soever ye live see that ye trust in the Lord and that for the same reason For he will be their help and their shield also In every Nation those that fear him and do righteousness are accepted of him He will be a Lord Protector even to these as to Job Naaman c. 3. And that his Exhortation to trust in God might take the deeper root The third part The blessing upon it he tells all three that they should be no losers by it for it was it that had and would bring a blessing upon them For God doth not use to forget those that trust in him but he hath been mindful of us Ver. 12 And by a singular and especial Providence and care of us he hath shew'd it and he will shew it to every one of you 1. To you of the Nation He will bless the house of Israel 1 To the Nation 2. To you of the Priesthood He will bless the house of Aaron 3. To all you that fear him He will bless them that fear the Lord 2 To the Priesthood both small and great And the Prophet taking his example from God 3 To all that fear him This the Prophet seconds with his prayer poures forth his blessing upon them also he thought it not enough to exhort them only to trust in God and acquaint them that God would bless them except he seconded it with his prayer and therefore to Gods blessing he adds his own and desires the blessing may rest upon the heads of them and their children 1. The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children 2. Let the World curse you and speak evil of you yet I say Ye are the blessed of the Lord come ye blessed Deutr. 28. 3. That Lord which made heaven and earth which words are added that they be assured that their blessing is a real blessing coming from him in whose hand is the dew of heaven and fatness of the earth in which form Isaac blessed Jacob Gen. 27.28 4. It comes from one that is able to bless 1. For the heaven even the heavens are the Lords In them he especially shewes his Presence Majesty Glory from thence descend the dewes of grace and the drops of rain that water the earth 2. As for the earth he hath made a Deed of Gift for that He hath given it to the children of men that by his blessing upon their labour they may be sustained with food and rayment so that while they live in it and enjoy the Goods thereof they praise him 4. The fourth part For that is the true end of their being here the chief nay the sole end they live upon it And that for their blessing they again bless God the end that God gave it to them an end which they that are dead cannot attain unto This he illustrates by an Antithesis betwixt the dead and the living 1. Ver. 17 For the dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into the silence Among them there is great silence of the dewes of heaven and the fatness of the earth they need neither and therefore they praise not God for them The blessing of the City and blessings of the Field are nothing unto them they have no mouths to fill and therefore no mouths in a corporal manner to open in the praise of God Him they praise but it is after their manner not ours him they praise but it is for other blessings than ours 2. Ver. 18 But we as yet are upon the earth we enjoy his protection we enjoy besides spiritual these temporal blessings also this his gift we must make use of And therefore we will do that the dead cannot We will bloss the Lord from this time forth for evermore By our selves while we live and desire it may be done by our posterity when we are going down into silence 3. However ye that are alive this day Praise ye the Lord. The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and fifteenth Psalm O Omnipotent and Gracious God in all Ages thou hast béen merciful to thy people and even in their greatest afflictions raised up the spirits of some one or other of thy servants by whose hands thou hast delivered them At this time we are in great misery at this time we are in affliction send us help from thy Sanctuary raise us up some Moses to go before us some Joshua to sight for us Ver. 2 some Sampson to deliver us wherefore should the uncircumcised triumph over us and say Where is now their God The reproach O Lord redounds to thée this insultation is to thy dishonour arise then O Lord and give the glory unto thy Name shew thy merciful countenance and that thou art a God of Truth Ver. 1 and for thy Mercy and Truths sake come down at last and deliver us Merit there is none on our part why thou shouldst do it for us and therefore it must be mercy Merit there is too much on our part why thou shouldst not do it and therefore if it be done it must be thy Truth thy Word pass'd to thy servants that moves thée to it We destre not that any part of this work be attributed to us but that the honour of it be wholly thine Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name which is now blashemed and vilified Ver. 3 give the Glory for thy Mercy and for thy Truths sake Make them know that have so long trusted in lying vanities and worshipped the imaginations of their own hearts That our God is in Heaven that he hath done whatsoever pleased him that as it hath béen his pleasure to humble us so it is his pleasure to exalt us he hath brought us very low but he can set us again on high when how and by whom he pleaseth O Lord heal our back-slidings and love us freely turn away thine anger from us be as a dew to thy Israel make his branches â—oread Ver. 9 and his beauty as the Olive-trée let him revive as the Corn and grow as the Vine what have we to do any more with Idols vain men That have hands and cannot help and ears and will not hear Thée O Lord will we hear Thée will we alone observe For thou art our help and our shield Thou wilt be the Lord Protector to thy Israel Thou wilt be a shield to the house of Aaron Thou wilt be a helper to all those that fear thée therefore renouncing the arm of flesh we will trust to thée alone O Lord be mindful of us and bless us bless the house of Israel that people which thou hast chosen to thy self and gathered from among the Nations Bless the house of Aaron that Tribe that thou hast chosen to thy self and set apart to come near unto thée among this people O Lord bless them all that sear thy Name in what part of the World soever they remain of what condition soever they he
the Amoritish Kings and the thirty one Kings of Canaan He smote great Nations and slew mighty Kings as for example Ver. 10 Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan Ver. 11 And gave away their land for an heritage Ver. 12 an heritage unto Israel his people All which is evident out of the books of Numb Deut. Joshua 5. The fifth part For this he extols God To the commemoration of the revenge that God took upon the enemies of his people and the benefits he bestowed on them he adds a conclusion formed into an Epiphonima in which he first extols Gods name and then shews his mercy to his people 1. Thy Name O Lord endures for ever i. e. for these thy wonderful works 2. And thy memorial throughout all generations Thy memory thy fame the remembrance of thy Acts shall flourish and remain to all posterity 2. And the reason is drawn from his mercy which excites us also to praise him 1. And shews his mercy to his people For the Lord will judge his people The world judgeth them forsaken but he is their keeper and defender and will judge their cause and at last take revenge on their persecutors and deliver them 2. And he will repent himself concerning his servants Though he punisheth his dearest children yet he will be at last entreated be propitious and kind and remove his heavy hand Psal 136.23 6. The sixth part 2. God above all gods The Prophet hath proved that God is absolutely great in himself which he proposed vers 5. And now he proves the second part of his proposition that our Lord is above all gods For being compared to the Idols of the Heathen he far exceeds them They were Divels not gods they the work of mens hands made of earthy materials they could not infuse life sense reason into their images as God did into his image man they nor saw nor heard nor moved For he shews their vanity divers ways And shews the vanity of Idols 1. From their matter wherof they were made The Idols of the beathen are silver and gold Ver. 15 2. From the efficient cause their makers men The work of mens bands 3. From their impotence from performing any act of life They have mouths but they speak not eyes they have but they see not They have ears but they hear not neither is there any breath in their mouths 4. From the sortishness and misery of those that worship them They that make them are like unto them Ver. 18 so is every one that trusteth in them The makers are blind mute deaf understand nothing at all who suppose that they can make gods And they that trust in them more sotrish that think a stone can help them 7. The seventh part In the last part he invites all the true worshippers of God to praise him because they are lively images of the living God they see they hear they speak they understand That therefore all praise God and therefore they praise that God from whom they the faculty of living hearing speaking seeing and understanding To this he invites 1. All Israel Bless the Lord O house of Israel 2. Ver. 19 Then the Priests Bless the Lord O house of Aaron 3. The Levites Bless the Lord O house of Levi. 4. Lastly of all the Laity Ye that fear the Lord bless the Lord. To which he adds his own vote concluding with this Epiphonima 1. Blessed be the Lord out of Zion where he shews his presence by the Ark. 2. Which dwelleth at Jerusalem who though he be every where by his Essence and presence yet peculiarly dwells in his Church by his inhabiting Spirit Let the Citizens of Zion and Jerusalem never cease to bless him The Hymn and Prayer collected from the One hundred and thirty fifth Psalm O Omnipotent God all we thy servants now gathered together in thy Spirit to blesse thy name and here met in the Courts of the house of our God to praise thee Ver. 1 do acknowledge that we have instnite reasons to pay this debt to thy divine Majesty For we know O Lord that thou art good good absolutely in thy self and gracious unto us and that all our goodnesse is as nothing in comparison of thee We know again that to sing praises unto thee is a pleasant thing and therefore our heart shall be glad when we send forth prayses unto thee with joyful lips Wee know also that thou art great and far above all Gods Thy benefits are innumerable not only which thou hast conferd upon thy chosen people thy Israel who is thy pecultar treasure but even which with a full hand thou hast poured forth upon all mankind For in heaven the earth the seas and in all deep places thou hast done whatsoever thou pleasedst Thou so orderest the clouds the vapours the lightning winds and rain that they may be obedient to thee and serviceable for the use and sustenance of man And when thou hast in thy power the hearts of all Kings and Princes thou so bendest them as may make most for the good and saidation of thy people upon them thou revengest their wrongs and deliverest in due time thy chosen people from their power and oppression Egypt the Amorites and Canaanites felt thy power whom thou smotest in thy anger plaguest and slew in thy wrath and gavest away their Land for an heritage even for an heritage to Israel thy people Thy Name O Lord endureth for ever Ver. 13 and thy memorial through all generations and therefore our hope which is grounded upon thy promises is thereby confirmed and increased that though thou art risen up in judgment against thy people yet at last it will repent thée concerning thy servants O merciful God arise we beséech thée and behold the miseries and calamities of thy poor servants and deal not with us according to the merit of our iniquities Pardon our offences and let it repent thée of the evil thou hast brought upon us We have liv'd unworthy of thy Name unworthy of our Vocation yet at last break the force of the Devil and his instruments and repress their pride and boldness that we be not compelled to fall down and worship the imaginations of their own brains which are little better than the Idols of the Heathens that nor saw nor spake nor heard nor understood Which mercy if thou will grant us then all that fear the Lord both Priest and people the whole house of Aaron of Levi and all Israel shall have just occasion to bless the Lord and say Blessed be the Lord out of Zion which dwelleth at Jerusalem Allelujah PSAL. CXXXVI THIS Psalm is of the same Argument that the former For in it all men are call'd upon to praise God for his greatness and goodness his providence and mercy in creating governing and ordering the world but especially his love shew'd to his people the Church All which works because they proceeded from his Mercy therefore
notwithstanding our failings we shall have good hope to have thy righteousness imputed to us for our justification when we shall appear before the God of our Salvation O Lord who art the Saviour of all those that séek and open to thée I lift up my heart to thée being destrous to approach thy presence in the right place where thou may'st be found and the right time whilest thou may'st be found Open my dull ears and hard heart that thy Son my Saviour that King of Glory may come in and dwell with me Grant me grace Ver. 7 that I may still hear while he calls open while he knocks and kéep him with me after he is entred that I may ascend thy Hill and stand in thy holy place that I may not only sojourn in thy Tabernacle but also rest and dwell upon the Mountain of thy holiness And O Lord give this Grace unto all Princes that they shut not the gates nor of their Cities nor hearts against thy Son when he would enter and bring the glorious light of the Gospel rather let them set them wide open that there may be a frée passage for the King of Glory to enter for then thou Ver. 8 who art the Lord of Hosts and Mighty in Battle wilt go forth with their Armies and subdue before them their enemies O thou who art the King of Glory the Lord strong and mighty remember thy dwelling place that now lies waste and those doors in which we do hope everlastingly to praise thée By these we entred to offer unto thée our supplications before thée in these houses we were want to praise thée But now they are thrown down desolate and forsaken Arise therefore O Lord thou and the Ark of thy strength build again the walls of Jerusalem and set up the gates of Zion that thy people may enter in and magnifie thy Name singing with joyful lips Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen PSAL. XXV This Psalm is a continued and earnest Prayer of a man pressed with enemies danger and sensible of Gods heavy displeasure for his sin AND the several Petitions which he makes may make the Partition 1. His first Petition is that his enemies triumph not over him ver 2 3. 2. His second is for instruction ver 4 5. which he urgeth ver 8 9 10 12 13 14. 3. His third for mercy and forgiveness ver 6 7 11. 4. He inforceth and renews his first Petition ver 15 16 17 c. with many Arguments 5. He prayes for Gods people the Church ver 22. 1. He prefaceth with the profession of his faith and confidence in God The first part which is the chief wing of all prayer Vnto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Ver. 1. 2. O my God I trust in thee He relies not on nor seeks not after any humane helps David relies on God and prayes and upon this living hope he prayes 1. For his hope that it shame him not as it doth when a man hopes 1 That his hope be not frustrate and is frustrated Let me not be ashamed make it appear that I hope not in thee in vain 2. Let not my enemies triumph over me glorying that I am deserted Ver. 3 and this Petition he perswades by this Argument the consequent may prove dangerous if thou send me no help but it will be to thy glory if I be relieved for if he were delivered the faith and hope of others would be confirmed if deserted the good would faint and fail the wicked triumph and therefore he prayes O let none that wait on thee be ashamed but let them be ashamed which transgress that is do me wrong maliciously without any cause given them by me 2. Then he petitions for instruction The second part for instruction that he may be so alwayes governed and confirmed by the Word of God that he sink not under the Cross but relie on Gods Promises 1. Shew me thy ways and teach me thy paths Ver. 4 that thou dealest harshly with thy best servants bringest down before thou exaltest mortifiest before thou quicknest settest the Cross before the Crown Teach me shew me that this is thy way 2. Ver. 5 Direct me in thy Truth and teach me Make me remember that thy promises are firm and true yea and Amen to those that trust in thee this makes me hope still Thou art the God of my salvation on thee do I wait all the day 3. The third for mercy He prayes for mercy and a remove of his sin that might obstruct it 1. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses which have been ever of old Ver. 6 i.e. Deal mercifully with me as thou hast ever done to those that flie to thee in their extremities 2. Ver. 7 Remission of sin especially of the rebellious concupiscence which in youth most domineers And remission Remember not the sins of my youth nor my ransgressions Ver. 11 according to thy mercy remember me for thy goodness sake O Lord This Petition he repeats ver 11. For thy Names sake O Lord pardon my iniquity and upon this my confession for it is multa or magna great David here breaks off his prayer Of which that he may be the more assured he calls to mind Gods goodness and to confirm his confidence discourseth of the Nature and Person of God even in the greatest fervency of our prayers the greatness of our sins the unworthiness of our persons the anger of God against sin come into our minds stagger our hope and tell us we shall not be heard no better way than to confirm us than to call to mind the nature and the wayes of God with his people and this course David here takes he saith 1. 1 That he is good Good and upright is the Lord. 1. Good for he receives sinners gratis 2. Vpright constant and true in his promises therefore instruet He will grant me my request ver 4. He will teach sinners and me though a great sinner in the way 2. 2 Favourable The meek he will guide in judgment He will not suffer them to be tempted above their strength but will teach them what to answer and will not proceed secundnm rigorem juris but will interpret all in the most favourable sense 3. 3 All his wayes mercy and truth In a word All the wayes of the Lord are Mercy and Truth Mercy in that he freely offers remission of sins the graces of his Spirit government in this life mitigation of our calamities and at last a discharge from them and eternal life Truth in that he will perform what he hath promised To those that keep his Testimonies Non est mendax sed verax But with this caution that men perform with him for it is unto such as keep his Covenant and Testimonies i. e. in faith and a good conscience walk before him the Covenant
brings them into the case that David here was 2. To which he adds a Doxology Who is so great a God as our God which he confirms in the following verse Thou art the God that dost wonders Thou hast declared thy strength among the people thy power thy wisdom thy protection of thy Church even to all people the Heathens themselves and strangers to Israel may see it and acknowledge it if not blind 2. 2 To Israel in particular But in particular Thou hast declared thy strength in defence of Israel Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people the sons of Jacob and Joseph And he amplifies this story of their deliverance from Aegypt by several instances of Gods power in it 1. In the red Sea The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee not only the Aegyptians but the sensless Element felt thy power they were afraid the depths also were troubled Exod. 14. 2. In the Heaven The clouds poured out water the skies sent out a sound thine arrows also went abroad the voyce of thy Thunder was in the Heavens thy lightnings lightned the World Exod. 14.24 25. 3. In the earth The earth trembled and shook and all this was done that Israel might have a passage through it Thy way is in the Sea and thy passage in the great waters and thy footsteps are not known And the final cause of this miracle was The final cause of it that he might shew his severity toward his enemies and his goodness toward his people for whose deliverance he sent Moses and Aaron ordained a King and a Priest by them Thou leddest thy people like sheep by the hands of Moses and Aaron The Prayer collected out of the seventy seventh Psalm VVITH all ardency of spirit earnestness of soul and contention of voyce Ver. 1 have I cryed unto thée O Lord constantly and fervently have I cryed unto thée O hear the voyce of my prayer and let my cry come unto thée when I was in trouble I expected I called for no humane help but I fled to thée to thée I called for aid and comfort with stretched-out hands and eyes bent to Heaven I stood before my God O let me not be disappointed of my hope In the night-season Ver. 2 when others devoid of care take their rest and sléep my sore ran and ceased not I found no rest in my bones by reason of my sin yea so great was the grief of my soul That I refused comfort I remembred my God whom I had so often and so foully offended and I was troubled at it my sin my grievous sin lies heavy upon my soul it makes me to complain and the conscience of it so far depresseth my spirit That I am even overwhelmed with fear and sorrow By the dread I have of thy anger my eyes are held waking and I pass the long night in which others are refreshed with sléep without any rest and I am so troubled in my self that I have no mind to speak I revolved in my mind the times that were past and the years of former Generations in which thou hadst dealt mercifully with afflicted souls And in the night-season a season most fit for meditation I called to remembrance my song my song in which with a joyful heart I was wont to praise thée and yet so I received not comfort I communed with my own heart I searched out as with a Lanthorn my soul I called to mind thy clemency to thy children thy Truth in thy Word thy Iustice in thy Promises the causes of all calamities and these my sorrows and yet so I could not be comforted Ah merciful Lord and loving Father Wilt thou cast me off for ever and wilt thou no more be favourable to me Thou art patient and long-suffering Thou art the Father of mercies thy property is to have pity thy promise to forgive and spare thy people and is thy mercy now gone for ever and doth thy promise fail for evermore What hâ—st thou forgotten to be gracious and wilt thou in anger shut up thy tender bowels of mercies that I shall never more have any sense or féeling of them Of a truth Lord for my wicked life I have deserved the fiercest of thy wrath and all the judgments which thou hast threatned against rebellious sinners but O Lord Thou art able of a Saul to make a Paul of a Publican a Disciple of Zachaeus a Penitent of Mary Magdalen a Convert these changes are in the hand of the most High Turn then me O Lord and so I shall be turned and turn unto me and so I shall be refreshed pardon my sin and change my heart and so I shall be assured that thy mercy is not clean gone For after this long debate betwixt me and my own soul upon the serious thoughts of thy mercy I came to this resolve that my diffidence proceeded from my own pusillanimity for I said all this trouble is from my own infirmity I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember how gracious he hath béen to other sinners how strangely he hath converted them how mercifully he hath forgiven them and this change hath put me in good hope of an old man to become a new man of a vessel of wrath a vessel of mercy and that though in anger for a time he hath séemed to desert me yet out of méer compassion he will return and be gracious to me I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old time I will meditate also of all thy works and talk of thy doings I will call to mind That thou dost not call thy people to partake of the pleasures of this World but to desperate conflicts with sin death Satan and Hell that there is not any of thy servants of old but have born this burden and heat of the day and shall I then look to escape shall I hope to be exempted Thy way O God is in the Sanctuary A secret there is why thou dealest thus with thy servants and known it cannot be till we go into thy Sanctuary there we may learn That thou chastnest every child that thou receivest there we shall find That the reason of all thy procéedings are full of equity and holiness and that there is nothing we can justly reprehend or complain of Which of the gods of the Nations is in power to be compared unto thée which in mercy is like thée Thou art the God that dost wonders Thou hast declared thy strength in our weakness thy power in our infirmity O shew therefore thy self to be the self-same God and in this my weakness and infirmity support me It is not for nothing that thy favour to thy people Israel is left upon Record the Redemption of the sons of Jacob and Joseph are expressions of thy power and mercy Then O Lord the waters of the red Sea law thee then the waters felt thy presence and as if
hypocritically and falsly as all flatterers do But to that pass they should have been brought that they should be glad to dissemble with and flatter Gods people 2. 2 Their peace long and lasting The second benefit is That their time should have continued for ever i.e. Their peace their tranquility their health their quiet habitation should have been very long and not interrupted with War Sedition Tumults 3. The third benefit is The abundance of all things Expressed by wheat 3 Abundance of all things to satisfaction and honey 1. I should have fed them also not with bran mixt with flowre as poor folks use and is usual in time of famine with the finest of the wheat 2. And with honey out of the Rock in which in Judaea Bees commonly liv'd would I have satisfied thee 'T is a blessing to say I have enough The Prayer collected out of the eighty first Psalm INsinite Vers. 1 O Lord are the causes that we have with the greatest alacrity to praise thée Thou art our strength thou art the God of Jacob we will therefore sing aloud and make a joyful noyse unto thee and because our breath is too short and low to resound thy praises we will call in the assistance of musical instruments the Nary the Lute and Psaltery and when those Feasts and Solemn Festivals shall come which are set forth for to celebrate thy mercies to man-kind we will blow abroad thy honour with shrill sounding Trumpets In which we yet shall but do our duty for this was made a Statute for Israel and a Law of the God of Jacob. Thou wert merciful to thy people Israel when in trouble they called upon thee thou deliveredst them thou broughtst them to Mount Sinai and proclaimed thy Law in their eares with the sound of a Trumpet when they heard a voice never heard before Thou easest his shoulder from the burden of carrying earth tiles bricks and straw and his hands were delivered from making the pots Thou hast been to us no less merciful than to them when in our afflictions and troubles we have called upon thee thou hast come down and delivered us thou hast freed us from our Aegyptian darkness of ignorance thou hast loused us from the slavery of the devil and from the drudgery and service of sin which laid a heavy burden upon our consciences and instead of thy Law proclaimed with so much terrour in Mount Sinai thou hast spoken to us from heaven by thy only begotten Son and sounded in our ears the glad-tidings of the Gospel And now Lord what doest thou require at our hands for all these favours even the self-same that thou requiredst of Israel For thus thou then spakest to them and thus thou speakest to us Hear O my people Vers. 8 and I will testifie unto thee O Israel if thou wilt hearken unto me there shall be no strange god in thee neither shalt thou worship any other god I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me And wo be so us miserable wretches our ears have béen dull of hearing and we have not hearkned to thy command though we have not set up strange gods yet we have worshipped our own imaginations and adored our own inventions We have forgotten that thou brought'st us out of our more than Aegyptian darkness of ignorance and sin and fill'd our mouths with all good things In a word we have not hearkned to thy voice we have set thée by for the vanities of our own hearts and would none of thée In justice therefore thou hast given us up to our hearts lusts and we have walked in our own counsels and because we would not receive the love of the truth that we might be saved for this cause hath God sent us a strong delusion that we should be lieve a lye and take pleasure in unrighteousness But O Lord though Israel hath transgressed yet let not Judah sin in Sodom thou hadst a Lot in Ur of the Chaldees an Abraham in the Land of Uz a Job though the four hundred Prophets have followed Baal yet there is one Micajah left nay seven thousand vnées that have not vowed to the Idol these will hearken unto thee these will walk in thy wayes Lord here their prayers hearken unto their groans for the remnant that are left And thou who wouldst have spared that sinful City at the request of Abraham could ten righteous men have been found in it return in mercy to the thousands of Israel which day and night cry unto thee to spare thy people O Lord for their fakes rather for thine own sake spéedily subdue and bring under our enemies and turn thy hand against our adversaries let all those who by their works and practical Atheism séem to hate thee bow like lerbants before thy people and at least shew and sein a voluntary subjection not daring to carry themselves proudly and stubbornly before thy servants nor to manifest their secret rancour But let the time of those who in sincerity of heart in truth and in spirit worship thée endure for ever let their peace be secure their tranquility long their prosperity perpetual their habitation quiet and their health confirm'd When they shall open their mouths wide in prayer fulfil their requests whatsoever they shall ask in thy name according to thy promise give it Because they first seek the glory and prosperity of thy Kingdom and the righteousness thereof let all other things be added unto them Supply them with the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth when other Prodigals féed upon husks then feed them with the finest of the wheat Let the Rocks yield them honey the Mountains Brass and Iron let their pastures de clothed with flocks Vers. 1 and their valleys to codered over with corn that they shout for ioy and sing that they take a Psalm and bring forth the Tabret the merry Harp with the Lute and on thy great and appointed Solemnities sing aloud to the God of their strength and make a cheerful noyse to the God of Jacob. Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christs sake our only Lord and Saviour Amen PSAL. LXXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THAT the Prophet might admonish and check the Judges of the earth about their duty he sets God in the midst of them commanding that they do justice and â—hreatning revenge for their injustice assuring them that he will rise one day and judge them Three parts of the Psalm 1. The Prophets Proclamation vers 1 2. Gods contestation with the Judges of the earth from vers 2. to 8. 3. The Prophets prayer that God would rise to judge v. 8. 1. The first part Gods preâ—ence proclaimed in the Court. The Prophet as a Cryer in a Court proclaims first a very profitable Doctrine and layes a solid foundation for all justice viz. That all Judges remember that as at
but in vain to offend thee and think to be hid to attempt to break in pieces thy heritage and murder the innocent and think to escape The Lord knows the thoughts of man that they are vanity Thou Lord at this time hast shewed thy people heavy things thou hast given us a Cup of deadly wine to drink Vers. 20 The enemies of thy Truth have set themselves down in the Throne of iniquity they have framed mischief by a Law they have gathered themselves together met in Assemblies and Synods against the soul of the Righteous and have condemned the Innocent blood Who shall now rise up for us against the evil doers Or who dare stand up for us against these workers of iniquity At this their prosperity our feet had well nigh slipt at this their oppression the treadings of many were well nigh gone Nothing can support us but thy mercy make us trust to it nothing can comfort us in our sorrows but thy promises In the multitude of the thoughts that we have in our hearts send down thy comforts that may delight our souls Make us know that thou wilt have no fellowship society or commeres with the Throne of iniquity that thou art not in the midst of their Assemblies and Councils to bless them nor doest approve their mischief framed by a Law Vers. 14 Teach us out of thy Law that the afflictions of the godly are from thee our Father and a seal of our adoption and therefore Blessed is the man whom thou chastnest Vers. 13 and instructest with this Rod. Out of thy Law we learn That God will not cast off his people nor forsake his inheritance O let this quiet our hearts and set them at rest in these dayes of adversity Laught we are again out of thy Law Vers. 15 That judgement shall return unto righteousness that thy judgements which now seem to sleep will at last awake Vers. 13 and in justice overtake the murderers of thy people assured we are that the pit shall be digged up for the ungodly till that be done let us wait with patience Vers. 15 and wish an upright and sincere heart acquiesce in thy promises and follow the wayes of thy justice approving thy wisdom knowing the time thou choosest is best for us In the mean time be thou our help our defence our rock or refuge our help Vers. 17 when these wolves are ready to devoure us our defence when they strike at us Vers. 22 our rock when they come as the waves of the Sea about us and our City of refuge when they pursue us But as for them the time is best known to thée and we submit to it and when that time is come bring upon them their own iniquity cut them off in their own malicious wickedness Vers. 23 yea cut them off O Lord our God to thee be praise glory and honour now and ever PSAL. XCV A Psalm to be sung at all times in all places Bellar. by all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FOR it contains an invitation to praise God with internal and external worship and therefore is fitly chosen by the Church to be sung in the beginning of our Liturgy to excite all men present to serve God infear and rejoice with reverence Two parts of this Psalm 1. An Exhortation to praise God to adore worship kneel ver 1 2 6. 2. Reasons to perswade to it 1. Gods mercies ver 3 4 5 7. 2. His judgments in punishing his own people Israel for their neglect of this duty from ver 8. to 11. 1. David begins this Psalm with an earnest invitation including himself The first part David calls an Assembly crying 1. O come let us come along with me though a King he thought not himself exempted Ver. 1 2. And the Assembly being come together he acquaints them what they came for 1. To sing to the Lord heartily merrily joyfully Exaltemus 1 To sing to God 1. Let us make a joyful noise make a Jubilee of it Jubilemus 2. Openly and with a loud voyce Let us make a joyful noise with Psalms 3. Reverently as being in his eye his presence 4. Gratefully Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving 2 To adore and worship outwardly inwardly 2. To worship to bow down to kneel ver 6. Adoration humble Adoration outward worship that of the body as well as inward that of the soul is his due and that for these reasons Ver. 6 2. For God calls for nothing from us which there is not great reason The second part His Reasons to perswade it but that we yield him serve him then we ought with heart and body out of many respects 1. Because he is the Rock of our salvation whether temporal or spiritual Ver. 1 so long as we rely on him as a Rock 1 Because our Rock safe we are from the tyranny of men from the wrath of God from the power of the Divel death hell 2. Because he is a great God and a great King above all gods Jehovah Ver. 5 a God whose Name is I am an incommunicable name to any other 2 A great God and King for his Essence is from himself and immutable all other derivative and mutable and the great Jehovah great in Power Majesty Glory and greater than all other Nuncupative gods Idols Kings for he is above them all above all gods 3. The whole orb of the earth is under his power and dominion Ver. 4 3 Under his Dominion the whole World In his hands are the deep places of the earth the strength of the hills is his also The globe of the earth in all its extensions is subject to him 4. And no marvail for he is the Creator of both 4 The Creator which is another Argument The Sea is his and he made it Ver. 5 and his hands formed the dry land Ver. 6 5. He is our Maker the Creator and Lord of man also 5 Our Maker 6. Our Lord God in particular 6 Our Lord God for he hath called us to be his inheritance For we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand Now all these laid together and well weighed being wonderful expressions of his mercy and loving-kindness are of strength enough to perswade us heartily reverently openly to sing to and praise him to adore bow down and kneel before him 2 In which duty if we fail he proposeth what is to be expected by the example of the Israelites 2. In which if we obstinately and stubbornly fail we have a fair warning given us what is like to follow by the example of the Israelites purposed here by the Prophet That if mercy will not win upon us then judgment may Lege Historiam ne fiat Historia Numb 14. Exod. 17. The sum is this 1. God gave them a day and he gives it you 't is the hodie of your life 2. In this day he speaks he utters his voyce
it to the Magnificat for what is here foretold by David is there chanted forth plainly suppose then David to be the voice and Mary the eccho and thus you may easily see the return 1. O sing unto the Lord a new Song saith David My soul doth magnifie the Lord saith Mary 2. David the voice saith He hath done marvellous things He hath magnified saith the eccho 3. With his own right-hand and with his holy arm hath he gotten himself the victory saith David He hath shewed strength with his arm and scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts saith Mary 4. The Lord hath made known his salvation his righteousness hath he openly shewed c. saith David His mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations c. saith Mary 5. He hath remembred his Mercy and Truth toward the house of Israel saith David the voice He remembring his Mercy hath holpen his Servant Israel saith Mary the eccho An Egg then cannot be more like an Egg than this Hymn is like the Magnificat and both sung for the same end viz. To praise God for the Salvation of the world by Christ Two parts of the Psalm 1. An exhortation to sing to the Lord and the reasons of it vers 1 2 3. 2. A new invitation to praise him and that it be universal from vers 4. to 9. 1. He begins with a very fervent and earnest exhortation it hath an O. The first part He incites to praise God before it 1. O sing Cantate not canite 2. A Song a Hymn it would be 3. To the Lord not men Vers. 1 2. A new Song because a new occasion is given for a Song it is not for your Creation or Preservation you are now to sing but for your Redemption Nova res novum Canticum No common no ordinary Song will now serve turn but as Gods Mercy in this Work was extraordinary so our thanks ought to be more than ordinary And that men may yield to this motion and put it in practice the more readily and cheerfully the Prophet subjoins his reasons The reasons to perswade it 1. His Miraculous work of Redemption 1. For he hath done marvellous things he hath opened his greatness and goodness in this great work of Redemption especially In this work there be marvellous things indeed He was conceived by the Holy Ghost he was born of the Virgin Mary he cured the blind healed the lame raised the dead c. And which is yet more marvellous though he were the Lord of life yet dyed raised himself ascended into heaven sent down the Holy Ghost and by unlearned men converted the world Domuit orbem non ferro sed ligno A marvellous thing that men should believe in a Crucified God 2. His right-hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory 2 A work of power and holiness It was his own work he had no Coadjutors in it And it was a work of his right-hand and of his arm that is of his Son who in Scripture is called the arm of God 2. Of his holy arm for the work was not done by Swords and Warlike Weapons but by his Holiness manifested by his Humility Patience Obedience Submission to the Will of God and a Holy life and an undeserved death 3. He hath gotten himself the victory to himself first then to all his over Sin Death Hell 3. The Lord hath made known his Salvation First 3 This work made known by himself to the Jews after by his Apostles to all Nations His Salvation that is Vers. 2 A Salvation of his people from their sins which had been of no use had he not in mercy made it known 4. His righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen 4 And applyed to us 1. His righteousness by which he makes us just by remission of sin and imputation of his justice by which we are alone justified at the Bar of God 2. 5 That which moved him to it Mercy and Truth This he hath openly shewed plainly revealed in his Gospel 3. In the sight of the heathen for it is now made known to them as well as the Jews 5. Vers. 3 He hath remembred his Mercy and Truth toward the House of Israel 1. To the House of Israel for to them were the Prophecyes given and with them the promise made which yet concerned us Gentiles 2. His Mercy in promising For it was out of meer mercy and grace and not any merit of mans that he should promise That the seed of the woman should break the Serpents head 3. And he remembred it when he performed it by sending Salvation by his Son Then he remembred his Truth and performed the Oath which he sware to our fore-fathers by visiting and Redeeming his people 4. Which now all Nations have seen For all the ends of the earth have seen the Salvation of our God The Nations have heard the Apostles and their Successors they have believ'd the Gospel and so by a heart purified by Faith and experiment of Grace they have actually seen the Salvation of our God By the eye of faith they embrace it love it and labour by a holy life to be partakers of it 2. The second part Upon these reasons he perswades us to sing unto the Lord a new Song that Salvation was by him alone wrought for us 2. Proclaimed and made known to us For this again he perswades 3. That he had performed his Covenant and applyed it making all the ends of the earth partakers of it And now he returns to exhort us to do that with which he began and as if he could never sufficiently express his desires he runs descant upon it Praise him with a loud voice sing with your tonges exult with your hearts take in the help of all Instruments and call to all creatures to accompany you and complete your mirth This is the Summe of the following verses 1. Vers. 4 Make a joyful noyse unto the Lord all the whole earth Jubilate keep a Jubilce for it To praise him all wayes we can Cantate Chant it out aloud Exultate Fetch as it were a leap for it And Psallite Sing praise all the wayes you can 2. And let all the earth do it because all the earth is partaker of the Saviour and Salvation 2. Vers. 5 Sing unto the Lord with a harp with the harp and the voice of a Psalm Vers. 6 with Trumpets and sound of a Cornet With Vocal with Cordal with Pneumatical Musick All wayes we can are too little to express our joy 3. Make a joyful noyse before the Lord our King You are in conspectu ejus his eyes sees and his ear hears what you do let it be done heartily 4. Vers. 7 And to make the Musick the fuller as if the senseless creatures had ears and hands to give an applause at the relation And call all creatures to join with us and
feet to dance at it he calls to them to join with him in the mirth Let the Sea roar Vers. 7 and the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein Let the floods clap their hands Vers. 8 let the hills rejoice together It is a Prosopopeia frequently used in Scripture as afore Psal 96.11 12. 5. And let it be heartily and sincerely done For it is before the Lord in his eye For he cometh to judge in his sight in his presence who can judge with what affection any thing is done And for this he gives a reason Vers. 9 with which he concludes For he cometh to judge the earth which may be referred to his first or second coming 1. 1 Either in humility as at his first If to the first then the sense is Let all creatures rejoice because he comes to judge that is to govern and order with just and excellent Laws the whole Orb of the world not only by the invisible Majesty of his Divinity but being made into the similitude of man and in form now found a true man 2. If to the last his second coming then let all creatures rejoice 2 Or in Glory as at his second coming because he shall root out sinners from the earth and make new heavens and a new earth The whole creature shall be delivered from corruption under which it greans and travails in pain together until now and shall be restored into the glorious liberty of the children of God Rom. 8.21 22. 3. Now both these shall be done with that rectitude of judgement that there be nothing crooked nothing oblique nothing savouring of iniquity in it With righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with his Truth A Thanksgiving and Meditation upon the Redemption of Man-kind taken out of the ninty eighth Psalm I Will sing unto thee O gracious God and merciful Lord a new Song Vers. 1 as it becomes me for a new savour an ordinary hymn might be in my mouth for ordinary blessings but this was extraordinary and therefore requires thanks more than ordinary That thou didst create me after thy image was a great mercy that thou hast governed me by thy Word preserved me by thy Power provided for me by thy Fatherly goodness ever since I was born are all acts of mercy but that thou hast set thy love upon me from all eternity and in the fulness of time didst send thy beloved Son to be born to live to dye for me and redéem my poor soul from thy just wrath and the consequents of it is a favour more than I could expect more than I could deserve and therefore I sing with the blessed Virgin My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people This is a favour so beyond all favours and so neerly concerns all the world that I wish all men had hearts and all creatures tongues to sound it forth O come and make a joyful noyse unto the Lord all the earth make a loud noyse and rejoice and sing praise Your voices are not swéet enough take then the Harp and join to the Harp the voice of a Psalm Your voices are not loud enough call then for Trumpets to sound it out and blow it abroad with the wind of a Cornet Let the praise vs illustrious and the noyse joyful for it is before the Lord the King And O that the inanimate creatures who shall be by this one day freed from the bondage of corruption had tongues also to join with you However in their kind let them do what they can let the Sea roare forth the praises of God and the fulness thereof resound the fulness of his mercy and let the world and they that dwell therein as in a clap of thunder say Amen Amen to it Let the floods join with the Sea and clap their hands let the hills be joyful together and eccho forth the praise of the Lord our Redeemer For he hath done marvellous things Things which we may admire Vers. 1 but shall never be able to comprehend shall and must search into but shall never fully fathom For without controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit séen of Angels preach'd unto the Gentiles believ'd on in the world receiv'd up into glory Marvellous O swéet Saviour was thy conception marvellous thy incarnation marvellous thy life marvellous thy death We cannot choose but wonder that the Lord of life should dye that the Lord of heaven and earth should be buried in the earth And that which increaseth the wonder is that he should rise from thence to justifie us that he should ascend in our nature to heaven to prepare a place for us that he should sit on the right-hand of God to be our Advocate to plead for us to be our Intercessor to step between and make our peace when our God is offended with us And that we yet marvel the more all this was done for us when we were without strength and could not help our selves without grace and could not deserve his when we were ungodly and thought not of him sinners that did provoke him enemies that did cebell against him In this then God commended his love that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us O sweet Jesus thy love to us was wonderful passing the love of women This was a work that passed the power of men and Angels Angels were too weak and man too sinful to undertake in it Yet so great was thy love to lost man that rather than he should perish for ever thou who wert without sin Vers. 1 wouldst be made sin for him thou who wert the arm and power of God wouldst appear clothed with our infirmities Yet so powerful thou wert in this weakness so mighty in our infirm flesh that by thy right-hand and thy holy arm thou hast gotten to thy self the victory conquer and triumph thou didst over Sin Death and Hell and over all the power of the Prince of darkness It was thine own right-hand without any other power that did it thine own arm without any assistant that led Captivity Captive and received gifts for men yea even for thine enemies that the Lord God might dwell among them We the heathens Vers. 2 were the greatest part of these enemies yet to us thou sentest thy Apostles to preach these glad-tidings and ever since by thy Ministers hast made known thy salvation Thy righteousness which is now our righteousness blessed be thy name for it by which our pardon is sealed and we are justified is not as a Candle hid under a bushel but is openly shew'd in the sight of the heathen It is not in Judaea only that God is known but all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God all Nations now sée and know that thou wert a merciful
chief Ruler as 2 Sam. 8.18 1 Chron. 18.17 and so it may have reference to Moses a chief Prince but in the proper sense to Aaron for he was the chief Priest Samuel 2. And Samuel no Priest but a Levite yet chief Judge among those call'd on his name 3. They called upon the Lord for themselves and the people and he answered them Of Moses the story is extant Exod. 32.31 Of Aaron Numb 16. 46 47 48. Of Samuel 1 Sam. 7.5 9 10. 4. Vers. 7 He spake unto them that is to Moses Exod. 33.8 9 11. and unto Aaron Numb 12. from 5. to 8. But unto Samuel we read not that he spake in the cloudy Pillar And now he aptly adds the reason why God so readily heard these three Why he heard them it was because they were his servants and obey'd the commands of their King For as Christ saith He that loves me will keep my Commandments He then that will be heard in his prayers Because they were obedient servants ought to hear God in his Commands So did they 1. They kept his Testimonies those Precepts that were common to all others 2. And the Ordinances he gave them as Publick persons who were to rule in Church and State And that this was a great mercy and favour to them and the people the Prophet acknowledgeth by his Apostrophe to God in the next verse 1. 1 He answered them Thou answeredst them O Lord our God Which the Story confirms Vers. 8 2. 2 He forgave them Thou wast a God that forgavest them that is the people for whom Moses and Aaron and Samuel pray'd For as Moller observes in Hebrew the Relative is often put without an Antecedent 3. 3 Even when he punished the people Though thou takest vengeance on their inventions The Calf was broken Exod. 32. and the false gods put away 1 Sam. 7. Though their sin was remitted yet a temporal and corporal punishment follow'd them Numb 14.23 30. Numb 20.12 2. The second part The Prophet concludes the Psalm Carmine Ambaebaeo with the repetition of the fifth verse The Conclusion of all That we only what he calls there Gods footstool he here calls Mount Zion And in the verse is contained the full scope and intent of the whole which is That we exalt our King and adore him 1. Exalt the Lord our God not that we can do it Vers. 9 or make him higher but we must contribute what we can to his exaltation 1 Exalt God which is then done when we gratefully acknowledge his Power in defence of his Church and his Clemency in hearing our prayers and the Intercessions of his servants for us 2. Worship at his Holy Hill 2 Adore which literally is to be understood of Zion the place which he had chosen for his worship where now the Tabernacle was and after the Temple was built But concerns us also that live in the Catholique Church to serve him in unity meeting together in such holy places which are set apart for his worship 3. For the Lord our God is holy which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or reason For he is Holy why Zion was Holy and many other persons and things in relation to him A consideration very necessary as Musoulus well observes for this profane age The Prayer collected out of the ninty ninth Psalm O Omnipotent Lord who reignest sitting above she Cherubims and governest the whole world by thy wisdom Vers. 1 though the enemies of thy Church be many yet will we not fear though the whole earth be moved yet will we not be afraid For the Lord is great in Zion and high above all people Vers. 2 Yet because the united force of our enemies is great and their iniquity twisted together for the ruine of thy Church Vers. 3 that they be not alwayes prided with their success and thy people over-much disheartned arise O Lord and make them know that thy name is great terrible and holy so great that thou canst and so holy that thou wilt and so terrible that thou wilt in fury take vengeance upon pride and iniquity We are assured O Lord Vers. 4 that thy authority and Kingly power loves equity that thou doest establish equal Laws and doest execute judgement and righteousness in thy Church by punishing the wicked and rewarding the just Arise up for us therefore in the judgement that thou hast commanded and reward the just according to the integrity of their hearts stir up thy strength and come amongst us and help us for thy Name-sake O God our King and Saviour And if at any time our wickedness go over our heads to provoke thy wrath against us then turn thy face from us upon thy dear Son our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ whose intercession is far more powerfully with thée than that of Moses or Aaron and Samuel could be for thy people He is our High Priest be mindful of his invocation his Sacrifice his Blood his tears his cryes which he offered upon the Altar of the Cross for us His blood speaks better things than that of Abel That of Abel shed by us cryes aloud for vengeance against us and what we suffer are the effects of that cry the revenge of that blood O blessed Saviour still the cry of that blood with thy blood wash the stains of it away with those streams which issued from thy bloody side and for the merit of that blood hear the prayers of Moses Aaron and Samuel who had no hand in that blood but kept and do yet keep thy Testimonies and the Ordinance thou gavest them that offer unto thee for themselves and for thy people They dayly call upon thée hear them O Lord our God and answer them though the sin of this people be great yet forgive them though thou takest vengeance according to their inventions So shall we praise thy great and terrible Name for it is Holy So shall we exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool for he is Holy We will exalt the Lord that reigneth over us our God that delivers us and hears our prayers and worship at thy Holy hill and chant with a loud voice that the Lord our God is holy for evermore PSAL. C. A Psalm of Praise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Title shews the Scope that it was composed for a form to praise God yea and in the publique Congregation and therefore is well chosen to be a part of our Liturgy There be two parts of this Psalm 1. An Exhortation to praise God vers 1 2 4. And the manner how to be done 2. The reasons that perswade to it vers 3 5. 1. He exhorts to praise God In his Exhortation to praise God required it is 1. The first part That the praise be Universal none exempted from it All ye lands or all the earth Vers. 1 2. That it be hearty full and performed with a cheerful soul Make a
joyful noyse 1 Universally that it be done in gladness and singing 3. 2 Heartily That it be not partial and restrain'd but complete the Copia verborum in which the Exhortation is offer'd 3 Completely shews it Jubilate colite scitote Vers. 2 venite laudate benedicite 4. 4 Sincerely That it be sincere and not feined done as in his eye and presence Vers. 3 5. 5 Knowingly That it ought to be well grounded arise from knowledge Know ye that Vers. 4 6. 6 Thankfully But thanksgiving be a part of it 7. 7 Publickly That it be as oft as occasion is offer'd Publick Enter into his Courts with Thanksgiving 2. The second part The Duty being set down reasons the Prophet sets down also to perswade to it The reasons for it drawn from the Nature of God 2. The benefits he bestows on us 1. First from his Essence Know ye if you know not so much already that the Lord he is God Vers. 3 Other gods there be talk'd on but none True but he 1 He is God Which shewed by his works of And therefore none to be serv'd but he 2. And this he shews himself to be by his work of Nature and Grace upon you 1. 1 Nature or Creation By his work of Nature for he is your Maker It is he that hath made us and not we our selves Parents are said to get chilcren but that ability is from God He makes the barren to bear and to be a joyful Mother of children Thou hast fashioned me in my mothers womb What saith Elkanah Am I in the place of God when his Wife was displeased she had no child 2. 2 Of Grace By his work of Grace For we were out of the fold but he call'd us into it and ever since accounted of us as his people of his pasture He governs us feeds us And that we be yet the more cheerful and ready to perform this duty in the last verse he puts us in mind of three Attributes of God His Mercy his Goodness his Truth for which he is worthy to be praised by us because we the better for them for be cause he is good he hath mercy upon us and because he is merciful 2 He is he promiseth us aid and assistance and because he is faithful and true he will perform it 1. Vers. 5 For the Lord is good O how good to those that are true of heart He is reconcil'd to us 1 A good God pardons our sin justifies us adopts us for his children and that freely without any merit of ours 2. His Mercy is everlasting He is the Father of Mercies 2 Merciful and begets Mercies as oft as we bring forth sins It is the Mercy of the Lord that we are not consumed 3. And his Truth endureth to all generations 3 Faithful For he never made promise but either he hath or will perform it God is not as man that he should lye The Prayer collected out of the one hundred Psalm O Omnipotent and holy God Vers. 1 the excellency and transcendency of thy Nature and those infinite benefits by thy favour conferr'd upon us exact at our hands that we appear in thy presence to celebrate thy name with joy and gladness and enter into thy Gates with thanksgiving and into thy Courts with praise But being conscious to our own unworthiness which ariseth from the thoughts of our manifold transgressions afraid we are that we dust and ashes sinful dust and ashes should take upon us to speak unto our Lord we tremble at thy presence and are ready to sink under thy displeasure If thou Lord should'st be extream to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it Remember yet we are thy creatures and the work of thy own hands Vers. 3 for thou hast made us and not we our selves Remember that when we were not a people worthy of love thou calledst us and madest us thy people when we were clean without the pale that wentest after us and broughtest us home to thy fold and madest us the sheep of thy pasture Give us grace then O thou great Shepherd of our souls that we may lament our unthankfulness and forgetfulness of these favours and the heinousness of our rebellions being removed be reconciled unto us and inable us that instead of a corrupt and impure life we may serve thée in righteousness and holiness all our dayes Of this we have yet some hope because thou art good Vers. 5 thy mercy is everlasting and thy truth endureth from generation to generation from thy goodness procéeds thy mercy and because thou art merciful thou hast made promises to penitent believing sinners and we are assured thou wilt perform them because thou art faithful and true O seal these promises to our disconsolate hearts by the graces of thy Holy Spirit Vers. 2 then we shall be bold to come into thy presence then will we enter into thy Gates with thanksgiving then we will be thankful unto thée and bless thy holy Name We will serve the Lord with gladness and make a joyful noyse to our Lord the God of Jacob for ever Amen Here ends the Third Book of the Psalms according to the Hebrews PSAL. CI. A Psalm of David Didascalicus DAVID being Anointed by Samuel to be King or as most conceive newly made King promiseth and vows to God to reign in Righteousness and Holiness In a word he would so govern Himself his Palace the Church the State that all wicked doers being taken away and all good men countenanc'd by him God should be honour'd and justice peace temperance piety flourish Two parts of the Psalm 1. The Syllabus or brief of the Psalm with the Dedication of it vers 1. 2. The full Explication of what he means by Mercy and Judgement and how practised 1. Toward himself For he shews what his life shall be from vers 2. to 5. 2. Toward ungodly men vers 4 5 7 8. and the end of it vers 8. 3. Toward all good men vers 6. These should be his Counsellors and Servants 1. The sum of the Psalm The first part He Summarily sets down what he will treat of in this Psalm viz. Mercy and Judgement the two great vertues of a King I will sing of mercy and judgement Ver. 1 1. Mercy Judgement which he really vowes Mercy in countenancing giving audience judging for and rewarding the good 2. Judgement in discountenancing punishing and being a terror to evil works and workers And that he would do this really not talk and seem to profess a great love to Mercy and Judgement as Princes use to do when they mean no such matter He makes a Solemn Vow to God to perform it Unto thee O Lord will I sing From thee proceed these gifts to thy honour they shall be referr'd and by me as in thy sight impartially executed This I Vow and Promise to thee 2. The
faith their hope their love But they not understanding the end of Gods Counsel murmur'd as if God had cast them off and had no care of them and could not relieve them 4. And what they did at this time they did also at others Lusted For they lusted exceedingly in the Wilderness and tempted God in the Desart as is evident Exod. 16. 17. and Numb 11. 20. Now God yielded to these desires of the people he gave them bread flesh But he gave them bread flesh water and water 1. And he gave them their request Exod. 16.12 2. But he sent leanness into their souls which certainly hath reference to the Quails in Numb 11.20 33. where the people eat and dyed of the plague so that the place from the multitude there buried was call'd Kibrothhattaava 3. Another rebellion yet there was which the Prophet now toucheth 3 They rebelled a third time rose against Moses Aaron when they rose up against the King and the Priest the story of which is extant Numb 16. 1. They envied also Moses in the Camp objecting unto him that he had usurped a power over them and taken it upon him of his own head which arose out of envy for they envied 2. And Aaron the Saint of the Lord Him whom God had chosen and sanctified to the Priests Office The punishment followes which at large may be read Numb 16. 1. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan For this punished and covered the Congregation of Abiram 2. And a fire was kindled in their company the flame burnt up the wicked i. e. the 250. men that presumed to offer Incense and presently after the 14700. that murmured and objected to Moses and Aaron that they had killed the people of the Lord. 4. 4 Made the golden Calf Still the Prophet goes on in his story of Israel's stubbornness and rebellion and now he comes to their grand sin their Idolatry in erecting the golden Calf which he detests and withall praiseth the mercy of God that would be pacified by Moses prayer the story is extant Exod. 32. 1. They made a Calf in Horeb and worshipped the molten image quite contrary to the second command 2. Thus they chang'd their Glory That is the true God who indeed was their glory into the similitude of an Oxe a brute Beast that eats grass a base creature which much aggravates their sin A sin so great that the Jewes conceive that it is not expiated to this day for they have usually these words in their mouths Non accidit tibi O Israel ullaultio in quâ non sit uncia de iniquitate anrei vituli 3. But the Prophet aggravates their stupidness and folly They forgat God their Saviour which had done great things in Aegypt wonderful works in the land of Ham and terrible things by the red Sea In the following verse is expressed Gods just anger and mercy 1. Against this God shews his anger His anger against their sins Therefore he said pronounced his will to destroy them 2. His mercy in that yet he spared them at Moses intercession for destroyed them certainly he had But spares them at Moses prayer 1. Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach That breach and division which this sin had made betwixt God and his people like some breach made in the Wall of a besieged Town in which some valiant Captain stands and opposeth himself against the assault of the enemy so did Moses 2. For his end was the same it was To turn away his wrath lest he should destroy And the effect was answerable for by his intercession the wrath of God was turned away so powerful are the intercessions and prayers of Gods Saints servants friends with him 5. 5 A new rebellion viz. their murmuring at the Spies report Farther yet he calls to mind a new rebellion which fell out upon the report of the Spies sent to search the Land Numb 13.26 c. and Numb 14. For when the Spies told them that it was a land that eat up the Inhabitants that the sons of Anak were there in comparison of whom they were but as Grashoppers 1. They despised the pleasant Land and had a mind to return into Aegypt Numb 14. from ver 1. to 5. 2. They believed not his Word for they said Hath the Lord brought us unto this Land to fall by the Sword c. 3. But murmured in their Tents and hearkned not to the voyce of the Lord Numb 14.10 As their sin Which God punisheth on them so their punishment is also extant Numb 14.29 at which the Prophet here points 1. Therefore he lift up his hand against them to overthrow them in the Wilderness Your carkasses shall fall in the Wilderness doubtless ye shall not come into the Land 2. This punishment fell upon the Murmurers themselves but if their children should be guilty of the like rebellion And their seed they should not escape neither for God then would lift up his hand against them too and overthrow their seed among the Nations and scatter them in the Lands which we have lived to see fully brought to pass 6. 6 Their re bellion at Baal-Peor The Prophet joyns to that of the golden Calf another piece of Idolatry in the Wilderness to which there was joyned Fornication also by the Connsel of Balaam and the policy of Balaac this caused them to eat and sacrifice to their God Numb 25. which the Prophet insists upon next 1. They joyned themselves to Baal-Peor because the Idol was set up upon that Mountain 2. And eat the offerings of the dead They left the Sacrifices of the living God and eat of those meats which were offered to their dead Idols That have eyes but see not and hands but handle not Upon which there followed Gods wrath and their punishment 1. God was angry For they provoked him to wrath with their inventions Gods wrath and vengeance inventing a new god 2. And the plague brake in upon them It rush'd in upon them as some mighty waters or as an Army into a City at a breach for there dyed of the plague 24000 Numb 25.9 In the former Idolatry Gods anger was averted by Moses intercession in this by Phinehaz execution of judgment for 1. Then stood up Phinehaz Phinehaz averts it moved no question with the zeal of Gods honour Ver. 30 2. And he executed judgment upon Zimri and Cozbi for which let men conceive as they please I see nothing to the contrary His zeal rewarded but he had his Commission from Moses or God rather Numb 25.4 5. 3. The event was and so the plague was stayed execution of Justice on Offendors pacifies God Which zeal of his was well rewarded This was accounted to him for righteousness unto all Generations for evermore God that knowes the heart knew his good intention and so accounted it not murder but a just punishment that
in misery He repented according to the multitude of his mercies And the effect which all these Causes had was beneficial to them even in the time of their bondage and captivity for even their very enemies hearts were often turn'd to do them good as is evident in Jeremiah David Daniel Ezra Zerubbabel Mordecai and indeed the whole Nation under the Babylonian Philistian Aegyptian Persian Kings which the Prophet hath set down ver 46. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them Captives So this is that of the wise man When a mans wayes please God And caused their Oppressors to pity them he will make his very enemies at peace with him Prov. 16.7 But it seems this verse may be read otherwise and it is by the Vulgar Moller Musculus Dedit eos in misericordias or miserationes in conspectu omnium quo caeperant eos so that the sense is not as if all of them had from all that carried them away captive received mercy but that God in their afflictions put them into the bosom of his mercy even they seeing and wondring at it whose Bond-slaves they were for beyond all hope he freed his people from Aegypt the Ammonites Philistines c. so that they under whose Captivity they were must needs confess that God in mercy did defend and fight for them And this sense Bellarmine receives as more probable nor yet utterly rejecting the other 4. And this sense makes the way plainer to what followes the Petition The fourth part This consideration moves them and the Doxology for if God shew'd himself merciful in the time of his anger and made it apparent even to the very view of their enemies encouragement they might have 1. First To pray Save us O Lord our God and gather us from among the Heathen to give thanks in thy holy Name 1 To pray and to triumph in thy Praise 2. Then to give thanks 1. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel 2 To give thanks from Generation to Generation 2. And for it let the people do their Duty viz. the solemn and necessary Formes Let all the people say Amen Allelujah The Prayer out of the One hundred and sixth Psalm O Lord God which art great and fearful Ver. 45 Who keepest Covenant and Mercy toward them that love thee and keep thy Commandments we have sinned with our Fathers we have committed iniquity we have done wickedly The children of Israel were not more rebellious at the red Sea in the Wilderness after thou hadst brought them into the Land than we have béen unto thée We have forgotten thy wonders and provoked thée when beset with a Sea of troubles for we have soon forgot thy works and not waited for thy counsels We have envied nay murdered Moses in the Camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. A Calf indéed we have not made in Horeb nor worshipped the molten Image But we worshipped the Calf of our own brains and fall'n down to our own imaginations in Maozim we have put our trust and to this Idol of power we have cryed Thou art our god and thou shalt save us Thou hast promised to bring us to the celestial Canaan but we have despised that pleasant land and as if we did not believe thy Word we have murmured and in our hearts turned back again into Aegypt and set our affections on the Léeks and Onions and Garlick thereof though we vowed and professed to honour thée yet we have made it apparent that Mammon is our God and his Command is hearkned unto and not thy voyce We have provoked thée to anger with our inventions we have learned the works of the Heathen Ver. 38 and out-done them We have shed innocent blood even the blood of thy sons and daughters whom we sacrificed to our ambition and cruelty so that the Land is polluted with blood O Lord we confess that we have done wickedly and fouly and unthankfully have revolted from thée our Lord and God as was the mother so is the daughter we are our mothers daughter that hath loathed her husband and committed fornication in the sight of our God yet we will not despair when we consider thy great mercy which thou shewedst to a stiffe-necked people whom though enriched by thée with many Benefits and yet unmindful and ungrateful as they were set thée by and worshipped stocks and stones and the inventions of their own brains Thou yet didst not destroy them but after a fatherly correction didst restore to thy favour and didst condescend to be reconciled to them Then thou wert pacified with the intercession of Moses and the atonement of Aaron and when Phineas arose and executed judgment thy plague was stayed There be yet lest among thy people those who are zealous for thy Name who day and night intercede for pardon and mercy O Lord hear their prayers and let their cryes come unto thee and spare thy people whom thou hast redéemed with thy precious blood Though they have provoked thée with their Counsels and are brought low for their iniquity Nevertheless regard their affliction and hear their cryes that they send up unto thee Remember for them thy Covenant and repent according to the multitude of thy mercies And so soften and mollifie the hearts of those who have led us into Captivity that for cruelty even from them we may find pity and for the heavy burdens they have laid upon us some ease and relaxation O merciful Lord let not thy wrath for ever be kindled against thy people neither let it procéed so far That thou abhor thine inheritance We confess That it hath gone ill with Moses for our sakes insomuch that he is denied an entrance into the land of Canaan the lot of his inheritance But remember him O Lord and his Exiles with the favour thou bearest unto thy people O visit him with thy salvation that he may see the good of thy chosen that he may rejoyce in the gladness of thy Nation that he may glory in thee and glorifie thee with thine inheritance Our Fathers have sinn'd even from the first time of their Vocation to the clearer and purer knowledge of the Gospel and thou didst oftentimes sharply rebuke them and yet in the sharpest of those Visitations Thou remembring mercy Ver. 10 and thy promise didst mitigate their punishments and sentest them deliverance Thou savedst them from the hand of them that hated them and redeemedst them from the hand of the enemy Therefore now also although we know and confess that we have grievously offended thée with our sins and provoked thée to bring these heavy judgments upon us for our rebellions yet make us examples of thy mercy as thou hast done our forefathers Save us O Lord our God and gather us from all lands whether we are dispersed which we earnestly beg at thy merciful hands not that we are brought from a troublesom to a quiet from a miserable to an easie from a poor and
to praise him 1. The first is his Majesty his infinite Power Glory this extends not to men alone but to the Heavens and all above the Heavens Ver. 4 The Lord is high above all Nations and his Glory above the Heavens above Princes 1 Gods Majesty Heavens Angels therefore praise him 2. The second is his admirable Providence Benignity and Bounty 2 His. Providence and Condescension which being joyned with so great Majesty appears the more admirable Who is like the Lord our God who dwells on high None in Heaven and Earth to be compared to him and yet which sets forth his goodness Ver. 5 the care he hath of all things He as it were humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven and in earth He is present with the greatest Angels and ready to help the meanest creature Two instances of it Now of his Providence in humbling himself to behold the things on earth he gives two instances the first is in States and Kingdoms the second in private Families 1. In States He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the Dunghil 1 In Kingdoms in which he exalts men of low degree The examples of it may be Joseph Moses David Daniel Job Mordecai let then no man say Non vacant exiguis rebus adesse Jovi And the end is That he may set him with the Princes even with the Princes of his people He vindicates their name not only from contempt but exalts them to the highest places of honour 2. 2 In private Familes opening the womb In private Families As the infelicity of men is a low and despised condition so the infelicity of women is barrenness as therefore he looks upon humble men and raiseth them to a Crown so he looks upon humble women and makes them fruitful in which the happiness of a Family consists and therefore the Prophet adds this other instance of his Providence He maketh the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyful mother of children A joyful mother for that women rejoyce in nothing more than in bearing of children the examples may be Sarah Rebeccah Rachel Annah Elizabeth Jo. 16.21 But by most Expositors This appliable to the Church of the Gentiles this last verse hath a higher meaning and relates unto the Church of the Gentiles which was the barren woman before Christs coming but hath now more children than she that hath a Husband i. e. the Jewish Synagogue Isa 54.1 Rejoyce O barren that didst not bear break forth into joy and rejoyce thou that didst not travel with child for the desolate hath more children than the married wife and is to this purpose applied by St. Paul Gal. 4.27 The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and thirteenth Psalm O Omnipotent Lord Ver. 1 whosoever are addicted in faith and fincerepâ—ety to thy worship and service are bound at all times in all places to return unto thy Name immortal praises Ver. 2 we then who acknowledge thée to be our Lord and our selves thy dassals and servants with our whole hearts both secretly and in the Congregation of Saints do sound forth with full voyce Blessed be the Name of the Lord our God Ver. 3 from this time forth for â—vermore from the rising of the Sun unto the going down of the same our Lord's Name be praised O Lord thy Majesty is great thy Glory illustrious thy Goodness Clemency and Providence wonderful Ver. 4 thy Power is high above all Nations and the greatest in those Nations thy Glory above the Heavens and the most glorious in those Heavens Ver. 5 Who O Lord our God is like unto thée or among men or Angels may be compared with thée And yet though thou dwellest on high such is thy care thy provision thy clemency toward us men below Ver. 6 that thou dost as it were humble thy self and descend from thy Throne of Majesty to behold the things that are in Heaven to take a care for the things that are done in and on the Earth there is no action no event either in Heaven or Earth which thou rulest not which thou guidest not and orders not If the proud Angels in Heaven aspire to thy Throne Thou beholdest it and they shall féel thy power If insolent men on earth shall exalt themselves against thée they shall drink of the cup of thy wrath when thy servants sin against thée and yet shall humble themselves before thée Thou wilt behold their contrition and accept their tears and forgive their ungracious behaviour Look down O Lord at this time from thy dwelling place and behold the afflicted slate and condition of this thy Church Ver. 7 we have for many years béen trod under foot and lain in the dust we have béen and are yet oppressed and cast aside as it were to the Dunghil Thy judgments O Lord are just and thy wayes equal for unsavoury salt we were and deserved no better But thou who raisest the poor out of the dust and liftest the needy out of the Dunghil vouchsafe to stretch out thy arm of power and right hand of help to our Princes and Armies set our King whom thou hast hitherto dejected once again with Princes even the Princes of his people O Lord who makest the barren woman to keep house Ver. 8 and be a joyful mother of children take pity on the afflicted woman thy Church and let her not mourn and longer for her barrenness grant that by thy Word and Spirit Ver. 9 she may be a mother of many children with whom she may rejoyce in thy house and celebrate thy Name with perpetual praises through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID in this Psalm chants forth the wonderful works and miracles that God wrought when he brought forth the people of Israel out of Aegypt Two parts there are of this Psalm 1. A Narration of Israels deliverance amplified by the state they were in ver 1. The state to which they were brought ver 2. The miracles then done first at the red Sea and Jordan ver 3. and at Sinai when the Law was given wer 4. 2. A Prosopopeia set down by way of Dialogue first For the Prophet asks the Sea and Jordan Why they fled turned back ver 5 6. secondly To which the answer is made by the brutish Earth which is enough to strike a terrour a veneration and fear into all men That it trembled at the presence of the Lord ver 7 8. 1. In the Narration Israâ—ls condition is set down by way of comparison The first part Israels condition in Aegype set down that so their deliverance might make the deeper impression First we are to know that Israel and the house of Jacob and Judah in this place signifie the same thing viz. The whole Nation of the Israelites that descended out of Jacobs loins but of the house of Jacob there is peculiar mention because with him
thy praise Smite Lord our flinty hearts as hard as the nether milstone with the hammer of thy Word and mollifie them also with the brops of thy mercies and dew of thy Spirit make them humble fleshy flexible circumcised soft obedient new clean broken for we know That a broken and contrite heart thou wilt not despise O Lord our God give us grace from the very bottom of our heart to desire thée in desiring to seek thée in séeking to find thée in finding to love thée in loving thée utterly to loath our former wickedness never let us return in our hearts back again into Aegypt never let us long after the Léeks and Onions and Garlick thereof But being by thy mercy delivered and brought from thence and from the slavery of sin and Satan let it be our whole endeavour to walk humbly and obediently before our God that living in thy fear and dying in thy favour when we have passed through the Wilderness of this World we may possess that heavenly Canaan and happy land of promise prepared for all such as love thy coming even for every Christian soul and who is thy Dominion and Sanctuary Grant this O gracious God in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ who lives and reigns with thée and the Holy Spirit one God World without end Amen PSAL. CXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Prophet being zealous of Gods Honour which the Heathens went about to take from him and attribute to their Idols is earnest with God that it might be manifest that Honour did belong to him alone and might not be given to another There be four parts of this Psalm 1. His Vote and Petition for Gods Honour ver 1. that did not belong to any Idols because of their vanity from ver 3. to 9. 2. An Exhortation to praise God and hope in him from ver 10. to 12. 3. The Benefit that will accrue from it a blessing from ver 12. to 16. 4. A Profession that for the blessing they will bless God ver 17 18. 1. The first part His zeal for Gods honour Some joyn this Psalm to the former conceiving that the Prophet having expressed the goodness of God in the deliverance of his people from Aegypt would not have any part of the Glory attributed to Moses Aaron or any merits in them but wholly ascribed unto God himself And therefore he thus begins 1. Ver. 1 Not unto us not unto us nor any Leader amongst us 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thy Name give the praise Which he desires to assume for three Reasons But unto thy Name give glory We seek it not take it wholly to thy self And this he desires he would alwayes shew in the protection of his people for three Reasons 1. For manifestation of his mercy Give glory to thy Name for thy mercy 2. Ver. 2 For declaration of his faithfulness in keeping his promise Do it for thy Truths sake Of which the last is that the Heathen do not blaspheme 3. That there might not be given an occasion to the Heathen to blaspheme as if they his people should be forsaken and destitute of help Wherefore should the Heathen say Where is now their God Well say it so fall out that the Heathen impiously ask the question Vbieorum Deus We have in a readiness what to answer them To the glory of our God but to the dishonour of their Idols Be it they do yet the answer is our God is in Heaven which he proves by an elegant Antithesis 1. As for our God he is in the Heavens and his miracles wrought for his people testifie as much Ver. 3 for he hath done whatsoever pleaseth him He hath and can deliver his people when he pleaseth Their gods are all Idols as appears and if it be his pleasure they must suffer also 2. But now I may better ask Where are their gods gods did I call them nay nay they are but Idols they deserve not the name of gods as is evident by the matter 1 By their matter whereof they are 2. the Makers of them 3. Their vanity and inutility 1. Their Idols are silver and gold at the best of no more precious stuffe Ver. 4 and yet though such from the Earth they fetch their Original 2. 2 Their makers The work of mens hands Works they are and not Masters of the work they made not themselves but were made and therefore baser than the basest Smith that made them 3. Of no use of no power at all 3 Their uselessness of no power for they can make no use at all of those parts which they seem to have for having the shape of men they can do nothing as men Ver. 5 For they have mouths but they speak not eyes they have Ver. 6 but they see not They have ears but they hear not noses they have but they smell not They have hands but they handle not feet they have but they walk not neither speak they through their throat They cannot do that which Beasts can send out of their mouths an inarticulate voyce or found so far they are from speaking 4. And thus the Prophet having derided their Idols he goes on 4 He derides the Idol-makers and derides 1. The Idol-makers They that make them are like to them a sensless people that think to make a god out of gold silver wood and stone 2. The Idol-worshippers So is every one that puts their trust in them And Idolaters trust and relies on that which cannot help In this life they are like to them for they seem neither to see and hear than hear and see indeed when they will not hear and see what belongs to their good and the Truth whence Christ saith out of the Prophet of such Having eyes they see not and ears but they hear not Mark 8. 2. And so the Prophet having passed this Sarcasme upon the Idols The second part and Idolaters he leaves them and turns his speech to the Israelites whom he exhorts to trust in God He exhorts Israel to trust in God 1. In general the whole Nation O Israel trust thou in the Lord Let the Heathen trust in their Idols but you are Gods servants trust you then in that Lord you serve And to encourage them he adds his Reason 1 In general all Israel He is their help and their shield the Lord Protector of the whole Nation 2. In particular the Tribe of Levi O house of Aaron trust in the Lord 2 In particular the Levites You are the Leaders and Guides in Religion and God is your portion and therefore you ought to trust especially in him He is their help 3 All that fear the Lord. and their shield a shield you need and he will be the Lord Protector of your Tribe 3. In a word Ye that fear the Lord Jewes or Proselytes in what Nation
that they may glorifie my Father which is in Heaven Thy praise I will sound forth thy Name I will magniffe confess I will that thou hast been to me a gracious God and merciful Father even in the Courts of the Lords house even in the midst of thee O jerusalem in which I know thou wilt alone accept of thanks and hear and grant the pelitions of thy servants that are offered unto thée through the merits and in the Name of thy Son Iesus Christ our Lord and Saviour PSAL. CXVII A Hymn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm is short and sweet it contains a Doxology to God for his mercy and truth and it is also Prophetical in reference to the calling of the Gentiles as it appears Rom. 15.11 Two parts there are of it 1. An Exhortation to all Nations to praise God The first part 1. A Doxology both Gentiles and Jewes 1. He speaks to the Gentiles Praise the Lord all ye Nations he means after they were converted and made sons of the Church For how shall they call on him in whom they have not believeâ—â— Rom. 10. 2. He speaks to the converted Jewes whom he notes under the name of people as they are call'd Psal 2.1 Acts 4.25 Praise the Lord all ye people Both now make but one Church and therefore both now ought to joyn together in the praise of God 2. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Reason give for it The second part 1. Because his merciful kindness is great nay confirmed toward us 2 The reason in sending his Son to be a Saviour both of Jewes and Gentiles His Church is built on a foundation against which the gates of Hell shall not prevail 2. Neither is his mercy only by this confirmed but the truth also of his promises fulfilled as he promised to send a Messias so he hath performed it and this his truth endures for ever for it shall never be challenged there is no other Messiah to be expected now for this Praise ye the Lord. The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and seventeenth Psalm O Omnipotent and gracious God when all Mankind walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Aire the spirit that works in the children of disobedience When they walked according to the lusts of the flesh and fulfilled the desires of the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath Thou who art rich in mercy for thy great love wherewith thou hast loved us wast pleased to send thy only begotten Son Jesus Christ and to deliver him to death for the salvation of the World This thy great mercy it pleased thée to make known to us by thy Apostles and to call us who were Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of Promise to be partakers of thy merciful kindness In Christ Jesus we who were sometimes afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ so great hath thy mercy béen even toward us therefore from us immortal thanks are due unto thée who find our selves saved not for our merits but by thy sole goodness We therefore beséech thée that thou wouldst so confirm our hearts by the Spirit of faith that without any doubt adhering to thy truth which endures for ever we may apprehend those good things which thou hast promised and offerest fréely to us O Lord have mercy upon all Iewes Turks Iufidels and Hereticks and take from them all ignorance hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy flock that they may be saved among the remnant of thy true Israelites let us all méet in one Fold and have but one Shepherd that all Nations may praise the Lord and all people sing Hallelujah to thy holy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID being freed from many dangers and confirmed in his Kingdom according to Gods promise in this Psalm gives thanks The parts of this Psalm are 1. An Exhortation to praise God for his mercy from ver 1. to 5. 2. A perswasion to trust in God and that from his own example who call'd upon God in trouble and was deliver'd from ver 5. to 15. 3. The Exultation of the Church for it from ver 15. to 19. 4. A solemn Thanksgiving kept for it and in what manner it was celebrated from ver 19. to 28. 5. David invites to praise God The first part A short Doxology ver 28 29. 1. David invites all to praise God O give thanks unto the Lord and adds his Reasons 1. For he is good than which nothing could be said more briefly nothing more powerfully he is properly and absolutely good and therefore ought to be praised because there is nothing rightly worthy of praise but that which is good Ver. 1 Solum honestum laudabile 2. His reasons are 1. Good Good to us a mercifull God But secondly He is good and ever good to us a merciful God which flowes from his goodness and is then most conspicuous when it is imparted to those in misery Praise him because his mercy endureth for ever His mercy created us his mercy redeemed us his mercy protects us his mercy will crown us there is then no end of his mercy This his mercy extends especially to his people To his people and therefore he puts into the mouth of all his people this song of his mercy whom he distributes into three parts 1. Ver. 2 Let Israel now say the whole Nation that his mercy endureth for ever 2. Ver. 3 Let the house of Aaron that whole Tribe consecrated now to him say that his mercy endures for ever 3. Ver. 4 Let them now that fear the Lord Proselytes c. now say that his mercy endures for ever that is the burden of the Hymn so he begins so he ends ver 29. 2. The second part And so in general having given a Commendation of his mercy he desoends to that particular in which his mercy did consist The particulars of his mercy viz. A great deliverance of him when he was in a great strait which he could impute to no other cause than his mercy 1. Ver. 5 I was in distress And that 's the case of Gods people as well as Davids 2. I called upon the Lord I boasted not of my merits I complained not that I suffered unjustly but I fled to his mercy and invoked so did the Church in Peters case Of which he is an example Acts. 12.5 3. The issue was The Lord answered and set me in a large place and so it fell out to Peter Upon which experience David exults Shewing how God had been mercifull to him upon which he makes three Conclusions as the Church in the like case may so that all be still attributed to God and his mercy 1. The Lord is my helper And the first inference upon it
the head of the corner that was rejected that it was Gods doing alone and a marvellous work that the day in which this was done was a Festival and the people to rejoyce in it that then they pray'd to God to save them by his hand and blessed their King adorned their Temple and offer'd Sacrifices with many thanks to God for his mercies Thus no question these verses may literally be understood of David But it must be confessed that in all this David was but a Type of Christ and that these words properly belong unto him we have a clear testimony first from his own mouth attested by three Evangelists Matth. 21.42 Mark 12.10 Luke 20.17 and by his Apostles St. Peter Acts 4.11 and St. Paul Rom. 9.33 These words to be applied to Christ out of Isa 28.16 Of Christ then I shall rather interpret them than of David without doubt the Prophet being wonderfully illuminated by the Holy Ghost wrote concerning Christ as followeth 1. The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner Ver. 22 1. The Church is oftentimes in Scripture likened to a building of which the Saints are living stones of which Christ is the chief stone the head and corner stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that joins and keeps together the two walls Jewes and Gentiles 2. But the Jewes the Priests especially to whom did pertain the office of building the Church refused this stone and cast him aside We will not have this man to reign over us we have no King but Caesar They crucified him and in his Grave call'd him a Deceiver St. Peter layes it to their charge Acts 4.11 3. But God call'd for him again and he is become the head of the corner Ephes 2.20 That is he is made head of the whole Church and such a head that whosoever is not built upon him cannot be saved 2. This saith the Prophet was the Lords doing both his rejection and raising again was from him it was done by his Election and Divine Power not from any counsel or hand of man Acts 2.23 24. 3. And it is marvellous in our eyes For who can do less than wonder that a crucified man dead and butied should by his own power rise again after three dayes be immortal and have all power given to him and be made Head and Prince of all men and Angels For this mercy a day set apart and that by him there should be a way made to mortal men to the Kingdom of Heaven to the society of Angels and an immortal life For so great a work fit it is that a day be set apart and such there is saith David 1. This is the day that the Lord hath made which questionless was the day of his Resurrection and God is said to have made this day more than other as honouring it above other making it memorable to posterity in which the Son of righteousness arose from the Grave and making it an high and holy day from which every other Sunday had his Original This is the Lords day 2. And the end why this day was made for joy and gladness The duty of the day The day wherein Adam fell was a doleful day but this day wherein Christ rose from the dead is a joyful day The Redemption by Christ is a year of Jubilee the Resurrection of Christ is the chief day in the year We will therefore rejoyce for it and be glad in it 3. Yea and in the midst of our rejoycing we will pray and sound forth Osanuah to the son of David which is being interpreted Save now we beseech thee O Lord O Lord we beseech thee send now prosperity Blessed be he that comes in the Name of the Lord Which was the gratulatoâ—â— and precatory words that the people used to our Saviour when he rode in Triumph into Jerusalem Mat. 21. That we may be assured that the Form of Acclamation belongs nor so much to David as to Christ and it was the opinion of the Jewes That when their Messiah came these words should be sung before him that being the cause that the people used them then The whole Prophesie of Christs coming riding into Jerusalem in Triumph The Priests duty then to bless Rejection Passion Resurrection Benediction being thus explained the Prophet turns his speech to the people putting into the mouth of the Priests these words in which they were to do their Duty Numb 6. and to bless 1. We have blessed you as we ought to do all happiness be to you under this King 2. And all happiness be to you out of the house of the Lord from the Church and to the Church alone the blessing belongs Ye are the blessed of the Lord. 3. God is the Lord which hath shewed us light Revealed unto his Son the light of the World and removed from us the darkness of errour sin hell c. 4. Therefore be thankful unto him bind the Sacrifice with cords even to the horns of the Altar make a solemn day for it and meet in the Church to praise him 5. The fifth part Being a Doxology The Prophet concludes with a Doxology fit to be used by the people met and assembled in which he sets forth his faith and gratitude 1. Thou art my God 2. And I will praise thee which he ingeminates Thou art my God and I will exalt thee which ingemination shewes his ardent desire to be thankful 3. And so concludes with the same Exhortation that he began the Psalm and in the same words O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and eighteenth Psalm O Blessed and Holy Iesus King of the World and Head of the Church who hast bought us by thy blood and espoused us in mercy and loving-kindness Ver. 13 it is not unknown unto thée how the enemies of thy Truth dally oppose us and with what storms and tempests of persecutions we are daily assaulted The Devil daily thrusts sore at us that we might fall and Antichrist with his complices compass us about they compass us about they compass us about in anger and rage they swarm about us as thick as Bées to sting us even to death might they have their will upon us In these our dangers we have none to fly to but thée we have none to call upon in our distress but on thée Who art the Lord our God answer us O Lord and set our feet in a large place Be on our side and then we will not fear what man can do unto us take our part with them that help us and so shall we see our desire upon them that hate us We confess O Lord we confess before men and Angels that our sins with which we have provoked thy justice Ver. 18 have deserved far greater punishments and that for these Thou hast sorely chastned and corrected us yet in mercy Thou hast not
delivered over our souls to death this encourageth us yet to rely upon thée Ver. 8 and to trust to thée and we know It is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in man It is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in Princes Ver. 14 For some would but cannot some can but will not help but thou art a God of power and if thou wilt Thou canst become our salvation and we believe thou wilt because thou hast spared us hitherto and hast not given us over to death Save now we beseech thee O Lord O Lord we beseech thee send us now prosperity Be our strength that we may resist and be our salvation that in thy Name we may destroy them that compass us about Let the voyce of rejoycing and salvation be once more in the Tabernacles of the righteous and let this be their song The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly The right hand of the Lord is exalted The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly We have béen froward and stubborn children and for this the doors of thy house have béen shut against us in mercy O Lord open unto us once more the gates of righteousness Ver. 19 that we may go into them and praise the Lord That hath befallen to us Ver. 22 which befel our Head thy dear Son our Lord and Saviour He was the Head-stone of the corner and yet the chief builders refused him and cast him aside but thou didst not forsake him in this contempt and low condition Thou call'ost for him again and gavest him a Name above every name This was the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Look down now O Lord from thy Mercy-seat behold how the living stones in thy building are refused and cast aside call for them again and set them in their places and do it in such a way that the whole World may say This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give the praise In the day of thy power thy people shall offer thée free-will offerings they shall appear in the beauty of holiness and sing This is the day that the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it God is the Lord that hath shewed us light The Priests then shall bless thy people as they ought out of thy house Ver. 1 and every one of thy people shall sing with a loud voyce and with his whole â—eart Thou art my God and I will praise thee Thou art my God and I will exalt thee How joyful will be the melody of the whole Assembly as the Seraphims crying one to another O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good because his mercy endureth for ever Let Israel now say that his mercy endureth for ever Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercy endureth for ever Let them all now that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever It is his mercy that we were not consumed and his méer mercy that hath brought us together again into his house to offer unto him this Sacrifice of Thanksgiving in the Name of Iesus Christ our Lord Amen PSAL. CXIX Est mixti generis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AS this Psalm is the longest of all the rest so it is of most use because it teacheth us in what true happiness doth consist and by what means it may be obtained to wit in the keeping of Gods Commandments 1. To these David shewes a singular affection because there is not any one verse except the 122. in which he makes not mention of Gods Word under some of these names Law Statutes Precepts Testimonies Commandments Promises Wayes Word Judgments Name Righteousness Trâ—th 2. What he writes of them he desires no doubt to be committed to memory and to help us in that he hath divided the whole into twenty two Sections and comprized every Section in eight verses and every verse in the Hebrew of each Section begins with that letter with whith the Section is intituled as if it begins with Aleph then Aleph begins every verse if with Beth with Beth and so in all the rest for which this Psalm may be called the A. B. C. of godliness 3. Any other method of this Psalm cannot well be laid only we may say that every verse in it either contains 1. A Commendation of Gods Word from some excellent quality in it 2. Promises to those that keep it 3. Threatnings against them that keep it not 4. A prayer of David for grace to confirm him in the observation of it 5. Protestations of his unfeigned affection toward it The meaning of those Synonyma'es used in this Psalm under which the Commandments of God are signified which are ten 1. The Law because it is the Rule of our actions Torah Gods Doctrine 2. Statutes because in them is set down what God would have us do 3. Precepts because God as the great Law-giver prescribes the Rule for us 4. Commandments because God layes his Commands upon us for their observation 5. Testimonies because they witness his Will to us and his Good-will if observed by us 6. Judgments because they pronounce Gods judgment of our words works thoughts 7. His Word because they proceeded from his mouth 8. The wayes of God because they shew the way that God would have us walk 9. His Righteousness because they contain an exact righteousness and justice in them 10. Promises because they have the promises of life if kept PSAL. CXIX ALEPH. IN this first Octonary The Contents the Prophet commends to us the Law of God and perswades to the practice of it by two Arguments The first is happiness ver 1 2. The second is the excellency of the Law-giver ver 4. 2. He shewes his affection to this Law desiring grace to keep it ver 5. upon which he knew there would follow a double effect 1. Peace in Conscience He should not be ashamed and confounded ver 6. David perswades to obedience 2. Thankfulness to God for his teaching ver 7. 3. He acquaints us with his Resolution if God should assist him ver 8. Blessed are they who are undefiled in the way Ver. 1 who walk in the Law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his Testimonies Ver. 2 and seek him with their whole heart They also do no iniquity they walk in his wayes 1. The first argument Blessedness The first Argument the Prophet useth to perswade men to obedience is Blessedness which is so true that godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come eternal and temporal felicity depend upon it He then that would be happy must be obedient and his obedience if true may be thus discerned 1. Ver. 1 He must be undefiled in the way Via is vita and he must keep himself as much as may be from the dirt and filth of sin To
the Heathen 1 The Heathen The Lord hath done great things for them i.e. the Jews They saw that it was done at the set time prefix'd by Jeremy That Cyrus named by Isaiah did it that they were not only set free but sent home with rich gifts that a Commission was given to rebuild the Temple and the vessels of gold and silver restored all so far beyond expectation that they could not choose but say This is Gods doing The Lord hath done great things for them Yea and Cyrus himself acknowledgeth so much Ezra 1 2. 2. 2 The Jews Of the Jews 'T is true saith the Jew that you Heathen do acknowledge 1. The Lord hath done great things for us Far beyond our Merit far beyond our Hope Ver. 3 For he hath brought us out of a miserable Captivity and seated us again in our Countrey 2. Whereof we are glad Glad at heart that we are freed from your yoke 2. The second part But there were many of the Jews that stay'd behind They returned not all at once Many Jews stayed behind For the return of these he prayes Some of them went up with Ezra some with Nehemiah and some of them stay'd in those Countries still having married strange Wives and gotten possessions in it and for the return of these they pray to God that there might be a plenary and total reversion 1. Ver. 4 Turn our Captivity O Lord. Put it into their hearts that they may speedily and fully return and dwell with us leaving the Heathen 2. As the streams in the South Or as Junius reads it Tanquam validissimas aquas reducens in regionem siccam They that read it Tanquam torrentes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Austro give this sense of it That God by his Spirit which is in Scripture compared to a South-wind Cant. 4.16 would so move the hearts of the Jews that still lingred and loytered and remained among the Heathen that they would unanimously and in great companies return from thence Come down as a torrent of water some mighty flood or stream from the hills when the South-wind melts the Winter Snows which runs with such violence that it carries all along with it and the like happens also cum madidis Notus evolat alis And such a reduction the Church prayes for here universal total that by a mighty power God would work in them so to melt their hearts that it should generally sweep them along before it and not leave a man behind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the wind sits in the South But they that read it Tanquam valid as reducens aquas in regionem siccam by occasion of the Hebrew word Negheb that signifies also Australem plagam conceive that the Prophet may allude to some desert and dry places such as are those deserts of Arabia a Southern Countrey And they give this sense of it Turn our Captivity O Lord and let it be like those great rains that fall in those desert and dry places which refresh the earth and bring joy to the inhabitants Make it to us a joyful day as it is with those Southern people when the Rivers flow in dry places Both senses are apt but I prefer the first because it respects more properly the power of God in moving their hearts to an universal reduction and the manner of it their confluence and coming together 3. The third part The benefit great they should receive by it Yea but perhaps this their return might be grievous and troublesome to many of them such as married strange Wives which they were to leave◠such as had gotten possessions in Babylon such as learned the manners and Religion of the Heathen c. These liked not to alter their dwellings Well be it so the Prophet puts them in mind of an ample recompence Ver. 5 and illustrates it by a Metaphorical Proverb They that sow in tears shall reap in joy They may mourn for their departure from thence but when they should cast up the income benefit and increase that should come by it that would befall them which happens to the poorest Husbandman that sows his seed perhaps in a der year or which he hath bought or in an ill season with which he should sustain his family and therefore could ill spare it This he commits to the ground and covers it with clods not being sure whether ever he shall see it again or reap any benefit by it which puts him into a dump of sorrow He sows in tears But when once the harvest comes and he finds the increase and that the earth returns him his seed with usury then he reaps with joy For your comfort the like upon your return shall happen to you 'T will be you◠joy that you are return'd to your own Land where you shall enjoy your former possessions and over and above the Religion of your forefathers and abundant recompence for all losses you can sustain And this the Prophet amplifies or declares more fully in the next verse 1. He that goes forth and weeps viz. the poor husbandman for the reasons expressed bearing precious seed Semen acquisitionis or Semen acquisitum Seed bought with a price which augments his grief being so poor that he had none of his own Or else it may be read the Seed-basket but to the same-sense 2. He shall doubtless come again with joy with joy at time of harvest and bring his sheaves with him For every grain he sowed full ears of corn The general collection from this is That no man shall be a loser in obeying the voice of God if he part with any thing for him he shall be sure of an ample recompence There will be a turn extrema luctus gaudium occupat For the Cross they shall have a Crown Some refer these two last verses to the time of the Israelites carrying into Captivity and their return thence Thus. Then when they were carried away Captive they sowed in tears they went forth weeping But at their return they reaped in joy they brought their sheaves with them in that they were inrich'd by many gifts and favours But I conceive the former sense more coherent with the Text and closer to the Prophets purpose being a strong argument to the Jews that were over-backward to return The Prayer collected out of the one hundred and twenty sixth Psalm O Lord our God for our disobedience to thy holy Laws Ver. 1 and our ingratitude for that great light of thy Gospel which thou in mercy hadst caused to shine amongst us thou Lord hast brought us under a heavy Captivity Tyrants have had their wills upon us and have loaded our necks with a grievous yoke It is thy mercy alone that can relieve us Ver. 4 thy hand alone that is able to redéem us To thée therefore we fly Turn our Captivity O Lord and bring back our banished let it be so universal and unexpected that it may put all into admiration that behold
Name attributing the success to thy mercy only Never suffer us to be distracted with anxiety for the things of this life or be over-sollicitous for to morrow but having used those means which thou hast ordained honest labour and a competent thrist let us rely upon thy Providence and compose our minds to rest and sléep in it for this is the acquiescence thou givest to those thou lovest We know O Lord that children are the props of our Families Ver. 3 and that these are thy blessings also For children are an heritage of the Lord and the fâ—â—it of the womb are thy Reward Thou O God hast the Keyes of Heaven and Hell of Rain and Providence of the Grave and of the womb let not then thy servants féel the curse of dry breasts and a barren womb but make us joyful parents of children that may increase the number of thy redéemed Give us thy grace and favour that we may instruct them with diligence and méekness govern them with prudence and holiness and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord provide for them such useful imployments That they may be as Arrowes in the hand of a mighty man Ver. 4 defences and succours to our old age If it he thy blessed Will let them live to a full age and make us happy that we have our quivers full of them from whose powerful arm may be shot quick and sharp arrowes into the very hearts of those Ver. 5 who are enemies to all Piety thy Gospel and thy Truth fill O Lord thy Church with such children of youth who while they oppose the Adversary and maintain the sincerity of Religion in word and déed may never be ashamed nor yield when they speak with the enemies in the gate Grant us these things O gracious Father for thy Son our Lord Iesus Christs sake PSAL. CXXVIII IN this Psalm the Prophet perswades to fear God upon the several Rewards that attend upon Piety The Contents are these 1. He describes the pious man and pronounceth him blessed ver 1. 2. He proposeth the particulars of his blessing ver 2 3 5 6. 3. He gives his Acclamation to it ver 4. 1. The first part That man that fears God He describes the man who is to expect the blessing two qualities be must have 1. He must fear the Lord Fear to offend him not decline from him Ver. 1 2. Is Blessed He must walk in his wayes For this is the true character of his fear 3. This man shall be blessed yea every such man high or low rich or poor there is no exception Blessed is every one In a happy condition 2. The second part And the blessedness and happiness consists in these particulars 1. He shall enjoy those Goods which he hath honestly gotten with the labour of his hands Ver. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands His happiness is not in having much 1 In his goods but enjoying it Eccles 6.1 2. 2. Happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee So well that he shall have enough for himself and be able to relieve others and leave somewhat to his children 3. 2 In his wife Happy he shall be in his marriage too often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But he that fears the Lord and marries in the Lord shall be happy in his match 1. Ver. 3 His wife shall be as a fruitful Vine Fatifera non steriliâ— 2. Upon the walls of thy house Domi porta modest and shamefac't staying at home and caring for the things of the house while her Husband is taking care abroad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. 3 In his children Happy in his children 1. Thy childreâ— like the Olive-branches Fresh green spredding fruitful and pledges of peace not like sharp Thorns and a pricking Hedge 2. Round about thy Table It will be a comfort to see them sit with them eat with them and hear their pretty Discourse Now these temporal happinesses the Prophet concludes with an Acclamation Lo 〈…〉 the man be blest that fears the Lord. Thus in his goods Ver. 4 wiâ—â— â—â—ildren The third part 3. But there is a blessing attends him far beyond all this The Acclamation the summe of which is Ver. 5 1. Gods blessing The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion God shall-bless him by a federal blessing a Church-blessing 2. Thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem 1 With a Church-blessing the peace and prosperity of the Church all thy dayes 3. Yea thou shalt see thy childrens children Ver. 6 Et natos natorum qui nascuntur ab illis 2 With grand-children 4. And peace upon Israel 3 With a peaceable life And a flourishing Commonwealth and Kingdom for by peace is understood all prosperity The Prayer out of the One hundred and twenty eighth Psalm O Holy and just God if no blessing or happiness can befall any Ver. 1 but those which fear thée and walk in thy wayes we must needes acknowledge the cause to be just why we are brought into these straits and woful afflictions For when thou hadst opened unto us a full Sea of mercies and beyond our deserts confer'd upon us infinite and unspeakable benesits we have neglected thy fear and gone a whoring after our own inventions and thy Commandments being cast aside we have walked after our own wayes O Lord pardon our iniquities and be merciful to our sins Ver. 2 put thy fear into our hearts and obedience to thy Lawes Ver. 3 so shall we yet hope to eat the labour of our hands that we may yet be happy that our wives may be as the fruitful Vines upon the walls of our houses and our children as the Olive-branches round about our Tables Good God however thou please to deal with us yet remember thy afflicted Church and bless her out of thy high and holy place of Zion Ver. 5 she is thy Spouse let her then flourish as a fruitful Vine Ver. 6 and bring forth children unto thée let her sée her childrens children and enjoy a perpetual and a setled peace After our great troubles and afflictions it would be the rejoycing of our hearts might we but sée the good of Jerusalem all the dayes of our life and behold thy people Israel that are now divided by Factions and Schisms united in a Christian peace O thou who art the God of peace grant us this for his sake who made our peace thy only Son our Saviour Iesus Christ PSAL. CXXIX THE intent of the Prophet in this Psalm is to comfort the Church in affliction and to stir her up to glorifie God for his Providence over her alwayes over her for her good and bringing her enemies to confusion and a sudden ruine The Contents are 1. The indefatigable malice of the enemies of the Church ver 1 2 3. 2. That their malice is in vain for they pâ—â—â—ail not from ver 2. to 4. God saves them
the sword then Judiciary power may well be understood Deut. 32.41 Rom. 13.4 And the Saints at the last day are to be Judges 1 Cor. 6.2 Mat. 19.28 Then the exercise of this judiciary power shall be The end of that power 1. Vers. 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen to reprove them and to pronounce a condemnatory sentence against them to exprobate to them their former life Wisd 5.1 c. and to pronounce punishment on the people To judge them to punishment 2. Vers. 8 To bind even the greatest their Kings in chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron The phrase is Metaphorical as is that of the Gospel Mat. 22. Bind him hand and foot and cast him into utter darkness The meaning of it is that at the day of Judgement the Saints shall approve the sentence passed by Christ against all Nero's Diocletians Herods Julians when they shall be bound in chains of darkness and crushed by Christs iron Scepter 3. Vers. 9 To execute upon them the judgement written The judgement against wicked doers and persecutors of Gods Church written in Gods Book and as certain as if engraven in a pillar His immutable judgement 3. This is the glory of all his Saints He concludes with an Epiphonema This glory of sitting with Christ in the clouds and judging the world is the Glory of all his Saints Allelujah An Appendix to the four last Verses in this Psalm BEcause these last verses have according to mens fancies been applyed to several purposes as they might suit best with their interests therefore I thought good to say a little more of them 1. The Jews first applyed them to the time succeeding their Captivity and fancied to themselves that the promise was made to them that they should have a two-edged sword in their hand that is power to execute vengeance on the heathen c. But he that shall read the story of the Maccabees and Josephus shall find that such a time never came that so far they were from binding Kings in chains that Kings held them in bondage as Antiochus Seleucus Tryphon Pompey c. This sence then can have no foundation in these words 2. Which the Jews that now live perceiving tell us that these words shall have the accomplishment at the coming of their yet expected Messias for then they shall be Lords of the world and bind all Kings they please in chains and Nobles with fâ—tters of Iron c. But never any such temporal Messiah shall come and therefore this is but a fiction of their own brain 3. The Anabaptists Millenaries Fifth-Monarchy-Men dream also of such a golden age they tell us of a thousand years that Christ shall come and with his Apostles reign upon the earth in which time his Laws only must take place and that his Saints shall have a two-edged sword in their hands execute vengeance and punish who they please binds Kings and Nobles in chains punish who they please and execute the judgement written And the consequent of this Doctrine is destructive and dangerous as experience hath taught us in Muncer John of Lâ—yden our new Sectaries who upon it labour to unroot all Monarchies and destroy all that wear a Crown But this is but an illusion for of Christ it is said That him the Heavens must contain till the consummation of all things when Christ will come and take his Elect to him that where he is they may be also and that is into Heaven not on Earth Here then we may not expect to reign with him 4. A fourth opinion there is which is the most received and by very judicious Divines that these words are to be taken in a spiritual sense That by the Saints are to be understood Christ his Apostles and Successors that by the two edged Sword is to be understood the Word of God by Chains and Fetters the Lawes and Precepts of the Gospel by punishments the sharp rebukes used by the Ministers of the Word to stubborn sinners by the revenge taken on them Repentance which is a revenge taken for a former sin 2 Cor. 7.11 which being admitted the sense will run thus Let the hiâ—gh praises of God be in the mouth of his Ministers and the two-edged Sword of the Gospel Hebr. 4.12 in their hand to execute vengeance upon the Heathen to bring them to repentance and make them take revenge upon themselâ—es for their former wayes and punishments to utter sharp rebukes upon the people to bind not the people only and Plebians but even the most mighty Kings and Princes Nobles and great men with the Lawes of Christ and Precepts of the Gospel as fast as if they were bound with Chains of Brass and Fetters of Iron And 't is known how the greatest Princes have submitted their necks to the yoke and Doctrine of Christ To execute upon them the judgment written Not that any of Christs Ministers usurp Authority over Kings and Princes in temporal matters for they are only to proceed according to the letter of their Commission Go and teach all Nations and acquaint the greatest Princes That if they obey and believe the Gospel they shall be saved but if they believe not they shall be damned This is the judgment written and it is executed when proclaimed and preached to them which if it take no place it is beyond their Commission to raise Arms against them This is no where written Now this is the honour of all his Saints of all those whom he hath entrusted with his Commission And indeed an honour it is unto them to be his Embassadors and Heraulds 5. The fifth interpretation is that which I mentioned before in the Analysis who apply the Text to the Judiciary power that the Saints receive at the last day and I rather embrace it than the former But I leave every one to his choice The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty ninth Psalm THOV art worthy O Lord God of Heaven and Earth Ver. 1 to whom a new Song should be sung in the Congregation of thy Saints and indéed how can it he otherwise that that people Ver. 2 who acknowledge thée the God that made them and the King who rules and governs them should do less than rejoyce in thée their Creator and be joyful in their Soveraign Ver. 3 To this end we tune our hearts and conform our voyces and because they are too little call for the assistance we do of all Musical Instruments Praise thee we will with Timbrel and Harp There is no merit at all in us why thou shouldst look upon us a mass of corruption and sin we find in our selves but nothing to deserve thy love Ver. 4 and yet thou in mercy hast béen pleased to take pleasure in us to redéem to justifie to sanctifie us and to beautifie all such as are méek in heart with salvation In thy good time O Lord bring us to glory Ver. 5 where we may be joyful with thy Saints