and in Truth according to his Word and Promise He will accept no mans person but render to every man according to his works The Prayer collected out of the ninty sixth Psalm O Merciful Lord so déep is the Sea of thy mercies which hath from everlasting flow'd over unto us and thy dayly favours Vers. 1 2. that thou doest conter upon us that except we will be ungrateful we must sing unto thee a new Song for new blessings and bless thy name for fresh gifts and graces Vers. 5 What is man that thou shouldst be so mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldst regard him Thou who madest the heaven Vers. 4 createdst him after thy own image but he defaced it Vers. 5 Thou who wert to be feared far above all gods gavest him a command to worship and honour thee but he made to himself other gods which indéed were no gods Vers. 4 but petty and ridiculous Deities and cast by thée the great God of heaven and earth a God greatly to be praised a God to be feared above all gods and worshipped the inventions of his own brain and the works of his own hands But all this did not cool thy love nor retard thy mercy even when all the kindreds of the Nations did serve other gods thou sentest them Redemption thou sentest thy Son to be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Great and marvellous are thy works O Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Vers. 2 who ought not to fear thee and glorifie thy Name Warm therefore our cold hearts with thy love that we may shew forth thy Salvation from day to day Vers. 3 Make our flow tongues eloquent and powerful that we may publish this glad-ridings and declare thy glory unto the heathen and thy wonders to all people So resplendent is thy Honour and Majesty so immense thy strength Vers. 6 so illustrious thy beauty that we dust and ashes tremble in our approaches to thee and were it not for those commands thou hast laid upon and invitations and encouragements thou hast given to penitent and believing sinners we durst not presume to tender our selves and our homage before thee Vers. 7 But since thou hast call'd for a gift from us we do fréely give unto thée glory and strength fluce thou doest expect as a due debt glory to thy name we chéerfully give thée glory and proclaim thy name to the whole world The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Offerings we have none that are worthy of thée Vers. 8 yet such as we have we bring we offer unto thée the Sacrifice of a troubled and a contrite spirit we tender unto thée our petitions and thanks upon the Altar of a mortified and broken heart we confess our unworthiness and fast and wéep before thée we come into thy Courts and present what we are able two poor mites soul and body Lord accept of these our offerings for Iesus Christs sake Our desire is to worship thee in the Beauty of Holiness to be holy as thou art holy to be perfect as thou art perfect but being conscious to our selves of the impurity and imperfections of our own hearts and sensible of thy excellencies we step back for very fear and retire for shame Bold and impudent we cannot be in thy presence but we worship thée with trembling spirits and adore with reverence Yet thus much we are and may be bold to proclaim among the heathen The Lord reigneth Vers. 10 Jehovah who is our righteousness is our King long let him reign Vers. 11 for ever let him live Hosannah to the son of David and let all things in heaven and earth say Amen to it Let the Angels and Saints in Heaven rejoice at it Vers. 12 let all men on earth be glad of it let the wicked who are like the troubled Sea will they nill they reare it out let the fulness thereof the impious spirits that move them bow at the Name of Jesus Yea let the wildest tree in the field and wood be brought at last to confess that Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father O thou great King of all the world Vers. 11 to whom all power is given in heaven and earth rule thy people with thy Word and Spirit and judge the adversaries of thy worship and enemies of thy Gospel bear rule and dominion among the heathen that yet have not submitted unto thee let the whole world be established by thy Gospel and thy Laws take place among them and never be removed Lord hasten thy Kingdom and appear in thy glory Even so come Lord Jesus Vers. 13 Come quickly Come to judge the earth seat thy self upon thy Throne and call all the Nations of the world before thee and make it known that thou art not an accepter of any mans person but that thou wilt judge the world with righteousness and the people with thy Truth and that those that have done ill shall go into eternal punishment but the righteous into life eternal Be thou my King O sweet Iesus inform me in thy Law guide and rule me by thy Spirit cause me so to worship and fear thee to offer such spiritual Sacrifices unto thee to give what I owe such glory and honour to thy Name that at thy coming I may be set on thy right-hand and be one of that number to whom thou wilt say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world For thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen PSAL. CXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IN this Psalm David sets forth Gods power and glory and being moved by the Spirit of Prophesie foretels the downfall of Idolators and the happy estate of those who serve God with an honest heart Three parts there are of this Psalm 1. A Prophetical description of Christs power and glory especially at the day of judgement from vers 1. to 7. 2. A manifest difference put betwixt Idolators and the people of God Confusion he imprecates to the first vers 7. And gives notice of the joy of the second with the reasons vers 8 9. 3. He exhorts those that love God to a good life encouraging them upon Gods favour vers 10. And upon the joy that is like to follow it vers 11. for which he stirs them up to rejoice and to be thankful vers 12. He begins with a Solemn Acclamation The Lord reigneth The first part God is the Supreme King being the self-same that he commanded to be proclaimed in the former Psalm vers 10. As if he had said By the coming of Christ the Empire of Death Vers. 1 the Power of the Devil all Oracles are silenc'd and all Idols destroy'd And he will use his Scepter
yet thou canst hear me and therefore I cry O Lord hear 3. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications 'T is to no purpose to cry for audience except he will be attentive to whom we cry And therefore begs of God that he would vouchsafe to hear to attend 2. The second part Yea but there was great reason why God should nor hear nor yet encline his ear to his cry He was a grievous sinner and God hears not such Well be it so yet his case was but the same with other men All men involv'd in sin as well as he and therefore if this should be a sufficient impediment that he should not be heard the like lay against other men and so God attentive to no prayer He desires therefore to remit his sin and that this might not be charged upon him 1. Ver. 3 If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand mirabilis rhetorica 2 He cryes for Remission of Sin I nor no other man can bring into thy sight any thing else but filth sinne shame and therefore if thou shouldst deal with us in rigour of justice and execute thy anger necessary it is that all be condemn'd not a man stand in thy sight 1 Acknowledging his own misery But it becomes not thy infinite goodness to destroy all men and therefore I need not seem overbold if I cry out of my depths and ask a pardon 2. Ver. 4 But there is mâ—rcy with thee or forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feard 2 Gods mercy True repentance requires two things the recognition of our own misery and the perswasion of Gods mercy Both are needful for he that knows not his own misery seeks not for help and he that knows not Gods mercy despairs In the three former verses David acknowledgeth himself in a pitiful case for he was in the depths and cryes from thence that if God should deal with him in rigour of justice he were undone never able to abide it In this verse he comforts himself with Gods mercy and that notwithstanding the greatness and multitude of his sins he hoped for pardon as if he had said Though no man can abide it if thou shalt mark our iniquities yet I know that by nature thou art merciful and forgivest fin 2. 3 The end of remission that God be feared That thou mayst be feared not with a servile but with a filial fear which comprehends invocation faith hope love adoration confession giving of thanks and all the duties of the first Table With this fear I fear thee in this I fly to the throne of grace and because thou art a Merciful God I hope for pardon 3. The third part The method of Gods Servants in their addresses to heaven is that they Believe 4 He hopes and expects favour Hope Pray Expect This course David took he prayed believed he hopes in Gods mercy and now he expects to find favour in the fifth and sixth verses Ver. 5 Every word of which is able to inform confirm and comfort a distressed soul 1. I expect the Lord. Upon him only he relies and prescribes nor time nor manner leaves to him to succour him at what season he pleaseth For his part he would be still an Expectant 2. For which he will wait My soul doth wait His expectation was not formal but real an expectation that proceeded from the fervency of his heart He hungred and thirsted after righteousness 3. His expectation was no presumption Upon Gods word but well grounded upon Gods Word and Promises Dent. 4.29 30. And in his Word is my hope 4. And that we may know his expectation was earnest Ver. 6 full of faith and hope he repeats it My soul waits for the Lord He ingeminates his hope which he declares by a Similitude of men set upon a watch in the night that long for the morning 5. I wait for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning It was now night with him darkness and misery was upon his soul the morning he expected was remission which must come from Gods mercy for this he waited this he expected more greedily than watchmen look for the morning light that they may be freed from their station Which though it be not in their power yet they expect it He proposeth his example to Gods people 4. This his example he proposeth to Gods people and exhorts them to do the like and to animate and encourage them in it adds his reasons 1. Let Israel hope in the Lord. Take out my example Ver. 7 and do thereafter Let them cry è profundis expect upon his word and promise wait his leasure For which God is mercy 2. For with the Lord there is Mercy Not only a Merciful God but Mercy it self With him it is and from him it flows to us And our Misery is a fit object for his Mercy No other creature can help because miserable And plentious redemption 3. And with him is Redemption That we needed being sold under sin and that we found a price given for us to redeem us the precious blood of his dear Son 4. And this his Redemption was Copiosa redemptio plentiful abundant for by it he redeemed the whole world 1 Joh. 1.2 Ver. 8 and bequeathed to his an inheritance in heaven Rom. 8.17 Which he will apply to Israel only 5. But this is to take effect upon Israel his people only For he shall redeem Israel from all his sins It is not as the Jews expect a temporal redemption but a spiritual as the Angel told Joseph His name shall be Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins which is begun in this life and shall be perfected in the other where we shall be delivered not only from sin but the punishment and danger of sinning The Prayer out of the one hundred and thirtieth Psalm O Most just and holy God whose eyes cannot approve iniquity no not in thy best and dearest servants we must néeds confess that for our rebellion and ingratitude against thée we are justly brought to this abyss of troubles from which without thy help we cannot escape Ver. 1 Being then oppressed and overwhelmed with these depths of sin and misery Ver. 2 from the bottom of our hearts we cry unto thée O Lord Lord hear our voice and let thine ears be attentive to our supplications lest if thou make as though thou hearest not we become like them that descend into the pit Pity our infirmities and remember thy mercy for which our misery is a fit object be not unto us a severe Iudge but a merciful Father and take not that revenge upon us which we deserve for if thou shalt observe and punish according to the rigour of justice Ver. 3 what man amongst us is so holy and pure in thy eyes that he may
is a happy man Now whether he speaks of That is of compassionate bowels and applies the following particulars to the poor and needy or to the man that considers him Interpreters are doubtful the particular comforts are six 1. The Lord will deliver him in time â—f trouble Ver. 2 2. The Lord will preserve him that he faint not in his great troubles The particulars of his blessing 3. The Lord will keep him alive prolong his life and dayes 4. He shall be blessed upon earth God shall enrich him and bless his substance 5. Thou wilt not deliver him to the will of his enemies never to their will to their full desire though sometimes into their hands 6. The Lord will strengthen him upon the Bed of languishing Ver. 3 Thou wilt make his Bed in his sickness He shall have comfort in his grief and assurance of Gods favour in his sick Bed Now before he enters upon the second part The second part He petitions for mercy the complaint of the unkindness of men to him he offers a short ejaculation to God begging mercy health and pardon which he asks upon confession of his sins health he asks first for his soul that being healed from sin he doubts not it would go well with his body 1. Ver. 4 I said the Lord be merciful to me merciful to my sin 2. Heal my soul in which there is yet the sense of thy wrath 3. He complains of others malice And the Reason is because I have sinned against thee And the complaint of himself being ended he complains of others 1. Of their hatred and malice My enemies speak evil of me 2. Ver. 5 Of their cruelty they long for my death they say When shall he dye and his name perish 2 Cruelty They would have no memory left behind of me 3. 3 Perfidiousness Their perfidious dealing and dissimulation They come indeed to visit me but it is to fish what they can from me Ver. 6 to make their advantage of it If he comes to see me he speaks vanity all vain and feigned words for his heart gathereth iniquity to it self fraudulently searcheth my counsels for presently being gone abroad he openeth and tells all to my hurt 4. 4 Conspiracies Of their plots and conspiracies All that hate me whisper together against me Ver. 7 against me do they devise my hurt 5. 5 Joy at his miseries Their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exultation at his misery An evil disease say they cleaveth unto him and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more 6. 6 Of a perfidious friend Of the perfidiousness of some particular friend perhaps Achitophel Yea mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath lift up his heel against me I fed and fatted the Beast and he kicked at me And then he prayes The third part He prayes to God to raise him But thou O Lord be merciful unto me and raise me up which prayer he enforceth by these Reasons 1. That thereby as a King he should have power to do justice on Traytors That I may requite them 2. Ver. 10 By this he should have experience of Gods favour By this I know thou favourest me c. 3. Ver. 11 This will be a testimony unto me that thou favourest not only my person but my cause Ver. 12 As for me thou upholdest me in my integrity and seâ—tâ—st me before thy face for ever Then he closeth the Psalm with a Benedictus And concludes with a Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting Ver. 13 Amen Amen The Prayer collected out of the forty first Psalm O Merciful God Ver. 1 who shewedst compassion toward the compassionate and hast promised mercy to those who are merciful so stir my bowels within me that I may rejoyce with thy servants that rejoyce and mourn with those that mourn never let me behold any of thy servants in want distress misery and affliction but let me consider it seriously and wisely lay it to heart make his my own case and chearfully afford him that help and comfort which I would expect and desire my self if it should please thée to visit me with the same or the like affliction This very day is a day of blackness and heaviness of gloominess and sad affliction unto thy servants and Lord out of a fellow-feeling I lay it to heart I pray not for my self alone but for them also O Lord deliver them in this time of trouble preserve them and kéep them that they fall not into evil nor faint not under their pressures Ver. 2 Prolong their dayes that they may sée thy revenge upon their enemies and bless to them good God that little substance which the spoiler and destroyer hath yet left to them The malice of their enmies is unsatiable their desire is to root them out that they may be no more a people O never deliver them to their will nor leave them in their hands into which thou hast now brought them for some reasons best known to thée When thou shalt cast any of these upon his sick bed then stand by him and strengthen him and comfort him though his body languish yet let thy consolations refresh his soul if it so séems good to thée make him whole again however soften under him his Bed ease his pain and let him rest swéetly and quietly in thy arms Make thou for him his Bed in all his sickness Lord be merciful unto him heal his soul and let it not be wounded with a desperate sense of thy hot displeasure As thou hast made him an object of pity to us so make him an object of mercy to thée and in confessing his sin let him find ease and assurance of pardon Thou Lord knowest our enemies how many they are and how they bear a tyrannous hate against us they speak evil of us they imprecate evil against us The prolongation of our life is an eye-fore to them and the lengthning of our dayes a corrosive to their hearts They long for our death and wish the abolition of our names and memory from under Heaven They may come indéed sometimes to visit us and insinuate themselves into our company but it is not out of any good will for even then they lay snares for us The kind words they use are full of falshood and dissimulation their intent is thereby to dive into the counsels of our hearts that they make some narrative to our destruction They whisper and lay their heads together with one consent all that they devise is to do us mischief under their power and command they have brought us and now that we are down their plot is that we never rise again Yea and how many of us may justly say which is a great corrosive to our souls My own familiar friends whom I trusted which did eat of my bread whom I have fed at my Table
Wicked men these are corrupters of all Truth and Religion Blood-thirsty men these are that thirst after the blood of thy Saints and use all their force power and conspiracies to root them out of the Earth they lie in wait for our souls they are gathered together for our ruine O send us help from thy holy Heaven and save us from the rage of them who would eat us up Many many grievous offences we have committed against thée our God but it is not for these crimes they at this time invade us but they are haters of true Religion and implacable enemies to true Piety which because we maintain therefore they craftily take counsel and wisely they work to our destruction O Lord Thou knowest that without any fault or offence of ours they run and prepare themselves to Battel Therefore O just God who art a witness of our innocency and their cruelty be not like one that sléeps arise to help us that séek thée behold our miseries and stand up for us that stand for thée and since thou art the Lord of Hosts who hast all Armies at thy Command and the God of Israel whom thy people serve suffer not thy chosen to be thus oppressed by wicked men whose pride excéeds that of the Heathen Visit them in anger O Lord and be not merciful to them that offend of malicious wickedness they are an object of vengeance not of mercy execute then thy severe wrath upon them Are not their works altogether the symptoms of an obstinate and hard heart Earnest they are to execute their plots they run too and fro In the Evening when good men are at rest then they arise for mischief mad as Dogs to bring their purposes to pass They grinne they threaten they walk round the City observing where they may take their Prey Boldly they speak with their mouth what their heart intends and the words that procéed from thence are very Swords breathing to us nothing but death and utter extirpation Thy Majesty they regard not and as for man their pride and power is so great they care not who hears them for they know that few are able and fewer willing to help us But thou O Lord sittest in Heaven upon thy Throne and hearest and séest all things both our oppressions and their insultations frustrate their attempts evacuate their endeavours have their persons in derision and laugh all their projects to scorn Let them not be visited with the visitation of all men Slay them not lest the people forget it but scatter them among the people make them for their flagitious lyes and perjuries become Wanderers and Beggars Let them run here and there for meat and grudge if they be not satisfied Consume them O Lord consume in thy wrath bring them down from their Throne out them from their power and dignity let their unjust gotten goods perish and their great wealth come to nought that they may know that it is God that rules in Jacob and unto the end of the World The sin of their mouth is impudent the words of their lips blasphemy Ver. 12 their very preaching is cursing and lyes therefore spare them not but let them be taken by the pride of their words and fall into that snare of destruction in which they were wont to boast that they would catch other innocent men Make us so happy O our Eod that we may sée our desires upon thy enemies so shall we sing of thy power and praise thy mercy aloud in the Morning and all shall know that thou art a strong Tower of defence and a sure refuge to all that in sincerity of heart in the day of trouble call upon thée Unto thee O Lord will I sing for thou O God art my Refuge and the God of my Mercy Thou alone hast mercy on me and to thée alone will I call for mercy through Iesus Christ my Lord. Amen PSAL. LX. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel Triumphale BEfore Davids time 1 Chron. 18. and in the beginning of his reign Israel was in a distressed condition He composed and quieted all And made War and conquered the Moabites c. Edom only was not vanquished In this Psalm then he gives thanks for his victories And prayes for assistance for the conquest of Edom. The parts of it in general are 1. A commemoration of the former lamentable distracted condition of the Israelites vers 1 2 3. 2. The condition of it under his reign much better from vers 4. to 9. 3. His thankfulness in ascribing all his victories to God from vers 9. to 12. 1. The first part The former condition of Israel which he laments In the first he shews that God was angry with Israel 1. Of which he laments the effects of his anger 2. And then prayes for the aversion 1. O Lord thou hast or hadst cast us off 2. Thou hast scattered us abroad thou hast been displeased 3. Vers. 1 Thou hast made the earth to tremble 4. Thou hast broken it 5. Thou hast shew'd thy people heavy things 6. Thou hast given us a drink the wine of astonishment Every syllable of which Congeries will appear to be most true to him that shall examine the story of the Israelites before Sauls reign under his government upon his death and the first entrance of David to the Kingdom The stirs he had and wars with the house of Saul until Ishbosheth was taken out of the way 2. Imputes to Gods anger All which wars civil and external with the calamities that flowed from them Vers. 1 he imputes to Gods anger vers 1. Thou hast been displeased 3. And prayes to God to turn to them And upon it prayes 1. O turn thee to us again Let us enjoy thy countenance which was averted Vers. 1 2. Vers. 2 Heal the breaches of the Land Close the wounds made by these contentions and it seems they were not yet all perfectly closed For he adds It shaketh 2. The second part But now the condition of it was much better All being brought under one King The present condition of Israel 2. And he victorious over his forreign enemies 1. Thou now hast given a Banner to them that fear thee All Israel all those that are thy servants are brought to acknowledge and fight under one standard Vers. 4 in effect have receiv'd me for their sole King the factions and parties being quieted David being King 2. That it may be display'd Set up that Israel may know under whom to fight and whose part to take 3. According to Gods promise Because of thy Truth Who by this hast made it appear that it was no fiction nor no ambition of mine to set up this standard But a Truth that I was by Samuel by thy special appointment Anointed to be King And I am now invested with the Crown for the performance of thy Truth and Promise 4. Vers. 5 And the end is especially that I should bring deliverance to thy
was good reason for God had been very good to him which in the next verses he declares and calls to others to come and hear that too 1. Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul To those that fear God he calls to come for they were most likely to regard it Vers. 16 And he calls them not to confider what Sacrifices how many how bountiful he offered Not what he had done to God but what God had done to him 2. And this was that God had done for him I cryed unto him with my mouth and extoll'd him with my tongue and God heard me and attended to the voice of my prayer vers 17 19. 3. Yea but then he would have notice taken what kind of person he was when he cryed and prayed No impious person no impenitent sinner conscious enough of infirmities but no way indulgent to his sin For if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me God hears not sinners 5. The fifth part A Doxology Lastly He closeth the Psalm with a Doxology blessing God that out of mercy not of any merit he would hear and grant his requests Blessed be God which hath not turn'd away my prayer nor his mercy from me The Thanksgiving and Prayer out of the sixty sixth Psalm O All ye that dwell in the earth Vers. 1 make a joyful noise unto God set a Psalm to the honour of his name obscure not his glory darken not his honour but in a glorious and magnificent fashion make it known that praise and honour are his due Say even before God O Lord how wonderful and admirable are thy wayes and thy works past finding out how terrible are thy doings even among thy very enemies so that not only they which love and serve thée with an honest heart shall submit unto thée but even those whom thou hast conquered by thy power and subdued by thy mighty arm Those willingly these against their wills shall adore and worship and sing praise to thy name which is great wonderful and holy But O the stupidity of men O the dullness of our wits God does terrible things but they are not regarded his works are wonderful but they are not considered Come then and sée the works of God and confessed it must be that he is terrible in his doings toward the children of men Who was it that turn'd the red Sea into dry land was it not thée O Lord Who made Jordan to stand on a heap till thy people went through the flood on foot was it not thy power Even we we that were not then born will rejoyce for it being assured that thou which didst these wonders for them wilt do even mighty things for us also in them we were delivered we were saved In him I say did they rejoice and in him will we rejoice since it is the same God that rules by his power for ever the same God whose eyes of providence beholds all Nations conserving Crowns disposing Scepters and upholding Cities and civil Societies in a word the same God that brings down the rebellious though they exalt themselves and set their nests above the clouds O God of our salvation thou hast of late shew'd thy people heavy things Vers. 10 proved us thou hast by many tribulations tryed us by a fiery affliction even as silver is melted and tryed in the fire till it be purified and refined from the dross but not consumed Thou hast permitted us to be brought into captivity and slavery Our enemies have enclosed us as with a Net out of which we had no hope to escape upon our loyns they have laid heavy loads as if we were no better than beasts of burden They have set their feet upon our necks and insulted and rode over our heads So many have been our calamities so many our pressures that we seem'd as men burning in a fiery furnace or compassed round with a vast deluge of waters And yet O Lord we were not consumed thou even thou hast upheld our soul in life and not suffered us for any affliction to fall from thee pressed we were but not oppressed sing'd but not burnt tempted but not overcome in mercy thou hast not suffered our feet to slip And to endear and crown this thy mercy the more unto us after all this trial and trouble thou hast brought us into a moist fertile and wealthy place where for sorrow we shall have joy for discomfort refreshment for barrenness fertility for want plenty in a word for our troubles rest and felicity Now for this wonderful and unexpected vicissitude O bless our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard This thy goodness O Lord shall never be written in sand nor laid up in an ungrateful heart for this I will go into thy house and fall low before thy foot-stool and offer unto thee a Sacrifice of praise which is better than all burnt-offerings I will pay thee there those vowed thanksgivings which my lips have clearly uttered and my mouth hath distinctly spoken when I was in trouble Cheerfully and willingly I will offer unto thee as a Holocaust upon the Altar of a penitent heart the whole man body and soul to be a living holy and acceptable Sacrifice unto thee And indeed I should be very ungrateful should I offer less for Come you hither all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul In my great distress and sorrow of heart I cryed aloud to him for help with my mouth and as I cryed my tongue exalted and extolled him as him alone that was able and I expected to deliver me and because I call'd unto him with a clean and sincere heart he graciously heaâ—â— me and gave attention to my prayer For of this I am assured that had I served him with a double heart and called upon him with hypocritical lips that the Lord had not heard me For obstinate malicious impenitent sinners he will not hear nor such as regard iniguity with their heart Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which hath not turn'd away my prayer not that I am worthy to be heard not that I can bring any thing of worth that may encline his ear It is his sole mercy his love his goodness that I can plead and out of his mercy he hath heard and I am assured that he will hear those petitions which I offer unto him in the name of Jesus Christ his Son my only Lord and Saviour Amen PSAL. LXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm contains a Prayer of Israel first for the flourishing estate of their own Church and people and then that the Mercy and Blessing of God might be so extended to them that the Kingdom of Christ might be enlarg'd and all Nations come in and bless and praise God with them with joyful hearts and exultation of spirit The parts are 1. A general Prayer
vers 1. and the reason vers 2. 2. A double vow vers 3 4. with the reason The vow repeated vers 5. 3. The effects which were to follow vers 6 7. 1. The first part A prayer for 1. Mercy He first desires of God that he would so carry himself to his Church and people that it might appear that he hath a care of them that he loves them 1. Vers. 1 God be merciful to us favour us for his Mercy is the fountain of all our good 2. 2 A blessing Then Bless us Give whatsoever is good Temporal spiritual blessings 3. 3 The blessing of favour and grace Vers. 2 In particular Cause his face to shine upon us Clear up his countenance to us Every man desires a blessing the good man this blessing 4 That this blessing be extended to all people the blessing of the right-hand Let him openly shew that he favours us And for this he gives his reason viz. That the light may be communicative and the benefit pass over to others The second part even unto all men all Nations 1. In which he votes praise to God and desires that all may join with him That thy Way thy Will thy Word thy Works may be known on earth 2. Thy saving health not in Jury alone but among all Nations He desires that all men may come to the knowledge of the Truth and take notice of those wayes which he takes for the salvation of his people 2. And upon it he Votes honour to God for one will easily and naturally flow from the other Vers. 3 his mercy brings knowledge and his knowledge praise Let the people praise thee O God Let all the people praise thee This verse is Emphatical 1. Vers. 5 In respect of the Object Te. Thee Not other strange gods 2. Celebrent omnes All the people Not mutter thy praises but make them illustrious 3. And do it he artily And do it often Repeat them again and again as he doth this verse vers 5. 4. Vers. 4 And do it with a joyful and glad heart O let the Nations rejoice and sing for joy And of this also he gives his reason The reason the Acts that flow from Gods special providence his governing his moderating his directing his people 1. 1 Gods equity in judging His equity in judging Thou shalt judge the people righteously 2. 2 His wisdom in ordering His wisdom in governing Thou shalt govern lead and direct the Nations and that on earth that they know the way to eternal happiness Via gratia via gloriae 3. The third part The Consequences The effects of his blessing and our praise are expressed in the two last verses 1. Vers. 6 Then shall the earth yield her increase Which literally is an ample Harvest Spiritually 1 An increase the inhabitants of the earth shall increase in knowledge thanks c. 2. And God shall bless this increase for without his blessing 2 A blessing of that increase the increase will be to little purpose God even our God shall bless Which he ingeminates that it be not forgotten God shall bless Vers. 7 3. The last effect is 3 Gods worship that God shall be worshipped and honoured all the world over And all the ends of the earth shall fear him The Prayer collected out of the sixty seventh Psalm O God great in power but infinite in mercy acknowledge we do that thou art the Father of all gifts and the Fountain of all goodness Vers. 1 and from thy bounty and liberality it is that we receive whatsoever we can call ours and therefore we humbly beséech thée to be favourable and merciful to us to bless unto us whatsoever is good and make it openly and plainly appear that thou doest carry a serene aspect and a clear countenance towards us That so while we remain in this earth we may perfectly know that way that leads to thée and to our future happiness And this mercy we ask not for our selves alone but for all Nations Vers. 2 O happy day when not in Jury alone but all the world over thy wayes shall be made known when there shall be but one fold and one shepherd and thy saving health made evident and receiv'd by all Nations Bring to pass O God that many may come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God Vers. 3 Thy name will be glorious thy honour enlarg'd when the Gentiles with the Jews and the Jews with the Gentiles shall with one heart and one voice sing hymns to thy name O then let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Thou art a just God in equity judge for us thou art a wise God in wisdom govern and direct us Deliver thy people from the tyranny of men and from the rage and fury of Devils direct and govern our hearts in the way of thy Laws and in the works of thy Commandments so shall we appear in thy presence with joyful and glad hearts and sing merrily our songs of Zion to thy name Again and again I beg of thée O Lord that all men may come to the knowledge of thy truth and confess thy name O let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Let them cast away their strange gods and fall low before thy foot-stool and adore thée alone the Maker of all things the Redéemer of all men for then the Lord will hear the heavens and the heavens shall hear the earth and the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Israel Out of thy mercy O God bestow upon us the light of thy countenance and grateful hearts that so all other things may be administred unto us bless our fields with increase and our houses with abundance and because all plenty is no better than poverty without thy blessing give thy blessing to that thou hast given so shall we fear thy name and adore thy Majesty and admire thy wise providence and in all reverence and humility set forth thy praise from generation to generation Amen PSAL. LXVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DIverse conjectures there are of the occasion of the composure of this Psalm But the most probable is that it was composed by David when he brought up the Ark of God which was the Type of the Church and Symbol of Gods presence to Jerusalem This after it was sent home by the Philistines rested first in the obscure Lodge of Aminadab then for a while it stay'd with Obed-Edom near sixty years in both places It was Davids care to provide a fit room for it in the head of the Tribes even in his own City And to express his joy and honour the Solemnity David led the way dancing with all his might in a linnen Ephod and all the house of Israel followed with shouts and instruments of
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
God in promising and a faithful God in performing thy Holy Covenant that thou hast remembred thy Mercy and Truth toward the house of Israel This is a mercy beyond all mercies and in mercy good Lord continue this mercy unto us Never remove our Candlestick or remove the light of thy Gospel from us And though at this time it be eclipsed and that very justly for our unthankfulness in the use of this light for our undervaluing of it and not rejoicing in it yet we beséech thée upon our contrition and amendment of our lives let it repent thee of the evil that thou hast brought upon thy people and all mists of error and heresie all darkness of prophaneness being dispell'd shew forth the bright beams of thy countenance unto those thousands of Israel who seek and sigh after thy Truth with an honest heart Descend Vers. 9 O Lord descend and with righteousness judge the cause of thy poor afflicted oppressed people in equity raise their grieved souls Let thy Truth flourish the Gospel have a free passage amongst us and bring to a spéedy confusion all that are enemies to thy peace through Iesus Christ our Lord. PSAL. XCIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Subject matter of this Psalm is the self-same with the former for it sets forth the Glory of Christs Kingdom the Majesty Power and Justice of the King and exhorts all by the example of his former servants to exalt call on him and praise him Two parts of this Psalm 1. A Description of Christs Kingdom 1. From the Majesty and Terrour of it against his enemies ver 1 2 3. 2. From the Equity of it in execution of judgment and justice ver 4. 3. From the King 's Patience and Clemency in giving Audience to his servants 6 7 8. 2. A Demand of praise and honour of all that acknowledge him for their King Psal 93. begun at the third verse repeated at the fifth and continued in the last This is the third time he begins his Hymus with this solemn Acclamation The first part Christ is King The Lord reigneth Jehovah is King And then as is usual in Musick Rests and pauseth as it seems to me after as if he had recovered breath Ver. 1 he sings with full voyce 1. The Terrour Power Glory and Majesty of it He bids the defiance to his enemies and comforts his people 1. He bids a defiance as it were to all his enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irascantur commoveantur fremant populi let the people be angry fret and be unquiet as Psal 2.1 Let the earth that is the Tyrants of the earth be movd at it yet let them know that all their endeavours are but vain For 1. God is present with his Church For 1. He sits between the Cherubims the Cherubims were over the Ark by which was signified the presence of God with his people and they covered the Propiatory and Ark with their wings The sense then is God is alwayes present with his people to them and therefore no fear though the earth be moved Ver. 2 2. The Lord is great in Zion of great power and high above all people 2 He is potent and higher than all people in Majesty Power Wisdom no fear then for this also though the earth be moved 3. His Name is great and terrible Great Ver. 3 and therefore terrible to his enemies for it is holy and therefore venerable In a word 3 His Name great and terrible holy his Regal Majesty and Regal Sanctity is such that he is a most potent and a most just King and therefore no fear yet though the earth be moved rather let them give the praise and honour due unto his Name 2. Our Prophet describes the Kingdom of Christ 4 He is a just King from the justice and equity which is administred in it and thereby moves his not to fear though the earth be moved Ver. 4 1. The Kings strength Hoz heb strength honour dignity authority holiness c. loveth judgment judgeth righteously out of the love he bears to justice not constrained by fear passion or necessity 2. And this he shews by the following Apostrophe in which he thus speaks to the King 1. Thou dost establish equity Confirm and establish just and equal Laws 2. Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob In thy Kingdom thou executest these Laws also justly by punishing sin and rewarding good works of which there be examples in both Testaments for though for a time he suffered the godly to be afflicted and the ungodly to be exalted yet he at last frees his servants and crowns their patience but he falls in fury on the wicked and damns them he punisheth sometimes in this life alwayes in the life to come Upon which the Prophet collects That God is to be adoted to which he earnestly exhorts Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at his Foot-stool for he is holy For this he exhorts us 1. Exalt ye by praising his Majesty with the heart Ver. 5 and magnifying him with your voyce 1 To â—â—alt him 2. 2 To adore before his footstool And worship at his footstool not his footstool as some read it that have a months mind to have Images worshipped In which expression David had an eye to the Ark of the Covenant for so I find it called 1 Chron. 28.2 Lam. 2.1 Toward which the Jews were bound to bow And his intention is that all our approaches and applications to the Lord our God be with the greatest reverence and submission of mind and body that may be All is too little 3. 3 For he or it is Holy For he is Holy or it is holy for the skilful in the Hebrew confess it may be read in either gender Holy the Jews call'd whatsoever was eminent excellent perfect chast entire sincere God then is holy because he is so in himself and his house his Priests his Day c. The Ark his footstool is Holy in relation to him when then we approach to him or any place where he ordinarily shews his presence Holy and Reverent actions and gestures are required of us Take heed to thy feet Prophane not what is holy 3. 5 He is a kind King Hears and grants petitions As is evident The third way by which the Prophet sets out the excellency of Christs Kingdom and the Clemency and Mercifulness of our King is in that he is ready to hear Petitioners and receive Petitions and of an inclinable nature to grant them also for which he brings examples of three illustrious men all eminent in their generations Moses a Prince Aaron a Priest and Samuel a Judge in Israel who all fell down and worshipp'd at his footstool call'd upon and were heard in their intercessions 1. Vers. 6 Moses and Aaron among his Priests The Hebrew word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Moses Aaron alwayes signifies not a Priest but a Prince and
return daily to God for his good things he freely bestowes on us and how many good things he returns to us daily notwithstanding the evil we return him and we shall easily understand how great is the goodness of God That retributes good for evil and makes his Sun to shine on the just and unjust Luke 6. And Beneficia they are to us for we are the better for them The second part Which now he beginâ— by an 〈◊〉 to number the Benefits 1. Done to himself 2. At the third verse the Prophet begins his Declaration and by an Induction of particulars reckons up the benefits and that in this order 1. Those done to himself in which yet he excludes not others as if they might not share with him 2. Done to the whole Church But of the first he had a true sense and experience what others felt he could not say Now these benefits to himself were either spiritual or temporal 1. Ver. 3 The first spiritual Benefit was Justification or Remission of sin by which of an unjust man Spiritual as 1. Justification he made him just of an enemy a friend of a slave a son Bless God who forgiveth all thine iniquities freely forgives thy Debt or unjust Actions although many All everyone Original and Actual 2. 2 Regeneration The second Benefit is Regeneration by which the Power of Concupiscence that dwells in us is daily weakned and subdued though not wholly abolished The full cure must be expected in the life to come but such a cure is done upon us in this life That it shall not reign in our mortal bodies and we obey it in the lusts thereof And of this cure in himself David was sensible and therefore he saith Who heals all thy diseases or infirmities is daily cutting away and snubbing these roots of sin 3. Ver. 4 The third Benefit is Redemption Who redeemeth thy life from destruction 3 Redemption from the Pit from the Grave from Death and that which followeth it eternal Destruction 4. 4 Glorification all out of mercy The fourth Benefit Glorification Who Crowneth thee gives a Crown of Glory and the cause of this and the other Benefits be conceals not it is with or out of loving-kindness and tender mercies ex visceribus miserecordiae Neither is he behind with thee for temporal Benefits for however Bellarmine refers these and the following words to the felicity of the Soul 2 Temporal and immortality of the Body in the life to come which I dislike not in the Anagogical sense yet I conceive the Literal sense of the words may properly be referred to this present life in which God feeds and nourisheth our Bodies and supplies what is necessary for Food and Rayment and also conserves us in this life and gives us health and strength Ver. 5 both which the Prophet teacheth us in the following words 1. 1 Abundance Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things He gives not sparingly and with a Niggards hand but gives abundantly to enjoy 1 Tim. 6. He satisfieth and good things they are till we abuse them 2. 2 Long life and health So that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles An Eagle is a youthful and lusty Bird in her old age and of long life and this often God grants to many of his that they be long-liv'd healthful and lively active and vigorous old men as to Moses Joshua Job which if it happen it is a Gift of God 2. 2 Benefits to the whole Church As man is to pray so also is he bound to bless God for the good that befalls his Neighbour which course David here takes for he blesseth God not only for the Benefits of God bestowed upon himself but such as were common and did belong to the whole Church and in two he gives his instance The first is the defence of his people and deliverance of all that are oppressed The second is the Manifestation of his Will by his Servants the Pen-men of Scripture to them 1. 1 Deliverance Most just God is to his and good in punishing their Adversaries The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed with wrong Ver. 6 which is a new Benefit Two Alms he distributes 1. A righteous portion to his servants 2. Judgment and a just revenge to his enemies to all that are oppressed with wrong The Israelites were preserved in Aegypt but Pharaoh plagued 2. 2 Manifestation of his Will Most kind in making known his Will which had he not declared to his servants Ver. 7 we had never known it It must then be acknowledg'd for another favour That he made known his Wayes to Moses his Acts unto the children of Israel And here the Prophet interserts four Epithers or Attributes of God Both the Benefits bestowed because God is which declares unto us the true cause of all the former and following favours The Lord is Merciful and Gracious flow to anger and plenteous in mercy 1. Ver. 8 Merciful Rachum because he bears a pateâ—nal Affection to pious men 2. Gracious Channum the Giver of Grace and Benefits For he that loves with a fatherly Affection will give 3. Slow to anger Not easily drawn to strike he will bear long and much as a Father before he punish 4. Plenteous in mercies When he does us good being moved by no merit of our's Of all which Attributes the Prophet shewes the effects and applies them singula singulis in the following verses 1. He is merciful bears a paternal Affection to his Children 1 Merciful He will not alwayes chide neither keep his anger for ever Ver. 9 Angry he will be with his Children when they are untoward yea and chastise them too For every father chastises the son that he loves But his anger shall not last long for in his heart there remains the love of a Father from whence the stripes proceed 2. He is gracious Ver. 10 and therefore out of meer Grace he will give us a Pardon For if he should deal with us according to our deserts 2 Gracious who could abide it Psal 130. For what doth a sinner deserve but death Rom. 6. Whereas he forgives us and gives us Life Grace Glory and therefore we may truly say with David here He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Ver. 11 This Grace and Favour the Prophet amplifies by two Comparisons 1. The first is the distance of the Heaven from Earth which from the Center to the highest Orb is of an immense Altitude Yet look As high as the Heaven is above the Earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him 2. The second is the distance of the East from the West which is of an immense Longitude and yet look Ver. 12 As far as the East is from the West so far hath he set our sins from us Let the sin be of what extent it will it is
understanding quick and my judgement bettered Bless the Lord O my tongue and all that is within me bless his holy Name But what do I insist upon the Benefits which thou hast bestowed upon me in particular when thou hast béen merciful to thy whole people Ver. 6 for those also I bless thée and for those now I pray many of them suffer injuries from the hands of Tyrants many of them are in want and necessity Execute righteousness and judgment help the afflicted comfort them who are in want and deliver all that are oppressed as thou didst thy people Israel by the hand of Moses And because ignorance and errour hath brought a missy darkness over thy Truth shine forth again and make thy wayes known as thou didst to thy people by Moses direct them in the right way of a good and a happy life and by the Acts already done for thy children of Israel assure them what in all Ages thou wilt do for thy people Thou O Lord art merciful and gracious flow to anger and plenteous in mercy Be merciful then to the sins of thy children and be not alwayes chiding let it suffice that thou correct and chastise them as a Father but keep not thy anger for ever Why should thy Spirit alwayes strive with those to whom thou beatest a paternal love and affection Be gracious then and out of méer grace seal them a pardon Deal not with them after their sins neither reward them according to their iniquities Make it appear That as the Heaven is high above the Earth so great is thy mercy immense and true toward them that fear thee that as far as the East is from the West that so far thou wilt remove their transgressions from them Shew that it is not the interposition of any sin how dark how swelling soever if repented and left that can kéep off the light of thy countenance from them Thou art slow to anger let not then thy wrath be kindled against the sheep of thy pasture Pity them then O God pity them and me an undutiful Child with them Yea as a Father pitieth his own Children so pity us that fear thee Remember O Lord our frame how thou hast fashioned us Remember that we are but dust and must return to dust Remember we are but grass that suddenly shoots up or as a flower of the Field which is to day in its pride and beauty and to morrow flags and falls a nipping sharp wind passeth over it shrivels it up and it is gone so that the place thereof shall know it no more nor it the place Thus frail thus vanishing is man when the Spirit of thy indignation and thy severe sentence passeth upon him But thou art plenteous in mercy it is not so with thy mercy as with the life of man that fades and decayes But thy mercy is from everlasting toward them that fear thee O Lord we desire to live in thy fear and to kéep thy Covenant and as we are the Children of those who have dyed in and for the Truth so to remember thy Commandments and to do them Bring these desires into Acts that so kéeping thy Covenant and performing thy Commandments with a filial fear we may be partakers of thy righteousness and that mercy which had no beginning and knowes no end no more end than thou canst have no more be circumscribed than thou canst be For thou hast prepared thy Throne in Heaven and thy Kingdom ruleth over all To thée then we his as Supreme for pardon and mercy Thy mercy is above thy works and the Benefits flowing from the Fountain of thy mercy infinite as it cannot be exhausted so I desire the praise for it should not be dryed up Men are sinful and praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner Men are frail and vanity it self and the praise would be everlasting O ye Angels of God then joyn with me Bless ye the Lord ye that excel in strength ye that do his Commandments which I to my grief kéep not and chearfully and readily hearken to the voyce of his words Ye are the multitude of the heavenly Host that sung in the Fields of Galilee Glory to God on High Bless ye then the Lord all ye his Hosts ye Ministers of his that do his pleasure And you also all ye works of his joyn with the Angels and do what you can Bless ye the Lord and sound forth his praises by your obedience and subjection to his Will in all places of his Dominion Lastly O my Soul so fréely pardoned and justified so graciously regenerated and sanctified so dearly bought and wonderfully redéemed so undeservedly to be glorified with this my body which in the mean time is satisfied by him with good things and shall at last in youth be renewed as an Eagle Bless the Lord O my Soul Bless the Lord the Lord who is merciful and gracious flow to anger and plenteous in mercy Thou never canst do enough that hast received so much Tender then unto him all laud all honour all praise all glory through Jesus Christ thy Lord thine only Saviour and Redeemer To God the Father that created us to God the Son that redeemed us to God the Holy Ghost who sanctifies us three Persons and one God be ascribed all Glory Honour Power and Dominion for ever and ever Amen PSAL. CIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE scope and intent of this Psalm is the same with the former viz. to excite men to praise God upon the consideration of his Benefits but yet upon a different ground In the former for the Benefits of Grace conferr'd upon his Elect. In this for the Gifts of Nature bestowed in general upon all Those flow immediately from his mercy these from his power wisdom goodness and depend upon his Providence which are manifest in the Creation Governance and Preservation of all things The Creature then is the Subject of this Psalm concerning which in it we have a long but very methodical Narration by the meditation of which he invites all men to sing Hallelujah The parts of the Psalm are four 1. The Exhortation proposed briefly ver 1. 2. The Exhortation perswaded by Inspection of the Fabrick the beauty the order the government of the World from ver 1. to 33. 3. The Duty practised by himself ver 33 34. 4. An Imprecation on them that neglect the Duty ver 35. 1. The first part He begins with a double Apostrophe 1. Ver. 1 To his own Soul to praise God Bless the Lord O my Soul which was the Conclusion of the former Psalm He exhorts to praise God because of his works 2. To his God O Lord my God whom he describes to be great and glorious And that he may set forth his Majesty and Glory he useth a most elegant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borrowed from the Person of some great King who presents himself very glorious to his people in his Robes in his Pavilion with a glistering
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
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
it rase it even to the foundations And thou O Babylon which hast done the work as I doubt not but as my God hath begun and will in his good time take a condign punishment upon the Edomites so also he will bring thée down Thou art miserable and thou shalt be miserable Happy shall that King and people be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones O merciful God whatever wrath and indignation is due unto us for the breach of thy Commandments and dishonouring thée in thy Service remove it O Lord from thy people and transfer it upon them that with an implacable malice pursue thy people and séek by all means to corrupt and waste thine inheritance which was purchased by the precious blood of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ PSAL. CXXXVIII DAVID delivered from his enemies and troubles and advanced to the Kingdom gives thanks to God acknowledgeth Gods goodnesse in hearing his prayers foretels the conversion of Kings shews that God regards the humble rejects the proud puts his trust in God for the future and prayes that God would continue and enlarge his mercy to him More briefly 1. In the three first verses he promiseth a grateful heart and to sing forth the praises of God because God heard his cryes and prayers and in tribulations sent him comfort 2. In the three next he shews what after Kings would do when the works and truth of God should be made known to them 3. In the two last verses he professeth his confidence in God shews what he hopes for from him and in assurance that God will perfect his work prayes him not to desert and forsake him David shews his thankfulness 1. First David shews his thankfulness which he illustrates and amplifies 1. The first part And illustrates it that From the manner of the doing of it done it should be cordially sincerely ardently totally I will praise thee with my whole heart 2. From the witnesses before whom it should be done Before the Gods will I sing praise Ver. 1 Coram Elohim Not only privately but publickly before the Potentates 1 He would do it heartily 2 Before all men whether Angels or Kings of the earth Psal 111.1 Psal 107.32 3. From the place the Temple then the Tabernacle a symbol of Gods presence with his people Ver. 2 It was as it were Gods Palace and there he ruled as a King 3 In the Temple and therefore he would fall low bow worship I will worship toward thy Holy Temple Which the Jews did when absent from Jerusalem Dan. 6. 4. 4 The causes inducing him to it From the causes inwardly inducing him to it I will praise thy Name for thy loving kindnesse and for thy truth 1. 1 Gods calling him to be King For thy loving kindnesse in calling me from the sheepfold to the Kingdom 2. 2 Performing his word And for thy Truth in performing thy promise In performing which 5. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name This clause is diversly read Thou hast magnified thy Name in thy Word that is in performing thy Word above all things Or Thou hast-magnified thy Name and thy Word above all things Or Magnificas cum toâ—o nomine tuo sermonem tuum Jun. All these have the same sense But the vulgar reads it thus Quoniam magnificasti super omne nomen sanctum tuum And Bellarmine by Sanctum tuum understands Christ who Luc. 1. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom he gave a Name above every Name I suppose our English Translation should be pointed thus Thus hast thou magnified thy Word above all thy Name or and above all thy Name For Musculus by and joyns the Substantives 3 For hearing and granting his petitions Magnificasti super omnia nomen tuum eloquium 6. From Gods facility in hearing and granting his petitions which he presented to his God in the time of his banishment and affliction Ver. 3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Infirme creatures we are and in temptations and afflictions must faint except God strengthen us Out of all these motives David would praise God 2. David having set down what God had done for him The second part in mercy call'd him from following the Ewes great with young ones anointed him to be a King heard his prayers strengthned him in his affliction and in truth performed his promises conceives it impossible but that either the Neighbour or future Kings should take this when they heard of it into their consideration and â—cknowledge the miracle and praise God for it This certainly is the literal sense This mercy to David was like to move other Kings to magnifie God though it may have an eye to the conversion of Kings in future to the faith 1. All the Kings of the earth Hiram Toe c. or the future Kings of Israel Judah shall praise thee when they hear the words of thy mouth what thou hast said of me David and of my seed Ver. 5 2. Yea They shall sing in the wayes of the Lord that is of the wayes of the Lord Muscul of his mercy truth clemency For great is the glory of the Lord he is very glorious in all his wayes his works his proceedings 3. Of which this is one Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly of which I David may be an instanÌ„ce But the proud he beholds afar off He removes far from him he will not have to do with them they are in remotis agendis of which Saul may be an example and the Devil 3. Because God who is high looks upon the lowly The third part With it so mov'd he was that he puts his affiance in God therefore David being conscious to himself of his own humility promiseth himself help from God in all his tribulation even for the time to come 1. If I walk in the midst of trouble that is on all sides exposed to trouble Ver. 7 2. Thou wilt revive me make me live and preserve me safe and untouch't 3. Thou shalt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies Thou by thy power shalt restrain their fury that would devour me and hinder their endeavours and enterprises 4. And thy right hand shall save me Thy power thy virtue thy Christ who in Isa 53. is call'd the arm of the Lord shall do it The last verse depends on the former because he knew And that that God who had would yet deliver him that as yet many troubles and afflictions remained to be undergone therefore he was confident that the same God who had hitherto delivered him would be a good God to him for the future and deliver him in time to come and so make his work perfect 1. The Lord will perfect that which concernt me not for any
Vers. 1 That many multiplied and increased So many they were that he could not on a sudden number them Vers. 2 For all Israel was gathered from Dan to Beersheba as the sand of the Sea for multitude 2 Sam. 17.11 2. From their malice They came together to do him a mischief 2 That malicious They rose up not for him but against him not to honour him but to trouble him not to defend him as they ought but to take away his Crown and life 2 Sam. 17.2 3. From their insultation and Sarcasm It was not Shimei only 3 That insulters scoffers but many that said it Many there be that say unto my soul Vers. 2 There is no help for him in his God 2. The second part of the Psalm sets forth Davids confidence The second part Davids confidence in God 1. To their maltitude he opposeth one God But thou O Lord. 2. To their malicious insurrection Jehovah who he believ'd 1. Would be a Buckler to receive all the arrows they shot against him Vers. 3 2. His glory to honour though they went about to dishonour him 3. The lifter up of his head which they would lay low enough 3. To their vain boast of desertion There is no help for him in his God Vers. 4 he opposeth his own experience I cryed unto the Lord and he heard me out of his holly hill 4. By whose protection being sustained and secured he deposeth all care Which quiets his soul and gives him rest and fear all anxiety and distraction 1. He sleeps with a quiet mind I laid me down and slept I awoke Vers. 5 2. He sings a Requiem I will not fear Vers. 6 I will not be afraid for ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about The third part He prayes that God would deliver him as hitherto he had 3. In the close or third part he Petitions and prayes notwithstanding his security Arise O Lord Save me O my God To move God to grant his request he thankfully remembers him of what he had done before 1. Arise and save me Vers. 7 for thou hast smitten all my enemies on the cheek bone For to him alone Salvation belongs thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly Thou art the same God do then the same work be as good to thy servant as ever thou hast been 2. Vers. 8 He intersets an excellent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Maxime Salvation belongeth to the Lord. Which he desires may be extended to his people also As if he had said 'T is thy property and peculiar O Lord to save If thou save not I expect it from no other 3. Lastly as a good King should in his prayers he remembers his Subjects Thy blessing be upon the people The Prayer collected out of the third Psalm O Omnipotent and wise Jehovah without whose providence nothing falls out in this world that broughtst thy own people through the red Sea and Wilderness before thou gavest them rest in the land of Canaan We acknowledge that thy wrath is just and that all the punishments brought upon thy people procéeds from thy righteous hand and that we have deserv'd for our disobedience and rebellion to be cast out of thy sight and to have thy Candlestick removed from us But gracious God cast us not off as a people in whom thou hast no delight once more make trial of us whether we will not serve théé with more fear rejoyce before thée with more reverence and give kisses of love and obedience unto thy Son So sanctifie all afflictions unto us that they may be a means to bring us to rest Behold Vers. 1 Lord how they are increased that trouble thy poor Church how many they are that rise up against us Vers. 2 how many that say There is no help for us in our God Will the Lord absent himself forever and will he be no more intreated Is his mercy clean gone for ever and is his promise come utterly to an end for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious and will he shut up his loving-kindness in displeasure And I said It is mine own infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high I will remember the works of the Lord and call to mind thy wonders of old time Our fathers O God our fathers trusted in thée and thou didst deliver them With their voice they cryed unto thée Vers. 4 and thou heardst them out of thy holy hill They laid them down with a quiet mind and slept without anxiety and thou sustainedst and upheldst them Vers. 5 We are the children of the same fathers sons of the same hope heirs of the same promises Be then O Lord a buckler to us to desend us Vers. 3 our glory who are despised and lift up the heads of thy people that are brought very low Secure us and we will not fear save us Vers. 6 and suffer us not to be afraid of the ten thousands of enemies that have set themselves against us round about Put them in fear that they may know themselves to be but men Vers. 7 Arise and help us and save us O our God and smite all our enemies on the cheek-bone and break thou the teeth of the ungodly Repress their Serceness and break their strength who more cruel than brute beasts séek to devour us Whom have we in heaven but thée Vers. 8 and there is none we desire on earth in comparison of thée Salvation belongs only to thée O Lord Let therefore thy blessing be upon the people that fears thée and wait for deliverance from thée Thy people of Israel many times by their sins provoked thine anger and thou punishedst them by thy just judgment yet though their sinnes were never so grievous if they once return'd from their iniquity thou receivedst them to mercy We therefore wretched sinners bewail our manifold sins and earnestly repent us of our former wickedness and ungodly behaviour toward thée and whereas we cannot of our selves purchase thy pardon and blessing yet we humbly beséech thée for Iesus Christs sake to shew thy mercy upon us and to receive us again to thy favour Let the smell of his garment ascend into thy nostrils and through him let thy blessing be upon the people Let our sons be as the young plants and our daughters as the polish'◠corners of the Temple let our garners be plenteous with all manner of store let our shéep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our stréets let our oxen be strong to labour that there be no decay no leading into captavity no complaining in our stréets O good Father impart to us so great a share of thy blessing that we may be fully perswaded that our help and salvation depends upon thée alone Vngracious children we are and deserve it not yet out of thy méer mercy we humbly beséech thée to bestow thy benediction upon us for his
revenge upon us for our disobedience Thou hadst more glorious creatures in heaven to set thy love upon those great whéels which are the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars Vers. 3 which thou hast ordained And these are not nor ever were disobedient to thy word they do their duties they move in a constant course and send forth their light and influences they set and rise and rise and set by that perpetual law that thou hast prescribed Whereas Man is a rebellious creature that disobeys thy word and daily provokes thée to displeasure the imaginations of his heart being evil continually What is man therefore that thou shouldst be mindful of him Vers. 4 or the son of man that thou shouldst consider him and visit him Thou art potent man is weak thou wise man foolish thou the Lord of all man poor and in want thou inhabitest eternity man is a mortal thou art glorious man base and vile from the dust and to return to the dust thou holy and man sinful and wilt thou open thy eye upon such an one wilt thou kéep him in mind wilt thou remember so vile and disobedient a wretch for good and visit him with thy grace and mercy Was it a small thing that thou shouldst create him after thine own image that thou shouldst cloath féed and sustain him in this life but that when he had wilfully defaced this thy image and was utterly lost thou shouldst send thine own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh to visit and redéem him The Angels are the most glorious of thy creatures Vers. 5 and thou hast made man little lower than those blessed Spirits He fell from this high dignity became destitute of grace subject to sin vanity misery and punishment but in this forlorn condition thou didst not forsake him but hast crowned him with glory and honour Thou honouredst him that deserv'd to lie under disgrace and ignominy thou restoredst him to life that deserv'd to dye thou madest him partaker of the Divine Nature who had blotted out the Divine Character from his soul in a word of a servant and have of sin thou framedst him anew and madest him a Lord and preparedst a Crown of glory for him To enjoy that Lord is our hope and expectation because it is thy promise Vers. 6 and that our hearts fail us not in the way thou hast in the mean time left us a pledge and a pawn Man by his fall lost his Soveraignty over the creatures but thou hast restored him in thy Son to his command Vers. 7 Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands and hast put all things in subjection under his feet Thou hast given him Sheep to cloath him Oxen to labour for him the beasts of the field to obey and fear him the fowls of the air and fishes of the Sea and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the Seas for varieties and dainties to féed and supply him The consideration of this thy bounty to mankind that deserv'd it not enforceth from me Vers. 9 that exclamation with which I began O Lord O Lord our governour how excellent is thy Name in all the earth O our God since thou hast béen so mindful of us never suffer us to be unmindful of thée since thou hast shew'd thy mercy in visiting and redéeming us never let us shew ourselves unthankful for this thy visitation and redemption Suffer us not to abuse thy creatures which thou hast given us for food nor thy gifts bestow'd for clothing nor wantonly and cruelly to make use of our dominion But give us grace so highly to estéem of thy rich mercies and with such temperance and sobriety to use thy creatures that thy Name thereby may still be the more magnified thy bounty exalted thy providence more declared thy honour enlarged thy person glorified and our souls at last saved by the merits of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen PSAL. IX This is a Psalm of thanksgiving for a victory over his Enemies IT consists of five chief parts 1. Davids thanksgiving or profession of praise vers 1 2. which is amplified and illustrated and continued till the tenth verse 2. An exhortation to others to do the like vers 11. and a reason given for it vers 12. 3. A Petition for himself vers 13. and the reason for it vers 14. 4. A remembrance of Gods goodness in the overthrow of his enemies for which he exults and sings a Song of Triumph from vers 15. to vers 19. 5. The conclusion which is petitory vers 19 20. 1. The first part Davids profession of praise His profession of praise is set down in the two first verses in which we may observe 1. The matter of it with the extent All the marvellous works of God 2. As if he could never express these enough how he varies the Synonima's I will praise thee I will shew forth I will be glad and rejoice in thee I will sing praise to thy name Vers. 1 I will shew forth I will be glad and rejoice in thee I will sing praise to thy name O thou most high In which words there is an Incrementum or Climax 3. The principle whence this praise flow'd Not from the lips but from the heart 2. From the whole heart I will praise thee with my whole heart This he amplifies from the cause Which he first amplifies from the causes which is double 1. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which outwardly moved him and gave him a just occasion to do so 1 The overthrow of his enemies The overthrow of his enemies when my enemies are turned back which were not overcome by my strength and valour but by the presence of thy power 2. Vers. 3 They shall fall and perish at thy presence Thou wert the chief and principal cause of this victory 2 That God alone did it â—â—d therefore deserv'st the thanks Of this the Prophet makes a full Narrative in the two next verses setting God as it were upon the Bench and doing the Office of a Judge 1. Vers. 4 Thou maintainest my right and my cause 2. Vers. 5 Thou satest in the Throne judging right 3. Thou hast rebuked the Heathen 4. Thou hast destroy'd the wicked thou hast put out their name for ever and ever In a word thou art a just Judge that defend'st the innocent and punishest their oppressours and therefore I will praise thee 3. Vers. 6 And then upon the confidence of Gods justice and power he insults over his enemies with this Sarcasm For this he insults over his enemies O thou enemy destructions are come to a perpetual end Thy power of hurting and destroying is taken away and the fortified Cities in which thou dwell'st are overthrown And shews the super-eminency of Gods power and their and thy memory is perish'd 4. Next to make his assertion clearer to the Enemies power he opposeth Gods his Kingdom to their Kingdom But the
rare proceeds from a King 1 He exhorts Princes to praise God and not from a common man a Prince a great Prince minds Princes and great men that there is one greater than they and that therefore they yield unto him his due honour and worship 1. That they withold it not from him but freely yield it up and give it Ver. 1 for which he is very earnest as appears by the Anaphora Give give give 2. That in giving this they yield him no more than his due Give him the honour due unto his Name 3. What they are to give Glory and strength They must make his name to be glorious give him such glory as is fit for his name 2. Then again attribute their strength to him 4. That they bow before him and adore him Incurvate Junius 5. To perswade this he proposeth two Reasons That they exhibit this honour in that place they ought in atrii sancto ejus Vulg. In decoro sanctitatis Jun. In decore splendore ornatu sanctitatis Moller In the beauty of holiness his Temple And that they may the easilier be perswaded to give the Lord this honour due unto him he proposeth two Reasons to be considered 1. 1 His power shewn His Power a Power though they be Filii fortium high and mighty Potentates far beyond theirs which is seen in his Works of Nature but passing by many other he makes choice of the Thunder and those impressions that follow it this he describes 1. From the nature of it for however men of it do conceive natural causes In the thunder which is Vox Jehovae yet religious men will look higher and when they hear those fearful Murmures in the Aire will confess with David it is Vox Jehovae Vox Jehovae here seven times repeated and this voyce hath affrighted the proudest the mightiest Tyrants 2. From the place whence this voyce is given the watery Clouds The voyce of the Lord is above the waters Ver. 3 upon many waters 3. From the force and power They are not vain and empty noises but strike a terrour Humanas motura tonitrua mentes The voyce of the Lord is powerful Ver. 4 the voyce of the Lord full of Majesty 4. The effects of it From the effects which he explains by an induction 1. Upon the strongest Trees the Cedars the Cedars of Lebanon The voyce of the Lord breaks the Cedars c. 2. Ver. 5 Upon the firmest Mountains even Lebanus and Sirion for sometimes the Thunder is accompanied with an Earth-quake and the Mountains dance Ver. 6 and skip as a Calf 3. Upon the Aire which is no small wonder for when nothing is more contrary to fire Ver. 7 than water it is miraculous that out of a watery Cloud such Balls of fire should be darted The voyce of the Lord divideth the flames of fire Ver. 8 4. In the Creatures of all kinds especially the wild for it makes them fear and leave their Caves and the Woods yea makes the Dear for fear abortive The voyce of the Lord shaketh the Wilderness c. The voyce of the Lord maketh the Hindes to calve 5. In the mighty Rains that follow upon it When the Cataracts of Heaven are opened and such floods of water follow that a man may justly fear a second inundation would drown the World out of all which he draws this conclusion The Lord sits King for ever Ver. 10 2. 2 His works of grace His second Reason is drawn from his Works of Grace when he moveth the hearts of his people to acknowledge his voyce and to give him glory in his Temple Ver. 10 in his Temple doth every man speak of his honour Secondly by the security he gives in people even in that time he utters his voyce and speaks in Thunder whereas the wicked then tremble and quake The Lord will give strength unto his people Ver. 11 the Lord will bless his people with peace i. e. security and peace of conscience The Meditation collected out of the twenty ninth Psalm O Omnipotent God wheresoever we cast our eyes Ver. 1 we have occasion to fall low before thy Foot-stool to adore worship and praise thée so admirable and illustrious is thy dignity and glory which is apparent in all thy Creatures Thy voyce O Lord is heard in the Clouds above whence thou roarest to us in Thunder and whence being resolv'd into Rain thou sendest many and mighty waters In this murmur of the Aire thy voyce is heard with so much power and Majesty that the greatest Atheists have trembled at it and hid themselves thy voyce hath béen so terrible to their ears thy presence in that voyce so full of horrour to their guilty consciences This thy voyce is of so great strength that it breaks the Cedars and splits to pieces the strongest Daks Those mighty Trées have béen torn by the voyce of thy Thunder and rent asunder by thy hot Thunder-bolts The earth was also moved and shook withall and the rocky mountains and strong hills of Lebanon did tremble and quiver and leap too and fro at thy voyce At thy voyce it is that those bottles of Heaven at the same instant send down Rain and dart flames of fiery lightnings miâ—'c with that water Thy voyce it is that makes all the Beasts of the Desert to tremble and shake and to leave for fear their Dens and Thickets and to discover themselves to pursuit and danger yea to abortion The breath of thy mouth makes bare the Trées and thy blasts rend off the branches The Rain sometimes descends in such Spouts and violence as if it threaten to drown the World but it is thy hand that preserves the earth For thou sittest upon the flood and kéepest in the waters that they overflow not nor pass farther than thou hast decréed O Lord our God thou remainest a King for ever O then all ye who are mighty upon earth give unto the Lord give unto the Lord glory and strength acknowledge that you have your power and glory from him Give unto the Lord the glory due to his Name worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness adore him in his holy Temple where his service hath beauty in it and in which every one doth speak of his glory O Lord while the wicked do tremble at thy voyce thy people are thereby confirmed against dangers and calamities For thou Lord wilt give strength unto thy people Bless O Lord thy people with the blessing of peace A Prayer out of the same Psalm O Almighty God great hath béen thy mercy unto us that by the voyce of thy Son thou hast made known unto us the great mysteries of our salvation O let this thunder never sound in our ears but let it strike a terrour into our hearts that we despise not so great Redemption and let it raise in our eyes a showre of penitent tears that our sins should crucifie the Son of God O let this thy voyce be
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
Nor judgements nor mercies did awe them They still were stubborn and unthankful And made the Tribes of Israel to dwell in their Tents 8. But nor his mercies nor his judgements could keep in obedience this stiff-necked gain-saying people Ungrateful they were for all this After they were brought into the Land and setled in their inheritance the same they were which they were before For 1. Yet they tempted and provoked God 2. They were disobedient For they kept not his Testimonies 3. They turned back and dealt unfaithfully as their fore-fathers They brake the Covenant betwixt God and them sinning by the example of their fore-fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. They were inconstant in their resolutions starting aside like a deceitful bow that slips the nock when the Archer intends to shoot with it 5. And to make up the measure of their impiety at last they became impudent Idolators For they provoked him to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousie with their graven Images 9. Gods wrath for this grows more hot against his people Upon this as before the wrath of God overtakes them but now in a hotter manner than before Idolatry is one of the crying sins which God hears That which a man hears not troubles him not now this sin especially God hears and it troubled him 1. The Ark taken When God heard this he was wroth 2. And greatly abhorred Israel 2. He forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh and the Tent he placed among them 1 Sam. 4. 3. And he delivered his strentgh i.e. the Ark into captivity and his glory into the enemies hand 4. He gave his people up also to the sword and was wroth with his inheritance 5. The Priests Hophni and Phinehas were slain with the sword and their widows made no lamentation Being either taken and led away captive or dead as Phinehas wife 6. The sire consumed i.e. the wrath of God their young men and their maidens were not given to marriage for defect of young men and therefore not praised in Epithalamiis Thus the wrath of God overtook the Israelites But next he shews The Philistines that took it escaped not that the enemies even the Philistines that took the Ark and set it in the house of Dagon escaped not his hand This ignominy redounded to himself and he revenged it 1. Then at the taking of the Ark the Lord who seem'd to sleep before awaked as one out of sleep and like a mighty man that shouâ—s by reason of wine for vina addunt animos 2. And he smote his enemies i. e. the Philistines in the hinder parts i. e. with Emerauds or else made them fly and fall with their backs to their enemies which is dishonourable for a Souldier 3. Yea and he put them to a perpetual reproach vide 1 Sam. 5 6. Chapters 3. But how now did he deal with Israel The third part The mercy of God in bringing back the Ark and placing it Not as he had done before neiher For after the Philistines had suffered sharply for their impiety he caused them honourably to send the Ark home again after seven months 1 Sam. 6. A sign this was that his fierce anger was abated yet not so far but that some Monument should remain of his wrath against their Idolatry And therefore he would not suffer the Ark to be brought to Silo which was situate in the Tribe of Ephraim So saith the Psalmist 1. Moreover he refused the Tabernacle of Joseph 1 Not in Silo. and chose not the Tribe of Ephraim lest it should be abused either to Idolatry or at least to base gain as it was by Elies sons 2. But he chose the Tribe of Judah the hill of Zion which he loved 2 But in Iudah For it was carried to Betshemes a City of Judâ—h design'd for the sons of Aaron From thence to Kiriath-jearim thence to Gibea being translated to the house of Aminadah And after it had rested a while in the house of Obed-Edom it was brought by David to Jerusalem and setled in the hill of Zion which caused the Prophet to say 3 And at last in Zion The hill of Zion which he loved And he doth amplifie this Narration of Gods love to the Ark This mercy he amplifies and consequently the Church of which the Ark was but a type 1. From the splendour of the situation of Mount Zion 1 From the place And he built his Sanctuary like high places Strong and beautiful and eminent also as are Citradels higher than ordinary houses The Mountain Zion shall be raised above the tops of the hills Isa 2. 2. From the stability and fix'd position of it For there is no moving 2 From the stability of Zion or removing the Church It is like the earth which he hath established for ever 3. In choice of a King to be a Nursing Father to his Church He chose David also his servant He chose freely 3 In choice of David to be their King and not for any merit and worth that was in him for he was of a low degree a poor shepherd He took him from the sheep-folds when he was following the yews great with young 4. The end To feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance Which is the true institution and duty of a King 4 To feed them and govern them The Elogy given to David with which he concludes David did his duty So 1. He fed them according to the integrity of his heart 1. He fed them not flea and devour them 2. In integrity 5 And David did his duty Sincerely he perform'd his duty to God and man No dissembler 2. And guided them by the Skilfulnesse of his Hands In him there was Prudence and all the actions of his hands were guided by it The Prayer collected out of the seventy eighth Psalm WOnderful O Lord are thy wayes infinite thy mercies admirable thy patience and long-suffering toward the children of men Vers. 5 that we might know thée thou hast established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel that we might not forget our duty thou hast left thy Commandments upon Record that we should not be a stubborn and rebellious generation a generation that set not their hearts aright and start from our duties as a broken bow thou hast acquainted us with thy procéedings with thine own people in Egypt in the Wilderness and in that Land which thou hast divided to them for an inheritance We have heard with our ears O God and our fathers have told us what thou hast done in the time of old and we will not conceal thy works from the generation to come Thy wonders in Egypt were illustrious in the red Sea wonderful in the Wilderness prodigious in Canaan full of power The plagues of Egypt thy path in the waters the cloud by day the pillar by night the Manna the Quails the water out of the Rock
shew thy power severity and mercy All which should breed in us fear and reverence But like those rebellious Israelites we have not kept thy Covenant nor walkt in thy Law we have forgot thy works and thy wonders then done we have turned back we have tempted thee our God these ten times we have provoked and grieved the holy One of Israel We have not remembred thy hand nor the day when thou deliverest us from the hand of the enemy Of a truth Lord when thy hand hath been heavy upon us by the pestilence famine or sword when thou by any of thy severe judgements didst stay us and bring us to the jaws of death then we sought thee then we returned and enquired early after God then we remembred that God was our Rock and the high God our Redeemer Novertheless we did but flatter thee with our mouths and lyed unto thee with our tongues for thy heavy hand was no sooner removed but our obedience was at an end We have again rempted and provoked the most High God we have not kept thy Testimonies but turned back and dealt unfaithfully with our fathers Thine own people were not more contumacious Israel not more stubborn forgetful wilful than we have been If they dissembled with thee we have done the like if they provoked grieved tempted thee we have done the like Our great deliverances have not wrought upon us thy apparent judgements have not bettered us thy returns of mercy have stiffned our hard hearts Wo be to us for our infidelity and disobedience whither shall we fly to whom shall we go Were it not that we consider that thou art the Father of mercies our hearts would faint Those words upon record are sweeter than honey and the honey-comb to our dying souls Israel was not right with him nor stedfast in his Covenant But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroy'd them not yea many a time he turn'd his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath For he remembred that they were but flesh a wind that passeth away and cometh not again Remember O Lord the mould of which we are made consider that we are but weak and vain flesh strive not alwayes with us remember that the breath in our nostrils is but a wind that passeth away and cometh not again then turn away thine anger and stir not up all thy wrath Out of thy meer compassion pardon and forgive our iniquity and destroy not the work of thine own hands Raise us by the power of thy Spirit and confirm us in thy truth that there never may be in us hereafter a heart of unbelief Never let us depart from the living God or harden our hearts from thy fear The natural branches are broken off and we who were slips of the wild Olive are graffed in of which we have not so much reason to boast as to tremble lest that thou who hast refused the Tribe of Joseph and cast aside the Tribe of Ephraim for their ingratitude rebellion impiety and disobedience shouldst upon the same ground reject us also We will not boast against the natural branches but come before thee with fear and hope with fear lest what hapned to them may befall us and yet with hope that the same mercy which followed them may yet follow us In the hottest of thy anger thou yet madest choice of the Tribe of Judah and sett'st thy love upon Mount Zion there thou built'st thy Sanctuary on high and sett'st it like the earth which never should move at any time David thou madest choice of to be their Prince and brought'st him to feed Jacob thy people and Israel thine inheritance Let this thy love notwithstanding our wickedness continue unto thy Church let the Tribe of Judah be dear in thy eyes take pleasure and do good to Zion build thy Sanctuary on high and make it conspicuous and beautiful in the eyes of her very enemies never let the gates of hell prevail against it Call thy servant David from his low condition to guide thy people and rule thy inheritance And let the power of thy Spirit be so effectual in him that he may feed thy people according to the integrity of his heart and guide them prudently with all his might So shall we who are the sheep of thy pasture give thee thanks for ever and ever PSAL. LXXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm was composed when the Church was oppressed as some conceive by Antiochus certain it is it was in a very distressed condition And it hath These parts Viz. 1. A Complaint for the desolation of Jerusalem from vers 1. to 5. 2. A Deprecation of Gods anger vers 5. 3. A twofold Petition 1. Against the enemies of the Church vers 6 7 10 11 12. 2. For the Church vers 8 9. 4. A Doxology vers 13. 1. The Complaint is very bitter and riseth by many degrees The first part The Complaint bitter and amplified by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. O God the heathen are come into thine inheritance The Antithesis is elegant The heathen those Wolves impure beasts are come into thy Land thy peculiar 2. Thy Holy Temple have they defiled Vers. 1 Prophaned the place consecrated to thy service 3. They have laid Jerusalem on heaps Funditus deleverunt Vers. 2 4. Their cruelty they have exercised upon the Dead The dead bodies of thy Servants have they given to be meat to the fowls of the aire the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the Land Vers. 3 5. A second part of their cruelty was that they made no more reckoning to let out the life-blood of a man than of so much water Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem 6. They wanted a grave And there was none to bury them 7. Vers. 4 And to make up the full measure of their calamities their enemies looked on and scoffed at it We are become a reproach to our Neighbours a scorn and derision to them that are round about us 2. The second part The misery being fully decipher'd in this pathetical Complaint next the Psalmist acknowledgeth the cause of their calamity and expostulates with God The cause Gods anger 1. The cause was Gods anger and jealousie 2. Vers. 5 He expostulates with God about it and deprecates it How long O Lord About which he expostulates with God wilt thou be angry for ever shall thy jealousie burn like fire i.e. Cessairasci 3. The third part And prayes And now he begins his Prayer which is two-fold First Against the enemy 1. Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee and upon the Kingdoms that have not call'd on thy name 1 For vengeance to fall on the enemy for their cruelty Not upon us but on them 2. And he adds the reason and 't is a reason of weight in which he respects not himself but Gods people For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste
not submit to his Laws and wayes But they escaped not unpunished vengeance as God had sworn overtook them and their carcasses fell in the Wilderness nor above two of six hundred thousand souls entred into that rest promised them the land of Canaan I read and tremble I tremble and pray Lord kéep me from this disobedience this obstinacy this hardness of heart melt my soul with the fire of thy Spirit and soften it with the oyle of thy grace that when thou speakest I may answer and at the sound of thy voyce I may be obedient so that shewing not the least reluctation to thy commands and never murmuring at thy doings I may obtain by thy infinite goodness after the manifold errors and furious storms of this life that secute Port of Heaven where there remains a perpetual rest to the people of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XCVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ALthough this Psalm was composed by David at the bringing back of the Ark 1 Chr. 16.23 yet with one voyce all Christian Expositors acknowledge it a Prophesie of Christs Kingdom and Church to be enlarged by the access of all Nations and of his coming to judgment Two parts of the Psalm 1. A general Exhortation both to Jewes and Gentiles to praise God 2. A Prophesie of Christs Kingdom described by the Greatness ver 4 5. the Honour and Majesty verse 6. of the Majesty of the King verse 6 7 8. 2. The amplitude of it ver 10. 3. His judicature in it from ver 10. to the end 1. The first part An invitation to praise God The first three verses contain a general Exhortation to set forth Gods praises for the benefits exhibited to the whole earth by Christ 1. First That the praise be full he thrice repeats Cantate O sing sing sing to the honour of the Trinity Ver. 1 saith Bellarmine obscurely insinuated in the Old but plainly to be preached in the New Testament 2. Ver. 2 Shew forth Benedicite i. e. Cantando laudate or gratias agite 3. Ver. 3 Declare Hashern 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carry good news a fit word for the Gospel Ver. 1 which is Evangelium glad-tydings 2. The Song that was to be sung was to be a new Song Sing unto the Lord a new Song New for a new benefit New to be sung by a new people 3. It was to be sung by the whole Earth by new men and all men all the World over for God was not now to be known in Judaea only but to all Nations Ver. 2 4. It must be continually sung from day to day without cessation or intermission for as one day succeeds another so should there be a continual succession in this praise After he expresseth the benefit or matter that all the earth is to praise him for For the redemption of the World by his Son which in one word is the Redemption of the World by his Son 1. Shew forth his salvation which he hath conferred on Mankind by Christ Ver. 2 2. Ver. 3 Declare his glory among the Heathen his wonders among all people His glory and wonders which is the self-same with salvation which was a glorious work and full of wonders and this now was to be Evangelized as before to the Jewes by the Prophets so now to all people by the Apostles 2. The second part To this end he presents God as a great King And that his Exhortation might seem more reasonable he presents God as a King and sets down the Greatness the Amplitude and Equity of his Kingdom 1. Sing to the Lord all the Earth for he is Lord of the whole Earth 1. The Lord is great great in power great in wisdom great in goodness great in mercy great in dominion and riches great every way that any thing can be great 2. 2 Worthy of all praise He is greatly to be praised or worthy of all praise for his innumerable benefits he bestows spiritual temporal his Creation Redemption Preservation of the world What can be found praise worthy in any King may be found superlatively in him 3 To be feared above all gods Moller Quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non dii Bellarm. Muscul Supreme not so any of those gods They Deastri 3. He is to be feared above all gods For he can cast body and soul into hell They though call'd gods can do nor good nor hurt The devils that set them up do believe him to be above them and tremble Jam. 2. Sing to him then and not to them for the Supremacy is his He is Super omnes Deos. Gods did I call them alas they are nothing less they are all of them Elilim Deiculi petite gods or Deastri ridiculous gods or Elilim Vanities Idols no gods If they be Gods shew their works produce the heavens they made or the earth they framed whereas our God made the heavens and all things that â—â—e in it and under it Ver. 5 He then to be feared and not they In which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prophet doth elegantly deride the heathenish gods Especially the gods of the heathen and the heathen for fearing such gods 1. For the multitude of them For they were many which is contrary to the nature of God who must be but one in reason there can be but one Supreme 2. For their division one of the Ammonites another of the Moabites one of the Philistines many of the Assyrians Egyptians Greeks Romanes according to the number of the Cities were there gods three hundred Jupiters thirty thousand of these Deities 3. They were Elilim petite gods Moloch had the rule of the Sun Astarte of the Moon Ceres over Corn Pluto his dominion in heaven Neptune in the Sea c. Their power was not universal as the power of God ought to be 4. For their Vanity they could not help If Baal be a god let him plead for himself Judg. 6. Bell boweth down Nebo stoops c. they could not deliver the burden they themselves are gone into captivity Isa 46.1 2. For an Idol is nothing in nothing in the world 1 Cor. 8. 4. Lastly in the opposition They Dii facti he Factor which lively shews the difference betwixt God and Idols It was man that first made them gods and made Idols for them They then are at best but works of mens hands But our God is Factor a Maker a Creator He made the Heavens those great and beautiful bodies and all that is contain'd in and under those Orbs. He then is terrible he to be feared and not those diminutive those vain those unprofitable gods of the Nations and their Idols 2. And so having removed out of his way all the gods of the Nations he returns to the description of our God and King He said he was great greatly to be praised to be feared above all gods and now he adds that which makes farther for his honour For he presents God
5 Reproach From the reproach of them who had been his friends but were now his enemies for a wicked man thinks himself reproached by a good mans honest conversation Wisd 5. Mine enemies reproach me all the day long and they are mad against me are sworn against me have conspited by an Oath to undo me 6. And that which made them so mad and sweâ—r was my repentance which I testified by ashes on my head 6 Sadness and tears in my eyes I have caten ashes like bread my dayly food and mingled my drink with weeping I drank tears with my wine that is I was fed with bitterness and sustain'd with tears which they derided And now behold the reason why every true penitent is thus humbled All these increased by the sense of Gods anger it is not for want nor yet for want of wit but it is out of a true sense of Gods anger which he hopes to pacifie by his sorrow and humiliation 1. Ver. 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath for my former sin 2. Which I collect thus Thou hast formerly lifted me up then sure I was in thy fovour but hast now cast me down whence I may well conclude that I am in disfavour with thee 3. And the effect plainly shews it For my dayes are as a shadow that declines and am withered like grace Become mortal flying fading from thy wrath raised by my own default 2. The second part He yet comforts himself in Gods promises Hitherto the Prophet hath petition'd and complain'd His case was lamentable yet he is notswallow'd up of sorrow Heart he begins to take and comfort he promiseth himself in the Eternity and Immutability of God and his love to his Church Hence he conceives hope of reconciliation and being moved by the Spirit of God foretells the restauration of Zion and Jerusalem and typically the state of Christs Church 1. To his Church on which he will have mercy and had when he restored them True I wither away as grass and so shall all Individual men But 1. Thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and therefore thy Church and promises to thy Church 2. And thy Remembrance from generation to generation The Covenant which thou hast made shall be remembred from father to son Ver. 13 till the worlds end 2. Thou seemest now to sleep But thou shalt arise 1. Thou shalt have mercy on Zion and save thy people 2. For the time to favour her yea the set time is come Literally the seventy years of the Captivity were neer expired Typically by the Spirit the Prophet foresaw and conceiv'd the Redemption of the Church in the future as a thing present And both he calls a time of favour for from the favour and mercy of God both proceeded 3. And this Consideration wrought a double effect This wrought a double effect 1. One upon Gods people for the present viz. an earnest desire to have it so Ver. 14 Earnest they were that Jerusalem should again be built the Church set up For thy servants take pleasure in her stones 1 A desire to have it so and favour the dust thereof Ver. 15 2. The other upon the Heathen 2 Another on the Heathen viz. Compassion Conversion So the Heathen shall fear thy name which began when Darius and Cyrus saw and acknowledged the Prophesies and obeyed them 2. And all the Kings of the earth thy glory which was truly fulfill'd in the conversion of Constantine c. to the Faith And he adds the cause why Kings and Nations should be so strangely converted because he had beyond all belief and expectation of man Ver. 16 so strangely delivered his people from Captivity and so miraculously set up his Kingdom in his Church This shall be done When or because the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in glory Before he cast his people into the grave as it were without any hope of life or restitution but when he shall bring them from thence he shall make his glory and honour manifest And that which moved him to it was the prayers of his people Ver. 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer Which effects followed on their prayer Of this mercy a Record to be kept Now lest the Jews should conceive that what was done for them did concern them only and not their Children or to speak more properly the whole people of God in all ages to come God would have a Record kept of it 1. This shall be written for the generation to come 2. And the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord Ver. 18 Cum viderint impleta quae praedicta And of this he assigns two reasons even the self-same set down at the 16. and 17. Verses 1. For be hath looked down from the height of his Sanctuary Ver. 19 from the heaven did the Lord behold the earth 2. To hear the groans of the prisoners Ver. 20 to loose those that are appointed to death That the glory be returned to God Now this Mercy from God calls upon us for our Duty for the proper end of it was and the effect that it should work upon us is that we should be thankful Therefore he looked down therefore he heard the groans of the prisoners c. That being freed 1. They should declare the name of the Lord in Zion Ver. 21 and his praise in Jerusalem 2. And this praise should be compleated Ver. 22 When the people are gathered simul or in unum united together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. The Gentiles join with the Jews in it And here methinks I hear the Prophet breaking off his comfort The Prophet laments he shal not live to see it and breaking out in the midst of his prophecy with Balaam As if he had said I am assured all this shall come to pass and be done for Gods people but alas who shall live when God doth this Whosoever shall I shall not certainly For he weakned my strength in the way and hath shortned my dayes Ver. 23 Yet my desire is it might be otherwise Yet he desires he might and in this my desire is but the same with many Kings and Prophets that have gone before me all which long and desired to see the flourishing estate of the Church under the Messiah and therefore Ver. 24 I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my age But suffer me to draw out my life to see that that all good men have aspired to see to wit that I may behold Christ promised in the flesh and be a partaker of the glory of his Kingdom Which Petition And presseth that he might Perswading God to it upon 24. The consideration of Gods eternity and immutability that it might be the easier granted he presseth it by a Collation of Gods Eternity and Immutability with his own life As if he should say Spare me
and full of compassion 1 A gracious God 1. Gracious in doing these works for they came from his meer grace pity and favour 2 Full of compassion and not from any desert of mans 2. And full of compassion Rachum affected with the bowels of a father toward his children The instances of his mercy are gracious in habit compassionate in act Of which the Prophet now descending to particulars gives in several instances gracious and full of compassion he was in that 1. 1 Manna given He hath given meat to them that fear him He nourished his people for forty years in the Wilderness and gave them Manna from Heaven this meat he gave especially to those that fear'd him and for their sakes to others or else the whole Congregation might well be said to fear him because at that time they took him for their God and worshipped him 2. 2 Keeping his Covenant He will be ever mindful of his Covenant which is his second instance A mercy it was to make a Covenant with them but notwithstanding their high provocations to be ever mindful of it and keep it is a higher degree of mercy 3. 3 Doing miracles for them He hath shewed his people the power of his works which is a third instance His works were the turning of Jordan backward the overthrow of Jericho by the sound of Rams Horns the staying of the Sun and Moon in the valley of Ajalon at Joshua's prayer c. All these were works of power which he then shew'd his people 4. 4 Giving them the land of Canaan And these he did That he might give them the heritage of the Heathen which is his fourth instance For who can deny but it was a work of mercy to expel the Canaanites before them and bestow upon his own people their inheritances Now as before he used an Acclamation when he entred upon the works of God in the Creation of the World Ver. 7 and the Conservation and Governance of it The works of the Lord are great honourable glorious So after these instances of his works of mercy lest any man should suspect him unjust in this last instance especially viz. ejecting the Canaanites and giving away their inheritances he aptly interserts this Elogy of them The Elogy of these done 1. Ver. 7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment 1. 1 In verity 2. In judgment The Elgoy of the moral Law Verity these works had truth in them for by it he had made good his promise made to Abraham to give them the land 2. And secondly Judgment for by it his Justice was executed upon Idolaters and profane persons 2. Which shewes unto the whole World that 1. All his Commandments are sure That his Laws 1 It is sure especially that which is Moral are certainly true and that he deceives none in the promulgation of them but that they bring a punishment to the Transgressors and a reward to the Observers of them as it appears by the example of the Canaanites that were ejected for the breach of them Levit. 18.24 c. 2. That these Commands being but the Law of Nature stand fast for ever Ver. 8 2 Eternal that they are indispensable and immutable and for this reason because they are done and established in truth and uprightness containing in them the most absolute Justice Equity Rectitude and Truth that is conceivable 5. The Elogy of Gods Law being ended 5 His last instance of mercy Redemption he at last instances in a work of mercy that exceeds all the rest to wit the work of Redemption of all Mankind by his Son for however it be true of the Redemption of Israel out of Aegypt yet it is better with the Fathers to expound it of that Redemption purchased by Christ of which he saith 1. He sent Redemption i. e. a Redeemer so often promised Ver. 9 so much expected to his people who redeemed them from the power of darkness 2. And with them in him he established an eternal Covenant For he hath commanded this his Covenant for ever which is extant Jer. 31.31 Hebr. 8.8 3. Thus the Prophet having enumerated many of Gods works both of Power The third part For all these his Name to be accounted Wisdom and Mercy concludes the Psalm with three Epiphonema's which shew us the manner how God is to be praised holily reverently fearfully Ver. 9 1. The first Epiphonema is to the Name of God 1 Holy Holy and Reverent is his Name i. e. his Service or any thing whereby he is signified This is 1. Holy It may not then be polluted with a false hypocritical Service the Command being Be ye holy for I am holy 2. Reverent Not then rashly carelesly negligently to be performed 2 Reverent Terrible but with the greatest Reverence that may be Or as some read it Terrible and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God 2. The second Epiphonemn followes upon the other Ver. 10 for if the Name of the Lord be Holy and Reverent then it is wisdom to fear him Wisdom therefore to fear him Now 1. This fear is the beginning of wisdom for then men begin to be wise when they begin to fear God eschew evil and do good and it is best out of filial fear out of love rather than dread of punishment 2. This fear if it be right will be practical And this fear will be practical and this practice will proceed out of science and knowledge of what is to be done all other knowledge is but vain For a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments for to him that knows what is good and doth it not to him it is sin Jam. 4. 3. The third Epiphonema or Acclamation is His praise endureth for ever Hi. praise and fear will continue for ever which some refer to God others to the man that fears God and both are true 1. For the praise of God will and must continue for ever his power his wisdom his mercy is for ever and then his praise must continue for over 2. But if referr'd to the man that fears God then the sense will be that 1. His praise that is the praise with which a man that fears God praiseth him will endure for ever For they that dwell in thy house will be alwayes praising thee Psal 84.4 2. And the praise of him that fears God Or his praise that is the commendation of a good man will be had in everlasting remembrance Psal 112.6 The name of the wicked shall rot but the memorial of the just is blessed Prov. 10.7 The Lord will say to such a man Well done thou good and faithful servant Matth. 25.21 His praise is in this World lasting in the future everlasting The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and eleventh Psalm O Omnipotent most wise and merciful God it is our Duty to
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
shall be transient not permanent temporal not eternal 1. For the rod i. e. Scepter and power of the wicked shall not rest i. e. Ver. 3 Stay continue stand settle upon the loâ—t inheritance part Not prevail long portion of the righteous 2. The reason is Lest the righteous put forth his hand to wickednesse That good fall not away i. e. Lest the righteous do faint and being discouraged lose their perseverance in piety justice when they see the prosperity of wicked men to be overlong and joyn with them in their villany 3. And because he said there was some danger to pious men Ver. 4 lest they should be scandalized by the oppression of the wicked He prayes for them and be seduced to fall by their prosperity therefore he prayes earnestly for them 1. Do good O Lord send them patience send them comfort and a speedy deliverance 2. I mean those who are upright in their hearts conform their hearts to thy will do acquiesee in thee wait upon thee and expect thy promises 4. Ver. 5 Now to these men that are upright in heart he opposeth the wicked the revolters and shews the end of Apostatees and Apostates and declares what will be the end of them 1. As for such as turn aside to their crooked wayes That decline from their uprighrnesse of heart to some crooked way and in persecution and tribulation let go their patience and revolt from the Truth and confidence either denying the faith complain of God and murmur at his providence 2. The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity A terrible Commination their portion shall be with their persecutors the worst of men Hypocrites Factors for mischief 3. Whereas the good shall have peace But peace shall be upon Israel The wicked being separated from the society of good men there shall remain an eternal peace to the people of God The Prayer out of the one hundred five and twentieth Psalm O Most gracious God because all humane helps are vain uncertain weak and deceitful therefore we are commanded and according to thy command 't is the joy of our hearts that we can repose our sols considence in thée Ver. 1 For we are assured that those that can rely on thée with a pure heart a good conscience servent love and saith unseined shall be as mount Zion that Mountain which thou hast chosen before all the earth to set thy name there which nor storm nor tempest nor enemy nor persecution shall remove Be Ver. 2 O good Lord a wall of fire about thy Church and as the mountains were placed round about Jerusalem for her defence so Lord stand round about thy people in this néedful time of trouble let not the gates of hell prevaile against them nor the wicked approach to hurt them but be a strong tower of defence unto them from henceforth even for ever Ver. 3 For our sins and hainous transgressions thou hast justly suffered the wicked to lay their severe rod upon the backs of the righteous people but suffer not this their power and scepter to rest stay and continue overlong upon them Lest that they who are infirme and weak in the saith saint and be discouraged and by the tentation of their and thy enemies prosperity deserting the way of piety and justice joyn with them in their villany and put forth their hands unto iniquity O Lord send to all thy good servants constancie send them patience Ver. 4 send them comfort send them deliverance Do good O Lord to them that are true of heart But as for those Ver. 5 who turn aside to their crooked wayes not only imagine wickednesse in their hearts but by their utmost endeavour bring it to effect whose labour it is that thy Word be dishonoured sincere Religion extinguished and the sincere invocation of thy Name obliterated lead them forth with the workers of iniquity and make them séele and know the hottestot thy wrath and indignation But restore unto thy people Israel who serve thée with an honest heart their former peace and tranquility and make them partakers of thy mercy which thou hast promised to thy Church for thy Sons sake Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The plainer summe of the CXXIV Psalm in which is described 1. The subtilty of the adversaries of the Church in laying snares to entrap it as fowlers do to catch birds vers 7. 2. Their Cruelty in seeking to tear it in pieces yea to swallow it up quick as some cruel beasts of prey or as mighty inundations that overflow all in their way vers 3 4 5 6. 3. The cause of their Subtilty and Cruelty Wrath Displeasure vers 3. 4. The delivery of the Church from both by the power and goodness of God vers 1 2 6 7. 5. The Duty perform'd for this deliverance Praise to God vers 6. PSAL. CXXVI THIS Psalm seems to be penn'd about the end of the Captivity when Cyrus gave liberty to the Jews to return into their own Land and to build again the Temple and Jerusalem For it is the purpose of the Prophet in gratitude to celebrate so great a mercy The Contents of it are 1. An expression of joy for the strange liberty granted them to return which was wonderful both to Jews and Gentiles vers 1 2 3. 2. A prayer for the return of the remaining part vers 4. 3. An excellent Corallary or Moral collected by the Prophet from it that there is a Vicissitude of things that our mourning shall be turn'd to joy vers 5 6. 1. The Prophet first celebrates their return from the Captivity The first part The Prophet exults for the Jews return from Captivity and amplifies it three wayes 1. From the cause 2. From the wonder of it 3. From the joy at it 1. The cause was Jehovah Ver. 1 When the Lord turn'd again the Captivity of Zion though Cyrus gave a Commission for it 1 The Author Jehovah yet it was the Lord that did it 2. So strange and wonderful and beyond expectation it was 2 It was beyond imagination that the Jews were like them that dream When they heard of it for joy they could scarse believe it so that they thought that they nor heard nor saw it but did only dream of such a thing That hapned to them which did to Jacob at the news of his son Josephs exaltation in Egypto he did scarse believe it 3. Their joy for this wonderful deliverance is expressed vers 2. Ver. 2 For from their inward comfort there proceeded an external mirth 3 Their joy for it which they expressed by the joy of their countenance and with the voice 1. Then was our month fill'd with laughter We had a merry look 2. And one tongue with singing Songs they sung to the praise of God This God did for them witness Now that God did this for them he proves by a twofold attestation 1. Of the Heathen Then said they among
that Attribute is made the burden of the Psalm and the close in every verse And this was a Solemn form in use in the Jewish Church as is apparent 2 Chron. 7.3 6. 20 21. The parts of this Psalm are 1. A general exhortation to praise God for his goodness Majesty vers 1 2 3. 2. A declaration of his goodness and Majesty by the effects 1. Of his Creation from vers 4. to 10. 2. Of his Providence especially in conserving his Church and exercising his judging toward her enemies from vers 10. to 25. 3. That his Providence extends to all creatures vers 25. 3. A conclusion fit for the exordium for it calls us up to praise God vers 26. 1. The first part An invitation to praise God In the three first verses the Prophet invites to praise God for his goodness and mercy 1. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good For his Mercy endureth for ever 2. O give thanks to the God of Gods For his Mercy endureth for ever 3. O give thanks to the Lord of Lords For his Mercy endureth for ever In these verses Expositors find the Trinity 1. In the first Jehovah God the Father who is the fountain of Being 2. In the second God the Son who is the God of Gods whether Angels or Princes who are called Gods but he is over them 3. In the third the Holy Ghost who is Lord of Lords who as the wind blows where when and on whom he will Other Lords have not Free-will but as Servants must do his pleasure Bellarmine His reasons are The chief reason because good merciful for ever that we give thanks to him because he is good because merciful and his mercy endures for ever For 't is his mercy that we shall live for ever so that his mercy is extended to us both while we live on earth and when we live with him in heaven It is no improbable conjecture of Musculus that this Psalm was sung by the Quire and that the people at the end of every Versicle sung this Responsory For his Mercy endureth for ever Which was no Battology neither saith Moller for it follows and applyes every particular benefit 2. The second part The Prophet now begins to praise God for his great and wonderful works which he alone was able to do such as was the work of Creation in which he used not the power of Angels And farther for his works but his own only Give thanks to the Lord 1. Who hath done wonderful things His instance is presently in the Creation 1 Of Creation in all which he shews his mercy 2. For his Mercy endureth for ever His Mercy was conspicuous in this work for he made not any thing of necessity as if he needed the creature Ver. 4 but meerly out of his ineffable good-will and Mercy Of these wonderful things Instance first the Prophet his 1. 1 The heaven First instance in the heavens To him give thanks that by wisdom made the heavens It was his first work Gen. 1. For whether we look upon the magnitude the figure the beauty the motion the order of the Orbs the splendor the influence the effects of the celestial bodies there is a strange and wonderful evidence of wisdom and power in them not unitable by any creature 2. For his mercy endures for ever because it pleased him to create these heavens out of nothing to be an eternal habitation for Men and Angels 2. Ver. 5 His second instance is in the earth In the beginning God made heaven and earth 2 The earth Heaven to be the Palace of immortal Citizens The Earth to be the Mansion of Mortals 1. Give thanks to him that stretch'd out the earth above the waters So naturally it could not be because it is the heavier element but he furrowed the earth and let into the concavities thereof the water that men and beasts might live upon it 2. For his mercy endureth for ever In this there was a threefold mercy 1. In respect of the earth to make it something of nothing 2. In respect of the water to which he prepared a setled place 3. In respect of man to whom he gave the earth uncovered and safe from the waters yet watered with rivers that he might live in it till it and reap the fruit of it 3. Ver. 6 The third instance is the two great Luminaries and the Stars in the three following verses 3 The Sun and Moon 1. Ver. 7 Given thanks to him who made great lihts For his Mercy endureth for ever The Sun to rule by day For his Mercy endureth for ever The Moon and the Stars to rule the night For his Mercy endures for ever These do wonderfully adorn the heaven and profit the earth For these lights especially by illuminating the earth do comfort us and are over our works by night and day And he instanceth in these rather than in other works of God because these shine to all the world and therefore every man is unexcusable if by them they acknowledge not Gods wisdom 3. From the wonderful works of Gods Creation The third part 2. Of providence to Israel before he descends to speak of the works of his Providence in preservation of his Church and instanceth in his people Israel whom he delivered from Aegypt with a mighty hand as if he had been a man of War and this in respect of Israel was an act of mercy though on the Aegyptians an act of justice Ver. 10 Give thanks to him that smote Aegypt in their first-born for his mercy endureth for ever And brought out Israel from among them for his mercy endureth for ever With a strong hand and stretched-out arm for his mercy endureth for ever To him which divided the red Sea for his mercy c. And made Israel to pass through the midst of it for his mercy c. But overthrew Pharaoh and his Host in the red Sea for his mercy c. Give thanks to him which led his people through the Wilderness for his mercy c. To him which smote great Kings for his mercy c. And slew famous Kings for his mercy c. Sihon King of the Amorites for his mercy c. Ver. 20 And Og the King of Bashan for his mercy endureth for ever And gave their land for an heritage for his mercy c. Even an heritage to Israel his servant for his mercy c. He performed unto them all the Offices of a good Captain Guide Leader nay Father for he took care for food for them fed them with bread from Heaven brought for them waters out of the Rock cured their sick defended them and avenged them on their enemies c. But the whole History is so plain in Moses that it needs no explanation 4. All this was done for them before they entred the land of Canaan 2 After they entred Canaan the Prophet goes on to
remember what was done for them after They proved a rebellious people for which God humbled them and brought the Philistins and the Babylonian Kings against them who conquered them and kept them under and in subjection But God in this their oppression when they cryed and turned to him forsook them not but raised up some Judge King or other to deliver them as Gideon Sampson David Cyrus c. which the Prophet mentioneth in the next verses Ver. 23 Who remembred us when we were in our low estate for his mercy c. And hath redeemed us from our enemies for his mercy Psal 135.14 5. Lastly That this goodness is not extended only to his people 3 And his providence to all creatures but even to all Creatures is manifest in that he provides for nourishes and conserves every living creature for Caro here signifies every thing that hath life and bread all kind of nourishment by which the life is sustained Ver. 25 Who gives food to all flesh for his mercy endures for ever 6. He concludes as he begun O give thanks unto the God of Heaven The conclusion that we praise him for his mercy endureth for ever And he calls him the God of Heaven because he only made the Heaven and hath his Throne in Heaven Ver. 26 having the whole World under him and in his power that preserves moderates governs all things by his wisdom power mercy The Hymn collected out of the One hundred and thirty sixth Psalm O Omnipotent God so great is thy goodness so infinite is thy mercy to the sons of men that we are not able to express it because we cannot comprehend it Whatever we enjoy is from thy mercy whatever we hope to enjoy is thy mercy Thy mercy endures for ever and therefore we will sing of thy mercies from everlasting to everlasting Ver. 5 Whethersoever we cast our eyes we find objects of thy mercy whether we behold the Heavens framed by thy wisdom and adorned with great lights the Sun to rule the day or the Moon and Stars to govern the night or whether we look down upon the earth stretched out above the waters that it might be the habitation and yield food for all creatures in both these nay in all places they occur unto us ample Testimonies of thy bounty and mercy all which should we consider with a pious and serious mind we must néeds with an inflamed heart and free tongue never cease to sing with the Prophet Ver. 25 Thy mercy endureth for ever In the Creation of all things From Ver. 10. To Ver. 22. in giving food to all flesh thy mercy hath been wonderful But in the choosing gathering conserving revenging the wrongs and pardoning the sins of thy people more wonderful our hearts were as hard and as cold as a stone should we not consider what thou didst for thy people Israel which is an engagement to us what thou wilt do for thy Church For thy mercy endures for ever Thou smotest Aegypt and slew mighty Kings for their sakes Thou didst lead them as a Captain and provide Manna and Quails and waier for them as a father defend them from their enemies and never cease to prosecute them with mercy till thou givest them the heritage of the Heathen yea when they were brought to any low estate Thou redeemest them from their enemies for thy mercy endures for ever Thou therefore who art rich in bounty clemency and mercy that never can have an end behold we beséech thée thy Church and remember it now in a low estate remit our sins pardon our transgressions repent concerning thy servants and redeem us from our enemies for thy mercy endures for ever Thou which givest food to all flesh Ver. 25 féed our souls with the celestial Manna thy Word and thy Sacraments for thy mercy endures for ever So shall we give thanks to thee O Lord because thou art good and thy mercy endureth for ever Ver. 1 So shall we give thanks to the God of gods for his mercy endureth for ever So shall we give thanks to the Lord of lords for his mercy endureth for ever We will give thanks to the God of Heaven for his mercy endureth for ever Ver. 26 PSAL. CXXXVII AT the composure of this Psalm the Jewes were in captivity at Babylon under the heavy yoke of the Assyrian Tyrant far from their own Countrey banished from the Temple of God deprived of all publick Exercises of Religion scoffed and scorned by the pride and insultation of an enemy and now they begin to complain and pray remember what they were and what they are what they enjoyed and what they want that at Jerusalem they could sing songs of Zion but now at the Rivers of Babylon they must sit down and hang up their Harps The Psalm hath two parts 1. A complaint of Israel because of the insultation of the Babylonians in which they deplore their sad condition remember the pleasures of Jerusalem and the Religion of the Temple and long to be there from ver 1. to 7. 2. An imprecation for they pray for Divine vengeance to descend upon their Persecutors ver 7.8 9. Israels complaint in their captivity 1. Their complaint ariseth from the sense of their captivity which is aggravated The first part 1. From the place Babylon By the waters of Babylon 1 From the place a place far from their own Countrey where they served a cruel and barbarous people a people that were Aliens from the Covenant God made with Abraham Ver. 1 and scorners of their Religion that had wasted their City consumed with fire defiled robbed their Temple by them they were disposed to the Banks of the Rivers where in their fields they were forced to base and servile works 2. From the continuance of their captivity and misery There we sate down 2 From the continuance and misery took up the seats they alotted us and durst not remove for seventy years exposed to wind and weather and injuries of wild Beasts 3. From the effect it produced in them tears mourning yea 3 The effect tears we wept so we spent our time but our enemies cruelty was such that our tears wrought not any compassion on their hard hearts 4. From the cause that drew these tears from them 4 The cause the remembrance of Zion not so much their present calamities as the remembrance of what they enjoyed before but now were deprived of the Religion and Service of their God We wept when we remembred thee O Zion Toties quoties so often as they remembred the Temple the Feasts the Sacrifices the Songs the Hymns they sung to God in Zion so often they sate and wept 5. From the intensiveness of their grief so great it was 5 Their grief intensive that they laid aside whatever should provoke mirth they had more mind to weep than sing their Harps were unstrung Ver. 2 and their Instruments of Musick laid aside As for
praise God he exhorts upon two grounds 1. Ab utili jucundo decoro ver 1. 2. For his bounty to Jerusalem in building it and bringing back the dispersed ver 2. in comforting the sad and contrite in soul ver 3. 2. For his wisdom ver 4. For his power ver 5. For his mercy and justice ver 6. His first Arguments are taken from the thing it self His reasons to perswade it because it is for to praise God is 1. Ver. 1 Good For it is good to sing praises to our God Good for divers Reasons 1 Good for four reasons 1. That is good which God commands Micah 6.8 So that Thanksgiving is no indifferent Action no Will-worship but it is cultus institutus not to be neglected 2. It raiseth the heart from Earth to Heaven and being the work of Angels and Saints in Heaven joins us with that Quite above 3. Good again because by it we pay a debt in which is justice Lift up your hearts unto the Lord Resp It is meet and right so to do 3. Good because for it we are like to receive a good and a great reward for if he that prayes to God is like to be rewarded Matth. 6. much more that man that sings praises to him for in prayer we consult with our own necessities in our praises we honour God and bless him for his gifts 2. 2 Pleasant in divers respects To praise God is pleasant 1. Because it proceeds out of love for nothing is more pleasant to him that loves than to make Sonnets in the praise of that party he loves 2. Because it must needs please a man to perform that Duty for which he was created for to that end God created men and 〈…〉 that they should praise him Isa 43.7 A check this is to that slowness and backwardness we find in our selves to praise God or when we feel it tedious unto us 3. Because God is delighted with it as the sweetest Sacrifice He that offereth me praise and thanks he honoureth me Psal 50. 4. It is pleasant to God because he is delighted with those vertues which are in us Faith Hope Charity Religion Devotion Humility c. of all which our praises are a manifest 3. It is comely For there is no greater stain than Ingratitude 3 Comely and decent it is made up of a lye and injustice for either it insinuates and denies that the benefit is not received or that if received a man will not pay for it no not thanks There is then all the decency in the World in it that man be thankful to his God that freely gives him all things 2. These are the first Arguments the Prophet useth and they are drawn 2 For his goodness to Jerusalem à natura rei Those that follow are more particular and as the case then stood respect Israel but may well be applied in all Ages to the Church of God 1. The first taken from the reduction of the people from Captivity and the building of Jerusalem in which appeared the goodness of God to them for it was the mercies of God that they were not consumed 1. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem his Church Ver. 2 the Head of the Kingdom and Seat of the Sanctuary he restored their Polity and Religion 2. He gathereth together the out-casts or dispersed of Israel or banished collected them which were scattered so he collected his Church of dispersed Gentiles John 10.16 3. He healeth the broken in heart the sad the calamitous whether oppressed with captivity or sin Luke 4.18 4. And bindeth up their wounds as if he were a good Chyrurgion Ver. 3 Luke 10.34 2. The second Argument is taken from his Wisdom 3 His wisdom in numbring the stars 1. He tells the number of the stars A thing it seems impossible for man Gen. 15.5 For there be many of them immersae orbi which then being shew'd to Abraham he could not number but God hath them upon account 2. And calls them all by their names They are his Army Isa 40.26 He knows their power properties efficacy of every one of them and calls them forth by their names and they answer Here we are Baruch 3. But by these stars some understand Gods Elect The servants of God like stars whose number is to us without number and whose names are written in his Book Now these are well-likened to the Stars 1. The stars are infinite in number So are his Elect to us not to him 2. Among the stars some are Planets Erratica His Elect sometimes wander up and down 3. The stars shine by night clearest His Elect in the darkness of persecutions 4. One star differs from another in glory The Elect excel each other in grace in piety c. 5. The stars are above far from impurity The Conversation of the Elect in Heaven 6. The stars are obscured with clouds but they being dispersed they shine again So the Church is sometime obscured Matth. 25. But at Christs appearing they shall appear in glory 1 John 3.2 For there is not one of these stars how obscure how dark how little or abject soever but Christ will call him by his name and this the Prophet intends What shall God ever tell the number of his banish'd people and gather together the dispersed into one Church why not He that can tell the number of the stars and call them by their names I hope 't is no difficult thing to him to tell the number of his Elect and call them by nomination 3. 4 From his power His third Argument to praise God is drawn from his power Great is our Lord Ver. 4 and of great power and his understanding is infinite Let no man despair of his power though the thing expected be great and difficult for his understanding is infinite And though we cannot find out a way yet he knows how to bring his Will to pass 4. 5 From his Mercy and His fourth Argument to praise God is taken from his Justice and Mercy 1. Ver. 5 His Mercy The Lord lifts up the meek His wayes are not like mens wayes with whom the meek are despised but these are the men whom he sustains defends exalts 2. Justice His Justice He casts the wicked down to the ground Wicked men shall not reign for ever God will laugh them to scorn and cast them from the highest step of dignity and power to contempt and scorn to the ground 2. The second part of the second Section He repeats his Exhortation to praise God But before the Prophet goes on he repeats his Exhortation as if he meant to rub up our memories and that we call to mind to what purpose he used the former and will yet use the following Arguments Sing unto the Lord with Thanksgiving Do it in words Sing praises upon the Harp unto our God Do it in works And presently he falls upon his Arguments Ver. 7 which are drawn from
were This blow wrought not upon them 1. For all this for all this punishment they sinned yet more added sin to sin 2. 2 Incredulity And remained incredulous They believed not for his wonderous works Therefore the wrath of God pursued them still though with a slower pace to give that time of repentance 1. Therefore their dayes did he consâ—â—â—e in vanity Hope they had at their coming from Egypt Gods wrath for these to enter into Canaan but their hope proved vain God causing their carkasses to fall in the Wilderness 2. And their years in trouble For in their forty years continuance in the desert infected they were with many wants dangers stung with fiery Serpents set on by the Amalekites Now when they saw Which wrought in them Attrition that Gods wrath thus pursued them true it is that it wrought for the present some remorse in them they acknowledg'd and sought to God for a little while Attrite they were 1. When he slew them then they sought him 2. They return'd 3. And enquired early after God 2. And they remembred that God was their Rock 2. And the high God was their Redeemer Attrite But not true Contrition For they in this remorse were guilty I say they were but not contrite For all this their seeking returning enquiring was but a formality And therefore the Prophet as before he laid Obstinacy and Contumacy to their charge so in the following verses he impeacheth them of Hypocrisie and Inconstancy which is the Note of a dissembler 1. 1 Of Hypocrisie Of Hypocrisie Nevertheless they did but flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongue viz. when they call'd him their Rock as it is before The high God their Redeemer 2. For they had no sincerity in them Their heart was not right with him 2. 2 Of Inconstancy Of Inconstancy Neither were they stedfast in his Covenant They quickly forgot that as God was obliged by Covenant to them so again they were obliged to him And here the Prophet And yet God was merciful to them before he goes farther on with the Narration of their impiety inserts two verses to extoll the goodness of God even toward such Rebells 1. The fountain of which was his mercy Vers. 38 But he being full of compassion 2. The act of this his mercy He forgave their iniquity and destroy'd them not 3. The moderation of his anger and continuance of his mercy Though he were provoked often yet many a time turn'd he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath 4. That which was outwardly the motive to it The consideration of their frail condition 1. For be remembred that they were but flesh Gen. 6. full of vanity weakness 2. A wind that passeth away and cometh not again A mortal creature that dyes and revives not He continues the story of their Rebellions And after the intimation of Gods goodness he returns back again to his story of their disobedience and as if he were astonish'd at it he begins his Complaint with an Exclamation in which there is a Climax 1. How often Ten times at least Numb 14.22 2. How often have they provoked him by murmuring by repining at his doings 3. And that in the desert where I shew'd my protection of them More particularly They 1. Returned i. e. Rursus ad ingenium redeunt Or else they return'd back again in their hearts to Egypt 2. Tempted God vide Exod. 16. Cap. 32. Numb 11. Cap. 14. 16. 17. Cap. 3. And limited the Holy One of Israel That if he would not do as they would have him he should be an impotent and weak God sup vers 19 20. 4. And they lastly forgot all he had done for them in Egypt Forgetfulness is the fountain of impiety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nihil citius feuescit quam gratia 6. Now upon this their deliverance from Egypt because it was the greatest of Gods works he upbraids them for their forgetfulness Insists on their forgetfulness that he might the more upbraid their ingratitude and impiety On this he dwells long and first he delivers it in general terms 2. And after insists upon the particulars 1. They remembred not his hand nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy i. e. Pharaoh 2. How he wrought his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan This was forgot too The particulars of which signs and wonders now follow Of the plagues of Egypt 1. The first plague He turn'd their rivers into blood and the â—â—oods that they could not drink 2. the fourth plague he sent divers sorts of flies among them 3. the second plague and frogs that destroyed them 4. The eighth plague He gave also their increase to the Caterpillar and their labour to the locust 5. The seventh plague He destroyed their vines with hail and their Sycamore trees with frost He gave up also their Cattle to the hail and their flocks to hot thunder-boles In them God shew'd his Severity In all these plagues and those that follow God shewed his severity to the Egyptians He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger wrath indignation and trouble 2. He sent evil Angels among them 3. He made a way to his anger he spared not their soul from death 6. The first plague But gave their life over to the Pestilence 7. The last plague And smote all the first-born in Egypt The chief of their strength in the Tabernacles of Ham i. e. Egypt For Mizraim that peopled it was the son of Cham. Hitherto the Prophet hath recited the signs and wonders God did in Egypt for his people how he destroy'd their enemies with a mighty hand that being warn'd by their examples they took heed that they provoked him not to wrath which they did because they remembred them not 7. But Mercy to his people Now he enters a new way and recites the Mercies of God to them of which he began to speak at the eleventh and fourteenth verses above Of which the particulars are 1. How he brought his people through the red Sea And made his own people go forth as sheep 2. Vers. 52 That to bring them out being not enough as a Shepherd he led and fed them He guided them as a flock 3. And his intent was to secure them from fear For he led them on safely so that they feared not i. e. that need not fear since the Sea had overwhelm'd their enemies 4. And he left them not so alwayes to wander in the Wilderness but He brought them into the Land of Canaan 2. To the borders of his Sanctuary 3. Even to Mount Zion 4. The Mountain which he purchased with his right-hand They indeed fought for it but he gave them victory 5. He cast out the heathen before them And made the Tribes of Israel to dwell in their Tents 6. And divided them an inheritance by lot