being yet alive went down into the grave by Gods extraordinary judgement like as men do that being dead are by course of nature buried 18 Besides which there came out a fire from the Lord that wonderfully and dreadfully consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense chief Partizans with Korah and his complices in this wicked combination 19 Also that shamefull apostacy of theirs that after they had been witnesses of so much power in so many miracles and upon mount Sinai had seen such evident tokens of an unexpressible God yet that then immediately upon that in Horeb they should go about as they did to represent him in the similitude of a calfe and think to serve him that made them by doing honour to it that they themselves had newly made 20 And so they exchanged that glorious priviledge they had above all the world in worshipping the onely true and living God the Honour of Israel into the sordidness of base bruitish Idolatry heathen-like worshipping for the Creatour of heaven and earth a creature and that none of Gods neither but their own even the senceless similitude of a living ox the highest perfection and chiefest good of which imaginary deity is but to maintain alive a sensitive soul one degree above vegetives the grass it feeds on which both man and beast tread under their feet 21 And this must be their God that brought them out of Egypt forgetting him that did so indeed that so mightily saved them and delivered them from thence which was the Lord Almighty as his works right well made manifest which he wrought there for them 22 In that land of their enemies the posterity of Cham the accursed whom the Lord so extraordinarily plagued for their sakes as also after at the red sea when he compleated their deliverance by the Egyptians fearfull end and sudden destruction of their whole host 23 This stupid sordidness and ungratefull mindlesness made the Lord exceeding wroth insomuch as he would have bribed Moses by promise of raising himself a people out of his loines to have let him destroyed them that had so mishapen him and shamefully denudated themselves but Moses chosen to represent Christ in the conduct and Mediatorship of his people by an effectuall intercession prevailed to stay his hand when he was ready to strike and to beg their pardon at least their reprieve so that God was intreated by him and did at that time spare them for his sake 24 And as if all the way had been too little from Egypt to Canaan to provoke God they to approve themselves no changelings when they arrived at the skirts of the promised land and were to take possession fell a mutining against God as a deluder of them vilifying Canaan that Type of heaven and heaven on earth where God had chosen to fix his gracious presence and to be worshipped there of all the places in the world and of them before all other people and had promised him in that place so many blessings both spirituall and temporall and which it self was a good land and so reported by the faithfull spies though misrelated of the rest which spread like a Gangreen among that corrupt multitude crediting their false Alarm of the penury of the land and their impossibility to master it for all that God had said to the contrary of the one and promised concerning the other 25 And murmured against God and Moses Caleb and Josua weeping and mourning for their misfortune in leaving Egypt and being beguiled with fair promises of just nothing for no better esteem had they of Canaan neither believing it worth the fighting for nor possible to be gained and therefore sate discontented in their Tents and would never attempt it for all that either Gods promises and miracles which as signs and previous pledges spake unto them or that Moses and those faithful spies his servants said to the contrarie in way of incouragement could do 26 27 Whereupon the Lord was so enraged that he was even as it were fetching his full blow at them to have destroyed them root and branch from ever being a people more in the wilderness where they had so extreamly misbelieved tempted and provoked him so many several times against the clear light of so many wonderful and gracious miracles and utterly to disinherit them Canaan offering to make Moses a greater and mightier nation and to scatter them like vagabonds and for bondmen amongst those heathenish borderers and to let them kill and conquer them at their pleasure but for Moses who prevailed now also with God to spare their lives and mitigate his displeasure 28 After all this in stead of repenting and confessing their sins they continue and increase their provocations divorcing themselves from God and his worship and took them another husband even the abomination of the heathen turned worshippers of Baal-peor the Idol of the Moabites first committing carnal fornication with the daughters of Moab and then at their perswasion spiritual whoredom with their Idol imitating their manners throughout for in stead of eating the sacrifices offered to the living God as they were wont they gave themselves to sacrifice and to feast with the sacrifices o that senseless liveless Idol as the Moabites did and in all points turned perfect Idolaters like them 29 Thus from time to time and especially at this time by this grand apostacie worshipping other Gods of their own chusing and rejecting him that had chosen them did they extreamly provoke him to anger insomuch as he sent a sore destroying plague among them that soon dispatched twenty four thousand of that rebellious Idolatrous crew it cost so many of them their lives before it ceased 30 But the Lord would not destroy them all therefore so soon as Phinehas grand-child to Aaron had in zeal to God in the face of the congregation executed justice upon Zimri a man of Israel and Cozbi a Midianitish woman by running them both through with a javelin in the act of uncleanness the Lord upon that stayed the plague that it went no further 31 Which act of zeal and justice was by God graciously accepted as a price of singular service and well rewarded with the covenant of the everlasting Priesthood to him and his seed perpetuated in Jesus Christ himself the son of God the atonement-maker and appeaser of his fathers wrath 32 33 Also at Meribah those waters of strife where the children of Israel our predecessours chode with Moses and consequently strove with the Lord whereat he was angrie yet made not the least semblance of it to Moses as at other times in like provocations but without once mentioning their sin or his displeasure bid Moses not smite the rock for the Lord who hath mercie on whom and when he will have mercie was then at that time purposed to shew no signs of bitterness by word or deed but with an absolute
joyfull praises of his coming from heaven to earth to redeem his Church Yea all that is within you praise his holy name for so great salvation wrought not onely by the power as all the rest were but also by the person of God himself whom you ought therefore with studied thankfulness and elaborate expressions of joy and honour entertain and usher into the world worthy his greatness and best expressing your high esteem of such unvaluable grace 7 8 9 These three last verses being the same in sence and almost in letter with the 11 12 13 being also the three last verses of the 96 Psalm see the Paraphrase upon them for the explanation of these Saving that those words in the eighth verse of this Psalm let the hills be joyfull together signifie that as all people are admitted into the same priviledge with the Jews by Christ so all places have the same fellowship in propriety and title to God and his worship as hath the hill of Sion once his peculiar Iohn 4.21 The xcix PSALM The Psalmist probably upon some deliverance magnifies the Lord in relation to his people the Iews and their happy condition above all people exciting them to praise God answerably to his mercies and righteousness even that God which hath ever been their God and done great things for them by his servants of old 1 THe Amighty God whose throne is in the heavens is pleased in behalf of his Church and chosen people to make it appear that he also hath dominion upon earth by their powerfull preservation and their enemies destruction therefore let the heathen people our neighbour nations that so malign us take it into serious consideration and tremble to think of provoking him by injuring his Church Let them rather and all the rest of the Gentiles with a reverentiall fear submit themselves to his regiment and be gathered into the number of his people worshipping him not after their own imaginations but in the manner and place that he hath appointed the Temple where onely he hath fixed his presence upon the mercy-seat between the Cherubims which condescention of the great God of heaven full of incomprehensible majesty and holiness to reside on earth ought to make even the whole creation sensible of it by way of Allegiance and subjection to him and honour of the place where and the people amongst whom he is pleased to erect his throne 2 Wonderfull great hath the power of God appeared in the preservation of his people and the defence of his holy Temple in the behalf whereof he hath mightily approved his wisdom and power infinitely to exceed all humane policy and strength of the great Sages and confederate forces of the world which sundry times he hath dissipated and strangely defeated 3 O therefore let thy people who have been so extraordinarily blessed by thee return answerable thanks unto thee and praise thee for those righteous and terrible judgements executed upon their enemies wherein thou hast manifested such Almighty power and gracious providence and hast thereby approved thy self a holy God faithfull of thy word and promise 4 And as well righteous as holy not exercising a Tyrannicall absolute Arbitrary power over the creature yea though thou canst yet thou wilt not but affectest to subject thy proceedings to the rules of righteousnese ordering thy power by thy justice and putting it forth by way of judgement which thou both justly and severely executest upon sinners and enemies to thee and thy people unto whom both by thy works and word president and precept thou holdest forth and recommendedst equity and righteousness for them to walk thereafter yea thou art not partiall to thine owne people the seed of Jacob no more than to the heathen but if they sin they smart for it in righteousness thou punishest them as well as others 5 Magnifie and praise O ye his people this your God the onely Lord come frequent his Temple the onely place on earth where he that sits in heaven is pleased to be present there bow down with adoration and reverence before him as at the foot-stool of the great and glorious Majesty of heaven worshipping him in spirit with holiness of heart abasing your selves and exalting the Lord who onely is holy and his worship holy all other Gods throughout the world being vain Idols and their worship sin and superstition 6 That God that hath made himself known to you as by eminent Miracles so by eminent Messengers such as the memory of them is famous and honourable amongst you how much more ought God to be so Moses and Aaron those chosen worthies that in the beginning were prime Rulers and Peers of his Church and Samuel an honourable Prophet in the after-ages of it what gracious answers did he vouchsafe to their prayers These holy men powerfull intercessours Types of the Messiah the great Mediatour of his Church how ever and anon were they heard when they prayed for the people and what salvation was vouchsafed still at their request 7 These Saints and servants of God had familiar communication with him as Moses and Aaron all the way in the wilderness they had God present with them ordering and advising their course in that great charge that lay upon them whose command and covenant they faithfully delivered over to the people and observed themselves 8 These holy men were beloved and honoured by the holy Lord God who for us his peoples sake put them into office made them intercessours yea effectuall prevailing-ones such as Christ shall be many a time passing by the sins of Israel for their sakes whom thou didst not nor wouldest not have punished but forgiven and forgotten too had not iterated provocations and back-slidings from thee and thy commandments to Idolatry and wil-worship forced thee to take vengeance and minded thee of the abuse of former long-suffering which then thou also reckonedst with them for when once thine anger did break forth 9 See the fifth verse of this Psalm onely the word holy-hill here instead of foot-stool there means the same thing viz. The Temple built upon his holy hill mount Sion The c. PSALM The Psalmist excites the Church and people of God among the Gentiles as well as Iews to praise the Lord and imbrace his salvation so freely bestowed upon them who are so dear to him whom therefore he would have turn proselites apace and lose no time but glorifie him both now and hereafter for his grace to his Church in all ages A Psalm penned to stir up the people to praise the Lord. O give thanks sing forth the praises of the Lord and of his great gracious salvation in Christ all ye people of the earth not Jews onely but Gentiles also every where where the glad tidings of it come to entertain it joyfully and praise him for it thankfully 2 Cast off all old superstitious and vain worship of
their unthankfull provocations yet would he not take vengeance on them nor let those enemies triumph in their destruction from under whose power he had newly delivered them but for the honour of his own name that was named upon them they being now noted more than ever for his peculiar people and for the further glorifying of his power and grace in their behalves he brought them safe out of that inextricable strait by an Almighty hand for ever to be had in thankfull remembrance 9 For rather than he would there let them perish and dishonour himself though they deserved it he wrought a Miracle beyond any the rest contrary to the course of nature commanded the very Sea to give place and divide it self to make them way and for all its propensity to return into its course God conjured it to abide as a Wall on their right hand and on their left which it did and could do no other untill they were quite passed through the bottom of it upon the dry land as if it had been part of that Wilderness which afterward they travelled 10 And thus with infinite long suffering and glorious power did he save them because they were his chosen people out of the hands of Pharaoh that perfect enemy of theirs that pursued them with a deadly design either to have reduced them into bondage or slain them all upon the place 11 And these waters that thus gave way to preserve our fathers so soon as they were all passed over and God had revoked his word of command they presently returned into their Chanell and closed again upon the whole Host of the Egyptians all which were drowned therewith so that not a man of them escaped 12 The gladsomness of that deliverance by such a Miracle made them for all their hard hearts at present whilest the sense and memory of it was warm which lasted but a while to credit what God spake by Moses touching his good will to them and his safe and certain bringing them into the land of promise and for a flash they were as full of faith as a bladder full of wind and sang the praise of his rich mercy goodness and power manifested in that their so late and great salvation with abundance of joy and delight in God 13 But alas neither this faith nor praise was out of any well grounded principle towards God but out of the present sense which self-love had of the present good-turn he did them for they had not travelled above three dayes from the red-sea to the waters of Pharaoh but there they were at old ward falling into unbelief and discontent against God and Moses and forgat all that was past as if it had never been even all those wonders within and without Egypt that God wrought for them to have gained their hearts to believe in him and relie on him but it would not be all was one they were in cold bloud the self-same men at one time as at another whensoever God tried them and would never in an humble gratuitous belief of him make their addresses to him and enquire of him in this or that strait but streight-way fell foul ready to flie in Moses his face and consequently in Gods so soon as ever they at any time suffered they had not patience nor piety in the faith of his former transactions which they had experimentally seen managed to the best of advantage and opportunity to wait upon such his wise and seasonable dispensations as might accordingly in the issue still most evince his glory and conduce to their spirituall benefit and edification as his precedent acts had done 14 But they were a carnall-minded people nothing spiritualized nor bettered towards God by all heâ did for them but made their belly their God settting light by Angels food for they saw nothing Angelicall or Divine in it being mere sensualists inordinately lusting after belly-chear and variety of acates in the very Wilderness where they saw and knew that by course of nature nothing could be had they must either be supernaturally maintained or starve yet in that barren place where God notwithstanding had so long and often miraculously supplied them with all needfull things they were not therewith content but murmured for superfluities questioning the power and not submitting to the will of God as if what they wanted and had not as they desired was because he had not power to give it them 15 But the Lord to vindicate his power which they had impeached saying who shall give us flesh to eat or can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness and to let them see the unprofitableness of creature-contentment though in never so great abundance if not sanctified by the word of God and prayer sent them their desire even plenty of Quails-flesh to their bread but they had better have been without it than to have had it given them in anger accompanied with judgement as it was not onely bodily so many perishing at Kibroth Hataavah with meat in their mouthes and so destroying instead of nourishing them for being obtained but not in Gods way though it was his gift yet it wanted his grace was empty of blessing being no act of favour and therefore pleased the sense but edified not the soul the proper tendency of all he bestowes and the best effect even of temporall benefits which else are a shell without a kernell blessings accursed and so was this to them feeding on it a moneth together gluttonously without fear or spirituall descerning till at last it wrought their overthrow by surfetting instead of nourishing for God gave them up to wear it as they won it spend it as they got it to wit lustfully which excess and carnall mindedness he severely plagued both in body and soul. 16 They gave themselves up to studied provocations not onely murmuring upon emergentcases but by combination conspiring among themselves against Moses and Aaron those approved holy men and speciall servants of the Lord one whereof to wit Aaron was his declared High-Priest officiating in speciall before him for their good in expiating their sins and diverting Christ-like Gods judgements yet no relation of them to God nor of advantage to themselves could perswade but these men whom God had substituted in those places of conduct and Priest-hood and set so many seals upon must at their pleasure be removed suspected after so long experience to be Impostors and another government and Preist-hood agitated by other men must be erected and this which God had ordained demolished 17 And it is never to be forgotten what fearfull vengeance God executed upon the chief ringleaders of that conspiracy and with what a fearfull death he visited them causing the earth to open and swallow up Korah Dathan and Abiram those chieftains with all that belonged to them and to close upon them in the sight and to the amazement of all Israel so that with a fearfull cry they
their hope and desire having heard his prayer and pittied his case and assures them it shall not be long before they see it to their shame and grief To him that is most skilful upon the stringed instrument Neginoth to be sung with a high voice to the eighth tune or instrument of eight strings called Sheminith whereto this Psalm is chiefly set do I David that made it recommend it 1 O Lord thou hast many ways afflicted me for besides my many enemies thou hast now brought upon me a very soar and painful sickness which make me fear thine anger is kindled against me which I humbly knowledge my sins have deserved But good Lord remember mercie and chastize me for them not in thy heavie displeasure but according to thy Fatherly compassion 2 For though sin doth provoke thee to anger yet miserie is wont to move thee to shew mercie and truly O Lord my case is very woful for I am exceeding low brought by my disease therefore have pittie upon me for certainly thou mayest do a great cure and get thee a great deal of honour in recovering me now I am grown to that extremitie that my very bones are tortured with pain and are not of strength to support me 3 Nor am I onely sick in bodie but that which most makes me fear thy displeasure towards me is this That my soul is also soar troubled and as my bodie can find no ease so nor my soul find comfort which indeed is a grievous sadning to me But thou O Lord who I am sure art a God of mercie and compassion as well as of just displeasure how long canst thou behold me in this case and forbear to help me specially with soul-comfort 4 Good Lord change thy mind and now after so great and long affliction become my God again by setting my soul at least at libertie from its comfortless state Look no longer at my sins to punish them but consider and cast an eye upon thine own merciful nature now a while and for its sake restore me to health and inward peace 5 And so shall I live to praise thee whereas if thou pursue me to death what good wilt thou get by that here if thou letst me live I shall remember from time to time this mercie of my recoverie with many other good turns done me to thy glorie and praise but in the grave I shall forget all for both the knowledge of thee and the remembrance of all the mercies thou hast shewed me which I was wont to celebrate with thankfulness in this life must needs vanish when life it self departs and be buried in the grave with me in oblivion and silence 6 Truly Lord I have had a very sad time of it and a heavie burthen have I born a long while which hath cost me much sorrow and grief in so much as my groans have been incessant and without any ease or intermission so that I am now quite spent and wearie ready to give over for want of breath and spirit to express my moanings night nor day have I had any quiet nor taken any rest but instead of sleep I have spent the night in continual weeping and in stead of repose upon my couch in the day time I have done nothing but shed tears 7 In so much as my sight is decaied and mine eyes wasted with incessant sorrowing and sunck into my head as it were with old age because of thy heavie hand and chiefly for the insultations of my many enemies over me because of mine affliction 8 But blessed be thy name me thinks of a sudden upon this my prayer I find my heart much cleared and my spirit well assured of thy favour and future mercie to me so that now I hope mine enemies shall have small cause to rejoyce over me for that I know thou wilt speedily disappoint that malicious and wicked desire they had of my destruction and wilt restore me for though my grief hath cost me many tears yet the Lord I perceive hath taken notice of them and pitied me for them 9 Yea he hath listned to the supplications I made in mine extremitie and will not reject them but according to my prayer will shew me mercie receive me to favour and restore me to health and comfort 10 So that now I am confident it shall be mine enemies turn to hang their heads for shame and vexation and mine to triumph over them when they see such an unexpected and sudden alteration and God to appear so much for me in it who they thought had been quite out of favour and should have now perished in his displeasure Seventh PSALM David being falsely accused to Saul by Cush to have abused his favour and made use of his reconciliation to strengthen himself against him and supplant him in the Kingdom and Saul by this slanderous report being inraged against David prosecutes him with greater hatred than before whereupon David flies to God by prayer for deliverance from Sauls inraged cruelty pleading his innocencie in the thing whereof he was accused whereupon he stirs up God to stand for him against his cruel adversaries for the promise sake which he had made him of the Kingdom and the service he would procure him in Israel thereby and withall prayes him that he will judge him according to his innocencie and the wicked according to their wickedness for that he knew who was in fault he or his enemies And in confidence thereof prophesies his enemies ruin and disappointment and that he shall live to see the day when he shall have cause to praise God for it and when that day comes he promises not to fail to do it A Psalm which David made and set to the tune of Shiggaion whereby he sought the Lord when as he was endangered by false accusation of him to Saul by that pick-thank flatterer Cush the Benjamite 1 MOst Almighty Lord and my most gracious God unto thy power and goodness do I flie for safe-guard relying onely on thee and therefore pray thee undertake my defence against my many adversaries Saul and his partizans who do most wrongfully persecute me from whose hands therefore good Lord deliver me 2 Lest if I fall into his hands he take away my life and put me to death by torments now that he is so inraged by false flatterers and I have none left about him that will or dare stand my friend and speak a good word for me 3 My most righteous Lord and God if this thing be true that Saul is informed off against me and for which he thus persecutes me if I have had any treacherous design upon him or broken Covenant with him as is suggested 4 If under the colour of peace and agreement I have sought to bring to pass any treacherous or treasonable thing or since our capitulation have falsified my word nay I am so far from thinking evil
to Saul that though he be mine utter enemie and hath wrongfully and without any cause at any time given by me laboured my destruction which nature can ill brook yet even then in that time of open hostilitie when I had him at advantage and might have rid my self of him once or twice such was my respect and loyaltie to him and fear of sinning against thee that I delivered him though to the hazard of mine own life thereby 5 If thou Lord who knowest all things know me guilty of this persidious treacherie whereof I am accused then in thy righteous judgement let Saul never cease to seek my life till he have it and then let him put me to as shameful a death as ever any suffered and brand me for a most treacherous ignominious wretch to all posteritie even from my heart I wish it 6 But Lord thou knowest its otherways therefore in thy just displeasure and in the greatness of thy power bestir thee in my behalf to right me on my false accusers and bloudie persecutors because of their unjust violence against me and delay no longer but take this season of their sinning to destroy them and fulfil that righteous decree and judgement which is gone forth of thy mouth concerning the making me the Kingly type of Christ over Israel 7 And I will cause thy sanctuarie to be erected upon Sion so shall all Israel meet solemnly to worship thee therefore for thy peoples sake who do now want the means of serving and seeking thee as they desire seat thy self upon thy Tribunal to do justice which now thou hast long forborn and shew forth thy power from heaven as formerly thou hast done in their behalfs 8 The Lord will right this wrong which his people sustain in having his worship deteined from them and I pray thee consider my case too O Lord to right me also on mine enemies who have deprived me of thine ordinances for that thou knowest me just in my behaviour and in mine heart upright towards Saul and most falsly slandered in those things whereof I am accused and for which I am persecuted 9 O Lord do thou put an end to the wicked practises of mine ungodly enemies but make good thy promise of mine establishment in the throne of Israel who fears thy name and am just in all my dealings for thou that knowest the inward thoughts and desires of mens hearts canst judge whether I or mine enemies be the wrong-doors 10 My trust is wholly in the Lord for my preservation against the furie of mine implacable and malicious adversaries who I know will not let the upright hearted man perish who fears to sin and hath a care to walk honestly 11 God though he seem slack yet will sooner or later judge the righteous mans cause and as well as the wicked seem to prosper yet hath God a continual eye upon them and their evil ways whereby his displeasure is daily increased against them 12 He indeed waits a time to see if the wicked will repent and turn from his evil ways but if after he have waited a while he turn not then will he be the more inraged severe in the execution of justice for which he hath all things in a readiness when the time comes 13 Yea he is preparing all the while he lets him live in sin to bring upon him utter destruction for it at last and the proud persecutors of the poor and godly he means in the end to make them the marks at whom he will discharge all his quiver of plagues and punishments 14 The world shall see that after he hath taken a great deal of pains and been at much trouble to compass his wicked ends by wicked means and hath with much studie contrived mischievous devices against the innocent the end will be that he will be deceived in his expectation both of the righteous mans ruin and his own prospering for he shall be the man that shall perish with all his machinations but the upright man shall be preserved in his innocencie 15 After he hath long set his wits a work and moiled and toiled to compass the godly mans destruction God shall so bring it about that his very design upon the righteous shall turn to his own utter undoing 16 All the ill he meant to others shall light upon himself and his violence against the good shall fall heavie upon him to his utter destruction 17 That day I know and am sure I shall live to see though it seems afar off when I shall have cause to praise the Lord for keeping promise with me and for all his righteous judging me according to mine innocencie in my deliverance and mine enemies downfall and when this is which I am sure will be I promise before hand in the faith of it that I will praise the power and goodness of the Lord God Almightie who rules over all and raiseth and abaseth whom he pleaseth Eighth PSALM David having honoured God with his absolute and relative title of Sovereigntie extols the excellencie of his manifested attributes which appear in his works by way of interrogation as unable otherways to express them to their worth shewing how both great and small yea the smallest things most convincingly set forth the praise of his admirable power and gracious goodness and providence towards mankind even to the confounding and confuting all ungodly and perverse Atheists And shews that for his own part when he seriously considers the workmanship of God in the Heavens and his creating the lights that shine therein for mans use together with his gracious rebestowing the use and dominion of the creature upon him by a new title of Redemption and heaven to boot when as he had lost all by sin and was worthie of none he cannot but with admiration acknowledge his great goodnes to man yea he cannot enough admire both his greatnes and goodnes To him that is most skilful upon Gittith the instrument used by Obed-Edom the Gittite and his family do I David that made this Psalm commit it for his ordering it in the Quire 1 MOst glorious Lord who hast the dominion over all the world and specially over us thy chosen how full of renown is thy power wisdom and greatness all the world over by reason of those admirable creatures and glorious Lights the Sun Moon and Starrs which thou hast created and placed up on high to shine through the ayrie regions to give light and convey heat to all that live upon earth 2 Yea every thing high and low great and small hold forth thy glory and manifest thy prais-worthy power and providence The very instinct and infant oratory that thou puttest into the new born babe to cry after the Mothers breasts making that silly creature so wise as to seek its subsistence so soon as it hath a Beeing and by moving pity therewith to be able also
all natural men live in sin and from the beginning have multiplied abominations not one either is or ever was that by nature without special and supernatural grace ever knew or served the Lord aright 2 The Lord made a long trial of it in the first age of the world in that time of nature between Adam and the giving of the Law purposely to see what it of it self would bring forth and how improve the talent that age afforded whether there were any one of all mankind that could and would improve it to the knowledge belief and worship of him or for default by nature to make out to him for grace 3 But he found by long experience notwithstanding his documents to and judgements upon the old world and so he finds still That all men are naturally fools void of understanding and generally without exception of polluted hearts and lives loathsome in his sight that none in nature does that which is right and acceptable no not a man of all mankind nor covets grace 4 In so much as God himself admired to see all men by nature void of the knowledge of him and of themselves in relation to him and wholly given over to sin and carnalitie yea even to the hatred and devouring those few in the world that are the people of God upon whom he hath bestowed his favour and grace and that differing from them walk in holines and righteousnes never taking thought to do or be like them neither themselves of themselves by nature worshipping God nor seeking to God for the like grace and inablement that those had given them but contemned it and hated them 5 Which at last brought fearful desolation upon them when the floud came and swept them all away Like measure shall the wicked contemners and haters of God and his worshippers have they shall find that God who by his spirit and grace throughout all ages is in the righteous will also be for them and against those that are against them 6 You graceless and wicked ones of this age take notice of it that have persecuted the poor and helpless and scorned him as a hairbrain fool for trusting so nakedly upon the Lord and bearing himself upon him without humane probabilities for deliverance and establishment 7 But O that the time were come which I am sure will come and is not long too that God will by mine enemies ruin settle my Kingdom in Sion as a Type of Christs in heaven and then and there by me send deliverance and happines to his people Israel as he will thence by him send salvation to his Church When God shall have thus delivered them from their enemies and out of their present troubles as formerly he did out of their captivities into peace and tranquillity as his Church by Christ shall be from wrath and hell how shall the faithful and true Israel of God who properly are the seed of his servant Jacob rejoyce proportionably in the type to what they shall then in the Antitype The xv PSALM David dâsirous to convince and convert the fârmââ professor or outward Jây of and from an overweening conceit and mistaken apprehension of himsâlf and his ceremonious worship As a Prophet goes to God by way of question to know of him and so to deliver from him who he is that is in his account a true worshâpper of him and is and shall be partaker of his grace and glorie And brings answer that it s he and only he that in the sight of God is as well conscientious of the moral as of the ceremonial law practizing as well righteousness as holines in all manner converse and commerce with men in thought words and actions A Psalm made by David 1 LOrd there are many pretenders to thy service and frequenters of thy Tabernacle worship that take themselves to be of the Church because they are in it but thou knowest that many are of Israel that are not Israel Therefore declare by me thy prophet who and what manner of man he must be that is an Israelite indeed a true worshipper of thee and savingly implanted into the true Church ever to abide in thy Kingdom of grace here and of glorie hereafter 2 Why no wicked man nor bare professor or meer ceremonial worshipper that is but seemingly holy But he and he onely that in conscience to God carries on the whole trade of his life holily and righteously both in duties of pietie and acts of moralitie in common converse and commerce 'twixt man and man doing what he does justly and honestly without fraud and deceit and saying what he says in truth from his heart without dissembling 3 Doing injurie to no man by undermining his good name and sliely seeking his disreputation by insinuating and speaking ill of him behind his back yea that neither in word or deed doth willingly disparage or disprofit any man nor is well pleased another should not itching after tales and reports to other mens disparagement and aspersion nor being over credulous of them when he hears them to the lessening their credit but in all things is careful to do as he would be done by counting every man his neighbour and walking thereafter in doing good and not evil to all 4 He that gives no countenance or encouragement to wickednes and wicked men but declares himself against it and them for its sake contrarily having in great esteem and shewing good respect to them that are known to be holy and good and is careful to walk unblameably and therefore is so tender of his word as that if he have promised or sworn any lawful thing he will keep it though it be to his disadvantage rather than falsifie 5 He that violates not the Laws of charitie and justice but having it by him lends freely to them that need intending their commoditie and not his own And that in office or judicature gives judgement uprightly not suffering himself to be perverted by bribery to wrong the innocent He that thus walks is no formalist nor Hipocrââ or cast-away but is the truly godly man that is blessed for ever with saving grace and assurance of glorie The xvi PSALM David having praied for divine preservation shews he expects to be saved by Gods goodnes and not his own which onely is gratuitous not meritorious Then he shews the vanitie and miserie of false religion and worship which he for his part disclainâs and by faith chuses to be happie in God onely Blessing God that hath by his word and spirit given him the wisdom to believe in him Which stablishes his heart in peace during life and in assured hope after death touching perseverance to the end and heaven in the end A Psalm made and set by David to a special tune called Michtam 1 O God of power uphold me from falling from thee lead me on in the knowledge love obedience of thy truth to
and power of God to all parts and people thereof In them may all men see how wonderfully God hath ordained the sun to reside and shine 5 Which at its first arising and mornings beautiful appearance is most welcome to all mens sight bringing light and as it were life with it from under the dark curtain of the sable night and with a free and natural motion fit for such an undertaking without difficulty sets upon the course it is to run and finish in the appointed time from one end of the heaven to the other 6 His setting forth is from the East and in a day he makes his progress to the West diffusing also his light and influence North and South whose penetrating heat in this his motion reacheth the very lowermost parts of the earth concocting minerals and quickening vegetables 7 Glorious is God in his works which declare his power and wisdom to all men but much more glorious is he in his word and doctrine delivered peculiarly to his people which holds forth to them his covenant of saving grace Those things by a natural propensity convey to men many common and bodily benefits But the word of God is far beyond them all restoring both our title to them lost by our fall and which is infinitely more supernaturally revealing to us the perfect and infallible way of life turning again to God and powerfully bringing it to pass upon us The truth delivered in it by the Lord touching our salvation is unquestionable and may be trusted to which understood and imbraced enriches us who foolishly lost our first estate of holines and happines with understanding how to get it again 8 The saving principles and ordinances which God gives us in his word to walk by are holy and righteous and such as being observed and obeyed in faith and conscience to the Law-giver brings joy and hearts ease in the comfortable sense of our sinceritie and assurance of Gods favour to us and acceptance of us The whole will of God revealed is it self pure void of errour or corruption and makes them so that walk according to it enlightning them with understanding to tread in the way of truth and life when others wander in by-paths of death and errour 9 The holy law of God which he hath ordained his people to fear and serve him by is free from corruption and makes them like it that observe it holy and pure and is everlastingly the same like God the giver of it not to be varied by us at no time nor occasion bringing with it the reward of everlasting happines The ordinances and commandments of the Lord by which he expects to be obeyed and purposes to judge the world are compleatly perfect free from all errour and injustice and onely makes men so 10 They are of more worth and yield a man more profit than all the riches of the world better are they to be prized and more to be desired than the most refined gold And more true pleasure and content do they bring to the soul and conscience by faithful observance than the sweetest honey does to the taste 11 After a special manner they are and ever have been useful to me and to all that fear thee shewing us how to stear a right course in every condition by chusing the good and refusing the evil And well worthie are they to be obeyed for they bring a blessed reward with them even peace of conscience and everlasting life 12 So holy are all thy foresaid laws and commandments and so binding both to the inward and outward man as who lives that can know how oft he offends against them Lord pardon me therefore my unknown sins and sanctifie my heart and spirit conformably to thy law which is spiritual 13 Protect me also who am thy servant and desire to yield thee universal obedience from outward and grosser iniquities committed against knowledge let not such prevail over me by strength of temptation And so being thus pardoned and sanctified notwithstanding my many frailties and daily infirmities I shall be uprightly righteous in thy sight and shall be though not innocent and free from all sin yet from known and presumptuous ones any of which lived in may justly stagger my sinceritie and covenant-peace which without thy special preventing grace I shall notwithstanding fall into 14 Yea cleanse me throughout Let my very words and thoughts as well as deeds be such as sute with thy law and will Thus Lord grant me grace and pardon who onely art my sanctifier and redeemer The xx PSALM David as a prophet instructs his people in a pattern and form of prayer to pray for him their King and to seek their own welfare in him as the Churches in Christ whereof he and they were respective types And to look at God for all the good they expected by his means and withal to be confident of it by saith grounded upon pregnant experiences of his grace and favour to him And how ever God might make them strong in outward things yet not to change their trust but to keep it firm in God by example both of their enemies miscarriages through their misgrounded confidence and of their own experienced success by trusting in the Lord. Closing up the prayer with a brief of all Praying God to preserve both them and their King and to make him able to govern and defend them in equitie and tranquillitie as Christ his Church To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 WE the people of God and thee whom God hath set over us pray for thee That the Lord would hear thy prayers against thine enemies in time of need the grace and providence of God which he shewed to our father Jacob and promised to us his seed who are his peculiar people evermore accompany and preserve thee our King 2 Yea the good Lord answer thee succesfully from that place which he hath specially appointed to hear and for us to offer prayers in even his holy Tabernacle And grant thee his Almighty aid according to the daily prayers of his priests and people which they put up unto him in his holy mountain in thy behalf 3 The Lord keep in mind thy pious offerings of praise and thanksgivings for mercies past to give thee further cause to do the like and the Lord accept the propitiation for thy sins to pardon them and shew forth the gratious fruits and effects of his reconciled favour to thee All this we humbly and heartily pray for 4 God grant thee answers and issues according to thine own desire and bless all thy advice and undertakings for God and his people with sutable success 5 We are confident that God is and ever will be with thee and therefore rejoyce before hand in that
his afflictions the crueltie of his enemies the uprightnes of his cause and his peoples necessities A Psalm made by David 1 TO thee above O lord doth my soul faithfully address it self and its desires continually and to no other 2 O thou that by many gracious and sweet promises I know assuredly to be my God in thee onely do I put my trust let not me therefore miscarry and be defeated of my hopes and so both I and my faith be rendred a scorn to my wicked enemies 3 Yea Lord remember what a tie of truth and goodness lies upon thee towards them that in faith and holiness depend on thee and walk with thee as I do not to suffer such to miscarry and fail of their confidence or reward no let mine enemies do so who trust in other things and spitefully without any cause on my part break all Laws of Justice and Charity towards me so shalt thou magnifie thy faithfulness to the faithful and thy Justice upon the wicked 4 How ever other men walk towards me yet my desire is to keep touch with thee and therefore O Lord I pray thee in all my trials shew me thy promises and commandments appertaining to my present case and condition and teach me to understand what safety and reward there is in them that I may never depart from them 5 Powerfully enable me to stick close to thy word of truth by faith and obedience refusing every false way and refuge Thus instruct me both to do and know thy will in the midst of my temptations for thou art the God in whom I trust for all manner of preservation in wel-doing and wel-being on thee do I constantly depend every hour for every thing both for direction and protection in all my trials 6 O Lord forget not what fatherly pitty and love thou hast evermore born to thine and what expressions and manifestations thou hast made thereof upon all occasions as they have needed for they never yet failed thy people nor let them do so now to me that plead that priviledge to be one of thine to whom mercy successively belongs in my generation as to them in theirs 7 Call not to mind my sins long since committed before I knew thee nor the errors I was guilty of in that estate now to inflict their punishment upon me but contrarily according to that mercy thou hast in store for me and hast promised to me do thou pardon them and shew thy self gracious to me in mine afflictions and that of thy meer and free goodness O Lord not for any motive or merit of mine 8 Gracious and faithful is the Lord therefore will he and for no other reason both pardon self-judgeing and enable self-outed sinners to turn to him with all their hearts and to walk before him in all wel-pleasing 9 The humble and lowly-hearted that sensibly needs and sincerely craves supply of grace and wisdom from God he will give them a good understanding how to walk acceptably before him so as to have his favour and protection such shall not want supply of enlightning and enabling grace to know and do his will 10 However even the faithfull may think some of Gods wayes he takes towards them by the strangeness of them to be unagreeable to that mercy and truth is in him and his promises Yet be they never so contrary to flesh and bloud they are all of them consonant to his grace and faithfulness which he hath contracted with those that are in covenant with him and walk accordingly in faith and obedience 11 For thy truth and mercy sake O Lord and for no cause else do away my sin out of thy sight which is great and manifold and lies heavy on me and which else will certainly bring upon me soar afflictions as I have already felt they have done 12 Few there are that reverence and fear the Lord so as to seek to him to be pardoned their sins and made his servants but in this I may comfort my self and so may any else that in so doing I nor they shall not fail of our desires but that God in his love and goodness to such an one will so direct and guide him as that he shall not be given over to his own corrupt lusts but shall be instructed and enabled to walk in such a way as he shall best accept 13 And he that doth so though he may have troubles without yet he may be sure of peace within nor shall he be devoid of temporal blessings neither but sooner or later in Gods good time according to his covenant he will reward his service upon him and his posterity especially if they walk in his steps even with outward mercies of peace and plenty as we see it fulfilled to us according to promise made to our holy forefathers and so I doubt not shall it be to me and mine as God hath promised 14 However the godly are in the world neglected yet with God they are in special favour for in a gracious familiarity and good will he sweetly imparts the sacred mistery of his good pleasure and purpose of their salvation in a spiritual way to the spiritual man that fears to offend and desires to please him which as a secret is hid from the knowledg of the world who onely partake his common and outward benefits Yea such he will teach with an intimate instruction and impression of his spirit upon their hearts what are the covenant-graces priviledges and benefits belonging to and on his part to be bestowed upon them he will shew them the honour and happiness to be in covenant with him as also what are the covenant-duties and gratuitous returns reciprocally to be performed on their parts to him with enablement to do them in love and thankfulness by writing his law in their hearts 15 I will make nothing my trust but God nor will I ever cease to wait upon the Lord and pray unto him for deliverance but be my case never so desperate and my misery never so tedious yet will I confidently and with a fixed mind exspect it for according to his promise I know the time will come when I shall be set at liberty and disintangled from my troublesome dangers 16 As mine eyes are towards thee so Lord set thy face favourably to me-ward whom thou hast seemed long to have neglected Now therefore bethink thee and let me at last find grace in thy sight and give me a merciful deliverance for I am without any help but thine and greatly afflicted by many outward enemies and inward trials 17 My miseries strike deep into my soul which is very sore oppressed with grief O consider it in thy tender mercies and deliver me out of my great afflictions 18 Lord take me into thy consideration do but cast an eye upon the greatness of mine affliction and dolour and let it move thee
warrant of his own word and his former remarkable providences as also his strong affiance and trust in him and his enemies malice against him and so concludes with great incouragement to himself and every one of Gods people to wait and trust everlastingly in a promise never to give out but incourage themselves in God his goodness be their condition never so desperate A Psalm made by David 1 IN my most afflicted state and darksome condition the Lord hath and doth afford me both comfort and direction yea and also preservation and deliverance and so hath promised to do alwayes and I believe no less by him from whom then need I fear any harm The Lord is he that according to his promise and my trust in him defends and upholds me spite of all the power of men and devils of whom then need I be afraid be they who they will and do they what they can 2 When as multitude of wicked ones with cruel hatred conspired against me and joyned all their forces to wreak their teen upon me and barbarously destroy me what got they by it but ruine to themselves which they thought to bring upon me by the just judgement of God upon them for my sake 3 Whilst thus I am sure of God on my side though an whole army of men should be ready to make an assault upon me my heart by faith shall bear up in God without dismaiedness Though I were never so implunged in warres by forraign enemies or domestick insurrections yet by faith in Gods grace and powerful assistance will I confidently exspect an happy issue out of them all 4 The thing I have alwayes in all conditions mainly desired of God and which still I do and ever will principally sue to him for is that he will so order mine affairs that I may not be put besides my hope and desires of that transcendent happiness of frequenting his presence and enjoying his ordinances in his tabernacle where I could gladly lead my life there to behold through those many legal types and shadows the admirable grace and wisdom of God in the salvation of man through Christ and to make there my dayly prayers and to ask advice of him upon all occasions as the people of God shall one day do in his holy Temple 5 Nor shall I entreat this of him in vain for he that hath stirred me up to seek it will fulfil it and to that end in my greatest trouble I am confident he will preserve and safely protect me Yea as if I were shut up in his holy Ark so shall I be kept and secured by him he shall make me invincible spite of all mine adversaries and set me above and out of their reach to hurt me 6 And sure I am it is not long too before I shall have the better of all mine enemies one and other and shall live in a flourishing state of peace and prosperity therefore do I confidently aforehand vow peace-offerings to him which I will plentifully and publickly offer in his tabernacle with joyful thanksgiving in the congregation for my deliverances where I so much desire to serve him And where also I will sing his praises and publish his praise-worthy mercies to me in manifold Psalmes and Himnes 7 Thou that art the God of my faith and trust O hear me when mine afflictions cause me to cry and pour forth my prayers unto thee and in mercy answer me with deliverance 8 For whereas thy word warrants and enjoynes thy people in all their difficulties to seek thy gracious help and favour in prayer and faith my heart readily ecchoes and sayes Amen to it doth as it bids for it hath alwayes been my practise to prefer thy grace as my greatest good and onely support because of thy faithfulness 9 And still do I beg of thee above all things not to ecclipse thy favour or withdraw thine assistance from me take not such displeasure at me who though a sinner yet am thy servant as to divorce me from thy favour and protection Thou knowest and so do I what mercies and providences thou hast shewen me in my need which is wont to bind thee to further goodness and to incourage us to greater faith and therefore let me in the faith thereof humbly put thee in mind of thy former grace to move thee to second it now and alwayes as I have need and thou hast opportunity by standing for me and sticking to me not leaving me to mine enemies nor withdrawing thy help for thou hast been art and ever shall be the God that I onely have and will trust in for preservation 10 Truly my faith is more in thee and a nearer tie of love and affiance doth mine heart apprehend from thee than from the dearest bonds of nature and natural affections so that my father that begot me and my mother that bare me I more distrust to fail and forsake me in their love and care than thou who I am confident wilt never forsake me nor fail in thy love and promises to me whosoever do nay thou wilt then most of all be a freind unto me when I am left most friendless and forlorn 11 O Lord manifest thy love and care both in my protection and direction instructing me how to walk obediently towards thee in all my temptations and safely in regard of mine enemies by escaping their traps and snares who would be glad to see my fall both into sin that they may have whereof to accuse me and into danger to have their wills upon me 12 But Lord let mine enemies never have their wills and desires of me by my miscarriages any way though they seek and long for it every way by fraud and force endeavouring it forging lies against me and threatning all manner of cruelty to me 13 Certainly so many and grievous have been my pressures that I could never have subsisted under them unless I had had a promise to stay me and faith to stay upon the promise through the goodness of God for my deliverance and settlement one day in a happy condition free from persecution and banishment amongst the ordinances and people of God which I am sure I shall have before I die though in the nature of a resurrection from the dead 14 And truly this hath ever upheld me and so doth still to wait on the Lord which for the promise sake I will never fail to do for I know it shall be fulfilled therefore will I incourage my self by faith in God and so shall I be sure of him to give me heart-upholding grace and spirit No never will I give over waiting on the Lord till he cause me cease it by fulfilling what I wait for according to his promise And so let all and every one of the people of God be incouraged to do in like sort by mine example The xxviii PSALM David prayes to have his prayers heard
which wrought me this trouble and miserie 8 And hereupon I betook me to my never failing refuge of fervent and faithful prayer which I put up to the Lord again and again 9 Reasoning the matter thus in an humble boldness what satisfaction can my bloud make thee for my sin or how can my death glorifie thee comparably to my life and restorement what an opportunitie of praise wilt thou lose if thou takest away my life though I confess in justice I have forfeited it but consider if according to thy mercie and faithfulness thou so far beyond my merits shalt pardon and spare me what praise it will bring thee and how I and others for my sake shall be set on work to admire and magnifie the omnipotencie of thy grace and infallibilitie of thy promise 10 Therefore make not my life a prey to mine enemies but hear my prayer and in mercie pardon my sin and grant me deliverance be thou Lord my helper and saviour from my sin and danger 11 And upon my prayer the Lord hath helped me yea to thine everlasting praise be it spoken thou Lord hast been merciful to me and hast done away both my sin and thine anger quit me of mine enemies and restored me out of my sorrowful estate to a joyful condition and out of my humiliation and abasement into an established tranquillitie and happiness 12 And this thou hast done for me To the end I may by this merciful occasion have my tongue oiled from a heart enlarged to exalt thee in thy never to be forgotten praises by Psalms of thanks-giving and accordingly O Lord that art the God of all my happiness I will never forget this thy mercie but with everlasting thankfulness according to my dutie and thy desert will I celebrate the praise thereof unto thee The xxxi PSALM David by many circumstances in this Psalm does doubtless intend his sufferings and the great straits he was brought into under Absaloms rebellion against which he prayes and comforts himself by and from Gods former mercies shewn in his deliverance under Sauls persecution and in prayer urgeth hard upon God his great extremities under the burden of his sin and sufferings together with his injurious usage solitarie friendlesness and extream hazard of his life In all which afflictions he yet animates himself by his saith in God and earnestly persists in prayer to him even until he be fully heard and answered in his own preservation and his enemies overthrow And then blames his faith for sailing him upon the suddenness and greatness of his temptation but magnifies the goodness of God that yet was merciful and faithful to him And exhorts all the Godly never in no case to disbelieve the power and grace of God assuring the faithful that they shall ever find God so To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 THee O Lord do I make mine onely refuge in all mine adversities trusting in nothing but thy help and grace therefore at no time no more now then heretofore let me miscarrie nor my faith nor self be rendred a scorn to mine adversaries but do thou keep promise with me and deliver me 2 Lend an hearing ear to the prayer I put up unto thee and delay not to deliver me in mine extremitie which is urgent and requires speedy relief as my faith makes thee so let it find thee an all-sufficient support and safetie to me in all adverse fortune 3 For truly thou art all in all to me I have not any thing to trust unto nor do I trust in any thing but thee for defence and preservation therefore for the honour of thy faithfulness whereupon I solely depend take me into thy tuition and trase out my way for me by thy gracious and wise providence that I be not ensnared by mine enemies 4 Prevent their craftie counsels and subtile practises against me not suffering me to be entrap'd but so directing me in all my ways as to shun their deceits or if I by thine appointment and permitting providence fall into their snares deliver me out of them for there are none too wise or too strong for thee who art of wisdom and power sufficient either to prevent or to rescue me 5 I betrust my life and safetie to nothing but thy custodie there I deposit it now and for ever and good cause have I for thou hast given good testimonie of thy tender care and love to it and me thou hast rescued my life from temporal danger and my soul from spiritual and eternal O Lord thou hast hitherto made good thy word of grace and so I trust wilt still 6 I have been tempted and perswaded in my necessities to leave off depending on thee and to take other courses like other men but I have ever expressed my dislike of such counsels and reproved such counsellours that would have drawn me to seek mine advantages against mine enemies as they do against me by sinful and unjustifiable proceedings and have always both in word and deed declared my self to relie on the Lord for deliverance in his own way and time 7 And whilest I take this course I know I shall rejoyce in the issue yea I promise and assure my self before-hand that I shall ever have cause of gladness and joy in thy goodness and mercie for thou wilt still have as thou hast ever had a tender regard of me in my troubles testifying thy mindfulness of me by my manifold extraordinarie preservations and deliverances 8 Which thou hast given me from mine arch-enemie Saul who thought me his and that I could not escape him many a time when yet I did Yea thou hast set me free out of all those troubles with advantage of honour and happines 9 And now O Lord do as thou hast done shew me mercie in delivering me out of my present distress for my trouble is very great so that my sight is become dim with continual weeping and my spirits and vitals are wasted and decayd within me by my pensivenes 10 For my very life draws nigh to death with extream grieving and my time is cut off and shortened by the exhausting of my spirits with incessant sighings and lamentations Yea my natural strenght decays and wasteth by reason of my sin and thy displeasure so that my very bones are sensibly enfeebled with it 11 Mine old inveterate enemies and Sauls friends were all glad in heart to see mine affliction insulting thereupon but especially was I most injuriously and reprochfully used by my neer allies and friends Absalom and Ancitophel being forced to flie and shift for my self in a poor condition in so much as that those that wished me well and were mine entire friends and acquaintance durst not owne me or take part with me almost all that
happy is that man whom in mercie God freely justifies and acquits from the guilt and punishment of his sin and seals it to him by the never-failing testimonie of his sanctifying spirit bestowed upon him creating him anew towards God in sinceritie and holiness 3 I can speak by experience for when as I loved my sin and lived in it and was loth to confess and forsake it not seeking pardon for it nor grace against it how bitter and burdensome at last did the Lord make it to me tormenting me within with most insupportable horrours to the sensible decay of nature by reason of his heavy displeasure and the want of his favour so that it made me restlesly to roar and crie 4 Yea incessantly without intermission was I tormented with fear and terrour so that I was even scorched and my natural moisture dried up with inward anguish like unto leaves and grass by a summers drought I speak it freelingly 5 This made me come off and glad I was to acknowledge my sin unto thee and ask forgiveness which I did not daring to conceal it any longer but spread it before thee with confession and deprecation And truly when once I did but feel my self throughly and sincerely resolved in my spirit no longer to hide and harbour it in my bosom but humbly in self-judging to lay it open before the Lord presently hereupon I felt my heart eased of mine inward pressures and cleared with the comfortable apprehension of the pardon of the guilt and punishment of my sin and thine acceptance of me into grace and favour again I speak it joyfully 6 This testimonie of mine touching thy ready mercie to humble penitents shall incite by the faith thereof all that are or desire to be Godly to make their addresses to thee in their trouble for sin in hope and full assurance to find the like mercie from thee in their miserie which is a time indeed wherein thou art readiest to afford help and comfort Surely in the greatest of outward troubles or inward perplexities such an one as flies to thee for refuge shall find as I have done that though like waves they may threaten and affright him yet they shall not overwhelm him but being in faith by prayer sought unto thou wilt command a calm in his soul as thou didst in mine 7 Thou art the refuge that my soul still flies unto for succour in all distresses and so thou hast approved thy self and so wilt ever do in time of need I am confident thou wilt never but shew me mercie in my miserie and so wilt ever give me cause to praise thee and rejoyce in thee still as I have need of thee by my manifold and seasonable deliverances To thy glorie I speak it 8 As I have learned of the Lord the way of wel-doing so will I as is my dutie teach it unto thee who ever thou art for thy welfare out of a care and and desire of thy good I will shew thee the readie and certain way of gaining the favour of God as I have found it and seen the experience of it so will I declare it to thee 9 Which is this walk humbly with thy God and be tractable to his will and pleasure not rebelliously persisting in sin and so foolishly provoking him against thee to reduce thee by extremities as we are fain to do brute beasts or plague thee with his judgements to keep thee within compass 10 For the wicked by their wickedness do but kick against pricks and heap up judgement to themselves But he that is the Lords by faith and obedience the sails of his soul shall be filled with the comfortable sense of Gods mercie and favour to him and he shall find the good effects thereof in the whole course of his life 11 Therefore if the wicked will still be so at their peril But as for the Godly they have chosen the better part for the Lord is their portion in whom they may and ought to be glad and rejoyce even all that believe in him for the pardon of their sins and are sanctified by his holy spirit such whatsoever the world think of them that are thus sincere and truly Godly which all are not that make profession and shew of religion have infinit cause of joy in their blessed and happie condition which they shall do well to put in practise and make conscience of by an answerable actual rejoycing and comfortable course of life to the conviction of the world and the honour of God The xxxiii PSALM In this Psalm the Godly are incited exceedingly to praise the Lord because of their faithful experience of his word and works his holy nature goodness and power manifested all the world over for which all men also ought to reverence him But principally his people Israel whose happiness he hath decreed and will bring to pass maugre all opposition of contrarie counsels and attempts in case they walk with him and hope in him he will be with them He underrates for Israel in the name of all the faithful that they will and do effectually hope in the Lord and promiseth in so doing they shall speed accordingly and lastly prayes it may be so 1 O all ye chosen Israel who are or should be Saints and servants of the Lord rejoyce and be exceeding glad all those that are so in that you have him for your portion and truly better and more seemly service they cannot do him that are partakers of his grace and spirit than to render him praise for his love and benefits towards them 2 Never think you can give too many or too much praise to God but learn to be skilful in it and every way in the very best manner and with the most raised affections look you perform it to him that so highly deserves it at your hands 3 As he vouchsafes new mercies so still do you indite new praises to him with thankful hearts set all your skill and might on work to magnifie him 4 For the word of promise which he hath made to the righteous is firm to be trusted and will not deceive the believing soul but is and ever shall be true to him and all his works of power and providence towards them and against their enemies are the fruits of his mercy and faithfulness 5 The Lord is righteous and holy hates the wayes of the world injury and oppression and contrarily loves justice and equity and such as practise them he is bountiful also and out of his goodness fills the earth with abundance of good things for the use of man 6 And as his goodness so his power wonderfully appears in the world for at his meer command the heavens and all those lightsome glorious ornaments therein were made and other way of Being they had none saving his command to Be. 7 And as the heavens above so the earth beneath sheweth his
his enemies on the other A Psalm made by David in soar affliction both to mind God of his pitious state to gain relief and himself of sin and the fruit thereof to humble him under it 1 O Lord I confess my self a sinner and to deserve thy punishment but remember thou art good and merciful therefore let thy chastisements be fatherly not in rigour void of compassion and forgivenes 2 Which me thinks thou art for thou hast wounded me deep in body and mind thy punishing hand is exceeding heavie upon me 3 My diseased body is all over tormented with extream pain which in thy displeasure thou hast cast me into My sin hath brought me into a miserable condition my very bones feel the smart of it 4 For mine iniquities have overwhelmed me with a deluge of wrath and like a thick cloud have intercepted thy favour from me They and their sad effects lie so heavie upon me that my spirit is almost overwhelmed by them and my very life endangered 5 My disease is very grievous painful and loathsome for which I condemn my self and acquit thee for I may thank mine own folly my sin hath caused my suffering 6 Yea it hath brought me into a heavie case for my trouble is great by reason of it the weight thereof presseth me soar I have no ease but continual sorrow for it and by it 7 For I lie under a grievous maladie noisomly diseased all my body over tormented so that by reason thereof my loins fail me that should support me and my strength every where else is decayed 8 Through the length and nature of my distemper I am extreamly weakned in nature and constitution my bones are as if they were broken And my mind is as much out of order as my bodie through the extream anguish of my sins guilt and Gods heavie displeasure which hath forced upon out-cries from me 9 But yet this comforts me that thou O Lord takest notice and art privie to my cries which in faithfulness I put up unto thee though thou doest not seem to do so and my groans are known to thee though hitherto they bring no relief from thee 10 For yet it s worse with me and no better for still mine heart languisheth with sorrow more and more and my strength it decayes and my sight through sorrowful mournings is grown dim and mine eyes almost quite benighted 11 I am very forlorn and destitute of help and comfort for my disease is so dangerous and lothsome that my very friends are forced from me who in their hearts entirely love me and would not forgo me could they safely accompanie me and possibly endure me yea all men not onely my friends and acquaintance but my nearest kindred and allies are so too 12 And at once both thus my friends forsake me and mine enemies endanger me endeavouring mine utter destruction by all possible means secret or open any way by word or deed to do me mischief which they terribly threaten is their desire and continual endeavour 13 But I sustained my self in faith and patience not rendring evil for evil in the sense of mine unworthines and faith of thy goodnes I was silent commending my self and them respectively unto thee for mercie and justice 14 I refrained both from impatience and revengeful retributions of any kind committing my cause to thee in meekness and humilitie 15 I gave place to wrath for that in thee O Lord is my hope and confidence that in thy good time thou wilt do me right on them that injure me and will hear the crie of my wronged innocencie and my prayer for deliverance O Lord my God in whose faithfulness I trust and whose servant I am 16 For to thee have I and do I make my prayer for support and deliverance least if mine enemies should procure mine undoing it would be thy dishonouring and the shame of my faith and profession I know that would be the issue by those experiences I have had of their behaviour for upon all advantages they have disparaged me and my cause and been raised in self-confidence above me and my hopes 17 I crie unto thee for support and deliverance for God knows of my self without it I am readie every foot to perish and to be utterly depressed with the greatness of my calamitie such and so uncessant is my grief that I must needs else sinke under it 18 Yea I have prayd unto thee for mercie and that with promise and full purpose of heart to repent of my sin that caused my suffering I have promised humbly to confess it and heartily to lament it and have done it accordingly 19 This Lord hath been my manner to confess my sin pray thy pardon submit to thy punishment wait for thy mercie and yet still I remain sick and weak in miserie and distress whilest my wicked and graceless enemies are notwithstanding in health and strength feel nothing of that I doâ yea I every way decrease and they increase my friends grow less and mine enemies more the combination of such as mortally and injuriously hate me greatens exceedingly 20 And such and so ill-natured men are my adversaries that as I render not them evil for evil so contrarily they render me evil for good and hate me for no other cause but because I am good and do good 21 Now Lord consider what I have said and the arguments I have used both touching my self and mine enemies and do accordingly Let me that am thus destitute of all help but thine and that walk close with thee and depend firmly on thee not be forsaken but find thee faithful and gracious to uphold and deliver me 22 Vouchsafe me thine helping hand before I perish which I am in imminent danger to do O Lord that by thy promise and my faith art my onely preserver and deliverer The xxxix PSALM David for his sin suffering as is most probable under Absaloms rebellion resolves patiently to bear the opprobries that were cast upon him by his adversaries and so did onely makes his address to God by prayerful expostulation desiring to know an end of his miseries though it were with the end of his life shewing the vanitie of him every man and everything and that happiness is onely to be had in the grace and favour of God Praying him to pardon his sins for which he justly suffered and in mercie to mitigate his displeasure which had almost quite consumed him and so is able to do the whole world And lastly with cries and tears intreats for pitie in this short sojourning state of mortallitie and that he may tast and see the favour of God in his restorement before he die To Jeduthun one of the prime musicians and the principal of all his linage do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung
1 BEing grievously tempted to impatiencie by extream afflictions mine enemies provocations I was fain to watch my self narrowly to take up a vow and resolution not to give the reins to my tongue but to bridle it from taking libertie to exceed in intemperate speeches specially whilest I had to do with wicked men who lay at advantage to take scandal at me and my profession by any miscarriage they could espie 2 Wherefere I abstained utterly from speaking even that which was truth in mine own defence and their reproof least therewith impatiencie should get vent though thereby I was much troubled and had much ado to do it 3 In so much as my heart was full and so heated with smothering my grief that I burst out in prayerful expostulation betwixt God and me and said 4 Lord mine afflictions are so many and great as that they make me wearie of my life comfort me so far as to inform me how near I am to mine end and how few my miserable dayes shall be Let me know this of thee that so I may hope of deliverance at least by mortalitie 5 Sure I am my life is not long and at longest it is but short compared with thine eternal being its as nothing and what is mans life considered in it self Even when it is at best its very vanitie void of true satisfaction Would men would consider it 6 Surely every man hath here but an imaginarie happiness certainly they cark and care to be that which this life can never make them labouring in vain to be happie in it What a deal of pains does a man take to be rich yea richer and richer and can never live to use all he hath nor knows not how soon he shall depart with it nor how it will be spent nor into whose hands it will come when he is gone witness the state I had and was in erewhile whereof how soon and unexpectedly am I deprived 7 And now Lord seeing every thing is thus emptie and unprofitable why should I trust in or desire to be happie by any thing short of thee no I do not Thy favour and grace is that I prize and hope in most of all I wait for and desire it above all earthly felicitie the restorement of it is more to me than my Kingdom and happier shall I be in it 8 Grant me for my happiness the pardon of my sins that have brought me into this miserie and let not my wicked enemies prevail against me to destroy me and insult over me and God in me 9 Though I endured very much yet I bare it patiently without fretfulness because I know in justice I had deserved it and thou inflictedst it 10 Good Lord be intreated to pitie me and to ease me of my grief for I am almost utterly perished by thine afflicting hand and heavie judgement for my sin 11 When thou punisheth and correcteth man for iniquitie thou changest him quite from what he was both in condition and constitution his honour thou layest in the dust and himself thou makest little less every way defacest him and makest him comparatively to what he was as a beautifull garment when its moth-eaten and consumed thus am I yea surely every man even the whole kind of him in thine hands is as nothing To thy glory and mans abasing and humbling be it spoken 12 O Lord hear the prayer I put up unto thee and the cries I pour forth in mine extremity let my tears be effectual and prevalent in mine own behalf and against mine enemies for my help is wholly in thee and must be from thee in the faith of whose truth and goodness I subsist in my travel through this world as did my godly forefathers who were heirs of promise and lived by faith being though in the world yet not of it but belonged to thee and so do I who therefore suffer therein as they did 13 O take me not away in thy displeasure but in mercy revive and restore me to a comfortable feeling of thy favour again in the sensible pardon of my sin remission of my punishment and re-establishment in mine estate that so I may end this my short and transitory life when I do end it which is not long to in thy grace both to mine own sense and the worlds sight when I bid it adeiu The xl PSALM David being in trouble probably under Absaloms rebellion reckons up his former experiences of Gods goodness and his great deliverances first from Saul and then from after evils pronouncing a blessing upon himself and others that trust firmely in the Lord extolling his wonderfull mercies to such And shews what manner of praise he hath wont to offer to God for them not ceremoniall but reall and thus winds in upon God by recounting his favours to him and his service back again to God both in praising and publishing his goodness and truth And then after a self-judging preamble comes upon him with new requests for instant deliverance both from sin and punishment and for confusion of his enemies and lastly chears up himself and all his faithfull well-willers and partakers with a hopefull prayer notwithstanding his present condition To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 I have endured much and long but having a promise I staid my self upon it and have patiently undergone all his providence in a faithfull expectation of the Lord in truth and goodness to fulfil it at last which he hath done and hath most graciously vouchsafed me audience and deliverance 2 I was low sunk in fear and danger even of utter ruine whence he hath marvellously delivered me out of a very miserable condition hath he brought me that no power but his could ever have freed me from but he hath done it and not onely delivered me from an ill estate but estated me in a good and safe one and confirmed it to me spite of all those mine enemies and opposers and all they could do to the contrary 3 And hath given me further occasion of thanksgiving and praises by new and fresh mercies even to the full accomplishment of his promise and my happiness his wonderful power and goodness to me-ward shall amaze many that never thought to see it and affect them both with fear of and faith in the Lord that bringeth great things to pass 4 That man is a blessed man and shall be a successfull man that stedfastly relies upon the Lord alone and regards not the threatnings of the proud presumptuous boaster nor the brags of such as put their confidence in sinfull practises and self-refuges to dissettle his faith or follow their example 5 Manifold O most powerfull and gracious Lord God are the wonderfull providences protections and deliverances which thou hast done and
wrought for thy children and servants from time to time and the thoughts of mercy and goodness which thou hast had towards us and shewed upon us that have believed in thee they are so many that we cannot count them nor orderly declare them should I go about particularly to praise thee for them or to tell the world of them my memory would yea could not but deceive me they are so numberless 6 Sacrifices and offerings though they be by the appointment of thy Law yet as they are commonly used or rather abused by formal and outward devotion thou carest not for them it is the kernel and not the shell comparatively that thou regardest to wit a bored pliable ear and yielding heart to do thy will in faith and obedience which blessed be thy name thou hast bestowed upon me whom herein thou hast made a type of thy sonne and servant Christ the onely acceptable sacrifice and substance of all shadows and which I know thou valuest in me above never so many burnt and sinne-offerings wherein others for most part put their religion 7 For by thy bestowing on me this spiritual ear and regenerate heart I am made apt and ready to offer and consecrate my self in all filial alacrity a sacrifice to thy service as it is written and prophesied of me in resemblance of Christ of whose son-like love and perfect obedience the whole Scripture foretells 8 I do as he much more shall delight to please and obey thee in all things O my God and his thy holy and righteous law is not to me as it is to the world untoothsome and harsh but pleasing and connatural as it shall be to Christ. 9 And what I have learned and known to be thy righteous will as a Prophet and faithfull servant of the Lord I have as Christ shall taken occasion to declare and teach it to thy people in the most solemn feasts and greatest concourse as might make most for thy glory and their edifying I have not ceased to do my duty to thee and them but have informed and instructed them O Lord I know thou knowst this and takest notice of my poor weak but sincere service herein 10 I have kept back nothing which I knew and whereof I ought to have informed them touching thee and thy good grace but both by mine example in praising thee and also by doctrine have I declared to them the faithfulness that is in thee and that thou hast and ever wilt shew to them that believe in thy promises for grace and salvation I have not smothered mine own experimented knowledg of thy mercifull loving kindness to such and thy truth in fulfilling what thou hast promised them but have taken the best opportunity to make it known most to thy praise and thy peoples edification 11 And as I have done so I will do still as thou givest me occasion therefore be as gracious and merciful as thou hast been let me find thy love and faithfulness ever at hand to preserve me 12 For I am now in as great need as ever I was being surrounded with manifold miseries and great dangers deserved punishments for mine iniquities which have arrested me and keep me prisoner under the burden of thy heavy displeasure which makes me of a dejected heart and countenance ashamed and afeard to make mine addresses to a God so displeased with a sinner so exceeding sinful as I am doubting my success and thy favour 13 Nor yet can I be silent my dangers on the other hand press so soar upon me therefore of thine own good grace O Lord deliver me from the burden of my sin and misery O Lord consider my great straits and delay not to relieve me for thou art gracious and pitiful 14 Let the shame and confusion which mine enemies would bring upon me fall upon themselves let them as they sin together so perish together that seek my life let them be defeated of their expectation and desire and come to a shameful end themselves that seek mine undoing 15 Let them be utterly ruinated and made desolate for a just reward and punishment of their shameful and sinful behaviour towards me that rejoyce unjustly and undeservedly at my misery 16 But contrariwise let all those that love me for Christs sake whose type I am and that trust in thee and religiously pray unto thee in their own and my behalf let both me and they have cause of joy and gladness in thy mercy towards us let such as love thy saving grace to trust in it and be happy by it ever have cause to speak and sing the praises of thee and it 17 But as yet it s otherwayes with me I am poor and desolate distressed both without and within yet I know I am not forgotten nor forsaken of God but that he is mindful of me at the worst and purposeth to do me good at the last My faith makes him all in all to me mine onely helper and deliverer and my condition presseth hard upon him to be so out of hand which is very desperate and therefore I beseech thee that art the God of all my faith and hope delay not to deliver me speedily least I perish utterly The xli PSALM Though this Psalm by the proprietie of its language is applicable in time of sickness yet the Scripture no where in the historical part of it mentioning any such bodily distemperature as the Psalmist here insists on it is conceived by interpretors and yet Psalms the sixth and thirtie eight import otherwayes rather to be spoken allegoricallie by David than reallie in allusion to his condition under Absaloms rebellion whereby being brought low and in a desperate state he was sorelie censured by his enemies and shamefully deserted by reason of his affliction which he here reproves commending the contrarie virtue of charitie and pittie which he knows is in God though it fail in men and accordinglie makes his prayer to find it from him his enemies and false friends so deceiving and traducinglie judgeing him which he prayes he may live to punish and hopes he shall upon probable signs of favour from God for which he blesseth him and for the assured confidence he hath that God will be as good as his word to his Israel and to him in Israels behalf To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 HOw rash are most mens judgements of men in affliction and thereupon how apt are they to abandon them But blessed is and shall be the man that judgeth with righteous judgement and not according to appearance knowing that God is both gracious and faithful and though he do cast down yet he can and will raise up again the afflicted that repent towards him and trust in him 2 Yea for all his dangers the Lord will and
as I have done for this I would have all men know that stumble at it that it s no such marvell rightly considered for wherein I differ from others it is thy grace and not my goodness that is the cause of it for the self-same nature and disposition to sin yea to all and any sin be it never so prodigious is in me that is in the worst of men as I have made it too evident for I inherit and have growing in me that bitter root of originall pravity that successively is derived from Adam to all his posterity which hath been fruitfull in me all my life long the Lord be gracious to me and pardon and weaken it in me more and more 6 Were I no other than nature hath formed me I should neither have acceptance nor favour from thee but as bad as I am and would have thy people know it to my humbling and their warning yet withall I would have them know that grace and sinfull nature is consistent together so that though they do condemn me for sin yet not of insincerity the root of the matter may be and is in me for all this as thou art gracious to pass by many and great sins and to own such a sinner for thy servant if thou seest an upright heart and a sanctified disposition in him towards thee so I would have them to be charitable and to pass though a just yet not a rash and finall sentence upon me for thou both hast and for all this out of the abundant riches of thy grace wilt yet further instruct me in the way of life and salvation to attain unto it by faith in the righteousness of another though I have none of mine own to trust in or to boast of 7 But what ever men think of me and how ever I stand in their good opinion yet my hearts desire is to be received again into thy favour which I know is possible notwithstanding my estate seems desperate The bloud of Christ who shall be sacrificed for penitent believing sinners and now is of virtue and use to such in his types being by grace through faith sprinkled upon me and his righteousness afresh imputed to me which the Lord grant is able to render me clean in thy sight so all-sufficient and meritorious is the bloud of this thy Son and and my Saviour that if thou wilt but wash me in it for all the filthiness I have contracted I shall in the sight of God by this supernaturall emundation exceed the purity of any creature whatsoever in the eyes of man 8 As thou hast sent me a sad message of thy heavy displeasure and threatned me with sore judgements and laid my sin terribly home to my conscience which hath fetched confession and contrition from me so now Lord that thou hast humbled and broken my secure and impenitent heart and cast me into such deep sorrows vouchsafe to change the temper of my spirit and by thine speak a reviving effectuall word of grace and reconciliation to my soul assure me of the pardon of my sin and mine acceptance into favour that I may therein rejoyce notwithstanding the sad things that are like to befall mine outward man and that justly 9 And that thou maiest do this Lord interpose the righteousness of Christ betwixt thine eyes and my sins look at that and not at them Let no one of all my many transgressions remain upon my score unpardoned for the bloud of Christ is as well able to do away all as any and till then I shall never be at quiet 10 Nor do I desire as hypocrits and unsincere professors do thy pardoning without thy purging grace it is thy justifying grace indeed that I earnestly sue for but not without thy sanctifying My course of sinning hath quite put my soul out of frame I am as if I never had been regenerated corruption hath so broken in upon all my faculties and born down all my graces that it hath and doth and is like still to bear sway and grace never to get the better again if thy power do not interpose O therefore good Lord begin the work of sanctification again in me kindle again those sparks of grace that he almost quite smothered breathe the breath of life into them that sin and corruption may take its turn to die above all free me from the bondage of lustfull concupiscencce that hath been so predominant and hath precipitated me into so many hideous sins subservient to it give me a spirit of holiness for time to come specially a pure spirit and such an one as may be firm for God and not drawn aside as mine hath been but able to resist temptations 11 My sins as I well deserve they should have separated betwixt me and my God the sense of thy love and favour that I was wont to feel in the actings of my faith and other graces is now extinct and I am as a banished man from thy presence without communion and fellowship but Lord have compassion upon this my disconsolate condition smile out upon my spirit in the renewed sense of thy loving-kindness and be not for ever strange to me nor take not quite away the spirit of grace and adoption from me but in mercy restore me to mine interest in thee and relation to thee and to those active graces that accompany these 12 Grant me that which I cannot live without though I have deservedly lost it by my sins yet return it to me graciously to wit the comfortable assurance of my salvation by thy grace that my heart may once more tast of those joyes and sweet apprehensions which formerly shoon bright in my soul but now are miserably eclipsed and let me not sink deeper and deeper into sin and sorrow but by thy spirit of adoption and liberty which can onely rescue me from the power and bondage of sin and make me to run the wayes of thy commandments underprop my decaying comforts and graces 13 If thou wilt thus befriend me it shall not onely engage me personally to thee but I will so declare thy grace out of mine own experience in zeal to the glory of it that who ever are burdened with the heavy pressure of their sins as I am I will instruct them what way they shall take to come out of that bondage to be thy freemen and servants and will incourage them in it by mine own success when I am converted I will strengthen my brethren and doubt not but thy grace to me and restauration of me into favour will be a means to convert and save many a sinner besides my self that weighs with himself and finds upon divine record what mountainous sins of mine thy mercy hath removed out of the way 14 The sins I confess are exceeding capitall which I have committed specially that of murdering Uriah and the rest that died with him by that design of mine for which I deserve capitall
punishment even bloud for bloud but in thine infinite mercy pardon this grievous guilt and bring not the guilt of the bloud of others yet further upon me also which thou hast threatned shall be shed in punishment of that which I have shed already In this O God thou God that hast promised salvation to thy servant in which I cannot chuse but hope hear me revoke thy sentence and reverse this judgement for thy mercy sake so will I lift up my voice with joy and thankfulness and in songs of praise will extoll thy righteousness thou art as well faithfull to pardon and shew mercy as just to punish 15 O that thou that art the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth to whom both liberty of pardon and power of punishment doth belong wouldst hear me in this and give me thereby occasion and withall renew my power as thy pen-man and Prophet to celebrate thy praise and publish the worth of such a mercy in Psalms and songs 16 For to promise thee legall sacrifices of Bulls and Goats c. Especially to expiate such sins as these are were but vain it is not that will give thee content else would I give thee store of them and think my pardon a cheap purchase but in this case it is neither one kind of such sacrifices nor other that will please thee or profit me 17 That sacrifice which is in stead of all other is when a poor sinner is grieved at the very soul for his sin against so good a God and so himself becomes a morall and spirituall sacrifice burnt and torn in the spirit of his mind with the anguish he conceives for his disobedience and ingratitude he that with a false-condemning self-crucifying and sin-mortifying heart humbly and yet believingly makes out for mercy and pardon in the bloud of Christ this this is the man and that 's the sacrifice that God expects accepts and makes great account of 18 Lord however thou beest pleased to do by me yet bring not evil upon thy people nor upon thy worship or the place thereof for my sins sake who have cause to fear the destruction of all by my means but for thine own sake thy Christ and covenant sake still take pleasure in thy people and ordinances though thou hast none in me to continue gracious and benevolent to them and let not Jerusalem fare the worse for my transgressions committed in her but go on still to preserve her and perfect her beauty according to thy designment and gracious ingagement touching her the emblem of thy Church 19 And then when thou hast compleated all thine Evangelicall ordinances graces and priviledges in their types in that glorious structure of the Temple and the ceremonies exercised therein then shall the sacrifices be offered to thee with more understanding and clear discerning of their Gospel-sense and meaning when the Church is triumphant which now under me is militant and then shall sacrifices so offered in the representation and faithfull application of Christ crucified for sin and accompanied with a suitable spirit of repentance and godly sorrow be right acceptable to thee sacrifices of every kind thus offered as then they shall be O how will they please thee That shall be a time of wonderfull praise and plenty of peace-offerings shall be offered with right glad hearts upon thine altar O let this time come and let it receive no interruption by mine unworthiness The lii PSALM David in this Psalm in the person of Doâg shews the siâfull vanity of trusting in any thing but God specially in wicked and unlawfull practises against the godly seem they never so promising assuring all such that it will be their utter undoing at last and the righteous against whom they plot shall out-live them and their designs to their corroborating in faith and contempt of such vain men and their vain confidences He fore-shews that thus it shall be betwixt himself and Doeg he by his faith shall be established in a happy condition to the praise of God when Doeg shall be ejected out of Israel To the President of the Quire is this Psalm committed instructing unto confidence in God for his Church and peoples felicity and their enemies ruine notwithstanding any seeming contrariety at present made by David upon Doeg that counterfeit convert his informing Saul of Abimelechs entertaining David at Nob when he fled from him and thereby occasioning the destruction of him and the rest of the Preists there 1 O Thou wretched foolish Doeg that hypocritically professest the true worship of the God of Israel and as by nature so in heart art still an Edomite and persecutor of his Church and people why art thou so glad of an opportunity to advance thy self in the Kings favour by indirect and sinfull ways in betraying the innocent and abuse thine interest and power at court to the endeavouring my ruine which yet thou shalt never be able to compass though thou hast been a means to cut off my speciall freinds and Gods faithfull servants by thy base and treacherous flattery yet shalt thou never be able to do the like by me nor the Church of God concerned in me or to prevent what God hath promised and designed in that behalf but both Saul and thou shalt be disappointed in all your attempts and devices by the goodness power and wisdom of God which shall all work for me and preserve me maugre all you can do to the contrary 2 How mischievous hast thou been in thy treacherous discoveries of my being with Abimelech and his relieving me to the exposing him to the rage of Saul who by that thine information hath wholly cut off both him and the rest of the Preists as if they and I had conspired against him whereas they were utterly ignorant so much as of my very flight from him at that time and meant no hurt at all to Saul in that they did for me but as I so they were faithfull and loyall to him doing that they did in reference to his service which indeed I then pretended to be imploid in 3 This act of thine shews thee what thou art in thy heart an hypocriticall professor that carest not what mischief thou doest nor by what indirect means to the innocent and faithfull servants of God betraying them to the malice and rage of Saul from whom thou shouldest rather have endeavoured to preserve them and that at such a time as thou couldst not have chosen a worse to tell this in even then when it made anger against me he was railing upon and condemning all men for my sake as conspirators with me didst thou chuse to make this known thereby falsly to insinuate Abimelech and those Preists to be of the combination which was utterly false 4 Thou mightest well think what would come of such an information at such a time but it seems thou didst it purposely with a desire to endear thy self by doing
would give to find me being utterly without the knowledge or fear of God as if they speak not in his learning nor should never be called to an account for those lies and false reports they raise against me 8 But thou O Lord shalt laugh at this presumptuous folly of theirs that dare set so light by thee all those that care not to know and fear thee now shall one day wish they had when as thou shalt give them to understand that thou carest as little for and sets as light by them as they by thee and though Israelites in their own esteem yet in thine they are no better than heathens and so they shall find 9 Mine enemy indeed is much too hard for me but not for thee so that his strength and power to afflict and wrong me shall have this effect it shall make me adhere to thee and depend upon thee the firmelier for deliverance for I never yet was in so perillous condition but thou didst protect me nor I believe never shall 10 But that God whom I have ever found gracious and mercifull to me will still be so and do more for me than I can ask for my self And will certainly be as good as his word wherein he hath caused me to hope in confounding mine enemies 11 Yet I desire not that thou shouldst do by them as they would do by me destroy them out and out both for their good and mine own and all my friends and adherents I rather desire they may remain standing monuments as the Jews Christs persecutours shall be to the believing Gentils of thy forepast mercies to mind us of them that we forget not our deliverances and that therefore thou wouldst rather chuse by thy power to abate theirs which they so much confide in that so they may be humbled and come to know and acknowledge thee to be as indeed thou art O Lord thy servants shield and faithfull protectour 12 Bring all their sinfull slanders upon themselves in thy just judgements let them be cast from the top of honour and affluence wherein they so pride themselves for example sake into the bottome of infamie and indigencie and for those curses and falshoods which they belch out against me 13 Do thou abase their power and pride and bring them and it to nought in thy heavy displeasure let them live like abjects here and there without power or credit as shall Christs crucifiers And that not onely for encouragement and instruction of thy peoples faith but make them examples of thy wrath and terrour to the very heathen also every where who are capable of instruction of that nature that they may learn not to rebell against thee in opposing the Kingdome of Christ typically resembled in mine over Israel which hereby they may see thou wilt effect and make good maugre all opposition in faithfulness to thy covenant and love to thy servant Jacob that type of Christ the root of thy Church which is thy Kingdome in which thou rulest and for which thou over-rulest all earthly powers Let them Lord know so much 14 Let mine enemies and the enemies of thy Church know what it is to oppress and persecute thy people let them have enough of their own ways in the issue and tast the bitter fruit of their eager prosecuting and malicious slandering the faithful and upright by changing the scene and being necessitated to range and raven for their own subsistence with as much hunger and greediness as ever they did for my ruine 15 Let them come to shamefull want and penury even to beg their bread and yet not get enough to satisfie their hunger but fret and repine at this their lamentable condition and spend their days in poverty and discontent 16 But though they cannot but fret and âume under their troubles I will sing under mine and shew forth thy power and goodness as concerning other remarkable deliverances so specially this over night from those that were appointed to kill me in the morning when yet I shall live to sing hearty praises to thee for thou hast contrived my rescue out of their hands that would have detroyed me and were near the doing it 17 Though my condition is weak and mine enemies potent yet thou art strong enough to deal with them that 's my comfort and in the faith thereof I will chear up my heart and sing to thee the praise of my success magnifying thee O God for my deliverance who hast ever been and ever wilt be a God of protection and mercy to me The lx Psalm David takes occasion from complicate victories of maây enemies to shew the people the different proceedings of God towards them now to what was heretofore then they were the miserablest of all people by reason of their sins and his judgements and now through his grace and faithfulness are become the happiest and succesfullest under him the type of Christ and his Church And admonisheth them therefore to live by faith and to seek to God promising in so doing they shall prosper and be victorious To him that is most skilfull upon the sweet instrument Shushan Eduth in this Psalm made by David committed to be plaid upon that instrument and sung to the speciall tune of Michtam the scope whereof is to teach the Israelites in whom to trust and from whom to expect their happiness even from God and his faithfulness because of his promises which he will now fulfill under his government as his late victories over the Syrians and Edomites give good proof 2 Sam. 8.3.13 1 Chron. 18.3 c. Together with other experiences mentioned in this Psalm 1 O God notwithstanding the peculiarity of interest and relation betwixt us thy people and thee yet hast thou for a long time suffered us to be oppressed and worsted by the heathen nations and people about us and within us our sins were the cause why thou wast displeased at us and didst so by us but let it seem long enough to have been strange to us now Lord have mercy on us be reconciled and take part with us as thou didst at first when thou broughtest us out of Egypt and gavest us this land to possesse 2 Fearfull concussions have been in this state by reason of their sins and thy judgements what invasions and inrodes of forreign enemies what civil wars fractions and divisions amongst themselves and what desolations hath befallen them by all these so that for a long time miserable hath been their disorder and confusion therefore pity this thine own people at last and give them better times for the nation hath been sore shaken and thunder-strucken by thy judgements upon it that if thou underprop it not now it cannot stand nor remain any longer a people to thee 3 Who though they are so yet hast thou greatly afflicted them with many and grievous calamities thy judgements our miseries have been such
by it yet is not so typed to it but thou canst hear and help me and art present with me to do me good here as there for thou canst stretch thy wings of power and protection as far as I can stretch my faith and that shall never fail in every condition and place to rely upon thee for it Amen 5 For I have double assurance from thee both my former experiences having evermore had my prayers granted and my vows of praise and thanks accepted which at any time they have not been a few in mine extremities I engaged my self to perform unto thee and the promise fulfil'd of being King over the people that of all the world only know and fear thee as Christ over his Church both I and mine and therefore am not to be put besides it I am confident but shall be restored to it again and leave it peaceably to my successours 6 Yea I doubt not but I shall out-live this trouble and being annoynted and appointed King by God in special remembrance of the Messiah I shall be re-installed and undoubtedly live out the uttermost period of my days which shall not be a few in that estate and condition 7 This is as certain as God is true for herein I his peculiar chosen for that purpose am by the grace and favour of God to be the type and symbol of Christs certain and everlasting reign over his Church notwithstanding all his and her troubles To this end Lord shew forth thy mercy in pardoning my sin and removing this judgement and remember thy faithfulness to do as thou hast promised concerning me for on these two crutches Mercy and Truth do I lean and doubt not to be upheld and preserved by them and brought out of this my present misery into a good condition and restored to Jerusalem and thy Tabernacle again in a peaceable and lasting possession of my Kingdom 8 And when thou hast done this for me then comes my turn to do for thee even to praise thee there and to magnifie thy power and goodness for this my deliverance so long as I live which I will certainly do and when I am dead too by an everlasting Memorandum which I will leave of it to thy Church and will daily resort to thy Sanctuary and there as oft as I go to worship will not fail to remember mine engagements and perform my vows unto thee for this and all other thy mercies for which I stand indebted to thee The lxii PSALM David abruptly breaks into a declaration of his sole confidence in God for his own preservation and his enemies destruction that maligne him to the death but encourageth himself in his trust in God and adviseth all else that are faithfully affected and wait upon the promise to do so âoo fall back fall edge shewing how vain it is to trust in ought else which he disswades them from at any rate because both by Gods word and our own daily experience we may learn That it is his power mercy and justice that onely can and will save us and utterly destroy our enemies To Seduthun one of the prime musicians and the principal of all his lineage do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 GOd hath been pleased to exercise me under infinite and endless trials none ever the like and I have had no small temptations by them to impatience and dispair but yet they have not taken effect I have and do still hold out dependingly rely upon God and patiently wait the issue which I know shall be good for as I have had one trial upon the neck of another so hath he never failed me with deliverance upon deliverance in most marvellous manner no nor never will 2 I have ever found him alone all-sufficient to deliver me out of my dangers though they have been never so great and from mine enemies though they have been never so many and I doubt not but to find him so still for my faith is the same it was and so is he and will approve himself no less I am confident in my behalf whensoever I stand in need so that though I may yet wade through more troubles and undergo further agitations yet they shall be but like the rest exercises and tryals of my faith and patience they shall never undo me but I shall sooner or later be delivered 3 How long will you persist to compass my ruine and think because I am but a man whom you strive against therefore it must needs be feasible never considering what God hath decreed and promised concerning me which is not frustrable by all that you can do but shall make me though a low and despicable man in your eyes able to hold out against you all who instead of ruining me shall your selves be destroyed your own weight of wickedness shall serve to crush you and your sinfull courses shall lay you low enough as strong and well fortified as you take your selves to be 4 They set themselves against me as if they had no other enemy fearing that I shall be King which they would gladly hinder if they could they stick not to say I rebelliously seek it though they know and have had experience of the contrary and out of their own mouthes have pronounced me innocent and faultless wished well to me for it in outward expressions when notwithstanding in heart they hated me and meant me nothing but mischief as I have found by experience 5 My soul what ever be the carriage of thine enemies towards thee yet cast not off thy confidence in God but hold out patiently to expect the fulfilling of his promise and the issue of thy sufferings make him thy sole stay and trust for thou hast good grounds so to do 6 I have ever found him alone all-sufficient to deliver me out of my dangers though they have been never so great and from mine enemies though they have been never so many and I doubt not but to find him so still for my faith is the same it was and so is he and will approve himself no less I am confident in my behalf whensoever I stand in need so that though more troubles may befall me yet shall they be but exercises and trials of my faith and patience they shall never undo me but I shall sooner or later be delivered 7 I have solely deposited my safety and honour in the hands of God which mine adversaries seek to ruinate and to deprive me of both present being and future well-being but shall do neither for God hath undertaken for both and will undoubtedly make it good 8 Let me be your example encourager to trust immoveably in God at all times in all conditions better or worse Ye his faithful upright-hearted people that have waited for better times as I have done be not dismaied but let your faith be
amends at last and all that thou promisedst hast thou performed for thou hast by a strong hand invested us in a happie condition and possessed us of a fruitful land spite of all our enemies so shall thy Church have deliverances here but let not them never doubt of heaven hereafter 13 14 What I would have others do I hope I shall not fail for mine own part to practise I am resolved upon consideration of what I have recounted that thou hast done for us and I am sure wilt do for thy Church to give thee praise and thanks not onely inwardly in my heart but also outwardly in the eyes and for the example sake of all others according to thine appointment by solemn sacrifices and especially for my self who have been in not a few nor those no small troubles at what time I vowed them to thee and have tasted accordingly of not a few and those no small deliverances 15 What ever thou hast commanded to be offered thee I will do it to the full in the performance of my thanks and acknowledgement of thy mercies both for number and worth even the best I can get what charge soever I am at And that with a free heart 16 Thou hast set me up as a pillar and monument of thy unspeakable goodness to thy servants which I hope and do desire that all thy people in all ages of the World would take notice of and to that end I will leave it upon record even the wondrous mercies I have partaked of and miraculous preservation that I have had 17 How that I never in my need put up my prayer to him in fervour and faith but I had a return answerable and my prayer was turned to praise 18 I speak not this to embolden hypocrits as if they were so priviledged who are apt enough to pray in their need as well as the Godly but for the incouragement of the sincere and upright such as I bless God I am harbouring the love of no known sin in me I know how I should have sped if I had not as I have done but have had the deaf ear turned upon me and well I had deserved it as all hypocrits and carnal formal professers do 19 But assuredly the Lord from time to time hath heard me and answered me too very graciously yea he hath carefully had respect to me whensoever I poured out my heart before him in the anguish thereof in time of trouble 20 I bless the Lord he hath blessed me and not sent me away without mine errand when as I have come to him in prayer and supplication nor withheld his mercie from me in mine extremitie but hath effectually appeared for me and so he will for all that trust in him and seek to him as I have done The lxvii PSALM The Psalmist praies that God would in such a sort be good to Israel that the Gentils may note it and be won by it to imbrace his saving truth and serve him as well as they But for the full âffecting of their conversion he wishes heartily for the comming of Christ and his Kingdom and the happie dayes that shall be then all the World over To him that is most skilful upon the stringed instrument Neginoth to which this Psalm is chiefly set is it committed for his care and ordering it be sung and plaid 1 THe good Lord be merciful unto us in the pardon of our sins and graciously benevolent and propitious in multiplying blessings upon us and manifesting his favour to us so as it may be notorious in the eyes of the World Even so be it 2 That the whole earth that now wander out of the way may be brought to acknowledge thee for the only true God to worship thee aright when they perceive the mercies that we that do so do enjoy above all others may be brought to hearken enquire after the saving righteousness thou hast revealed to us whereof they are utterly ignorant 3 Lord let the Gentils as well as we have the knowledge and experience of thy rich mercie and saving goodness that they may praise thee for it yea spread and proclaim it to all the World that thou mayest every where have a people to magnifie thee for it upon the whole earth 4 When shall Christ come to proclaim the year of Jubile even life and salvation to the Gentils to their unspeakable joy and thy unspeakable praise and to take the Government into his hands which he shall sway with equitie and justice both to the good and to the bad Lord hasten it 5 Let the Gentils as well as we have the knowledge and experience of thy rich mercie and saving goodness that they may praise thee for it yea spread and proclaim it to all the World that thou mayest every where have a people to magnifie thee for it upon the whole earth 6 O that this time were now for when it is happie shall those dayes be when the Messiah shall come infinite of blessings of every sort temporal and spiritual will he bring with him The whole earth that is cursed by the fall shall by him be blessedly restored and made a Canaan fruitful to God and man and God who was become a stranger by it shall by and in him be as much and more his peoples in more near proprietie and relation than ever and bless them with better blessings through grace than ever they were and could be capable of other wayes 7 Then shall be a time of sweet harmonious interchangeable correspondencies betwixt heaven and earth God he shall pour out his spirit upon all flesh and spread his Gospel over the whole earth and accompany it with no small store of temporal mercies and his people shall from all the ends of the World be hereby gathered to him and give up themselves in faith and obedience to be his The lxviii PSALM David upon the great victories he had had over his enemies and the remove of the Ark to its setled abode in Ierusalem praies and prophesus the infelicitie of the adversaries of Gods Church and the prospâritie of the righteous whereof he advises them to be confident and therein to rejoyce for God in mercie will be mindful of the oppressed and injustice of the oppressors whereof they had had ample experience by marvellous deliverance out of Aegypt settlement in Canaan in the gaining whereof he gave them wonderful victories and as their case was prospârous then so he prefigures it shall be again now in his time both Church and Common-wealth shall flourish because of the favour of God to them and his protection over them for he is to be a resemblance of Christ after his ascension victor over all his enemies Having shewn the happie consequences of the Arks remove he amplifies the manner of its transportation from the house of Obed-Edom in what order and with what harmonie
most that labour to keep a good conscience and to walk uprightly and innocently both towards God and man but to little purpose if the cards play on this fashion 14 For as they see nothing but good so I nothing but evil all my life long from day to day and from weeks end to weeks end have I been harrowsed with one trouble and miserie in the neck of another and have had the rod never off my back who labour to please God and to do well whereas they that take no such thought but live as they list feel not the smart of any one twig 15 Thus have I been pressed upon by my corruptions and fleshly apprehensions as others are no doubt by theirs to give way to such thoughts yea and to break out through discontent into such speeches and to utter such things for irrefragable positions but I would not for a World I had done so O the sad consequences that would have followed thereupon what discouragement would thy people have taken upon it from mine example both at present and in future ages also should it have been upon record to my shame thy dishonour and a stumbling-stone to the Godly to the Worlds end 16 And I confess loth I was to let go my hold-fast of thee and to let my faith fail and therefore I sought by all means to give my self satisfaction and to quiet my doubts by debate of reason and to make it speak all it could for thee to justifie these thy dispensations thus to the good and bad but alas it would not do my reason was too weak for my affections my mind would not be satisfied with all the arguments I could bring by my natural discourse to think that such dispensations could possibly be of God or if they were how they could stand with thy truth on one side by reason of thy promises and with thy justice on the other side by reason of thy threatnings 17 Thus did I reason the matter with my self too and again all in vain lost my labour rested still unsatisfied till at last when I saw that then I resolved to take another course to make mine addresses to thee to be resolved in this great and difficult case of conscience touching the strangeness of thine administrations whereupon I used all holy means I prayed earnestly to thee in heaven prostrating my self before thee in thy tabernacle studied thy word and at last it pleased thee effectually to inspire me with a right understanding taughtest me to judge of occurrents by spiritual and divine principles then and never before could I apprehend to any purpose the end that thou wilt make with these kind of men how that then is time enough for the wicked to be miserable and for thee to punish which shall wofully certainly and eternally conclude this their temporarie happiness so much wondred at 18 And how ever they think they have firm footing and are greatly in favour with thee yet it s far otherwise they and we are much deceived for though thou raisest them high it is that they may have the greater fall their standings upon carnal and creature-confidences cannot hold long they will fail them when death comes they must part and then the everlasting perdition that in hell by thy just judgements they shall endure shall far surpass the moment of carnall contentment this life afforded them 19 O Lord what a sudden and sad change will there be when in the moment of dissolution their souls shall be overwhelmed and seized upon with the dreadful sense and apprehension of their eternal perdition how unspeakably shall they be confounded at it 20 When their sins are ripe and thou O Lord art disposed to take vengeance on them and execute judgement how shall all their phanatical imaginarie happiness of Worldly wealth and prosperitie be annihilated and vanish into forgetfulness and non entity as a dream when one awakes and how despicable shall this their so much Idolized honour and felicitie mistaken tokens of thy favour and themselves notwithstanding it be to thee then 21 Thus wast thou pleased to shew me with what a vain transitorie shadow I troubled my self and made the imaginarie felicitie of the wicked a real infelicitie unto me in disquieting my mind about it which when I saw it was no small trouble to me that I should commit such an errour 22 And be so bruitishly blockish in my foolish misapprehensions and sottish conceits of these prosperous conditions of wicked men and of thee because of them to my shame I now confess my sin folly before thee âhat more like a beast than a man I have been thus sensually misled 23 But O the trial I have had of thy grace by this experiment insomuch as I can say it for the establishment and strengthening of the generation of the righteous whom by my foolishnes I had like to have offended and stumbled as much and more than the prosperitie of the wicked that truly God is good to Israel for for all my sinful censuring and misjudging thee being now by thine infinit mercie brought thus to my right wits I see I am and so are they alwayes under thy special care who by thy mightie power and secret grace hast upheld me from blaspheming and miscarrying under this temptation when my feet had well nigh slipt and of thine infinit goodness set me clear of it the worst of evils 24 I hope Lord through thy grace to take warning by it and no more to be ruled by my corrupt reason nay I am confident I shall do so by thy blessing thou wilt instruct me better for time to come than to let me fool it in this sort any more while I live I hope never to follow any other guide but thine nor to be wise with any other wisdom that now hath set me into the right way again so that I am well assured by this pledge thou wilt certainly conduct me through all the rest of my temptations and difficulties of this life that I am to undergo until thou hast safely landed me in heaven above all storms and tempests there to enjoy the sweet imbraces of thy favour in a glorified estate which shall put a happie period to all my troubles the whilest the prosperitie of the wicked that so much stumbled me I now see shall end in endless miserie 25 I have had enough of deviations from thee it hath cost me so dear and I see so much vanitie in every thing else as that I am resolved to stick to thee alone thou shalt be mine all in all thy word and spirit shall solely rule me thy providence shall satisfie me and thy self in the love and favour thou vouchsafest me shall be a portion sufficient for me Let whom will I for my part will no more either care for or set by creature-comforts or creature-confidence but mine heart shall be staid on thee fall back
with thee in it nor ascribe it to ought else besides thee such extraordinary and strange vengeance didst thou take upon those blasphemous enemies as if it had been with the stroke and terrour of a Thunder-bolt from heaven and so terrifying it was to all nations where the fame of it came and it spread not a little ground the report of this wonderfull overthrow of so mighty an army as that none of them had the heart to invade us but were quiet and durst not stir though their fingers itched to be at us 9 Upon Gods executing this just and fearfull judgement on the Assyrian army in rescue of his own poor distressed people even all his whole Church and faithfull servants at once which he had upon the face of the whole earth that were in a helpless hopeless condition and had no remedy left but prayer 10 Surely Lord thy servants need fear nothing but thee for the rage and fury of thy peoples and Churches enemies shall serve not for theirs but their own destruction thou shalt so order the matter as that it shall prove but the ripening of their sins and the hastening of thy righteous judgements upon their heads and be occasion of thy peoples praises and thanksgivings to thee and shalt so terribly affright others that are like minded towards thy Church that they shall have no mind to meddle when they hear so great an army that gave out so great words and threats could effect nothing but came to such an end 11 O Israel and chiefly you inhabitants of Jerusalem vow praises and thanksgivings to the Lord for this unspeakable deliverance and miraculous preservation and forget not to pay what you owe in that kind let neither supine negligence now you are in peace and quietness nor unfaithfull covetousness hinder your solemn returns to God both with inward fervour and outward legall solemnities and sacrifices yea let all the heathen people and nations round about that hear of this wondrous work of God do homage to him as the onely God worthy to be worshipped and feared of all the world even Israels God 12 For as he hath done by these so shall he do by others even the Princes and Potentates of the earth if they take not warning thus they shall be served it shall cost them their lives if they blaspheme and rebell against God contemn his worship or distress his Church in his wrath shall he destroy them suddainly and make them a terrour to the Kings of the earth like as he hath made Senacherib exemplary unto them The lxxvii PSALM The Psalmist in grievous affliction and desertion labours to comfort himself with the success of former prayers in former distresses and by parallel difficulty in prevailing then so now but is overpowered with the extremity and prolixity of his present grief and the ineffectualness of his endeavours to minister comfort to himself which puts him upon an expostulatory interrogating himself with some diffidence touching the nature and promise of God for which he chides himself at last takes up another resolution and falls to work in a quite other way incouraging himself by the faith of those very things and experiences God to his Church in their distress which before he perverted and made use of to the encrease of diffidence To Jeduthun one of the prime musicians and the principall of all his lineage do I Asaph that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 O Lord how oft have I upon occasion put up my prayers unto thee even continually in my distresses of what sort soever I made thee still my sanctuary fled to thee by faithfull and fervent prayer and I do not know the time that ever I went without mine errant but was always heard and had my suite granted though long first and hardly gained 2 I will remember what a troublous fit I had under a painfull disease in what extremity I lay for a long time both in pain of body and anguish of mind finding neither remedy for the one nor comfort for the other though I sought to God earnestly and importunately in that my sad condition yet I could have no ease my pain was the same and my soul that nothing else could comfort could obtain no glimpse of Gods favour towards it to quiet and refresh it withall for a long season 3 Insomuch that I was even tired out with fruitless solicitations I was in such misery and found so little remedy though I prayed hard for it as that at last prayer it self became painfull to me I could not think of going to God having gone so oft and sped so ill but it troubled me when as all my complaints in so sad a condition moved nothing it even killed my very heart This case was I in and to this extremity was I brought 4 And as it was then so is it now thou hast cast me into such extream affliction and misery that it doth not onely take up whole dayes the pain of it but whole nights too without any intermission so that I can take no rest all the night long and so from night to night and I have praied so long and sped so ill that the trouble of my mind hath even stopped my mouth I can speak no more 5 I have cast about every way and considered every thing that might make for my comfort I have called to mind thy former gracious dispensations to thy people and servants of old in their distresses recorded purposely for thy Churches benefit in succeeding times 6 As also mine own former experiments and happy changes which thou hast made of sorrow into joy and praise I consider how many times thou hast ravished my heart with the sense of thy loving kindness and made me lie awake in the night season to bless and praise thee with a ravished heart not to weep and lament as now I do I think with my self what may comfort me and call to mind all things of that nature as also what should be the cause that no comfort can fasten but that there is so great and so long an estrangement and that I and comfort are so far asunder 7 Insomuch as then I think with my self surely I have seen all the comfort that ever I must have in this life and yet I cannot conclude it neither but the length and extremity of my grief makes me in some fear and doubtfulness interrogate with my self whether or no it will ever be other whether God is purposed thus to afflict me and withdraw the signs and sense of his favour from me always 8 Shall I never tast of mercy any more but must I wear away under trouble and sorrow thus shall his promise of pity and compassion whereupon I so much relie be for ever ineffectuall to me 9 Hath God quite forgotten me can he so contrary to his nature let me thus pine
his word or suffer them to perish for want of sustenance he did supernaturally supply them and whereas he could have done it with materials of nature terrestrial corn or bread he chose rather to do it with the bread of heaven such food as nature never did produce extraordinary provision as well as in an extraordinary way descended from the heavenly mansion of the blessed angels to shew in what a degree of honour and amity God admits his chosen people that are on earth fellow-servants and of the same houshould with the angels whereof God is the Lord as really by faith feeding them with Christ the son of God that spiritual soul-sustaining bread of life Mediator of angels and men figured by Manna as the angels do feed their eyes and desires in continually beholding him in heaven and are there sustained by him in that their blessed and unchangeable state nay he gave them not onely bread but flesh too in abundance 26 27 28 For in regard they tempted him and mis-doubted his power to do it therefore to vindicate his omnipotencie not in favour and respect to them he by a South-west wind which he then raised and caused to blow full upon the place where they pitched from the sea-ward brought home to their doors infinite of Quails which fell as thick as rain and lay for a days journey like sea sand round about their camp at Kibroth-hattaavah two cubits high upon the face of the earth 29 30 So that they both saw and felt by experience that God could do what they thought he could not even furnish a table in the wilderness with dainties far fetched upon the wings of the wind such as they fed not on in Egypt whereof they had plenty and eat their fill for God stinted them not but gave them enough to glut themselves and so they did of that they so inordinately desired not to sustain or suffice nature but to palliate their lusts wherein God gave them the full length of teather abridged them not but withall this sweet meat had sowre sauce even whilest these unbelievers were greedily feeding upon these dainties without confessing their sin and giving the glory to God 31 The wrath of the Lord was kindled against them and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague which God so disposed as that it chiefly swept away the more insolent carnal-minded ringleaders in this mutiny they that having been used to dainties in in Egypt could not be without them in the wilderness but whether God would or not must have them or murmur and quarrel for want of them and set the rest to do so too these chief mutiners principal men in the camp of Israel did God chiefly slay by the plague to affright the rest 32 But nothing could reclaim this stubborn people nothing that God could do for them or against them no blessings though miraculous no punishments though never so formidable and capital could do good upon them to make them leave their murmuring and live by faith 33 Therefore whereas he promised them Canaan if they had believed in him and been obedient to him contrarily he adjudged them to wander out their days in that wilderness where they so murmured and misbelieved even all in effect that came out of Egypt wasted out their lives in a vain unprofitable pilgrimage there to their exceeding great trouble and in Gods disfavour for forty years space after they were arrived at the skirts of Canaan in which time they were all destroyed by their sins and Gods just judgements 34 They were a people that God could do no good on by mercies and benefits but the better he was the worse they were onely when for their rebelliousness God was forced to fall heavy upon them and to destroy them sometimes by one judgement sometimes by another then upon the same principles that before they murmured against him would they then seek unto him the one for self-pleasing the other for self-saving when the fire was burning and the plague consuming then down on their knees and up with their hands promising any thing to be spared Oh what a reformed and changed people they will be then they post as fast as they can to Moses to pray for them and save their carcasses and desiring but to know their sin Oh how would they then repent of it and their duty how they might but please God for the time to come and they would never fail to perform it 35 Then there was none but God with them they could then remember all the great deliverances he had wrought for them and recount them one by one how this time and the other time God saved them from being destroyed by their enemies and his own judgements then they could give him his titles and acknowledge his attributes of Sovereignty and Omnipotencie he that they never thought well of nor could afford a good word now is becom their onely saviour they cannot say too much of him nor give too much to him 36 But all this was but to deceive God to carry fair towards him to work their ends upon him pretending sorrow for sin and resolution of amendment when as all that was spoken by them was but from teeth outward so long as the blow smarted never meant as they spake nor made good any thing they said 37 For all was but pretences to serve their own turns there was no true inward remorse for all their shew of sorrow nor no sincere change for all their fair promises their hearts were as wicked as ever and as bad principled towards God breaking promises as fast as they made them yea the grand charter the covenant it self so solemnly contracted and so often renewed between God their fore-fathers and themselves that God would be their God and that they would be his people and walk thereafter this they made not good but notwithstanding all Gods promises to them and theirs to him they sinned against him deviated from him and falsified with him 38 But the Lord having chosen them for his people and remembring the ancient league of amity and friendship that was betwixt him and their fore-fathers could not find in his heart to do to them as their sins deserved but being a people that for his names sake he would be good unto and preserve himself a Church and holy seed amongst he from time to time with patience and pitie overcame their provocations and his own hot displeasure that justice called to destroy them but mercie staid his hands and moderated his furie so that his punishments were rather examplary than otherwise never destroying all that offended which yet justice called upon his wrath to do again and again 39 For the Lord knew if he should give way to his anger according to the instigation of his justice and their demerit they that were mortal and short lived by nature would quickly perish
is not to be expressed the outrages of the enemie and the miseries of thy poor people they torture them to death that adhere to thee and will not apostatize and desert thy Laws and ordinances to profess and practise their Idolatrie and superstition and after death will not afford them burial but expose them above ground as not worthie the common curtesie of nature to have so much as a burying place on earth whose souls are with thee in heaven but lie like common carrion and are suffered to rot and stink and be torn in pieces and devoured by ravenous beasts and birds 3 They have made havock of all thy faithful people that for pietie sake resorted to and inhabited in and about thy holy Citie Jerusalem shedding there the bloud of such holy Martyrs unmeasurably and by strict watch and barbarous edicts kept the bodies of such precious souls unburied nor would suffer without imminent peril of their lives nay certain ruine any of their brethren that were left alive to do that office of charitie and humanitie for them nor indeed could they if they would the dead were so many and the living so few 4 We O Lord that through thy grace and powerful assistance were wont to be the terrour of the heathen round about us and by thy presence and worship amongst us were heretofore the glorie of all the World now they that were our slaves and subjects are our Lords and masters and use us not onely cruelly but abuse us scornfully reproching and deriding us together with thee and thy worship because of our present condition and theirs none pitie us no not our next neighbour-nations but scornfully taunt us 5 O Lord take notice of it and be moved to vindicate thine own dishonour and have some compassion also upon thy distreâsed people for Lord we know well enough that this could not befal us if our sins and thine anger were not the causes But Lord remember thou hast been angrie heretofore but never after this sort thou wast wont to commix mercie with displeasure Lord be not less good to us than to our forefathers let there be an end of our miserie and thy furie and let not our whoredoms and thine enraged jealousie quite consume us as fire doth straw 6 Lord such furie would better become thee towards thine enemies than thy chosen people these indeed for their sins may deserve punishments but let utter destruction be the portion of them that neither know nor worship thee that have neither relation to thee nor commerce with thee nor thou knowest never will but in their pride and ignorance contemne thee and serve other Gods 7 And such are they that have thus cruelly butchered us thine onely Israel thy friends Jacobs posteritie and by slaughter captivitie and devastations have unpeopled and ruinated the whole land where we have dwelt so long and which thou promisedst to him and his posteritie after him which yet now are cast out of it by these prophane heathen 8 O for mercie sake muster not up the provocations of old those murmurings against thee mistrusts of thee apostatizings from thee that we have ever been guiltie of from the very first to make war upon us for them now but forgive and forget them for we shall never be able to stand under them And instead of remembring them call to mind thy tender mercies and bowels of compassion which thou hast ever professed to be in thee in thy peoples behalf when they have been in miserie and greater never befel them than these we now are in for we are at the very last gasp to so low and miserable an estate are we brought as thy people have scarce a beeing but certainly will have none at all shortly such sorrows and sufferings will make a final end of them if thou in mercie speedily prevent it not by some redress 9 Which good Lord vouchsafe us Help us out of this miserable destructive condition thou that onely canst do it and who we cannot chuse but hope wilt do it because thy glorie is so much concerned in it and thou as well as we sufferest so much by it Though we confess we can not scarce hope by reason of our sins which are greater than our sufferings but Lord as our benefit will be great so thy glorie will not be small if thou wilt do away sins and sufferings by thy pardon and power which therefore we beg of thee 10 For as things now stand thou hast no honour we are punished but the heathen are not converted Thy justice and terrour upon us hath no other operation upon them to drive them into contempt and insultation not onely over us but thee for they stick not to say where is the God of the Hebrews he that was wont he could deliver them This Lord they say in derision of thee and thou sufferest it to go unpunished though thou thus punishest us But Lord let us few that are left alive of the many thousands of Israel though in captivitie yet be remembered and pitied by thee let our enemies know and us see that thou art a God still and the same God too as able as heretofore by some remarkable and just vindication of that deluge of bloud of thine own people and precious servants that hath been shed and cries for vengeance against them 11 Yea Lord let both the innocent bloud already shed as also the unjust sufferings and miserable calamities of those of thy people that are yet alive the imprisonments and cruelties practised upon them and the heavie sighs and direful groans which in those pressures are forced from them come all before thee to move with thee as to revenge the one so to preserve the other which thou hast power enough to do though they and death are not far asunder 12 Put forth thy power accordingly in our behalfs but chiefly in thine own let them not escape thee for their cruelties but Lord pay them home for their blasphemies these wicked Idolatrous heathens and those pitieless neighbouring nations that notwithstanding all they have heard and seen of thee since thou broughtest us among them are no more knowing of thee nor bear no more reverence to thee than to scorn and reproch thee because of our miserie Good Lord let them smart for it 13 Who are none of thy people and we that are thine onely peculiar shall thereby have cause given us for ever to remember thy power and goodness when thou shalt thus revenge the dead preserve the living and right thy self and will never forget so great a mercie but will be for ever thankfull to thee and praise thee for it yea our children and childrens children through all generations will we instruct and engage to do the like The lxxx PSALM The Psalmist upon the captivitie of Judah and those of the rest of the tribes that adhered to her and were led captive with her indites this prayer
wherein he minds God of his tender care of his people when they were in Egypt and praies for the like now that he will appear for a few in which his Church is as much concerned as in those many which are in great calamitie this prayer he enforceth with an elegant Metaphor of their being as a choice vine to him and the enemie as a wild boar to them Promiseth if this single tribe so many wayes considerable may be re-instated and revived that they will live to him and to his praise A Psalm either prophetically made by Asaph himself or some other man of God upon the captivitie and committed to Asaphs successours principally to him that is most skilful upon the sweet instrument of six strings Shoshannim whereunto it is set for his ordering of it 1 O God of our fathers that leddest the posteritie of Jacob and Joseph out of their Egyptian bondage through the Red sea and wilderness as a shepheard leads his flock yielding them powerful protection and gracious provision give ear to us now in our Babylonish captivitie pitie us and do for us now as then who are the remainder all that is left of those progenitors And thou that wast wont also to be intreated by thy people in thy sanctuarie and to evidence thy presence there in thy mercie-seat between the wings of the Cherubims vouchsafing them many a gracious answer and deliverance when they prayed for it in their extremitie thou that art the same God now as then hear us the same people though not in the same place in Babylon appear for us calling on thee in this our banishment and captivation 2 At the apostacie of the ten tribes thou knowest how that many well-affected of the tribe of Ephraim Benjamin and Manasseh forsook their habitations and transplanted themselves into Judea to be partakers of thy worship and now the posteritie of these that did cleave so close to thee then at the defection of their brethren are held captive here in Babylon Lord remember it unto them for good and now stick close to them as then they did to thee and powerfully transplant them back again into their own countrey and deliver them out of this captivitie whereinto thou hast brought them that when time was were voluntarie exiles for thy sake 3 Lord how ever our condition is very desperate and miserable yet art thou able to change it to what it was and to carrie us into our own land and give us the enjoyment and practice of thy worship again if thou wilt but turn thy frowns into favour and thy face upon us in stead of thy back-parts pardoning our sins and receiving us again into grace we shall be a happie people and see good days for all this 4 O Lord God of alsufficient and Almigtie power how long wilt thou that hast the command of all and art able to help us suffer us to remain helpless and be angrie at us now in our miserie for sins committed in our prosperitie so that our prayers are of no power but thou rejected them and us that are thy people and suffer as well for thee as for our sins 5 Thou makest us altogether miserable our sighs and tears are the best repast we have the uttering of our grief is the sustaining of our nature which we are forced to do with bitter lamentation 6 Thou hast made us an absolute prey to our neighbour nations that have long looked for this day insomuch that they are ready to fall out among themselves for the dividing the spoil of us and our countrey the whilest we are here captives in a strange nation amongst our mortal enemies that have no better pastime than to deride our miserable condition 7 See the third verse of this Psalm which is the same with this 8 With no small cost and care didst thou when time was transplant Israel as a vine of great account out of Egypt where it was stocked and thrive not unto a land where thou undertookest it should take root and grow even Canaan which thou emptiedst of its heathenish inhabitants to make way for thy people where thou didst implant whereof thou didst possess them 9 Thou miraculously madest way for their implantation by destroying and expulsing the natives thereof and making thy people victors still as they went on from one end of the land to the other insomuch as that they were settled in it by thy special gift and grace and enjoyed it both by right of conquest and long prescription of peaceable possession and peopled it from corner to corner successively one generation after another for many ages 10 They multiplied by thy blessing in such sort as that the hills and valleys were all full of them both best and worst of the countrey was inhabited and improved so mightily did they encrease and not onely in number but in stature also they were tall and goodly people such as hewed down Giants before them 11 So far as ever thou didst ordain the limits of that land to stretch even from the Mediterranean sea to the river Euphrates of old appointed by thee to be her boundaries did thy people inhabit her in a flourishing condition both of Church and State 12 Lord since thou wast pleased to do so much for a people and to husband and bless this vine of thine in this sort why hast thou thus utterly withdrawn thy protection from them as if they had never belonged unto thee nor had been cared for by thee exposing them and their land to all the outrages and obloquies that any that have a mind will inflict upon them and make bootie both of their persons and estates which at pleasure they share amongst them 13 Look as a savage boar breaking into a well formed garden would demean himself by turning all things upside down so hath this Heathenish Babylonish tyrant the land we possessed and the people in it making havock and destruction of all old and young root and branch in so ruinous a manner as if his armie had been so many wild beasts in stead of men 14 O Lord think it long enough to have estranged thy self thus from thy people resume thy grace of old towards us we humbly pray thee thou that hast command over all things whose dominion is in heaven far above all earthly powers look propitiously from thence upon us and own this vine of thine once again to replant it 15 Both vine and vineyard people countrey Lord look graciously upon them to reunite them repossess them of that which once by a strong hand outstretched arm thou gavest them the tribe of Judah O Lord remeÌber in which as it were alone thou didst uphold maintain the Church and Kingdom of Christ when all besides fell from thee 16 This single branch all that 's left of the florishing vine the onely Tribe in effect of all the
should not me if my life did not lie at stake but though their way to the Tabernacle lie through the dry and desart valley of Mulberry trees yet they can comfortably go it and undergo with holy resolution the hardship of it yea pass it with pleasure and esteem it a happiness they have the liberty to purchase such a benefit as the worship and spirituall enjoyment of God in his ordinances which yields them such refreshing of mind all the way they travell as that their very bodies fare the better and are refreshed therewith as it were with springs of water and showers of rain 7 Yea the nearer they draw to the end of their journey like the faithfull towards heaven instead of being more they are less faint and tired gathering strength every step they take by their near approaches to and the comfortable expectation of what all the way they hoped and travelled for even the glorious priviledge of appearing in the presence of God as the saints and angels do in heaven resident upon his holy hill mount Sion where the Ark the faithfull pledge of his presence is there to enjoy soul-ravishing communions gracious audience sweet and sensible supplies of spirit and consolation a very heaven upon earth for so it signifies 8 O God that hast an almighty power and that I am sure art the great commander in chief of heaven and earth and therefore canst restore me to this happiness and satisfie my longing which is infinitely enkeened by these considerations so that I beseech thee gratifie thy poor petitioner with a gracious answer that I may be no longer debarred and hear me a poor branch of the root of Jacob though sore against my will removed from the soil where thou hast appointed him to grow Lord re-plant me 9 Behold me O God an exile and afflicted man the emblem of thy militant Church whereof I am a member as well as a type whose defence and protection nevertheless thou art even of all the faithfull whereof I am one consider me also in an other capacity as the type of Christ anointed by thy special appointment to be King over thy people as he shall be over thy Church Let these considerations move thee to own pitie and restore me to my spiritual priviledges and comfortable exercise of thine ordinances in thy sanctuary 10 For for my part if I might have my choice I speak it unfainedly I had rather have one days comfortable enjoyment of thee in thy sanctuary and prize it higher than to live a thousand years in the very best condition this life can afford and be as I am debarred from thy worship so that I might but have the happiness to wait upon thee there I should think the meanest office in thy service even a porters place to be an honour and preferment far beyond the condition I am in whilest I am forced thus to inhabit among the prophane and Idolatrous heathen though in never so good esteem 11 And truly Lord I will not despair one day to have all that thou hast promised me and more than I desire though rather than none at all I should be glad of a little either time or place in thy sanctuary for I know thou art a God that wilt shine forth to the comfort and reviving of thine afflicted people who in the interim thou wilt protect I shall see better days and doubt not yet to be made happy by thy grace and favour and to be advanced to that glorious condition of being the Kingly type of Christ for had not I a special promise yet thy general promise would engage thee and encourage me to believe for certain it is that thou wilt be gracious and faithfull to give all needfull and requisit blessings and such Lord I desire to those that are thine as I am and walk thereafter in faithfull dependance and sincere obedience which I do 12 What ever my condition be though I am far from present possession of what thou hast promised or enjoyment of what I desire banished both out of the Church and kingdom of Israel yet I dare pronounce it of all faithfull ones that patiently wait and believingly depend upon thee that it shall go well with them one day and so it shall with me because of thine Almighty power which shall make good thy faithfulness The lxxxv PSALM Either at the end of the Babilonish captivitie or under Antiochus tyrannie was this Psalm composed minding God of his former pardoning and restoring-grace to his people to intreat the same again The Psalmist in the name of the Church promising himself a glorious deliverance proportionable in some degree and representative of that happie enfranchisment the Church shall have by the Messiah at his coming To the president of the Quire is this Psalm committed for his ordering of it to be sung by the Korathites 1 LOrd thou hast offered very great and gracious deliverances unto this nation thy people by re-estating it heretofore in a good condition after sad desolations and un-captivating Jacobs posteritie by an Almighty hand 2 Mercifully commiserating their sufferings and pardoning their iniquities because they were thy chosen Israel a people peculiarly belonging to thee though ill deserving from thee yet though their sins were then very great and provoking thou wast pleased after a while to put them out of thy sight and receive thy people again into thy favour we have not forgot it 3 As thou wast pleased grievously to afflict thy people so thou didst as graciously relieve and release them for what thy provoked anger took from them thy free-grace restored it again unto them and wouldest neither quite consume nor everlastingly embondage them but became as much theirs and for them as ever thou wast against them 4 Lord thine anger is again miserably broken out against us by reason of our sins we are fallen under heavy pressures we are now as void of all humane helps as then Thou onely heretofore wroughtest deliverance and so thou must still Turn us therefore we pray thee by unfained repentance and deliver us out of this miserable condition thou that hast been and we hope still wilt be a Saviour to us yea both turn us to thee and do thou also turn towards us the face and not the back-parts let the clouds of thine indignation be dispelled and the sun-shine of thy saving grace break forth upon us 5 Wilt thou do by us as thou never diddest with any before us wilt thou be unexorable and are our sins unpardonable more than theirs shall thine anger never cease and those heavy judgements thou hast laid upon us shall they never be taken off us but must they be an everlasting inderitance to us and our posterity after us God forbid 6 Thou hast raised thy people by thine Almighty power when they were as it were dead and buried and shall the name of Israel now die in us
never to live again Lord think other thoughts towards us bring us again into a comfortable condition and raise us up in joy as much as thou hast cast us down in sorrow by the return of thy reconciled favour to us which will infinitely rejoyce us 7 Let us be so happy as to see and feel the sweet effects of thy pardoning grace O good God by granting us a powerfull deliverance from under this misery and bondage 8 As pray so I will also expect an answer my faith shall listen diligently to the promise of God what it sayes as also to his providence what it will speak effectually by way of performance for his promises are then words he will do as he sayes and therefore I am confident how ever Gods time is now of punishing us so it will be of pardoning us his people shall have rest from these their troubles for his Saints the invisible Church sake that are amongst them but let them take heed of abusing such goodness by provoking the Lord again to wrath with back-sliding ingratitude lest he never take their words more 9 Surely deliverance from the Lord will make haste for the enfranchizing of all those that faithfully wait for it and will heartily imbrace it when it comes to the promoting and re-establishing his worship and service again in that land of his and ours though we are wrongfully disseiz'd of it and restoring it to its former glorie and splendour 10 Our return as it shall doubtless be so it shall be exceeding happie the very embleme of the salvation that comes by the Messiah to the Church and the glorious effects thereof for in our restauration there shall be an admirable commixtion of the mercie and truth of God thereby graciously fulfilling his promise touching the well-fare of his Church and freedom from her enemies together with a righteous obediential walking of his people with him in peace and tranquillitie Like as in Christ and in the restauration that he shall make of poor distressed sinners to a spiritual Libertie from their ghostly enemies sin and Satan there shall be a glorious reconciliation of those cross pleading attributes and properties in Gods divine nature and in the soul of every justified regenerate member of the Church for according to truth and righteousness Man that sinned hath died Christ being made a sacrifice and according to mercie and peace Man that hath sinned is saved and God he are reconciled and at one in the propitiation of his son so that in him the Laws threatnings and Gospels promises are agreed the rigour of Gods justice is fully satisfied all things in God peaceably accorded and God and man sweetly reconciled and man in his own conscience by the faith of all these comfortably quieted 11 We shall serve and obey God in truth and uprightness such sweet fruit shall Judea yield upon our restitution and God shall take pleasure in us and from heaven pour forth his righteous blessings upon us in grace and favour to us as it shall be with the Church when the Messiah that Truth of God shall be born in our nature of earthly parents with what satisfactorie content shall God then behold him and those justified sanctified members of his here below aswell as those glorified ones in heaven above and how shall he bless them 12 Yea the Lord shall be so reconciled to us that our evils shall be turned into their contrarie blessings he shall be our friend and make every thing else befriend us for good the creature shall be reconciled aswell as the creator and the land that our sins have made barren and fruitless shall by the blessing of God upon it be restored to that fertilitie it had heretofore when God was better served and it was better blessed and made to resemble the plenteous spiritual blessings that Christs enfranchized Church shall abound with here 13 God himself shall plentifully vouchsafe his graces and make us walk to his well-pleasing in holiness and righteousness as Christ shall his Church and set us in the right way which we have so miserably strayed from and enable us to walk it even the path of his precepts The lxxxvi PSALM David in this Psalm made probably either during Sauls persecution of him or after in mindfulness of that his estate personating himself as then it was with him praies for audience and deliverance because of his incessant intercessions and Gods innate goodness and promises himself what he praies for he extols God and prophesies all the World shall do so too prayeth for direction and establishment under his pressures promiseth praise for what God hath done for him and relates what manner of enemies his are as bad as bad can be but comforts himself in Gods opposit grace and goodness which he praies for a sensible sight and taste of by some remarkable act of providence and power for him against them to their shame and confusion and to his corroboration and consolation A praier that David made in the time of his grievous affliction recorded as a pattern and for the use of every faithful afflicted member of the Church 1 THou Lord that hast an ear for men in my case and heart too Let me I pray thee prevail for a gracious audience and though thou beest of so immense greatness and inhabitest heavens in unaccessable glorie yet Lord have regard to a poor worm on earth in this my deplorable helpless condition 2 That my life Lord is in danger thou knowest it and that my heart is upright towards thee and innocent towards man even to my very enemies thou Lord art not ignorant of it Therefore in righteousness deliver me out of their hands and save my life which they would destroy O Lord that art my God both in near relation and dear affection save me that thou knowest am entirely thine in loving obedience and faithful dependance and reliance 3 Let thy goodness and my miserie move thee to have mercie on me O Almightie Lord and to vouchsafe me deliverance for as I have cause my pressures being exceeding great and incessant so are my cries unto thee vehement and quotidian because my faith and hope is in thee 4 Set me free from my troubles and these despondencies of spirit that accompany them that I may with a joyful and thankful heart apprehend thy grace and mercie to me for Lord thou knowest my trust and confidence is in none besides thee as thou mayest perceive by my faithful and fervent addresses 5 For I know both from thine own word which I believe and mine own experience that thou art of a gracious compassionate nature to poor distressed suppliants and though just to punish sinners yet as ready to pardon penitents and to shew mercie of every kind both of forgiveness to humbled sinners and of deliverance to distressed innocents that in the faith thereof pray earnestly unto thee 6 And
Lord I am one of those be thou therefore so to me in thy goodness and mercie hear me calling and crying unto thee for relief in this my distressed estate 7 And truly Lord that goodness of thine and my confidence in it prompts me what ever and whensoever I am in affliction to flie to thee by prayer and supplication not doubting of a gracious answer and issue 8 There are many gods worshipped in the world besides thee but for my part I know none but thee nor will pray or seek to any else for I am sure it is but lost labour Thine onely is the Kingdom power and glorie Thy works are worthy of thee but they as they are no Gods so there is nothing they can do neither god nor man besides thy self no creature whatsoever can do any thing worthy a mans trust for all that is done is either of thee or from thee and those things wherein thou art pleased to appear and to put forth thy power how transcendent are they 9 Yea though it be a thing almost incredible and seemingly impossible considering that ignorance and enmity that is all the world over yet shalt thou that by thine infinit Almighty power hast made all nations make to thy self a Church of every people in the whole earth aswel Gentiles as Jews and they shall yield thee not constrained but voluntarie obedience and acknowledgement under the Kingdom of Christ whereof my Kingdom no less powerfully brought about by thee shall be some resemblance for then shall the heathen nations do thee homage and dread thy power I shall convince them but Christ shall convert them whose people and servants they shall then be as we now are 10 For there is nothing impossible to God who is able to do whatsoever he will his power is infinit and omnipotent as his wondrous works declare and the strange transcendent things he hath done for his Church in all ages and will do still even make the whole world his Church and himself to be worshipped and acknowledged of the very heathen they that now are Idolaters and serve many Gods yea every thing for God but God shall serve him and none besides him as we do 11 O Lord in the hour of temptation and time of trouble which is now upon me thou knowest how apt we are to step aside partly by ignorance partly by frailty my suit therefore is that thou wouldest instruct me how to demean my self so that I sin not against thee and to that end mind me of my dutie in every emergencie Let me hear a voice behind me saying this is the way and my purpose is not to deviat from it but my power must be from thee to make good this purpose therefore Lord give me such grace and courage and such seasonable supplement thereof that I may be resolved to believe firmly in thee and to walk exactly with thee at all essayes not staggering either in faith or a good conscience 12 As I have found thee mindful of me in trouble so shalt thou find me no less mindful of thee and my dutie to thee out of it I will not forget nor fail to give thee praises and that unfeigned ones uttered from my heart in the faith of thy power and grace O Lord my good God yea it shall be my constant practise to praise thee and to magnifie thee in and for them whilest I have any being 13 For greatly have they been manifested in thy mercie towards me and in so wonderfully preserving me from death and destruction that so unavoidably assailed me and had certainly devoured me hadst not thou mightily preserved me 14 And indeed I had need of no less power than thine to preserve me considering my humane help how weak it is and mine enemies insolencie and rage how great they are for multitudes of such as care neither for God nor man that disdain to walk by any rules but their own dictates without regard either to mine innocencie or thy severitie and justice resolve to persecute me to death 15 But thou O Lord art as gracious and merciful as they are cruel as pitiful as they are pitiless pardoning the sins and sensible of the sufferings of thy servant bearing with my frailties and passing by my infirmities in these my trials and failest me not as I have need of thee but hast abundantly approved thy goodness to be as large as thy truth and promise and thy self to be every jot as good as thy word 16 And so let me still find thee thy favour and grace O Lord vouchsafe me and in a time of need have mercie upon me to deliver me as I am thy servant so Lord inable me to persevere give inward strength of faith and courage to uphold me in and under these outward calamities and power to wade through them so as that I perish not in them have a gracious regard to me who thou knowest am a child not onely of thy visible but of thine invisible Church an heir of the promise born and bred under thy roof of thine own family neerly related to thee and therefore pray and hope for protection from thee 17 As I stand in need of more than ordinarie supportation so also of extraordinarie consolation and mine enemies of extraordinarie conviction by reason of their arrogance and malignitie Therefore Lord vouchsafe some notable act of providence in the behalf of my preservation and of power in their confusion that they which so extreamly hate me may know thou lovest me and hatest them for hating me and be ashamed at their hating and persecuting one whom they see thou lovest and preservest and for whose sake thou discomfits them to be a help and comfort unto me The lxxxvii PSALM For as much as ãâã the captivity upon their return the Iewâ wâre or might bâ dâjâcted with the paâcitie of their people and povertie of their condition the holy Ghost by the Psalmist animates them and diverts the thoughts and apprehensions of the godly by setting forth the glorious priviledges of Sion prophâsted of old but not yet fulfilled saving in their shâdows which shortly would be accomplished in substance when all nations should be ambitious to be Sionists for the Church it selfe should bear that name which shall abound both in a numerous issue and heavenly qualifications A Psalm made to be both sung and played by the Korathites 1 THe holy Lord God from out all the world hath chosen Canaan a hilly countrey Jerusalem a mountainous place and in Jerusalem mount Sion and Moriah to scituate his Temple and to rest his Ark and establish his worship in There had his Church the pillar and ground of truth the first setling and truth it self the first firm footing upon which foundation laid among these hils was to be built and reared that great famous structure of the Gentil-Church Christ himself the principal corner-stone digged out of those mountains
wert not God alone yet thou wilt now set their judgements right and let them know that none can pretend to Godhead but thy self as heaven is thy throne so the earth is thy foot-stool and shall be subdued unto Jesus Christ for that in him thou shalt be magnified beyond all that are called Gods who shall then appear to be what indeed they are Lying vanities and so shall be accounted of 10 Great shall be the numbers of Professours and pretenders to Christianity infinite will give their names to Christ and be ambitious to have his name named upon them in those dayes but there is more belongs to it than so He that is indeed the Lord Christs a loyall subject of his Kingdom and member of his Church must sincerely love him and that must appear by an upright walking with him and believing on him he must fear to offend him and therefore hate sin because it doth so and so doing be fearless as touching his salvation and preservation faithfully relying upon the truth and providence of God for both maugre both his ghostly and temporall enemies which God may suffer to hazard his Church and people for the triall of their faith and exercise of their graces but never to ruine them 11 For when ever God seems to plow and harrow his Church by persecutions and troubles that is his and her seeds-time then is he but husbanding his field weeding and clodding it all that time of darkness and infelicity is but the seed-season and preparatory to the breaking out of greater favour and grace upon her which he preserves in store she shall not lose but gain by it when the spring and harvest comes her joy shall be redoubled when the ecclipse is over Thus shall it be not with all professours but with the uncorrupt and pure in heart who are the Lords as well within as without in affections as actions whose ends and motives are principled from God and for God by faith in him and love to him 12 Let such righteous ones though they meet with never so many rubs in the way be so far from being dismaid at them as to go on with full sails of assurance and joy in God making no stop but over-topping all fear by faith still casting their eye upon Gods never-failing faithfulness and being as thankfull for a happy issue and deliverance out of their afflictions as if they had it because of the ingagement of Gods holiness which cannot deceive them The xcviii PSALM This Psalm is as if it had been made by Iohn Baptist himself pointing out Christ and his Kingdom already come through the propinquity and certainty of it shewing sorth the prais-worthy deliverance and universall benefit that to Iew and Gentile shall accrue thereby yea to the very irrationall and unsensible creatures whereupon be excites all rationall and irrationall to praise the Lord proportionably A Psalm to be sung 1 O what wonderfull occasions from time to time hath God given his people Israel of frequent and fresh praises by deliverance upon deliverance and all of them so strange and miraculous that we could not have the face to ascribe them to any but to him to whom we have endited and sung many a new Psalm for new mercies all which temporall salvations and our thanksgivings for them were but prefigurations of that one onely salvation of his Church by Christ God incarnate whose powerfull triumphant death and holy life active and passive obedience hath gotten so glorious a victory to his everlasting praise over all the spirituall enemies of his elect and faithfull people which as it is the deliverance whereof all others were but adumbrations so ought it to have the praise above them all joyntly or severally A Quire of Angels are but fit to celebrate this great and Gospel salvation the good news whereof ought much more to set the spirituall Preists and people of God on work to praise him for it that are saved by it 2 The heathen people have admired our salvations and wondrous deliverances many a time which the Lord hath wrought for us in their sight and hearing But they shall have much more cause to admire their own when God shall proclaim the year of Jubilee to the Gentiles and bring them by the redemption of the Messiah which is at hand out of the power of Hell sin death and darkness setting wide open to them the doore of life that were shut out and Preaching salvation of free-grace to all the world according to his promise 3 The promised Messiah which was to come of the seed of Israel our Father and in whom is to be accomplished all those covenanted engagements and Gospel promises made with Abraham of grace and mercy pardon and atonement God in faithfulness and fulness of time hath sent him in whom all the nations of the earth are to be blessed for the benefit both of Jews and Gentiles whose all-sufficient merit and common salvation shall in the fame and promulgation of it extend it self by a gracious and free tender to all people in all places of the world without exception our God is their God in and through Christ and his salvation both ours and theirs they being through grace adopted and ingrafted into one stock with us the faithfull seed of faithfull Abraham every where sharers in the blessing 4 5 6 We a corner of the world a few in comparison of the whole O how were we wont to resound and eccho out the Honour and praises of the Lord in that onely Temple with all manner of musicall Instruments and Voices for our temporall and comparatively petty deliverances from earthly enemies and humane captivities and imbondagements O with what ineffable rejoycings in the superlativest manner we could devise did we magnifie the Lord and set the Crown of all glory upon his head How much more now are his praises to exceed when as all the earth is his Church Christ himself the Saviour and the termes to and from which we are saved are heaven and hell the subject of his salvation our pretious souls as well as mortall bodies both redeemed not onely into a capacity but certainty of spirituall and eternall life and freed from death of both sorts What praises are enough for this how can the redeemed of the Lord each whereof is a Temple and each Temple a Quire sufficiently extoll the Lord the King Christ Jesus dead and risen yea ascended into glory Go not less in the praises of such a Saviour for his salvation in the universall Catholick Church than we did for ours in our particular nationall Sinagogue But let your faith praise him in full assurance your joy in heart-ravishment your love by being such as many waters cannot quench your hope anchored within the vail Let all these graces by a joynt harmony like the voices and instruments of the Temple be sublimated to their highest sphear of activity in the celebration of
false gods readily embrace his truth take the Lord for your God and give your selves to him to be his people count it your happiness to be so that you may have the honour and priviledge to be admitted to put up prayer and to offer praises to him as your God that once were aliens and without God in the world now Christ hath taken down the partition-wall and brought God and you together again be much with him in faithfull and gratefull praising of him 3 Learn this lesson well that the Lord is God and that he onely is so you that have been used to Idolize other gods do so no more own him and honour him for the onely Iehovah that hath being and hath it of himself and that is the sole Creatour of all men we made not our selves and then nothing else but he did nay it is he that hath begotten us again he hath of and by his grace made us new creatures this we are sure is as much of him and as little of our selves as the former those that are his people may thank him they are so their souls had never been renued nor saved by any thing they themselves could have done or suffered vocation justification and sanctification are the gifts of God to his Elect as are all the faithfull of what nation soever of whom we Israelites now his peculiar are a type and as he hath done us in the manifestation of grace and administration of providence such singular love will he bear to his Church for ever 4 Seeing we are to be all one Church begin betime joyn fellowship with us in the worship of this one onely true God do as we do now frequent his holy Temple worship him in the Courts and Ordinances thereof whilest they are till they cease and then in holy Christian assemblies worship him in spirit and truth be thankfull to him and magnifie him for the unspeakable goodness and power manifested in so great salvation 5 For though we be evil yet the Lord is good and though our sins provoke his judgements against us yet his long-suffering and mercy is like himself everlasting we have found it so and so shall his Church in all ages his faithfulness according to the covenant of grace shall not fail on his part though it be too often broke on ours it shall be perpetuated in Christ and for Christ to his Church The ci PSALM David drawing nigh towards the possession of the Kingdom so long promised and delaid to forward the accomplishment preingageth himself to God that he will praise him for it when he hath it and serve him faithfully in it both as a King and a pater-familias in walking uprightly and avoiding sin carefully neither countenancing it in himself nor othors whether in Citie or Countrey Church or Common-wealth but on the contrary the good and godly shall be they he will prefer and imploy A Psalm made by David 1 O Lord when thou shalt in favour to thy servant have seated me in the throne I will magnifie thy free grace and mercifull beneficence in bringing me out of such trouble and hazard unto such an honour and dignity as also thy righteousness and justice when thou shalt have executed those judgements upon mine enemies which thou hast threatned 2 When thou hast advanced me to it I hope I shall walk worthy of it my full purpose is with godly wisdom to order all mine affaires and not be as most Kings are wise to their own and their Kingdoms destruction by exercising their policy to advance their tyranny and governing by no rule of reason or justice but by the arbitrary dictates of their own inordinate appetites I purpose to be wise with other manner of wisdom and to tread in quite other steps in obedience to thy Laws and dispensation of Justice and good government to my people when they are mine Lord when shall that day be that thou wilt come in the full accomplishment of thy promises to me I hope I shall not give thee cause to repent thee whensoever it is for my purpose is to be both a good King over my people and a carefull head over my Court and family to breed my successours and rule my servants and officers as well as my subjects in the fear of God giving good example in my place to all under me both of innocency and sincerity 3 I will watch against the temptations incident to that estate condition whereof it is full will therefore purposely avoid occasions of evil whereby I know beforehand I shall miscarry if not carefully shunned specially then when my power is almost equall with my will therefore in a holy fear of sinning I will turn my back upon allurements refuse their offers and walk in a steady resolved course of holiness and righteousness without coveting an evil covetousness abusing my power to gratifie unlawfull desires for I hate warping and back-sliding such defection is extream distastfull to me by Gods help such corrupt thoughts shall never lodge in my breast nor such wickedness hang at my heels to hinder my progress in piety and good government though I know before-hand the baits that will lie in my way but I will not stoop to take them up 4 I hope then to be rid of this heart which now by reason of my bitter afflictions is sore put to it and oft enclines to discontent and untuneableness but I hope then to be free from the temptation and consequently from the distemper and to be never the prouder for mine honour which I come so hardly by and which whensoever I have it it must be of thy free gift but of meek demeanour both towards thee above me and my fellow-brethren though subjects under me And as I will not allow of wickedness in my self so nor in any other no wicked person nor no person in the practise of any wickedness shall have my countenance to credit him 5 I know how incident Princes are to be misled by whisperers and what false reports they hear by giving ear to flatterers and back-biters to the unjust prejudice of the innocent but I will take a course with such men I will watch mine ears as well as mine eyes will severely punish those that I catch doing so nor shall any proud vain-glorious fool draw me from an humble walking with God such shall see that I know humility and Sovereignty are not incompatible but consistent I will neither pride it over my brethren my self nor suffer any else because of his place or office about me to do so 6 My countenance shall be to the good and not to the bad and my care shall be to find out such as are faithfull and sincere-hearted towards God to entertain and imploy such who I know will also be faithfull and uncorrupt in their places the man that is a practiser of piety and honesty and in the course of his life walks
steadily in those wayes is he that I will be solicitous to enquire out and prefer both in domestick and republick offices 7 If I may know it there shall no crafty dissembler nor undermining oppressour harbour under my roof nor be imploid as any Minister of mine he that misinforms me thinking thereby to delude me advantage himself or disadvantage another such an one shall pack out of my doores he shall have no favour but all the discountenance I can give him 8 It shall be my first and chiefest work to weed out the notorious deboisheers generally in the Kingdom that have inured themselves so to sin in Sauls licentious reign as their is no hope of their amendment and as it shall be my first work so it shall be my constant course impartially to punish evil doers all the land over and specially in Jerusalem the place of Gods peculiar abode and worship that I may as near as I can bring all my people every where to be Gods people holy worshippers of him by working a thorough reformation among them most especially will I expunge them out of the sanctuary from officiating there where such men are a scandall and an eye-sore to God and all good men The cii PSALM The Authour of this Psalm in the name and person of the Church then in miserable captivity in Babylon but near the end of it prayes for speedy relief in their lamentable oppression and from under Gods own indignation and how desperate soever their condition seems yet he comforts himself and in himself the Church with Gods never failing-nature and truth which shall give existence to his Church and consequently restauration according to the prefixed time then at hand which will be joy to his people and honour to God both in present and after-ages amongst Iews and Gentiles for it shall be an occasion to convert some and a figure of the great restitution that shall be made by the coming of the Mâssiah He magnifies Gods eternall being and assures the Church therefore an everlasting existence however frail in her self A Prayer made for the use and direction of the godly when he or they are so grievously afflicted as they seem to be overwhelmed therewith and his or their burden so unsupportable that it forceth him to pour out his soul in sad complaints before the Lord in the dolour and anguish of his heart 1 O Lord hear the prayer of thy servant and servants even of thy whole Church whom I personate complaining to thee in great misery and bondage to the enforcing of them to vehement importunities which Lord shut not thine ears against but give them audience and gracious admittance into both thine ears and heart 2 Though our sins have caused thy frowns and disfavour yet let our miseries move thy mercies and be intreated after so long an estrangement of so many years bondage at last to resume thy grace and to shine forth in favour upon us and to take our condition into consideration yea Lord now thou hast put it into our hearts to pray hopefully be intreated to answer us speedily by delivering and restoring us effectually let it not be long to 3 Our whole life in this condition we are in is spun out to an unprofitable length our time is unusefully spent wasted and consumed without honour to thee or good to our selves This long lingring oppression the sorrow we sustain under it because of the sense of thy heavy displeasure and thy Churches desolation hath dried up our radicall moisture and quite changed the constitution of our natures that our bones if visible are dried and discoloured as an hearth that hath long lain under a hot scortching fire as we have under the fire of affliction 4 Thou hast cut up all my earthly comforts as it were by the roots I can think of nothing of that nature comfortably my heart and they are parted by thy judgements as the grass is from the earth by the hand of the mower and as it withers for want of union and communication of sap and moisture so is my heart shrunk and exhausted within me by the utter absence of thy grace and favour finding no content the whilst in any thing though never so necessary insomuch as nature forgets to sustain it self feeds upon sorrow instead of bread having almost lost all appetite and digestion through anguish of heart 5 By reason of the expence of spirits through my continuall mourning day and night uttering my grief in groans and sighs for want of words my nature is totally impaired and my flesh so wasted that my skin and bones are met I am become a very skelliton 6 I am in a most solitary mournfull condition no representation in nature can sufficiently depaint it an exile a bondslave Chaldea and Assyria yield us as much comfort as if we were in a wilderness our cohabitation with the Babylonians is worse than the greatest solitariness upon earth the mournfull Pelican and hated Owl that therefore converse alone in desert places without pitie or societie so much as of one another do best resemble us for so are we a banished and a scattered people in a far countrey in an uncomfortable unsociable state 7 As my sorrow takes away my stomack so also my sleep and keeps me waking so that I scarce take any rest nor in this disconsolation have I any to comfort me but each of us are seperated from other as a sparrow from his mate lost to our countrey and lost to one another 8 All the mischief our enemies can heap upon us by word or deed we are sure of they shamefully reproch us and in us blaspheme thee they are implacable and outragious against us have sworn the destruction of us all even of thy whole Church sooner or later 9 And they use us accordingly more like dogs than men exposing us to all manner of hardship through the extremitie of our pressures and grief for them forcing us to take no content in any thing no not in our ordinarie repasts our provisions being so bad and unsavorie and our sorrows making it worse than it is feeding more upon sack-cloth and ashes weeping and mourning than either bread or drink 10 And this not so much for my sufferings though they be great but for thy wrath and indignation appearing in them and threatned by them which is the more apparent and the grievouser in this that thou wast once so gracious and beneficial the memorie whereof now aggravates our miserie exceedingly that thou shouldest be so changed and enraged against a people so nearly related and dearly beloved for whereas no nation flourished like us we are now no more a people but a scattered vassalaged company of men and women as if thou hadst raised us of purpose to make our fall the greater and made us therefore happie that we might become the more miserable like a man that to break a thing
thou art bound no never to forget neither all nor any of them but to sum them up in thank-ful praises to his name 3 Who hath called thee to be faithfull and of his onely good grace hath freely in the merits of his son forgiven thee all thy sins justified thee from their guilt and pardoned their punishment so that from an heir of hell thou art translated to be an heir of heaven And hath also enabled thee by the spirit of regeneration to walk worthie so rich grace in mortifying thy lusts and raising thee to newness of life and conversation by his sanctifying quickening graces bestowed upon thee 4 Who to save thy life lost his own gave it a price for thee the virtue whereof hath influence every day and hour upon thee O my soul for every trespass thou committest dying virtually as oft as thou sinnest whereby thou art kept from perishing everlastingly as else thou hadst done and wouldst do continually and though the bodie wherein thou doest officiate do die a temporal death and lie down in the grave as all men must yet at that instant shalt thou be translated to live with him in Heaven that died for thee on earth instead of being sent to Hell according to thy demerits and at the resurrection shalt have a happie re-union with a glorified incorruptible bodie having honoured and enriched thee here with the first fruits of glorie pardoning protecting regenerating justifying graces more than I can enumerate because of his love and mercie to thee and for no cause else 5 Who feasts thee with Spiritual and Heavenly dainties suting thy tast and appetite answers all thy prayers touching requisit graces and comforts so that whensoever thy stock of either seems to be spent thy graces enfeebled and thy comforts exhausted then at thy request comes God with sweet and seasonable supplies and maketh them and so thee that wast a dying to live again vigorous and active like an eagle that by casting her beak and feathers and new-ones coming in their stead resumes her former agilitie and strength till then disabled so is thy regenerate part and sanctified habits by fresh auxiliaries and immediate breathings revived when at a loss 6 And not onely in spiritual soul-desertions but also in external bodily afflictions does the Lord appear seasonably for when I was oppressed and opened my case to God pleading mine innocencie and mine enemies injurie how did he judge my cause against them and upon them and so will he do for all his faithful upright innocent people in their wrongful pressures in a season most comfortable and profitable he will deliver them and judge their oppressours 7 Witness his wonderful works of old in the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt he did foretel to Moses what powerful and terrible judgements he would bring upon the Egyptians and how wonderfully in truth and righteousness he would enfranchise his people and what he said he did all he told to Moses by promise he made it good by experience in the sight of all the twelve tribes Israels posteritie he faild not in a tittle nor shall his Covenant of grace made with our redeemer Christ touching his redeemed 8 And as the Lord betwixt man and man is pitiful to the oppressed especially to his Church and terrible to their enemies So is he also betwixt himself and them a very graciously disposed God in respect of the sins and deserved punishments of his people as Israel well experimented all along the wilderness exceeding readie to shew mercie and to pardon sin and punishment when it is petitioned for not easily provoked nor apt to anger as they found and extream readie to grant forgiveness of one sin after another if the sinner pray it uprightly God will grant it willingly even the pardon of all our sins though both many and great as theirs were 9 And when he does visit our sins upon us for he will not alwayes bear with us so nor then will he be alwayes wroth against us punish us he may destroy us he never will no nor yet be alwayes angrie at us or frown upon us his face shall clear up and his favour shine forth after a while faithful prayer will scatter those clouds 10 We of all the World have cause to acknowledge him such an one he hath not done by us as we have deserved our experiences from time to time have made good all his gracious properties of grace long-suffering and plenteous mercie having ever been a God exceedingly bearing with us and forbearing of us though a provoking ungreatful people towards him 11 For the immensity of his mercie is superlative to any natural comparison no dimensions can proportion it the height of heaven above the earth does not resemble it to us such and beyond it is his mercie in preterition and pardon to his people that unfeinedly repent them of their sins and with full purpose of heart Covenant to fear and serve him 12 Consider the heavens either for height or wideness and which you think is the greater for the help of your faith conclude that so great and greater is the mercie of God towards such as turn to him and walk with him sincerely The East and West shall as soon come together as the sins of such shall be laid to their charge how grievous so ever they have been for at a greater distance and disproportion hath God sundred a penitent sinner and his sins even as far as infinite is from finite Christ himself who is God having taken them off of him upon himself 13 You that are earthly parents know what are the bowels of a father to a child when with tears and prayers it begs pardon for its offences such for such comparisons we are fain to use for the help of our natural apprehensions and far greater are the earnings of God and his compassions towards those that in the faith of his mercie repent of their transgressions beg pardon of their punishments and promise and perform upright obedience 14 For the Lord knoweth of what brickle matter we are made he remembers how transitorie our natures are so that should he deal with us after our sins and would punish us according to our provocations he would have no people left on earth to serve him or to carrie on the existence and being of a Church so that our frailtie moved him to mercie and not to do as sin would have him cut our short lives shorter 15 Man being no better than grass both sprung out of the earth hath a little time of Being alotted him here wherein he takes some contentment during part of that little in his youthful season as a flower that hath its moneth to spring flourish and decay in so at best is mans condition by course of nature but besides that naturally he is so frail and momentany he is subject to be cut off by infinite accidents that
it were a sensible creature and dejected even to trembling and amazement at the dispensations of his frowns and displeasure the great stupendious mountains are but as stubble to the fire if the Lord do but actuate the least token of his anger upon them they also are extreamly troubled and affrighted or annihilated and consumed for all their greatness like other things 33 Such are the works of God and so resplendent his greatness and goodness in them as that not a day shall go over my head wherein I will not out of the serious consideration and happy impression they make upon my spirit give glorie to God and will sing their praises to him day by day not for a fit or in a humor as hypocrits do when he humours them but how ever it go with me in weal or woe him will I worship and his name will I magnifie nothing shall hinder whilest God lends me life 34 I will not as most men do overlook his works and see nothing praise-worthy in them the commonness of them shall not so blind mine eyes but I will consider them and his praise-worthy attributes that shine forth in them I will not let mine heart stick in the creature it shall be my foot-stool to lift me up to the Creator to take a view of his excellencies and properties there shall mine heart lay out it self and suck in their sweetnesses which shall rejoice and establish it because of my relation to and interest in such a God so wonderfully qualified I will improve my meditation into application my thoughts shall not be meerly speculative but practical to the warning and working of my heart usefully towards God when my head is imployed about the creature 35 Those that will not honour and serve such a God that hath done all these things furnished the earth with such excellent commodities whereof they reap the benefit it is pitie they should live upon it to devour the creature without magnifying the Creatour especially they that abuse so much goodness and turn grace into wantonness making the creature against its nature to disserve the Lord by their perverting the use of it unto sin and Idolatrie I would such were in their graves that discontent God and discommode the godly But what ever others do O my soul do thou thy duty muster up all his mercies meditate all his works be thou affected by them to praise him for them and return the glorie of his Attributes that shine forth in them And all yee whose souls are like mine even all that are faithfull and upright in heart do as I do let him have his due praises as well from you as from me The cv PSALM This Psalm made by David as appears by part of that song upon the Arks remove to Ierusalem 1 Chron. 16. Exciteth the people of Israel to be thankfull to God to praise him and in faith to seek him for all that he hath done in the behalf of them and their fore-fathers of old in that he chose them entred covenant with them of all the earth for which covenant sake he had so infinitely befriended them ever since in the Patriarks sojournings Iosephs preferring Israels preserving in Egypt and wonderfull deliverance thence their provision and conduct in the wilderness and possession of Canaan and lastly shews the final cause of all the service of God and what should be the result His praise 1 AFter so many and great mercies as God hath afforded you above all people even to the setling the Ark of his presence amongst you upon his holy hill the resting place of it and him be not unmindfull of nor ungratefull for them but pour out your souls in thankfull acknowledgements of them all to the Lord especially of this tending so much to the perfecting and full accomplishment of the happie condition of this Church and Kingdom so long since promised and foretold and to that purpose frequent this place of his special residence here to worship him pray to him and praise him yea every where where you come and have opportunitie publish the great things he hath done from time to time and the wonders he hath wrought in behalf of his chosen Israel to get him glorie both amongst Jews and Gentiles 2 Make it your business to praise the Lord every way and by all manner of means sing forth his praises with heart and voice in Psalms solemnly sung and Quire-like with all the Art and Melodie that musical instruments added thereunto can make and at your own houses as well as at his busie your selves about him when you have not opportunitie to glorifie him one way do it another way speak and discourse of him and his works wrought for you to the keeping them alive in memorie and affections both your own and others at home and abroad as you have occasion 3 Make your boasts of God ye that are so nearly related to him both of what he hath done and of what he is able and hath promised to do for you be strong in faith and with assured hope and confidence rejoyce in the Lords future favour and grace to his people have no doubts nor fears to the contrarie onely frequent his sanctuary and there worship him and open your hearts in faithfull prayer unto him 4 You know where the Lord is to be sought and where he will be found his Ark is both the pledge of his strength and favour there you may have them for asking therefore be not lazie lose not such pearls for the digging though it cost you some travel yet such gains will quit your cost bestir you therefore come often at least as oft as he requires you and your posteritie after you keep him now you have him never forsake him and he will never forsake you 5 And when you do come come warm in affection carrie along in your hearts the faithfull and gratefull memorie of what wonderfull works he hath alreadie heretofore wrought in your behalfs the better to possess you of his power and good will towards you and to animate you in faithfull prayer towards him that you have found so faithfull and true of his word both of promise to you and of judgements to your enemies as he threatened 6 What I have spoken by way of exhortation I speak it to you and you onely that are the Israel of God heirs of promise the people of his covenant which he made with Abraham your father and his faithfull and obedient servant who as you come of him so I exhort you to inherit and imitate his graces that his God may be yours as also your more immediate father Jacob that holy Patriarch chosen of Gods free grace and you in him to be his peculiar Church and people when as his elder brother Esau and the Edomites his posteritie were and are rejected and given up to serve other gods yea all the world but you 7 He onely is the
they were in Egypt insomuch that the Egyptians grew to be afraid of their numerousness least they should be able in time to over-master them in their own land which fear turned into enmity against them 25 Insomuch that as well as at first they were received amongst the Egyptians and for all the good offices Joseph had done to that nation yet the Lord so ordered it according to his predictions that Egypt soon after grew ungratefull and unmindfull of all that was past and so hated Israel as they laid plots to suppress them and keep them so at an under that they should not multiply after that sort and to imbase and enervate their spirits that so by base drudgeries imposed upon them they should never have the courage to attempt their liberty and departure thence but should serve the Egyptians everlastingly for slaves and labourers 26 Which they were a long time till the appointed period came and that they cried to the Lord by reason of their insupportable pressures And then did the Lord miraculously preserve Moses and sent him as his great Embassabour to Pharaoh he and Aaron these two onely he chose to carry on and perfect that great work of Israels deliverance out of Egypt the one of them his extraordinary Prophet and servant and the other afterwards his High-Priest 27 Which deliverance was marvellously compassed by strange and miraculous wonders wrought by these men through the power of the Almighty to let those Egyptians the posterity of Cham that cursed progenitour see what a God of power the God of Israel was 28 The Lord therefore at Moses his stretching forth his hand towards heaven when Pharaoh would not let Israel go sent strange and extraordinary darkness both for its nature and continuance upon the whole land of Egypt Yea what ever the Lord commanded those two faithfull servants of his to do or say in the whole transaction of this great business betwixt Pharaoh and him for the deliverance of his people they failed not either in their messages or commands but though with never so much perill to themselves did whatsoever they were appointed of God continually and all creatures obeyed as readily 29 By their Ministery when Pharaoh would not yet let Israel go God also turned the waters into bloud throughout all the land of Egypt every where both in their rivers pooles and houshold-cisternes so that neither they could drink it nor the fish live in it but were killed 30 Also by Aarons stretching out his hand over the waters of Egypt upon Pharaohs further hardening God brought infinite of frogs upon the land like grass that grows upon the ground which dispersed themselves into all places so that Pharaoh and his Princes even their very bed-chambers were full of those crawling creatures no place free 31 Furthermore Aaron stretched out his rod upon the dust of Egypt and the dust became lice all the land over which crept upon man and beast also God commanded and there was likewise grievous swarms of severall sorts of uncouth flies in all the land thus with base vermin did the Lord plague the proud Egyptians for lording it over his people 32 There where useth to be no hail nor rain the Lord at Pharaohs refusall to let his people go sent by the hand of Moses stretched forth to heaven a grievous storm of hail mixt with fire and accompanied with terrible thunder-claps which fell as thick as rain from the clouds the hail and fire killing and consuming all without doores that was in the field 33 Yea so forcible was the storm and so extraordinary the hail that it spoiled their vines fig-trees and brake all other sorts of trees also throughout the coasts and quarters of Egypt 34 35 After this the Lord commanded an East-wind to blow which brought strange kinds of locusts and cater-pillars in such an infinite number that they darkened the land which every where throughout all Egypt devoured every thing that was green hearb or tree which the hail had not consumed 36 When nothing else would do he smote all the first-born in Egypt both of men and beast King and people so that in one night the flour of all Egypt perished because of Pharaohs hardened heart that would not let Israel go 37 38 Whereupon according as God had foretold Pharaoh let Israel go and glad he and his people were to be rid of them for whose sake God had so destroied his countrey and by the conduct of Moses the Lord led them thence when first he had given them favour in the sight of the Egyptians to depart to them their Jewels of silver and gold and raiment all which they carried away with them to the spoil of the Egyptians and their own exceeding enriching and though they were so many hundred thousands yet of all that number in none of all the twelve Tribes was there any one that for all the plagues that had befallen the Egyptians amongst whom they lived was a hair the worse nor that either by their cruell usage hard burdens old age or sickness was creepled or enfeebled unfit for travel but every man woman and child was lusty and strong to undertake their journey 39 Nor did God leave them when he had thus delivered them but provided for them in and along their journey through the wilderness ordained supernaturally a cool refreshing cloud in the day-time to wait upon them and travell along with them which like a Canopie covered them from the scorchings of the Sun in that hot desart as also in the night-time for light to travell by he gave them a pillar of fire in both which he himself conducted them 40 41 And as he provided for them light and shade for their well-being and better travelling so did he above the course of nature which could not then and there supply them give them livelihood and things necessary for their strength and being as meat and drink and both by extraordinary and miraculous means Manna that memorable bread and dew-fall of heaven they had it in abundance enough to serve that huge Host during all the time of their travell in the wilderness besides which when they asked though not in that manner they ought he gave them further provision and by a wind which he caused to blow brought Quails that fell round about the Camp enow to serve that numerous people also when they were thirstie he caused the rock of Horeb upon Moses his smiting it to open and the waters to flow forth of it which ran in that desart wilderness along as they travelled as it had been a river that there had its naturall course for the sustenance of them and their cattell 42 For though our fathers in that their journey did often sin grievously against God and tempted him to have destroied them rather than thus miraculously to provide for them yet was he still mindfull of
his sacred and gracious engagement which he had promised and sworn concerning the people he had made choice of how he would be their God and possess them of the land of Canaan and therefore would he not for his own holiness sake break his word as also for his faithfull servant Abrahams sake to whom he made that promise and whose seed by promise they were 43 Thus from first to last was the Lord propitious to and protectour of his Church and people whom he brought out of Egypt with an Almighty hand after so long and cruell an embondagement delivering them and at the red-sea destroying all those their cruell taskmasters and mortall enemies the Egyptians in their sight and there setting them for ever free from them to the infinite joy of those his people and chosen ones when they thus saw themselves so dear to God and regarded by him and so freed from their adversaries and hardship 44 And so at last as well as at first was he faithfull to his promise and powerfull for his people bringing them to the land of Canaan which he wholly bestowed upon them and estated them in it where they possessed Houses and Cities that they built not and Vineyards that they planted not he destroying and driving out before them the heathenish inhabitants and nations that possessed it made them Lords of it which we hold and possess at this day and have done ever since by that tenure of the gift of God 45 All which benefits the Lord bestowed upon them to the end he might win their love gain their hearts and engage them in dutifull and obedient walking towards him according to those laws and commandments which he had given them especially to be observed in this very land for as they were his speciall people so he chose this for the place of his speciall worship before all the world and to that end gave it them Be you therefore for your parts now and hereafter O ye Israelites mindfull of these his mercies to praise him for them and of your duties to walk worthy of them The cvi PSALM In some great and generall affliction and dispersion of the Iewish nation probably that under Antiochus The Psalmist exhorts for all that the Israelites to believe in and praise the Lord for his goodness of old to that nation and which remains in him still to it if they walk holily He confesseth God just in punishing as well them as their forefathers for their sins and prayes that he will hold on in the vicissitude of his mercies and deliverances as well as of his punishments Confesseth that they have alwayes been shamefull sinners and great provokers of him from Egypt all along throughout the wilderness as also in Canaan it self nevertheless he let them perish though often made them smart as they well deserved his covenant and mercy were ever prevailing motives and so prayes they may be still to effect their present deliverance and restauration and promises thanks and praise for it exhorting all Gods people in what ever condition alwayes to give the Lord his due praise by remembring his past and believing his future and infallible grace and goodness to his Church 1 LEt not our sins and misdeservings though they have been great and our sufferings for them manifold any white detract from what is due to God of praise and thanks for those great and gracious mercies which he hath expressed to and bestowed on us his people in the dayes of old and that goodness that still remains with him in our behalves as bad as we are by virtue of his covenant which makes that neither his mercies shall determine nor we be destroyed but that we shall ever reap the benefit of his gracious ingagement till all be fulfilled that is promised concerning us and his Chruch to the end of the world 2 Who is able to tell what wonderfull things the Lord hath done and what Almighty power he hath shewed in his Churches behalf since he was first pleased to select and own a people for himself out of the rest of the world no tongue can reckon his praise-worthy mercies and miracles since then 3 And as God hath been so he will never fail to be they that be faithfull to him he will be so to them so that who ever they are that in conscience to God walk closely to the rules of Justice and Pietie prescribed by him to do thereafter and what man soever makes it his constant course to do righteously without being drawn or tempted into wayes of impiety and iniquity that man or nation of men shall be blessed of God 4 Lord order my wayes so as that I may share in that blessing bless me with the sight and sense of thy gracious favour towards me such as thou bearest unto those that are thy chosen people and faithfull obedient servants Let me O Lord have the comfortable inward feeling and assurance of thy saving grace and good will towards me freely bestowed let it often affect my heart as so many sweet visits and gracious Messages sent from God into it 5 That I may enjoy the happiness appropriated to thy chosen and rejoyce with those saving joyes thy faithfull and adopted ones are and shall be made partakers of whereof the often deliverances and manifold joyfull preservations of this nation of thine sometimes from fear of imminent destruction and sometimes from under reall imbondagements hath been lively figures that I may boast of thee and mine interest in thee such as all thy people have and we though unworthy have found it so 6 For notwithstanding all our priviledges and speciall favours which thou hast shewed us from time to to time both we and our forefathers have ill requited thee being rebellious ungratefull and very perverse 7 Our fathers made not application and benefit of those admirable Miracles thou for their sakes wrought in Egypt to the ends thou didst them for the strengthening of their faith in thee and the assuring of thy love to them they had but carnall considerations of them valued them as transient things without any result or improvement either of thee to them or of themselves to thee thereby supinely forgot them even all those many miraculous wonders thou shewedst upon the Egyptians in mercy to them whereby thou so powerfully compassed their deliverance for so soon as ever thou broughtest them out of Egypt the very next triall thou madest of them at the red sea that remarkable place where thou didst so wonderfully preserve them they instead of addressing themselves in humble and thankfull sort to seek deliverance from thee of whose power they had had such foregoing immediate experiments fell into misbelief hard and unworthy thoughts of thee and thy servant Moses even for their very deliverance out of Egypt as if thou hadst done all for them to no other end but to bring them thither to be destroyed 8 Notwithstanding
in the praiseful acknowledgement whereof as also of thy grace and goodness towards us thy people thou thereby wilt give us infinite cause to rejoyce and glorie 48 And how ever we smart deservedly for our sins yet let the Lord be glorified Let us not forget his surpassing mercies to this nation but bless him that whatever our demerits have been yet hath ever approved himself like himself faithful and gracious and so will ever be to his people who ought therefore in the memorie of past and the faith of future mercies to bless him for it whilest the world endures and to this let all Israel subscribe and consent one and other for it is their dutie and the Lords due from them Therefore fail not on your part let nothing discourage you from thus praising the Lord and mark the issue The cvii. PSALM The Psalmist publishâth the Lords goodness and stirs up his Israel both in letter and spirit to be thankful for it so many wayes extended to them in all dispensations of what nature soever Yea all afflicted ones whom though in justice God punish for their sins yet he spares them when they crie unto him for mens folly enforceth God in goodness aswel as in justice to teach them wisdom by chastisement which so soon as they have learned they are released which providences and dispensations the Psalmist would not have lightly over-looked but solemnly acknowledged together with those admirable sea-providences in preserving and delivering men out of the jaws of death that King of fears as also his just and powerful transmutations in nature upon the land aswel as at sea and the righteous and gracious government he exerciseth upon the oppressor and oppressed respectively which to the godly-wise ought to be great rejoycing to see such love in such providence 1 LEt us give God his due praise and thanks for all those great and gracious mercies which he hath expressed to and bestowed on us his people and that goodness that still remains with him in our behalfs by vertue of his Covenant which makes that his mercie shall not determine but that we shall reap the benefit of his gracious engagement till all be fulfilled that is promised concerning his people to the end of the world 2 Let us and all the redeemed of the Lord to the worlds end speak forth our and their praise-worthy experinces of God his goodness and mercie whom he hath mightily rescued from under the cruel captivitie of our deadly enemies whether temporal or spiritual Pharaoh or the devil by Christ or Moses 3 And whom he hath chosen from among the confused heap of mankind to be peculiarly his and gathered far and near his elect from out all places on earth to inhabit heaven as he did us his Israel first out of Mesopotamia whence Abraham and his family was called and after that out of Egypt to be possessors of Canaan 4 In passage whereunto they had many a wearie step in a desert wilderness as the godly must exspect in their pilgrimage here and during all that time had no setled habitation but sought one to come as the faithful must do who like strangers and way-faring men here on earth live upon the promise and expectation of heaven hereafter 5 All that while having nothing to sustain them neither bread nor water but what providence and that extraordinarie administred to them which did supply them but not till God had tried and humbled them with the want yea very great want even of needful and essential accommodations as spiritually he orders his Church and chosen people during this their peregrination 6 When they were necessitated and saw that by no ordinarie course of nature nor no humane help they could be supplied they cried to the Lord for what they lacked and he never failed them when they did so but super-naturally supplied to them both bread and water and protection too when their necessitie required it and that Moses faithfully craved it for them as spiritually he provides for and sustains his Church when their soul-necessities sends them and Christs intercession recommends them to him 7 And he guided them by his own special conduct with a visible pillar of cloud and fire continually protecting and directing them the way that was most for his glorie and their good though to their carnal eyes least seeming so towards the land of Canaan there to settle them in tranquillity and rest and possess them of Towns and Cities ready built and provided to their hands like care to which he takes for his Church spiritual affording them invisible conduct all along this life in the manifold windings and turnings thereof which is the best though seemingly not the nearest way to heaven where they shall enter into their rest and be everlasting inhabitants of the new Jerusalem the Citie which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God purchased and prepared for them by Christ. 8 Oh that all men that every where participate of the goodness of God some more some less some in one kind some in another would make answerable returns to him and take faithful notice of his admirable works of providence principally to his Church but generally to all to praise him for them and acknowledge his grace and goodness in them 9 For its he that fills the hearts of men with food and gladness and the souls of penitents that hunger and thirst after righteousness with enough of it 10 Such as either in bodie or soul are in a comfortless condition and have the sentence of death really or in their own sense and apprehension past upon them and are detained in outward bonds or trouble of spirit or both 11 Because they have sinned against the Law of God written in their hearts or the word of God written in the Scriptures and refused to be ruled by his reason who as he is the Lord of all things ought also to be theirs and they obedient to his dictates 12 Therefore did the Lord and doth still upon occasion so load them with outward or inward sorrows either by enemies cross accidents or desertions that they are made glad to confess their folly and to humble themselves before the Lord whom they before set light by when they find themselves helpless in any other way than by the powerful hand or free grace of God 13 Then they used and are wont to make their addresses to God in such inextricable extremities and he both hath done and of mercie will still in such cases when their troubles have wrought so good effect hear the cries of afflicted suppliants to ease and deliver them 14 Out of that disconsolate condition whereinto he cast them for their rebellions that he might humble them and then be gracious to them 15 Oh that all men that every where participate of the goodness of God would make answerable returns to him and take faithful notice of
his admirable works of providence principally to his Church but generally to all to praise him for them and acknowledge his grace and goodness in them 16 For in such cases when and where the afflicted have turned to the Lord by sorrow for their sin and strong cryes after mercie what infinite difficulties hath he broken through and removed and his power and providence is the same for ever to extricate and give relaxation to such afflicted ones all ages have made this manifest 17 Men void of the fear of the Lord which onely is true wisdom or that have it yet foolishly by temptation or negligence deviate from it and to gratifie their lusts by impiety or iniquitie displease the Lord these thereby bring evil upon themselves 18 God so severely chastizing their sins with inward or outward pains in bodie or mind that they are brought to that pass to abhor the very sight and tast of all manner of meat which should sustain nature and are brought in all mens seeming to deaths door 19 Then they use to make their addresses to God in such inextricable extreamities and he both hath done and of mercie will still in such cases when their troubles have wrought so good effect hear the cries of afflicted suppliants to ease and deliver them 20 For so soon as his rod drives them to him he cannot but as he was wont compassionate them and therefore as by his command the affliction whatever it be befel them so also at his word they are cured how deadly soever the disease be his command is enough to restore them to life and liberty 21 Oh that all men that every where participate the goodness of God would make answerable returns to him and take faithful notice of his admirable works of providence principally to his Church but generally to all to praise him for them and acknowledge his grace and goodness in them 22 That men would note the works of God and be so sensible of his benefits especially his own select people as to be thankful for them both inwardly in heart and outwardly also celebrate them with sacrifices according to the rule in such cases and with joyful hearts joyn in the memorizing and magnifying of his works of power and grace at his sanctuarie 23 Sea-men and merchants that trade in forreign Countreys and commodities and so are necessitated to venture themselves in the deep and main Ocean and are exposed far from land among the storms and surges incident to great waters in unsteady ships 24 25 These have dayly and visibly experience of the power of God raising the winds and by them causing terrible storms and tempests that swell the seas with mountainous waves 26 That hoise the vessel they sail in in an instant as high as the clouds so that the face of the waters under them shew like a valley from an hill and on a sudden they descend again as low as before they were high viewing the waves pendent over their heads as if the whole Ocean would overwhelm the ship whereat their hearts so misgive that every moment they expect death which seems inevitable 27 Thus they continue tossed and tumbled hither and thither at the pleasure of the waves the ship not being able to keep any course reeling first on this side and then on that as the winds blow or the waves beat upon it like a man that is drunk nor know they how in the world to help or save themselves but give all for lost both the ship and all that is in her their fears so amazing them that they can exercise neither Art nor strength nor if they could would it avail in such concussions of winds and waves 28 29 Then in self-despair when all creature-hopes are at an end they usually apply themselves to God seldom before and then he lets them see his power in their weakness and that their extremity is his opportunity maketh the storm a calm and quickly reduceth their fears and the seas outrages to a peaceable period 30 Then they are as much overcome with joy as before with fear when their lives are as it were restored and their troubles removed thus the Lord is gracious to them and brings them that ere while valued not their lives and lading at any thing safely to land in the port they so often prayed to be in when they were ready every foot to sink 31 O that all men that every where participate of the goodness of God would make answerable returns to him and take faithful notice of his admirable works of providence principally to his Church but generally to all to praise him for them and acknowledge his grace and goodness in them 32 Let such mercies be every where memorized and in all companies praise-fully related whether in congregations ecclesiastical those solemn meetings of his people in the sanctuarie or civil in juridical and magistratical conventions of Rulers and Governours that all may hear and fear and praise the Lord Almighty 33 We see what alterations and changes in nature are wrought in many places of the world how he dries up rivers and causeth drought where before was plenty of water 34 How for the sins of the inhabitants and abuse of his mercies he makes many a fruitful land and countrie barren and fruitless we have known it to be true in ours than which none was more fertil when God blessed it nor none more sterril when our sins cursed it 35 And on the contrarie when he bespeaks blessing to a place it shall be blessed The drie and desert places of the earth he can and does oft times make fruitful and habitable furnishes them with springs and water courses that were like the torrid zone 36 And there many times he bestowes the out-casts of other nations the poor and abject people yea his own persecuted ones causing them by providence there to set down their staff to plant colonies and begin a new Common-wealth in peace and quiet from their oppressours and contemners and to prosper by degrees from rude beginnings and scattered dwellings to cohabit in Towns and Cities 37 And to exercise husbandry plowing and planting fields and vine-yards and reduce them by Gods blessing thereupon to a yearly and orderly increase like other places long inhabited 38 The Lord also in time by his blessing multiplies them as we know he hath done us from a very few to a considerable and numerous people and with them proportionably increaseth their cattel the whilest they please him 39 But when they have forgot their low beginnings and Gods great blessings grow proud and sensual practise wickedness in stead of honesty and pietie God soon changeth the scene he that raiseth them up quickly casts them down and as before he blessed them with freedom and preserved them from evil so now he lets them loose to every
Apostleship shall be transferred upon Matthias and the Jewish priviledges translated to the Gentiles for crucifying Christ. 9 As the sin of my persecutour and Christs crucifiers is communicative and tendeth to the destruction not of me onely but of Christ his Church and Spouse also so let their punishment be derivative let their wives and children become widows and fatherless by their untimely ends pitied and relieved of none for that they oppress and are merciless to the innocent and afflicted 10 Let my persecutours prosperity be hatefull as shall the Jews amongst all nations let them that have made me an exile out of my own Countrey among the heathen Idolaters be themselves and their children after them no better but be like the wandering Jews that when they have crucifyed the Lord of glorie shall not be restored into Canaan as aforetime out of their captivities but be continual vagabonds a dispersed people in all countries glad to beg an abiding place any where being hatefull every where and driven so from place to place that very necessitie shall inforce them to take up and seek relief in the most abject desolate places of the world such as will scarce yield them to keep life and soul and glad they may 11 12 Let them become a prey to all manner of men let the griping usurious extortioner so entangle their estates in bonds and bils and use upon use that they may never be able to come out of debt till the creditor seize on all they have and turn them out of doors a begging let them find no manner of mercy but be esteemed as enemies of mankind every where where they are let them be made a prey counted for intruders and exposed to the spoil and rapine of the inhabitants and natives of all countries where they come as a people not fit to be entertained any where into scocietie and protection both they and their children though never so fatherless and destitute let them be relict and deserted of all according to the curse of guiltless bloud which they brought upon them and theirs so let it be with them and upon them 13 Let my persecutours by the sword of thy justice weilded in the hands of their enemies be quite cut off let them be destroyed root and branch so that after a while no succession or name of them may remain though in yet not over Israel but the rule thereof be utterly and for ever trans-ferred from them to another as shall befall the rebellious Jews Christs persecutours by the Romans no name nor place of any such nation once so famous shall remain but be quite blotted out a Lo-ammi or vagabond people they shall be at best and Christian written in the room of it in the next age of thy Church which shall be among the Gentiles to whom thou wilt trans-fer thy grace and favour for ever 14 Let the persisting in the same sin of abrenunciation and blaspheming Christ by their scattered progeny bring to remembrance the guilt of all their stiff-necked predecessours transgressions and rebellions ever since they were a Church espoused to thee their Lord and husband the punishment whereof was then sparingly inflicted by thee but now upon divorce and putting away let justice and judgement run down like a torrent upon them without any mixture and stop of mercie 15 As the bloud of Christ shall alwaies appear before God so let the sins of them do that murtherously shed it that as they would have destroyed the Messiah whom yet God raised again so his vengeance may root out them either to have no being or to be hatefull and odious where ever they are 16 Let such things befall mine enemies whose mercilesness to me doth in a figure pourtray out the usage of Christ himself for as they shew me no more mercie in miserie but are the more cruel and pitiless by how much I am the more miserable and the more they see me implunged into distress and insupportable grief of bodie and mind by so much the more eagerly lust they after my life to take it away thus shall it be with him and so as aforesaid let it be with them 17 Let the cursed calumnies and balsphemies of mine and his enemies wherein they are so conversant bring like evil upon their own heads as they intend to others let their curses light upon themselves that refuse salvation and blessing and put it far from them when God graciously visites them with it renouncing me for their King and Christ when he comes for their Saviour 18 Let such as take the curse and bring the guilt of mine and Christs guiltless bloud upon themselves have enough for it as they are ambitious to be known to be his crucifiers and my persecutours and voluntarily involve themselves into so great a sin and the deadly consequences that attend it by acting the one and labouring the other so let it be unto them let hardness of heart blindness of mind and seared consciences be the cursed product of such wicked bloud-suckers 19 Let the guilt and curse they so sinfully bring upn themselves never depart from them but stick by them and accompanie them in all places and throughout all ages 20 Let these foresaid maledictions be the judgement and reward of mine and my Lord Christs adversaries who can right himself and me though all men joyn together to wrong us and devise to take away both good name and life it self as mine enemies and his do endeavour and shall in great measure effect but wo be to them by whom such offences do come 21 But Lord as much as others are against me and mine Anti-type the Lord Christ so thou that art his God and father and in him mine be thou as much for me and him for thy covenant and righteousness sake wherein and whereby thy grace and faithfulness is engaged to approve thy self a mercifull good God protector of the innocent and deliverer of the oppressed be thou so to me let my preservation and deliverance from mine enemies by thine Almighty power adumbrate Christs powerfull resurrection out of the grave whence thou shalt raise him and the Churches final deliverance out of all her terrestial miseries by thy mercie both whom I personate 22 Let both thy mercie and my misery move thee who am low brought by reason of outward afflictions inward fears and terrours which affect me deeply and distress me sore as Christ himself shall be with complicate evils within and without in soul and body-sufferings 23 My life seemeth to me by reason of mine imminent dangers that threaten death every moment to be but as a shadow when the sun is setting ready to extinguish and whilest I do live I have no setlement but am harrowed hither and thither from place to place by the incessant persecutions and various contrivances of mine enemies to take away my life even as the grashopper
their minds in the practical contemplation of him in them that they may affect their hearts toward him with suitable frame of thankfulness and praise for the greatness and goodness they are sensible of thereby 3 All that he hath done declares him to be for honour and power incomprehensible nor shall one word fail of all that he hath spoken concerning what he will do his Prophesies and promises yea and his threatenings too are as sure to be fulfilled as those which are already 4 The Lord hath done such memorable and admirable things for his Church in all ages as are never to be forgotten but with praise and thanksgiving to be had in everlasting remembrance his grace in choosing and compassion in relieving and pardoning his people is worthy our best observation and memory 5 He hath provided for his Church all along the Series of their successions and in all their peregrinations so that when in humble and faithfull addresses they that feared him at any time sought unto him they had supply of needfull mercies both for themselves and others that though they were of the visible Church yet did not so well deserve at his hands their sinnes and murmurings being enough to have made God unchurch them but that he was mindfull of his covenant made with our forefathers Patriarchs and Prophets Types of Christ not to do it of which as then he was so still he is and ever will be mindfull to be as good as his word in sparing and pardoning his people and blessing and preserving them when in fear of him and in the faith of his covenant they in humble-wise seek his favour towards them 6 He made manifest enough his exceeding great power in those miraculous victories he gave his people Israel over the Cananites when they entered the promised land which had been long possessed and inhabited by those heathenish Idolaters whom the Lord rooted out to establish them in it 7 The things he hath wrought have not onely been Acts of power but also of Truth and Justice his promises as well as his power have been written in legible Caracters in those his wonderfull dispensations to and for his Church as also his righteous judgements long before threatened to such wicked wretches and as his works have approved the faithfulness and infallibility of his promises and comminations so that other part of his word the Law of Commandments a safe rule to walk by is likewise as firm God looks they shall be obeyed by his people as certainly and undispensably as he gives them leave to expect his promises and threats to be fullfilled by him for them 8 Both the one and the other his word and works commands and providences as to his Churches preserving and governing are built upon a firm foundation the good pleasure and free grace of God according to his word and covenant and as inseperable companions go together God is good and doth good to those that are good and keep his commandments and ever will be so his truth and faithfulness binds him to be so and to do so to such as in truth and uprightness serve him 9 The Lord from time to time when his people were in jeopardy or the thraldom for their sinns if they cried unto him and humbled themselves before him he delivered them he hath established his covenant of free-grace as firm as any Law and hath bound himself by the one as firmly as us by the other so that his people shall ever find him to be the same unchangeable God for their good alwayes provided they walk worthy of him and becomingly towards him in reverence of his Majesty and obedience to his holiness 10 A man that hath never so much worldly wisdom and lives in sinne is for all that all that while but a fool till in the faithfull application of Gods saving goodness he be an altered man and fearing to offend him is carefull in all things to please him then and never till then he begins to be wise with that which is true wisdom for onely they have a right understanding both of the chiefest good and their chiefest end what 's best for themselves and why they were made that fulfill the will of God their Creatour living thereafter for therein is great reward As his mercy and faithfulness is and ever shall be firm to his faithfull and obedient people and Church in her preservation and her enemies confusion so ought to be his praises as long and large as his benefits which shall have no end The cxii PSALM The Psalmist stirrs up the people of the Lord in works to praise him the benefit whereof will be theirs their persons and posterities will be blessed by it in wo as well as in weal will God graciously visit such He sheweth a charitable minded man is much set by of God and by faith and a good conscience in the worst of times enjoys himself happily spite of those that malign him his liberall giving to the poor shall enrich him when as the covetous wretch for all his carking and caring shall suffer want and envy his abundance 1 LEt the Lord have his due praises for his great deservings and admirable excellencies that appear to be in him by what we see done by him and that not onely vocall but reall for he principally praiseth him and is certainly blessed of him that with a filiall fear dares not offend him and with a faith working by love is carefull in all things to please and obey him whose happiness is holiness and sinne his greatest affliction 2 Nor will God determine his blessings upon himself but extend them further even to his posterity walking in his wayes witness our forefather Abraham how did the Lord multiply his seed according as he promised and like blessings hath he in store for faithfull Abrahams faithfull off-spring who walking as he did with an upright heart before God in perfect obedience shall be as he was blessed in their own persons and posterities 3 God will both increase his family and provide well for it whereof our times and the times of our forefathers and Scripture-records have given good testimony He and his shall reap the benefit of his and their righteousness by a Series of blessings successively transferred by virtue of the covenant made to him and them for many generations 4 And though God doth not alwayes bless him that is of an upright heart and righteous conversation with externall affluence for his dispensations though agreeable to wisdom and justice are various yet this such an one may be sure of that he shall find God most trusty in his greatest trialls and no such cloud of tribulation shall ever over-shadow him but the sunne of righteousness shall shine through it upon his soul with healing consolations in his wings for God whatsoever he may seem to be by his outward dispensations is in his native disposition
their neck serves meerly to hold their heads on their shoulders but is of no Organicall use at all for speech c. 8 And they that make them are as void of true understanding as they of sence that can so against the light of reason think such things fit to be worshipped which they make and which made not them and that when they are made are but inanimate statues short of all living creatures even the meanest and what must they then be that put confidence of good or evil in such but irrational senceless people and as little able to do good or hurt as they saving thou the onely living God orders and appoints them 9 O ye sonns of Israel your fathers with whom and his seed God made an everlasting covenant whatever befall you let not an evil heart of unbelief to depart from the living God to dumb and deaf Idols possess you as he hath peculiarly chosen and adopted you for his people from out all the world so do you him for your God from all other Gods trust in him relie upon him for your sole helper and defendour against these Idols and Idol worshippers which can do you just so much hurt as he for your sinns permits them and no more 10 O ye Preists and Levites that are the successours and assistants of faithfull Aaron in that high office of Preist-hood and more immediate worshippers of the high God within his holy Temple do you exemplarily declare your faith of and in the Lord alone that hath so highly honoured you above your brethren that he is of power al-sufficient and faithfull of his word and promise to protect and restore his people and you to their places and your imployments 11 But chiefly you that are nearer and dearer to God than any externall adoption or office can make men you that are Israelites indeed spirituall Priests and Levites the adopted and called of the Lord that have the spirit of reverence and godly fear in you do you as I hope you will not fail to do trust assuredly in God for he is your help and shield against worse enemies than these that can but destroy the body and that do but serve to typifie the power that our ghostly enemies have over us by sinne as these for sinne and Gods greater power to deliver us from them as from these which he will certainly do 12 No doubt is to be made of it but that as God hath done so he will do exercise mercy in deliverance as well as justice in afflicting us if we seek to him and that he see us mindfull of him he will be so of us as ever heretofore in like case to ours now he was wont to be Israel and the Priest-hood is still dear to him for old love to our forefathers and the covenant he made with them and for Aaron his servants sake that Preistly type of our powerfull Mediatour and therefore will he certainly bless us with joyfull deliverance and restauration 13 Yea for his covenant sake he will bless Israel and Aaron according to the letter but thank them for it that amongst you are so in the spirit with whom properly and principally that covenant is made these of what outward condition soever high or low are dear to God whom he will certainly bless and the rest for their sakes 14 You are the men that have the promise of this life and of a better as you are the blessed seed of blessed Abraham in whom his name is upheld because his faith is inherited by you so shall the Lord raise you up faithfull successours a more numerous off-spring than ever yet his Church produced from generation to generation shall the faithfull your heirs and successours flourish and multiply 15 As you are the promised seed so are you heirs of the blessed promise He that by his Almighty power made the heavens and the earth is your God and for your sakes made he them and with both heavenly and earthly blessings will he bless you 16 The Lord made both and governs both but so that heaven the heaven of heavens which is superlative to all the rest is the more immediate place of his glorious residence and inhabitancy and the earth of mans which he hath bountifully furnished with all needfull things for his sustentation and existence there 17 And why hath the Lord done so lent me life and livelihood here below but that they should imploy their time and improve those blessings to the praises of him in the highest for its true that God made the earth and all things in it for man but he made man for himself for his praise and glory who yet praise him not but serve other Gods all the world but we so that if we should perish that are his onely Church on earth the praises of the Lord would cease upon it which must not be whilest it is to have a being he is to have a people that shall glorifie him 18 Therefore O Israel O house of Aaron and especially ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord that he will be your help and shield for the Lord will not unchurch himself no nor us neither we are the people though unworthy that his name is and shall be named upon chosen out of all the earth so that how ever we are at the graves mouth yet deliverance will come and we shall be restored else nature must be dissolved which cannot be considering what promises are yet to be fulfilled Therefore be confident in hope and in the faith hereof ingage our selves for future when God shall so bless us that we will answerably bless and praise him yea in full assurance let us begin at present and be doing in that dutie now aswel as hereafter that the Lord may see the useful existence of a Church for ever on earth for that they alwayes and they onely praise him What ever your condition be then though it were worse than it is which at present is bad enough be sure to praise the Lord for which you live and have your Beings and in you all the world which else should cease The cxvi PSALM David being possessed of the Kingdom according to promise looks behind him to see the difficulties God carried him through to mind himself to his mercies and his own ingagements for them And in the first place offers the Lord his affections promiseth him his faith for future because of what is past and therefore excites his soul to comfortable confidence and peaceable acquiescence together with a gratuitous walking with God recalling his offs and on s he is in an extasie how to return to God that brought him out of them and resolves to celebrate his praises in the most publick and solemn manner according to the prescript of the Law Assuring all Gods people from his example that in their greatest danger God hath the greatest care Magnifies the Lord that
hath made him his servant and freeman for which he will publickly praise him 1 I Cannot express how much the Lord is endeared to me for the grace he hath vouchsafed me my heart is glued to him in affection such love hath he shewed to me and such care over me in all mine extremities whensoever I minded him of me and craved his help that I am bound to love him as long as I live and from my very heart I do so 2 The Lord hath got my custom I have had such faithful and good dealing from him as if my condition were never so bad I would seek no where else for allwayes when necessitie wrung me I cried and when ever I cried the Lord heard and helped and this course I am resolved still to take whensoever I have occasion and doubt not of the same success 3 I cannot but recount my by-gone difficulties how that many a time I gave my self unavoidably for a dead man so near have I been to mine end in mine own apprehension that I made full account of my grave the very pangs of death have seized on my soul and it was seldom other with me 4 Yet though my danger and fear was never so great so that in all humane probability and visibilitie of means I was as good as gone yet my faith would still have a saying to God pray I must and did and I no sooner gave the word but God took the Alarm if I but named my Soul it was enough and oft-times my surprises were so sudden and danger so emergent that I had scarce time to do that which though they made my prayer short yet sharp they helped to put an edge upon mine affections and when I prayed for my soul it was with my soul which in an ejaculation was quickly in heaven and had as quick dispatch there 5 For there had I the attributes of God presently to speak for me his grace justice and mercie and had an answer accordingly Let others be incouraged by mine example to trust in the Lord and seek to him for they shall find as I did that God is freely good and free of his goodness faithful of his promise yea though objections lie in the way thy sins and his judgements flash in thy face yet be not daunted if thou beest one of us belongest to God for he is merciful to pardon and pitie thee and in an instant will break through all to do the good 6 Those that suffer being innocent although they be shiftless and have not worldly wisdom to do withall like other men yet if with honest hearts they bequeath themselves to God and unfainedly trust in him he will find wayes to befool their enemies and make good their confidence I am sure none can be in greater danger nor have less hope of help but from him than I a poor innocent man and more than once or twice and he alone served my turn I never miscarried but was ever delivered though many times strangely yea miraculously from time to time till he brought me to this I am come to 7 Be thou therefore at peace within thy self and recumbent upon God O my soul that hath by his means gone through so many difficulties and through him thy benefactour art arrived at so great happiness out of all the storm that have blown over thee 8 For the Lord hath as it were raised me out of the grave so near death was I many a time when thou delivered me and hath now made me a livesman again in the full accomplishment of thy promise whereby I am comforted beyond all my fore-past sorrows which are as it were forgotten and set me free from all those deadly traps and gins that were laid for me by my mortal enemies 9 Now that God by his power and mercie hath raised me to this estate and brought me through those many perplexities to possess his promise I doubt not of his further favour and protection but in confidence thereof I will comfortably and conscionably labour to discharge my place high office as in the presence and to the well-pleasing of the Lord that hath set me over his people compared to whom all the world is in darkness and shadow of death 10 11 O the several frames of heart and tempers of soul that I have passed through in my trials sometimes chearing up my self with the faith of Gods promises that they should certainly be fulfilled and then could I hopefully address my self to God and comfortably bespeak and incourage my soul to wait upon the Lord at another time I have been as much dejected and cast down and upon a surprize when my fear hath been great because my danger was imminent I have not stuck in that perplexitie of mind to think and say within my self all that the Prophets had foretold concerning my succession to the Kingdom was a meer delusion and that I must needs perish before that day could come that they and their predictions would certainly deceive me and come to nought and that they speak not of God but of themselves 12 Now when I look back and consider what a world of dangers nay deaths I have past what dismal apprehensions and perplexities of mind I have waded through what admirable deliverances the Lord hath wrought and how oft and how strangely I have been preserved and now what an absolute complement he hath given to all those promises which I thought never to have seen fulfilled and conclusion to my miseries which many time I thought would have made an end of me before I should thus have seen an end of them I am at a stand and in an extasie how and what to return to this good God I am now in perplexitie by a plenitude of happiness for the Lord hath so loaden me with benefits that I know not what to say nor do to or for him in any proportion to them 13 14 I may fancie many wayes and things to my self to gratifie God with all and when I have done I am never the near for imaginarie retributions and will-worship he will not accept Therefore I will content my self to do what he hath bid me for when I have all done I must live and die his debtor I will therefore make a feast to all Israel which he did at the bringing up of the Ark and then and there offer my peace-offerings and in the sight and hearing of all the Lords people with the cup of blessing and gratulation in mine hand will joyfully and thankfully publish the praises of my God and make open acknowledgement of the manifold benefits and deliverances from first to last that I have been partaker of The mercies I gained by prayers and vows in mine extremitie I will wear them by praise and sacrifice now in my prosperitie all Israel shall be witness 15 I have found it by experience and speak it knowingly for
the comfortable support of other of Gods people in affliction that however they may unadvisedly misjudge themselves as exposed of God in a regardless manner to the malice and furie of their enemies when their lives are indangered yet it s far otherwayes The Lord makes more account of the lives of his holy ones which he will suffer no man nor men on earth to have the command and dispose of but onely himself they are too precious to be set so light by and therefore be confident such cannot miscarrie by any policie power or malice of men whatsoever but by special commission from God for special purposes and when they do miscarrie by his ordination they still remain dear to him aswel dead as alive 16 Blessed Lord I now well perceive those words true which sometime I thought to be false how that thou hast indeed ordained me to the honour to be thy servant and that in an eminent manner which truly is my highest title and preferment to be thy servant and the son of thy spouse and handmaid the Church visible and invisible and thus to be delivered by thee from a state of thraldom and miserie to a condition free to serve thee is infinite goodness 17 For which I will magnifie thee and with publick praises and peace-offerings will make my thankful acknowledgements of thy power and goodness to me-ward 18 And what I vowed in my miserie when I prayed for mercie I will accordingly perform it now that thou hast set me free to do it all Israel being witness 19 Openly in the publick convention of all thy people at thy sanctuarie in Jerusalem the place appointed for thy solemn sacrifice-worship there upon thine Altar will I offer my sacrifice of thanks-giving in the view of all Israel and in their hearing praise thee with me praise ye the Lord all his people The cxvii PSALM The Psalmist in Prophecie of the calling of the Gentiles and uniting all in one Church through the head Christ exhorts all to praise the Lord for so great goodness and rich mercie so freely extended 1 O All ye nations and people throughout the world Gentiles as wel as Jews praise the Lord praise him every where without exception 2 For his saving grace and mercie by the redemption of Christ is extended unto both in him we are made one Church that were a divided people and an undeserving the one as well as the other his grace alike free and his goodness great to both of us For for his promise sake once delivered and never to be reversed hath he done this for us and as well all other promises as this will he perform to the end for and concerning his Church his faithfulness cannot fail though our sins deserves it should Therefore in the faith of his faithfulness and love of his goodness that hath made all partake of Christ let all men praise the Lord. The cxviii PSALM David seated in the throne quickens up the people and Priests of the Lord unto thanks-giving for his endless mercies to his Church as himself in the behalf thereof which he personated had experimented whereby his faith was raised to an holy insultation over his enemies for the future Further shews the happiness that God hath brought to his Church by the change of him for Saul and the glorie he hath got to himself which for his part he ingageth himself to celebrate solemnly in his sanctuarie which upon this occasion both he and the rest of the righteous will now they may frequent There he will praise him for making him as in humiliation so in exalâation the type of Christ. Prayes for the Churches happiness upon this wonderful change pronounceth certaintie of blessing to himself and Christ in the office and errand God sets them in and sends them about Concludes with the manifold hearby praises of God both from himself and the people whom he exhorts allwayes to be praise-ful as God is graâiously faithful 1 LEt us be mindful of the goodness of God to be thankful for it whose mercie to his Church and faithful people never failed nor never shall 2 Let his adopted people now in this their flourishing condition give him the glorie of those many mercies which ever since they were known by the name of Israel they have successively in all ages partaked of 3 Let the Priests and Levites their adjutants that occupie Aarons place and office in the sanctuarie now that they are reduced into such a form and model as never before of worshipping the Lord acknowledge his mercie and the succession of it to them according to promise from their first progenitors 4 Yea let those that are Gods Priests and people indeed that believe and obey him say now if God be not as good as his word in shewing mercie to his Church those I mean that fear his name 5 I have had my share of sufferings in which I personate the Church and yet I can say and do that his mercie endureth for ever and so shall she in all ages for when ever the Lord put me to it and that I was distressed I put him to it in humble wise I minded him of his promise and this way my constant custom and so it was his ever when I did so to deliver me all along till now that he hath set me quite at libertie from my troubles enlarged my happiness as you see 6 I have had such experience of the Lords being for me against mine enemies that however I look never to be without yet that shall not trouble me neither their power nor their plots for he that could deliver me then can and will much more protect and prosper me now that he hath brought me to this estate 7 I have ever found it and doubt not but I ever shall that God blesseth me and those that side with me many or few with good success which makes me confident that as I have had so I shall ever have the better of mine enemies what or how many soever they be and in stead of ruining me I shall ruine them 8 9 I have found it better and so shall who ever tries it to put confidence in God than men of what number or degree soever and mine enemies have found the contrarie for by that means I a despicable lone man am preserved and exalted and they for all their honour and power above me are destroyed by his Allmighty hand so much above them 10 11 12 I have been as the Church allwayes shall be the mark that all men have shot at I had all the world against me and none for me but God his power was is and ever shall be my sole trust and confidence O with what deadly hatred from time to time have I been hunted and how many times hath my life been endangered that I could see no way to escape and yet I have
escaped God hath alwayes preserved me and in stead of mine enemies destroying me he hath destroyed them I am confident I must and shall ever do so God inabling me as he hath done I have been as hard beset as a man that hath a swarm of bees about his ears not knowing 'i th world how to avoid them ready to fall upon me on every hand with deadly devouring hatred which though it was very terrible for the time yet the Lord put an end to it made their malice to me the destruction of themselves like thorns consumed in their own flame and so shall he ever inable me against all mine enemies I am confident and that they shall never have better success 13 Mine utter ruin as an obstruction to this preferment hath been strongly endeavoured by him that had no small power in his hands nor small malice towards me but God hath both preserved me and advanced me maugre all that Saul could do and all his complices 14 The Lord alone was my defence and the ruiner of mine enemies who else had ruined me a thousand times over the glorie and praise belongs to him and he shall have it who hath perfected his promise given me final deliverance from all those troubles and seated me above the reach of those mine enemies 15 What cause of rejoycing hath God given to the families in Israel that fear the Lord how glad are they to see this day and such a change of things I and they so preserved and delivered from the malice of those that hated and sought the ruin of goodness and good-men and now to see them conquered and quite subdued and that by so apparent providence and Almighty power must needs rejoyce them greatly 16 It is he that deserves and I hope shall accordingly have the honour of it who by his sole power and victorious providence hath mightily effected it 17 As near as I have been to destruction many and many a time and as hopeful as mine enemies were of it so that both they and I my self have given me for a gone man yet God hath purposed otherwayes die I must not and therefore die I did not but am alive at this day and in a good condition preserved purposely of God by example and acknowledgement to manifest and magnifie what he hath done for me and what he can and will do for his Church whose person I bare and represented in all my troubles and enfranchisements 18 The Lord gave mine enemies much power over me so that I under-went sore trials and sad chastisements to teach me to know my self and sin but though he gave them liberty to afflict me yet not to destroy me as they hoped to have done but maugre their malice hath preserved my life though often endangered 19 O ye that are the porters and door-keepers of the Lords holy sanctuarie a place of late years disfrequented and sequestred from good and righteous men that properly have onely right and title to it Now by Gods good providence the case is well altered I and other such as I am that with upright hearts desire to serve the Lord have liberty and opportunity to do it therefore set the doors of the courts of the Tabernacle wide open for us that I and they may comfortably come and worship the righteous Lord there specially present and give him the due praises of all his faithful performances of those his gracious promises touching me and his Church in my time 20 I mean I say the gate of the Lords own Tabernacle where he is so peculiarly resident and will therefore there be especially worshipped set that open for me and all my fellow-saints and servants of God who as of right they ought so now I have power they shall have free access unto it having been too long secluded 21 Lord my heart is full and there I am purposed to empty it upon thee in most affectionate thanks and praises for thine often audiences gracious and effectual answers and principally for this complement of all thy promises in saving me from mine enemies and advancing me to the Kingdom so far above their power to hurt me 22 Insomuch as now I who heretofore was by Saul and his Grandees those great Artificers of State hatefully persecuted and disdainfully rejected as unworthy and unfit for this preferment like a refuse stone that is broken and cast out of the way by master-workmen as altogether useless and unserviceable for building and as the Messiah whom I prefigure shall be by Cajaphas with his confederates the chief Priests and Scribes those ring-leaders of the Jews who shall despightfully use him and cruelly crucifie him I say I that was thus refused am advanced from this my despicable condition to fit in the throne and wield the Scepter of Israel upon whom under God the Government and wellfare of Church and Common-wealth principally depends even as it shall be with Christ whom both in weal and woe I typifie he shall rise again from the dead and be gloriously advanced even in his humane nature so much contemned and hardly used to be Saviour Mediatour and King of and over the Church consisting then of Jews and Gentiles united in him and supported by him maugre her enemies as the sides and weight of a building are by a principal binding corner stone against all blasts 23 This strange transversion of a persecuted abject to become a King and a contemned condemned crucified man to be the sole Saviour and Monarch of the world is by the holy and wise ordination and effectual operation of God brought to pass both which are worth our wonder and admiration to see persecution produce dignitie and death life and glorie 24 This day of mine inthronization resembling that of Christs resurrection and glorious exaltation at his fathers right hand is the time and means whereby God hath and will make good all his promises of grace and happiness to his Church who lives therefore that hath the faith and acknowledge of these things and joyes not that he hath lived to so happie an hour as to see them thus fulfilled 25 O Lord it s a day indeed that thy Church hath cause to be glad of and so she is and prayes thee to add to her joyes and that now from henceforth all those blessed promises of happiness to thy King and people may be effectual and they prosperous 26 As Christ himself who is the Messiah and sent of God for the good and salvation of his people is blessed and diffuseth blessings to his people whom they again that are his Priests and the living Temples of the living God do gratifie with the return of blessings in behalf of his Kingdom praying the increase and consummation of it and offering the sacrifice of praise to him that by Gods gracious emission came to offer himself in sacrifice for them So let David the anointed of the Lord
canst give me or do for me shall better please me and more oblige me to praise and thank thee with an honest gratuitous heart and conversation than thy teaching of me by thy word and spirit to know and do thy commandments the onely righteous rule of faith and manners 8 O Lord my purpose of heart is to keep thy commandments and to walk exactly in faith love and obedience as thou enjoynest but alas I know mine own imbecillity and the necessity of thy continuall inablement hereunto by thy spirit and grace which if withdrawn I am at a loss therefore Lord in pitie of my weakness and in prosecution of the good work begun in me that desire to fear thy name leave me not to my self nor lead me not into temptation to buckle with it in mine own strength let no sinne cause separation though correction but remember mercy and renew in me a right spirit when I do go wrong as who doth not Beth. The second letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the second part 9 Young men are aptest to go astray and therefore had need to be inquisitive and circumspect of themselves and their wayes how to avoid the pollutions of mind and manners whereunto their age prompts them with a more than ordinary aptitude and doubtless I speak it knowingly the onely remedy for such distemperature is for them to be conversant in thy word and thence to observe with a child-like disposition what pleaseth and displeaseth thee their heavenly father and in conscience thereunto carefully to regulate their inward and outward man accordingly by believing and obeying 10 O Lord thou knowest my heart to be perfect with thee for thou hast made it so how that I have neither been partiall nor unsincere in mine obedience but entirely endeavoured alwayes in all things to please thee as desirous above all things of thy grace and favour fearing to forfeit it which good Lord grant I may never do by going astray from thy precepts therefore I beseech thee watch over me that no temptation mislead me on the right or left hand out of the way of thy commandments in which I desire to walk from one end of my life to the other without deviating 11 I have Lord stored up thy word in mind and memory especially such and so much of it as I knew was of present and practicall concernment to me in my condition with full purpose of heart to keep close thereunto and not sinfully to suffer my self to be seduced there-from what ever happened 12 Thou Lord art onely blessed in and of thy self from whom as from a fountain flowes forth all derived blessedness unto thy creature which thou art wont to confer most upon them that please thee best as a gracious remuneration of their love and service Lord therefore teach me to know and enable me to do thy will revealed in thy word that I may partake thy blessedness be sharer in thy holiness and happiness here and hereafter 13 As I have found thy law usefull to me by my knowledge of it and framing my course of life according to it so have I endeavoured to make it to be to others and therefore have I according to my measure of light and the duty of my place and office taught it publickly and privately not concealing any truth I knew might make for thy glory and their edifying when I had oportunity of time and occasion 14 My delight and care I bless thee for giving me such an heart hath been more to hear understand and practise those things which in thy word are testified to be thy will and more sweet peace and consolation have I had when I have been so happy as to attain the knowing and doing of them than they that set their hearts to heap up riches when they have their desire of opulency and affluence 15 Therefore whereas worldlings cast in their minds and occupy their thoughts how to enhance their earthly store because their delight is there my meditations shall be otherwayes imploied my care and thoughts shall be how to know more and practise better thy will revealed for therein is my delight and thereto will I bend my mind studying how best to please thee 16 To know and do what pleaseth thee shall be a pleasure unto me yea nothing shall more delight me and therefore am I fully purposed to make thy word the subject of my meditation day and night and the rule of mine obedience in weal and wo. Gimel The third letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the third part 17 Lord thy promises to thy people are comprehensive of all good things as thou hast made them so fulfill them Let me thy servant reap the blessed fruits of thy grace and bounty according to them touching life temporall and spirituall grant me both and what conduces unto both as a faithfull creatour and gracious redeemer that by grace I may live both the life of grace and nature 18 Lord thou knowest what great impediments there are that hinder our knowledge and acquaintance with thee even in those things thou hast revealed of which yet we are ignorant and seeing we see not there being a two-fold vail that interposeth betwixt a right understanding and them the one over our hearts blindly mistaking the mind and meaning of the spirit and stumbling at the stumbling stone the letter The other over thy law and covenant it self exprest in dark and typicall umbrages and dispensations full of wonderous divine excellency in their signification and antitypicall meaning but impossible to be understood but by thy more than litterall revelation Therefore dispense thy spirit who onely knows the mind of God and can onely make it known unto thy servant draw aside thy curtaines of my blindness and thy laws darkness that in thy light I may see light and be made able to behold the mysticall and spirituall tenderness of thy whole law and covenant both in the morall typicall dispensation of it which unfolded to a spirituall eye are admirable and ravishing portraying as in a table the divine history and mistery of mans redemption and salvation with all that heavenly wisdome free-grace and Almighty power that shines therein 19 I am thine and properly belong to another world onely here I must for a time lead a transient life because it is thy will more than mine who though I am in the world yet not of the world but in mind and heart estranged from it therefore seeing it is thy pleasure that I must live mine appointed time to serve thee on earth take it into consideration what divine light and guidance is requisite so to do and vouchsafe me it proportionably least I wander out of thy way the world and flesh with which I here converse being strangers and estranged thereunto and apt to mislead me if thy word and spirit be not alwayes a light and guide unto me 20
Lord my soul is as the broken and chawned earth in time of drought labouring alwayes in unsatiable desire after the soul-nourishing and refreshing knowledge of the divine excellencies comprehended in thy righteous precepts and covenant-dispensations as it doth incessantly after rain that so I may alwayes live the life of faith and fear love and obedience 21 That 's my desire to understand the fear of the Lord that I may walk humbly with my God for the proud disobedient gain-sayers of his will that have taken cursed and displeasing curses the Lord hath sooner or later met with them as they are hatefull to him so he hath made it appear upon them by heavy judgements 22 Which I am confident shall still be their portion even the portion of my proud disdainfull enemies who think scorn of me and basely asperse me because of my faith in and obedience unto God but Lord I hope that both I and they are accepted at thine hands and that thou takest notice of mine Ismaelitish persecution by mine arrogant foes and wilt find a time to quit me of them who thou knowest hath not been ashamed of thee nor deserted either my faith or fear of thee for fear of men 23 I have been the by-word of high and low those that should have been by their places men of more integrity and good example yet did not they stick to abuse their authority and me by casting scorn upon me in the audience of others but I patiently bear it and my thoughts the while were upon thy word and my duty in such cases that so I might approve my self to thee not caring to be judged by mans day 24 And though I had cause enough of sorrow and trouble yet my comfort is they made me not break covenant nor falsifie my faith but still I kept a good conscience and followed my rule and had the comfort of it in mine own spirit not consulting with flesh and bloud what to do at such times when temptations were sore upon me but with thy word which I knew was the will and wisdom of God the mighty Counsellour and Prince of Princes Daleth The fourth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the fourth part 25 I am exceeding low brought by thine afflicting hand my discomfitures make my life a very death oh do thou raise me restore comfort and thereby life unto me according as thou hast graciously promised 26 For I have not hid mine offences but confessed and declared them to thee as I have done every thing else in the whole course of my life I have alwayes acquainted thee how it was with me in my temptations and troubles and I have ever found thee gracious and so doubt not still to do speak peace and holiness therefore now to my soul that I may sinne no more but learn to love and serve thee 27 Lord instruct me and over-power my naturall pravity and corrupt disposition to walk holily and steadily in the fear of thy name and obedience of thy commandments by thy renewing of my joyes and strengthening of my graces so shall I magnifie thy power in my weakness and animate the faith of others 28 The sense of my sinne and thy displeasure for it lies so heavy upon my spirit that I sensibly decay and wast under it speak reconciliation and absolution to me that may revive and restore me according to thy promise of grace and mercy to poor penitents and suppliants such as I am 29 The sinne that hath brought me into this distemper is my want of faith to carry me through and my making now and then in extremity of temptation lies my refuge which repents me that ever I did so the Lord forgive it and remove that spirit of fear and diffidence that caused it that I may no more tread in such by-paths of thine own free goodness grant me the mercy and grace promised in thy word and exhibited in the typicall ordinances of thy law 30 Lord how ever I have slipt through frailty yet thou knowest the bent and bias of my heart is to love truth and not falshood it is the way I have chosen to walk in and have used the means that might aw me to it and direct me in it by serious pondering thy righteous commandments penally inhibiting such sinfull aversations though my grace being weak my endeavours through temptation have sometimes been ineffectuall 31 I have not ordinarily no nor willingly at any time given the reins to my corruption though otherwhiles they have been too strong for me but have carefully and conscionably in the main and course of my life though troublous and temptatious walked exactly and kept me closely to thy will testified in thy word O Lord therefore compassionate me in this my sinne and trouble for it and so order my wayes that I sinne no more to provoke thee against me to the loss of thy favour and the forfeiting my self to mine enemies 32 I have been faithfull though with some failings which if thou wilt but please to pass by and renew thy favour to me and grace in me whereby my heart may again be comforted and consequently enlarged and enabled for thy joy is my strength then do I promise for my self being confident in the power of thy grace to yield universall and chearfull obedience to thy commandments maugre impediments He. The fifth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the fifth part 33 I know my whole life throughout is to be expended in thy service but how to persevere with unwearied and unvaried constancy I see not but by thy speciall and spirituall guidance who canst either order mine affaires to be free from temptation or teach and enable me to wade through them without warping from the rule and way of thy commandments pitie therefore my weakness and humane frailty and by thy spirit supply and prompt me continually so shall I do what else I cannot avoid sinne and persevere in holiness all my life in all the various alterations of it 34 How many are befooled with worldly wisdom and carnall reason Lord thou knowest and truly so shall I amongst the rest if thou beest not more mercifull unto me to teach me better yea contrary to such things as those principles dictate even the wholesome rudiments of thy law and covenant dispensation which if thou wilt of thy good grace vouchsafe to do I shall gladlier serve thee than sinne yea if thou wilt effectually lead me I will gladly and cordially follow and obey thee in whatsoever thou commandest for to will is present with me but how else to perform I see not 35 Both the will and the deed is thine and of thee now therefore as thou hast enabled me in the one for through thy grace my heart is byassed to obedience so that my desire is to it and my delight is in it so do thou no less graciously and
powerfully enable me in the other let me through thine assistance be as able as willing to do thy will alwayes in all things 36 I know O Lord naturally I have the same corrupt and inordinate affections in me as others have as ready upon temptation to warp world-ward as another man but I know thou hast my heart in thy hands and though I cannot rule it thou canst so that I pray thee have an eye to it and keep an hand over it to dispose and bend it the way of thy will and from the worlds allurements of pleasure or profit let grace supersead me from corruption specially of covetousness the root of all evil 37 Let not my outward sences be caught and sinfully transported with the baits of the flesh or of the world but give me a sanctified understanding to believe truly and not seemingly of sublunary things and to know them to be as in their own natures they are vain and transitory that can convey no permanent nor substantiall good or content to a man but delude him with the shews thereof by a false medium carnall concupiscence and that serves to steal the heart from God but Lord avert both eyes and heart from them give me such active graces and lively affections that may have continuall influence into all the parts of body and soul and so dispose them in love to thee and desire of heavenly things that as dead to the world they may comparatively be indisposed to all things else 38 Lord fulfill those promises of grace and goodness wherein thou standest engaged unto thy servant Thou that art Jehovah in thy Being be so in thy word by giving it a being in all those gracious promises it comprehends and exhibits and wherein thou hast caused me to trust in confidence whereof I have wholly cast my self upon thy grace and providence minding alwayes to serve thee more than how to provide and shift for my self as men of the world do 39 Let not thy servant sinne against thee thereby to provoke thee against him to the loss of thy favour the forfeiting of thy protection and the exposing me to mine enemies scorn and insultation which I exceedingly fear as well for thy sake who art so deeply concerned in me as for mine own If at any time I do fall Lord let not that be my punishment be thou and not they my Judge for that thy judgements are like thy self righteous and good but theirs are like themselves merciless and wicked 40 Thou knowest my heart is perfect towards thee take notice of it O Lord how my desires and affections are upright and sincere to the knowing and doing of thy will according to thy word give me a spirit of power and enablement as well as of will and desire according to thy righteous as well as gracious engagements for thou art as just to fulfill promises as to inflict punishments Vau. The sixth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the sixth part 41 And as I desire that thou wilt enable me with a spirit of holiness to walk uprightly in the way so also that in mercy thou wilt remember me concerning the promised end that it may effect that for me even my preservation in and my deliverance out of my sad condition and many dangers as thou hast engaged thy self to do 42 By this means I that now onely live by promises unpossessed of the thing promised and therefore cannot at present effectually convince men of carnall understandings and void of faith shall then be able demonstratively to stop their mouthes that now flout me for mine improbable hopes and forreign expectations and because I bear my self upon thy word which they think will never be fulfilled but I am otherwise perswaded therefore O Lord let not my trust be deceived and they in their presumptuous impiety confirmed 43 And let me never so sinne against thee as thereby to have mine own mouth stopped and despoil my self of what thou hast promised me whereof in faith of thy truth and goodness I have openly declared my confidence according to thy word which Lord let me never have cause to retract nor to speak less in praise of thy faithfulness but more by thy turning promises into performances according to the hope I have had in thy just fullfilling what thou hast promised me and threatened mine enemies 44 So shalt thou oblige me when I am delivered out of these heavy pressures which lie upon me as so many clogs and hinderances which I shall never forget without making bawks in mine obedience which through temptation I have been forced to do and fear I shall still do without thy powerfull prevention in love and thankfulness to serve and please thee the utmost hour of my life if set at liberty 45 Yea when thou hast enfranchized me out of these incumbrances of fear and care and made me a man of liberty and authority in Israel I will as thy free-man and servant carry and demean my self in all manner well-pleasing walking in the way of thy service and keeping all thy commandments which never shall be a burden or bondage to me for to be at liberty and to have ability and opportunity to learn and do thy will according to thy word is that I beg above any thing and which I should esteem as my greatest felicity 46 When thou hast advanced me I also will advance thee and execute the office of a Prophet as well as of a King and think it no shame to do so by declaring to others as occasion is offered what thy will and word is even to Kings and mighty men of the earth with whom I shall then be of equall levell and so have opportunity in that condition to converse more with them than now I have and I promise to improve it when I have it 47 And then will I as a man set at liberty from restraint run the wayes of thy commandments by dayly and frequent doing them my delight shall be to be conversant in thine ordinances which I have longed for and heartily loved and desired to be an actour in but hitherto have been an exile from them which hath set a vehement edge upon mine appetite which then I will satiate 48 For then both heart and hand shall act for thee my whole man with my whole might shall be set on work to know and do thy whole will in thy law revealed which I have dearly loved and longed to do and will perform them in spirit as well as in letter for when my mind is free from these distractions it shall move in a higher sphear and be active in and about the Gospel-sence of thy laws and ordinances Zain The seventh letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the seventh part 49 Be mindfull of thy word of promise and voluntary ingagements made to me thy chosen though unworthy servant touching grace preservation and deliverance upon
enemies 80 Let me be enabled by thy gracious assistance to keep faith and a good conscience stedfast to the end that I lose not the prize by falling short of the goal fainting either in faith or dutie and so render my self and cause a laughing-stock to mine enemies which is it they would have Caph. The eleventh letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the eleventh part 81 Lord I have waded through many and grievous troubles and with much long-suffering have a long time eagerly longed and looked for thy promised deliverance almost to the exhausting of my soul and spirit in sighs and groans after it but yet it comes not nevertheless I am still sustained in faith and am resolved to live and die in expectation of thy promise no length of time nor trouble shall null my hopes nor I am confident the thing I hope for 82 I have waited long dreely looked for the accomplishment of thy promise even to the weakening of my sight impairing my senses every foot thinking within my self as my mind gave me and occasion was offered that sure this is the time and that the opportunitie that I shall be delivered but still I am prolonged and put off sighing out my hopes with If not now Lord when then will the time be and what the means that must fulfil thy word and my desire 83 The scorching sun of adversitie hath allmost quite exhausted my radical moisture my spirits which should animate my members and extrinsical parts are spent with continual grief by reason of afflictions and disappointments of my longing expectations which lingringly consume and wast me into leanness and deformitie like a bladder or a skin-bottel hung up in a chimney that in tract of time will parch and crack and shrink up into wrinckles not like it self and so am I become yet though nature thus decayes grace does not by thy goodness to me I am for all that upheld in care and conscience to do thy will and believe thy word 84 Lord how long too is the end of my miseries consider how much of my life is allready spent and wasted in them even of mine who am appointed and designed by thee for great and special services in thy Church therefore consider me who would fain be imployed to shorten these dayes when shall they that unjustly would cut me off be themselves justly so served and I set free to serve thee 85 Mine enemies that scorn thy commands and me thy servant have not onely persecuted me with open violence but with cunning craft and dissimulation sought my life for their will is their Law and not thy word to which they yield no manner of obedience nor bear no regard but practice what them list though never so wicked and unjust so it serves their turns 86 But Lord I have another estimate of thy commandments I set not so light by them for I am sure they come from a faithful God who may suffer the wicked for a time to sin against them but the punishment due to those that break them shall befal them and so shall the reward promised to them that keep them in the faith whereof I do and will innocently persevere and pray thee to make it good in my help and deliverance from and upon these treacherous and unjust persecutours 87 Mine enemies men of the world that take all wayes and advantages upon earth against me had what one way and other by their continual vexations and my griefs allmost brought me down to the grave and got the better of me hadst not thou been above them and heaven more my friend than earth where I had no help but when I was at lowest hopeless and helpless as to outward appearance I still kept faith and a good conscience hoping in thee 88 Lord give me to enjoy that happie condition which of thy free grace and loving beneficence thou hast promised me which will be as a resurrection to life from death after so many sorrows as I have undergone so shalt thou both ingage and enable me when I am set free from these hinderances to do thy whole will and walk in thy Law which bears the stamp of Divine and royal authoritie upon it and therefore is worthy of reverend and solemn observance and obedience which then I will be sure to pay to it but now I cannot Lamed The twelfth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the twelfth part 89 Thy word and decree O Lord is as firm as thy self no chances nor changes here below can make void what thou above hast determined shall be nor can time it self wear out what thou that art eternal before all time hast appointed 90 Our faith may bear it self boldly upon thy faithfulness which according to thy word of truth and promise is allwayes the same how ever matters frame or seem to be out of frame therefore it is that the world is not long since dissolved because thou hast decreed and promised the continuance of it therefore and for no natural cause doth the earth thus long subsist in nature and order 91 All created Beings according to their several natures stations and operations are as at the beginning thou in wisdom determinedst them which else of themselves would run into confusion and destruction what Laws thou gavest them they keep and thereby are themselves kept and preserved for all the elements and elemental creatures as they are made by thee so they are made for thee to be at thy ordering and dispose and so they are and not at their own and it is well for us and them they are so 92 And surely Lord I hold by the self-same tenure the creation does as it had been long since dissolved and annihilated but for the Law of orderly existence thou laidst upon it whereby ever since it retains a beautiful being notwithstanding the contradictions that are in those primarie principles the elements as also the strange concussions and alterations that time and sin hath brought forth So unless I also had thy righteous word to stay my heart upon and to chear up my soul with which I knew would not fail me in those various providences and strange agitations which I have undergone I could never have lasted thus long but had long ere this been in my grave by the outward pressures and inward griefs I underwent 93 I have cause all the dayes of my life thankfully to remember and bear in mind and I hope I shall thy faithfulness according to what thou hast ordeined in thy word for me to trust in and yield obedience to many a time in mine extremitie when my spirit was readie to sink and die within me thou hast therewith comfortably revived and cheered me and set me upon my feet 94 Let me to the end have experience of thee to be the self-same God in truth and goodness preserve me in and deliver me out
And surely Lord so ill do I like their manners that I love thy commandments the better for it because they are so contrarie to them the less they set by them and the more they value the wealth of the world the more I value them and the less I set by it for swine know not the worth of pearls no treasure under heaven is so precious and profitable in mine eye nor indeed in it self or to the possessour as thy Law and Commandments are to the sincere professour and practiser of them the holy dictates of a holy God making both holy and happie them that know and do them which I desire and good Lord grant me to do above all things as alone sufficient to make me both rich and happie to my hearts content 128 As black sets forth white and a crooked line a streight one so doth mine enemies wayes thy commandments in their puritie and rectitude their deformed and crooked courses of impietie and iniquitie makes the line of thy precepts much more streight and right in mine eyes yea those that carnal sence and corrupt reason can worst approve of to me through thy grace they are most precious and desireable as tending to nearest perfection and likeness with thy self and on the contrarie as I love thy Law which they hate and make void so do I hate what they love sinful deviations and prevarications Pe. The seventeenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the seventeenth part 129 Mans reason and understanding is both contrarie to and infinitly short of comprehending the holy and high mysteries of salvation and Godliness revealed in thy word which nature could never have known nor taught us had they not been supernaturally revealed being the hidden uncreated wisdom of God taught and wrought in the souls of thy servants by extraordinarie illumination and of special grace and favour therefore for their Divine nature and worths sake which in mercie thou hast opened mine eyes to see though others do not do I love and delight in them meditate and obey them even lay out my whole strength upon them 130 In whomsoever and at what time soever thy word by the efficatious working of thy spirit first takes saving and sanctifying impression there and then and never till then the sun of righteousness rises with light and healing to the expulsion and dispersion of that deadly darkness that naturally benighteth every soul man though otherwise never so worldly wise is but a very fool vain and ignorant both of truth and goodness till thou write thy Law in his heart that and onely that is true wisdom and they and onely they have true understanding though otherwise never so foolish 131 I for my part never longed more after meat and drink in my greatest extremitie of hunger and thirst nor any creature living than I did for the incomming of thy word with power into my soul when it was under the guilt and dominion of sin O the sighs and groans that I incessantly breathed forth after my transforming and thine inabling grace to believe and obey 132 Thou Lord knowest how I longed and still do to serve thee out of a sincere and hearty love to thee Let therefore thine eye of grace and compassion be upon me mercifully to keep me from falling into sin or by sin into thy displeasure as thou hast promised and in thy goodness art accustomed to do to such as thou knowest I am a lover of and hoper in thy grace truth and mercie 133 Let my whole conversation course of life by thy spirit according to thy word the rule of holiness and righteousness be powerfully over-ruled ordered in all things and let not my innate pravity by force or subtility of temptation in no case overmaster thy grace and make me sin against thee whom I desire to serve 134 My greatest temptation and fear is the unjust violence and cruel persecution of mine enemies thou that art the Almighty and gracious Lord God set me free and deliver me from the injuries of proud malicious minded men so shall I be ingaged and inabled when set at liberty thankfully and chearfully to serve and please thee 135 Bring me out of this comfortless darksom condition threatening thy displeasure whereby I have nothing but troubles without and sorrows within let me by deliverance see the skie clear up upon me let thy favourable aspect break forth from under this cloud and Lord it is as well the light of grace as comfort of sanctification as deliverance that I beg of thee the one without the other will but little profit nor please me 136 So deeply am I affected with the opprobries and contempt that thou undergoest by the wicked of the world specially mine enemies who turn grace into wantonness and make thy impunity their immunity to sin that it is a greater trouble and grief of heart to me than any I undergo in mine own behalf and costs me as many sighs and tears the injuring of thee in thine honour as my self in my peace and innocencie which I should be as glad were vindicated and they punished as I delivered Tsaddi The eighteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the eighteenth part 137 Let other men that love to live in sin think as contemptuously as they will of thee and thy Laws yet art thou and they righteous and so they shall find when according to those Laws thou passest a just and righteous sentence upon them for their wicked disobedience 138 What thou hast testified to be thy will in thy word by commanding it to be done is just and righteous in it self and tends to make men so if rightly performed yea happie also thy commands having their rewards which to the faithful shall be faithfully performed 139 I sustain no small grief by my persecutours in mine own person but if I know mine own heart it is far short of what I undergo for thy sake the contemptuous neglect and slight esteem which my proud enemies have of thy commandments making a trade of sinning hath so affected me to see thee thus dishonoured and thy Law unregarded that mine ardent apprehension of it in fervour and affection to thee and holy impatience against them hath meagred and impaired me much 140 That for which others dislike and refuse thy word is because it is in its own nature pure and tends to the refining their natures and corrupt manners which wicked worldlings cannot abide And for this very reason sake do I love it and delight in it because it is such and hath that gracious operation with it for that I am thy servant and do long more and more to be so in all manner of holiness and righteousness whereof it is the perfect rule and pattern 141 I have temptations of poverty persecution scorn and what not that put me to it yet I swerve not nor cast not off thy yoak though
in the condition I am in I draw hardly in it through very rough and un-even wayes I am not mercenary earthly felicitie is not it that moves me to nor shall infelicitie remove me from my dutie and allegiance to thy precepts 142 No Lord it is the perfection of thy righteous will in thy word that draws me to it so that nothing can seperate me from it because it is ever was and shall be the onely unchangeable certain standard for holiness and happiness life and salvation and of that absolute truth and infallibility is thy Law and the rudiments thereof that all else are living destructive vanities that differ from it and conform not to it 143 I am under arrest never at libertie but a perpetual prisoner to outward trouble and inward grief and yet faith and a good conscience comfort me for I am sure if I be faithful to thee in obedience thou wilt be so to me in gracious recompence thy word is my warrant 144 The righteousness which thou prescribest in thy Law to be observed and obeyed is the onely absolutely unchangeable infallible rule to be holy and happie by teach me and guide me in the knowledge and practise of it and I doubt not the consequence because of thy faithfulness preservation temporal and salvation eternal how deadly and desperate soever my condition seem will certainly be the issue Koph The ninetenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the nineteenth part 145 Thou Lord knowest the faithful and affectionate addresses I have made to thee in this my distress not as men naturally do by instinct of fear and grief but of faith and hope Lord therefore hear me praying in spirit and grant my groans and what thou hast or shalt command me I will gratuitously observe and by thy grace make good my word 146 It was thou alone that I put my confidence and hope in in this my need do not therefore deceive thy servant nor frustrate my expectations but according to thy promise and my dependance preserve and deliver me into a free and comfortable condition wherein I may be able as well as willing to do those things which are held forth in thy word to be thy will and pleasure 147 Night nor day have I ceased to solicit thee my first thoughts are upon thee I no sooner wake but my heart fals to work and before I can see I am bespeaking thee in prayer for delay does not abate but sharpen the edge of my hope in thy promise and faithfulness 148 Yea early and late do I give my self to meditation and faithful consideration of thy word for to strengthen and direct me consulting it at all times about all things to be ruled by it 149 Let me prevail not Lord for my merits but for thy grace sake which I have ever in mine eye both as thy word specifies it and thy works have allwayes manifested it to the faithful Let my soul be evermore upheld in lively hope and expectation by the faith of thy respective righteousness of justice and mercie to me and mine enemies and let me effectually be delivered by it 150 I am sharply assaulted and sorely pursued by mischievous minded men void of all conscience to mine exceeding great hazard such as greedily covet to do evil but are far from the thoughts or care of well-doing diametrically opposite in their wayes to thy word have no fear of God before their eyes 151 Blessed be thy name though they persecute me and seemingly indanger me yet art thou as near to help as they to hurt and thou wouldest not have commanded me thy faithful people so often in thy word to believe in thee wait for thee and not to turn aside from thee to false refuges and unjustifiable courses but that in faithfulness thou wilt protect and preserve them that do so not let them be disappointed by so doing 152 For thine injunctions of that nature they are as true and stable many as firmly be believed in as thou thy self have been in all ages experimentally approved so to thy Church are so to be to thy people for ever grace salvation shall allwayes be their portion Resh The 20 letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the 20 part 153 Lord consider mine affliction according to the nature and pressure of it which thou knowest is grievous and let it move thee in compassion and mercie to deliver me out of it as thou hast promised For for all my distemperature I carefully and conscionably bear in mind both for my supportation and direction what thy word the rule of my life and foundation of my faith exhibites to walk thereafter not fearing God the less for fear of men 154 Thou knowest the goodness of my cause mine innocencie and the solitarie helplesness of my condition how all is against me and none for me doing me all manner of wrong in word and deed so that I have none to flie but thee and accordingly do I make mine humble address to thy justice and mercie to undertake and ingage for me against mine enemies maintain defend and deliver me and it from my wrong doers chear up my heart in thy promises concerning it and set me free from this impendent death and destruction as thou hast promised 155 I know thee too righteous to patronize mine enemies and their cause against me or mine thou wilt not let me perish and them prosper but contrarily I know and am confident such wicked wretches are so far from being saved and preserved by thee as that they shall be destroyed for they are under no promise judgement belongs to them who neither care to know nor do what thou hast commanded 156 Though mine afflictions be great and sorrows manifold yet thy mercies are so too wherewith thou tenderly compassionates thy people under wrongful sufferance O Lord therefore chear up my heart in the hopeful expectation of thy righteous power and goodness and faithfully fulfil it in my actual deliverance 157 I have had asmuch provocation to sin and temptation to diffidence as can well be imagined considering my manifold dangers by open and secret enemies and my wrongful injurious usages by word and deed of my many slanderous bloudy-minded persecutours Yet do I keep faith and a good conscience obey thy word and will for all that 158 Mine enemies and wrong-doers did not onely trouble me as to my self but it sadded me exceedingly for thee to see thee so contemned and thy word which should be a Law to them so despised by them walking quite contrarie 159 Hereby thou mayest perceive the dear affection I bear to thy word and will revealed in it I beseech thee take notice of it in way of gracious remuneration and Lord encourage me to hope and do thou fulfill all that in thy loving kindness and grace thou hast promised to those that do so
God made to be a blessing to the common-wealth where he lives being thereby more than ordinarily usefull fitted to do God and it service in any kind sacred civil and military as God disposeth and adapts so he hath them to dispose of for publick weal in Church or State 5 There are diversitie of imaginarie happiness but certainly of all earthly ones this is really the best and that man the happiest that hath his house and family well filled with such living riches that no money can purchase for they are if good and got by prayers faith the immediate gift and extraordinarie favour of God to him that hath them who thereby is strengthened against the wrongs and oppressions that men in a solitarie condition are subject unto and able to stand the common-wealth in stead in opposing open enemies or suppressing civil injuries The cxxviii PSALM The Psalmist to undeceive the world shâws who and who onely is a blessed man he that fears and obeys God and shâws every such an one the favours he is in with God both as to his own particular his family and postâritie the Church whereof he is a member and the common-wealth whereof he is a part all these shall fare the better for him whom God will bless both in his person and in all his relations See the Title of the 120. Psalm 1 ALl men would be blessed men but few take a right course for it nor indeed do they either judge that to be blessedness which is so or that to be the way to it which onely is so for as to the favour of God they see no such matter in it as that it should make them happy or blessed conceiving of spiritual things with carnal apprehensions knowing no felicity but what is earthly and sensual for the fear of God that leads to his favour obedience to his commandements which he rewards with blessedness these they skill not it is against the hair and loth they are to purchase God by being good But let deluded worldlings think how they please The God of truth tels thee who ever thou art that if thou wilt be blessed of him and otherwaies thou canst not thou must with a reverential filial fear in the faith of him thy God and Father do his will and not thine own please him not thy self and so doing thou and every such one shall be as surely blessed as God is faithfull 2 For God whose thou art will also be thine not onely in the grace of salvation but also in the grace of providence and protection if in his fear and faith thou usest the means soberly he will bless them successfully to thy contentment so that though he give not to surfet thee yet to suffice thee he will thy labour shall not be in vain in the Lord nor cursed of the Lord as others are but though thou work for thy living yet thou shalt be able to live by thy work which shall maintain thee and thine and that happily and contentedly which many that have much do not for thou shalt have the favour of God to thee and the blessing of God upon thee in what thou dost and hast 3 Within doors and without shall God bless thee with what ever blessings he knows convenient for thee if thou beest in a married condition whilest others that are so either have no children or have them taken from them when they have them or are cursed to them if not taken from them Thou that fearest God he will provide better for thee thy wife and thou shall with conjugal comfort behold the blessing of the Lord upon your marriage bed in her fruitfull womb and thy hopefull issue children wherein thou maist have comfort and not a few nor short-lived which shall delight thee to look on them and see God in them enriching thee by his gift with what rich men cannot purchase by their wealth and with them will give thee sustenance for them if he send thee mouths he will also send the meat 4 O that men would effectually believe this and take out this lesson that they that in conscience to God fear to sin and do good are the blessed of the Lord in their own persons and shall be blessed of the Lord in what is theirs find all true that I have said 5 The God of Israel shall upon thy prayers made at or towards the place of his presence and pledge of his Covenant the Ark and Mercie-Seat in his Sanctuarie upon Sion the type of Christ in heaven hear thee and bless thee as he hath promised to do and thou shalt be a means not onely to procure blessing to thy self but to the whole Israel and Church of God typified in Jerusalem which shall fare the better for thy sake and such as thou art and thou and they for its sake reciprocally as parts and whole as shall the Church and members mutually in all ages 6 Yea thy pietie shall preserve thee in grace and favour with God and make thee both blessed in thy self and a blessing to many others yea to the whole Israel of God thou shalt thy self be blessed with long life and happy daies and in thy family and relations with children and with childrens children which shall be a rejoycing to thee to behold and walking in thy waies who walks in Gods shall to many generations fare the better for thee and inherit the grace and faithfulness of God promised to the righteous and their seed yea the Church and common-wealth whereof thou art a member and wherein thou livest shall prosper for thy sake and such as thou art grace and peace from God and with men shall thy prayers and godly walking procure them The cxxix PSALM The Psalmist laies forth the common state of the Church for her present comfort under her present affliction the Iews as is conceived at this time being under those pressures that besel them after their return out of their grievous Babylonish captivitie by their wicked envious pick-thank neighbours the Samaritans endeavouring their subversion by accusing them to the Persian Kings encourageing the âaithfull by late experience in Gods faithfulness for the Churches preservation and her enemies disappointment and destruction which with a prophetical prayer equivalent to a promise he foretels and desires See the Title of the 120. Psalm 1 2 WHen was the Church and people of God which for the paucitie of them in the world is as it were but one man amongst a many ever without afflictions and enemies at any time in any place among any people on earth from the very beginning in Abel and so along through all the Patriarks quite down to us from Egypt till very now whose fortune therefore is not singular in that at present we undergo but common with all the faithfull in all ages this you know to be true and yet this world of wicked enemies which the poor Church hath
evermore had and which many and many a time hath crushed them sore yet could never through the over-ruling hand of our Almightie and good God prevail to supplant and eradicate it as was their aim and desire to have done no nor never shall no more now than heretofore fear it not 3 4 The poor Church and people of God have undergone great hardship by the ungodly men of this world to whom it hath been meat and drink to afflict us witness our late Babylonish task-masters and as much pains have they taken to do it by plots and practices as the plow-man does to tear the ground in pieces and as cruelly they have handled us so far as ever God gave them leave and so they shall Christ himself whose husbandmen they are and ever have been and the Church his field wherein thereby he hath always sown his seed and reaped his harvest that hath been the use he put the Churches afflictions and persecutions to always notwithstanding them approving himself righteous and faithfull to his word and promise of grace and so is still and ever will be to remember mercie though the wicked world know none to abate of what it intends against them both for length of time and measure of affliction as we have experience in our late deliverance and to disappoint their purposes and machinations as he hath always done to his churches preservation and their destruction in his own time and by his almightie power maugre their malice 5 And as Lord thou hast ruined Babylon for our sakes so vouchsafe still to appear for thy Church against her enemies bringing them all to confusion that would do so by Sion the place of thy worship and type of thy Church for ever let not their malicious combinations and wicked projects take effect against the type or anti-type but utterly and shamefully defeat and frustrate them for it is for thy sake that they bear evil will to thy place and people 6 7 8 Lord let such haters of God and godliness however they seem to flourish and over-top thy poor Church come to nought both they all their wicked designs as the light corn that makes a fair shew on the ridge of an house for want of rooting withers in a moment before it ripen and comes to any perfection by the heat of the sun and is of no use nor regard so let alwaies the Churches enemies that are under a curse and not a blessing and at present our persecuting neighbours be blasted and in thy wrathfull displeasure destroyed both their persons and purposes let neither the one nor the other ever come to good like those empty ears let them be found by those they curry-favour with a dissembling lying generation great promisers and no performers and find favour accordingly Let not those that are spectatours of us and them whose pendulous judgements the event will preponderate the common errour of the world to judge and side according to success let them not have cause by their prospering against us to bless them and curse us and to misuse thy name against thine own people in behalf of thine and our enemies by blessing those whom thou cursest and cursing those whom thou blessest The cxxx PSALM The Psalmist sore afflicted under the sense of sin and miserie cries to the Lord for mercie making mercie his onely plea for himself and incouragement to persist in the obedience of faith and patient waiting and eager longing for appearance of grace And draws his practise into precept to all the faithfull people of God willing them to hold out hoping in mercie for deliverance through Christ whatever be their pressure sin or suffering See the Title of the 120. Psalm 1 IN the extream agony of my spirit now that I am to mine own sense and in all appearance quite over-whelmed with outward distress and inward terrour death on the one hand ready to devour me my sins and thy wrath on the other hand grievously afflicting and affrighting me yet as from the bottom of this gulph and sea of miseries have I sent forth mine ardent prayer in the faith of thy power and hopes of thy goodness O Almighty and mercifull Lord. 2 In such a case as this Lord let me not speak to a deaf ear but graciously grant me audience yea watch for my prayers at such a time for they shall never fail thee neither do thou fail them especially in such straits 3 If thou O Lord who art the righteous and terrible Judge of all the world a jealous God and a consuming fire doth take strict notice of our sins to take us to task and punish us for them according to our deservings by the law of righteousness and rule of justice alas in such a case what man can stand before thee in his own justification either to acquit himself as sinless or to make satisfaction being sinfull or in case he be able to do neither as no man can how shall he be able to bear and undergo thy judgement and heavy displeasure for sin without sinking under it no flesh can do it 4 But the case is otherwaies with thee towards poor humble hearted sinners and suitours to such thou standest not upon such terms of strictness for thou hast proclamed pardon to all such which by faith they may take out and plead for themselves as also a gracious acceptance of their weak but filiall services whereby they may be and are incouraged knowing thy loving kindness and mercy to worship and serve thee both by believing in thy promises though with much mixture of unbelief and doing thy commandments though in frailty and weakness short of perfection which none can reach yet in sincerity 5 Though my sinns be heavy and mine affliction burdensome upon me and have been so along time yet I despair not but in the faith of his forgiveness and compassion I wait for the sun to break out from under this cloud my soul is in continuall expectation of it and so long as I have his word for it I will hope and look for deliverance and mercy what ever be my fears and dangers 6 My soul longs for and looks out after the comfortable appearance of the grace of God to set me free from these my tedious insupportable miseries of his disfavour and the sad effects thereof with as eager a desire yea far more earnestly and affectionately do I and will I hold on to expect it than ever the poor weary Watch-man or Centry that hath been kept waking all Night prayes for Day-break that he may be discharged and have his liberty to take his rest 7 What ever be the afflictions of faithfull Israel the people of God let them for all that by no means relinquish their hope in the Lord his power and goodness but hold out in the assured confidence that God both is mercifull in himself however he seem and will be
that though he do yea must both in justice and mercie chastize them for their aberrations thereby to humble and reduce them For impunitie would argue him no father nor they no children as sure I say as he is both just and gracious to lay the rod upon them for sin so he is as merciful and faithful to take it off again when of sinners they become penitents and renew their covenant to be his he will soon be theirs and repent as well as they and then wo be to their enemies we have and shall ever find it so 15 That he hath ever approved himself the onely God of power to deliver us when the time hath come maugre all the Powers on earth that have been against us and their gods to boot which cannot preserve them that worship them against the power of the Almighty whom we onely serve of all the world besides which is heathen and their gods meer Idols at best made of gold and silver nor are they so much as their own makers but have their Beings from men they make them that made not themselves therefore must they needs be goodly Gods 16 They are meer liveless statues without sense or motion able neither to speak nor see having no better mouthes nor eyes than man can make them 17 Their ears are like their eyes the one blind the other deaf and their mouthes as breathless as speechless for such an inversion of nature as men to make Gods can produce no better effects 18 And they that make them are as void of understanding as they of life and sense that against reason can think such things fit to be worshipped for Gods which are their creatures not they theirs and so is every one that seeing what they are and knowing whence they come putteth confidence of good or evil in them both their Gods and they are alike blockish and as void of power as understanding as plainly appeareth when our God appears for us against them 19 Let therefore your faith and zeal be laid out upon no such imaginarie deities nor your fear upon any earthly powers do you that are the posteritie of Jacob from whom you have the name of Israel given of God himself walk worthie such a father and servant of the Lord by honouring and praising him and him alone all of you own him and honour him for your Lord and God specially you that are his in principal place and office by special designation you Priests the sons of Aaron let your zeal exceed as much as do your engagements 20 And you that are of an inferiour rank in the Priest-hood ye Levites remember also your ingagements to honour and praise the Lord who hath called you to so sacred an office about his Temple do your duties worthie your places but because no doubt too many are as formal people so formal Priests that serve the Lord if at all more in shew than sincerity therefore my exhortation is chiefly to you both Priests and people that are regenerate Israelites indeed Priests of the Lord as well as of the Temple endowed with the true fear of God and sanctifying graces of his spirit you are they that I hope and exhort and that God looks should honour and serve him with praise and thanks in faith and spirit worthie your selves and him your God as a chosen generation a royal Priest-hood a holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 21 Let all Israel whether in power or profession his visible or invisible people of what rank or qualitie soever Prince Priest people resort unto the place appointed for his solemn worship mount Sion where his sanctuarie is seated and there joyn their forces and affections to bless and serve him who is especially present there of all Israel having preferred Jerusalem to be the place of his residence and of all his glorious dispensations where he will be blessed of his people and whence he will bless them again that honour and serve him Therefore fail not on your part praise him and pray to him that is and will be your God if you do so The cxxxvi PSALM This Psalm for the magnifying of mercie it is thought was sung daily in the Tabernacle and Temple 1 Chron. 16.41 Jer. 33.11 and this clause for his mercie endureth for ever so oft repeated was sung by turns of the Levites and oft used for the burden of the song at solemn celebrations of remarkable mercies 2 Chron. 7.3 and 6. and 20.21 The drift of the Psalmist is to advance covenant-mercie that Church priviledge in the eyes of the faithful as the great and allmost onely thank-worthie benefit by which God himself and all that is Gods is his Churches the fountain of all good general special of creation and providence to the world to the Church which therefore we should behold in every thing and thank God for in all things 1 GOds greatness is better known and more taken notice of than his goodness but this ought principally to be his peoples studie to see all he does as well the acts of his grace and that a stable covenant-grace as of his power Therefore ye that are so be sure to do so be thankful to him and faithful in him for his goodness sake that is so transcendent even to the sins of all mankind in general who live move and have their beings in and from him notwithstanding them and to his Church in particular as appears by his many gracious promises and great performances temporal and spiritual in goodness made and in mercie made good sin cannot finally hinder the current of his grace which is as himself everlasting as in being so in acting an ever overflowing fountain whose mercies therefore are renewed every morning 2 3 Exalt him in his greatness yea in the full dimensions of it superlatively prefer him to all things in heaven and earth principalities powers or imaginarie deities Praise him as such but withal be thankful to him that is such so great and yet of such condiscention in continual dispensation of mercies for the consideration of his goodness setteth forth his greatness with greater beautie and sweetness which by reason thereof becomes a useful propertie and encouragement to his Church and people to draw nigh to him and trust in him for ever 4 And as for his mercie sake he is to be honoured in what he is essentially being thereby that to us and for us which he is in himself so also in what he does for his mercie and free grace it is the cause of the manifestation of so great power in all those glorious works of wonder wrought so apparently by the immediate hand and finger of God who onely is Almighty for and in his peoples behalfs in all their dangers notwithstanding all their sins as we can witness in an everlasting
the powers of my soul that is left me 9 Thy effectuall grace in my powerfull deliverance is mine humble and earnest suit I put up unto thee that mine enemies who seek and make sure of my life may not destroy it which they will certainly and suddenly do if thou prevent not to whom onely I flie from them for no place on earth can escape them 10 And as I beg to be preserved by thy power out of the hands of mine enemies so by thy grace out of the power of my corruptions which by reason of my temptations are very stirring and hardly suppressed inclining me upon occasion to deviate but my trust is in thee and prayer unto thee for this as well as that sinne being as death to me therefore for thy goodness sake which hath so freely and so fully ingaged thee to be every way a gracious God unto me and specially in soul-concernments Lord teach me at every turn and in every strait what is thy will and how to obey it by the powerfull energie of thy spirit which himself is good and can make me so by his efficacious impowering my spirit thereunto maugre all temptations within or without yea all my life long effectually dispose me to walk in the way of holiness and righteousness which onely leads unto everlasting life the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness a pattern whereof shall be that flourishing estate of thy Church in holiness shortly to be accomplished to thine Israel by and under me a figure of Christ which good Lord teach me how to attain to that my sins debar me not so great a blessing 11 For the glory of thy power which is so highly esteemed and little feared by mine enemies do thou manifest it in as it were my resurrection from the dead for such am I in effect and in all humane appearance and for thy faithfulness sake both in point of grace and justice be mindfull of me thy servant wrongfully oppressed and persecuted to set me free from these deadly dangers I am continually in 12 And of meer compassion to me in so great misery undertake my cause and quarrell that without cause am thus persecuted to the death by violent and bloudy enemies who are untreatable and from whom I must never expect other till thou shalt disable them to destroy me by destroying them which I pray thee do as an act of mercy to my wronged innocency let none escape that would not have me do so that my soul may be free from these distractions to serve thee for thereunto through mercy am I designed and by grace am I called The cxliv. PSALM David being in part possessed of the Kingdom blesseth God for that which he acknowledgeth to be of him as also all his atchievements and deliverances and aggravates the greatness of God goodness to him from the baseness and disparity of him to God whom he prayes extraordinarily to stand for him against and rid him of his remainder of enemies as bad as the rest and promiseth upon finall deliverance to tune all his instruments to his praise as the sole Saviour specially of him and again iterates his request that the times of Israels tranquillity under him and his may hasten that they may once be happie after so much miserie which then they shall be with the ample possession of temporall felicities of all kinds and God to boot which will make them or any people happie that are so blessed A Psalm made by David 1 MAgnified be the Lord for his praise-worthy goodness to me in so marvellously inabling me beyond either naturall ability or acquired skill to do things so much above my self in souldiery as through his assistance I have done to mine own and all mens admiration and to such wonderfull success as I have had thereby 2 But it was the Lord and of him onely who hath and doth shew me so many favours and is so bountifull and beneficent to me as I cannot express it but in the abstract of goodness it self so freely are they acted and so manifoldly multiplied to descend into particulars were infinite but what can be imagined by way of offence to mine enemies or defence to my self that the Lord is and hath been to me and I am confident so will be still He it is that hath brought and will go on irresistably to bring this stubborn stiff-necked people of Israel to submit to me as their King who so hardly are removed from their prejudices concerning me and brought to believe the truth of promises touching me 3 Lord I cannot when I reflect upon my self and thee the disproportion 'twixt my nature and essence frail mortal dust and ashes here below and thy spiritual eternal incomprehensible Being and infinite Majestie in heaven above but admire That such an earth-worm as man the whole kind whereof is at best but as the drop of thy bucket subject to generation and corruption should be so regarded of thee as to expend and lay out so much of thy wisdom care and providence upon him especially considering what he is becom by sin not worthie the name of a creature that by nature is thine enemy and that yet thou shouldest exercise so much grace and goodness towards him sundry wayes 4 Man in respect of thee is as the most vain and emptiest thing in the world is to him for substance a thing of nothing and for duration as momentanie and uncertain is his life subject to time and change as the shadow which is as transient as the sun is moveable 5 Yet such is thy goodness to this poor inconsiderable creature that thou art pleased to work miracles many times for the preservation of a very few yea of one single person that belongs unto thee and to descend as it were from thine imperial throne of Divine Majestie to help here on earth wonderfully when thine are in extremitie and so Lord vouchsafe to do now manifest thy presence as when in thick and darksome clouds thou formerly descendedst and made the mountains seem all on fire under thee such let be thine out-goings against mine and thy Churches enemies consume those mountainous powerful adversaries that oppose themselves against thee in thy wrathful displeasure a little whereof will serve to do it as high and mightie as they are in their own vain imaginations 6 Thy peoples extraordinarie dangers have produced extraordinarie and miraculous effects of providence for their preservation and so let it do still let thy power be now as evident as when with thunder and lightening thou foughtest for them destroyedst and discomfitedst their enemies heretofore 7 When earthly helps fail from heaven do thou send succour and set me free from this deluge of trouble and troublesome adversaries that break in upon me like an unresistable torrent let me not fall into the hands of those that though they are visible Israelites of the seed and family
not mine enemies triumph over me 3 Yea let none that wait on thee be ashamed which transgress without cause 4 Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy paths 5 Lead me in thy truth and teach me for thou art the God of my salvation on thee do I wait all the day 6 Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have been ever of old 7 Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake O Lord. 8 Good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach sinners in the way 9 The meek will he guide in judgement and the meek will he teach his way 10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies 11 For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great 12 What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose 13 His soul shall dwell at ease and his seed shall inherit the land 14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his covenant 15 Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord for he shall pluck my feet out of the net 16 Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my distresses 18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain and forgive all my sinnes 19 Consider mine enemies for they are many and they hate me with cruel hatred 20 O keep my soul and deliver me let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee 21 Let integrity â uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee 22 Redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles Psalm xxvi A Psalm of David 1 JUdge me O Lord for I have walked in mine innocency I have trusted also in the Lord therefore I shall not slide 2 Examine me O Lord and prove me try my reins and my heart 3 For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth 4 I have not sat with vain persons neither will I go in with dissemblers 5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers and will not sit with the wicked 6 I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compass thine Altar O Lord. 7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works 8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house the place where thine honour dwelleth 9 Gather not my soul with sinners nor my life with bloudy men 10 In whose hands is mischief and their right hand is full of bribes 11 But as for me I will walk in mine integrity redeem me and be merciful unto me 12 My foot standeth in an even place in the congregations will I bless the Lord. Psalm xxvii A Psalm of David 1 THe Lord is my light and my salvation whoÌ shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid 2 When the wicked even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell 3 Though an host should enâamp against me my heart shall not fear though warre should rise against me in this will I be confident 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord to enquire in his Temple 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me up upon a rock 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy I will sing yea I will sing praises unto the Lord. 7 Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me 8 When thou saidest seek ye my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek 9 Hide not thy face farre from me put not thy servant away in anger thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation 10 When my father and my mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up 11 Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies for false witnesses are risen up against me and such as breath out cruelty 13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living 14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Psalm xxviii A Psalm of David 1 UNto thee will I cry O Lord my rock be not silent to me lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit 2 Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee when I lift up mine hands toward thy holy oracle 3 Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts 4 Give them according to their deeds according to the wickedness of their endeavours give them after the works of their hands render to them their desert 5 Because they regard not the works of the lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them not build them up 6 Blessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications 7 The Lord is my strength my shield my heart trusted in him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth and with my song will I praise him 8 The Lord is their strength and he is the saving strength of his annointed 9 Save thy people and bless thine inheritance feed them also and lift them up for ever Psalm xxix A Psalm of David 1 GIve unto the Lord O ye mighty give unto the Lord glory and strength 2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness 3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters the God of glory thundereth the Lord is upon many waters 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful the voice of the Lord is full of Majestie 5 The voice of the Lord breaketh Cedars yea the Lord breaketh the Cedars of Lebanon 6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn 7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire 8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadâsh 9 The voice of the Lord maketh the Hinds to calve and discovereth the forrests and in
his temple doth every one speak of his glorie 10 The Lord sitteth upon the floud yea the Lord sitteth King for ever 11 The Lord will give strength unto his people the Lord will bless his people with peaâe Psalm xxx A Psalm and song at the dedication of the house of David 1 I Will extol thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me 2 O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me 3 O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit 4 Sing unto the Lord O ye saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness 5 For his anger endureth but a moment in his favour is life weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning 6 And in my prosperitie I said I should never be moved 7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled 8 I cried to thee O Lord and unto the Lord I made supplication 9 What profit is there in my bloud when I go down to the pit shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy truth 10 Hear O Lord and have mercie upon me Lord be thou mine helper 11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness 12 To the end that my glorie may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Psalm xxxi To the chief musician A Psalm of David 1 IN thee O Lord do I put my trust let me never be ashamed deliver me in thy righteousnes 2 Bow down thine ear to me deliver me speedily be thou my strong rock for an house of defence to save me 3 For thou art my rock and my fortress therefore for thy name sake lead me and guid me 4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me for thou art my strength 5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth 6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities but I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glâd and rejoyce in thy mercie for thou hast considered my trouble thou hast known my soul in adversities 8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemie thou hast set my feet in a large room 9 Have mercie upon me O Lord for I am in trouble mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly 10 For my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing my strength faileth because of mine iniquitie and my bones are consumed 11 I was a reproch among all mine enemies but especially among my neighbours and a fear to mine acquaintance they that did see me without sled from me 12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind I am like a broken vessel 13 For I have heard the slaunder of many fear was on every side while they took counsel together against me they devised to take away my life 14 But I trusted in thee O Lord I said Thou art my God 15 My times are in thy hand deliver me from the hand of mine enemies and from them that persecute me 16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant save me for thy mercies sake 17 Let me not be ashamed O Lord for I have called upon thee let the wicked be ashamed and let them be silent in the grave 18 Let the lying lips be put to silence which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous 19 O how great is thy goodnes which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee whâch thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sâns of men 20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues 21 Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong citie 22 For I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes nevertheless thou hearest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee 23 O love the Lord all ye his saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer 24 Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord. Psalm xxxii A Psalm of David Maschil 1 BLessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie and in whose spirit there is no guil 3 When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long 4 For day and night thy hand was heavie upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of summer Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquitie have I not hid I said I will confess my transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquitie of my sin Selah 6 For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found surely in the flouds of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him 7 Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance Selah 8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guid thee with mine eye 9 Be ye not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding whose mouths must be held in with bit and bridle lest they come near unto thee 10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upâight in heart Psalm xxxiii 1 REjoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright 2 Praise the Lord with harp sing unto him with the psalterie and an instrument of ten strings 3 Sing unto him a new song play skilfully with a loud noise 4 For the word of the Lord is right and all his works are done in truth 5 He loveth righteousness and judgement the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord weâe the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap he layeth up the depth in store houses 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him 9 For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast 10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect 11 The
good he abhorreth not evil 5 Thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds 6 Thy righteousnes is like the great mountains thy judgements are a great deep O Lord thou preservest man and beast 7 How excellent is thy loving kindness ' O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow oâ thy wings 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures 9 For with thee is the fountain of life in thy light shall we see light 10 O continue thy loving kindness unto them that know thee and thy righteousness to the upright in heart 11 Let not the foot of pride come against me and let not the hand of the wicked remove me 12 There are the workers of iniquitie fallen they are cast down and shall not be able to rise Psalm xxxvii A Psalm of David 1 FRet not thy self because of evil doers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquitie 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb 3 Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed 4 Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart 5 Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgement as the noon-day 7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him fret not thy self because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass Cease from anger ãâã forsake wrath ââet not thy self in any wise to do evil 9 For evil doers shall be cut off but those that wait upon the Lord they shall inherit the land 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall not be yeâ thou shalt diligently consider his place and iâ shall not be 11 But the meek shal inherit the earth shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace 12 The wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his teeth 13 The Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming 14 The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needie and to slay such as be of upright conversation 15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart and their bows shall he broken 16 A little that a righteous man hath is is better than the riches of many wicked 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken but the Lord upholdeth the righteous 18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright and their inheritance shall be for ever 19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the days of famin they shall be satisfied 20 But the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs they shall consume into smoak shall they consume away 21 The wicked borroweth and payeth not again but the righteous sheweth mercie and giveth 22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way 24 Though he fall he shall not utterly be cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand 25 I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread 26 He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed 27 Depart from evil and do good dwell for evermore 28 For the Lord loveth judgement and forsaketh not his saints they are preserved for ever but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off 29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein for ever 30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom his tongue talketh of judgement 31 The Law of his God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide 32 The wicked watcheth the righteous and seeketh to slay him 33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand nor condemn him when he is judged 34 Wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it 35 I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a green bay-tree 36 Yet he passed away and so he was not yea I sought him but he could not be found 37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace 38 But the transgressours shall be destroyed together the end of the wicked shall be cut off 39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in time of trouble 40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in him Psalm xxxviii A Psalm of David to bring to remembrance 1 O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure 2 For thine arrows stick fast in me and thine hand presseth me soar 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin 4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me 5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness 6 I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long 7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease there is no soundness in my flesh 8 I am feeble sore broken I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart 9 Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee 10 My heart panteth my strength faileth me as for the light of mine eyes it also is gone from me 11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore and my kinsmen stand far off 12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me they that seek my hurt âpeak mischievous things and imagin deceits all the day long 13 But I as a deaf man heard not and I was as a dumb man that opened not his mouth 14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofs 15 For in thee O Lord do I hope thou wilt hear O Lord my God 16 For I said Hear me least otherwise they should reâoyce over me when my foot slippeth they magnifie themselves against me 17 For I am readie to halt and my sorrow is continually before me 18 For I will declare mine iniquitie I will be sorie for my sin 19 But mine enemies are lively and they are strong and they that hate me wrongfully
mouth were smoother than butter but war was in his heart his words were softer than oyl yet were they drawn swords 22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he will sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved 23 But thou O God shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction bloudie and deceitful men shall not live out half their dayes but I will trust in thee Psalm lvi To the chief musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim Michtam of David when the Philistines took him in Gath. 1 BE merciful unto me O God for man would swallow me up he fighting daily oppresseth me 2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up for they be many that fight against me O thou most High 3 What time I am afraid I will trust in thee 4 In God I will praise his word in God I have put my trust I will not fear what flesh can do unto me 5 Every day they wrest my words all their thoughts are against me for evil 6 They gather themselves together they hide themselves they mark my steps when they wait for my soul. 7 Shall they escape by iniquitie in thine anger cast down the people O God 8 Thou tellest my wandrings put thou my tears into thy bottle are they not in thy book 9 When I crie unto thee then shall mine enemies turn back this I know for God is for me 10 In God will I praise his word in the Lord will I praise his word 11 In God will I put my trust I will not be afraid what man can do unto me 12 Thy vows are upon me O God I will render praises unto thee 13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death wilt not thou deliverâ my feet from falling that I may walk before God in the light of the living Psalm lvii To the chief musician Altaschith Michtam of David when he fled from Saul in the cave 1 BE mercifull unto me O God be mercifull unto me for my soul trusteth in thee yea in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge untill these calamities be overpast 2 I will cry unto God most high unto God that performâth all things for me 3 He shall send from heaven and save me from the reproch of him that would swallow me up Selah God shall send forth his mercy and his truth 4 My soul is among lions and I lie even among them that are set on fire even the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword 5 Be thou exalted O God above the heavens let thy glory be above all the earth 6 They have prepared a net for my steps my soul is bowed down they have digged a pit before me into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves Selah 7 My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise 8 Awake up my glory awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early 9 I will praise thee O Lord among the people I will sing unto thee among the nations 10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens and thy truth unto the clouds 11 Be thou exalted O God above the heavens let thy glory be above all the earth Psalm lviii To the chief musician Altaschith â Michtam of David 1 DO ye indeed speak righteousness O generation do ye judge uprightly O ye sons of men 2 Yea in heart you work wickedness you weigh the violence of your hands in the earth 3 The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray assoon as they be born speaking lies 4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent they are like the deaf Adder that stoppeth her ear 5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers charming never so wisely 6 Break their teeth O God in their mouth break out the great teeth of the young lions O Lord. 7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows let them be as cut in peices 8 As a snail which melteth let every one of them pass away like the untimely birth of a woman that they may not see the sun 9 Before your pots can âeel the thornes he shall take them away as with a whirlwind 10 The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance he shall wash his feet in the bloud of the wicked 11 So that a man shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth Psalm lix To the chief musician Al-taschith Michtam of David when Saul sent and they watched the house to kill him 1 DEliver me from mine enemies O my God defend me from them that rise up against me 2 Deliver me from the wrâkers of iniquity and save me from bloudy men 3 For lo they lie in wait for my soul the mighty are gathered against me not for my transgression nor for my sin O Lord. 4 They run prepare themselves without my fault awake to help me behold 5 Thou therefore O Lord God of hosts the God of Israel awake to visit all the heathen be not mercifull to any wicked transgressours 6 They return at evening they make a noise like a dog and go round about the Citie 7 Behold they belch out with their mouth swords are in their lips for who say they doth hear 8 But thou O Lord shalt laugh at them thou shalt have all the heathen in derision 9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee for God is my defence 10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies 11 Slay them not least my people forget scatter them by thy power and bring them down O Lord our shield 12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride and for cursing lying which they speak 13 Consume them in wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth 14 And at evening let them return and let them make a noise like a dog and go round about the citie 15 Let them wander up and down for meat and grudge if they be not satisfied 16 But I will sing of thy power yea I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble 17 Unto thee O my strength will I sing for God is my defence and the God of my mercy Psalm lx To the chief musician upon Shushan Eduth Michtam of David to teach when he strove with Aram Naharaim and with Aram Zobah when Joab returned and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand 1 O God thou hast cast us off thou hast scattered us thou hast been displeased O turn thy self to us again 2 Thou hast made the earth to tremble
Selah 5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the ways of them 6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well the rain also filleth the pooles 7 They go from strength to strength every one of them in Sion appeareth before God 8 O Lord God of hosts hear my prayer give ear O God of Jacob Selah 9 Behold O God our shield and look upon the face of thine anointed 10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwel in the âents of wickedness 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will âe with-hold from them that walk uprightly 12 O Lord of hosts blessed is the man that trusteth in thee Psalm lxxxv To the chief musician A Psalm for the sons of Korah 1 LOrd thou hast been favourable unto thy land thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquitie of thy people thou hast covered all their sin Selah 3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath thou hast turned thy self from the fierceness of thine anger 4 Turn us O God of our salvation and cause thine anger towards us to cease 5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations 6 Wilt thou not revive us again that thy people may rejoce in thee 7 Shew us thy merâ O Lord and grant salvation 8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints but let them not turn again to âolly 9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him that glorie may dwell in our land 10 Mercie and truth are met together righteousness peace have killed eaâh other 11 Truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from heaven 12 Yea the Lord shall give that which is good and our land shall yield her increase 13 Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps Psalm lxxxvi A prayer of David 1 BOw down thine ear O Lord hear me for I am poor and needie 2 Preserve my soul for I am holy O thou my God save thy servant that trusteth in thee 3 Be merciful unto me O Lord for I crie unto thee dayly 4 Rejoyce the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul. 5 For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercie unto all them that call upon thee 6 Give ear O Lord unto my praier and attend to the voice oâ my supplications 7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee for thou wilt answer me 8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee O Lord neither are there any works like unto thy works 9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy name 10 For thou art great and doest wondrous things thou art God alone 11 Teach me thy way O Lord I will walk in thy truth unite my heart to fear thy name 12 I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy name for evermore 13 For great is thy mercie toward me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell 14 O God the proud are risen against me and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul and have not set thee before them 15 But thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercie and truth 16 O turn unto me and have mercie upon me give thy strength unto thy servant and save the son of thine handmaid 17 Shew me a token for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamâd because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me Psalm lxxxvii A Psalm or song for the sons of Korah 1 HIs foundation is in the holy mountains 2 The Lord loveth the gates of Sâon more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of thee O citie of God Selah 4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know ' me behold Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia this man was born there 5 And of Sion it shall be said This and that man was born in her and the highest himself shall establish her 6 The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born there Selah 7 As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there all my springs are in thee Psalm lxxviii A song or Psalm for the sons of Korah to the chief musician upon Mahalath Leannoth Maschil of Heman the Ezraelite 1 O Lord God of my salvation I have cried day and night before thee 2 Let my prayer come before thee incline thine ear unto my cry 3 For my soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave 4 I aâ counted with them that go down into the pit I am as a man that hath no strength 5 Free among the dead like the slain that lie in the grave whom thou rememberest no more and they are cut off from thy hand 6 Thou hast âaid me in the lowest pit in darknes in the deeps 7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves Selah 8 Thou hast put away mine aâquaintance far from me thou hast made me an abomination unto them I am shut up and I cannot come forth 9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of afââition Lord I have called dâlly upon thee I have stretched our mine hands unto thee 10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead shall the dead arise and praise thee Selah 11 Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave or thy faithfulness in destruction 12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness 13 But unto thee have I cried O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee 14 Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me 15 I am afflicted and readie to die from my youth up while I suâfer thy terrours I am distracted 16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrours have cut me off 17 They came round about me dayly like water they compassed me about together 18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me and mine acquaintance into darkness Psalm lxxxix Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite 1 I Will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations 2 For I have said mercie shall be built up for ever thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens 3 I have made a covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto
Lord a new song sing unto the Lord all the earth 2 Sing unto the Lord bless his name shew forth his salvation from day to day 3 Declare his glory among the heathen his wonders among all people 4 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised he is to be feared above all gods 5 For all the gods of the naâions are idols but the Lord made the heavens 6 Honour and majestie are before him strength and beautie are in his sanctuarie 7 Give unto the Lord O ye kindreds of the people give unto the Lord glorie and strength 8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name bring an offering and come into his courts 9 O worship the Lord in the beautie of holiness fear before him all the earth 10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved he shall judge the people righteously 11 Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad let the sea roar and the fulness thereof 12 Let the field be joyfull and all that is therein then shall all the trees of the wood rejoyce 13 Before the Lord for he cometh for he cometh to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth Psalm xcvii 1 THe Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of Isles be glad thereof 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him righteousness judgement are the habitations of his throne 3 A fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about 4 His lightenings enlightned the world the earth saw and trembled 5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth 6 The heavens declare his righteousnes and all the people âee his glory 7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images that boast themselves of idols worship him all ye gods 8 Sion heard was glad and the daughters of Judah rejoyced because of thy judgements O Lord. 9 For thou Lord art high above all the earth thou art exalted far above all Gods 10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil he preserveth the souls of his Saints he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked 11 Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart 12 Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous give thanks at the remembrance of his holinesâ Psalm xcviii A Psalm 1 O sing unto the Lord a new song for he hath done marvellous things his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten himself the victory 2 The Lord hath made known his salvation his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen 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 4 Make a joyfull noise unto the Lord all the earth make a loud noise and rejoyce and sing praise 5 Sing unto the Lord with the harp with the harp and the voice of a Psalm 6 With trumpets sound of corner make a joyfull noise before the Lord the King 7 Let the sea roar the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein 8 Let the flouds clap their hands let the hils be joyful together 9 Before the Lord for he cometh to judge the earth with righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equitie Psalm xcix 1 THe Lord reigneth let the people tremble he sitteth between the cherubims let the earth be moved 2 The Lord is great in Sion and he is high above all people 3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name for it is holy 4 The Kings strength also loveth judgement thou doest establish equity thou executest judgement and righteousness in Jacob 5 Exalt ye the Lord your God and worship at his foot-stool for he is holy 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 7 He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar they kept his testimonies and the ordinance that he gave them 8 Thou answeredst them O Lord our God thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions 9 Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy hill for the Lord our God is holy A psalm of praise 1 MAke a joyfull noise unto the Lord all ye lands 2 Serve the Lord with gladness come before his presence with singing 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 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise be thankfull unto him bless his name 5 For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations Psalm ci A Psalm of David 1 I will sing of mercy judgement unto thee O Lord will I sing 2 I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way O when wilt thou come unto me 3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the work of them that turn aside 4 A froward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked person 5 Who so privily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer 6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithfull of the land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me 7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight 8 I will early destroy all the wiâked of the land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the citie of the Lord. Psalm cii A Prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed pourâth out his complaints before the Lord. 1 HEar my prayer O Lord and let my cry come unto thee 2 Hide not thy âace from me in the day that I am in trouble encline thine ear unto me in the day when I call answer me speedily 3 For my dayes are consumed like smoak my bones are burnt as an hearth 4 My heart is smittââ and withered like grass so that I forget to eat my bread 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin 6 I am like a Pelican of the wilderness I am like an Owl of the desert 7 I watch and anâ as a sparrow alone upon the house top 8 Mine enemies reproch me all the day and they that are mad against me are sworn against me 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down 11 My dayes are like a shadow that declineth
and I am withered like grass 12 But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance unto all generations 13 Thou shalt arise and have mercie upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof 15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glorie 16 When the Lord shall build Sion he shall appear in his glorie 17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer 18 This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. 19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuarie from heaven did the Lord behold the earth 20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner to loose those that are appointed to death 21 To declare the name of the Lord in Sion and his praise in Jerusalem 22 When the people are gathered together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. 23 He weakened my strength in the way he shortned my dayes 24 I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my daie 2 Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed as the Eagles 6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed 7 He made known his wayes unto Moses his acts unto the children of Israel 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and plenteous in mercy 9 He will not allwayes chide neither will he keep his anger for ever 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercie toward them that fear him 12 As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removeth our transgressions from us 13 Like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him 14 For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust 15 As for man his dayes are as grass as a flower of the field so he flourisheth 16 For the wind passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more 17 But the mercie of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousness unto childrens children 18 To such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his commandments to do them 19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all 20 Bless the Lord ye his angels that excel in strength that do his commandments hearkening unto the voice of his word 21 Bless ye the Lord all ye his hosts ye ministers of his that do his pleasure 22 Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion bless the Lord O my soul. Psalm civ 1 BLess the Lord O my soul O Lord my God thou art very great thou art clothed with honour and Majestie 2 Who coverest thy self with light as with a garment who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain 3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters who maketh the clouds his chariot who walketh upon the wings of the wind 4 Who maketh his angels spirits his ministers a flaming âire 5 Who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed for ever 6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment the waters stood above the mountains 7 At thy rebuke they fled at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away 8 They go up by the mountains they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them 9 Thou hast set a bound that they may may not pass over that they turn not again to cover the earth 10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys which run among the hils 11 They give drink to every beast of the field the wild asses quench their thirst 12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation which sing among the branches 13 He watereth the hils from his chambers the earth is satisfied with the fruit of his works 14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattel and hearb for the service of man that he may bring forth food out of the earth 15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man and oyl to make his face to shine and bread which strengtheneth mans heart 16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap the Cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted 17 Where the birds make their nests as for the stork the fir-trees are her house 18 The high hils are a refuge for the wild Goats and the rocks for the conies 19 He appointeth the moon for seasons the sun knoweth his going down 20 Thou makest darkness and it is night wherein all the beasts of the forrest do creep forth 21 The young lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God 22 The sun ariseth they gather themselves together and lay them down in their dens 23 Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour until the evening 24 O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches 25 So is the great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great 26 There go the ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein 27 These wait all upon thee that thou maist give them their meat in due season 28 That thou givest them they gather thou openest thine hand they are filled with good 29 Thou hidest thy face they are troubled thou takest away their breath they die and return to their dust 30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth 31 The glorie of the Lord shall endure for ever the Lord shall rejoyce in his works 32 He looketh on the earth and it trembleth he toucheth the hills and they smoak 33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being 34 My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. 35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more bless thou the Lord O my soul. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cv 1 O Give thanks unto the Lord call upon his name make known his deeds among the people 2 Sing unto him sing Psalms unto him talk ye of all his wonderous works 3 Glorie ye in his holy name let the heart of them rejoyce that âear the Lord. 4 Seek
Satan stand at his right hand 7 When he shall be judged let him be condemned and let his prayer become sin 8 Let his daies be few and let another take his office 9 Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow 10 Let his children be continual vagabonds and beg let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places 11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath and let the stranger spoil his labour 12 Let there be none to extend mercie unto him neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children 13 Let his posterity be cut off and in the generation following let their name be blotted out 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembred of the Lord and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out 15 Let them be before the Lord continually that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth 16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercie but persecuted the poor and needy man that he might even slay the broken in heart 17 As he loved cursing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in blessing so let it be far from him 18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with a garment so let it come into his bowels like water and like oyl into his bones 19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually 20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord and of them that speak evil against my soul. 21 But do thou for me O God the Lord for thy names sake because thy mercy is good deliver thou me 22 For I am poor and needy and mine heart is wounded within me 23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth I am tossed up and down as the locust 24 My knees are weak through fasting and my flesh faileth of fatness 25 I became also a reproach unto them when they looked upon me they shaked their heads 26 Help me O Lord my God O save me according to thy mercie 27 That they may know that this is thy hand that thou Lord hast done it 28 Let them curse but bless thou when they arise let them be ashamâd but let thy servant rejoice 29 Let mine adversaâies be clothed with shame and let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a mantle 30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth yea I will praise him among the multitude 31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul. Psalm cx A Psalm of David 1 THe Lord said unto my Lord fit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool 2 The Lord âshall send the rod of thy strength out of Sion rule thou in the middest of thine enemies 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth 4 The Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck 5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath 6 He shall judge among the heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies he shall wound the heads over many countries 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall he lift up the head Psalm cxi 1 PRraise ye the Lord I will praise the Lord with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation 2 The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein 3 His work is honourable glorious and his righteousness endureth for ever 4 He hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred the Lord is gracious and full of compassion 5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him he will ever be mindfull of his covenant 6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works that he may give them the heritage of the heathen 7 The works of his hands are verity and judgement all his commandments are sure 8 They stand fast for ever and ever and are done in truth and uprigâtness 9 He sent redemption unto his people he hath commanded his covenant for ever holy and reverend is his name 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments his praise endureth for ever Psalm cxii 1 PRaise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his commandments 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the upright shall be blessed 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house and his righteousness endureth forever 4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness he is gracious and full of compassion and righteous 5 A good man sheweth favour and lendeth he will guide his affairs with discretion 6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is established he shall not be afraid untill he see his desire upon his enemies 9 He hath dispersed he hath given to the poore his righteousness endureth for ever his horn shall be exhalted with honour 10 The wicked shall see it and be grieved he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away the desire of the wicked shall perish Psalm cxiii 1 PRaise ye the Lord praise O ye servants of the Lord praise the name of the Lord. 2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermorâ 3 From the ãâ¦ã the sunne unto the ãâã down of the ãâã the Lords name is ãâã be praised 4 The Lord is high above all nations and his glory above the heavens 5 Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high 6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth 7 He raiseth up the poore out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill 8 That he may set him with Princes even with the Princes of his people 9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyfull mother of children praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxiv 1 WHen Israel went out of Egypt the house of Jacob from a people of a strange language 2 Judah was his sanctuary and Israel his dominion 3 The sea saw it and fled Jordan was dâiven back 4 The mountains skipped like ramâ and the little hills like lambs 5 What ailed thee O thou sea that thou fleddest thou Jordan that thou wast driven back 6 Ye mountains that ye skipped like rams and ye little hills like lambs 7 Tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord at the
presence of the God of Jacob. 8 Which turned the rock into a standing water the flint into a fountain of waters Psalm cxv 1 NOt unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truths sake 2 Wherefore should the heathen say where ãâã now their God 3 But our God is in the heavens he hath done whatsoever he pleased 4 Their Idols are silver and gold the work of mens hands 5 They have mouths but they speak not eyes have they but they see not 6 They have ears but they hear not noses have they but they smell not 7 They have hands but they handle not feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through their throat 8 They that make them are like unto them so is every one that trusteth in them 9 O Israel trust thou in the Lord he is thy help and thy shield 10 O house of Aaron trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield 11 Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield 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 13 He will bless them that fear the Lord both small and great 14 The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children 15 You are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth 16 The heaven even the heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the children of men 17 The dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into silence 18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore Praise the Lord. 1 I Love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications 2 Because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live 3 The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of hell-gate hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow 4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my Soul 5 Gracious is the Lord and righteousâ yea our God is merciful 6 The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me 7 Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee 8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling 9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living 10 I believed therefore have I spoken I was greatly afflicted 11 I said in my hast All men are liars 12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me 13 I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. 14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints 16 Oh Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds 17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanks-giving will call upon the name of the Lord. 18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people 19 In the courts of the Lords house in the middest of thee O Jerusalem praise yâ the Lord. Psalm cxvii 1 O Praise the Lord all ye nations praise him all ye people 2 For his merciful kindness is great towards us and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxviii 1 O Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good because his mercie endureth for ever 2 Let Israel now say that his mercie endureth for ever 3 Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercie endureth for ever 4 Let them now that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever 5 I called upon the Lord in distress the Lord answered me and set me in a large place 6 The Lord is on my side I will not fâar what can man do unto me 7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me 8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man 9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in Princeâ 10 All nations compassed me about but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them 11 They compassed me about yea they compassed me about but in the name of the Lord I will destroy 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 13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me 14 The Lord is my strength and song and is become my saltion 15 The voyce of rejoycing and salvation is in the Tabernacles of the righteous the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly 16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly 17 I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. 18 The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not given me over unto death 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness I will go in to them I will praise the Lord. 20 This gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter 21 I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation 22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner 23 This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes 24 This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it 25 Save now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperitie 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. 27 God is the Lord which hath shewed us light bind the sacrifice with cords even unto the horns of the Altar 28 Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God I will exalt thee 29 O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercie endureth for ever Aleph 1 BLessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart 3 They also do no iniquity they walk in his wayes 4 Thâu hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently 5 O that my wayeâ were directed to keep thy statutes 6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandments 7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgements 8 I will keep thy statutes O forsake me not utterly Beth. 9 Wherewithall shall a
O Lord who shall stand 4 But there is forgiveness with thee that thou maiest befeared 5 I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning 7 Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption 8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Psalm cxxxi A song of degrees of David 1 LOrd my heart is not haughtie nor mine eyes loftie neither do I exercise my self in great matters or in things too high for me 2 Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a child that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned child 3 Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever Psalm cxxxii A song of degrees 1 LOrd remember David and all his afflictions 2 How he sware unto the Lord and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob. 3 Surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my house nor go up into my bed 4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to my eye-lids 5 Until I find out a place for the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. 6 Lo we heard of it at Ephratah we found it in the fields of the wood 7 We will go into thy Tabernacles we will worship at thy foot-stool 8 Arise O Lord into thy rest thou and the Ark of thy strength 9 Let thy Priests be clothed with righteousnâs and let thy saints shout for joy 10 For thy servan Davids sake turn not away the face of thine anointed 11 The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David he will not turn from it of the fruit of thy bodie will I set upon thy throne 12 If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimonie that I shall teach them their children also shall fit on thy throne for evermore 13 For the Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation 14 This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it 15 I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her poor with bread 16 I will also clothe her Priests with salvation and her saints shall shout aloud for joy 17 There will I make the horn of David to bud I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed 18 His enemies will I clothe with shame but upon himself shall his Crown flourish A song of degrees of David Psalm cxxxiii 1 BEhold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie 2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garment 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 Psalm cxxxiv. A song of degrees 1 BEhold bless ye the Lord all ye servants of the Lord which by night stand in the house of the Lord. 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuarie and bless the Lord. 3 The Lord that made heaven earth bless thee out of Sion Psalm cxxxv 1 PRaise ye the Lord praise ye the name of the Lord praise him O ye servants of the Lord. 2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord in the courts of the house of our God 3 Praise ye the Lord for the Lord is good sing praises unto his name for it is pleasant 4 For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel for his peculiar treasure 5 For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all Gods 6 Whatsoever tâe Lord pleased that did âe in heaven and in earth 7 He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth he maketh lightnângs for the rain he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries 8 Who smote the first-born of Egypt both of man and beast 9 Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee O Egypt upon Pharaoh and upon all his servants 10 Who smote great nations slew mightie Kings 11 Sihon King of the Amorites and Og King of Bashan and all the Kingdoms of Canaan 12 And gave their land for an heritage unto Israel his people 13 Thy name O Lord endureth for ever and thy memorial O Lord through all generations 14 For the Lord will judge his people and he will repânt himself concerning his servants 15 The Idols of the heathen are silver and gold the work of mens hands 16 They have mouthes but they speak not eyes have they but they see not 17 They have eaâs but they heâr not neither is there any breath in their mouthes 18 They that make them are like unto them so is every one that trusteth in them 19 Bless the Lord O houâe of Israel bless the Lord O house of Aaron 20 Bless the Lord O house of Levi ye that fear the Lord bless the Lord. 21 Blessed be the Lord out of Sion which dwelleth at Jerusalem Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxxxvi 1 O Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercie endureth for ever 2 O give thanks unto the God of Gods for his mercie endureth for ever 3 O give thanks to the Lord of Lords for his mercie endureth for ever 4 To him who alone doth great wonders for his mercie endureth for ever 5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens for his mercie endureth for ever 6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters for his mercie endureth for ever 7 To him that made great lights for his mercie endureth for ever 8 The son to rule by day âor his mercie endureth for ever 9 The moon and stars to rule by night for his mercie endureth for ever 10 To him that smote Egypt in their first-born for his mercie endureth for-ever 11 And brought out Israel from among them for his mercie endureth for ever 12 With a strong hand and a stretched-out arm for his mercie endureth for ever 13 To him which divided the red-sea into parts for his mercie endureth for ever 14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it for his mercie endureth for ever 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the red-sea for his mercie endureth for ever 16 To him which led his people through the wilderness for his mercie endureth for ever 17 To him which smote great Kings for his mercie endureth for ever 18 And slew famous Kings for his mercie endureth for ever 19 Sihon King of the Amorites for his mercie endureth for ever 20 And Og the King of Bashan for his mercie endureth for ever 21 And gave their land for an heritage for his mercie endureth for ever 22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant for his mercie endureth