my God His joy should be expressed outwardly and Gods Name celebrated with a Psalm and instruments of Musick ver 4. The Petitions being ended The second part His faith by which he quiets his soul and he now confident of audience and favour he thus bespeaks his heavy and mournful heart just as in the former Psalm 1. Chiding 2. Encouraging himself Ver. 5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God ver 5. The Petition collected out of the forty second Psalm O most just God for our heinous transgressions and profaness it hath séemed good unto thy Majesty to turn away thy favourable countenance from us and to banish us from those comforts which we were wont to enjoy in thy Temple and in thy Courts By the want we are come to know the just value of those enjoyments and brought to confess the advantage of those Petitions which in publick we offered with thy Saints and servants before those suits which now we singly make in our retirements This is it that in secret setcheth sighs from our hearts and tears from our eyes that we may once more méet in the beauty of holiness Behold as the chased Hart ready to perish for heat and thirst panteth after the water-brooks Ver. 1 so our souls panteth after thee our God our soul thirsteth for God Ver. 2 even for the living God in whom are the Fountains of living water Oh therefore that that day would once come that we might go to thy Sanctuary again and fréely appear in thy presence The insultations of our enemies are many and bitter they judge us quite rejected and cast off by thée and this is it which breaks my heart and my tears have been my meat day and night Ver. 3 while they continually say unto me in derision Where is now thy God Now when I compare my former estate with my present condition I poure out my soul within me for I lay to heart How I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the House of God with the voyce of joy and praise with a multitude that kept Holy-day But now it is otherwise I am driven from thy Sanctuary I am cast out from thy Temple and this is it which makes my soul within me like melting wax this is it which makes my life a burden to me O my God my soul is cast down within me 't is a trouble that I must remember thée even from this place of banishment even from these desolate places and land of strangers to which I am driven here the evils I suffer are grievous heavy many continual One déep of miseries calls upon another and thy Cataracts and Spouts of calamities fall with a great noise upon my head All thy waves and billows of afflictions are gone over me and are ready to sink and drown me Yet Lord I despair not of thy mercy and goodness I know the Lord will command and make me sensible of his loving-kindness in the day-time and in the night-season he will continue his love so that I shall have just reason to sing of him and my prayer shall approach and come unto the God of my life Why then art thou cast down Ver. 5 O my soul why art thou thus disquieted within me why dost thou despair why art thou so impatient O hope and put thy trust in God be bold upon the confidence of his presence and help for I know the day will come when he will yet look upon me with a favourable eye when I shall yet confess his Name and praise him for the help of his countenance I will say unto God O thou my Rock my stay my hope Ver. 9 why hast thou forgotten me why go I mourning while the enemy oppresseth me Their reproach is no less grief unto me than if I felt a Sword of death in my bones Ver. 10 it wounds me to the very heart to hear them daily say unto me Where
for dye we must but from the hand the power the dominion of death Death shall not reign over them 3. And the reason is Because he shall receive me with favour adopt me and make me capable of all the promises made over to me by Covenant 3. The third part The advice to good men Upon these considerations viz. The different conditions of good and bad men he gives forth his prohibition and admonisheth the good that they be not troubled at the prosperity of the wicked Ne trineas Be not afraid Let not your heart betroubled 1. That they be not troubled at the prosperity of the wicked Not at the great wealth of the rich Be not thou afraid when one is made rich 2. Not at the glory and honour of the mighty Nor when the glory of his house is increased And he repeats the former reason For when he dyeth he shall carry nothing away His glory shall not descend after him Their happiness was then but Momentary This he amplifies by a bitter Epitrope Esto Be it they flatter themselves and are flatter'd by others 1. Though while he liv'd he blessed his soul Soul thou hast many goods for many years 2. Though men will praise thee and sound in thy ears Euge bene Vers. 18 rectè so long as thou doest well to thy self i. e. providest for me heapest up Riches and gapest after Honour Think to be Semi-deum 1. A mortal thou art short-liv'd as all that went before thee were Vers. 19 Thy life no longer dated than theirs He shall go to the generation of his fathers And 2. If wicked be cast into utter darkness They shall never see light 3. Surely any man how rich soever how great soever who understands not thus much beasts himself Vers. 20 For with this Epiphonema he concludes the Psalm which is doubled that it may be remembred Man being in honour and understands not is like the beasts that perish Even while he lives he is but like a beast The Prayer collected out of the forty ninth Psalm O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy who hast created man through wisdom according to thy likeness giving him a capacity to know and a will to chuse the true way to Happiness Give me Wisdom that sits by thy Throne and reject me not from among thy children Vers. 20 never let me so farre forfeit my understanding being depressed by want or enticed by abundance or affected with the glory of the world that I become like a beast that perisheth But grant that in what condition soever I am whether high or low rich or poor I may give ear and hearken to the instruction of thy Holy Spirit O let my mouth alwayes speak of wisdom and let the meditation of my heart be of such things which may make me judge prudently and govern my self wisely in this present life Bore my ear and make it incline to what thou shalt teach and teach me with an eloquent tongue to declare to others the Mysteries the Parables the dark and abstruse Mysteries of thy Law Then Lord lo I will not refrain my lips and that thou knowest Taught us thou hast in thy Divine Oracles that we should not place our confidence in the vain and fading things of this life But with shame and confusion of face confess we must that we have made the World our God and the wedge of gold our stay that we are in the number of those who have trusted in their wealth and boasted in the multitude of their riches Our inward thought hath been to add house to house and land to land perswading our selves that our houses shall continue for ever and our dwelling places to all generations We labour to be immortal here on earth and to that purpose we call the land after our own names We bless our selves in our abundance and say to our souls Eat drink and be merry Soul thou hast goods laid up for many years This is our vanity this is our way our folly and yet our posterity approve and applaud these our sayings and doings for when we do thus well unto our selves they stand by flatter and praise us O good God keep under and subdue these immoderate affections and teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdom let it never slip out of our memories that we are mortal and all the things of the world momentary vain fading Dayly experience we have before our eyes that wise men dye and the fool and bruitish person perish Every man is but short-lived and must follow the generation of his fathers and when he dyeth he shall carry nothing away with him and his glory shall not continue and descend after him All like sheep fatted for the slaughter are laid in the grave Our wealth in that evil day will not profit us our glory will no way avail us What wealth what strength what splendour what dignity soever any man may have will not ransome or redeem any mans life nor at a mans own hand nor at a mans brothers will God receive a recompence that he should still live for ever and not see corruption Make us wise O Lord to consider these things and alwayes to remember our latter end To the house of death we must be brought but that is not our latter end Of an immortal soul we do consist as well as of a mortal body And will wealth or power be able to deliver that either from the wrath of God or the torments of hell Vers. 8 O no! It cost more to redeem a soul so that he must that alone for ever The redemption was a precious price bought we were not with gold or silver but with the precious blood of the Son or God While worldlings are bussed then in increasing of riches and thirsting after honours let us be studious to save this so that that precious blood be not spilt nor that ransome paid in vain The wicked shall be turn'd into Hell and all the people that forget God but thou O Lord wilt redeem my soul from the power of the grave for I verily believe to set God in the land of the living Why then should I fear in the dayes of evil why when the wickedness of my heels compasseth round about Surely there is a reward for the righteous doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth Men that are in honour and understand not are like the beasts that perish Vers. 20 but the souls of the righteous are in the hands of God he shall receive them and no torment shall touch them They the wicked shall never see light whereas the righteous shall shine like the Sun Death eternal death and the fire that never shall be quench'd shall feed on them whereas the righteous shall enjoy everlasting life At the general resurrection those goats shall be set on the left-hand and the other sheep honoured with the right While they liv'd they trampled upon and oppressed
The Lord is holy his eye is pure he delights in holiness truth and sincerity of the heart but I am unclean fallacious and therefore miserable because my disposition and affections are contrary to his 5. 3 Committed against conscience And that which yet more aggravates his sin committed it was against his conscience against that light of knowledge and wisdom with which God had endued him for God in the hidden part by a secret and unknown way by the motions of his holy Spirit had taught him wisdom but he like a Beast had suffered that light of knowledge to be suffocated by the fury of his own affections Hitherto hath David confessed and aggravated his sin Ver. 14 as every penitent ought but as if a general confession were not enough 4 And lastly names his sin at the 14th verse he names in particular the sin for which he asks pardon Blood-guiltiness Deliver me from Blood-guiltiness O Lord. His sin being confessed He renews his first Petition for remission and that not coldly or for fashion but aggravated with all the circumstances he renews his first Petition for remission which he doth under a Type then in use and a Metaphor the Type is Hyssop and the Metaphor Wash me Ver. 7 1. 1 To be justified Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean with a bunch of Hyssop dipped in the blood of the Paschal Lamb the Israelites sprinkled their doors This was again used in besprinkling and cleansing the Leper and in the sacrifice for sin this bunch was and the blood alterius in enigma a Type of Christs blood with that it was that David desired to be sprinkled for then he knew he should be clean for the blood of Christ purgeth from all sin Justified then he would be for it is the blood of Christ that alone justifieth 2. 2 Sanctified And sanctified also he would be and therefore he adds Wash me wash me with thy holy Spirit who is compared to water and I shall be whiter than snow have a snow-white soul not as if he should be without sin while he remained in this life but that his sin being by the power of Gods Spirit weakned mortified and subdued that it reigned not in him it should never be imputed and a sin not imputed is as if it never had been committed 2. The second Petition That the effects of sin be removed 1. Remorse of conscience David having ended his first Petition for forgiveness now proceeds and craves another viz. That the ill effects which sin had brought upon him may be removed the first of which is grief to the soul terrour and disquiet that ariseth out of the accusation of an evil conscience David lay under this the sense of his sin had taken from him his inward joy and his wonted peace of this he desires a restitution Ver. 8 Make me to hear of joy and peace and gladness 2. 2 An ill state of body A second effect it had even upon his body he was in a pining condition his bones were as it were broken through the extremity of the anguish of his spirit the moysture of his body was like the drought in Summer vide Psal 32. ver 3. 4. To be restored again to Gods favour he desires That even the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce 3. Ver. 9 A third ill effect he found upon his sin was that Gods face his favour was turned from him 3 Gods anger and displeasure he that shewed him a favourable countenance now beheld him with an angry brow and so he knew it would be till his sin was remitted and pardoned and therefore he begs 1. Hide thy face from my sins for if they appear before thy eyes I know they will provoke thine anger and then I am but in an ill case for who can abide thine anger He that turns away his face considers not remembers not and he that considers not will not punish 2. And blot out all mine iniquities I know there is a long Catalogue of sins in thy Book writ against me good God Dele blot raze out this hand-writing that it may not be read he that turns away his face from a writing may yet call for it again and read it but if blotted it cannot be read David therefore desires both 3. Now follows Davids third Petition The third Petition for grace and sanctification in which he craves the grace of Sanctification he first sought for remission then for reconciliation and now for renovation which he asks of God in the three following verses Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Ver. 10 Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit In which we are to consider 1. The subject upon which the work is to be done the heart the spirit Of the heart for as the heart is that part that first lives in nature so it first lives in grace within this work must begin or else outward renovation is to no purpose 2. The work it self which is 1. A Creation By a new Creation Sin had brought Davids heart in respect of a heavenly being as it were to nothing and from nothing to make it something must be an act of power O Lord create when thou wentest away my life went away Lord come again and create 2. It is a Renovation David was fallen as I may so say And renovation of a new spirit in senium peccari into the old age of sin therefore he desires that God would as it were begin with him again and make him to renew his youth as an Eagle O Lord renew a right spirit within me 3. Reconciliation and Restitution And a restitution of a spiritual life Therefore he craves that God would no cast him aside as a dead man and take from him his Spirit by which he lived Cast me not away take not away restore to me the joy of thy salvation 4. A confirmation in what was good Vphold confirm establish me 3. Who was to do this work not himself no humane power but God alone And a confirmation in goodness Which work God alone could do By changing the qualities of the heart but his power his Spirit O God create O Lord restore uphold me by thy Spirit Renovation is a work that hath its beginning its progress its continuance and perseverance from God and his Spirit 4. The Quality of this a cleansing so in the general for it was not the substance of the heart which was to be renewed and changed but the qualities and disposition only now what he means by this pure and clean heart he declares in the following words when he begs of God to give him a right Spirit a holy Spirit a free Spirit 1. A right spirit for he easily perceived that by his
as he had just reason he falls again upon an imprecation not only on him but all that did believe him even upon the whole faction Let death seize upon them let them go down quick into hell have Corah Dathan and Abiram's wages And he adds the reason They are signally and incorrigibly wicked For wickedness is in their dwelings and among them 4. The fourth part Hitherto hath David pray'd complain'd imprecated but now he shews how he recovered heart again being certain of Gods help and a revenge to be taken on his enemies 1. As for me I will call upon God fervently His affiance in God that 1. He shall be safe and the Lâ—rd shall save me 2. Evening and morning and at noon-day uncessantly will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear 3. And I pray in faith experience I have of his deliverance He hath done it and he will do it again He hath redeem'd my soul in peace from the battle that was against me Even in the midst of the battel I was as safe as in a time of peace Miraculously deliver'd as if there had been no danger 4. For there were many with me Many enemies say some other many Angels Those referre it to the danger the other to the protection Many enemies round about me and then 't is a wonder I should be deliver'd Many Angels press'd to help me and then 't was no wonder that my life was saved But as for the ungodly it is not so with them 2 That his enemies shall perish for this Verse is opposed to the former 1. God shall hear viz. Me and my prayers and the wrongs they do me 2. And shall afflict them i. e. my enemies 3. Even he that abideth of old Selah Mark that for he is immutable his power and strength is the same and his care and love to his people Therefore he will afflict them And besides there is in them that which will provoke him to it 1. Because they have no changes Obstinate they are impenitent The reasons For they are and change not their wayes Or else they prosper Vers. 19 they have perpetual success and meet with no alterations 1 Impenitent secure and this makes them secure and proud 2. They fear not God They ask Who is the Lord 2 They fear not God that we should let Israel go 3. They are truce-breakers violators of Oaths Leagues Covenants Articles of War He that is 3 Truce breakers some chief Commander among them hath put forth his hands made war and brued his hands with blood against such as are at peace with him He hath broken and profaned his Covenant His Oath 4. He is a gross Hypocrite his deeds answer not his words The words of his mouth were smoother than butter 4 Dissemblers but Warre was in his heart His words were softer than oyle and yet they are drawn swords In the Epilogue of the Psalm he exhorts good men to relie upon God He exhorts good men to relie on God Cast thy burden the cares troubles c. with which thou art loaded on the Lord and he fits it to his present purpose both as it concerns the godly and the ungodly 1. To the Godly he gives this comfort 1. He that is God shall sustain thee He will uphold thee and give thee strength under the heaviest burden Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden 2. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved With the tentation he will give the issue press'd they may be but not oppress'd to fall finally 2. To the Ungodly 1. Overthrown they shall be and utterly destroy'd Thou O God shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction The Grave Tertifies the ungodly Hell 2. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their dayes They come commonly to some untimely death As Absolon Achitophel Saul of whom the Psalm was composed He concludes with the use he would make of it As if he had said His affiance in God Let these bloody and deceitful men repose their confidence in their Armies in their violence in the crafty and subtile wayes I will take another course But I will trust in thee The Prayer collected out of the fifty fifth Psalm O Merciful God Vers. 1 who art the refuge of those that in their trouble flie unto thee give now ear to our prayer and hide not thy self from our supplication Vers. 2 attend to our requests who have now just reason to mourn and complain unto thee For when we hear the voice of the enemy when we feel the oppression of the wicked Vers. 3 when we suffer under the calumnies and slanders of those that hate us to whom should we make our addresses but to thee our God who hast commanded us to call on thee in trouble and hast promised to hear us Of a quiet mind we cannot be so long as we sée and féel that those that are enemies to thy Truth séek our subversion hence it is that our heart is sore pained that fearfulness and trembling are come upon us hence it is that the fear and sorrows of death hath overtaken us and a horrible darkdess hath so surpriz'd our understandings that we know not what to do what counsel to lay hold on Happy is the silly and innocent Dove wings she hath swift wings to fly from the talents of the bloody hawlk Oh that we had those advantages those swift wings for then would we fly away that we might be at rest then would we wander into some Wilderness and live among beasts from whom we might expect more mercy than from these bloody men Hast we would to escape from the present storm and furious tempest But since it is so that we must live among them O Lord bring the counsel of Achitophel to naught precipitate and destroy their conspiracies divide their tongues and raise discords among them that speaking and plotting contrary things they may as at Babel come to confusion Such is their impiety that they deserve no other for they are a Nation of evil doers In their City there is nothing but violence uncharitableness and contention all séek their own not the things of Christ Day and night even upon the walls iniquity walks the round mischief and injustice have taken up their quarters in the midst of it wickedness and unlawful gain possesseth the streets and deceit and guile and oppression of the poor for gain walk abroad publickly with a whores forehead that cannot blush And wilt not thou O Lord visit for these things wilt thou not be aveng'd on such a Nation as this Worthy such men are to suffer under thy hand let then Death come hastily upon them when they expect it not and let them go down quick into Hell as Corah Dathan and Abiram with their rebellions company for wickedness is in their dwellings for they are assembled for no other purpose but to do mischief And one there
have made the Land to tremble and the foundations thereof to shake Hear the prayers of those that fear thée for thy Truths sake make good thy Word to thy Beloved let the Fugitives return under the Banner of thine Andinted and make up the breaches of this Kingdom and thy Church Thou hast spoken in thy holiness that thou wilt be a God to the righteous and to his seed O perform this promise and let the séed of thy righteous servant inherit his Crown and Dignity Rejoyce I shall and with me all that fear thée when we shall sée him divide Sichem and measure out the Vally of Succoth let Gilead be his and Manasseh his bring Ephraim under his subjection and be the strength of his Crown and Judah his Law-giver Subdue Moab and Edom unto him make Moab his Slave and Vassel and let him trample upon the neck of Edom that Edom which in the day of Jerusalem cried Down with it down with it to the ground and thou O Philistia which hast brought forth Sampson to make thée sport and insulted over the captivity of Israel the Lord reward thée as thou hast dealt with us and lead thée in Triumph as thou hast triumphed over Gods people 'T is true O Lord that thou hadst cast us off and didst not go forth with our Armies but we trust in thy Promises and rely upon thy Word we do not doubt but in thy appointed time Thou wilt bring us into the strong City and lead us into Edom Thou alone Thou alone art able Thou must do it for us for vain is the help of man All our strength is but as Tow and all our ammunition and endeavours is but to sit still without thée Help us then in this our trouble so we that are infirm shall be strong we that are of a weak heart shall grow couragious and do valiantly and with the assistance and power of thée our God we shall tread down our enemies In thée is our hope in thy right hand our help give us power to do great things to the honour of thy Name and to addance the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen PSAL. LXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IT is probable that this Psalm was composed by David when he was forced from Jerusalem by Absolon As therefore in other calamities so now he prayes and vowes perpetual service Two parts 1. His prayer ver 1 2 3. 2. His vow from ver 3. to 8. 1. He begins with a prayer in which he begs The first part His prayer for 1. Audience 1. Audience Hear my cry O Lord attend my prayer ver 1. 2. The Reason to enforce it Ver. 1 1. He was in banishment in the farther part of the Land of Judah The Reason From the farther part of the earth will I cry to thee Ver. 2 2. He was in great extremity when my heart is over whelmed 3. For defence Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I That is 2 For defence and protection to some safe and defensed place to which my enemies may have no access whither without thy help I cannot ascend And he adds a Reason also of this part of his prayer Ver. 3 drawn from his own experience For thou hast been a shelter for me The Reason a strong Tower from the enemy 2. His faith now presents him as delivered and therefore he vows The second part He vows 1. I will abide in thy Tabernacle for ever I will return and adore thee in thy Temple Ver. 4 2. I will trust under the Covert of thy wings He alludes to the Cherubims whose wings covered the Ark. And of this he assigns divers Reasons also 1. For thou O God hast heard my vows i. e. my prayers His Reasons 2. Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy Name made me King over thy people and more fully performed to me the promise made to Abraham of the Land of Canaan 3. Thou wilt prolong the Kings life make me longaevus 4. And his years viz. in his posterity as many Generations of which the beginning of the next verse is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall abide before God for ever His Vote for establishing his Throne And now David assuring himself of his Crown and that his posterity should inherit it puts forth an earnest Vote for that which should establish it O prepare thy Mercy and Truth which may preserve him i. e. Me thy King for these two vertues Mercy i. e. Clemency and Truth do commend a King and make him dear to his Subjects for in the practice of these 't is not possible that his Government should be harsh unjust or tyrannical Which if it please God to bestow on him then he makes a new vow So will I sing praise unto thy Name for ever Which Upon which he renews his vow however it seems to be a new vow here yet it was that he had vowed before and ingaged to discharge for in singing praise to Gods Name he should but pay what by vow he had often undertook I will sing praise to thy Name for ever that I may daily perform my vowes The Prayer collected out of the sixty first Psalm O Blessed Lord God when now I am oppressed with bitterness of soul for the grievous tentations that lie upon me to thée I flie upon thée I call and as thou art a merciful Father Ver. 1 and a gracious God I beséech thée hear my cry and attend unto my prayer At this time I live in a strange land Ver. 2 banished from my friends an exile from thy house and yet even there with an ardent affection and a loud voyce I invoke thy mercy Ver. 3 even here my heart is overwhelmed with sorrow lead me then to some Rock to which my enemies may have no access and whither without thy help I shall never be able to ascend Thou hast been heretofore and I beg of thée to be so still a shelter for me and a strong Tower against the enemy I have indéed broken thy Law and polluted the holy society of thy Saints and deserved to féel what I now suffer viz. to be driven from that holy fellowship but restore me once more O Lord to that society and then I will abide in thy Tabernacle for ever and prize abode all other things that protection which I shall find under the shadow of thy wings Safer I am assured to be under thy feathers from the improbity of wicked men than the poor Chicken can be under the wings of the tender Hen from the beak and talent of the Vultur Lord bow down thine ear and hear the vows of thy Servant and restore Him to His inheritance suffer Him not for ever to live in a strange Land but as he was born to be so constitute Him to be Supreme over those that fear thy Name Prolong the Kings life and to His dayes and lengthen His years from Generation to
other part and to prove The third part The carnal conclusion made out of the premises that notwithstanding all that had or could be said yet the good and godly person is the sole happy man To which before he comes directly he repeats again his tentation to think otherwise confesses his weakness and how far it wrought upon him if this be so then all my study of Religion is in vain 2. All my sufferings are to no purpose 't is all folly 't is all vanity 1. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency Ver. 13 2. For all the day long have I been plagued and chastned every morning 2. Then next he shews by a Dilemma He resolves the question But not by reason that too weak to do it His Arguments are the way he took how to find out the resolution of this question and two wayes he proposed first that of Reason and he condemns it by a double Argument the first drawn ab absurdo The second ab impossibili 1. If I say I will speak thus Thus as ver 13 14. That I have cleansed my heart in vain that no man can be happy under the Cross Behold I should offend against the Generation of thy children Ver. 5 for all these were plagued and chastned and yet all these cleansed their hearts 1 Ab absurdo and were innocent 't is absurd then to affirm this 2. If I examine this again in the balance of Reason 2 Ab impossibili That good men should be under the Cross and yet happy it seemed to me impossible to be true let Reason be Judge and the quite contrary will appear viz. that those who have power authority wealth health are the happy men Ver. 16 and therefore the Prophet adds When I thought to know this viz. by the strength of Reason and Discourse it was too painful too hard and difficult for me 3. Irresolved then he was and so shall any other about this point Ver. 17 till he consults with God and the Oracle of his Word Being then irresolved from Reason He consults with God and finds their end miserable there he shall find a remedy in his Book and the School of Christ what shall quiet the passions and tumults of his soul there it is to be learned and not from flesh and blood this he confesses I understood nothing in this point untill I wont into the Sanctuary of God for then I understood the end of these men By the end of life a man is to judge of any mans happiness for ante obitum nemo c. To their end then we are to look and by that to judge What is their end then that Gods Book here teacheth 1. Be it that they are set on high yet their felicity is unstable and uncertain Surely Thou O God Thou raisest them thither but then 1 Their felicity unstable Thou settest them in slippery places They can have no certain stay and standing for their feet 2. Under them is a great Gulf and Precipice 2 They cast down and God not only humbles them for that sometimes befals good men But these thou casts down to destruction prosternis ut intereant 3. Their ruine is not vulgar and common nor delayed long but sudden and unlooked for which the Prophet intimates by his Exclamation How are they consumed and brought to desolation 3 Unexpectedly suddenly as in a Moment 4. Add to this That their destruction is terrible and full of amazement 4 Their ruine fearful both to others that behold it and to themselves being troubled with the affrights of a guilty conscience and the fear of the wickedness that pursues them They are utterly consumed with terrours as Judas Saul Cain Nero Julian c. So that all their happiness in this World was but a vain empty thing like a dream Their happiness then is vain which similitude is explained Isa 29.7 8. As a dream when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise and make contemptible their image totam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all their pomp and great shew 4. The fourth part Upon it he confesseth his weakness that tempted And now the Prophet begins ingeniously to acknowledge his weakness and infirmity in the debating this question betwixt him and his own Reason he takes all the fault to himself and clears God 1. He confesseth that he was transported with indignation animosity and fretfulness at it 1 By animosity Thus my heart was is not now grieved and I was pricked in my reins 2. 2 By ignorance He confesseth his folly ignorance brutishness about it So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee in this point I knew no more than a bruit beast 3. 3 And shews the difference of good bad men under the Cross He comforts himself in Gods goodness and presence shewing that though he be in trouble and under the Cross which is the lot of the godly yet there is a great deal of difference betwixt their troubles and those of the wicked for 1. They are not neglected and deserted Nevertheless I am continually with thee 2. Thou hast holden me by my right hand As a Father thou leadest me by the hand 3. Thou directest me with thy counsel by thy Word and Spirit 4. And after receive me to Glory Here I may be vilified but one day glorified yea and if thou seest it good raised to honour glory and promotion in this life 5. The fifth part His resolution upon it And now being as it were ravished with the contemplation of Gods Providence and certainty of his good will toward him in an ardent affection he breaks forth expressing how resolute he is say flesh and blood what it will in all his troubles to stick and cleave fast to his God 1. Whom have I in Heaven but thee What God beside what Angel or Saint to be my hope 2. And there is none upon earth I desire besides thee They are miserable comforts and comforters I nauseate all in Heaven or Earth in comparison of thee 3. I confess through weakness I am often tempted to see the prosperity of the wicked and when I feel my self pressed with miseries poverty violence wrongs so that my flesh and my heart faileth 4. And the conclusions he draws thence The sixth part But through confidence and hope in thee I quickly revive and recover God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever 6. Now two conclusions I have learned from this tentation and debate 1. That they that are far from thee shall perish Thou hast destroyed all that go a whoring from thee 2. That it is good for me to draw near to God I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all thy works Thy works in governing and defending thy Church in this life and rewarding thy servants with glory
the next verse sadly complains Who knows the power of thy anger Thy anger is great for sin the power of it fearful and terrible Thou canst and wilt bring man to judgment Thou canst and wilt cast sinners into Hell-fire but who regards it Thy threats to men seem to be aniles fabulae 2. Even according to thy fear so is thy wrath But be it that this stupidity possess men yet this is certain that thy wrath is great and it shall be executed according to thy fear And therefore in such proportion as men have stood in fear of thee they that have in a reverential fear stood in awe of thee shall escape it they that have contemned and slighted thy wrath shall feel it to the uttermost The fourth part He prayes that God would move our hearts to consider it 4. Upon all the former considerations Moses converts his words to a prayer in which he implores Gods mercy that he would turn the stupidity of men into wisdom 2. Our calamity into felicity 3. His wrath into compassion and 4. Our sorrow into joy for the first he begins thus 1. So teach us to number our dayes to cast up the labour the sorrow the brevity the fugacity thy anger our sin that caused it 2. That we may apply our hearts to wisdom be no more stupid and secure but wise wise to avoid thy anger wise to set a true estimate on this life and wise in time to provide for another 3. So teach us for God must teach it or it will not be learned this wisdom comes from above Secondly He deprecates Gods anger Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy servants Then he deprecates Gods anger And Thirdly He begs restitution to Gods favour and what will follow upon it peace of conscience 1. Begs restitution to Gods favour for himself and Gods people O satisfie us with thy mercy we hunger for it as men do for meat 2. Early let it be done quickly before our sorrows grow too high and overwhelm us 3. With thy mercy not with wealth delights c. 4. And with a perpetual joy of heart That we may be glad and rejoyce all our dayes 5. And let our joy bear proportion to our sorrows Make us glad according to the dayes thou hast afflicted us and the years we have seen evil 6. This is the work he calls Gods work for as to punish is his strange work Isa 28. so to have pity and mercy is his own proper work and this he desires that it should be made manifest Let thy work appear to thy servants and thy glory to their children Fourthly He begs for success in all their work and labours 1. 2 And success in their labours Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us for no action of our's is beautiful except the beauty of God be stamped upon it done by his Direction his Rule his Word and to his Glory 2. And therefore he prayes and ingeminates his prayer Establish thou the work of our hands upon us How many things required to make our labours successful yea the work of our hands establish thou it There must be opus our work for God blesseth not the idle 2. And opus manuum a laborious work 3. Gods direction his Word the Rule 4. A good end in it for that is his beauty upon it 5. So it will be established confirmed ratified 6. And lastly know that there is no blessing to be expected without prayer and therefore he prayes Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us c. The Prayer out of the ninety Psalm O Lord Ver. 1 whose being is eternal and beginning without beginning who alone art what thou art and wilt be the same for ever we mutable creatures of a short life and full of miseries adore thy eternity and humbly béséech thy Majesty that thou wouldst be to us who acknowledge thée to be God alone and flie unto thée alone for help that thou wouldst be unto us what thou hast béen to thy people in all Generations our Sanctuary our dwelling place our refuge in this néedful time of trouble Man of all thy creatures here below is most glorious but his glory thou turnest to shame Thou madest him little lower than the Angels to crown him with glory and worship but before he can attain that Crown that honour Thou turnest him to destruction Thou hast said it and by the power of this Decrée from dust he was taken and to dust must he return Say his dayes were a thousand years to which yet no man hath attained yet were they as nothing compared with eternity they were in thy sight but as yesterday a time that is past and comes not again but what speak I of a day it is far shorter it is but as a watch in the night a time of thrée houres continuance involved in darkness clouded with ignorance discomfortable with miseries in his youth in his strength in his old age Thou carriest us away as with a flood a violent torrent whose streams quickly arise and quickly fall all our happiness is but as a sléep or as a dream in sléep we dream our selves to be happy men but when we awake we find nothing In the morning of our age we are like grass by thy light and heat of thy favour is it were the Saâ—â—â—dme we come up and grow and increase to a perfect stature but when the evening of our life whether hastned by diseases or brought on by time doth approach cut down we are by thy hand and instantly we wither This is our condition this our misery a consumption we have brought upon our selves and it procéeds from thine anger in it we are consumed and by thy wrath we are troubled for we have provoked thée by our iniquitieâ— which though unknown to us yet are known to thée these Thou hast let before thinâ— eyes yea and the most secret of our sins past or present in the light of thy countenance Hence it is That our dayes are passed away in thy wrath and we spend our years as a Tale that is told which being brought to an end vanisheth and no more words made of it Many of our fore-fathers indéed were of a long life but our dayes are contracted thréescore and ten with us is a long time and if any among us be so vigorous that he attain to fourscore yet his strength then is accompanied with labour and attended with much sorrow and at the end of that length soon cut off and we flie away This effect and experience we daily have of thy wrath and displeasure and yet what man is there amongst us that regards it nor the labour nor sorrow nor brevity nor fugacity of our lives is sufficient to make us wise Some few there be that lay it to heart and by it escape the wrath to come but the greatest part of men pass their dayes without a due
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
but in vain to offend thee and think to be hid to attempt to break in pieces thy heritage and murder the innocent and think to escape The Lord knows the thoughts of man that they are vanity Thou Lord at this time hast shewed thy people heavy things thou hast given us a Cup of deadly wine to drink Vers. 20 The enemies of thy Truth have set themselves down in the Throne of iniquity they have framed mischief by a Law they have gathered themselves together met in Assemblies and Synods against the soul of the Righteous and have condemned the Innocent blood Who shall now rise up for us against the evil doers Or who dare stand up for us against these workers of iniquity At this their prosperity our feet had well nigh slipt at this their oppression the treadings of many were well nigh gone Nothing can support us but thy mercy make us trust to it nothing can comfort us in our sorrows but thy promises In the multitude of the thoughts that we have in our hearts send down thy comforts that may delight our souls Make us know that thou wilt have no fellowship society or commeres with the Throne of iniquity that thou art not in the midst of their Assemblies and Councils to bless them nor doest approve their mischief framed by a Law Vers. 14 Teach us out of thy Law that the afflictions of the godly are from thee our Father and a seal of our adoption and therefore Blessed is the man whom thou chastnest Vers. 13 and instructest with this Rod. Out of thy Law we learn That God will not cast off his people nor forsake his inheritance O let this quiet our hearts and set them at rest in these dayes of adversity Laught we are again out of thy Law Vers. 15 That judgement shall return unto righteousness that thy judgements which now seem to sleep will at last awake Vers. 13 and in justice overtake the murderers of thy people assured we are that the pit shall be digged up for the ungodly till that be done let us wait with patience Vers. 15 and wish an upright and sincere heart acquiesce in thy promises and follow the wayes of thy justice approving thy wisdom knowing the time thou choosest is best for us In the mean time be thou our help our defence our rock or refuge our help Vers. 17 when these wolves are ready to devoure us our defence when they strike at us Vers. 22 our rock when they come as the waves of the Sea about us and our City of refuge when they pursue us But as for them the time is best known to thée and we submit to it and when that time is come bring upon them their own iniquity cut them off in their own malicious wickedness Vers. 23 yea cut them off O Lord our God to thee be praise glory and honour now and ever PSAL. XCV A Psalm to be sung at all times in all places Bellar. by all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FOR it contains an invitation to praise God with internal and external worship and therefore is fitly chosen by the Church to be sung in the beginning of our Liturgy to excite all men present to serve God infear and rejoice with reverence Two parts of this Psalm 1. An Exhortation to praise God to adore worship kneel ver 1 2 6. 2. Reasons to perswade to it 1. Gods mercies ver 3 4 5 7. 2. His judgments in punishing his own people Israel for their neglect of this duty from ver 8. to 11. 1. David begins this Psalm with an earnest invitation including himself The first part David calls an Assembly crying 1. O come let us come along with me though a King he thought not himself exempted Ver. 1 2. And the Assembly being come together he acquaints them what they came for 1. To sing to the Lord heartily merrily joyfully Exaltemus 1 To sing to God 1. Let us make a joyful noise make a Jubilee of it Jubilemus 2. Openly and with a loud voyce Let us make a joyful noise with Psalms 3. Reverently as being in his eye his presence 4. Gratefully Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving 2 To adore and worship outwardly inwardly 2. To worship to bow down to kneel ver 6. Adoration humble Adoration outward worship that of the body as well as inward that of the soul is his due and that for these reasons Ver. 6 2. For God calls for nothing from us which there is not great reason The second part His Reasons to perswade it but that we yield him serve him then we ought with heart and body out of many respects 1. Because he is the Rock of our salvation whether temporal or spiritual Ver. 1 so long as we rely on him as a Rock 1 Because our Rock safe we are from the tyranny of men from the wrath of God from the power of the Divel death hell 2. Because he is a great God and a great King above all gods Jehovah Ver. 5 a God whose Name is I am an incommunicable name to any other 2 A great God and King for his Essence is from himself and immutable all other derivative and mutable and the great Jehovah great in Power Majesty Glory and greater than all other Nuncupative gods Idols Kings for he is above them all above all gods 3. The whole orb of the earth is under his power and dominion Ver. 4 3 Under his Dominion the whole World In his hands are the deep places of the earth the strength of the hills is his also The globe of the earth in all its extensions is subject to him 4. And no marvail for he is the Creator of both 4 The Creator which is another Argument The Sea is his and he made it Ver. 5 and his hands formed the dry land Ver. 6 5. He is our Maker the Creator and Lord of man also 5 Our Maker 6. Our Lord God in particular 6 Our Lord God for he hath called us to be his inheritance For we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand Now all these laid together and well weighed being wonderful expressions of his mercy and loving-kindness are of strength enough to perswade us heartily reverently openly to sing to and praise him to adore bow down and kneel before him 2 In which duty if we fail he proposeth what is to be expected by the example of the Israelites 2. In which if we obstinately and stubbornly fail we have a fair warning given us what is like to follow by the example of the Israelites purposed here by the Prophet That if mercy will not win upon us then judgment may Lege Historiam ne fiat Historia Numb 14. Exod. 17. The sum is this 1. God gave them a day and he gives it you 't is the hodie of your life 2. In this day he speaks he utters his voyce
5 Reproach From the reproach of them who had been his friends but were now his enemies for a wicked man thinks himself reproached by a good mans honest conversation Wisd 5. Mine enemies reproach me all the day long and they are mad against me are sworn against me have conspited by an Oath to undo me 6. And that which made them so mad and sweâ—r was my repentance which I testified by ashes on my head 6 Sadness and tears in my eyes I have caten ashes like bread my dayly food and mingled my drink with weeping I drank tears with my wine that is I was fed with bitterness and sustain'd with tears which they derided And now behold the reason why every true penitent is thus humbled All these increased by the sense of Gods anger it is not for want nor yet for want of wit but it is out of a true sense of Gods anger which he hopes to pacifie by his sorrow and humiliation 1. Ver. 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath for my former sin 2. Which I collect thus Thou hast formerly lifted me up then sure I was in thy fovour but hast now cast me down whence I may well conclude that I am in disfavour with thee 3. And the effect plainly shews it For my dayes are as a shadow that declines and am withered like grace Become mortal flying fading from thy wrath raised by my own default 2. The second part He yet comforts himself in Gods promises Hitherto the Prophet hath petition'd and complain'd His case was lamentable yet he is notswallow'd up of sorrow Heart he begins to take and comfort he promiseth himself in the Eternity and Immutability of God and his love to his Church Hence he conceives hope of reconciliation and being moved by the Spirit of God foretells the restauration of Zion and Jerusalem and typically the state of Christs Church 1. To his Church on which he will have mercy and had when he restored them True I wither away as grass and so shall all Individual men But 1. Thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and therefore thy Church and promises to thy Church 2. And thy Remembrance from generation to generation The Covenant which thou hast made shall be remembred from father to son Ver. 13 till the worlds end 2. Thou seemest now to sleep But thou shalt arise 1. Thou shalt have mercy on Zion and save thy people 2. For the time to favour her yea the set time is come Literally the seventy years of the Captivity were neer expired Typically by the Spirit the Prophet foresaw and conceiv'd the Redemption of the Church in the future as a thing present And both he calls a time of favour for from the favour and mercy of God both proceeded 3. And this Consideration wrought a double effect This wrought a double effect 1. One upon Gods people for the present viz. an earnest desire to have it so Ver. 14 Earnest they were that Jerusalem should again be built the Church set up For thy servants take pleasure in her stones 1 A desire to have it so and favour the dust thereof Ver. 15 2. The other upon the Heathen 2 Another on the Heathen viz. Compassion Conversion So the Heathen shall fear thy name which began when Darius and Cyrus saw and acknowledged the Prophesies and obeyed them 2. And all the Kings of the earth thy glory which was truly fulfill'd in the conversion of Constantine c. to the Faith And he adds the cause why Kings and Nations should be so strangely converted because he had beyond all belief and expectation of man Ver. 16 so strangely delivered his people from Captivity and so miraculously set up his Kingdom in his Church This shall be done When or because the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in glory Before he cast his people into the grave as it were without any hope of life or restitution but when he shall bring them from thence he shall make his glory and honour manifest And that which moved him to it was the prayers of his people Ver. 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer Which effects followed on their prayer Of this mercy a Record to be kept Now lest the Jews should conceive that what was done for them did concern them only and not their Children or to speak more properly the whole people of God in all ages to come God would have a Record kept of it 1. This shall be written for the generation to come 2. And the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord Ver. 18 Cum viderint impleta quae praedicta And of this he assigns two reasons even the self-same set down at the 16. and 17. Verses 1. For be hath looked down from the height of his Sanctuary Ver. 19 from the heaven did the Lord behold the earth 2. To hear the groans of the prisoners Ver. 20 to loose those that are appointed to death That the glory be returned to God Now this Mercy from God calls upon us for our Duty for the proper end of it was and the effect that it should work upon us is that we should be thankful Therefore he looked down therefore he heard the groans of the prisoners c. That being freed 1. They should declare the name of the Lord in Zion Ver. 21 and his praise in Jerusalem 2. And this praise should be compleated Ver. 22 When the people are gathered simul or in unum united together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. The Gentiles join with the Jews in it And here methinks I hear the Prophet breaking off his comfort The Prophet laments he shal not live to see it and breaking out in the midst of his prophecy with Balaam As if he had said I am assured all this shall come to pass and be done for Gods people but alas who shall live when God doth this Whosoever shall I shall not certainly For he weakned my strength in the way and hath shortned my dayes Ver. 23 Yet my desire is it might be otherwise Yet he desires he might and in this my desire is but the same with many Kings and Prophets that have gone before me all which long and desired to see the flourishing estate of the Church under the Messiah and therefore Ver. 24 I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my age But suffer me to draw out my life to see that that all good men have aspired to see to wit that I may behold Christ promised in the flesh and be a partaker of the glory of his Kingdom Which Petition And presseth that he might Perswading God to it upon 24. The consideration of Gods eternity and immutability that it might be the easier granted he presseth it by a Collation of Gods Eternity and Immutability with his own life As if he should say Spare me
thou break a leaf driven too and fro Ver. 11 How long wilt thou pursue the dry stubble While thou Writest these bitter things against us our dayes are like a shadow and decliues and we are withered as grass whose beauty and glory fades in a moment But why art thou thus vexed O my soul Ver. 12 and why art thus disquieted within me O put thy trust in God Call to mind that he endures for ever and the remembrance of his Covenant to all generations 'T is thy promise O Lord we look to 't is thy Covenant only we hope in according to thy word arise and have mercy upon Zion pity thy poor afflicted people for the time to favour her is now very seasonable Ver. 13 yea the time is come For thy servants think upon and take pleasure in her stones not so much those stones with which those goodly structures Ver. 14 in which we were wont to meet and praise thee were built and beautified as those living stones built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Ver. 17 Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone and it pitieth them to see her in the dust In the dust Lord we favour them and for these we pray that they may be restored to their places in thy Sacred Temple Ver. 16 O regard the prayer of the poor destitute and despise not our desire for this will tend to thy honour and enlargement of thy Kingdom being alsured Ver. 15 that when the Lord shall build up Zion and when he shall appear in glory that the heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory Look down then O Lord from the height of thy Sanctuary and from heaven behold the earth Ver. 19 Hear the groaning of the Prisoners and loose those that are appointed to death Ver. 20 that they may declare the name of the Lord in Zion and his praise at Jerusalem Ver. 21 May we but obtain so great a mercy it shall be written for the generations to come and the people our children that shall be born Ver. 18 shall praise the Lord They shall praise thee and sing of thy mercy in the great Congregation even when the people are gathered together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. That thou wilt make an Inquisition for innocent blood I am assured that those who have profaned thy dwelling place shall be as a rolling thing before the wind Ver. 23 I do believe that they who have swallowed down riches shall vomit them up again I know for God shall cast them out of their belly But thou hast so weakned my strength in the way and so shortned my dayes that it is not likely I shall lide to sée it Lord might my eyes sée thy salvation I would willingly sing with old Simeon Ver. 24 Now let thy servant depart in peace Yet will I pray O my God take me not away in the midst of my age I am thy Creature O Lord created after thy own image yet not to live for ever on earth as thou shalt live in heaven for thy years are throughout all generations Even the earth whose foundation thou hast laid and the heavens which are the work of thy Power and Wisdom wax old as a garment and as a vesture shall be wrapt up they shall perish and be annihilated spare me a little then because I am a creature of a short continuance and can bear no proportion to thy esernity for thou art the same and thy years have no end But I yield my self to thy Will I submit my self to thy dispose if I cannot arrive to what I desire to sée Jerusalem in prosperity yet grant that I may see my Lord in the Land of the living for I am assured that the children of thy servants shall continue and their seed shall be established before thee and live in thy presence for evermore Amen PSAL. CIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Psalm to David THE Title shews the Psalm to be inspired into David by the Holy Ghost and the end is to comfort a soul heavy and laden but especially with the burden of sin To him every word in it drops like an Honey-comb so that had not the comfort been revealed and sent from heaven it could never have been believed that Almighty God should be so merciful to sinful man Three parts there are of this Psalm 1. The Exordium in which David by an Apostrophe turns to his own soul and stirs it up to bless God ver 1 2. 2. The Narration or an ample Declaration of the Benefits from the first to the last conferred by God upon him and others and the causes of them from ver 3. to 20. 3. A Conclusion in which he makes a motion to Angels and all other Creatures to joyn with him in the praise of God from ver 20. David stirs up his soul to praise God The first part to the last 1. David being fully perswaded that he was one of the number of the Elect stirs up himself in the person of the Elect to praise and speak well of God in the two first verses 1. Bless God think on the Benefit and bless the Benefactor Ver. 1 Extoll him with praises 2. O my Soul bless him because the Soul alone can know and inform the whole man what God deserves for his blessings 2. Again he would not have it a lip-labour but come from a heart affected with it Heartily done for quod cor non facit non fit 3. Not the Soul alone but that all that is within him Totum hominis And the whole man whatsoever is within his skin every part every faculty about him Will Understanding Memory Affections Heart Tongue Hand Eyes c. All joyn 4. And bless Jehovah for he gave them their Being and their Properties and Operations 2. Praise his holy Name his Essential Properties his Wisdom Power Goodness Justice for to oclebrate God in all these is To praise his holy Name 5. Bless the Lord O my Soul for he comes over it again Ver. 2 that he might press the Duty more emphatically and shew his vehement desire to have it done it shewes we freeze and are cold in the Duty and need a Goad to quicken us 6. And forget not all his benefits He repeats it and adds That we forget not His Benefits 1. Forget not He would not be guilty of the common Errour forgetfulness of a good turn for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which if it happen 't is impossible to be thankful and therefore Omnium ingratissimus qui beneficii accepti non reminiscitur Forget not then 2. All his benefits Not all no nor indeed any of them for not one but deserves a blessing 3. His benefits Some read Munera the Vulgar Retributiones If Munera they are freely given if Retributiones they are more than we can deserve yet it pleases him to accompt them so Let but a man well consider how many evils we
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
He shewes the perfection of his love And now he shewes the perfection of his love in the three last verses 1. Ver. 6 By his hope and confidence Lord I have hoped for thy salvation 1 By his hope 2. 2 His obedience By his obedience and done thy Commandments 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course henceforth is laid up for me c. 3. And this he repeats in the next verse My soul hath kept thy Testimonies and I loved them exceedingly He that loves me saith Christ keeps my Commandments Si amor operari renuit amor non est 4. And yet again 1. I have kept thy Precepts and Testimonies 2. But this is upon another Motive which is proper to perfect men viz. Gods eye for all my wayes are before thee coram te Gods presence over-aw'd him whatever he did he did as in Gods sight well knowing that he saw all Walk before me saith God to Abraham and be thou perfect Gen. 17. The Prayer O Omnipotent God Ver. 1 Thou hast chosen unto thée a little flock and this flock lives among wolves the Devil and in his instruments séek to devoure it Antichrists and Tyrannical Princes daily without any cause persecute it their labour is to withdraw thy people from thy fear and to violate thy command be then present with these little ones assist these innocents that they fall not that they faint not ever kéep their heart upright and make it stand in awe of thy Word Among these I have had my portion less I confess than I deserve but sufficient to try my love and yet by thy mercy that hath held me up I have béen awed by thy Law and have not declined from thy fear Go on gracious God and assist me with thy Spirit that I may ever rejoyce in thy Word Ver. 2 estéem myself richer in the enjoyment of it than they that have enriched themselves by the gathering together of great spoiles Make me to hate this their iniquity Ver. 3 and mine own cause me to abhor all falshood and lying And out of a love I bear to justice and a dislike of all injustice to love the equity of thy Law Seven times a day as often as I think of it move my heart to praise thée for all thy righteous judgments In these thou hast shewed thy self a just God Ver. 4 that gives peace joy prosperity to those that love thy Law and pursuest the Transgressors of it with a perpetual infelicity for there is no peace to the wicked who though they lay snares for me and cast stumbling blocks in my way yet good Lord let me be so confirmed by thy grace that I be not offended at it Ver. 5 let neither their flatteries and example draw me to transgress nor their threats remove me from the love of thy Truth or a constant practice of piety and charity O Lord I have looked for thy salvation and I know that I cannot be saved except I do my duty both to thée and my neighbour Ver. 6 which is exactly prescribed in thy Law make me then to love excéedingly thy Word and to do what in it thou commandest and to kéep it because it is thy Precept Ver. 7 a just Rule an equal Law and work my heart to this love and obedience out of the consideration of thy eye and presence I am alwayes before thée Thou beholdest all the secret recesses of my heart much more my actions make me then so sincerely to walk before thee and be so studious to please thée in all thy Commandments that I may glorifie thy Name even before men and be glorified by thée in the presence of Saints and Angels at the last day Amen 22. TAU IN this last Section David prayes gives thanks confesseth his errours The Contents and craves mercy and promiseth obedience to Gods Commandments 1. He first prayes in the two first verses in which David prayes 1. He prayes for his prayers desiring God to accept them 1 For his prayers which is a very necessary duty 1. Let my cry come near before thee O Lord. Ver. 1 2. Let my supplication come before thee The ingemination shews his earnestness fervency importunity or perseverance Luke 11. 2. That which he prayes for is understanding 2. And deliverance 1. Give me understanding which he limits according to thy Word 2 Understanding thy promise Psal 32.8 That I may know fulfil and by my obedience obtain life eternal 2. Deliver me according to thy Word The end of understanding 3 Deliverance is to be delivered from sin John 8.36 If the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed 2. He gives thanks he proceeds to the other part of prayer 2 He gives thanks Thanksgiving 1. My lips shall utter praise His thanks should not be smother'd Ver. 3 nor mutter'd over but utter'd with a distinct and loud voyce not only his heart but his lips also should bear a part in it 2. And his lips should proclaim the equity of Gods commands but yet so that he were first taught and helped by grace My lips shall speak praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes Ver. 4 3. And yet again My tongue shall speak or intreat of thy Word to the edification of others and the Reason why he would speak in their hearing was Because all thy Commandments are righteousness and so most forcible to reform all unrighteousness there is corruption in Religion and confusion in manners when Gods Word is not heard 3. And now he sets to prayer again for having made promises of thankfulness 3 He prayes again for help he seeks help of God to perform them Our sufficiency is not of our selves to will and to do are of him he therefore prayes Ver. 5 1. Let thy hand help me thy power thy wisdom 2. For I have chosen thy precepts Optima ratio without which His Reasons no help from God to be looked for Ver. 6 3. And yet he adds two more both his desire and delight 1. I have longed for thy salvation O Lord 1 Obedience Gods children are not satisfied with the beginnings of mercy still they wait and seek and long 2 His earnest desire and sigh and thirst and hunger and long for more salvation they have but in promise they long for the accomplishment 2. 3 His delight in Gods Law And thy Law is my delight which well followes on his longing for these two are well conjoined salvation and Gods Law For all the hope we can have of salvation is the promise we find in Gods Word and the delight we take in performance of it I have chosen thy precepts longed for thy salvation delighted in thy Law therefore let thy hand help me 4. 4 He prayes again for prolongation of life And yet farther he proceeds in his Petition for prolongation of this life say some for eternal life say other
yet thou canst hear me and therefore I cry O Lord hear 3. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications 'T is to no purpose to cry for audience except he will be attentive to whom we cry And therefore begs of God that he would vouchsafe to hear to attend 2. The second part Yea but there was great reason why God should nor hear nor yet encline his ear to his cry He was a grievous sinner and God hears not such Well be it so yet his case was but the same with other men All men involv'd in sin as well as he and therefore if this should be a sufficient impediment that he should not be heard the like lay against other men and so God attentive to no prayer He desires therefore to remit his sin and that this might not be charged upon him 1. Ver. 3 If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand mirabilis rhetorica 2 He cryes for Remission of Sin I nor no other man can bring into thy sight any thing else but filth sinne shame and therefore if thou shouldst deal with us in rigour of justice and execute thy anger necessary it is that all be condemn'd not a man stand in thy sight 1 Acknowledging his own misery But it becomes not thy infinite goodness to destroy all men and therefore I need not seem overbold if I cry out of my depths and ask a pardon 2. Ver. 4 But there is mâ—rcy with thee or forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feard 2 Gods mercy True repentance requires two things the recognition of our own misery and the perswasion of Gods mercy Both are needful for he that knows not his own misery seeks not for help and he that knows not Gods mercy despairs In the three former verses David acknowledgeth himself in a pitiful case for he was in the depths and cryes from thence that if God should deal with him in rigour of justice he were undone never able to abide it In this verse he comforts himself with Gods mercy and that notwithstanding the greatness and multitude of his sins he hoped for pardon as if he had said Though no man can abide it if thou shalt mark our iniquities yet I know that by nature thou art merciful and forgivest fin 2. 3 The end of remission that God be feared That thou mayst be feared not with a servile but with a filial fear which comprehends invocation faith hope love adoration confession giving of thanks and all the duties of the first Table With this fear I fear thee in this I fly to the throne of grace and because thou art a Merciful God I hope for pardon 3. The third part The method of Gods Servants in their addresses to heaven is that they Believe 4 He hopes and expects favour Hope Pray Expect This course David took he prayed believed he hopes in Gods mercy and now he expects to find favour in the fifth and sixth verses Ver. 5 Every word of which is able to inform confirm and comfort a distressed soul 1. I expect the Lord. Upon him only he relies and prescribes nor time nor manner leaves to him to succour him at what season he pleaseth For his part he would be still an Expectant 2. For which he will wait My soul doth wait His expectation was not formal but real an expectation that proceeded from the fervency of his heart He hungred and thirsted after righteousness 3. His expectation was no presumption Upon Gods word but well grounded upon Gods Word and Promises Dent. 4.29 30. And in his Word is my hope 4. And that we may know his expectation was earnest Ver. 6 full of faith and hope he repeats it My soul waits for the Lord He ingeminates his hope which he declares by a Similitude of men set upon a watch in the night that long for the morning 5. I wait for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning It was now night with him darkness and misery was upon his soul the morning he expected was remission which must come from Gods mercy for this he waited this he expected more greedily than watchmen look for the morning light that they may be freed from their station Which though it be not in their power yet they expect it He proposeth his example to Gods people 4. This his example he proposeth to Gods people and exhorts them to do the like and to animate and encourage them in it adds his reasons 1. Let Israel hope in the Lord. Take out my example Ver. 7 and do thereafter Let them cry è profundis expect upon his word and promise wait his leasure For which God is mercy 2. For with the Lord there is Mercy Not only a Merciful God but Mercy it self With him it is and from him it flows to us And our Misery is a fit object for his Mercy No other creature can help because miserable And plentious redemption 3. And with him is Redemption That we needed being sold under sin and that we found a price given for us to redeem us the precious blood of his dear Son 4. And this his Redemption was Copiosa redemptio plentiful abundant for by it he redeemed the whole world 1 Joh. 1.2 Ver. 8 and bequeathed to his an inheritance in heaven Rom. 8.17 Which he will apply to Israel only 5. But this is to take effect upon Israel his people only For he shall redeem Israel from all his sins It is not as the Jews expect a temporal redemption but a spiritual as the Angel told Joseph His name shall be Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins which is begun in this life and shall be perfected in the other where we shall be delivered not only from sin but the punishment and danger of sinning The Prayer out of the one hundred and thirtieth Psalm O Most just and holy God whose eyes cannot approve iniquity no not in thy best and dearest servants we must néeds confess that for our rebellion and ingratitude against thée we are justly brought to this abyss of troubles from which without thy help we cannot escape Ver. 1 Being then oppressed and overwhelmed with these depths of sin and misery Ver. 2 from the bottom of our hearts we cry unto thée O Lord Lord hear our voice and let thine ears be attentive to our supplications lest if thou make as though thou hearest not we become like them that descend into the pit Pity our infirmities and remember thy mercy for which our misery is a fit object be not unto us a severe Iudge but a merciful Father and take not that revenge upon us which we deserve for if thou shalt observe and punish according to the rigour of justice Ver. 3 what man amongst us is so holy and pure in thy eyes that he may
appear before thee and let not that happen to them that fell to the Bethshemites 1 Sam. 6. 3. He prayes for the King that is himself For thy servant Davids sake 3 For the King turn not away the face of thine Auointed Ver. 10 1. For thy servant Davids sake David is not here to be taken absolutely for his person only but as having the Covenant and Promise made to him and God could not be better put in mind of the promise than by mention of the person to whom it was made He prayes not then to be heard for Davids merits but for the promise made to David 2. Turn not away the face of thine Anointed That is suffer me not who am Anointed in my fathers stead and sit upon his Throne to depart from thy presence ashamed and confounded rejecting my prayer In this Form Bathsheba petitioned to Solomon for Adonijah 1 Kings 2.20 I desire one small Petition of thee ne avertas faciem meam which we translate Say me not nay Or else this phrase imports That we turn our face from God when we sin and he turns away his face from us and so long as we continue in that state our faces are turned from God Solomon then might pray That when at any time he turned his face from God that God would not continue his face from him but look back upon him as Christ did on Peter that so he might repent and amend and not alwayes stand with his face from God for though we freely sin and turn our face from God yet if God be pleased with a merciful eye to look upon us and pity us that so by his mercy and pity we desire and endeavour to sin no more then he does not turn away our face shame and confound us for ever Solomon in this sense prayes Suffer not my face to be turned from thee which will be done If thou suffer not thy face to be turned from me 2. The second part Gods promise made to David The Prophet now proceeds to reckon up the promises made to his father David which were confirmed by an Oath from God that these being remembred he might the easilier prevail in his Petitions asking of God as it were a due debt in which we are to observe 1. Ver. 11 The manner of the promise he confirmed by his own Oath The Lord hath sworn in truth to David 1 Confirmed by oath having no greater to swear by he swear by himsel 2 The matter of his oath 2 Sam. 12.13 Isa 55.3 Psal 89.34 It was mercy to promise but greater for assurance to bind himself by a faithful Oath and irreversible Oath He will not turn from it he will not repent of it Psal 110.4 2. 1 As it relates to Christ absolute The matter of his Oath expressed in the end of the eleventh and in ver 12 13 14. 1. For the seed of David as it concerns Christ is categorical and absolute Of the fruit of thy body I will set upon thy Seat which words are refer'd by St. Peter unto Christ Acts 2.30 According to the flesh he was from Davids seed Ver. 12 and it is observable that the Prophet speaks reservedly De fructu ventris not de fructu femoris for by the mothers side Christ was to be of Davids seed not by the fathers 2. Again I will set upon thy Seat Luke 1.32 Davids Seat was Zion and Zion typically 2 As it relates to Davids seed hypothetical Isa 2. is the Church over that Christ was to reign as David in Zion 2. For the seed of David as it relates to his posterâ—y the Oath is hypotherical and conditional If thy children will keep my Covenant and my Testimonies that I shall teach them their children shall 〈◊〉 upon thy Throne for evermore 1 Chron. 28.9 Psal 89.28 to 37. Ezek. 21.26 For if his posterity observed not the Law 3 And to Zion i. e. the Church eternal but worshipped their own inventions the promise was at an end 3. As the external Kingdom was by this Oath annexed to one Family so by the same Oath and Covenant Ver. 13 the external worship was assigned to one place 1. Ver. 14 For the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation 2. This my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it From the time of the promise performed Zion was the Seat of the Sanctuary and so continued to the coming of the Messiah so long Zion was Civitas Regia Sacerdotalis But Zion was but a Type of Christs Church The promise which God makes to his Church The third part of which these words are more truly verified for this Christ hath truly chosen and it shall be his rest for ever with it he will be for ever present efficacious in the hearts of Believers and approve their works and worship to the worlds end 3. In the last part of the Psalm the Prophet brings in God promising to his Church many good things 1. Ver. 15 First He promiseth such abundance of temporal things that the poor shall not want I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her poor with bread Godliness hath the promise of this life as well as that which is to come Ver. 16 2. Ver. 17 He promiseth for a second blessing That her Priests should be endued with holiness and her Saints shout for joy which answers to the Petition in the ninth verse 3. The third Benefit is That there the Kingdom of David to arise viz. The Kingdom of the Messiah There will I make the horn of a David to flourish that is the power Luke 1.69 I have ordained a Lamp for mine Anointed 1 Kings 11.36 15.4 John 5.35 4. The fourth Benefit is the confusion of their enemies Ver. 18 and eternal Authority in this Kingdom His enemies will I cloath with shame but upon himself shall his Crown flourish The Prayer out of the One hundred and thirty second Psalm Ver. 1 O Lord merciful and gracious declare thy self mindful of the séed of our David be â—uindful O Lord of all his mildness charity and patience Ver. 2 in which he suffered with a constant and invincible fortitude many and great afflictions Remember O Lord his dowes remember how mindful he was of his oath given unto thée for the proservation of thy Church and Truth He gave his eyes no sleep nor slumber to his eye lids that he might uphold the places deckcated to the Lord the habitations of the mighty God of Jacob. These O Lord for our sins Thou hast suffered to be demolished and profaned wicked men are come into thine inheritance and made thy house of proper a den of Thieves Arise O Lord and reward the proud after their deservings Then will we go into thy Tabernacle we will worship at thy footstool Arise O Lord into thy rest and come with us into that place that thou hast peculiarly chose unto thy self and
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
invaded the Kingdom But thou Lord art Omniscient and knowest all things thou art Omnipresent and at all my actions if therefore I be such a man execute justice upon me For 1. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked thou wilt execute vengeance upon them I dare not then be of their society Will not have to do with such men or embrace their friendship 2. Depart therefore from me ye bloody men Joab Doeg Shimei Saul avaunt 3. Besides I desire none of their company and acquaintance for they are not only enemies to me but thee also they speak not only ill of me but they blaspheme For they speak against thee wickedly and thy enemies take thy name in vain 4. And yet he deals more roundly with them that he was so far from shewing them any love and giving them the right-hand of fellowship that he hated them Which hatred arose from their hatred of God their impiety was the cause of it and to that he opposeth himself even with a perfect hatred 1. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee Such he hates and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee The interrogatory makes it the more quick 2. And to himself he returns this answer Yea I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them my enemies I cannot then be the man they would make me so far I am from the imputed crimes that no man condemns them more than my self 4. The last part And sets himself before Gods Tribunal Lastly for his more full purgation and sets himself before Gods Tribunal It seems his conscience was very clear and his heart sincere that he durst abide that Trial. If I be such as they say I refuse no punishment but if otherwise shew some testimony of my innocency in this matter 1. Search me O God and know my heart What in the beginning of the Psalm he said God did now he intreats him to do and to do it with effect 2. Try me and know my thoughts examine my heart my wayes my thoughts my progess my actions 3. And see if there be any wicked way in me i.e. any malicious bloody presumptuous way Prayes for Gods direction 4. And lead me in the way everlasting This this was the end he proposed of his trial That if God saw any way of wickedness in him that might seduce him he would withdraw him from that way and lead him to think desire and do those things which would bring him to eternal life The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and thirty ninth Psalm SO great is thy knowledge Ver. 1 providence and perspicality O Almighty God Ver. 2 that nothing can be hid from thy eye Thou hast searched and known my actions my thoughts my motions and my intentious There is not a word in my tongue but thou know'st it altogether Whither then shall I go from thy Spirit Ver. 7 or whither shall I go from thy presence Could I ascend to Heaven Thou art there should I make my bed in Hell Thou art there also Nor East nor West nor Sea nor Land nor Night nor Day are able to conceal us from thée for thou knowest all and art present at all our secrets So awe us then O God nay over-awe us by the presence of thy eye that in fear and reverence we may walk before thée as wary to offend the eye of holiness and to provoke the ear of jealousie I never cast my eye seriously upon my self but I find matter of wonder and fear for I am fearfully and wonderfully made Thou wert present with those seminal vessels when I was framed in secret and fashioned in my mothers womb Thy work then was curious the formation strange the symmetry wonderful the harmony admirable the proportions sutable in thy Book were all my members written which in continuance were fashioned from an imperfect Embrio Thou brought'st me to the shape of a perfect child and gavest me life and being O how precious are all thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the sum of them If I should go about to count them they pass my capacity for they are more in number than the Sand and therefore so often as I take thy wayes and works into consideration I awake out of the lethargy of a secure and careless mind and am present with thée in my thoughts and meditations as desirous only to live to thée and to please thée alone Thy wisdom thy knowledge thy presence doth over-awe me in all my wayes for I am assured that thou looksst into the very secret recesses of the heart and that thou wilt slay the wicked and all them that speak against thee wickedly and who take thy Name in vain These thou countest for thy enemies and they never shall be estéemed for my friends Depart therefore from me you bloody men Thou Lord which knowest all things and searchest the secrets of all hearts art my witness That I hate them that hate thee and that I am grieved with those that rise up against thee yea I hate them with a perfect hatred because they are enemies to thée therefore I count them my enemies They lay to my charge many grievous crimes for I am a man of contentions they charge me as a pestilent Fellow a son of Belial a troubler of Israel But ' Lord Thou knowest my Innocency and integrity of my heart to thée there fore I appeal who art an infallible Witness and Iudge of my Conversation Search me then O my God and know my heart try me and examine my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way any action or progress of any wickedness in me And if as by the testimony of a good conscience I am firmly perswaded no such guilt can be found upon me leave we not then to perish with wicked men but lead me constantly in the way of Virtue and Religion in which without thy conduct I cannot walk lead me I say in that way by thy Word and Spirit which will bring me to everlasting life through the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXL DAVID being persecuted by Saul Doeg and the men of Ziph prayes to God for his safety and defence from their evil tongues But the Fathers apply it more largely and make it a prayer of the Church in persecution against the Devil and wicked men which are his instruments to persecute Gods people The parts of the Psalm are 1. A Petition to be delivered from his enemies whom he describes from ver 1. to 6. 2. A Protestation of his confidence in God ver 6 7. 3. A prayer against them ver 8 9 10 11. 4. A manifestation of his hope that God will uphold him in a just Cause ver 12 13. 1. He first summarily proposeth his Petition 1. Deliver me O Lord from the evil man Doeg or the Devil The first part David prayes for deliverance from wicked men qui inimious home Mat. 13. 2. Preserve
with how many evils tentations and pressures thy poor children are beset by the malice of the Devil the pride and violence of men and the impetuous incursions of their own carnal hearts We therefore humbly beséech thée good Father Ver. 1 deliver us from the evil man that enemy of our happinesse Ver. 2 and preserve us from the plots and conspiracies of the violent man Which imagine mischief in their heart Ver. 3 and without intermission continually have and do yet gather themselves together to oppose and make war against us Flatterers dissemblers and detractors these are and as the Serpent by shooting out his tongue whets it that it may the farther pierce and hurt so their serpentine malice hath sharpned their tongues to speak most pernicious lies and falshoods to our ruine For with a sharp sting they have sent forth poyson Adders poyson out of their lips by which they might kill those that are true of heart Thou therefore O Lord who art a lover of truth and equity Ver. 4 and a hater of lies and injustice keep me Ver. 5 that I fall not into the hands of these wicked men preserve me from their fraud and violence Many are the snares the cords the nets the gins which these proud men have hid have spread have set for me Their purpose is to supplant or precipitate me in my way that either I may not walk in thy Commands or walk slowly or fall in them or turn back from them Be therefore O Lord my strength and my salvation and in that day when the assaults of tentation are most furious be my shield my umbrage and cover my head that I take no harm O Lord grant not the desires of the wicked further not his wicked devices let them not be masters of their own wishes lest they boast glory and blasphemously triumph that they have not conquered thy Church but thée also which art the Protector of it O Lord deal with them as they have dealt with us Let the mischief of their own lips fall upon the head of them let the hot burning coles of thy anger fall from heaven upon them let them be cast into a fiery furnace of troubles and into a deep pit of dangers that they never rise again to trouble thy Church Let not a man who hath a tongue prepared to detract and issue forth lies against his neighbour prosper or be established on the earth Let his own wickednesse hunt and pursue the violent man till it hath overthrown him Which if thou shalt do thou wilt shew thy self merciful as ever thou hast béen in maintaining the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor for which the righteous shall give thanks to thy Name and with an upright heart shall dwell in thy presence in this life and hereafter appear before thée and enjoy the contemplation of thy face for ever and ever Amen PSAL. CXLI WHether this Psalm was composed by David in his flight from Saul or else when he was in the Court of Saul and by flatterers traduced unto him is not certain For that he desires his prayer might be set forth before God as incense and be accepted as the evening Sacrifice gives occasion to think he was in banishment for otherwise he might have been present at it But then again that he prayes against their detractions and flatterings may argue a present danger and that he was in the Court But be either true in it he prayes The Contents and Summe of the Psalm 1. For his prayer ver 1 2. 2. That God would so restrain his tongue and compose his mind that through anger or impatience he may not offend ver 3 4. 3. He prayes that if he must be reproved that his censure may proceed from just not from unjust men ver 5. whose judgment he declines ver 5 6. and will have no part or society with them 4. He shews the malice and hatred of the wicked to good men ver 6 7. 5. He puts his trust in God and prayes to be delivered from their snares ver 8 9 10. 1. The first part David prayes that God This Psalm consists for the main of petitions of which 1. The first is that his prayer may be accepted Lord I cry unto thee make haste unto me Ver. 1 give eare to my voice when I cry unto thee speedily now Would accept his prayer and hereafter hear my prayer which is fervent affectionate for it is a cry 2. Ver. 2 Let my prayer be set before thee at the incense which was offer'd with the sacrifice and the lifting up of my hands a gesture used in prayer 1 Tim. 2.8 as the evening sacrifice Exod. 30.7 8. Revel 5.8 The qualities of a good prayer are very well set out by that incense Prayer and the incense compared 1. The incense was made of four sweet Odours Exod. 30.34 which insinuate the four vertues requisite to sweeten our prayers Faith Assurance Charity Humility 2. This incense was offer'd in the inner part of the Temple Bellarmine where was the Tables of the Testimony and the golden Altar We are the Temples of the Holy Ghost the inner part is the soul in which is the Law of God written with his finger The Will is the golden Altar to wit a clean heart adorned with grace from such the incense of prayer must come 3. The High Priest only was to offer this incense The High Priest is Christ and by him as our Advocate we must have access to God and conclude all our prayers per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum 4. The incense was put on the fire morning and evening and thence arose a smoke which ascended upward directly This fire which sends the sweet smoke and perfume of our prayers directly upward is the fervour of our desire Moreover in the right ascension is to be noted the right intention and the careful attention in our prayers If made to be seen of men the incense is distorted by some temporal respect it ascends not right upwards If we wander in our devotions it is not directed as it ought and because it is hard to avoid this evagation in prayer David prayes Dirigatur oratio mea sicut incensum 5. To this may be added That the incense was offered morning and evening and so our prayers should be at least But why doth David pray That his prayer might be accepted rather as the evening Sacrifice and not as that of the morning Perhaps this might be because the evening Sacrifice might be more noble as a figure of Christs Sacrifice on the Cross which was to be at the evening 2. His second Petition is The second part His prayer for his tongue That God would restrain his tongue that he might know when to speak and when to be silent for he that offends not in his tongue is perfect James 3.2 There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak Eccles 3.7 He prayes therefore
Set a watch O Lord Ver. 3 before my mouth and keep the door of my lips The Vulgar read it Pone ostium circumstantiae labiis meis Circumstances vâ—ry things much and therefore men ought to desire of God to know when where how to speak as well as what to speak Note here again That the Metaphor is borrowed from the Watch and Gate of a City which if it be safely kept necessary it is that it have both a Watch and a Gate that those be suffered to go our who ought and those be not suffered to go out that ought not The Gate will not suffice to do this without the Watch for it will be alwayes shut or alwayes open And the Watch without the Gate shall not easily do it both together will keep all in safety and therefore David desires both a watch to his gate his mouth that might diligently observe what worde went out and with his words what thoughts of his heart levt he be taken by them Now this Watch-man is Prudence and also a constant strong and continual gate for his watch that might be shut and opened at pleasure or as occasion required which gate is Charity Farther yet this watch and gate may signifie the two faculties of the Soul the Understanding and Will The understanding to be as the warch that a man may know when and how and what to speak and also to be silent The Will the gate that a man open and be bold to speak what he ought and fear to speak what he ought not 3. His third Petition is for his heart because it is deceitful above all things Ver. 4 and man is weak and falls often therefore he prayes for grace and assistance from God 3 For his heart 1. Incline not my heart that is suffer not my heart to be inclined bent set to any evil thing or as the Vulgar In verba malitiae to malicious wickedness 2. Let it not come however to practice Incline not my heart to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity being invited by their example familiarity and custom The Vulgar reads it Ad excusandas excusationes in peccatis to excuse defend or frame pretences to sin 3. And let me not eat of their dainties Let me not partake with them in their Feasts their Doctrines their feigned Sanctity their Hypocrisie or Power Dignities Riches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vulgar Non communicabo cum electis corum with those things which they make choice of as they would of dainties 4. The third part He prayes that he may meet with a true friend to reprove him His fourth Petition is That if occasion of Reproof and brotherly Admonition be given that he may meet with a true friend that may reprehend him out of love and in a charitable manner not with flatterers that may sooth him up in his wicked way and deceive him 1. Let the Righteous smite me smite with a Reproof able to heal my sin Ver. 5 2. It shall be a kindness I shall reckon it is an act of mercy and charity from him I know he will not do it in the gall of bitterness to disgorge his spleen or revenge an injury but to save a soul Neither will I verifie the Proverb Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit for I will love him for it It shall be a kindness to me He verified it in Nathan 3. And let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyle An excellent oyle to heal my wounds of sin and the blow of Reproof he gave me which shall not break my head but being broken cures it Ver. 5 5. The Preface to the next Petition His fifth Petition is set down in the next verse to which he premits this Preface Yet my prayer shall be in their calamities and both the Petition and Preface to it are very difficult it is diversly read Vulgar Quoniam adhuc oratio mea in beneplacitis corum And the sense this I am so far from communicating with them that my prayer shall be to God in beneplacitis corum i. e. against those vices and wickednesse in which they please themselves And Moller to the same purpose reads it Quia adhuc oratio mea contra malitiam corum Hierom. Pro malitiis eorum Faelix Inter mala corum Pagnin Ut eruat me à malis corum Musculus Nam adhuc oratio mea adversum eorum mala dirigitur Junius Quo amplius fecerit eo amplius ratio mea erit in malis eorum And he expounds his meaning thus What evil soever they shall do me it shall not imbitter my mind but they shall rather cause me that I commend them to God by grateful prayers The Petition Ver. 6 if it be a Petition is set down in ver 6. But it is read so many wayes He prayes against their Magistrates that I know not well what to say of it Musculus reads it thus Praecipites dentur velut de rupe judices corum Audissent verba mea si dulcia fuissent And so 't is a plain Petition Let their Nobles great men Magistrates be cast down head-long and perish as Malefactors thrown off a Rock for they would have heard my words and counsels I gave them had they been pleasing flattering smoothed them in their wayes and sweet to them but because they displeased they would not hear therefore let them perish as they deserve Moller reads Dejecti or precipita sunt ad manus pene The Vulgar 2 Another sense of this verse Absorpti sunt juncti pene judices corum audient sermones meos quia suaves sunt The Vulgar Andient verba quoniam potuerunt But it is probable the Latine Translator reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our English Version When their Judges are overthrown in stony places they shall hear my words for they are sweet All these Translations will carry this sense i.e. When their Judges that is those to whom the chief Judicature is committed shall be cast from their Seats Authority Dignity and punish'd and split and swallow'd up as men are by the Sea when the Ship is dash'd against a Rock They saith Moller that is the people who seduced by them took part against David being terrified by their punishment shall hereafter hearken to my words leave Saul and his party and cleave to me in their hearts for my words are sweet or potuerunt powerful efficacious to convert their hearts and pleasant and delightful to the minds of them over whom they prevail Junius reads the verse 3 And yet a third At dimovent se per latera petrarum judiâ—â—s islorum quamvis intelligant sermones meos amoenos esse And makes this sense of it Although that their own conscience doth sufficiently check these my persecutors and teach them the equity of my cause yet they wait and beset all the sides of the Mountains or Rocks in which I am forced to pitch my Tents that
let us rest in those Mansions which thou hast prepared for us as in our beds and exercised with no other labour but in singing perpetual Allelujahs O let the high praises of thee our God be in our mouth let us sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes Thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art holy We do not doubt Ver. 7 but thou art able to take revenge of the Nations and people who do blaspheme thée That thou canst bind their Kings in Chains and their Nobles with Links of Iron Therefore we pray thée that either by the two-edged Sword of thy Word thou wouldst convert them or else execute thy judgment written upon them Lord let thy Kingdom come Thy Kingdom of Grace by which thou dost reign in the hearts of all thy Elect Thy Kingdom of power by which thou wilt subdue all thy enemies and thy Kingdom of glory when thy Saints shall be called to sit upon their Thrones and with thée judge the World When vengeance shall be executed on the Heathen that have not known thy Name and an inheritance given to the Saints whom thou wilt honour for ever and ever PSAL. CL. A Hymn THIS Psalm is of the same Subject that the former In the 148. All creatures are invited to praise God In the 149. Men especially and those that are in the Church But in this that they praise him and that with all kind of Instruments The parts are 1. An Invitation to praise God which word is ingeminated thirteen times according to the number of the thirteen Attributes of God as the Rabbins reckon them 2. That this be done with all sorts of Instruments intending thereby that it be performed with all the zeal care alacrity ardency of affections that may be 1. The first part In the beginning and all along the Psalm he calls on men to praise God Ver. 1 1. He invites to praise God Praise praise praise praise 2. Praise God in his Sanctuary In his Temple or in your hearts which are the Temples of the Holy Ghost Or praise him that dwells in Sanctis that is in his holy Heaven 3. Praise him in the firmament of his power For his power magnificence which is firm Or who shewes his power in the Firmament when he sits as in his Throne or Palace Some understand the Church by it in which his Saints shine as Stats in the Firmament 4. Ver. 2 Praise him for his mighty Acts the works of power he doth 5. Praise him according to his excellent greatness That greatness whereby he excels all other things he being absolutely great they only comparatively 2. The second part He desires that no kind of way be omitted by which we may shew our zeal alacrity and ardency in praising him With zeal and all kind of Musick and to that end he makes mention of all sorts of Instruments which either make Musick being touch'd with the hand or forc'd to sound with wind 1. Praise him with the sound of Trumpet An Instrument then used in their solemn Feasts Tuba flatu sonitum reddet 2. Praise him with the Psaltery and Harp Pulsu chordarum resonant Ver. 3 And to these they sung so that the Musick was made by hand and voyce 3. Praise him with the Tymbrel and dance Tympano Choro Vulg. in the Quire where with the consent and harmony of many voyces 4. Praise him with stringed Instruments Lutes Viols c. and Organs Ver. 5 5. Praise him upon the loud Cymbals They are round and being shaken make a tinkling noise 6. Praise him upon the high sounding Cymbals An Instrument that yielded a great sound as Bells do amongst Christians Bellar. That he be praised by all His Conclusion is universal Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Allelujah 1. Every thing that breaths whatever hath strength or faculty to do it 2. Every thing that hath life whether spiritual as Angels or animal as Beasts or both as men Or Metaphorically all other things which though they be inanimate yet may be said to live to God because they obey his Order and Decree The Prophets intent may be that all things praise God because all things that have life or being have it from him A Thanksgiving occasioned by the last Psalm O Eternal God Lord and Creator Ver. 1 Governour and Disposer of all things both in the firmament of thy power and in the earth which is thy footstool who loadest us with blessings and only expects our Tribute of thanks we thy obliged creatures and servants in all humility appear before thée to pay that reverence and worship and devotion which is thy due and our duty Ver. 2 We praise thee for thy mighty Acts and we desire to praise thee according to thy excellent greatness Thy wisdom is infinite thy mercies are glorious and we are not worthy O Lord to appear before that presence at which the Angels cover their faces yet since thou O Lord art worthy to receive glory and honour and power Ver. 6 since thou art to be praised in thy Sanctuary because thou hast made preserved and redéemed us We unworthy wretches do in all humility and obedience offer thée all possible land and honour while we have breath we will praise the Lord. And that we do it with the greater alacrity and more attentive zeal Ver. 3 with more chearful hearts and warmer affections let us choose to our selves such apt and melodious instruments that may raise our souls in this Service and that the unity and melody of our devotions may be as swéet and pleasing in thy ears as the harmony is delightful to ours We cannot be too joyful in the presence of our God we cannot be too thankful to our Salvation and therefore we will sing Hallelujah after Hallelujah and call for Hymn after Hymn with Psalms and spiritual Songs voyces and instruments of Musick we will praise the Lord praise thy power praise thy wisdom praise thy goodness praise thy mercy thy bounty thy love to us for ever and ever And here I in particular thank thee for thy assistance in this work which I wholly attribute to thy Grace and dedicate to thy Honour And if I have done well and truly expressed the sense of the Spirit of God who inspired into the Prophet these Psalms and Hymns it is that I desired But if slenderly and meanly it is that which I could attain to Analyticam hanc Psalmorum explicationem per gratiam Dei absolvi devotiones inde collectas Anno. 1658. Octob. 22. Hallelujah FINIS
his and so are the Cattle upon a thousand Hills will he eat Bulls flesh or drink the blood of Goats To what purpose are the multitude of sacrifices and the fat of fed Beasts these thou delightest not in incense is an abomination unto thee the calling of Assemblies the new Moons the Sabbaths all external worship is hateful and a trouble unto thée so long as the persons of those who observe them are not accepted so long as the men are Formalists Hypocrites and have their hands full of blood 't is the penitent soul to which thou wilt look the sincere heart which thou wilt regard Cleanse me therefore O Lord and wash my heart give me power to put away the evil of my doings let me cease to do evil and learn to do well that so my person being pleasing in thy sight thou may'st hear my prayers and accept my thanks It is now a day of trouble and as thou hast commanded I call unto thee for help Ver. 15 Lord hear my prayers and deliver me as thou hast promised so shall I glorifie thy Name be obliged to offer thee Thanksgiving and pay my vows to the most High Remit Lord and pardon the sins of thy people put our present sufferings and extream afflictions before thy eyes and return to us who return to thée with fasting wéeping and mourning so shall we have just occasion to offer thée praise and glorifie thée for this great mercy and deliverance for ever and ever thy statutes shall be our song in the house of our pilgrimage and we will run the way of thy Commandments all the dayes of our life PSAL. LI. One and a chief of the Penitentials THE occasion of this Psalm was the message that David received from God by Nathan the Prophet for the murder of Vriah and his Adultery in defiling Bathsheba this put him into the state of a Penitent and to petition to God for mercy for pardon for grace for peace of conscience for renovation of his heart It in general contains Davids prayer 1. For himself ver 1. to 13. 2. And three vows or promises ver 13. to 18. 3. For the Church from ver 18. to the end David being in a perplexed estate conceived he could have no comfort The first part but in Gods mercy and therefore he first in general prayes for that Have mercy on me Ver. 1 O Lord not on David the King thine Anointed but on me The general Petition for mercy that am not worthy to be called thy servant thy son and the motive he useth to gain that is not any plea or merit of his own but 1. The kindness of God Have mercy on me according to thy loving-kindness 2. The compassion of God According to the multitude of thy compassions The general Petition for mercy being offered next he tenders three particular Petitions 1. His first particular Petition is for forgiveness of his sins the fact was past The first Petition for forgiveness but the guilt remained he therefore earnestly petitions Put away mine iniquities and upon this he insists and in other terms comes over it for a soul that is truly sensible of sin is never at rest and satisfied with one deprecation for sin is a spot a deep stain Therefore wash me throughly wash me from mine iniquities Ver. 2 and cleanse me from my sin Amplius lava as if one washing were too little for a double sin for two such sins To this Petition for mercy he subjoins a confession of his sin knowing well To this he subjoins a confession that this was the readiest way to obtain it for he that confesseth and forsakes his sin shall find mercy in which we may learn many excellent conditions requisite in a true Confessionist 1. He enters into a serious consideration of the nature of sin he feels the weight the burden of it feels the anguish and abhors it I excuse it not 1. I know my iniquity I know it now to abhor to reform it Ver. 3 2. It is ever before me not to please me but to trouble and grieve me 3. He aggravates it with divers names iniquity sin transgression it is Pasteanos rebellion it is Greavah crooked dealing Chatta errour and wandring 2. And so he falls upon an open and plain confession Peccavi I have sinned Ver. 4 and this he first aggravates by two circumstances He aggravates his sins 1. From the person 1. Of the person It is against thee against thee I say a good gracious God that from a Shepherd hast made me a King a great and terrible God that art able and hast threatned to punish there was neither grace nor fear in me that I durst sin against thee against thee the Epizeuxis is emphatical yea against thee only have I sinned In maxima fortuna minima licentia So highly thou hast advanced me that I need to fear none but thee but this hath not kept me from this sin in this was unthankfulness Vriah was my Souldier I need not fear him the People my Subjects they cannot judge me it is to thee I am to answer for breach of thy Law I esteem therefore my sin to be against thee only for I had not known this sin to be a sin hadst not thou forbidden it nor need not fear any wouldst not thou punish it 2. Of the manner it was an impudent sin done in thy sight 2 The manner before thy eyes thou being by and looking on and so done without any reverence of thy Majesty as it were in contempt I have done this evil in thy sight So that I confess that in reproving and threatning me by Nathan thou art a just God and to be justified in thy sayings and clear in the judgment of any who with an impartial eye shall examine my offence and thy proceeding for I have deserved whatsoever thou hast threatned and given thee just cause to speak and judge as thou hast done Vt is not here causal but consequential for it is not his meaning that he sinned for that end that God should be justified but that this would follow upon it whensoever he was brought to confess his sin then God would be justified in his proceeding against him Ver. 5 3. He proceeds in the Amplification and Exaggeration of his sin He yet aggravates his sin 1. That it proceeded from original sin in him and declares from what root this his actual sin sprang even from his original Behold I was born in iniquity and in sin hath my mother conceived me This very sin that I have committed gives me occasion to enquire into my state and I find and confess upon a diligent inquisition that I am universally corrupted even from my mothers womb and that I carry about me the seeds of all sin 4. Ver. 6 Another aggravation of his sin is that in himself he found not that which God loves 2 From an insincere heart Thou requirest truth in the inward parts
consideration of thy fear and therefore thy wrath unexpectedly overtakes them to their eternal ruine Teach us therefore O Lord so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdom being taught by thée let us cast up the account of our lives to be short and fading that the total is labour and sorrow make us wise to falvation upon this account and laying to heart that these ouâ—eries have overtaken us by thy wrath and thy wrath provoked by our sin make us so to fear thy wrath here that we be no object of thy wrath hereafter O Lord in mercy return to us receive us once more to thy former favour How long Lord how long shall thy fury smoak against the shéep of thy pasture shall thy jealousle burn like fire for ever Let it repent thee concerning thy servants and let not thy Spirit alwayes strive with man for he is but flesh weak and sinful flesh who must perish at thy wrathful indignation adert therefore thy just anger from us and satisfie our fainting and hungry souls with thy marcy early do it defer us not lest we pine to nothing make the bones which thou hast broken to rejoyce and in our joy let us magnifie thy Name and be glad all the dayes of our life Many are the dayes that we have suffered under thy hand make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us Many are the years in which we have séen evil return as good according to the number of those years it is thy own proper work to have pity and mercy let this thy work appear unto thy servants and manifest thy glory unto their children be a guide to us and a leader to our posterity that all that we and they take in hand may succéed prosperously and be blessed with a happy issue No action of our's can be beautiful except the beauty of the Lord our God be upon it idle we may not be for God blesseth not the idle work we may but except it be by thy direction it will not please bring we may our work to an end but except thou bless it it will never be established We therefore humbly beséech thée to put thy beauty upon us and all we undertake let us take our directions from thy Word and make thy glory our end in all we do so we may expect success prosperity and establishment so much happiness in what we do here that it may be a way to promote us to eternal happiness in the life to come which we beg of thée to bestow upon us for the merits of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ PSAL. XCI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE full intent and purpose of this Psalm is to encourage and exhort the godly in all extremities pressures troubles temptations afflictions assaults inward or outward in a word in all dangers to put their trust and confidence in God and to rely upon his protection Two parts of the Psalm 1. A general Proposition in which is given an assurance of help and protection to every godly man ver 1. Who so dwelleth c. 2. The proof of this by three witnesses 1. Of the just man in whose person David speaks ver 2. I will say to the Lord c. 2. Of the Prophet ver 3. Surely he shall deliver thee c. which he amplifies by an enumeration of the dangers Gods assistance and the Angels protection from ver 3. to 14. 3. Of God himself whom he brings in speaking to the same purpose from ver 14. to the last verse The first part or verse The first part An assurance of Gods protection is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or an universal Proposition in which is contained a comfortable and excellent promise made by the Holy Ghost of security viz. That Gods help shall never be wanting to those who truly put their hope and trust in him He that dwells in tho secret place of the most High shall abide or lodge under the shadow of the Almighty Ver. 1 1. To the godly and he that puts his trust in God He be he who he will rich or poor King or people God is no Respecter of persons 2. That dwells for that he must be sure to do so constantly daily firmly rest and acquiesce in God persevere in the faith of his promise and carry that about him as the Snail doth his shell for else he cannot be assur'd by this promise 3. In the secret place for his aid and defence is not as some strong Hold or Castle which is visible 't is a secret and invisible Fortress known only to a faithful soul in that he may repose his hope as a means and secondary defence but he dwells relies rests in that help of God which is secret and is not seen except to the eye of faith 4. Who can Of the most High And upon this he relies because he is the most High Above he is and sees all nothing is hid from him and again above he is sits in the highest Throne and rules all all things are under his feet he can therefore deliver his from all troubles and dangers Yea And will defend him and he will do it for this faithful man he that relies and trusts in him shall never be frustrated of his hope protected he shall be he shall be safe 1. He dwelt therefore he shall abide he shall lodge quietly securely pernoctabit Ithlonan 2. He dwels in the secret place therefore he shall abide under the shadow in refrigerio in the cool the favour the cover from the heat 3. He dwelt in the secret place of the most High therefore he shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty i. e. of the All-powerful God of the God of Heaven of that God whose Name is Shaddai All-sufficient by which Name he made his promise to Abraham Gen. 17.1 This Proposition being most certainly true The second part This the Prophet proves by three Witnesses in the next place the Psalmist explains it and that no man doubt of it descends to prove it by three witnesses First of a just man secondly of the Prophet thirdly of God himself 1. First He brings in the just man thus speaking in his own person I will say unto the Lord He is my Refuge my Fortress my God in him will I trust Ver. 2 Is it so Shall he that dwells in the secret of the most High 1 Of the just man that applies the protection to himself abide under the shadow of the Almighty therefore I will say in the person of all just men to the Lord that hath no Superiour that hath no Peer to that Lord to whose command all things are subject and who can be commanded by none I will say to him 1. Thou art my Refuge If pursued I will flie to thee as a Sanctuary 2. Thou art my Fortress If set upon I will take my self to thee as a strong Tower 3. Thou art my
his Power Providence and Wisdom in the vicissitudes and alterations we find in things below which proceed not from Chance and Casualty but from his wise Dispensation In the Earth we see strange Mutations in Kingdoms wonderful Revolutions and though for these we are apt to assign inferiour Causes and fix on them yet we must go higher and not rest till we acknowledge Gods Hand in all whose Wisdom orders all and whose Power hath an influence in all these Alterations and Revolutions let Epicurus and his Scholars think what they please to the contrary Now of these Changes the Prophet produceth some Instances upon which Tertullian very wittily descants in his Cap. 2. de Pallio His first Instance is in the Earth for in that he finds a great Change but yet so as God is the Cause of it that he would have remembred 1. He turns Rivers into a Wilderness and Water-springs into a dry ground 1 Changes in the Earth The fertility of any Land ariseth from the Rivers Ver. 33 as is apparent in Aegypt which is made so fruitful by the overflow of Nilus From fertile to barren and è contra And when Elisha would free the Soyle from barrenness he first healed the waters Now when God pleaseth to bring sterility upon a Land he can dry up these Rivers or stay them that they shall not overflow as it was in Aegypt in the seven years Famine And easie it were to produce examples of Rivers that have left their Channels and diverted their Courses by which the Land that was formerly fruitful is become barren and desolate as a Wilderness and when there were Springs of water now very dry ground so that a fruitful Land is turned into barrenness as Sodom Gomorrah Gen. 14. 19. And if stories be true the whole Land of Canaan which was a Land flowing with milk and honey but is now in comparison of what it was very barren 2. And the Cause of this is The iniquity of them that dwell therein Iniquity the cause Sodom is an instance In my ears are the cry of your sins saith the Lord of Hosts and therefore of a truth many houses shall be desolate even great and fair without an Inhabitant yea ten Acres of Vineyard shall yield one Bath and the seed of an Homer shall yield an Ephah Isa 5.9 10. 2. And now on the contrary 2 From barren to fruitful land that which more yet illustrates his Mercy and Providence is the Change we find in barren dry and incultivated grounds which at his will become fruitful inhabited and abundant in all necessaries for the life of man which must be ascribed to his Power for no Power is able to turn Nature into a better course but that of God Or if it be done by mans industry yet it is God that teacheth him the skill to do it and gives the blessing to his labour It was an impious Speech of Cyclops in Euripides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now this our Prophet in this place insists on and amplifies at large This from God 1. He that is God turneth the Wilderness into a standing water and dry ground into Water-springs i. e. He hath brought to pass that in desert and dry places there should be Pools of water and the Earth which had no water should abound with Springs and Rivers which is all one as if he had said They should be very fertile and fruitful which is done for mans sake 2. For there he makes the hungry to dwell Upon the discovery of some new found good Land Colonies are transported thither He puts into mens minds to plant Colonies and such who live in want and hunger at home betake themselves to these Forrain Plantations which yet is done so much upon their own choice as Gods secret direction For there he makes the hungry to dwell 3. Yea and to build houses That they may prepare a City for habitation Pars aptare locum tecto Aenead 1 c. pars ducere muros 4. Farther yet the studies and endeavours of these new Colonies are 1. To sowe Fields 2. To plant Vineyards which may yield fruits of increase That innocent work of Husbandry is their Profession which was the first Trade in the World 5. And Gods blessing is upon their honest endeavours He blesseth them also 1. In Children So that they are multiplied greatly 2. In Cattle And suffereth not their Cattle to decrease 2. 2 But even in these changes But there is nothing in this World perpetual and stable which leads the way to his second Instance even those that God sometimes had blessed and by blessing multiplied and enriched continue not alwayes at the same stay 1. Ver. 39 These are minished and brought low 2. These are worn out by oppression affliction and sorrow by some publick Calamity or other either War Famine Pestilence Invasion Inundations c. Neither is this only true in common men but even in the greatest Princes 3 Monarchy mutable Principalities and Monarchies even these are subject to Changes All the Monarchies are fallen 1. He poures Contempt upon Princes This to our grief we have liv'd to see and feel And it is a heavy judgment both to Princes and people and a great Argument of some grievous precedent sins that he suffer Princes whether Civil or Ecclesiastical to become contemptible for then the Reins of Discipline is let loose confusion followes and all things grow worse which effusion of vengeance when it happens is sometimes caused for the sin of the Prince sometime of the people sometime of both 'T is certainly as he said before For the iniquity of those that dwell in the Land 2. Monarchs brought low And causeth them to wander in the Wilderness where there is no way which Clause is subject to a double Interpretation 1. Either that he suffers Princes to erre in their Counsels in their Lives and Examples being destitute of the light of Wisdom and Grace they live vitiously and scandalously or they enact unjust Lawes favour wicked men and oppress the good in which there is no way of God 2. Or else he suffers them to be Wanderers in the World as banished Persons which I read with tears well knowing That there cannot be a greater Calamity to a Noble and ingenious spirit But yet there is some Comfort in the following verse To whom he will look and raise them That it shall not be so alwayes 1. Yet he will look upon the poor afflicted penitent and raise him Yet setteth he the poor man on high from affliction He will give him ease and release from his temporal and spiritual affliction 2. And make him Families like a Flock He will yet multiply him gather him and his Family into one Fold become his Shepherd feed him and govern him by his singular Providence and Manuduction 4. The fourth part All this written for our meditation He concludes the
Psalm with an Epiphonema in which he perswades all good men to consider the former Premises and lay it to heart To observe the whole course of Gods Providence that they impute not the Changes of the World to Chance and Fortune nor be overmuch dejected at them but rather bless God for all as Job did 1. The righteous shall see it Consider and seriously meditate upon it 2. And rejoyce when they are assured that God is their Guardian and that therefore the Crosses which he layes upon them are trials for their good not for their ruine 3. And all iniquity shall stop her mouth By observation of the event at last evil doers shall not have occasion to laugh and blaspheme and find fault with Gods wayes but confess That all was by God justly done and wisely disposed But this is a Consideration not for every brain 't is for wise men that look afar off and think on it 1. Who is so wise will observe these things That is vicissitudes and changes of this World 2. And they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord It shall appear unto them at last how ineffable his mercy is toward them which truly fear him and call upon his Name but our life is hid with Christ in God The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and seventh Psalm O Omnipotent God when we look upon the strange vicissitudes and alterations of the things of this World our faith would waver and our hearts would faint were we not assured that all things are guided by thy hand and over-ruled by thy Providence and secret Will and Counsel Ver. 1 Who art good and whose mercy endures for ever Be it then that we are brought to wander in the Wilderness in a solitary way that we be pilgrims and strangers and have no City to dwell in that we are oppress'd with hunger and dryed up with thirst so that our soul is ready to faint within us yet will we not despair In our trouble to thée will we cry to thée will we make our moan nothing doubting but that if it shall be for thy glory and our good Thou wilt deal by us as thou hast done formerly with thy servants them thou hast deliver'd from their distresses those thou hast led forth by the right way and brought to dwell in their own Cities and Habitations Thou hast satisfied their longing souls and filled their hungry souls with good things which since thou art good and thy mercy endureth for ever we are in good hope Thou wilt do for us Redéem O Lord thy banished and bring them home So shall we praise thee for thy goodness and declare thy wonderful works which thou dost for the Children of men Long it is O merciful God That we have sate in darkness Ver. 10 and in the shadow of death our back is bowed down with many iron hands that we cannot lift up our head our heart is brought low through affliction and we find none to help and all this is justly come upon us because we have rebelled against the words of our God and contemned the Counsel of the most High We have not done thy Will nor kept thy Commandments but have set up abominations and have multiplied offences But now O Lord in our trouble we cry unto thée we how the knées of our hearts beséeching thée of grace forgive forgive O Lord and destroy us not with our iniquities Save us Lord from our distresses bring us out of this darkness and shadow of death and break our Bands asunder break these gates of Brass and cut asunder these Bands of Iron so shall we thy redeemed praise thee O Lord for thy goodness all the dayes of our lives and declare the wonderful works which thou dost for the children of men O Lord I confess against mine own soul that I have béen seduced and pielded to many foolish lusts of the flesh Ver. 17 and because of this my iniquity and transgression I am justly afflicted and séel no whole part in my body that thou shouldst lengthen out my dayes any farther I sée no hope my disease is so grievous That my soul abhorreth all manner of meat and my vital spirits so far spent That I am drawing to the gates of death To whom O Lord should I flie but to thée To whom should I cry in this my trouble but to thée O God be merciful to thy servant and press me not beyond my strength save me out of my distress send out thy Word and heal me and deliver me from destructions O let not thy fierce anger go beyond a fatherly correction and in judgment remember thy mercy that endures for ever So shall I whom Thou hast redeemed from the jawes of death praise thee my God for thy goodness and for thy wonderful works to the children of men I will sacrifice the Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and declare thy works with rejoycing O Lord our Vocation calls upon us to go down to the Sea in Ships and to negotiate Ver. 23 and do our business in great waters where we see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep At thy Command the stormy wind ariseth and the waves of the Sea are lifted up Tossed we are and mount up to Heaven and by and by we go down to the bottom of the Sea so that there we dwell in the shadow of death and our soul is melted and faints because of the present trouble we reel too and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at our wits end for our wisdom and our skill then fails us our sole refuge is in our prayers In this instant of our trouble as thou hast commanded We cry unto thee look down upon thy servants who in the abyss of the Seas and the abyss of our trouble invocate the abyss of thy mercies bring us out of these distresses Thou which didst command the winds and rebuke the Seas and they obeyed thée Make the storm a calm Rebuke the furious winds and waves and still them by thy power make us glad by rescuing us from the present danger and quietly bring us to the desired Haven So will we praise thee O Lord for thy goodness and for thy wonderful works to the children of men And when we come to land We will exalt thy Name in the Congregation of thy people and praise thee in the Assembly of the Elders O Lord we set our minds too much upon earthly things and attribute too much to Nature and second Causes whereas all the power that is in the Creature is from thée and that restraint that is upon the Creature procéeds from thée Remove from our hearts this heavy and gross ignorance and impiety and make us know and acknowledge that it is thy hand That turns Rivers into a Wilderness and a land water'd with pleasant Springs into a dry ground by which a fruitful land becomes barren But in this change thy Iustice O Lord is exalted by this thou shewest
they may lie in Ambush for me and that not only the Vulgar the Ziphits Mahanites with others but also the chiefest of Sauls Followers and Captains yea although they know that my words have been mild to them Which the words following justifie and I have not offended them in the least matter And this sense the verse following will justifie Our bones are scattered at the Graves mouth as when one cuts and cleaves wood upon the earth That is Ver. 7 They beset me and my company with such violence that we despair of life and must lay our bones unburied in the Wilderness to be scattered here and there The last part as Chips except thou O Lord shalt succour us and send us present help and therefore he goes on and presents Ver. 8 6. A sixth Petition which hath two parts 6 The last petition for his own safety 1. But my eyes are unto thee O God the Lord in thee is my trust 2. Leave not my soul destitute 1. For his own safety and deliverance Leave not my soul destitute suffer me not to fall into then hands to the loss of my life 2. Which is grounded upon his hope and confidence in God My eyes are unto thee I depend on thee I look for help from thee O God the Lord in thee is my trust The other part of his Petition is 3. Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me Ver. 9 and the gins of the workers of iniquity Keep me from their Frauds Deceits Ambushes which as Fowlers and Hunters they set for me 4. And lastly He imprecates confusion to fall upon his enemies heads and reiterates his Petition for his own safety 1. Let the wicked fall into their own Nets Neque n. Ver. 10 lex justior ulla And imprecates vengeance on the wicked 2. But let me ever escape them pass by or through them unhurt A Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty one Psalm O LORD Ver. 1 being beset with many sorrows and dangers I cry unto thée make haste to help me O my God and send me some speedy deliverance lest if thou make as if thou hearest not I become like them that go down into the pit Give eare therefore now unto my voice when my soul being heavie unto the death with fervor and affectionate sighs I cry unto thée O let my prayer which I present to thée on the Altar of a sincere heart by the intercession of Iesus Christ my Lord Ver. 2 he a swéet perfume in thy nostrils accepted and set before thée as was that Incense which as offered unto thée upon the golden Altar by the High Priest in the Holy of Holiests and let this lifting up my hands be as grateful and pleasing to thée as was the evening sacrifice And first of all Ver. 3 O Lord because I am prone to offend in my tongue I beséech thée set a watch before my mouth that I may observe what words are fit to go forth and what fit to be kept in and keep the door of my lips that it may not open or shut but by prudence and charity Suffer me not to speak but what I ought and as I ought and when I ought and where I ought Let my words be ever gracious Ver. 4 and seasoned with salt And because the errors of the tongue procéeds from the vanity and corruption of the heart suffer not my heart to be enclined to any malicious wickednesse or if such a conception be formed within let it never come into act and practise O let me never be so destitute of thy grace to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity and so far be seduced by their example familiarity and society as to eate of their dainties and communicate with them in their hypocrisie their fained sanctity their specious doctrines their ill acquired riches and power or with them seek for excuses to defend what to satisfie andplease their own lusts they have gréedily made choice of If at any time being overcome by the weaknesse and frailty of my flesh Ver. 5 I shall indulge overmuch to my desires and be overtaken in an offence send some spiritual guide who may smite me friendly and restore me in the spirit of méeknesse This I shall reckon as a mercy to my soul Let such a man reprove me and it shall be as an excellent oyl to cure my ulcerous soul But never permit the smooth balm and oyly words of the wicked to fall on my head nor their flatteries and sothing applauses so please my heart that thereby I be cherished and nuzzled up in my grossest sins For so far I am from séeking the favor of the wicked that I shall alway pray against their malice and wickednesse At this time they set and besiege the rocky hills Ver. 6 and stoy the passages to take away my life They hunt for my soul as a Partridge upon the mountains O Lord let their chief conductors and leaders be overthrown and dashed to pieces as a ship against the rocks So shall it come to passe that the people who have followed them in simplicity of heart and whom these Princes have seduced shall hereafter give better héed to my words which I sounded in their eares of piety and iustice and mine own innocence For these were and are in themselves able to work in them a penitent and obedient heart and to the penitent and obedient they will be very â—â—éet and delightful Ver. 7 For till this be effected and their conversion wrought I and all my followers and adherents are in very great danger that our lives shall be taken away in these mountanous places and our dead bodies ly unburied in this wildernesse and consequently our bones scattered at the graves mouth as when one cuts and cleaves wood upon the earth But O thou my Lord God because my eyes are alway intent on thée and all my hope and trust is placed in thée Ver. 8 leave not my soul destitute suffer me not to fall into their hands who séek to take away my life Ver. 9 Kéep me that I be not taken in their snares which they have laid for me and those gins which these workers of iniquity have twisted and cunningly disposed for my ruine But let the wicked fall into their nets Ver. 10 and be taken in the crafty wilinesse which they have imagined but let me and the people which serve thée in sincerity and truth for ever escape them by the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXLII The Title a Maschil of David A Prayer when he was in the Cave THE Cave was that of Engaddi or more probably that of Odullam when he was more destitute The occasion the persecution of Saul and his danger by Achish king of Gath. The matter of it an earnest Prayer to God in which he begs deliverance from danger The parts are 1. An Exordium in which he 1. First shews what he did in his trouble
took himself to prayer ver 1 2. 2. Then his consternation and anxiety of heart which arose from the malice and craft of his enemies and the defect of help from his friends ver 3 4. 2. His addresse to God and Petition ver 5 6 7. 1. The two first verses shew Davids intention in this Psalm viz. David in trouble flyes to prayer by Prayer in his trouble to make his Addresse to God 1. I cried unto the Lord with my voice with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication 2. I poured out my supplication before him and shewed him all my trouble The first part This is amplified 1. From the vehemence instance fervour I cryed I supplicated Ver. 1 I poured out I shewed 2. From the Object unto the Lord him and no other I invocated The conditions of his prayer I poured out before him Ver. 1 3. From the Instrument With my voice Which doth not exclude vocem cordis For no question he understood and attended what he said 4. From the humility in Prayer It was a supplication Ver. 2 I made my supplication 5. From his free and full expression fully and at large he opened his griefs and desires he left nothing behind unsaid that should be I poured out my complaint vented all from my heart as water poured out of a vessel Shew'd and declared my trouble 6. From his sincerity and confidence in God That he durst do this before him in his eye in his sight argues an honest heart The cause anxiety of minde That which caused him to do this was 1. The consternation and anxiety of mind in which he was This I did Ver. 3 when my spirit was overwhelmed within me When my breath was as it were gone and my life for ought I saw almost at an end and I in the confines of death There being then no sufficiency in me I betook my self unto thee who art All-sufficient 2. Then I addressed my self to thee For thou knewest my path my actions my intentions the secret of my wayes my path 2 The flie dealing of his enemies and that without any just cause I suffer these things being forced and hunted into this Cave 3. The craft and sly dealing of his enemies Especially Saul 2. In the way wherein I walked In my Vocation in that way wherein thou settest me 2. Have they privily laid a snare for me Saul gave him his caughter Mical to be a snare to him and a Dowry he must have of an hundred fore-skins of the Philistines that he might fall by their hands 4. Ver. 4 His destitution at this time of trouble all forsook him deserted him even his friends 3 The desertion of his friends 1. I looked on my right hand for the help of my friends and behold if any man would be an assistant to me and take my part stand by me as Souldiers in War to their Captain but there was no man that would know me they were as strange to me as if they had never seen me Not a man durst own me the miserable have few friends 2. Refuge failed me With Achish at Ziglag I have no place to flie for safety 3. No man cared for my soul regarded my life cared whither I perished or not 2. The second part He makes his address to God david being excluded of all humane help now makes his Address to God I cryed unto thee O Lord and said 1. Thou art my refuge my stay my hope my Tower of defence to flie to my Sanctuary 2. Thou art my portion my inheritance in the land of the living while I live in this world And upon it he sends up his prayer to God And prayes as before fortified from a double Argument 1. 1 Because depressed From the lamentable condition to which he was brought 2. From the fury malice and power of his enemies 1. His condition at this time was very pitiful Attend unto my cry for I am brought very low afflicted depressed have none to help me Ver. 6 2. 2 And that by too strong enemies The power and malice of his enemies was very great Deliver me from my persecutors for they are too strong for me He renews his prayer and presseth it from the final cause Bring my soul out of Prison But if saved upon which follow two effects 1. Ver. 7 The first in my self Gratitude That I may praise thy Name 1 He thankful 2. 2 Others would fall to him The second in others Assistance and incouragement to defend me and my Cause The righteous shall compass me about come and flow from all parts unto me 3. The Reason For thou shalt deal bountifully with me Bestow favours upon me after thou hast freed me from my former miseries which men seeing who are commonly the friends of prosperity will magnifie me and resort unto me The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty second Psalm WHEN O Omnipotent and Merciful God we are in this life besieged with continual dangers and impetuous enemies to whom should we flie Ver. 1 or to whom we should make our moan but to thee O Lord who art able and ready because thou art merciful to deliver us In my present distress therefore I file to thée and I cry unto thee with my voyce with my voyce unto thee O Lord I make my supplication I open at large and pour out before thée my just complaint Ver. 2 the sadness and anxiety of my soul to thée I shew my trouble who alone knowest the way to deliver thine in their extreamest afflictions My Spirit is overwhelmed within me when I behold the present state of things my life for ought I sée was in the confines of death Ver. 3 but how undeservedly Thou knowest to whom all my acts and secret'st path of my wayes is best known Even in the very way wherein thou settest me and in which I walked with an honest and an upright heart have they my enemies closely and privily laid a snare to take me And in the midst of these dangers and treacheries to the greater discomfort of my soul I found nor friend to help me Ver. 4 nor any Sanctuary to which I might retire I looked on my right hand to sée who would take my part and stand up for me and with me but behold there was no man that would own me or know me I became as a stranger to my brethren and as an alien to my own mothers sons I thought with my self to take Sanctuary but a place of refuge failed me not a man there was that cared or regarded what became of me or of my life In this distress and dereliction whither should I go to whom should I flie Ver. 5 from whom should I look for help but from thée O Lord Men will not but thou art ready men cannot or dare not but thou art able and ready prest to succour thy poor afflicted people To thee