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
speaks in these following words To the wicked God saith 1. Vers. 16 What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy mouth 2. They contemners of Gods Law The reason is because in words thou professest thou lovest me but in deeds thou denyest him Thou hatest instruction in thy heart hatest that Law Vers. 17 that with thy mouth thou commendest and hast cast my words behind thee Written I have to thee the wonderful things of my Law and thou hast counted them a strange thing This I shall now prove and illustrate by a distribution This proved 1. Vers. 18 Thou hast no regard of the eighth Commandment When thou sawest a thief then thou consentest with him In the consent is the more malice it shews that it was not rashly done but on purpose deliberation counsel 2. Vers. 19 Nor of the seventh Thou hast been partaker with the Adulterers 3. Vers. 20 Nor of the ninth Thou givest thy mouth to evil and thy tongue frameth deceit Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother thou slanderest thine own mothers son Against thy brother not a stranger and that not casually neither or in anger but studiously thou satest and speakest 4. No nor of the first For thou hast had a profane thought even of me Vers. 21 and of my mercy forbearance and long-suffering These things hast thou done and I kept silence arose not presently to take vengeance on thee And thou thought'st that I was altogether such a one as thy self A Patron an approver of wickedness as thou thy self art But from any such imputation God no Abetter of wickedness here I purge my self before the Heaven and Earth and the whole World For I will not suffer this thy wickedness to go unreveng'd The day shall come when I will reprove thee Vers. 21 and punish this thy wickedness with severe punishments and set in order before thine eyes the villany that thou hast committed and labour'd to hide Confess at that day thou shalt that the sentence pronounc'd against thee is most just Yet He gives warning to the wicked threatens that he may spare And yet in judgement God remembers mercy It becomes a Judge even when he is pronouncing sentence to take unto him the bowels of compassion And these God who is to be our Judge here puts on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he gives a fair warning to the wicked that they repent and perish not 1. Now while you have time consider this Vers. 22 that God is not pleased with outward Rites Formalities and Ceremonies only that he is not to be pacified with long prayers and preaching of his Law if the life be wicked For this is upon the point to forget that he is a God of pur eyes and cannot behold iniquity Consider this then I say lest like as an angry lyon Promiseth help to the sincere he break out upon you on a sudden and there be none to deliver This is a fair warning to the wicked Vers. 23 2. Now to those who worship God in sincerity he makes a quite contrary promise of defence help salvation Who offereth with an honest heart praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright goes the right way that Gods Word directs I will shew the salvation of God He shall be saved and know that he worships not God in vain The Prayer out of the fiftieth Psalm O Most Mighty and just God who hast appointed a day in which thou wilt judge the world when all flesh shall appear before thee to render an accompt of their wayes whether good or evil never let that strict accompt that we must make slip out of our memory but let the sound of that Arch-angels Trumpet sound in our eares Arise ye dead and come to judgement God to whom the secrets of all hearts are open is then to be the Iudge Vers. 6 the Mighty God even the Lord is to sit upon the Tribunal himself Vers. 1 Our God that hath been patient and long-suffering shall then manifest himself Vers. 3 Silence he will not keep but by his judiciary power he will vindicate and revenge all the deeds and sayings of perverse sinners And he will come in a terrible manner for before him shall go a fire that shall consume and purge the whole world A day it will be of darkness and gloominess a mighty tempest will go before him and the whole frame of the universe will be in a Commotion How shall then our hearts fail us for fear Vers. 1 when the heaven and earth shall be call'd to as Witnesses against us the heaven whose light and influences we have enjoyed but been unthankful the earth whose various fruits and beneficence we might have used but have abused All his creatures at that day will declare his righteousness and proclaim that we are a rebellious people Out of that celestial habitation and that Zion which is above Vers. 2 shall our God appear in perfect beauty His Saints Vers. 2 and those who have made a Covenant with him shall be gather'd round about him When all the workers of iniquity shall call to the Hills to cover them and the Mountains to hide them from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his Majesty O most Merciful and Gracious God Vers. 22 give us an understanding heart to consider this Never suffer us to forget thee that that day-come not upon us unawares snatch us not away to condemnation from which if we dye in our sins no man is able to deliver us Keep us O Lord with thy mighty hand that when in words we profess to know thée in déeds we deny not let us never consent to the Thief nor partake with the Adulterer far be it from us to give our mouths to evil and our tongues to frame deceit let us not join with the malicious and factious and sit and speak against our brother or detract and slander our mothers son never let such obdurate obstinacy seize upon our hearts that we hate instruction or cast thy words behind us These are sins inconsistent with grace and evident Arguments of a reprobate soul those that abuse thy patience and long-suffering commit them and that have profane thoughts of the Divine Majesty defile themselves with them Against all sinners but these especially thou hast testified these thou hast reproved keep me therefore O Lord from these presumptuous sins Thou art God even my God when thou speakest give me an ear to hear and what thou commandest give me a will to do O let me glorifie thee and order my Conversation aright that I may obtain salvation I have grievously sinned and wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before my God Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings with calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or ten thousand Rivers of oyle All the Beasts of the Forrest are
before the Jewes but now all universally Sing unto God ye Kingdoms of the Earth O sing praises to the Lord. Selah And that all Nations do it His Reasons 2. His Reasons to perswade it 1. The Majesty of God testified 1. 1 The Majesty of God By his works To him that rides upon the Heaven of Heavens which were of old 2. 2 His protection His power in his Thunder in his Word He doth send forth his voyce and that a mighty voyce 2. His wise protection and providence to his people Ascribe ye the power to God his excellency is over Israel and his strength is in the Cloud 3. 3 His goodness to his Church His communication of himself to his Church in particular 1. O Lord thou art terrible out of thy holy places 2. The God of Israel is he that gives strength and power to his people 3. Blessed be God with that Epiphonema he concludes The Prayer collected out of the sixty eight Psalm O God in Majesty terrible in thy protection of thy people most merciful since thy power is so great thy presence so powerful that at the blasting of the breath of thy Nostrils thy enemies vanish as a vapour when it is raised to the highest and those that hate thée haste from thy presence Why art thou absent from us why sléepest thou in this néedful time of trouble O Lord awake and arise for us and scatter our nay thy enemies they hate not us Ver. 1 but thée and thy Law and Ordinances make them to flie from thy face drive them away as smoke as wax consumes and melts before the fire Ver. 2 so let the wicked perish at thy presence O God so shall the righteous have just occasion to rejoyce Ver. 3 they shall rejoyce before thee their God they shall be exceedingly joyful O God Thou art infinite in thy Essence wonderful in thy works most merciful in thy wayes to the sons of men Thou ridest above upon the Heavens when we crawle upon this Dunghill of Earth Thou art Jehovah and hast a being in thy self a time there was when we were not and the time will come when we shall not be and what we are at present we have from thée O let us live then and we will praise thée Turn away thy wrath from us and we will rejoyce before thee and sing praises to thy Name As Orphans we are in this World be thou our Father as Widows be thou our Husband Ver. 5 destitute we are without any humane help left alone and solitary O gather us into Families and Societies for our rebellions against thée bound we are with Chains and brought into a dry Land hear the groans and sighs we send up unto thée and out of thy holy habitation make it appear that thou art present with us look upon the humble consider thy dispersed and distracted people have pity on the Widows and Orphans and let us dwell once more together in peace unity and plenty O God Ver. 7 when thou wentest before thy people Israel when thou didst lead them through the Wilderness then thou didst march before them in a cool Cloud by day and in a Pillar of fire by night the dull and heavy earth was moved at thy presence the Heavens drop't Manna the Clouds shot forth lightnings even Sinai it self trembled when thou gavest thy Law unto thy people and after thou brought'st them into a wealthy Land O Lord thy power is yet the same and thy goodness immutable go out before us a sinful Nation and yet thy people as thou didst rain down Manna for them so also we beg of thée to send us necessaries from above and let this our Land that hath béen long afflicted with many evils enjoy a quiet peace and her inhabitants the fruits of peace confirm us Lord in that inheritance which thou hast given us let thy Congregation dwell therein and of thy goodness not for our merits prepare and provide meat and rayment for thy people that hath béen long oppressed by Tyrants We have heard with our ears O God and our Fathers have told us what thou hast done in their time of old great is the company that have published in our hearing that by thy mighty power Kings with their Armies did flie and haste away and that thou hast given the spoil to be divided among thy Houshold-servants This puts us in hope that we even we that have béen for a long time cast aside as the off-scouring of all things and black and inglorious by many pressures shall yet be called for again and set in our inheritances our Dove-like and innocent faces shine as silver and glister as gold the Snow upon the top of Salmon shall not be so white as shall our innocence when thou by these afflictions hast purged away out dross and melted away our tin Such a mercy we cannot expect for our own sakes for we are a sinful people but Lord remember Zion and be gracious to Jerusalem This is the Hill of God in this thou desirest to dwell this thou hast chosen to dwell in for ever Shall then the other Hills insult over it shall the Kings of the Nations and pride of Tyrants trample it to the dust Thy Chariots O God are twenty thousands even thousands of Angels and thou Lord art among them as in Sinai Now Lord shew thy self in glory ascend on High get the victory and triumph over the enemies of thy-Church lead them Captives that have captiv'd us and make them bring and offer thee gifts that have robbed thy Temples and so change the hearts of the rebellious That thou Lord may'st dwell among them and be acknowledged and worshipped by them Bring thy people O Lord out of their troubles as thou of old didst deliver thy chosen from the fury of Og the King of Bashan or thy people Israel from the hands of Pharoah that pursued them to the depths of the red Sea Wound the head of thy enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his wickedness let thy Beloved wash their feet in the blood of their enemies and let the very Dogs lick their blood wisely they wrought against us conceiving they had inclosed us but thou art our God the God of our Salvation to thée belongs and thou hast shewed that there be in thy power many issues from death for where the help of man hath failed Thou hast reached forth thy hand and delivered us from the jaw of the Lyon and the paw of the Boar Blessed then be the Lord which daily loads us with benefits even the God of our salvation Make thy Word perfect O our God rebuke the multitude of the Spear-men restrain the fury of those whose rage and anger against us is no less than that of enraged Bulls still the tumults of the people scatter all those that delight in War for thy Temples sake at Jerusalem be propitious unto us and strengthen that O God which
things for the best to his people although in the midst of calamities and troubles he seems to desert them 2. And that we may know that he did this from his heart he seals it with a double Amen Amen Amen So I wish so be it The Prayer collected out of the eighty ninth Psalm O God the Habitation of whose Throne is justice and equity and before whose face Mercy and Truth are perpetual attendants we unworthy wretches yet thy Servants do beseech thee that the effects of these thy attributes may be evidently séen in the gathering féeding amplifying protecting Vers. 1 and preserving thy Catholique Church So shall we sing of thy mercies for ever and with our mouths will we make known thy faithfulness to all generations Out of mercy thou hast béen moved to make a Covenant with thy elect that thou set thy Son upon the Throne of his father David and thou hast established with an Oath his seed and built up his Kingdom to all generations He is that mighty one on whom thou hast laid help He is that thy chosen whom thou hast exalted Thou art his Father and he is thy first-born Let then thy hand establish him with thy arm strengthen him Exalt the Throne of him whom thou hast anointed with thy Holy Oyle and make him higher than the Kings of the earth Make his seed to endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven Suffer not the enemy to exact upon him not the son of wickedness to afflict him Of this his séed this Kingdom in which we live is a principal part and our King a principal member Vers. 38 But now thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast been wroth with thine Anointed Thou hast seemed to make void the Covenant which thou hast made with thy Servant Thou hast prostituted his Diadem as if it were a profane thing and cast his Crown and Royal dignity to the ground and suffered it to be trampled upon by the feet of scorners Thou hast broken down his Forts and brought to ruine his strong holds Those fortifications which under thy protection were wont to be a safe-guard from the enemy are surprized demolished and razed So that every one that passeth by hath an opportunity to break into thy Vineyard and riot among the Vines every one liberty to fill his hand with spoile and rapine His adversaries are many and thou hast set up the power of their right-hand against him His enemies are mighty and thou hast given them occasion from their victories over him to rejoice Rejoice and triumph they do that thou hast blunted the edge of his sword and hast not given him victory in the battail It is their glory that thou-hast made his glory to cease and cast his Throne down to the ground These Tyrants boast these sons of Belial exult that thou hast shortned the dayes of his youth and covered him with dishonour How long Lord wilt thou hide thy self shall thy wrath burn like fire for ever We doubt not of thy power in thy mercy we hope Merciful God then raise up thy power and come amongst us O Lord God of hosts who is a strong Lord like unto thee or who among the sons of the mighty can be compared with thee Thou stillest the raging of the Sea when the waves thereof arise Thou hast overthrown that proud King of Egypt Pharaoh and destroyed many other thine enemies with a strong arm Strong is thy hand and high is thy right-hand Shew then thy strength in our weakness arise like a gyant refreshed with Wine and smite thine enemies in the hinder parts that their violence prevail no longer against us that they execute not their whole fury and hatred upon us To thée we who are men but of a short time call to for life To thée Vers. 47 we who now live but must shortly sée death earnestly cry to deliver our souls from the grave Hast thou made us for naught hast thou made all men in vain shall we draw out our short dayes in perpetual miseries Thou art our Father we are elected to be thy Sons let then thy faithfulness and thy mercy be with us Remember Lord the reproach of thy servants and how we do bear in our bosomes the rebukes of a profane people Remember that this reproach is cast upon thy name and the footsteps and long-suffering of thine Anointed is thereby slandered Remember Lord thy former loving-kindness which thou swarest to the seed of David in thy Truth Confess we do to our own shame that we have forsaken thy Law and have not walkt in thy Iudgements that we have broken thy Statutes and not kept thy Commandments and therefore we are content murmur not that thou visit our transgressions with the Rod and our iniquities with stripes but this is it we beg of thée that thou wouldst not utterly take from us thy loving-kindness nor suffer thy Truth to fail Break not thy Covenant nor alter the thing that is gone out of thy lips If the irreversible decrée be not past which we hope is not against this our Church yet let it stand for ever as the Sun and Moon those faithful Witnesses in heaven with the Catholique and never let the gates of hell prevail against it We know and believe that thou art a merciful God long-suffering and of great goodness and therefore in all things we suffer ready we are to say with thy servant Job The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken Blessed be Jehovah Amen Amen The end of the third book of the Psalms according to the Hebrews The fourth book of the Psalms follow PSAL. XC 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE inscription makes Moses to be the Author of this Psalm and because here is mention made in it of the Mortality of man the fragility of his nature and the brevity and misery of his life which proceeded from the wrath of God moved to cut off his life and punish him while he lives for his iniquity conceiv'd it is that Moses composed it upon some notable disobedience and rebellion of Israel while they were in the Wilderness for which God brought upon them an exemplary vengeance whether that of Corah Dathan or Abiram or the plague that consumed them for making the golden Calf or as the common opinion is for their murmuring upon the return and report of the Spies Numb 14. For which God sent a plague among them or else when God smote the people with a very great plague at Kibroth Hattaavah Numb 11. Which of these it was is uncertain One of these is supposed to be the occasion of the composition and that which moved God to indignation which Moses deprecates in the end and prayes to God to return and shew favour to his people There be four parts of this Psalm 1. An ingenious acknowledgment of Gods protection of them ver 1 2. 2. A lively Narration of the mortality of man his fragility and brevity of his life together with
now and at the day of judgement Jehovah is become the Supreme King and all other Kings and Powers become his Vassals and Servants A benefit so great that he moves the world to be glad of it Let the earth rejoice let the multitude of the Isles that is the inhabitants of both be glad thereof All men wheresoever and whatsoever for if they be oppressed by Tyrants yet the Lord they serve is Mightier the Kingdom is his all Power in heaven and earth given into his hands and he can repress and bring into order the proudest Tyrants He hath this name written on his thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 For the good 2. And 't is most certain that he will make use of his Scepter for the good of his Subjects and for the confusion and ruine of their and his enemies which is often done in this life but if deferr'd for some reasons best known unto him yet it shall be certainly done at the last day when his appearance will be very terrible yet comfortable to His. For 1. Clouds and darkness shall be round about him Vers. 2 as it was when he gave the Law in Sinai Of his Subjects 2. Righteousness and Judgement the habitation the Basis of his Throne 1. Righteousness justly to pass sentence in the defence of his people And so comfortable to them 2. Judgement to be poured out upon his enemies And so a terrible day to them 3. A fire goeth before him and burns up his enemies round about Vers. 3 His lightnings enlightned the world the earth saw it and trembled The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth For the confusion of his enemies In which three verses are set down the terror of that day as it is described Mat. 24 29 c. 2 Pet. 2.10 c. Psal 18.7 c. Which fire yet shall not hurt the godly it shall burn up only his enemies as is here said 4. And at this day the heavens declare his righteousness When his appearing shall be glorious when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and the Trump of God 1 Thess 4. 2. And all people his glory appearing in the clouds of heaven with all the Angels about him when every knee of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth shall bow unto him Phil. 2. 2. Upon the consideration of Christs Soveraignty The second part Upon which the Prophet and his glorious appearance at the last day our Prophet imprecates and exhorts 1. He imprecates that confusion and a curse may fall upon all Idolators Confounded be all they that serve carved Images Vers. 7 and boast themselves of Idols Which is indeed their shame 1 Imprecates 2. 2 Exhorts He exhorts Adore him all ye gods ye that excell in power on earth ye Angels that excell in power in heaven adore worship invocate submit to this King For this was and ought to be the practice of Gods people 1. Vers. 8 Sion heard of it heard that the Lord reigned that he would come to judge the quick and dead 3 And the people of God exult that Idolators should be confounded that Christ only was to be adored and rejoiced at it and was very well pleased with the News and desired it should be so 2. Vers. 9 The daughters of Judah that is the people of God rejoiced because of thy judgements O Lord did exult because thou O Lord do'st judge all men with a just judgement 3. But that which did most of all excite and heighten their joy was the exaltation of Christ to the Throne that the Lord of Gods people was now to be the Supreme Lord. Glad they were because Thou O Lord art high above all the earth high above all Kings and earthly Monarchs that thou art exalted far above all gods i. e. far above all Angels who are called gods by participation and far above all Devils who are worshipped as gods by an error of judgement 3. The third part The Character by which Gods people may be known At the eighth verse he made mention of the Church and call'd them Zion he spoke of the people of God under the name of the daughters of Judah and he saith they did exult and rejoice at it But that no man footh up himself with this Title for there be many who lay claim to Zion that belongs not to Zion and seem to rejoice that Christ is King who wish in their hearts it were otherwise Vers. 10 The Prophet sets down an infallible Character by which the Elect may be known viz. The Love of God and the infallible consequent of it The Hatred of evil to which he exhorts Ye that love the Lord hate evil 1. 1 They love God O you that make God your choice and Christ your King not feinedly but truly not with the lips alone but with the heart that fear and worship God not according to the external work but according to the Spirit of the Law 2. 2 They hate evil See that ye hate evil 't is not sufficient to fly it to decline from it but you must detest and hate it which without the work of the heart will never be done For the heart is the fountain of all actions good or bad from it before God they have their denomination and acceptance As out of the heart proceeds the love of the chief good so out of the heart again proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries c. Mat. 15. And that we lend the easier ear to this counsel The reward for this work the Prophet proposeth two great rewards to those that love the Lord and hate evil 1. Enemies they have in this life that hate them that seek to oppress thâ—m against these God promiseth protection from these deliverance 1. Vers. 10 He preserveth the souls of his Saints often their lives but alwayes their souls 1 Preservation which is a benefit beyond the other The Accuser of the brethren shall not hurt them 2. He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked sometime out of their hand that they fall not into it and sometime out of their hand when they are in it Ovis erepta lupo Now this is their first reward 2. Vers. 11 A second reward there is in the next verse That in their miseries they shall be fill'd with content 2 In miseries they shall find comfort and find comfort when they little expected it but then they must be righteous and upright in heart 1. 1 Light content Light is sown for the righteous or as the old Translator reads out of the Septuagint Light is risen up to the righteous The diversity as Moller and Bellarminâ— arose out of the nearness of the two Hebrew words Zarahh and Zarach Zarahh signifying Seminare and Zarach oriri
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
are the dayes of thy servant How long shall this affliction endure when shall the dayes of this tentation and misery be at an end this persecution be over 2. When wilt thou execute judgement he means temporal punishments on them that persecute me O let me not dye comfortless but let me see that thou art a God of judgement and men behold that there is a reward for the righteous 3. And in the next verse he describes them from their qualities Vers. 5 1. They were proud Men that would endure no yoke of God Who are 1. Proud of man 2. Subtile They digg'd pits For their advantage 2 Subtile submit to any base office crouch and bow Psa 104.10 Absolon abased himself 3. Impious men for the courses they took against him 3 Impious were not according to Gods Word They digg'd pits for me which were not after thy Law 'T is some comfort yet that we have those men our enemies that are enemies to God and whose actions are displeasing to him 4. For they are contrary to thy Law For all thy Commandments are true nay truth it self and they a false generation 5. And yet these are the men that persecute me He prayes for seasonable help but they do it wrongfully 6. Therefore O Lord help me Help me against their treachery 7. And it is but time For their malicious cruelty is unsatiable they have not only troubled me but had almost consumed me upon earth 8. The comfort yet is that it is not done because I forsook not thy precepts 3. He shuts up all with a Petition that he makes often in this Psalm 3 He petitions for strength 1. Quicken me And it may seem strange that so often he should acknowledge himself as it were a dead man and desire God to put life into him But to a child of God every desertion and decay of strength seems a death so desirous they are to live to God that when they fail in it and are dismabled they account themselves as it were dead and pray the Lord for life Quicken me And promiseth obedience 2. Quicken me after thy loving-kindness he opposeth Gods kindness to his enemies malice and it is comfortable I am troubled with their malice for thy sake and therefore I crave to be refreshed by thy kindness In that there is comfort enough Psa 52.1 3. So shall I keep the Testimonies of thy mouth So that is quickned by thee for otherwise there was in him no strength to obey no more than a dead man doth the actions of a natural life The Prayer O Merciful God while that help and salvation Vers. 1 which we alone expect from thée is delayed and with-held from us our very souls have fainted within us To thée we look day and night and our eyes are bent toward heaven in expectation of thy promises O Lord when wilt thou comfort us Our body languisheth our skin is furrowed into wrinkles no bottle in the smoke is more dryed up than is our flesh while we look and long for help from thy hand Proud men the sons of Belial that have shaked off the yoke have digg'd pits for our life They wrongfully persecute us They have almost consumed us upon the earth O Lord how many are the dayes of thy servants How long shall this affliction endure when shall the dayes of this tentation and misery be at an end when wilt thou execute jugement on them that persecute us Help us O Lord for we hope in thy Word arise and deliver us for we have not forgotten nor yet will forsake thy Statutes This we have resolved on Vers. 3.7 this we have decréed but to perform this resolution of our selves we are not able no more than a dead man is to execute the actions of the living Quicken us then with thy Grace according to thy loving-kindness and infiniteness of thy mercy and so will we kéep thy Testimonies which thou hast made known unto us by thine own finger and left unto us by the mouth of thy own Son Iesus Christ our Lord. 12. LAMECH THIS Octonary is an Encomium of the Word of God The Contents and of the perfection thereof which he commends from the immutability and constancy thereof 2. Then from the comfort he received from it in his trouble 1. Gods Word immutable both In the three first verses the Prophet shewes That Gods Word is immutable by an instance in the creatures 1. Ver. 1 In the Heavens For ever O Lord thy Word is setled in Heaven For the Heavens were made by his Word In heaven and earth and continue in the same frame they were made by his Word to this day 2. In the Earth Whose foundations are yet immoveable Thy faithfulness is unto all Generations Ver. 2 Thou hast established the earth and it abideth 3. Ver. 3 They Heaven and Earth both continue this day according to thy Ordinance 4. The Reason is For all things serve thee Thy creatures they are and thou their Lord Creator they then must be at thy Beck and Command 2. 2 It brought him comfort in his trouble Next he shewes the excellent perfection of Gods Word by a rare effect it had upon himself it gave him comfort and kept him from despair in his trouble he collected it from the former instances thus if the Word of God sustained the Heaven and the Earth he saw no reason but it might also sustain him and so leaning upon it he was delighted in it and that delight held him up he knew it would be an Anchor of hope that would not fail him Vnless thy Law had been my delight Ver. 4 I should have perished in my trouble This he knew he could not do because God had promised him the contrary no such comfort in trouble as Gods Word and Promise this will abide when other fails 3. Upon this comfort he vowes Upon which joy and comfort first he makes a promise of thankfulness he had found life in Gods Word and he resolves never to forget it 1. Ver. 5 I will never forget thy precepts that men forget them is because they find no heart in them 2. 1 Never to let it slip out of his memory His Reason is For with them thou hast quickned me He saith not the Word quickned him but God by his Word For the Word quickens not till Gods Spirit come to it Vitam gratiae augendo vitam gloria promittendo 2. 2 To be Gods servant Then next he devotes himself to be Gods servant for the present and for ever 1. Ver. 6 I am thine And I do and will serve no other Lord no base pleasure no profit nor the World nor the flesh nor the Devil and therefore I can with a good conscience ask 2. O save me It is for a Lord to protect and save his servant 3. And that I am thine is evident in this that I am ready to do thy Will For
love that he hath saved them from the Jaw of the Lyon and the Paw of the Bear or else in the midst of their afflictions an inward sense and perswasion of Gods good will and love to them with which being content they can sing even in the Prison and rejoyce under the Whip No man is able to express but he that feels it the joy and content of that soul which is fully perswaded that he hath peace with God load such a man with chains tear his flesh with Whips threaten Fire Swords Rackâ— Halters present him with the grim face of Death he smiles and laughs and rejoyceth That he may be accounted worthy to suffer for Chrisâ—s sake And hath not such a soul reason to sing in misery David had experience of both No man in greater troubles no man more strangely delivered he might well then sing Psalms for that in the greatest of his dangers he had a full assurance of Gods love and good will to him and this enlarged his heart to sing Thy Statutes have been my Songs in the house of my Pilgrimage This difference then the Book of Psalms hath from other parts of Scripture That whereas they may be read and repeated even by carnal minds these can never be heartily sung except by spiritual men and such who have had experience of Gods good will either in their deliverance or else the sense of comforts in their greatest extremities They then are unapt to sing these spiritual Songs who are no more affected with what David sings than as if Gods Providence Protection Love and Goodness did no way concern them Sect. Enough I hope I have said to make you in love with this Book for if either the utility or profit of it can move you or the sweetness of the harmony in it work upon you then you cannot choose but prize it as a Celler full of precious Oyle whereby all your necessities may be provided for or a Tree or rather a whole Paradise of Trees of life which bring forth fruits every Month nay every day and houre whose fruit is fit for meat and leaves for medicine And what marvel the Original thereof being from Heaven not Earth the Author God not man the Indicter the Holy Spirit not the wit of David the Matter verity piety purity uprightness the Form Gods Word the Word of Truth the Word of Salvation the Effects light of understanding stableness of perswasion repentance from dead works newness of life holiness joy peace in the Holy Ghost Lastly the end and reward and study thereof fellowship with the Saints participation of the heavenly Nature fruition of an immortal Inheritance that never shall fade away Happy is that man that delights in the Scriptures in this Scripture and thrice happy is that man who meditates in it day and night Now that your Meditations may be more fruitful it will not be amiss that you know before hand that these things about this holy Book The Authority the Author the Sense the Division or Order of this Book DE AUTHORITATE 1. Sect. Of the Authority I shall need say but very little since our Saviour himself hath given it an ample Testimony Luke 24.44 These were the words that I spake unto you while I was with you That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Where you see that the old Testament is integrale totum it admits of three limbs The Pentateuch writ by Moses the greater part writ by the Prophets and the Psalms writ by David and all these testifie of Christ and the Psalms especially there being not any one Book out of which more Testimonies are produced and therefore was alwayes and must be continued in the Canon DE AUTHORE And you may remember that I but now said David was the Author of them which may not yet be so understood as if he penn'd them all for some of them were penn'd in and after the Captivity but his they are said to be à parte praestantiori as denominations use to run because he composed the greatest part of them and was so excellent in expressing himself this way that he alone was called the Psalmist DE DIVISIONE ORDINE These as it is conceived Esdras after the Captivity collected and cast them into that Order they now stand One Book he composed of them which by the Jewes was for what reason I know not subdivided into five Tracts The first from Psal 1. to 42. The second from 42. to 73. The third from 73. to 90. The fourth from 90. to 107. The fifth to the end At the end of each there is an Hallelujah Amen hoc primum medium ultimum The whole contains One hundred and fifty Psalms so say Herom Remigins August the Master of the Sentences for some mystery in the Number but as Chrysostom thought in the Honour of the Trinity but Rupert for the Trinity of the three Theological Virtues Faith Hope and Charity to which three Graces he reduceth all the Psalms But Thomas hath another conceit This was done saith he to shew the threefold state of Gods faithful people they are in a state of Repentance Righteousness Glory Penitents they are and that state enas in Psal 50. Miserere mei Deus Psal 51. Justified persons they are and that hath the limit at the 100. Misericordiam Judicium and in their Glory they are and then they sing to the end Omnis Spiritus laudet Dominum But the best Division of these is that of Villa Vincentius who for use reduceth them to these six Classes or Heads 1. Sect. Some of them are simply Didactici or Paranaetici which teach what we are to follow what to avoid According to the letter of Moses Law Vice they condemn and de finibus bonorum disserunt as the 1 11 14 15 32 36 49 50 51 62 73 77 78 84 90 99 101 119 127 130 131 133 134. 2. Sect. Some of them are Prophetical and contain Predictions of Christ of the different state of the Church and Saints of their Persecutions and their liberty and deliverance and the utter destruction of their Enemies as Psal 2 5 8 9 16 19 21 22 24 29 40 41 45 47 53 59 67 68 72 87 89 93 95 96 97 98 100 113 117 145. 3. Sect. Some are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precatorii in which the Prophet and all depressed souls do implore the mercy of God seek remission of sins and deliverance from danger and preservation of the Church 3 8 6 7 10 12 13 17 20 25 26 28 31 35 38 39 42 43 44 51 54 55 56 57 61 63 64 69 70 71 74 79 80 81 83 85 86 88 94 102 119 120 123 132 133 140 141 142 143. 4. Sect. Others are Consolatory speaking of Repentance of the expectation of deliverance of good men of the Promises Goodness Justice Judgments of God and of that ruine that will fall upon
discipline and science strength defence that he had from god 4. from the safe custody that in the battle he receiv'd no wound Vers. 36 5. From the success of the battle He had his enemies in chase Vers. 37 and follow'd them in pursuit 6. From the greatness of his Victory Vers. 38 it was a compleat and full Conquest For by it his enemies were taken consumed wounded not able to rise they fell under his feet subdues their necks brought down c. 7. From the cause in which he takes nothing â—o himself but attributes the whole to God Thou hast girded me c. Thou hast subdued Thou hast given me the necks of my enemies Which is indeed acknowledged through the whole Psalm 2. The Consequent upon this Victory The consequent of the Victory viz. The enlargement of his Kingdom was the propagation and enlargement of Davids Kingdom 1. That before these Victories there was murmuring at him by the people but now being a Conquerour they were all quiet Thou hast deliver'd me from the strivings of the people His Crown was quiet Vers. 43 2. He was exalted to be the head of heathen Moabites Ammonites c. serv'd him Vers. 44 3. Nay a people whom I have not known Aliens shall serve me nay assoon as they hear of me they shall obey me c. Vers. 45 4. 'T is true indeed they shall dissemble in it and do it for fear more than love and take every occasion to fall off and fade away But yet however they shall do it submit and be content to serve me The fourth part Davids Doxology for his Victories The last part contains the main Scope and intent of David in this Psalm which is to celebrate and extoll the Name and Mercy of God for his Victories And it hath two parts 1. His present thanksgiving 2. And his profession for the future 1. The Lord liveth and blessed be my Rock Vers. 46 and let the God of my salvation be exalted And to that end in the two next verses he maketh mention again of his Victories and attributes the whole success to God 2. And he professeth that he will never cease to do it no not among the heathen Therefore I will give thanks to thee among the heathen and sing praises c. 3. And he professeth that he had great reason to do it Great deliverance giveth he to his King His one of his own chaise And sheweth mercy to his Anointed Uncto suo to David And not to David a lone but to his seed for evermore An 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Thanksgiving for some great Victory collected out of Psalm 18. O Lord whose eyes are brighter ten thousand times than the Sun thou who beholdest all the wayes of the children of men and wilt reward every man according to his doings Vers. 25 who to the good and innocent wilt shew thy self good and merciful and to the perverse and froward wilt shew thy self averse and severe We thy afflicted people have in the depth of our sorrows cryed unto thée and thou hast out of thy goodness saved us and hast brought down the high looks of the proud The sorrows of imminent death and the incursions of furious men like torrents of water encompassed us the snares they laid for us made us afraid the grave was open and ready to swallow us But in these our distresses we call'd upon the Lord and cryed unto our God and he heard us out of his holy dwelling in Heaven and the cry of our ardent and instant supplication was heard by him accepted and granted Lord when thou wentest out against our enemies when thou marchedst out into the field against Edom Vers. 13 the earth trembled and the heavens dropt the Lord also thunder'd from heaven and the highest gave his thunder hail-stones and coals of fire From Vers 7. to 15. He fought from Heaven the Starres in their courses fought against Sisera O my soul thou hast troden down strength For O Lord the Earth the Heavens the Mountains the lightning the thunder the dark and thick clouds the wind and rain the bail-stones and tempests all have obey'd thy voice and conspired at thy command to the destruction of our enemies to tear them to scatter them to discomfit them They were too strong for us Vers. 16 they took all advantages against us in the day of our trouble and weakness but then thou Lord wert our Protector and Defender even then he reached us his hand and help from Heaven he sent his Angels from above he took us he drew us he deliver'd he fréed us from our strongest Enemies from those who hated us from those bitter calamities which like many waters did environ our souls And he brought us out of these straits into a large and safe place he deliver'd us even because he had a favour unto us Thou Lord out of thy frée love and mercy hast done it So it was because so Lord it pleased thée What shall we give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto us Assist us with thy Grace and we will from henceforth keep thy wayes and not depart from our God as the wicked do His judgements shall alway be before us and we will not put away his Statutes from us We will walk more closely and uprightly with our God and keep ourselves from our own iniquity even from the temptation of that bosome-sin with which we have been hitherto defiled For then we know that the Lord will reward us after our righteous dealing and integrity according to the cleanness of our hearts and hands in his eye-sight We will therefore love thee Vers. 1 O Lord our strength for thou art our Rock and our Fortress and our Deliverer thou art our God our strong hold in thee will we trust our Buckler and the horn of our Salvation and our high Tower For who is God save the Lord Vers. 31 or who is the Rock save our God It is God that hath girded and arm'd us with strength and blessed us to make his work perfect He hath given us expedition in our actions and power to possess the strongest Fortresses He hath taught and instructed us in the art of Warre and fitted our arms making them in strength like a bow of steel nimble to shoot dextrous to hit and kill the enemy And in the very mouth of danger thou hast given us thy salvation for a shield and the power of thy right hand hath upholden and sustained us Vers. 36 that we fell not and thy favour hath made us great increased us in power and dignity We séemed to be inclosed and shut up in inexecrable difficulties but thou hast enlarg'd our steps and in these slippry places not suffered our féet to flide In thy name and power it is that we have pursued our enemies Vers. 37 that our féet being not wearied in the pursuit we have overtaken them that we have not turn'd again till we have
altogether Out of all which David concludes that it is both precious and sweet Ver. 10 1. The price of it beyond the best gold More to be desired it is than gold Precious Sweet yea than much fine gold obrizo the gold of Ophir 2. The sweetness thereof beyond honey than the honey-comb 3. Yea and besides all this Ver. 11 he shews upon his own experience the excellency of it Moreover by them is thy servant taught probatum est 4. Nay such is the fruit benefit use of it Beneficial to those that keep it That the observers of it are like to be well rewarded no man shall serve God for nought For in keeping of them there is Merces a reward 2. Ampla Merces a great reward 3. But these last words set David to his prayers What a reward The third part Yea but David kept it not a great reward only to those who keep Gods Law My conscience then tells me that the reward belongs not to me for I cannot plead this observance In many things we sin all and I among the many There were but these wayes to help him Confession Petition for Grace and Faith and these he makes use of 1. An offender he was known sins he had too many Ver. 12 and many more that he knew not and even for these he asked pardon This he confesseth desiring to be quit of them not only from the guilt but the filth Who can tell or understand his Errours 2 Asks pardon Cleanse thou me from secret faults 2. However so long as he carried about him this body of sin Ver. 13 he could not choose but erre upon ignorance infirmity c. 3 Begs grace against presumption yet he petitions for so much grace that he may not maliciously offend Keep back also thy servant from presumptuous sins 1. Because the effect would be lamentable sin would become a King For then sin wold domineer and reign in him and reign in his mortal body which is inconsistent with grace Keep back c. Ne lest they get the dominion the upper hand over me command rule and I obey and become a drudge a slave a vassal to sin 2. This is the great offence a sin not of a small size And make him guilty of the great offence therefore keep back thy servant from these sins and then however I be a sinner and guilty yet I shall be innocent from the great offence 3. Lastly that his prayer be heard he begs also he prayes for his prayer Ver. 14 and the meditations of his heart Let the words of my mouth 4 That God would accept his prayer and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight And that which put him in heart notwithstanding his many Errours to do it to pray to trust to confess was because the Lord was his Strength Who was his Strength and Redeemer his Redeemer 1. His Strength his Rock to keep him that he fell not 2. His Redeemer if he did fall In the words he coucheth two benefits 1. Conservation 2. Acceptance of his person through Christ and expresseth his faith The Prayer out of the nineteenth Psalm O God thou art a gracious God to the sons of men and because this is life Eternal to know thee to be the only God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ That man perish not in his ignorance Thou hast revealed thy self unto him in the Book of Nature and in the Scripture The Heavens declare the Glory the Wisdom the Goodness Ver. 1 the Power of thee their Creatour and that ample whéel of the Firmament bestudded with infinite variety of Stars of several Magnitudes doth manifest that they are the work of thy hands and not of any inferiour power They speak to us day after day Ver. 2 and night after night and plentifully teach the knowledge of thee The constant and perpetual succession of times and seasons caused by the uncessant motion of those great luminaries inform us that there is a wise and infinite power that over-rules them Neither do they speak thy glory in an unknown tongue or whisper thy power and wisdom in a low voyce or to some people only but they proclaim it in every Language and Idiom they roar it louder than the voyce of Thunder in all mens ears Ver. 3 there is nor speech nor language nor Nation nor people that may not hear their voyce and understand their language Their light Ver. 4 their constant and perpetual motion their efficacy and general influence is so admirable and well known that their direction is gone out through all the Earth and their words to the end of the World But among all those celestial bodies there is not any which doth so clearly set forth thy Majesty as that bright Globe of the Sun in which thou hast as it were Ver. 5 set up thy Throne and Tabernacle whose lustre and splendour being far more beautiful than that of a Bridegroom Ver. 6 when he comes out of his Chamber whose motion is so swift that in a few houres it cometh from one end of Heaven to another and runneth to the end of it again whose heat is so vigorous that there is nothing hid from the power and vertue of it proclaim and preach to the World that there is a wise and potent God who by his power made and by his wise providence disposeth rules and orders all things in Heaven and Earth Thou then O God hast not left thy self without witness for the invisible things of thée from the Creation of the World are clearly séen even thy eternal Power and Godhead being understood by the things that are made whence we confess that we are left without excuse For we ought to have béen perswaded by the authority and obedience of these thy Creatures to love to honour to fear thée and to adhere unto thée alone but wrethes as we are little regarding these good instructions and instructors we have followed the counsels of our own hearts and béen seduced by our own vain imaginations with the Fool we have said privately to our selves There is no God But such was thy goodness and care of us an ungrateful Generation that in mercy pitying this our carelessness and that which followed upon it our misery and deviation from thée thou hast set us over a better Tutour from whom we might not only learn to know thée but a way to live well here and a way to live for ever Ver. 7 Thou gavest us in mercy thy Law which is a perfect Master and able to convert the soul this is a sure Teacher and can make wise the simple These thy Commandments are pure Ver. 8 and admit no admixtion of false-doctrine false-worship Ver. 9 or iniquity These thy Commandments are right and rejoyce the heart setling a quiet conscience These teach us thy fear in sincerity and Truth and they teach it for ever They enlighten the eyes and keep
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
is a happy man Now whether he speaks of That is of compassionate bowels and applies the following particulars to the poor and needy or to the man that considers him Interpreters are doubtful the particular comforts are six 1. The Lord will deliver him in time â—f trouble Ver. 2 2. The Lord will preserve him that he faint not in his great troubles The particulars of his blessing 3. The Lord will keep him alive prolong his life and dayes 4. He shall be blessed upon earth God shall enrich him and bless his substance 5. Thou wilt not deliver him to the will of his enemies never to their will to their full desire though sometimes into their hands 6. The Lord will strengthen him upon the Bed of languishing Ver. 3 Thou wilt make his Bed in his sickness He shall have comfort in his grief and assurance of Gods favour in his sick Bed Now before he enters upon the second part The second part He petitions for mercy the complaint of the unkindness of men to him he offers a short ejaculation to God begging mercy health and pardon which he asks upon confession of his sins health he asks first for his soul that being healed from sin he doubts not it would go well with his body 1. Ver. 4 I said the Lord be merciful to me merciful to my sin 2. Heal my soul in which there is yet the sense of thy wrath 3. He complains of others malice And the Reason is because I have sinned against thee And the complaint of himself being ended he complains of others 1. Of their hatred and malice My enemies speak evil of me 2. Ver. 5 Of their cruelty they long for my death they say When shall he dye and his name perish 2 Cruelty They would have no memory left behind of me 3. 3 Perfidiousness Their perfidious dealing and dissimulation They come indeed to visit me but it is to fish what they can from me Ver. 6 to make their advantage of it If he comes to see me he speaks vanity all vain and feigned words for his heart gathereth iniquity to it self fraudulently searcheth my counsels for presently being gone abroad he openeth and tells all to my hurt 4. 4 Conspiracies Of their plots and conspiracies All that hate me whisper together against me Ver. 7 against me do they devise my hurt 5. 5 Joy at his miseries Their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exultation at his misery An evil disease say they cleaveth unto him and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more 6. 6 Of a perfidious friend Of the perfidiousness of some particular friend perhaps Achitophel Yea mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath lift up his heel against me I fed and fatted the Beast and he kicked at me And then he prayes The third part He prayes to God to raise him But thou O Lord be merciful unto me and raise me up which prayer he enforceth by these Reasons 1. That thereby as a King he should have power to do justice on Traytors That I may requite them 2. Ver. 10 By this he should have experience of Gods favour By this I know thou favourest me c. 3. Ver. 11 This will be a testimony unto me that thou favourest not only my person but my cause Ver. 12 As for me thou upholdest me in my integrity and seâ—tâ—st me before thy face for ever Then he closeth the Psalm with a Benedictus And concludes with a Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting Ver. 13 Amen Amen The Prayer collected out of the forty first Psalm O Merciful God Ver. 1 who shewedst compassion toward the compassionate and hast promised mercy to those who are merciful so stir my bowels within me that I may rejoyce with thy servants that rejoyce and mourn with those that mourn never let me behold any of thy servants in want distress misery and affliction but let me consider it seriously and wisely lay it to heart make his my own case and chearfully afford him that help and comfort which I would expect and desire my self if it should please thée to visit me with the same or the like affliction This very day is a day of blackness and heaviness of gloominess and sad affliction unto thy servants and Lord out of a fellow-feeling I lay it to heart I pray not for my self alone but for them also O Lord deliver them in this time of trouble preserve them and kéep them that they fall not into evil nor faint not under their pressures Ver. 2 Prolong their dayes that they may sée thy revenge upon their enemies and bless to them good God that little substance which the spoiler and destroyer hath yet left to them The malice of their enmies is unsatiable their desire is to root them out that they may be no more a people O never deliver them to their will nor leave them in their hands into which thou hast now brought them for some reasons best known to thée When thou shalt cast any of these upon his sick bed then stand by him and strengthen him and comfort him though his body languish yet let thy consolations refresh his soul if it so séems good to thée make him whole again however soften under him his Bed ease his pain and let him rest swéetly and quietly in thy arms Make thou for him his Bed in all his sickness Lord be merciful unto him heal his soul and let it not be wounded with a desperate sense of thy hot displeasure As thou hast made him an object of pity to us so make him an object of mercy to thée and in confessing his sin let him find ease and assurance of pardon Thou Lord knowest our enemies how many they are and how they bear a tyrannous hate against us they speak evil of us they imprecate evil against us The prolongation of our life is an eye-fore to them and the lengthning of our dayes a corrosive to their hearts They long for our death and wish the abolition of our names and memory from under Heaven They may come indéed sometimes to visit us and insinuate themselves into our company but it is not out of any good will for even then they lay snares for us The kind words they use are full of falshood and dissimulation their intent is thereby to dive into the counsels of our hearts that they make some narrative to our destruction They whisper and lay their heads together with one consent all that they devise is to do us mischief under their power and command they have brought us and now that we are down their plot is that we never rise again Yea and how many of us may justly say which is a great corrosive to our souls My own familiar friends whom I trusted which did eat of my bread whom I have fed at my Table
in heaven nor Monarch in earth his Peere For who in the heaven can be compared to thee O Lord Vers. 6 who among the sons of the Mighty i.e. Celestial Spirits can be likened to the Lord Which is so true that the very Angels fear and reverence his Majesty and ought to do it Vers. 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him And because this should be alwayes fix'd in our memory he comes over it again Vers. 8 vers 8. O Lord God of hosts who is strong like unto thee or to thy faithfulness round about thee 2. 2 No such Agent or Governor By his Agency in governing the world as for example First The Sea 1. Thou rulest the raging of the Sea when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them Thou brokest Rahab i. e. the Egyptian Pharaoh in pieces as one that is slain Thou hast scatter'd thine enemies with a strong arm viz. in the Red Sea 2. Heaven and earth The heavens are thine the earth also is thine 3. 3 No Creator but he alone By his Creation of all things As for the world and fulness thereof thou hast founded it The North and South thou hast created them Tabor and Hermon i. e. East and West shall rejoice in thy name And then he concludes this part of the Majesty and Power of God with this Epiphonema Thou hast a mighty arm strong is thy hand and high is thy right-hand 2. 2 The Subject of their praise is also his Attributes The other part of the praise which both the Prophet and the Angels sing to Gods honour is taken from his Attributes summ'd up in the 14. verse Justice and judgement are the habitation of his throne mercy and truth shall go before his face He presents God as a great King sitting in his Throne 1. The Basis of which is Justice and Judgement 2. The Attendants Mercy and Truth 1. Justice which defends his Subjects and does every one right 2. Judgement which restrains Rebels and keeps off injuries 3. Mercy which shews compassion pardons supports the weak 4. Truth that performs whatsoever he promiseth 4. The fourth part And in regard that God is powerful just merciful faithful he takes an occasion to set out the happy condition of Gods people that live under this King Blessed are the people In which rejoicing his people are happy divers wayes that know the joyful Sound do know that God is present with them and his Kingly Majesty is at hand to protect them The phrase is taken from Moses For the Law was given by sound of Trumpet The calling of the Feasts by sound of Trumpet At that sound they removed At that sound they assembled Balaam said Clangor Regis The sound of a King is among them Happy then are the people that know the joyful sound God present their King speaking ruling defending pardoning them That they are Happy the effects do evince which are 1. They shall walk in the light of thy countenance i. e. Though beset with troubles yet they shall walk confidently being assured of Gods favour 2. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day long Their joy is firm 3. In thy righteousness shall they be exalted They shall get a name strength In their Union and Communion with God they shall be happy Confident then joyful and strong they are in all temptations which yet they have not from themselves All is from God For Thou art the glory of their strength and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted Vers. 17 For the Lord is our defence the Holy One of Israel is our King 5. The Doxology being now ended The fifth part The Prophet enlarges himself on the Covenant made with David and the happiness of Gods people expressed and proved the Prophet now enlarges himself upon the Covenant formerly mentioned vers 4 5. exemplified in David but truly verified in Christ Which he continues to the 30 vers 1. Then i. e. when David was chosen to be King and invested with the Regal Robe Vers. 19 2. Thou spakest in Vision to thy Holy One. To Samuel for his anointing And saidst 3. I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people That is David in Type but Christ in the Antitype So explain'd I have found David my servant with my holy Oyle have I anointed him To which there follows the promises made to him The particulars of it 1. For his establishment and confirmation in the Throne With whom my hand shall be established mine arm also shall strengthen him 2. For protection against his enemies The enemy shall not exact upon him nor the son of wickedness afflict him 3. A Conquest over his enemies And will beat down his foes before his face and plague them that hate him 4. And that there be no doubt of the performance of these ample promises nor yet those that follow the Prophet interserts the cause viz. The Faithfulness and Mercy of God In Mercy he said it and it should so come to pass But my Faithfulness and Mercy shall be with him And now he goes on 5. His Horn shall be exalted He shall have as it were the strength of an Unicorn And this his exaltation appears 1. In the dilatation of his Empire I will set his hand also in the Sea and his right hand in the rivers i. e. From the Sea to Euphrates 2 Sam. 8. 2. In the Honour done him to call God Father his God his Rock He shall call me Thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my salvation 3. Then that God asserts and fixes this Prerogative upon him acknowledging him to be his Son his first-born Son Also I will make him my first-born higher than the Kings of the earth 4. In the perpetuity of his Kingdom which is rightly attributed to Gods mercy as vers 25. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him 5. In the promise made to his seed His seed also will I make to endure for ev er and his Throne as the dayes of heaven 6. And next the Prophet puts a Case and answers it The sixth part Object But what if Davids seed prove rebellious But what if Davids seed transgress Gods Covenant break his Laws violate his Statutes become rebels and disobedient will God then keep Covenant with them shall his seed endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of heaven To this doubt God answers from vers 30. to 38. shewing us how Davids seed if they transgress shall be dealt with 1. If his children forsake my Law That is my whole doctrine of Worship Religion Faith c. 2. And walk not in my judgements i. e. in those Laws which set out rewards and punishments 3. If they break my Statutes Those Statutes I have set down for my service
By the first the Metaphor is more hard by the second the more easie and sweet but the sence will be the same 1. By light then here is understood Gods favour the light of understanding truth goodness with the effect of it or that which ariseth from it comfort content of soul tranquility peace of conscience 2. Now this is sown as seed it often times lies hid under the clods but at last it shews it self 2. Or as light is obscured by some cloud which at length breaks forth or riseth to some height as the Sun in the morning The sence then is this Such a time there is when the just man may say Wisd 5. 6. The light of righteousness hath not shined unto us and the Sun of righteousness rose not upon us The favour of God hath seemed to us to be hid and buried as it were in disfavour But this saith our Prophet shall not be alwayes the favour of God is sow'd and it will spring up again The light of comfort of peace of conscience though it be clouded and darkned yet it will break forth and rise again 2. Again There shall be gladness for the upright in heart 2 Gladness of heart For uprightness doth direct and establish the heart whence there ariseth an ineffable joy in the conscience when a man is a Witness to himself that his will is conformable to Gods Will and all those things and only those things please him which please his God Which is the second reward or fruit that he reaps who loves God and hates evil 3. He concludes Therefore And out of these premises the Prophet draws his inference and conclusion which he forms into an advice Vers. 12 Since light and joy doth arise to those who are upright in heart and that joy is from God Then 1. You that are just rejoice not in the vanities of this world 1 Rejoice in the Lord. as do the unjust but rejoice in the Lord who gives you this justice 2 Be thankful and rewards it with this joy 2. Then again be thankful for it Give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness It is his holiness his righteousness not your own that you carry in your hearts and so often as this comes to your remembrance bless and thank him for it The Prayer collected out of the ninty seventh Psalm O Omnipotent Lord I never think of that great day when I must stand before thy Tribunal and render an account of my words thoughts and actions but my heart trembles for fear and my knees are ready to smite one against another Terrible thou wert upon Mount Sinai when thou gavest and terrible thou wilt be when thou wilt exact an answer for the breach of thy Law The clouds and thick darkness then round about thee amaze my sinful soul the fire that shall go before thee Vers. 2 and burn up thine enemies round about thee flasheth in my eyes the lightning darting out of the clouds Vers. 3 and the earth trembling under me makes me tremble Methinks I hear men call to the Mountains to cover them and the Hills to hide them from the severity of thy wrath but these Rocks of Stone dissolve and melt as Wax at thy presence at thy presence O Lord at the presence of thee who art the Lord of the whole earth My heart O Lord is hard like one of those Rocks hardned it is by the deceitfulness of sin send down into it the fire of thy holy Spirit that may dissolve and melt it as war and make it apt to receive thy impressions of grace of a hard heart make it soft and tender of a heart of stone make it a heart of flesh that I may hear thy Law and obey it that I may repent for the breaches of it and every day judge my self that I may not be judged of the Lord. Never let that day flip out of my memory when the heavens shall declare thy righteousness Vers. 6 and all the people see thy glory for then the whole world shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with all the Angels about him with the voice of the Arch-angel and the Trump of God when that general Summons shall be blown abroad Arise ye dead and come to judgement A day indéed this will be of darkness and gloominess a day of sorrow Vers. 7 and such as never was from the beginning of the world So in it self so to thy enemies so to Idolators These would not that thou shouldst reign over them Confounded therefore on that day be all they that serve graven Images and that boast themselves of Idols Thou art our King O God send help unto Jacob and we are sur◠thou wilt send help Vers. 2 because thou hast set up thy Kingdom for that end and reignest that thou mightest do good to those that are upright in heart Righteousness and judgement are the habitation of thy Throne Vers. 8 as in judgement thou wilt procéed against the workers of iniquity so wilt thou also in justice deal with all those that love the Lord and hate iniquity At the hearing of this it is that Zion rejoiced and the daughters of Judah were glad O make me one of the inhabitants of this Zion that I may lift up my head and not be amazed at the remembrance of that fearful day being fully assured that it shall be the day of my Redemption not my destruction O thou who shalt be my Iudge be my Saviour also preserve my soul and the souls of all thy Saints and deliver us out of the hand of the wicked Able thou art to do it for thou Lord art far above all the earth thou art exalted far above all gods If thou wilt thou canst save us and we believe thou wilt because it was the end thou camest into the world the end why thou sufferest that painful and shameful death of the Cross to save sinners Sinners O dear Saviour we are we desire in uprightness of heart to serve thée though we cannot shake off the sin that hangs so fast on yet we detest and hate it The consciousness of our guilt too often over clouds ou◠joy O let it break forth again and shew us the light of thy countenance the comforts of our souls are buryed under the thoughts of thy displeasure oh that the day were come that they might shoot again and spring up then would we hope though we sowed in tears yet we should reap in joy This if thou wilt grant us Then will we rejoice in thee our Lord and King and give thanks at the remembrance of thy righteousness thy holiness thy merits thy innocent life and undeserved death which alone we can trust to at that day PSAL. XCVIII Propheticus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm is an evident Prophecy of Christ's coming to save to judge the world and therefore the Church hath well subjoined
Canopy extended over his Throne sometimes in his Chariot drawn by the swiftest Horses with all his Nobles Ministers and Servants about him and attending his pleasure And in this manner he presents the Majesty of God which were the work of the first and second day for by that order he proceeds in setting forth Gods works viz. by the order of the dayes they are made 1. His Robe is the light the work of the first day which is the purest The second part the most beautiful the most glorious illustrious vivifical Ver. 2 chearful of all Gods Creatures with this he is cloathed as with a garment 1 Of the first day for he is light John 1.1 and be dwells in that inaccessible light that no man hath seen nor can see 1 Tim. 6. 2. His Pavision stretched round about him is the Heavens 2 Of the second day the work of the second day these as it were the Hangings the Curtains of his Chamber of Presence by his fiat and power stretched out Ver. 3 as we now see them He stretched out the Heavens as a Curtain 3. His Palace built in a most miraculous manner the beams thereof laid not as is usual upon some firm and solid body but upon that which is most fluent He layes the beams of his Chambers in the waters In Gen. 1.7 we read of waters above the Firmament which were a part of the second dayes work and of these surely the Prophet speaks What is to be understood by waters above the Firmament is no dispute for this place Vide Zanch. de op Dei lib. 2. c. 1. 4. His Chariot the Clouds Who makes the Clouds his Chariot upon these he as it were rides and in a wonderful nimble manner is in all places he pleaseth no otherwise than the Clouds who are now in this place and instantly removed to another 5. The Horses that draw it the Winds Alipedes as the Poets feigned the Horses that drew the Chariot of the Sun by it his intent is to shew That by the power of God are brought upon the face of Heaven and remov'd at his pleasure Ver. 4 6. His Attendants Angels He maketh his Angels Spirits In which his Majesty appears his Ministers a flaming fire No Creature of greater quickness and agility than a Spirit no Element more active than fire These blessed Spirits he sends forth as he pleaseth to defend his Servants and as a flame of fire to consume and burn up his enemies in which appears his Might and Majesty 2. Next the Prophet descends from the Heaven and out of the Aire 2 Of the third day in which his Power and Wisdom The Earth created and comes to speak of the work of the third day and he begins with the Earth that Element which is best known to us in which he shewes the power and wisdom of God many wayes 1. In the foundation of it upon its center that whether it have the motion of Verticity as some do teach or else is fix'd and moves not at all Ver. 5 strange it is that so great and heavy a body should remain in the midst of the World and not sink ponderibia librata suis 1 In foundation This the Prophet attributes only to the Power and Providence of God Who laid the foundations of the Earth that it should not be removed for ever 2. Another part of his Providence about the Earth was that whereas the water being the lighter Element did at first cover the Earth 2 The raising it above the waters by his Fiat and made it useless God either by taking of some parts out of the upper superficies of the Earth in sundry places and made it more hollow and laying them in other places made it more convex or to speak more plainly by raising some and depressing others made room for the Sea This was a work of Gods Word and the Prophet speaks of this in the three following verses 1. First He shewes in what condition the Earth was in the first Creation it was covered and under water Thou cover'dst it with the deep Ver. 6 as with a Garment the waters stood above the Mountains 2. He shewes how the Earth became uncovered it was by the voyce power and fiat of God Let the waters be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear Gen. 1. This the Psalmist here calls the rebuke of God the voyce of Thunder for God had no sooner spake the word Ver. 7 But it was so At thy rebuke they fled at thy voyce of Thunder they were afraid whether they were such waters as are now or thick mists and vapours after to be condensed into vapours afraid they were to stay any longer and to cover the Earth when God rebuked them spoken as it were in Thunder and bid them remove 3. Ver. 8 And so there became a new World as it were Jussit extendi campos subsidere Valles 3 Confining the Sea The Mountains and the Vallies take the lower place Or else as we read They the mists and vapours go up by the Mountains for quanti montes volvuntur aquarum but they stayed not then nor yet do stay upon the Mountains But they go down by the Vallies unto the place which thou hast appointed for them still failing along to Sea 4. Ver. 9 4 His Providence about the Rivers There thou inclosest them as with doors and bars Job 18. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over that they turn not again to cover the Earth yet not violently kept there as some suppose but restrain'd by an ordinary way of Nature it being natural for water to descend to the lower places which by Gods power was not hollowed for them to remain in that they once did return and cover the Earth was by Gods extraordinary Command 3. And next he comes to speak of the Rivers and Springs and shewes Gods wonderful Providence about them 1. Ver. 10 He sendeth the Springs that is the streams of water from the Hills into the Vallies 1 Their Springs which yet at first run among the Hills for who knowes not that the domus fluvii the Spring and Well whence the greatest Rivers stream is seated commonly in the foot of some Mountain 2. 2 Their Use And the end of this infinitely declares Gods Providence it is for the sustenance of Beasts and Fowles perish they must for thirst were it otherwise and therefore he adds 1. They i. e. the Springs and Rivers give drink to every Beast of the Field the wild Asses quench their thirst 2. By them shall the Fowles of the Heaven have their habitation which sing among the Branches 4. But the Springs and Rivers cannot water all parts of the Earth were it not then for another part of his Care and Providence 3 The Rain and Dewes the Hills and higher places would be altogether barren and unfruitful his Wisdom therefore
the head of the corner that was rejected that it was Gods doing alone and a marvellous work that the day in which this was done was a Festival and the people to rejoyce in it that then they pray'd to God to save them by his hand and blessed their King adorned their Temple and offer'd Sacrifices with many thanks to God for his mercies Thus no question these verses may literally be understood of David But it must be confessed that in all this David was but a Type of Christ and that these words properly belong unto him we have a clear testimony first from his own mouth attested by three Evangelists Matth. 21.42 Mark 12.10 Luke 20.17 and by his Apostles St. Peter Acts 4.11 and St. Paul Rom. 9.33 These words to be applied to Christ out of Isa 28.16 Of Christ then I shall rather interpret them than of David without doubt the Prophet being wonderfully illuminated by the Holy Ghost wrote concerning Christ as followeth 1. The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner Ver. 22 1. The Church is oftentimes in Scripture likened to a building of which the Saints are living stones of which Christ is the chief stone the head and corner stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that joins and keeps together the two walls Jewes and Gentiles 2. But the Jewes the Priests especially to whom did pertain the office of building the Church refused this stone and cast him aside We will not have this man to reign over us we have no King but Caesar They crucified him and in his Grave call'd him a Deceiver St. Peter layes it to their charge Acts 4.11 3. But God call'd for him again and he is become the head of the corner Ephes 2.20 That is he is made head of the whole Church and such a head that whosoever is not built upon him cannot be saved 2. This saith the Prophet was the Lords doing both his rejection and raising again was from him it was done by his Election and Divine Power not from any counsel or hand of man Acts 2.23 24. 3. And it is marvellous in our eyes For who can do less than wonder that a crucified man dead and butied should by his own power rise again after three dayes be immortal and have all power given to him and be made Head and Prince of all men and Angels For this mercy a day set apart and that by him there should be a way made to mortal men to the Kingdom of Heaven to the society of Angels and an immortal life For so great a work fit it is that a day be set apart and such there is saith David 1. This is the day that the Lord hath made which questionless was the day of his Resurrection and God is said to have made this day more than other as honouring it above other making it memorable to posterity in which the Son of righteousness arose from the Grave and making it an high and holy day from which every other Sunday had his Original This is the Lords day 2. And the end why this day was made for joy and gladness The duty of the day The day wherein Adam fell was a doleful day but this day wherein Christ rose from the dead is a joyful day The Redemption by Christ is a year of Jubilee the Resurrection of Christ is the chief day in the year We will therefore rejoyce for it and be glad in it 3. Yea and in the midst of our rejoycing we will pray and sound forth Osanuah to the son of David which is being interpreted Save now we beseech thee O Lord O Lord we beseech thee send now prosperity Blessed be he that comes in the Name of the Lord Which was the gratulatoâ—â— and precatory words that the people used to our Saviour when he rode in Triumph into Jerusalem Mat. 21. That we may be assured that the Form of Acclamation belongs nor so much to David as to Christ and it was the opinion of the Jewes That when their Messiah came these words should be sung before him that being the cause that the people used them then The whole Prophesie of Christs coming riding into Jerusalem in Triumph The Priests duty then to bless Rejection Passion Resurrection Benediction being thus explained the Prophet turns his speech to the people putting into the mouth of the Priests these words in which they were to do their Duty Numb 6. and to bless 1. We have blessed you as we ought to do all happiness be to you under this King 2. And all happiness be to you out of the house of the Lord from the Church and to the Church alone the blessing belongs Ye are the blessed of the Lord. 3. God is the Lord which hath shewed us light Revealed unto his Son the light of the World and removed from us the darkness of errour sin hell c. 4. Therefore be thankful unto him bind the Sacrifice with cords even to the horns of the Altar make a solemn day for it and meet in the Church to praise him 5. The fifth part Being a Doxology The Prophet concludes with a Doxology fit to be used by the people met and assembled in which he sets forth his faith and gratitude 1. Thou art my God 2. And I will praise thee which he ingeminates Thou art my God and I will exalt thee which ingemination shewes his ardent desire to be thankful 3. And so concludes with the same Exhortation that he began the Psalm and in the same words O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and eighteenth Psalm O Blessed and Holy Iesus King of the World and Head of the Church who hast bought us by thy blood and espoused us in mercy and loving-kindness Ver. 13 it is not unknown unto thée how the enemies of thy Truth dally oppose us and with what storms and tempests of persecutions we are daily assaulted The Devil daily thrusts sore at us that we might fall and Antichrist with his complices compass us about they compass us about they compass us about in anger and rage they swarm about us as thick as Bées to sting us even to death might they have their will upon us In these our dangers we have none to fly to but thée we have none to call upon in our distress but on thée Who art the Lord our God answer us O Lord and set our feet in a large place Be on our side and then we will not fear what man can do unto us take our part with them that help us and so shall we see our desire upon them that hate us We confess O Lord we confess before men and Angels that our sins with which we have provoked thy justice Ver. 18 have deserved far greater punishments and that for these Thou hast sorely chastned and corrected us yet in mercy Thou hast not
and he expresses the cause 2. Because mine enemies have forgotten thy words I did even pine away for grief and anger that men should be so prophane to forget so just and useful Laws 4. 3 Commends it as pure like tryed gold And now he returns to a nother commendation of Gods Law and shewes another affection that from thence arose in him to wit love 1. Ver. 4 Thy Word is very pure or proved most pure 'T is like gold that is tried in the fire from which all drosse is by melting purged Psal 12.6 Upon trial Gods law will be found to be far from all injustice Unjust he is not when he chastiseth his children for there is sin in them nor unjust he is not when he suffers the wicked to flourish for it is their portion Luke 16.25 Righteous are thy judgments 2. And shews his love to it And this raised in David another affection viz. Love Therefore thy servant loveth it Love in God is the fountain of all his benefits bestowed on us and love in man is the fountain of all our service and obedience to our God Love is such a duty that it cannot be excused in any without which all that we can do in his service is nothing He must love Gods Law because it is his Law and a just Law that means to keep it for Love is the fulfilling of the Law 3. A third effect that this wrought in David was a careful remembrance of it yea albeit he was in a mean estate and for it despised by his enemies 1. Ver. 5 I am small the youngest and least among my brethren 2. And his care not to forget it no not in sad times And despised and little set by by my brethren Saul c. 3. Yet do not I forget thy precepts nor my poverty nor contempt can bring me to that passe that I forget my duty to thee Many there are who will professe Religion as long as they see peace and honour followit but rather than they will endure trouble and contempt will utterly forsake it Thus did not David he kept in memory Gods Law And indeed the first step of defection is to forget what God hath commanded for upon this the transgression easily follows 5. 3 He commends it from the perpetuity of it And here he interserts a fourth commendation of Gods Law viz. The immutability perpetulty and eternity of it It is immutable and may never be dispensed with it is a righteousnesse and it is everlasting 1. Ver. 6 Thy righteousnesse is an everlasting righteousnesse No man may change it no man may dispense with it so long as the world stands so long it must be rul'd by it 2. Thy Law is the Truth The Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath the priority of all Lawes in this it contains no falshood the promises and threats in it shall certainly be fulfilled 6. Upon which he makes mention of a fourth effect that it produced in him Therefore he joyes and delights in it in his tribulation viz. joy and delight yea non obstante all his troubles and sorrows 1. Trouble and anguish hath taken hold upon me The righteous are often under the crosse that sin may be subdued Ver. 7 patience and the graces of the Spirit increased the pleasures of the world contemned and the joyes of heaven desired 2. Yet thy Commandments are my delights Yet even in this great tribulation the meditation of thy truth contained in thy Law doth delight me it is the remedy against all my afflictions to call to mind what thou hast promised This is it that sanctifies all afflictions to me and makes me rejoyce in them 7. Ver. 8 That Gods Word and Truth was everlasting that gave him so much comfort and joy that he repeats it again 1. He repeats both And desires understanding in it The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is everlasting and adds only his accustomed Petition unto it 2. Give me understanding and I shall live Live and revive in all my troubles It is no life that men have who are destitute of this knowledge they live uncomfortably and therefore the Word of God is contemned by none but such as know not the excellency thereof and the comfort it brings The Prayer O Lord thou art a righteous Iudge and thy justice is so essential to thée Ver. 1 that thou canst no more defrand thy servants of thy promised comforts nor let the wicked escape unpunished in their sins than deny thy self to be God Thou art upright in thy judgments even in those stripes thy children receive and in all those plagues the wicked receive at thy hands O Lord we confesse that for our sins we justly have deserved to receive those blowes and yet we comfort our selves in this that these chastisements are to be but temporal whereas the stripes of the wicked are like to be eternal They may escape thy anger and flourish here but they shall never flye from the wrath to come Now from this eternal justice which is in thée hath procéeded thy Law which is a Law of equity for the testimonies which thou hast commanded Ver. 2 are exceeding righteous a Law of truth having no admiâ—tion of vanity or falshood a law of purity the finest gold purged from the drosse is not purer a perpetual and eternal law that to all men and at all times prescribes their duty Put then O Lord into my heart a zeal a love to this Law let me never forget it but take my delight in it even then when trouble and heavinesse have taken hold on me It is not unknown unto thée how I have béen consumed with grief and inflamed with anger because ungodly men have forgotten thy words Ver. 3 this they laugh at for this they despise me but their milice doth but increase my love to thy Law and their contempt quicken me in the memory of thy promises O give me an understanding heart and an inflamed soul to thy truth and so I shall live quietly in the midst of my calamities and chearfully end my dayes in thy sear and by thy favour be brought at last to a safe harbour in heaven by Iesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen 19. KOPH DAVID in this Octonary fervently petitions for Audience The Contents Davids prayer Deliverance increase of grace 2. The end he desires it is to keep to observe and meditate on Gods Word 3. His main reason to perswade it is Gods mercy and the danger he was in by mischievous enemies from whom nothing could deliver him but Gods goodness of which he had had former experience 1. For his prayer it was very well conditioned 1. Ver. 1 It was earnest a Cry rather than a Petition I cried and again ver 2. I cried 2. Ver. 3 It was sincere I cried with my whole heart Toto affectu totis viribus 3. Seasonable and continual he did persevere in prayer 1. I prevented the dawning of the
that Attribute is made the burden of the Psalm and the close in every verse And this was a Solemn form in use in the Jewish Church as is apparent 2 Chron. 7.3 6. 20 21. The parts of this Psalm are 1. A general exhortation to praise God for his goodness Majesty vers 1 2 3. 2. A declaration of his goodness and Majesty by the effects 1. Of his Creation from vers 4. to 10. 2. Of his Providence especially in conserving his Church and exercising his judging toward her enemies from vers 10. to 25. 3. That his Providence extends to all creatures vers 25. 3. A conclusion fit for the exordium for it calls us up to praise God vers 26. 1. The first part An invitation to praise God In the three first verses the Prophet invites to praise God for his goodness and mercy 1. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good For his Mercy endureth for ever 2. O give thanks to the God of Gods For his Mercy endureth for ever 3. O give thanks to the Lord of Lords For his Mercy endureth for ever In these verses Expositors find the Trinity 1. In the first Jehovah God the Father who is the fountain of Being 2. In the second God the Son who is the God of Gods whether Angels or Princes who are called Gods but he is over them 3. In the third the Holy Ghost who is Lord of Lords who as the wind blows where when and on whom he will Other Lords have not Free-will but as Servants must do his pleasure Bellarmine His reasons are The chief reason because good merciful for ever that we give thanks to him because he is good because merciful and his mercy endures for ever For 't is his mercy that we shall live for ever so that his mercy is extended to us both while we live on earth and when we live with him in heaven It is no improbable conjecture of Musculus that this Psalm was sung by the Quire and that the people at the end of every Versicle sung this Responsory For his Mercy endureth for ever Which was no Battology neither saith Moller for it follows and applyes every particular benefit 2. The second part The Prophet now begins to praise God for his great and wonderful works which he alone was able to do such as was the work of Creation in which he used not the power of Angels And farther for his works but his own only Give thanks to the Lord 1. Who hath done wonderful things His instance is presently in the Creation 1 Of Creation in all which he shews his mercy 2. For his Mercy endureth for ever His Mercy was conspicuous in this work for he made not any thing of necessity as if he needed the creature Ver. 4 but meerly out of his ineffable good-will and Mercy Of these wonderful things Instance first the Prophet his 1. 1 The heaven First instance in the heavens To him give thanks that by wisdom made the heavens It was his first work Gen. 1. For whether we look upon the magnitude the figure the beauty the motion the order of the Orbs the splendor the influence the effects of the celestial bodies there is a strange and wonderful evidence of wisdom and power in them not unitable by any creature 2. For his mercy endures for ever because it pleased him to create these heavens out of nothing to be an eternal habitation for Men and Angels 2. Ver. 5 His second instance is in the earth In the beginning God made heaven and earth 2 The earth Heaven to be the Palace of immortal Citizens The Earth to be the Mansion of Mortals 1. Give thanks to him that stretch'd out the earth above the waters So naturally it could not be because it is the heavier element but he furrowed the earth and let into the concavities thereof the water that men and beasts might live upon it 2. For his mercy endureth for ever In this there was a threefold mercy 1. In respect of the earth to make it something of nothing 2. In respect of the water to which he prepared a setled place 3. In respect of man to whom he gave the earth uncovered and safe from the waters yet watered with rivers that he might live in it till it and reap the fruit of it 3. Ver. 6 The third instance is the two great Luminaries and the Stars in the three following verses 3 The Sun and Moon 1. Ver. 7 Given thanks to him who made great lihts For his Mercy endureth for ever The Sun to rule by day For his Mercy endureth for ever The Moon and the Stars to rule the night For his Mercy endures for ever These do wonderfully adorn the heaven and profit the earth For these lights especially by illuminating the earth do comfort us and are over our works by night and day And he instanceth in these rather than in other works of God because these shine to all the world and therefore every man is unexcusable if by them they acknowledge not Gods wisdom 3. From the wonderful works of Gods Creation The third part 2. Of providence to Israel before he descends to speak of the works of his Providence in preservation of his Church and instanceth in his people Israel whom he delivered from Aegypt with a mighty hand as if he had been a man of War and this in respect of Israel was an act of mercy though on the Aegyptians an act of justice Ver. 10 Give thanks to him that smote Aegypt in their first-born for his mercy endureth for ever And brought out Israel from among them for his mercy endureth for ever With a strong hand and stretched-out arm for his mercy endureth for ever To him which divided the red Sea for his mercy c. And made Israel to pass through the midst of it for his mercy c. But overthrew Pharaoh and his Host in the red Sea for his mercy c. Give thanks to him which led his people through the Wilderness for his mercy c. To him which smote great Kings for his mercy c. And slew famous Kings for his mercy c. Sihon King of the Amorites for his mercy c. Ver. 20 And Og the King of Bashan for his mercy endureth for ever And gave their land for an heritage for his mercy c. Even an heritage to Israel his servant for his mercy c. He performed unto them all the Offices of a good Captain Guide Leader nay Father for he took care for food for them fed them with bread from Heaven brought for them waters out of the Rock cured their sick defended them and avenged them on their enemies c. But the whole History is so plain in Moses that it needs no explanation 4. All this was done for them before they entred the land of Canaan 2 After they entred Canaan the Prophet goes on to
receive Petitions of those that call on him in Truth 6. This is the sixth quality of a good King to shew himself easie to receive Petitions and to them that implore his aid which God doth Deâ—â—r 4.7.2 But the Prophet corrects his works and limits them 'T is to all that call upon him in Truth which word includes all the conditions of a good prayer 1. Faith For he that prayes without faith prayes to an Idol of his own brain 2. Hope and confidence He prayes not seriously that hopes not to be heard 3. Love For no man can call on him seriously whom he hates or to whom hateful 4. Desire For no man prayes heartily that desires not to obtain 5. Attention and intention without which the prayer is babling no true prayer Ver. 19 The Lord will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and save them 7. 7 To grant Petitions This is the seventh quality of a good King to grant Petitions so that they ask such Petitions as is fit for the King to grant this will Christ do 1. He will fulfil the desires But with this limitation So they fear him 2. He will hear their cry So it must be a cry vehement earnest 3. And will save them Hear he will ad salutem semper licet non ad voluntatem Ver. 20 The Lord preserves all them that love him but all the wicked will he destroy 8 Clemency 8. This is the last quality of a good King Parcere Subjectis debellare Superbos Which Christ will do The Conclusion a Doxology he preserves his Martyrs in patience constancy faith Ver. 21 receives them to glory and takes revenge on their enemies Martyres non eripuit sed nec deseruit 4. The Conclusion is an Epiphonema and answers to the beginning of the Psalm 1. For all these things which I have said My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord This shall be my work while I live 2. And I wish it may be done by all others also And let all flesh blest his holy Name for ever and ever A Hymn collected out of the One hundred and forty fifth Psalm I will ertol thée O my God and King and Governour of the whole World not that my words can make thée Higher who art the most Highest nor my praises make thée more Excellent Ver. 1 who art of all Excellencies the most Excellent but that I may insinuate and commend thy greatness to those that either know thée not or do not honour thée for this end I will bless thy Name through my whole life every day will I praise thée and leave upon Record a Hymn that the people that are yet unborn may magnifie thée it is my desire That thy Name may be praised for ever and ever Ver. 2 For thou Lord art truly great great in Heaven great on Earth there is no end of thy greatness it is unsearchable it is incomprehensible and therefore my desire is That there may be no end of thy praise Ver. 3 but that one Generation report it to another that the father record it to the son and the son deliver over to his séed thy works and thy mighty acts Ver. 4 for which thou art worthy to be praised Glorious O Lord are thy works terrible and yet full of mercy not any of them but beget wonder in me The Heavens above the Sun Moon and Stars speak of the glorious honour of thy Majesty Thy creation of them Ver. 5 declares thy power thy providence for their constant course thy wisdom their light motion influence and their effects in and upon these inferiour bodies thy goodness I never consider those strokes of divine vengeance which thou hast inflicted upon disobedient rebellions and incorrigible sinners Ver. 6 but they declare thée to be a terrible and a jealous God Thy hand was terrible upon the old World mighty upon Pharaoh with his Aegyptians just but full of indignation against that gain-saying Rabble that rose against the King and the Priest At the consideration of these terrible acts I tremble upon the meditation of these works of power I am horribly afraid That only which revives my heart is thy mercy and goodness for I know Thou art a gracious God and full of compassion slow to anger Ver. 8 and of great mercy That thou art good to all and thy mercy is above all thy works which Ver. 9 when I recount in my memory I can no less than abundantly utter thy great goodness Ver. 7 and sing of thy righteousness that gives thy Word and kéeps it that in justice dost administer all things inflicting severe judgments upon the rebellious and sparing thy servants dost reward their weak endeavours with thy choicest blessings Ver. 10 For which thy Saints shall bless thee they shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power They shall make known to the sons of men thy glorious Acts and commend to the ignorant the excellency of thy power that it is far beyond any Monarchy on earth in extent of place wealth time For whereas there 's is limited thine is universal there 's encumbred with troubles and wants thine is quiet peaceable and rich whereas there 's have had and shall have their periods thine shall be continual in duration Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and thy Dominion endureth throughout all Generations And since we are assured That thy Church in which thou reignest shall continue for ever O Lord stir up thy strength and come amongst us O let thy Kingdom come O Lord uphold those who are ready to fall and raise up those who are bowed down Our eyes wait upon thee O Lord feed all thy faithful people with thy Word and Sacraments in due season open thine hand and satisfie with thy grace every hungry and thirsty soul Thou Lord art righteous in all thy wayes and holy in all thy works be nigh therefore to all that call upon thee with a pure true and honest heart fulfil the desires of them that fear thee and hear their cry and save them Preserve gracious God with a singular care all them that love thée from all evil but for the wicked which oppress them and séek to trample them under their féet bring them to a spéedy destruction So shall my mouth speak forth the praise of the Lord and I hope also That all flesh shall have just occasion to bless thy holy Name for ever and ever Amen Ver. 21 PSAL. CXLVI A Hymn Hallelujah THE Subject of this Hymn is the same with the former and it hath These four parts 1. An Exhortation to praise God ver 1. which David is resolved to do ver 2. 2. A Dehortation from confidence in man how great soever ver 3 4. 3. On the contrary he pronounceth them happy that trust in God ver 5. 4. And to this confidence in God he perswades for many Reasons from ver 6. to the last 1.
the sword then Judiciary power may well be understood Deut. 32.41 Rom. 13.4 And the Saints at the last day are to be Judges 1 Cor. 6.2 Mat. 19.28 Then the exercise of this judiciary power shall be The end of that power 1. Vers. 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen to reprove them and to pronounce a condemnatory sentence against them to exprobate to them their former life Wisd 5.1 c. and to pronounce punishment on the people To judge them to punishment 2. Vers. 8 To bind even the greatest their Kings in chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron The phrase is Metaphorical as is that of the Gospel Mat. 22. Bind him hand and foot and cast him into utter darkness The meaning of it is that at the day of Judgement the Saints shall approve the sentence passed by Christ against all Nero's Diocletians Herods Julians when they shall be bound in chains of darkness and crushed by Christs iron Scepter 3. Vers. 9 To execute upon them the judgement written The judgement against wicked doers and persecutors of Gods Church written in Gods Book and as certain as if engraven in a pillar His immutable judgement 3. This is the glory of all his Saints He concludes with an Epiphonema This glory of sitting with Christ in the clouds and judging the world is the Glory of all his Saints Allelujah An Appendix to the four last Verses in this Psalm BEcause these last verses have according to mens fancies been applyed to several purposes as they might suit best with their interests therefore I thought good to say a little more of them 1. The Jews first applyed them to the time succeeding their Captivity and fancied to themselves that the promise was made to them that they should have a two-edged sword in their hand that is power to execute vengeance on the heathen c. But he that shall read the story of the Maccabees and Josephus shall find that such a time never came that so far they were from binding Kings in chains that Kings held them in bondage as Antiochus Seleucus Tryphon Pompey c. This sence then can have no foundation in these words 2. Which the Jews that now live perceiving tell us that these words shall have the accomplishment at the coming of their yet expected Messias for then they shall be Lords of the world and bind all Kings they please in chains and Nobles with fâ—tters of Iron c. But never any such temporal Messiah shall come and therefore this is but a fiction of their own brain 3. The Anabaptists Millenaries Fifth-Monarchy-Men dream also of such a golden age they tell us of a thousand years that Christ shall come and with his Apostles reign upon the earth in which time his Laws only must take place and that his Saints shall have a two-edged sword in their hands execute vengeance and punish who they please binds Kings and Nobles in chains punish who they please and execute the judgement written And the consequent of this Doctrine is destructive and dangerous as experience hath taught us in Muncer John of Lâ—yden our new Sectaries who upon it labour to unroot all Monarchies and destroy all that wear a Crown But this is but an illusion for of Christ it is said That him the Heavens must contain till the consummation of all things when Christ will come and take his Elect to him that where he is they may be also and that is into Heaven not on Earth Here then we may not expect to reign with him 4. A fourth opinion there is which is the most received and by very judicious Divines that these words are to be taken in a spiritual sense That by the Saints are to be understood Christ his Apostles and Successors that by the two edged Sword is to be understood the Word of God by Chains and Fetters the Lawes and Precepts of the Gospel by punishments the sharp rebukes used by the Ministers of the Word to stubborn sinners by the revenge taken on them Repentance which is a revenge taken for a former sin 2 Cor. 7.11 which being admitted the sense will run thus Let the hiâ—gh praises of God be in the mouth of his Ministers and the two-edged Sword of the Gospel Hebr. 4.12 in their hand to execute vengeance upon the Heathen to bring them to repentance and make them take revenge upon themselâ—es for their former wayes and punishments to utter sharp rebukes upon the people to bind not the people only and Plebians but even the most mighty Kings and Princes Nobles and great men with the Lawes of Christ and Precepts of the Gospel as fast as if they were bound with Chains of Brass and Fetters of Iron And 't is known how the greatest Princes have submitted their necks to the yoke and Doctrine of Christ To execute upon them the judgment written Not that any of Christs Ministers usurp Authority over Kings and Princes in temporal matters for they are only to proceed according to the letter of their Commission Go and teach all Nations and acquaint the greatest Princes That if they obey and believe the Gospel they shall be saved but if they believe not they shall be damned This is the judgment written and it is executed when proclaimed and preached to them which if it take no place it is beyond their Commission to raise Arms against them This is no where written Now this is the honour of all his Saints of all those whom he hath entrusted with his Commission And indeed an honour it is unto them to be his Embassadors and Heraulds 5. The fifth interpretation is that which I mentioned before in the Analysis who apply the Text to the Judiciary power that the Saints receive at the last day and I rather embrace it than the former But I leave every one to his choice The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty ninth Psalm THOV art worthy O Lord God of Heaven and Earth Ver. 1 to whom a new Song should be sung in the Congregation of thy Saints and indéed how can it he otherwise that that people Ver. 2 who acknowledge thée the God that made them and the King who rules and governs them should do less than rejoyce in thée their Creator and be joyful in their Soveraign Ver. 3 To this end we tune our hearts and conform our voyces and because they are too little call for the assistance we do of all Musical Instruments Praise thee we will with Timbrel and Harp There is no merit at all in us why thou shouldst look upon us a mass of corruption and sin we find in our selves but nothing to deserve thy love Ver. 4 and yet thou in mercy hast béen pleased to take pleasure in us to redéem to justifie to sanctifie us and to beautifie all such as are méek in heart with salvation In thy good time O Lord bring us to glory Ver. 5 where we may be joyful with thy Saints
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
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
Generation let Him sée His séed and let His séed sit upon His Throne till the Heavens pass away with a noise the Elements melt with fervent heat and this Earth with the works that are therein be burnt up O let Him abide before thee His God for ever never let Him in His own person fall out of thy favour nor his Posterity from the light of thy countenance establish His Throne in mercy and truth and let thy loding-kindness alwayes preserve Him His heart is in thy hand melt it into clemency affect it with mercy that He may be a Father unto thy people and mourn with those that mourn and lament with those that lament yet affect Him sofar with the love of Truth that he be zealous for the Truth of Religion earnest to promote thy worship in sincerity and resolute to administer true judgment unto thy people let him bring the whéel upon the wicked and extend the bowels of compassion to the innocent and oppressed A mercy this is when we cast our eye upon the present calamities and state of things even beyond hope beyond expectation but thou our God art Almighty and All-sufficient stir up thy strength then and come and help us where the help of man is in vain then let thy power be manifest which thing if thou wilt grant us Then will I sing praise unto thy Name for ever I will return unto thée every day that Thanksgiving which I have vowed which is due and which I doubt not thou wilt accept through the Name of Iesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen PSAL. LXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE intent of this Psalm is to teach men to trust in God and not to trust in wealth strength or in the power or promises of man The Contents of the Psalm 1. Davids confidence in God ver 1 2. 2. The mischievous but vain attempts of his enemies ver 3 4. 3. He encourageth himself and others to the same confidence from ver 5. to 9. 4. That no trust is to be put in men or riches ver 9 10. 5. The grounds of our confidence in God ver 11 12. 1. In the two first verses David expresseth The first part His affiance in God or rather labours to express as appears by his often repetition of the same thing in divers words his hope trust and confidence in God Ver. 1 1. Truly my soul waiteth upon God or is silent i.e. I do acquiesce in him 2. From him comes my salvation If I be safe in my greatest troubles Ver. 2 't is from him 3. He only is my Rock and my Salvation he is my Defence so that I shall not greatly be moved He is to me what a Rock or Tower of defence is to such as flie to them 2. And upon it he infers The second part He upon it insults over his enemies that the mischievous attempts of his bitterest adversaries are but vain with them he expostulates them he checks and over them he insults 1. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man i. e. me he chides their obstinacy Ver. 3 2. Ye shall be slain all of you And shewes their mischievous attempts and their ruine he declares by a double similitude Ye shall be as a bowing wall whence when some stones begin to shut out or fall the rest follow or as a tottering fence that is easily thrown down Next by the description of their manners he intimates the cause of their ruine Ver. 4 1. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency Their counsels to destroy David 2. They delight in lyes invent tales and lies to destroy me 3. Flatterers and Dissemblers they are They bless with their mouth but curse inwardly no marvail then if destined to the slaughter if they be as a broken wall c. 3. And lest his heart faint and fail through the multitude of tentations The third part He encourages 1. Himself he first encourageth himself to be confident still secondly then perswades others to it 1. He encourageth himself Ver. 5 making use of the words of the first and second verses for Reasons My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him he only is my Rock and my Salvation he is my Defence I shall not be moved In God is my Salvation and my Glory the Rock of my strength and refuge is in God 2 Others to trust in God 2. He exhorts others to do the like Trustin him ye people which he amplifies 1. By assignation of the time Trust in him at all times in prosperity that he be not secure in adversity that ye be not heartless 2. And in our saddest occasions he shews and exhorts what is to be done that we bring our grievances and complaints to God and with an honest heart open them Poure out your heart that is the griefs of your heart before him 3. The reason he our refuge Adding this Reason God is our Refuge for us 4. The fourth part So are not other things whether men secondly wealth especially unjustly gotten 1. So not other things Not men there is no credit or trust to be put in them of what degree soever 1. 1 Not men Surely men of low degree are vanity 2. And men of high degree are a lye The low are notable the high deceive and frustrate our hopes 2. Put them into the balance they are altogether lighter than vanity make trial of them as you would of things in a Scale and you shall find them so vain and light 2 Not riches But God is to be trusted for his power and mercy that they carry no proportion to what is weighty they ascend and flurt up and away as an empty Scale 2. Nor riches and wealth especially if unjustly heaped together and therefore rely not on them Trust not in oppression and become not vain in robbery if riches increase set not your heart upon them 5. The fifth paâ—t In the Close he sets down the grounds of his confidence taken upon Gods Word God hath spoken ' twice have I heard the same i. e. He hath often spoken it 1. That power belongs to God and therefore he is to be trusted 2. That mercy belongs to God and therefore also he is to be trusted The consequent of both is Thou renderest to every one according to his works bonis vera malis malè rely upon him The Prayer collected out of the sixty second Psalm O God infinite in essence terrible in judgments though thou hast commanded us in our trouble to call upon thee and to trust unto thee yet such is the infirmity of flesh and blood that we find in our distresses too many discouragements tempted we are to doubt whether thou canst but more often sollicited to doubt whether thou wilt come down and deliver us But such is thy condescension to the weakness of man Ver. 11 That thou hast spoken once Ver. 12 nay twice