in misery He repented according to the multitude of his mercies And the effect which all these Causes had was beneficial to them even in the time of their bondage and captivity for even their very enemies hearts were often turn'd to do them good as is evident in Jeremiah David Daniel Ezra Zerubbabel Mordecai and indeed the whole Nation under the Babylonian Philistian Aegyptian Persian Kings which the Prophet hath set down ver 46. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them Captives So this is that of the wise man When a mans wayes please God And caused their Oppressors to pity them he will make his very enemies at peace with him Prov. 16.7 But it seems this verse may be read otherwise and it is by the Vulgar Moller Musculus Dedit eos in misericordias or miserationes in conspectu omnium quo caeperant eos so that the sense is not as if all of them had from all that carried them away captive received mercy but that God in their afflictions put them into the bosom of his mercy even they seeing and wondring at it whose Bond-slaves they were for beyond all hope he freed his people from Aegypt the Ammonites Philistines c. so that they under whose Captivity they were must needs confess that God in mercy did defend and fight for them And this sense Bellarmine receives as more probable nor yet utterly rejecting the other 4. And this sense makes the way plainer to what followes the Petition The fourth part This consideration moves them and the Doxology for if God shew'd himself merciful in the time of his anger and made it apparent even to the very view of their enemies encouragement they might have 1. First To pray Save us O Lord our God and gather us from among the Heathen to give thanks in thy holy Name 1 To pray and to triumph in thy Praise 2. Then to give thanks 1. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel 2 To give thanks from Generation to Generation 2. And for it let the people do their Duty viz. the solemn and necessary Formes Let all the people say Amen Allelujah The Prayer out of the One hundred and sixth Psalm O Lord God which art great and fearful Ver. 45 Who keepest Covenant and Mercy toward them that love thee and keep thy Commandments we have sinned with our Fathers we have committed iniquity we have done wickedly The children of Israel were not more rebellious at the red Sea in the Wilderness after thou hadst brought them into the Land than we have béen unto thée We have forgotten thy wonders and provoked thée when beset with a Sea of troubles for we have soon forgot thy works and not waited for thy counsels We have envied nay murdered Moses in the Camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. A Calf indéed we have not made in Horeb nor worshipped the molten Image But we worshipped the Calf of our own brains and fall'n down to our own imaginations in Maozim we have put our trust and to this Idol of power we have cryed Thou art our god and thou shalt save us Thou hast promised to bring us to the celestial Canaan but we have despised that pleasant land and as if we did not believe thy Word we have murmured and in our hearts turned back again into Aegypt and set our affections on the Léeks and Onions and Garlick thereof though we vowed and professed to honour thée yet we have made it apparent that Mammon is our God and his Command is hearkned unto and not thy voyce We have provoked thée to anger with our inventions we have learned the works of the Heathen Ver. 38 and out-done them We have shed innocent blood even the blood of thy sons and daughters whom we sacrificed to our ambition and cruelty so that the Land is polluted with blood O Lord we confess that we have done wickedly and fouly and unthankfully have revolted from thée our Lord and God as was the mother so is the daughter we are our mothers daughter that hath loathed her husband and committed fornication in the sight of our God yet we will not despair when we consider thy great mercy which thou shewedst to a stiffe-necked people whom though enriched by thée with many Benefits and yet unmindful and ungrateful as they were set thée by and worshipped stocks and stones and the inventions of their own brains Thou yet didst not destroy them but after a fatherly correction didst restore to thy favour and didst condescend to be reconciled to them Then thou wert pacified with the intercession of Moses and the atonement of Aaron and when Phineas arose and executed judgment thy plague was stayed There be yet lest among thy people those who are zealous for thy Name who day and night intercede for pardon and mercy O Lord hear their prayers and let their cryes come unto thee and spare thy people whom thou hast redéemed with thy precious blood Though they have provoked thée with their Counsels and are brought low for their iniquity Nevertheless regard their affliction and hear their cryes that they send up unto thee Remember for them thy Covenant and repent according to the multitude of thy mercies And so soften and mollifie the hearts of those who have led us into Captivity that for cruelty even from them we may find pity and for the heavy burdens they have laid upon us some ease and relaxation O merciful Lord let not thy wrath for ever be kindled against thy people neither let it procéed so far That thou abhor thine inheritance We confess That it hath gone ill with Moses for our sakes insomuch that he is denied an entrance into the land of Canaan the lot of his inheritance But remember him O Lord and his Exiles with the favour thou bearest unto thy people O visit him with thy salvation that he may see the good of thy chosen that he may rejoyce in the gladness of thy Nation that he may glory in thee and glorifie thee with thine inheritance Our Fathers have sinn'd even from the first time of their Vocation to the clearer and purer knowledge of the Gospel and thou didst oftentimes sharply rebuke them and yet in the sharpest of those Visitations Thou remembring mercy Ver. 10 and thy promise didst mitigate their punishments and sentest them deliverance Thou savedst them from the hand of them that hated them and redeemedst them from the hand of the enemy Therefore now also although we know and confess that we have grievously offended thée with our sins and provoked thée to bring these heavy judgments upon us for our rebellions yet make us examples of thy mercy as thou hast done our forefathers Save us O Lord our God and gather us from all lands whether we are dispersed which we earnestly beg at thy merciful hands not that we are brought from a troublesom to a quiet from a miserable to an easie from a poor and
not the wicked of which he complains nor Gods forbearance would not better Saul He grew worse and worse Behold he travelleth with mischief as a woman with child and hath conceived iniquity and brought forth falshood and ungodliness he hath made and digg'd a pit and is fallen into the ditch which he hath made Ver. 14 that lurking there he may take me His strength his counsels Ver. 15 his crafts the Militia the conceptions of his heart his pit and snares are all laid for my destruction and therefore David prayes that the just God would revenge his cause and retaliate the injury and he is fully perswaded it would so fall out His mischief shall-return upon his own head Ver. 16 and his wickedness and violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate And in faith prophesies his ruine The third part A Doxology 3. The close of the Psalm is a Doxology thanks that a true just and merciful God would judge for the righteous save those who are true of heart establish the just and take revenge upon the wicked for this saith David Ver. 17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord the most High The Prayer collected out of the seventh Psalm O Lord God by whose power all things do subsist and before whose Majesty all creatures tremble I at this time beset with cruel enemies do flie so thée for succour and deliverance O Lord thou art my God and Saviour Ver. 1 in thee alone I put my trust be not then absent from me in this néedful time of trouble Ver. 2 but save me that hopes in thée alone from all those that persecute me and deliver me My enemy is of a brutish cruel nature ready to rend my soul as a Lyon that is gréedy of his prey bent to tear me in pieces if there he none to redéem and deliver me out of his paw so great is his rage and fierceness against me an innocent Against thée only have I sinned Ver. 3 and done this evil in thy sight and for that I beséech thée enter not into judgment with thy servant but against them I have done no harm Ver. 9 Thou O God triest the hearts and reins Thou art a righteous Judge Judge me therefore O Lord Ver. 8 according to my righteousness and according to the integrity Ver. 3 that is in me O Lord God if I have done this iniquity that they lay to my charge Ver. 4 or if there be any wickedness in my hands if I have rewarded them evil that dealt friendly with me nay if I have not saved his life that now pursues me to take away mine and done him good that now without any cause is mine enemy Ver. 5 Can any such thing be produced against me then I am content to suffer Then let my enemy persecute me take me whom he persecutes and being taken tread down my life ignominiously upon the earth and lay my honour and the honest memory of my name my Crown and glory in the dust But thou O Lord beholdest their craft and fury against me a poor innocent Thou séest how they Ver. 14 as a woman travelleth with iniquity how they conceive in their hearts false and mischievous wayes to destroy me and that the mischief that they have conceived they bring forth and bring to effect so much as lies in their power Ver. 15 Thou seest how they lay snares and dig pits that I an innocent person may fall into them and be taken by them and perish in them Be not therefore O Lord Ver. 6 like one that sléeps defer not thy justice nor withhold thy power but being conscious of my innocency arise in thy anger lift up thy self above mine enemies by the declaration of thy justice and power make them know that thou art higher than they Awake for me in that judgment that thou hast commanded commanded thou didst Samuel to make choice of me and to anoint me King of Israel his judgment was thy judgment that judgment which thou hast decréed and given Ver. 15 thou knowest the fittest time to perform if that time be now come then awake for me and let my enemies fall into the ditch that they have made Ver. 16 then let their mischief fall on their own head and their violent dealing come upon their own pate O Lord let not the impiety of wicked men longer continue Vers. 11 Make it appear that thou art a just God angry with the wicked every day Vers. 12 and though thou art a God of much patience and longanimity Vers. 13 yet if the wicked man will not turn from his wicked way make them know that thou hast whet thy sword and art ready to strike them that thou hast bent thy bow and art prepar'd to shoot them hast set thy arrow to the string and art aiming to pieres them In a word that thou hast prepared the instruments of death weapons inflamed with wrath hatred and fury against the persecutours of thy Church and people O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end but establish the just Vers. 9 Restore thy Church to its prestine condition Vers. 7 so shall the Congregation of thy people compass thee about Religion which is now almost extinct shall again flourish and thy worship which is now dishonour'd with scandals and prophaneness shall again recover its ancient lustre by the méeting of thy people in thy house and joyful praises sent up to thée in the great Congregation For thy own Name-sake therefore and for thy honour exaâ—t thy power and shew thy strength and come amongst us Our sole defence is in thée O God Vers. 10 which savest and deliverest the upright in heart I will therefore praise the Lord according to his righteousness Vers. 17 and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high He hath kept defended protected me in so great dangers He will take a just reveâ—ge upon my enemies To his name therefore I give all honour glory laud and praise through Iesue Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen PSAL. VIII This Hymn is a Meditation of Gods excellent goodness and glory shining in his Creatures especially in man IT begins and ends with a general proposition David admires Gads greatness goodness c. figur'd by an exclamation which contains an Admiration for he doth admire what he cannot perfectly comprehend O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the world Vers. 1 who hast set thy glory above the heavens Such is the glory of thy Divinity power Vers. 1 goodness that it fills not only the earth but transcends the very heavens in which Angels and blessed Spirits though they know much more than we on earth yet cannot perfectly comprehend thy Majesty which fills all exceeds all Of which he gives divers instances This general being premised Of which he gives divers instances the Prophet descends to some particular
rent me and ceased not with hypocritical mockers in feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth 5. And then prayes again to be delivered from them And a Conspiracy in all to vers 20 21. Then he returns to his Prayer again and expostulates his cause with God wondering that he should be so patient Lord how long wilt thou look on resoue my soul from their destruction and my Darling from the lions And to move God the sooner to do it he repeats his former reason vers 9. engaging himself to be thankful Vowing thanks I will give thee thanks in the great Congregation I will praise thee among much people And yet so he gives not over He continues his prayer but continues his suit even unto the end of the Psalm sometimes praying sometimes imprecating 1. He deprecates Let not them which are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me 1 Deprecating neither let them in scorn wink with their eyes at me without a cause And that God be the readier to hear him and stay this their joy and triumph he subnects this reason For they speak not peace but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land Again they are impudent lying people Yea they opened their mouth wide against me and said Aha aha our eye hath seen it This is a Truth this not hid from thee This thou hast seen and from them to thee I turn my eyes 2 And praying God to protect him and thus make again my prayer 1. Keep not still silence Neglect not alwayes my cause or grant them impunity 2. Stir up thy self and awake to my judgement even unto my cause my God and my Lord defend me and punish their impudence 3. Judge me according to thy righteousness which suffers not the just to be oppressed alway 4. Let them not rejoice over me And in me over the Truth and a just cause 5. Let them not say in their hearts So would we have it let them not say We have swallowed him up 6. But rather let that befall them which I have before pray'd for Let them be ashamed 3 And bring them to shame and brought to confusion that rejoice at my hurt let them be cloathed with shame and dishonour that magnifie themselves against me The conclusion is drawn from the consequent of Davids prayer The third part He moves the Church to give thanks if heard then he and the whole Church all good men would rejoice with him 1. To them he first turns his speech Let them shout for joy that favour my righteous dealing yea let them say continually The Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant 2. Which he would be ready to do Then he professeth for his own particular as he had done before vers 9 10. 18. My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long The Prayer collected out of the thirty fifth Psalm O Lord thou séest with how many enemies I am beset and how maliciously they are bent against me they set their snares and hide their nets as in a déep pit that I may unawares fall into the mischief that they imagined And that their injustice and ingratitude may the sooner move thée to have pity on me Behold they have suborn'd against me false witnesses who laid to my charge things of which I was no way conscious When they were afflicted I humbled my soul with fasting when they were in trouble I poured out my prayer for them I behaved my self as though they had been my friend or my brother I went heavily as one that mourneth for his mother But they have rewarded me evil for good to the great discomfort of my soul Their words are not the words of peace but they devise deceitful matters against those that are quiet in the Land Even they who had nothing but swéet words of peace in their mouths took their opportunity to open their mouths wide against me to insult and boast Ah ah we have now seen what we desired with our eyes Thus have they rejoiced in my adversity and gather'd themselves together for my ruine yea the very abjects gathered themselves together who did dayly tear my good name and never gave over In their feasts I was their mirth and the drunkards and scurrilous persons made their Songs of me Yea so much they were enraged against me that for very anger and indignation they gnashed on me with their teeth being ready and very desirous to devour me Lord how long wilt thou look upon this how long wilt thou leave me in the hands of these ungrateful and cruel men Vp Lord rescue my soul at last from destructions and my darling from these lions O thou the Lord of the whole world although thou hitherto seemest not to see what I have unworthtly suffered yet I know thou hast seen it because thou seest all things Keep not then still silence in my cause but thou who hast been alwayes present with me and shewed me thy favour withdraw not now thy help and be not farre from me Thou who to my prevalent enemies hast seemed to sleep now rouse up thy self awake and shew that my judgement and cause is dear unto thee O Lord my God to whom I have alwayes committed my self and on whom I do wholly depend Plead thou my cause O Lord with them that strive with me Do me justice according to thy righteousness and suffer not mine enemies to have their desire and to rejoice over me Never let them say in their hearts 'T is well So would we have it neither let them have occasion to boast We have swallowed him up Wrongfully they pursue me without a cause they hate me let them not then exsult at my ruine nor in scorn wink at me with their envious and bloody eyes That this happen not fight thou against them that fight against me lay hold on the shield and buckler and stand up for my help Draw out also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute me and assure my soul that thou wilt be my salvation Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt And as the lightest chaff is blown hither and thither by the wind so let them the Angel of the Lord scattering them be carried up and down by the passions and impulses of their own lusts and knowing not what counsels to follow be driven headlong from one evil to another till they come into such dark and slippery ways that they know not what to refuse and what to choose and so at last be taken and fall by the darkness and lubricity of their own counsels and imaginations In which let destruction come upon them unawares and let the net that they hid privily catch themselves into that very destruction let them fall Let them be ashamed and brought to
uphold our cause Judge us O Lord in thy strength Thou which art terrible to the oppressor and a refuge to those who are injuriously oppressed Vers. 1 arise in thy just judgement and punish the wicked and deliver the innocent Reward evil to those our enemies that observe our wayes and lay wait for our soul Cut them off Lord and destroy them according to the Truth of thy promises made to thy people Deliver us O Lord out of all our troubles and let our eyes see that severe revenge which thou wilt take upon our and thy enemies So will we offer unto thée the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving fréely and chéerfully in the midst of the Congregation for this is good before thy Saints It is a pleasant thing to them to hear and sée that thou art a faithful merciful and just God true in thy promises just in thy judgements and merciful in the Delivery of thy people from the hand of the violent and bloody man O my God I will sing of thy Name and Power for ever PSAL. LV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 WHETHER David composed this Psalm upon the hard usage of Saul or the rebellion of his son Absolon is uncertain sure it is he was in some great distress and upon it he makes his address to his God There are in genetal four parts of this Psalm 1. He prayes to God to hear his prayer vers 1 2. 2. He complains of his trouble from vers 3. to 8. 3. He prayes against his enemies and shews the causes from vers 8. to 15. 4. He takes heart upon assurance of Gods help and his enemies overthrow from vers 15. to the end 1. He first beggs audience 1. Give ear hide not thy self attend hear me The first part He prayes for audience of his complaint The second part 2. My prayer supplication that I mourn complain make a noise Affected he was with the sense of that he pray'd for and therefore earnest he was in it 2. This in General but next in particular he mentions the causes of his complaint and earnestness to God that he might be heaâ—d The causes of it two both in regard of his enemies 2. And the condition that he now was in 1. The danger he was in was very great Vers. 3 escape he could not without Gods help for his enemies prosecuted him very sore 1 The malice of his enemies 1. They slander'd and calumniated him and threatned him Because of the voice c. 2. They vexed pressed upon him and oppressed him Because of the oppression of the wicked 3. They plotting his ruine devol'd and cast iniquity upon him Charg'd him home 4. They were implacable angry and hated him In wrath they hate me 2. Then for his own person he was in a sad heavy doleful condition 2 His sad condition 1. My heart is sore pained within me His grief was inward 2. The terrors of death are fallen upon me Vers. 4 He saw nothing but death before him 3. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me Which are the outward effects of fear 4. And an horrible dread within hath overwhelmed me Amazement follow'd his fear And he illustrates this his condition by the counsel he took with his own heart His result upon it to fly upon the deliberation the result was that he would speedily fly away fly into the Wilderness as if he might be safer among bruit beasts than such men 1. And I said That was his result upon the debate with himself 2. O that I had the wings of a Dove It is a fearful creature of a swift wing in fear he was and he would fly as fast as far as the Dove from the Eagle 3. As far even to some remote land where I should have rest from these wicked men 4. And by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he amplifies and explains himself again 1. That he would fly far away even to some desolate place out of their reach Lo then would I wander far off and remain in the Wilderness 2. That he would do it with speed I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest Such turbulent and impetuous creatures his enemies were that threw down all before them as a wind storm tempest 3. The third part His Imprecation To his Prayer he adds an Imprecation 1. Destroy them O Lord. Destroy them in their own counsels 2. Or else Divide their tongue Let them not agree in their counsels Vers. 9 Of this he gives the reasons in the following words The reason viz. that they were a sort of violent contentious ungodly troublesome crafty and fraudulent people 1. Violent they were and litigious I have seen violence and strife in the City 2. Ungodly and workers of iniquity they were and uncessant in it Day and night they go about the walls thereof mischief and sorrow are in the midst of it 3. Crafty and fraudulent also Deceit and guile depart not from their streets It was then a City a Corporation a Society of evil doers And of this he produceth an instance His instance a friend that became his enemy which whether it were some bosome friend of David that stole out of the City of Keilah and betray'd his counsels to Saul or else Achitophel that being formerly his great Favourite and Counsellour fell to Absolon it is uncertain whoever it was such a treacherous person there was and of him he complains and well he might for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This treachery he exaggerates most eloquently by an Incrementum Which he Aggravates by circumstances and Apostrophe drawing his aggravation from the Laws of friendship which he had broke Had it been an enemy he could have borne it but that it was a friend was intolerable and also unexcusable Thus the Climax stands 1. For it was not my enemy that reproached me Then I could have borne it 2. Neither was it he that hated me that did magnifie himself that is arise and insult against me Then I would have hid my self from him Never admitted him to my bosome 3. But mark this Emphatical Adversative for now he turns his speeth to the Man 1. It was Thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou precipuè per aliis None but Thou 2. A man according to my own rank mine equal My guide or counsellour my acquaintance or own familiar friend 3. We took sweet counsel together One to whom I communicated my secrets 4. And walked in the house of God in company Professors we were of the same Religion Now all these Circumstances much aggravate and heighten the treachery that thou my equal my director my familiar friend one whom I made the Master of all my secrets one who was a great Professor of the same Religion with me Upon which he redoubles his Imprecation on the Faction that thou shouldst betray me even breaks my heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judas betrayest Thou Being thus much wrong'd and moved
He judgeth rightly of his afflictions 1. Before I was afflicted I went wrong Prosperity is the mother of Errour 2. But now I have kept thy Word Schola Crucis Schola Lucis The Rod on his back made him wiser God then had graciously dealt with him to afflict him bad men are the worse for afflictions the good better and this sanctifies afflictions to them 3. Upon which he acknowledgeth again what he said in the first verse Thou hast dealt graciously in this thou art good and gracious Ver. 4 and repeats in effect his Petition Teach me thy statutes which is all one Which proceeded from wicked men These with teach me knowledge 4. Now a great part of his affliction proceeded from wicked men that were his enemies and oppugned him in his wayes and service of God in which yet he was constant these he describes in the two next verses 1. That they were proud men the proud It is not without cause Ver. 5 that they are called proud 1 Proud for pride is the mother of all Rebellion against God and man Grace ever works Humility Pride Contempt Treason c. 2. How they warr'd against David it was with a lye 2 Lyars Satans two Arms by which he wrestles against the godly are violence and lies where he cannot or dare not use violence there he will be sure not to fail to fight with lyes 3. How they trimmed up their lyes Concinnarunt mendacia Tremell 3 Hypocrites Their lyes were trimmed up with the coverings of Truth to make them more plausible their unrighteous dealings were covered over with appearances of righteousness 4. But I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart Davids armour against them He would not fight against the wicked with their own Weapon rendring a lye for a lye or rebuke for rebuke but he takes himself to the Truth of Gods Word and obedience to him Ver. 6 5. Their he art is as fat as grease Either 1. Because they abounded in worldly wealth 4 Obdurate in prosperity which is well signified by grease 2. Because they were sensless of their condition For the fat of all Creatures is the least sensitive Needles thrust into it will not be felt 3. But I delight in thy Law 5. But the condition of godly men is other the godly are not proud Good men are tender-hearted they are humble afflictions make the ungodly rage storm and blaspheme good men kiss the Rod and are ready to say with David for their heart is not sensless as fat as grease but they are tender-hearted they melt at every blow God gives them and say 1. It is good for me that I have been afflicted Before I was proud Make a right use of afflictions now humble before stubborn and disobedient but now soft-hearted and obedient 2. That I might learn thy statutes Learn them not by Rote but by experience learn to keep them better lest I be whip'd again learn to be more wise godly religious when the trouble is gone and this is a sanctified Cross 3. And by this also I might learn to put an higher price and value upon Gods Commands than hitherto I have done to which no earthly treasure is comparable The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver For by keeping of thy Law I shall obtain eternal life His estimate of Gods Law which gold and silver cannot purchase The Prayer O Most gracious God though thou hast brought upon us many troubles and afflicted us with heavy judgments Ver. 1 yet in this thou hast dealt graciously with thy servants and even according to thy Word that we have béen better'd by thy judgments and found comfort in the midst of our sorrowes O Lord Thou art good in thy self and dost good to thy servants in all that thou bringest upon them and we must néeds confess that even those things we suffer have béen good unto us by thy mercy for before we were afflicted we went astray But now being put in mind of our sins the causes of our afflictions we have béen more attent and diligent to kéep thy Law It is good for us then that we have been afflicted that we might learn thy statutes Go on then gracious God not to afflict but still to teach us and by thy chastisèments to make us wiser teach us good judgment and knowledge let us judge aright of thy judgments and our own deserts and let this thy Discipline make us know our duty and perform our duty better ever hereafter both to thée and our Neighbour make us by these to love thée to fear thée and to believe thy Word That thou art a jealous God that will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth Generation of them that hate thee and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love thee and keep thy Commandments And yet in these we cannot but complain unto thée of those injuries we suffer from the hands of proud and rebellious men Ver. 5 Thou Lord art just in letting them in upon us but they most unjust and malicious in the execution of thy wrath Pride hath béen the cause of their rebellion and a continued pack of lies the means they have used to bring their Treason to pass these they forged against us and spun with so fine a thread and dressed up in so handsom a way that they have béen taken for Truth and by that colour deceived the simple to our ruine under a pretence of Piety Iustice Liberty and Reformation they have brought upon us this horrid confusion And in this they still go on in this they procéed for their heart is swollen with pride and fatned with success and riches they are not sensible of thy judgments nor fear thy wrath Their heart is as fat as grease and there is nothing but some heavy judgment from thy hand that can melt it O Lord abate their pride asswage their malice and confound them in their lies And confirm thy people in the Truth that being no way withdrawn by their delusions nor affrighted with their malice they may be constant and live in thy fear Ver. 8 and delight in thy Law and keep thy Commandments with their whole heart O let the Law of thy mouth be more dear and better unto them than thousands of gold and silver These cannot redéem a soul from hell or from the grave but the observation of thy Law will deliver from eternal death and bring a man to that life which is everlasting through the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. 10. JOD IN this Section The Contents 1. He prayes for understanding And perswades it because his creature David prayes for understanding comfort mercy 2. And useth many Arguments to perswade God unto it 1. In the first verse he petitions for understanding and labours to perswade God unto it because he was his Creature made and fashioned by him 1.
both may very well stand together 1. Ver. 7 Let my soul live not only a natural but a spiritual life which is properly the life of the soul and the way to that life which is eternal 2. And it shall praise thee which should be the especial work of the soul here and shall be the great employment in Heaven 3. And let thy judgments help me Let thy judgments which I have kept be a comfort unto me and help me when I appear before thy Tribunal For I know thou wilt judge every man according to his works 4. He relies not on his obedience And yet David relies not on these he knew his works were not perfect and therefore in the last verse 1. He confesseth his Errours 2. Desires mercy 3. And protests his obedience 1. 1 For he confesseth his errours I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost Erravi I learned it from Adam his corrupt nature adheres to me hath and doth seduce me and I yet to my grief follow it so much I confess against my self notwithstanding all my sincerity all my diligence my seeking purpose resolution to keep thy Law Erroris medicina est confessio 1. But yet my errour hath been out of infirmity and simplicity I have erred as a sheep not as the Devil maliciously nor as a roaring Lyon malapertly and presumptuously proudly 2. But yet my errours have carried far from the Fold I am that lost sheep Luke 15. 2. 2 Asks mercy And upon it I petition for mercy O seek thy servant Thou which art the great Pastour that leftest the ninty nine feeding in the Wilderness to seek that sheep that wander'd from thee come thou Lord and by thy grace bring me home again seek me for by thy grace I seek thee 3. 3 Yet protests his service I seek thee where by thy grace I hope to find thee in a sincere obedidience to thy Will Seek me who am thy servant for I forget not thy Commandments Though I have fallen yet there remains some grace in me transgressed I confess I have yet I have not fallen into a full oblivion of thy Will as David was quickned by the Word so by it he is conserved when he fell the Word wakened him when wounded the Word cured him if at any time he resisted the Word armed him it went then well with him so long as he did not forget the Word The Prayer IT is thy Command O Lord that we ask séek and knock and thy promise is to give and open to such Ver. 1 in obedience to which thy Command I have so often sollicited thée and with servour of spirit and importunity of soul approached unto thy Throne of grace Let my cry O Lord come near before thee and my supplication be admitted in thy sight Ver. 2 and as I often have importuned thée make me wise not according to the methods of worldly wisdom but according to the rule of thy Word deliver me from the power of sin and malice of Satan I have chosen thy precepts and made thy Law my delight as well knowing that without the observation thereof I cannot hope for salvation This Lord I long for let thine hand then help me that I may fulfil thy Commandments and by my obedience come to everlasting life O spare me a little before I go hence and be no more seen but throughout that little remainder of my life let my soul live the life of grace then I shall praise thée then shall my lips utter and proclaim the equity of thy commands then shall my tongue intreat of thy Word even to the edification of others and make it known That thy Commandments are righteousness and of force to those who will take héed to them to reform all iniquity When I shall appear before thy Tribunal let thy judgments help me and when every man shall be judged according to his works let it be a comfort unto me that I have had a regard to thy Word in all my wayes This Lord I plead but not for my justification for many are my aberrations from thy Law I have gone astray like a lost sheep my corrupt nature hath seduced me and I have followed it O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Thou which art the great Shepherd that leftest the ninty nine in the Wilderness to séek that shéep which wander'd from thy Fold come Lord and by thy grace bring me home again séek me for by thy Spirit I séek unto thée and however in simplicity and 〈◊〉 I shall still erre yet by thy assistance maliciously and presumptiously I will no◠offend O Lord kéep me in the right way and write thy Law so 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 memory and heart that I may bear a great affection to and 〈…〉 Commandments Reclaim me from sin and make me obedient to thy Word for thy mercy-sake which thou hast fréely made known and fréely given to the World in thy Son Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Of the fifteen following Psalmes called Hammahaloth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Psalmes of Ascension or Degrees WHY the fifteen Psalmes following bear this Title it is not certainly known many conjectures there are of which the most likely are these 1. The first is of Rabbi David Kimchi and it is most generally received that there were fifteen steps by which the Priests ascended into the Temple upon every one of which the Priests standing sung one of these Psalms ascending by degrees from the lowest step to the highest and for this Reason these were called Psalms of Ascension or Degrees 2. A second opinion is that of Lyranus which is near to the former for he speaks not of the steps of the Temple but of a higher and more eminent place of the Temple where the Levites were wont to sing these fifteen Psalms daily and for this he conceives they were called Ascensions or Psalms of Degrees because they ascended unto that place to sing them 3. Rabbi Saadias conceives That Mahuloth had reference to a kind of Musick or Melody and when the word signifies an Ascent he supposeth that the Levites were thereby admonished that when they sang these Psalms they should sing with a full high voyce a degree higher than usual 4. Abenezra refers not these to the intention of the voyce in singing but to some Tune then commonly known to which these Psalmes were set 5. Some say they were set to be sung by the Jews when they came out of Captivity from Babylon and ascended to Jerusalem But this is not likely if David was the Author of them as is generally received More likely it is that they were composed to be sung by the way when they went up to the Temple yearly For they ascended with a Pipe Bellarmine hath this Moral of it that we ought still to ascend and be mounting upward from vertue to vertue or from one degree of vertue to another till we come to
They shall not stand in judgment though some refer this clause to this life When he is judg'd by men causa cadet he shall be condemn'd 2. Exclusion from the company of the just Sinners shall not stand in the Congregation of the righteous 3. Ver. 6 The cause of both In the close he shews the cause why the godly is happy the wicked unhappy 1. Because the way of the righteous is known to God approved by him and defended 2. But the way studies plots counsels of the wicked shall perish The Prayer out of the first Psalm O Almighty and most merciful God who hast taught us by thy holy Word that the only way to obtain felicity Ver. 1 is to avoid evil and to do good never suffer me to walk in the counsels of the ungodly nor to stand in the way of sinners nor to acquiesce and sit down and rest in the Chair of the Deriders of Religion and Piety Ver. 2 But so renew and quicken all the faculties of my soul by the gracious assistance of thy Spirit that my delight may be to walk in the paths of thy Commandments and the meditations of my heart day and night taken up with the study of thy sacred Word and Will By nature I am a wild Trée Ver. 3 barren of good fruit be pleased then to transplant me and ingraff me into the true Olive root me in true faith sustain me in charity let those heavenly dews of grace and Rivers of waters which flow from thy Sanctuary moysten and comfort my dry soul so I may bud and knit and fructifi◠and in a fit season bring forth such fruits as may chear thee my God and be beneficial to man then I may expect happy successes and prosperity upon the work of my hande O Lord thou knowest my frailties no Trée more subject to the violence of tempests than I am to the fury and rage of enemies who if they may have their will will not leave one leaf upon me they will deprive me of my juice and devest me of my greenness O let not then the scorching heat of any temptation wither nor the storm of a winter persecution beat off a leaf of grace with which thou hast beautified my soul but in the midst of this fiery trial let me still flourish and in the coldest blast let me retain my life and fresh vigour that howsoever I séem to men to be in an unhappy condition yet I may have the testimony of thy Spirit within that thou who disposest all things to the best for those who love thée wilt make me prosper Prosper me therefore in my wayes prosper me in my actions prosper me in my afflictions prosper me in life prosper me in my death whatsoever I do let it prosper Should I sell my self to work wickedness consent to ungodly counsels or settle upon the lees of sin and sit down in the Chair of the scornful I can expect no such success from thy hand Ver. 4 thy mouth hath said it As for the ungodly it shall not be so with them though they may séem to men to be well rooted and excéedingly to flourish yet their prosperity is but for a moment their happiness light and vain Carried they are with every violent wind of lewd affections and empty Doctrines Ver. 5. 6. and therefore they shall be as the Chaffe which the wind drives from the face of the earth their way shall perish they shall never be able to stand in judgment But thou O Lord art a sure protection for thy people Grant therefore O Lord Ver. 6 that when I shall appear before thy Iudgment seat I may be able to stand with boldness in thy presence and let thy mercy absolve me from my sins for the merits of my Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen PSAL. II. The prime Subject of this Psalm is Christ the Type David THE persons we are chiefly to reflect on are three which make three parts of the Psalm The Enemies of Christ Christ the Lord. The Princes and Judges of the earth 1. The enemies to Christ are great men who are described here The first part The enemies of Christ described partly from their wickedness and partly from their weakness First Their wickedness is apparent 1. They furiously rage 2. They tumultuously assemble 3. They set themselves stand up 1 By their wickedness and take counsel against the Lord and against his Anointed 4. They encourage themselves in mischief saying Come and let us cast away their cords from us Ver. 1 All which is sharpned by the interrogative Why Secondly Their weakness 2 Their weakness for their plots vain in that they shall never be able to bring their plots and conspiracies against Christ and his Kingdom to pass for 1. What they imagine is but a vain thing Ver. 1 2. He that sits in Heaven shall laugh and have them in derision Ver. 4 3. He shall speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Ver. 5 4. For maugre all their plots Ver. 6 God hath set up his King upon his holy hill of Zion 2. At ver 6. begins the exaltation of Christ to his Kingdom The second part Christ by God exalted to be King which is the second part of the Psalm in which the Prophet by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brings in God the Father speaking and the Son answering First The words of the Father are Vnxi te in Regem I have set my King Ver. 6 where we have the inauguration of Christ or his calling to the Crown 1 His inauguration Secondly The answer of the Son I will preach the Law which sets forth his willing obedience to publish and proclaim the Laws of the Kingdom Ver. 7 of which the chief is Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee 2 His willing obedience Thirdly The reply of the Father 3 His reward containing the reward that Christ was to have upon the publication of the Gospel which was Ver. 8 1. An addition to his Empire by the conversion and access of the Gentiles 1 The amplification of his Kingdom Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost ends of the Earth for thy possession Ver. 9 2. And the confusion of his Enemies Thou shalt break them 2 The confusion of his enemies who would not have thee reign that did rage and stand up against thee with a Rod of iron and break them in pieces as a potters vessel 3. In the third part the Prophet descends to his Exhortation and Admonition The third part The Prophet exhorts and that very aptly for is Christ a King is he a King anointed by God is he a great King a powerful King so great that the Nations are his Subjects Ver. 10 so powerful that he will break and batter to pieces his Enemies Besides Kings 1. to is he the only begotten
Lord. Vers. 7 The administration of his Kingdom is 1. Eternal The Lord shall endure for ever Vers. 8 2. His Office to be Judge He hath prepared his Throne for judgement 3. He is an universal Judge He shall judge the whole world 4. He is a just Judge He shall judge in righteousness Which begets a confidence in his people he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness 5. He is a merciful Judge to his people Vers. 9 For the Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in time of trouble 5. The effect or consequent upon this his execution of justice which is the confidence thence arising in the hearts of his people which are here describ'd by their knowledge of God 2. Seeking him Vers. 10 They that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee 2. An Exhortation to others to praise God 2 He exhorts others to praise God Sing praises to the Lord that dwells in Zion that is in the midst of his people and Church to defend them Declare among the people his doings The second part Of which he assigns the reason that he is a just God and will require their blood at the hands of those that oppressed and slew them Vers. 11 An inquisition for blood he will make And when he makes inquisition for blood For his justice he remembreth them the innocent unjustly oppressed and slain Vers. 12 and forgets not the cry of the humble The cry of their blood shall be heard 3. A Petition for himself that God would shew him mercy 3 He Petitions for favour and look upon his affliction Have mercy upon me O Lord The third part consider the trouble of them that hate me thou that lifts me up from the gates that is the power of death Vers. 13 As if he had said Do by me now as thou hast done heretofore And the Reason or Argument by which he perswades God to hear him and shew mercy is drawn from the final cause Vers. 14 he looks not so much upon himself as Gods honour it is That he may have just cause to praise God which he vows That I may shew thy praise 2. All thy praise 3. In thy Church in the gates of the daughter of Zion 4. That I may do it with joyful lips 5. Which I will do I will rejoice in thy salvation 4. And then as if he were shewing forth this praise in the Congregation The fourth part he sings forth his Song of Triumph his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over his enemies in Metaphors And performs in a Song of Triumph 1. The heathen are sunk down into the pit that they made 2. In the net which they hid is their own foot taken 3. This is the Lords doing Vers. 15 Therefore though wicked men did doubt before of his providence and justice yet Vers. 16 now the Lord is known by the judgement he executes For 4. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah Which is a thing exceedingly to be meditated on and not forgotten 5. The wicked shall be turn'd to hell and all the people that forget God Vers. 17 their breath is in their nostrils and dye they must which is some comfort to those they oppress and if they repent not Vers. 18 suffer eternal punishment 2. But the chief comfort is The fifth part is A Petition and proceeds from Gods justice and his goodness toward the innocent unjustly oppressed For the needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever Their hope shall not be frustrate Vers 19 5. The Conclusion is Petitory Arise O Lord. Against the enemies of the Church 1. Let not man prevail over thy people 2. Let the heathen be judg'd in thy sight Vers. 20 3. Put them in fear O Lord now they fear nothing That they may fear being in their height and prosperity they are insolent and proud manifest thy divine presence to their terrour For then 4. And know themselves to be but men They will know themselves to be but men infirm and mortal creatures and not insult over thy people and glory upon their own strength and prosperity The Prayer and Hymn out of the ninth Psalm for the Church in affliction persecuted and oppressed by enemies I Will praise thee Vers. 1 O Lord with my whole heart and I will make known to others as much as in me lies those wonderful works which thou hast done for thy people in all ages Vers. 2 I will not be glad and rejoice so much in the vain and empty things of this life as in thée the giver of them and for that I will sing praise to thy name O thou most high higher than all things in this world and far beyond all praise that I can give For thou Vers. 7 Lord who art from all eternity and shall continue the same for ever Vers. 8 hast prepared thy seat to judge the world on which being ascended thou wilt judge the world in righteousness rewarding every man according to his deserts repaying good things to those who know thy name and séek thée but heavy judgements to those who dishonour thée and oppress thy people Have mercy upon me Vers. 13 O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me Vers. 4 O thou that sittest in the Throne and judgest right maintain my right and my cause Vers. 16 and lift me up from the power of death Make thy self known by executing judgement for me Vers. 3 O let my enemies be turn'd back and perish at thy presence Vers. 18 Forget not the cry of the needy and let not the expectation of the poor perish for ever Vers. 12 Make inquisition for that innocent blood of thy servants which they have poured out like water that cannot be gathered up again and forget not the voice of Abels blood that yet from the earth cryes unto thée O God we have heard with our ears and our Fathers have declared unto us the noble works that thou didst in their dayes and in the old time before them Vers. 5 how thou hast destroy'd the wicked and rebuked the heathen and put out their name for ever and ever Vers. 9 Arise therefore O Lord be a refuge to the oppressed Vers. 19 a refuge in this needful time of trouble let not man prevail and let thy enemies be judged in thy sight Put them in fear O Lord that they may know themselves that they are not God but weak infirm and mortal men Now they are proud of their victories and puff'd up with their successes O break the hardness of their heart with some calamities and fearful disasters that being brought to consider their own frail condition and intolerable insolence they may cease to pride it against thée and thy Church O thou enemy Vers. 6 thou breathest nothing but
being this I will be thy God and the God of thy seed upon which follows Walk before me and be thou perfect 4. Upon the confidence of which Promise and Covenant David repeats his prayer Upon which he repeats his prayer For thy Name sake O Lord pardon my iniquity for it is great Multa magna And yet David proceeds in the consideration of Gods Nature his Goodness his Truth and Mercy to those that keep his Covenant And admires the happiness of him that trusts in God and by way of admiration asks Quis i. e. Quantus qualis O how happy how blessed is the man that fears the Lord worships God loves his Word and casts not away his hope and faith in the day of trouble and tentation Ver. 12 which happiness he sets forth by the fruits that follow his piety 1. The first fruit and benefit that he shall reap is instruction and direction in his Vocation and private life For God shall direct him Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose 2. Ver. 13 The second is that his happiness shall not be momentary but firm and lasting 2 He shall dwell at ease not molested but quiet His soul shall dwell at ease 3. 3 Happy in his seed A third is that he shall be happy in his children and posterity His seed shall inherit the land 4. The fourth is that Redemption of Mankind by the blood of Christ and all the effects of it Remission Reconciliation c. which is a secret unknown to flesh and blood shall be revealed and applied to him Ver. 14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him 4 Gods Covenant applied to him and he will shew them his Covenant Being confirmed with these promises and cheered with these fruits he The fourth part 1. Testifies his acquiescence and faith in God for deliverance My eye◠are ever towards the Lord he shall pluck my feet out of the Net In this he acquiesceth 2. And then returns to his Prayer again being in effect the very self-same that he began with which he offereth in several Clauses 1. Turn thee unto me He renews his former prayer 2. Have mercy upon me 3. O bring thou me out of my distresses 4. Look upon my affliction and trouble and forgive me all my sins 5. Consider mine enemies 6. O keep my soul and deliver me 7. Let me not be ashamed 8. Let integrity and uprightness wait upon me Petitioners and men in misery think that they can never say enough this makes him so earnest and so often repeat the same thing in which longing there is yet an incrementum The sum is That God would hear and grant him defence and deliverance in his dangers remission of sins which caused them and protect direct and govern him in his troubles Now that he might prevail in his Suit as an excellent Orator And useth many Arguments that God be propitious to him he useth many Arguments to induce God to be propitious to him 1. His faith and trust in his promises Min◠eyes are ever towards the Lord. 2. The danger he was now in His feet were in the Net Ver. 15 3. He was oppressed and alone had none to help him I am desolate and afflicted Ver. 16 4. His inward afflictions and pain was grievous Ver. 17. 18. The troubles of my heart are enlarged by which he was distressed in pain in sorrow 5. And without his enemies powerful many merciless cruel Ver. 19 My enemies are many and they hate me with cruel hatred Ver. 21 6. And yet I am an Innocent and desire to be so thy servant Let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait upon thee And thus David having through the whole Psalm pray'd for himself He prayes for the Church The fifth part at last in the close he offers up a short but earnest Petition for all the People and for the whole Church which proceeded from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 22 which ought to be among the Saints Redeem Israel O God out of all their troubles The Prayer collected out of the twenty fifth Psalm UNTO thée O Lord I do lift up not only my eyes and hands Ver. 1 but my very soul and heart early in the Morning will I direct my prayer unto thée and will look up O Lord I am not ignorant how uncapable I have made my self of thy favour by my transgressions multiplied against thée but O Lord Ver. 6 declare thy self mindful of thy pity and mercy which thou hast shewed to Mankind from the beginning of the World and according to the multitude of thy mercies deal with me My sin is very great more in number than the sand heavier in weight than the greatest burden O pardon my iniquity for thy Name sake The offences of my younger years are over-many Ver. 11 into which the boyling of concupiscence inconsideration and my youthful heat and imprudence hath cast me head-long but O good God I beséech thée Remember not the sins of my youth nor the transgressions of my unruly and unbrideled Age but according to thy mercy think thou upon me blot out of thy remembrance my abominations and remit my crying exorbitances for thy goodness sake O Lord. O Lord Ver. 8 Thou art good and upright all thy paths are Mercy and Truth Thy Goodness and Mercy is shewed in admitting sinners to Repentance and thy Vprightness and Truth in pardoning them and making good thy Promises admit me then among the number of thy Penitents and seal my pardon as thou hast promised to penitent and believing sinners Thou art the God of my salvation Ver. 5 on thee do I wait all my life long from thy Mercy I look for my Instruction Ver. 4 from thée my Direction Shew me thy wayes and reach me thy paths and lead me in thy Truth I am a man of a broken and contrite spirit guide me in the day of Iudgment and suffer me not to be tempted above my strength and whatever way I choose be thou my Teacher and Monitor that I slip not and fall not in it I desire O Lord to kéep thy Covenant and Testimonies let therefore that great secret of Mans Redemption by the blood of thy dear Son be made known to me and the mercies of thy Covenant assur'd to my soul by which alone my heart shall dwell at ease and my Conscience be quieted from the guilt of sinne and sense of thy wrath These my sins have procured me many enemies and thou hast justly raised up these Rebels to revenge my Rebellions against thée with these I am so compassed that I know not what to do But mine eyes are toward thee O Lord and except thou pluck my séet out of the Net I must néeds perish in the snares that they have privily laid for me Turn thee then unto me and have mercy upon me for I am destitute of all humane help left
so be you as ready to observe it 2. Ne sitis Be not like beasts like horse and mule Vers. 9 which have no understanding whose mouths must be held in by force with bit and bridle To obey freely lest they come near unto thee â—ing thee hurt thee kick thee kill thee Constrain'd obedience is for a beast free and voluntary for a man 3. Besides to quicken your obedience I will teach you two reasons Which he perswades by two reasons 1. Ab incommodo Many sorrows shall be to the wicked their griefs their troubles their punishments many and grievous Vers. 10 Be not then disobedient like the wicked Rebellious as they are 1 That the troubles of the rebellious are grievous 2. A commodo Your obedience shall be rewarded and that amply But he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about It shall be like the girdle that he is girded withal 2 The willing obedience of the good rewarded God will be present with him in his troubles he shall perceive he is in favour with God that his sins are covered and that he is an beir of eternal life Upon which he concludes with this Exhortation Be glad in the Lord Vers. 11 and rejoice ye Righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart These he exhorts to rejoice in God As there is great reason for this Doctrine of the Free Remission of sin can alone quiet the Conscience The Prayer collected out of the 32. Psalm O Merciful Father Lord of Men and Angels to whose Will and Command all Creatures ought to be obedient I have béen through my whole life a rebellious wretch and with a high hand sinn'd against Heaven and against thée neither am I worthy to be call'd thy Son I have serv'd thée with a double heart and after the commission of many a grievous sin I have sought for fig-leaves to cover my nakedness either extenuated and sought to conceal it from thy eyes I have done wickedly Vers. 3 and have not open'd my mouth in confessien and therefore now that my sins present themselves to my conscience out of the sense of thy wrath I roar all the day long my bones are dryed Night and day thy hand is so heavy upon me that my moysture is become like the drought in Summer But O my God I humbly acknowledge that the state of my soul is sad and deplorable and by my own fault I am in an ill condition and how to recover I know no other way but to fall at thy féet and confess my errour I do therefore now acknowledge my sin unto thee and my iniquity do I not hide A time there is when thou may'st be found and in this time I do confess my transgressions unto thee forgive O Lord the iniquity of my sin O let not the sloods of great waters come so near my soul that they drown me in despair Be thou to me a hiding place till thy anger is overpast deliver me and let me rejoice in thy salvation Cover my sins forgive my transgressions impute not unto me mine iniquities but impute unto me thy Sons righteousuess for my justification when I shall appear before thy great Tribunal For this alone can make me Blessed and Happy And for the future Instruct me and teach me in the way that I am to go Vers. 8 guide me with thy eye let the least intimation of thy Will be a powerful motive to my soul and win it to obedience Suffer me not to be like a bruit beast like the head-strong horse or the sottish mule whose mouths must be held in with bit and bridle kept in their way by force and violence rather out of love give me Grace to do my duty than out of fear and compulsion If O Lord thou wilt procéed in wrath and anger let it be against the rebellious stiffmecked sinners let the sorrows of the wicked stubborn and perverse men be many But let all those that trust in thée be compassed and defended by thy mercy And let all those who labour to serve thée with an upright and in an honest heart though in great imperfection and weakness rejoice in thée and shout for joy knowing that they serve a good Lord who will remit their sin hide their transgressions and not impute their iniquiies Amen PSAL. XXXIII Is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Contents are 1. AN Exhortation to the just to praise God vers 1 2 3. 2. The Arguments he useth to perswade to it from vers 3. to 20. 3. The Confidence of Gods people in his Name Their joy in him and petition to him vers 20 21 22. 1. David exhorts the righteous to praise God The first part In the three first verses he exhorts to praise God But whom 1. The righteous not all For praise is comely for the upright 2. That it be given with all zeal and affection with exultation with singing Vers. 1 with voice with instruments Some new Song composed for some new mercy Vers. 2 and that it be skilfully expressed 2. His reasons The second part To this he perswades upon divers good grounds 1. The first in general fetcht from the truth the faithfulness the justice the goodness of God 1. For the Word of the Lord is right 2. Vers. 4 And all his works are done in Truth 3. He loveth righteousness and judgement 1 From Gods goodness c. 4. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Vers. 5 2. 2 From his power His second Argument is fetcht from Gods power in the Creation of all things and that by his Word alone vers 6 7 9. and upon it interserts Let all the earth fear the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him 3. Vers. 8 3 His providence His third Argument is fetcht from Gods providence in governing the world which may easily be discerned by those who will diligently consider his wayes and proceedings both to other people and to his Church 1. 1 In defeating his enemies He makes void all stratagems undertaken against his Will not of single men but whole Nations The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought Vers. 10 He maketh the devices of the people to be of none effect 2. Vers. 11 Whereas on the contrary what he hath decreed shall be done 't is not possible to infringe it 2 In bringing to pass his counsels The counsel of the Lord stands for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations Upon the consideration of which he breaks out into this Epiphonema Vers. 12 Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the people For which he accompts his people blessed He amplifies Gods providence and illustrates it whom he hath chosen for his inheritance After which he returns to his discourse of Gods providence and by an elegant hypotyposis amplifies his former Argument For he sets God before us
confusion together that take pleasure at my hurt and let them be cloathed with shame and dishonour that magnifie themselves against me So shall my soul be joyful in thee O Lord it shall rejoyce in thy salvation I will not be unthankful nor stupid upon the sense of thy mercy my heart shall exult and all my bones sinews strength shall join in thy praise and say O Lord Who is like unto thée in goodness power mercy and justice Who I say is like unto thée who by thy immense power and goodness deliverest the poor man who is destitute of all help from the violent hands of those who are too strong for him the indigent and afflicted from him that spoileth him As for me I will give thee thanks in the great Congregation I will praise thee among much people and my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long O Lord be merciful to thy poor afflicted and persecuted Church and in thy good time deliver thy people from the hand of the Oppressor Let them shout and be glad that favour and stand up in the defence of a righteous cause yea let them say continually let the Lord be magnified who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants Amen PSAL. XXXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE end of this Psalm is to implore God that out of his goodness he would deliver David and all good men from the pride and malice of the wicked To this purpose 1. He sets down a Character of a wicked man and his grievous estate from ver 1. to ver 5. 2. He makes a Narrative in the commendation of Gods mercy from ver 1. to ver 10. 3. He prayeth for the continuance of Gods goodness to his people petitions against his proud enemy and exults at his fall ver 10 11 12. 1. The first part Howsoever other men may judge of wicked men bless them while they prosper Ver. 1 and speak well of them yet my censure and judgment of them is this The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart A character of a wicked man that there is no fear of God before his eyes Sic apud me statuo sic decerno This is Davids postulatum and he first sets it down as the bitter root from which all the ill fruit following doth grow and so he enters upon an induction of particulars and by them describes a wicked man 1. Ver. 2 His first note is the pleasure the glory the boasting he takes in wickedness He flattereth himself in his own eyes 1 He calls evil good His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love to himself is so great that a great sin in his sight is no sin vice is vertue falshood truth 2. 2 He continues in it The second that in this he continues and will not be perswaded out of it untill his iniquity be found to be hateful till God by some heavy judgment hath past his sentence and dislike against it 3. Ver. 3 The third is his hypocrisie aliud corde aliud ore The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit 2 He is an hypocrite He gives goodly words but hath war in his heart 4. 4 He is obstinate The fourth is his pertinacy in evil and his abrenunciation of good Desinit adhibere intelligentiam he hath left off to behave himself wisely or he will not understand that he may do good 5. Ver. 4 And in the fifth verse he bundles up as it were his sins 1. He plots evil and deviseth mischief upon his bed 5 He is studious in wickedness 2. He sets himself in the way that is not good 3. He abhors no evil He invents wickedness he sets about it to perfect it yea though it be of the highest strain he swallows it and nauseates it not This is the description of a wicked man which some men beholding begin to wonder at Gods patience that he will endure this a buse and affront and are apt upon it to question his providence to whom that David may return an answer he enlargeth himself upon Gods mercy and goodness Gods patience and mercy from which this his long-suffering doth proceed And two streins there are of it the first absolute and general extended to all 2. The other particular The second part which is exhibited to the faithful only First In general God is good to all which is seen in his bountifulness 1 To all even all creatures his fidelity and his justice and his preservation of all things 1. Thy mercy O Lord is in the Heavens Thou preservest them 2. Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the Clouds They water the Earth as it s promised 3. Thy righteousness is like the great Mountains immoveable 4. Thy judgments are a great deep unsearchable past finding out 5. Thou Lord preservest man and beast in thee we live move and have our being 2 But particularly to his people which he admires Secondly But of his special care and providence as it stands in relation to the faithful he gives another account 't is a precious thing he sets a price upon it and admires it O how excellent is thy loving kindness O Lord Ver. 7 Quam preciosa Of which the consequent is in the faithful hope confidence Upon which the faithful comfort in distress 1. Therefore the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy wings 1 Trust 2. The effects of it 2 Are satisfied the plenty of all good things prepared for the faithful 1. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House 2. Thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasure 3. To which he adds the cause For in thee is the Fountaine of life and in thy light we shall see light He concludes with a Prayer 1. For all Gods faithful people 2. For himself The third part He prayes that this effect may light 1. He prayes that this peculiar and precious mercy might light upon the heads of all those that serve God in sincerity O continue thy loving kindness to them that know thee Ver. 10 and thy righteousness to the upright of heart 1 On Gods people 2. He prayes for himself that he may be defended from the pride and violence of wicked men Let not the foot of pride come against me 2 On himself and let not the hand of the wicked remove me Ver. 1 3. Lastly He closes all with this exulting Epiphonema 3 His acclamation upon it There are the workers of iniquity fallen There when they promised to themselves peace and security and said tush no harm shall happen to us there and then are they fallen They are cast down and shall not be able to rise The Prayer collected out of the thirty sixth Psalm O Omnipotent God Ver. 5 such is the amplitude of thy mercy that it extends it self far and wide so that from the lowest Earth to
workers of iniquity are in great power riches and honour they are exalted like a Cedar of Lebanon and spread and flourish like a green bay Tree Expect they do all men should come and put their trust under their shadow which if any just man refuse they observe his way and mark his steps séeking an occasion and opportunity to destroy him for they are ready with a drawn Sword in their hand and a bended Bowe in their fist that they first cast down the poor and needy and then slay him that is innocent and of an upright Conversation Good God never suffer our faith and confidence to be shaken at these procéedings of thy Providence but with an equal and patient mind let us resign our selves to thy will and be content thou do what séems good in thy eyes being fully assured that all things shall work together for the best to those that love God O Lord let us rest in thee and wait patiently for thee for thou hast said it and thy Word is true That wicked doers shall be cut off and yet a little while and his person shall descend into the grave his pomp shall vanish his power come to naught his riches take the wing and flie away yea his very place shall not be and that there shall be no remainder of him in thy good time O Lord make good this thy promise and let him be cut down as the grass and wither as the gréen herb let his Sword that he hath drawn against the innocent enter into his own heart let the Bowe which he hath bent to wound the guiltless break in his hand and wound himself because he is the enemy of thy people he is an enemy to thée and therefore let him suddenly and wholly vanish away as smoke leaving no sign at all behind of his ill-purchased glory But as for the meek who with a patient soul delight in thée and chearfully undergo those affronts and injuries which the prosperity of the wicked shall lay upon them well knowing that all is done by thy wisdom and permission Give them and their posterity a sure possession in the earth and let them be delighted with abundance of peace and tranquility of conscience uphold Lord the righteous and let their inheritance be for ever Let the little they have be unto them better than the great riches of the ungodly which they have heaped together by unjust wayes make them content with it enjoy it swéetly and securely and let it alwayes be sufficient to supply their necessities and so bless Lord their substance that in the dayes of want and famine they may have enough forsake them not O Lord and suffer not their seed to beg their bread when by some misfortune they shall fall from a high estate and have experience of adversity or else if through infirmity they fall into sin yet Lord let them not be utterly cast down but even then put to thy helping hand and lift them up restore them to their former state and to thy favour This that they may the sooner recover recall them when they go astray and ever after order their steps in thy Word and delight in their way teach them to eschew evil and to do good so shall they dwell for evermore let them shew mercy and give and lend that their seed may be blessed Teach their mouth to speak wisdom and their tongue to talk of judgment let the Law of thee their God be in their heart that their steps and goings may not slide forsake not O Lord thy Saints love judgment and preserve them for ever leave them not good Lord in the hand of the wicked nor condemn them when they are judged approve not thou that unjust sentence which wicked men pass upon them O ye righteous then wait on the Lord and keep his way good God give us all grace to delight in thée and to commit our wayes unto thée well-knowing that thy servants shall be exalted when the wicked shall be cut off Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace O Lord let me dye the death of the righteous and let my latter end be like his when the Transgressours shall be destroyed and cut off together then Lord be thou a salvation to the righteous and their strength in time of trouble O Lord arise help us and deliver us deliver us from the wicked and save us because we put our trust only in thee Amen PSAL. XXXVIII VVhich is the third of the Penitentials in which he doth implore Gods mercy being grievously afflicted THE parts of it are two in general 1. A Deprecation begun in the first verse and continued in the two last 2. A grievous complaint of his sin disease misery Gods anger his friends and his enemies through the whole Psalm all which he useth as Arguments to move God to pity him and shew him mercy In the first verse The first part He deprecates Gods anger that the fears of his heart proceeding from the sense of Gods anger against his sin might be mitigated at least though rebuked yet not in wrath though corrected Ver. 1 yet not in rigour O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath nor chasten me in thy hot displeasure And so he falls instantly upon his complaint The second part His complaint amplified which he amplifieth divers wayes 1. From the prime cause God For thine arrows stick fast in me thy hand presseth me sore Ver. 2 because of thy anger 2. Ver. 3 From the impulsive cause his sin his iniquities ver 4. his foolishness ver 1 From within 5. 3. From the weight and gravity of his afflictions which in general were The arrows of God that stuck in his flesh the hand of God with which he was pressed which was so grievous That there was no soundness in his flesh no rest in his bones 4. By an induction of particulars where he declares many effects of his disease 1. Putrefaction and stink My wounds stink and are corrupt 2. A sad posture of body I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long 3. A torment of his bowels My loins are filled with a sore disease 4. A general disaffection of parts There is no soundness in my flesh 5. A debility and grievous plague I am feeble and sore smitten 6. A pain that forced from him an out-cry I have roared 7. The disquietness of his heart I have roared for the disquietness of my heart In the midst of which that he might not be thought to have let go his hold his hope his confidence in his God he turns his speech to him Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee he hopes he prayes still 8. The palpitation and trembling of the heart My heart pants 9. The decay of his strength My strength fails 10. The defect of his sight As for the light of my eyes it is gone
be brought to thee i. e. the Church 2. Ver. 15 They shall be brought with joy and gladness and enter into the Kings Palace Ver. 16 gladly and willingly they shall enter into his Courts on earth and after be received to a Mansion in Heaven 5. For her fruitfulness Barren she shall not be for she shall have many children The Churches gratitude good children and great for the Fathers the Patriarchs Prophets Priests in the old Law Apostles Evangelists and their Successors in the New that may be made Princes in all Lands her Officers are not contemptible 3. The third part The conclusion which is gratulatory for for this honour the Church would 1. Erect as it were a statue I will make thy Name to be remembred in all Generations 2. Ver. 17 The praise shall be perpetuated Therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever The Prayer collected out of the forty fifth Psalm LET the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart be alwayes acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redéemer Ver. 1 grant that my heart may endite a good matter and make my tongue a ready instrument of thy Spirit nimbly and aptly and solely to express what thou shalt dictate to me of the King of glory O thou wonderful God and Man the Messiah and Saviour of the World Ver. 2 Thou wert fairer in thy conception and more beautiful in thy birth than all the sons of men born we were all in iniquity and in sin our mother conceived us but thou wert holy in and from the womb being fréed and purified by the Holy Ghost from the stain and spots of our original corruption and when thou wast pleased to manifest thy self to the World thy lips were full of grace thy words drop'◠as the honey-comb never man spake like thée never was there such discourses of mercy such calls and offers of love by which thou didst encourage the weary and heavy-laden to come unto thée and we miserable sinners to be reconciled to God for which God hath blessed thee for ever and given thée all power in Heaven and Earth for which we bless thée for ever on Earth and hope to do it in Heaven Now since thou art the Lord of power Gird thy Sword I pray thee Ver. 3 upon thy Thigh O most Mighty conquer and subdue thy enemies whether impious Devils or devilish men take from the one that dominion which they usurp over thy people and bring the other readily and willingly to submit unto thée this will increase thy glory this will improve thy Majesty and Renown Ver. 4 and in thy power prosper and ride on that Truth and Meekness and Righteousness may flourish in thy Kingdom which is easie for thée to do because the right hand of thy power and Divine Omnipotence shall wonderfully teach and direct thée in this work causing thée to the admiration of all not to desist till thou hast obtained an absolute victory and lead in triumph thy enemies Let the words of thy Gospel be sharper than arrows Ver. 5 with a wonderful quickness let them pierce the hearts of many Nations that whereas now they are rebellious and enemies to thy Kingdom they may be wounded to their good that they may fall under thée even at thy foot-stool yield to thy command and be ready to do thy will whose Throne is for ever and ever Ver. 6 and the Scepter of whose Kingdom is a right Scepter Cause them to love that which thou lovest and hate that which thou hatest Thou lovest righteousness make them then in love with equity Ver. 7 thou hatest iniquity cause them to hate all injustice and since thou wast anointed with the oyle of gladness above thy fellows yet for thy fellows anoint also all those that thou hast taken into this fellowship with a fragrant portion of this thy holy oyle that they rejoyce to do thy will Let Kings Daughters noble and princely souls Ver. 9 stand among those thy Saints whom thou hast honoured and brought to thy obedience O let the Queen thy Church whom in mercy and loving-kindness in judgment and justice thou hast espoused to thée stand on thy right hand cloathed in a golden Robe of thy Righteousness O let the smell of their garments be as a Field that the Lord hath blessed Ver. 8 and the swéet of their vertues and graces more odoriferous in thy Nostrils than the perfumes of Myrrhe Cinnamon and Cassia compounded by the skilfullest art of the Apothicary And thou O Daughter so peculiarly beloved and elected by the Messiah consider and encline thine ear attend and give diligent héed what the King shall teach thée concerning the true God and his Service Our eyes are heavy and we cannot sée our ears are deaf and we cannot hear Lord open our eyes that we may sée and say thou Ephatha to our ears that we may hearken and soften our hearts that we may consider of the great honour thou hast done us Teach us to leave father and mother and house and land for thy sake to forget our own people and our fathers house and all that is most dear unto us the bewitching lusts of our own wills and the vanities of our former lewd conversation Enrich our hearts with thy gifts of Grace so shall the King have pleasure in our beauty and we shall acknowledge him for the Lord our God adore fear reverence and worship him Kéep our hearts O Lord in thy fear for then the Nations round about us shall séek and sue to us the Princes of Tyre shall come and bow to us and offer us gifts the rich also among the people shall intreat our favour and desire they may be united to our Communion Adorn us O Lord inwardly with thy Graces and outwardly with an orderly worship and discipline Let our chief glory be that which is within the hid man of the heart and then make us beautiful without in all the ornaments of true Religion vertuous works and Christian lives and over and above in the vestments of outward Ceremonies which are as it were the needle-work and embroydery of Holiness By all which the Virgin-souls of the people may be brought unto thee and accompany us to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven This may move them to enter into the unity of the Church with joy and gladness which is the door of those mansions which thou hast prepared for them in Heaven where they shall enjoy thy sight and thy presence for ever Raise up O Lord our King instead of the fathers of our profession the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles Apostclical men Bishops Pastours and lawful Ministers of thy Word whom thou may'st make Princes to féed and guide to govern and teach thy Church in all lands O Lord thy Mercies are so great and manifold to thy Church that I will make thy name to be remembred in all Generations O let the people praise thee and sing of thy honour for
the righteous but in that morning the upright shall have dominion over them They and their beauty shall consume together in the grave when the Lord shall exalt his Servants to eternal Glory Good God when thou hast blessed us with wealth and when we abound in honour give us understanding hearts that we think on these things that our time is short our riches vain our houses frail our honours fading that there is a life after this in which we must be happy or miserable so then let us set our hearts upon these transitory advantages that we never forget the desire of that life to come so use this World as if we used it not making it a passage to the celestial Canaan Amen PSAL. L. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Prophet by a Prosopopeia brings in God prescribing rules for his Worship The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then or the main debate in this Psalm is How God will be honour'd in his Church which because that none can teach but God himself therefore he brings him in speaking to his people Two general parts it hath 1. The Majesty and Authority of the person that is to judge this debate described from vers 1. to 7. 2. The sentence by him given from vers 7. to 23. The Prophet begins with an Elegant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calls an Assize The first part The Majesty and Authority of God the Judge summons a Court presents us with a Judge produceth Witnesses cites those who are to answer and having seated the Judge on the Throne gives forth his charge 1. He presents the Judge in Authority and Majesty The mighty God Vers. 1 even the Lord hath spoken He is Deus Deorum other gods there may be so called so feined but he is the God Almighty over them all vers 1. 2. The place whence he comes to judge is his Church Out of Zion the perfection of beauty God hath shined To Zion the Law was given and out of Zion the Law was to come according to which Law he would judge and therefore it was rightly said That out of Zion the Lord hath shined 3. His coming to judgement is like to be terrible It was so Vers. 3 when he gave his Law upon Mount Sinai and 't is like to be so when he shall come to require it Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about 2 Pet. 3.10 Luk. 21.25 26. Secondly Those that are cited here to appear before him Vers. 5 are call'd his Saints not only those who are truly such but all that bear the name Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me with Sacrifice i. e. undertaken to worship me as I have appointed Not as if others were excluded and should not come to judgement but because those they are who know his Will with whom God hath the contest in this place Vers. 1 Thirdly Against these he produceth his Witnesses The heavens the earth The Lord hath called the earth from the rising of the Sun Vers. 4 unto the going down thereof He shall call to the heavens above and to the earth that he may judge his people And the heavens shall declare his righteousness Witness his judgement to be just and other it could not be For God is Judge himself Next follows the Charge given by God himself the Judge to which The second part The charge at the Tribunal that he might win attention he thus prefaceth Hear O my people and I will speak O Israel and I will testifie against thee I am God even thy God Vers. 7 1. I am God therefore worship and obedience is due to me from all creatures 2. I am thy God thou my people therefore due from thee especially 3. I will speak judge and determine this Controversie about my Worship 4. I will testifie against thee and convince thee for what is amiss A double Worship there is 1. Ceremonial and External 2. 1 About outward worship Spiritual and Moral and I will speak and testifie of both First A duty then there was owing in Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Law which indeed I expect because I have commanded but let no man think that I am satisfied with the outward Act except they be brought perform'd and offer'd with an honest heart 1. I will not then reprove thee for thy Sacrifices or thy burnt-offerings Vers. 8 to have been continually before me These thou bringest and these I accept and that thou according to my Ordinance thou hast brought I reprove not But that thou think'st that by this External service howsoever performed 2 About inward worship without the outward rejected I am pleased and that for these thou deservest a pardon that is it which I reprove 2. For I without an inward reflexion upon that obedience unto my command and a sincere and loving faithful penitent heart in the offer of them will never think my self honour'd Vers. 9 I will take no Bullock out of thy house nor he-goats out of thy folds And that for two reasons 1. First I need them not I am rich and Opulent For every beast of the Forrest is mine Vers. 10 and the Cattle upon a thousand Hills I know all the fowls of the Mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine Vers. 11 if I were hungry I will not tell thee for the world is mine and the fulness thereof 2. My perfection is such that I need it not The gods of the Heathen may be pleased and fed as their Hierophantae taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indore carnium with the fumes of their Sacrifices and complain of starving when they were detain'd But think'st thou that I will eat the flesh of bulls Vers. 12 or drink the blood of goats I need no meat of thy provision Upon these terms then these Sacrifices though of mine own institution please me not Ex antithesi then I shall acquaint thee with those Sacrifices that worship which will please 2. Inward worship required which hath two parts And here begins the second part of the Charge concerning Moral and Spiritâ—â— Worship which is Synecdochically declared by the two parts of prayer Thanksgiving and Petition or Invocation 1. Vers. 14 Thankfulness he expects Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most High 2. Vers. 15 Invocation he looks for And call upon me in the day of trouble Which being done he makes an Indenture with us 1. On his part that he will deliver us I will deliver thee 2. On our part that we return him the Glory of our deliverance And thou shalt glorifie me 3. No worship accepted from hypocrites And yet here he puts in his exception against some men viz. Hypocrites and impious men For praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner and a petition presented by an obstinate rebellious profane soul shall not be heard To such he
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
transgressions of them with a pen of Iron and point of a Diamond with whom thou mindest to enter into judgment let not me O Lord be of that number let not my debt stand registred in that Book but of thy mercy and not my merit put it away and blot it out for if my sin stand upon thy account I am but a dead man Lord quicken me Lord forgive me my trespass and put away the hand-writing of thy Ordinance that is against me O Lord if thou wash me not I shall have no part with thée spots I have Ver. 2 that are not the spots of a son pollutions that are of a scarlet dye wash me then by thy vower from iniquity and cleanse me by thy Spirit from my sin or else as an Aethiop I shall never change my spots O Lord lest my uncleanness banish me from my fellowship with thée wash I beséech thée not my féet only but my hands and my head also Wash my féet that is my unclean affections wash my hands that is my unclean actions and wash my head that is my unclean imaginations cleanse me in all that the pollution of any do not cast me from thy presence O Lord I do not hide and conceal the iniquity of my bosom Ver. 3 I séek not to cover it as hitherto I have done but behold now I know it I acknowledge it I confess it to thée against my self therefore shew Lord some pity and compassion upon a miserable sinner and forgive it my sin is ever before me do thou therefore cast it behind thy back My sin is so secret to the eye of the World that no eye beholds it Ver. 4 to them I séem to be what I am not from them I find no trouble but thou O Lord art he to whom all creatures must render an account against thee then against thee I confess that I have grievously offended and done evil in thy sight and therefore it is not O Lord without cause that I suffer these heavy things from thy hands I have deserved them all and given thée just Reason to procéed against me as thou hast done and now I here acknowledge it before the world that thou mayest be justified and have the praise of righteousness even in those things which by the hands of men thou hast brought upon me Righteous art thou O Lord and just in thy judgments I know that in me that is in my flesh there dwells no good thing it is not one Fact only in which I am culpable Behold I was born in iniquity and in sin hath my mother conceived me A Transgressor I have béen from the womb for that bitter root of sin ingraffed in my nature hath gathered strength and shot forth new branches my understanding is darkned my will perverted and my affections bent to evil so that I am truly abominable in thy sight and ashamed of my self especially being conscious to those foul and enormous actual sins that grow from this polluted féed Behold Thou lovest Truth in the inward affections but wo is me I am a man of a double heart Thou hast often instructed my conscience by many secret motions of thy holy Spirit and taught me the way of wisdom but I foolishly have given a check to those inspirations and strayed like a lost shéep in the wayes of folly the light of my conscience I have put out and against my own knowledge I have transgressed Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin I thank God through Iesus Christ my Lord he hath shed his blood for me he alone is my Iesus Purge me then O Lord not with hyssop but with his blood nor Sope nor Niter nor Fullers Sope can make me clean but that stream which issued out of his wounds and side Purge me then with this blood and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow though my sins were as scarlet yet I shall be whiter than wool though they be red like crimson yet 〈◊〉 shall be white as the driven snow O Lord I hear within me the accusing voyce of a disquiet conscience which pursues accuseth and terrifies me O Lord let me hear the voyce of joy and gladness send down from above the Comforter who alone can speak peace to my soul and then my body which pineth away under this anguish and my bones which séem to be broken through my disconsolate condition shall again recover their wonted strength and my flesh upon me shall rejoyce If then Lord mark what is amiss who can abide it even thy dear Son when he endured the looks of thy angry face fell into agony his soul was heavy his flesh in such pain that he sweat thick clotts of blood how miserable then am I so long as thou shalt look upon me with an angry brow Hide O hide thy face from my sins and blot out all my misdeeds Turn thy angry look from me and look upon the face of thy Anointed that so thy anger when it reacheth me may as the Sun-beams passing through some thick cloud be refracted and mitigated O Lord by my sin I have grieved thy holy Spirit and forced thée who art properly my heart and life of my heart to forsake me come again Lord and restore life unto me without thée I am dead in trespasses and sins I have lost my life Ver. 10 and like a man wanting his quickning spirit when thou wentest away my life went away Return O Lord and come again and create a new heart within me Of my self I have fallen by thy assistance I must rise lend me then the helping hand of thy grace that may lift me up And being fallen my heart is foul Ver. 11 polluted and unclean and who is able to bring a clean thing out of an unclean This is a work much like the producing the first World out of the Tohu and Bohu set O Lord Almighty thy power to work again and create in me a clean heart Fallen I am into the old age of sin begin with me again and make me young and lusty as an Eagle Ver. 12 Cast me not away and forsake me not in my old age of iniquity as a dead man out of mind but let thy presence yet be with me and restore me to the joy of thy salvation O take not from me the graces and assistances of thy Spirit thy right Spirit thy holy Spirit thy frée Spirit A perverse spirit I find in my self thy Spirit will rectifie it and teach me to go the right way an unclean spirit I am possessed with thy Spirit will sanctifie it and purge it from pollution 't is the spirit of bondage to which I am subject thy Spirit can set it at liberty and make it frée impart therefore some nay a liberal portion of this thy Spirit that may teach me the right way that may set me in a holy course that may kéep preserve uphold and confirm me in it that
2. Their treachery this The Mighty men are gathered against me They run and prepare themselves 3. They are diligent about it They return at Evening 2. Mad and set to do it they make a noise like a Dog and threaten boldly 3. Unwearied and obstinate in their purpose They go round about the City 4. Impudent and brag what they will do to me Behold they belch out with their mouth 5. And their words are bloody Swords are in their lips 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. And the cause of this is that they are proud and atheistical Who say they doth hear Secure they think themselves supposing they may contemn God and man neither regard what 's done or what becomes of poor David Ver. 3 4. 5. In the mid'st of which aggravations he inserts his own innocency Expresseth his own innocency They gather themselves together not for my transgression nor for my sin O Lord they run and prepare themselves without my fault And upon this he renews his Petition Ver. 4 1. Awake to help me and behold He renews his Petition 1. Thou therefore the Lord God of Hosts the God of Israel the Lord God of Hosts therefore powerful 2. The God of Israel therefore merciful 2. Awake to visit all the Heathen i.e. Punish the Heathen and the Israelites in this no better 3. And be not merciful to any wicked Transgressors i. e. malicious obstinate To this rage and implacable hatred of his enemies The third part Comforts himself in Gods promises he now begins to oppose the comfort he had upon the assurance of Gods promises this I know 1. Thou O Lord shalt laugh at them as it were in sport destroy them be their power never so great yet thou wilt laugh them to scorn 2. Them and all that are like them Thou shalt have all the Heathen in derision 3. I confess that Saul's strength is great but my Protector greater Because of his strength I will wait upon thee for God is my defence 4. This I am assured also That the God of my mercy that hath hitherto shewed me mercy shall prevent me come in feason to my help 2. Expresseth his desire about his enemies And God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies And to the 16th verse he expresseth what his desires were 1. Negatively He would not have them slain and eradicated He would not have them slain and be gives his Reason for it Slay them not lest my people forget for a dead man is quickly out of mind and his punishment out of mind and so few are the better for it 2. Positively The first degree of which is dispersion But 1. Sâ—attered vagrancy and banishment Scatter them which how heavy a judgment it is let the Jewes be witness 2. The second degree is Humiliation Bring them down O Lord our shield 2 Humbled Bring them from their power command honour to a low degree which is no small heart-breaking to a great spirit Fuimus Troes is never remembred without a groan And now he assigns the cause why he would have them scattered and brought low The causes that their blasphemies and lies may never be forgotten but they stand as a terrour to all lyars and blasphemers 1. For the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips 1 Taken in their own snaâ—e let them be taken in their pride The Jewes cryed Beelzebub Nolumus hum and taken they were 2. And for cursing and lying which they speak They cursed themselves his blood be upon us and upon them it is with a witness 3. He goes on in his desires Consume them O Lord emphatically consume them in wrath that they may not be which at first sight seems contrary to his first desire Slay them not But it is not so 4 Consumed for he speaks not of their life as if he would have them so consumed that they should not remain alive but he desires only a consumption of their power royalty command c. And so these words are a farther explication of his second desire Bring them down He would have them so brought down and consumed in their strength dignity command wealth riches that made them proud that they never be able any more to oppose God hurt his people trample upon Religion and his Church he would have them live 4. The final cause to deter others And shews the end why he would have them live and remain still it is ut cognoscant that they might know by their calamities and miseries That it is God that ruleth in Jacob and unto the ends of the Earth that he doth wonderfully govern and preserve his Church that is scattered over all the Earth 5. His insultation over them by a Sarcasm And now by a bitter Epitrope or Synchoresis rather he insults over them before at the 6th verse he shewed their double diligence threats malice to do mischief 1. They return at Evening Well esto be it so And at Evening let them return 2. They make a noise like a Dog Well Let them make a noise like a Dog 3. They go round about the City Well Let them go round about the City So withall they know that they shall be but in a miserable poor mean condition 1. Let them wander up and down for meat Let them find no setled habitation but wander among strange Nations to seek for necessary food 2. And grudge if they be not satisfied Let them be famelici so hunger-bit that is nor little that will satisfie them let them be alwayes grudging if they have not content so that if they be not satisfied they will stay all night be importunate and unmannerly Beggars vexed with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. The fourth part The Doxology The Conclusion is a Doxology and contains Davids thanks in which he acknowledgeth That God is his defence his refuge his strength of him therefore he would make his song 1. But I will sing of thy power 2. I will sing of thy mercy 1. Aloud 2. In the morning 3. The Reason he gives For thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble Both he repeats again 1. Vnto thee O my strength will I sing 2. The Reason The Reason For God is my defence and the God of my mercy And he joyns these two Attributes strength and mercy very well for take away strength from him and he cannot remove morcy and he will not protect both must go together in any one that will defend Power that he can mercy that he will otherwise 't is but in vain to hope for help from him David found God to be both and for both he extolls him The Prayer collected out of the fifty ninth Psalm OMy God Ver. 1 whom only I serve on whom alone I do depend deliver me I beséech thée from the hands of my enemies defend me from the malice of those that rise up against me
in your hands persecute him and take him for there is none to deliver him But in thee O Lord is my trust be not far from me O my God Vers. 1 12. make haste to my help Deliver me for thy righteousness and cause me to escape Vers. 2 encline thine car unto me and save me Thou art my Rock and my Fortress be thou thâ—n my strong Habitation whereunto I may alway resort Thou hast given a Commandment to save me Deliver me then at this time Vers. 13 out of the hand of the wicked out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt O Lord for thy sake I am become as a prodigious thing unto many Vers. 7 they cast a scornful eye upon me as if I were the off-scouring of the world but thou Lord art my strong helper under whose wing I shall be safe and overcome come those difficulties Vers. 5 which otherwise are inevitable Thou Lord art he alone in whom from my youth to this day I have put my hope By thee I have been upholden from the womb Thou art he that tookest me out of my mothers bowels and ever since by thy miraculous preservation of me hast given me just occasion to praise thee Let then my mouth be fill'd with thy praise and with thy honour all the day long Now also when I am old and gray-headed good Lord forsake me not So shall I praise thee more and more my mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness thy faithfulness in kéeping promises thy justice in punishing wicked men and thy mercy to me in sending salvation at all times Great and wonderful things O Lord are those that thou hast done for me they excéed for number I cannot reach to them for heighth O Lord who is like unto thee If I would declare them and speak of them they are more than I am able to express Yet what I can do I will do I will shew thy strength to this generation and thy power to all them that are yet for to come Though I am a man of a short time and no way eloquent yet I will go in the strength of the Lord God and I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine only O God from my youth thou only hast taught me Many experiences I have had of thy power and justice for thou hast shew'd me great and sore troubles and yet hast quickned me again thou hast brought me within the sight of death and the grave and yet hast recovered me again from the depths of the earth From so great a death thou hast delivered me and I am perswaded that thou wilt yet deliver me nay that thou wilt yet adde this over and above to thy goodness that thou wilt yet increase my greatness and comfort me on every side Thought I am by thy Word assured by thy Spirit that thou wilt not be wanting in thy promise neither then will I be wanting in my thanks As thou wilt be merciful so will I alwayes be thankful I will set forth thy praises with the Psaltery I will sound out thy truth in performing thy promises with instruments of Musick To thee will I sing upon the Harp O my God O thou that art holy and makest Israel to be a holy people Neither will I resound thy honour in a dull and a heavy manner my lips shall clearly express what the instrument darkly brings to the ear and my heart and soul which thou hast redéemed shall exult and rejoice at the honour of thy name And after the Anthymne is ended I will yet praise thee more and more for my tongue all the day long shall be employed in talking and making mention of thy righteousness And all that fear thee shall say Blessed be God who hath confounded and brought to shame all those who study the hurt of his people and the subversion of his Church PSAL. LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID being near his death makes his prayer for his son Solomon that he may be a just peaceable and great King and his Subjects happy under his Government But this is but the shell of the Psalm for the kernel is Christ and his Kingdom under whom righteousness peace and felicity shall flourish and unto whom all Nations shall do homage for ever and ever The parts of the Psalm are 1. The Petition vers 1. 2. The general express of the Qualities of this Kingdom vers 2 3 4. 3. The particular unfolding of these in the effects from vers 4. to 18. 4. The Doxology from vers 18. to 20. 1. The first part He prayes for Solomon David being taught by experience how hard a matter it is to govern a Kingdom well prayes to God for assistance to his son Solomon to whom being to dye he was to leave his Crown and Scepter 1. Give the King thy judgements O Lord Vers. 1 The true knowledge of thy Law This granted the effects will be 2. And thy righteousness to the Kings son That he may not decline to the right or left hand but judge ex aquo bono Administer thy justice Judge for God The second part 2. For then this will follow 1. Justice will flourish in his Kingdom 1 Justice He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgement Vers. 2 2. And peace also and prosperity The Mountains i. e. 2 Peace The chief Magistrates and the little hills the lesser officers Vers. 3 shall bring peace to the people 2. But by righteousness For justice upholds the world Opus justitiae pax 3. And now he proceeds to unfold himself upon the two former generals The third part The effects of justice first of justice then of peace 1. Of justice he assigns two effects 1. The defence of good men He shall judge the poor of the people he shall save the children of the needy Vers. 4 2. The revenge of the ill He shall break in pieces the oppressor 2 Of peace The Consequents of peace are 1. Fear and reverence and the service of God They shall fear thee Vers. 5 as long as the Sun and Moon endures throughout all generations 2. Plenty and abundance Vers. 6 He shall come down as the rain upon mowen grass that causeth it to shoot again and as showers that water the earth 3. Prosperity of good men In his time shall the righteous flourish Vers. 7 and abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth 4. Now he shews the amplitude and greatness of this Kingdom 2 The Amplitude of Solomons or rather of Christs Kingdom which will not be so true of Solomon as of Christ and his Kingdom 1. His Kingdom will be very large He shall have dominion from Sea to Sea and from the river to the ends of the earth 2. His Subjects many some of which shall
seventy fifth Psalm for the King those that are in authority and for the Church under affliction O Almighty God Lord of all power King of kings and Lord of lords who hast taught us by thy holy Prophet that promotion comes nor from the East nor from the West nor from the North nor from the South but that thou art the righteous Judge that puts down one and sets up another Establish we beséech thée in the Throne of this Kingdom thy faithful Servant our bread Soveraign Let the dew of thy abundant blessings fall upon his head give him the success of David the wisdom of Solomon and the zeal of Josiah Take pleasure in him O Lord and restore him to his just right and people and make him a most mighty Protector of thy heritage a most religious Defender of thy Sacred Truth and a gracious Governor to all his Subiects When he shall receive the Congregation Vers. 2 and at any time sit in judgement Vers. 10 let him judge according to right let him cut off the horn the pride the power of wicked men and on the contrary be studious to honour and exalt the right and humble desires of the righteous At this time the foundations of the earth are out of course the earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved Vers. 3 The seats of justice are corrupt all Laws are silenc'd an indulgence is given to theft and rapine Religion is trode under foot and men in their manners are dissolute being guided by their own counsels and swayed by their own affections How is the faithful City become an Harlot It was full of judgement righteousness lodged in it but now Murderers Our Princes are become rebellious and companions of Thieves every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards they judge not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them Set up then thy Servant upon the Throne that he may restore our Iudges as at first and our Counsellours as at the beginning Religion and Iustice are the Pillars of the Land they are now ready to fall or rather fallen O let him bear up these Pillars repair the breaches of this distracted Church and Kingdom and confirm both Laws and Iustice being heard to speak and a right order for thy worship and service being re-establishes So shall this our Land be call'd again The City of righteousness the holy and faithful City Give him O Lord courage in the execution of his Office Vers. 4 let him make the wicked to pass under the whéel and the ambitious arrogant and proud to know that in his Kingdom they are not to deal foolishly nor yet being confident of their power to exalt their horn and in contempt of all Laws exercise rapine and violence Let such as set their horn on high be brought down by his hand and those that are contumacious and stiff neck'd fort'd to bow to his yoke and made to féel that he carries not the sword in dain but that as he is the Minister of God for good to those that do good so also he is the Minister of God a revenger of wrath upon him that doth evil And now having presented unto thée our supplications for our King we are bold also to offer unto thy Majesty our humble petitions for that part of thy Church which thou hast committed to his care this for many years thou hast fed with the bread of tears and entertain'd with the water of affliction But it is our comfort that the Cup is in thy hand Thou measurest out our draughts and beginnest such a portion as thou pleasest The wine is indéed red and of a high colour but yet it is full of mixture with the tartness of thy great displeasure there is mixt the swéetness of thy promises engaged thou art that we shall taste and drink no déeper of it than thou wilt make us able to bear O Lord make thy Word good unto us stay thy hand turn from thy fierre wrath let it suffice that we have drunk so déep of this Cup. There remains only the dregs behind and as we have béen inebriated with this wine so let the ungodly of the earth wring out the dregs and suck them out So shall we have just râ—â—son to declare the equity of thy justice Vers 9 and to sing praises to the honour of the God of Jacob. Unto thee O Lord Vers. 1 will we give thanks yea unto thee will we give thanks for that thou art near and thy name is ready to help all that call upon thee of which the exaltation of our King and the deliverance of thy people will be a miraculous declaration Thy Church shall for ever remember thy just judgements and sing forth with full voice thy praises when they shall sée the horns of the wicked broken and those preserved and secured who have wholly addicted themselves to the study of justice and piety as we are taught and commanded by our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ PSAL. LXXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel Triumphalis THE Glory and Power of God is in this Psalm amply set forth in his defence of Jerusalem and Zion which were types of his Church and it hath Three parts 1. The Prerogative of Judah and Israel vers 1 2. 2. A Narration of Gods Majesty in his Church from vers 3. to 11. 3. An Exhortation to worship and serve God vers 11 12. 1. 1 The Jews Prerogative The first part In the two first verses is set forth the Jews Prerogative above other Nations 1. Vers. 1 That God was known among them In Judah is God known 2. That his Name was great in Israel Great for his manifold deliverance Vers. 2 Illustrious 3. 2 Gods zeal for his Church At Salem is his Tabernacle his Temple his seat of worship His presence singular 4. His dwelling in Zion I will dwell in the midst of them and I will be their God 2. The second part Next he declares Gods power and Majesty and vindicating his people and destroying their enemies There i. e. at Jerusalem before Zion as in the dayes of Senacherib Or else in the Land of Judah There brake he the arrows of the bow By which he shew'd himself 1. Glorious the shield and the sword and the battail Selah By which he became Glorious 2. And Terrible vers 7. 1. Glorious Thou art more Glorious and Excellent viz. among good men than the Mountains of prey Than the Kingdoms gotten by violence murder and robbery And this his glory was made manifest in these particulars 1. That they who came to spoyl were spoyled The stout-hearted are spoyled 2. They have slept their sleep Either dead Or overtaken with so deep a slumber that like men surpriz'd by a deep sleep and suddenly awaked they were amaz'd and knew not which way to turn themselves Their hands were feeble their courage lost 3. Which he explains in the words following And none of the men of might have
found their hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. 4. The cause of this consternation At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the Chariot and Horse are cast into a dead sleep Thus God became Glorious and Excellent among good men 2 Terrible 2. Vers. 7 But he became Terrible also to wicked men So Terrible that 1. Thou even thou art to be feared for who may stand in thy sight when thou art angry None be he never so proud 2. Vers. 8 Of which this is an evident Argument Thou didst cause judgement to be heard from heaven It was so in the destruction of Senacherib The earth feared and was still Men saw it were amaz'd at it and put to silence And this work of God in overthrowing his enemies The effects of it and saving his Church he farther amplifies When God arose to judgement to save all the meek of the earth Vers. 9 The consequent was this 1. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee 1 Praise from the wicked The fierceness and rage of man against thy Church shall at last turn to thy praise confess they shall being conquered by thy hand that thou art mightier than they so did Pharaoh This is the finger of God so Julian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain 2 And victory Though they body and rally again yet thou shalt overcome and conquer their fury 3. In the Close he exhorts all Gods people to vow him honour The third part For which and to perform their vow 1. Vow and pay unto the Lord your Gâ—d let all that are round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared All to vow praises 2. And he adds his Reason in an Epiphonema 1. He shall cut off the spirits of Princes Take away from Tyrants their courage and prudence 2. He is terrible to the Kings of the earth They shall know he is God A Psalm of Thanksgiving after some great Victory collected out of the seventy sixth Hsalm O Omnipotent God and most merciful Father it hath pleased thy unspeakable goodness beyond any merit or desert of our's Ver. 1 to make thy self known to us in thy Gospel and thy Name great and famous in our Israel Declared thou hast to all Nations that Salem the City of peace is that place where thou wilt set up thy Tabernacle and Mount Sion thy Church Ver. 2 that habitation which thou wilt defend from the violent attempts of her malicious enemies Our ingratitude no question was very great and our provocations many our lives not answering to the light of thy Word which thou madest shine unto us and because we rebelled against thée therefore this great Army of rebellious men is justly risen up against us who threatned to unroot thy people and utterly to lay waste thy Zion But thou O Lord passing by our transgressions hast put a hook into the nose of our enemies and a bridle into their lips defended miraculously thou hast thy City Jerusalem for thy own sake and for thy servant Davids sake our blessed Saviour There hast thou broken the strength of the Bowe Ver. 3 and not suffered him to shoot an arrow there in our land thou hast made void their Shield dull'd the edge of the Sword scattered their Army and by thy power dissolved and brought to nothing all their warlike preparation and ammunition When we are compassed as it were with a darksom cloud of fear and even despaired of any help and succour then thou didst appear in glory thy excellence then arose to save us our aid was from Heaven our deliverance from above thy Kingdom established in righteousness and holiness far excéeds that power that is gotten by violence murder and robbery therefore they that came to spoil us are spoiled they are consumed and have slept their sleep out of which when they awaked they have béen amazed that in their hands of so much wealth and plunder which they dreamed of they found nothing which hapned unto them not by the course and ordinary changes and chances of things in this World no nor yet by our force and power but at thy rebuke O God of Jacob by thy command by the severity of thy judgment both the Chariot and those who trusted in it both the Horse and his Rider are fallen O Lord Thou even thou art terrible Thou even thou alone art to be feared Who is there though never so potent though defenced with the strongest Army that is able to resist thée that may stand in thy sight when thou art angry At this time thou hast fought from Heaven for us Thou didst make all people to hear thy judgments from thence and the Tyrants of the earth when they felt the power of thy hand trembled and shaked at it their heart melted and their knées smote together quiet they were and silent not daring to mutter against thée or against thy people O Lord the fierceness the rage the pride of man shall turn to thy praise even thy enemies the profanest men being humbled by thy judgments shall confess thy power and acknowledge thy hand say they shall This is the finger of God that thou Lord goest before thy people that thou hast done it and their posterity shall by their example be restrained from doing any such wickedness and by their fathers punishment taught to fear God And now O all ye which are Israelites indéed and perptually stand in his presence Vow unto your God for this his great mercy and pay the sacrifice of praise bring presents unto him whom alone you ought to fear and reverence To him I say vow and perform your vows who for your sake hath cut off the animosities and taken down the courage of Princes and made it appear That he will be a terrible God to all the Kings of the earth to whom be praise to whom be glory now and for ever Amen PSAL. LXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this Psalm the Prophet shews the bitter agony which a troubled spirit undergoes upon the sense of Gods desertion and the comfort again it receives upon the consideration of Gods great and gracious works Two parts of this Psalm 1. He sets forth the strife betwixt the flesh and the Spirit and how the flesh tempts to despair and calls into question the goodness and favour of God from ver 1. to 10. 2. Next he shews the victory of the spirit over the flesh being raised encouraged and confirmed by the Nature Promises and Works of God from the 10th verse to the end of the Psalm an excellent Psalm this is and of great use in all spiritual desertions 1. The first part I cryed unto God with my voyce even unto God with my voyce and he gave ear unto me Ver. 1 in the day of my trouble I sought the Lord ver 1 2. Here David shews the course he took to find ease in his extream trouble of soul he accused not
brings them into the case that David here was 2. To which he adds a Doxology Who is so great a God as our God which he confirms in the following verse Thou art the God that dost wonders Thou hast declared thy strength among the people thy power thy wisdom thy protection of thy Church even to all people the Heathens themselves and strangers to Israel may see it and acknowledge it if not blind 2. 2 To Israel in particular But in particular Thou hast declared thy strength in defence of Israel Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people the sons of Jacob and Joseph And he amplifies this story of their deliverance from Aegypt by several instances of Gods power in it 1. In the red Sea The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee not only the Aegyptians but the sensless Element felt thy power they were afraid the depths also were troubled Exod. 14. 2. In the Heaven The clouds poured out water the skies sent out a sound thine arrows also went abroad the voyce of thy Thunder was in the Heavens thy lightnings lightned the World Exod. 14.24 25. 3. In the earth The earth trembled and shook and all this was done that Israel might have a passage through it Thy way is in the Sea and thy passage in the great waters and thy footsteps are not known And the final cause of this miracle was The final cause of it that he might shew his severity toward his enemies and his goodness toward his people for whose deliverance he sent Moses and Aaron ordained a King and a Priest by them Thou leddest thy people like sheep by the hands of Moses and Aaron The Prayer collected out of the seventy seventh Psalm VVITH all ardency of spirit earnestness of soul and contention of voyce Ver. 1 have I cryed unto thée O Lord constantly and fervently have I cryed unto thée O hear the voyce of my prayer and let my cry come unto thée when I was in trouble I expected I called for no humane help but I fled to thée to thée I called for aid and comfort with stretched-out hands and eyes bent to Heaven I stood before my God O let me not be disappointed of my hope In the night-season Ver. 2 when others devoid of care take their rest and sléep my sore ran and ceased not I found no rest in my bones by reason of my sin yea so great was the grief of my soul That I refused comfort I remembred my God whom I had so often and so foully offended and I was troubled at it my sin my grievous sin lies heavy upon my soul it makes me to complain and the conscience of it so far depresseth my spirit That I am even overwhelmed with fear and sorrow By the dread I have of thy anger my eyes are held waking and I pass the long night in which others are refreshed with sléep without any rest and I am so troubled in my self that I have no mind to speak I revolved in my mind the times that were past and the years of former Generations in which thou hadst dealt mercifully with afflicted souls And in the night-season a season most fit for meditation I called to remembrance my song my song in which with a joyful heart I was wont to praise thée and yet so I received not comfort I communed with my own heart I searched out as with a Lanthorn my soul I called to mind thy clemency to thy children thy Truth in thy Word thy Iustice in thy Promises the causes of all calamities and these my sorrows and yet so I could not be comforted Ah merciful Lord and loving Father Wilt thou cast me off for ever and wilt thou no more be favourable to me Thou art patient and long-suffering Thou art the Father of mercies thy property is to have pity thy promise to forgive and spare thy people and is thy mercy now gone for ever and doth thy promise fail for evermore What hâ—st thou forgotten to be gracious and wilt thou in anger shut up thy tender bowels of mercies that I shall never more have any sense or féeling of them Of a truth Lord for my wicked life I have deserved the fiercest of thy wrath and all the judgments which thou hast threatned against rebellious sinners but O Lord Thou art able of a Saul to make a Paul of a Publican a Disciple of Zachaeus a Penitent of Mary Magdalen a Convert these changes are in the hand of the most High Turn then me O Lord and so I shall be turned and turn unto me and so I shall be refreshed pardon my sin and change my heart and so I shall be assured that thy mercy is not clean gone For after this long debate betwixt me and my own soul upon the serious thoughts of thy mercy I came to this resolve that my diffidence proceeded from my own pusillanimity for I said all this trouble is from my own infirmity I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember how gracious he hath béen to other sinners how strangely he hath converted them how mercifully he hath forgiven them and this change hath put me in good hope of an old man to become a new man of a vessel of wrath a vessel of mercy and that though in anger for a time he hath séemed to desert me yet out of méer compassion he will return and be gracious to me I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old time I will meditate also of all thy works and talk of thy doings I will call to mind That thou dost not call thy people to partake of the pleasures of this World but to desperate conflicts with sin death Satan and Hell that there is not any of thy servants of old but have born this burden and heat of the day and shall I then look to escape shall I hope to be exempted Thy way O God is in the Sanctuary A secret there is why thou dealest thus with thy servants and known it cannot be till we go into thy Sanctuary there we may learn That thou chastnest every child that thou receivest there we shall find That the reason of all thy procéedings are full of equity and holiness and that there is nothing we can justly reprehend or complain of Which of the gods of the Nations is in power to be compared unto thée which in mercy is like thée Thou art the God that dost wonders Thou hast declared thy strength in our weakness thy power in our infirmity O shew therefore thy self to be the self-same God and in this my weakness and infirmity support me It is not for nothing that thy favour to thy people Israel is left upon Record the Redemption of the sons of Jacob and Joseph are expressions of thy power and mercy Then O Lord the waters of the red Sea law thee then the waters felt thy presence and as if
an Assize the Judge sits in the midst of the Justices so God is present and President Vers. 1 and sits in the midst of the Judges hears sees and will reward or revenge what they do God standeth in the Congregation of the mighty he judgeth among the gods 2. And this being laid for a foundation he falls in the person of God to contest with the Judges The second part His contestation with inferiour Judges 1. He reproves them First reproving them vers 2. Then exhorting them to their duty vers 3 4. Lastly proposeth the event upon the neglect of justice both to the Common Wealth vers 5. and to themselves vers 6 7. 1. He reproves them in the second verse and that very sharply as they deserved 1. For their judgement that it was unjust Ye judge unjustly 2. Vers. 2 For their obstinacy Not once done but often they continued in it Vsque quo 1 For injustice How long 3. 2 Obstinacy in it Their partiality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye accept the persont of the wicked 2. 3 Partiality He exhorts them to do their duty which is double 1. 2 He exhorts to do their duty Defend the poor and fatherless do justice to the afflicted and needy Do right to every man 2. Deliver the poor and needy Rid them out of the hand of the wicked Be a shield to them Vers. 3 a Saviour 3. Where this is not done all is out of order The Judges the cause of it either He acquaints us with the events which will follow where justice is not done In that Common Wealth All the foundations of the earth are out of course And the Judges are the causes of it In whom there are three foul defects 1. The first is Ignorantia juris They know not 2. Vers. 5 Their wilfulness negligence or oscitancy in sifting the cause Neither will they understand 1 Through ignorance 2. Wilfulness 3 Perverseness 3. Their perverse resolution to go on their own way without any respect had to the Laws of God or man They walk on still in darkness and then it was no wonder that all the foundations of the earth should be out of course 2. Their punishment Death yea though gods The other event was death and judgement which was to fall upon their persons vers 7. Which that they might take down the better he brings it in with an honourable Preface that they might know he had an high esteem of their place and persons Vers. 6 yea though unjust Judges I have said Ye are gods and all of you are children of the most high Your Ordination is from Heaven your Power from God your Office is his Creature But withal he would have them know that they were but mortal gods Vers. 7 they themselves must come to judgement which was the other event But mortal gods 1. Ye shall dye like men ye shall dye as those that are no gods that are de plebe 2. Ye shall fall as one of the Princes as those whose death is inglorious their memories infamous and hateful and after death you shall not be happy ye shall fall as Lucifer did Mortal you are become as Adam by your sin and you shall be deprived of immortality 3. The last part is a prayer The third part He prayes that God would be Judge that since by injustice all the foundations of the earth be out of course he desires that God would take the matter to his own cognizance 1. Arise O Lord He saith not You that are oppressed Vers. 8 rise against your Judges but that they leave it to God 2. That he would sit upon the Bench and judge the earth 3. He would amplifie and enlarge his Kingdom For thou shalt inherit all Nations The Prayer collected out of the eighty second Psalm O Almighty Lord who art the fountain of all honour and power Vers. 1 by whom Princes raign and Magistrates decrée just things Vers. 3 vouchsafe thy presence in the midst of our Congregations and preside and be thou the Judge among our gods that they judge thy people with equity and thy inheritance with righteousness So the poor and fatherless shall be delended the afflicted and néedy have justice done them By the just execution of thy power committed to thy Vicegerents the poor and needy shall be delivered and rid out of the violent hand of the wicked man But O God such hath béen our ingratitude that that power which was ordained for our good and peace is now become our greatest mischief for thou hast subjected us to wicked powers and set over us hard Task-masters our superiours or who at least take upon them to be so are companions of Thieves they judge unjustly they accept the persons of the wicked they pronounce an unjust sentence and out of the scale of justice they weight unto us gall and wormwood All the foundations of our Land are out of course For those who are stept into the Tribunals of justice either are so ignorant they do not know or so perverse that they will not know and understand what is right So blinded they are either by honour money or malice that they will not grow wiser by thy admonitions but walk on still in the darkness of their own heart Leave not O Lord thy people in the power of them who are blind and cannot or malicious and will not understand their duty but go about for their own ends to overthrow the two Pillars of the Land Piety and Iustice And since thou hast permitted them to come to that eminency that they are called gods and sons of the most High but have forgotten and dishonoured thée that raised them and discredited those places to which they are raised bring them down O Lord and make them know they are but men that they shall dye as the meanest man and be brought to judgement And that it they continue in their unjust and violent wayes their end shall be that of some inglorious Prince whose name shall rot whose memory shall be infamous whose soul shall be cast from his height and dignity into the depths and torments of the infernal pit Since then O Lord thou hast set over us such tyrannical Lords from whom we can expect no justice Arise thou in thy power and judge the earth Thou art not now a God of the Jews only but the Gentiles also even we that were not a people are become thy people and thine inheritance and therefore it belongs to thée to exalt the Kingdom of thy Son Come O sweet Jesus come quickly And as at thy first coming thou didst redeem thy people from that unjust Oppressor the Devil and didst establish thy Church to be governed by just Laws the execution of which thou hast put into the hand of the Magistrate so O Lord come again and by thy second coming deliver us from the injustice and violence of our Oppressors And thou who dost render to
God If assaulted by men or Divels Thou the most High Thou Almighty a God able to defend me and therefore I will hope in thee I will dwell trust rely upon thee and this thy promise in every temptation and danger 2. Next to assert the truth of this 2 By the attestation of the Prophet who enumerates the particulars from which he shall be delivered he brings in the attestation of the Prophet for being moved by the Holy Ghost he saith as much Surely he shall deliver thee and then falls upon the particulars from which the godly man shall be delivered set down in many Metaphors 1. He shall deliver thee from the snare of the Fowler from the deceits of evil men or Divels 2. From the noysom pestilence all danger to which we are incident by plague Ver. 3 war famine Again when thou art little in thy own eyes as it were but a Chicken 1. He shall cover thee as the Hen doth her young Birds with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust secured from the Kite the rain the storm and heat of the Sun 2. When thou art grown up and able to encounter an enemy in the field he shall help thee to a shield and a buckler and that shall be his Truth Ver. 5 his Veracity thy faith in it and which is yet more Thou shalt not be afraid 1. For the terrour by night any hidden secret tentation danger treachery detraction conspiracy 2. Nor for the arrow that flies by day any open persecution calamity proud assault invasion 3. Nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness Ver. 6 the machinations of wicked men hatched in the dark 4. Nor for the destruction that walks at noon-day the bold Threats and Decrees of Tyrants and Persecutors Moller observes rightly that the promises of deliverance here made do not belong to one or other kind of evil but to all kind of calamities open or secret and so may be appliable to any some of which steal upon us as in the night secretly other overwhelm us as in the day openly But the promise is general as Bellarmine well observes whether the danger come by day or night those that trust in God are armed with his shield of Truth against it For if God be with us who can be against us Rom. 8. The Prophet goes on and confirms the godly in their security by the dissimilitude or unlike condition of wicked men when thou shalt be safe Ver. 7 they shall fall But with the wicked it is not so they shall fall 1. A thousand shall fall at thy side on thy left hand overcome by adversity 2. Ten thousand on thy right hand flattered into sin by prosperity But not the night fear nor the arrow by day shall not come nigh thee 3. And which is another cause of comfort pleasure Only with thy eyes shalt thou behold Ver. 8 and see the reward of the wicked which sometimes falls out in this life as the Israelites saw the Egyptians dead upon the Sea-shore Moses and Aaron Dathan and Abiram swallowed up quick c. But shall be fully fulfilled at the last judgment Mat. 23. Of which security Ver. 9 comfort content the Prophet in the next verse gives the Reason But not the godly because God is their help the danger shall not come nigh thee when they fall thou shalt see it and consider it with content Because thou hast made the Lord which is my Refuge even the most High thy habitation Thou trustest in him as I do and therefore shalt have the like protection deliverance comfort that I by his promise have Farther yet There shall no evil befall thee Ver. 10 neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling The meaning of which No evil shall befall them Not from sin Nor punishment is not as if the godly man should be free either from the evil of sin or punishment for while they carry about them this body of flesh they are subject to both But evil from sin may well be said not to befall them because it humbles them makes them more cautelous causes them to love God the more to adhere to him the faster and sue forth a Pardon and Petition for grace to resist and so though evil in it self yet is not a destructive evil to them Again the evil of punishment is to them a fatherly correction to mend and better them not to ruine them and in this sense we may justifie the Prophet in his words There shall no evil befall thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling Be it sin or punishment all shall work together for the best for those that love God and then not properly evil Well For the Angels have a charge to keep them I am the just man may say secure that no evil shall befall me but I desire to know how I shall know that I may be kept so that I fall not among Thieves Ver. 11 This Objection the Prophet prevents saying in effect Fear not For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes They shall bear thee up in their hands Ver. 12 lest thou dash thy foot against a stone In which verses consider 1. That the good man is protected by Angels many Angels have a care of one poor man 2. That they are commanded by God to do it for are not they ministring Spirits sent by God to that end Hebr. 1. 3. That it is a particular administration a charge given De te the poorest the meanest Saint 4. That they are to keep to look to defend thee and what is thine Thou hast an invisible Guard 5. But then mark the limitation and restriction it is in all thy wayes in the walk of thy Vocation to which God hath called thee either walk in them or the Angels have no charge to keep thee 6. Lastly In all thy wayes not in one but all for the wayes of men are many and in all he needs the custody of Angels 1. The Law is a way and the way of the Law is manifold 2. Our works and operations are manifold which are our way too 3. Our life is a way and there be many parts and conditions of our life various ages manifold states and in all these wayes we need a Guardian for we may slip in every Law in every operation in every age in every state of life Which that it be not done God hath given his Angels charge over us to keep us to keep us only nay which is more 1. They shall bear thee as kind Mothers and Nurses do their Children 2. They shall bear thee in their hands the will the understanding wisdom and power are as it were the Angels hands with all these they will bear us 3. That thou dash not thy foot that is thy affections which carry the soul to good or bad 4. Against a stone which are all difficulties and obstacles which as stones the Divel
sing praises to thy Name O thou most High Enable me by the power of thy Spirit that with heart and tongue that upon an instrument of ten strings Vers. 2 and upon the Psaltery that upon the Harp with a solemn sound I may shew forth thy loving-kindness in the morning Vers. 4 and thy faithfulness in keeping thy promises in the night season Make me glad O Lord and give me delight in the consideration in thy work and beauty of the whole Vniverse Vers. 5 and let me triumph and rejoice in the serious meditation of thy immense power wisdom and goodness declared in the works of thy hands Vers. 6 So great and wonderful they are that no man can sufficiently admire them so déep and secret are thy thoughts in them that no understanding of man is able to search them The bruitish man who is destitute of thy Spirit séeks no farther into them than to satisfie his pleasure or profit and therefore he knows not the depth of thy counsels the natural man who is the true fool séeks only in these to satisfie his curiosity and therefore in his understanding he is darkned and erres Oh therefore send down thy Spirit of wisdom into my heart that she may labour with me in the search of thy wayes and works that so all ignorance being removed and all bruitishness being expell'd I may attain to the true knowledge of them and thée and be moved to set forth thy loving-kindness and extol thy wisdom and faithfulness first in Creating and then in wisely governing the whole world Sinners Vers. 7 when they spring up suddenly as the grass and the workers of iniquity so long as they flourish think themselves the sole happy men Put into their hearts O Lord to consider their latter end and give me grace to consider their fall and punishment Their prosperity is not lasting their state is not immutable that is a property that belongs only to thée for thou Lord art the most High for evermore Their raising is for their ruine and their end to be destroyed for ever For lo thine enemies O Lord lo thine enemies shall perish and all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered But Lord I fear thy name and tremble at thy judgements I admire thy power and adore thy wisdom be gracious then to thy Servant and let me partake of that blessing which thou hast promised to thy Catholique Church Vers. 10 O Lord exalt her horn as the horn of an Vnicorn she is depressed raise her she is weak strengthen her she is in sadness and her ointment putrified anoint her O Lord with fresh oyle Her enemies are many that rise up against her bring upon them a sudden destruction and let her eye see her desire on her enemies and her ears hear her desire of the wicked that rise upagainst her But for thy righteous Servants who adhere to the Truth and serve thée in sincerity of heart let them flourish like a Palm tree grow higher and gréener by their pressures let no time consume them nor storm of persecution more shake them than a Cedar in Lebanon the more they are hewed the more make them to grow the more they are cut the more cause them to spread These being by nature Cyences of the Wild-Olive Vers. 13 thou hast engraffed into the good Olive-trée and planted them in thy house thy Church water them by thy Word and Sacraments root them in Charity Vers. 14 prune them by thy Discipline that they may flourish in the Courts of the house of our God let them be fat and full of sap in this old age of the world and when other Trées are barren let them still bring forth fruit Be unto them a strong Rock to which they may fly in every storm Vers. 15 and on which they may stand secure and undanted in the greatest tempest Let them live to praise thy name and shew that the Lord is upright and acknowledge that there is no unrighteousness in thee though thou dost suffer the wicked man to flourish for a time and thy best Servants to lie under the Cross Ah good Father cherish our fainting hearts with this hope comfort us with this thy loving-kindness and faithfulness in Iesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour PSAL. XCIII A Doxology 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T IS the purpose of the Prophet to comfort the Church opposed by Tyrants and Persecutors and yet she shall not utterly fail The gates of Hell shall not prevail against her because Christ sits in his Church as King The Sum of it is 1. The magnificence and power of Christ our eternal King vers 1 2. 2. That he defends his Church in the day of a storm vers 3 4. 3. That his Laws are holy and his Church also vers 5. The Prophet in the first verse describes our King 1. From his Office He reigns He is the great and chief Monarch The King of the Church described The first part 1. From his Office He is no idle Spectator of things below but wisely and justly and powerfully he administers all things 2. He is a glorious King For he is clothed with Majesty 3. He is a potent King The Lord is clothed with strength 4. He is a warlike King For he hath girded himself Vers. 1 buckled his sword upon his armour for offence of his enemies 2 His Majesty for defence of his Kingdom 3 His Power Then for his Kingdom 4 His Ammunition 1. It is first Universal The World 2 His Kingdom universal 2. It is fix'd firm and stable The World is also stablished and cannot be moved Vers. 2 3. It is an everlasting Kingdom from everlasting to everlasting 1 Firm immutable Thy Throne is established of old Thou art from everlasting 2 Everlasting Aeternus Rex aeternum Regnum 2. The second part Against this Tyrants arise But in this his Kingdom there be those who raise tumults commotions and rebellions These he compares to swelling waters and foming waves 1. The floods i. e. Tyrants Persecutors c. have lifted up O Lord Vers. 3 the floods have lifted up their voice the floods lift up their waves The Church dwells in the Sea and the waves of tyranny ambition malice beat furiously upon it 2. But to no purpose Well be it so yet the Lord on high is mightier than the noyse of many waters yea than the mighty waves of the Sea He wonderfully and strangely hath shewed his might Vers. 4 in getting himself the Victory over all Persecutors and propagating and inlarging his Kingdom over all the earth in despite of his enemies 3. The third part The Laws of his Kingdom unalterable And as his Kingdom is immoveable so are also the Laws by which it is governed fixt and unalterable also Thy Testimonies are very sure The Gospel is an eternal Gospel the Doctrine thereof holy and inviolable by which God Vers. 5 testatus est hath witnessed his
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
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
joyful noyse 1 Universally that it be done in gladness and singing 3. 2 Heartily That it be not partial and restrain'd but complete the Copia verborum in which the Exhortation is offer'd 3 Completely shews it Jubilate colite scitote Vers. 2 venite laudate benedicite 4. 4 Sincerely That it be sincere and not feined done as in his eye and presence Vers. 3 5. 5 Knowingly That it ought to be well grounded arise from knowledge Know ye that Vers. 4 6. 6 Thankfully But thanksgiving be a part of it 7. 7 Publickly That it be as oft as occasion is offer'd Publick Enter into his Courts with Thanksgiving 2. The second part The Duty being set down reasons the Prophet sets down also to perswade to it The reasons for it drawn from the Nature of God 2. The benefits he bestows on us 1. First from his Essence Know ye if you know not so much already that the Lord he is God Vers. 3 Other gods there be talk'd on but none True but he 1 He is God Which shewed by his works of And therefore none to be serv'd but he 2. And this he shews himself to be by his work of Nature and Grace upon you 1. 1 Nature or Creation By his work of Nature for he is your Maker It is he that hath made us and not we our selves Parents are said to get chilcren but that ability is from God He makes the barren to bear and to be a joyful Mother of children Thou hast fashioned me in my mothers womb What saith Elkanah Am I in the place of God when his Wife was displeased she had no child 2. 2 Of Grace By his work of Grace For we were out of the fold but he call'd us into it and ever since accounted of us as his people of his pasture He governs us feeds us And that we be yet the more cheerful and ready to perform this duty in the last verse he puts us in mind of three Attributes of God His Mercy his Goodness his Truth for which he is worthy to be praised by us because we the better for them for be cause he is good he hath mercy upon us and because he is merciful 2 He is he promiseth us aid and assistance and because he is faithful and true he will perform it 1. Vers. 5 For the Lord is good O how good to those that are true of heart He is reconcil'd to us 1 A good God pardons our sin justifies us adopts us for his children and that freely without any merit of ours 2. His Mercy is everlasting He is the Father of Mercies 2 Merciful and begets Mercies as oft as we bring forth sins It is the Mercy of the Lord that we are not consumed 3. And his Truth endureth to all generations 3 Faithful For he never made promise but either he hath or will perform it God is not as man that he should lye The Prayer collected out of the one hundred Psalm O Omnipotent and holy God Vers. 1 the excellency and transcendency of thy Nature and those infinite benefits by thy favour conferr'd upon us exact at our hands that we appear in thy presence to celebrate thy name with joy and gladness and enter into thy Gates with thanksgiving and into thy Courts with praise But being conscious to our own unworthiness which ariseth from the thoughts of our manifold transgressions afraid we are that we dust and ashes sinful dust and ashes should take upon us to speak unto our Lord we tremble at thy presence and are ready to sink under thy displeasure If thou Lord should'st be extream to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it Remember yet we are thy creatures and the work of thy own hands Vers. 3 for thou hast made us and not we our selves Remember that when we were not a people worthy of love thou calledst us and madest us thy people when we were clean without the pale that wentest after us and broughtest us home to thy fold and madest us the sheep of thy pasture Give us grace then O thou great Shepherd of our souls that we may lament our unthankfulness and forgetfulness of these favours and the heinousness of our rebellions being removed be reconciled unto us and inable us that instead of a corrupt and impure life we may serve thée in righteousness and holiness all our dayes Of this we have yet some hope because thou art good Vers. 5 thy mercy is everlasting and thy truth endureth from generation to generation from thy goodness procéeds thy mercy and because thou art merciful thou hast made promises to penitent believing sinners and we are assured thou wilt perform them because thou art faithful and true O seal these promises to our disconsolate hearts by the graces of thy Holy Spirit Vers. 2 then we shall be bold to come into thy presence then will we enter into thy Gates with thanksgiving then we will be thankful unto thée and bless thy holy Name We will serve the Lord with gladness and make a joyful noyse to our Lord the God of Jacob for ever Amen Here ends the Third Book of the Psalms according to the Hebrews PSAL. CI. A Psalm of David Didascalicus DAVID being Anointed by Samuel to be King or as most conceive newly made King promiseth and vows to God to reign in Righteousness and Holiness In a word he would so govern Himself his Palace the Church the State that all wicked doers being taken away and all good men countenanc'd by him God should be honour'd and justice peace temperance piety flourish Two parts of the Psalm 1. The Syllabus or brief of the Psalm with the Dedication of it vers 1. 2. The full Explication of what he means by Mercy and Judgement and how practised 1. Toward himself For he shews what his life shall be from vers 2. to 5. 2. Toward ungodly men vers 4 5 7 8. and the end of it vers 8. 3. Toward all good men vers 6. These should be his Counsellors and Servants 1. The sum of the Psalm The first part He Summarily sets down what he will treat of in this Psalm viz. Mercy and Judgement the two great vertues of a King I will sing of mercy and judgement Ver. 1 1. Mercy Judgement which he really vowes Mercy in countenancing giving audience judging for and rewarding the good 2. Judgement in discountenancing punishing and being a terror to evil works and workers And that he would do this really not talk and seem to profess a great love to Mercy and Judgement as Princes use to do when they mean no such matter He makes a Solemn Vow to God to perform it Unto thee O Lord will I sing From thee proceed these gifts to thy honour they shall be referr'd and by me as in thy sight impartially executed This I Vow and Promise to thee 2. The
mighty King of Kings and Lord of Lords by whom Kings and Princes decree justice Ver. 1 that especially which thou requirest of thy Vicegerents on earth is That they shew Mercy and execute Judgement that they extend acts of Grace and Charity toward the good and to be a terror to evil doers Come Ver. 2 Lord unto me with thy aid and Spirit for without thy help I am not able to do any duty and make me first to reform my self and my house Cause me to walk wisely with zeal and prudence in a perfect way Give me power to walk constantly and with delight in my own family with a perfect heart Ver. 3 that I may be a pattern of good works unto all within my house an example of piety religion iustice and charity to all about me Slip Lord and fall I may but it shall not be willingly and maliciously for I will set no wicked thing before my eyes that I should be tempted thereby Thou Lord hast hitherto put into my heart a hatred of the works of them that turn aside Ver. 4 and gracious God continue in me that hatred still for so I am sure that nor the Wedge of Gold nor the Babylonish Garment shall cleave to my fingers Give me so much courage O Lord as to execute judgement upon the wicked Ver. 5 and so much charity as to extend mercy to the good Let my justice be so exemplar that every man of a crooked and perverse froward heart be afraid of me and depart from me let me never know countenance or shew the least friendship to a wicked person Embolden me to cut off every one that privily slandereth his neighbour Ver. 7 As for the men who shew the pride of their heart with the rowling of their eyes and for such who have a heart so full swoln with ambition and covetousness that nothing can satisfie suffer me not to have any familiarity with them not so much as to admit them to my Table Thou knowest O Lord how full the world now is of fraudulent persons and men of lying lips make my sevetity so awful and my authority so reverential that he that works deceit do not dare to dwell stay and remain within my house and he that tells lyes be afraid to tarry in my sight As on the contrary move me to discern Ver. 6 and to be favourable is all those who are faithful in the Land men of truth and trust let my eyes be bent upon them to do them good these let me call from all places to dwell with me and if there be any that walk in a perfect way bring him to be my servant my Counsellor my bosome-friend Iustice and Religion are the Pillars of any Kingdom and at this time the foundations of the earth be out of course make me to beat up the Pillars of it Write the book of thy Law within my heart and let the advancement of true Religion be my chiefest care Ver. 8 After let me carry so great a love to justice that the wicked of the Land be by me early and speedily destroyed and all wicked doers be unrooted and cut off from the City of my God This is a City of Saints far far be removed from it all yride and covetousness all fraud and lying all Idolatry and false worship all impiety and injustice Let righteousness flourish in the Gates and piety in the Temples thereof and holiness shew it self in the lives of the Citizens to the glory of thy Holy name and the salvation of our poor souls through Iesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen PSAL. CII The Title of this Psalm is A Prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and poureth out his complaint before God It is by the Church chosen for one of the Penitentials IT seems to me to be composed by the Prophet to be a form of prayer to be used by the faithful Jews in the time of their Captivity at Babylon For in it is expressed the sad condition they were then in in the person of an afflicted man the present state of Religion under the desolation of the Temple which the Prophet laments and yet again comforts himself and his people upon the consideration of Gods Eternity and Immutability and that therefore he will perform his promise have mercy on Sion build again the Temple restore them again to their own Land in which they should quietly and happily dwell This no question is the literal sense of the Psalm but it cannot be doubted but the Prophet had a farther intent in it For the faithful among the Jews knew that the Restitution of Solomons Templâ— was but a Type of that Temple which the Messiah would build up of living stones and inhabit by his Spirit This then they prayed for and for the erection of it when they prayed for the re-edification of the other as appears by very many passages in this Psalm Two General parts there are of this Psalm 1. A description of the Calamity of the Church under the person of an afflicted man from vers 1. to 12. 2. The comfort yet she took in these Calamities and the ground of it from vers 12. to 28. 1. The whole is formed into a prayer A Prayer The first part which is proposed in the two first verses and an earnest motion made for audience 1. Ver. 1 Hear my prayer O Lord and let my cry come unto thee 2. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble encline thine ear to me In which he complains and shewes his sad condition in the day when I call answer me speedily 2. And he presseth his prayer by way of complaint shewing many wayes what a heavy case he was in 1. Ver. 3 By a consumption of his strength 1. My dayes are consumed as smoke In many respects which though it swells into the air in a great thick body yet it is suddenly dispersed and vanisheth 2. And my bones which are as it were the pillars of this house my body are burnt and dryed up 1 A Consumption as it were an hearth or the stones of the hearth which the fire by continuance burns out 3. My heart is smitten and withered like grass that either cut down withers to hay or standing is burnt up by the scorching heat of the Sun 4. To this pass I am come that I can take no sustenance I forget to eat my bread 2. From his continual weeping and pining away By reason of the voice of my groaning 2 Grief my bones cleave to my skin 3. From his Solitude He was deserted of his friends Clausa fides miseris 3 Solitude I am become like a Pellican in the Wilderness I am become like an Owle in the Desert Solitary Birds 4. 4 Watching From his continual watchings I watch and am as a sparrow alone on the house top As Moller observes this kind of bird impatientissime viduitatem ferunt 5.
a little before I go hence and be no more seen for I am nothing unto thee Thy years are throughout all generations and therefore 't is but equal that thou indulge an ample space of life to thy image that he may attain eternal happiness And he proves God to be Eternal because he is Immutable not so the earth not so the heavens 1. Not so other creatures all they change corrupt Not the earth for it had a beginning and that from thee Of old though long ago yet a beginning it and thou placed it not upon a foundation already laid but laidst the very foundation thereof broughtst it out of nothing to what it is and placed it in the midst of the World as now it is Ponderibus libratasuis 2. Not the heavens For they are the work of thy hands i. e. thy Wisdom and Power Heaven then and all Creatures in it Earth and all below cannot be Eternal They began 3. Neither shall they continue They shall perish be either annihilated or alter'd from their present condition They shall not be what they are now no not heaven nor earth As then they are not Eternal so neither are they Immutable Now in opposition to these he puts the Almighty God But thou shalt endure And yet more fully he expresseth this Truth in the following words 1. Yea all of them shall wax old like a garment make a farther step and access to a final period in regard of their duration 2. As doth a garment their use shall cease together with man as doth the use of a garment with him that useth it Isa 34.4 1 Pet. 3.10 2. And as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed as the Curtains and Carpets and Hangings are folded up when the Family removes 3. However they shall not wax old by the course of Nature but by the mighty power of the God of Nature Thou shalt change them and they shall be changed Well But God always the same be this so as is most true and must be granted yet it is not so with thee O God But thou art the same Vers. 27 and thy years shall have no end Thou art Immutable Eternal and because Immutable Eternal Now the reason why God cannot suffer any change is evident for every thing that is mutable is endued with a power to attain to something by that change which it had not before But God is actus purissimus and an Essence of infinite perfection and therefore when he wants nothing nothing can be added to him and consequently he is Immutable Now the Eternity and Immutability of God being confirm'd Vers. 28 the Prophet draws hence a comfortable Conclusion for the servants of God His Church and servants shall therefore continue also and for their children viz. such as imitate their piety for they shall be partakers of eternity also So is the Covenant Gen. 17.7 1. The children of thy servants shall continue That is The Apostles with the Patriarchs their Parents shall dwell in thy Kingdom in the heavenly Jerusalem 2. And their seed and as many as they have begotten by the Gospel if they remain in the faith which works by love they shall be established persevere remain continue before thee live in thy presence for ever As thou art Eternal so shall they be Eternal The Prayer collected out of the one hundred and second Psalm O Almighty God great Lord of heaven and earth we miserable sinners with fear and shame cast down our selves before thee Ver. 1 humbly confessing that for our selves we are unworthy that our prayers should have access to thee since we have broken all thy righteous Laws and Commandments and walked unworthy of thy Gospel and our Christian vocation But O Lord of thy mercy and clemency make us so worthy to pray Ver. 2 that thou mayest hear our prayers and let the cry of thy Spirit in our hearts be so vehement that it faint not in the way but approach thy Throne of grace Though we be foul and filthy sinners that have defaced thy image yet do not thou in displeasure turn away thy face from us It troubles us that we are thus foul and this is the day of our trouble for it oh thou who hast promised to accept the Sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart now when we are in trouble encline thine ear unto us in this day when we call upon thee our heavenly Physician hear us and answer us and that with speed Ver. 3 left if thou prolong the time thou shalt not be able to find whom to heal and save For O Lord we are in a very lamentable condition for the dayes of our life and prosperity are consumed as smoke that vanisheth in the air and the pillars of our bodies our bones Ver. 4 are burnt up as a hearth that the fire wears away Our heart is smitten out of the sense of thy wrath and pineth and withereth away as grass scorched by the heat of the Sun so great is our misery so pressing our calamity that we forget to take our dayly repast to eat our bread which nature it self requires of us We lived in delights Ver. 5 but now by the voice of our groaning by the continual sorrows and expressions of those sorrows that are upon us our flesh is consumed and our bodies brought to such a leanness that our bones will scarce cleave to our skin For very grief we fly the soriety of men and seek out places that are fit for mourners Ver. 6 We are like a Pellican a bird that delights to live alone in the Wilderness and like an Owl which flying the company of other birds the light and sight of men dwells in a secret dark and retired place where she sings a sad tune and we a heavy song Ver. 7 Our nights we spend in continual watchings very grief suffering us not to close our eyes and at break of day we breath forth our sighs unto thee as the Sparrow that sits alone and laments the loss of her mate upon the house top And in these our distresses we find no comforter Ver. 8 all our friends have forsaken us and our enemies making their advantage of it have gathered themselves together against us they reproach and revile us all the day long and being mad against us and set upon mischief they have enter'd into a conspiracy and bound themselves by an Oath to undo us Ver. 9 For this cause we eat no pleasant bread neither came any wine in our mouths but such as was kneaded with penitential ashes and mingled with the salt of tears and weeping And what soul that was ever under the sense of Gods disfavour can blame us for this since Thy wrathful displeasure goes over us Ver. 10 thy indignation pursues us Thou who in mercy didst lift us vp hast in judgement cast us down The sad consideration whereof doth beyond all that man can do afflict us But how long O Lord wilt
understanding quick and my judgement bettered Bless the Lord O my tongue and all that is within me bless his holy Name But what do I insist upon the Benefits which thou hast bestowed upon me in particular when thou hast béen merciful to thy whole people Ver. 6 for those also I bless thée and for those now I pray many of them suffer injuries from the hands of Tyrants many of them are in want and necessity Execute righteousness and judgment help the afflicted comfort them who are in want and deliver all that are oppressed as thou didst thy people Israel by the hand of Moses And because ignorance and errour hath brought a missy darkness over thy Truth shine forth again and make thy wayes known as thou didst to thy people by Moses direct them in the right way of a good and a happy life and by the Acts already done for thy children of Israel assure them what in all Ages thou wilt do for thy people Thou O Lord art merciful and gracious flow to anger and plenteous in mercy Be merciful then to the sins of thy children and be not alwayes chiding let it suffice that thou correct and chastise them as a Father but keep not thy anger for ever Why should thy Spirit alwayes strive with those to whom thou beatest a paternal love and affection Be gracious then and out of méer grace seal them a pardon Deal not with them after their sins neither reward them according to their iniquities Make it appear That as the Heaven is high above the Earth so great is thy mercy immense and true toward them that fear thee that as far as the East is from the West that so far thou wilt remove their transgressions from them Shew that it is not the interposition of any sin how dark how swelling soever if repented and left that can kéep off the light of thy countenance from them Thou art slow to anger let not then thy wrath be kindled against the sheep of thy pasture Pity them then O God pity them and me an undutiful Child with them Yea as a Father pitieth his own Children so pity us that fear thee Remember O Lord our frame how thou hast fashioned us Remember that we are but dust and must return to dust Remember we are but grass that suddenly shoots up or as a flower of the Field which is to day in its pride and beauty and to morrow flags and falls a nipping sharp wind passeth over it shrivels it up and it is gone so that the place thereof shall know it no more nor it the place Thus frail thus vanishing is man when the Spirit of thy indignation and thy severe sentence passeth upon him But thou art plenteous in mercy it is not so with thy mercy as with the life of man that fades and decayes But thy mercy is from everlasting toward them that fear thee O Lord we desire to live in thy fear and to kéep thy Covenant and as we are the Children of those who have dyed in and for the Truth so to remember thy Commandments and to do them Bring these desires into Acts that so kéeping thy Covenant and performing thy Commandments with a filial fear we may be partakers of thy righteousness and that mercy which had no beginning and knowes no end no more end than thou canst have no more be circumscribed than thou canst be For thou hast prepared thy Throne in Heaven and thy Kingdom ruleth over all To thée then we his as Supreme for pardon and mercy Thy mercy is above thy works and the Benefits flowing from the Fountain of thy mercy infinite as it cannot be exhausted so I desire the praise for it should not be dryed up Men are sinful and praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner Men are frail and vanity it self and the praise would be everlasting O ye Angels of God then joyn with me Bless ye the Lord ye that excel in strength ye that do his Commandments which I to my grief kéep not and chearfully and readily hearken to the voyce of his words Ye are the multitude of the heavenly Host that sung in the Fields of Galilee Glory to God on High Bless ye then the Lord all ye his Hosts ye Ministers of his that do his pleasure And you also all ye works of his joyn with the Angels and do what you can Bless ye the Lord and sound forth his praises by your obedience and subjection to his Will in all places of his Dominion Lastly O my Soul so fréely pardoned and justified so graciously regenerated and sanctified so dearly bought and wonderfully redéemed so undeservedly to be glorified with this my body which in the mean time is satisfied by him with good things and shall at last in youth be renewed as an Eagle Bless the Lord O my Soul Bless the Lord the Lord who is merciful and gracious flow to anger and plenteous in mercy Thou never canst do enough that hast received so much Tender then unto him all laud all honour all praise all glory through Jesus Christ thy Lord thine only Saviour and Redeemer To God the Father that created us to God the Son that redeemed us to God the Holy Ghost who sanctifies us three Persons and one God be ascribed all Glory Honour Power and Dominion for ever and ever Amen PSAL. CIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE scope and intent of this Psalm is the same with the former viz. to excite men to praise God upon the consideration of his Benefits but yet upon a different ground In the former for the Benefits of Grace conferr'd upon his Elect. In this for the Gifts of Nature bestowed in general upon all Those flow immediately from his mercy these from his power wisdom goodness and depend upon his Providence which are manifest in the Creation Governance and Preservation of all things The Creature then is the Subject of this Psalm concerning which in it we have a long but very methodical Narration by the meditation of which he invites all men to sing Hallelujah The parts of the Psalm are four 1. The Exhortation proposed briefly ver 1. 2. The Exhortation perswaded by Inspection of the Fabrick the beauty the order the government of the World from ver 1. to 33. 3. The Duty practised by himself ver 33 34. 4. An Imprecation on them that neglect the Duty ver 35. 1. The first part He begins with a double Apostrophe 1. Ver. 1 To his own Soul to praise God Bless the Lord O my Soul which was the Conclusion of the former Psalm He exhorts to praise God because of his works 2. To his God O Lord my God whom he describes to be great and glorious And that he may set forth his Majesty and Glory he useth a most elegant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borrowed from the Person of some great King who presents himself very glorious to his people in his Robes in his Pavilion with a glistering
they might not be touched they were thy Prophets and they might not be harmed touched harmed they might not be no no not when they were few in number yea very few and these few strangers in the land They then went from one Nation to another from one Kingdom to another people yet the Charge was Nolite tangere And in them Thou hast given us a pledge and pown what thou wilt do for thy Church in comparison of the great multitude of profane men and unbelievers 't is but a little flock few in number yea very few In the World these are strangers and they used as strangers they wander up and down in many Kingdoms Repress their wrongs suffer not the Devil and his Imâ—â—ments for ever to pursue them reprove the prondest Kings for their 〈◊〉 Give forth thy Command as once thou didst and let the Tyrants tremble 〈◊〉 it Touch not my Anointed and do my Prophets no harm And he unto those who will not hear it what thou wast unto Pharaoh and poure down the plagues of Aegypt upon their heads from ver 27. to 33. At this time There is a King risen amongst us that knowes not Joseph Ver. 17 he hath taken Counsel against us and works wisely and subtilly with thy servants as he thinks to root us out Joseph is sold for a Bond-servant his feet are hurt with fetters and the iron hath entred into his Soul This we hope is but thy are to try him to purge out his dross and not to consume him and now after so long a trial raise up the Spirits of Princes to loose him frée him from his Exile and unsufferable injuries by their hands Make him O Lord the Ruler of thy House and bless his substance Put power in his hands To bind Princes at his pleasure and give unto him so wise a heart That he may teach his Senators wisdom But we pray not for him alone we pray also for our selves who groan under Aegyptian bondage and a darkness that may be felt Hear our cries and ease our sorrows Send Moses thy servant to be our Deliverer and Aaron whom thou hast chosen to be our Teacher that so Truth and Peace may be restored at once to thy poor afflicted people The mercy is great we ask and far beyond our desert to crave and we except not to receive it upon any other Score than upon thy Holy Promise made with thy servant Abraham We are the seed of Abraham according to the Spirit we are the children of Jacob thy chosen O remember thy holy Covenant which thou madest for ever Thou art the Lord our God and thy judgements are in all the Earth Judge and revenge our cause O Lord so will we remember the marvellous works that thou hast done and the wonders and the judgements of thy mouth Then We will give thanks unto thee Ver. 1 O Lord and call upon thy Name we will make known thy deeds among the people we will sing unto thee yea we will sing Psalms unto thee we will talk of all thy wondrous works we will glory in thy Holy Name and it shall be the very joy and rejoycing of our hearts that we may seek the Lord. Séek thée we will hereafter with an honest and sincere heart and denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts our endeavour shall be to live righteously soberly and godlily in this present world being conscious to our own infirmities we will séek thy strength and we will séek it in the place where thine honour dwelleth Sensible we now are what grievous afflictions have béen upon us since thy face hath béen turned away and therefore for the future we will séek thy face thy grace thy favour evermore Be merciful O Lord look down from Heaven remove thy angry Brow Ver. 45 and look upon us with a chearful and serene Countenance and for it we vowe our selves to be thy Vassals and Servants Return unto thée we will not only the Tribute of our lips but the Tribute of our lives For we will observe thy Statutes and keep thy Lawes And with a loud voyce sing we will Allelujah Allelujah for evermore PSAL. CVI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Intention of the Prophet in this Psalm is To express Gods Long-suffering in bearing with rebellious sinners and yet his Mercy in pardoning them upon the Confession of their sins and turning to him both which he doth exemplifie by a long Narration of Israels Rebellions Repentance Turning to God and Gods dealing with them which gave him just occasion both to praise God and to pray for his Church and People The Contents of this Psalm are these 1. An Exhortation to praise God with the Reasons in general ver 1. and who are fit to perform this Duty ver 2 3. 2. A Petition and Prayer directed to God in his own person for the whole Church and the end of it ver 4 5. 3. A Confession of fin particularly of the Israelites together with Gods patience to them and his healing them upon their Repentance Toties quoties from ver 6. to 46. 4. His Prayer that God would collect his Church out of all Nations that they might meet and praise him ver 47 48. 1. Allelujah Praise ye the Lord O give thanks unto the Lord. The first part He incites to praise God To this the Prophet invites and that we stick the less at the performance by two Reasons he perswades unto it 1. Because he is good he is before-hand with us Ver. 1 and prevents men with many Benefits 2. Because his mercy endures for ever his mercy is everlasting and far exceeds our sins and miseries for after men have offended him and deserve no mercy yet his mercy is unconquerable for he receives to mercy penitent offendors 'T is but Reason then we praise him and magnifie his mercy Yea but now it may be said Quis idoneus ad haec Ver. 2 Who is sufficient for these things who fit to praise him and set forth his mercies Those fit to do it who keep judgment and do righteousness Who can utter the mighty Acts of the Lord that is the infinite Benefits in mercy exhibited to his people Or Who can shew forth all his Praise in conserving pardoning defending propagating his Church This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or right answer should be Who can none can Ver. 3 for we are all sinners and therefore all unworthy Praise being not comely in the mouth of a sinner But the Prophet gives in his answer another way They are only happy men who keep judgment and do righteousness at all times and by consequent fit to do this Duty they may speak of the mighty Acts of God with comfort and shew forth all his praise 1. They are happy in prosperity and adversity they dwell in the house of God under his protection 2. They keep his judgments follow in their lives the strict Rule of Divine Law by
deserved both praise and a reward And an ample reward he had for it for God established the dignity of the high Priesthood in Phineaz and in his posterity as long as the Common-wealth of the Jewes continued 7 Another rebellion at Meribah 7. The Prophet comes to another remarkable sin of the Jewes extant Numb 20. where the people chode with Moses for want of water 1. They anger'd him also at the waters of strife That is God when they contradicted Moses 2. So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes for being passionate and disturbed with cholar He spake unadvisedly with his lips When Moses smote the Rock and offended God Hear now ye Rebels c. and he smote the Rock By their murmuring and grumbling they so provoked his spirit to bitterness that he who at other times was chearful and ready to obey all Gods Commands did now somewhat strike at it 8 Their rebellion after they came into Canaan 8. Hitherto the Prophet hath set down seven several rebellions of the Jewes during their abode in the Wilderness now he proceeds to shew us how they have behaved themselves after they came into and were seated in the land of Canaan Better a man would think they should be now that God had made good his Word to them But I see a Blackmore cannot change his skin nor they their manners disobedient stubborn and rebellious they were still which the Prophet confesseth and is upon Record in the Book of Judges 1 They destroy'd not the Heathen 1. God had expresly commanded that the Nations of Canaan should be destroyed Deut. 7.1 2 3. But they did not destroy the Nations concerning whom the Lord had commanded this was Disobedience 2 They married with them 2. But were mingled among the Heathen They made Leagues and Marriages with them Judg. 2. 3. 3. And learned their works Many superstitious many lewd customes 3 Learned their works 4. But which went beyond all they learned to be Idolaters of them 4 Became Idolatrous forsook God for the Devil 1. They served their Idols which was a snare unto them for for that they became their slaves Judg. 2 c. 2. Yea they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto Devils that is to Moloch 5 This polluted them and the land 3. With inhumane sin that the Prophet might aggravate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he comes over it again And shed innocent blood that is the blood of innocent children even the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the Idols of Canaan The Consequents of which were double First a double pollution Secondly a heavy judgment 1. First A pollution of the Land in which they dwelt The land was defiled with blood 2. A pollution of their own souls Thus were they defiled in their own works Polluted as a Harlot that pollutes her body by the prostitution of it so they polluted when they went a whoring after their own inventions Espoused they were to God their husband but they left him and followed Idols they were to be accounted no better than Whores which Idols were properly their own inventions For which they were punish'd abominated for they learned to prostitute themselves to them neither from God nor Moses The judgment or punishment now followes and a signification whence it proceeded it came not by chance nor meerly by the hand of man it was by Gods Order and Anger 1. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people Therefore for their Idolatry Murder Whoredom so that he was not only angry but his anger was kindled it was in a flame 2. Nay he took so great dislike to them that abominatus est insomuch That he abhorred his own inheritance It must be a very foule offence that will kindle the wrath of a mild King against his people And justly given into the hand of the Heathen and a strange dislike for which a man will renounce and abhor his own inheritance it shewes how heinous a sin Idolatry is And the punishment he took upon them was very just 1. He gave them into the hand i. e. the power of the Heathen and this E Lege Taliouis God had given the Heathen into their hands to destroy them which because they did not but learned their works therefore now God gave them into the hands of the Heathen 2. Who were hard Lords over them He made them their Lords and hard Lords they were as easily appears in the story of the Book of Judges and the first of Samuel and no wonder for they hated them yea even when they made Leagues and Contracts with them Their case must be then very miserable when those that hated them ruled over them from such they were to expect little favour 3. And little they had for the Prophet in the next verse acquaints us that 1. Their enemies also oppressed them Tyrants Oppressors they were read the Book of Judges c. and very often if they sought to free themselves 2. They were brought into subjection under their hand to wit under the hand of the Philistines Moabites Ammonites c. In which state and condition yet God did not forget them For many times did he deliver them Not once but often as by Gideon Jephtha Deborah Sampson and others Yet God deliver'd them But O the ingratitude of a sinful Nation whereas being deliver'd they should have served But they provoked him again being deliver'd they provoked him with their Counsel that is by following the Counsels of their own hearts and not the directions of God And so were very justly brought into the case they were before And again punished For they were brought low for their iniquity that they might know that God that had humbled them and deliver'd them could when they revolted bring them into the same case they were before Yet again receiv'd to grace for God is moved by their affliction as he often did And now the Prophet adds that which indeed he drives at through the whole Psalm the wonderful and immutable good-will of God to them though he forgave and deliver'd them upon their Repentance and in a short time provoked him again Nevertheless he received them to Grace even after their Recidivations and Relapses and the Causes that moved him to this were external and internal 1. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that outwardly and occasionly moved him to it was their affliction and cry He regaraed their affliction when he heard their cry 2. But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that inwardly sway'd him was his word past to them But more out of Mercy and his Word and his mercy 1. His word and his promise was past to Abraham to be their God and he would not break it And he remembred for them his Covenant 2. His tender affection that he alwayes bear them this caused him to repent and grieve that they should be
néedy to an opulent and a voluptuous life which the many aim at in their prayers but the end of this our Request is That thanks may be given to thy holy Name and that we may triumph in thy praise that the purity of that Religion which thou hast delivered and committed unto us may be conserved and propagated and thy worship now intermitted may be restored and thy praises which by the sadness of these times have béen silenced may again with triumph be heard in the Congregation Then with joyful lips we shall give thanks unto the Lord and by experience make it known That thou art good and that thy mercy endureth for ever Ver. 1 Not indéed as we ought not as thou deservest for who can utter the mighty Acts of the Lord or who can shew forth all his praise But we will do what we can exalt with our voyces and honour thée with our lives We will keep thy judgments and do righteousness at all times that thy praises may be comely in our mouths and our lives become thy Gospel Grant us this mercy O Lord and then the Priests shall sound forth at thine Altar Blessed be the Lord God of Israel and all the people shall say with a chearful heart Amen Hallelujah The end of the fourth Book of the Psalmes according to the Hebrewes PSAL. CVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Title of this Psalm is Allelujah because in it are set forth the praises of God for delivering such as are oppressed from four common miseries after every of which is expressed those intercalary verses Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness c. Then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble As also for the effects of his Providence who only by his power orders and governs the change and vicissitudes we see in the World There be four especial Points handled in this Psalm 1. A Preface in which he exhorts all to praise God especially the Redeemed ver 1 2. 2. A Declaration of his goodness in particular 1. To the banished and strangers famish'd from ver 3. to 9. 2. To the prisoners and captives from ver 10. to 16. 3. To the sick from ver 16. to 23. 4. To the Mariners from ver 23. to 32. 3. A praise of Gods Power and Providence which is evidently seen in the changes and varieties of the World of which he gives several instances by which it is proved That he is the sole Disposer and Governour of the Universe from ver 33. to 42. 4. The Conclusion which sets forth the use we are to make of it ver 42 43. 1. The first part He incites all to praise God This Psalm begins as did the former and the intention in it is the same viz. That we celebrate and set forth Gods praise yea and for the same Reasons O give thanks unto the Lord Ver. 1 1. For he is good 2. And merciful For his mercy endureth for ever 2. And those who he invites to perform this Duty are indeed all who are sensible that they have received any mercy or goodness from him any way Especially the redeemed in Soul or Body whom he calls the Redeemed of the Lord that men may know when they are freed from any evil that it is only by chance or by their wisdom c. Gods hand is in it he is the first and chief cause of it the rest inferiour instruments to bring to pass his Providence 1. Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so i. e. that he is good that he is merciful 2. Ver. 2 They say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy If the Holy Ghost by the enemy means the Devil then he speaks of our Redemption by Christ if by the enemy some Tyrant Tribulation c. then a corporal and temporal Redemption but the last is generally understood and especially is referr'd to the first afflicting misery Banishment and the next verse intimates so much 3. And gather'd them out of the Lands from the East and from the West from the North and from the South which is yet as true of our spiritual Redemption and Christs collection of his Church from all parts of the World Mat. 8.11 John 10.16 11.52 2. Most Expositors therefore begin the second part at the second verse But some at the fourth The second part but the matter is not much material In those two there was mention made of Gods goodness in their deliverance in their collection from all lands But in the following is an evident Declaration of what they suffered during their absence from their Countrey which is the first misery described here by the Prophet to which a mans life is subject And it is the heavier Cross when a man is forc'd to it by Banishment as is apparent by the complaints that have been made of it by those that have suffer'd they are sine foco sine lare Curat nemo vagos laedere nemo veretur Exul non curae creditur esse Deos. Omnes exhausti jam casibus omnium egeni And this is the misery which the Prophet first instanceth in this place which first he describes then shewes the course the Banished took and lastly acquaints us with the manner of their deliverance which is the method in the rest 1. The first kind of misery Banishment Their misery was 1. That they wander'd no small discomfort to an ingenuous nature to be a Vagrant to walk from place to place and not have a certain House to put his head in In which they 1. Wandered 2. In solitary places Gods people were for a time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pilgrims and strangers and all that time few and evil were their dayes 2. The place adds to the misery Banished men are not confined to solitary places alwayes though that they have not the company they desire yet company they may have but the case of these Banished was That they wander'd in the Wilderness in a solitary place they fovnd no City to dwell in Literally it was fulfilled in the Israelites while they travelled through the Wilderness 3. Hungry and thirsty omnium egeni Men may wander and be in solitary places 3 Suffer'd hunger and thirst but yet have a supply of necessary food To this pass sometimes Gods people come that they have nor meat nor drink as Eliah the Israelites David c. 4. 4 Even to fainting And the Famine may be so great that their souls that is their life is ready to faint in them This is the Incrementum that the Prophet useth to aggravate the misery of Banished men and are the several steps by which it riseth 2. The course they took Next the Prophet shewes us the Course that these banished and hungry souls took for ease and help and that it failed them not no nor the rest following that took the same Course and therefore he four times repeats it versu intercalari The way was
Psalm with an Epiphonema in which he perswades all good men to consider the former Premises and lay it to heart To observe the whole course of Gods Providence that they impute not the Changes of the World to Chance and Fortune nor be overmuch dejected at them but rather bless God for all as Job did 1. The righteous shall see it Consider and seriously meditate upon it 2. And rejoyce when they are assured that God is their Guardian and that therefore the Crosses which he layes upon them are trials for their good not for their ruine 3. And all iniquity shall stop her mouth By observation of the event at last evil doers shall not have occasion to laugh and blaspheme and find fault with Gods wayes but confess That all was by God justly done and wisely disposed But this is a Consideration not for every brain 't is for wise men that look afar off and think on it 1. Who is so wise will observe these things That is vicissitudes and changes of this World 2. And they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord It shall appear unto them at last how ineffable his mercy is toward them which truly fear him and call upon his Name but our life is hid with Christ in God The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and seventh Psalm O Omnipotent God when we look upon the strange vicissitudes and alterations of the things of this World our faith would waver and our hearts would faint were we not assured that all things are guided by thy hand and over-ruled by thy Providence and secret Will and Counsel Ver. 1 Who art good and whose mercy endures for ever Be it then that we are brought to wander in the Wilderness in a solitary way that we be pilgrims and strangers and have no City to dwell in that we are oppress'd with hunger and dryed up with thirst so that our soul is ready to faint within us yet will we not despair In our trouble to thée will we cry to thée will we make our moan nothing doubting but that if it shall be for thy glory and our good Thou wilt deal by us as thou hast done formerly with thy servants them thou hast deliver'd from their distresses those thou hast led forth by the right way and brought to dwell in their own Cities and Habitations Thou hast satisfied their longing souls and filled their hungry souls with good things which since thou art good and thy mercy endureth for ever we are in good hope Thou wilt do for us Redéem O Lord thy banished and bring them home So shall we praise thee for thy goodness and declare thy wonderful works which thou dost for the Children of men Long it is O merciful God That we have sate in darkness Ver. 10 and in the shadow of death our back is bowed down with many iron hands that we cannot lift up our head our heart is brought low through affliction and we find none to help and all this is justly come upon us because we have rebelled against the words of our God and contemned the Counsel of the most High We have not done thy Will nor kept thy Commandments but have set up abominations and have multiplied offences But now O Lord in our trouble we cry unto thée we how the knées of our hearts beséeching thée of grace forgive forgive O Lord and destroy us not with our iniquities Save us Lord from our distresses bring us out of this darkness and shadow of death and break our Bands asunder break these gates of Brass and cut asunder these Bands of Iron so shall we thy redeemed praise thee O Lord for thy goodness all the dayes of our lives and declare the wonderful works which thou dost for the children of men O Lord I confess against mine own soul that I have béen seduced and pielded to many foolish lusts of the flesh Ver. 17 and because of this my iniquity and transgression I am justly afflicted and séel no whole part in my body that thou shouldst lengthen out my dayes any farther I sée no hope my disease is so grievous That my soul abhorreth all manner of meat and my vital spirits so far spent That I am drawing to the gates of death To whom O Lord should I flie but to thée To whom should I cry in this my trouble but to thée O God be merciful to thy servant and press me not beyond my strength save me out of my distress send out thy Word and heal me and deliver me from destructions O let not thy fierce anger go beyond a fatherly correction and in judgment remember thy mercy that endures for ever So shall I whom Thou hast redeemed from the jawes of death praise thee my God for thy goodness and for thy wonderful works to the children of men I will sacrifice the Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and declare thy works with rejoycing O Lord our Vocation calls upon us to go down to the Sea in Ships and to negotiate Ver. 23 and do our business in great waters where we see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep At thy Command the stormy wind ariseth and the waves of the Sea are lifted up Tossed we are and mount up to Heaven and by and by we go down to the bottom of the Sea so that there we dwell in the shadow of death and our soul is melted and faints because of the present trouble we reel too and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at our wits end for our wisdom and our skill then fails us our sole refuge is in our prayers In this instant of our trouble as thou hast commanded We cry unto thee look down upon thy servants who in the abyss of the Seas and the abyss of our trouble invocate the abyss of thy mercies bring us out of these distresses Thou which didst command the winds and rebuke the Seas and they obeyed thée Make the storm a calm Rebuke the furious winds and waves and still them by thy power make us glad by rescuing us from the present danger and quietly bring us to the desired Haven So will we praise thee O Lord for thy goodness and for thy wonderful works to the children of men And when we come to land We will exalt thy Name in the Congregation of thy people and praise thee in the Assembly of the Elders O Lord we set our minds too much upon earthly things and attribute too much to Nature and second Causes whereas all the power that is in the Creature is from thée and that restraint that is upon the Creature procéeds from thée Remove from our hearts this heavy and gross ignorance and impiety and make us know and acknowledge that it is thy hand That turns Rivers into a Wilderness and a land water'd with pleasant Springs into a dry ground by which a fruitful land becomes barren But in this change thy Iustice O Lord is exalted by this thou shewest
to praise him 1. The first is his Majesty his infinite Power Glory this extends not to men alone but to the Heavens and all above the Heavens Ver. 4 The Lord is high above all Nations and his Glory above the Heavens above Princes 1 Gods Majesty Heavens Angels therefore praise him 2. The second is his admirable Providence Benignity and Bounty 2 His. Providence and Condescension which being joyned with so great Majesty appears the more admirable Who is like the Lord our God who dwells on high None in Heaven and Earth to be compared to him and yet which sets forth his goodness Ver. 5 the care he hath of all things He as it were humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven and in earth He is present with the greatest Angels and ready to help the meanest creature Two instances of it Now of his Providence in humbling himself to behold the things on earth he gives two instances the first is in States and Kingdoms the second in private Families 1. In States He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the Dunghil 1 In Kingdoms in which he exalts men of low degree The examples of it may be Joseph Moses David Daniel Job Mordecai let then no man say Non vacant exiguis rebus adesse Jovi And the end is That he may set him with the Princes even with the Princes of his people He vindicates their name not only from contempt but exalts them to the highest places of honour 2. 2 In private Familes opening the womb In private Families As the infelicity of men is a low and despised condition so the infelicity of women is barrenness as therefore he looks upon humble men and raiseth them to a Crown so he looks upon humble women and makes them fruitful in which the happiness of a Family consists and therefore the Prophet adds this other instance of his Providence He maketh the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyful mother of children A joyful mother for that women rejoyce in nothing more than in bearing of children the examples may be Sarah Rebeccah Rachel Annah Elizabeth Jo. 16.21 But by most Expositors This appliable to the Church of the Gentiles this last verse hath a higher meaning and relates unto the Church of the Gentiles which was the barren woman before Christs coming but hath now more children than she that hath a Husband i. e. the Jewish Synagogue Isa 54.1 Rejoyce O barren that didst not bear break forth into joy and rejoyce thou that didst not travel with child for the desolate hath more children than the married wife and is to this purpose applied by St. Paul Gal. 4.27 The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and thirteenth Psalm O Omnipotent Lord Ver. 1 whosoever are addicted in faith and fincerepâ—ety to thy worship and service are bound at all times in all places to return unto thy Name immortal praises Ver. 2 we then who acknowledge thée to be our Lord and our selves thy dassals and servants with our whole hearts both secretly and in the Congregation of Saints do sound forth with full voyce Blessed be the Name of the Lord our God Ver. 3 from this time forth for â—vermore from the rising of the Sun unto the going down of the same our Lord's Name be praised O Lord thy Majesty is great thy Glory illustrious thy Goodness Clemency and Providence wonderful Ver. 4 thy Power is high above all Nations and the greatest in those Nations thy Glory above the Heavens and the most glorious in those Heavens Ver. 5 Who O Lord our God is like unto thée or among men or Angels may be compared with thée And yet though thou dwellest on high such is thy care thy provision thy clemency toward us men below Ver. 6 that thou dost as it were humble thy self and descend from thy Throne of Majesty to behold the things that are in Heaven to take a care for the things that are done in and on the Earth there is no action no event either in Heaven or Earth which thou rulest not which thou guidest not and orders not If the proud Angels in Heaven aspire to thy Throne Thou beholdest it and they shall féel thy power If insolent men on earth shall exalt themselves against thée they shall drink of the cup of thy wrath when thy servants sin against thée and yet shall humble themselves before thée Thou wilt behold their contrition and accept their tears and forgive their ungracious behaviour Look down O Lord at this time from thy dwelling place and behold the afflicted slate and condition of this thy Church Ver. 7 we have for many years béen trod under foot and lain in the dust we have béen and are yet oppressed and cast aside as it were to the Dunghil Thy judgments O Lord are just and thy wayes equal for unsavoury salt we were and deserved no better But thou who raisest the poor out of the dust and liftest the needy out of the Dunghil vouchsafe to stretch out thy arm of power and right hand of help to our Princes and Armies set our King whom thou hast hitherto dejected once again with Princes even the Princes of his people O Lord who makest the barren woman to keep house Ver. 8 and be a joyful mother of children take pity on the afflicted woman thy Church and let her not mourn and longer for her barrenness grant that by thy Word and Spirit Ver. 9 she may be a mother of many children with whom she may rejoyce in thy house and celebrate thy Name with perpetual praises through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID in this Psalm chants forth the wonderful works and miracles that God wrought when he brought forth the people of Israel out of Aegypt Two parts there are of this Psalm 1. A Narration of Israels deliverance amplified by the state they were in ver 1. The state to which they were brought ver 2. The miracles then done first at the red Sea and Jordan ver 3. and at Sinai when the Law was given wer 4. 2. A Prosopopeia set down by way of Dialogue first For the Prophet asks the Sea and Jordan Why they fled turned back ver 5 6. secondly To which the answer is made by the brutish Earth which is enough to strike a terrour a veneration and fear into all men That it trembled at the presence of the Lord ver 7 8. 1. In the Narration Israâ—ls condition is set down by way of comparison The first part Israels condition in Aegype set down that so their deliverance might make the deeper impression First we are to know that Israel and the house of Jacob and Judah in this place signifie the same thing viz. The whole Nation of the Israelites that descended out of Jacobs loins but of the house of Jacob there is peculiar mention because with him
whom it belongs viz. the obedient 2. He must walk in the Law of the Lord not after the Law of the flesh The Law of God is the Rule of our Faith Life Worship and he must not decline to the right hand nor to the left neither be Heretick vitious man superstitious idolatrous 3. He must keep his Testimonies Search out what God in his Word testifies to him and keep it 4. Ver. 2 He must seek him with a whole heart Not superficially not hypocritically search his Law to the utmost both what it bids and what it forbids Enquire out the sense of the whole Law and the mind of the Law-giver and then observe it in sincerity and integrity which hypocrites do not 5. Ver. 3 The also do no iniquity i. e. They are no workers of iniquity with purpose of heart 2. Delight 3. With perseverance and continuance 6. They walk in his way They that work iniquity walk a contrary way They that through infirmity and ignorance offend walk besides the way But holy men walk in the wayes of God because their will is to keep Gods Law habitually they remain in it and when they erre and wander by repentance and confession they quickly return again to it Secunda Ratio The Authority of the Law-giver 2. The Prophets second Argument to perswade obedience is from the Authority of the Law-giver All mans disobedience to Gods Law proceeds either out of Rebellion or Oblivion they either forget or contemn the Law-giver That then our obedience may be the better fixed David brings to our mind who is the Authour of this Law and from whom the Command came they are not the Commands of men but of God and that God who may lay what Commands he pleaseth and exact obedience from his servants Thou hast commanded that we keep thy Commandments diligently 1. Thou who knowest when we erre and wilt revenge when we do amiss Ver. 4 2. Hast commanded Not only counselled but absolutely commanded 3. That we keep thy Commandments They may not be dispensed with or broken at our pleasure 4. Diligently Not negligently lazily for cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently but with great care and zeal For Satan is diligent in tempting we are weak and infirm and if there be not diligence used we are like to fall and being fallen 't is not so easie to rise A wound is sooner made than healed 3. The blessedness promised to the keepers of Gods Law Davids prayer for grace to obey and the Authority of the Law-giver commanding so strictly that his Law be observed moved the Prophet to send forth this ardent prayer Ver. 5 O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes 1. David was a Prince a great King and yet he desires to be obedient much more others 2. He answers Gods Command with a prayer what he commands he seeks grace to do it Domine da quod jubes jube quod vis 3. Oh that my wayes were directed my counsels my actions speeches conformable to the regularity and straitness of thy Law 4. He knew of himself he cannot be so closely united to God as he ought that his God and he have but one way and therefore he prayes to be directed Ver. 6 Which prayer of his if it pleased God to hear Three effects then he knew well that two excellent effects or three rather would follow upon it with which he was much affected 1. Such a quietness in soul 1 Peace of conscience and boldness to appear at the Throne of Grace 1. Then shall I not be confounded nor ashamed to appear before thee Whereas if his wayes were distorted and crooked and not conformable to the Will of the Law-giver and equity of his Law he should be strangely amazed to appear in his sight flie from his presence as did Adam for that 's the fruit of disobedience 2. Whereas if God granted him his wish and directed his wayes to keep his statutes he should not find any amazement in his conscience while he had a care that his obedience were universal and total not to one Commandment but to all I shall not be confounded Ver. 7 while I have respect to all thy Commandments An eye to them a care to keep them in all my actions even when I weakly break them 2. And this effect will produce another fruit yet viz. a joyful and a thankful heart 1. I will praise thee Give thee thanks and praise for thy grace and assistance 2. 2 Thankfulness With uprightness of heart His tongue only should not praise God but his heart also and it should be well-tuned no discord in it for it should be upright and honest 3. But this could not be done till God had taught him and therefore he adds I will praise thee when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments Learned not to know them only in my understanding but learned to love them and approve them as the most perfect rule of life which love cannot be had but by the infusion of thy Spirit of Grace 3. Ver. 8 And that which follows upon this will be a resolution a firm purpose of heart to be obedient 3 A Resolution to be obedient 1. I will keep thy statutes So I am fully resolved so I have decreed with my self and it is a great help to godliness to resolve to live a godly life for how shall that be performed which is not first concluded 2. And yet this conclusion he makes not without God it had been over-much boldness to resolve without Gods assistance and therefore he resolves conditionally and prayes O for sake me not utterly This I am resolved on but then thou O God again must not leave me utterly destitute of thy grace and help for without it I can do nothing And if at any time in thy just judgment thou shalt desert me that I may know mine own weakness and learn the better to flie to thee and rely on thee yet let it not be an utter desertion For sake me not usque minis usque-quaque over-long The Prayer THOU Ver. 4 O Lord who solely hast over us a Legislative power hast given us a Law in Mount Sinai and interpreted it upon the Mountain to thy Disciples and not counselled but commanded us to kéep thy precepts with all care and diligence Of our selves how unable are we to perform it it is thy assistance and thy grace that must make us obedient give therefore what thou commandest Ver. 5 and then command what thou wilt O that our wayes our actions spéeches and counsels were so directed by thy Spirit that we might keep thy statutes Lord Ver. 6 I am resolv'd to keep thy statutes I have decréed with my self to have respect unto all thy Commandments but then thou must be my Master to teach me for it is from thy Spirit alone that I must learn to love and approve thy righteous judgments for want of which
love if thou at any time dost desert me so that acknowledging mine own weakness and inability I may flie to thée for grace O forsake me not over-long because being destitute of thy grace and help I am able to do nothing Vpon every slip and fall then restore unto me the light of thy countenance so shall I not be amazed and confounded in my conscience while I have respect to all thy Commandments so shall I praise thée for thy grace and assistance with an upright and an honest heart because thou hast taught me to love and approve thy righteous judgments Make me Ver. 1 O Lord undefiled in thy way and to walk in thy Law teach me to kéep thy Testimonies Ver. 2 and to séek thée with my whole heart never suffer me with purpose of heart to adhere to or with content to delight or with constancy to continue in the works of iniquity but let my will be bent to kéep thy Law and walk in thy wayes that I may be blessed blessed in this life and in that which is to come Amen 2. BETH IN the first Octonary The Contents the Prophet having commended Gods Law from the Authour and the end which was happiness in these eight verses following sets out to us the efficacy and utility of it to a holy life without which that blessedness cannot be obtained Secondly And also the means and way that every one ought to take The profit and efficacy of Gods Word who intends that the Law of God shall have that effect upon him 1. The profit and efficacy of Gods Law he sets down in the first verse attributing to it a cleansing power and for it he chooseth the most unlikely Subject a young man he asks 1. Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way Ver. 1 In a young man the Law of the members is most strong he wants experience and cannot be so wise as an old man he knowes not the way yet for he is but newly set out and may be mistaken Wherewithall then by what art or remedy shall this Novice amend the corruptions of his depraved nature become a sanctified person refrain his passions and cleanse his way of life 2. To which the Prophet answers That the way to amend young men and indeed all men is by taking heed thereto by a careful watch over his wayes that they be conformed according to thy Word Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth It is good for a man to bear the yoke from his youth Gods Word is this yoke and being born from our tender age it will be operative and produce a holy life 2. It being granted The means to attain to holiness that the Word of God is of this efficacy to cleanse our way and cause us to live a holy life next by his own example he shewes the means how this holiness may be obtained which are many 1. The first is by a diligent search and by prayer 1. With my whole heart earnestly have I sought thee Ver. 2 It seems he was sensible of his wants for we seek for that we want 1 Dâ—ligent search and prayer and would fain have 2. And then petitions O let me not wander from thy Commandments As our first calling so our continuance in the state of grace is from the Lord David therefore prayes that God would not desert him for without his grace he must needs wander 2. The second means of Sanctification is Ver. 3 to keep and remember what God commands so did David 2 Delight in Gods Word 1. Thy words have I hid within my heart Remembred approved delighted in them 2. Yea and reduced them to practice The end was that I might not sin against thee 3. The third means of Sanctification is to bless God for his grace Ver. 4 and desire a further information so doth David here 3 To bless God for his grace and desire more 1. He blesseth God for what he had given Blessed art thou O Lord. 2. He asks more grace Teach me thy statutes He had Nathan he had Priests to instruct him himself was a Prophet but all their teaching was nothing without Gods blessing and therefore he prayes Teach me Paul may plant c. 4. The fourth means of Sanctification 4 Ardent love to Gods Law declared the ardent love which men ought to bear to the Law of God which is expressed in the four last verses both outwardly and inwardly 1. Ver. 5 His love outwardly testified by his mouth to the edification of others With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth 1 Outwardly He was no mute about Gods Law 2. Ver. 6 2 Inwardly by 1. Affection And inwardly his love was testified these wayes 1. In his affection I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches They are of great esteem with men thy Commandments with me Ver. 7 2. 2 Meditation In his meditation of them which brings the Word to the mind I will meditate in thy precepts 3. 3 Consideration In his consideration that which comes into the mind being never so good if it be not consider'd goes as it came whence he saith I will have respect to thy wayes look back upon them and consider them 4. Ver. 8 In his Delectation which ariseth out of the other two I will delight my self in thy statutes 4 Delectation I will not forget thy Word Having meditated considered Gods statutes he will delight in them he will never forget them The Prayer O Lord Ver. 1 thou expectest from us that we be holy as thou art holy and that we cleanse our polluted wayes and take héed to order them according to thy Word But all humane endeavour is utterly vain and unprofitable to this end Ver. 2 except thou be present and assist us by thy holy Spirit wherefore with our whole heart we séek unto thée Ver. 4 that thou wouldst bestow upon us grace Ver. 3 that we may not wander from thy Commandments Teach us O Lord thy statutes Ver. 5 and let us hide and remember thy words in our hearts that we may never sin against thée make it our daily exercise to declare with our lips the judgments of thy mouth cause us more to rejoyce in the way of thy testimonies than in all manner of riches Never suffer us to forget thy Word but let thy precepts be lodged in our mind by a daily meditation and thy wayes whetted upon our hearts by a continual consideration that we may be delighted with them so let us meditate that we may consider and by considering take delight and out of delight perform thy Will in righteousness and holiness all the dayes of our life through Iesus Christ our Lord. 3. GIMEL IN this Octonary The Contents The impediments of obedience David reckoneth up the impediments that he might meet with in the keeping of Gods Law 2. And prayes
Conversion to good which he declares for he conformed his life to the Law and Will of God which was the only right way I turned my feet unto thy Testimonies 5. And this his care of Sanctification is declared many wayes Ver. 4 1. By his readiness and zeal in it he delayed not I made haste 1 By his zeal and delayed not to keep thy Commandments 2. By his magnanimity and constancy notwithstanding all opposition 2 Constancy The bands of the wicked have robbed me and plunder'd me for keeping thy Law but for all that I have not forgotten thy Law 3. By his fervour about it he would omit no time to perform his duty 3 Fervour no not the night he would abate rather of his rest and sleep than be defective in this necessary At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments He would observe his Vigils and his nights Psalmody 4. And he would have a care of his company Qui cum claudo habitat 4 His company claudicare discet And therefore avoiding the society of lewd men I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts 6. And lastly he concludes with an Acclamation and Petition 1. The earth O Lord is full of thy mercies Not a Creature Ver. 8 but is partaker of thy goodness one way or other Concludes with a prayer for mercy and instruction let me then have my share in it and in this especially that I may know and obey thy Will for 2. Teach me thy statutes I account it the greatest misery not to know thy Law let thy mercy remove this misery from me for this is that one thing I desire of this I am ambitious because I account thee my portion The Prayer O Lord whereas the men of this World choose their parts and inheritances in and of the earth I despising these transitory good things Ver. 1 have made choice of thée for my portion whom I alone desire and in whom I know all good things are reposed and in order to the possessing of thée I have said I have decréed and am fully resolv'd that I would keep thy words But O merciful God I know that without thy gracious assistance Ver. 2 all my resolutions will be frustrate therefore I intreat thy favour with my whole heart be merciful unto me according to thy Word in which thou hast promised to be present with those who study to please thée and call upon thée Give me grace O Lord seriously to think upon and consider all my wayes Ver. 3 and to co-operate with thy grace and by a diligent examination where I find them irregular and no way consonant to thy Will to conform them to thy Word and to turn my feet unto thy Testimonies yea and to do this chearfully without murmuring and readily without delaying Ver. 4 being neither deterred by the difficulty of the work nor yet affrighted through fear of those who persecute just men and just works Ver. 5 Though the bands of wicked men shall rob and plunder me for continuing in that which is good yet let me be content to leave all and follow thée never suffer either dangers or losses so far to prevail over me that I forget thy Law To this make me obedient in the day to this in the night-season Ver. 6 and to spare some houres from my stéep and meditate and give thanks to thée for thy righteous judgments being fully perswaded that thou dost moderate all things with a just hand and art a just Iudge even in those things which I suffer Lord Ver. 7 forsaking the conspiracies and societies of rebellious men I desire to be a Companion of those that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts Thou art a merciful God Ver. 8 and the earth is full of thy mercy I humbly then beg of thée this mercy that by thy Spirit Thou wouldst teach me thy statutes that in all things I may know what I am to do and by the power and perswasion of the same Spirit I may be ready to do it to the honour of thy holy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen 9. TETH IN this Octonary The Contents David being delivered from some Affliction 1. Shewes how graciously God dealt with him both in bringing him into it and out of it 2. Then he prayes to God for a right judgment and knowledge 3. And expresseth his love to Gods Law 1. Ver. 1 In this verse David gives thanks for a mercy received and acknowledgeth it 1. David acknowledgeth Gods favour in performance of his Word to him Thou hast dealt graciously with thy servant Graciously in afflicting him and graciously in delivering him 2. According to thy Word Natural men will not believe that what God hath said shall come to pass with them the Vision is but wind but godly men find and confess every syllable true and that it shall take effect of which David had experience 2. Ver. 2 In the next he prayes and adds the Reason Teach me good judgment and knowledge Prayes to be taught by God for I have believed thy Commandments 1. Teach me a good judgment For there is a judgment that is not good especially in this point that David now speaks of viz. why Gods servants should be under the Cross for the World judges them for this miserable and so any man would think till he goes into the Sanctuary of God for then he shall judge aright and know the end why God suffers them to be afflicted David then desires that God would teach him a good judgment in this case 2. He asks for science and knowledge that he may understand the mysteries of Gods Law he began to understand somewhat but he desires to know more he would have Tob Tagnam the goodness of taste a true sense and feeling of what he knew as much as was alotted to this life for here at most we know but in part 3. Protesteth his faith in God His Reason is For I have believed thy Commandments David brings the Reason of his Petitions sometimes from the Attributes in God his Mercy Power Goodness c. Sometime from himself as from his own love his fear his faith in God as here I believe in thee It is not sufficient to ask of God in consideration what he is but we must enquire what we are For though he be good and gracious c. yet what is that to us if we believe not in him love him not fear him not 4. Observe how David asks here first for a good judgment then for knowledge for knowledge without a good judgment doth much mischief knowledge puffs up 'T is the same that St. Paul asks for the Philippians cap. 1.9 3. And having obtained by prayer a good judgment Ver. 3 he judgeth rightly of his afflictions acknowledging that Gods chastisements had made him more godly and humble for
godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. of this David had experience 1. Ver. 3 I am afflicted very much outwardly inwardly and yet he was constant and resolved to keep his Oath and Vow 2. So that God did enable him He desires that God accept of his vow And of these two the inward affliction was the greatest and therefore he prayes Quicken me restore my decay'd strength as thou hast promised This now was a free-will-offering to swear and vow thus much proceeded freely from him and he expects not to merit by it but desires of God to accept of it Two things he asks in this verse 1. Ver. 4 Accept O Lord I beseech thee th◠free-will-offerings of my mouth Let my endeavours vowes to keep thy Law my invocation giving of thanks confession of my sin profession of thy Truth patience under the Cross be accepted by thee 2. And teach me thy judgments Without thy help I am not able to perform my vow give me therefore strength that I may perform what I have vowed 4. That I am resolved to keep my vow and thy Law appears in this that though for it I am daily in danger of life yet I forget it not I erred not from thy precepts 1. My life is in thy hand That is I am exposed to a present danger of life Ver. 5 a phrase it is borrowed from War where the Souldiers life is in his hand And then no dangers shall affright him from his duty and lies upon the valiant use of his Weapon for if he be a Coward and resist not stoutly his enemy he is like to lose it so Jeptha is said Judg. 12.3 Job 13.14 1 Sam. 28.21 Ver. 6 2. But yet though death be alwayes before my eyes yet do I not forget thy Law 3. And he shewes his danger by another similitude They have laid snares for me What they cannot do by force and violence they seek to do by craft they seek to take away my life by a snare as they do that hunt after wild Beasts both which were verified in Saul that fought against him and hunted after his life both by violence and subtilty he would have slain him 4. Yet I erred not from thy precepts But he would not lay violent hands on the Lords Anointed and therefore erred not 1 Sam. 23. 26. 5. He kept his resolution and vowes still Yet constant he was and now he goes on to shew his diligence and constancy in the study of piety and shewes the Reason 1. Thy Testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever Ver. 7 Such is the estimation of the godly Gods Law was his 1. Heritage when they compare the Word of God with other things they account them of no price The honey and the honey-comb hath no sweetness gold and silver are of no worth in comparison of it No not all Canaan it self Israels heritage all is but dung to it they therefore David chose for his inheritance He had but one Patrimony or Legacy left him which he esteems and loves beyond all 2. Yea and delighted in above all For they are the rejoycing of my heart 2 His delight Riches and wealth bring care and fear the Word of God joy to a pious soul for it is the Charter of salvation sealed and confirmed by God sealed by the Sacraments confirmed by the Oath of God secured and delivered to us by his Spirit and subscribed by the blood of Christ all which must upon necessity bring joy of heart 3. And upon it he concludes And he therefore adheres to it That he would be a faithful keeper of this great Treasure so long as he had a day to live he would co-operate with Gods Spirit 1. I have applied my heart or inclined my heart that is when on one part the Law of sin drew me and on the other part thy Law I inclined my heart to thy Law and not to the Law of sin The counsel of the soul is like a balance and the mind which hath the commanding power over the affections inclines the balance to that which is best 2. To fulfil and perform In purpose of heart and resolution he ever willed and desired it in performance he might fail To the end but never in his intention 3. Even unto the end His motions were not taken by starts he was no Temporizer whose goodness is like the morning dew the seed of Gods Word was rooted in his heart and therefore as he begun well so he would end well The Prayer O Gracious God in the night of this present life I am encompassed with darkness the Mists of ignorance do darken my understanding and a thick cloud arising from my affections Ver. 1 doth bewitch my will so that I neither know my way nor can choose that which is good O let then thy Word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path that I may not wander stumble and fall as it happens to those who adventure into dark places without a light without a lanthorn And great tentations I have to fall Ver. 3 for behold I am afflicted very much my soul is alway in my hand every day my life is in danger because I kéep thy righteous judgments Ver. 4 The wicked for this are become mine enemies and what they cannot do by violence that they labor to do by craft for they lay snares for me And yet O Lord Thou knowest the sincerity of my heart nor their force nor subtilty have béen able to overcome my constancy yet I do not forget thy Law yet I do not erre from thy Precepts And that to them my resolution may be the more fixed Ver. 4 and my constancy the more firm I have bound my self by oath and promise I have sworn and by the help of thy Spirit I will perform it Ver. 2 tyed my self I have by vow That I keep thy righteous judgments Accept O Lord I beseech thee the free-will-offerings of my mouth Ver. 4 those promises of obedience which I have made with a voluntary frée heart and teach me to moderate all my actions by thy rule of equity these I prefer before gold and silver these are swéeter unto me than the honey and the honey comb of these I estéem as my patrimony and my heritage they are indéed the joy and rejoycing of my heart be pleased then O Lord to quicken me in them according to thy Word and Promise and incline my heart to fulfil thy Statutes so long as I have a day to live Let me be nor Hypocrite nor Temporizer whose goodness is like the morning dew but grant that the seed of thy Word may take such déep root in my heart that it may bring forth fruit to everlasting life through Iesus Christ my Lord. 15. SAMECH IN this Section The Contents David 1. Declares his hatred to wickedness his detestation of wicked men 2. Expresses his love to Gods Law 3.
And prayes for the grace of God to sustain him in it that be may be quickned according to Gods promise nor frustrated of his hope but persevere unto the end Lastly He insults over his enemies and foretells their destruction 1. 1 David shews his hatred of wickedness David shewes his dislike to all things contrary to Gods Law 1. I hate vain inventions Not only execution of evil but the invention even the very beginnings of it New inventions in his Worship new glosses and interpretations contrary to the Text Ver. 1 David hates not dislikes only 1 His Reasons 1 His love to Gods Law but hates 2. But thy Law do I love And because I love thy Law I hate vain inventions 2 God a shield to him 3. And there is great reason I should do so For thou art my hiding place and my shield 1. Ver. 2 My hiding place That publick evils do not reach me 2. My shield to keep off blowes that are nearly made at me in both my hope is in thy Word 2. To God then and his Law he would adhere in all extremities 2 And to ill men whom he avoids but as for all wicked men he would be sure to sunder from them he knew he should get no good by their company and therefore he turns to them and bids them avaunt 1. D part from me ye evil doers for ye are the pests of piety 2. And your course and mine are contrary you go one way and I another you follow your own inventions Ver. 3 but I will keep the Commandments of my God 3. Now David being fully perswaded that he had a peculiar interest in God He prayes that God uphold him in this resolution turns himself to prayer and not without reason for our intentions and resolutions are nothing except God bless them and therefore David prayes 1. Uphold me according to thy Word that I may live Ver. 4 and let me not be ashamed of my hope Ver. 5 2. Hold thou me up and I shall be safe and I will have respect to thy statutes continually There is in Gods children an instability of love and obedience apt they are to cool and fall necessary then it is that they pray with David that God uphold them in life He did well in hating them by Gods example that they being conjoyned to him in love to hold them up when they slip and stumble that they fall not 4. And that he did well in hating wicked men he now proves it Ver. 6 in that therein he followed the example of God in which he could not choose but do well 1. Thou saith he hast trodden down trampled under thy feet as vile creatures all that erre from thy statutes 2. For their deceit is falshood They deceive themselves in their wickedness for either they conceive that they need nor be subject to the Law of God or that they look for a good in sin which sin promiseth but they shall never find or else they flatter themselves with a vain hope to escape Gods judgment which yet at last shall certainly overtake them 3. This last is certain and David in the next verse expresseth so much Ver. 7 Thou hast taken away all the wicked of the earth as dross for no better they are in Gods account they esteem Gods children for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they are so and for such shall be dealt with and scowred away 4. Therefore I love thy Testimonies therefore that I may avoid this judgment 5. How by the judgments of God he profited in the love of his Testimonies he shew'd in the end of the former verse in this he shewes how he profited in his fear My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgments Ver. 8 Happy is he that by other mens harms learns to be wise and godly A â—on Whom he fears when he sees a Slave whip't may learn not to offend his father The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord and we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling Our love in this life is imperfect and therefore it may nay must consist with fear nay which is more the love of God will never be kept in our hearts but by the fear of God and therefore this verse is read Confige timore tuo carnes meas Fasten as with Nails my lustful affections to the Cross of Christ that they have no liberty to move to go loose and wander where they please Gal. 5.24 'T is then as if David had said because I have begun to be afraid of thy judgments that bring heavy punishments on wicked men therefore I desire to be established in this holy and filial fear and never to be severed from it Over-much familiarity breeds contempt a true conception of Gods Justice and Majesty begets Reverence The Prayer O most holy God Ver. 1 and merciful Father it is not unknown to thée how I love thy Law thy eyes that séest the very secrets of the heart are conscious that my flesh trembleth for fear of thée and that I am afraid of thy judgments When I behold how thou hast trodden down all that erre from thy statutes how thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross my heart in â—he midst of my body is become like melting wax which every moment presents unto me my sin and what I have deserved Let their sufferings be my instructions and thy wrath executed on them be an admonition to me ever hereafter to love to keep thy Testimonies Lord I desire to be established in this holy and filial fear and to work out my salvation with fear and trembling Which that I may bring to good effect Lord upâ—old me according to thy Word that I may live the life of grace I hope in thy Word let me not be ashamed of my hope Thou art my God and I will keep thy Commandments hold thou me up and I shall be safe stay me in all tentations that I fall not hide me under the shadow of thy wings and be my shield to kéep off those blowes which Satan makes at me either by himself or his instruments these press â—ard upon me to invegle me to a false Worship and to joyn with them in their new coined inventions Ver. 1 but I hate all vain thoughts Depart from me ye evil doers for I will keep the Commandments of my God By thy grace I stand and by thy grace I am what I am O let thy grace continue with me and accompany me through all the changes and chances of this mortal life till it hath brought me to rest in the bosom of my Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen 16. AIN DAVID in this Octonary The Contents David professeth his integrity having made 1. Profession of his Integrity 2. Prayes for protection against his enemies 3. And also for grace to know his way upon earth and follow it 1. He begins
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
morning and cried 2. Mine eyes prevent the night morning and evening he prayed 2. For audience deliverance increase of grace That which he pray'd for was 1. Audience Hear me O Lord And again Hear my voyce ver 5. 2. Ver. 1 Deliverance Save me ver 2. 3. Increase of grace Quicken me ver 5. 3. Ver. 2 The end that he desires salvation and grace 1. That he might keep Gods statutes First is That he might keep Gods Statutes Hear me I will keep thy Statutes 2. Ver. 1 Save me that I may keep thy Testimonies ver 2. 3. Ver. 2 I prayed and watched that I might meditate in thy Word ver 4. 4. Ver. 4 Quicken me according to thy Word for the self-same end ver 5. 4. His arguments to perswade it The Arguments he especially useth besides the former to move God to hear and grant his Petitions are 1. His faith and hope I cried because I waited and hoped in thy Word and promises 1 His faith 2. Gods mercy Hear my voyce according to thy loving-kindness The common Argument to be used by all Gods children 2 Gods goodness for were they never so righteous and just yet in mercy they must desire to be heard and not for their merits 3. The danger that he was now in by persecuting enemies 1. Ver. 6 They draw nigh they are at hand the danger is near 2. 3 The danger he was now in His comfort that God was near him Yea and great too for they are mischievously bent they follow after mischief hunted after all occasions to do evil 3. Most impious men they are far from thy Law they hate it shun it labour to make it odious in every eye 5. But the comfort is that they are not so near but thou art as near they to do mischief but thou to defend me let then their number power malice be what it will thy power and mercy is beyond it 1. Thou art near O Lord let then these my enemies be far from thy Law they cannot be far from thee Ver. 7 Thou art near and wilt reach them by thy justice And would not desert him and this is my comfort 2. For all thy Commandments are Truth Albeit the evil of wicked men follow me because I follow thee yet I know thy Commandments are true and it is not possible that thou shouldst desert thy servants who stand to the maintenance of thy Word their wickedness shall never escape thy hand of punishment they may punish my body but they cannot deprive me of my Crown of glory 6. He concludes with an Epiphonema Of which he is confident being assured upon his own experience of the stability and immutability of Gods Word I know thy Commandments are Truth for Ver. 8 1. Concerning thy Testimonies thy Will that thou hast testified in thy Word 2. I have known of old even ever since I began to look into them study them and practise them 3. That thou hast founded them for ever They are of eternal Truth immutable and indispensable and this is the Anchor of our souls that we be not carried away with the winds and waves of tentations The Prayer OVL of a vehement desire I have cried to the Lord for help and that not only with my tongue and voyce but with my whole heart Ver. 1 hear me good God which if thou wilt vouchsafe to grant I will more studiously and fréely séek to know and kéep thy statutes Ver. 2 I have called and eried to no other God but thée therefore save me from these pressures and dangers Ver. 3 and being by thée saved and delivered I will more diligently kéep thy Testimonies Neither have I only called upon thée by bay but I have prevented the bawning of the morning with a great cry I have sought thy face and implored thy help because I repose my sole hope in thy promisses I have prevented also the night watches my eyes day and night have béen intent upon thée that I might be occupied in the meditation of thy words both in those in which thou hast promised thy mercy and in those in which thou hast signified thy Will and exacted my obedience Hear therefore my voyce according to thy loving-kindness and according to that equity by which thou usest to procéed with all those that love thée and call upon thy Name quicken me with the sense of thy savour and deliver me from this imminent death and danger And the impiety of my enemies makes me be the more instant to obtain this mercy for they that persecute my soul are set upon mischief they hunt after my life nay they hate not me only but thy Law it is odious in their eyes they look strangely upon it and desire it should be as odious in others From this imminent dagger it is not possible for me to be safe but by thy hand and guidance As then they approach near to hurt so do thou approach near to help and make it appear by my deliverance that all thy promises are truth This I have known long since and now Lord let me have erperience of it again so shall I have just cause to praise thy judgments and sing of thy mercies and make it known That thou hast founded them forever nor the rage of man nor the malice of Devils shall be ever able to shake thy-Truth or evacuate thy promises which thou hast maâ—â— to thy Church in Iesus Christ our Lord. 20. RESH IN this Section David petitions to God for help in his affliction The Contents 2. Complains of the multitude of his persecutors 3. Laments their condition 4. And shewes his constancy and love to Gods Word 1. David in his affliction prayes to God David begins with a petition In afflictions it is some comfort to us to have our case known consider'd and examined especially by those that love us therefore David desires 1. Ver. 1 That God would consider his case Consider my afflictions so much at least 1 To help him 2. Then that he would help him Deliver me from my tempting enemies 3. His Reason to perswade both For I do not forget thy Law though I perfectly keep it not yet I have not cast it behind my back I do not forget it I desire to keep it This he could plead with a good conscience if not what he had done yet what he would have done therefore he could boldly make this request Deliver me 4. 2 To be his Advocate But yet he goes further and desires God to be his Advocate to him he appeals 1. Plead my cause and deliver me At the bar of men a just cause oftentimes miscarries for want of a good Advocate Ver. 2 and is born down by an unjust Judge wherefore I beseech thee who art the just Judge of the World take my cause in hand plead it to their faces and deliver me Arise up for me in the judgment that thou hast commanded 2.
very garland and head of them is verity Two things he attributes to the Word of God Truth and Righteousness and they both serve very well to his present purpose to confirm him in his Petitions and constancy notwithstanding his many persecutors 1. 1 Truth Thy Word is true from the beginning Which perswasion is the mother of all obedience and faith for therefore we believe and obey it because we are perswaded it is true it begets such an assurance in our souls that no temptation or trouble is able to overcome it upon this St. Peter wisheth us to rely because it is a most sure Word 2 Pet. 1.19 The sure mercies of David God will not fail his people but according to his Word so it shall be 2. 2 Eternal justice And every one of thy righteous judgments endure for ever A reward remains for the righteous and a punishment for the wicked and with this assurance also David sustained himself against the delay of judgment against wicked men viz. A meditation of the eternal righteousness of Gods judgments he collected That for the present they might be spared but at length they would be punished seeing Gods judgments are everlasting The Prayer O Lord our afflictions at this time are great and our dangers are great we humbly therefore beséech thée to look down from thy holp Heaven and to consider our present trouble deliver us good Lord from our enemies for we do not forget thy Law Ver. 1 though we cannot perform it yet we have an especial regard to it and alwayes kéep it in memory desiring that our performances might be answerable to our destres Thou which art a just Iudge and to whom all judgment doth belong and to whom I have committed my cause plead my cause against mine Adversaries Ver. 2 and redéem my life from my unjust Oppressors according to thy promise quicken and revive my heart that is very much cast down by their insolencies Did my heart incline to any evil way I durst not appear in thy presence or expect so great a favour from thée Ver. 3 for salvation is far from the wicked As they are far from kéeping thy Law so also is salvation far from them when they séek not nor estéem thy statutes they cannot expect to be partakers of those promises which thou hast made to them that do séek them But thou O Lord knowest how I séek both them and thée Ver. 4 and thy mercies are great tender and many to those that fear thy Name according to these then deal with me and in equity deal with me that the remainder of my dayes which yet cannot be many may be comfortable The discomforts I have are infinite men and Devils Ver. 5 visible and invisible enemies on every side assault me tentations I méet with on the right hand and on the left and yet such is my love to thy Law Ver. 7 that hitherto I have not declined from thy Testimonies Consider then O Lord how I love thy precepts and according to thy loving-kindness deal with me and assist me and quicken me with thy grace that no tentation prevail over me Ver. 6 Let me not be seduced by any ill example and draâ—n to tread in the steps of wicked men for whose transgressions my heart is grieved because they keep not thy Word Ver. 8 which is a Word of Truth and Righteousness Never suffer me to decline from this Truth ever cause me to rely upon this Righteousness let me not be seduced by Errors nor be discomforted with the prosperity of wicked men whom though thou sparest for this present yet will at last poure upon them thy full Wols of vengeance because thy righteous judgments endure for ever O Lord get thy honour upon thy enemies but let the sure mercies of David never fail thy Church and people for thy Son Iesus Christs sake our only Lord and Saviour Amen 21. SCHIN DAVID in this Section shewes his love to the Law of God 2. The Contents David shewes his love to Gods Law And the perfection of his love 1. The first sign of his love was that notwithstanding he was persecuted for Gods sake yet he still was constant in his obedience to God Ver. 1 1. Princes have persecuted me Saul Ishbosheth Abner his son The signs of it 1. His constancy to it Absolon sought his life It is a great tentation to sustain injuries from any man but if from Princes a greater to persist and be constant then a notable Argument of love and fortitude 2. Without a cause Causes indeed were pretended but none found He spared Sauls life when he might have slain wept over Abner mourned for Absolon 3. But my heart stands in awe of thy Word This was the sign of his love this caused him to spare Gods Anointed revenge Ishbosheths death c. Though Princes degenerate and become Tyrants Touch them not let Gods Word awe thee 2. The second sign of his love is his joy and delight he took in Gods Law 2 His joy and delight in it He tells us that his joy in it exceeded that of men victorious in battel that returned loaden with spoiles Isa 9. David a Souldier and Conqueror could well tell what joy that was and yet he prefers this because it brings better tydings Ver. 2 I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great spoiles 3. A third sign of love to it was his hatred of all iniquity Ver. 3 and his abhorrence of falshood 3 His hatred of false wayes I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love It was no lite disliking of sin for a cold hatred of evil in time will be turned to liking no simple refusing of evil but an indignation against it a hatred an abhorrence Ye that love the Lord hate that which is evil for no man can serve two Masters Ver. 4 4. A fourth sign of his love was his fervour earnestness 4 His frequency to praise God and frequency of praising God Seven times a day do I praise thee Ver. 5 because of thy righteous judgments 5 The joy he took in Gods Saints and their peace and prosperity 5. A fifth sign of his love is the content he took that not only himself but others also were the better for loving of it He loved Gods Saints as well as his Law to these was 1. Great peace have they that love thy Law joy prosperity no peace to the wicked 2. And nothing shall offend them or they shall have no stumbling block Scandalize they will not actively nor be scandalized passively for that is offence taken by weak Christians who upon ignorance think that unlawful which is lawful or of Pharisees who interpret that to the worse part which they ought to interpret to the better But they which love the Law of God know why they love it they are perfect in charity nor weakling nor Pharisees and therefore they shall have no stumbling block 2.
the time of the Judges when the Judicature was in divers places nor yet in Sauls Reign David seated his Throne at Jerusalem and with it the Courts of Justice which lasted till the destruction of the City 3. The commendation being ended he turns his speech to the Tribes that ascend thither The third part He exhorts the Tribes and exhorts them for their own good to pray for the happy estate of Jerusalem 1. Ver. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem It is our Duty to pray for the Church and Kingdom 1 To pray for her peace since it is the Seat of Gods Sanctuary and the Kings 2. They shall prosper that love thee If not then for their sakes yet for our own let us pray for the peace of the King and Church for in the destruction and disturbance of these Justice and Religion perish King and Priest are ruined and then our ruine must follow as we know by miserable experience whereas if we love and pray for these prosperity is promised us 3. Ver. 7 And that we be not to seek for our prayer the Prophet puts one into our mouths The prayer formed to our hands Peace be within thy Walls and prosperity within thy Palaces Peace and prosperity two things that are especially good and joined maâ—â— happy Cities for peace without prosperity is but a secure possession of misery And again prosperity without peace is but a dubious and uncertain selicity 1. 1 For peace Peace be within thy Walls In thy walls in which consists the strength of any City in the multitude of people in which consists the strength of any Kingdom in thy Armies in which consists the strength of War 2. 2 For prosperity And prosperity within thy Palaces In the Kings house peace for Factions destroyes it and with it the Kingdom and Nation Where the King prospers not the people can never prosper 4. And what the Prophet exhorts others to do he promiseth to do himself This prayer he commenceth 1. I will now say peace be within thy walls a pious Prophet 2. Of which he gives two reasons I will seek to do thee good It shall be my study to do it a pious King And he adds his Reason to both I will say peace be within thy Walls Ver. 8 1. 1 That they in Jerusalem are his Brethren Companions For my Brethren and Companions sake The King calls his Subjects because of the same Church and Religion his Brethren and Companions and in his Vote regards not so much himself as them peace prosperity abundance be within their walls let Jerusalem flourish for their sakes Ver. 9 2. 2 That Religion was established But a second Reason there was which yet moved him more the religious Service of God there established Because of the house of the Lord I will stek to do thee good Jerusalem I know is the City in which the Truth of Religion is established and professed and in it is the house of God where they that profess this Truth must tender their worship and therefore I will with all my endeavour seek out wayes and means to do good to Jerusalem knowing that in the flourishing of that City Religion will flourish Nothing then shall be wanting in me for this Reason to advance Jerusalem I wish more Kings were of Davids mind therefore they wear Crowns The Prayer out of the One hundred and twenty second Psalm O Lord it was the very joy of our hearts and the delight of our souls when Neighbour call'd to his Neighbour Ver. 1 Friend call'd to his Friend and the Master to his Family Come let us go into the house of the Lord but now thou hast turned our joy into mourning debarred we are to offer up our wonted and solemn supplications to our God in thy house of prayer our solemn Feasts are cast aside in which we met to praise thy Name for those infinite benefits of our Redemption and receive the comfortable seals of our Salvation O Lord at last turn away thy wrath from us and bring us out of this captivity speak peace to thy people that sigh after thy Ordinances and long to appear in thy Assemblies before thée Ver. 2 and let our féet stand with chearfulness in thy gates from which the malice and will-worship of our enemies have so long driven us Thou O Lord hast adorned and beautified thy Church with most excellent gifts the unity thereof was far beyond that of any City Ver. 3 where the Buildings are uniform and compacted together the Doctrine in it was pious the Discipline orderly the Rites sew and decent Ver. 4 and among the Citizens there was a wonderful consent and harmony of minds thither the Tribes took delight to ascend even the Tribes of the Lord Ver. 5 that they might appear before thy presence and give thanks to the Name of their God And while thou wert thus serv'd in the beauty of holiness in Jerusalem were set the Thrones of judgment and from the Thrones of David justice did run down as a River But all is quite contrary our unity is dissolved our solemn méetings are disturbed for justice we reap nothing but wormwood and hemlock Lord restore to us our former unity and knit all the members of this Church together in perpetual concord Let the Tribes of thy people go up again to thy house to praise thy Name and all Schisms and Heresies and Blasphemies being dispelled let thy Word alone be heard and obeyed amongst us Restore our Judges as at first and our Counsellours as at the beginning set up the Thrones of judgment the Thrones of the house of David to whom alone Kingly and Judiciary Power doth of Right belong In the profession of true Religion we know our peace consists in the prosperity of Jerusalem we know our prosperity is involved Jerusalem we love Jerusalem we long for let as many then as love Jerusalem join with us in prayer and say Peace be within thy Walls and plenteousness within thy Palaces for peace without plenty is but a secure possession of misery and plenty without peace an unsecure felicity In Jerusalem I have many Brethren and Friends professors of the same Faith and Religion with me for their sakes I will now say Peace be within thee in Jerusalem is the house of the Lord our God the house of prayer set apart to his Service and for this cause also I will séek as much as lies in me to do thee good Lord accept of my poor endeavours for the re-edification of these broken walls and let me never farther prosper then I séek and labour for the peace and prosperity of thy Church and to unite all the infirm and collapsed members of this body to our Head thy Son Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXXIII THIS Psalm is a prayer of a Church in distress and a low condition made unto God to have mercy upon her and to deliver her in which she
David exhorts to praise God The first part He begins with a Dialogism 1. He speaks to all Praise ye the Lord. 2. Ver. 1 Then by an Apostrophe he turns to himself Praise the Lord O my soul 3. And his soul answers While I live will I praise the Lord I will sing praises to my God while I have my being while I am and shall be 2. The second part But because the foundation of this praise is the trust and confidence which men have in God Dehorts from confidence in Princes for from which they are retarded by admiring over-much and relying upon the power and help of Kings and Princes the Prophet therefore subjoins his Dehortation and gives his Reasons for it 1. Ver. 3 Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man 2. His Reasons for it are 1. 1 Their impotency First Their Impotency There is no help in them They may seem potent but they cannot save themselves much less other men Ver. 4 2. 2 Mortality Their Fragility and Mortality Their breath goeth forth they return to the earth in that very day their thoughts perish 3. The third part But happy he that relies on God Those men cannot be happy that trust to them but now on the contrary If a man will be happy the Prophet shewes upon whom he must trust and rely which is on God for 1. Ver. 5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help him to whom Jacob trusted 2. And whose hope is in the Lord his God Not in impotent and short-liv'd men And this he confirms by divers Reasons The fourth part Because he is 1. 1 Omnipotent First From his Omnipotence He is God the Creatour he made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that is therein Able then to protect Ver. 6 2. 2 Faithful From his Veracity Who keeps Truth for ever His word is passed for our protection and he will perform it Potest vult quia promisit Ver. 7 3. 3 Just From his Justice He executeth judgment for the oppressed He defends the innocent and punisheth the unjust Good trusting then to him 4. Ver. 8 4 Merciful From his Mercy 1. He giveth food to the hungry Relieves men in their wants 2. The Lord looseth the Prisoners Another Act of grace and the rest follow 3. The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind Whether spiritually or corporally 4. The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down By sin wrath misery 5. From his Love The Lord loveth the righteous Ver. 9 5 Loving Of which the effects are 1. The Lord preserveth the strangers 2. He relieveth the fatherless and widow 3. But the ungodly find a quite contrary effect because they are noâ—â—ons of love but wrath But the way of the wicked he turns upside down Their glory perisheth and with it the hope of those fools that trusted to them 6. From the Eternity of his Kingdom therefore to be praised 6 Eternal and trusted to for ever Kings dye and perish but he is a King for ever in Zion i.e. Ver. 10 in his Church The Lord shall reign for ever even thy God O Zion unto all Generations Praise ye the Lord. The Hymn and Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty sixth Psalm O Omnipotent and most Merciful God Ver. 1 Thou art worthy to receive honour and glory and therefore with all my heart and soul while I live I will praise thee while I have any being I will sing praises to my God Thou art my staffe to trust to my sole confidence and my hape as for the greatest and most potent of the sons of men I dare not rely on them Ver. 3 for they are unable in their greatest exigence to help themselves much less to relieve others Their breath goeth forth and they return to the earth whence they came and in that very day all their high thoughts and proud attempts perish and vanish together with them Who then can be happy that relies upon such empty broken réeds Ver. 5 that trusts to such brittle earthen vessels Leaving then all earthly dependances as weak and miserable comforters To thee will I trust who art the God of Jacob the Lord of thy Church and people being assured That he is only happy whose hope is in the Lord his God Thou O Lord hast made Heaven and Earth the Seâ— and all that is in it Ver. 6 Thou dost confirm the Truth of thy promises by an exact performance Ver. 7 Execute then judgment for the oppressed give food to the hungry loose thy prisoners from their bonds and chains open the eyes and illuminate the understandings of those who are blinded in sin and errour Raise O Lord the hearts of such as are contrite and bowed down prosecute the righteous and innocent with thy love and favour preserve the stranger relieve the fatherless and widow and turn-upside down the way the plots devices and frauds of wicked mâ—n Turn O Lord the counsel of Achitophel into foolishness An which since we know to be thy wondrous wâ—â—ks and have experience of the performance of them to thy faithful servants in all Ages our faith is thereby confirmed Ver. 10 and our hope sustained in the miâ—st of our present troubles and calamities Wherefore being encouraged by this hope we humbly beséech thée look upon the sad condition of thy Church Thou O God reignest in Zion build then the decayed and ruined walls of Jerusalem and preserve and provide for this widow and her fatherless children amidst the storms and fury of her merciless oppressors for the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXLVII A Hymn THE Scope and intent of the Prophet in this Psalm is to stir up men to praise God for which he produceth many Arguments The occasion of the composing of it was the reduction of the Jewes from the captivity of Babylon and therefore it is supposed that Haggai and Zechariah the Prophets were the Authours of it and therefore some Interpreters put their names in the Title of it The parts are 1. An Exhortation to praise God ver 1. which is repeated ver 7. 12. 2. The Arguments to perswade to it Gods bounty wisdom power providence justice and mercy through the whole Psalm 1. He invites to praise God The first part The Exhortation is briefly proposed Praise the Lord ver 1. which the Prophet as the Chanter of the Quire begins and after some reasons given repeats in more words Ver. 1 Sing unto the Lord with Thanksgiving sing praises upon the Harp unto our God ver 7. And yet again at ver 12. Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Zion where the Arabique Greek and Latine Translators begin a new Psalm but in the Hebrew they are conjoyned and but one Hymn 2. The second part Now the Prophet hath no sooner ended his Exhortations but to every one of them singly he annexeth his Reasons To
Gods Providence 1 From his Providence of which he gives divers instances 1. Ver. 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds and prepareth rain for the earth When he brings clouds over the face of heaven The instances of it four it is not in his purpose to obscure or darken the beauty of it but to water and moisten the earth without which it will not be fruitful Psal 104.13 14. Jer. 14.22 2. Who makes grass to grow on the Mountains in the most barren places to which the rain will not suffice except God co-operate with it 3. He giveth to the Beast his food He giveth it them they gather it 4. Ver. 9 And to the young Ravens which cry Naturalists tell us That the Raven seeds not his Chickens till they be plumed not owning them till they be like them all which time God sustains them But others that no Bird so soon suffers his young to prey for themselves as the Raven being then deserted by the Dam croâ—itant invocant and God hears and sends them meat Job 38.41 Christ useth this Argument that we rely on Gods Providence Mat. 6. Luke 12. Yea Object But how shall we be deliver'd we see no means but here the infirm and distrustful Jew may argue Alas we see no means for our deliverance we have no Strength no Ammunition nor Horse nor Armour for War no nor yet hearts to fight How shall we be delivered The Prophet prevents and answers this objection viz. That God who is to gather them needs no help at all he can do it without means as well as means 1. Ver. 10 He delights not in the strength of an horse which is a warlike creature Resp. God can do it without means and will 2. He takes not pleasure in the legs i. e. nimbleness agility valour of a man that is in any military preparation or power so far forth as if they were necessary means and he could not do his work without them these he will have in ordinary use but not trusted to he delights not in that But he placeth his delight in his servants and those some way or other he will deliver 1. The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear him not in the Majesty rich noble or superficial Pharisee but in those that fear him and trembles at his words 2. And in those that hope in his mercy That put their confidence that out of mercy love goodnesse he will deliver them 3. He again repeats this proposition and calls to the Church to perform it The third part of the second Section where in the Greek and Vulgar begins a new Psalm Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Zion He again exhorts to praise God Though others be negligent to praise God yet be not thou Not Jerusalem not Zion And then recites four arguments for which he would have Zion sing praises Ver. 12 1. Security and defence 2. Benediction 3. Peace 4. Jerusalem especially Sustenance or provision 1. Jerusalem is a City secure being defended by God 1 For her Security For he hath strengthened the barrs of thy gates Gates and barrs do well to a City Ver. 13 but then alone the City is secure when God makes them strong The true ammunition of a City is Gods defence Arms Lawes wealth c. are the barrs 2. Jerusalem is a happy City For he hath blessed thy children within hee 2 Benediction thy Kings Princes Magistrates c. with Wisdom Religion Piety c. 3. Jerusalem is a peaceable City He maketh peace in thy borders 3 Peace The very name intimates so much For Jerusalem interpreted is Visio pacis 4. Jerusalem is a City provided by God with necessary food and provision Ver. 14 For He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat 4 Abundance Now that it is God that doth all this for Jerusalem the Prophet makes good by other things that he doth for the whole world The Prophet proves this by his general providence for which he needs not any instruments and under-officers to do it by but only his word and his command 'T is but for him to say the word and what he will is done He sends forth his command upon earth and his word runs very swiftly it pierceth all things Ver. 15 and presently execution follows upon it Heb. 1.3 Wisd 7.22 24. 8.1 For instance 1. He giveth snow like wooll Ver. 16 Sometimes great flakes of it like locks of wooll or else to cover the earth as a winter-garment a man He brings frost snow ice and keep it warm from the nipping of the cold winds as is evident in Northern Countries 2. He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes That thickens the aire as if ashes were cast into it For I have observed that with a hoar-frost commonly there is a mist which resolves into rain within twenty four hours 3. He casteth forth his ice like morsels That is fragments of ice 4. Who can stand before his cold That is able to endure it had not he provided clothes furrs fire against the violence and rigor of it Described he hath the vehemency of the cold in the snow frost ice Annd dissolves and melts it next he shews with what facility and celerity he dissolves and removes it Only by his Word 1. He sends out his word and melts them 2. He causeth his wind to blow His South wind and the waters flow Ice and Snow are resolv'd into water But note here that the Prophet calls it His ice His cold His word His wind that we may know that the constipation and resolution is from him and therefore we depend upon his providence for out food and raiment c. 4. This is an act of Gods providence in common to all Nations 2 The special Act of his providence to his people and by it he teacheth all Nations to acknowledge their Creator But there is a peculiar Act of his providence extended to his people in which other Nations did not nor do not yet communicate with them viz. The knowledge of his word and manifestation of his Will and this is a new argument by which he perswades them to praise God The knowledge of his word and will What Israel might that now the Christian Church may say and that with advantage 1. He shews his word unto Jacob his statutes and judgments unto Israel To them he spake by Moses and the Prophets To us by his own Son his Apostles and their successors 2. He hath not dealt so with any Nation with none at that time And now to none who belong not to the spiritual Jerusalem which is the Church 3. For all these benefits praise the Lord. And as for his judgments The Evangelical Preceps and Rules of life and salvation they have not known them Now for all these benefits and for all these reasons Hallelujah Praise ye the Lord. The Hymn or Prayer Collected out
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