to offer them to me upon such humane and grosse principles as if the killing of cattell and shedding their bloud never discerning the Lords body were the thing I coveted were served by and took pleasure in no I hate such services and have no pleasure in such sacrifices it is not for want of such that I reprove thee I have had enow and too many of them 14 If you will serve me aright and sacrifice to give me content then offer other manner of sacrifices than these or these sacrifices after another manner I that am a spirit look for the service of your faith and affections let the ceremonies and sacrifices you perform be significant not shells without kernels when you pretend to thank me in peace-offerings c. Bring your hearts with you let your faith and affections be offered up unto me through the propitiatory mediatour in whom onely they are accepted in an humble gratulatory way for the good you acknowledge Remember its God you have to do with who looks for the service of the inward as well as the outward man have thy mind on high in the heavens where I am when thou worships me here below and therefore be sure with the spirit thou pour forth praise and thanks unto me for the goodness and benefits thou acknowledgest to have received from me when as thou offerest sacrifice 15 Its prayer and praise offered up in faith to me because of my grace and faithfulness to you that I set by it s that shall prevail with me not your empty ceremonies and sapless sacrifices If you be in trouble at any time let me then hear from you in that way and you shall be sure of a gracious answer from me because then and never till then I know I shall be sure to have a faithfull return made me of praise glory and thanks for the goodness I shew unto you 16 These are the men and this is that manner of service that God accepts of but to the carnall hypocrit or meer formall professor that is so busie in externall performances of legall rites commanded by God he would have such an one know that he had rather have his room than his company for all he does is but in abuse of God and his worship making shew of serving him and keeping covenant with him but without any truth or sincerity of heart whereby he adulterates Gods own ordinances and makes them utterly unpleasing to him though appointed by him but never intended they should be practised or preached by such men in such a manner 17 To bolster them up in their impieties taking liberty to sin because they conform to outward ceremoniall ordinances God would have such know that they neither glorifie him nor profit themselves that are carefull in outward duties and acts of Religion and careless of holiness in heart and conversation 18 Thou that art so full of seeming sanctity thinkest thou that God regards thy services if withall thy heart be full of hypocrisie and thy ways of unrighteousness breaking the morall law whilst thou makest conscience of the ceremoniall giving the reins to thy corrupt heart and hands to contrive and act all manner of impieties as theft adultery and joyning thy self with such companions 19 Taking liberty to lie and deceive and makest even a trade and common practise of it 20 Studiously back-biting and traducing others that mean thee no hurt nor never did thee any but ought to be loved of thee as brethren and of envy or emulation slandering those that are near and should be dear unto thee thine own very kindred and allies labouring their disparagement and disgrace 21 These things you know have been acted amongst you even by and amongst you that yet pretend to be a people in covenant with me and come and worship before me and sacrifice unto me and because I bear with you in these hypocriticall evil ways of yours and suffered my self to be thus mocked and abused by you you thought that I approved of you and your doings but you shall find that I set not so light by mine honour as you think for nor will not so easily put up with such abuses as you imagine there will come a time that I will make you smart for your base abuse of me and mine holy ordinances and you shall know that I am sensible of your ingratitude and so shall you be of my just indignation for these your sins which I have marked all along you shall find so much how that I le remember when you have forgotten them and mind you of them to your cost 22 For think you that I will be so severe against the sins of the rest of the world that in comparison of you have no knowledge of me nor have received no favours from me and that I will not be much more so towards you That I cannot pretend ignorance but sin against me either out of a stupid supine negligence and disrespect of me or out of a spirit of rebellion But consider it you had best how my name hath been prophaned amongst you and persist not to despise me in this sort and forget the duty and gratitude that you owe me who deserve better from you least that of all the world you smart most for it for as your sins are the greatest being against light and loving-kindness so without repentance shall your plagues be the sorest for as you are without excuse so shall you be without mercy no one not Moses nor any your forefathers upon whom you bear your selves no nor the Messiah himself shall open his mouth for you to save or deliver such an hypocriticall ill-deserving people 23 This is generally a nationall fault amongst you and will at last bring forth nationall judgements and common destruction upon you but yet as I have known and chosen you though ill deserving it to be my people of all the world so do I know and have chosen some from among you that bear me better respect than the rest And such an one who ever he be let not him fear to perish with the rest but be confident who ever he is that makes conscience to worship me in spirit as well as in form and when he sacrifices to me then with an humble faithfull and affectionate heart praiseth me for my benefits and favours vouchsafed that 's the man that mine eye is upon and upon the worship and service he performs to accept it for he alone worships me aright all else is lost labour and meer mockery The spirituall minded man and the reall sincere hearted Israelite who is as well conscionable and carefull of his life and conversation to walk uprightly with God and honestly with men as of the rites and formalities of the ceremoniall law and mine externall worship to do them this is the man that as he serves me acceptably so will I reward him bountifully he shall see with the eye of
shall have no more power to hurt thee through his gracious providence and protection over thee than a worm under thy feet 7 Fear neither less nor more great nor small for God shall certainly protect thee as well from one evil as another especially thy soul whether respecting life temporal or eternal shall have a special guard fear that least because as it is most of wroth in it self so also in Gods esteem and valuation 8 God is every where in all places at all times thou needest not put cases of fear and doubt to thy self of this though not that may befal me and then though not now for whatsoever thou doest and whither ever thou goest God is with thee and it and will ever be so to keep thee from evil and bless thee with good and to prosper thee in all thy wayes of well-doing believe it stedfastly and live comfortably in the faith thereof The cxxii PSALM David overjoyed to see the universal concord and conformitie in his people for the bringing the Ark to Ierusalem and worshipping the Lord there as God had appointed the more to sharpen them to it and ingratiate it to them highly commends the prerogative of that place and that people by reason of it and therefore exhorts them not to degenerate but in love and zeal still to labour and pray for the happiness of it promising happiness to those that do so and so does he himself and shews the reasons why See the title of the 120 Psalm the Authors name superadded here 1 HOw infinitly did it rejoyce me to hear and see such an universal unanimity in my people Israel to submit to and approve of the transportation and fixing the Ark and sanctuarie in Jerusalem where God had appointed it with desire and forwardness to worship God there without the least scruple or question 2 Saying amongst themselves with rejoycing now is the time and Jerusalem is the place that God will fulfil his promise by giving his Ark a settled condition which hitherto hath moved and removed from place to place and together with his Ark his Church and people Israel who have been both for worship and Government in an unsetled and various state but now shall there be an happie establishment as both Christ and the Church by Christ shall have at his glorifying 3 And indeed a blessed and desireable place Jerusalem is exceeding lovely for uniformitie of structure order in Government and harmonie of hearts and affections in the inhabitants towards the true worship of the onely true God stately and strong both in men and materials sweetly composed and well compact a Citie specially blessed of God to represent the happie condition of his Church both under Christ on earth united by faith in him their head and with Christ in heaven 4 It is the most beautiful place of the world and enriched with the most singular and Divine priviledges of any on earth being a resemblance of heaven it self and the Church both there and here for as thither the twelve tribes of Israel a chosen generation out of the whole world do congregate and ascend to the mount of God solemnly to worship him before the Ark the testimonie of his covenant and presence with his people so shall his elect the Church of the first born all the world over be gathered to Jesus and ascend into the heavenly Jerusalem evermore to praise him in that general assembly the celestial Quire of innumerable Angels and spirits of just men made perfect Yea by spirit and faith they shall meet in one bodie mystical on earth and with raised affections worship one God in Christ that blessed Emmanuel the mediatour of the new testament upon mount Sion in spiritual Jerusalem the Church that Citie of the living God 5 And as Christs Priestly office is established and clearly held forth in the sanctuarie-sanctuarie-worship in Jerusalem so also is his Kingly in those thrones of honour and justice civil and ecclesiastical erected and perpetuated there in the royal line of David his posterity Kings of Judah the figure and progenitours of Christ according to the flesh as is his tribunal in heaven where he hath dominion over his Church and the whole world and from whence he shall come to judge all flesh at the latter day 6 Many are the enemies of this flourishing Citie Jerusalem as shall be to the Church yea all the world is against it and the worship and Government that is in it but yet we need not fear for God is for it able to preserve it in peace and prosperitie maugre all its adversaries if our sins and carnal presumption do not indispose him to it Therefore all ye Israelites specially ye that with a spiritual understanding are inlightned to know the worth and excellencie of the place which is in the world as the sun is in the firmament mystically comprehending all that Divine light and life that the sun of righteousness the Messiah shall illuminate the world withall when he comes to save his Church as Gods High-priest and take possession of his Kingdom as King of Kings and Lord of Lords do you serve the Lord and seek to him for the continuation of his grace and favour to it and his blessing upon it that it may be evermore happie with his love and presence and as a consequent thereof have rest and quiet from its enemies And of this be confident that they that thus for Christ and religion sake under that notion and relation sincerely love pray for and endeavour the happiness of it shall how ever it may suffer by other mens sins and formal hypocrisies within the pale or without by external violence of Gentile enemies be themselves happie and blessedly rewarded of God with grace peace and protection in their own particulars 7 It is and shall be my heartie prayer that the Lord will preserve thee as from outward forrain enemies so also from intestine civil broils and disunions in peace unanimity and concord within thy self as the Church shall be in heaven and ought to be on earth as one so at one under their one and onely head the Lord Christ. And that the throne of David his royal seed successours over his people Israel here in Jerusalem may successively flourish in peace and prosperitie and by the blessing and favour of God be established in judgement and righteousness there administred in honourable equipage as shall the Prince of peace Christ Jesus the righteous his throne and dominion over his Church be for ever in heaven 8 Nor am I a self-seeker in my well-wishes to this place no the Lord can witness for me that I desire the good and happiness of all the faithful yea of all Israel as mine own who to me are as dear as my nearest kindred and acquaintance by that relation natural and civil that God hath given me to them knowing right well that in the peace and
BRIEF NOTES Upon the whole Book of PSALMS Put forth for the help of such who desire to exercise themselves in them and cannot understand without a Guid. Being a pithie and clear opening of the Scope and Meaning of the Text to the capacitie of the Weakest By GEORGE ABBOT ACTS 18. vers 30 31. And Philip said unto the Eunuch Vnderstandest thou what thou Readest And he said How can I except some man should Guid me LONDON Printed by WILLIAM BENTLEY and are to be sold by Iohn Williams at the Crown and Francis Eglesfield at the Mary-gold in S. Pauls Church-yard Anno Dom. 1651. TO The truly Religious and Virtuous M ris JOAN PUREFOY Wife to the Honourable Colonell William Purefoy of Caldecote in Warwickshire Esquire a Member of this present PARLIAMENT THe Authours name bespeaks entertainment for this Book with those that knew him and the work it selfe with those that knew him not The return of it unto you whose interest and property therein is greater than can be derived by any dedication may peradventure at the first sight have the like operation upon you which those words of Jospeph's brethren had upon their father Jacob. Is not this thy sons Coat But upon further insight into and more inward acquaintance with it you shall find that he who took a great part of your heart with him out of this World Hath distilled into this work so much of those sweet spirits and graces which were fragrant in him while he lived as may represent and continew unto you the fruition of him in that which was his better part besides whom you had no other object of maternall affection and by whom there was left no other off-spring but the fruit of his studies and pen the more lively characters of his heart and spirit of which this is the last drawn forth unto the life immediately before his death left as a legacy to the people of God and as an account of his expence of that time which by reason of bodily infirmities could not be imployed in the service of the Common-wealth in Parliament whereof he was a Member There is not a line added to it by any other pencill neither did it need any thing but midwifery to bring it forth into the World and present it unto you as his or if you please as him The honour of which service pardon me if I claim as of a kind of right upon my acquaintance with his studies and his both frequent communications with me and obligations put upon me for the greater part of twenty years together in which he lived under my Ministery and in intimate correspondence with me whereby he put me into a greater debt to him than I can exonerate by this acknowledgment which indeed might lessen my testimonie by misprision of partiality had he not left a blessed memory behind him for my justification and incouragement If I should set forth his spirituall abilities to the life which I decline and rather chuse to point out the way and means of his improvement to so great a measure and maturity of them and thereby render the point at which he aimed attainable by others that shall transcribe his copy by shewing the line in which he moved to it The method or discipline which God used towards him at his first entrance into the school of Christ was not unlike to that of the Wilderness wherein through the frequent recesses of the spirit and Gods turning the dark side of the cloud towards him he was exercised with fresh agitations discomposures of spirit so as like massive bodies he could not settle upon his true center without previous trepidation whereupon he converted his studies and indeavours to the settlement of his spirituall estate and began to search the Scriptures for the treasure hidden in that field which together with his assiduity in hearing the word Preached his sucking the sweet out of such Books as had marrow and experience in them his constant trade with Heaven by Prayer his communication of experience and conversation with such as knew Jesus Christ brought him to such firmness of consistence in his own spirit as one that was the better rooted by former shakings to such fixedness in his principles as one that did not onely understand the truth of them but had tasted the goodness and felt the power of them to such riches of spirituall experiences as he became the resort of troubled consciences and a dexterous artist in swathing up tender and weak infants in grace and to such spiritualty of affection as in whom the primogeniall virtue and sence of Gods dispensations toward and impressions upon him in his conversion or as the Scripture speaks the love of his espousalls continued fresh and vigorous As for his proficiency and progress in the way of Christianity it was thus advanced in matter of knowledge or doctrine his chiefest inquiry upon any point was cui bono of what proper use and conducement it was unto practicall holiness or fruition of good c. Searching out the nutrimentall pith or marrow that was in it and not greatly ingaging his thoughts into opinions of contention or mere notion which had no kernell In duties altogether unsatisfied except he found the spirit acting and stirring in him or were particularly sensible of the absence withdrawments of it In company communicative and trading in the staple commodities of Heaven Especially upon the Sabbath-day wherein he used to sequester his thoughts and words to the proper work of that day and to divert common and obvious occurrences into matter of spirituall insinuation which day he also vindicated in his Book entituled Vindiciae Sabbati when that controversie was rife and hot and some began to lay open Gods inclosure into common fields and upon which day the Lord of the day honoured him in the defence of an unfortified House by a very few assistants against the furious assaults by fire and sword of a numerous and potent enemy The memory of which deliverance he kept alive in himself and exprest his sence thereof even in his last will and Testament the rather doubtless in respect that you his ever honoured Mother being imbarked in the same bottom with him at that time was supported with courage above your sex and with faith above present sence and so brought clear off that threatning storm by the good hand of the Lord your God unto whom as you have learned and do know it is all one to save by few as by many I shall say no more of him thereby to aggravate your loss which yet was not all yours for the Family the Town the Countrey were sensible of the influence of his exemplary holiness but shall pray for you a heart to make a gain of it by learning to walk with God without a crutch and in him onely to make out all deficiency and wants of secondary helps in whom every creature-comfort is virtually and eminently contained and so shall you quench
your thirst at the spring it self whose waters are purest and which never shall be dry A lesson which you shall be often taught by the holy Psalmist and the godly Paraphrast in this Book whereof I need not say a word being therein prevented by the Authour himself in his Epistle to the Reader who shall here find the sweet spices punned into a greater fragrancy by the Authours accommodating his stile to the most vulgar capacity for it was his aime to elevate affections which in Psalms and spirituall songs are the predominant part and therefore he wrote not so much to the eye as to the tast which pardon the solecisme is the best sence to read him with so carrying on the work in this Paraphrase as also in that of Iob as one that had not a mere notionall or carnall knowledge of spirituall things but that peculiar light which they have which are taught of God Without which even Schollars themselves do see the beauty of them but by candle-light and which that it may increase in you as the light of the Sun unto the perfect day shall be the Prayer of LONDON Iune 17. 1650. Your ever obliged Servant In the work of the Lord Iesus RICHARD VINES TO THE READER In way of ARGUMENT and APPLICATION ALL Scripture was written by the holy men of God as they were moved or inspired by the holy Ghost but this of the Psalms was not onely written by a holy man but by a holy man in holy frames who was not onely moved by the spirit to write them but was in the spirit when he penned them not so much acted by externall impulsion as inward affection warmth of zeal and sensible experience For the Psalms being to be a speciall part of the worship of God in all ages of the Church whereby God not onely speaks to us as in other Scripture but we to him in Prayer and praise the Arguments of almost all of them were therefore dictated by another spirit than other Scripture by the spirit of grace and operation not onely of illumination prophesie or inspiration to shew us how God is to be worshipped not onely by holy regenerate men such as were all the sacred pen-men but by the regenerate part of a regenerate man else Prayers nor praises neither come down from heaven nor go up to heaven It was not enough to be a Priest to offer Sacrifice but it must be done by a holy man with holy fire And therefore should we sing the Psalms of David in the spirit of David and read them as he writ them with frameable tempers to the matter treated Of all Scripture our meditation in the perusall of this Book of the Psalmes so full of practicall Gospel ought to be sweet and spirituall of which one rightly affirms Let all the rest of the Scripture be the body and this is the heart so full of heavenly affections Every Psalm whereof is a spirituall pang or fresh gail breathed by the holy Ghost on Davids heart and penned by him and the rest in instanti in heat of affection His writing is his feeling and so should be thy reading the musick of the Temple should make musick in the living Temples of the holy Ghost the sons of Sion therefore have I laboured not onely to render the proper but also the full extensive meanings of the Psalmists by congruous enlargements to move the affections as well as to inform the judgement That so Davids spirit in these Psalms may be transmigrated into the experienced Reader in proportionable power energie wherewith they were conceived digestedly put over by him to the Church whereof as of Christ he was a most lively type wading through so many dangers temptations ebbings flowings yea and sins too to create him to be a Looking-glass for the Church and Spouse of Christ who may be black yet comly and can never pass through any condition of sin or suffering where first he hath not led the way and shewen the issue whose varieties of providences states and tempers made him of such an evangelicall spirit in the time of the Law as that God stiles him a man after his own heart so that in him we see that neither great sins nor great afflictions can seperate us from the love and approbation of God though the one may cost us dear and the other may lay us low yet neither the one nor the other can build up such a partition wall but that the grapling irons of Faith Prayer and Repentance are able to demolish it and make way for us to the throne of grace whither if we can but come we shall be sure to speed for grace can deny grace to none that graciously ask it And therefore if ever we will gain that Encomium of being as he was after Gods own heart who ever loves a zealous penitent better than a luke-warm innocent it must be by improving all advantages to the encrease of Gospel-growth thus If at any time God in his wisdom let us fall or Satan by his subtility and strength give us a fall or we by our weakness catch a fall all which may be in one and the same sin then know that that sin is thine advantage or opportunity which thou art to improve to mount thee to a higher rise of Gospel-ground and step forward towards more grace by the fresh exercise or exercise of fresh faith and humiliation God being more pleased with us when we penitently and faithfully confess our sin wherein David was very ingenuous than displeased when we commit it For though we are not to sin that grace may abound yet when we have sinned it s both our wisdom and duty too to look that grace do abound and that we make a sanctified sin of it Acts of sinning in the regenerate contrary to Philosophy lessening the habits of sin And so if we fall into afflictions there is another opportunity for the promise is that all shall work for good and that going in and out we shall find pasture yea even a price in our hands which if improved by the exercise of seasonable and suitable graces will ready us in our Gospel-way better than any trade-wind or constant gail of providence can ever do Severall conditions make exceedingly for setting forth the Art of God in the second Creation as severall creatures do his skill in the first which variety in both makes us to abound not onely with necessaries but delights which Scripture calls things both new and old which no one condition unvaried can possibly render us capable of for it is said all things work together for good c. Alluding to the Art of the Apothecary in the mixing of various and diverse Simples no one whereof alone is able to work that effect that many joyntly can And when I speak of change of states I mean inward as well as outward for the soul would be as a cake unturned excellent in something and stark naught in othersome or
and full of danger for I am ready to be devoured by my Lion-like enemies but Lord thou that canst deliver do deliver me in token of the resurrection of Christ even from death it self and the rather for that heretofore I have found favour and had audience in as desperate a condition and as imminent peril of death by mighty enemies 22 I will in Psalms of praise magnifie thy power and goodnes amongst thy people who are my brethren flesh of my flesh as the regenerate are one with Christ in spirit In the midst of all Israel met together at thy sanctuary to worship thee shall thy praises be openly sung in Psalms of praise which I will dedicate to thee 23 Stirring up thereby thy faithful and obedient people to praise thee with me and for me the Type as thy Church and chosen ones will for Christ the Antitype All ye who are Jacobs posteritie and resemble Gods peculiar and elect people exalt the Lord for the great benefits he hath afforded me and to you by me Serve him with reverence and Godly fear all you that are Israel and sprung of Israel as shall do the children of the promise or the spiritual Israel of God under the Government of the Messiah 24 For he hath ever been mindful both of you and me in all our afflictions then when the world hath contemned and disdained you as it will his Church and me as it will Christ yet hath he highly set by us and done for us nor hath he ever withdrawn his grace and favour from me in my worst estate no more than he will from the Messiah in his but when at such times I cried unto him he hath most of all expressed it ever vouchsafing me a gracious answer and relief as he will to him and his in like condition 25 Therefore will I pay my homage of praise and thanks unto thee of whom I have received all my welfare and happines even before all Israel will I do it to provoke them to do the like who have like cause with me I will at those times of most solemn and publick worship sing thy praise and offer my sacrifice of thanks-giving unto thee that all may joyn with me and take example by me 26 They that meekly undergo their sufferings and do wait upon the Lord for deliverance and the fulfilling of his gracious promises shall be sure at last to have their hearts desire and shall be feasted with their own peace-offerings as Christ shall be in heaven after he hath endured the cross They shall have cause of praise that faithfully seek to him by prayer in their distresses Such men shall not need to be discouraged at no time nor in no condition but shall always have cause comfortably to enjoy themselves by faith in God 27 The time shall come when Christ is come and after his sufferings is exalted into glorie as contemptible as he seemeth to be that all the world shall take notice of their lost estate But for him whom God hath exalted to the office of a Saviour and Mediator and shall thereupon willingly and with all their hearts renounce their errours and idols to serve the onely true God in Christ and the manifold nations of the Gentiles who now are a separate bodie from the Church shall then be incorporated into it acknowledging the Lord Christ and worshipping him who when he is lifted up shall draw all men after him 28 For God hath put all power into his hands and he will shew that his Kingdom is not confined to Israel alone but that he is King over the Gentiles whom he will also bring under his dominion and allegiance 29 All sorts of people from all parts of the earth shall submit to Christs scepter and salvation They that outwardly abound in wealth and honour or inwardly with carnal confidence or self-righteousness shall yet be glad to casheer such destructive principles and deceivable and account it their greater safetie and felicitie to take their souls repast in Christ whom they shall feed upon by faith as their peace-offering for whom and by whom they shall thankfully adore and worship God all also that are abject and poor or that in self-despair apprehend themselves under the bondage and fear of death by sin shall likewise humbly and thankfully take hold of him for their Saviour and honour him as their onely Redeemer And thus it shall be made appear by the conviction of all mens consciences that were it not for him all the world were undone for no man can be saved without him by his own righteousnes nor purchase heaven either by worldly affluence or voluntarie penurie and pennance of soul or bodie but onely by being Christs and having Christ for his 30 Not that all the whole world shall either serve him or be saved by him But a holy seed like Jacobs chosen and called every where out of the world shall believe in him and yield obedience to him and they shall be counted to the Lord for children and he to them for a Father because of their faith in him and obedience to him and his reciprocal love to them and care over them 31 They by the Fathers drawing shall come to Christ and partake of his justifying righteousnes and grace when he is raised and exalted out of his abased condition of humiliation to be the King and Saviour of his Church Which in zeal to Christ himself and in Christian charitie and dutie they shall promulgate and declare also to succeeding Generations and teach it to their children and childrens children that they in like manner may partake of his grace and be begotten to God by believing in him Even those great things shall they declare which he hath done for Christ and for his Church in and through Christ like as he hath done for me and for the people of Israel by me The xxiii PSALM David from what God had done for him in bringing him to the Kingdom argues what he will do and sets his seal of faith and assurance to it so as that by reason of his past and present condition no future dangers shall dismay him But is confident he shall spend and end his life in happines and promises constant praises for perpetuated mercies A Psalm made by David 1 THe Lord hath shewn himself as careful and tender over me as a shepheard over his sheep which makes me confident of his gratious benignity to me for the time to come that of his bounteous goodnes he will so see to me that I shall lack nothing that is expedient for me 2 For present he hath made large provision for me and carved with a bountiful hand unto me of every good thing he gives me peace and plentie and hath brought me into a safe and happie condition void of danger and full of inward and outward tranquillitie 3 He hath as it were given me a resurrection
his afflictions the crueltie of his enemies the uprightnes of his cause and his peoples necessities A Psalm made by David 1 TO thee above O lord doth my soul faithfully address it self and its desires continually and to no other 2 O thou that by many gracious and sweet promises I know assuredly to be my God in thee onely do I put my trust let not me therefore miscarry and be defeated of my hopes and so both I and my faith be rendred a scorn to my wicked enemies 3 Yea Lord remember what a tie of truth and goodness lies upon thee towards them that in faith and holiness depend on thee and walk with thee as I do not to suffer such to miscarry and fail of their confidence or reward no let mine enemies do so who trust in other things and spitefully without any cause on my part break all Laws of Justice and Charity towards me so shalt thou magnifie thy faithfulness to the faithful and thy Justice upon the wicked 4 How ever other men walk towards me yet my desire is to keep touch with thee and therefore O Lord I pray thee in all my trials shew me thy promises and commandments appertaining to my present case and condition and teach me to understand what safety and reward there is in them that I may never depart from them 5 Powerfully enable me to stick close to thy word of truth by faith and obedience refusing every false way and refuge Thus instruct me both to do and know thy will in the midst of my temptations for thou art the God in whom I trust for all manner of preservation in wel-doing and wel-being on thee do I constantly depend every hour for every thing both for direction and protection in all my trials 6 O Lord forget not what fatherly pitty and love thou hast evermore born to thine and what expressions and manifestations thou hast made thereof upon all occasions as they have needed for they never yet failed thy people nor let them do so now to me that plead that priviledge to be one of thine to whom mercy successively belongs in my generation as to them in theirs 7 Call not to mind my sins long since committed before I knew thee nor the errors I was guilty of in that estate now to inflict their punishment upon me but contrarily according to that mercy thou hast in store for me and hast promised to me do thou pardon them and shew thy self gracious to me in mine afflictions and that of thy meer and free goodness O Lord not for any motive or merit of mine 8 Gracious and faithful is the Lord therefore will he and for no other reason both pardon self-judgeing and enable self-outed sinners to turn to him with all their hearts and to walk before him in all wel-pleasing 9 The humble and lowly-hearted that sensibly needs and sincerely craves supply of grace and wisdom from God he will give them a good understanding how to walk acceptably before him so as to have his favour and protection such shall not want supply of enlightning and enabling grace to know and do his will 10 However even the faithfull may think some of Gods wayes he takes towards them by the strangeness of them to be unagreeable to that mercy and truth is in him and his promises Yet be they never so contrary to flesh and bloud they are all of them consonant to his grace and faithfulness which he hath contracted with those that are in covenant with him and walk accordingly in faith and obedience 11 For thy truth and mercy sake O Lord and for no cause else do away my sin out of thy sight which is great and manifold and lies heavy on me and which else will certainly bring upon me soar afflictions as I have already felt they have done 12 Few there are that reverence and fear the Lord so as to seek to him to be pardoned their sins and made his servants but in this I may comfort my self and so may any else that in so doing I nor they shall not fail of our desires but that God in his love and goodness to such an one will so direct and guide him as that he shall not be given over to his own corrupt lusts but shall be instructed and enabled to walk in such a way as he shall best accept 13 And he that doth so though he may have troubles without yet he may be sure of peace within nor shall he be devoid of temporal blessings neither but sooner or later in Gods good time according to his covenant he will reward his service upon him and his posterity especially if they walk in his steps even with outward mercies of peace and plenty as we see it fulfilled to us according to promise made to our holy forefathers and so I doubt not shall it be to me and mine as God hath promised 14 However the godly are in the world neglected yet with God they are in special favour for in a gracious familiarity and good will he sweetly imparts the sacred mistery of his good pleasure and purpose of their salvation in a spiritual way to the spiritual man that fears to offend and desires to please him which as a secret is hid from the knowledg of the world who onely partake his common and outward benefits Yea such he will teach with an intimate instruction and impression of his spirit upon their hearts what are the covenant-graces priviledges and benefits belonging to and on his part to be bestowed upon them he will shew them the honour and happiness to be in covenant with him as also what are the covenant-duties and gratuitous returns reciprocally to be performed on their parts to him with enablement to do them in love and thankfulness by writing his law in their hearts 15 I will make nothing my trust but God nor will I ever cease to wait upon the Lord and pray unto him for deliverance but be my case never so desperate and my misery never so tedious yet will I confidently and with a fixed mind exspect it for according to his promise I know the time will come when I shall be set at liberty and disintangled from my troublesome dangers 16 As mine eyes are towards thee so Lord set thy face favourably to me-ward whom thou hast seemed long to have neglected Now therefore bethink thee and let me at last find grace in thy sight and give me a merciful deliverance for I am without any help but thine and greatly afflicted by many outward enemies and inward trials 17 My miseries strike deep into my soul which is very sore oppressed with grief O consider it in thy tender mercies and deliver me out of my great afflictions 18 Lord take me into thy consideration do but cast an eye upon the greatness of mine affliction and dolour and let it move thee
and great commander in chief the Lord of Hosts even of all the numberless number of created beings in heaven and earth is with us the God of Jacob that mightily delivered him is on our side and in covenant with us to do the like for us in time of danger and difficultie Let us therefore be comforted in him The xlvii PSALM The Author of this Psalm which seems to be penned in the time of the glorious condition of the people of Israel under David and Solomon in the name of the Iewish Church and nation invites all the world to yield obedience to the Government of Christ typified in theirs then ascendent and to be partakers of their happiness and tells them the danger of refusing for as Christ must prevail so must his Church and people whose happiness he greatly extols because of the love and presence of God with them for which he stirs them up mightily to magnifie the Lord. And prophesies the enlargement of Christs Kingdom over and amongst the Gentils by the Almightie over-ruling hand of God and the glorious condition of the Evangelical Church under him as of theirs under David or Salomon and far beyond it A Psalm committed to Heman the chief musician of the familie of the Korathites for him and them to sing 1 O That all the world would be advised to share in our happiness by entertaining that common salvation tendred them in the Messiah now as it were ascended into heaven in that pledge of his presence the Ark pitched upon Sion and that now they would subject themselves unto him together with us not of constraint but of a willing mind with joyful and thankful hearts as one day they shall receiving him for their Lord and King that he might triumphantly reign over Jews and Gentils 2 For they that refuse voluntarie subjection to him will have cause to repent it they will find him even the Messiah whom they slighted in his types on earth to be the most high God reigning not onely in heaven but on earth also yea all the world over as he will make it appear by executing terrible vengeance upon such as rebel against him 3 But for our parts that are his chosen people we shall be blessed of the Lord and how ever the Gentils do stubbornly refuse to come in unto us partake of our priviledges and subject themselves to his government among us yet shall they be made subject to us and to our Kings the types of Christ whose spiritual Kingdom shall enlarge it self over all the world over-powring by his spirit the most ignorant and rebellious to receive him and be subject to him 4 As he hath graciously made choice of us for his people so will he accordingly give us the utmost he hath promised to our forefathers his faithful servants and their faithful seed concerning both an earthly and heavenly inheritance maugre all enemies temporal or spiritual and dignifie us the seed of holy Jacob his beloved with those excellent priviledges appropriated by promise of Temple-worship and royal government figuring Christ his King and priestly office An honour unspeakable 5 How do we see it made good to us in that the Lords Ark the sure pledge and token of his presence with us and favour to us is at this time to be fixed in its abiding place upon mount Sion whether it is triumphantly carried with joyful acclamations and sound of trumpet answerable to the welcome entertainment of Christ in the hearts of his Gospel-converts and faithful people in his Church Evangelical on earth and his glorious entertainment at his ascention by saints and Angels in heaven 6 O that we could rise up to their pitch of praise and gratitude for this unestinable mercie and priviledge we enjoy of the gracious presence and divine favour of God in Christ to us and amongst us in its lively types but though we cannot but come short of what it merits from us yet let us lay out our selves to the utmost of our skill and abilities in praising magnifying and exalting the Lord both for his own excellencies and for our interest and proprietie in him and them as a people ought to do that have such a God for their King and gracious benefactor 7 We above all people have cause to praise him for though he be King of all the whole earth yet of us in a differing manner and eminencie so that though honour be due to him from all creatures yet more especially from us for that none have that knowledge of him and peculiar obligation to him that we have Therefore we are not to praise him as others that know him onely by acts of creation and providence and are subjects at large but with a saving Gospel-understanding of him in the Messiah and powerfully not formally acting-faith in our hearts answerably to the praises of our lips 8 And though we be now the onely peculiar of God and all the world but we are as it were exempted out of grace and favour Yet are the heathen as well as we under his government and power And the same God that hath been gracious to us can make them also his people when he pleaseth And doubtless will from heaven his place of holiness remember in truth and faithfulness the promises made to and concerning them for light to shine out of Sion to them that sit in darkness which he is able to fulfil and bring them in to himself accordingly 9 Yea and which he will certainly do in great abundance even Kings and Kingdoms that now are heathenish shall imbrace the faith of Christ preached amongst them out of Jerusalem and be ingrafted into the stock of faithful Abraham our predecessour as well as we our selves whose seed they all are that do or shall believe upon the face of the whole earth and have as good a right to the God of Abraham as we whose priviledge ought not to be in the flesh but in the spirit by and in which spirit shall Jews and Gentils be united when the power of God shall be made manifest in Christ then shall the great as well as the small belong unto God and how ever they have refused subjection to him and stood in opposition against him yet they shall take Laws from him and and that right willingly becomming of enemies friends yea under him protectors and defendors of their fellow-brethren believers in Christ throughout all the earth Thus shall God in Christ be universally worshipped and his Kingdom enlarged far beyond the bounds of Jewry The particion shall be taken down and his dominion shall be throughout all the world as Davids and Salomons is over Jews and Gentils The xlviii PSALM This Psalm seems to be made upon some notable deliverance that Ierusalem had from some potent armie made up of several nations that had besiedged it but by a special and immediate hand of God wâ—re wonderfully defeated and sent away
and reproves not onely for a sinfull but an ungratefull and a despising people that having those excellent priviledges of his worship and presence amongst them so shamefully play the hypocrits with him pretending holiness in outward ceremoniall worship and performances but never heed how faith and grace acts in their services nay many of them are not onely formall but even prophane hypocrites that dare to live in sin even gross sins and yet be frequent in duties thus mocking God to his face and yet think he likes well enough of that they do because they smart not for it but God tells them they shall tast the bitter fruit of their wayes if they repent not And for them that spiritually and uprightly worship him amongst them as they honour him so he will reward them to their hearts content A Psalm made by Asaph THe onely true and Almighty God the Lord of all the earth having noted thē Idolatrous miscarriages and false worships that are every where practised summons all men in all the world to take notice 2 That though the whole world be in sinfull darkness and ignorance of the true God and the right way of serving him Yet there is a corner of the earth that God hath vouchsafed to shine out of as the sun when it arises in the East and spreads its light by degrees over the face of the whole heavens a place and people that he hath chosen to reveal himself in and amongst it is his people Israel in the land of Canaan principally in the Citie Jerusalem but most especially upon mout Sion there shall you find and see in a breife map of lively types and representations God manifested not onely in his majesty but in his true and saving way of worship grace and truth shining there and from thence shall take its rise to overspread the whole world 3 This God that is so peculiarly ours and at present seems comparatively to be professour of no part of the earth but this that his people dwell in nor to have no dominion over any else for none serve him but they This God of ours shall one day make it appear that he is Lord of all the world when he shall come to judge it which he will do though now he forbear and suffer it to lie in ignorance and Idolatry but he will appear in terrour and great glory to the astonishing and confounding of all men all the world over that believe not in him nor worship him aright 4 None shall escape his judgement the heavens and the earth which he made he shall command to render up all mankind alive or dead and dissolved into their elements or first principles as subject to him to be judged by him from the four corners of the world 5 Then shall it appear that but some of all the world are Gods peculiar sanctified ones a people sprinkled with the bloud of the covenant keeping faith and a good conscience which the Angels by speciall appointment shall gather together from out the rest of the world and set them on Gods right hand in heaven as now his Israel his onely covenanting and sacrificing people severed from all the world besides are by a powerfull hand settled in Canaan 6 His righteous justice shall be made manifest over all the earth in condemning the wicked be they never so many and saving those that are godly from amongst them be they never so few for the righteous and omnipotent God that is Lord over all and hath all power both in heaven and earth who is of wisdom to judge aright of all men and of power to execute his judgement shall himself pass sentance infallibly from heaven upon them Even so be it 7 What have been said of my peculiar favour to you above all the world besides is true how that I have chosen you out of the whole earth placed you in the promised land vouchsafed you my speciall presence in my speciall place of worship entered covenant with you to be your God and you likewise with me to be my people mine Israel to tread in the steps of your faithfull forefathers and therefore though I have a quarrell with all the world for their sinfull evil ways for which I will one day judge them as I have said yet you that are my people even because you are so I would have you know and therefore do I passionately press it upon you that your sins in your ignorance of me and abuse of my name and worship in an outward pretence of holiness without faith and affection are my greatest trouble and which I cannot but with griefe complain of as a great unkindness against me the God of all the world but more especially your God above and beyond all the world besides and therefore exspect to be served in sincerity and not in hypocriticall shews and formalities by you 8 It is not your sacrifices that I so much care for nor do I complain the want of them I have had enough and too many of such ceremonies from you that I even surfet again of them 9 Those are things which thou valuest thy Bullocks and thy Goats they are thy livelihood and sustenance which makes thee set by such kind of service but they are not of that value to me nor of that use it is not they that give me content I had rather be without them than have them after that carnall and formall manner you offer them you think you do me a pleasure by being at such charges and that you feast me as you do your selves with the sacrifices you offer me whereas did I need such things I would not be beholden to your stalls or folds for them 10 I would go where there is better choice and more variety and take either what I wanted or what I pleased all the world over for they are all mine the whole store that the whole earth is furnished with and where you can plead no propriety 11 Yea I can command also the fowls that flie in the air or that breed in the mountains out of your reach and those beasts that naturally are wild and untameable and never will be at your command they are all mine 12 So that if I were an hungry and had an appetite to eat and feed upon the creature as thou dost as by your manner of service you seem to fancy me to be I need not take the meat out of thy mouth by appointing you sacrifices to any such end who am the God of all the world and can serve my self as I please upon the creature which I have replenished the whole earth withall 13 Can you have such low and base thoughts of me as to think me to have appointed the sacrifices I command you for any such carnall and sensuall respects that am a spirit and look to be worshipped in spirit or are you so void of reason and understanding as
and thanks-giving by mercifull and powerfull deliverances which I have celebrated accordingly 18 And now Lord approve thine unchangeableness make out thy goodness to the uttermost period of my life when I have most need stick closest to me now in my declining old age O God withdraw not thine assistance but still be helpfull to me and magnifie thy power in my weakness that I may have cause to declare thy stedfastness and al-sufficiencie to preserve and deliver out and out and may be a pattern to the faithfull throughout the whole series of my life not onely to the past but present and all succeeding ages and generations of thy power to protect by thy wonderfull deliverances vouchsafed me in all of them 19 And thy faithfulness is no less to be extolled than thy power and will be by this mercie magnified in the same degree equally sharing in the glorie of all the wonderous deliverances thou hast and shalt vouchsafe me O God how wilt thou alone be exalted and thy peoples faith strengthened when they shall consider what thou hast done for me from one end of my life to the other it will cause astonishment and admiration and make thee to rule alone in all thy peoples hearts 20 For my sake they shall never have cause to despare when they consider how often I was plunged into most intricate perplexities and yet by thine almighty hand hath been extricated out of them as I shall be out of this as well as all the rest and shall have a resurrection out of this state of death and miserie wherein I seem to be swallowed up as of the grave 21 Yea thou shalt make this humbling a step to my further exaltation and as a foil to my future glorie which shall shine the brighter for it and my present sorrows shall bring me an increase of comforts favour and peace with God and man shall succeed them 22 And as thou shalt exalt my glorie and increase my comforts so will I magnifie thee in thanks-giving and praises which with mine uttermost power and skill I will give thee and particularly for thy truths sake which hath so firmly stuck to me and never deceived me whensoever I relied upon thee for it who hast ever been a faithfull God unto me therefore will I all the waies I can devise celebrate thy praises in the most solemn and affectionate manner that may be O thou God of truth and never failing faithfulness to thine ellect and chosen people that put their trust in thee worship and serve thee in holiness and righteousness 23 Lord I will every way that instrument and voice art and nature inward and outward man can act and perform celebrate thy praises and that with energie of spirit in the joyfull impressions and apprehensions of the things I utter will I express my mind and not with bare lip labour my mouth shall speak my heart and both shall greatly rejoice in thy salvation 24 Nor shalt thou be the onely subject of my song or solemn worship but also of my discourse and common converse thy faithfulness and just performance of thy promises shall never be out of my mouth I will make it even my table-talk for all to take notice of when as thou shalt as I know thou wilt with shame and destruction disapoint and defeat mine enemies that conspire against me to take away my life and Kingdom The lxxii PSALM David having set Solomon upon his throne a little before he dyed praies for him and prophesies of him according to what he praies how blessed a King he shall prove and what a flourishing Church and Kingdom there shall be in his daies how he shall be admired abroad and beloved at home admirably prefiguring Christ and his spiritual Kingdom A Psalm made by David near his death for and concerning his son and successour Solomon and his government 1 O God thou by whom Kings reign as thou hast called me and my son Solomon after me to sway the Scepter of Israel so do thou inable both me for that little time I have yet to live and him in an happy succession to me with those gifts of wisdom and knowledge as also of justice and holiness that are fit for Israels King to have above the Tyrants of the world who is to represent the Messiah thy son his government in and over his Church 2 And Lord what I pray for I also prophesie in thy name concerning this my son and successour whom thou hast especially chosen before all his brethren to rule in my stead He shall with understanding and uprightness administer justice and judgement unto this thy people committed to his charge and with impartialitie with just and fatherly pitie shall he give easie access to and judge the cause of the poor of thy people as well as of the rich he shall be no accepter of persons thy proprietie in them shall make him accept and esteem them equally and administer justice to them accordingly 3 O the wonderfull happiness of peace and plentie by the blessing of God that shall be all the land over under his government by the righteous administration thereof 4 He shall not onely be a father to the poor of thy people Israel but a just impartial Judge also to all other poor that come under his governance and a mercifull protectour of the helpless one or other against those that by might would wrong and oppress them not suffering a just cause to miscarrie for want of money and friends to carry it on but himself shall be the poor mans advocate and the judge of his oppressour who shall not escape by his greatness but be severely yet justly censured according to his merits 5 In his time the Temple shall be built and the Church and people of Israel put into a flourishing condition the worship of God in the types and significant ceremonies thereof shall be in his time compleated never to receive any more augmentation after who shall reign as well long as happily and is to be the liveliest type of Christ the saviour and King of his Church who in the age of the Gospel when he is come and taken upon him the Kingdom shall have a people a Church as in all places so in all ages of the world that shall fear and worship him in spirit and truth according to those resemblances that shall be in Solomons daies 6 His wise and just administrations with sweet and gracious deportments shall clear up the hearts of his people and make Israel by the blessing of God grow again and be a flourishing Common-wealth that hath undergone sad times and afflictions formerly like as Christ shall with evangelical Doctrines and the heavenly divine graces of his spirit distil into and upon the hearts of his people to their spiritual growth and refreshing 7 Together with the worship of God shall the number of the righteous people
as well now as then that as they so we for our remarkable return to Canaan may praise and magnifie thy power and greatness 22 So much vilified by these heathenish wretches if not for our sufferings yet for thine own which we cannot chuse but lay to heart however thou doest by us O God be intreated to vindicate thy self upon this prophane nation that foolishly judging by success magnifie themselves and their Gods above us and ours dayly hitting us in the teeth with thee 23 We must needs put thee in mind again and again and ease our minds in opening our hearts and uttering our complaints unto thee concerning what to our unsupportable grief we dayly see and hear from our enemies how they roar it out against thee the uncontrolable outragious carriage of those that have invaded and conquered us and thee also as they think by thy forbearance to punish them and thy severitie to us grows continually worse and worse Lord take notice of it to plague them for it The lxxv PSALM The Psalmist thankful for past and confident of future good success minds God of the dangerous condition Israel is in by intestine broils betwixt Davids house and that of Saul bandied between Judah and the rest of the Tribes and the destructive event that is like to come of it But is confident it shall not last long but that as he hath been so he will still be Davids God and theirs aad under his government will shortly sâ—ttle them in peace religion and righteousness Admonishes the enemies of their opposition both from the folly and danger of it for as David hath done alwayes hitherto against Saul so shall he do still prevail at last and those that remain shall fall as he did A Psalm either made by Asaph himself prophetically personating David and Christ or by David and by him committed to Asaph for him together with the President of the Quire to order it to be sung and plaid by voices and instruments The sum or substance whereof is comprised in this one word Al-taschith signifying destroy not upon occasion of the difference that was long depending betwixt the house of David and the house of Saul and the bloud-shed of the people of Israel that was thereupon which therefore the prophet would have to have a speedie end and that the people may not longer be so destroyed 1 IT is thou O Lord that art our praise-worthie God to thee will we that are thy faithful people give special and peculiar thanks yea to thee onely will we give them and thy power and goodness toward us will we certainly celebrate for that thou hast been a benigne and beneficent God to us and specially to me the things thou hast done and the wonders thou hast wrought for us in general and for me in particular in the midst of so many enemies and great oppositions do sufficiently declare it out of all which and in all which thou hast still delivered and preserved us and brought us to the dawnings of happier times than ever yet the Godly saw which bode the near approch of the full complement thereof long since promised to thy people and that shortly thou wilt be known by thy name Jehovah that givest being to all predictions and promises recorded in thy word touching thy Churches well-being 2 And therefore I am confident the time is at hand that I shall be King over all Israel which already is begun in part and when I am so it is my purpose and promise to walk worthie mine office and the place I hold in thy Church in upright and just dispensations to thy people in resemblance of that righteousness which Christ the Judge of all the World and King of his Church shall in behalf thereof administer 3 Lord thou seest what a dissolution is like to befal us by these civil dissentions and destructions that ensue thereupon if they should continue it would bring to ruine by consequence the whole World for both this Church and Common-wealth Land and People all would perish for whom and by whom the world subsists and be utterly spoiled and wasted by themselves or forreigners that will take advantage thereof if this disorder should last long but I know it s otherways determined by thee for as the world subsists by them so they and it by me I am appointed to reduce this people into a better condition I am he that must establish Religion and Justice amongst them in better times and speedily reconcile in one Judah and Israel though now at so great difference by a peaceable and happy reign over both as Christ the mediatorian King of his people at his coming when things shall be at worst as now they are shall Jews and Gentils by a peaceable Government of his Church made up of both in the whole world the partition-wall being broken down This is certainly true 4 I would fain have advised those that so unwisely go about to frustrate thy decrees concerning me by opposing my rise to have desisted and saved both bloud and labour and such as out of pride and perversness of spirit are confident to prevail against me notwithstanding they see what a progress thou hast already made towards it I being actuall King of Judah so considerable a Tribe because they have all the rest to side with them these I would gladly have rectified and perswaded them to a peaceable submission to thy determination and not with such pride and confidence in sublunary power to wage war against thee 5 And in such a manner to scorn and set light by me as never likely to have any more than this single Tribe nor that neither long I have been thought meanly of heretofore and was in an unlikely case as mine enemies thought then ever to come to good but you know what is come of them and you see what a step I have made in despight of that great and general opposition towards the Kingdom and for all your high words and proud speeches I am sure to have the rest as well as this and the proudest of you all shall submit to me and be subjected under my government as reluctant and renitant as you are to it 6 For no advancement of any man upon earth comes by meer chance nor by humane power or policie least of all this of mine that I should become King over Israel in stead of Saul this is not of man nor therefore to be hindred by man his power or policie 7 But it is God that in his righteous judgement punished his sin and rewarded mine innocencie and who hath the sovereign imperial dispensation of all honours and preferments in his power whereupon it is that this man is preferred and not that and that one man is abased and another advanced even that Saul and his house must grow weaker and weaker and I and my house must grow stronger and stronger do you what you can to
Thy faithfulness whereupon the promise of mercie and grace is builded and whereby it shall be fulfilled it is engaged and ratified to thy son the Churches head in heaven on thy Churches behalf on earth therefore sure enough to be accomplished from first to last both here and hereafter as well in heaven as on earth nothing shall hinder 3 Even this mercie which thou hast declared and stipulated Covenant-wise and sworn it too the faster to bind thee and strengthen our faith to thy chosen servant even to David that Kingly type of Christ and head of thy people 4 That thou wilt establish the Kingdom and Church in David the type and his posteritie in successive generations and in Christ the antitype for ever and will make his throne glorious and his dominion to increase and enlarge it self to all nations and all generations Even so Amen 5 According to which Covenant for the fulfilling thereof in the preservation and deliverance of thy Church thou shalt manifest such power and do such wonders as shall affect the very Angels in heaven who shall in the sympathy and love they bear to thy people praise thee as if themselves shared in the benefit and in heaven magnifie thy faithfulness as well as we on earth for keeping promise and remembering thy Covenant to fulfil it 6 For as there is none that on earth ought to be adored and magnified but God so nor in heaven where he alone rules as well as here below the Angels are our fellow-creatures and subjects as much inferiour to him as we are to them Yea though they are not of humane race propagated as we are but by the immediate hand of God created as was Adam yet there is no more comparison betwixt them and him than betwixt us and him he alone is absolute and Almighty 7 As God is great yea the sole Monarch of heaven aswell as earth so is he there greatly had in reverence and so ought to be of those his holy Angels and glorified saints aswell as here of his people they therefore have the honour to be his servants in ordinarie domesticks in heaven with him that they may glorifie him sutably to their excellent natures and happie condition it is their dutie and his due 8 O God that hast the sole Empire in heaven and earth and the sovereign chief command of all creatures in both who therefore is of strength like unto thee nay of any strength at all but thee from whom all things are and thou onely eternally of thy self who then can match thee in power or in faithfulness which is equal to thy power and appears in all things wherein thy power appears be they acts of providence or created Beeings and where is it that thy power appears not on every side in heaven or earth before or behind on the right hand or on thy left and of like extent is thy truth thy promise being as large as thy power and thy goodness as large as both in thy Churches behalf for her preservation and accomplishment 9 10 What was it but thy power and faithfulness that when time was did dispose and rule the unruly waters of the red-sea for the preservation of thy Church then ready to be killed or drownd by it before and the Egyptians behind whom thou as it were at one blow cutst off and destroyest as one man at once and didst defeat those thine enemies because thy Churches and their great preparations and bloudy designs upon thy people by a mightie manifestation of power which thou shalt ever put forth in thy Churches behalf stilling the storms that every where in the world she shall meet with like a ship at sea and preserve her spite of all her enemies though never so proud and potent 11 How can it be otherwise for all is thine and at thy dispose heaven earth and all things in them both it is thou that hast given existence and Being to the whole world and all things in it both sea and land as many as they are 12 Thou hast created all things from one end of the heavens to the other from pole to pole thy Church every where from East to West for so it shall spread as Judea from mount Tabor in the West to mount Hermon in the East shall have cause of rejoycing in thy power and faithfulness manifested in her behalf and to praise thee for it 13 Thy strength and power when as thou pleasest to make use of it and put it forth either by means or miracles in an ordinarie or extraordinarie way it is unresistable and prevalent 14 As thou hast power worthie thy greatness to execute thy will withall so also justice judgement mercy and truth the beauty and establishment of thrones and dominions these are principally and originally in thee who governest and orders thy jurisdiction over the world respectively to good and bad by them dispensing to the unrighteous enemies of thy Church and thee justice and judgement and unto her even all thy holy ones thou wilt exhibit merciful providences and for her fulfil faithfully thy promises with the gracious manifestation of thy love and favour to her in all those thy dispensations 15 Blessed are thy people above all the world for they onely of all the world are acquainted with the inward sense and savorie tast of thy peculiar love and saving grace whispered into their consciences by the still voice and secret workings of the spirit to the ravishing their hearts with joy unspeakable and glorious as thine Israelites are inured to and cheared with the sound of the sacred trumpets of God in their solemn feasts and sacrifies Such shall comfortably run their race in the whole progress of their lives they shall walk in a steady course by a faithful dependancie upon thy faithful providence and in sweet interviews of thee and frequent feelings of thy favour 16 Such as these shall all their life long have cause of rejoycing in thy powerful dispensation of providences from time to time in their behalf and in thy keeping promise with them the experience and faith whereof shall lift up their heads above dangers and difficulties 17 For their glorying is in thee who though weak in themselves yet are as it were omnipotent by their interest in thee and relation to thee that art so by whose power and gracious favour we that are thy people Israel resemblancers of thy Church doubt not of a prosperous state both civil and sacred and to have the better of our enemies 18 For the great and faithful God is our defence protection his power and goodness shall preserve us as a shield the holy Lord that hath chosen Israel to be a holy people and that shall ever have on earth a holy Church is the Sovereign Lord and protector of us and it and so shall Christ his vicegerent be and David his 19 Thou Lord in
questioning his power and goodness instead of meekly yielding to be proved by him and answering his expectations by suitable returns These were our progenitours of whom we come and of whose sins we therefore ought to beware 10 11 And this they did not onely once but often nor out of frailtie but obstinacie Nothing I could do or say saith God could reclaim them but they persisted the self same men from first to last from the Red-sea to the skirts of Canaan fourtie years together perpetually vexing me with their unbelief and rebellion even all the generation of them scarce a man that did other insomuch that at last after so long trial and experience of them I concluded that there was no good to be done they are a people whose hearts are not upright with me that erre not of infirmitie but obstinacie and for all that by my word and works I have taught and assured them thus long of my love care power and faithfulness yet have not they learned in all this time nor never will being wilfully blind and perversly inconsiderate how to walk and demean themselves towards me by honouring of me with their faithfull dependance humble submission and hopefull expectation of my goodness and power to appear for them and be extended to them and to return me praise and thanks love and obedience that so a perpetual intercourse of friendship and sweet correspondencie might have been traded betwixt us for ever as I intended But so hatefull and vexatious was their carriage and so infinite and endless their provocation that at last when I had tried them to the uttermost had brought them to the very borders of the promised land and saw they were still the same as unbelieving and murmuring as ever before it made me past patience so that in my rage I sware never to revoke it that so unworthy a people that I saw neither was nor never would be good do all that I could I say I sware they should upon no terms nor entreaty enter into and be possessed of the end of their travels the type of heaven that resting place the land of Canaan but should wast their days and end their lives in the wilderness where they had so sinned against me even the whole generation of them which I made good to the last man of that rebellious crew Let us fear and tremble hearken and obey praise and give thanks lest we the ofspring of such progenitours be guiltie of their sins and partake of their plagues be cast out as they were kept out of this good land The xcvi PSALM This Psalm was â—ndited at the remove of the Ark to its settled abode upon the hill of Sion in Jerusalem being in substance all one with that 1. Chron. 16.23 to 33. wherewith David ravished in spirit and prophetically disposed stirs up all the world Iews and Gentiles to praise the Lord for the Kingdom of Christ which was approching which that typified yea and all creatures the most irrational and unsensible â—or the general Iubilee that shall then be the happie restauration begun and not long to perfecting 1 2 O What a joyfull day is this to see the Ark brought after all its travels to its place of abode the holy mount in Jerusalem This new mercy deserves a new song yea extraordinarie praise and thanks not onely from us but from all the world the Gentiles as well as Israelites which from Sion shall have the glad tidings of salvation published to them news worthy of new songs and ineffable praises to be given to God whom we nor they can praise enough nor bless that infinite goodnese of his in vouchsafing the grace and knowledge of his salvation to us so eminently in this type of Christs peaceable and glorious Kingdom which they shall have really and indeed everlastingly amongst them worthy everlasting praises for them 3 Spread the glorious tidings of Christ and his approching Kingdoms far and near let it be told the Gentiles for they shall share in it and glorifie for it let all that he hath done for his Church and promised to do those wonderfull things of sending his Son calling the Gentiles and spreading his Church over the face of the earth be made known all the world over to prepare them for it with joy and thanks to receive it 4 For the Lord shall be better known though now they are ignorant of him and set light by him valuing stocks and stones before him yet the time will come when they shall know that this our God is the onely great and praise-worthy God and as well worthy to be worshipped and honoured of them instead of those false and fond gods they now serve as of us That there is none like him nor none but him 5 For all other gods which they ignorantly worship every where for all the world lies in darknesse are but dumb and deaf Idols made of wood and stone or at the best but creatures the Lord onely is the Creatour that made the whole world the glorious and beautifull heavens and reigns therein alone 6 In the midst of unaccessible Honour and Majesty which no man can see and live communicating thence some beams and rays of his heavenly and Divine properties of grace and power in that spiritual splendour that powerfully shines out of his holy sanctuarie into the souls and spirits of those that in faith and sincerity worshipping him there have their hearts thereby strengthened in believing and their graces enlivened by the fresh communicating of his ordinances and effectual answers to their prayers against their enemies 7 All ye people whether sons of Adam or of Abraham understand the Lord aright so as to honour him worthy of himself by glorifying him as the onely God of power yea the Lord Almightie 8 Worship not other gods instead of him nor yet together with him let him rule alone in your hearts that rules alone in the world pay your tribute and do your homage to him at his sanctuarie neither worship any God but him nor him in any other manner than as he hath appointed sacrifice to him upon his own altar in his own courts 9 Let all far and near come and welcome too do as we do worship the Lord in his holy sanctuarie O that the whole earth would turn to the Lord Gentiles as well as Jews as when Christ comes they shall have as free access to worship God as we and their worship as well accepted then as ours is now 10 Publish to the heathen what God hath made known to you his people How that the Lord onely is God and that the kingdom of the world as well as of Israel belongs to him and that his Church shall flourish every where as well as here which is not long to all things shall be brought into a better order one God in Christ shall be worshipped and stedfastly believed in instead of those
it were a sensible creature and dejected even to trembling and amazement at the dispensations of his frowns and displeasure the great stupendious mountains are but as stubble to the fire if the Lord do but actuate the least token of his anger upon them they also are extreamly troubled and affrighted or annihilated and consumed for all their greatness like other things 33 Such are the works of God and so resplendent his greatness and goodness in them as that not a day shall go over my head wherein I will not out of the serious consideration and happy impression they make upon my spirit give glorie to God and will sing their praises to him day by day not for a fit or in a humor as hypocrits do when he humours them but how ever it go with me in weal or woe him will I worship and his name will I magnifie nothing shall hinder whilest God lends me life 34 I will not as most men do overlook his works and see nothing praise-worthy in them the commonness of them shall not so blind mine eyes but I will consider them and his praise-worthy attributes that shine forth in them I will not let mine heart stick in the creature it shall be my foot-stool to lift me up to the Creator to take a view of his excellencies and properties there shall mine heart lay out it self and suck in their sweetnesses which shall rejoice and establish it because of my relation to and interest in such a God so wonderfully qualified I will improve my meditation into application my thoughts shall not be meerly speculative but practical to the warning and working of my heart usefully towards God when my head is imployed about the creature 35 Those that will not honour and serve such a God that hath done all these things furnished the earth with such excellent commodities whereof they reap the benefit it is pitie they should live upon it to devour the creature without magnifying the Creatour especially they that abuse so much goodness and turn grace into wantonness making the creature against its nature to disserve the Lord by their perverting the use of it unto sin and Idolatrie I would such were in their graves that discontent God and discommode the godly But what ever others do O my soul do thou thy duty muster up all his mercies meditate all his works be thou affected by them to praise him for them and return the glorie of his Attributes that shine forth in them And all yee whose souls are like mine even all that are faithfull and upright in heart do as I do let him have his due praises as well from you as from me The cv PSALM This Psalm made by David as appears by part of that song upon the Arks remove to Ierusalem 1 Chron. 16. Exciteth the people of Israel to be thankfull to God to praise him and in faith to seek him for all that he hath done in the behalf of them and their fore-fathers of old in that he chose them entred covenant with them of all the earth for which covenant sake he had so infinitely befriended them ever since in the Patriarks sojournings Iosephs preferring Israels preserving in Egypt and wonderfull deliverance thence their provision and conduct in the wilderness and possession of Canaan and lastly shews the final cause of all the service of God and what should be the result His praise 1 AFter so many and great mercies as God hath afforded you above all people even to the setling the Ark of his presence amongst you upon his holy hill the resting place of it and him be not unmindfull of nor ungratefull for them but pour out your souls in thankfull acknowledgements of them all to the Lord especially of this tending so much to the perfecting and full accomplishment of the happie condition of this Church and Kingdom so long since promised and foretold and to that purpose frequent this place of his special residence here to worship him pray to him and praise him yea every where where you come and have opportunitie publish the great things he hath done from time to time and the wonders he hath wrought in behalf of his chosen Israel to get him glorie both amongst Jews and Gentiles 2 Make it your business to praise the Lord every way and by all manner of means sing forth his praises with heart and voice in Psalms solemnly sung and Quire-like with all the Art and Melodie that musical instruments added thereunto can make and at your own houses as well as at his busie your selves about him when you have not opportunitie to glorifie him one way do it another way speak and discourse of him and his works wrought for you to the keeping them alive in memorie and affections both your own and others at home and abroad as you have occasion 3 Make your boasts of God ye that are so nearly related to him both of what he hath done and of what he is able and hath promised to do for you be strong in faith and with assured hope and confidence rejoyce in the Lords future favour and grace to his people have no doubts nor fears to the contrarie onely frequent his sanctuary and there worship him and open your hearts in faithfull prayer unto him 4 You know where the Lord is to be sought and where he will be found his Ark is both the pledge of his strength and favour there you may have them for asking therefore be not lazie lose not such pearls for the digging though it cost you some travel yet such gains will quit your cost bestir you therefore come often at least as oft as he requires you and your posteritie after you keep him now you have him never forsake him and he will never forsake you 5 And when you do come come warm in affection carrie along in your hearts the faithfull and gratefull memorie of what wonderfull works he hath alreadie heretofore wrought in your behalfs the better to possess you of his power and good will towards you and to animate you in faithfull prayer towards him that you have found so faithfull and true of his word both of promise to you and of judgements to your enemies as he threatened 6 What I have spoken by way of exhortation I speak it to you and you onely that are the Israel of God heirs of promise the people of his covenant which he made with Abraham your father and his faithfull and obedient servant who as you come of him so I exhort you to inherit and imitate his graces that his God may be yours as also your more immediate father Jacob that holy Patriarch chosen of Gods free grace and you in him to be his peculiar Church and people when as his elder brother Esau and the Edomites his posteritie were and are rejected and given up to serve other gods yea all the world but you 7 He onely is the
Church which by a mightie and out-stretched arm thou hast bought and brought thither there to remain in perfect happiness with thee and under me for ever 2 The Lord Almighty who is able to bring to pass great things by weak means shall raise up glorious lights in Jerusalem and Jurie where thou first manifests thy self as Aopstles Evangelist c. that shall give light to them that sit in darkness the glad tidings of the Gospel which is the mightie power of God to salvation that rod of Moses to save Israel shall by these his emissareis be held forth and preached to the Gentiles people of all nations and languages whereby they that now are forreigners shall be brought within the pale and shall take laws from thee and be subjected to thee O blessed Saviour that art advanced in the humane nature wherein thou sufferedst in such power and glorie at the right hand of the most high God there by his appointment to sway the Scepter of thy Mediatorian Kingdom by the power whereof the preaching of the Gospel through the eternal spirit accompanying it shall maugre all opposition of Gentilism who now are thy professed enemies and then shall strongly oppose thy Kingdom prevail to set up thy throne in the hearts of thy chosen all the world over who shall every where make glorious profession of thy name and own thee for their Lord and King spite of all earthly opposing powers and contemners of a crucified Saviour who shall be no more able to hinder thy Church from flourishing than thee from rising out of the grave 3 Those that are given to thee of God the Father and redeemed by thee out of the world when thou shalt have offered thy self a propitiatorie and taken possession of thy Kingdom at his right hand through thy mission of the spirit thence and his mighty working by the word upon the hearts of those thy people they shall thick and three-fold be converted neither the pravitie of their natures nor their long accustomed Idolatries shall obstruct their ready and chearfull compliance with the Gospel but shall willingly imbrace the tender of grace and come under thy governance in the Church which shall then so multiply as to assemble and conveen in all places for the exercise of Christian religion as thy people the Jews do at the beautifull and holy Temple that type of Christ in which Christian Synagogues especially in the first breaking forth of the light of the Gospel as the morning sun upon the face of the earth shall be born unto thee out of the then pregnant productive womb thereof begotten by the holy Ghost in those thy first loves and nuptial imbraces of the Church thy Spouse immediately upon thine ascention and investiture into glory an off-spring spread far and wide upon the whole earth as innumerable as the dew drops which insensibly fall from the heavens as the spirit shall then invisibly upon their hearts at the preaching of the word 4 For the great God of heaven by his everlasting decree and immutable oath revealed for the consolation of his people and corroboration of their faith hath never to revoke it conferred upon thee their Mediatour and Saviour the honour and office of that everlasting Priest-hood not temporary as the Levitical but without change or succession pourtraied in Melchisedeck Yea to be a King and Priest in one person as he was and none else to typifie that glorious priviledge to belong to thee and none other who therefore at thy Fathers right hand for thy Church and people transacts a royal Priesthood of righteousnes and peace according to the office person and name of Melchisedeck King of Salem 5 The Lord the God and Father who onely hath the preheminencie of thee as thou hast under him of of all things else shall imploy his power for the advancement of thine honour and revenge of thy dishonour wrathfully destroying Kings Kingdoms that shall oppose themselves and hinder the coming of thy Kingdom in thy Churches growth and felicity in the time when he thinks fit to judge them for it 6 Thou who art paramount the onely He or the promised Messiah for the Churhes comfort shalt rule the world the Gentiles shall be under his Judicature he will preserve his people that are converted to him and profess his name every where among the heathen taking vengeance on their enemies whom he shall remarkably destroy as he was wont to do the enemies of Israel The earthly Potentates of the world shall find him to be above them if they bruise his heel afflict his people as they will in all places he will bruise their heads their greatness shall not priviledge them at all 7 If you will know the reason of this high preferment of Christ in our nature at Gods right hand and of the power and head-ship he hath there it is because he shall drink deep of the wrath of the Almighty streamed down upon him in the way thereunto and for the obtaining thereof by suffering a cursed death upon the Cross with bodily torments and unutterable soul-agonies the unavoidable means of effecting his Mediatour-ship and mans redemption therefore shall he upon that full and faithfull discharge of his office here upon earth ascend unto and sit for ever at the right hand of his Father which is in heaven to act there the glorified part thereof in full powerâ— and absolute dominion over all there and here Angels and men Jews and Gentiles friends and foes The cxi PSALM The Psalmist first gives the word and then the example for praising the Lord which he tels us Gods works gives us cause enough to do if we consider them well especially to his Church supplying them in their need possessing them of the promised land fulfilling his promises of grace to them and for their sakes his judgements threatened upon their enemies for which he looks his commandements should be respected which are as binding to us as his covenant to him and through grace his covenant is as binding to him as they are to us Therefore he shews a man is never wise pretend what he will till he have gotten God upon this lock to be his by being Gods in faith and obedience And concludes as he begun with invitation to praise him 1 LEt all of us be diligent and cordial in praising the Lord. I will not be wanting on my part and in mine own example herein for he shall have the heartiest thanks that I can give him both in lesser meetings of entire Israelites that voluntarily and frequently assemble themselves to perform such holy exercises as also in those more solemn rare and mixed congregations that at times appointed assemble themselves at thy Sanctuarie 2 Greatly doth the Lord appear in his wonderous works of Creation Providence and Redemption his manifold attributes are made manifest therein yet not to all but onely to those that in love to God love to busie
very gracious and tenderly affected towards such and just to fulfill his goodness promised them in one kind or other but especially in spirit 5 The worldly minded man thinks he is happy and rich in laying up but the good and godly differ from him for they think themselves happy and enriched by laying out knowing that as God favours them with blessings of this life so they ought to shew favour unto others that want them as stewards not owners of that they have And therefore he that out of the love he bears to God loves his brother also will not stick upon occasion to shew his love by his lending yea his care shall be so to walk as to credit his profession more than to benefit himself to get and spend neither sinfully nor profusely but with a good conscience and in an orderly sort so that thereby what he hath may be blessed and he made able to lend and not to borrow and to his power to supply others that by providence are enforced to borrow and cannot lend like himself 6 Surely how ever the world think their liberality and charity is the next way to beggary because Mammon is their God yet it shall be otherwise with him that in the faith of God with godly wisdom expends what he hath in pious uses he shall never be ashamed for so doing though the world count it folly he shall find it both wisdom and providence so to do he and his estate shall be upheld when many of those miserly diffidents shall fall and come to lack for God will never forget to reward and be favourable to those that in conscience and love to him have laid out their store upon his that wanted 7 Such an one shall have such provision laid up in God and be so secure in him as that he shall not fear the changes of times nor hazards and losses approaching as they shall that have much wealth and are little conversant in faith and charity who are ready to make away themselves upon the very report of such things having an evil conscience 8 Though because he is good therefore he may have many enemies as commonly it falls out yet shall he not care nor fear the worst they can do unto him having God and a good conscience to take his part and side with him he shall be as well satisfied and firmly perswaded of mercy to him and judgements upon them as if he saw them already executed 9 He hath not hoarded up his pelf but hath scattered it here and there by lending and giving it amongst the poore as he saw them to want like as seed is cast into the ground of which he shall reap the blessing The righteous man shall gather the fruit of his charity and beneficence it shall follow him into heaven to be rewarded there yea and here also God shall manifest his good acceptance of his pious liberality by blessing and prospering him both in his estate and estimation 10 So that the wicked covetous wretch shall to his grief behold himself out-stript his wisdom befooled by that which he counted foolishness and the high-way to beggery he shall be ready to eat his own flesh for envy at the prosperity and increase of the righteous the whilest his substance melts away and wasts insensibly like snow before the sunne notwithstanding his pains and care to get and keep his hopes and desires shall fail him he shall attain neither riches nor honour The cxiii PSALM The Psalmist invites to the praises of God specially his servants and that in all ages and places both for his transcendent greatness and for his no less goodness which his dispensations make to appear very remarkably for which again he excites them unto praises 1 LEt not the manifestations of God his power and goodness in his works of creation and salvation be buried in ignorance and silence but take faithfull notice of them and give him gratefull praises for them it may be the blind world neither will nor can but you his sanctified and redeemed ones that profess to serve him and not to be of the world though in it specially ye Levites chosen by himself to that office do you make it your imployment Let him in his greatness and goodness be magnified by all that serve him either by office or calling whether Levites in letter or spirit praise ye the Lord. 2 3 As largely as the power wisdom and goodness of God is declared for time and place so let the praisefull acknowledgements of him and them be extended in like sort let none in no ages nor regions of the world that have eyes in their heads and tongues in their mouths be silent but bless and praise him alwayes in all places as he well deserves 4 The Empire of the whole world is the Lords he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords his dominion is over all the earth but his throne in the glorious splendour of it is more especially in the heaven of heavens where in brightness he exceeds the sunne which as it is under him though above us so t is short of him who from the highest top of Majesty and Honour commands and orders all things the heavens and the earth which are as far beneath him in glory as in scituation 5 6 Who is like unto the Lord for greatness that hath his throne higher than not onely we can see but conceive heaven that is so far above us is under him and the great men of the earth who in comparison of the vulgar are called Gods are as far below him as above them Yet this God of greatness out of no less goodness daineth himself to be ours and his Churches God though but a parcel of people compared to the world whom yet he owns for his subjects and favourites even he to whom it is an abasing considering the superlativeness of glory that he the Creatour hath above all creatures whatsoever to condescend by way of rule and governance to take notice of the things that are and are done on earth nay and in heaven also so far are all below him that are made by him so absolute and perfect is he in and of himself from whom all things are and to whom nothing adds neither Angels nor men 7 8 Yet doth he agitate affairs here below and dispose of his creatures as best pleaseth him and is most for his glory many times raising men from an abject low estate and great poverty to honour and opulency yea from the very lowest stair to the highest step of fortune as David from the sheepfolds to be King over his people Israel instead of Saul 9 And in like sort by his Almighty power and good will he opens the womb that was shut and causeth her that was in despair of having children by being long without to conceive turns the grief of her barrenness into a
canst give me or do for me shall better please me and more oblige me to praise and thank thee with an honest gratuitous heart and conversation than thy teaching of me by thy word and spirit to know and do thy commandments the onely righteous rule of faith and manners 8 O Lord my purpose of heart is to keep thy commandments and to walk exactly in faith love and obedience as thou enjoynest but alas I know mine own imbecillity and the necessity of thy continuall inablement hereunto by thy spirit and grace which if withdrawn I am at a loss therefore Lord in pitie of my weakness and in prosecution of the good work begun in me that desire to fear thy name leave me not to my self nor lead me not into temptation to buckle with it in mine own strength let no sinne cause separation though correction but remember mercy and renew in me a right spirit when I do go wrong as who doth not Beth. The second letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the second part 9 Young men are aptest to go astray and therefore had need to be inquisitive and circumspect of themselves and their wayes how to avoid the pollutions of mind and manners whereunto their age prompts them with a more than ordinary aptitude and doubtless I speak it knowingly the onely remedy for such distemperature is for them to be conversant in thy word and thence to observe with a child-like disposition what pleaseth and displeaseth thee their heavenly father and in conscience thereunto carefully to regulate their inward and outward man accordingly by believing and obeying 10 O Lord thou knowest my heart to be perfect with thee for thou hast made it so how that I have neither been partiall nor unsincere in mine obedience but entirely endeavoured alwayes in all things to please thee as desirous above all things of thy grace and favour fearing to forfeit it which good Lord grant I may never do by going astray from thy precepts therefore I beseech thee watch over me that no temptation mislead me on the right or left hand out of the way of thy commandments in which I desire to walk from one end of my life to the other without deviating 11 I have Lord stored up thy word in mind and memory especially such and so much of it as I knew was of present and practicall concernment to me in my condition with full purpose of heart to keep close thereunto and not sinfully to suffer my self to be seduced there-from what ever happened 12 Thou Lord art onely blessed in and of thy self from whom as from a fountain flowes forth all derived blessedness unto thy creature which thou art wont to confer most upon them that please thee best as a gracious remuneration of their love and service Lord therefore teach me to know and enable me to do thy will revealed in thy word that I may partake thy blessedness be sharer in thy holiness and happiness here and hereafter 13 As I have found thy law usefull to me by my knowledge of it and framing my course of life according to it so have I endeavoured to make it to be to others and therefore have I according to my measure of light and the duty of my place and office taught it publickly and privately not concealing any truth I knew might make for thy glory and their edifying when I had oportunity of time and occasion 14 My delight and care I bless thee for giving me such an heart hath been more to hear understand and practise those things which in thy word are testified to be thy will and more sweet peace and consolation have I had when I have been so happy as to attain the knowing and doing of them than they that set their hearts to heap up riches when they have their desire of opulency and affluence 15 Therefore whereas worldlings cast in their minds and occupy their thoughts how to enhance their earthly store because their delight is there my meditations shall be otherwayes imploied my care and thoughts shall be how to know more and practise better thy will revealed for therein is my delight and thereto will I bend my mind studying how best to please thee 16 To know and do what pleaseth thee shall be a pleasure unto me yea nothing shall more delight me and therefore am I fully purposed to make thy word the subject of my meditation day and night and the rule of mine obedience in weal and wo. Gimel The third letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the third part 17 Lord thy promises to thy people are comprehensive of all good things as thou hast made them so fulfill them Let me thy servant reap the blessed fruits of thy grace and bounty according to them touching life temporall and spirituall grant me both and what conduces unto both as a faithfull creatour and gracious redeemer that by grace I may live both the life of grace and nature 18 Lord thou knowest what great impediments there are that hinder our knowledge and acquaintance with thee even in those things thou hast revealed of which yet we are ignorant and seeing we see not there being a two-fold vail that interposeth betwixt a right understanding and them the one over our hearts blindly mistaking the mind and meaning of the spirit and stumbling at the stumbling stone the letter The other over thy law and covenant it self exprest in dark and typicall umbrages and dispensations full of wonderous divine excellency in their signification and antitypicall meaning but impossible to be understood but by thy more than litterall revelation Therefore dispense thy spirit who onely knows the mind of God and can onely make it known unto thy servant draw aside thy curtaines of my blindness and thy laws darkness that in thy light I may see light and be made able to behold the mysticall and spirituall tenderness of thy whole law and covenant both in the morall typicall dispensation of it which unfolded to a spirituall eye are admirable and ravishing portraying as in a table the divine history and mistery of mans redemption and salvation with all that heavenly wisdome free-grace and Almighty power that shines therein 19 I am thine and properly belong to another world onely here I must for a time lead a transient life because it is thy will more than mine who though I am in the world yet not of the world but in mind and heart estranged from it therefore seeing it is thy pleasure that I must live mine appointed time to serve thee on earth take it into consideration what divine light and guidance is requisite so to do and vouchsafe me it proportionably least I wander out of thy way the world and flesh with which I here converse being strangers and estranged thereunto and apt to mislead me if thy word and spirit be not alwayes a light and guide unto me 20
eyes let them not fear it how improbable soever as he hath done from us Jeremiahs good sighs that went out of Canaan submittingly carrying along with us the faithfull hope and expectation of Gods engagement though loth to depart from that good land which God had given us to worship him in but yet did put our selves upon adventure and have out-lived our sorrows and at last enjoy those promises in their accomplishment though after so many years in all which time God hath preserved us and his promise sustained us in hope and now at the appointed period delivered us by an Almighty hand and strange providence to our admiration and joy unspeakable and should encourage us to take the opportunity God hath now put into our hands not consulting with flesh and bloud to break through all difficulties and discommodities either in the journey or at the journeys end which fear and faithlesness may represent to deter us in confidence that as they that obedientially came do live to go so they that in this imperfect condition adventures upon God obey his call and rely upon his grace shall in like sort be enabled to undergo and survive all imaginable evils and have their faith and patience abundantly rewarded with grace and peace and themselves at last established again in quiet in the holy Land and Citie The cxxvii PSALM This Psalm is conceived to be penned rather by Solomon himself than by David â—or him and to be a compendium of his Ecclesiastes the stile and matter owns him the subject it treats being politicks government civil and domestick the part appointed him by God more especially to act both in scripture and in practise which he handleth not as a meer moralist or Philosopher but as a divine instructing in all civil and natural affairs to eye God by faith and to make him the efficient and final cause in all publick transanctions and private business or blessing else we take course to set God against us and so to loose all our labour in all we do and in all we hope and desire And sheweth what is the best and most desirable blessing under heaven that brings most happiness to a mans self and makes him most usefull to the publick to wit a numerous and godly off-spring See the Title of the 120. Psalm the Authours name super-added here 1 MOst men act upon their own principles in their own affairs and callings without any eye to God or faith in God for direction or success apprehending issues naturally to ensue upon use of means as they project and design whereas it is far otherwaies for the Lord is all in all nothing can prosper without him it is not enough towards the building of an house whether materially or civilly considered to have the persons and things that conduce thereunto the art of Artificers and the wisdom of a Pater-familias will not serve to erect or order and well govern it or raise and enrich posterity without the blessing of God he can and doth therefore often times blast their endeavours and befool their skil because he is not made the first cause and the last end not sought to for a blessing nor intended to be blessed for the success when second causes are set up above him and a man is his own Idol and kisseth his own hands And as in government domestick so in that which is civil and popular there is the same errour committed men of place States-men and politicians stand on their heads like children and shake their heels at heaven but let such learn from me that know it and by the blessing of God have as much wisdom if not more than other men that it is neither wise for sight and advice nor vigilancie and diligence nor power and strength it is indeed nothing either in a militarie or civil way that can order or secure any countrey place or people from forreign or intestine evils but the gracious provident and watchfull eye and ruling hand of God none can prevent accidents over-rule hearts frustrate designs bless endeavours but the Lord alone infinite unexpected occurrences will nay shall purposely fall out to endanger and deceive them that are carnally confident in an arm of fleshly wisdom strength or diligence if not to ruin them Therefore use the means but subserviently trust in the Lord onely seek him and seek to him faithfully and self-denyingly else look not to succeed or prosper or not to be blessed but cursed in prospering either in the one or other 2 How do men moil and toil in the world some to compass riches others other designs their heads and hands in continual action scarce allowing themselves time to cherish and sustain nature by sleep or food which very repasts are also imbittered by inordinate carefulness through diffidence and vnacquaintance with God not considering that all they do is fruitless and labour lost if God pronounce not a Fiat and say not Amen to what they design and sollicit though never so eagerly which yet is certainly true if they did believe it and knew to live by faith how would it moderate and quiet their thoughts make their lives much more comfortable and enjoy themselves and the blessings God gives them with contentment for so do all they that inwardly feed upon the sweet sense and assurance of Gods love and are happier in that than the cares of the world can make them and whose hearts by believing are staied on the Lord for this he recompenceth it into their bosoms with recumbancy of spirit so that they enjoy him themselves and the blessings less or more he bestows upon them free from perplexities with abundant soul-satisfaction and continual quiet which carking wordly-minded men loose and their labour besides 3 And as some mens ambition and contentment is in honour and riches and such like earthly felicities whereto they bend themselves with might and main and think to compass them by wit and industrie but are deceived so others desire to be rich in children and a good desire it is if moderated by submission and mixed with faith but in this also do men and women miscarrie having their expectation more upon natural causes in natural production than upon Gods supernatural agencie Whereas it is nor strength nor pregnancie of nature in either sex that can assure posterity but the power and free-gift of God that can onely make parents happy with a happy issue which he dispenseth of grace to whom he pleases 4 A numerous and virtuous off-spring is an unspeakable blessing of God he that hath them is fitted by them for all assaies as a strong and valiant man skilful in martial affairs and plentifully provided of ammunition darts and arrows can with honour and advantage to himself them that imploy him for offence and defence discharge them hither and thither so a father blessed with an hopefull and plentifull issue in the flower of his age is himself blessed by it and of
comparison for brotherly love is a celestial benefit how the spiritual dew is dispensed from God in heaven on those holy consecrated mountains Sion and Moriah where he vouchsafes his presence unto his people who resort thither to worship him and where they meet with soul-enriching graces and consolations othergets blessings than the dew of Hermon which makes them abound in faith and godliness to their own eternal as well as temporal felicitie such like is peace and love among the Israel and people of God it self is a special blessing from heaven and brings with it all manner of blessings from thence both temporal and spiritual if ever we mean to be rich and happie this is the way to live and love as sons of one father and mother God and the Church members of one body under one head the Messiah as all Israel shall be through love and obedience to David and his successours ruling in Sion as types of Christ. The cxxxiv. PSALM David being a man of fervour and affection in the service of God gives a watch-word to the watch-men of the Temple the Priests and Levites and in them to gospel-Ministers not regardlesly to passe over their duties but to be imployed for the whilst as Christ himself is for ever in praying for the people and Church of God and blessing both God and them and that in a proportionable zeal here to Christ and his saints in heaven in their respective imployments there See the title of the 120 Psalm 1 YOu that are by the special appointment and ordination of God chosen as Christ himself from among all your brethren and preferred to the honour of sanctuarie-administration continually in his presence consider the place you hold whom and what you personate even Jesus Christ in his Priestly office at the right hand of God who ever liveth to make intercession and offer thanks-givings for his Church to his father have that allwayes in your eie and be active suitably stand not idle in your offices nor keep not sleepie centry in the sanctuarie but as your turns come to watch do service there as well night as day rouse up your spirits call to mind the moral meaning of your imployments which is to improve your nearer interest in God by virtue of your offices for the good of his Church and people as Christ does in heaven continually through Christ presenting to God in the Churches behalf the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanks-giving for his mercies vouchsafed together with prayers and supplications for the continuation and constant gracious dispensation of them still as there is need 2 I say again busie and lay out your selves in those sacred and religious imployments of praise and prayer neither idle nor nifle out your time and Turn in the sanctuarie nor yet with formalitie or hypocrisie do you do your service to him as bare pretenders but as holy and real performers clap your wings in your night-watches let your hearts be in heaven and your hands in token of the fervour of your spirits lifted up thitherwards and so bless the Lord not betwixt sleeping and waking but with the whole soul and bodie too considering he whom you worship is a spirit and his proper place of residence is above in the heavens whose service there for condiscention sake you personate in the sanctuarie here in types shadows wherein you must not stick but by them mount up higher even to him where he is in spirit and faith externally manifested by suitable comportment of bodily action and expression such as are significant and adorative commensurable to Gods glorie and greatness your own hearts puritie faith and fervour and the Divine condition of the Church-Triumphant in heaven 3 Your office is double faced upward and downward you are in Christs stead like Jacobs ladder on which and by which blessings are to ascend and descend for as you are the mouth of the Church and people of God to offer him their thanks and praises blessing him continually in their behalfs as Christ does the father for the elect so likewise are you to be the mouth of God down to his people to bless them from him which doubtless is as an honourable so a full imployment if you set your selves to do it as it ought to be done with that zeal and reverence the Church oweth to her head and with that delight and love the head hath in and to his bodie and fellow-members Pray therefore for and as presenting the person of Jesus Christ that effectual mediatour in his name also faithfully bless ye the Israel of God that do worship him in Sion his place of residence with the blessings of his special protection and salvation who is the onely true God and Allmighty master of heaven and earth The cxxxv PSALM The Psalmist quickens up the people of Israel in general the Priests and Levites more particularly but most especially the faithful of both sorts to magnifie and praise the Lord and this he doth by way of argument taken from the congruitie delectabilitie and dutie of it from such a people to such a God who as he is greatly to be preferred for his self-sake and the excellent power that is in him so for the effects of it towards them the grateful memorie whereof should ever be upheld for his glorie and his peoples faith sake All other Gods being but puppits he onely is God and onely to be blessed as such especially of them that are his onely people and Priests his Church preferred by him of all the world to that honour who therefore ought to honour him how and where he will be worshipped 1 O That all sorts of people would consider their dutie of praising God conscionably to discharge it in spirit and power to magnifie him for his greatness as Lord of and over all yea for his excellent attributes and properties not onely absolute but relative of grace and goodness and for his alonenes for as there is no God like him so there is no God but him O ye servants of the Lord chosen by him and set apart for that purpose what ever others do forget not you your duties not onely of your persons but of your places to praise the Lord worthily with hearts enlarged with the apprehensions of him and his manifold excellencies 2 I mean ye Priests and Levites principally be you especially conversant in this service of praising the Lord in his holy Temple where you are priviledged to administer like to the glorified saints in heaven that stand in his presence for ever more praising the Lord. Yea and all others also that are admitted to the participation of grace and that worship him in his ordinances though at greater distance whether Levites or people whose persons and praises faithfully tendered in spirit are yet really accepted and graciously regarded by the God of Israel whose presence is as well in the courts which also are sanctified as in
there to this day maugre all their enemies Thou hast provided for and protected of thy meer grace this thy little poor handful of people maliced and opposed by all the world 11 The Lord in exigencies gave his people many wonderful deliverances and victories and so administred occasion of praise ever and anon to them which in an instant was rumored over all the land and in every ones mouth the good news of thine almighty assistance still as thou didst vouchsafe it passed from one to another like the word in an armie with joyful acclamations and praises 12 Many potent Princes with powerful armies that came against Israel were by miracle defeated and made both they and their armies to flie for their lives leaving behind them rich bootie and such plentie of it that the very women who with fearful mindes abode at home doubting the issue when they heard the news with joy made hast to congratulate the victorie and share in the spoil 13 Though in Aegypt your fathers were in woful slavish condition conversant in brick and pot-kils doing all the base work and being as basely used and though since their deliverance thence you their posteritie have even in this good land for your evil wayes endured much affliction and undergone great hardship by tyrannous usages of insulting enemies yet be confident of this the time is come wherein God will be as propitious to you for his grace sake as ever he hath been severe against you for your sins you shall now be a rich and flourishing nation blessed with grace and peace and admired for your glorie and beautie 14 You know when first God brought his people into this land which then lay wholly in the darkness of Idolatrie and destroyed the Kings thereof one after another for their sake how famous was this nation then upon that glorious change and how resplendent in the eyes of God and men by the establishment of Gods pure worship and the admirable and clear wonders wrought by God here why such now shall be again though it hath been long in infelicitie and deformitie since those dayes by our sins and Gods just judgements 15 Sion the mount whereon God hath chosen now to pitch his tabernacle and in it the Ark of his presence and there and there onely to be worshipped in solemn and more than ordinarie manner it is by this become more famous for this Soul-fatning and spiritual repast that is there in such plentie to be had than that ledge of hills called the hill of Bashan scituate beyond Jordan is for its extraordinarie fruitfulness and fatning of cattel it is raised by this divine prerogative to a height of eminencie and note equal and beyond the height and greatness of Bashans hills exceeding it both in profit and pleasure 16 Why do you the tall and fruitful hills in several parts of the World seem to carrie it so high to joy and pride your selves in your priviledges of nature so far above this of Sion whereas this one supernatural priviledge of Gods residence and worship here is more worth than you and all yours put together for all your priviledges of nature richness of soil and high towring tops yet hath God past you by and chosen this to be his place of residence on earth and the very type of heaven nor will he change it or alter his mind to transplant himself and his worship from thence unto any of you but hath set down his staff here his promise is passed to it which he will not revoke And what is true of Sion above all other hills is as true of the spiritual Kingdom of Christ typified in me and my Government which for that reason is transcendent to all the Kingdoms nay the empires of the whole world â—7 And let not this residence and presence of God we so much magnifie our selves in be judged of by carnal apprehensions nor the strength of Sion by outward appearance as if the one nor the other afforded no more protection and help to Gods people than we see with our eyes Our faith is it that must instruct us in this matter to which onely God appears aright in his power and majestie excelling all earthly might The potentates of the World esteem their strength by the number of men horses and chariots that they can arm and muster But what say you to Angels one whereof is able to destroy thousands whole armies of such nay what say you to thousands and millions of such Angels these are they though invisible wherewith God appears in the behalf of his Church fights for and defends the Kingdom of Christ and so shall mine and yet if we doubt that men may be too hard for Angels know that God even the irresistable Almighty God is commander in chief over and amongst these his heavenly host who alone is sufficient without auxiliaries either of men or Angels to safe-guard his people and place of worship and presence where he is as really though not so visibly and in as great majestie strength and grace as he appeared on mount Sinai in power and terrour I hope we remember that and so should our faith represent him to us now when we come thither to worship him and seek unto him in any strait 18 As I am raised from a low estate to this height of dignitie and office to be King over Israel and so made able to overcome those that overcame them and to enrich them with the spoils of their enemies and the presents of forrain nations that seek to me for friendship which I am readie for thou hast put me into a capacitie to stand mine enemies in steed to extend to friend and so be they never so opposit thereby to make way for and hold forth in type thy willingness O blessed Saviour to do the like to Jew and Gentil who shalt draw all men to thee when as thou art lifted up and raised from thy low estate of humiliation and death by a glorious resurrection and ascention which is as sure to be as if it were and indeed virtually and energetically as also typically and in figure is already done for so even now as I upon the throne so dost thou sit at Gods right hand having conquered all spirituall powers and enemies to thy Kingdom as the world flesh sin death and Sathan who but for thy conquest of them whom by thine ascension thou art victorious over had absolute dominion over thy people who thereby are set at liberty to serve thee that art enriched in thy humane nature with all the glorious graces and excellencies that heaven and the divine nature can afford thee that thou maiest be the bounteous and gracious dispenser of them to thy body mysticall thy spirituall Israel that are a willing people to thee as also empowered and put into capacity to vanquish and over-power the most ignorant and gainsaying that the power of thy spirit and grace may be glorified
in and upon thine enemies as well as upon thy friends that profess and worship thee to make them do the like and bring them also in favour with God 19 We who are the people of God do at present day by day blessed be thy name for it reap the happy fruits of Christs virtuall ascention in his power and goodness what mercies of all sorts spirituall temporall are heaped and showred down upon us And what salvation hath the Lord wrought for us time after time which ought to be ascribed to him Amen 20 We can speak by experience that the God we worship and believe in can save and deliver I think we have found it so and indeed he onely can deliver and save alive who onely hath vanquished and overcome death it self and hath the sole dominion and disposall of it and all the means and ways that lead to it to prevent them be they never so imminent as to his people 21 And to succeed them to his enemies and theirs they shall feel the weight of his hand if they persist to bruise the heel of his Church at last he will break their head let him be who he will be as sure as his head grows upon his shoulders or hair upon his head so sure will God meet with him sooner or later that doth so if he will not repent and be converted 22 The Lord hath purposed and promised to do as great things under me for his people as ever he did heretofore when he vanquished great and Giant-like Kings as Og the King of Bashan for their sakes and delivered his people out of his hands as also out of the hands of Pharaoh by deviding the red sea conducting them thorough we may be and have been driven into straits since then and so shall the Church in all times but the same power shall still appear for us to relieve us in our greatest extremities whereof those things were a pledge 23 Yea such fearfull vengeance shall God take of the implacable enemies of his Church as that he shall make way thorough their bloud for his peoples felicity which he shall inable them by his power and assistants to shed in abundance like water spilt upon the ground of no more regard shall it be 24 Thy people have often had occasions by thy mercies vouchsafed them heretofore to praise thee in thy sanctuary they have seen there upon great victories solemn thanksgivings but was ever seen the like to this happy day wherein the Ark of God is carried to the Tabernacle pitched in its place of residence the mount of God with what infinite solace and expression of joy all Israel joyned their forces unanimously to accompany it following me their King attending the Ark of thee my God and my King unto the place of its abode thy holy mount 25 It joyes me to think in what comely order and with what sweet harmony of affections and musick it was done How the voices they marched in the fore-ranck singing thy praises and exalting thy name the instruments came next ecchoing to them and resounding thy glory amongst which were orderly intermixt the Damsels playing upon Timbrels so universall was this joy and so glorious was the show that both men and women did their uttermost to express their zeal and forwardness in it 26 And now the Ark is set in Sion forget not to congregate your selves to it but come in flocks and troops to bless this God which is your God and Lord that rules over you and for you all that are the faithfull of-spring of our blessed fountain and forefather Jacob whose name of Israel purchased by his prevailing with God is ever since named upon us come repair to it to the Arke and presence of the Lord and be you also wrestlers and prevailers with him there 27 And I cannot doubt of your forwardness and faithfulness so to do that express so much of joy in its transportation from the least to the greatest both those that are near and those that are afar off will be mindfull of this mercy and of their duty to frequent his service and seek his presence and protection Benjamin that was so dear to Jacob his youngest darling child I am sure will follow his fathers steps and though he was the last of his sons yet will be the first and forwardest to worship the God of his father even the whole Tribe of them with their godly ruler an example to the rest Nor I hope shall Judah the royall Tribe with their Cheiftaines and Senatours be behind who ought indeed to give exsample of zeal that are preferred in Authority above the rest no nor will I am confident Zebulon and Nephtali plead excuse by reason of their remoteness but even they also together with their heads and elders quickening them thereunto will be forward to worship the Lord in his sanctuary at Jerusalem 28 Into what a glorious and powerfull condition hath our God brought us how hath he by his sovereign all-disposing power and Authority made thee O Israel to be thus potent and exalted in strength and dominion over thine enemies that ere-while wast so much at an under O therefore seek to God let it be your prayer slack not your hands grow not sinfull and secure but be you stirred up by his mercies to frequent him duly and pray to him earnestly to continue to be gracious and to establish us in this estate whereinto he hath brought us 29 Wait and pray for the building of the glorious Temple in Jerusalem the type and figure of Christ and his Gospel-Church instead of this Tabernacle which will be a flourishing time indeed then shall not onely God be worshipped within the boundaries of Canaan but the renown of the God of Israel shall so spread as even forrain potentates shall further both the work and the worship and acknowledge him the sole sovereign of the world 30 For this purpose Lord prepare the way to that Triumphant golden age of peace by me a man of war and thy Church militant under me chastising those opposite enemies of thine and ours that notwithstanding all the evidence thou hast given and clear demonstration of thy power and goodness to us thy people are in arms and hostility against us let them know to their cost that it is neither their number nor their rage that shall prevail let both they that lead and they that are misled know thus much let them see their labour in vain and be brought to own thee for their God and to do thee homage and such as will not but chuse rather to hold on their course of enmity and opposition Lord take a course with such to destroy them out of the way that they may not alwayes be thorns in thy peoples sides 31 O that the Lord would hasten the coming of the Messiah and his Kingdom which all these things portend like as the glorious and
the Temple it self with his Church on earth as well as in heaven Praise ye therefore the Lord ye that worship him without as well as within the holy sanctuarie of our God both Priests and people 3 Be not so much awed by fear to praise the Lord as induced by love for those lovely excellencies of grace and goodness that are in him and shine forth from him to his people let the faith and experience the Church hath had thereof in all ages tune your voice and instruments to the exaltation of his name in praise-worthy commemoration of all the good he hath either promised or performed which to do is delightfull to God and every good heart 4 Surely we far above all the world are debtors to God ow more in way of praise than ever we can pay him for this unestimable mercie and priviledge of adoption to be his peculiar to name his name upon and marked out of all the great fold of the world for his people and the sheep of his pasture even we a poor hand-full that came out of the loins of one man our Father Jacob that he should choose him and his out of all mankind to set his love upon and thus to honour as to esteem none else worth reckoning of but us and us as his treasure and Jewels of value whom he onely sets by as he shall by his Church and people in all the world and onely by them 5 Under what notion soever we apprehend God he is worthie our uttermost praises whether as good to us or as great in himself who indeed is of that immensitie as that his positive admits of no comparative degree he is abstractly great even greatness it self in power majesty beyond humane apprehension and capacity in the faith whereof yet we ought to praise him for so his people best know him and that not onely as absolutely and essentially so but also relatively and derivatively so to us this great God being greatly our God his greatness as it is superlative to all greatnesses whether humane powers or imaginarie deities so his grace shall extend it accordingly unto our protection and preservation against them and to the confusion of men and Idols that are set against him or us his Church and people 6 I mean the great and mightie God the sole Sovereign and Monarch of all the world both heaven and earth who of his meer will and by his onely word made all things to be that they are from the highest to the lowest whether in the heavens above or in the earth beneath or in the waters under the earth and the invisible depths of both down to the very center and as he commanded them to be so he rules and commands them now they are to be and do what he would have them and not otherwayes to his praise and his peoples security 7 He createth ruin by appointing and impowering the sun from all parts of the world sea and land to exhale the vapours which we see ascend on high into the middle region of the air where they engender clouds those clouds rain which by his providence is dispersed and dispensed all the world over what the earth sends up in exhalations from all parts it receives down again every where for its use in showers and dews Yea what a piece of Artifice do our eyes behold when by the force of thunder he sends lightning and rain fire and water out of one and the same cloud so that when we see the one break forth we conclude the other not far behind as if naturally fire produced water which are so contrarie but yet are made to cohabit till and be subservient when he pleaseth to dispose of them in storms and tempests The wind also blows when where and how he lists and not otherwayes how unruly and boisterous so ever it seem it breaks not prison of it self but is let out of its restraint by him without whose will and pleasure it cannot so much as breath who is the God of nature ordeining and ordering her in all causes and all their effects how rare soever beyond our knowledge and above our reach transacted in the heavens whereof these are few instances 8 Yea and on earth too where not a few things praise-worthie have been wrought by the same Almighty power for his people Israel whereof we will enumerate some a few of many as the high mightie slaughter he made of the first-born both of man and beast in Egypt with a strong hand bringing his people thence spite of Pharaohs power and oppugnation 9 He wrought miracles and made strange demonstration of his heavy displeasure by manifold judgements destructive signs and prodigies in the midst of thee O Egypt for their sakes when his people the Israelites had no harm there forcing thereby hard-hearted Pharaoh thy King and his courtiers to acknowledge his power and at last submit to his will 10 Nor in Egypt onely did he do wonders and execute judgements upon his Churches enemies but when by a mightie hand the destruction of the Egyptians he had brought them thence by the same out-stretched arm did he lead them through the wilderness destroying all that made opposition to them both Princes and people though far greater and every way better provided then they way-faring men were 11 As for instance Sihon the King of the Amorites and Og that mightie man the King of Bashan who opposed their passage these Kings and their people they destroyed on the other side Jordan and on this side even all the Kings and Kingdoms of Canaan thirty one in number those under Moses these under Josua were subdued by the Lord who fought for Israel against all their enemies 12 And he that is Lord of all the earth as before he had promised to Abraham so now he fulfilled his word by an effectual possession and implantation of his people Israel in the lands and possessions of all the foresaid Kings and Kingdoms gave them to them and their heirs for ever which he hath ever since preserved to and for them and their posteritie with as Almighty a hand as at first he gained and gave them 13 The glorious manifestations thou hast alwayes made of thy powerful goodness and gracious faithfulness in the behalf of thy people against their enemies ought to be renowned for ever hereafter in all ages which also shall produce experiments answerable to those thy properties which are ever the same in thy Churches behalf who shall transmit the grateful memorie of thy former mercies and miracles down from age to age and from one generation successively to another to thine everlasting glorie and their corroboration and comfort in the faith of thy faithfulness to thy covenant and promises the grand charter of the Catholick Church theirs as well as ours made to them as to us 14 For the Lord is his peoples according to covenant so