and the King of Gerar XX. 3 c. to prevent the mischief which they were designing to them 15. Saying Touch not mine anointed and doe my prophets no harm 15. For He told them these were sacred persons whom He designed to make greater men then themselves and therefore charged them not to burt them but to honour them not merely as Princes XXIII Gen. 6. but as Prophets XX. 7. by whose prayers they should receive great blessings if they were kind to them 16. Moreover he called for a famine upon the land he brake the whole staff of bread 16. And when in the days of Jacob He punished the Land of Canaan as well as other Countries with such a dearth XLI Gen. 54 c. that the earth brought forth no kind of grain for the support of humane life 17. He sent a man before them even Joseph who was sold for a servant 17. He took a special care in a most wonderfull way to provide both for him and for his family for Joseph whom his Brethren first conspired to destroy but afterward were diverted from their purpose and onely sold for a slave was brought into Egypt by the secret Counsel of God XLV Gen. 5 7 c. to be the instrument of their preservation 18. Whose feet they hurt with fetters he was laid in iron 18. He was oppressed indeed for a long time by a most grievous calumny which was a sorer affliction to him then the chains and fetters that were at first laid upon him in prison 19. Vntill the time that his word came the word of the LORD tried him 19. Till mention at last was made of him to Pharaoh by one of his Officers who related how exactly Joseph predicted what had befaln him and another of his Fellow-servants as if he were a man inspired XL. Gen. 21 22. XLI 12 13. 20. The king sent and loosed him even the ruler of the people and let him go free 20. Whereupon the King presently sent for him XLI Gen. 14. that great Prince whose Dominion extended over many Provinces commanded him to be set at liberty 21. He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his substance 21. And received such satisfaction from him about his dream which none of his Wise men could interpret that he not onely wholly discharged him from his imprisonment but made him the chief Officer in the Court and under himself the supreme Governour of his whole Kingdom XLI Gen. 40 41. 22. To bind his princes at his pleasure and teach his senatours wisedom 22. Yea intrusted him with an absolute power to command all the Rulers of his several Provinces what he pleased and to punish their disobedience according to his discretion The most ancient and wisest Counsellours in the Realm were ordered to repair to him and to doe nothing without his Instructions XLI Gen. 44. 23. Israel also came into Egypt and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 23. By which great Authority he procured not onely the leave but the invitation of Pharaoh XLV Gen. 16 17 c. to his Father to come and bring all his Family with him into Egypt and accordingly he came and dwelt in the best part of all the Country XLVI Gen. 26 28. 24. And he increased his people greatly and made them stronger then their enemies 24. Where according to his promise when He bad Jacob accept that invitation XLVI Gen. 3 4. the Lord multiplied them exceedingly I. Exod. 7. and made them mightier then the Egyptians I. Exod. 9. who of Friends were now become their Enemies 25. He turned their heart to hate his people to deal subtilly with his servants 25. For the kinder God was to the Israelites and the more He increased their Numbers the greater jealousie it begat in the heart of the Egyptians which turned at last into an absolute hatred of them and provoked their malice to invent the cruellest ways first to diminish I. Exod. 10 11 c. and then to destroy them Ver. 15 16. 26. He sent Moses his servant and Aaron whom he had chosen 26. This moved the Divine compassion when He saw their oppression grew intolerable to give commission to Moses whom He had in an extraordinary manner preserved from perishing III. Exod. 10. and to Aaron whom He chose to be his Assistant IV. Exod. 15. to go and demand their liberty of Pharaoh IV. Exod. 23. V. 1. 27. They shewed his signs among them and wonders in the land of Ham. 27. And he disputing their Commission and refusing to let Israel go they proved it and perswaded him to obey it by many miraculous works which God commanded them to doe as tokens that He had sent them 28. He sent darkness and made it dark and they rebelled not against his word 28. Among which the pitchy darkness which overspread the whole Land three days except onely where the Israelites dwelt was a very remarkable punishment of Pharaoh's blindness who would not see the hand of God in all those other plagues which Moses and Aaron not fearing his displeasure but pursuing their orders had inflicted on him 29. He turned their waters into bloud and slew their fish 29. As first of all the Lord commanded them to stretch their hand upon all the waters of Egypt which He turned into bloud and made them so putrid that the fish which was in the river died VII Exod. 20 21. 30. Their land brought forth frogs in abundance in the chambers of their kings 30. And at the next stroke produced such a vast number of frogs out of the stinking waters and mudd that not onely the whole earth was covered with them but no house no room in their houses no not the Cabinets of their King and his Princes were free from their annoyance VIII Exod. 3 6. 31. He spake and there came divers sorts of flies and lice in all their coasts 31. And then followed an infinite swarm of the most pestilent sort of flies see Psal LXXVIII 45. after a troublesome and filthy plague of lice which had infested all the Country VIII Exod. 17 24. 32. He gave them hail for rain and flaming fire in their land 32. Which was succeeded after a murrain upon their Cattel and a fiery ulcer on their own bodies by a dreadfull storm of hail when fruitfull showrs of rain were most desirable together with such lightning as was never seen for it ran upon the ground and burnt up all that was not destroyed by the hail IX Exod. 23 24 c. 33. He smote their vines also and their fig-trees and brake the trees of their coasts 33. Which not onely struck down the grapes and the figgs but shattered the vines and fig-trees themselves together with many other fruit-trees in the Land 34. He spake and the locusts came and caterpillers and that without number 34. And whatsoever escaped this tempestuous storm for some things were not then grown up IX Exod. 31. was not long after devoured by an innumerable army
power was which wrought such wonders for us in Egypt and in the Wilderness and in the Land of Canaan where shall we find a man that can set forth as they deserve all the praise-worthy acts of the Lord 3. Blessed are they that keep judgment and he that doeth righteousness at all times 3. Which are so great and many that they are most happy men who by faithfull obedience to all his precepts not onely when they have newly received his benefits but throughout the whole course of their lives preserve themselves in the favour of so gracious a Lord and Master which our Forefathers foolishly lost by revolting presently from their mercifull Deliverer 4. Remember me O LORD with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation 4. Make me good Lord one of this happy number and let me partake of the favour Thou still designest for thy people and find Thee ready at hand in all dangers to preserve and deliver me 1 Chron. XVIII 6 13 14. 5. That I may see the good of thy chosen that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation that I may glory with thine inheritance 5. That I may live to see thy chosen people Israel settled in a peaceable enjoyment of all thy blessings 1 Chron. XXII 18. and have my share in their joy and felicity 1 Chron. XXIX 9. nay triumph together with them in the highest praises of thy bounty towards thy own Nation and peculiar inheritance 1 Chron. XXIX 10 11 12 13 c. 6. We have sinned with our fathers we have committed iniquity we have done wickedly 6. Our sins indeed may hinder these blessings from us for we are no better then our Forefathers but have offended after their example by which we ought to have been amended we are guilty of many iniquities against one another and much impiety against Thee 7. Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies but provoked him at the sea even at the Red sea 7. We are the wicked offspring of those who were so stupid as not to be affected with the prodigious Works Thou didst in Egypt or presently to forget that long series of miraculous preservations and deliverances by which they were brought from thence But in the very next strait into which they fell at the borders of the Sea that remarkable place the red Sea distrusted his power and wisht He had left them in that cruel servitude of which before they so heavily complained XIV Exodus 11 12. 8. Nevertheless he saved them for his names sake that he might make his mighty power to be known 8. And yet such was his stupendious Goodness He would not let them perish in their ingratitude but to preserve the name He had gotten of their mighty Saviour gave them a new deliverance that the world might not imagin He wanted power to compleat what He had begun to doe for them 9. He rebuked the Red sea also and it was dried up so he led them through the depths as through the wilderness 9. On this consideration He checkt the course of that Sea by so strong a wind that He made a path in the midst of it and led them through those depths on as hard and dry ground as they trod upon in their march through the parched desarts XIV Exod. 21 22. 10. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy 10. By which means He saved them from Pharaoh's Army which pressed hard upon their backs as the Sea was before their face XIV Exod. 9 10. He rescued them from the power of those implacable enemies whose hatred carried them to pursue them eagerly even into the Sea XIV Exod. 23. 11. And the waters covered their enemies there was not one of them left 11. Where they were drowned every man of them the Sea which had stood fixed as a wall to save the Israelites returning back with a mighty violence to overwhelm their adversaries 12. Then believed they his words they sang his praise 12. Which was so evident a token of his power and goodness that they were perswaded by it at that present to believe God's promises XIV Exod. 31. and to sing a Song of praise to Him for this miraculous deliverance XV. Exod. 1 c. 13. They soon forgat his works they waited not for his counsel 13. But within three days they grew impatient again XV. Exod. 22 24. and forgetting the great and many pledges they had received of his Divine power quarrelled with his Servants and would not expect till He shewed what way He intended to relieve them 14. But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted God in the desart 14. But not long after this murmured again XVI Exod. And though instead of punishing them for it He satisfied them with bread from heaven and gave them several other demonstrations of his Divine presence among them in the wilderness Exod. XVI XX. XXIV c. yet to please their wanton appetite they mutined another time and cried out vehemently for flesh to eat XI Numb 4 5 c. and desired new proofs of his power to supply them 15. And he gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul 15. Which He was pleased to grant in such abundance that they surfeited of the Quails which He sent them and instead of being nourished fell into a grievous disease whereby great numbers of them were wasted and consumed XI Numb 31 32 c. 16. They envied Moses also in the camp and Aaron the saint of the LORD 16. And they that escaped were not cured of their rebellious humour but seditiously disputed the Authority of Moses And accused both him and Aaron whom the Lord had consecrated for the service of his Altar as ambitious men that took too much upon them XVI Numb 3. 17. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram 17. Which moved the Divine Justice to punish their presumption with a most terrible vengeance for the earth opened and buried alive Dathan and Abiram and the faction that adhered to them XVI Numb 32 33. 18. And a fire was kindled in their company the flame burnt up the wicked 18. And the other company raised by Korah were smitten with lightning from heaven which burnt up those impious men who were so bold as to invade the Office of the Priests of the Lord XVI Numb 35. 19. They made a calf in Horeb and worshipped the molten image 19. Whose anger they began very early to incense for even at that very place where the Lord had newly appeared to them in astonishing thunder and lightning and clouds XX. Exodus 18. and had spoken to them with an audible voice and at the second word He spake had charged them not to make any graven image XX. Exod. 4. and had called Moses up into the Mount to receive the rest of his
Laws which He had begun in a most dreadfull manner to deliver to them they stupidly made a golden Calf and prostrated themselves before the work of their own hands 20. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that cateth grass 20. Slighting that Glorious presence of the Majesty of God XXIV Exod. 16 17. which appearing in the Cloud had done many wonders for them and chusing rathe to commend themselves to the protection of an Image in which they saw no glory the Image of a dull Ox a creature without reason a servant of man that is supported it self by so weak a thing as hay XXXII Exodus 14. 21. They forgat God their saviour which had done great things in Egypt 21. The root of which sottish Apostasie was that they did not keep in mind what deliverances God had granted them under the conduct of Moses whom they now despised XXXII Exod. 1. But forgat his great works in the Land of Egypt where they never saw any similitude of Him 22. Wondrous works in the land of Ham and terrible things by the Red sea 22. Miraculous works which filled the whole Country with wonder and astonishment and concluded at last in the fearfull overthrow of Pharaoh and all his host in the red Sea through which they passed safely 23. Therefore he said that he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them 23. Which provoked the Divine displeasure so highly that He resolved to destroy them XXXII Exod. 9 10. and had done it if Moses for whom He had a great respect had not by his earnest intercession made up this breach and reconciled Him so far to them that He did not proceed then to take such vengeance on them XXXII Exod. 11 12 14 35. 24. Yea they despised the pleasant land they believed not his word 24. But when after this they despised XIII Numb 32. that goodly Country to the borders of which He had brought them I. Deut. 19 20. which the Spies themselves confessed was rich and desirable XIII Numb 27. XIV 32. and would not believe that God intended or was able to perform his promise to them XIII Numb 37 25. But murmured in their tents and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD 25. But murmured against Moses and Aaron in their Tents as if they had deluded them XIV Numb 1 2 c. refusing to march when the Lord commanded them to go up and take possession of it I. Deut. 21 26 32 26. Therefore he lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the wilderness 26. Then he solemnly sware that not one of that wicked generation who had so often rebelled against Him should ever come there but all perish in the wilderness XIV Numb 21 22 35. I. Deut. 34 27. To overthrow their seed also among the nations and to scatter them in the lands 27. And some of them be overthrown by the heathen whom the Lord would have delivered up into their hand XIV Numb 45. and others dispersed in several parts of that Country which they despised XXI Numb 1. 28. They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor and ate the sacrifices of the dead 28. Nor did they grow much better by these dreadfull threatnings and executions but not onely most shamefully committed whoredom with the daughters of Moah but embraced their Religion devoting themselves to the vile service of Baal whose Temple stood upon Mount Peor and partaking with them in the Sacrifices which they offered to dead men XXV Numb 1 2 3. 29. Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions and the plague brake in upon them 29. Which abominable wickedness incensed the Divine displeasure to such a degree that He commanded the Offenders to be kill'd and hang'd up in the face of the Sun and also sent a grievous plague among the people XXV Numb 4 5 9. 30. Then stood up Phinehas and executed judgment and so the plague was stayed 30. Which raged in the Camp till Phinehas in a holy zeal went as boldly to punish as others did to commit their crimes and thrust through the body one of the Princes of the people whom the Judges feared to meddle withall and then the plague ceased XXV Numb 5 6 7 8. 31. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore 31. Which seasonable piece of Justice the Lord not onely approved as a praise-worthy Act but rewarded also with the promise of the Priesthood which He intailed upon his posterity throughout all generations XXV Numb 12 13. 32. They angred him also at the waters of strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes 32. And before this they had been so unbelieving and rebellious as having had long experience of God's power and goodness in providing for them to murmur for want of water at that place which took its name from their quarrel with Moses XX. Numb 3 13. who sadly suffered upon their account XX. Numb 12. 33. Because they provoked his spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips 33. For being exasperated by their frequent mutinies he let fall some passionate words which expressed such distrust and impatience as did not become so great a Minister of God XX. Numb 12. who thereupon resolved he should not have the honour to accomplish his promise of bringing them to their rest XXVII Numb 24. I. Deut. 37. 34. They did not destroy the nations concerning whom the LORD commanded them 34. In which being settled they did not destroy those seven Nations I. Judg. 21 27 29 c. whose abominations were so foul that the Lord gave them a strict charge not to suffer them to live there any longer XXIII Exod. 30 33. VII Deut. 2. 35. But were mingled among the heathen and learned their works 35. But quite contrary they not onely let them live but against Gods express commandment XXIII Josh 7 12. entred into familiarity and made a Covenant and League with them II. Judg. 1 2. and so at last learnt to doe as they did and imitated their evil manners 36. And they served their idols which were a snare unto them 36. For they forsook the Lord who had brought them thither and worshipped the Gods of those people whom they had conquered II. Judg. 11 12. III. 5 6. which proved their utter ruin and destruction VII Deut. 16 26. II. Judg. 3. 37. Yea they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils 37. For they were so besotted with their Idolatry as to imitate their most barbarous Rites sacrificing to infernal spirits not onely their beasts but as the custom of that Country was XII Deut. 30 31. their sons and their daughters 38. And shed innocent bloud even the bloud of their sons and of their daughters whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan and the land was polluted with bloud 38. Whom they did not merely consecrate to
the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth 3. For in the day when thy forces 2 Tim. II. 3. compleatly armed with a Divine power IV. Act. 33. shall march forth to subdue the world unto thy obedience they that are fit for thy Kingdom IX Luk. 62. XIII Act. 48. shall chearfully submit themselves and present Thee with free-will Offerings in token of their absolute subjection to Thee II. Act. 45. IV. 34. And great shall be the number of chosen men 1 Joh. II. 13. who glad to see the night of Ignorance gone shall at thy first appearance by the celestial blessing fall unto Thee as thick as the morning dew 4. The LORD hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek 4. And happy are they who live under thy Government for the Lord hath unchangeably resolved that Thou shalt be a Priest as well as a King with full power to bless all thy Subjects not onely in that but in all future Ages even to all Eternity For Thou shalt not be a Priest like those after Aaron's order who die to make room for others but like that great King and Priest Melchisedek shalt neither have any Predecessour nor Successour in thine Office but continue a royal Priest for evermore Hebr. VII 5. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath 5. Who as he will be most compassionate to all those that heartily acknowledge Him for their Lord and submit unto His Government so will break in pieces the greatest powers on earth that provoke his displeasure by obstinate opposal of his Authority at thy right hand 6. He shall judg among the heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies he shall wound the heads over many countries 6. From whence He shall demonstrate Himself to all the heathen world to be their Law-giver and their Judge taking a severe vengeance on those that persecute his Subjects and destroying at last even that mighty Empire which shall then rule over many Countries 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall he lift up the head 7. But before all this He shall first humble Himself to the meanest condition not living in the state of a King here in this world but of a way-faring man IX Luk. 56. who is content with such provision as he meets withall For which cause after the enduring many hardships even death it self He shall be highly exalted to his Royal and Priestly dignity in the Heavens from whence He shall never fall PSALM CXI Hallelujah i. e. Praise the Lord. ARGUMENT It is certain this is the Title of the Psalm which consists of as many short Metres as there are Letters in the Hebrew Alphabet and therefore cannot begin with Hallelujah whos 's first Letter is the fifth not the first Letter in that Alphabet In which order it proceeds for the better help of the memory being composed thus artificially that every one as well as the singers to whom the Hallelujah perhaps is particularly directed might have in their minds a brief form of thanking God especially upon festival days for the wonderfull things He had done for that Nation It was a meditation which the Authour had in time of peace and quiet for in distress or immediately after a great deliverance mens spirits are not at liberty to use such art and curiosity in their composures as there is in this Psalm being full at those seasons of such passions as make them neglect it even when they are inclined to use it see Psalm XXV For which reason I think Theodoret's opinion hath no ground that the Psalmist hath respect to the great Victory obtained by Jehoshaphat over the Ammonites and other Nations who invaded his Kingdom for which they gave thanks to God presently after 2 Chr. XX. It is more likely that David who composed those larger forms of commemoration Psalm CV and CVI. made this as I said for a compendious remembrance of what is there more largely delivered And that He might not exceed the number of the Ten Commandments as some give the reason of it in the Verses of this Psalm the Metres of the two last are so short that they have each of them three Letters of the Alphabet in them whereas all the former have but two 1. PRaise ye the LORD I will praise the LORD with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation 1. I Will make my thankfull acknowledgments to the Lord not onely with my lips or with some slight affections of my mind but with all my heart and soul And that not onely in the private society of those good â—…en whom I am more inâ—…mately acquainted withall but in the publick congregation of all his people 2. The works of the LORD are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein 2. Who ought to join together to praise the Lord for his mighty and wonderfull works which it will not cost them much labour to understand for they are easily found out by all those who take any pleasure in such inquiries 3. His work is honourable and glorious and his righteousness endureth for ever 3. And there is not one of them but is full of majesty and splendour and the fruit of his infinite bounty and faithfulness to his promise which He still expresses towards us and will doe so for ever 4. He hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred the LORD is gracious and full of compassion 4. And such is his Goodness lest we should forget his Benefits He hath instituted solemn times for the commemoration of the wonders He hath done for us XII Exod. 14. XIII 3 9 c. which are everlasting testimonies that we serve a most gracious and compassionate Lord. 5. He hath given meat unto them that fear him he will ever be mindfull of his covenant 5. Who gave our Forefathers whom by his wonderfull works He possessed with the fear of Him XIV Exod. 31. the spoil of the Egyptians XII Exod. 35 36. and afterward fed them with Manna in the wilderness XVI Exod. according to his Covenant which He had made long before XV. Gen. 14. and will never forget in future Ages 6. He hath shewed his people the power of his works that he may give them the heritage of the heathen 6. He hath evidently demonstrated to his people the greatness of his power in destroying Sihon the Amorite II. Deut. 24 25. and Og the King of Bashan III. Deut. 21 24. with the rest of the Amorites and other Nations in the Land of Canaan X. Josh 6 11 12 c. which He took from the ancient Inhabitants that He might give it us for our possession 7. The works of his hands are verity and judgment all his commandments are sure 7. In which He did them no wrong but was exactly
potent Kings who presuming of their strength opposed the accomplishment of his promises to you 11. Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan and all the kingdoms of Canaan 11. First of all Sihon King of the Amorites who were esteemed invincible XXI Numb 24. II. Amos 9. and then Og that giantly King of Bashan XXI Numb 33. III. Deut. II. and at last all the Kingdoms and Kings of the Land of Canaan XII Josh 7 24. 12. And gave their land for an heritage an heritage unto Israel his people 12. Which He graciously bestowed upon us the Children of Israel as an inheritance we should hold of Him by a Divine right of which none while we continue his obedient people shall be able to dispossess us 13. Thy name O LORD endureth for ever and thy memorial O LORD throughout all generations 13. O Lord how astonishing is this thy omnipotent Goodness the fame of which shall never be forgotten But an illustrious memory O Lord shall be continued of it from generation to generation 14. For the LORD will judge his people and he will repent himself concerning his servants 14. For though our enemies may sometimes oppress us when we offend Him yet the Lord at last will take the part of his people and deliver them and being reconciled unto his servants will turn his severity into kindness towards them 15. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold the work of mens hands 15. It is not in the power of the Idols which the heathen worship to divert his kindness from us for they are of no more value then the silver and the gold of which they are made and are so far from being able to doe any thing that they themselves are made by those that adore them 16. They have mouths but they speak not eyes have they but they see not 16. They are mere Images of things without their life having mouths but cannot give a word of advice or comfort to their supplicants and eyes also but cannot see much less prevent any danger that doth approach them 17. They have ears but they hear not neither is there any breath in their mouths 17. Ears they have but cannot hear a word that is said to them and noses also but they do not so much as breathe much less can they smell the odours that are offered to them 18. They that make them are like unto them so is every one that trusteth in them 18. They that make them therefore or put any confidence in them are as senseless as themselves having eyes for instance but do not see that brutes are more excellent then such gods and that no help is to be expected from them 19. Bless the LORD O house of Israel bless the LORD O house of Aaron 19. O how much then are we all bound to bless the Lord the Creatour of all who hath freed us from this stupid blindness Let the whole Nation of the Children of Israel especially the Priests of the Lord praise Him and give thanks to Him who hath better instructed them 20. Bless the LORD O house of Levi ye that fear the LORD bless the LORD 20. Let all the Levites declare how gracious He is yea let all his pious Worshippers of whatsoever Nation they be join in this heavenly imployment of speaking good of the Lord. 21. Blessed be the LORD out of Sion which dwelleth at Jerusalem Praise ye the LORD 21. Let them all say with one accord the Lord be ever praised in this holy place who though He be the owner of all the World yet makes his special residence at Jerusalem The honour the heathens give to their lifeless Images ought to excite you all with the greater devotion to praise the Lord of the World PSALM CXXXVI ARGUMENT This Psalm like the former is a commemoration of the goodness of God expressed in his wonderfull works particularly those He had done for that Nation And it is likely was composed to be sung upon the great Festivals as every day I suppose they sung the foregoing which is of the same strain with this and contains much of the same matter onely here at every half Verse one half of the Quire answers to the other in these words For his mercy endureth for ever A form of acknowledgment prescribed by David to be used continually in the Divine Service 1 Chron. XVI 41 and accordingly followed by Solomon 2. Chron. VII 3 6. when he dedicated the Temple and by Jehoshaphat when by the incouragement of a Prophet he went out to incounter a vast Army with small Forces 2 Chron. XX. 21. and here is repeated six and twenty times to make them the more sensible that they owed all they had to the mere bounty of God and to excite them to depend intirely upon it and rest assured it would never fail them if they did piously and most heartily acknowledge it Such repetitions we use now in our earnest Prayers when we say Lord have mercy upon us c. which are no more vain then these I have variously expressed the sense of this repeated acknowledgment according as the other part of the several verses seemed to direct me 1. O Give thanks unto the LORD for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever 1. OFfer your thankfull Hymns unto the Lord of all who is as good as He is great and will continue his kindness which hath been exceeding abundant towards us unto all succeeding generations 2. O give thanks unto the God of gods for his mercy endureth for ever 2. He is the Sovereign of all the heavenly Hosts and therefore praise Him and give thanks unto Him for He can imploy them all for your help and protection as He hath in former times and you need not doubt of his kindness which continues unto all Ages 3. O give thanks unto the Lord of lords for his mercy endureth for ever 3. All the Kings and Princes of the Earth are his Subjects upon which account also give Him praise and thanks For his kindness endures throughout all Ages to defend you as He hath done hitherto from their tyrannical violence 4. To him who alone doth great wonders for his mercy endureth for ever 4. He it is and He alone whose Works are so great that they surprise all those who seriously consider them with wonder and astonishment and therefore give Him praise and thanks For his kindness will never fail still to imploy his infinite Power for the good of those who are truly gratefull to Him 5. To him that by wisdome made the heavens for his mercy endureth for ever 5. Look upon the Heavens and behold with admiration and praise the splendour and the order wherein his wisdome hath contrived and setled them For his kindness is as large and as firm and durable as they 6. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters for his mercy endureth for ever 6. And then look down to the Earth and thankfully praise Him
may well be a warning to all fell Tyrants not to be so fierce and outragious which will onely present Thee with the fairer opportunity to glorifie thy self and raise thy praise to a greater height as Thou hast now done by suppressing the Assyrians fury who if they have any reliques of wrath which may boil up again in their hearts Thou shalt chain it up and not suffer it to break forth to our further disturbance 11. Vow and pay unto the LORD your God let all that are round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared 11. And let this excite you all who are thus marvellously delivered to make more liberal promises of gratefull Sacrifices as well as to perform those which you have already vowed to the great Lord your most gracious God who so far excells all others that the Nations round about us who hear the fame of this shall reproach you if you be forgetfull of his benefits by the presents which they shall make to Him 2 Chr. XXXII 23. who ought to be feared by all his Friends and is most terrible to his Enemies 12. He shall cut off the spirit of princes he is terrible to the kings of the earth 12. For he can easily with a sudden stroke not onely take down the proud stomach but take away the life of the fiercest Captains and Commanders 2 Chr. XXXII 21. yea make the greatest Monarchs who keep the world in awe quake and tremble at his dreadfull executions PSALM LXXVII To the chief Musician to Jeduthun A Psalm of Asaph ARGUMENT A Psalm composed by Asaph and sent by him to that Song-Master who was over the Children of Jeduthun in which I imagined at first sight that he represented the sad condition of Hezekiah and the motions of his heart towards God in his sickness 2 Chron. XXXII 24. XXXVIII Isa 1. But upon further consideration it appears from the latter part of it that he bewails the calamity of all the Nation either when Senacherib over-ran the Country or else in the Captivity of Babylon If we refer it to the latter then it was not Asaph the Seer whom I mentioned before Psalm LXXIII that made this Psalm but some other in after times see Psal LXXIV who laments the long continuance of their Captivity which looked like an utter forsaking by God but he comforts himself at last with the remembrance of what God had done formerly for them when he delivered them out of the Egyptian bondage 1. I Cried unto God with my voice even unto God with my voice and he gave ear unto me 1. I Have incessantly made my prayer to God and I will still most earnestly intreat his favour To Him who hath justly afflicted us and can alone relieve us have I again and again renewed my importunate suit which I hope will at last prevail with Him for deliverance 2. In the day of my trouble I sought the LORD my sore ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted 2. I have not negligently discharged this Duty but as the distress is great wherein we are so I have restlesly implored help from the Lord In the night when men are wont to bury their troubles in sleep I have with unwearied diligence spread out my hands unto Him in token that all my dependence is upon His power alone resolving to admit of no consolation till I obtained a gracious Answer from Him 3. I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Selah 3. I remembred indeed how kind God had been unto us in former times but this onely gave me the greater trouble when I compared it with our present miseries and the more I mused on it the more my spirit was disturbed and miserably afflicted 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak 4. Insomuch that I could not close my eyes to take a wink of sleep nor open my mouth such was my perturbation and astonishment to express the heaviness of my grief 5. I have considered the days of old the years of aucient times 5. All that I could doe was to recount thy mercifull Providences over our Forefathers in times past and ponder seriously what wonders Thou didst for them many ages agone 6. I call to remembrance my song in the night I commune with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search 6. I called to mind all the Songs I had indited to celebrate the memory of those ancient benefits and spent whole nights in silent meditations and diligent inquiries which I revolved to and fro in my mind why He who had taken such care of our Ancestours had so long rejected us 7. Will the LORD cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more 7. Will the Lord thought I abandon us for ever Is He so incensed against us that He will never be reconciled nor intend to shew us any more favour 8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore 8. Is his infinite mercy which is the fountain of all his benefits quite exhausted and will He never hereafter speak a word of comfort to us 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies Selah 9. Hath God whose property it is to shew mercy quite laid aside all thoughts of exercising his clemency towards us or have we so highly provoked Him to anger that He hath no regard at all unto our miseries 10. And I said This is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High 10. But having thus complained and said within my self This is the thing which sorely afflicts me to see such alterations in the proceedings of the most High that the same hand which formerly protected us now severely scourges us 11. I will remember the works of the LORD surely I will remember thy wonders of old 11. I presently considered that there might be a change again and resolved to comfort my self with the remembrance of the former works of the Lord and to go back as far as the Miracle Thou didst for us in bringing us up out of the Land of Egypt when our deserts were as small as in these days 12. I will meditate also of all thy work and talk of thy doings 12. Of all the ensuing wonders I will think rather then on our present miseries I will not omit one of them but instead of these complaints make them the constant subject of my discourse 13. Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a God as our God 13. From which I cannot but conclude that the method of thy Providence O God is not onely perfectly holy and just but quite out of our reach nor is thy Power inferiour but as Thou dost not proceed in the common way of our thoughts so none can resist what thy incomparable Majesty thinks fit to effect 14. Thou art the God that
themselves of that pleasant Land wherein Thou dwellest among us in thy holy habitation 13. O my God make them like a wheel as the stubble before the wind 13. O my God whose goodness hath never failed us in distress let them not be able to stand their ground but put them to flight and make them run as swiftly as a ball down a hill disperse all their forces like the chaffe when it is blown about with a furious wind 14. As the fire burneth the wood and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire 14. Blast and consume them utterly as the lightning or the scorching rays of the Sun in a long drought do the leaves of the forrest trees or the grass upon the mountains I. Joel 19. 15. So persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy storm 15. Raise a dreadfull tempest to affright them and pursue them so with thy vengeance that they may be shattered and driven away uncertainly as in a whirlwind put them into such a pannick fear that they may not know which way to turn but clash against one another in a terrible confusion 2 Chron. XX. 22 c. 16. Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name O Lord. 16. And make those that escape so ashamed at this disgracefull disappointment that they may not be able to hold up their heads nor deny thy Power to be superiour to theirs but humbly seek thy favour 17. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever yea let them be put to shame and perish 17. This is the worst we wish them notwithstanding their enmity to us that they may be so astonished and confounded at their defeat as never to recover any courage to assault us nay together with their credit and their courage quite lose their power to give us any further trouble 18. That men may know that thou whose name alone is JEHOVAH art the most high over all the earth 18. And thereby be convinced which they would not believe before that Thou art what Thou art called the True and Onely God who givest Being to all things and art the supreme Governour not onely of us but of all the Nations upon earth PSALM LXXXIV To the chief Musician upon Gittith A Psalm for the Sons of Korah ARGUMENT It is uncertain to what times this Psalm belongs They seem to have most reason on their side who think it was composed upon the same occasion with the XLII and XLIII when David forced from Jerusalem by the rebellion of his Son Absalom most passionately long'd to be restor'd to the place of God's worship But it may as well or better in my judgment be thought to have been composed by some pious Levite in the Country when Senacherib's Army had blockt up the way to Jerusalem and hindred them from waiting upon the service of God at the Temple where he judged the lowest Ministry that of a Porter as we reade Ver. 10. to be far more honourable then the highest preferment among Pagan Nations And thus I shall take the liberty to expound it in my Paraphrase pointing the Reader to such places in the History of that sad time as I think will explain some passages of this Psalm which after their freedom was restored by the destruction of Senacherib's Army the Authour of it delivered to the Master of Musick in the Temple to be sung as the VIII Psalm See there 1. HOW amiable are thy tabernacles O LORD of hosts 1. IT is impossible to express the affection I have to thy Dwelling-place O Lord who art attended there by the ministry of the heavenly host XXXVII Isa 16. and needest none of our services 2. My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the LORD my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God 2. But we cannot live with any satisfaction while we are absent from Thee for I am ready to faint away in ardent longings to tread again in the Courts of the Lord's House where my tongue and my hands as well as my mind would gladly be imployed in the praises of our God who in this excells all other 2 King XIX 4 16 18. that He lives for ever 3. Yea the sparrow hath found an house and the swallow a nest for her self where she may lay her young even thine altars O LORD of hosts my King and my God 3. It grieves me O mighty Lord of all the heavenly hosts whose Subject I am and infinitely engaged to Thee to see the very Birds who know nothing of Thee injoy that liberty which is denied me who am here lamenting my distance from Thee when the Sparrows and the Ring-doves have their constant residence at thy House and there live so undisturbed that they build their nests and bring forth their young in the rafters of it 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee Selah 4. O how happy are they who partake of such a privilege who live so near thy House and frequent it so much as if it were their own Their delightfull imployment is with never-ceasing praises to pay their thankfull acknowledgments unto Thee 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the ways of them 5. And happy also is that man how mean soever his outward condition be who relying upon thy Divine protection XXXIV Exodus 24. goes up three times a year to the solemn Feast at Jerusalem or when he is debarred that liberty as I now am is one of those devout persons whose hearts are more in the high-ways that lead thither then at their own home 6. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well the rain also filleth the pools 6. Who travelling through the troublesome valley of Bacha where there is no water pass it as cheerfully as if it abounded with pleasant Springs and depending on God as the Fountain of what they want receive from Him the blessing of plentifull and seasonable showres to refresh them in their journey 7. They go from strength to strength every one of them in Zion appeareth before God 7. So that the whole company go from stage to stage with an unwearied vigour till they all present themselves before God to receive his blessing in his Temple upon the Hill of Sion 8. O LORD God of hosts hear my prayer give ear O God of Jacob Selah 8. O mighty Lord who commandest all the heavenly hosts which attend in that holy place and are far more numerous then the Armies that invade us 2 Chron. XXXII 7. make me one of that happy number and restore me O God who deliveredst Jacob out of all his troubles to the liberty of waiting upon Thee there 9. Behold O God our shield and look upon the face of thine anointed 9. Look graciously upon me O God who hast hitherto been our protectour against the most powerfull enemies and accept the prayer of our Sovereign who petitions Thee still to be
Thee and do not reject my petition accompanied with sad moans and dolefull lamentations but vouchsafe a favourable answer to it 3. For my soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave 3. For my Soul is overcharged with great variety of long continued evils which have brought me so low that there is but a step between me and the grave 4. I am counted with them that go down into the pit I am as a man that hath no strength 4. All that know my condition look upon me as utterly lost and I have no reason to think otherwise being quite spent and having no power at all to help my self 5. Free among the dead like the slain that lie in the grave whom thou remembrest no more and they are cut off from thy hand 5. I am no longer one of this world from whose society I am quite separated there is little difference between me and those who being slain in a Battel and cast all together into one common grave are no further regarded or those whose families are so wholly exstirpated that there are none left to preserve their memory 6. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darkness in the deeps 6. For Thou hast thrust me down into a deep and dismal Dungeon which I can compare to nothing but a Grave wherein I lie neglected and see no hope of being delivered 7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves Selah 7. My spirit is ready to sink under the weight of thy displeasure while my calamities fall upon me so fast and so heavily like the mountainous waves of the Sea one after another that it is impossible to express the soreness of my affliction 8. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me thou hast made me an abomination unto them I am shut up and I cannot come forth 8. I am not allowed to have any familiarity with my friends or acquaintance no more then if I were in another world And as for other men they abominate to come into such a loathsome place where I am kept so close that I have no means of getting out 9. Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction LORD I have called daily upon thee I have stretched out my hands unto thee 9. Nor can I doe any thing there but weep till I am almost blind by reason of the miseries I endure onely I cease not to look up unto Thee O Lord continually who art my onely companion in this solitary and helpless condition imploring thy aid with fervent prayers and longing expectations saying 10. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead shall the dead arise and praise thee Selah 10. Make haste good Lord to deliver me if Thou intendest any kindness to me otherwise I shall presently perish and then without the greatest Miracle there is no help for me For can I with any reason expect that Thou shouldest doe wonders for me among the dead when Thou wouldest doe nothing for me while I was alive and raise me out of my grave when Thou wouldest not bring me out of prison 11. Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave or thy faithfulness in destruction 11. Now is the time to declare the love Thou bearest to me and to perform the promise Thou hast made to them that faithfully serve Thee For if Thou dost defer thy relief I die and what can I hope for when I am rotten in my grave 12. Shall thy wonders be known in the dark and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness 12. Shall thy power be apparent there where nothing is seen And wilt Thou convince men how good and how just Thou art to thy servants in the place where they are no more remembred 13. But unto thee have I cried O LORD and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee 13. Thus O Lord I cry unto Thee in the anguish of my soul which keeps me awake to present my prayers unto Thee before the morning light 14. LORD why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me 14. Though alas they have no effect but I see my self deserted notwithstanding all my prayers in these miserable straits wherein I lie sighing to think what the reason should be that Thou deniest me thy help and takest no notice of me 15. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrours I am distracted 15. Which is the more strange because I faint away under my misery which hath continued many years and under the sad prospect I have before me of more dreadfull calamities which so astonish me that I know not what to doe with my self 16. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrours have cut me off 16. I onely bemoan over again my forlorn estate which grows still more deplorable I suffer not merely the effects of thy anger Ver. 7. but of thy severest and most terrible displeasure wherewith I am so overwhelmed and oppressed that I am scarce able to fetch my breath 17. They came round about me daily like water they compassed me about together 17. Which way soever I turn my self I find that I am inviron'd with them and they increase continually like flouds of water coming from several places and at last meeting all together to inclose and swallow me up 18. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me and mine acquaintance into darkness 18. And there is no Friend no Neighbour comes near me to give me the least consolation But all they whose sweet society was wont to help to mitigate my sorrow are either dead or kept from my sight or hide themselves for fear of being thrust down together with me into this dolefull place PSALM LXXXIX Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite ARGUMENT The Authour of this Psalm was near of kin to him that made the former see the Argument there and they lived I suppose in the same time Onely Heman bewailed some private affliction which was befallen himself whereas Ethan after a thankfull acknowledgment of the benefits God had bestowed upon them and especially of his promise made to David by Samuel and Nathan of settling the Kingdom upon him and his posterity for ever laments most sadly the publick calamity by the subversion of the Royal Family and Government in the days of Jehojachin or of Zedekiah Whose miserable fate seems in the conclusion of this Psalm to be bewailed with the greater passion because it looked like a breach of God's promise to David and gave the Babylonians and other Nations who assisted in their destruction occasion to say that notwithstanding all the promises they boasted of and the fidelity of their God in the performance there was now a period put to David's Family and Kingdom That 's the clearest account I can give of the meaning of the last clause of the last verse but one where we reade that they reproached the foot-steps of his Anointed The word we render
a form of justice and under the colour and pretext of law make them miserable 21. They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous and condemn the innocent bloud 21. They assemble themselves together and in full council combine to destroy the righteous upon whom they pass a solemn sentence though he be perfectly guiltless to lose his life 22. But the LORD is my defence and my God is the rock of my refuge 22. But this doth not discourage me whose case this is let them decree what they please and be too hard for all laws the Lord who hates unrighteousness will be my defence He who hath been long very gracious to me I am confident will secure me from their violence 23. And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity and shall cut them off in their own wickedness yea the LORD our God shall cut them off 23. And more then that retort it upon themselves for the mischief they intended against me shall fall upon their own head He shall cut them off in their own wicked contrivances though it be not in our power yet the Lord our God who hath undertaken the patronage of those that confide in Him shall cut them off PSALM XCV ARGUMENT This Psalm likewise is without any Title in the Hebrew but the Greeks call it A Psalm of David because the Apostle to the Hebrews cites a passage out of it under his Name IV. 7. Though that it must be confessed is no concluding Argument of its being composed by him because it is usual to call the whole Five Books by the name of the Psalms of David when it is certain he did not make them all but onely the greater part Whoever was the Authour it looks as if it were intended to be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or solemn invitation of the people when they were all assembled together on the Sabbath or some publick occasion to praise the Lord their God and hear instructions out of his Law And is justly imployed still by the Church in the entrance of our Morning Service for the very same purpose For it plainly relates to the days of Christ as the Jews confess and the Apostle proves III. IV. to the Hebrews where he demonstrates to them of that Nation that the Rest here spoken of could not be merely that in the Land of Canaan which their Forefathers fell short of by their disobedience to God in the Wilderness but another far better into which they in that day were to be brought by the Messiah a far greater Captain of Salvation then Joshua And therefore it concerned them then he shews above all other times to take care they did not harden their hearts against Him when He came to invite them to a participation of the greatest blessedness but entertain his holy Gospel with a chearfull and joyfull obedience to it Theodoret is of opinion that it was particularly designed for the times of Josiah when he made that notable reformation which we reade of 2 Chron. XXXIV XXXV and called them from the worship of Idols to the service of the true God But it could never be more properly used by that Nation then when the Lord Christ came to call them to repentance 1. O Come let us sing unto the LORD let us make a joyfull noise to the rock of our salvation 1. OStir up your selves all ye that are come hither to worship the Lord and with united affections let us chearfully sing his praises Let us lift up our voices and triumphantly laud the Authour of all the good we enjoy and in whom we may safely confide for ever 2. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyfull noise unto him with psalms 2. Let us approach into his presence with thankfull hearts to acknowledge the benefits we have received from Him and devoutly proclaim with triumphant hymns what a joy it is to us that we may address our selves unto Him 3. For the LORD is a great God and a great King above all gods 3. For the Lord is infinitely powerfull and hath a sovereign authority not onely over all the Princes on the earth but all the Angels and principalities in heaven 4. In his hand are the deep places of the earth the strength of the hills is his also 4. All those Treasures are in his possession which lie in the deepest and most secret parts of the earth whither none of our Monarchs can extend their power and the loftiest hills which none but the clouds can touch are part of his dominion 5. The sea is his and he made it and his hands formed the dry land 5. The Sea also obeys Him alone who hath an unquestionable title to it and to all the rest of his wide Empire for He made both it and the dry Land with all the things contained therein 6. O come let us worship and bow down let us kneel before the LORD our maker 6. O be not backward then to comply with this renewed invitation but let us all with the lowest prostrations devoutly adore his Majesty Let it not suffice us to doe it once but again let us with humble reverence bow both our bodies and souls in token of our subjection to Him Let us fall on our knees and submissively acknowledge the duty we owe to the great Lord who gave us our Being 7. For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand to day if ye will hear his voice 7. Which we above all people have reason to doe because He hath a peculiar relation to us and kindness for us providing for all our wants most liberally and continually defending us from all dangers O that you would therefore without delay listen to Him and be obedient to the voice of your Creatour Conserver and Benefactour who calls upon you most graciously by his own Son III. Heb. 6 7. IV. 7 saying 8. Harden not your heart as in the provocation and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness 8. Lay to heart what I have done for you and be not so stupidly insensible as your Fathers were at that place whose Name Meribah and Massah preserves the memory of their provoking strife with Moses and temptation of God in the Wilderness XVII Exod. 2 7. 9. When your fathers tempted me proved me and saw my work 9. When they doubted of my power and demanded new proofs of my presence among them XVII Exod. 7. though they had seen my wonderfull works in their late deliverance at the red Sea and in making the bitter waters sweet and sending them bread from heaven Exod. XIV XV. XVI 10. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation and said It is a people that do erre in their heart and they have not known my ways 10. Nor did they then cease their discontented murmurings and distrust of me but continued their stubborn infidelity vexing nay tiring my patience for the space of
souls of his saints he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked 10. But do not content your selves merely with this passion of joy if you truly love the Lord hate every thing which you know is displeasing to Him so shall you have the Lord of all things for your continual keeper who preserves the lives of sincerely pious men and watches over them with such a carefull providence that when they are in the power of the wicked He will not suffer them to destroy them 11. Light is soweâ—… for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart 11. Be not discouraged though the world should frown upon you but rest assured that God designs you in due time more chearfull and happy days which if you continue faithfull and serve Him with upright hearts shall as certainly come as the corn at last springs up after it hath lain all winter in the ground 12. Rejoice in the LORD ye righteous and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness 12. Let all truly good men rely on this and rejoice in their worst estate that they serve such a gracious Lord Let them give thanks unto Him for his benefits and gratefully commemorate how kind and gracious He hath been unto them that it may be kept in perpetual remembrance PSALM XCVIII A Psalm ARGUMENT There is no Title here but onely this A Psalm to which the Greeks add of David who it is very probable was the Authour or if he was not it was made by some holy man in imitation of what David saith in the XCVI of many of whose expressions this Psalm consists upon occasion of some remarkable deliverance which God had newly granted to Israel as an earnest of future blessings especially of the coming of that great blessing the Lord Christ to give compleat Salvation to his people 1. O Sing unto the LORD a new song for he hath done marvellous things his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory 1. O Let the new and extraordinary benefits which the Lord hath bestowed upon us provoke you to sing praises unto Him with fresh devotion for He hath done stupendious things and by his Almighty goodness alone and incomparable strength hath wrought salvation for those who were as unworthy to be helped by Him as they were unable to help themselves 2. The LORD hath made known his salvation his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen 2. The Lord hath declared by the wonders He hath done how mighty He is to save and deliver He made the Gentile world apparently see that He is the just rewarder of all those who piously obey Him and will not let the wicked escape unpunished 3. He hath remembred his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God 3. He hath not forgot his ancient Covenant with our Forefathers but so faithfully performed what his mere mercy moved Him to promise 1. Luke 54 72. that all mankind have seen what our gracious God hath done and partake of his Divine benefits 4. Make a joyfull noise unto the LORD all the earth make a loud noise and rejoice and sing praise 4. Let them all therefore shout for joy let them cry aloud and with strong and chearfull voices sing hymns of thanks and praise unto the Lord. 5. Sing unto the LORD with the harp with the harp and the voice of a psalm 5. Let nothing be wanting to express your joyfull sense of the goodness of the Lord but let the Harp accompany your songs let the sweet sound of the Harp I say and the sound of your voices be mixt together with your Psalms 6. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyfull noise before the LORD the King 6. And let the Trumpet also and Cornet proclaim with a louder sound the exceeding greatness of your joy while you shout with triumphant acclamations to Him and acknowledge the Lord to be your King 7. Let the sea roar and the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein 7. Let the noise of his praises be heard like thunder throughout all the habitable world both among those that live on the Sea and those that are upon the Land 8. Let the flouds clap their hands let the hills be joyfull together 8. Let high as well as low applaud their happiness and joyn together with one consent to express by all the tokens of joy the singular pleasure and satisfaction they feel in their hearts 9. Before the LORD for he cometh to judge the earth with righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equity 9. Let them meet the Lord with forward affections who is coming to reform the earth and will govern mankind by righteous and mercifull Laws distributing to every man according to his works PSALM XCIX ARGUMENT The Greeks intitle David to this Psalm which seems to have been made upon the same occasion and to the same end with the three foregoing onely with these two differences First that from the consideration of the royal power of the Lord who had manifested himself by some notable conquests over his enemies to be the onely Monarch whose Sovereignty extends over all the world they should mix fear and trembling together with that joy and exultation to which in the former Psalm he had excited them And secondly that he doth not so plainly as in those Psalms prophesie of the Kingdom of the Lord Christ But there are many passages as Theodoret observes which may be applied to the appearing of our Saviour and the infidelity of the Jews Saint Austin and Saint Ambrose apply to him that passage upon which the Roman Church builds the lawfulness of worshipping Images Ver. 5. where the vulgar Latin reading adorate scabellum pedum ejus worship his footstool those two Fathers think there is no way to reconcile this with that command Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him onely shalt thou serve but by expounding this of the flesh of Christ which is the footstool they say which the Psalmist exhorts all men to worship so far were those holy men from allowing adoration to any thing that is not God or hath not a personal union with Him And indeed Christ was represented by the Ark which was the Divine footstool here spoken of but not to be adored no more then the Hill on which it stood concerning which the Psalmist speaks in the last Verse just as he doth of the Ark in this and therefore we ought to understand both passages alike the particle in the Hebrew being the very same before footstool and before Hill and translate them thus worship at or before or towards his footstool and holy Hill as elsewhere he speaks of worshipping towards his Temple V. 8. CXXXVIII 2. And so Menochius very honestly here expounds this passage in these words worship in his Temple turning your faces towards the Ark on which
is the propitiatory which is his footstool since he sits on the wings of the Cherubins 1. THe LORD reigneth let the people tremble he sitteth between the cherubims let the earth be moved 1. LET the people fret and be tumultuous if they please it will do them no service for the Lord is the supreme Governour of the world whether they will or no and they had better with a pious fear submit themselves unto Him Though the whole earth should be in an uproar we are safe and secure for the Lord is attended with innumerable heavenly Ministers who are a Guard to his faithfull worshippers 2. The LORD is great in Sion and he is high above all people 2. The Lord whose Palace is in Sion is transcendently great there is no power on earth able to oppose Him who infinitely surpasses the united strength of all people 3. Let them praise thy great and terrible name for it is holy 3. Let them all therefore praise and reverently acknowledge thy mighty and dreadfull Majesty for that alone is every way most excellent and hath no equal and therefore worthy of all veneration 4. The Kings strength also loveth judgment thou dost establish equity thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. 4. For though none can resist Him yet He is not a King that uses his power to wrong or oppress his Subjects but to do them right and give them relief in which He delights This is thy character O Lord who hast established most equal Laws among us and hitherto governed the seed of Jacob with exact justice and singular mercy 5. Exalt ye the LORD our God and worship at his footstool for he is holy 5. Do you therefore above all other people extoll the Lord our God both in your thoughts affections and words and turning your faces towards the Ark of his presence prostrate your selves before his Majesty in token of your absolute subjection to Him For He is incomparably above all other Beings and the proper object of your adoration 6. Moses and Aaron among his priests and Samuel among them that call upon his name they called upon the LORD and he answered them 6. Thus did Moses and Aaron two of his principal and most famous Ministers XXXII Exod. 11. XVI Numb 45 46. and thus did Samuel one of his greatest Prophets that were wont to intercede for you 1 Sam. VII 5 8 9. VIII 5. XII 19. These holy men fell down before Him to make their humble supplications to Him and He gave them what they desired 7. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar they kept his testimonies and the ordinance that he gave them 7. He spake to them in a familiar manner telling them his mind out of a pillar of cloud wherein He appeared to them XXXIII Exod. 9 10. XII Numb 5. XVI 42. 1 Sam. III. 10. and they like faithfull servants of his conformed themselves to his precepts by which He testified his will to them and worshipped him after that manner that He appointed them 8. Thou answeredst them O LORD our God thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions 8. Whereby they obtained great favour with Thee O Lord our God for when they prayed to Thee Thou fulfilledst their petitions passing by for their sakes the sins of those who had highly offended Thee but taking a most severe vengeance on all those who contemned their authority and were contriving how to depose them XII Numb 2 9 10. XVI 3 31 35. 1 Sam. VIII 7 8 9 c. 9. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy hill for the LORD our God is holy 9. Imitate therefore the piety of those admirable men and raise your thoughts and affections and voices to extoll and magnifie the Lord our God as much as you are able for you can never do it enough And in token of your absolute subjection to Him go and prostrate your selves before Him at his house on the holy hill of Sion for the Lord our God is incomparably above all other Beings and alone worthy of your adoration PSALM C. A Psalm of Praise ARGUMENT There is no other Psalm hath the like Title with this which is called a Psalm of Praise or rather of Thanksgiving and acknowledgment for Divine blessings as the word is translated below Verse 4. and in most other places For which reason I suppose it is that the Hebrews imagin as the Chaldee Paraphrase as well as other of their Authours tells us it was peculiarly appointed to be sung when their sacrifices of thanksgiving were offered mentioned VII Levit. 12 13. The Companies also or Quires of them who gave thanks to God are called by this Name XII Nehem. 31 38. Which makes it probable that the Levites sang this Song upon that occasion which the Greeks think was made by David who invites all the world to join with the Israelites in the service of Him who was kind and gracious to them beyond expression Accordingly we Christians now properly use it in acknowledgment of God's wonderfull love to us in Christ by whom we offer up continually spiritual sacrifices for redeeming us by the sacrifice He made of himself for making the world anew and creating us again unto good works according to his faithfull promises which we may depend upon for ever I do not know but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made Ver. 3. may be used here as it is 1 Sam. XII 6. for advancing raising or preferring them as He is there said to have done Moses and Aaron making them to be what they then were a famous people in a good Land which seems to agree best with the following words and not we our selves and therefore I have not omitted that sense For to deny that we created our selves is altogether needless but that it is not to be ascribed to our industry or wit that we are raised to a happy condition is a proper expression of humility 1. MAKE a joyfull noise unto the LORD all ye lands 1. LET all the people of the earth lift up their voices in triumphant Songs to the honour of the Lord who deserves all our praises 2. Serve the LORD with gladness come before his presence with singing 2. Make the service of the Lord your delight nay greatest pleasure and when you approach into his Tabernacle shout for joy that you are admitted into his blessed presence to praise Him with your chearfull hymns 3. Know ye that the LORD he is God it is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture 3. Consider that the Lord whom you worship is the Creatour and the Governour of the world who gave us our Being and all the good things we enjoy His we are and by his power and goodness not our own we are become so great and mighty a Nation whom out of his own mere good will alone He hath made his peculiar people of
the service of Devils but offered their bloud the bloud of innocent babes even of their own sons and daughters as I said upon the Altars of the Idols of Canaan prophaning thereby the holy Land with the most impious and unnatural Murthers 39. Thus were they defiled with their own works and went a whoring with their own inventions 39. Besides other abominable works wherewith they defiled themselves such as Whoredom and all manner of beastly lusts which were the filthy vices of those Nations whom God cast out before them XVIII Lev. 24 25 27 28 c. 40. Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance 40. And so contrary to nature as well as his Law that the Lord was exceeding angry with them II. Judg. 14 20. and the more because He had made them his people whom He now abominated as impure and unclean though once they had been very dear unto Him 41. And he gave them into the hand of the heathen and they that hated them ruled over them 41. And thereupon delivered them up to the power of those impious Nations with whom they contracted friendship when they should have destroyed them III. Judg. 3 5. IV. 2. XIII 1. who retaining still their ancient hatred exercised a rigorous tyranny over them IV. Judg. 3. 42. Their enemies also oppressed them and they were brought into subjection under their hand 42. And so did many other of their neighbouring enemies the Mesopotamians and Moabites III. Judg. 8 12. the Midianites and Amalekites VI. 2 3 c. and such like X. 7 8. who not onely grievously afflicted them but deservedly made those their subjects nay slaves who would not serve their gracious God 43. Many times did he deliver them but they provoked him with their counsel and were brought low for their iniquity 43. Who still continued so kind to them that upon the first sign of their repentance He constantly raised up the spirit of some great Man or other to rescue them from every one of these Oppressours though they as constantly provoked Him again by relapsing to their former Idolatry which in the issue brought them exceeding low X. Judg. 8 9. 44. Nevertheless he regarded their affliction when he heard their cry 44. And yet such was his tender compassion towards them He did not absolutely refuse to help even these base revolters X. Judg. 14 15 16. when in their distress they made a lamentable moan and promised amendment 45. And he remembred for them his covenant and repented according to the multitude of his mercies 45. For He was not unmindfull of the Covenant He had made with their Forefathers XXVI Levit. 42 44 45. XXX Deut. 1 2 3. but let them reap the benefit of it in ceasing to punish them and when they deserved to be utterly destroyed bestowing many and exceeding great blessings on them 46. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives 46. For He inclined the hearts even of those who had subdued and implacably hated them unto some compassion towards them so that they did not indeavour their total extirpation XIII Judg. 1. XIV 2. XV. 9 10 c. 47. Save us O LORD our God and gather us from among the heathen to give thanks unto thy holy name and to triumph in thy praise 47. And therefore we humbly hope still in the same great mercies and beseech Thee O most mighty Lord who hast been wont to doe our Nation good to deliver us how unworthy soever from all our present enemies and to restore such of us as are faln into their hands unto their own Country that they may join with us in giving thanks to thy incomparable goodness and setting forth thy praises with the greatest joy and triumph saying 48. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting and let all the people say Amen Praise ye the LORD 48. Let the great Lord of all the world who hath been so gracious unto Israel as to chuse them for his own peculiar people be most heartily blessed and praised Let all generations bless Him as long as the world shall last and unto all eternity and let all his people concur in these desires and wish it may be so let them all praise the Lord and desire He may be ever praised The End of the FOVRTH Book of Psalms The Fifth BOOK OF PSALMS PSALM CVII ARGUMENT The Fifth Book of Psalms which consists most of Praises and Thanksgivings begins here with an exhortation to those whom God according to the Prayer foregoing CVI. 47. had delivered from Pagan servitude to acknowledge that singular benefit with their hearty Thanksgivings and thence to take occasion to magnifie his mercifull Providence over all other men not onely of that but of all Nations when they addressed themselves unto Him in their distresses For instance Travellers in the desart who have lost their way Prisoners Sick people Mariners Husbandmen even whole Countries the Psalmist shews are made strangely prosperous if they have a regard to God and on the other side fall into great misery if they neglect Him It had been endless to enumerate all other cases but by these any man may understand if he please as he observes in the conclusion how good the Lord is and ready to help those who fly unto Him for succour whatsoever their condition be The Authour of the Psalm is unknown but if I have guessed aright at the connexion of this with the foregoing Psalm it is most probable it was composed by David who having in the CV put them in mind as Theodoret observes of the promises made to the Patriarchs and of the blessings bestowed on their posterity and in the CVI. of their horrid ingratitude for such benefits and the punishments for that cause inflicted upon them declares in this Psalm the inexplicable kindness of God in their freedom from slavery and in his carefull Providence as I said over all mankind which might give them the greater incouragement to hope in Him if they served Him faithfully who had taken them for his peculiar people 1. O Give thanks unto the LORD for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever 1. O Make your gratefull acknowledgments to the great Lord of the world of whose Goodness you and your Forefathers have had such long experience that you may conclude his loving kindness will extend it self to all succeeding ages 2. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy 2. Let them especially call upon one another to give thanks unto his Goodness whom the Lord hath graciously redeemed from a sad Captivity into which they were reduced by their prevailing enemies 3. And gathered them out of the lands from the east and from the west from the north and from the south 3. And hath brought them back to their own Country again from all the Lands on every side into
Locust which flies or is driven with the wind uncertainly from place to place 24. My knees are weak through fasting and my flesh faileth of fatness 24. And for want of food in those desart places I am sometimes scarce able to remove for my body which heretofore was plump and fat 1 Sam. XVI 12. is now grown lank and thin like one of those miserable lean Creatures 25. I became also a reproach unto them when they looked upon me they shaked their heads 25. Which instead of moving their pity hath exposed me to such contempt and scorn that when I am seen by any of them they deride and scoff at me as an undone wretch that vainly hopes to escape their hands 26. Help me O LORD my God O save me according to thy mercy 26. But my hope is that Thou O Lord who hast hitherto been my most gracious God wilt seasonably interpose for my relief and deliver me out of that tender mercy which is wont to extend it self to those who have nothing else to depend upon 27. That they may know that this is thy hand that thou LORD hast done it 27. Whereby they themselves may be convinced and forced to acknowledge that not by chance no more then by my small forces but by thy Almighty power alone and thy care of me O Lord I am delivered 28. Let them curse but bless thou when they arise let them be ashamed but let thy servant rejoice 28. Thy blessing and protection I implore which if Thou wilt vouchsafe me let them go on to curse and slander me as long as they please it shall not hurt me nay let them assault me with armed force they shall onely be confounded at their vain attempt and give thy servant the greater cause to rejoice at their disappointment 29. Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame and let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a mantle 29. Which shall so increase the confusion of my malicious adversaries that they shall not be able to bear the disgrace but wish they could hide themselves from the sight of their shame which their own wickedness hath brought upon them 30. I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth yea I will praise him among the multitude 30. In hope of which defeat I now beforehand to the Lord the best expressions of my gratitude that I am able to make not onely in private but in the greatest Assemblies where I will not cease to praise his Almighty love 31. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul 31. And bid them trust in God who hath pleaded my cause and rescued me from death and will ever be the Advocate of him that hath no helper but depends on his goodness to deliver him from the hands of those Judges who prosecute the unjust sentence they have passed upon him to lose his life PSALM CX A Psalm of David ARGUMENT There is the same reason to think this Psalm was composed by David not by some other concerning David that there is to conclude all the rest to be so which have the same Title And then as it is very plain he speaks of some person much greater then himself whom he calls his Lord so it can be no other but the Lord Christ of whom he here prophesies Not as he is wont to doe elsewhere with respect to himself in the first place as His type and figure but in plain words which can belong to none but Christ alone For no other King but He can be said in any sense to sit at God's right hand nor was there any Priest of the order of Melchisedek that could be a shadow of him David indeed seems once to have exercised the Office of a Priest when he blessed the people at the bringing of the Ark to Sion 2 Sam. VI. 18. and so to have been then both King and Priest in one person as Melchifedek was but not a Priest for ever on whom the Office was perpetually established and that by an Oath as it was on the Priest here mentioned And therefore it is in vain to endeavour to accommodate any part of this Psalm to David who conquered many of the neighbouring Countries smote their Kings made them bring him tributes and at last smote the head of the Country of Rabbah as some render the last words of the sixth verse of this Psalm that is the King of the Children of Ammon But still we are to seek how the rest can be applied to him who never had any pretence to such an authority as is here described nor can in any sense call himself my Lord but as our Lord Christ hath demonstrated spake concerning Him XXII Matt. 43 c. and his Exaltation after his Resurrection from the dead as Saint Peter and Saint Paul also shew II. Act. 34 35. 1 Cor XV. 25. IV. Hebr. 1 13. V. 6. when He set up another Priesthood and abolished that of Moses which change is here predicted And though the Jews have taken a great deal of pains to wrest this Psalm to another sense yet they are so divided in their opinions about it speaking inconsistent things like drunken men as Saint Chrysostom's words are or rather says he like men in the dark running against one another that from thence alone we may be satisfied they are in the wrong and have their eyes blinded else they would not have embraced such interpretations as those which may be seen in them that have written upon this Psalm Which some of the Jews themselves such as R. Moses Hadarsan Saadias Gaon and divers others whom I might mention have been forced to acknowledge belongs to Christ and is a very plain prediction of his Divinity his royal Dignity his Priesthood and his victories and triumphs which the Psalmist sets forth as follows 1. THe LORD said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool 1. THis is the decree of the eternal LORD that the great person whom we expect and whom I honour as my Lord and Master shall be advanced after his sufferings to the highest dignity 1 King II. 19. in the heavens and reign with Him as the King of all the world till He have perfectly subdued X. Josh 24. the most powerfull opposers of his Kingdom and overcome death it self by whom all mankind are conquered 1 Cor. XV. 25 26. 2. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Sion rule thou in the mids of thine enemies 2. The eternal Lord wâ—… hath thus decreed to honour Thee O most mighty Prince will make Sion first of all to feel how powerfull thy Scepter is I. Act. 8. II. 34 37. and thence extend thy Empire over all the Earth where I wish Thou mayest and foretell Thou wilt prevail over all Infidelity Idolatry Superstition and Impiety which will set themselves against thy Authority 3. Thy people shall be willing in
enemies that invade us not that we may grow more famous no we have no thoughts of the glory that will accrue to our selves thereby but that thy Divine Majesty may be honoured and thy goodness and faithfulness to thy promises be made the more illustrious 2. Wherefore should the heathen say Where is now their God 2. What a sad thing will it be to hear the Nations that surround us insult not so much over us as over Thee saying what is become of their God in whom they trusted If He be so powerfull as they boast why doth He not deliver them 3. But our God is in the heavens he hath done whatsoever he pleased 3. Let them know that Thou art infinitely superiour to them and all their gods being the possessour of the heavens as well as the earth 2 Chron. XX. 6. whom no power of theirs can hurt or so much as restrain but art able to doe whatsoever Thou pleasest for their confusion and for our deliverance 4. Their idols are silver and gold the work of mens hands 4. Their Idols cannot hinder it in the least who are of no more value then the silver and gold of which they are made and are so far from being the makers of things that they themselves are the work of those that adore them 5. They have mouths but they speak not eyes have they but they see not 5. They are mere lifeless Images that have mouths but cannot give a word of advice or of incouragement and comfort to their supplicants and eyes also but cannot see the devotion wherewith they look up unto them or prostrate themselves before them 6. They have ears but they hear not noses have they but they smell not 6. Let their worshippers cry to them never so loudly they cannot hear a word All the Frankincense and sweet Odours which they burn to them are merely lost for they cannot smell them 7. They have hands but they handle not feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through their throat 7. Though they have thunderbolts in their hands they feel them not nor are able to doe either good or harm They cannot stir a foot from the place where they stand unless they be carried nor make so much noise as a fly being utterly void of breath as well as of sense and reason 8. They that make them are like unto them so is every one that trusteth in them 8. To what then but to those Idols shall we compare the makers of them and such as confide in them who are mere Images of men having eyes but do not see that the brutes are more excellent then such gods and that the least help is not to be expected from them 9. O Israel trust thou in the LORD he is their help and their shield 9. O ye Israelites who by the Divine Favour are better instructed repose that confidence in the eternal Lord which they do in those Vanities And He will not onely protect and defend you against all the assaults of your enemies but help you to overcome them 2 Chron. XX. 9. 10. O house of Aaron trust in the LORD he is their help and their shield 10. O ye Priests and Levites do you above all others rely upon that eternal Lord whose praise you sing and to whom you offer continual Sacrifice For He will never fail not onely to protect but to assist all such as piously confide in Him 11. Ye that fear the LORD trust in the LORD he is their help and their shield 11. And let all that fear the Lord and devoutly worship Him of whatsoever Nation they be place the like confidence in his Almighty Goodness For He will never forsake those that depend on Him alone though they be not of the seed of Abraham but defend them also in all dangers and aid them against all their enemies 12. The LORD hath been mindfull of us he will bless us he will bless the house of Israel he will bless the house of Aaron 12. We have had abundant experience of his care over us in all ages and therefore though now for the present our enemies afflict us yet let us believe that the Lord will doe us good and bless us with a glorious deliverance All the house of Israel shall see how kind He is especially they that minister unto Him in his holy Temple 13. He will bless them that fear the LORD both small and great 13. And He will not forget those pious Proselytes that are come to worship Him there as the onely God but without any respect of persons give them his blessing also which shall not be denied either to old or young to rich or poor 14. The LORD shall increase you more and more you and your children 14. Nor will He grant you onely a single blessing by sending a present deliverance but heap his benefits and multiply his mercies upon you and upon all those that shall succeed you 15. You are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth 15. Ye are a happy people who live under the care and love and benediction of that mighty Lord whose power nothing can confine for He is not made like the Gentile gods but Himself created both the Heaven and the Earth 16. The heaven even the heavens are the LORD's but the earth hath he given to the children of men 16. In which He cannot be comprehended neither for his Empire extends further then you can see to the heavens which are above these visible heavens from whence his Providence reaches down even to us the children of men whom He hath placed upon this earth to admire and praise his infinite Majesty 17. The dead praise not the LORD neither any that go down into silence 17. And therefore will not suffer us to be rooted out as our enemies design 2 Chron. XX. 11. for then the earth would have none in it to sing his praises which the dead who dwell in the silent grave cannot celebrate 18. But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore Praise the LORD 18. But will continue us still alive that we may praise the Lord and speak good of his Name as we do at this time 2 Chron. XX. 21 22. and leave those to succeed us who shall continue his praises in all future generations to the worlds end Hallelujah Praise the Lord. PSALM CXVI ARGUMENT I do not understand the reason why Theodoret applies this Psalm to the times of Antiochus Epiphanes when it agrees so exactly to the condition of David in his flight from his Son Absalom which seems to be mentioned Ver. 11. when Ahitophel and others proved very false to him and he had little or nothing to depend upon but onely the Goodness of the Almighty who was pleased to plead his cause and deliver him For which he resolved to be very thankfull and to call all his Friends to rejoice with him as I have expressed it Ver. 13. where the first
both by my Birth and by my Education and by this marvellous Deliverance whereby Thou hast rescued me from the power of death which had in a manner taken hold of me 17. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the LORD 17. I can never sure prove ungratefull to Thee unto whom I am tied by so many bonds But will always be making Thee my most thankfull solemn acknowledgments for the benefits I have received And together with those praises and thanksgivings wait upon thy Goodness for the like mercies in time to come 18. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people 18. I resolve again religiously to make good these and all other my vows wherein I stand ingaged to the Lord and that not onely in private but here at this solemnity in the face of all his people 19. In the courts of the LORD's house in the midst of thee O Jerusalem Praise ye the LORD 19. When they are gathered together at his House in the midst of the holy City of our God where they meet to worship Him and to doe Him honour There let them all join with me to bless and praise the great Creatour and Preserver of all things PSALM CXVII ARGUMENT This Psalm like the CX seems to be altogether Prophetical of the joy that all the world should conceive at the coming of the Messiah to give Salvation first to the Jews and then to all other Nations according to his faithfull promise Saint Paul applies the first words of it to this business Rom. XV. 11. and some of the Hebrews justifie his application confessing that this Psalm belongs to that matter The brevity of it makes it the more remarkable and easier to be remembred both by Jews and Gentiles 1. O Praise the LORD all ye nations praise him all ye people 1. LET not the praises which are due to the great Lord of all be confined to our Nation but let all people upon the face of the earth praise Him Let all mankind sing thankfull hymns unto Him 2. For his mercifull kindness is great towards us and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever Praise ye the LORD 2. For they are all concerned in his transcendent kindness which hath done mighty things for us and the Lord who changes not will never fail to perform his faithfull promises to the worlds end Therefore let us all join our praises to our common Benefactour PSALM CXVIII ARGUMENT There is nothing more probable then that David composed this Psalm after God had settled him upon the Throne of Israel as well as Judah and also subdued the Philistines who hoped to have crusht him before he grew too powerfull 2 Sam. V. 17. together with other enemies round about him who though they are not mentioned yet in all likelihood joyned with them as we may gather from Ver. 10 11. of this Psalm compared with 2 Sam. VII 1. For that it was written after he had brought the Ark to Jerusalem mentioned there Chap. VI. and placed it in the House he had prepared for it seems very plain from Ver. 19. of this Psalm Where he begins to praise God in such words as had not their compleat fulfilling till the Lord 's Christ whom the Jews rejected and said He shall not reign over us was made King of the World For to Him R. Solomon himself acknowledges those words The stone which the builders refused c. are to be applied And as the latter part of the Psalm is a Prophecy of Christ in David his Type so the former part may be accommodated to all Christians who being persecuted as Theodoret speaks and tormented and disgracefully treated by many Princes and their people by Kings and Governours got a glorious Victory over them all after they had indured a thousand deaths It seems also to have been pronounced at first in some solemn assembly of all the people met together to praise the Lord for his benefits And it is the common opinion of most Interpreters that they all had a part in this Psalm The greatest part of which was spoken by David who begins with a declaration how much he was indebted to God desiring all to assist him in his praises And then coming in a solemn procession I suppose to the Gates of the Tabernacle calls upon the Porters Verse 19. to open them to him that he might praise God in his Sanctuary which he doth in the very entrance Ver. 20 and then in the Courts of his House Ver. 21. After which all the people shout and magnifie the Divine Goodness in making him who was banished from his Country their King Ver. 22 c. And then the Priests come forth and bless both the King and people in the Name of the Lord Ver. 26 and exhort them to be thankfull Ver. 27 And then David seems to take the words out of their mouth and to declare that he will never be unmindfull of God's benefits desiring all the people also to remember them Ver. 28 29. According to which account of the Psalm I have ordered the Paraphrase 1. O Give thanks unto the LORD for he is good because his mercy endureth for ever 1. O Make your thankfull acknowledgments to the great Lord of all the world who as He is the Authour of all good and hath been exceeding bountifull unto us so will continue his kindness to all succeeding generations 2. Let Israel now say that his mercy endureth for ever 2. Let the Children of Israel who have had such long experience of his love and now see his promises fulfilled let them confess and thankfully acknowledge that his kindness continues to all generations 3. Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercy endureth for ever 3. Let the Priests and the Levites whose business it is to attend upon His service confess now and thankfully acknowledge that his kindness extends unto all ages 4. Let them now that fear the LORD say that his mercy endureth for ever 4. And let all the devout Worshippers of the Lord of whatsoever Nation they be join together with us for there is one Lord of all who dispenses various benefits to every one of us and confess now most thankfully that there is no end of his kindness 5. I called upon the LORD in distress the LORD answered me and set me in a large place 5. You may see an example of it in me who was in grievous straits and dangers 1 Sam. XXIII 26. XXVII 1. but then imploring the Divine Protection the Lord not onely delivered me but placed me in a secure estate free from all such molestation 2 Sam. V. 3. VII 1. 6. The LORD is on my side I will not fear what can man doe unto me 6. For the Lord it is evident takes my part and therefore though I have many enemies I am not afraid of them for when He is for me what disturbance can men be they
never so powerfull give me 7. The LORD taketh my part with them that help me therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me 7. It is sufficient that the Lord who hath done great things for me by weak instruments is still aiding to me therefore I dare look the most malicious enemies in the face and doubt not to see them turn their backs upon me 2 Sam. VIII 8. It is better to trust in the LORD then to put confidence in man 8. This is my hope and long experience hath taught me that it is much safer to relie upon Him then upon the most numerous Armies 9. It is better to trust in the LORD then to put confidence in princes 9. Far more safe to depend upon his help and protection who as He can doe what He pleases and is constant to his word so never dies then to confide in the aid of the greatest Princes whose mind may change or their forces fail or they themselves on a sudden leave the world 10. All nations compassed me about but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them 10. All the neighbouring Nations round about 2 Sam. V. 17 c. VII 1. combined with the Philistines to inviron me but by the Almighty power of the Lord I was consident that I should hew them in pieces 11. They compassed me about yea they compassed me about but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them 11. Again they made a new invasion and beset me with stronger forces 2 Sam. V. 22 c. but still by the Almighty power of the Lord I doubted not that I should cut them off and utterly defeat them 12. They compassed me about like bees they are quenched as the fire of thorns for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them 12. Though they were exceeding numerous swarming about me like angry bees and flaming with such rage and fury as if they would presently consume me yet it was but like the blaze of fire among thorns for by the Almighty power of the Lord I was confident I should destroy them 13. Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the LORD helped me 13. They pressed me exceeding hard and as one man conspired with all their might to throw me down from the Throne to which I was advanced But though they shaked it and it was ready to fall yet by the help of the Lord it was supported 14. The LORD is my strength and song and is become my salvation 14. To Him alone I ascribe my present happiness saying with our Forefathers in their triumphant Song XV. Exod. 2. the Lord hath armed me with invincible strength He and He alone is to be praised who hath given me a most glorious deliverance 15. The voice of rejoycing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly 15. Which comforts the hearts of all righteous men whose houses sound with such joyfull shouts of praise for my deliverance as these The mighty power of the Lord hath done most stupendious things 16. The right hand of the LORD is exalted the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly 16. He hath made his mighty power appear to be superiour to all other for not by man but by that power we have again and again obtained illustrious victories over our enemies 2 Sam. XIX 9. 17. I shall not die but live and declare the works of the LORD 17. From whence I conclude that I shall not fall into the hands of those that would take away my life but still prolong it to declare what wonderfull works the Lord hath done for me 18. The LORD hath chastened me sore but he hath not given me over unto death 18. Who hath let my enemies have power to afflict me very sorely but not to proceed so far as to destroy me 19. Open to me the gates of righteousness I will go in to them and I will praise the LORD 19. No instead of that He hath brought me to his own House again from which I was banished 1 Sam. XXVI 19. where I will return thanks unto Him And therefore O ye that minister in the Tabernacle open the Gates at which the righteous enter into the Courts of the Lord that I may go in and make Him my acknowledgments for bringing me from a most forlorn condition to a 〈…〉 20. This gate of the LORD into which the righteous shall enter 20. This is the Gate which I behold and approach with joy that leads to the Courts of the Lord at which the righteous shall enter together with me and hear me say 21. I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation 21. I will never cease to praise and acknowledge Thy goodness O Lord who hast graciously heard my prayer when I implored thy help and delivered me out of all my distresses 22. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner 22. And let them bear a part with me in this my Psalm of praise saying He whom the great men and Rulers of the people rejected 1 Sam. XXVI 19. as the builders of a house do a stone unfit to be employed in it is now become our King to whom we must all join our selves if we hope for safety in whom we see a figure of that glorious King who shall hereafter be in like manner refused XIX Luke 14. XX. 17. and then by God exalted to be the Lord of all the world and the foundation of all mens happiness IV. Act. 11 12. 23. This is the LORD 's doing it is marvellous in our eyes 23. This is the sole work of the Lord not the effect of humane counsels who opposed and obstructed it which surprises us with the greatest admiration to see a despised person become on a sudden so renowned 24. This is the day which the LORD hath made we will rejoice and be glad in it 24. This is the happy day which the Lord himself hath made illustrious by this marvellous work and which it becomes us to celebrate with joyfull hearts and with all outward expressions of gladness for so great a benefit 25. Save now I beseech thee O LORD O LORD I beseech thee send now prosperity 25. Most humbly beseeching Thee O Lord to preserve our King and to advance and perpetuate his Kingdom especially the Kingdom of Christ which shall be welcom'd into the world with these words XXI Matt. 9 c. It begins most gloriously be pleased now O Lord to give it answerable success and prosperity 26. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD 26. Which acclamations of the people let the Priests of the Lord meet with their approbation saying Blessed be the King which is set over us by the Divine appointment and Blessed be all the people who live under his happy Government we whose Office
weight of my affliction support and strengthen me according to thy promise that I may never take any undue course for ease and relief 29. Remove from me the way of lying and grant me thy law graciously 29. Far be all fraud and falshood from me whereby my enemies contrive to undo me I desire not to learn any of their wicked Arts but onely beseech Thee to give me grace to observe thy Laws constantly 30. I have chosen the way of truth thy judgments have I laid before me 30. That 's the way I have resolved upon to deal truly and sincerely squaring all my actions according to thy judgments which I have laid before me as the most equal Rule of my life 31. I have stuck unto thy testimonies O LORD put me not to shame 31. And hitherto I have kept my resolution and never started from thy Testimonies Preserve me good Lord that I may not hereafter disgrace my self by doing any thing contrary to them nor be disappointed of my hope by falling into the hands of those that seek my ruin 32. I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart 32. And when Thou shalt have filled my heart with joy by freeing me from these grievous straits I will doe Thee better service and be more forward chearfully to execute all thy Commandments HE. V. 33. Teach me O LORD the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end 33. Instruct me therefore good Lord more and more in the right way of serving Thee and I will shew my self most thankfull for it by keeping exactly to it all the days of my life 34. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart 34. Illuminate my mind to understand the excellence of thy Law and then I shall not onely observe it but set my self to doe it with a watchfull impartial and most affectionate diligence 35. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments for therein do I delight 35. Be Thou my Leader and Guide that I may not stray from the path of thy Commandments wherein I find the greatest satisfaction 36. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness 36. Incline my heart always to seek its contentment in thy testimonies and suffer it not to be drawn away by the desire of worldly goods which having no measure is never satisfied 37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy way 37. Help me to overlook those empty honours and fading beauties which we are apt to behold with too much admiration and with lively affections and vigorous indeavours to persist in the pursuit of thy favour in the way Thou hast set before me 38. Stablish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear 38. And at last make good thy promise to thy servant 2 Sam. V. 2. who fears to doe any thing to offend Thee though thereby he might win a Crown 39. Turn away my reproach which I fear for thy judgments are good 39. Turn from me that disgrace of which I cannot but be sometime afraid 1 Sam. XXVII 1. and must certainly suffer if I fall into my enemies hands for Thou wilt proceed I know according to thy own judgments which are all equitable mercifull and gracious 40. Behold I have longed after thy precepts quicken me in thy righteousness 40. I appeal to Thee whether I have not a great zeal for thy Precepts unto which I desire above all things to be conform'd let me not perish therefore in these troubles but in much mercy revive me according to thy faithfull promise VAV. VI. 41. Let thy mercies come also unto me O LORD even thy salvation according to thy word 41. To those infinite mercies of thine which moved Thee to make me such gracious promises I betake my self and beseech Thee to let me feel the happy effects of both in my deliverance 42. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me for I trust in thy word 42. So shall I be able to put to silence those that reproach me for my confidence in Thee which they call a vain presumption but is a humble reliance on thy own gracious promises to me 43. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth for I have hoped in thy judgments 43. Which till Thou art pleased to fulfill do not so far abandon me as to let me be disheartned in asserting their truth and faithfulness which I am wont to oppose to all the threats of my enemies for my whole dependance is on this that Thou wilt not fail me but pronounce a righteous sentence for me 44. So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever 44. And I for my part promise when Thou shalt be so gracious to me not to suffer my self to grow more negligent in thy service but to be more carefull then ever in the observance of thy Laws to the very end of my days 45. And I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts 45. For then I shall have no such incumbrances on me as I now have in these straits and difficulties from which when Thou freest me I will doe my duty with the greater chearfulness and joy for it is not liberty no nor a Kingdom that I seek so much as better advantages to fulfill thy Precepts 46. I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings and will not be ashamed 46. Which I will not be ashamed to justifie before the greatest persons in the world to be the most excellent Rule of life and the best testimony of thy love to us and will doe it with such reasons that they shall never be able to disprove me 47. And I will delight my self in thy commandments which I have loved 47. Nor will I confute my self by leading a voluptuous life when I have liberty to doe as I list but as I have hitherto preferred thy Commandments before all other things so then will I take the highest pleasure in them 48. My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments which I have loved and I will meditate in thy statutes 48. Not onely in their study but shew the truth of my love to them by a diligent and zealous practice of them which shall be the end of my meditation in them ZAIN VII 49. Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope 49. Be pleased therefore in due time to perform the promise which Thou hast long ago made unto thy servant 2 Sam. V. 2. and when I thought of no such thing given me an assured hope of it 1 Sam. XVI 11 12 13. 50. This is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickned me 50. Which as it hath been the occasion of many and great troubles to me so hath comforted me under them all and even when I despaired of safety revived my spirit and restored my courage
greatest dangers what would be most pleasing to Thee as most advantagious to my self 95. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me but I will consider thy testimonies 95. Those wicked men who are combined to destroy me have long watched for an opportunity which they confidently expect to meet withall but it doth not discourage my study of thy Testimonies as the best defence against their bloudy attempts 96. I have seen an end of all perfection but thy commandment is exceeding broad 96. For had I greater forces then my enemies alas I never yet saw any thing so compleat but as it had its bounds and limits so it is exceeding frail and when it is arrived at perfection comes to a speedy end whereas the wisedom which Thou hast revealed to us hath infinite satisfaction in it durable and lasting satisfaction which never fails those that depend upon it MEM. XIII 97. O how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day 97. It is impossible to express the love I have to thy Law which entertains my Meditation or inables me to entertain others with admirable variety whole days together 98. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser then mine enemies for they are ever with me 98. My enemies are very crafty and use many artifices to destroy me But by observing thy Commandments I have defeated all their subtil devices and confounded them even by refusing because thy Commandments which are ever before my eyes restrained me to be avenged on them I Sam. XXIV 17 18 c. XXVI 21. 99. I have more understanding then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation 99. I have outstripped all the Doctours of the Law of whom I formerly learnt and understand more perfectly then they the best means of securing my self because my mind is still imployed in thy Testimonies as the Rule of all my designs and undertakings 100. I understand more then the ancients because I keep thy precepts 100. Though I am but young yet I have more understanding in things then the Judges and grave privy Counsellours because my Maxime is strictly to observe thy Precepts 101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I might keep thy word 101. Whatsoever advantage it promised me I have never proceeded in any evil course to obtain my end but refused the seeming gain that I might not offend against thy Word 102. I have not departed from thy judgments for thou hast taught me 102. My respect to Thee hath hindred me from doing any injury unto others because I know Thou art the Authour of those Laws which forbid it and in the observance of them I have learnt consists my happiness 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter then hony to my mouth 103. And a happiness it is I feel already incomparably above all other the pleasure I take in every word of thine is inexpressibly far to be preferred before all the delights of sense though never so sweet and luscious 104. Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way 104. And by thy Precepts I am so fully instructed how to behave my self that I need not to betake my self to any dishonest ways which I utterly abhor NVN. XIV 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path 105. Thy word is my onely Guide whose directions I follow in all the dark and difficult passages of my life 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments 106. I have solemnly resolved and bound my self by the most sacred ties which I will never break but do now confirm that I will carefully observe thy Decrees which I find to be both just and good 107. I am afflicted very much quicken me O LORD according unto thy word 107. I have suffered very much upon that account and am still sorely afflicted But I comfort my self O Lord with thy promise according to which I beseech Thee to deliver me from those that seek to destroy me and raise me out of this forlorn condition wherein I can scarce be said to live 108. Accept I beseech thee the free-will-offerings of my mouth O LORD and teach me thy judgments 108. I have no other sacrifices that I am able in this exile to offer to Thee but these of Prayer and thankful acknowledgments and vows of sincere and chearfull obedience with which I do most freely and heartily present Thee O Lord beseeching Thee to teach me still more effectually thy Judgments that I may never fail to be conformed to thy will 109. My soul is continually in my hand yet do I not forget thy law 109. To which I have hitherto so closely adhered that though I go in continual danger of my life XII Judg. 3. it doth not move me in the least whatsoever shifts I am forced to make to save my self by forsaking thy Law 110. The wicked have laid a snare for me yet I erred not from thy precepts 110. They that make no conscience of their actions have contrived a subtil plot to ruin me But I have never stepped out of the way of thy Precepts to avoid the snares they have laid for me 111. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoicing of my heart 111. I had rather alway continue as poor as I am then doe any thing against thy Testimonies which I hold to be my chiefest good and surest possession out of which none can expell me and which always yield me that inward satisfaction and joy which none can take from me 112. I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway even unto the end 112. This infinitely out-weighs all other considerations and hath inclined my heart to resolve to doe alway as Thou biddest me whatsoever I may lose by it to the very end of my days SAMECH XV. 113. I hate vain thoughts but thy law do I love 113. I hate all double dealing and crafty devices that are not warranted by thy Law to which I have resolved to stick with hearty affection 114. Thou art my hiding-place and my shield I hope in thy word 114. In that way I will trust to Thee for safety and protection having a firm hope that Thou wilt be as good unto me as thy Word 115. Depart from me ye evil doers for I will keep the commandments of my God 115. Do not perswade me any longer O ye evil doers to join with you but get you gone from me for I will follow none of your counsels but strictly observe the Commandments of my God who hath hitherto most graciously delivered me 116. Vphold me according unto thy word that I may live and let me not be ashamed of my hope 116. And on whom I still depend that Thou wilt support me O Lord according to thy promise against all the assaults of my enemies that seek my life and not let me be ashamed of
thee or what shall be done unto thee thou false tongue 3. O thou false accuser what dost Thou hope to get by these specious tales which thou hast forged what will They add to that heap of wealth which thou treasurest up LII Psal 7. 4. Sharp arrows of the almighty with coals of juniper 4. They shall be so far from turning to thy advantage that they shall prove thy undoing for the mighty Lord whom none can resist shall take a sharp and a swift vengeance on thee which shall never cease till it hath utterly consumed thee 5. Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar 5. For it is but fit thou shouldst smart for the mischief thou hast done under which I groan most sadly not onely in a tedious banishment from my own Country but in that I am forced to seek for shelter among the barbarous Arabs 6. My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace 6. Where my mind cannot but perpetually reflect upon the implacable spirit of my enemies whose bitter hatred will not suffer them to come to any terms of agreement 7. I am for peace but when I speak they are for war 7. As I never gave them the least offence so there is nothing that I more vehemently desire then peace and reconciliation but when I make a motion for it they are the more exasperated and as if I distrusted my cause or craftily sought advantage by a treaty betake themselves more fiercely and resolutely to their arms PSALM CXXI A Song of degrees ARGUMENT If David was the Authour of this Psalm and to whom can we with so much likelihood ascribe it it is an expression of the high trust and confidence which he reposed in God when he was in great straits and saw no hope of humane help being either inviron'd by Saul's Forces or pursued by his Son Absalom It is hard to say to which it belongs but if by hills in the first Verse we understand Sion and Moriah where David's Palace and the Ark of God were placed then it must be referred to the latter for Sion was not theirs during Saul's persecution There are those indeed who following Kimchi take the first Verse to be a military form of speech and suppose David to have looked round about him as a Captain in danger doth to see if he could spie any assistance coming to him down the neighbouring hills wherewith he was encompassed But the other sense seems to me more simple which therefore I have followed though if we should adhere to that conjecture still it will best agree to the distress into which Absalom had reduced him For then he might well look to see if any of his Subjects continuing their fidelity to him would appear to defend him Why called A Song of degrees see CXX 1. I Will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help 1. THough I am driven not onely from my own Palace but from God's Dwelling place 2 Sam. XV. 14 25. yet my eyes shall be ever directed thitherward from whence I expect a powerfull aid against those numerous enemies that are combined to destroy me 2. My help cometh from the LORD which made heaven and earth 2. I have no dependance on any other help but wait for deliverance wholly from the presence of the Lord to whom all Creatures are subject and who hath Angels at his command to send to the succour of his servants for he made the heaven as well as the earth 3. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved he that keepeth thee will not slumber 3. And me thinks I hear his Ministers calling to me out of his holy place and saying Fear not since Thou hast placed thy confidence in the Lord alone He will not let thee be subverted thou hast a stronger guard then the most valiant Army would be to thee for they may be tired and fall asleep but He that hath thee in his custody will exercise a most unwearied care over thee 4. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep 4. Be confident of it He that is the protectour of all good men will never in the least neglect thee much less abandon the care of thee but by a most watchfull providence keep thee in safety 5. The LORD is thy keeper the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand 5. The omnipotent Lord of the world is thy Guardian the very same Lord that covered your Forefathers with a glorious cloud XIII Exod. 21. is always present with thee to defend and assist thee against all the enemies that assault thee 6. The sun shall not smite thee by day nor the moon by night 6. Be not troubled that thou art forced to take up thy quarters in the open field for the Sun shall doe thee no hurt by its vehement heat in the day nor the Moon by its cold and moisture in the night 2 Sam. XVII 1 6 22. 7. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil he shall preserve thy soul 7. The Lord shall preserve thee from all manner of harm He will preserve thy life and not suffer thee to fall into the hands of those that contrive to take it away 2 Sam. XVII 1 2 14. 8. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and even for evermore 8. The Lord shall secure thee whithersoever thou marchest and prosper thee all along in all thy undertakings either abroad or within doors not onely now but in all future times to the end of thy days PSALM CXXII A Song of degrees of David ARGUMENT The Title satisfies us that David was the Authour of this Psalm who having settled the Ark which before had no certain place at Jerusalem and being at this time upon some occasion in the Country heard the good people there speak one to another as some of them did to him of going to worship God at some of the three solemn Feasts Which devotion of theirs as it rejoiced his heart so it moved him I conjecture to compose this Psalm for their use at such times If the Talmudists may be believed they were wont to sing the first Verse of this Psalm as they went out of the Country towards Jerusalem carrying their first-fruits to the House of the Lord as the Law XXVI Deut. 2. directed them And when they entred within the Gates of the City they sang the second Verse There they were met by some of the Citizens who if this be true sang the rest of the Psalm it is likely together with them as they went toward the Temple Of this custom Mr. Selden treats L. III. de Synedr Cap. 13. Of A Song of degrees see CXX 1. I Was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the house of the LORD 1. I Was exceedingly pleased with the chearfull devotion of those who came unto me before the approaching Feast and said Let us go and pay our
thankfull acknowledgments to the Lord in the place where He dwells and makes Himself present among us 2. Our feet shall stand within thy gates O Jerusalem 2. Which motion ought to be the more readily embraced because now He hath fixed his habitation and we need not travel further then Jerusalem to enquire after the Ark of his presence 3. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together 3. To Jerusalem I say that fair and beautifull City whose buildings do not now lie scattered and divided but are all compacted and united together as we ought to be in a goodly order 1 Sam. V. 9. 1 Chron. XI 8. 4. Whither the tribes go up the tribes of the LORD unto the testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the LORD 4. Thither all the XII Tribes of Israel who own the great LORD for their God go up from all the parts of the Country by his special Commandment XXIII Exod. 17. to acknowledge before the Ark of his Testimony XXV Exod. 21 22. all the benefits they have received from his almighty Goodness and this above the rest that He thereby testifies his singular care and providence over them 5. For there are set thrones of judgment the thrones of the house of David 5. Thither also they repair for Justice for the supreme Judicatory of the Kingdom sits there 2 Chr. XIX 8. and there is the seat of the Royal Family where David and his Sons have their residence and govern the people 2 Sam. VIII 15 18. 6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee 6. O let this be part of your devout prayers when you come there that God would preserve Jerusalem in peace Happy shall they be who out of love to the Religion and Justice which is administred in thee O beloved City contribute their indeavours as well as their prayers for thy safety and prosperity 7. Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces 7. Let no enemy this shall be my constant prayer approach so much as to thy out-works to disturb thee and let plenty of all good things abound within thy Palaces 8. For my brethren and companions sakes I will now say Peace be within thee 8. The kindness I have for my kindred and my neighbours and friends whether in the City or the Country will not let me cease my earnest prayers to God that He will confer his blessings on thee 9. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good 9. But above all the love I have to the Lord our God whose house is here whither all his devout servants resort to worship Him and celebrate his Name shall excite not onely my prayers but my study to promote thy welfare PSALM CXXIII A Song of degrees ARGUMENT This Psalm it is certain was composed in a time of great distress when they were extreamly afflicted by some haughty and insolent enemies Ver. 3 4. who those enemies were there are several conjectures And I will add mine that this short form of prayer was made by some pious person when the King of Assyria whose pride the Prophet Isaiah describes VIII 7. and many other places sent Rabshakeh and other of his Captains to besiege Jerusalem where they poured out most contemptuous nay blasphemous words against God and his people 2 King XVIII XIX It is probable if this conjecture be admitted that it was made by Isaiah whom Hezekiah desired to lift up his prayer for the remnant that was left 2 King XIX 4. XXXVII Isa 4. Accordingly we reade 2 Chron. XXXII 20. both he and Hezekiah cried unto the Lord and we may suppose lift up his eyes to heaven and said these words 1. UNto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heavens 1. THough all humane help fail us in this sore distress yet I do not despair of relief from Thee O Lord whose Majesty and Power incomparably excells all earthly Monarchs 2. Behold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God untill that he have mercy upon us 2. Behold how not onely I but the rest of thy faithfull people wait upon Thee submitting our selves to this severe punishment as poor slaves do to the stroke of their offended Master or Mistress and resolving to bear it patiently till Thou our LORD who doest inflict it wilt be pleased to shew thy self our most gracious God and in much pity towards us remove it 3. Have mercy upon us O LORD have mercy upon us for we are exceedingly filled with contempt 3. O be gracious unto us good Lord be gracious unto us and in much mercy take away this heavy scourge from us for we are become so beyond all measure contemptible 2 King XVIII 23 24. XIX 34. that we can scarce any longer indure it 4. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and with the contempt of the proud 4. We have a long time groaned under the intollerable load of the derision and contempt of those whose constant prosperity puffs them up with pride nay makes them insolently oppress all those who are unable to resist them PSALM CXXIV A Song of degrees of David ARGUMENT If the Title had not told us that this is a Psalm of David's I should have thought it had been composed by the Authour of the former to acknowledge the wonderfull power and goodness of God in delivering them from Senacherib's Army which came in like a floud LIX Isa 19. and had overflown all the Country as far as Jerusalem VIII Isa 7 8. which might well make them be called proud waters as the Psalmist here speaks Ver. 5. because they fancied nothing could stand before them Such it seems were either the Philistines upon whom when they spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim the Lord broke forth as a breach of waters 2 Sam. V. 19 or the Ammonites and their Associates 2 Sam. X. 6 15 16. Of A Song of degrees see CXX 1. IF it had not been the LORD who was on our side now may Israel say 1. IF we had not had such a mighty helper as the Lord who took our part may Israel now most thankfully acknowledge 2. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side when men rose up against us 2. If it had not been the Lord whom none can resist who took our part when such numerous enemies united their forces as one man to make war upon us 3. Then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us 3. They would then have made but one morsel of our small Army and in the furious rage wherein they were have immediately devoured us as monstrous beasts doe their prey which they greedily swallow down alive 4. Then the waters had overwhelmed us the stream had gone over
our brethren that still remain in Babylon which would be as welcome to this desolate Country as streams of water to the dry and thirsty grounds 5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy 5. Then this small handfull of people who are come to plant themselves here again and have laid the foundation of the Temple with a great mixture of sadness and tears III. Ezra 12. shall shout for joy to see so great an increase and this pious work by their help brought unto perfection 6. He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him 6. Just as we behold the poor husbandman going to and fro with a little seed which in a scarce year he throws with an heavy heart into the ground returning again and again from the field with songs of joy in his mouth when the harvest comes to reward his past labours with a plentifull crop of corn PSALM CXXVII A Song of degrees for Solomon See CXX ARGUMENT The Hebrew particle which here we translate for is thought by our Interpreters in most other places to signifie of and so they translate it a little before in the Title of Psal CXXIV and a little after in that of CXXXI Therefore I shall look upon this Psalm as composed by Solomon who you reade 1 King IV. 32. made above three thousand Songs though none of them except that large Poem called the Song of Songs and as some think Psal CXXXII and as I suppose the next to this have been transmitted to posterity but onely this which is a commentary upon a pious Maxime of his often repeated in the Book of his Proverbs that it is in vain to attempt any thing if the Lord do not prosper it Teaching us therefore in all our ways to acknowledge Him III. Prov. 6. XVI 3. and not to presume that it is in our power to direct our own way that is our designs enterprises and actions to what issue we please For Though a man's heart deviseth his way yet it is the Lord that directeth his steps XVI Prov. 9. XX. 24. XXI 30 31. A truth to be deeply pondered by all especially by Princes in whose affairs this over-ruling Providence is most visible Of A Song of degrees see CXX 1. EXcept the LORD build the house they labour in vain that build it except the LORD keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain 1. THE success of all our undertakings depends so intirely upon the Lord's blessing that it is in vain by building Houses and Cities to enter into Societies unless He prosper the design and when they are framed all the care of the Souldier and the Magistrate is to no purpose unless his good Providence be their guard 2. It is vain for you to rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows for so he giveth his beloved sleep 2. And as fruitless unless He favour it is the toil and solicitude of you the Artificers and Tradesmen in the City who rise betime and go to bed late and fare hardly when they whom He loves because they own his Providence and depend upon his Blessing more then their own diligence live securely and want nothing that is fit for them though they have no such strong guard of Souldiers to defend them nor break their sleep with labour and care to supply their necessities 3. Lo children are an heritage of the LORD and the fruit of the womb is his reward 3. Observe it also it is not in the power of the strongest and most healthfull persons though nature designs above all things the propagation of mankind to have Children when they please to inherit the riches they have got but the Lord bestows them as freely as Parents do their estates and makes those women fruitfull whose pious reliance upon Him He thinks good to reward 4. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man so are children of the youth 4. And yet there is nothing of which we are more desirous then a numerous issue especially in the flower and vigour of our youth for they will be no less defence to us in our age then arrows or darts are in the hand of a valiant Champion to beat off his Assailants 5. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but they shall speake with the enemies in the gate 5. Happy is that man who hath obtained so much favour of the Lord as to have his house as full of them as the Champions quiver is of arrows they will undauntedly appear for him to answer any challenge sent him by his Enemies * See Theodoret. or any accusation put in against him before the Judges PSALM CXXVIII A Song of degrees ARGUMENT It is not unlikely that this Psalm was composed by the same Authour that made the former to excite men to be truly Religious as the onely way to obtain the blessings there mentioned of the Lord. Which as he there shews we must have from his free gift and not think to acquire merely by our own industry so here he shews the Lord is wont to bestow on those who fearing to offend Him sincerely keep his Commandments Some think this was a form prescribed to be used at the blessing of their Marriages when they wished the new married couple all manner of happiness especially a long life in peaceable times Vers 5 6. Of A Song of degrees see CXX 1. BLessed is every one that feareth the LORD that walketh in his ways 1. WHosoever thou art that desirest to be happy be sure to add unto the devout Worship of the Lord the practice of Justice and Charity and all other Vertues and thou shalt never miss of it 2. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee 2. For then He will prosper thy honest labours and give thee an heart also to enjoy the fruit of them yea this will seem no small part of thy happiness that thou art able to live of thy self and not be beholden unto others 3. Thy wife shall be as a fruitfull vine by the sides of thine house thy children like olive plants round about thy Table 3. He will bless thee also in thy Wife and make her as fruitfull as the Vine which spreads it self laden with full clusters over all the sides of thy House and in thy hopefull Children too who shall grow up and flourish like the young Olive plants that are set in thy Arbour round about thy Table 4. Behold that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD 4. Observe it that this shall be the comfortable portion of the Man that religiously serveth the Lord who alone can bless our labours and continue the product of them in our Families 5. The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life 5.
see such variety of humours and inclinations all conspiring with one accord to promote the common good of the whole Society 3. As the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Sion for there the LORD commanded the blessing even life for evermore 3. The dew of heaven is not more necessary for the parched mountains which though never so distant one from another as far as from Hermon to Sion are refreshed with it then this is for men of all ranks and conditions who every where perceive the comfortable fruits of it for to this the Divine favour is immutably annexed which will pour upon such Societies innumerable blessings giving them an happy and long life an earnest of endless felicity in a constant enjoyment of all manner of good things PSALM CXXXIV A Song of degrees ARGUMENT It is uncertain by whom this Psalm was composed but it seems to have been made to be sung by some one or more of the Levites at the shutting up of the Gates of the Temple to excite the rest whose turn it was to watch that night to be diligent in their office of singing Psalms and making devout prayers for the people It is the last of those that have the Title of A Song of degrees concerning which see CXX 1. BEHOLD bess ye the LORD all ye servants of the LORD which by night stand in the house of the LORD 1. ATtend to your duty O ye Ministers of the Lord who not onely by day but by night also reverently wait upon Him in his House 1 Chron. IX 33. cease not to declare how great and how good the Lord is 2. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the LORD 2. Be fervent in your devotion and disclaiming all dependance on any thing else praise the Lord in his Sanctuary with pure hearts and clean hands and give thanks for all his benefits 3. The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Sion 3. Pray also for his people Israel and say The great Lord who though He cannot be confined being the Creatour of all things yet hath his special residence in this place dispense his blessings both heavenly and earthly from hence unto every one of you PSALM CXXXV ARGUMENT This perhaps was the morning Hymn which the Praecentor Ver. 4 5. called upon the Levites to sing at the opening of the Gates of the Temple as the former was sung at the shutting up of the Gates in the evening It recounts several of the great works of the Lord especially towards that Nation whom it excites to stedfastness in their Religion and to contempt of Idols and Idolaters It both begins and concludes with an Exhortation to give praise to God and so was intituled as several other Psalms are CVI. CXI c. Hallelujah or Praise the Lord. That is by this Hymn set forth the most excellent perfections and works of the Lord. There are those who conjecture from what we reade Ver. 14. of this Psalm that when it was composed they were or rather had been lately infested by some of their idolatrous neighbours Whose gods the Psalmist derides in the very same manner as he doth Psalm CXV For the four following Verses of this Psalm 15 16 17 18. differ very little from the 4 5 6 8. of that which it is certain was composed in a time of great distress as this was when it was over 1. PRaise ye the LORD praise ye the name of the LORD praise him O ye servants of the LORD 1. LET all here present praise the most wise and omnipotent goodness of the Lord Let Him especially be praised by you his Priests who minister unto his Majesty 2. Ye that stand in the house of the LORD in the courts of the house of our God 2. And by the Levites who attend upon Him in his House together with all the rest of his people that frequent the Courts of God's House who is our constant and most liberal benefactour 3. Praise ye the LORD for the LORD is good sing praises unto his name for it is pleasant 3. Let this excite you all to praise the Lord For as his Nature is most excellent so He is the fountain of all the good we enjoy and no imployment is so delightfull as to acknowledge his perfections and commemorate the benefits we have received from Him by singing Psalms and Hymns of praise and thanks unto Him 4. For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel for his peculiar treasure 4. I invite you above all other people to this heavenly duty both because the Lord had a peculiar kindness for Jacob your Forefather and doth still exercise a special providence over you his Children as far more dear and precious to Him then the rest of mankind who are under his care 5. For I know that the LORD is great and that our Lord is above all gods 5. And because I am sensible that the Lord under whose government we are is so great and powerfull above all other Beings though called by the name of gods that you can never praise his Majesty enough 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased that did he in heaven and in earth in the seas and all deep places 6. His own will alone gives bounds to his power for as none can act without his leave so none can hinder Him from doing what pleases Himself in the heavens as well as in the earth and the seas and other deep waters 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth he maketh lightnings for the rain he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries 7. He raises vapours for instance from any quarter of the earth and makes them go up into the air where some of them break forth in flashes of lightning and that which is strange is followed with great showres of rain and from unknown places and causes strong and violent winds blow with such continuance as if they came out of some Treasury where He had gathered and long lockt them up till He had occasion to bring them forth 8. Who smote the first-born of Egypt both of man and beast 8. He made the Egyptians feel how much superiour He was to all their gods XII Exod. 12. who could not defend them from his stroke but He sent his Angel and in one night slew all the first-born in the Country both of man and beast XII Exod. 29. 9. Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee O Egypt upon Pharaoh and upon all his servants 9. Before which terrible blow He had given many other wonderfull demonstrations of his power in several miraculous plagues which He openly inflicted on thee O Egypt not onely on the meaner sort but upon the King and all his Court Exod. VII VIII IX c. 10. Who smote great nations and slew mighty kings 10. And after He had by these means brought you out of their bondage He overthrew several great Nations and slew
Goodness first for promising me out of thy mere grace and favour the royal Dignity and then for performing thy promise most faithfully For Thou hast manifested thy most excellent power and goodness to me in nothing so much as in punctually fulfilling thy promise 1 Sam. XVI 13. nowithstanding all the opposition which was made to it nay in raising me higher then I expected 3. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul 3. I had long ago faln short of this honour to which I am advanced hadst not Thou during all the time of Saul's persecution as readily relieved me as I cried to Thee and mightily supported my spirit by a couragious faith and hope in Thee 4. All the kings of the earth shall praise thee O LORD when they hear the words of thy mouth 4. Which will move sure all our neighbouring Kings who have any knowledge of my affairs 2 Sam. V. 11 12. VIII 10. to join with me in praising Thee O Lord when they shall hear by how many strange providences Thou hast brought to pass that which Thou promisedst to me by thy Prophet 5. Yea they shall sing in the ways of the LORD for great is the glory of the LORD 5. The wonderfull ways whereby the Lord brings things about shall be the subject of their Songs and they shall think it their greatest happiness to be guided and governed by Him for they shall confess that none can doe such glorious things as the Lord hath wrought 6. Though the LORD be high yet hath he respect unto the lowly but the proud he knoweth afar off 6. Whose sublime greatness doth not make Him neglect as they see in me the meanest persons especially when their minds are as humble as their conditions but will not let Him stoop to the loftiest Princes as they may see in Saul whom He despises when they are forgetfull of Him and ungratefull to Him for his benefits 7. Though I walk in the mids of trouble thou wilt revive me thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies and thy right hand shall save me 7. Which have been so great to me that should I fall again into the same straits wherein I was before and be incompassed with them I should hope that Thou wouldst preserve me and bring me safe out of them all Thy power I am confident will repress the violent assaults of my enemies and by thy almighty Goodness I shall be delivered from their wrath and fury 2 Sam. V. 17 c. VIII 1 c. 8. The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me thy mercy O LORD endureth for ever forsake not the works of thine own hands 8. The Lord who hath begun will go on to finish his gracious intentions towards me not for my merits I know they are none at all but for thy own mercy sake O Lord which as it was the sole motive to what Thou hast done for me so will I hope for it is still the same and ever will be incline Thee to preserve and settle me in that dignity to which not my ambition but thy own good will and pleasure hath promoted me PSALM CXXXIX To the chief Musician A Psalm of David ARGUMENT The two last Verses of this Psalm seem to me a sufficient indication that David to whom the Title ascribes it composed it when he lay under the imputation of having evil designs upon Saul 1. Sam. XXIV 9. which as he protests against in several parts of other Psalms and calls God often to witness his integrity so here he appeals unto Him in a set and solemn meditation composed on purposed to represent before Him the clearness of his intentions which never suffered such designs to enter into his thoughts And who could believe that a man who seriously acknowledged it was impossible to conceal any thing from God's all-seeing eye who formes us in the womb should be so impudent as to make this appeal unto Him if he were conscious to himself of any such guilt And which is more how could he be confident as he declares he was Ver. 19. that God would make his innocence evidently appear by destroying his opposers if he did not know they were calumniatours whose vile aspersions when God had effectually confuted he delivered this Psalm to the Master of the Musick as a lasting testimony of his sincerity all along before he came to the Kingdom and a constant admonishment to himself and others never to promote any designs for the future by sinister arts though managed so secretly that they lay hid from the eyes of all the world since God cannot but be privy to them who loves righteousness and hates all iniquity 1. O LORD thou hast searched me and known me 1. I Am accused O Lord of grievous crimes but my comfort is Thou seest I am not guilty of them For the exactest survey cannot make any thing so well known to us as I am to Thee who art thoroughly acquainted with me 2. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising thou understandest my thought afar off 2. Thou knowest what designs I have when I sit musing at home and what I go about when I stir abroad nay my inclinations are so perfectly understood by Thee that before I have conceived any design it is visible unto Thee 3. Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways 3. Nothing can be so narrowly sifted as all the motions of my body and mind both by day and by night are scanned by thy all-penetrating eye which comprehends and is intimately privy to all the ends which I pursue 4. For there is not a word in my tongue but lo O LORD thou knowest it altogether 4. When I am about to speak Thou O Lord such is thy most admirable wisedom needest not to be informed what it is but knowest before I open my mouth every thing I intend to utter 5. Thou hast beset me behind and before and laid thine hand upon me 5. Whatsoever I have done long ago is as well known to Thee as that which is lately past or which I am about to doe For I am so invironed by Thee and so absolutely in thy power that I cannot possibly escape thy notice nor so much as stir without thy leave 6. Such knowledge is too wonderfull for me it is high I cannot attain unto it 6. O amazing height of understanding It is in vain to think I can hide any thing from it which so far surpasses all I can say or conceive that it excells even my admiration 7. Whither shall I go from thy spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence 7. Into what world shall I go where Thou art not as present as Thou art in this It is impossible for me should I make never so much haste to get out of thy sight 8. If I ascend up into heaven thou art there if I make my bed in hell behold
doubt for the Title ascribes it to him but this Psalm was made by David And it is little less undoubted that he composed it as Theodoret well judges when he was persecuted by Saul who was instigated thereunto by the calumnies of Doeg and the information of the Ziphites whose falseness and pestilent malice he here describes beseeching God to preserve him from the mischief they intended him and to turn it upon themselves as he rests assured He would When he came to his Kingdom and had settled the service of God in that manner which we reade 1 Chron. XVI XXIII c. he delivered it to the Master of the Musick to be sung at certain times in the Tabernacle But it was not found I suppose no more then the two foregoing and the four following till some time after the other Books of Psalms were published and so were placed here all together by him that collected this Book 1. DEliver me O LORD from the evil man preserve me from the violent man 1. DEfeat O Lord the wicked designs of that naughty man 1 Sam. XXII 9 c. who makes no conscience of what he saith or doeth to compass his ends and let me not fall into the hands of that injurious Prince XXIII 7. whom I have never wronged but done him faithfull service 2. Which imagine mischiefs in their hearts continually are they gathered together for war 2. They are zealously bent to doe me all the mischief they are able which they studiously plot and doe nothing all the day but contrive how to oppress me with armed force which in several places they have laid to intercept me 3. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent adders poison is under their lips Selah 3. And they have so traduced me by their calumnies and false accusations that they have already given my reputation a deadly wound for the tongue of the Serpent or the teeth of the Adder or Viper doth not more effectually convey their poison into mens bodies then they have infused these venomous slanders into the peoples minds 4. Keep me O LORD from the hands of the wicked preserve me from the violent man who have purposed to overthrow my goings 4. And therefore I most humbly again beseech Thee O Lord to keep me from falling into the power of that naughty man Ver. 1. who instigates his Prince to the most injurious proceedings against me Be Thou my preserver O Lord for otherwise I shall never escape the trains they have devised and laid to supplant and utterly undoe me 5. The proud have hid a snare for me and cords they have spread a net by the way-side they have set grins for me Selah 5. There is no hunter or fowler more industrious and cunning in laying snares and toils in spreading nets or setting gins and traps for the beasts or the birds in the places which they are wont to frequent then they are to trace me in all my motions 1 Sam. XXIII 23. and to invent all manner of wiles and subtle arts to surprise me which they proudly presume will have their desired success 6. I said unto the LORD Thou art my God hear the voice of my supplications O LORD 6. To which I have neither cunning nor power of my own to oppose no Friend whose aid I can implore but onely commend my self unto the Lord saying I have always owned Thee for my Proteetour and Thou hast hitherto owned me and been my mercifull deliverer Do not now O Lord of all power and might deny my earnest request who depend on Thee alone for succour 7. O GOD the Lord the strength of my salvation thou hast covered my head in the day of battel 7. O most mighty Lord whom no Creature whatsoever can withstand O Thou who disposest of all events I again profess that I look for safety from thy almighty Power alone by which I was protected having no other helmet or armour but onely that 1 Sam. XVII 39 40 50. in the day when I fought with Goliath 8. Grant not O LORD the desires of the wicked further not his wicked device lest they exalt themselves Selah 8. Suffer not him O most mighty Lord who now seeks my destruction to effect his desire let him not succeed in any of his mischievous designs and projects against me lest he and his partakers grow so insolent as to dare to attempt all manner of violence against other innocents 9. As for the head of those that compass me about let the mischief of their own lips eover them 9. Let the poisonous and pernicious calumnies of those that now beset me round retort upon themselves and let them be overwhelmed by those very devices which with laborious lies they have contrived for my ruin 10. Let burning coals fall upon them let them be cast into the fire into deep pits that they rise not up again 10. Let their slanders which I can compare to nothing better then burning coals that are not easily quenched be the instruments of their own destruction let them perish in the flames which they themselves have kindled and be irrecoverably thrown headlong into those dangers and mischiefs which like dreadfully deep pits they prepared for my destruction 11. Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him 11. This I am confident shall be their portion for though a false Informer may for a time be believed and thrive by his lies and slanders yet Truth will at last prevail and not suffer him to establish his greatness by such base and wicked practices And as little shall violence and injustice avail him that relies upon it but bring upon him one evil after another which shall pursue him to his ruin as the hounds do the wild beast which after all its windings and turnings becomes a prey unto them 12. I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor 12. For I am sure the Lord who is stronger then all will assert the cause of the Oppressed and doe right to those who are destitute of humane help by punishing all that are injurious to them 13. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name the upright shall dwell in thy presence 13. Let the righteous rely on this as an undoubted truth that they shall give thanks to thy almighty Goodness for appearing in their vindication and when these false and violent men shall be extinct they that are sincerely honest shall remain in thy favour and receive the marks of it in thy constant care and providence over them PSALM CXLI A Psalm of David ARGUMENT If the Title had not told us that David was the Authour of this Psalm the matter of it would have led our minds to think of him and of his many sufferings during the persecution of Saul Which he prays to God as Theodoret observes upon the third and fourth Verses he may be able to bear so
a refreshing showre 7. Hear me speedily O LORD my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that goe down into the pit 7. Do not delay it O Lord I most earnestly beseech Thee for I am not able to hold out much longer in this great extremity deny not my humble request lest I be utterly lost as I am in danger without all hope of recovery 2 Sam. XVII 16. 8. Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning for in thee do I trust cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto thee 8. Though this night be very sad yet let me hear according to the confidence I repose in thy mercy better news and see my Affairs in a more comfortable posture in the morning 2 Sam. XVII 22 23. shew me which way I shall direct my course and provide for my safety v. 24 27. for I depend intirely upon Thee 9. Deliver me O LORD from mine enemies I flee unto thee to hide me 9. Let me not fall into the hand of my Enemies from whom I am now flying but know not whither to go but onely to Thee for shelter and protection 10. Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightness 10. Whose guidance I beseech as well as defence that I may doe nothing no not for my preservation but what is perfectly agreeable to thy Laws for thy favour is my security which I know is not otherways to be obtained and therefore I desire the conduct of thy good Spirit which is ready to assist those that seek it as well to lead me in the plain path of justice and piety as to suggest to me the way and means of escaping the snares of my Enemies and of coming into an honest Country where I may be free from the fear of being betrayed to them 11. Quicken me O LORD for thy Names sake for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble 11. I have nothing to move Thee to it but onely the honour it will be unto thy Majesty in respect to which I hope O Lord Thou wilt preserve me from perishing and restore me again to my Kingdome For though my straits are so great that my life is in extream danger yet nothing can hinder the performance of thy just and faithfull promise to me 12. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul for I am thy servant 12. Thy mercy also surpasses all the malice of my Enemies whom I trust Thou wilt cut off and destroy rather then let me continue in these hazzards for I am thy Minister and though never so unworthy am appointed by Thee to govern thy people in which office I will doe Thee all faithfull service PSALM CXLIV A Psalm of David ARGUMENT The Inscription will not let us doubt that David was the Authour of this Psalm but that it was a Triumph after his victory over Goliath as the vulgar Latine hath it is asserted without ground For though some Greek Copies have such an addition to the Inscription yet Theodoret says that as he could find it in the Hebrew so it was not to be met withall in any other Interpreters no not in the LXX in the Hexaplus And it plainly appears by the second Verse that it was composed after he came to the Kingdome and not then till he had got some victories over those that opposed him Nay there are so many expressions here like to those we meet withall in the XVIII Psalm that it hath inclined some to think it was made at the same time and for the same purpose with that of which it looks like a compendium and might be intended for a short form of thanksgiving for his deliverance from all his Enemies But if the expressions be carefully examined their opinion will appear to be truer who think it was composed not after God had given him rest from all his Enemies but after those two victories over the Philistines mentioned 2 Sam. V. if not before them For as he still mentions more opposers who were unsubdued v. 7 11 so he doth not say as in the XVIII Psalm that God had cast forth lightnings and shot his arrows against them c. but desires Him here v. 5 6. that He would appear in that manner for him acknowledging that not onely his Kingdome but his Courage his Victories and Successes were all to be ascribed unto God 1. BLessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight 1. PRaised be the Lord by me and by all men else by whom I have been kept in safety as in an impregnable fortress and who hath given me both strength and skill to handle my Arms whensoever I ingaged either in single combate or in battles 2. My goodness and my fortress my high tower and my deliverer my shield and he in whom I trust who subdueth my under me 2. I ever found Him very mercifull unto me when I was in any danger for He still preserved me as in a strong hold nay set me out of the reach of the most potent Enemies either making a way for my escape when they surrounded me or protecting me in their most furious assaults upon me and as I reposed a constant trust in Him so He hath never failed my expectation but after long contests made all Israel submit themselves unto my Empire 2 Sam. V. 1 c. 3. LORD what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou makest account of him 3. I am astonished O Lord at this thy wonderfull Goodness and know not what to say but onely admire that Thou shouldst take such care of so poor a thing as man is at the best especially of me a miserable wretch whom Thou hast honoured with most glorious Successes 4. Man is like to vanity his days are as a shadow that passeth away 4. Man alas is but a breath which presently vanishes what a marvel is it then that I should have strength to atchieve such things his life is exceeding short and uncertain and yet such is thy stupendious Goodness I am not onely alive notwithstanding all the hazzards through which I have run but in a little time have performed such memorable acts that the same of them will last for ever 5. Bow they heavens O LORD and come down touch the mountains and they shall smoke 5. Proceed O Lord to perfect my conquest and now that new Enemies are combined against me 2 Sam. VIII let thy Majesty appear as it hath done formerly see Psal XVIII 9. for my assistance and defence and as soon as the proudest opposers feel that Thou art present they will vanish away like smoak 6. Cast forth lightning and scatter them shoot out thine arrows and destroy them 6. Let them be dispersed by flashes of Lightning in their
faces and so terrified with Thunder and Hail that they may not be able to recollect their Forces 7. Send thine hand from above rid me and deliver me out of great waters from the hand of strange children 7. Send powerfull aid unto me from Heaven XVIII Psal 16. for I rely upon nothing on Earth relieve me in all my straits and deliver me out of these great and manifold dangers wherewith I am threatned by a forreign power of Idolatrous people which now invade me 8. Whose mouth speaketh vanity and their right hand is a right hand of falshood 8. Who as they have been wont to brag of more then they doe so promise more then they will ever perform For whatsoever treaties of peace and leagues of friendship I make with them they break them all and falsify so shamefully both their words and their oaths that there is no trust to be given to them v. 11. 9. I will sing a new song unto thee O God upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee 9. I will never prove ungratefull to Thee for so great a benefit but here solemnly vow to compose with my best skill new Hymns of thanks unto Thee O God and with the usual instruments of Musick sing thy Praises saying 10. It is he that giveth salvation to kings who delivereth David his servant from the hurtfull sword 10. It is not merely by the conduct and valour of our Captains and Souldiers that we have overcome but the most powerfull Kings owe their safety and their victories unto the Lord To whom I am more particularly bound first for the high honour He hath done me in making me his Minister and now for this deliverance form these mighty Armies which threaten my destruction 2 Sam. VIII 11. Rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children whose mouth speaketh vanity and their right hand is a right hand of falshood 11. Grant my renewed requests therefore I beseech Thee v. 7 8. and send me seasonable relief and deliverance from this forreign invasion of an Idolatrous people who have no faith nor honesty but shamefully falsify both their words and their oaths and when they shake hands with others as if they were their Friends intend thereby to deceive them 12. That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth that our daughters may be as corner stones polished after the similitude of a palace 12. Let not our Country be overrun by such barbarians but be so preserved by Thee in peace and tranquillity that our hopefull Sons may grow up like young flourishing Trees till they attain their full strength and stature and our Daughters be tall and beautifull like those polished Pillars which are the ornaments of a royal Palace 13. That our garners may be full affording all manner of store that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets 13. Our Granaries also and Store-houses being as full as they can hold may afford us all sorts of Provision from year to year and our flocks of Sheep bring forth thousands which may multiply into ten thousands in their walks 14. That our oxen may be strong to labour that there be no breaking in nor going out that there be no complaining in our streets 14. Our Cows also being great with young may neither be driven away by the irruption of our Enemies nor cast their Calves at home but we may be free from this and all other causes of crying or complaining in our streets 15. Happy is that that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the LORD 15. Happy is that Nation which is setled in such a prosperous condition That is happy is that Nation which truly worships the great Lord of the World who hath promised Deut. XXVIII to bless his faithfull servants with these and all other fruits of his love PSALM CXLV David's Psalm of Praise ARGUMENT After David had obtained these favours of God for himself and for the Nation which he begs in the foregoing Psalm he composed according to his promise there Ver. 9. this admirable Hymn which is contrived with such Art that it is manifest from thence he made it when he was much at leasure and God had given him rest from all his enemies 2 Sam. VII 1. For every Verse begins with a new Letter of the Alphabet in order which are all here except the Letter Nun which is wanting Verse 13. I suppose it was lost when this Psalm came to the hands of the Collectour of this Book and he would not adventure to supply it with one of his own inventing The Greek indeed that is the present Greek Copies for Theodotion and Aquila and the ancient LXX had it not and Latin and Arabick which in effect are but one and the same have another Verse which we may well think if it ever were in the Hebrew began with that Letter Nun But it differs so little from the seventeenth Verse when there is no repetition in any other part of the Psalm that it doth not in my opinion look like the true original Verse And it may be doubted whether there ever was any such Verse in that place where we suppose one wanting for the Psalmist might be carried see Psalm XXV by the strength of the inspiration which was upon him out of the method he had at first proposed to himself Certain it is this Psalm was always esteemed so excellent that the Title of the whole Book of Psalms is taken from this which is wholly spent in praising God with such admirable devotion that the ancient Hebrews were wont to say as Valentine Schindler hath long ago observed He could not fail to be a child of the world to come who would say this Psalm three times every day And for that reason perhaps it was composed Alphabetically that so usefull a Psalm might be the more easily learnt and remembred by every body 1. I Will extoll thee my God O King and I will bless thy name for ever and ever 1. I Will proclaime to all the world O my God the supreme Governour of heaven and earth how excellent thy Majesty is infinitely surpassing the highest of our thoughts and will never cease to express the delightfull sense I have of all thy glorious Attributes whereby Thou art made known unto us 2. Every day will I bless thee and I will praise thy name for ever and ever 2. This shall be my daily imployment and I will sing joyfull Hymns in praise of thy glorious perfections without any end 3. Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable 3. For the Lord is immensely great in power and dominion and all other ways and therefore to be honoured with our highest and with our endless praises But when we have said all we can our best praise of Him will be to confess that his transcendent excellencies cannot be comprehended 4.
One generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty acts 4. For there are none of thy works which we see that we are able to understand but though this Age transmit its observations to the next and that recommend the study of them to posterity yet still we are ignorant and cannot praise them enough no nor sufficiently declare the prodigious acts of thy miraculous Providence for the preservation of thy people which shall be perpetually commemorated 5. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty and of thy wondrous works 5. It shall be my business in this present age to speak of the dazling splendour and beauty of thy Majesty which I want words to express but appears in thy stupendious works 6. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts and I will declare thy greatness 6. Which they that come after shall rehearse and from the narratives that I shall make of thy magnificent greatness declare to their posterity what dreadfull things were done by thy irresistable power for the subversion of our enemies 7. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness and shall sing of thy righteousness 7. And with the same diligence shall they continue the constant memory of thy numerous benefits to us which they shall no more cease to celebrate with their praises then a spring doth to pour out water but publish in their perpetual Hymns how just and faithfull Thou art to thy word 8. The LORD is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy 8. For the Lord this shall be the subject of their and of my Song is exceeding propense to doe us good and very indulgent when we doe amiss which makes Him that He doth not presently punish but rather chuses to bestow new and greater benefits upon us if we repent of our faults 9. The LORD is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works 9. Nor is his goodness confined unto us but extends it self in various acts of bounty to all mankind who need not doubt of his kindness when they see He takes so tender a care of all his Creatures 10. All thy works shall praise thee O LORD and thy saints shall bless thee 10. Who all in their several kinds declare O Lord throughout all generations how great how wise how powerfull and provident Thou art which such as we who are particularly bound unto Thee for special favours bestowed upon us ought most sensibly to acknowledge with thankfull praises 11. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom and talk of thy power 11. It is their duty to discourse of the incomparable wisedom and goodness and care which Thou exercisest in the government of the whole world especially of us and to recount the memorable acts of thy invincible power among us 12. To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious majesty of his kingdom 12. That all mankind who regard not such things so much as they ought may be made sensible how mighty the Lord is and adore the amazing splendour of his illustrious works and the admirable order He observes in his government of all things 13. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations 13. Which as they are all intirely subject to Him so his Empire over them is immoveable and neither ends nor decays but when earthly Kingdoms fail and are transferred from one to another his dominion is still the same throughout all successions 14. The LORD upholdeth all that fall and raiseth up all those that be bowed down 14. In which He doth not neglect any of his subjects that depend upon Him as mortal Princes too frequently doe but supports and comforts the meanest of them that are oppressed with grievous afflictions and gives them a seasonable deliverance when they are in danger to sink and perish under the heavy weight of their burthens 15. The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season 15. He makes a constant provision also for them which every Creature when their necessities call for supply daily receive from Thee O Lord in the proper season for it 16. Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing 16. And Thou art not sparing of thy blessings but dispensest them with such a bountifull hand that there are none of them live without satisfaction but have all their appetites filled by thy liberality to the smallest of them 17. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works 17. And therefore let us not doubt but thankfully acknowledge that the Lord is not onely just in all the dispensations of his Providence to us though perhaps we do not apprehend it but exceeding mercifull and kind in every thing that befalls us 18. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth 18. We need doe no more but piously commend our selves to Him and He will take care of us for He is ready on all occasions to relieve every one that addresses himself unto Him with a sincere heart truly disposed to be faithfull to Him 19. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will save them 19. He that satisfies the appetite of all Creatures Ver. 16. will not fail we may be confident to gratifie in their desires such religious persons as fear to offend Him But though He let them fall into troubles and straits in due time will be moved by their importunate prayers to send them a seasonable deliverance 20. The LORD preserveth all them that love him but all the wicked will he destroy 20. For since they love Him so well that they had rather suffer any thing then disobey Him the Lord undoubtedly will preserve them and destroy all those impious men who have no regard to his Laws nor make any scruple to abuse and oppress such vertuous persons 21. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever 21. For which and all the rest of his benefits I will never cease to sing Hymns of praise unto the Lord and let all mankind remembring how weak and frail they are join together with me in this imployment as the greatest support and comfort and security they have to bless his incomparable Goodness and Power and carefull Providence for ever and ever PSALM CXLVI Hallelujah ARGUMENT This Psalm and the other four which follow both begin and conclude with the word Hallelujah i. e. Praise ye the Lord. And therefore might if the Jews had pleased have been called The great Hallelujah being all of them exhortations and incitements to the people to stir up themselves unto that heavenly imployment which this Psalm recommends to them from the consideration of several of the Divine Excellencies which make
like the Moon and the Stars give a good example unto all the Subjects and stir them up to meditate his praise 12. Both young men and maidens old men and children 12. Let no Sex no Age think themselves exempted from this heavenly imployment But let the Young men praise Him for their strength and the Virgins for their beauty they that are going out of the world for all that they have seen and heard of Him and they that are newly come into it for all the goodly spectacles that are before them 13. Let them praise the Name of the LORD for his Name alone is excellent and his glory is above the earth and heaven 13. Let them praise the incomparable Wisedom Goodness and Power of the Lord For how great soever any other Beings are there is no other God but He whose most excellent Majesty infinitely surpasses all that the Earth or the Heavens can tell us of Him 14. He also exalteth the horn of his people the praise of all his Saints even of the children of Israel a people near who him Praise ye the LORD 14. And yet so great is his condescention unto us who are bound therefore more particularly to praise Him He takes a peculiar care of us and hath set over us a powerfull Prince for the defence and safety of his People LXXXIX Psal 19. Whose fame He hath thereby raised to the highest pitch of honour having obliged the Children of Israel by many peculiar benefits especially this that they are a people more nearly related to Him then any other whatsoever for He dwells among them in his holy place where they approach to Him O praise Him there for this singular favour PSALM CXLIX Hallelujah See CXLVI ARGUMENT Theodoret thinks this Psalm was made for them that after their return from Captivity had many opposers but by the Divine Assistance overcame them And that it is a praediction of those great things which were done by the Maccabees Certain it is that some signal Victory was the occasion of it and thence Saint Chrysostome hath here given us a full account I think of the meaning of A new Song which according to the use of the word new in other places when they would express a thing very wonderfull such as hath not been seen or heard of before XVI Numb 30. XXXI Jer. 22. he takes to denote An illustrious and famous Hymn made for Victories for great Atchievements and Trophies Which were never more remarkable in this Nation then in the days of David and therefore this Psalm may very well relate to his reign who subdued several Kingdoms which had stood out and would not submit to Israel till his time though God had promised to give their Countries to them XV. Gen. 18. XXIII Exod. 31. 2. Sam. VIII 1 2 c. X. 19. The interpretation which I have given of the sixth Verse need not seem strange to any one who considers that it hath been and is the custom of all Nations to stir up themselves to fight by the sound of some musical Instrument or other The ancient inhabitants of Etruria saith Clemens Alexandrinus in the second Book of his Paedagogus chap. 4. used the Trumpet for this purpose the Arcadians the Whistle the Sicilians an Instrument called Pectids the Cretians the Harp the Lacedaemonians the Pipe the Thracians the Cornet the Egyptians the Drum the Arabians the Cymball But it was proper to the Israelites to go forth against their Enemies singing Psalms of Praise to God as we reade 2 Chron. XX. 21 22. who had given great Victories to their Ancestours and had promised never to forsake their Posterity while they served Him onely and piously confided in Him 1. PRaise ye the LORD Sing unto the LORD a new song and his praise in the congregation of saintâ— 1. SIng a new Hymn unto the Lord for the fresh and singular benefits He hath bestowed upon us Let Him be praised not onely in private but in the publick assemblies of those who have received special marks of his favour to them 2. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him let the children of Sion be joyfull in their king 2. Let all the Israelites rejoice in Him that made them his peculiar people and hath now raised them to great splendour among the Nations of the world let the inhabitants of Sion more particularly be exceeding glad that the Lord who is our King hath there settled his royal Throne 2 Sam. V. 9. VI. 12. 3. Let them praise his name in the dance let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp 3. Let them leap for joy and unanimously praise his most excellent Majesty in their Dances to the Flute 2 Sam. VI. 16. let them testifie their gratitude to Him by singing Psalms with the Timbrel and the Harp 4. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meek with salvation 4. For the Lord taketh pleasure in doing good unto his people and will not onely deliver them after they have been oppressed many years but if they meekly depend upon Him make them as great and illustrious as they have been contemptible and mean 1 Chron. XIV 2. 5. Let the saints be joyfull in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds 5. Which shall fill the hearts of good men who are dear to Him with the highest triumph in the honour that He hath done them and make them shout for joy in the security and peace He shall bestow upon them 6. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand 6. Which they shall not doubt to maintain against all opposers for in assured hope of Victory they shall go to War with Psalms and Hymns in their mouths concerning the great acts of the Lord which they shall couragiously sing with a loud voice when they fall upon their enemies and prefer to the two edged sword wich they carry in their hand 7. To execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishments upon the people 7. Wherewith they shall take a just revenge upon the heathen for all the injuries they have done us and so chastise the insolence of the people that they shall fear again to molest us 1 Chron. XIV 17. 8. To bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron 8. For their Victories shall be so compleat that they shall not onely rout their enemies and put them to flight but lead away their Kings captive in chains and take their great Captains and Commanders prisoners and keep them fast in fetters of iron 9. To execute upon them the judgment written this honour have all his saints Praise ye the LORD 9. In order to the executing upon them the judgment which God hath long ago decreed and is recorded in his Law VII Deut. 24. XXXII 41 42 43. This is the honour which all Israel shall have when they are in favour with God and such shall be their glorious Victories and
such Hymns and melodious Songs shall they sing saying Hallelujah praise the Lord by whose power and might we have done all this PSALM CL. Hallelujah See CXLVI ARGUMENT Theodoret takes this also to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Song of Triumph after some Victory and the mention of the mighty acts of the Lord Ver. 2. seems to countenance this conjecture which consists well enough with what others conceive that it was at first particularly directed to the Levites by David I suppose whose office it was to praise the Lord with musical Instruments 1 Chron. XVI 4 5. and excite others to his praises not onely for Victory but for all other his benefits For if the Tradition of the Jews be true which we reade at large in Maimonides in a Treatise on that subject when the people of any place brought up their first fruits to present them to the Lord at Jerusalem according to the Law XXVI Deut. with a pipe going before them as soon as they came to the mountain of the Temple every one took his basket into his hand and sung this whole Psalm till they came to the courts of the Lord's house where the Levites met them singing the XXX Psalm And indeed it might well be used upon occasion of any exceeding great joy for it seems to be intended by the repetition of these words praise the Lord or praise Him thirteen times and by the calling for no less then ten Instruments of Musick to express the height and fulness of their joy and thankfulness to God for his benefits nor can Musick be so well imployed to any other use as this Divine and heavenly exercise of praising God by Hymns and Psalms and spiritual Songs to which the Psalmist seems to me to excite all Creatures in heaven and in earth from the highest to the lowest And with this the Collectour of these five Books of Psalms thought good to conclude the whole and not unfitly For in whatsoever condition we be as there are Psalms adapted to several purposes we should never forget to praise the Lord but after we have prayed or complained c. still end with thankfull acknowledgments to God for his goodness to us Here are several sorts of musical Instruments mentioned which I have not adventured to explain because the Hebrews themselves acknowledge they do not understand them We have no way saith Aben Ezra upon those words Ver. 5. which we translate loud Cymbals to know what these musical Instruments were there being many found in the Country of the Ismaelites i. e. Mahometans which are not among the men of Edom i. e. Christians and others among them which the wise men of Ishmael never heard of 1. PRaise ye the LORD Praise God in his sanctuary praise him in the firmament of his power 1. PRaise the mighty God ye Angelical Ministers that attend upon Him in his celestial Sanctuary Praise Him all ye inhabitants of heaven where you see the brightest demonstrations and most lasting monuments of his power 2. Praise him for his mighty acts praise him according to his excellent greatness 2. Praise Him all ye Ministers of his upon earth for the miraculous things which He hath done for our deliverance and exaltation let your praises bear some proportion to the excellence of his Majesty and the multitude of those great and magnificent acts of mercy towards us 3. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet praise him with the psaltery and harp 3. Let the Priests of the Lord X. Numb 8. praise Him with the sound of the Trumpet and let the Levites 1 Chron. XXV 6. praise Him with Psalteries and Harps 4. Praise him with the timbrel and dance praise him with stringed instruments and organs 4. Let some praise Him with the Timbrel and the Flute and others praise Him with the stringed Instruments and Organs 5. Praise him upon the loud cymbals praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals 5. Let all sort of Cymbals accompany their Psalms and Hymns in his praise both those of daily use and those that are wont to be imployed in times of the highest joy and triumph 6. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD Praise ye the LORD 6. Finally Let every man living join himself to this sacred Quire and at every breath praise the Lord the giver of life and of all good things To Him let all the world with one consent give perpetual praise THE END
with their Victories have despised and derided thy omnipotent Majesty 19. O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of the wicked forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever 19. Deliver we beseech Thee thy Church which like a Turtle-dove can do nothing but meekly mourn and make her silent complaints unto Thee from those violent men who like Birds of prey seek utterly to destroy her Let them not take away its life and being but though we be at present deserted by Thee yet hear our crys and at last relieve a poor helpless company who flee unto Thee and depend upon Thee alone for safety 20. Have respect unto the covenant for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty 20. Though we are unworthy to be regarded by Thee yet have regard unto thy own promises wherein Thou hast engaged thy self unto our Fathers to give to them and their posterity the Land of Canaan which is so far from being now inhabited by thy people that every blind corner of it is a den of thieves and murtherers who have filled it with rapine and cruelty 21. O let not the oppressed return ashamed let the poor and needy praise thy name 21. O let not thy poor afflicted servant who implores thy aid against these barbarous oppressours be denied his suit and go away ashamed to see himself disappointed of his hope but let him and all the rest of thy miserable people who were never in greater need of thy help be restored to praise thy goodness in their ancient possessions from whence they have been thus long banished 22. Arise O God plead thine own cause remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily 22. Appear O God in our behalf and thereby vindicate thy self from reproach let me again beseech Thee to shew that Thou art not unmindfull of all the scoffs which prosperous fools belch out against Thee every day 23. Forget not the voice of thine enemies the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually 23. It is time to punish all the insulting language of thy Enemies for the insolent braggs and furious threats of those that oppose Thee increase still more and more and rise up to a greater height of audacious impiety PSALM LXXV To the chief Musician Al-taschith A Psalm or Song of Asaph ARGUMENT I take this Psalm to have been made by Asaph the Seer mentioned 2 Chron. XXIX 30. see Psal LXXIII after the great deliverance which by the strange destruction of Senacherib's Army God gave the good King Hezekiah For whose use Asaph composed this Psalm and delivered it to the chief Master of the Musick in the Tabernacle that he might therein make his publick profession of his obligations to Almighty God and his resolution to serve Him and to depend upon Him as he advises all men else to do if they would not be undone or if they hoped for any good of which He is the sole and absolute Dispenser If Al-taschith be more then a note that this Psalm was to be sung like to the LVII and those that follow it may signifie as much as thou shalt not or wilt not destroy And be applied either to Senacherib who the Prophet told them should not accomplish his design of destroying them as he had done other Nations 2 King XIX 17. 2 Chron. XXVII 14. or to God who had not given him Commission as he pretended to destroy Jerusalem 2 King XVIII 25. but would defend it 2 King XIX 34. and not suffer it to be laid desolate Symmachus gives a more spiritual sense of the word and calls this a triumphal Song concerning Immortality Because it contains as Theodoret explains it a prediction of the righteous judgment of God in the destruction of the wicked and rewarding the lovers of vertue which should admonish us not to suffer any godly thoughts we have in our mind to perish but to preserve them whole and intire that we may inherit immortality What is to be understood by a Psalm-Song see in the Argument of Psalm LXVII 1. UNto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare 1. UNTO Thee O God the righteous Judge who art the sole Authour of this great deliverance do I and all my people give most solemn thanks Nor can we ever thank Thee enough but we must again and again renew our acknowledgments unto Thee whose Almighty Power is still ready at hand we clearly see by the wonders Thou hast done to succour all those who gratefully commemorate thy benefits 2. When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly 2. And I will not content my self with these verbal praises alone but as soon as I shall meet with a fit opportunity and we can have our solemn Assemblies again which by this invasion have been interrupted 2 Chron. XXXII 1. I will perfect the Reformation which I have begun and see that equal Justice be done to all my people as well as that they be preserved in thy true Religion 3. The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved I bear up the pillars of it Selah 3. The whole Country hath been in a miserable confusion while their hearts melted with fear of an utter desolation But as then I supported their spirits and incouraged the Great men and the Officers to doe their duty 2 Chron. XXXII 6 7 8. So I will hereafter establish such Magistrates and Judges as shall bring all into better order 4. I said unto the fools Deal not foolishly and to the wicked Lift not up the horn 4. I have told them my mind already and do still solemnly proclaim and declare that I will proceed with the utmost severity against the contemners of thy Laws and therefore I advise them not to be so madly rude and insolent For the proudest of them all shall know that it is safest for them to be more modest then to glory as they do in their impiety or to boast of the power they have to be injurious to their neighbours 5. Lift not up your horn on high speak not with a stiff neck 5. Do not vaunt of this I once more advise you nor bear your selves high as if you would out-brave Heaven it self be not refractory and stubborn nor arrogantly say that you will have your way and that none shall curb you 6. For promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south 6. For which way soever you turn your selves whether to the East or to the West or to the mountainous Desarts that lie on the North and South of us in vain do you think to escape the righteous judgment of God 7. But God is the judge he putteth down one and setteth up another 7. Who being the Sovereign Lord and Governour of the world easily lays those low that proudly exalt themselves against his Authority and lifts up those that
humbly submit themselves unto Him 8. For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup and the wine is red it is full of mixture and he poureth out of the same but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them 8. For he never wants power to inflict the most dreadfull punishments which like an intoxicating Wine full of stupifying ingredients that loosens the very joints and takes away all a man's strength to resist never fail to have their effect And the godly may taste of them nay suffer sorely for a time but the heaviest and most grievous punishments like the dregs at the bottom of such Wine shall fall to the share of all the wicked of the Land who shall be forced to indure the utmost expressions of the Divine vengeance upon their sins 9. But I will declare for ever I will sing praises to the God of Jacob 9. And this I who am His Minister to execute his judgments will not cease to declare as long as I live that none may pretend ignorance for their excuse And I will sing praises unto God who delivered Jacob from all evil not onely for his late miraculous preservation of us by his vengeance on Senacherib whom he hath made an Example of his wrath to all proud contemners of Him but for making me the Instrument of so happy a Reformation 10. All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted 10. For this is my resolution not merely as I said to praise Him but to pull down the haughty spirit and cut short all the power of the wicked that they shall not be able to doe such mischief as they desire and to raise the righteous into such Authority that they shall not fear what their most insolent enemies can doe unto them PSALM LXXVI To the chief Musician on Neginoth A Psalm or Song of Asaph ARGUMENT It is visible to every eye that the Psalmist here commemorates some notable Victory over very powerfull Enemies whereby God delivered when it was in great danger the whole Country particularly Jerusalem Which is called here Salem Ver. 2. by an usual form of speech among the Hebrews who are wont in names of places to cut off the former part instead of Abel-Sittim saying onely Sittim and Nimrim for Beth-Nimrim Lechi for Ramath-Lechi Sheba for Beer-Sheba and many such like as Bochartus hath shewn in the Second Book of his Phaleg chap. 24. and in the First part of his Work concerning the Animals named in Scripture Book 2. ch 25. And there is as little reason to doubt that the particular deliverance here aimed at is that from Senacherib's Army which Asaph the Seer mentioned 2 Chr. XXIX 30. see Psal LXXIII was not content to celebrate in the former Hymn which he made for the use of the King but added this also for his own use and all other pious persons Who he hoped would join in it especially when it was sung in the Temple as he directed the Master of the Musick after the same manner as Psal IV. Some of the Greeks seem to have perceived something of this For though there be no such Title in the ancient Hexaplus of Origen yet in after times Theodoret tells us he found in some Copies this Inscription which still continues An Ode against the Assyrian which Apollinarius follows Of a Psalm-Song see Psalm LXVII 1. IN Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel 1. GOD hath so illustriously demonstrated himself among us in this unexpected and terrible execution to be the Sovereign Ruler and Judge of the World that he must shut his eyes that doth not see it His Power and all his other glorious perfections which are conspicuous every where are in no Country so magnified as they are in Israel 2. In Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling-place in Sion 2. Our Enemies themselves who reviled Him 2 Chron. XXXII 17 19. and despised Jerusalem Ib. Verse 10. are now sure convinced that there this Mighty Lord maketh his abode in the top of that Mountain where he hath chosen to fix his dwelling-place 3. There brake he the arrows of the bow the shield and the sword and the battel Selah 3. Before the Walls of which He hath slain with an invisible Dart the fiery Archers who have not shot so much as one Arrow into it 2 King XIX 32. and made the Shields and Swords and the rest of their military preparations altogether useless and unprofitable 4. Thou art more glorious and excellent then the mountains of prey 4. Whereby thou O Sion art become more glorious then all the Mountains where the fiercest Beasts of prey or the most desperate Robbers have their resort who never made such slaughters 5. The stout-hearted are spoiled they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands 5. For they whose courage made them fear no danger but confidently promised themselves the spoil of Jerusalem are given unto us for a spoil They lay down to sleep but never awaked 2 King XIX 35. not a man among the most mighty of them was able to strike a stroke or do any thing to defend himself against that hand which cut them off 6. At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep 6. But the most experienced Horsemen as well as they that rode in Chariots sunk down dead at the sudden check the severe rebuke which they received from Thee O God of Jacob whom they reproached 2 King XIX 22 23. 7. Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry 7. Thou and none but Thou art to be dreaded And what King is he that is able for so short a time as a moment to resist thy power which in an instant can destroy all those who incur thy heavy displeasure 8. Thou didst cause judgement to be heard from heaven the earth feared and was still 8. We have an Example of it before our eyes for when we made our solemn appeal to Thee 2 King XIX 3 4 15 16. Thou wast pleased to pronounce a sentence of condemnation from heaven upon our enemies which struck such terrour into those that survived that they who before were full of rage and made a tumultuous noise Ver. 27 28. were as still as Lambs and durst not stir a foot but onely to return from whence they came Ver. 28 36. 9. When God arose to judgment to save all the meek of the earth Selah 9. They were afraid to continue their attempts against us when God who had long suffered their insolence sent an Angel to chastise it and to do execution upon them and thereby delivered the helpless people of this Land who had patiently born their horrible oppression 10. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain 10. Which
welcome that day and meet the Lord with forward affection who is coming to them For he comes to reform the earth and will govern mankind by righteous and mercifull Laws and faithfully keep his word with all those that truly observe them PSALM XCVII ARGUMENT Some of the Hebrews conceive as I observed upon Psalm XC that Moses was the Authour of this as well as the rest of these Psalms which want an Inscription And indeed he excelled in this faculty of composing Hymns as we learn from Exod. XV. and Deut. XXXII and might upon some other occasion as well as the overthrow of Pharaoh in the red Sea make a Song of triumph after some of those great victories which God gave them over their enemies Which was a thing in use before his time as it appears by the fragments of ancient Songs recorded in his Books particularly that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made by some Poet among the Amorites after Sihon had taken Heshbon from the Moabites to whom it formerly belonged wherein they triumph over their God Chemosh as unable to deliver his worshippers XXI Numb 27 c. And if we could be sure this Psalm was made by Moses I should think it to have been composed after the Israelites had conquered Sihon and his Land over whom they triumphed as he had done over the former possessours of that Country But the Psalm seems so plainly to have been composed in pursuance of what was said in the foregoing Psalm that the Lord reigneth and is King not onely over Israel but all the earth that one cannot but think they had the same Authour who shews the truth of that by the illustrious Victories which God as their King had given them over all those that opposed them For the eighth verse makes it manifest that this Psalm hath respect to some Conquests they had lately made over the heathen which I suppose were no other then those which David won over divers Nations not long after 1 Chron. XVIII 1. he had brought the Ark to Sion and delivered the foregoing Hymn to be sung to put the Israelites in hope and their enemies in fear of the great things which would insue upon this special presence of God among them Which moved the Greeks to call this A Psalm of David after his Land was restored unto him that is after he was made Master of all those Countries which God anciently designed to be the inheritance of Israel For that it should relate to the restoring his Kingdom to him after Absaloms rebellion is not probable because the mention of Idolaters and of their gods Ver. 7. seem to determine it to other Countries In the subduing of which God it is likely fought for them by some such tempest as we reade of 2 Sam. V. 20 21 24. whereby their enemies Armies were shatâ—ered and so terrified that they not onely fled but left their images behind them such was their haste and gave the Israelites an easie Victory over them But whatever was the carnal sense it belongs in the diviner meaning to Christ's triumph over the grave and all the powers of darkness at his Resurrection and Ascension to his throne in heaven as appears by those words which the Apostle to the Hebrews alledges out of the seventh verse and applies to Christ's royal power and authority over Angels Which the Hebrew Doctours themselves as Kimchi confesses take to be there intended and may be further justified from that exposition which we meet withall in Midrasch Tanchuma of the words of the Prophet Isaiah LII 13. Behold my servant shall prosper He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high This is the King Messiah says that gloss who shall be exalted above Abraham and extolled above Moses and be very high above the Angels of the Ministry 1. THe LORD reigneth let the earth rejoice let the multitude of Isles be glad thereof 1. THE Lord it is manifest is the Sovereign of the world under whose happy Government not onely we and they who are already become subject to Him in other places ought to rejoice but the most distant Countries have the greatest reason to be glad thereof 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne 2. His Majesty is most dreadfull and hath appeared in great terrour against those that oppose Him whom as he will not wrong so He will certainly punish for He maintains his Authority and supports his Government by doing exact and equal justice 3. A fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about 3. Let none therefore resist Him for flames of fire proceedâ— from his presence which make the battel too hot for his enemies who can turn no way but they feel them flashing in their faces 4. His lightnings enlightned the world the earth saw and trembled 4. It was his thunder and lightning the brightness of which the world lately saw and were so amazed that shivering pains took hold upon them as upon a woman in her travail 5. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD at the presence of the LORD of the whole earth 5. The hearts of the stoutest Kings and Captains failed them and melted like wax before the fire at this terrible appearance of the Lord at the appearance of Him whose dominion extends over all the earth 6. The heavens declare his righteousness and all the people see his glory 6. For He is the Lord of the heavens which have declared by this dreadfull tempest excited by his Angelical Ministers his severity against his enemies and made all the people sensible of the incomparable splendour of his Majesty 7. Confounded be all they that serve graven images that boast themselves of idols worship him all ye gods 7. Which may well make them all ashamed and they shall be confounded by Him if they will not renounce their errours who worship graven Images though of gold and silver 2 Sam. V. 21. and boast themselves in vain gods who can doe nothing for them Let all that are called gods whether Princes on earth or Angels in heaven bow down to Him as the onely Saviour 1. Heb. 6. and acknowledge his supreme authority over them all 8. Sion heard and was glad and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments O LORD 8. Jerusalem the mother City hath received the news of thy Victories with a joyfull heart after whose example all the other Cities of Judah are exceeding glad O Lord because Thou hast judged righteously in destroying our idolatrous enemies and defending thy faithfull servants 9. For thou LORD art high above all the earth thou art exalted far above all gods 9. Whose hearts are filled with the greater joy because Thou O Lord hast manifested thy self hereby to be the supreme and onely Potentate who rulest over all the earth and art infinitely superiour to all that have the name of gods 10. Ye that love the LORD hate evil he preserveth the