that fear thee It passeth mans understanding to conceive and the eye of humane reason sées it not which judgeth of all things by the present success This thou hast reserv'd in secret for those which serve thée with a sincere heart and in thy good time thou by great works which thou wilt do for those who trust in thee wilt manifest it even before the sons of men The pride of man is great and in their pride they attempt to throw down those who in sincerity worship thée their tongues are sharp and contentious and in their malice they invent many lyes and scandals against them but thou O Lord wilt hide those thou lovest in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man and wilt keep them secretly as in a Pavilion from the strife of tongues And yet I pressed with the consideration of many evils in which I thought my self forsaken said rashly in my hast Surely I am cut off from before thine eyes thou wilt never certainly cast any favourable look toward me Such was my infirmity so great my inconsideration But thy mercy passed by even then my weakness and setled my staggering soul Notwithstanding my imperfections thou heardst the voice of my Supplications when I cryed unto thee Hear me then now O Lord consider my troubles know that my soul is in adversity have mercy upon me for I call unto thée for help and let me not be ashamed But as for the wicked let them be put to confusion and let them be cut off for the grave that they be able to do no more mischief Let those that invent and speak lyes be put to silence that with pride disdain and cruelty speak against the righteous Blessed be the Lord and praised be his name who hath not only delivered me out of danger but hath shewed unto me in a superabundant manner his marvellous great kindness and loaded me with happiness glory and superfluity of all things yea and set me in a safe and defenced place O lovâ ye the Lord all ye his Saints all ye that serve the Lord in holiness murmure not against his providence but when ye sée me a man destitute of all humane help delivered hope for the same favour from his hands be of good courage and strengthen your hearts O Lord preserve the faithful and though the wicked flourish and pride it in their success yet look upon our affliction and plentifully reward the proud doer As for those who with an honest heart serve thée give them constancy and perseverance in thy love fear and Truth and let their hope in thée be well rooted and confirmed through the Son of thy love Iesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour Amen PSAL. XXXII Is Doctrinal and sets forth the happiness of one whose sins are remitted THE Title of the Psalm is Maschil and at the eighth verse the reason is given I will instruct thee and teach thee In this then there is an instruction given especially about these three points which divide the Psalm 1. The Happy estate of a justified person vers 1 2. 2. The unhappy condition of that man who is not assured that he is justified and reconciled to God vers 3 A justified person is happy 4. and the way prescribed how to gain that assurance vers 5. 3. A Lesson given for obedience after a man is brought into that state v. 8 9. 1. The Prophet first instructs us in what justification consists It is a free remission The first part How he must be qualified a covering of sin a non-imputation of iniquities 2. How the man must be qualified that obtains it He must have an honest sincere and upright heart Vers. 1 be far from guile doubling hypocrisie vers 3. Now such a one he pronounceth Vers. 2 A Happy man Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered He must confess his sin not excuse or hide it Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputes not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile who doth not excuse palliate extenuate his sin but confesseth it 2. The second part And this he makes good by his own experience he hid his sin he doubled with God he confessed not and he was in an unhappy and unquiet condition all the while This David did he hid it 1. I held my peace I confessed not I did not ask pardon and When I held my peace And he was unquiet in his soul and kept silence dissembled my sin 2. I was wounded with the sting of a guilty conscience fears horrours troubles of soul c. My bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me my moysture is turn'd into the drought of Summer 3. But when he confessed it And then he shews you the way he took to recover his happiness which was a clear contrary course He would conceal his sin no longer from which he had so much unrest but he was resolv'd to open and display it before his God 1. Vers. 5 I acknowledg'd my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid 2. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord. Of which the effects are divers 1 He obtained remission 1. The first upon himself He recover'd his happiness consââing in Remission And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin 2. 2 By his example others seek for grace The second upon the whole Church upon every good man that took out and follow'd his example For this i. e. that thou hast been so merciful to me Vers. 6 and pardoned me a penitent confessor shall every one that is godly pray unto thee for pardon in a time when thou may'st be found in the day while grace is offered 3. Vers. 6 Comfort in extremities and safety in the greatest dangers Surely in the floods of great waters 3 And are secure in extremities in an inundation of calamities the troubles shall not come nigh him that depends upon Gods goodness and mercy and is reconcil'd unto him by repentance And he shews the reason from his own experience God was his Protector 1. Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble 2. Thou shalt compass me about with Songs of deliverance deliver me and make me sing for joy and give thanks 3. And now David sets down the Duty of a justified person The third part David instructs a justified person in his way that he be after his pardon obedient to his God and that not out of compulsion but freely and willingly About which that he be not to seek either God from Heaven or David in his person becomes his Doctor I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go I will guide thee with my eye Vers. 8 And a good servant needs no stripes he will observe nutum or nictum heri As my eye is alwayes over you carefully to instruct
and he expresses the cause 2. Because mine enemies have forgotten thy words I did even pine away for grief and anger that men should be so prophane to forget so just and useful Laws 4. 3 Commends it as pure like tryed gold And now he returns to a nother commendation of Gods Law and shewes another affection that from thence arose in him to wit love 1. Ver. 4 Thy Word is very pure or proved most pure 'T is like gold that is tried in the fire from which all drosse is by melting purged Psal 12.6 Upon trial Gods law will be found to be far from all injustice Unjust he is not when he chastiseth his children for there is sin in them nor unjust he is not when he suffers the wicked to flourish for it is their portion Luke 16.25 Righteous are thy judgments 2. And shews his love to it And this raised in David another affection viz. Love Therefore thy servant loveth it Love in God is the fountain of all his benefits bestowed on us and love in man is the fountain of all our service and obedience to our God Love is such a duty that it cannot be excused in any without which all that we can do in his service is nothing He must love Gods Law because it is his Law and a just Law that means to keep it for Love is the fulfilling of the Law 3. A third effect that this wrought in David was a careful remembrance of it yea albeit he was in a mean estate and for it despised by his enemies 1. Ver. 5 I am small the youngest and least among my brethren 2. And his care not to forget it no not in sad times And despised and little set by by my brethren Saul c. 3. Yet do not I forget thy precepts nor my poverty nor contempt can bring me to that passe that I forget my duty to thee Many there are who will professe Religion as long as they see peace and honour followit but rather than they will endure trouble and contempt will utterly forsake it Thus did not David he kept in memory Gods Law And indeed the first step of defection is to forget what God hath commanded for upon this the transgression easily follows 5. 3 He commends it from the perpetuity of it And here he interserts a fourth commendation of Gods Law viz. The immutability perpetulty and eternity of it It is immutable and may never be dispensed with it is a righteousnesse and it is everlasting 1. Ver. 6 Thy righteousnesse is an everlasting righteousnesse No man may change it no man may dispense with it so long as the world stands so long it must be rul'd by it 2. Thy Law is the Truth The Truth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã it hath the priority of all Lawes in this it contains no falshood the promises and threats in it shall certainly be fulfilled 6. Upon which he makes mention of a fourth effect that it produced in him Therefore he joyes and delights in it in his tribulation viz. joy and delight yea non obstante all his troubles and sorrows 1. Trouble and anguish hath taken hold upon me The righteous are often under the crosse that sin may be subdued Ver. 7 patience and the graces of the Spirit increased the pleasures of the world contemned and the joyes of heaven desired 2. Yet thy Commandments are my delights Yet even in this great tribulation the meditation of thy truth contained in thy Law doth delight me it is the remedy against all my afflictions to call to mind what thou hast promised This is it that sanctifies all afflictions to me and makes me rejoyce in them 7. Ver. 8 That Gods Word and Truth was everlasting that gave him so much comfort and joy that he repeats it again 1. He repeats both And desires understanding in it The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is everlasting and adds only his accustomed Petition unto it 2. Give me understanding and I shall live Live and revive in all my troubles It is no life that men have who are destitute of this knowledge they live uncomfortably and therefore the Word of God is contemned by none but such as know not the excellency thereof and the comfort it brings The Prayer O Lord thou art a righteous Iudge and thy justice is so essential to thée Ver. 1 that thou canst no more defrand thy servants of thy promised comforts nor let the wicked escape unpunished in their sins than deny thy self to be God Thou art upright in thy judgments even in those stripes thy children receive and in all those plagues the wicked receive at thy hands O Lord we confesse that for our sins we justly have deserved to receive those blowes and yet we comfort our selves in this that these chastisements are to be but temporal whereas the stripes of the wicked are like to be eternal They may escape thy anger and flourish here but they shall never flye from the wrath to come Now from this eternal justice which is in thée hath procéeded thy Law which is a Law of equity for the testimonies which thou hast commanded Ver. 2 are exceeding righteous a Law of truth having no admiâtion of vanity or falshood a law of purity the finest gold purged from the drosse is not purer a perpetual and eternal law that to all men and at all times prescribes their duty Put then O Lord into my heart a zeal a love to this Law let me never forget it but take my delight in it even then when trouble and heavinesse have taken hold on me It is not unknown unto thée how I have béen consumed with grief and inflamed with anger because ungodly men have forgotten thy words Ver. 3 this they laugh at for this they despise me but their milice doth but increase my love to thy Law and their contempt quicken me in the memory of thy promises O give me an understanding heart and an inflamed soul to thy truth and so I shall live quietly in the midst of my calamities and chearfully end my dayes in thy sear and by thy favour be brought at last to a safe harbour in heaven by Iesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen 19. KOPH DAVID in this Octonary fervently petitions for Audience The Contents Davids prayer Deliverance increase of grace 2. The end he desires it is to keep to observe and meditate on Gods Word 3. His main reason to perswade it is Gods mercy and the danger he was in by mischievous enemies from whom nothing could deliver him but Gods goodness of which he had had former experience 1. For his prayer it was very well conditioned 1. Ver. 1 It was earnest a Cry rather than a Petition I cried and again ver 2. I cried 2. Ver. 3 It was sincere I cried with my whole heart Toto affectu totis viribus 3. Seasonable and continual he did persevere in prayer 1. I prevented the dawning of the
Son of God Be wise therefore O ye Kings in which Ver. 11 1. The persons to whom this fair Caveat is given Kings and Judges 1 Know their Duty 2. What they are here taught 2 To do their Duty First To know their Duty Be wise be learned Secondly To do their Duty Serve the Lord in fear rejoyce with trembling Ver. 12 kiss the Son 3 Without delay and that 3. The time when this is to be done even Now the Reason double 1. Drawn from his wrath and the consequent punishment 1 Lest he be angry and destroy them Lest he be angry and ye perish from the right way 2. From the happy condition of those who learn to know him and fear 2 Because they are happy that trust in him and serve and adore him For if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him The Prayer collected out of the second Psalm O Blessed God unto whom all hearts are open and from whom no secrets are hid whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun and pass through the World and behold all the thoughts and conspiracies and actions of men Encline thine ear and hear open thine eyes and sée the attempts of Satan and wicked men The Heathen have raged furiously and the people have tumultuously assembled Ver. 1 and imagine vain things yea the Kings of the Earth have risen together they have taken counsel and joyn'd their power against God Ver. 2 and against him who is thy Anointed These many in number Ver. 3 strong in power encourage themselves in mischief saying Come let us break off these Bonds of Laws and Religion from off our necks by which they would yoke us and cast away their cords in which they would bind us for we will not that he or his Anointed reign over us For of a truth Lord against thée and thy holy child Iesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the Nation of the Jewes have gathered themselves together and do whatsoever thy hand and thy Counsel determined before to be done And now O Lord behold their threatnings for thy Names sake for thy Sons sake for thy Promise sake let not the gates of Hell prevail against thy Church Ver. 4 Thou that sits in Heaven laugh them to scorn Ver. 5 Thou which art the most High have them in derision speak unto them in thy wrath and vex them in thy sore displeasure Raise up thy power Ver. 6 O Lord and come amongst us Set thy King upon thy holy Hill of Zion Ver. 7 He is thy only begotten Son from everlasting and yet was content for our Redemption to humble himself to the womb and be born and made of a woman that he might preach thy Law and make known the glad tidings of salvation to all people Ver. 8 Give him therefore the Heathen for his inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for his possession Merciful God who hast made all men and hatest nothing that thou hast made nor wouldest the death of a sinner but rather that he should be converted and live have mercy upon all Iewes Turks Infidels and Heretiques and take from them all ignorance hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and fetch them home blessed Lord to thy stock that they may be saved among the remnant of thy true Israelites that there may be but one Fold and one Shepheard As for such who obstinately and wilfully and maliciously stop their ears that they may not hear and shut their eyes that they may not sée lest they should hear with their ears and sée with their eyes and thou shouldst heal them These are the men O Lord who will not have thée reign over them poure therefore thy indignation upon them and bring them down in their pride and obstinacy Ver. 9 break them in pieces with a rod of iron and dash them into shivers like a Potters vessel of which being broken into smaller parcels there is no use nor hope or possibility of reparation Gracious God Ver. 10 poure down the graces of thy holy Spirit upon all thy people especially upon the Kings and Rulers of the Earth give them those gifts that may make them wise and those graces that may make them good let them learn their Duties Ver. 11 and do their Duties to thée O so encline all our hearts that we may serve thee in fear rejoyce before thee with reverence that we kiss bow down and adore thy Son submit and be obedient to him receive his Doctrine and acquiesce in his Laws and never be at rest till our heart assure us that thou art reconciled unto us through him O who may stand in thy sight when thou art angry we tremble therefore to féel at this time the effect of thy hot wrath upon us Ver. 12 for thou hast suffered us to perish from the right way for truth to embrace lying vanities and for thy Gospel to worship our own imaginations This is the just reward of our disobedience this is the just revenge and punishment of our sin in that we have not served thée in fear nor come into thy Courts and rejoyced before thée with reverence nor bow'd our knées and béen obedient to thy Son Vers 12 For this thy wrath is kindled and it burns not a little against us O Lord grant that this thy severity may have a true impression upon our hearts let us be true penitents and by our sighs and groans give thée no rest in heaven till thou return and have mercy upon us Recall us again to the right way Vers. 12 and never let us more erre and wander from it Confirm our hope it rengthen our faith alwayes let us put our confidence in thy mercy knowing that they alone who put their trust in thée are blessed for when thy wrath is kinded they shall be gather'd under thy wings and shall be safe under thy feathers Call us O Lord to thy truth justifie us by thy Sons blood sanctifie us by his Spirit and make us of that number to whom thou wilt say at the last day Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world Amen Amen PSAL. III. The occasion of this Psalm was Absalons rebellion DAVID being deserted by his subjects rail'd upon by Shimei pursued for his Crown and life by his ungracious son and not finding to whom to make his moan betakes himself to his God and before him he expostulates his wrong confesseth his faith and makes his prayer There be then three strains of this accurate Psalm 1. His complaint 2. The confession of his confidence 3. His Petition The first part Davids complaint of his enemies 1. He begins with a sad and bitter complaint amplified 1. By the Number and Multitude of his enemies That they were Multi Many Multi valde very many that they were multiplicati
him this answer containing very remarkable Notes of a lively Member of the Church 1 In general 1. In general he is such a man who is 1 Upright 1. Upright in thought hath an honest heart He that walketh uprightly Ver. 2 2 Just 2. Just in his deed He works righteousness 3 True 3. True in his word He speaks the truth in his heart 4 Who eschews evil for he is not 2. In particular he is such a man who escheweth evil 1. In himself 1. Ver. 3 For he is no slanderer He back-bites not with his tongue 2. A slanderer c. He is no wrong doer Nor doth evil to his Neighbour 3. He is no reviler tale-bearer or hearer of them He takes not up a reproach c. 4. He is no favourer of sin in whose eyes a vile person is contemned 5. 2 He loves good men He is no oppressor or extortioner He puts not his money out to his poor brother to usury 6. Ver. 4 No briber He taketh no reward against the innocent 2. 3 He keeps his word Such a man he is That honours them that fear the Lord. 3. The second part His reward eternal salvation That sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not He will be sure to keep his word Piety and Charity is his Character 2. The Epiphonema hath it in these two points 1. Ver. 5 The party to whom this priviledge belongs He that doth these things For the doers of the Law shall be justified 2. Haec omnia haec 2. The promise made to him He shall never fall The life of Grace is the way to the life of Glory Potest in momentum movere sed non in aternum Resurget The Prayer out of the fifteenth Psalm that we may lead a life worthy of a Christian O Merciful and Bountiful God thou sole giver of Grace and Glory who hast made thy Tabernacle on Earth Ver. 1 a Type of that celestial Mansion thou hast promised us in Heaven and hast also taught us that we must first sojourn with thée in this before we shall come to dwell with thée in those everlasting habitations Give us Grace Ver. 2 that the whole old man of sin being put off we may walk uprightly before thée addict our selves to work righteousness and speak the truth plainly and sincerely from our hearts nor by dissimulation deceiving nor by fraud falshood and lies imposing upon our Neighbour Suffer us not with our tongues to detract from any mans good name and reputation Ver. 3 nor by false reports and whispers to backbite the absent let us not return evil for evil unto any much less evil for good nor with a contented mind receive a reproach against them Never let us respect any mans person if wicked Ver. 4 for their birth wealth power or glory nor palliate or flatter them in their vices but rather contemn all vile persons and on the contrary highly honour and love all those that fear the Lord. Make us faithful in our promises Ver. 5 and so religiously observant of our oaths that neither profit nor necessity compel us having sworn to our Neighbour to disappoint him Ver. 5 although it be to our own hinderance Remove from us all covetous destres and kéep us far from all unjust and oppressive contracts O let us never be corrupted with bribes and gifts to defend an evil cause and pronounce an unjust sentence Since those that do these things shall never fall or be removed from thy favour and presence vouchsafe to give us thy grace that our poor souls being purified from vitious habits and adorn'd with these Robes of Iustice Truth and Charity and sanctified by the merits of thy dear Son may live with thée eternally in Glory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XVI Mictham David Davids precious Jewel or Psalm of Gold literally to be understood of David but primarily and principally of Christ Acts 2. whom he calls Chasid Gods Holy One ver 10. and foretels his Passion Resurrection Ascension ver 9 10 11. TWO parts there are of this Psalm in general 1. A Petition ver 1. The first part Davids Petition for conservation 2. A Thanksgiving ver 7. 1. The Petition begins the Psalm 't is for preservation Preserve me O God Ver. 1 keep me to the Kingdom both temporal and eternal that thou hast promised He perswades it guard me guide me keep me To perswade God to this he produceth his Reasons 1. His confidence For in thee I trust this is a powerful plea 1 By his confidence in God 2. That his God for to trust God is the highest honour we can do him it sets the Crown on his head 2. His relation O my soul thou hast said unto the Lord Ver. 2 Thou art my God 3. For this I would shew my self thankful and return thee best of my best But what can I give save ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã My goods or goodness my benificence or bounty is nothing unto thee 3 By his charity to the Saints Sacrifice thou needest not Psal 50.8 Nor art delighted in them but mercy thou requirest Hosea 6. 4. Then I will seek out thy Receivers Thy Saints that are in the earth Ver. 3 The Family of the Saints were the object of Davids bounty and his delight In whom he delights Illustratur à contrario But not in wicked men and Idolaters But my liberality and charity shall extend to the Saints that are in the earth and unto such as are excellent in whom is all my delight 5. But as for wicked men and Idolaters I have no delight in them they shall not partake of my bounty and goodness rather the contrary 1. They hasten after another god or endow another god They spare no cost but are lavish in endowing their gods Ver. 4 Israel part with Jewels c. 2. They offer their children to Moloch therefore 1. Their sorrows shall be multiplied I will punish them 2. I will not partake with them Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer To the Saints he would be liberal because God had dealt liberally with him 3. But detest them I will not take up their names with approbation within my lips ver 4. 6. And yet he gives another Reason why he would shew himself so thankful to God and bountiful and liberal to his Saints it was Gods great bounty and liberality to him Ver. 5. 6. 1. That God had set him out his portion and it was satisfactory The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup. 2. That God defended him in it Thou maintainest my lot ad corroborandum 3. And it was a fair portion The lines are fallen unto me in a fair ground or pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage Goodly indeed for it was a Crown 2. The second part of this golden Psalm is Davids Thanksgiving it begins The second part David gives thanks I
God in promising and a faithful God in performing thy Holy Covenant that thou hast remembred thy Mercy and Truth toward the house of Israel This is a mercy beyond all mercies and in mercy good Lord continue this mercy unto us Never remove our Candlestick or remove the light of thy Gospel from us And though at this time it be eclipsed and that very justly for our unthankfulness in the use of this light for our undervaluing of it and not rejoicing in it yet we beséech thée upon our contrition and amendment of our lives let it repent thee of the evil that thou hast brought upon thy people and all mists of error and heresie all darkness of prophaneness being dispell'd shew forth the bright beams of thy countenance unto those thousands of Israel who seek and sigh after thy Truth with an honest heart Descend Vers. 9 O Lord descend and with righteousness judge the cause of thy poor afflicted oppressed people in equity raise their grieved souls Let thy Truth flourish the Gospel have a free passage amongst us and bring to a spéedy confusion all that are enemies to thy peace through Iesus Christ our Lord. PSAL. XCIX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã THE Subject matter of this Psalm is the self-same with the former for it sets forth the Glory of Christs Kingdom the Majesty Power and Justice of the King and exhorts all by the example of his former servants to exalt call on him and praise him Two parts of this Psalm 1. A Description of Christs Kingdom 1. From the Majesty and Terrour of it against his enemies ver 1 2 3. 2. From the Equity of it in execution of judgment and justice ver 4. 3. From the King 's Patience and Clemency in giving Audience to his servants 6 7 8. 2. A Demand of praise and honour of all that acknowledge him for their King Psal 93. begun at the third verse repeated at the fifth and continued in the last This is the third time he begins his Hymus with this solemn Acclamation The first part Christ is King The Lord reigneth Jehovah is King And then as is usual in Musick Rests and pauseth as it seems to me after as if he had recovered breath Ver. 1 he sings with full voyce 1. The Terrour Power Glory and Majesty of it He bids the defiance to his enemies and comforts his people 1. He bids a defiance as it were to all his enemies ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã irascantur commoveantur fremant populi let the people be angry fret and be unquiet as Psal 2.1 Let the earth that is the Tyrants of the earth be movd at it yet let them know that all their endeavours are but vain For 1. God is present with his Church For 1. He sits between the Cherubims the Cherubims were over the Ark by which was signified the presence of God with his people and they covered the Propiatory and Ark with their wings The sense then is God is alwayes present with his people to them and therefore no fear though the earth be moved Ver. 2 2. The Lord is great in Zion of great power and high above all people 2 He is potent and higher than all people in Majesty Power Wisdom no fear then for this also though the earth be moved 3. His Name is great and terrible Great Ver. 3 and therefore terrible to his enemies for it is holy and therefore venerable In a word 3 His Name great and terrible holy his Regal Majesty and Regal Sanctity is such that he is a most potent and a most just King and therefore no fear yet though the earth be moved rather let them give the praise and honour due unto his Name 2. Our Prophet describes the Kingdom of Christ 4 He is a just King from the justice and equity which is administred in it and thereby moves his not to fear though the earth be moved Ver. 4 1. The Kings strength Hoz heb strength honour dignity authority holiness c. loveth judgment judgeth righteously out of the love he bears to justice not constrained by fear passion or necessity 2. And this he shews by the following Apostrophe in which he thus speaks to the King 1. Thou dost establish equity Confirm and establish just and equal Laws 2. Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob In thy Kingdom thou executest these Laws also justly by punishing sin and rewarding good works of which there be examples in both Testaments for though for a time he suffered the godly to be afflicted and the ungodly to be exalted yet he at last frees his servants and crowns their patience but he falls in fury on the wicked and damns them he punisheth sometimes in this life alwayes in the life to come Upon which the Prophet collects That God is to be adoted to which he earnestly exhorts Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at his Foot-stool for he is holy For this he exhorts us 1. Exalt ye by praising his Majesty with the heart Ver. 5 and magnifying him with your voyce 1 To ââalt him 2. 2 To adore before his footstool And worship at his footstool not his footstool as some read it that have a months mind to have Images worshipped In which expression David had an eye to the Ark of the Covenant for so I find it called 1 Chron. 28.2 Lam. 2.1 Toward which the Jews were bound to bow And his intention is that all our approaches and applications to the Lord our God be with the greatest reverence and submission of mind and body that may be All is too little 3. 3 For he or it is Holy For he is Holy or it is holy for the skilful in the Hebrew confess it may be read in either gender Holy the Jews call'd whatsoever was eminent excellent perfect chast entire sincere God then is holy because he is so in himself and his house his Priests his Day c. The Ark his footstool is Holy in relation to him when then we approach to him or any place where he ordinarily shews his presence Holy and Reverent actions and gestures are required of us Take heed to thy feet Prophane not what is holy 3. 5 He is a kind King Hears and grants petitions As is evident The third way by which the Prophet sets out the excellency of Christs Kingdom and the Clemency and Mercifulness of our King is in that he is ready to hear Petitioners and receive Petitions and of an inclinable nature to grant them also for which he brings examples of three illustrious men all eminent in their generations Moses a Prince Aaron a Priest and Samuel a Judge in Israel who all fell down and worshipp'd at his footstool call'd upon and were heard in their intercessions 1. Vers. 6 Moses and Aaron among his Priests The Hebrew word here used ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã In Moses Aaron alwayes signifies not a Priest but a Prince and
morning and cried 2. Mine eyes prevent the night morning and evening he prayed 2. For audience deliverance increase of grace That which he pray'd for was 1. Audience Hear me O Lord And again Hear my voyce ver 5. 2. Ver. 1 Deliverance Save me ver 2. 3. Increase of grace Quicken me ver 5. 3. Ver. 2 The end that he desires salvation and grace 1. That he might keep Gods statutes First is That he might keep Gods Statutes Hear me I will keep thy Statutes 2. Ver. 1 Save me that I may keep thy Testimonies ver 2. 3. Ver. 2 I prayed and watched that I might meditate in thy Word ver 4. 4. Ver. 4 Quicken me according to thy Word for the self-same end ver 5. 4. His arguments to perswade it The Arguments he especially useth besides the former to move God to hear and grant his Petitions are 1. His faith and hope I cried because I waited and hoped in thy Word and promises 1 His faith 2. Gods mercy Hear my voyce according to thy loving-kindness The common Argument to be used by all Gods children 2 Gods goodness for were they never so righteous and just yet in mercy they must desire to be heard and not for their merits 3. The danger that he was now in by persecuting enemies 1. Ver. 6 They draw nigh they are at hand the danger is near 2. 3 The danger he was now in His comfort that God was near him Yea and great too for they are mischievously bent they follow after mischief hunted after all occasions to do evil 3. Most impious men they are far from thy Law they hate it shun it labour to make it odious in every eye 5. But the comfort is that they are not so near but thou art as near they to do mischief but thou to defend me let then their number power malice be what it will thy power and mercy is beyond it 1. Thou art near O Lord let then these my enemies be far from thy Law they cannot be far from thee Ver. 7 Thou art near and wilt reach them by thy justice And would not desert him and this is my comfort 2. For all thy Commandments are Truth Albeit the evil of wicked men follow me because I follow thee yet I know thy Commandments are true and it is not possible that thou shouldst desert thy servants who stand to the maintenance of thy Word their wickedness shall never escape thy hand of punishment they may punish my body but they cannot deprive me of my Crown of glory 6. He concludes with an Epiphonema Of which he is confident being assured upon his own experience of the stability and immutability of Gods Word I know thy Commandments are Truth for Ver. 8 1. Concerning thy Testimonies thy Will that thou hast testified in thy Word 2. I have known of old even ever since I began to look into them study them and practise them 3. That thou hast founded them for ever They are of eternal Truth immutable and indispensable and this is the Anchor of our souls that we be not carried away with the winds and waves of tentations The Prayer OVL of a vehement desire I have cried to the Lord for help and that not only with my tongue and voyce but with my whole heart Ver. 1 hear me good God which if thou wilt vouchsafe to grant I will more studiously and fréely séek to know and kéep thy statutes Ver. 2 I have called and eried to no other God but thée therefore save me from these pressures and dangers Ver. 3 and being by thée saved and delivered I will more diligently kéep thy Testimonies Neither have I only called upon thée by bay but I have prevented the bawning of the morning with a great cry I have sought thy face and implored thy help because I repose my sole hope in thy promisses I have prevented also the night watches my eyes day and night have béen intent upon thée that I might be occupied in the meditation of thy words both in those in which thou hast promised thy mercy and in those in which thou hast signified thy Will and exacted my obedience Hear therefore my voyce according to thy loving-kindness and according to that equity by which thou usest to procéed with all those that love thée and call upon thy Name quicken me with the sense of thy savour and deliver me from this imminent death and danger And the impiety of my enemies makes me be the more instant to obtain this mercy for they that persecute my soul are set upon mischief they hunt after my life nay they hate not me only but thy Law it is odious in their eyes they look strangely upon it and desire it should be as odious in others From this imminent dagger it is not possible for me to be safe but by thy hand and guidance As then they approach near to hurt so do thou approach near to help and make it appear by my deliverance that all thy promises are truth This I have known long since and now Lord let me have erperience of it again so shall I have just cause to praise thy judgments and sing of thy mercies and make it known That thou hast founded them forever nor the rage of man nor the malice of Devils shall be ever able to shake thy-thy-Truth or evacuate thy promises which thou hast maââ to thy Church in Iesus Christ our Lord. 20. RESH IN this Section David petitions to God for help in his affliction The Contents 2. Complains of the multitude of his persecutors 3. Laments their condition 4. And shewes his constancy and love to Gods Word 1. David in his affliction prayes to God David begins with a petition In afflictions it is some comfort to us to have our case known consider'd and examined especially by those that love us therefore David desires 1. Ver. 1 That God would consider his case Consider my afflictions so much at least 1 To help him 2. Then that he would help him Deliver me from my tempting enemies 3. His Reason to perswade both For I do not forget thy Law though I perfectly keep it not yet I have not cast it behind my back I do not forget it I desire to keep it This he could plead with a good conscience if not what he had done yet what he would have done therefore he could boldly make this request Deliver me 4. 2 To be his Advocate But yet he goes further and desires God to be his Advocate to him he appeals 1. Plead my cause and deliver me At the bar of men a just cause oftentimes miscarries for want of a good Advocate Ver. 2 and is born down by an unjust Judge wherefore I beseech thee who art the just Judge of the World take my cause in hand plead it to their faces and deliver me Arise up for me in the judgment that thou hast commanded 2.
expresseth these three things 1. Her confidence and hope in God for to him she flies ver 1. illustrated by two similitudes ver 2. 2. Her prayer for mercy ver 3. 3. A short Recapitulation of her distress ver 4. 1. The first part The Church flies to God The Church shewes her trust in God and in it directs us to whom to flie in distress 1. Vnto thee lift I up mine eyes To thee no other and from thee I look for help Ver. 1 succour defence 2. And depends on him as servants to their Masters O thou that dwellest in the Heavens by which words she acknowledgeth his inspection and power Out of Heaven the Lord beholds the Earth and by his wisdom goodness power governs all things Thou canst take me out of the hand of the wicked and mighty therefore to thee I lift mine eyes And this the Prophet illustrates by a double similitude of servants and handmaids I look upon thy hand now heavy upon me and beating me by wicked men Behold 1. As the eyes of servants look unto the hands of their Masters i.e. Men-servants Ver. 2 2. And as the eye of a Maiden to the hand of her Mistress Both of both kinds may be beaten Now as they are whip't they cast back their eyes and look to the hand that strikes them begging even with their very heart some favour and an abatement of stripes 3. When beaten by them So our eyes wait upon the Lord our God Gods children alwayes are expectants 4. Until he have mercy upon us Abate his stripes and take off his hand 2. The second part For which the Church prayes in the next verse and in ardency of spirit ingeminates it Have mercy upon us And desires God to take off his hand O Lord have mercy upon us before she lifts the eyes but now cryes 3. Ver. 3 Of which clamour in few words she yields a Reason the great contempt she was fallen to The third part 1. Ver. 4 For we are exceedingly fill'd with contempt And again Our soul is fill'd To suffer contempt is much Because she was in contempt And fill'd with it to be fill'd with it more it argues that she was long under it but to be exceedingly fill'd intolerable especially when it comes to scorn as here 2. Our soul is exceedingly fill'd with the scorning Subsannatione geering derision which to a generous spirit is very heavy it wounds his very soul of which Beasts and Fools have little or no sense despised they may be but of reproach they are not capable And this the Prophet amplifies by the circumstances of the persons that âântemned and scorned 1. And that by Epicures They were such as were at ease in Zion law no Changes had all things âââceeding ex voto as they would have it and no greater contemners and scorners of men in misery than such 2. And proud men And with the contempt of the proud ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Satiety breeds pride and pride makes men injurious apt to heap up contumelies disgraces scoffs scorns and geers upon that man which is brought to a low ãâã Again proud men are for the âââpart empty ãâã pâted men and contempt and scorn from such wounds very deep especially if they rise as they often do from the Dunghil The Prayer out of the One hundred and twenty third Psalm O Lord it hath pleased thée to suffer thy people to be brought to great distress and their condition is so deplorable that there is no comfort or help to be expected Ver. 1 but from above therefore unto thée we lift up our eyes expecting salvation from thée alone Thou sittest in the highest Heavens and ââest all things Thou sittest in the highest Heavens and over-rulest all things to whom then should we flée for succour but to thée since thou hast ereated and redéemed us by right we are thy servants and never did servants more look to the hands of their Masters in expectation of favour from them than our eyes are intent upon thée our Lord and our God till thou remit off thy stripes and have mercy upon us Withdraw good Lord thy severe hand from us and chastise us not to destruction say unto thy destroying Angel It is enough it is enough spare thy people whom thou hast redéemed with thy precious blood Ver. 3 and be not angry with us for ever Have mercy upon us O Lord have mercy upon us Ver. 4 for except thou be merciful unto us we must perish since we can expect no mercy from men It is not unknown unto thée with what contempt and scorn we are loaded we are excéedingly fill'd with contempt our soul is pierced with the scoffs of proud insolent men and such who for the abundance of spoil now live at ease Good Lord let not the pride and contempt of these rebellious and treacherous wretches procéed any farther who by their successes are so pust'd up that they think they cannot be repressed by humane power O Lord look not upon our unworthiness but consider the dishonour and contumely that in us is cast upon thy Name for while they insult over us the injury redounds to thée while with arms and cruelty they Lord it over us they barbarously do suppress thy Worship thy Religion thy Truth thy Word We thy servants by them thus oppressed contemned derided and scorned have none to flie to but to thée alone O merciful Lord do thou set an end to these contumelies and injuries we séek not our solves in this but thee the desire of our soul is That thou wouldst vindicate the honour of thy Name and glory of thy Gospel which these Miscreants have in contempt O God bring it so to pass that at last these enemies of thy Truth may seel and consess the Truth of thy Word and will they nill they acknowledge thée to be the only God and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXXIV THE people of God newly escaped from some great danger The Sum. both acknowledge it and that God only was the Authour of their safety and victory for which they thank him 1. The Prophet begins abruptly The Prophet gives the glory to God alone for their deliverance as is usual to do in pathetical expressions with much joy he expresseth Gods protection over his people and how by his hand meerly they were delivered by some unexpected way and he desires the people to acknowledge it with him 1. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side And again ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ver. 1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side that had stood and fought for us so that it was not our Swords but his hand that delivered us Nam qui supponit ponit 2. Now may Israel say Now after the victory after the deliverance and his intent is That they thankfully acknowledge it with him 3. On our side when men rose
they may lie in Ambush for me and that not only the Vulgar the Ziphits Mahanites with others but also the chiefest of Sauls Followers and Captains yea although they know that my words have been mild to them Which the words following justifie and I have not offended them in the least matter And this sense the verse following will justifie Our bones are scattered at the Graves mouth as when one cuts and cleaves wood upon the earth That is Ver. 7 They beset me and my company with such violence that we despair of life and must lay our bones unburied in the Wilderness to be scattered here and there The last part as Chips except thou O Lord shalt succour us and send us present help and therefore he goes on and presents Ver. 8 6. A sixth Petition which hath two parts 6 The last petition for his own safety 1. But my eyes are unto thee O God the Lord in thee is my trust 2. Leave not my soul destitute 1. For his own safety and deliverance Leave not my soul destitute suffer me not to fall into then hands to the loss of my life 2. Which is grounded upon his hope and confidence in God My eyes are unto thee I depend on thee I look for help from thee O God the Lord in thee is my trust The other part of his Petition is 3. Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me Ver. 9 and the gins of the workers of iniquity Keep me from their Frauds Deceits Ambushes which as Fowlers and Hunters they set for me 4. And lastly He imprecates confusion to fall upon his enemies heads and reiterates his Petition for his own safety 1. Let the wicked fall into their own Nets Neque n. Ver. 10 lex justior ulla And imprecates vengeance on the wicked 2. But let me ever escape them pass by or through them unhurt A Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty one Psalm O LORD Ver. 1 being beset with many sorrows and dangers I cry unto thée make haste to help me O my God and send me some speedy deliverance lest if thou make as if thou hearest not I become like them that go down into the pit Give eare therefore now unto my voice when my soul being heavie unto the death with fervor and affectionate sighs I cry unto thée O let my prayer which I present to thée on the Altar of a sincere heart by the intercession of Iesus Christ my Lord Ver. 2 he a swéet perfume in thy nostrils accepted and set before thée as was that Incense which as offered unto thée upon the golden Altar by the High Priest in the Holy of Holiests and let this lifting up my hands be as grateful and pleasing to thée as was the evening sacrifice And first of all Ver. 3 O Lord because I am prone to offend in my tongue I beséech thée set a watch before my mouth that I may observe what words are fit to go forth and what fit to be kept in and keep the door of my lips that it may not open or shut but by prudence and charity Suffer me not to speak but what I ought and as I ought and when I ought and where I ought Let my words be ever gracious Ver. 4 and seasoned with salt And because the errors of the tongue procéeds from the vanity and corruption of the heart suffer not my heart to be enclined to any malicious wickednesse or if such a conception be formed within let it never come into act and practise O let me never be so destitute of thy grace to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity and so far be seduced by their example familiarity and society as to eate of their dainties and communicate with them in their hypocrisie their fained sanctity their specious doctrines their ill acquired riches and power or with them seek for excuses to defend what to satisfie andplease their own lusts they have gréedily made choice of If at any time being overcome by the weaknesse and frailty of my flesh Ver. 5 I shall indulge overmuch to my desires and be overtaken in an offence send some spiritual guide who may smite me friendly and restore me in the spirit of méeknesse This I shall reckon as a mercy to my soul Let such a man reprove me and it shall be as an excellent oyl to cure my ulcerous soul But never permit the smooth balm and oyly words of the wicked to fall on my head nor their flatteries and sothing applauses so please my heart that thereby I be cherished and nuzzled up in my grossest sins For so far I am from séeking the favor of the wicked that I shall alway pray against their malice and wickednesse At this time they set and besiege the rocky hills Ver. 6 and stoy the passages to take away my life They hunt for my soul as a Partridge upon the mountains O Lord let their chief conductors and leaders be overthrown and dashed to pieces as a ship against the rocks So shall it come to passe that the people who have followed them in simplicity of heart and whom these Princes have seduced shall hereafter give better héed to my words which I sounded in their eares of piety and iustice and mine own innocence For these were and are in themselves able to work in them a penitent and obedient heart and to the penitent and obedient they will be very ââéet and delightful Ver. 7 For till this be effected and their conversion wrought I and all my followers and adherents are in very great danger that our lives shall be taken away in these mountanous places and our dead bodies ly unburied in this wildernesse and consequently our bones scattered at the graves mouth as when one cuts and cleaves wood upon the earth But O thou my Lord God because my eyes are alway intent on thée and all my hope and trust is placed in thée Ver. 8 leave not my soul destitute suffer me not to fall into their hands who séek to take away my life Ver. 9 Kéep me that I be not taken in their snares which they have laid for me and those gins which these workers of iniquity have twisted and cunningly disposed for my ruine But let the wicked fall into their nets Ver. 10 and be taken in the crafty wilinesse which they have imagined but let me and the people which serve thée in sincerity and truth for ever escape them by the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXLII The Title a Maschil of David A Prayer when he was in the Cave THE Cave was that of Engaddi or more probably that of Odullam when he was more destitute The occasion the persecution of Saul and his danger by Achish king of Gath. The matter of it an earnest Prayer to God in which he begs deliverance from danger The parts are 1. An Exordium in which he 1. First shews what he did in his trouble
Campi patentes Valles 5. Fruitful trees and all Cedars All trees fit to build with 6. Beasts and all Cattle both wild and tame 7. Greeping things Worms Serpents 8. And all flying fowls 3. 5 All mankind In the last place he cites all mankind to praise God 1. 1 Of all degrees The Highest Kings and all people They who command who obey 2. 2 Sexes Princes and all Judges of the earth All inferiour Magistrates 3. 3 Ages Of all Sexes Both young men and maidens 4. Of all Ages Old men and children Let them praise the Name of the Lord. For which he gives this reason 1. 1 For his Name is excellent For his Name is excellent alone There is no Name so sublime so high and worthy of all praise For all created things although great if compared to Gods greatness are nothing for what excellency soever they have they have from him whose Name is alone excellent 2. 2 His glory above His Glory is above the earth and heaven Their glory being from him 4. He concludes the Psalm with his goodness to his Church which is another reason 1. He also exalts the horn that is the power and glory of his people 2. 3 He is good to his Church He is the Praise of his Saints The Pride of Israel viz. 3. Even of the children of Israel a people near to him a people dedicated consecrated to God And near unto him in true knowledge faith true worship adoration Trust and filial love All which is to be understood not of Israel according to the flesh but of Israel according to the Spirit For all are not Israel that are of Israel Rom. 9. There were among them Generations of Vipers Mat. 3. and such as resisted the ãâ¦ã âhost Act. 7. Now those that are true Israelites And therefore praise him and those especially he excites to sing Hallelujah Praise ye the Lord. The Prayer out of the one hundred and forty eighth Psalm O Omnipotent Lord Ver. 1 thy wonderful bounty admirable power and wisdom hath sufficiently declared thy Majesty in all those things which for mans sake thou hast created For which all thy creatures in heaven above and in earth beneath sing praises to thy Name The Angels land thée the Sun Moon and Stars magnifie thée the heaven of heavens exalt thée There is not a creature on the earth in the air or water that doth not set forth thy glory By thy command they were created by thy word established as they are and they observe strictly the Law thou hast made and transgress not in the least that decrée thou hast appointed for them All which when we consider we must néeds lament our own backwardness in setting forth thy glory Lamentable it is to think that man alone for whom all these things were made should be the ungrateful creature This we confess this we bewail Henceforth therefore we of all sorts of all sexes of all ages will fly to thée and praise thy Name alone because thy Name is excellent and thy glory above heaven and earth O Lord we humbly beséeth thée exalt the horn the power and glory of thy people those whom thou hast taken near unto thee and who worship thee in Spirit and Truth let not the gares of hell ever prevail against them and though Satan sift them like wheat yet let it be the praise of all thy Saints that still they adhere unto thee and come nearer unto thée by the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXLIX Hallelujah A Hymn IN this Psalm the Saints of God are excited to give him due thanks The Prophes excites Gods Saints to praise him The first part for For two reasons 1. For the Grace and Favour received from him from vers 1. to 5. 2. For the Glory and Priviledges they shall receive Ver. 1 from vers 5. to 9. 1. The Prophet first excites the Saints to a return of thanks And amplifies it divers wayes Let Israel rejoice let the children of Zion praise Which is amplified 1. From the persons who are to perform it Saints call'd here Israel the children of Zion For praise is not comely in the mouth of sinners 2. From the Quality of the Song it must be Canticum novum a New Song it was an old Song the Creatures sung in the former Psalm for their Creation It must be a New Song the Saints must sing for their Renovation and Glorification A new matter to be sung by new men 3. From the place in which it is to be sung not in private but in publick in the Church in a full Congregation of the Saints 4. From the manner in which it is to be done in all allacrity with all the affection that may be with a Song with joy with praise Cantate psallite jubilate And as if all we could do were too little to take the help of all Musical instruments Let us praise his Name in the dance let us sing praises unto him with Timbrel and Harp 5. From the object God who was their Creatour and their King Ver. 2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him let the children of Zion be joyful in their King And this part he concludes with a strong reason for a New Song 1 For his love and favour to them 1. For the Lord takes pleasure in his people He loved them from everlasting and that out of meer good-will and this his ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is the root and foundation of all our good therefore he predestinated therefore he called therefore he justified therefore he sanctified Ver. 4 therefore he will glorifie because it was his good-pleasure so to do he takes pleasure in his people Luk. 12.32 2. He will beautifie the meek with Salvation What was his good-pleasure he will fulfill That people who hath learned of him to be meek and humble he will exalt he will save he will honour with beauty and glory 2. And now he begins to describe the future glory The second part with which he will beautifie them 1. Let the Saints be joyful in glory To which they shall never come He describes their future glory except Saints 2. Let them rejoice in their beds i. e. Ver. 5 Their Mansions prepared for them in heaven where they instantly rest from their labours Rev. 14. But not from their praising God that 's no labour They sing aloud they sleep not then Their work there is twofold Their work in heaven for present to praise God one for the present the other for the future 1. For the present The high praises the greatest and highest that can be thought on let these be in their mouths Exaltant Deum exultant Vers. 6 2. Hereafter to exercise judiciary power For the future when Christ shall come to judgement Let a two-edged sword be in their hand The sword is in a Judges hand for he is an avenger of all that do ill By
Vers. 1 and promised to hear those that call we thy poor afflicted and distressed people straitned with miseries and beset with sorrows in obedience to thy commands are bold to present our supplications before thée O God of our righteousness hear us when we call enlarge us in distress have mercy upon us be gracious unto us and hear our praper How long shall the sons of men turn our glory into shame Vers. 2 how long shall the vanity they have lov'd and the lyes which with an obstinate and malicious heart they have sought for and forg'd and their mischââous counsels Vers. 3 prevail against us O make them know that however they seek to oppress us yet thou whose power no man can resist hast chosen to thy self and wilt take into thy love those who are godly and that when they call and cry to thee thou wilt hear them The Ark is departed from Irsael and shame hath cover'd our faces and wilt thou also turn away thy face for ever Return O Shulamite return return that we may look upon thee Vers. 4 Then perhaps those who now despight and hate us may be reconcil'd unto us and turn their anger into love and their rage into sorrow that they persecuted them whom thou hast smitten Move all our hearts good God that we map stand in awe and sin no more that we may recollect our wayes and examine our own consciences upon our beds that so out of compunction and godly sorrow we may lament our furious thoughts toward our brethren and hereafter bear more peaceable and quiet minds one toward another And because no sacrifice can please thee Vers. 5 but that of a person to whom thou art reconcil'd bath our souls in thy blood purifie our hearts by faith that through thy Son and in thy Son we may present unto thee our thanks for thy favours bestow'd upon us and reserv'd for us and our bodies and souls a holy reasonable and living sacrifice upon the Altar of a broken and contrite heart In a word so adore thee in spirit and truth so love and practice piety and charity that we may alwayes find thée propitious unto us There is not any thing O Lord but desires its own good and happiness Vers. 6 The Sea tells us that it is not to be found in it and the earth that it is not to be found in it From thée our heart procéeded and restless it will be until again it rests in thée Lord then lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us shine upon us with thy favour beautifie us with thy grace Vers. 7 assist us with thy hand and help so shall we be both glad and secure The joy of harvest the content of new wine the plenty of oyle are but fading pleasures in comparison of thy love Never then so let us set our hearts upon them that we forget thée but from these gifts let us rise to love thée which art the giver and be better pleas'd with the light of thy countenance in which there is solid and eternal joy than when our corn and oyle and wine is inceased So let us love these that we live in thée In thée alone is rest in thée security in thée tranquility Vers. 8 grant therefore O dear Father that amidst all the storms and troubles of this life we may lie down in peace and sléep in peace Thou only O gratious God art able to make us dwell in safety to thée therefore we flie for protection to thée alone for safety and succour Frée us from our sins deliver us from our dangers protect us from our enemies but especially from our sins that we may live in thy love dye in thy favour rest and sléep in our graves in peace rise in thy power and remain with thée in glory for ever and ever Amen PSAL. V. By occasion of his enemies It consists of five parts 1. AN introduction in which he petitions to be heard and professeth his earnestness about it vers 1 2 3. and his confidence of audience 2. He delivers his Petition vers 8. and the reason of it His enemies ver 8. 3. These his enemies he describes to the life vers 9. 4. He prayes against them that God would destroy them vers 10. 5. He prayes for the Church that God would preserve it vers 11 12. 1. The first part He prayes for audience In the entrance he prayes very earnestly for audience And the very Congeries shews that he meant to be earnest and fervent in it He chooseth such a Copy and variety of words to express the same thing Vers. 1 which yet have an Auxesis in them Vers. 2 and riseth by degrees from words he comes to meditation from thar to a voice from a voice to a cry 2. Then he earnestly desires God 1. To give ear Very earnestly 2. Then to consider 3. To hearken to him He gives ear that would understand what the Supplicant means He considers that weighs the justice of the cause He attends and hearkens to that intends to satisfie the Petitioner This therefore David desires earnestly that his words be understood his cause suit and meditation consider'd and his voice and cry heard granted satisfied 2. Three reasons for it The reasons he useth here to beget audience are very considerable 1. Vers 2 The relation that was betwixt him and his God Thou art my King and my God Vers. 2 2. 1 His relation to God That he would sue to no other To thee will I pray Which he illustrates 1. 2 To him alone he would sue From the time A morning Petition which the epikeuxis makes Emphatick 2. From the composure of it it was a well composed and order'd prayer 3. Vers. 3 He would lift up his eyes with it My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct dirigam disponam my prayer unto thee and will look up 3. 3 Who hears good men not sinners The third reason taken from the nature of God to wit whom he will and whom he will not hear Sinners God will not regard to good men he is ready to look Vers. 4 and on that ground he desires also audience The sinners which God would not hear Vers 5 he describes to the life 1. Men that delighted in wickedness evil Vers. 6 foolish men workers of iniquity lyars blood-thirsty and deceitful Now 't was not likely that God would hear such These he describes And shews his own conditions For thou art not a God who hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall any evil dwell with thee These should not stand in his sight These he hated These he would destroy These he did abhor 2. But he on the contrary was a faithful soul that relied on his God a fearful soul Vers. 7 that alwayes stood in awe a religious soul that was alwayes ready to come into his house Notwithstanding which he relies on Gods mercy In
down Vers. 3 Saul had broken all Leagues and Covenants he had made with him 2 The want of assistance The Priests were slain with the Sword His fortresses taken from him His outward estate destroy'd Laws subverted If he staid perish he must some few righteous men are left But what can the righteous do 2. The second part To these their Arguments and counsel David returns his answer in a sharp reprehension I tell you 1. Davids answer I trust in God In the Lord put I my trust How say you then to my soul Vers. 1 and he gives his Reasons for it from the Sufficiency and Efficiency of God 1 That he trusts in God 1. What say you the foundations are cast down yet I despair not for God is sufficient 1 Who is sufficient 1. Present in his holy Temple He can defend 2. Vers. 4 He is a great King and his Throne is in heaven 3. Nothing is hid from him His eyes behold and his eye-lids try the children of men 4. 2 Just He is a just God which is seen in his proceeding both to just and unjust Vers. 5 1. He tryeth the righteous by a Fatherly and gentle correction 2. But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hates These two last Propositions he expounds per partis and begins with the wicked 1. Vers. 6 Vpon the ungodly he will rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible Tempest For he will punish the wicked this shall be the portion of their cup. 1. Pluet He shall rain upon them when they least think of it even in the midst of their jollity As rain falls on a fair day 2. Or he shall rain down the vengeance when he sees good for it rains not alwayes Though he defers it yet it will rain 3. The punishment comes to their utter subversion as Sodoms fire 4. This is the portion of their cup that which they must expect from him 2. Vers. 7 But he does good to the just For the righteous God loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright And reward the just He bears him good-will and is careful to defend him The Prayer collected out of the eleventh Psalm IT is not unknown to thée O merciful Father to how many dangers to how many enemies thy elect people are exposed Our enemies drive us from our dwellings and say unto our souls Vers. 1 Fly and wander as a bird from hill to hill as Fowlers they pursue us and suffer us in no place to build or to be at rest And when they have chased us from house to home even in this obscure place they give us no respite Vers. 2 but hunt us as a Partridge upon the Mountains they bend their how and make ready their arrow upon the string that when we think least of it Vers. 3 they may privily shoot at the upright in heart To those streits and miseries we are brought that we know not what to do All our fortunes are decay'd all our strong holds taken all outward helps fall us the very foundations of our hope and help is perish'd when that Religion truth and service in which we were wont to glory and rejoice is taken from us Yea those very Leagues Oaths Covenants which they have given us for our security they have null'd and broken off from their necks and cast away thy cords from them O Lord what shall the righteous do what shall he say Vers. 3 whether shall he fly for aid and succovr to whom shall he make his moan when they whose heart is upright and would are unable to help And what have we done that these men should pursue us to take away our lives O Lord thou art my God in thee will I trust who art able to do all things Vers. 1 and wilt never forsake those who hope in thy mercy and relie upon thy word and power And though these present dangers hang over my head yet I will not despair For I know the Lord whom I have believed fits above in Heaven as in a Royal Palace and. Throne and is over and above all Therefore I will not fear though the foundations of the earth be moved despair I will not of help nor depose my expectation of deliverance since his eyes behold from that holy Temple and his eye-lids sée consider try Vers. 5 and judge the doings and sufferings of the children of men Thou Lord knowest how to discern the just from the unjust and to put a difference in their rewards Vers. 6 for thou doest approve try and gently correct the righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence thy soul hates For as the fairest day is overcast with clouds and thunder and lightning suddenly break out from abova and affright and involde the world in an unexpected Tempest So wilt thou O Lord though thou defer thine anger rain down vengeance on the wicked in their greatest jollities when they think not of it and promise to themselves the fairest dayes and are in greatest security Thou wilt cast down snares and take them a sudden fire and brimstone shall destroy them as it did Sodom the storm and tempest of thy fury shall overwhelm them This is the portion this their reward this their lot which thou hast measured to them out of thy cup. But I know thou art in thy Temple Vers. 7 and wilt be present with the just in all his dangers to govern to help to defend to frée him For it is not as men think and as Reason would over-hastily judge the foundations are not overthrown nor all our helps and aids perished For thou O Lord lovest righteousness and thy countenance doth behold the upright A just God thou art and a lover of justice and just men and thou wilt set thy face to do good to those who are upright in thy eyes These thou wilt love their cause thou wilt defend their persons thou wilt protect for the merits of thy dearly beloved Son Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XII The Summe is A prayer of David to God to save and help him and keep him from the deceits and contagion of the wicked of which the world is too full THERE be four parts of this Psalm 1. A Prayer and the reasons of it vers 1 2. 2. A Prophecy of the fall of the wicked or an Imprecation vers 3. whose arrogance he describes vers 4. 3. Gods answer to Davids Petition with a promise full of comfort vers 5. for it is tatified vers 6. 4. A Petitory Conclusion Keep them thy people or a confident affirmation That God will keep them from the contagion of the wicked vers 7. Of which there are too many vers 8. 1. The first part He calls for help His Petition is brief and jaculatory for he breaks upon God with one word Help or Save Lord vers 1. Of which he gives two reasons 1. Vers. 1 1 Because good men are few The
Thou shalt make them turn their back when thou shalt make ready thine Arrows upon the siring against the face of them And at last the cause is added of this severity against them Ver. 11 of that succour he will afford his afflicted The cause oppressed people and the sharp revenge he will take upon their enemies For they intended evil against and imagin'd a mischievous device which they were not able to perform A great comfort this The Epilogue is an Acclamation The third part A Vote to Gods glory and it hath two parts 1. A Petition 2. A Profession 1. Be thou exalted Lord in thy own strength Shew thy self more powerful than all Men or Devils in destroying the enemies of thy Church Ver. 13 2. Their thankfulness And we will be a thankful people So will we sing and praise thy power 1. Serva Regem Populum 2. Nos agemus gratias A Prayer for Kings and all in Authority collected out of the twenty first Psalm O Lord shew thy mercy to the King that is now in great distress and cast aside by a stubborn rebellious and self-ended people Call for him again Ver. 1 and make him the Head-stone of the Corner that he may unite these distracted and divided Kingdoms give him occasion to rejoyce in thy strength and to be excéeding glad of that salvation which thou alone now he is deserted of all men art able to send him against his malicious enemies Thou art the Lord of Hosts and victory and success procéed from thée fight for him O Lord and fight with him that he may be safe and being saved rejoyce and rejoycing ââng of thy Name all the day long With instant and fervent prayers he Ver. 2 and with him his true-hearted people sollicite thée to avert thy wrath and shew tender compassion grant him then what he shall desire with his heart and deny him not the request of his lips With heart and tongue Petitions are presented to thy Throne for him hear O Lord Ver. 3 and grant and grant and do what is desired Nay prevent his Petitions give him more than he hath asked or we can expect let the blessings of thy goodness flow upon him unexpected and set upon his head a Crown of the purest gold which of right belongs to him and which his ambitious and bloody enemy most injuriously hath ravish'd and detains from him Ver. 4 His enemies purshe him to take away his life but do thou bestow upon him length of dayes let him live to a good old Age safe and obeyed in his Kingdom He is now despised but let his glory be again great and illustrious he is now dishonour'd but do thou load him with honour his Majesty is laid low in the dust but do thou raise it so he shall have just cause to make his boast not of his wealth not of his power not of his wisdom but of thy salvation goodness and deliverance only Set him a blessing for ever to his people and make him exceeding glad with thy favour and countenance He hath had often experience that the help of man is but vain that they are all but weak and broken réeds which run into the hand wound and grieve those that lean upon them therefore setting aside all humane confidences he reposeth his trust only in thée Thou art his God and the God of his Father whose blood was shed to maintain thy Truth through the mercy then of thée the most High God let him not be moved much less removed as he places his trust in thée so place him again in his Fathers Seat As thou hast heretofore shewed thy Power against thy enemies Ver. 8 so declare thy Might now let no lurking places hide them no Fortresses secure them find them out with thy hand and make them féel thy just and severe revenge Ver. 9 pursue those that hate thée and thy Truth let thy right hand lay hold of them and execute thy wrath upon them never suffer them to escape Ver. 10 but make them as a fiery Oven in the day of thy anger that presently devoures those that are cast into it swallow them up in thy hot indignation Ver. 12 and let the fire of thy just vengeance consume them Destroy the fruit of their loyns from the Earth and root out their seed from among the children of men make them to turn their backs and slie in the day of Battle and yet so let them not escape for even then make thou ready the arrow upon the string and set them as a Butt to shoot at prepare thy Bow against the face of them let them sée with great grief the faces of those thou hast saved and féel their arm For by their Treason and Rebellion against thy King Ver. 11 they have intended evil against thée they have imagined to destroy thy Truth to abolish thy Gospel and Ordinances which yet as appears by their own factions and divisions they are not able to perform Frustrate O Lord their counsels and never let them be able to perform them Raise up thy power O Lord and come amongst us Ver. 13 Be thou exalted in thy own strength shew thy self more potent than all Divels and Men who rejected our Kings and do eat up and oppress thy people so shall we sing and praise thy power PSAL. XXII De Messia ejus Passione Regno THIS Psalm though in some sense it may be applied to David as a Type yet Christ is the thing signified and therefore it is primarily and principally verified of and in him for he is brought in here speaking First complaining of his dereliction then shewing his Passion and the cruelty of his Enemies Thridly intreating ease and deliverance from them Lastly Promising to his Father thanks foretelling the preaching of the Gospel and the enlargement of his Kingdom by the accession of all Nations There be three chief parts of this Psalm 1. Our Saviours complaint and the causes of it lively and prophetically expressing his sufferings almost through the whole Psalm 2. His Petition and Prayer that God would not absent himself but deliver and save him ver 3 4 5 9 10 11 19 20 21. 3. His Thanksgiving from ver 22. to the end Davids and in him Christs complaint of dereliction 1. He begins with a heavy complaint of Dereliction in his extremity and that he could not be heard though he roared and cried which is thus pathetically expressed and ingeminated My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The first part why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring Ver. 1 O my God I cry in the day-time but thou hearest not and in the night-season and am not silent 2. And that he might seem to have the more just reason to complain for this desertion God carried himself to him after an unusual manner when other his Saints called upon him he heard them he sent them comfort which in this
notwithstanding our failings we shall have good hope to have thy righteousness imputed to us for our justification when we shall appear before the God of our Salvation O Lord who art the Saviour of all those that séek and open to thée I lift up my heart to thée being destrous to approach thy presence in the right place where thou may'st be found and the right time whilest thou may'st be found Open my dull ears and hard heart that thy Son my Saviour that King of Glory may come in and dwell with me Grant me grace Ver. 7 that I may still hear while he calls open while he knocks and kéep him with me after he is entred that I may ascend thy Hill and stand in thy holy place that I may not only sojourn in thy Tabernacle but also rest and dwell upon the Mountain of thy holiness And O Lord give this Grace unto all Princes that they shut not the gates nor of their Cities nor hearts against thy Son when he would enter and bring the glorious light of the Gospel rather let them set them wide open that there may be a frée passage for the King of Glory to enter for then thou Ver. 8 who art the Lord of Hosts and Mighty in Battle wilt go forth with their Armies and subdue before them their enemies O thou who art the King of Glory the Lord strong and mighty remember thy dwelling place that now lies waste and those doors in which we do hope everlastingly to praise thée By these we entred to offer unto thée our supplications before thée in these houses we were want to praise thée But now they are thrown down desolate and forsaken Arise therefore O Lord thou and the Ark of thy strength build again the walls of Jerusalem and set up the gates of Zion that thy people may enter in and magnifie thy Name singing with joyful lips Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen PSAL. XXV This Psalm is a continued and earnest Prayer of a man pressed with enemies danger and sensible of Gods heavy displeasure for his sin AND the several Petitions which he makes may make the Partition 1. His first Petition is that his enemies triumph not over him ver 2 3. 2. His second is for instruction ver 4 5. which he urgeth ver 8 9 10 12 13 14. 3. His third for mercy and forgiveness ver 6 7 11. 4. He inforceth and renews his first Petition ver 15 16 17 c. with many Arguments 5. He prayes for Gods people the Church ver 22. 1. He prefaceth with the profession of his faith and confidence in God The first part which is the chief wing of all prayer Vnto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Ver. 1. 2. O my God I trust in thee He relies not on nor seeks not after any humane helps David relies on God and prayes and upon this living hope he prayes 1. For his hope that it shame him not as it doth when a man hopes 1 That his hope be not frustrate and is frustrated Let me not be ashamed make it appear that I hope not in thee in vain 2. Let not my enemies triumph over me glorying that I am deserted Ver. 3 and this Petition he perswades by this Argument the consequent may prove dangerous if thou send me no help but it will be to thy glory if I be relieved for if he were delivered the faith and hope of others would be confirmed if deserted the good would faint and fail the wicked triumph and therefore he prayes O let none that wait on thee be ashamed but let them be ashamed which transgress that is do me wrong maliciously without any cause given them by me 2. Then he petitions for instruction The second part for instruction that he may be so alwayes governed and confirmed by the Word of God that he sink not under the Cross but relie on Gods Promises 1. Shew me thy ways and teach me thy paths Ver. 4 that thou dealest harshly with thy best servants bringest down before thou exaltest mortifiest before thou quicknest settest the Cross before the Crown Teach me shew me that this is thy way 2. Ver. 5 Direct me in thy Truth and teach me Make me remember that thy promises are firm and true yea and Amen to those that trust in thee this makes me hope still Thou art the God of my salvation on thee do I wait all the day 3. The third for mercy He prayes for mercy and a remove of his sin that might obstruct it 1. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses which have been ever of old Ver. 6 i.e. Deal mercifully with me as thou hast ever done to those that flie to thee in their extremities 2. Ver. 7 Remission of sin especially of the rebellious concupiscence which in youth most domineers And remission Remember not the sins of my youth nor my ransgressions Ver. 11 according to thy mercy remember me for thy goodness sake O Lord This Petition he repeats ver 11. For thy Names sake O Lord pardon my iniquity and upon this my confession for it is multa or magna great David here breaks off his prayer Of which that he may be the more assured he calls to mind Gods goodness and to confirm his confidence discourseth of the Nature and Person of God even in the greatest fervency of our prayers the greatness of our sins the unworthiness of our persons the anger of God against sin come into our minds stagger our hope and tell us we shall not be heard no better way than to confirm us than to call to mind the nature and the wayes of God with his people and this course David here takes he saith 1. 1 That he is good Good and upright is the Lord. 1. Good for he receives sinners gratis 2. Vpright constant and true in his promises therefore instruet He will grant me my request ver 4. He will teach sinners and me though a great sinner in the way 2. 2 Favourable The meek he will guide in judgment He will not suffer them to be tempted above their strength but will teach them what to answer and will not proceed secundnm rigorem juris but will interpret all in the most favourable sense 3. 3 All his wayes mercy and truth In a word All the wayes of the Lord are Mercy and Truth Mercy in that he freely offers remission of sins the graces of his Spirit government in this life mitigation of our calamities and at last a discharge from them and eternal life Truth in that he will perform what he hath promised To those that keep his Testimonies Non est mendax sed verax But with this caution that men perform with him for it is unto such as keep his Covenant and Testimonies i. e. in faith and a good conscience walk before him the Covenant
being this I will be thy God and the God of thy seed upon which follows Walk before me and be thou perfect 4. Upon the confidence of which Promise and Covenant David repeats his prayer Upon which he repeats his prayer For thy Name sake O Lord pardon my iniquity for it is great Multa magna And yet David proceeds in the consideration of Gods Nature his Goodness his Truth and Mercy to those that keep his Covenant And admires the happiness of him that trusts in God and by way of admiration asks Quis i. e. Quantus qualis O how happy how blessed is the man that fears the Lord worships God loves his Word and casts not away his hope and faith in the day of trouble and tentation Ver. 12 which happiness he sets forth by the fruits that follow his piety 1. The first fruit and benefit that he shall reap is instruction and direction in his Vocation and private life For God shall direct him Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose 2. Ver. 13 The second is that his happiness shall not be momentary but firm and lasting 2 He shall dwell at ease not molested but quiet His soul shall dwell at ease 3. 3 Happy in his seed A third is that he shall be happy in his children and posterity His seed shall inherit the land 4. The fourth is that Redemption of Mankind by the blood of Christ and all the effects of it Remission Reconciliation c. which is a secret unknown to flesh and blood shall be revealed and applied to him Ver. 14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him 4 Gods Covenant applied to him and he will shew them his Covenant Being confirmed with these promises and cheered with these fruits he The fourth part 1. Testifies his acquiescence and faith in God for deliverance My eyeâ are ever towards the Lord he shall pluck my feet out of the Net In this he acquiesceth 2. And then returns to his Prayer again being in effect the very self-same that he began with which he offereth in several Clauses 1. Turn thee unto me He renews his former prayer 2. Have mercy upon me 3. O bring thou me out of my distresses 4. Look upon my affliction and trouble and forgive me all my sins 5. Consider mine enemies 6. O keep my soul and deliver me 7. Let me not be ashamed 8. Let integrity and uprightness wait upon me Petitioners and men in misery think that they can never say enough this makes him so earnest and so often repeat the same thing in which longing there is yet an incrementum The sum is That God would hear and grant him defence and deliverance in his dangers remission of sins which caused them and protect direct and govern him in his troubles Now that he might prevail in his Suit as an excellent Orator And useth many Arguments that God be propitious to him he useth many Arguments to induce God to be propitious to him 1. His faith and trust in his promises Minâ eyes are ever towards the Lord. 2. The danger he was now in His feet were in the Net Ver. 15 3. He was oppressed and alone had none to help him I am desolate and afflicted Ver. 16 4. His inward afflictions and pain was grievous Ver. 17. 18. The troubles of my heart are enlarged by which he was distressed in pain in sorrow 5. And without his enemies powerful many merciless cruel Ver. 19 My enemies are many and they hate me with cruel hatred Ver. 21 6. And yet I am an Innocent and desire to be so thy servant Let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait upon thee And thus David having through the whole Psalm pray'd for himself He prayes for the Church The fifth part at last in the close he offers up a short but earnest Petition for all the People and for the whole Church which proceeded from that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ver. 22 which ought to be among the Saints Redeem Israel O God out of all their troubles The Prayer collected out of the twenty fifth Psalm UNTO thée O Lord I do lift up not only my eyes and hands Ver. 1 but my very soul and heart early in the Morning will I direct my prayer unto thée and will look up O Lord I am not ignorant how uncapable I have made my self of thy favour by my transgressions multiplied against thée but O Lord Ver. 6 declare thy self mindful of thy pity and mercy which thou hast shewed to Mankind from the beginning of the World and according to the multitude of thy mercies deal with me My sin is very great more in number than the sand heavier in weight than the greatest burden O pardon my iniquity for thy Name sake The offences of my younger years are over-many Ver. 11 into which the boyling of concupiscence inconsideration and my youthful heat and imprudence hath cast me head-long but O good God I beséech thée Remember not the sins of my youth nor the transgressions of my unruly and unbrideled Age but according to thy mercy think thou upon me blot out of thy remembrance my abominations and remit my crying exorbitances for thy goodness sake O Lord. O Lord Ver. 8 Thou art good and upright all thy paths are Mercy and Truth Thy Goodness and Mercy is shewed in admitting sinners to Repentance and thy Vprightness and Truth in pardoning them and making good thy Promises admit me then among the number of thy Penitents and seal my pardon as thou hast promised to penitent and believing sinners Thou art the God of my salvation Ver. 5 on thee do I wait all my life long from thy Mercy I look for my Instruction Ver. 4 from thée my Direction Shew me thy wayes and reach me thy paths and lead me in thy Truth I am a man of a broken and contrite spirit guide me in the day of Iudgment and suffer me not to be tempted above my strength and whatever way I choose be thou my Teacher and Monitor that I slip not and fall not in it I desire O Lord to kéep thy Covenant and Testimonies let therefore that great secret of Mans Redemption by the blood of thy dear Son be made known to me and the mercies of thy Covenant assur'd to my soul by which alone my heart shall dwell at ease and my Conscience be quieted from the guilt of sinne and sense of thy wrath These my sins have procured me many enemies and thou hast justly raised up these Rebels to revenge my Rebellions against thée with these I am so compassed that I know not what to do But mine eyes are toward thee O Lord and except thou pluck my séet out of the Net I must néeds perish in the snares that they have privily laid for me Turn thee then unto me and have mercy upon me for I am destitute of all humane help left
alone by my friends and afflicted by my enemies The sorrows of my heart are multiplied my sins are represented to me in the largest manner my distresses are instant my pain grievous O look upon my affliction bring me out of my troubles and forgive me all my sin for which I openly confess I have justly deserved to suffer what I now féel and complain of Make it known gracious God that thou dost see and confider the multitude of my enemies who hate me with cruel hatred and persecute me without any just cause for though I have justly deserved at thy hand those things which I suffer yet to them I have done no wrong neither do they pursue me in revenge of my sin but méerly out of malice and envy serving and gratifying their own lusts not any way intending thy Glory O keep then my soul which they séek to destroy and deliver me from their multitude and injustice I wait on and put my trust in thee let me not nor any that trust in thee be ashamed of their hope For it will derogate from thy glory that any that trust in thée be frustrated of their expectation but frustrate their counsels and let them be ashamed of their undertakings who without any just cause given them Ver. 21 do plot the ruine of thy people who endeavour to serve thée with an entire and upright heart Redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles Israel is thy people that thou hast chosen Israel the people that thou hast bought and purchased with thy own blood many troubles and enemies they have for them I pray and not for my self alone O Lord deliver them for thy Names sake and for thy Sons sake out of all their afflictions and pressures Amen PSAL. XXVI Davids Appeal to God to vindicate his Innocence THE parts of the Psalm are 1. An Appeal of David to God to be his Judge ver 1 2. 2. The causes that induced him to it his integrity especially 3. A Petition ver 9 11. 4. His Gratitude ver 12. He begins with his Appeal to God David appeals to God to be his Judge whom he knew to be a just Judge and therefore desires to be dealt withal in forma juris Judge me O Lord examine me O Lord and prove me try out my reins and my heart Ver. 1 2. Then he assigns two causes of it his integrity and his faith Ver. 2 1. His faith and confidence was such in God Upon his 1. Faith that he knew that the Judge of all the World would do him right I have trusted in the Lord Ver. 1 therefore I shall not slide I change not my Religion to which I am tempted 2 Integrity 2. His integrity for I have walked in my integrity Ver. 1 of which he assigns the cause for thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes Ver. 3 and I have walked in thy Truth I follow thy Word and the Truth therein The second part This he demonstrates Next he sets down his integrity by an injunction of parts which were two How he carried himself to men 2. How to God 1. He abstained from all society confederacy counsels 1 By his carriage to man and intimacy with wicked men nay he did abominate and hate their wayes I have not sate viz. in counsel with vain persons Ver. 4 neither will I go in with dissemblers I have hated the Congregation of wicked doers Ver. 5 and will not sit with the wicked 2. The other degree of his integrity was his piety which he here professeth 2 To God I will wash my hands in innocency and so will compass thine Altar O Lord Ver. 6 i. e. 1 To his worship I will worship thee for that end in the next verse he would keep his hands from blood oppression innocent pure it was Ut Ver. 7 That I may publish with the voyce of Thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works Non est speciosa laus in ore precatoris therefore he would be innocent And then he professeth a second act of his piety his love to Cods house Ver. 8 and the Service done in it O Lord I have loved the habitation of thy House 2 To his house The third part Therefore he prayes and the place where thine honour dwelleth Upon which conscientiousness of his integrity he falls to prayer That God would not suffer him to be polluted with the conversation of wicked men Ver. 9 nor involved in their punishments Gather not my soul with sinners Ver. 10 nor my life with the blood-thirsty in whose hands is mischief And describes wicked men with whom he would not converse and their right hand is full of bribes But by the way observe the many Titles he gives here to wicked men 1. They are vain persons void and empty of the fear of God irreligious 2. Deep men occulti absconditi versuti dissemblers aliud ore aliud corde 3. Caetus Malignorum Malignants doing all for their own ends 4. Impious Turbones ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 5. Peccatores sinners ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Workers of iniquity 6. Blood-thirsty men cruel and revengeful 7. Mischievous ready to execute with their hands what they plotted in heart 8. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã That will do any thing for a bribe Now from some such kind David blesseth himself he will have nothing to do with them As for me I will walk in my integrity Redeem me Lord from such people and be merciful to me Lastly The fourth part His gratitude He shewes his gratitude My foot standeth right hitherto I am sure I am in a good way I will therefore praise the Lord in the Congregations not only privately but publickly The Prayer collected out of the twenty sixth Psalm MANY O Lord very many are those temptations to allurements which the World the Divel and Mon have laid before me to withdraw me from the profession of thy Truth and a religious course of life but because I have continued constant in my integrity they load me with slanders and pursue me with violence séeking to take away my life as they have already taken my inheritance But Lord I commit my cause to thée by whose power I have hitherto persisted in my uprightness Judge Ver. 1 and discern my Cause O Lord They impute folly errour and stubborness to me but my heart tells me That I have walked innocently They lay to my charge things that I knew not but thou art the searcher of all hearts Ver. 2 Examine me therefore and prove me try out therefore as gold in thy fire the secrets of my reins and the inmost cogitations of my heart explore what they are and whether they be worthy of that despite and ill usage which I have received from these men of blood Thou knowest Lord that I have gone on in that right way of piety which thou hast proposed and prescribed in thy Word nor profit hath allured me nor threats have
affrighted me nor flattery won upon me to turn to the right hand or unto the lest But I have put my trust in thee thy loving kindness hath been before my eyes and I have been pleased in the way of Truth Be merciful therefore to me Ver. 1 O Lord that I may go on as I have begun and suffer not my féet to slip in this way nor to fall out of the way By the way side there be too too many tempters and temptations the most are destitute of thy fear having one thing in their heart another upon their tongue in whose hands is mischief and their right hand is full of bribes But thou knowest O Lord That I have not sate in counsel with these vain persons neither will I go in and converse with these dissemblers for I have hated with a perfect hatred the Congregation the Assembly the Society of these Malignants and with my whole heart have detested their Covenants and Engagements I have not I will not sit with these wicked and evil doers lest I should be infected by them or countenance and confirm them in mischief and draw on others by my example They Lord have demolished and polluted thy dwelling place but I love the habitation of thy house by their irreverence in that place they dishonour thée but I will come and fall low before thy Foot-stool well knowing that there thine honour dwelleth And when thou shalt again open those doors unto me if I contracted any soil I will wash it off with a flood of tears and being an innocent among thy innocent people and about thy Altar I will adore and with the Quire of those that sing to thy Name I will praise and exalt thy Mercy and Majesty There will I publish with Thanksgiving and tell abroad all thy wondrous works There with Hymns and Psalms composed to that end I will declare to all men that are there present how wonderfully and mercifully thou hast wrought for me and for thy people in delivering us from the hands of our blood-thirsty enemies Since then O Lord I have alwayes detested and declined the counsels and confederacies of evil-doers since I have béen ever studious of Religion and loved the communion of Saints Take not away my soul with sinners and involve not my life in that perdition which here and hereafter is due to these men of blood and oppressors of the innocent As for me I have walked innocently wronging none nor desirous to wrong any though I have séen the wicked prosper in their wickedness and some have judged them happy men yet I am not moved with their multitudes success or example I will yet walk in my integrity therefore good God destroy me not with these evil doers be merciful unto me and redéem my soul from the evils with which I am encompassed and from those evils that hang over their heads My foot hath hitherto béen kept right by thy grace and mercy therefore when thou shalt bring me back again to thy Temple I will not be unthankful but I will sing praises to thy Name in and with the great Congregation Amen PSAL. XXVII To comfort one in Danger and Adversity against Despair THERE be four general parts of it David shews 1. How free he is in danger from fear and the causes ver 1 2 3. 2. He expresses his love to Gods House and Religion ver 4 5 6. 3. He prayes ver 7 c. 4. He exhorts to depend on God ver 14. Possible it is that some Man Friend or Foe might ask David The first part David fears not because God is with him what heart he had in his miseries and persecutions all the time of Saul To whom David might return this Answer That he was never disheartned he never did despair and the Reason was because God was his Light to guide him his Rock to save him his Strength to sustain and uphold him The Lord is my Light and my Salvation of whom then should I fear Ver. 1 The Lord is the Strength of my life of whom then should I be afraid Of which he had experience And this he amplifies in the next two verses first by experience he had already found this true When the wicked Ver. 2 even mine enemies came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell secondly he puts a case Say that an Host of men should encamp against me my heart shall not fear Ver. 3 though War should rise against me in this will I be confident The Arguments of his confidence were Gods goodness ver 1. And was therefore confident and his own experience ver 2. to which he adds three more in the 5 10 13 verses 1. That God would hide him in his Tabernacle ver 5. Ver. 5 2. That when his father and mother forsook him God took him up ver 10. 3. That he should see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living ver 13. He expresseth his great love and desire to the Tabernacle and House of God The second part His love to Gods house One thing I have desired this one before all other things and he was constant in it That emphatically I will seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my life and that for three ends Ver. 4 1. To behold the beauty of the Lord to taste how good and gracious the Lord is 2. To enquire in his Temple there to search the mind of God 3. To offer in his Tabernacle sacrifices of joy Ver. 6 and to sing praises to the Lord. And this was another Argument of his security For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me upon a Rock and now shall mine head be lifted up above all my enemies round about me In the last part he falls to prayer The third part 1. He prayes For Audience and an Answer Hear O Lord when I cry with my voyee have mercy upon me Ver. 7 and answer me 2. 1 The ground of his prayer obedience The ground of his prayer his obedience to Gods Command Thou hast said seek ye my face Thy face Lord will I seek 3. Ver. 8 The matter of his prayer in general Hide not thy face from me put not thy servant away in anger Ver. 9 in which he hath good hope to speed even upon former experience 2 The matter of his prayer in general that God desert him not Thou hast been my help be not now worse to me than thou hast been therefore leave me not now nor forsake me O God of my salvation when father and mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up 4. Ver. 10 The matter of his prayer in particular Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path In particular to he taught a way to escape his enemies i. e. Teach me
full of Power and Majesty powerful for the conversion of many people and so full of Majesty that all the Potentates and wife men of the World fall low and worship thée make it of that strength that they be never able to resist it and of that efficacy that hey be willing to yield to it As for those tall and proud Cedars which obstinately and maliciously refuse to give thée the Honour due to thy Name break them in pieces and let them féel thy hand But for those who are moved by this thy voyce divide unto them the flames of thy spiritual fire that may illuminate and melt and purisse their blind hard and polluted cold hearts distribute and divide unto them the gifts of thy Spirit subdue their vices by thy Grace Let them méet in thy Temple and alwayes praise thée in the beauty of holiness Bless them with peace of conscience while they are in this vally of tears and trouble and receive them at last to an eternal peace in the life to come Amen PSAL. XXX The occasion of this Psalm was some grievous sickness or danger from which David was delivered TWO parts there are of it 1. The Rendition of praise and thanks ver 1 2 3. 2. An Exhortation to others to do it by his example and Gods dealing with him from ver 4. to the last He beings with his profession of praise The first part He praiseth God I will extoll thee O Lord and adds the causes 1. Ver. 1 For thou hast lifted me up as a man out of a dark deep pit 2. And adds the causes Thou hast not made my Foes to rejoyce over me but turned their mirth to sadness 3. Thou hast healed me in body and mind 4. Brought my soul from the Grave c. Lent me life when I was dying Of all which effects he conceals not the means by which he procured them O Lord my God I cryed unto thee Ver. 2 and thou didst all I have mentioned for me 2. The second part And exhorts the Church to praise him After he had given Thanks he speaks to the whole Church and exhorts by his example to acknowledge and celebrate the goodness of God in defending and delivering those which are his Sing unto the Lord O ye his Saints and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness Ver. 4 And to perswade them he gives the instance in himself in which he declares Lest they have experience of Gods anger as he had That God was justly angry with him but soon appeased 1. Angry he was but his anger endureth but for a moment but life and continuance of life is from his favour There may be heaviness for a night but joy cometh in the morning 2. And justly angry he was for my sin my carnal security In prosperity I was and in my prosperity I said I shall never be moved Lord by thy favour thou hast made my Mountain to stand strong 3. And the effect of his anger was my Trouble Thou didst turn away thy face and I was troubled This is the example he sets the Saints that they be not secure when the World goes well with them lest they have experience of Gods anger as he had Next he shewes how he behaved himself to avert Gods wrath How he averted Gods anger which also he proposeth as a pattern for them to follow in the like cause 1. Viz. By prayer He betook himself to prayer 2. And sets down the Form he used 1. He that is ill calls for the Physitian so did I this was the fruit of my chastisement I cryed to thee O Lord and unto the Lord I made my supplication 2. The Form he used And the Form I used was this thus pathetically I pleaded with God 1. What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit 2. Shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy Truth Can a dead man praise thee or canst thou make good thy promises to the dead 3. To which I added Hear O Lord and have mercy upon me O Lord be thou my Helper 3. And then shewes the effect of his prayer that it was turned And the consequent of it was he was relieved Thou hast turned my mourning into dancing Thou hast put off my sack-cloth and girded me with gladness 4. This God did for me and he did it for this end That my glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks to thee for ever Now O ye Saints ye see my case For which he gives thanks you see what course I took you see the effect and the end why God was so good to me it was That I should praise him and therefore I propose my example to you to imitate Betake you to God in your necessities and having obtained deliverance by your prayers remember to sing praises to God The Prayer collected out of the thirtieth Psalm INTO thy hands O Lord I commend my body my soul my thoughts my affections my goods whatsoever is mine I dedicate to thée beséeching thée to dwell with me for then no uncleanspirits shall have power over me nor heinous transgressions shall pollute and profane what thou hast bestowed upon me sanctiffe to my use and to thy honour all thy Creatures Thou Lord hast béen a bountiful God unto me and bestowed upon me many blessings which thou hast denied to many of thy better servants but I have béen an ungrateful wretch and in my prosperity forgot thée my God I forgot mine own condition and was so secure of thy favour that I began to be proud and puff'd up upon the conceit of mine own wisdom and strength Ver. 6 I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved I thought thou hadst made my hill so strong that I could not be shaken or overthrown by the force or practise of any enemy But now this sottish pride and presumption is shaked off from me experience I have that it is thy favour and goodness alone that must kéep me safe for thou didst only hide thy face from me and I was troubled Troubled in my body troubled in my house troubled in my estate I saw my self frustrate in my expectation Great trouble Lord is now upon me and thy wrathful displeasure doth now for my security and pride go over me But now O Lord take away thy hand from me for I am even consumed by thy heavy hand What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit How shall my life be beneficial to thy honour or to men if being taken away by an untimely death I be laid up in the Grave and my body rot in the Earth Shall the dust praise thee or shall it declare thy Truth Shall a dead man resolved into ashes sing praises to thy honour among men or make boast of thy faithfulness in performing what thou hast promised 'T is for thine honour then to
prorogue my life and for thine honour sake I entreat that thou respite me that thy servants may sée that thou hast made good thy Word unto me and thy enemies may not have occasion to deride the Truth of thy promises and blaspheme For this reason especially unto thee O Lord I cry in my distress and unto the Lord do I make my supplication Hear O Lord and have mercy upon me Lord be thou my Helper And when I thus prayed Thou O Lord in mercy hast heard me I cryed and thou hast healed me I called in the pit and thou stast lifted me up Thou hast brought my soul from the Grave Thou hast kept me alive that my enemies should not rejoyce over me Thou hast turned for me my heaviness into joy Thou hast put off my sack-cloth with which I am cloathed as became a Mourner and girded and compaised me on every side with gladness For thine anger in which thou didst justly chastise me though sharp was but for a moment and in thy favour I have found life weeping hath endured with me for a night but joy came to me in the morning Therefore my tongue shall sing and praise thee I will not be silent of thee O Lord my God I will extoll thy Name and give thee thanks for ever And all you who are his Saints joyn your voyces with me and give thanks to him remember that he is a good and merciful God remember that he is a holy God and will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth Generation Remember that he is a gracious God and will not alway be chiding nor keeps his anger for ever Appear then before him and where he is pleased to be present sing Praises to him O Lord we will âlwayes send forth thy honour through the Name of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XXXI For one in anxiety of spirit THIS Psalm is composed and mixt of diverse affections for David sometimes prayes sometimes he gives thanks now he complains now he hopes one while he fears another while he exults This vicissitude of affections is sixfold and it may very well divide the Psalm 1. With great confidence he prayes to God from ver 1. to 6. 2. He exults for mercy and help received ver 7 8. 3. He grievously complains of the misery he was in from ver 9. to 14. 4. He prayes again upon the strength of Gods goodness from ver 15. to 18. 5. He admires and exults and proclaims Gods goodness from ver 19. to 22. 6. Lastly He exhorts others to love God and be couragious ver 23 24. In the six first verses He prayes The first part he prayes to God and shews his Reasons 1. Ver. 1 That he be never shame in his hope Let me never be ashamed 2. That he be delivered speedily delivered 3. Ver. 3 That God would be his Rock and House of defence to save him 4. That God would lead him and guide him Lead me guide me 5. That God would pull his feet out of the Net that they privily laid for him In effect his Petition is the same His Reasons viz. to be delivered from his danger and his Reasons to perswade God to do this for him Ver. 1 are 1. His faith and confidence In thee O Lord I put my trust 2. The reason of his faith God a Rock Thou art my Rock and Fortress 3. That this would redound to Gods honour For thy Names sake lead me 4. Thou art my strength 5. I rely upon thee Into thy hands I commit my spirit 6. Do to me as thou hast ever Thou hast redeemed me heretofore 7. I do not as other men trust to vain helps but on thee only I have hated them that regard lying Vanities but I trust in the Lord. And in effect as his Petition was the same so are his Reasons also His confidence in God to be his Deliverer his Fortress Rock Redeemerâ c. In which we have an example of a man in misery that thinks he can never say enough for himself and that makes him descant on the same thing which is no flat Tautology but an elegant ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Expolition Then again we have a pattern for a pious soul in trouble to imitate Ver. 1 that be the pressure never so great yet he sayes to his God Thou art my Rock my Fortress my Strength Thou hast redeemed me I know I shall not be ashamed of my hope therefore I will trvst in thee So he begins so he concludes this first part of his prayer 2. Next he exults and gives thanks for some former deliverance The second part and by the experience of that doubts the less in this Perhaps the Chorus sang this He exults and gives thanks Moller 1. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy And his reason follows from his experience 2. For thou hast consider'd my trouble 2. Thou hast known i. e. Vers. 7 seen my soul in adversity I have seen Upon his deliverance I have seen the afflictions of my people c. 3. And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy 4. But hast set my feet in a large room 3. And now he prayes again 2. The third part He prayes again And complains of what he suffer'd within and without 1. He prayes Have mercy upon me O Lord. Vers. 9 2. Then he complains Complains and in his complaint shews the reason of his prayer for mercy 1. Within at home he was in a sad case For I am in trouble my eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly Totus marcesco Of the sad case he was in My life is spent with grief and my years with sighing my strength faileth because of my iniquity and my bones are consumed 2. Without I have little comfort either from friends or enemies 1. I was a reproach among all my enemies 2. Then for my friends they stood afar off They especially but especially among my neighbours and I became a fear to my acquaintance They that see me without fled from me 2. And then he aggravates the greatness of his grief and scorn This he aggravates and contempt I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind u muertos y ydos no son amigos I am become as a broken vessel What more vile what more useless 3. And which is yet more the people they mock me I have beard the slaunder of the many 4. And the Consequent was mischievous Fear is on every side 2. While they conspire or took counsel together against me 3. And their counsel was they devised to take away my life What could enemies do more or friends permit And after his Complaint The fourtââ part he comforts himself with his first and chief reason again But I have trusted in thee O Lord and said Thou art my God Vers. 14 Let them conspire take counsel and devise
so be you as ready to observe it 2. Ne sitis Be not like beasts like horse and mule Vers. 9 which have no understanding whose mouths must be held in by force with bit and bridle To obey freely lest they come near unto thee âing thee hurt thee kick thee kill thee Constrain'd obedience is for a beast free and voluntary for a man 3. Besides to quicken your obedience I will teach you two reasons Which he perswades by two reasons 1. Ab incommodo Many sorrows shall be to the wicked their griefs their troubles their punishments many and grievous Vers. 10 Be not then disobedient like the wicked Rebellious as they are 1 That the troubles of the rebellious are grievous 2. A commodo Your obedience shall be rewarded and that amply But he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about It shall be like the girdle that he is girded withal 2 The willing obedience of the good rewarded God will be present with him in his troubles he shall perceive he is in favour with God that his sins are covered and that he is an beir of eternal life Upon which he concludes with this Exhortation Be glad in the Lord Vers. 11 and rejoice ye Righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart These he exhorts to rejoice in God As there is great reason for this Doctrine of the Free Remission of sin can alone quiet the Conscience The Prayer collected out of the 32. Psalm O Merciful Father Lord of Men and Angels to whose Will and Command all Creatures ought to be obedient I have béen through my whole life a rebellious wretch and with a high hand sinn'd against Heaven and against thée neither am I worthy to be call'd thy Son I have serv'd thée with a double heart and after the commission of many a grievous sin I have sought for fig-leaves to cover my nakedness either extenuated and sought to conceal it from thy eyes I have done wickedly Vers. 3 and have not open'd my mouth in confessien and therefore now that my sins present themselves to my conscience out of the sense of thy wrath I roar all the day long my bones are dryed Night and day thy hand is so heavy upon me that my moysture is become like the drought in Summer But O my God I humbly acknowledge that the state of my soul is sad and deplorable and by my own fault I am in an ill condition and how to recover I know no other way but to fall at thy féet and confess my errour I do therefore now acknowledge my sin unto thee and my iniquity do I not hide A time there is when thou may'st be found and in this time I do confess my transgressions unto thee forgive O Lord the iniquity of my sin O let not the sloods of great waters come so near my soul that they drown me in despair Be thou to me a hiding place till thy anger is overpast deliver me and let me rejoice in thy salvation Cover my sins forgive my transgressions impute not unto me mine iniquities but impute unto me thy Sons righteousuess for my justification when I shall appear before thy great Tribunal For this alone can make me Blessed and Happy And for the future Instruct me and teach me in the way that I am to go Vers. 8 guide me with thy eye let the least intimation of thy Will be a powerful motive to my soul and win it to obedience Suffer me not to be like a bruit beast like the head-strong horse or the sottish mule whose mouths must be held in with bit and bridle kept in their way by force and violence rather out of love give me Grace to do my duty than out of fear and compulsion If O Lord thou wilt procéed in wrath and anger let it be against the rebellious stiffmecked sinners let the sorrows of the wicked stubborn and perverse men be many But let all those that trust in thée be compassed and defended by thy mercy And let all those who labour to serve thée with an upright and in an honest heart though in great imperfection and weakness rejoice in thée and shout for joy knowing that they serve a good Lord who will remit their sin hide their transgressions and not impute their iniquiies Amen PSAL. XXXIII Is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Contents are 1. AN Exhortation to the just to praise God vers 1 2 3. 2. The Arguments he useth to perswade to it from vers 3. to 20. 3. The Confidence of Gods people in his Name Their joy in him and petition to him vers 20 21 22. 1. David exhorts the righteous to praise God The first part In the three first verses he exhorts to praise God But whom 1. The righteous not all For praise is comely for the upright 2. That it be given with all zeal and affection with exultation with singing Vers. 1 with voice with instruments Some new Song composed for some new mercy Vers. 2 and that it be skilfully expressed 2. His reasons The second part To this he perswades upon divers good grounds 1. The first in general fetcht from the truth the faithfulness the justice the goodness of God 1. For the Word of the Lord is right 2. Vers. 4 And all his works are done in Truth 3. He loveth righteousness and judgement 1 From Gods goodness c. 4. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Vers. 5 2. 2 From his power His second Argument is fetcht from Gods power in the Creation of all things and that by his Word alone vers 6 7 9. and upon it interserts Let all the earth fear the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him 3. Vers. 8 3 His providence His third Argument is fetcht from Gods providence in governing the world which may easily be discerned by those who will diligently consider his wayes and proceedings both to other people and to his Church 1. 1 In defeating his enemies He makes void all stratagems undertaken against his Will not of single men but whole Nations The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought Vers. 10 He maketh the devices of the people to be of none effect 2. Vers. 11 Whereas on the contrary what he hath decreed shall be done 't is not possible to infringe it 2 In bringing to pass his counsels The counsel of the Lord stands for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations Upon the consideration of which he breaks out into this Epiphonema Vers. 12 Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the people For which he accompts his people blessed He amplifies Gods providence and illustrates it whom he hath chosen for his inheritance After which he returns to his discourse of Gods providence and by an elegant hypotyposis amplifies his former Argument For he sets God before us
him for he seeth that his day dies ultionis is coming Reply yea they kill them Yea But the wicked have drawn out their Sword and have bent their Bowe which is beyond plotting and derision to cast down the poor and needy Resp They kill'd for it and slay such as are of an upright Conversation David answers Be it so Their Sword shall enter into their own heart and their Bowe shall be broken Object 2 The other Tentation is beggery and poverty ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Good men poor Resp Their little better than great Riches The ungodly swim in wealth but the godly are commonly poor and therefore exposed to contempt ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã To this David answers A little that the righteous hath is better than the riches of many wicked better because used better better because possessed with content better because it hath Gods blessing upon it And this David proves by many Reasons His Reasons for it his Riches durable 1. For the arms of the wicked i. e. Their arm and strength of riches shall be broken but God sustains with his blessing that little of the righteous 2. The Lord knows the dayes good or bad of the upright he loves them and they are his care and their inheritance shall be for ever firm stable Not so with wicked rich men 3. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time nor destitute nor forsaken of necessaries and in the dayes of famine they shall be satisfied But with rich wicked men it is not so though they abound in wealth yet they shall insensibly consume perish as the fat of Lambs that burnt upon the Altar vanisheth into smoke 2 Out of his little he hath to give and passeth away 4. And yet another blessing there is upon the good mans little that he hath over and above and something to spare to give whereas the wicked notwithstanding his ample fortune But the wicked a borrower and payes not is a borrower and hath this ill quality that he payeth not again the righteous sheweth mercy and giveth Of which he gives this Reason For such as God blesseth shall possess the earth and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off i. e. They shall have but not enjoy the goods of this life And thus much David proves by his own experience I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging their bread his liberality was the cause of it He is ever merciful and lendeth The third Reason God upholds him and his seed is blessed Another Argument of Gods protection is that God upholds him The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way and be it that by infirmity he erre slip fall yet though he fall yet he shall not utterly be cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand In the rest of the Psalm 1 He repeats his Rule to flie evil and do good David makes a repetition of all that went before he ingeminates his chief rule his promises his comforts his comminations And he begins with his Rule ver 3. Depart from evil and do good and dwell for evermore In which he exhorts to obedience and instanceth in both parts of Repentance His Reasons 1. A promise to the godly Mortification Vivification which he fortifieth with a double Reason the same before 1. A promise to the godly For the Lord loveth righteousness he forsaketh not his Saints Ver. 28 they are preserved for ever 2. 2 A commination to the wicked A commination to the wicked but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off These two Reasons he resumes amplifies and illustrates First That of the righteous The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein for ever 1 He illustrates the first and that you may know who he means by his righteous man he further sets down his Character he it is 1. The character of the righteous Whose mouth speaks wisdom he speaks honourably and reverently of Gods Justice and denies not his Providence 2. Whose mouth talks of judgment i. e. that only which is just and right 3. The Law of God is in his heart not in his tongue alone or his brain 4. None of his steps shall slide he keeps on his right way and will not be seduced This is the righteous man I mean but this righteous man as I said before ver 12 13 14 15. hath his enemies for the wicked watcheth the righteous And him God protects and seeks to slay him Well be it so that this righteous man hath his Protector also The Lord will not leave him in his hand nor condemn him when he is judged And therefore do what I have formerly advised ver 3 7. Wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it Secondly 2 He illustrates the second viz his commination For they shall be cut off as I said ver 28. This I know by my own experience I have seen the wicked in great power and flourishing like a green bay Tree yet he passed by and lo he was gone I sought him but he could not be found And what I have in my time observed that you by your own experience if you be diligent and attentive ye may observe to be as true also even in both kinds both just and unjust godly and ungodly for 1. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace 2. But the Transgressors shall be destroyed together the end of the wicked shall be cut off Of which The cause of both Gods doing if you shall enquire the cause it is easie to give it and I have said it before but I will here say it over again for it can be never too often repeated that it may be the better remembred But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in the time of trouble and the Lord shall help them and deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in him and on the contrary the wicked shall be cut off and perish because they trust not in him The Prayer collected out of the thirty seven Psalm O Almighty Lord since the weakness of thy best children hath béen such that they have béen offended at the prosperity and repined at the successes of wicked men yea this temptation hath so far seized upon them that they have called in question thy Providence and béen staggered in the way of Truth and Piety Enable me thy servant with thy grace that I be not tempted above my strength Ver. 1 never let me murmur at the supposed happiness of evil doers nor fret at their power nor be envious because they prosper in their way and bring their devices to pass Of a truth Lord the
from me All these pressures and calamities were upon David from within 2 From without thus he suffer'd in body and in mind But what had he now aâââomfort from without Not any 1. None from his friends 1 By friends My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore and my kinsmen stand afar off Amici non amici 2. As for his enemies they even then added to his affliction 2 Enemies They also that seek after my life lay snares for me and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things and imagine deceit all day long In action How he carried himself in this extremity tongue and thought they seek to undo me He next descends to shew his behaviour in these grievous sufferings both from within and without He murmur'd not at them but was silent and patient as a Lamb he opened not his mouth But I was as a deaf man that heard not and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth 1 Patient he was Thus I was as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofs He seem'd not to hear what they objected and made no sharp reply to their bitterness In patience and silence he possessed his soul that was his strength Isa 30.15 Which is another chief Argument he useth to mitigate Gods wrath and hot displeasure Of which patience he gives these reasons 1. His reliance on God for audience and redress For in thee O Lord For he relied on God do I hope Thou wilt hear me 2. For this he petitions For to God he was not silent And prayed though deaf and dumb to man for I said Hear me And this also made him patient being assured that being heard Gods honour would be vindicated in him For if not heard his enemies would triumph Hear me then lest otherwise they should rejoice over me as accompting me a patient fool When my foot slippeth they magnifie themselves against me 3. That in the greatness of his grief he was thus patient 2 Under a bitter Cross for I am ready to halt and my sorrow is continually before me I am under a bitter cross and I know if I be thy Servant I must be under the cross and therefore I take it up and bear it patiently 4. And this cross I know I have deserv'd also 't is for my iniquity and I will not conceal it For I will declare mine iniquity Which he had deserved I will be sorry for my sin I suffer justly and therefore have reason to be patient Only O Lord I hope this shall not be imputed to my impatience 3 He yet complains of his enemies if I complain again of my enemies and put thee in mind of their prosperity that they live quietly securely plentifully that they are strong and powerful that they hate me and are ungrateful persons But mine enemies are lively and they are strong and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied They also that render evil for good are my adversaries because I follow the thing that good is And so he concludes with a petition to God in which he beggs three things He concludes with a Petition for 1. Gods presence Forsake me not O Lord O my God be not farre from me 2. Ayd and help 1 Gods favour 3. And then that it be speedily afforded Make haste to help me O Lord my salvation 2 Speedy help The Prayer collected out of the thirty eighth Psalm O Lord when I consider the multitude of my sins and grievousness of my transgressions I must confess though I suffer heavy things under thy hand yet they are far inferiour to my deserts for my iniquities as some great floods of waters are gone over my head and threaten to drown me in despair and my sins are a heavy burden that load my memory and conscience so heavy they lie upon my soââhat I am not able to bear them but am ready to sink under them And for these the sharpest arrows of thy wrath stick fast in me and thy severe hand sorely whippeth me and presseth stripe after stripe there is no part sound no part whole in my whole body because of thy anger and revenge neither is there any rest in my bones much less any peace in my soul for the multitude and greatness of my sin Through great folly I have committed sin and through greater folly I have dissembled them and hid them being committed I skinned them not search't not healed them and therefore this ulcer remained in my soul and putrified which therefore makes me to stink in thy Nostrils with which filthy savour thou art so offended that my loins are justly fill'd with a loathsom disease that there is no soundness in my flesh I am troubled righteously for the evils I have committed I am depressed for them and bowed down greatly I go mourning and that deservedly all the day long I am féeble sorely afflicted and humbled I have roared for the disquietness and anxiety of my heart My heart through the greatness of my affliction the conscience of my sin and consideration of thy wrath pants beats and is troubled the strength both of my body and soul failesh me and a flood of tears and a night of adversity together hath dimmed that clear light of my eyes And in the extremity of this my sorrow I find no comfort either from friends or enemies for those who were of old my friends and familiars and pretended much friendship and love these now stand aloof off from my sore nay my very kinsmen stand afar off affording me no comfort no shew of help As for my enemies they seek after my life they lay snares for me they wish me evil they speak lies and utter calumnies against me mischievous things they invent and imagine deceits all the day long yea and these my enemies live in prosperity they are potent and able to mischieve me they are in number many in hatred implacable daily they multiply and so ungrateful that for the good I have done them they séek to render me evil O Lord Thou knowest that wrongfully and that without any just cause at all given by me they are my adversaries no reason at all I am able to think of no cause I am able to assign why they should thus hate me why they should thus persecute me except it be that I am constant in defence of thy Truth and follow the thing that good is Thy hand Lord is justly upon me and I am content to bear thy reproach I have spoken once nay twice but I will not answer again in silence and hope I will possess my soul at all their reproaches I will be as a deaf man that hears not at their scorns as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth and commit my cause wholly to thée nevertheless before thée I will not be silent confessing with an humble and true penitent heart that all this great
the merits of thy only Son my Lord and only Saviour Iesus Christ Amen PSAL. XL. VVhich is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã THERE be two main parts of this Psalm 1. A Thanksgiving from ver 1. to 11. 2. A Prayer from ver 11. to the end Thankfulness consists in the exercise of two vertues Truth and Justice 1. Truth causeth us to acknowledge the benefit and from it we have received it 2. Justice ties us to be grateful and to perform some duties as evidences of our thankful mind and both these we meet with in the first part David begins with the profession of his thankfulness The first part David waits on God and he premits to it his confidence I waited patiently for the Lord then shews the success or what God did for him 1. The success of his waiting He inclined his ear and heard my cry 2. He brought me also out of the horrible pit out of the mire and clay 3. He set my feet upon a Rock being drawn from danger he set me in a safe place 4. He established my goings he confirmed my steps that I slip and slide no more 5. And he hath moved me to be thankful He hath put a new song into my mouth He is thankful even a thanksgiving unto our God The deliverance was not common and therefore the praise should not be common but expressed by a new and exquisite song Of which he conceived the consequent would be And conceives others by his example would wait and be thankful also In his thanksgiving he shews the blessed man that his example would be a common document many shall see it my deliverance my thanks and shall fear God and acknowledge his providence and protection and shall put their trust in the Lord. And so he falls upon his form of thanksgiving and First Pronounceth the man blessed that relies on God affirmatively 1. Blessed is the man that makes the Lord his trust reposeth his hope in him 1 He it is that relies on God 2. Negatively trusts on no man respects not the proud men proud of their wealth 2 Not on man wit or power nor such as turn aside to lies trust on lying vanities 3 Admires Gods works which will deceive Secondly Then by an exclamation admires Gods mercies and goodness to his people 1. For their multitude and greatness Many O Lord my God are thy Works 2. For the strangeness they are not vulgar but miraculous Thy wonderful Works 3. For the incomparable wisdom by which they are done and ordered Many O Lord my God are thy wondrous Works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I would declare them and speak of them they are more than can be numbred 2. And so having in words acknowledged his thankfulness 4 His real thanks by obedience he descends to speak of the other part of his gratitude his real thanks to which in equity he thought himself bound viz. To be obedient to Gods voice which is the best sacrifice and indeed far beyond all legal sacrifices as is apparent in Christ to whom these words and the obedience contained in them is principally attributed and by way of accommodation belongs to every one of his Members who means to be thankful for his Redemption 1. And first he acquaints us that the outward worship is to little worship Which was 1. Sincere inward if sincerity and true piety inwardly be wanting Sacrifice and offerings thou didst not desire burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required Not these absolutely but as subservient to true piety and the internal obedience of the heart without which they are of little value I will have mercy and not sacrifice 2. To this end Aures perforasti mihi Thou hast opened boared 2 Outward and made a window in my ear made me docible and thy servant 3. And I will be obsequious a willing and voluntary servant Then said I lo I come this thy whole Law requires 3 Voluntary such in Christ in the Volume of thy Book it is written 4. He describes his singular obedience 1. That he performed it chearfully and with complacency 1 Chearful I delight to do thy Will O my God 2. That he did it heartily Thy Law is within my heart 2 Hearty The obedience of eyes hands and feet may be hypocritical and feigned that which is done with the heart cannot that the heart thou requirest and that thou shalt have to that purpose I have placed thy Law there 3. That he did it charitably to the benefit of others 3 Charitable for our good he published the Gospel 1. I have preached righteousness in the great Congregation 2. I have not refrained my lips and that thou knowest Feci sine fuco In the publication of the Gospel 3. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart 4. I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation 5. I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and truth from the great Congregation The commendation of the Gospel In which verse we have the commendation of the Gospel that it is righteousness for it justifies it sanctifies that it is Gods truth and faithfulness for in it his promises are performed that it is our salvation freeing us from sin death To which we must be obedient Gods wrath hell which must be published and preached in the great Congregation and to it obedience must be yielded to which there be four things necessary set down in this place 1. The help of Gods Spirit Thou hast opened my ears 2. A ready and willing mind Then said I lo I come 3. A ready performance in the work I delight to do thy Will 4. That a respect be had to Gods Law Thy Will is within my heart And thus having premised his thanks for some deliverance already receive The second part He petitions for favour he thought he might be the bolder to petition for continuance of this mercy and favour for the future upon which he now enters in these words Withhold not thou thy mercy from me O Lord let thy loving-kindness and truth continually preserve me His reasons for it Of which Petition he adds a necessary Reason drawn from the greatness of his evils and sins 1. For innumerable evils have compassed me his miseries were many His sad condition 2. My iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more in number than the heirs of my head 3. Therefore my heart faileth me my agony is great my vital spirits fail And therefore prayes again Be pleased O Lord to deliver me And for the confusion of his enemies make haste to help me 2. The second part of his prayer is for the confusion of his wicked enemies Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it let them
is thy God where is thy Helper thy Redéemer thy Deliverer But O my soul be of good comfort Why art thou cast down Ver. 11 why art thou so disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God The Prayer out of the forty third Psalm O God thou art my strength and comfort Judge me then Ver. 2 and plead my cause against this unmerciful people O deliver me from the deceitful unjust and cruel man why dost thou stand afar off as if thou hadst cast me aside why go I thus heavily because of the oppression of the enemy Ver. 2 that bitter enemy to me and to thy Church O send out thy Light and thy Truth Ver. 3 Compassed about we are with a fearful mist and darkness of errours and false opinions dispel these thick Foggs with the beams of thy Truth Driven even to the very brink of despair we are by our present calamities and yet we remember that thou hast made many comfortable promises to those that fear thy Name verifie these O Lord in us and to us and let these alwayes lead us and direct us in our way till they again bring us to thy holy Hill and to thy Temple where thine honour dwells and where thou hast promised to be present and to hear the supplications of thy servants Bring us again to thy House O God Thou Ver. 4 who art the God of our exceeding joy for then will we offer upon the Altar of a contrite heart a sacrifice of peace and thanksgiving yea upon the Harp and Organ will we praise thee O Lord our God Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Ver. 5 Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God Though the storms and waves of persecutions have gone over us and the depths of Tentations gaped very wide to swallow us up quick yet we are confident that with the Tentation thou wilt give the issue and so moderate the whole by thy grace and mercy that the solid joy of a good conscience shall never be taken from us O Lord enable us by the power of thy Spirit that in these our pressores we fall not from thée but expect deliverance from thy hand for which we will return thée thanks in the great Congregation through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XLIV IN this Psalm is lively expressed the Sufferings the Complaints the Assurances the Petitions which are offered to God by good men who suffer together with other in the common afflictions that God brings on his people The parts are two The Arguments to perswade his Petitions 1. A Petition from ver 24. to the end 2. The Arguments by which the Petition is quickned from ver 1. to 24. First He begins with the Arguments of which 1. The first part The first is drawn from Gods goodness of which he gives in particular viz. his Benefits and Miracles done for their Fathers 1 Arg. From Gods goodness to his people as if he had said This thou didst for them why art thou so estranged from us 1. We have heard with our ears O God and our Fathers have told us what Works thou didst in their dayes Ver. 1 and in the times of old The particulars of which are 1. Ver. 2 How thou didst drive out the Heathen viz. the Canaanites 2. How thou plantedst them 3. How thou didst afflict the people and cast them out ver 2. 2. This we acknowledge to be thy work which he expresseth 1. Ver. 3 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Negatively by remotion of what sââe might imagine They got not the Land in possession by their own Sword neither was it their own arm that helped them ver 3. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name be the praise 2. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Positively for it was thy right hand and thy arm and the light of thy countenance a meer gratuito because thou hadst a favour unto them no other reason can be assigned but that ver 3. 3. Ver. 4 Upon this consideration by an Apostrophe he turns his speech to God and sings an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã For which he sings an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of which the streins are 1. An open confession Thou art my King O God 2. A Petition Send help unto Jacob ver 4. 3. A confident perswasion of future victory but still with Gods help and assistance Ver. 5 ver 5 6 7. 1. Through thee will we push down our enemies 2. Through thee will we tread them under that rise up against us all through thee in thy Name by thy Power 4. An abrenunciation of his own power or arm For I will not trust in my Bowe Ver. 6 neither shall my Sword save me 5. A reiteration or a second ascription of the whole victory to God But thou hast saved us from our enemies Ver. 7 Thou hast put them to shame that hated us ver 7. 6. Ver. 8 A grateful return of thanks which is indeed the Tribute God expects and we are to pay upon any deliverance In God we boast all the day long The second Argument the present misery the Church was in and praise thy Name for ever Selah Secondly The second Argument by which he wings his Petition is drawn from the condition in which for the present Gods people were in before he had done wonders for their deliverance but now he had delivered them to the will of their enemies This would move a man to think that his good will was changed toward them Ver. 9 But thou hast cast us off The consequent lamentable and put us to shame and goest not forth with our Armies Of which the consequences are many and grievous although we acknowledge that all is from thee and comes from thy hand and permission 1. Ver. 10 The first is Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy ver 10. 2. The second we become a prey They which hate us spoil for themselves v. 10. 3. Ver. 11 The third we are devoured Thou hast given us as sheep appointed for meat killed cruelly when and as they please ver 11. 4. The fourth we are driven from out Countrey and made to dwell where they will plant us Thou hast scattered us among the Heathen inter Gentes Ver. 12 and that 's a great discomfort to live among people without God in the World 5. The fifth we are become slaves sold and bought as Beasts and that for any price upon any exchange Thou sellest thy people for nought and dost not increase thy wealth by their price ver 12. puts them off as worthless things 6. The sixth we are made a scorn a mock and to whom to our enemies nay for that might be born but even to our friends and neighbours Ver. 13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours a scorn
uphold our cause Judge us O Lord in thy strength Thou which art terrible to the oppressor and a refuge to those who are injuriously oppressed Vers. 1 arise in thy just judgement and punish the wicked and deliver the innocent Reward evil to those our enemies that observe our wayes and lay wait for our soul Cut them off Lord and destroy them according to the Truth of thy promises made to thy people Deliver us O Lord out of all our troubles and let our eyes see that severe revenge which thou wilt take upon our and thy enemies So will we offer unto thée the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving fréely and chéerfully in the midst of the Congregation for this is good before thy Saints It is a pleasant thing to them to hear and sée that thou art a faithful merciful and just God true in thy promises just in thy judgements and merciful in the Delivery of thy people from the hand of the violent and bloody man O my God I will sing of thy Name and Power for ever PSAL. LV. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã WHETHER David composed this Psalm upon the hard usage of Saul or the rebellion of his son Absolon is uncertain sure it is he was in some great distress and upon it he makes his address to his God There are in genetal four parts of this Psalm 1. He prayes to God to hear his prayer vers 1 2. 2. He complains of his trouble from vers 3. to 8. 3. He prayes against his enemies and shews the causes from vers 8. to 15. 4. He takes heart upon assurance of Gods help and his enemies overthrow from vers 15. to the end 1. He first beggs audience 1. Give ear hide not thy self attend hear me The first part He prayes for audience of his complaint The second part 2. My prayer supplication that I mourn complain make a noise Affected he was with the sense of that he pray'd for and therefore earnest he was in it 2. This in General but next in particular he mentions the causes of his complaint and earnestness to God that he might be heaâd The causes of it two both in regard of his enemies 2. And the condition that he now was in 1. The danger he was in was very great Vers. 3 escape he could not without Gods help for his enemies prosecuted him very sore 1 The malice of his enemies 1. They slander'd and calumniated him and threatned him Because of the voice c. 2. They vexed pressed upon him and oppressed him Because of the oppression of the wicked 3. They plotting his ruine devol'd and cast iniquity upon him Charg'd him home 4. They were implacable angry and hated him In wrath they hate me 2. Then for his own person he was in a sad heavy doleful condition 2 His sad condition 1. My heart is sore pained within me His grief was inward 2. The terrors of death are fallen upon me Vers. 4 He saw nothing but death before him 3. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me Which are the outward effects of fear 4. And an horrible dread within hath overwhelmed me Amazement follow'd his fear And he illustrates this his condition by the counsel he took with his own heart His result upon it to fly upon the deliberation the result was that he would speedily fly away fly into the Wilderness as if he might be safer among bruit beasts than such men 1. And I said That was his result upon the debate with himself 2. O that I had the wings of a Dove It is a fearful creature of a swift wing in fear he was and he would fly as fast as far as the Dove from the Eagle 3. As far even to some remote land where I should have rest from these wicked men 4. And by an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he amplifies and explains himself again 1. That he would fly far away even to some desolate place out of their reach Lo then would I wander far off and remain in the Wilderness 2. That he would do it with speed I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest Such turbulent and impetuous creatures his enemies were that threw down all before them as a wind storm tempest 3. The third part His Imprecation To his Prayer he adds an Imprecation 1. Destroy them O Lord. Destroy them in their own counsels 2. Or else Divide their tongue Let them not agree in their counsels Vers. 9 Of this he gives the reasons in the following words The reason viz. that they were a sort of violent contentious ungodly troublesome crafty and fraudulent people 1. Violent they were and litigious I have seen violence and strife in the City 2. Ungodly and workers of iniquity they were and uncessant in it Day and night they go about the walls thereof mischief and sorrow are in the midst of it 3. Crafty and fraudulent also Deceit and guile depart not from their streets It was then a City a Corporation a Society of evil doers And of this he produceth an instance His instance a friend that became his enemy which whether it were some bosome friend of David that stole out of the City of Keilah and betray'd his counsels to Saul or else Achitophel that being formerly his great Favourite and Counsellour fell to Absolon it is uncertain whoever it was such a treacherous person there was and of him he complains and well he might for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This treachery he exaggerates most eloquently by an Incrementum Which he Aggravates by circumstances and Apostrophe drawing his aggravation from the Laws of friendship which he had broke Had it been an enemy he could have borne it but that it was a friend was intolerable and also unexcusable Thus the Climax stands 1. For it was not my enemy that reproached me Then I could have borne it 2. Neither was it he that hated me that did magnifie himself that is arise and insult against me Then I would have hid my self from him Never admitted him to my bosome 3. But mark this Emphatical Adversative for now he turns his speeth to the Man 1. It was Thou ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Thou precipuè per aliis None but Thou 2. A man according to my own rank mine equal My guide or counsellour my acquaintance or own familiar friend 3. We took sweet counsel together One to whom I communicated my secrets 4. And walked in the house of God in company Professors we were of the same Religion Now all these Circumstances much aggravate and heighten the treachery that thou my equal my director my familiar friend one whom I made the Master of all my secrets one who was a great Professor of the same Religion with me Upon which he redoubles his Imprecation on the Faction that thou shouldst betray me even breaks my heart ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Judas betrayest Thou Being thus much wrong'd and moved
do it in such a place and such an Assembly as may most redound to Gods honour I will praise thee O God among the people I will sing of thee among the Nations Now that all this be done The Reason David ver 10. gives a sufficient Reason that which may move any man to do it Gods Mercy and Truth his Mercies his infinite Mercies in promising his Truth in performing For thy Mercy is great to the Heavens and thy Truth to the Clouds And then as is usual in Poesie he repeats the verse before in which we meet with this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Be thou exalted Lord above the Heavens and thy Glory above the Earth The Prayer collected out of the fifty seventh Psalm O Lord our enemies are many and mighty they roar against us like Lyons they are set on fire to devoure us their teeth are as spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword to wound us in our good name crafty they are for they have digged a Pit and cunning they are for they have spread a Net to ensnare to take us O Lord be merciful O God be merciful unto us send down we beséech thée help from Heaven and save us from the reproach of them that would eat us up Declare thy power O Lord and come amongst us and send forth thy Mercy and Truth for our deliverance thy Mercy is infinite thy Word is past and in that my soul trusteth and in the shadow of thy wings in thy protection only shall be my Refuge till these calamities be over-past Continually and with an ardent soul I will call upon that God which is the most High most potent that God that hath so often done me good and I doubt not but be will perform his word and make perfect his salvation Do thou O Lord declare thy power and shew that thou art the Lord of the whole Earth get thy self a Name by the punishment of these wicked men that all things both in Heaven and Earth may exalt thy justice and give thée the glory To do this O Lord my heart is ready my heart is fixed for thy benefits shall never slip out of my memory nor thy goodness recede from my heart neither will I remember them alone but they shall be my song in the house of my pilgrimage I will compose Hymns to the honour of thy Name and in my song praise thée I will say to my heart and tongue which art my glory awake out of thy bed of forgetfulness shake off this dulness in which thou hast slept so long and readily and chearfully sing Hymns to the honour of thy Saviour and that the praise may be the fuller call for thy Harp and Psaltery and all other instruments of Musick which in these troublesome times have béen broken and cast by call for these I say and make a melodious sound in the ears of the God of Jacob. Come along with me and we will enter together into the house of our God then before the morning Sun that we may praise him early with joyful lips There will we praise thee O Lord in the Assembly of many people there will we chant Hymns to thy honour before many Nations For thy mercy is so great That it reacheth to the very Heavens and thy faithfulness in keeping thy promises such That it extends above the Clouds for both these mount up to the Heavens above and pass through the Earth beneath both these are so high and wonderful that they can never be comprehended by us Therefore I pray and I pray again that thou wouldst shew thy self Lord of the Heaven and that thou wouldst shew thy Glory in the whole Earth which though thou dost eminently when thou dost frée the innocent from the hand of the Oppressor yet then thou shalt perfectly bring it to pass when the goodness and mercy and glory of thy justice being divulged through the World by the preaching of thy Gospel all false-worship being destroyââ thou shalt drow all men unto thy self Arise therefore O good Father Be thou exalted and make thy glory illustrious convert all Nations to the Truth break the Nets fill up the pits make the craft and subtilty of Antichrist and his Followers of none effect which they use to eclipse the light of thy Gospel so shall our hearts be every day more and more confirmed to confess praise and celebrate thy Name and to exalt it above all things through Iesus Christ thy only Son and out only Saviour Amen PSAL. LVIII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã DAVID deprecates the danger that hung over his head from Saul and his counsel The parts of the Psalm are three A sharp Invective or Reprehension of his Adversaries ver 1. An Imprecation or Denunciation of Gods judgments upon them from ver 6. to 9. The Benefits that the reby would redound to the righteous ver 10 11. 1. The first part He reprehends his Adversaries David begins with an Apostrophe and figures it with an Erotesis which makes his reproof the sharper 1. Ver. 1 O Congregation O ye counsel of Saul By which he intimates that indeed they did neither 2. Do you indeed speak righteously By which he intimates that indeed they did neither 3. Do you judge uprightly O ye sons of men By which he intimates that indeed they did neither 2. Ver. 2 Which in the next verse in plain terms he affirms and layes home to their charge Yea in heart you work wickedness 2. You weigh the violence of your hands in the earth heart and hand are bent to do evil which the words well considered do exaggerate 1. They were iniquities a plurality of them 2. It was their work 3. Their hearty work 4. Their handy work 5. Weighed out by their scale of justice 6. Which indeed under the colour of justice was but violence 7. And it was in this earth in Israel where no such thing was to be done 3. He aggravates their crime This their wickedness he amplifies both from the Original and the Progress of it 1. Ver. 3 The root of it was very old into the World they brought it with them 1. 1 From their birth The wicked are estranged from the womb Alienati from God and all goodness 2. They go astray even from their Cradle they take the wrong way 3. 2 From their malice and obstinacy Assoon as they be born speaking lyes enclined from the very Birth to falshood 2. And in this their falshood they are malicious and obstinate 1. Ver. 4 Malicious The poyson of their tongue is like the poyson of a Serpent innate adanct deadly 2. Obstinate for they will not be reclaimed by any counsel or admonition They are like the deaf Adder that stops her ear which refuseth to hear the voyce of the Charmer charm he never so wisely 2. The second part He prayes against 1. their wayes and plots Their wickedness malice and obstinacy being so great now he prayes against
vers 1. and the reason vers 2. 2. A double vow vers 3 4. with the reason The vow repeated vers 5. 3. The effects which were to follow vers 6 7. 1. The first part A prayer for 1. Mercy He first desires of God that he would so carry himself to his Church and people that it might appear that he hath a care of them that he loves them 1. Vers. 1 God be merciful to us favour us for his Mercy is the fountain of all our good 2. 2 A blessing Then Bless us Give whatsoever is good Temporal spiritual blessings 3. 3 The blessing of favour and grace Vers. 2 In particular Cause his face to shine upon us Clear up his countenance to us Every man desires a blessing the good man this blessing 4 That this blessing be extended to all people the blessing of the right-hand Let him openly shew that he favours us And for this he gives his reason viz. That the light may be communicative and the benefit pass over to others The second part even unto all men all Nations 1. In which he votes praise to God and desires that all may join with him That thy Way thy Will thy Word thy Works may be known on earth 2. Thy saving health not in Jury alone but among all Nations He desires that all men may come to the knowledge of the Truth and take notice of those wayes which he takes for the salvation of his people 2. And upon it he Votes honour to God for one will easily and naturally flow from the other Vers. 3 his mercy brings knowledge and his knowledge praise Let the people praise thee O God Let all the people praise thee This verse is Emphatical 1. Vers. 5 In respect of the Object Te. Thee Not other strange gods 2. Celebrent omnes All the people Not mutter thy praises but make them illustrious 3. And do it he artily And do it often Repeat them again and again as he doth this verse vers 5. 4. Vers. 4 And do it with a joyful and glad heart O let the Nations rejoice and sing for joy And of this also he gives his reason The reason the Acts that flow from Gods special providence his governing his moderating his directing his people 1. 1 Gods equity in judging His equity in judging Thou shalt judge the people righteously 2. 2 His wisdom in ordering His wisdom in governing Thou shalt govern lead and direct the Nations and that on earth that they know the way to eternal happiness Via gratia via gloriae 3. The third part The Consequences The effects of his blessing and our praise are expressed in the two last verses 1. Vers. 6 Then shall the earth yield her increase Which literally is an ample Harvest Spiritually 1 An increase the inhabitants of the earth shall increase in knowledge thanks c. 2. And God shall bless this increase for without his blessing 2 A blessing of that increase the increase will be to little purpose God even our God shall bless Which he ingeminates that it be not forgotten God shall bless Vers. 7 3. The last effect is 3 Gods worship that God shall be worshipped and honoured all the world over And all the ends of the earth shall fear him The Prayer collected out of the sixty seventh Psalm O God great in power but infinite in mercy acknowledge we do that thou art the Father of all gifts and the Fountain of all goodness Vers. 1 and from thy bounty and liberality it is that we receive whatsoever we can call ours and therefore we humbly beséech thée to be favourable and merciful to us to bless unto us whatsoever is good and make it openly and plainly appear that thou doest carry a serene aspect and a clear countenance towards us That so while we remain in this earth we may perfectly know that way that leads to thée and to our future happiness And this mercy we ask not for our selves alone but for all Nations Vers. 2 O happy day when not in Jury alone but all the world over thy wayes shall be made known when there shall be but one fold and one shepherd and thy saving health made evident and receiv'd by all Nations Bring to pass O God that many may come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God Vers. 3 Thy name will be glorious thy honour enlarg'd when the Gentiles with the Jews and the Jews with the Gentiles shall with one heart and one voice sing hymns to thy name O then let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Thou art a just God in equity judge for us thou art a wise God in wisdom govern and direct us Deliver thy people from the tyranny of men and from the rage and fury of Devils direct and govern our hearts in the way of thy Laws and in the works of thy Commandments so shall we appear in thy presence with joyful and glad hearts and sing merrily our songs of Zion to thy name Again and again I beg of thée O Lord that all men may come to the knowledge of thy truth and confess thy name O let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Let them cast away their strange gods and fall low before thy foot-stool and adore thée alone the Maker of all things the Redéemer of all men for then the Lord will hear the heavens and the heavens shall hear the earth and the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Israel Out of thy mercy O God bestow upon us the light of thy countenance and grateful hearts that so all other things may be administred unto us bless our fields with increase and our houses with abundance and because all plenty is no better than poverty without thy blessing give thy blessing to that thou hast given so shall we fear thy name and adore thy Majesty and admire thy wise providence and in all reverence and humility set forth thy praise from generation to generation Amen PSAL. LXVIII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã DIverse conjectures there are of the occasion of the composure of this Psalm But the most probable is that it was composed by David when he brought up the Ark of God which was the Type of the Church and Symbol of Gods presence to Jerusalem This after it was sent home by the Philistines rested first in the obscure Lodge of Aminadab then for a while it stay'd with Obed-Edom near sixty years in both places It was Davids care to provide a fit room for it in the head of the Tribes even in his own City And to express his joy and honour the Solemnity David led the way dancing with all his might in a linnen Ephod and all the house of Israel followed with shouts and instruments of
thou hast wrought in us Bring down our enemies till they submit every one and humbly bring pieces of silver untill Princes come out of Egypt and strangers stretch forth their hands and become Homagers to thee our God O how glorious will be thy praise how excellent thy Name Ver. 32 when all the Kingdoms of the earth with one heart and one voyce shall sing praises to thee Thou ridest upon the Heavens which were of old Thou speakest from thence in Thunder and sendest out a mighty voyce therefore will we ascribe strength unto our God which is the God of Israel O God Thou art wonderful and terrible out of thy holy place when thou communicatest thy presence to thy servants Thou art the God of Israel that gives strength and power unto thy people Blessed therefore be our God Amen PSAL. LXIX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã IN this Psalm David shews to what extream straits he was brought by malicious enemies and yet he is but the Type for the bitter passion of our Saviour are by these not obscurely set out to us The parts are 1. Davids prayer and the Reasons he useth for help from ver 1. to 23. 2. An imprecation against his enemies from ver 23. to 31. 3. His profession of thanks from ver 30. to the end 1. The first part His prayer and the occasion and reason He petitions Save me O God ver 1. and then adjoyns his Reasons which are many 1. The present condition in which he was in expressed by divers Metaphors comparing his enemies to waters 1 His present danger deep waters deep mire great floods 1. Ver. 1 Save me for the waters are come in unto my soul 2. I sink in the deep mire where there is no standing 3. I am come into the deep waters where the floods overflow me no more hope for me to escape without thy help than for a man of life who is compassed with the waves of the Sea Yea and that which adds to my grief I call to thee and thou seemest not to hear 1. I am weary of my crying 2. My throat is dry 3. My eyes fail while I wait upon my God nothing is wanting on my part and yet I have no answer and yet I will wait still for thou art my God 2. 2 From his enemies Farther yet when I consider my enemies I have reason to cry Save me for they are malicious 2. Many 3. Mighty 4. Injurious 1. Malicious They hate me without a cause 2. Many They are more than the hairs of my head 3. Mighty and injurious They that would destroy me being my enemies wrongfully are mighty Then ârestored that I took not away 3. 3 From his innocence From his innocence touching which he appeals to God O God Thou knowest how guilty I am of that which they impute to me for foolishness viz. I am not guilty and yet my faults are not hid from thee Before thee I confess that I am a sinner but not guilty of any folly done to them for that which they call folly viz. thy Service is my greatest wisdom 4. 4 From the hurt may come by it Lest if he suffer thus and be not saved others then by it will be discouraged fall away and judge it a vain thing to depend and rely upon thee and therefore he prayes Let not them who wait upon thee O Lord God of Hosts be ashamed for my cause let not them who seek thee be confounded through me O God of Israel 5. 5 That he suffers for Gods sake And the fifth Reason he gives which may be most perswasive that God hear and save viz. that what we suffer is not for his own but for Gods sake Because for thy sake have I suffered reproach shame hath covered my face for this I am become a stranger to my Brethren An ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an Alien to my mothers children And upon this cause he stayes usque ver 13. and shews how he was affected toward God that he might make it appear For it was for that for this cause it was he suffered 2. And then how for it they were affected to him 1. 1 His zeal He was zealous for his God The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up and for this he suffered The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen on me 2. 2 A penitent He was religious a Penitent fasted usque ad castigationem animae I wept and chastned my soul with fasting but when I did this that also was turned to my reproof 3. He humbled himself even to wear Sackloth I made Sackloth my garment but he could not so please neither I became a Proverb to them to them of all sorts 1. To the high and such as were in Authority Those that sit in the Gate speak against me 2. To the low common and ordinary people And I was the song of the Drunkards 2. This I suffer for thy sake and therefore he now renews again his Petition He renews his Petition and enforceth it near upon the same Arguments and first he prayes earnestly hoping that he hath chosen for this a fit season But as for me my prayer is unto thee in an acceptable time 1. Hear me ver 13. Deliver me let me not sink let me be delivered ver 14. Let not the water-flood overflow me neither let the deep swallow me c. And again Hear me O Lord turn unto me Hide not thy face from thy servant Hear me speedily Draw nigh to my soul and redeem it Deliver me 2. Thus earnest he was in his prayer and his Arguments to perswade Audience are 1. Gods goodness mercy truth In the multitude of thy mercy hear me in the truth of thy salvation Hear me O Lord for thy loving-kindness is good Turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies 2. I am in very great troubles and dangers In the mire and like to sink in deep waters that overflow and are ready to swallow me in a pit whose mouth is ready to shut upon me I am in trouble therefore hear me speedily and deliver me 3. I am thy servant 't is for my service to thee I suffer therefore hide not thy face c. 4. Do it do it because of my enemies as if he had said Though I be not worthy for whom thou shouldst do this yet mine enemies are such that they deserve no favour they deserve not that I be left in their hands 1. They are scorners and that thou knowest Thou hast known my reproach my shame and my dishonour my Adversaries are all before thee in thy sight they do it 2. And this their base usage toucheth me near and puts me into an agony Reproach hath broken my heart I am full of heaviness 3. My friends stand afar off flie and forsake me And I looked for some to take pity but there was none and for comforters but I found none 4. Lastly they
were inhumane They gave me Gall to eat and in my thirst they gave me Vinegar to drink Nothing more true than these four degrees in Christs Passion such enemies he found such Jewes 2. His prayer being ended The second part An imprecation he fitly subjoins a heavy imprecation by way of a Prophecy 1. And first he prayes That as they gave him Gall and Vinegar in his thirst that they might find the like at their Table Let their Table be made a snare to them and that for their welfare a Trap A heavy judgment The degrees are eight when that which God ordains for our necessity delight content health prosperity should be our hurt discontent sickness death 2. That they be struck blind and he means not so much in body as in mind a grievous judgment when a man can neither see imminent dangers nor future evils Let their eyes be darkned that they see not 3. That they be infeebled in their bodies and counsels Make their loyns continually to shake i. e. let them be unfit for War and action or as Saint Paul renders it Ever bow down their backs let them be in perpetual slavery and carry burdens 4. That they suffer speedily greatly and continually 1. Greatly for he prays effunde poure out and that is commonly out of a full Vessel and plentifully 2. Speedily Poure out thy indignation on them for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Basil 3. Perpetually Let thy wrathful anger take hold of them for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 5. That their Countrey be wasted and their posterity thrust from their inheritance and houses Let their habitation be desolate and none dwell in their Tents And here the Prophet interserts a Reason which was their ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or which is worse their adding affliction to affliction so far from commiseration that they help to increase the grief of those whom God hath wounded For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to grieve those whom thou hast wounded 6. That they may fill up the measure of their iniquity and so be ripe for Gods Sickle Add iniquity to iniquity withdraw thy grace that they sin freely 7. That they dye in the state of impenitency Let them not come into thy righteousness 8. That they finally perish Let them be blotted out of the Book of the living and not be written with the righteous 3. The third part He sings praise Hitherto we have heard Davids complaints and prayers but now out of the sense of divine protection he breaks out into praises 1. Ver. 29 He confesses his own condition As for me I am poor and sorrowful and then acknowledgeth Gods help Let thy salvation set me on high And assures himself of Gods acceptance The effects shall be 2. Then with full voyce he sings praise I will praise the Name of God with a Song and will magnifie it with Thanksgiving 3. And of this praise he promiseth himself acceptance This also shall please the Lord better than an Oxe or Bullock that hath Horns and Hoofs And the effect of this his praise for his deliverance 1 Joy to the afflicted will be double First upon the godly poor afflicted people and secondly upon the whole World 1. The effect upon the poor will be joy The humble and meek shall see this and be glad and your heart shall live that seek God their sad heart shall revive 2. The Reason is For the Lord heareth the poor and despiseth not his Prisoners David and Christ he heard and this gives assurance that he will hear suos vincta those that suffer for him Then secondly 2 Thanksgiving in all men the effect it shall have upon the whole World is a general Thanksgiving 1. Let the Heaven and the Earth praise him the Seas and every thing that moveth therein 2. And the Reason he gives for it is worth noting which is his goodness to his Church and people 1. For Gods goodness to his Church In saving them from their enemies He will save Zion 2. In confirming his Kingdom among them He will build the Cities of Judah 3. In giving them security and peace That men may dwell there and have it in possession 4. In conserving it perpetually that the Cates of Hell shall not prevail against it The seed also of his servants shall inherit it and they that love his Name shall dwell therein Not Hypocrites but they who love him sincerely and worship him in Spirit and Truth The Prayer collected out of the sixty ninth Psalm O Blessed Lord God who art more ready to grant than we to ask let this be the time when my prayer shall be accepted by thée O God Ver. 13 in the multitude of thy mercy hear me Hear me O Lord for thy loving-kindness is good Turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies and hide not thy face from thy servant for I am in trouble Hear me speedily Ver. 1 and save me O my God The waters are come even unto my soul Ver. 1 O let not the water-flood overflow me neither let the deep swallow me up and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me I sink in deep mire where there is no standing deliver me out of the mire Ver. 2 and let me not sink Now in the midst of these extremities I am weary with crying unto thee my throat is dry and hoarse through my daily complaining yea and my eyes are grown weak and dim in looking upward Ver. 18 and in waiting for help from my God Draw nigh then unto my soul and redeem it and let me have an experience of the truth of thy salvation My enemies O Lord are many and mighty and malicious Ver. 4 Those that hate me are more in number than the hairs of my head Mighty they are also Ver. 5 and most injurious for they call me to an account for that I never took and punish me for that I never deserved O Lord Thou knowest my foolishness Ver. 4 and my faults are not hid from thee against thee only I have sinned but to them I have done no harm and yet such is their malice that they séek to destroy me wrongfully and without any cause of mine séek to take away my life To thée O Lord all things are manifest Thou hast known my reproach my shame and my dishonour and my Adversaries are alwayes before thee and this reproach is so great that it hath even broken my heart and I am full of heaviness and which is yet more grievous in this my distress I looked for some to take pity on me but I found none and for comsorters but I found none for not only my enemies afflicted me but even my friends ran from me Ver. 8 and forsook me I am become as it were a stranger unto my Friends and Brethren and an Alien to those who are of my own blood my mothers children and most familiar friends stand staring upon my trouble
deny me and afford me no comfort And all this is done unto me without any fault or offence of mine Ver. 7 it is for thy sake I have born this reproach For thy sake shame hath covered my face for the zeal of thy House hath eaten me up I have béen very zealous for the Lord God of Hosts they have thrown down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets with the edge of the Sword very studious I have béen and fervent to maintain thy Religion in its purity which others have cast down and in it so much as lies in them have reproached thée but the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me Because thy Name was dishonoured I wept I chastned even my soul with fasting and whereas I ought for this to have béen more dear unto them I became a scorn even my humiliation and acts of repentance were turned to my reproach I testified also my sadness by my Sackloth and for this I became a Proverb of reproach The Iudges the chief of the City they which sit in the Gates speak against me condemning me and detracting from me and as for the common ordinary sort of people the Drunkards they made songs of me In a word They gave me Gall to eat and Vinegar to drink so inhumane they were that whereas in my greatest sufferings and extremities they ought to have refreshed and relieved me they increased my sorrows and under a colour of refreshment added affliction to the afflicted Now in the midst of these grievances that which most grieves my heart is the scandal of the Cross afraid I am lest that any of thy people looking upon those things which I suffer should estéem me stricken smitten of God and afflicted and thereby take an occasion to renounce the Truth of Religion and fall from thée I beséech thée therefore O Lord God of Hosts Let not them that wait on thee be ashamed for my sake let not them that seek thee be confounded for my sake O Lord God of Israel O Lord to remove this scandal there is no readier way than to bring them down to humble them and to poure the vials of thy wrath upon them Let then their Table be made a snare unto them and what should have been a welfare let it become a trap Gall and bitterness they have offered to me let their dainties be bitterness in their mouths and gall to their palates A snare they have laid for my féet and let that in which they hope to be prosperous and happy be an occasion of falling the very eating of the Paschal Lamb their ruine and thy Word the food of their souls an occasion of errour In hearing let them hear and not understand and in séeing let them sée and not perceive make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they sée with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed Inféeble them O Lord and make their loins to tremble and shake bow down their backs with slavery and hard bondage and press them continually with such burdens of miseries that they may groan and sigh under the heavy hand of their Oppressors Plentifully and speedily poure forth thy indignation upon them and let thy fiercest anger and vengeance continually pursue them let their houses be desolate not a stone left upon a stone and their land without an inhabitant let them procéed from one wickedness to another and add sin to sin till their iniquity come to the full neither ever let them repent them of their wicked wayes that thou might'st pardon and forgive their heinous transgressions or justifie them at thy great Tribunal with mercy thou wilt indulge to all true penitents And although hitherto they have béen reckoned among thy people of whom they are born and with whom thou hast established thy Covenant yet O Lord let them be blotted out of the Book of the living and not be written among the righteous And it is but just that all this happen unto them because when common humanity and thy Word also requires That we weep with him that weeps and lament with him that laments they have helped on the affliction for they persecute Him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded O Lord I am wounded I suffer justly under thy hand but to them I have done no harm at this time I am poor and sorrowful destitute of all humane help and affected with extream heaviness Arise then for me and let thy salvation set me up on High Deliver me O Lord from these troubles and so shall I praise thy Name with a Song Ver. 30 Save me from my enemies and I shall magnifie thee with Thanksgiving which sacrifice Ver. 31 I know will better please thee than the fat of fed Beasts or the incense of Rams Besides all those that are of a dejected spirit humbled and brought low at the sight of my afflictions will consider this sée they will That God heareth the poor and despiseth not those who are in captivity and imprisoned for his sake and they will be glad and rejoyce at it and the heart of all those that seek thââ which was even dead before will then revive and live O Lord save Sion and build the Cities of Judah let men dwell there and have it in possession let the seed of thy servants inherit it and all those that love thy Name dwell therein so shall the Heaven and Earth praise thee and every thing that moveth therein Amen Amen PSAL. LXX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã THIS Psalme is the same with the five last verses of the fortieth Psalm The Contents of this Psalm are 1. The Prayer of David for himself that he may be freed from his enemies ver 1. which he repeats ver 5. 2. For the speedy destruction of the wicked ver 2 3. 3. For the prosperity of the godly ver 4. 4. The Arguments he urgeth to move God to grant his prayer 1. His miserable condition I am poor and needy 2. Gods office Thou art my Helper and Redeemer therefore make no long tarrying O my God The Psalm needs no farther Analysis because it is fully Analysed before in the end of the fortieth Psalm The Prayer out of the seventieth Psalm O Lord we therefore daily implore thy mercy because we are daily beset with danger Enemies we have without within us from whose malice and cruelty we can find no safety Ver. 5 except in thy favour and mercy Thou alone art our Help and Deliverer make then no long tarrying O my God rather make haste to deliver us Ver. 1 make haste to help us Many there are that seek after my soul let them be ashamed and confounded Ver. 2 many there are that desire my hurt let them be turned backward and put to confusion suddenly let them be turned back and put to flight Ver. 3 that rejoyce at
that they should inherit the Land which now they could not do in quiet For all the earth was full of darkness i. e. impiety and cruel habitations Plunderers every where And he goes on in his Prayer and useth two Arguments more 1. That Gods people be not ashamed of their hope and expectation and dependance on God O let not the oppressed return ashamed 2. From their gratitude Let the poor and needy praise thy Name In the close of the Psalm he more openly expresseth the affection of his heart for God and presseth him for help because the cause is his the enemies his the blasphemy against him and redounds to the dishonour of his name and that it dayly increaseth 1. Arise O Lord plead thine own cause 2. Remember how the foolish people reproach thee dayly 3. Forget not the voice of thine enemies 4. The tumult of those that rise against thee increaseth continually The Prayer to be collected out of the seventy fourth Psalm is needless it being so powerful methodical and easie a Prayer of it self I shall only then Paraphrase upon it AND why O God doest thou carry thy self toward us at this time Vers. 1 as if thou didst seem to have cast us off rejected us from thy care and favour wholly and for ever O good God why doth the severity of thy indignation smoke against those whom thou hast chosen to feed care for Vers. 2 and govern as if they had been thine own sheep thy selected flock O thou which hast seem'd for a long time to be unmindful of us remember we beseech thee thy Congregation which thou hast purchased with thy blood whom thou hast bought to be thy inheritance not yesterday nor to day but before the beginning of the world Remember Mount Zion that is now destroy'd by the enemy and that place wherein thou hast dwelt Therefore that thy mercy may be answerable to thy former love Vers. 3 with-hold not any longer the hand of thy Omnipotence and Iustice but make bare thy arm and lift up thy feet to the perpetual desolation and eternal destruction of every enemy that hath done wickedly in the Sanctuary Thy adversaries being become conquerors have cryed with a loud voice Vers. 4 and proudly boasted and roared as Lions in the midst of the Congregations they have prophaned thy Solemn Feasts they have thrown down thy Altars and slain thy Priests with the edge of the sword and they have set up their banners in thy Temples as manifest signs of their victories without any reverence had to thy holy place without any acknowledgement or honour exhibited to thy name by whose permission for our prophaneness they thus triumph over us and these confecrated places When they enter'd into these holy Oratories they shew'd no more reverence than if they had fet footing into some thick wood Those beams of Cedar which our fore-fathers out of piety and dedotion had polished and dedicated to the ornament and deanty of thy house these those rude and barbarous hands have broken down with Ares and Hammers Yea they have cast fire into thy Sanctuary they have prophaned the Tabernacle consecrated to thy name drawing it down to the ground despoyling it of all glory and the sincere worship of thy name being taken away instead thereof they have set up and worship'd their own indentions Nay their malice stay'd not here Not a Synagogue of the Land but hath felt their fury no School of the Prophets but hath groaned under their oppression They encourage each other in mischief Come say they let us destroy them all together Thus have they made all thy Solemn Festivals to cease and thy whole worship to be annihilated As for thy Prophets they are few left and those that are disgraced eiected imprisoned oppressed accounted the off-scouring of the world and made a spectacle to men and Angels thy Word in their mouths is estéemed a lye and the defence of thy truth held for superstition and the Traditions of men and with them thy holy Ordinances are all cast aside as ââecessary Ceremonies O Lord how long wilt thou suffer the adversary to reproach Wilt thou be of that long-suffering and patience that the prophane shall blaspheme thy holy Name and by his blasphemies provoke thée to anger for ever Why as a lazy man is wont toda doest thou kéep thy right-hand in thy bosome why doest than not pluck it from thence and make these profane persons féel the blow and thy people the mercy It cannot be ascribed to thy want of power that thou art thus patient For thou art the same God now as of old Thou art the great King which hast wrought salvation for our fathers in the midst of the earth even in the sight of all people Marvellous and terrible were thy works Vers. 13 which thou didst for thy people of Israel Thou didst divide the Sea by thy strength and made the waters to stand on a heap till thy people were past through it Thou brakest the heads of that Dragon Pharaoh and all his hoast in the red Sea Thou didst cleave the Rock and turn'dst the flint-stone into a springing Well that thence the thirst of thy people might be satisfied as from a fountain And on the contrary thou hast dryed up the swiftest current and mest violent stream that thy people might pass dry-foot through it Neither is thy power declared only in these extraordinary miracles but also in all creatures The night and day were created by thee Thou hast prepared the light and the Sun Thou hast set the bounds of the Sea and all the borders of the earth Thou hast made Summer and Winter The vicissitudes of all things is a manifest of thy power and the change of all times and seasons is thy Ordinance wisely disposed for the commodity of man When then O Lord thy power is so great shew thy might and come amongst us remember this that the enemy hath reproached in effect imputed weakness and impotence to thée said in his heart What God shall deliver them out of my hand O Lord remember that the foolish people in prophaning thy Temples and trampling thy Prophets have blasphemed thy name being regardless of thy Omnipotence and secure upon thy patience We beséech thée suffer no longer the souls of those innocent mournful Turtle Doves who desire to worship and praise thée to be delivered to the multitude and rabble of the wicked neither leave destitute of thy favour and help for ever the Congregation of the afflicted people whose considence is thy care and security thy sole protection Have respect O Lord to the Covenant thou hast made with our fathers Never let the gates of Hell as thou hast promised prevail against thy Church which at this time can find no rest for the sole of her foot since the places of the earth are full of darkness and cruel habitations for bloody and deceitful men having their heart darkned are spread over the Land and by violence and
brings them into the case that David here was 2. To which he adds a Doxology Who is so great a God as our God which he confirms in the following verse Thou art the God that dost wonders Thou hast declared thy strength among the people thy power thy wisdom thy protection of thy Church even to all people the Heathens themselves and strangers to Israel may see it and acknowledge it if not blind 2. 2 To Israel in particular But in particular Thou hast declared thy strength in defence of Israel Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people the sons of Jacob and Joseph And he amplifies this story of their deliverance from Aegypt by several instances of Gods power in it 1. In the red Sea The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee not only the Aegyptians but the sensless Element felt thy power they were afraid the depths also were troubled Exod. 14. 2. In the Heaven The clouds poured out water the skies sent out a sound thine arrows also went abroad the voyce of thy Thunder was in the Heavens thy lightnings lightned the World Exod. 14.24 25. 3. In the earth The earth trembled and shook and all this was done that Israel might have a passage through it Thy way is in the Sea and thy passage in the great waters and thy footsteps are not known And the final cause of this miracle was The final cause of it that he might shew his severity toward his enemies and his goodness toward his people for whose deliverance he sent Moses and Aaron ordained a King and a Priest by them Thou leddest thy people like sheep by the hands of Moses and Aaron The Prayer collected out of the seventy seventh Psalm VVITH all ardency of spirit earnestness of soul and contention of voyce Ver. 1 have I cryed unto thée O Lord constantly and fervently have I cryed unto thée O hear the voyce of my prayer and let my cry come unto thée when I was in trouble I expected I called for no humane help but I fled to thée to thée I called for aid and comfort with stretched-out hands and eyes bent to Heaven I stood before my God O let me not be disappointed of my hope In the night-season Ver. 2 when others devoid of care take their rest and sléep my sore ran and ceased not I found no rest in my bones by reason of my sin yea so great was the grief of my soul That I refused comfort I remembred my God whom I had so often and so foully offended and I was troubled at it my sin my grievous sin lies heavy upon my soul it makes me to complain and the conscience of it so far depresseth my spirit That I am even overwhelmed with fear and sorrow By the dread I have of thy anger my eyes are held waking and I pass the long night in which others are refreshed with sléep without any rest and I am so troubled in my self that I have no mind to speak I revolved in my mind the times that were past and the years of former Generations in which thou hadst dealt mercifully with afflicted souls And in the night-season a season most fit for meditation I called to remembrance my song my song in which with a joyful heart I was wont to praise thée and yet so I received not comfort I communed with my own heart I searched out as with a Lanthorn my soul I called to mind thy clemency to thy children thy Truth in thy Word thy Iustice in thy Promises the causes of all calamities and these my sorrows and yet so I could not be comforted Ah merciful Lord and loving Father Wilt thou cast me off for ever and wilt thou no more be favourable to me Thou art patient and long-suffering Thou art the Father of mercies thy property is to have pity thy promise to forgive and spare thy people and is thy mercy now gone for ever and doth thy promise fail for evermore What hâst thou forgotten to be gracious and wilt thou in anger shut up thy tender bowels of mercies that I shall never more have any sense or féeling of them Of a truth Lord for my wicked life I have deserved the fiercest of thy wrath and all the judgments which thou hast threatned against rebellious sinners but O Lord Thou art able of a Saul to make a Paul of a Publican a Disciple of Zachaeus a Penitent of Mary Magdalen a Convert these changes are in the hand of the most High Turn then me O Lord and so I shall be turned and turn unto me and so I shall be refreshed pardon my sin and change my heart and so I shall be assured that thy mercy is not clean gone For after this long debate betwixt me and my own soul upon the serious thoughts of thy mercy I came to this resolve that my diffidence proceeded from my own pusillanimity for I said all this trouble is from my own infirmity I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember how gracious he hath béen to other sinners how strangely he hath converted them how mercifully he hath forgiven them and this change hath put me in good hope of an old man to become a new man of a vessel of wrath a vessel of mercy and that though in anger for a time he hath séemed to desert me yet out of méer compassion he will return and be gracious to me I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old time I will meditate also of all thy works and talk of thy doings I will call to mind That thou dost not call thy people to partake of the pleasures of this World but to desperate conflicts with sin death Satan and Hell that there is not any of thy servants of old but have born this burden and heat of the day and shall I then look to escape shall I hope to be exempted Thy way O God is in the Sanctuary A secret there is why thou dealest thus with thy servants and known it cannot be till we go into thy Sanctuary there we may learn That thou chastnest every child that thou receivest there we shall find That the reason of all thy procéedings are full of equity and holiness and that there is nothing we can justly reprehend or complain of Which of the gods of the Nations is in power to be compared unto thée which in mercy is like thée Thou art the God that dost wonders Thou hast declared thy strength in our weakness thy power in our infirmity O shew therefore thy self to be the self-same God and in this my weakness and infirmity support me It is not for nothing that thy favour to thy people Israel is left upon Record the Redemption of the sons of Jacob and Joseph are expressions of thy power and mercy Then O Lord the waters of the red Sea law thee then the waters felt thy presence and as if
shew thy power severity and mercy All which should breed in us fear and reverence But like those rebellious Israelites we have not kept thy Covenant nor walkt in thy Law we have forgot thy works and thy wonders then done we have turned back we have tempted thee our God these ten times we have provoked and grieved the holy One of Israel We have not remembred thy hand nor the day when thou deliverest us from the hand of the enemy Of a truth Lord when thy hand hath been heavy upon us by the pestilence famine or sword when thou by any of thy severe judgements didst stay us and bring us to the jaws of death then we sought thee then we returned and enquired early after God then we remembred that God was our Rock and the high God our Redeemer Novertheless we did but flatter thee with our mouths and lyed unto thee with our tongues for thy heavy hand was no sooner removed but our obedience was at an end We have again rempted and provoked the most High God we have not kept thy Testimonies but turned back and dealt unfaithfully with our fathers Thine own people were not more contumacious Israel not more stubborn forgetful wilful than we have been If they dissembled with thee we have done the like if they provoked grieved tempted thee we have done the like Our great deliverances have not wrought upon us thy apparent judgements have not bettered us thy returns of mercy have stiffned our hard hearts Wo be to us for our infidelity and disobedience whither shall we fly to whom shall we go Were it not that we consider that thou art the Father of mercies our hearts would faint Those words upon record are sweeter than honey and the honey-comb to our dying souls Israel was not right with him nor stedfast in his Covenant But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroy'd them not yea many a time he turn'd his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath For he remembred that they were but flesh a wind that passeth away and cometh not again Remember O Lord the mould of which we are made consider that we are but weak and vain flesh strive not alwayes with us remember that the breath in our nostrils is but a wind that passeth away and cometh not again then turn away thine anger and stir not up all thy wrath Out of thy meer compassion pardon and forgive our iniquity and destroy not the work of thine own hands Raise us by the power of thy Spirit and confirm us in thy truth that there never may be in us hereafter a heart of unbelief Never let us depart from the living God or harden our hearts from thy fear The natural branches are broken off and we who were slips of the wild Olive are graffed in of which we have not so much reason to boast as to tremble lest that thou who hast refused the Tribe of Joseph and cast aside the Tribe of Ephraim for their ingratitude rebellion impiety and disobedience shouldst upon the same ground reject us also We will not boast against the natural branches but come before thee with fear and hope with fear lest what hapned to them may befall us and yet with hope that the same mercy which followed them may yet follow us In the hottest of thy anger thou yet madest choice of the Tribe of Judah and sett'st thy love upon Mount Zion there thou built'st thy Sanctuary on high and sett'st it like the earth which never should move at any time David thou madest choice of to be their Prince and brought'st him to feed Jacob thy people and Israel thine inheritance Let this thy love notwithstanding our wickedness continue unto thy Church let the Tribe of Judah be dear in thy eyes take pleasure and do good to Zion build thy Sanctuary on high and make it conspicuous and beautiful in the eyes of her very enemies never let the gates of hell prevail against it Call thy servant David from his low condition to guide thy people and rule thy inheritance And let the power of thy Spirit be so effectual in him that he may feed thy people according to the integrity of his heart and guide them prudently with all his might So shall we who are the sheep of thy pasture give thee thanks for ever and ever PSAL. LXXIX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã THIS Psalm was composed when the Church was oppressed as some conceive by Antiochus certain it is it was in a very distressed condition And it hath These parts Viz. 1. A Complaint for the desolation of Jerusalem from vers 1. to 5. 2. A Deprecation of Gods anger vers 5. 3. A twofold Petition 1. Against the enemies of the Church vers 6 7 10 11 12. 2. For the Church vers 8 9. 4. A Doxology vers 13. 1. The Complaint is very bitter and riseth by many degrees The first part The Complaint bitter and amplified by a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1. O God the heathen are come into thine inheritance The Antithesis is elegant The heathen those Wolves impure beasts are come into thy Land thy peculiar 2. Thy Holy Temple have they defiled Vers. 1 Prophaned the place consecrated to thy service 3. They have laid Jerusalem on heaps Funditus deleverunt Vers. 2 4. Their cruelty they have exercised upon the Dead The dead bodies of thy Servants have they given to be meat to the fowls of the aire the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the Land Vers. 3 5. A second part of their cruelty was that they made no more reckoning to let out the life-blood of a man than of so much water Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem 6. They wanted a grave And there was none to bury them 7. Vers. 4 And to make up the full measure of their calamities their enemies looked on and scoffed at it We are become a reproach to our Neighbours a scorn and derision to them that are round about us 2. The second part The misery being fully decipher'd in this pathetical Complaint next the Psalmist acknowledgeth the cause of their calamity and expostulates with God The cause Gods anger 1. The cause was Gods anger and jealousie 2. Vers. 5 He expostulates with God about it and deprecates it How long O Lord About which he expostulates with God wilt thou be angry for ever shall thy jealousie burn like fire i.e. Cessairasci 3. The third part And prayes And now he begins his Prayer which is two-fold First Against the enemy 1. Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee and upon the Kingdoms that have not call'd on thy name 1 For vengeance to fall on the enemy for their cruelty Not upon us but on them 2. And he adds the reason and 't is a reason of weight in which he respects not himself but Gods people For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste
his dwelling place The other part of his Prayer 2 For the Church is for pardon and help for the Church 1. He said vers 5. that God was angry and anger ariseth from sin First then he begs remission 1 Remission 1. O remember not against us our former iniquities 2. Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us Ratio For we are brought very low 2. 2 Help And then he prayes for help Help us O God of our Salvation using the most powerful Argument Gods glory Help us for the glory of thy name 3. Which both he conjoins His Arguments to prevail with God Then joins both together Deliver us and purge away our sins for thy Names sake And now he adds to his first reason viz. Gods glory two more why he desires sudden help which are The Blasphemy of the heathen 2. The Misery of his people at this time That if not delivered the enemy would Blaspheme 1. If they were not delivered the enemy was like to blaspheme and say Now wherefore should the heathen say Where is their God Therefore Let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenge of the blood of thy Servants which is shed 2. That their condition was miserable Our case is miserable we are an object of pity Let then the sighing of the prisoners come before thee according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to dye 3. And thirdly render unto our neighbours seven-fold into their bosomes i.e. largely even the reproach with which they have reproached thee O Lord. 4. The fourth part The Vote or Obligation to be thankful for the deliverance 1. So we that be thy people and sheep of thy pasture shall give thee thanks for ever The Doxology for their deliverance 2. We will shew forth thy praise to all generations We thy people thy sheep will do it For praise is not comely nor acceptable out of the mouth of a sinner The Prayer collected out of the seventy ninth Psalm O Merciful God and loving Father thou hast chosen us from among all people to be thine inheritance and hast omitted nothing either for our instruction or future happiness Thou hast written unto us the wonderful things of thy Law thou hast open'd to us the Mysteries of thy Gospel thou hast washed us with water and fed us with the flesh and blood of thy Son But with shame and confusion of face we confess before thee that we have walkt unworthy of so great mercies and unthankful wretches as we are have been disobedient to thy holy Will For this thy wrath and jealousie is justly kindled against us and it hath brought in a cruel and barbarous enemy upon us Vers. 1 These infidels and miscreants O Lord by thy permission have invaded that people whom thou hast chosen for thy inheritance They have prophaned with their imaginations and wasted without any reverence thy holy Temples and they have laid upon heaps Jerusalem Vers. 2 those houses which were dedicated and consecrated to thy honour Neither hath their fury only extended to these material buildings but they have shew'd their rage against the dead bodies of thy Saints sometimes the Temples of the Holy Ghost These they have not suffered to be brought with honour to the grave and to be gathered to their fathers in peace but have given them to be meat to the fowls of the air and the beasts of the Land While they liv'd they made no more account of their blood than of so much water that being spilt upon the ground cannot be gather'd up again and therefore without any commiseration they have poured it but round about Jerusalem Which affliction falling thus heavy upon us and suffered by us when our Neighbours that are enemies to thy truth behold they deride and mock us to them we are become a Proverb of reproach a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us not without the ignominy of thy Name in which they boast that we have bellev'd in vain But O Lord how long how long wilt thou be angry with us for ever shall thy jealousie and hot indignation be continually kindled and burn against us like a mighty fire that wastes and devoures all before it O let thy wrath cease from the shéep of thy pasture And if thou wilt be angry still pour out thy indignation upon the barbarous bloody and blasphemous people that have not known thée or if known dishonour'd thée and empty thy vials upon their heads who have not call'd upon thy name or if called yet hypocritically and so lyed unto thée These are the people that have devoured Jacob thy servant these have laid waste his dwelling place Let them not escape thy fury and force them to drink up the dregs of that Cup which is in thy hand and wring put the lées of it We beséech thée therefore for thy mercies sake and at the intercession of thy beloved Son our Lord that thou would'st not remember our former iniquities which we and our fathers have committed against thée but that passing by our demerits thy tender mercies would spéedily prevent us now that we are brought very low before we are utterly consumed Help us therefore now O God of our salvation to thée we fly to thée we cry help us and deliver us and that not for our selves for we have justly deserv'd thy wrath but for the glory of thy name For it will much redound to the honour of thy name that such sinners such men so low so disconsolate and helpless should be saved Come therefore O Lord and deliver us and purge away our sins for thy Names sake If we now perish under our enemies hands they will not insult only over us but thée ask they will in scorn and derision Where now is their God He is either so impotent that he cannot or so cruel that he will not deliver those whom he calls his people out of our hands Oh why should the heathen say this or blaspheme thus Be therefore O Lord known among the heathen in our sight by the revenge thou takest for the blood of thy servants which is shed O let the sighs and groans of those who are led Captive and now in prison come before thee and by the greatness of thy power preserve us the remainder and sons of those who have béen slain from death And to our malicious Neighbours Vers. 12 who have adjoyn'd themselves to our enemies and glory at our calamity render seven-fold unto them as they have reproached us so let them be a reproach So we that thou hast honour'd to be thy people and chosen to be the sheep of thy pasture shall give thee thanks for ever So shall we be encouraged to shew forth thy praise from generation to generation PSAL. LXXX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã THE occasion of this Psalm is the same with the former viz. An oppression of Israel and devastation as
hypocritically and falsly as all flatterers do But to that pass they should have been brought that they should be glad to dissemble with and flatter Gods people 2. 2 Their peace long and lasting The second benefit is That their time should have continued for ever i.e. Their peace their tranquility their health their quiet habitation should have been very long and not interrupted with War Sedition Tumults 3. The third benefit is The abundance of all things Expressed by wheat 3 Abundance of all things to satisfaction and honey 1. I should have fed them also not with bran mixt with flowre as poor folks use and is usual in time of famine with the finest of the wheat 2. And with honey out of the Rock in which in Judaea Bees commonly liv'd would I have satisfied thee 'T is a blessing to say I have enough The Prayer collected out of the eighty first Psalm INsinite Vers. 1 O Lord are the causes that we have with the greatest alacrity to praise thée Thou art our strength thou art the God of Jacob we will therefore sing aloud and make a joyful noyse unto thee and because our breath is too short and low to resound thy praises we will call in the assistance of musical instruments the Nary the Lute and Psaltery and when those Feasts and Solemn Festivals shall come which are set forth for to celebrate thy mercies to man-kind we will blow abroad thy honour with shrill sounding Trumpets In which we yet shall but do our duty for this was made a Statute for Israel and a Law of the God of Jacob. Thou wert merciful to thy people Israel when in trouble they called upon thee thou deliveredst them thou broughtst them to Mount Sinai and proclaimed thy Law in their eares with the sound of a Trumpet when they heard a voice never heard before Thou easest his shoulder from the burden of carrying earth tiles bricks and straw and his hands were delivered from making the pots Thou hast been to us no less merciful than to them when in our afflictions and troubles we have called upon thee thou hast come down and delivered us thou hast freed us from our Aegyptian darkness of ignorance thou hast loused us from the slavery of the devil and from the drudgery and service of sin which laid a heavy burden upon our consciences and instead of thy Law proclaimed with so much terrour in Mount Sinai thou hast spoken to us from heaven by thy only begotten Son and sounded in our ears the glad-tidings of the Gospel And now Lord what doest thou require at our hands for all these favours even the self-same that thou requiredst of Israel For thus thou then spakest to them and thus thou speakest to us Hear O my people Vers. 8 and I will testifie unto thee O Israel if thou wilt hearken unto me there shall be no strange god in thee neither shalt thou worship any other god I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me And wo be so us miserable wretches our ears have béen dull of hearing and we have not hearkned to thy command though we have not set up strange gods yet we have worshipped our own imaginations and adored our own inventions We have forgotten that thou brought'st us out of our more than Aegyptian darkness of ignorance and sin and fill'd our mouths with all good things In a word we have not hearkned to thy voice we have set thée by for the vanities of our own hearts and would none of thée In justice therefore thou hast given us up to our hearts lusts and we have walked in our own counsels and because we would not receive the love of the truth that we might be saved for this cause hath God sent us a strong delusion that we should be lieve a lye and take pleasure in unrighteousness But O Lord though Israel hath transgressed yet let not Judah sin in Sodom thou hadst a Lot in Ur of the Chaldees an Abraham in the Land of Uz a Job though the four hundred Prophets have followed Baal yet there is one Micajah left nay seven thousand vnées that have not vowed to the Idol these will hearken unto thee these will walk in thy wayes Lord here their prayers hearken unto their groans for the remnant that are left And thou who wouldst have spared that sinful City at the request of Abraham could ten righteous men have been found in it return in mercy to the thousands of Israel which day and night cry unto thee to spare thy people O Lord for their fakes rather for thine own sake spéedily subdue and bring under our enemies and turn thy hand against our adversaries let all those who by their works and practical Atheism séem to hate thee bow like lerbants before thy people and at least shew and sein a voluntary subjection not daring to carry themselves proudly and stubbornly before thy servants nor to manifest their secret rancour But let the time of those who in sincerity of heart in truth and in spirit worship thée endure for ever let their peace be secure their tranquility long their prosperity perpetual their habitation quiet and their health confirm'd When they shall open their mouths wide in prayer fulfil their requests whatsoever they shall ask in thy name according to thy promise give it Because they first seek the glory and prosperity of thy Kingdom and the righteousness thereof let all other things be added unto them Supply them with the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth when other Prodigals féed upon husks then feed them with the finest of the wheat Let the Rocks yield them honey the Mountains Brass and Iron let their pastures de clothed with flocks Vers. 1 and their valleys to codered over with corn that they shout for ioy and sing that they take a Psalm and bring forth the Tabret the merry Harp with the Lute and on thy great and appointed Solemnities sing aloud to the God of their strength and make a cheerful noyse to the God of Jacob. Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christs sake our only Lord and Saviour Amen PSAL. LXXXII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã THAT the Prophet might admonish and check the Judges of the earth about their duty he sets God in the midst of them commanding that they do justice and âhreatning revenge for their injustice assuring them that he will rise one day and judge them Three parts of the Psalm 1. The Prophets Proclamation vers 1 2. Gods contestation with the Judges of the earth from vers 2. to 8. 3. The Prophets prayer that God would rise to judge v. 8. 1. The first part Gods preâence proclaimed in the Court. The Prophet as a Cryer in a Court proclaims first a very profitable Doctrine and layes a solid foundation for all justice viz. That all Judges remember that as at
every man according to his works call these tyrants to an account for the male-administration of thy Laws Render them O Lord seven-fold into their bosomes So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture shall give thee thanks for ever PSAL. LXXXIII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã TO resolve this Psalm there is no difficulty For it branches it self into These parts 1. A short Ejaculation or Prayer vers 1. 2. A Complaint of the enemies of Gods Church which is the reason of his Prayer from vers 2. to 11. 3. A fearful Imprecation against them from vers 11. to the end 1. The first part An ardent Ejaculation The Prophet out of a holy impatience at the patience and long-suffering of God calls ardently and earnestly upon him as appears by the ingemination of the words that he would be no longer patient at the affronts and insultations of the Churches enemies The cause was his own not to be endured then longer Keep not thou silence Vers. 1 O God hold not thy peace be not still O God 2. The second part His complaint of enemies And next he begins to Complain which was the reason of his Petition These were enemies 1. To the people of God 2. To God himself vers 5. And then he tells us who they were from vers 6. to 9. 1. Vers. 2 He describes the enemies of the Church The Characters of which are Their Characters 1. They were Souldiers They make a tumult Their warlike fierceness is signified by it As Lions Bears 2. They were arrogant and proud They that hate thee life up their head And wilt thou then be silent 3. They are subtle men They have taken crafty counsel against thy people and consulted against thy hidden ones those whom thou hidest under the shadow of thy wings Thy peculââr Exod. 19.5 4. Their intent Their counsel broke out into action and they encouraged one another in mischief even to the total and final destruction of the Church Come say they let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance 2. Which Confederacy and Conspiracy was not only against the people of God but against God himself For they have consulted together with one consent nemine dissentiente The Conspirators and are confederate against thee 3. He gives us in a Catalogue of these Conspirators All the world against God and his Church The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ismaelites of Moab Vers. 6 and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tire Ashur also is join'd with them they have holpen the children of Lor. Selah 3. And having discovered the men and their attempts The third part He prayes to God to take revenge on them he prayes to God for revenge which consisted in four particulars 1. Their fall and ruine 2. Their persecution 3. Their terrour 4. And their disgrace Which he illustrates by divers similitudes 1. Of a wheel that easily runs down a hill 2. Of stubble driven away by the wind 3. As wood burnt up by the fire 4. Of a flame that consumes the Mountains 5. Of a tempest that throws down all things before it 1. Their ruine and fall he would have it total and exemplary That their ruine be total Do unto them as unto the Medianites as to Sisera as to Jabin at the brook of Kison Which perished at Endor and became as the dung of the earth Make them and their Princes like Oreb and Zeb yea all their Princes as Zeba and as Zalmunna Of which he interserts a reason Who have said Let us take to our selves the houses of God in possession 2. And this their ruine he would have sudden and violent 2 Sudden and violent as appears by the similitudes 1. Precipitate them whirl them down O my God make them like a wheel or unquiet in mind 2. Remove them as light things are blown away by the wind Make them as stubble before the wind 3 Terrible and shameful 3. Burn them as speedily as the fire burns the wood Or as the flame sets furs on fire on the Mountains 3. Persecute them with thy tempest 4. Make them afraid with thy storm 5. Fill their faces with shame These three parts of their punishment 1. Flight 2. Fear Terrour 3. Shame and Ignominy The ends of his prayer And that the Prophet might not seem uncharitable in this bitter imprecation he now shews the ends why he thus prayed These were two 1. The first That they might seek after God in effect be converted 1 That converted Do this to them that they may seek thy name O Lord. 2 Or confounded Or as others conceive Seek thy name meerly out of a servile fear of Gods vengeance and contain their fury not daring any further to attempt any thing against the Church Which the next verse confirms Let them be confounded and troubled for ever yea let them be put to shame and perish i. e. brought to utter destruction or at least so enfeebled that they may be said to perish 2. The second That thereby Gods glory may be the more exalted 3 And Gods name glorified viz. That men may know that thou whose name is Jehovah art the most High over all the earth i. e. not Lord of the Jews only but the Gentiles also Vt cognoscatur Junius That thy Eternity Majesty Power may be acknowledg'd by all men The Prayer collected out of the eighty third Psalm O Omnipotent God Vers. 2 so great is the hatred so many the conspiracies so secret and malicious are the counsels of our enemies against thee and thy people that were it not for the promises which thou hast made unto thy people we should despair and faint They have appeared in Arms and headed the iumultnous many against us They who by their impiety shew they hate thee have lift up in pride their head they have taken crafty counsel against they people and consulted against those whom thou hast taken under the shadow of thy wings So great is their malice and hatred to us that they have said in their hearts and encouraged each other in this mischief Come say they let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance yea their consultations and confederacies their Leagues and Covenant is not so much against us as against thy honour thy service thy truth which we endeavour to maintain They have consulted together with one consent and are confederate against thee yea so far they have prevailed that they have taken to themselves and their own use all the houses of God in possession Wherefore Vers. 1 O Lord we beseech thee keep no longer silence hold not thy peace be not still since thy enemies lift up their heads against thee awake and lift up thy head against them and thou who for thy people Israels safety didst shew thy
the place of thy service where I may publickly acknowledge thee to be all these O happy men that may dwell in thy house for there as a good Master of the Family thou dispensest to them the bread of eternal life Thou suppliest unto them matter of praise and they again are as ready to praise thee in which constists the chief pleasure and selicity of man So often as they meet there they will invocate thy name offer thanksgiving confess their sins and give glory to God vow they will to propagate thy Truth and in reverence and fear do all acts of piety and devotion These are happiest but those are also happy that have a destre and a liberty to ascend thither O Lord increase in us these destres and give us again this freedom our strength is in thee and our hearts are in thy wayes and though we must pass through the Valley of tears yet we desire to ascend to that place which thou Lord hast appointed to thy self for an habitation In the strength of the Lord God we will procéed till we appear before God in Zion and find that Majesty and mercy which we so earnestly long for and séek For whatsoever happiness we are capable of in this life we know it is to be obtained in the pious Assemblies of thy Saints O Lord God of hosts hear my prayer give ear O God of Jacob. Thou who art our Shield and Protector behold me with a serene countenance and when I shall lift up my eyes unto thee O turn thy face toward thy Anointed and for his sake look upon me and thy people with mercy and bring us back again to thy house Grant that the love of thy house may be to us that which thou desirest that we may think the time of one day spent in it better than thousands in doing our own pleasure yea and that it is better to be the meanest servant a door-kéeper in the house of God than to dwell with honour in the Tents and Palaces of ungodly men The pleasures and delights which we may hope for in those Tents are nothing to the contents we may enjoy in thy house for there we shall enjoy thée who art our Sun our Shield the Father of all good gifts and wilt deny no good thing to those who sincerely serve thée O Lord be unto me a Shield and a Sun A Sun to illuminate us A Shield to protect us Dispell our darkness comfort and warm our hearts with thy light increase us with thy swéetest influence and defend us by thy power Give us grace and adopt us for thy Sons and at last bestow upon us eternal glory Thou hast promised to deny no good thing to those who walk before thée in simplicity and integrity Inable us then O God to walk in thy wayes with a pure and an honest heart For then we may be comforted with this hope and assurance that we shall be blessed and that we shall come at last to those eternal Mansions in heaven by the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. PSAL. LXXXV ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã MYstically this whole Psalm is a Prophesie concerning the redemption of Mankind from the Tyranny of sin and Satan by the coming of Christ prefigured by the deliverance of the Jewes either from Egypt or rather from Babylon after which they fell again into grievous troubles under Antiochus Three parts of the Psalm 1. An Acknowledgment of Gods formet mercies ver 1 2 3. 2. A Petition upon that ground that he would still do the like 4 5 6 7. 3. A profession of obedience and an advice to continue in it ver 8. that men may be partakers of the promises both spiritual 9 10 11. and temporal ver 12. which shall be performed to those who keep in the wayes of God ver 13. 1. In the three first verses A Commemoration of Gods mercies the Prophet makes a Commemoration of Gods mercies to his people of which the Fountain is his good will and favour Lord Thou bast been favourable of which the effects were temporal and spiritual The first part 1. Temporal Thou hast been favourable to thy Land Ver. 1 Thou hast turned away or brought back the captivity of Jacob 1 Temporal freed them from the Babylonian yoke 2. Spiritual which consisted in two things Ver. 2 1. Justification Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people 2 Spiritual and covered all their sins Ver. 3 2. Reconciliation Thou hast taken away all thy wrath and hast turned thy self from the fierconess of thy anger 2. And now upon the experience of these former mercies The second part Upon this favour he prayes the Prophet commends a new Petition the sum whereof is briefly this Thou hast been favourable to us before and therefore we hope that thou wilt be so now this is the consequent of the former antecedent and upon it in confidence he prayes Turn us then O God our Saviour c. to the 8th verse Ver. 4 in which Petition is said over again That God would assure those mercies what was acknowledged before in the Commemoration of the benefits 1. Thou hast turned away the captivity Restore us then turn us then or return to us O God our Saviour 2. Thou hast been reconciled be again reconciled to us Thou hast taken away all thy wrath c. ver 3. Ver. 5 Now cause thine anger towards us to cease Wilt thou be displeased at us for ever Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all Generations This is contrary to thy nature who art slow to anger 3. Thou hast brought us back and so revived our hearts ver 1. And wilt thou not revive us again by delivering us from our present calamities and this death that thy people may rejoyce in thee 4. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people c. ver 2. Shew us then thy mercy O Lord and grant us thy salvation Save us in mercy first from sins the cause of our sufferings and then from the punishment our present miseries 3. And that the Church might prevail in her Petition she now promiseth obedience and to wait upon God I will hear what the Lord God will speak The third part As if she had said For which he waits why do I expostulate thus with my God why do I thus complain I will attend to his Word and hear what he will say for he is a trusty Counsellor in all our afflictions Ver. 8 and this it is that he will say I wound and I make whole I kill and I give life Being assured that God will turn all to the best 1. For he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints Though he begins to his people in the cup of his Cross yet he keeps the best wine till the last and turns his Cross into a Crown if they hear what he saith he will speak peace to them And speak peace to his people 2. If they
each form hath a reason annexed 1. Ver. 1 Bow down thy ear hear me Ratio For I am poor and needy i. e. destitute of other help 2. Ver. 2 Preserve my soul Ratio For I am holy i.e. pious and studious of holiness ready to serve thee 3. Ver. 3 O thou my God save thy servant Ratio That trusteth in thee relies on thy help and for that exposed to dangers 4. Be merciful unto me O Lord Ratio For I cry unto thee dayly I cry and call without intermission 5. Rejoyce the soul of thy servant comfort me with thy presence and sense of thy favour Ratio For unto thee O Lord I life up my soul i. e. with great desire I long after thee And all these Reasons perswade to Audience from the person of the Supplicant who because he was in distress and yet studious to please his God did rely upon God and daily cry and earnestly desire the sense of his favour therefore he did lift up his soul to him The second part A continuance in his Petition from the nature of God 2. And yet he continues his Petition from the consideration of the Nature and Person of God to whom he prayes Hear me and turn away thy wrath 1. For thou O Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thee Ver. 5 give ear therefore unto my prayer and attend to the voyce of my supplications 2. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee Ratio For thou wilt answer me it runs thus Thou art merciful to them that call upon thee ver 5. I call None like to him in his works therefore thou wilt answer 3. There is none among the gods like unto thee O Lord neither are there any of their works like thy works None like in goodness wisdom power in thy works which thou dost to save thy people and therefore I call and cry to thee for help And this the Prophet amplifies in the two next verses as if he had said the event doth shew That there is none like thee no works like thy works for 1. All Nations which now worship Idols she ll come i. e. be converted and worship thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name 2. For thou dost great and wondrous things of which the conversion of the Gentiles is one Thou art God alone And upon this Reason Therefore he begs to be governed by his Word and Spirit that none is like God none comparable to him in his works 1. He falls to prayer again and first begs of God that he may be governed by his Word and Spirit for then he would be an obedient servant Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy Truth unite my heart to fear thy Name For which he professeth to be thankful 2. And secondly professeth he would be a thankful servant I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy Name for evermore To which he subjoyns his Reason For great is thy mercy toward me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Hell i. e. from the greatest troubles And upon both these his obedience and thankfulness he pleads to be heard 3. And yet he presseth another Argument viz. The third part He presseth his prayer from the nature of his enemies The person and quality of his Adversaries 't is but Reason that God hear him for he was beset with enemies and these were proud men 2. Potent men 3. Ungodly men 1. Proud they were The proud have risen up against me 2. Potent they were and many of them The Assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul 3. Ungodly men Atheists Scorners They have not set thee before them 4 And now he hath recourse again to his former Arguments The fourth part He amplifies his former Argument but amplifies them 1. First drawn from the Nature of God ver 5. But thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth 2. The second from his own condition ver 1 2. O turn unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strength unto thy servant and help the son of thy Handmaid i.e. one born within thy Covenant and of a poor humble mother 3. The third from the quality of his Adversaries that they which were Atheists might see Gods hand in his deliverance and confounded by it Shew me a token for good i.e. shew by some evident sign that thou art not angry with me but that thou hast received me into thy favour That they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me The Prayer collected out of the eighty sixth Psalm O Lord great in Power infinite in Majesty so great is our misery and poverty and so destitute we are of help Ver. 1 that we are unworthy of any gracious aspect from thée but since thou art a God who lookest upon thy néedy and poor servants vouchsafe us one good look let our humility bend thy Majesty Bow down thine ear to our prayers and condescend to our requests Ver. 2 Kéep our lives that we fall not into the hands of our enemies O thou who art our God sée'st and know'st that we desire and endeavour to serve thée in holiness preserve therefore the souls of thy servants who have no other hope but thée Be merciful unto us O Lord who every day call and cry to thee Rejoyce the grieved and sad souls of thy servants who renouncing all worldly helps do lift up their souls unto thee Give ear O Lord to our prayer and attend to the voyce of our supplications if not for our sake if not out of the consideration of our present miseries yet for thine own be to us now what thou hast alwayes béen and alwayes wilt be Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy toward all that call upon thee This Lord is the day of our trouble a day of darkness and gloominess and in this we call upon thée Lord hear us bow down thine ear and according to thy wonted mercy receive our Petitions O good God be propitious for if thou wilt thou canst relieve us among men some would but cannot some can but will not help And among the Angels there is none of what order soever like unto thée their power though great is not to be compared to thy power their works though marvellous are nothing to thy works which are so full of wonder that even those Nations who yet know thée not and are out of the Covenant upon whom thou hast together with us set thine own image even these being moved by the greatness of thy works shall at last come and bow and worship before thee and magnifie and glorifie thy Name for thou dost great and wondrous things Thou art God alone O God at this time because we have béen ungrateful
to thee for what thou hast done the proud are risen up against us and a whole assembly of armed and violent men have invaded us and sought after our souls and all they imagine is to take away our lives and thy worship not without a great and high contempt of thy Name But thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth Turn thée then unto us and have mercy upon us give thy strength unto thy servants save those who are thy Vassals and deliver our souls from the nethermost Hell O Lord we are oppressed do thou answer for us teach us the way in which we are to go and we will walk in thy Truth unite our hearts close unto thée and we will take delight to fear thy Name shew some token of thy favour at last to us that they which hate us may see it and be afraid let them sée it openly That thou Lord hast holpen us and comforted us So shall we praise thee O Lord our God with all our heart and we will magnifie and glorifie thy Name for evermore PSAL. LXXXVII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã THIS Psalm is short but sweet for it contains many excellent priviledges of the Church of God of which every one must be a Member that hopes for salvation whosoever was the Authour it was his purpose to excite men to be in love with the Assemblies of Gods Saints and to that purpose the dignity and amplitude of the Church is set forth in this Psalm and the notes of her beauty and perfection may well serve for the Analysis 1. The Church commended 1. For the foundation laid on a holy Mountain First the Church is here commended for her foundation the Authour of it is God it is his foundation and it is surely laid not in the sand but upon a Mountain and no common Mountain neither but a consecrated place laid it is in the holy Mountains His foundation is in the holy Mountain No question the Prophet alludes to the hill of Zion Ver. 1 which was the Type of the Catholick Church and indeed the foundation of it 2 From Gods love to her For the Law was to come out of Zion 2. Ver. 2 The second Prerogative of the Church is taken from Gods love and favour to it 3 From the predictions that went of her far beyond that of any other Assembly The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3. Now besides the commendation it hath from the builder which was God and his free love to it Ver. 3 a third Prerogative it hath and that is from the testimony and predictions of the Prophets 4 From the increase of it by the access of the Gentiles Isaiah Haggai Saint John who not Glorious things are sprken of thee Thou City of God Selah 4. And one of those glorious things foretold by the Prophets was the great increase and amplitude of the Church Ver. 4 by the access of the Gentiles even those Nations which were the greatest enemies to Gods people should become friends and Citizens of this City even the Egyptians Babylonians Tyrians Aethiopians in effect all the Gentiles of what language Countrey soever 1. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me i. e. among my friends and family Behold Phylistia and Tyre with Aethiopia some of all Nations are come into my family there is one Fold one Shepherd 2. This man was born there this man whom you now see a Citizen of Zion was an Alien he was born there in Egypt Babylon c. 5. But now having renounced his Countrey and his fathers house Vers. 5 his Idols and old wayes it shall be said of Zion Vir Vir 5 From her continuance for ever ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This and that man was born regenerate and become a new man in her Here he receiv'd his adoption and the earnest of the Spirit 6. Farther yet the felicity of this City shall in this far exceed all other 6 From her free Denizons whose names are that whereas they fall to decay and perish this shall our-last all time The gates of hell shall not prevail against it For the most highest shall confirm and est ablish her 1 Eniâll'd 7. A seventh Prerogative of the Church is That God agit Censum Vers. 6 and does as it were enrole the names of the Citizens So that now there is no difference betwixt Jew and Gentile bond nor free all are one in Christ Jesus The Lord shall count when he writes up the people That this man this cast-off Gentile was burn there Be as free a Denizon and have all the priviledges and prerogatives of this City as the natural Jew 8. Another Prerogative of these Citizens is 2 And they shall enjoy a perpetual Solemnity That they shall enjoy a perpetual Solemnity grief and sorrow shall cease and with Songs and instruments of Musick they shall sound forth Gods praises As well the siagers as players on instruments shall be there 9. Lastly He concludes the Psalm with an excellent Epiphonema Vers 7 that indeed comprehends all that can be said in the praise of the Church viz. For that in her all good is to be found All my springs are in thee Here are the fountains of living water Here are to be found the hidden treasures of all knowledge Here the waters that will refresh a thirsty soul and a fainting spirit Here all comforts all content The waters that are muddy and troubled in other streams in this are as clear as Cristal 'T is Virgo aqua A Prayer collected out of the eighty seventh Psalm for the Catholick Church O Lord Iesas Christ that by thy Almighty power madest all creatures both visible and invisible that by thy wisdom hast disposed all things in a comely order and now doest govern them that by thy unspeakable goodness yet doest preserve protect and promote all actions and successes who by thy mercy doest restore what is decay'd renew what is fallen and raisest the dead Vouchsafe to cast thy eye upon and view with a pleasing countenance thy well-beloved Spouse thy Church which thou hast purchased with thy blood and betroth'd to thy self in righteousness and in judgement and in loving-kindness and in mercies Look upon her with that amiable and merciful face wherewith thou pacifiest all things in heaven and earth Vers. 1 This is that new City that new Jerusalem which thou hast founded upon the Mountains of holiness Thy holy Apostles and Prophets were at thy command the chief Labourers in the building of it and all men since as living stones are built upon their Doctrine Be pleased then to love the gates of this City by which all must enter that look for salvation and prosecute with greater care and affection this thy chosen Spouse than thou didst the old Synagogue even as thou didst love the hill of
the Rites Ceremonies New Moons Sabbaths Sacrifice Circumcision Pasch c. 4. Vers. 31 And keep not my Commandments i. e. The Decalogue and Moral Law In a word if they become vitious in their Morals and profane and Rebels in my Worship and Religion This then shall happen unto them Resp They shall smart for it escape they shall not but shall soundly smart for it they shall feel 1. Virgam 2. And Verbera The Rod the Whip Then 1. I will visit i. e. punish their transgression with the Rod. 2. And their iniquity with stripes Which was often done By the Babylon Antiochus c. And yet in judgement I will remember mercy But in judgement God will remember mercy I will remember my Covenant my Promise my Word my Oath and will make that good totally I will not cast off Davids seed which I mean not after the flesh for that is long since cast off but after the Spirit Christ which was of the seed of David and those which are his seed viz. the Church shall enjoy the benefit of my Covenant and Oath for ever Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing gone out of my lips And that there be no doubt of this For the Covenant is immutable he brings in God repeating his Oath and Covenant 1. His Oath Once have I sworn by my holiness that is by my self who am Holy 2. His Covenant That I will not lye unto David For His seed shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sun before me It shall be established for ever as the Moon and as a faithful witness in heaven As the Sun and Moon are not obnoxious to mutations no more is this Covenant they must endure to the end of the world and so must this Covenant They are faithful Witnesses in heaven and so we are to seek for the performance of this Covenant in heaven not in earth the Covenant being about a heavenly Kingdom not an earthly It being evident that the Kingdom of David on earth hath failed many ages since But that of Christ shall never fail 7. The seventh part And that God did punish Davids seed for their rebellion is evident So that he was tempted to charge God for breach of promise Now that Davids Kingdom did fail or at least was brought to a low ebb is the complaint in the following words which flesh and blood considering gave a wrong judgement upon it as if God did nothing less than perform his Oath and Covenant This is it which the Prophet layes to Gods charge But thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast been wroth with thy anointed Both King and people are cast aside Than which nothing seems more contrary to thy Covenant Thou hast made void the Covenant of thy servant thou hast profaned his Crown Of which there be many lamentable consequences 1. His Crown is cast to the ground The glory of his Kingdom trampled upon 2. The instances in which they suffered His hedges broken down his strong holds brought to ruine 3. All that pass by the way spoile him Exposed he is to all Rapine and Plunder 4. He is a reproach to his neighbours Exposed to all contumely and disgrace 5. Thou hast set up the right-hand of his enemies and made all his adversaries to rejoice Thou seemest to take part with the enemy against him and makest him exult and rejoice in oppressing him 6. Thou hast also turn'd the edge of his sword blunted his sword that was wont to slay and hast not made him to stand in the battle but to fly and turn his back Vers. 44 7. Thou hast made his glory The glory dignity authority of his Kingdom to cease and cast his Crown to the ground 8. The dayes of his youth thou hast shortned cut him off in the prime and strength of his years Thou hast covered him with shame made his opulent glorious Kingdom ignominious which was true in divers of Davids posterity especially Jehoiakim These were the sad complaints which the Prophet poures out as despairing so far as sense and reason could direct him of the performance of what God had promised But he recovers and prayes The eighth part But he quickly recovers and recalls his thoughts and that he may move God to help he falls to prayer which is very pathetical 8. He considers the nature of God as kind loving merciful slow to anger and asks 1. Usque quo How long Lord wilt thou hide thy self for ever Hide thy favour 2. Shall thy wrath burn like fire An element that hath no mercy Pathetically moves God to pity Then he useth other Arguments pathetically expressed to move God to pity 1. Drawn from the brevity of mans life Remember how short my time is Upon divers Arguments 2. From the end that man was created not in vain but to be an object of Gods goodness and favour which if he enjoins not he shall seem to be born to no purpose therefore he asks Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain 3. From the weakness and disability of man His life is short and can he lengthen it What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Yea though he live long yet he is a mortal creature Shall he deliver his soul from the grave 4. From the Covenant of which he puts God in mind Lord where are thy former loving-kindnesses which thou swarest to David in thy Truth 5. From the ignominy scorns sarcasms by enemies cast upon them which he desires God to look upon 1. Remember Lord the reproach of thy servant 2. And how I do bear in my bosome not spoken afar off but in my hearing and to my face as if poured and emptyed into my bosome the rebukes not of this or that man but many people 6. And lastly That these reproaches in effect fall upon God For they who reproach Gods Servants are his enemies Remember the reproaches 1. Wherewith thine enemies have reproached O Lord. 2. Wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed i. e. Either whatsoever he sayes or does Quocunque se vertat 2. Or else by footsteps is to be understood the latter end of Davids Kingdom which was indeed subject to reproach 3. But the Chaldee Paraphrast by footsteps understands the coming of the Messiah in the flesh which because it was long promised and men saw not performed they derided mocked at and reproached as vain 9. The close of this long Psalm is a Benedictus by which the Prophet The last part The Doxology after his Combate with Flesh and Blood about the performance of the Covenant doth compose his troubled soul and acquiesce in God blessing him for whatsoever falls out no otherwise than Job did breaking forth into this Epiphonema 1. Vers. 52 Blessed be the Lord for evermore Blessed be his Name who doth and orders all
things for the best to his people although in the midst of calamities and troubles he seems to desert them 2. And that we may know that he did this from his heart he seals it with a double Amen Amen Amen So I wish so be it The Prayer collected out of the eighty ninth Psalm O God the Habitation of whose Throne is justice and equity and before whose face Mercy and Truth are perpetual attendants we unworthy wretches yet thy Servants do beseech thee that the effects of these thy attributes may be evidently séen in the gathering féeding amplifying protecting Vers. 1 and preserving thy Catholique Church So shall we sing of thy mercies for ever and with our mouths will we make known thy faithfulness to all generations Out of mercy thou hast béen moved to make a Covenant with thy elect that thou set thy Son upon the Throne of his father David and thou hast established with an Oath his seed and built up his Kingdom to all generations He is that mighty one on whom thou hast laid help He is that thy chosen whom thou hast exalted Thou art his Father and he is thy first-born Let then thy hand establish him with thy arm strengthen him Exalt the Throne of him whom thou hast anointed with thy Holy Oyle and make him higher than the Kings of the earth Make his seed to endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven Suffer not the enemy to exact upon him not the son of wickedness to afflict him Of this his séed this Kingdom in which we live is a principal part and our King a principal member Vers. 38 But now thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast been wroth with thine Anointed Thou hast seemed to make void the Covenant which thou hast made with thy Servant Thou hast prostituted his Diadem as if it were a profane thing and cast his Crown and Royal dignity to the ground and suffered it to be trampled upon by the feet of scorners Thou hast broken down his Forts and brought to ruine his strong holds Those fortifications which under thy protection were wont to be a safe-guard from the enemy are surprized demolished and razed So that every one that passeth by hath an opportunity to break into thy Vineyard and riot among the Vines every one liberty to fill his hand with spoile and rapine His adversaries are many and thou hast set up the power of their right-hand against him His enemies are mighty and thou hast given them occasion from their victories over him to rejoice Rejoice and triumph they do that thou hast blunted the edge of his sword and hast not given him victory in the battail It is their glory that thou-hast made his glory to cease and cast his Throne down to the ground These Tyrants boast these sons of Belial exult that thou hast shortned the dayes of his youth and covered him with dishonour How long Lord wilt thou hide thy self shall thy wrath burn like fire for ever We doubt not of thy power in thy mercy we hope Merciful God then raise up thy power and come amongst us O Lord God of hosts who is a strong Lord like unto thee or who among the sons of the mighty can be compared with thee Thou stillest the raging of the Sea when the waves thereof arise Thou hast overthrown that proud King of Egypt Pharaoh and destroyed many other thine enemies with a strong arm Strong is thy hand and high is thy right-hand Shew then thy strength in our weakness arise like a gyant refreshed with Wine and smite thine enemies in the hinder parts that their violence prevail no longer against us that they execute not their whole fury and hatred upon us To thée we who are men but of a short time call to for life To thée Vers. 47 we who now live but must shortly sée death earnestly cry to deliver our souls from the grave Hast thou made us for naught hast thou made all men in vain shall we draw out our short dayes in perpetual miseries Thou art our Father we are elected to be thy Sons let then thy faithfulness and thy mercy be with us Remember Lord the reproach of thy servants and how we do bear in our bosomes the rebukes of a profane people Remember that this reproach is cast upon thy name and the footsteps and long-suffering of thine Anointed is thereby slandered Remember Lord thy former loving-kindness which thou swarest to the seed of David in thy Truth Confess we do to our own shame that we have forsaken thy Law and have not walkt in thy Iudgements that we have broken thy Statutes and not kept thy Commandments and therefore we are content murmur not that thou visit our transgressions with the Rod and our iniquities with stripes but this is it we beg of thée that thou wouldst not utterly take from us thy loving-kindness nor suffer thy Truth to fail Break not thy Covenant nor alter the thing that is gone out of thy lips If the irreversible decrée be not past which we hope is not against this our Church yet let it stand for ever as the Sun and Moon those faithful Witnesses in heaven with the Catholique and never let the gates of hell prevail against it We know and believe that thou art a merciful God long-suffering and of great goodness and therefore in all things we suffer ready we are to say with thy servant Job The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken Blessed be Jehovah Amen Amen The end of the third book of the Psalms according to the Hebrews The fourth book of the Psalms follow PSAL. XC ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã THE inscription makes Moses to be the Author of this Psalm and because here is mention made in it of the Mortality of man the fragility of his nature and the brevity and misery of his life which proceeded from the wrath of God moved to cut off his life and punish him while he lives for his iniquity conceiv'd it is that Moses composed it upon some notable disobedience and rebellion of Israel while they were in the Wilderness for which God brought upon them an exemplary vengeance whether that of Corah Dathan or Abiram or the plague that consumed them for making the golden Calf or as the common opinion is for their murmuring upon the return and report of the Spies Numb 14. For which God sent a plague among them or else when God smote the people with a very great plague at Kibroth Hattaavah Numb 11. Which of these it was is uncertain One of these is supposed to be the occasion of the composition and that which moved God to indignation which Moses deprecates in the end and prayes to God to return and shew favour to his people There be four parts of this Psalm 1. An ingenious acknowledgment of Gods protection of them ver 1 2. 2. A lively Narration of the mortality of man his fragility and brevity of his life together with
casts in out way to hinder us that we be not scandalized at these we have the help of Angels And which is yet more under their custody we shall tread under foot Satan And they shall tread under foot all their enemies and all his Complices him a roaring Lyon an old Serpent a fierce Dragon and all his Associates Tyrants Persecutors all Hereticks and Hypocrites for such is the promise Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and Dragon shalt thou trample under feet Ver. 13 3. In the mouth of two or thrte witnesses shall every word stand saith God and here we find the Law strictly observed To be proved it was that all who truly trust in God were to be protected by God of which one witness The third witness that the good man shall be protected God himself who is here brought in to attest all this on three conditions was the just man ver 2. Another the testimony of the Spirit by the Prophet from ver 3. to this verse To which a third we have here even God himself for in these three last verses the Prophet brings in God himself testifying this great and comfortable Truth with his own mouth and adding much to what was formerly said But yet upon these three conditions presupposed in the protected 1. His love 2. His acknowledgment of Gods Name 3. He shall call upon me with vehemency with an earnest desire 1. Because he hath set his love upon me Chasak pleased me loved me Ver. 14 adhered close to me hoped in me trusted to me with a filial love and adherence 1 The good mans love to God 2. Because he hath known my Name acknowledged my Power Wisdom Goodness 2 His acknowledging of God these are the causes and the conditions presupposed in the protected 3. He shall call upon me Invocation necessary also 3 His Invocation Therefore I will deliver him I will answer him I will be with him in trouble Therefore saith God I will honour him which Bellarmine supposeth to belong to this life I will glorifie him or set him on high and the second I will deliver him 1 I will deliver him with long life I will satisfie him and shew him my salvation 1. I will deliver him by the shield by my Angels by other wayes mediatly 2 I will glorifie him or immediatly yet so that it be remembred that I do it Ver. 14 for these shall not deliver without me 3 I will answer his prayers 2. I will answer him answer his desires answer his prayers so they be cries 3. I will be with him in trouble joyn my self close to him 4 I will be with him in trouble go into prison with him as it were suffer with him and think my self pursued when he is persecuted give him comfort even then Martyres non eripuit sed nec deseruit They sung in prison 4. I will hââour him For the names of those who suffered for his sake 5 I will honour him are honourable right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his Saints These Promises may belong to this life to the other those which follow Ver. 15 1. I will deliver him For the just by death and by death only The promises for the other life repeated are freed from the present and all future miseries Blessed are the dead for they rest from their labours 2. I will glorifie him As if it were not enough to deliver him 1 Rest such a thing in this life may fall out as it happened to Joseph Job David 2 Glory Daniel But the true glory no question must be When the righteous shall shine like the Sun be set upon their Thrones and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel 3. With long life will I satisfie him i. e. with eternal felicity Ver. 16 with a continuance in bliss which shall be eternal for without eternity 3 Eternity even the length of dayes cannot satisfie as appears by old men who yet have complained of a short life 4. And that the Prophet speaks of this eternal felicity 4 The beatifical Vision is more than probable because he adds I will shew him my salvation Salutare meum My Christ his Jesus or salutem meam my salvation that is I will bring to pass that when through his whole life I have given him sufficient evidences of my fatherly affection I will at last translate him to a place where he shall no longer live by faith but shall see and experimentally feel what he hath believed I will make all manifest and shew it unto him Happy he shall be in the enjoyment of the Beatifical Vision which nor ignorance nor trouble nor labour nor sorrow nor death it self nor fear of it shall interrupt The Prayer O Gracious God who hast made so comfortable promises of security aid and help to all those that with faith love and hope adhere and trust to thée Teach us in all our temptations pressures and sorrows to dwell in thy secret place to rely upon thy visible assistance and to abide under the shadow of the Almighty Ver. 1 Make us know That thou art our Refuge That thou art our Fortress Ver. 2 That thou art our God That in thee alone must be our trust and confidence Assaulted we are secretly and openly the Fowler the Divel sets his snares for us Ver. 3 and hopes to take us in his Net as a silly Bird in danger we are to be devoured by the Sword and the noysome pestilence In the night we are surprized with terrours Ver. 5 too often affrighted with conspiracies and treasons of treacherous enemies and the secret whispers of false friends In the day of our prosperity Ver. 6 the kéen arrows of bloody enemies and persecutors are let flie at us the pestilence and pestilent plots of those which watch for our ruine walk about in the darkness and the malice of Tyrants by a perpetual destruction labours to waste us at noon-day even in the sight of the Sun Cover us Ver. 4 O gracious God as the Hen doth her tender Birds with thy feathers and give us confidence under thy wings assure our hearts by a lively faith of the Truth of thy promises and let thy faithfulness in the performance be unto us a Shield and a Buckler by which we may receive and quench all the fiery darts of the Divel O Lord we have made thée who hast no Superiour our Refuge our Sanctuary to flie to we have made thée our habitation to rest Ver. 9 to dwell in who art the most High above all and séest what is done below and sits in the highest Throne and over-rulest the whole World When then a thousand shall fall by our side Ver. 7 or ten thousand at our right hand let not thy heavy indignation come near to us let no evil befall us that repose our confidence in thée Ver. 10 nor any
and in Truth according to his Word and Promise He will accept no mans person but render to every man according to his works The Prayer collected out of the ninty sixth Psalm O Merciful Lord so déep is the Sea of thy mercies which hath from everlasting flow'd over unto us and thy dayly favours Vers. 1 2. that thou doest conter upon us that except we will be ungrateful we must sing unto thee a new Song for new blessings and bless thy name for fresh gifts and graces Vers. 5 What is man that thou shouldst be so mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldst regard him Thou who madest the heaven Vers. 4 createdst him after thy own image but he defaced it Vers. 5 Thou who wert to be feared far above all gods gavest him a command to worship and honour thee but he made to himself other gods which indéed were no gods Vers. 4 but petty and ridiculous Deities and cast by thée the great God of heaven and earth a God greatly to be praised a God to be feared above all gods and worshipped the inventions of his own brain and the works of his own hands But all this did not cool thy love nor retard thy mercy even when all the kindreds of the Nations did serve other gods thou sentest them Redemption thou sentest thy Son to be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Great and marvellous are thy works O Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Vers. 2 who ought not to fear thee and glorifie thy Name Warm therefore our cold hearts with thy love that we may shew forth thy Salvation from day to day Vers. 3 Make our flow tongues eloquent and powerful that we may publish this glad-ridings and declare thy glory unto the heathen and thy wonders to all people So resplendent is thy Honour and Majesty so immense thy strength Vers. 6 so illustrious thy beauty that we dust and ashes tremble in our approaches to thee and were it not for those commands thou hast laid upon and invitations and encouragements thou hast given to penitent and believing sinners we durst not presume to tender our selves and our homage before thee Vers. 7 But since thou hast call'd for a gift from us we do fréely give unto thée glory and strength fluce thou doest expect as a due debt glory to thy name we chéerfully give thée glory and proclaim thy name to the whole world The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Offerings we have none that are worthy of thée Vers. 8 yet such as we have we bring we offer unto thée the Sacrifice of a troubled and a contrite spirit we tender unto thée our petitions and thanks upon the Altar of a mortified and broken heart we confess our unworthiness and fast and wéep before thée we come into thy Courts and present what we are able two poor mites soul and body Lord accept of these our offerings for Iesus Christs sake Our desire is to worship thee in the Beauty of Holiness to be holy as thou art holy to be perfect as thou art perfect but being conscious to our selves of the impurity and imperfections of our own hearts and sensible of thy excellencies we step back for very fear and retire for shame Bold and impudent we cannot be in thy presence but we worship thée with trembling spirits and adore with reverence Yet thus much we are and may be bold to proclaim among the heathen The Lord reigneth Vers. 10 Jehovah who is our righteousness is our King long let him reign Vers. 11 for ever let him live Hosannah to the son of David and let all things in heaven and earth say Amen to it Let the Angels and Saints in Heaven rejoice at it Vers. 12 let all men on earth be glad of it let the wicked who are like the troubled Sea will they nill they reare it out let the fulness thereof the impious spirits that move them bow at the Name of Jesus Yea let the wildest tree in the field and wood be brought at last to confess that Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father O thou great King of all the world Vers. 11 to whom all power is given in heaven and earth rule thy people with thy Word and Spirit and judge the adversaries of thy worship and enemies of thy Gospel bear rule and dominion among the heathen that yet have not submitted unto thee let the whole world be established by thy Gospel and thy Laws take place among them and never be removed Lord hasten thy Kingdom and appear in thy glory Even so come Lord Jesus Vers. 13 Come quickly Come to judge the earth seat thy self upon thy Throne and call all the Nations of the world before thee and make it known that thou art not an accepter of any mans person but that thou wilt judge the world with righteousness and the people with thy Truth and that those that have done ill shall go into eternal punishment but the righteous into life eternal Be thou my King O sweet Iesus inform me in thy Law guide and rule me by thy Spirit cause me so to worship and fear thee to offer such spiritual Sacrifices unto thee to give what I owe such glory and honour to thy Name that at thy coming I may be set on thy right-hand and be one of that number to whom thou wilt say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world For thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen PSAL. CXVII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã IN this Psalm David sets forth Gods power and glory and being moved by the Spirit of Prophesie foretels the downfall of Idolators and the happy estate of those who serve God with an honest heart Three parts there are of this Psalm 1. A Prophetical description of Christs power and glory especially at the day of judgement from vers 1. to 7. 2. A manifest difference put betwixt Idolators and the people of God Confusion he imprecates to the first vers 7. And gives notice of the joy of the second with the reasons vers 8 9. 3. He exhorts those that love God to a good life encouraging them upon Gods favour vers 10. And upon the joy that is like to follow it vers 11. for which he stirs them up to rejoice and to be thankful vers 12. He begins with a Solemn Acclamation The Lord reigneth The first part God is the Supreme King being the self-same that he commanded to be proclaimed in the former Psalm vers 10. As if he had said By the coming of Christ the Empire of Death Vers. 1 the Power of the Devil all Oracles are silenc'd and all Idols destroy'd And he will use his Scepter
feet to dance at it he calls to them to join with him in the mirth Let the Sea roar Vers. 7 and the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein Let the floods clap their hands Vers. 8 let the hills rejoice together It is a Prosopopeia frequently used in Scripture as afore Psal 96.11 12. 5. And let it be heartily and sincerely done For it is before the Lord in his eye For he cometh to judge in his sight in his presence who can judge with what affection any thing is done And for this he gives a reason Vers. 9 with which he concludes For he cometh to judge the earth which may be referred to his first or second coming 1. 1 Either in humility as at his first If to the first then the sense is Let all creatures rejoice because he comes to judge that is to govern and order with just and excellent Laws the whole Orb of the world not only by the invisible Majesty of his Divinity but being made into the similitude of man and in form now found a true man 2. If to the last his second coming then let all creatures rejoice 2 Or in Glory as at his second coming because he shall root out sinners from the earth and make new heavens and a new earth The whole creature shall be delivered from corruption under which it greans and travails in pain together until now and shall be restored into the glorious liberty of the children of God Rom. 8.21 22. 3. Now both these shall be done with that rectitude of judgement that there be nothing crooked nothing oblique nothing savouring of iniquity in it With righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with his Truth A Thanksgiving and Meditation upon the Redemption of Man-kind taken out of the ninty eighth Psalm I Will sing unto thee O gracious God and merciful Lord a new Song Vers. 1 as it becomes me for a new savour an ordinary hymn might be in my mouth for ordinary blessings but this was extraordinary and therefore requires thanks more than ordinary That thou didst create me after thy image was a great mercy that thou hast governed me by thy Word preserved me by thy Power provided for me by thy Fatherly goodness ever since I was born are all acts of mercy but that thou hast set thy love upon me from all eternity and in the fulness of time didst send thy beloved Son to be born to live to dye for me and redéem my poor soul from thy just wrath and the consequents of it is a favour more than I could expect more than I could deserve and therefore I sing with the blessed Virgin My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people This is a favour so beyond all favours and so neerly concerns all the world that I wish all men had hearts and all creatures tongues to sound it forth O come and make a joyful noyse unto the Lord all the earth make a loud noyse and rejoice and sing praise Your voices are not swéet enough take then the Harp and join to the Harp the voice of a Psalm Your voices are not loud enough call then for Trumpets to sound it out and blow it abroad with the wind of a Cornet Let the praise vs illustrious and the noyse joyful for it is before the Lord the King And O that the inanimate creatures who shall be by this one day freed from the bondage of corruption had tongues also to join with you However in their kind let them do what they can let the Sea roare forth the praises of God and the fulness thereof resound the fulness of his mercy and let the world and they that dwell therein as in a clap of thunder say Amen Amen to it Let the floods join with the Sea and clap their hands let the hills be joyful together and eccho forth the praise of the Lord our Redeemer For he hath done marvellous things Things which we may admire Vers. 1 but shall never be able to comprehend shall and must search into but shall never fully fathom For without controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit séen of Angels preach'd unto the Gentiles believ'd on in the world receiv'd up into glory Marvellous O swéet Saviour was thy conception marvellous thy incarnation marvellous thy life marvellous thy death We cannot choose but wonder that the Lord of life should dye that the Lord of heaven and earth should be buried in the earth And that which increaseth the wonder is that he should rise from thence to justifie us that he should ascend in our nature to heaven to prepare a place for us that he should sit on the right-hand of God to be our Advocate to plead for us to be our Intercessor to step between and make our peace when our God is offended with us And that we yet marvel the more all this was done for us when we were without strength and could not help our selves without grace and could not deserve his when we were ungodly and thought not of him sinners that did provoke him enemies that did cebell against him In this then God commended his love that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us O sweet Jesus thy love to us was wonderful passing the love of women This was a work that passed the power of men and Angels Angels were too weak and man too sinful to undertake in it Yet so great was thy love to lost man that rather than he should perish for ever thou who wert without sin Vers. 1 wouldst be made sin for him thou who wert the arm and power of God wouldst appear clothed with our infirmities Yet so powerful thou wert in this weakness so mighty in our infirm flesh that by thy right-hand and thy holy arm thou hast gotten to thy self the victory conquer and triumph thou didst over Sin Death and Hell and over all the power of the Prince of darkness It was thine own right-hand without any other power that did it thine own arm without any assistant that led Captivity Captive and received gifts for men yea even for thine enemies that the Lord God might dwell among them We the heathens Vers. 2 were the greatest part of these enemies yet to us thou sentest thy Apostles to preach these glad-tidings and ever since by thy Ministers hast made known thy salvation Thy righteousness which is now our righteousness blessed be thy name for it by which our pardon is sealed and we are justified is not as a Candle hid under a bushel but is openly shew'd in the sight of the heathen It is not in Judaea only that God is known but all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God all Nations now sée and know that thou wert a merciful
And he backs his Petition with a strong Reason drawn from the final cause Help me save me that they may know that this is thy hand that thou Lord hast done it That all men especially the Jewes may know by my rising again in despite of their watch and seal that it was not their malice nor power that brought me to this ignominious death but the whole matter my Passion suffering and death proceeded from thy hand Acts 2.23 cap. 3.18 And by his Resurrection he was declared to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 And in the close of his prayer His vote he sings as it were a Triumph over all his enemies the Devil Judas the Jewes those great enemies to him and his Church over them he insults in a bitter Epitrope 1. Let them curse speak evil of me call me a deceiver blaspheme me as the Jewes do in a solemn manner to this day 1 That God bless him let them esteem my followers as the off-scouring and out-casts of the World 2. 2 That the Jewes be confounded But bless thou So thou return me good for their cursing 2 Sam. 16.12 And not only to me in glorifying me and setting me on his right hand but for my sake bless all Nations that by faith in Baptism shall give up their names to me 3. When they arise For 1. Arise they will plot endeavour and oppose all they can both by force and fraud the establishment of my Kingdom 2. But let them be ashamed confounded and astonished that all their attempts are frustrate 4. 3 That he rejoyce But let thy servant for Christ took upon him the name and condition of a servant rejoyce not only that they are saved and their enemies confounded but because thy Name is thereby glorified And he continues his Imprecation But his adversaries cloathed with shame and comes over it again by way of Expolition Let my Adversaries be cloathed with shame and let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a Mantle Confounded at the last day for their ingratitude foolishness and malice before men and Angels and wrapp'd about with it as veste talari as with a Robe or a lined Mantle that comes about and covers every part of the body 4. And at last he closeth all with thanks which he opposeth to the confusion of the wicked The fourth part For which he would praise God publickly they for amazement and astonishment of heart shall be struck dumb as the man without the wedding garment but 1. I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth with great affection with a âgreat Jubilee 2. Ver. 30 And that not closely among private Walls but in open Theater of the whole World yea I will praise him among the multitude Of which praise he renders this reason 1. He shall stand at the right hand of the poor i. e. such poor who are poor in spirit God will defend and save his people meek and humble and being conscious of their own wants and lack of strength are alwayes begging and beating at the door of God who is rich in mercy at the right hand of such a poor man he will stand as a Sword and Buckler to keep off every blow aimed at him for so it followes 2. I will stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul from the Devil and all his instruments Christ is the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to his Church and he hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us and nail'd it to the Cross Col. 2.14 So that cùm à mundo damnamur à Christo absolvimur Tertull. The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and ninth Psalm O Almighty Merciful and Gracious Father Ver. 1 Thou art the God of whom we make our boast all the day long and desire to magnifie and praise all our life long who art alone the Witness of the honesty and integrity of our hearts hold not thy peace in this néedful time of trouble but be our Advocate and plead our cause against the wicked and deceitful men the enemies of thy Church and Oppressors of thy Truth and people It is not Lord Ver. 2 unknown to thée That the mouths of these wicked and false-hearted hypocrites are opened against thée our Religion and Profession It is not unknown unto thée That they not only load us with lies and blasphemies but that forgetful of all humanity and piety They have compassed us about with words of hatred Ver. 3 They hate and malice us and what foul aspersions their malice could invent those they have cast upon us But with this their malice was not satisfied for from words they came to blowes our blood have they shed like water by the fury of War and defiled their hands with the slaughter of innocents our Mothers Children have risen and sought against us without a cause For what cause have we given them except it were that in charity we would have taught and informed them in the Truth and continued them in the bosom of thy Church What cause except it were that we prayed for them Father forgive them for they know not what they do Ver. 4 but such is their ingratitude That for our love they are become our Adversaries they have rewarded us evil for good and hatred for our love And for our good-will Ver. 5 repay us with oppression and make use of their power and lay hold of the time put into their hands to destroy waste and root out thy inheritance As for us we have no means to resist their fury no power to oppose against their rage but our prayers and tears and therefore we will give our selves to prayer and first pray for them Lord lay not this sin to their charge Or if they shall persist and go on in their wickedness against them as thou hast taught us in this Psalm O Lord the Curses are bitter the Execrations are fearful and we know of what spirit we are we shall then leave it to thy Iustice to execute them as on whom and when thou shalt think fit not looking so much what these men of a reprobate mind have deserved as what is our Duty taught and enjoyned by thée To love our enemies to bless them that curse us to do good to them that hate us to pray for them that despitefully use us and persecute us Afraid we are lest we indulge too much to our humane affections of self-love anger hatred and impatience even in using this Form that thou hast taught and therefore we will forbear to curse them and sollicite for our selves Conscious we are to our selves that we have not lived a life worthy of thy Truth and Gospel revealed unto us which is the just cause that at this time Ver. 21 in thy worship there remains almost nothing which is not corrupted with Novelty and polluted with falshood But O merciful God give us true contrition
soever ye live see that ye trust in the Lord and that for the same reason For he will be their help and their shield also In every Nation those that fear him and do righteousness are accepted of him He will be a Lord Protector even to these as to Job Naaman c. 3. And that his Exhortation to trust in God might take the deeper root The third part The blessing upon it he tells all three that they should be no losers by it for it was it that had and would bring a blessing upon them For God doth not use to forget those that trust in him but he hath been mindful of us Ver. 12 And by a singular and especial Providence and care of us he hath shew'd it and he will shew it to every one of you 1. To you of the Nation He will bless the house of Israel 1 To the Nation 2. To you of the Priesthood He will bless the house of Aaron 3. To all you that fear him He will bless them that fear the Lord 2 To the Priesthood both small and great And the Prophet taking his example from God 3 To all that fear him This the Prophet seconds with his prayer poures forth his blessing upon them also he thought it not enough to exhort them only to trust in God and acquaint them that God would bless them except he seconded it with his prayer and therefore to Gods blessing he adds his own and desires the blessing may rest upon the heads of them and their children 1. The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children 2. Let the World curse you and speak evil of you yet I say Ye are the blessed of the Lord come ye blessed Deutr. 28. 3. That Lord which made heaven and earth which words are added that they be assured that their blessing is a real blessing coming from him in whose hand is the dew of heaven and fatness of the earth in which form Isaac blessed Jacob Gen. 27.28 4. It comes from one that is able to bless 1. For the heaven even the heavens are the Lords In them he especially shewes his Presence Majesty Glory from thence descend the dewes of grace and the drops of rain that water the earth 2. As for the earth he hath made a Deed of Gift for that He hath given it to the children of men that by his blessing upon their labour they may be sustained with food and rayment so that while they live in it and enjoy the Goods thereof they praise him 4. The fourth part For that is the true end of their being here the chief nay the sole end they live upon it And that for their blessing they again bless God the end that God gave it to them an end which they that are dead cannot attain unto This he illustrates by an Antithesis betwixt the dead and the living 1. Ver. 17 For the dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into the silence Among them there is great silence of the dewes of heaven and the fatness of the earth they need neither and therefore they praise not God for them The blessing of the City and blessings of the Field are nothing unto them they have no mouths to fill and therefore no mouths in a corporal manner to open in the praise of God Him they praise but it is after their manner not ours him they praise but it is for other blessings than ours 2. Ver. 18 But we as yet are upon the earth we enjoy his protection we enjoy besides spiritual these temporal blessings also this his gift we must make use of And therefore we will do that the dead cannot We will bloss the Lord from this time forth for evermore By our selves while we live and desire it may be done by our posterity when we are going down into silence 3. However ye that are alive this day Praise ye the Lord. The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and fifteenth Psalm O Omnipotent and Gracious God in all Ages thou hast béen merciful to thy people and even in their greatest afflictions raised up the spirits of some one or other of thy servants by whose hands thou hast delivered them At this time we are in great misery at this time we are in affliction send us help from thy Sanctuary raise us up some Moses to go before us some Joshua to sight for us Ver. 2 some Sampson to deliver us wherefore should the uncircumcised triumph over us and say Where is now their God The reproach O Lord redounds to thée this insultation is to thy dishonour arise then O Lord and give the glory unto thy Name shew thy merciful countenance and that thou art a God of Truth Ver. 1 and for thy Mercy and Truths sake come down at last and deliver us Merit there is none on our part why thou shouldst do it for us and therefore it must be mercy Merit there is too much on our part why thou shouldst not do it and therefore if it be done it must be thy Truth thy Word pass'd to thy servants that moves thée to it We destre not that any part of this work be attributed to us but that the honour of it be wholly thine Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name which is now blashemed and vilified Ver. 3 give the Glory for thy Mercy and for thy Truths sake Make them know that have so long trusted in lying vanities and worshipped the imaginations of their own hearts That our God is in Heaven that he hath done whatsoever pleased him that as it hath béen his pleasure to humble us so it is his pleasure to exalt us he hath brought us very low but he can set us again on high when how and by whom he pleaseth O Lord heal our back-slidings and love us freely turn away thine anger from us be as a dew to thy Israel make his branches âoread Ver. 9 and his beauty as the Olive-trée let him revive as the Corn and grow as the Vine what have we to do any more with Idols vain men That have hands and cannot help and ears and will not hear Thée O Lord will we hear Thée will we alone observe For thou art our help and our shield Thou wilt be the Lord Protector to thy Israel Thou wilt be a shield to the house of Aaron Thou wilt be a helper to all those that fear thée therefore renouncing the arm of flesh we will trust to thée alone O Lord be mindful of us and bless us bless the house of Israel that people which thou hast chosen to thy self and gathered from among the Nations Bless the house of Aaron that Tribe that thou hast chosen to thy self and set apart to come near unto thée among this people O Lord bless them all that sear thy Name in what part of the World soever they remain of what condition soever they he
that they may glorifie my Father which is in Heaven Thy praise I will sound forth thy Name I will magniffe confess I will that thou hast been to me a gracious God and merciful Father even in the Courts of the Lords house even in the midst of thee O jerusalem in which I know thou wilt alone accept of thanks and hear and grant the pelitions of thy servants that are offered unto thée through the merits and in the Name of thy Son Iesus Christ our Lord and Saviour PSAL. CXVII A Hymn ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã THIS Psalm is short and sweet it contains a Doxology to God for his mercy and truth and it is also Prophetical in reference to the calling of the Gentiles as it appears Rom. 15.11 Two parts there are of it 1. An Exhortation to all Nations to praise God The first part 1. A Doxology both Gentiles and Jewes 1. He speaks to the Gentiles Praise the Lord all ye Nations he means after they were converted and made sons of the Church For how shall they call on him in whom they have not believeââ Rom. 10. 2. He speaks to the converted Jewes whom he notes under the name of people as they are call'd Psal 2.1 Acts 4.25 Praise the Lord all ye people Both now make but one Church and therefore both now ought to joyn together in the praise of God 2. The ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or the Reason give for it The second part 1. Because his merciful kindness is great nay confirmed toward us 2 The reason in sending his Son to be a Saviour both of Jewes and Gentiles His Church is built on a foundation against which the gates of Hell shall not prevail 2. Neither is his mercy only by this confirmed but the truth also of his promises fulfilled as he promised to send a Messias so he hath performed it and this his truth endures for ever for it shall never be challenged there is no other Messiah to be expected now for this Praise ye the Lord. The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and seventeenth Psalm O Omnipotent and gracious God when all Mankind walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Aire the spirit that works in the children of disobedience When they walked according to the lusts of the flesh and fulfilled the desires of the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath Thou who art rich in mercy for thy great love wherewith thou hast loved us wast pleased to send thy only begotten Son Jesus Christ and to deliver him to death for the salvation of the World This thy great mercy it pleased thée to make known to us by thy Apostles and to call us who were Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of Promise to be partakers of thy merciful kindness In Christ Jesus we who were sometimes afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ so great hath thy mercy béen even toward us therefore from us immortal thanks are due unto thée who find our selves saved not for our merits but by thy sole goodness We therefore beséech thée that thou wouldst so confirm our hearts by the Spirit of faith that without any doubt adhering to thy truth which endures for ever we may apprehend those good things which thou hast promised and offerest fréely to us O Lord have mercy upon all Iewes Turks Iufidels and Hereticks and take from them all ignorance hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy flock that they may be saved among the remnant of thy true Israelites let us all méet in one Fold and have but one Shepherd that all Nations may praise the Lord and all people sing Hallelujah to thy holy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXVIII ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã DAVID being freed from many dangers and confirmed in his Kingdom according to Gods promise in this Psalm gives thanks The parts of this Psalm are 1. An Exhortation to praise God for his mercy from ver 1. to 5. 2. A perswasion to trust in God and that from his own example who call'd upon God in trouble and was deliver'd from ver 5. to 15. 3. The Exultation of the Church for it from ver 15. to 19. 4. A solemn Thanksgiving kept for it and in what manner it was celebrated from ver 19. to 28. 5. David invites to praise God The first part A short Doxology ver 28 29. 1. David invites all to praise God O give thanks unto the Lord and adds his Reasons 1. For he is good than which nothing could be said more briefly nothing more powerfully he is properly and absolutely good and therefore ought to be praised because there is nothing rightly worthy of praise but that which is good Ver. 1 Solum honestum laudabile 2. His reasons are 1. Good Good to us a mercifull God But secondly He is good and ever good to us a merciful God which flowes from his goodness and is then most conspicuous when it is imparted to those in misery Praise him because his mercy endureth for ever His mercy created us his mercy redeemed us his mercy protects us his mercy will crown us there is then no end of his mercy This his mercy extends especially to his people To his people and therefore he puts into the mouth of all his people this song of his mercy whom he distributes into three parts 1. Ver. 2 Let Israel now say the whole Nation that his mercy endureth for ever 2. Ver. 3 Let the house of Aaron that whole Tribe consecrated now to him say that his mercy endures for ever 3. Ver. 4 Let them now that fear the Lord Proselytes c. now say that his mercy endures for ever that is the burden of the Hymn so he begins so he ends ver 29. 2. The second part And so in general having given a Commendation of his mercy he desoends to that particular in which his mercy did consist The particulars of his mercy viz. A great deliverance of him when he was in a great strait which he could impute to no other cause than his mercy 1. Ver. 5 I was in distress And that 's the case of Gods people as well as Davids 2. I called upon the Lord I boasted not of my merits I complained not that I suffered unjustly but I fled to his mercy and invoked so did the Church in Peters case Of which he is an example Acts. 12.5 3. The issue was The Lord answered and set me in a large place and so it fell out to Peter Upon which experience David exults Shewing how God had been mercifull to him upon which he makes three Conclusions as the Church in the like case may so that all be still attributed to God and his mercy 1. The Lord is my helper And the first inference upon it
the like now and being reconciled to me Teach me thy statutes give me light and grace to direct my wayes These two ought to be sought together mercy and grace mercy for remission and grace for renovation 3. In which prayer he proceeds David desires to proceed in the wayes of God and therefore he continues his prayer for farther grace and illumination 1. Ver. 3 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts Where the mind is darkned the heart can never be rightly ordered therefore he prayes more instantly and diligently for the light of his mind Teach me then how I shall walk in thy Law 2. He that asks good things of God should ask them for a good end so doth David Make me to understand so shall I talk of thy wondrous works Taught in thy School I shall talk how wonderful are thy Lawes Diliges Deum proximum c. Or that thy works of Creation Providence Redemption c. are marvellous 4. And again he returns to speak of his imperfection and infirmity Ver. 4 and asks mercy Shewes his weakness 1. My soul melts for heaviness as a thing melts and consumes by distillation till nothing be left so the life and strength of his soul was decaying by grief and tediousness of his spiritual Combate within the flesh lusting against the Spirit 2. Therefore he prayes for strength Desires strength Strengthen thou me according to thy Word Add the heat of grace as thou hast promised and confirm me in this agony and keep me from falling which he more clearly begs in the next verse 3. Remove from me the way of lying Ver. 5 1. Bring to pass by thy grace And power to avoid sin that I may far depart from every evil way to which in my heaviness I leaned too much 2. And grant me thy Law graciously Which granted the effects would be Not so much the Book of the Law as the matter of it printed in my heart that may abolish the Law of corruption vanity and sin which I shall account a gift graciously bestowed on me 5. Thus by prayer having obtained grace and mercy he tells us what the effects of it were in him which were three Election of Adhesion to and continuance in the way of truth 1. I have chosen the way of truth and thy judgments have I laid before me In my infirmity I was apt to go the way of lying but now raised by grace 1 Election of I have chosen the way of truth i. e. the way of thy Commandments 2. I have cleaved to thy Testimonies In my imperfect state my âoul cleaved to the dust but now having obtained mercy 2 Adhesion to I have stuck unto thy Testimonies 3. Before my soul melted away for heaviness but now I will run the way of thy Commandments expeditely chearfully with delight 2. 3 Continuance in the way of truth When or since thou hast enlarged my heart and set it free to run by thy Spirit of grace which hath made my yoke easie and my burden light The Prayer O Lord with shame of face I must néeds confess Ver. 1 that my soul hath cleaved too much to the dust my affections being set on things on the earth and not on things above my wandrings are many my failings innumerable my soul even dead to spiritual things O quicken me by thy grace and revive me by thy mercy according to thy Word and reach me thy statutes Englighten my mind and make me to understand the way of thy precepts and strengthen me in thy Word that I slip and fall no more nor no more adhere to the World and my carnal desires Enrich and beautifie my soul with thy grace and so for the way of lying I shall cleave to the way of truth as my soul hath cleaved to the dust so shall it stick to thy Testimonies and as in the Combate betwixt the flesh and the Spirit I yielded to the flesh so now I will chearfully and readily run the way of thy Commandments and so shew my self thankful for thy grace that hath set my heart at liberty for the merits of Iesus Christ my Lord. Amen 5. H E. THIS Octostich is wholly precatory The Contents 1. In which he prayes first for illumination in Gods Law and desires it may be practical 2. That God would remove the impediments which may hinder him in doing his duty He prayes for illumination and desires it be practical 1. His first Petition is Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it to the end 2. Ver. 1 Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall keep it with my whole heart In these two verses the Prophet asks 1. Institution and illumination in the Word Teach me give me understanding 2. Shewes us to what end he asks it That he may keep the Law he desires that his knowledge may be not only speculative but practical 3. Promiseth perseverance sincerity And for it he promiseth perseverance and sincerity he would be not Temporizer nor Hypocrite 1. No Temporizer For I shall keep it to the end 2. No Hypocrite For I shall keep it with my whole heart He would avoid those two Vices which are the bane of all true obedience Hypocrisie and Inconstancy 2. 2 He prayes for a good will As before he craves light to his mind so in this verse he craves grace for his heart it is Gods Spirit that works the will and the deed And therefore he desires the governance and direction of his Spirit without which he should be nor sincere nor constant for he would ever and anon be too apt redere ad ingenium and therefore he begs 1. Ver. 3 Make me to go lead me direct me Naturally man is ignorant of the way to eternal life and if he have any light of knowledge he is too apt to be msicarried and wander from it whence David prayes that God would be his Guide and that he be not left to himself for it was a narrow strait way a path he was to go in 2. That he may go in Gods way which is a path or strait way Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments 1. A path is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã vita trita the old way and not any new track he would go in that way the servants of God walked before him 2. A path is a way out of the common Road nor Beasts nor Horse nor Cart go in it 't is a way for men he would then go the way of reasonable men not the bestial way of the world and flesh 3. A path is narrow short right clean way the High-way is a broad longer crooked foul way this way he declines because it leads to Hell and desires to go that one clean strait short way of Gods Commandments 3. His affection to it Which Petition that it may be the easilier granted he shewes his
even before Kings 2 Tongue and will not be ashamed This is no small thing especially if we consider that though no men are more bound to God than Kings yet to none is Gods Word more unwelcom well yet even before them David would speak of Gods Testimonies and not be ashamed to do it 4. In the service of his affections Ver. 7 And I will delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved 3 Affections It is no small progress in Piety to delight in it and this followes upon our love for a man will delight in that he loves This will make that which would be other wayes burdensom a very light load an easie yoke and a light burden 5. In the service of his actions 4 Actions My hands also I will lift up to thy Commandments which I have loved Ver. 8 The hand is the chief instrument of operation when David then saith He would lift up his hands his meaning is that he would labour to express Gods Will in his Works He knew well that not the heart without the mouth and hand nor the mouth nor the hand without the heart would please God but that these must be conjoyned and that with delight in the study of true Piety and therefore he makes profession of all The Prayer WHILE we consider O Omnipotent God on one side the absolute perfection of thy Law and on the other side our own infirmities and disabilities we easily perceive that our obedience must néeds be very imperfect except thou shalt assist us with thy grace and extraordinary favour Let then thy mercies come unto us O Lord even thy salvation Ver. 1 according unto thy Word and so shall we have wherewith to answer our Adversaries that object unto us our slips and falls and be bold Ver. 2 upon the trust we have in thy Word who canst make good thy Promise because Thou art Omnipotent and wilt because Thou art a Merciful God O take not thy Word of Truth utterly out of our mouths Ver. 3 nor let us be so faint-hearted and dismayed as for ever to conceal thy Word for we rely upon thy fidelity and justice being assured that thou wilt poure down thy judgments upon those that deride thy Truth Notwithstanding all their opposition assist us with thy Spirit Ver. 4 and we will keep thy Law continually for ever and ever We séek thy Commandments frée us from the bondage of sin and the slavery of our lustful affections that we may walk at liberty and serve thée with a willing mind and a loving and quiet soul For then will we speak of thy Commandments even before Kings and not be ashamed Then will we delight our selves in thy Commandments which we have loved Then will we lift up our hands to thy Commandments which we have loved and meditate in thy statutes Our heart being surprized with delight we will express it with our tongue and our tongue shall call to our hands and set them to work Heart tongue and hand shall testifie that we are thy servants and that it is our whole delight to meditate in and kéep thy Commandments in the Name of Iesus Christ our Lord. 7. ZAIN IN this Octostich the Prophet first prayes The Contents 2. Next shewes his constancy to hope and trust in God notwithstanding some discouragements 3. Commends the Word of God shewing what effects it wrought in him 1. 1 He prayes In the first verse he begins with a prayer Remember thy Word unto thy servant in which thou hast caused me to hope 1. Ver. 1 Remember Not as if God could forget his Promise or change his Will or retract his Word That God would remember his promise for two reasons but God is then said to forget when he defers to fulfil his promise Remember then signifies nothing else than accomplish and perfect thy promise made unto me thy servant And though he will fulfil what he hath promised yet he will be asked to fulfil and prayer is one and a chief of those means that draws him to fulfil it 2. 1 Because his servant Remember thy promise made to thy servant Which he useth as an Argument to perswade God to remember his Word he was his servant and had in some measure done him sincere service and so had performed his promise made to God and therefore desires that God would remember his promise made to him It is in vain to desire God to remember his promises made to us when we make no conscience to perform our promises made to God 3. 2 For his Words sake Wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust This is another and more forcible Argument to move the Lord to perform his Word As if he had said it now stands with the honour of thy Truth to do so I hope not upon presumption but it was thou Lord that hast caused me to hope and I know the true God can no more beguile me than fail in his Truth Hope then I do 2. Now out of this hope and confidence he received comfort in his greatest affliction ver 2. declined not from Gods Law ver 3. pitied and lamented the case of Atheistical men ver 4. 1. In great afflictions and troubles he was but this hope kept him fast to God he despaired not Ver. 2 1. This made him constant This is my comfort in my affliction This thy Word and Promise in which thou hast caused me to hope 2. For thy Word thy Promise hath quickned me brought me life and spirit strength and increase the comforts of Gods Word to an afflicted soul are far beyond all Philosophical precepts or comforts 2. Enemies he had proud men and scoffers that tempted me to let go my hope and forsake thy Word 1. Ver. 3 The proud have had me greatly in derision which is a shrewd temptation to a generous spirit 2. Yet have I not declined from thy Law Thy promise put life and vigour into me 3. For in my affliction and their scorns and derisions 1. Ver. 4 I remembred thy judgments of old how thou casts down the proud and exalt'st the humble And comfortable in his afflictions giving ample rewards to those that kept thy Law as to Abraham Job c. and brought'st heavy punishments upon the Transgressors of it as the old World Sodom Pharaoh c. 2. And in those I have comforted my self believing quod bonis benè quod malis malè 3. His assured hope of reward promised in Gods Word made him to grieve for and commiserate the cause of those that forsook Gods Law wilfully and stubbornly because they should never be partakers of the Reward God had promised 1. Horrour hath taken hold upon me Totus homo contremisco He was afraid Ver. 5 and grieved at the sins of the wicked that scorned him 2 He commiserates the case of the disobedient because the Law of God was contemned by them not for the harm they
are the dayes of thy servant How long shall this affliction endure when shall the dayes of this tentation and misery be at an end this persecution be over 2. When wilt thou execute judgement he means temporal punishments on them that persecute me O let me not dye comfortless but let me see that thou art a God of judgement and men behold that there is a reward for the righteous 3. And in the next verse he describes them from their qualities Vers. 5 1. They were proud Men that would endure no yoke of God Who are 1. Proud of man 2. Subtile They digg'd pits For their advantage 2 Subtile submit to any base office crouch and bow Psa 104.10 Absolon abased himself 3. Impious men for the courses they took against him 3 Impious were not according to Gods Word They digg'd pits for me which were not after thy Law 'T is some comfort yet that we have those men our enemies that are enemies to God and whose actions are displeasing to him 4. For they are contrary to thy Law For all thy Commandments are true nay truth it self and they a false generation 5. And yet these are the men that persecute me He prayes for seasonable help but they do it wrongfully 6. Therefore O Lord help me Help me against their treachery 7. And it is but time For their malicious cruelty is unsatiable they have not only troubled me but had almost consumed me upon earth 8. The comfort yet is that it is not done because I forsook not thy precepts 3. He shuts up all with a Petition that he makes often in this Psalm 3 He petitions for strength 1. Quicken me And it may seem strange that so often he should acknowledge himself as it were a dead man and desire God to put life into him But to a child of God every desertion and decay of strength seems a death so desirous they are to live to God that when they fail in it and are dismabled they account themselves as it were dead and pray the Lord for life Quicken me And promiseth obedience 2. Quicken me after thy loving-kindness he opposeth Gods kindness to his enemies malice and it is comfortable I am troubled with their malice for thy sake and therefore I crave to be refreshed by thy kindness In that there is comfort enough Psa 52.1 3. So shall I keep the Testimonies of thy mouth So that is quickned by thee for otherwise there was in him no strength to obey no more than a dead man doth the actions of a natural life The Prayer O Merciful God while that help and salvation Vers. 1 which we alone expect from thée is delayed and with-held from us our very souls have fainted within us To thée we look day and night and our eyes are bent toward heaven in expectation of thy promises O Lord when wilt thou comfort us Our body languisheth our skin is furrowed into wrinkles no bottle in the smoke is more dryed up than is our flesh while we look and long for help from thy hand Proud men the sons of Belial that have shaked off the yoke have digg'd pits for our life They wrongfully persecute us They have almost consumed us upon the earth O Lord how many are the dayes of thy servants How long shall this affliction endure when shall the dayes of this tentation and misery be at an end when wilt thou execute jugement on them that persecute us Help us O Lord for we hope in thy Word arise and deliver us for we have not forgotten nor yet will forsake thy Statutes This we have resolved on Vers. 3.7 this we have decréed but to perform this resolution of our selves we are not able no more than a dead man is to execute the actions of the living Quicken us then with thy Grace according to thy loving-kindness and infiniteness of thy mercy and so will we kéep thy Testimonies which thou hast made known unto us by thine own finger and left unto us by the mouth of thy own Son Iesus Christ our Lord. 12. LAMECH THIS Octonary is an Encomium of the Word of God The Contents and of the perfection thereof which he commends from the immutability and constancy thereof 2. Then from the comfort he received from it in his trouble 1. Gods Word immutable both In the three first verses the Prophet shewes That Gods Word is immutable by an instance in the creatures 1. Ver. 1 In the Heavens For ever O Lord thy Word is setled in Heaven For the Heavens were made by his Word In heaven and earth and continue in the same frame they were made by his Word to this day 2. In the Earth Whose foundations are yet immoveable Thy faithfulness is unto all Generations Ver. 2 Thou hast established the earth and it abideth 3. Ver. 3 They Heaven and Earth both continue this day according to thy Ordinance 4. The Reason is For all things serve thee Thy creatures they are and thou their Lord Creator they then must be at thy Beck and Command 2. 2 It brought him comfort in his trouble Next he shewes the excellent perfection of Gods Word by a rare effect it had upon himself it gave him comfort and kept him from despair in his trouble he collected it from the former instances thus if the Word of God sustained the Heaven and the Earth he saw no reason but it might also sustain him and so leaning upon it he was delighted in it and that delight held him up he knew it would be an Anchor of hope that would not fail him Vnless thy Law had been my delight Ver. 4 I should have perished in my trouble This he knew he could not do because God had promised him the contrary no such comfort in trouble as Gods Word and Promise this will abide when other fails 3. Upon this comfort he vowes Upon which joy and comfort first he makes a promise of thankfulness he had found life in Gods Word and he resolves never to forget it 1. Ver. 5 I will never forget thy precepts that men forget them is because they find no heart in them 2. 1 Never to let it slip out of his memory His Reason is For with them thou hast quickned me He saith not the Word quickned him but God by his Word For the Word quickens not till Gods Spirit come to it Vitam gratiae augendo vitam gloria promittendo 2. 2 To be Gods servant Then next he devotes himself to be Gods servant for the present and for ever 1. Ver. 6 I am thine And I do and will serve no other Lord no base pleasure no profit nor the World nor the flesh nor the Devil and therefore I can with a good conscience ask 2. O save me It is for a Lord to protect and save his servant 3. And that I am thine is evident in this that I am ready to do thy Will For
which they have endeavoured That salvation which I expect is from thée Ver. 3 and my eyes have even failed for the vehemency of my desire to obtain it Thy promise thy righteous Word is passed unto me deal therefore with thy servant according to thy great mercy in making this promise frée me from these present evils and infuse also so much love and charity into my heart that I may learn what thou teachest Ver. 4 and practice what I learn and edifie others in thy statutes by my practice I am no stranger unto thée but thy bomestique servant and I have addicted my self to thy service by a firm purpose of heart let me not want that grace that may enable me to do my duty give me then understanding Ver. 5 that I may know thy Testimonies for I shall never be able to do that which I know not It is time O Lord to work thy Church is oppressed thy people are brought very low the sins of the Amalekites are at the full their impiety is grawn to that height Ver. 6 That they have not only broken but contemned nor only cantemned butanede vow and by their practice destroy'd thy Law they are not only my enemies and séek to oppress me but are thy enemies and labour to evacuale thy Truth It is now then a time to shew thy self Arise O Lord and take a Just revenge upon them for this their audacious impiety and malice Ver. 7 It must néeds be good which they hate their malice therefore hath inflamed my zeal They would destroy therefore I love thy Commandments I love that Law which I break I love it above gold yea than much fine gold By it I learn to do that which is just by it I learn to hate every evil way therefore I set an high estimate upon every particular Command in it Lord increase this zeal this love this estéem this hatred in me that I may direct my conversation aright so please thée in every one of thy Commands on earth that after this life is ended I may live with thée in heaven for ever and ever Amen 17. PE. IN this Octonary David praiseth Gods Word 2. Shews his affection to it The Contents 3. And prayes for Grace to keep it 1. The Elogy he gives Gods Word in this verse Ver. 1 is from a new quality not mentioned before Davids Elogie of Gods word that it is wonderfull 1. Thy Testimonies are wonderful For though the literal sense of them be easie and plain yet wonderful are the Mysteries contain'd in the two Testaments Great is the Mystery of Godliness The whole Ceremonial Law is wonderful because under those Ceremonies were obscurely shadowed out to us the Mystery of our Redemption by the Blood of Christ The Decalogue is wonderful written in so few words in which yet are hid all the principles of Justice and Charity to which may and must be reduced all the just Laws that have been or shall be made All these are but Conclusions and Determinations of the Laws of the Decalogue And must receive their trial by it As for the Mysteries of the New Testament no man can say but they are wonderful 2. Therefore doth my soul keep them Learn them love them 2 That it illuminates practise them 2. The next Elogy he gives Gods Law is that it is the Word of Illumination Yea the very 1. Entrance into it such the very first declaration of it Ver. 2 whether it be done by God by infusion of divine light or by some skilful Doctor or Teacher And if the first opening as it were of the door gives light what will the progress and continuance do 2. The entrance of thy Word gives light It is a light shining in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 without it then men walk in darkness 3. It gives understanding unto the simple The Simple Not to such as are high-minded and double in heart that are so wise in their own eyes that they will examine the Mysteries of Godliness by the strength of their own reason but to such as deny themselves and captivate their reason and submit it to the Word of God and labour more to believe than to reason These are the simple to whom the Word of God gives understanding of whom our Saviour speaks Mat. 11.25 And St. Paul 1 Cor. 1.25 26 c. 4. And now saith David I being one of these simple ones Ver. 3 Opened my mouth and panted For which David pants and longs 1. I opened my mouth by prayer as desirous of this good Spirit of light and piety 2. I panted after it as men do that want breath and defire fresh aire 3. For I longed for thy Commandments had a vehement intention to understand to fulfil them 3. From the praises of the Law David turns himself to prayer He said but now I opened my mouth and here he acquaints us what he said after his mouth was open I said 1. Ver. 4 Look thou upon me either as unjustly oppressed or under spiritual desertion 2. 2 He prayes for Mercy to pardon sin And be merciful unto me This is well subjoyned for God looks upon some in displeasure Shew me mercy who labour under the burden of thy precepts that by my own strength I cannot fulfil 3. As thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name shew me at least so much mercy as thou affordest to others let not thy custom be broken in me but do by me as thou usest to do by thy friends which love thee in sincerity and truth 2. And Grace to be kept from sin This was his first Petition for Mercy and to it he subjoins a second for Grace Many seek for Mercy to forgive sin that seek not for Grace to deliver them from the power of sin Ver. 5 which is to abuse Gods Mercy to wantonness And therefore David prayes 1. Order my steps in thy Word that is my whole conversation inwardly and outwardly let me be ordered by thee for as our director such will be our actions 2. And let not any iniquity have dominion over me Let me be no slave to sin and Satan in captivity to them so that they domineer over me 3. And deliverance from Calumnies And yet he makes a third Petition Gods children have not only to wrestle against the sin that dwells in them but with enemies from without Oppressors Ver. 6 Calumniators there be that by false reports and pressures retard good men in their way therefore David prayes 1. Deliver me from the oppressions of men that being nor disturb'd by their oppressions nor yet dishearthed by their calumnies I decline from the right way 2. So will I keep thy precepts This favour obtained should not disoblige David but bind him the more So will I keep 'T is but an ill use of a benefit obtained by prayer when we abuse it to Licentiousness How inexcusable are we 4. And that he might have a sense
of Gods favour A fourth Petition again he presents that he might have a sence and feeling of Gods favour 1. Make thy face to shine upon thy Servant For as the Sun by the intetposition of a cloud is obscured Ver. 7 and by it we are deprived of light and heat So when God doth not help us by his Grace he seems to hide his face upon which there follows a coldness and darkness upon the soul of which David having experience prayes Make thy face to shine for then the contrary effects would follow light and comfort of soul 2. And teach me thy statutes Illuminate me 4. Ver. 8 These Prayers of David testifie how he loved the Law and now he witnesseth the same by his grief He grieves for the wickedness of others his grief for the sins of others to that use he put his tears Rivers of water run down from my eyes because they keep not thy Law The sins of other men may become ours if we mourn not for them 1 Cor. 5.2 Ezek. 9.8 The Prayer O Lord Ver. 1 I never can be satisfied in the contemplation of thy Law in which I find so great depths Mysteries and wonders in few words I find most perfect wisdom and equity contain'd all vertues commanded all vices prohibited all men of all ages and all conditions taught their duties The very entrance into them gives light Ver. 2 and dispels the darkness of error and ignorance the continuance in them gives understanding to the simple who are of an humble spirit and submit and captivate their reason to thy wisdom The proud and malicious thou dost reject and to them the Lamp of thy Law gives no more light than a Candle hid under a Bushel O make me then of an humble spirit teach me to submit my natural and corrupted reason to thy divine revelations never let me think my self so wise in my own eyes that I néed not the teaching of thy Spirit so shall I hope to understand the wonderful things of thy Law Ver. 1 so shall my soul kéep them That I may obtain so great a favour Ver. 3 I have opened my mouth in prayer never did any man that is anhelous and almost stified more labour for breath than I have panted for this grace for I have excéedingly longed and desired to come to a right understanding of thy Commandments Behold I turn my prayer unto thée be thou converted and look upon me Ver. 4 look upon me with the eye of that mercy as thou usest to do upon those that love thy Name and thy Honour deal by me as thou art wont to deal with thy friends and dutiful servants for I desire to be in that number though O Lord I must néeds confess my self to be an unprofitable servant That I may be better hereafter order my steps Ver. 5 dispose and direct all my affections and actions according to the eract rule of thy Word and never permit any iniquity to have the dominion over me Though to my grief it will dwell yet never let it reign in my mortal body or so far dominéer that I obey it in the lusts thereof Ver. 7 I am sensible what a darkness comes over my soul upon thy displeasure and the withdrawing of thy countenance make then thy face to shine upon thy servant that all mists and darkness being dispelled I may be again refreshed and comforted by the bright beams of thy favour and withal teach me thy most just Statutes without the knowledge of which I can expect neither protection from thée nor felicity To with-hold and deter me from my duty to thée I find too many impediments tentations I have from men who scoff and mock at me because I keep thy Law that calumniate and detract from my good name because I adhere to thy Truth that oppress and undo me because I am constant in my obedience to thée O deliver me from the scorns and oppression of man and so being set at liberty I shall more readily and chéerfully keep thy precepts These are bitter enemies to thy truth and sons of Belial they have broke the yoke and cast oft thy bonds and yet for them my soul shall mourn in secret Rivers of water shall run down my eyes because they keep not thy Law Turn Lord even to these if it be thy good pleasure and turn them to thée for they are thy creatures and bear thy Image true it is that they have defaced it by rebellion but thou canst restore it by thy Spirit which if they shall go on to ver and grieve to rebell and provoke while he is at his work then number them to the sword and bow them down to the slaughter because when thou calledst they would not answer when thou spakest they would not hear but continued to do evil before thy eyes and did choose that wherein thou didst not delight Make them know that there is a God in Israel that will avenge his own cause and protect his people and get himself glory upon his enemies But let thy servants sing for joy of heart and rejoice in thy salvation for ever and ever 18. TSADDI IN this Octonary David again commends the Law of God from the Author The Contents from the equity contain'd in it from the purity and perpetuity of it 2. The consideration of which wrought in him zeal and love to it a care to remember it and a joy and delight in it 3. Notwithstanding all opposition 1. Ver. 1 David being rempted to impatience and distrust at the prosperity of the wicked David in trouble comforts himself with Gods justice comforts himself with the consideration of Gods righteous Nature Righteous art thou O Lord Thou alterest not with times thou changest not with persons thou art alwayes unto all the one and the same Righteous God 2. 2 He commends Gods Law as just And just are thy Judgements in giving rewards and distributing punishments righteousness is so essential to thee that thou canst no more defraud the godly of their promised comforts Ver. 2 nor let the wicked go unpunished in their sins than deny thy self to be God which is impossible 2. And from a righteous God hath proceeded a righteous Law For God forbid that the Judge of all the world should do unjustice The Testimonies which thou hast commanded are exceeding righteous and very faithful So that God is not only just in himself and just in his retributions but that very Law which he hath commanded us to keep contains in it exact justice The Laws of men may be unequal but Gods Law hath in it nothing but equity and Truth it gives liberty to no injustice or iniquity 3. Shews his zeal to it Now the first affection that this consideration wrought in David was an ardent zeal it anger'd and griev'd him that so just a God should be dishonored and so just a Law forgotten Ver. 3 1. My zeal hath even consumed me My zeal to thy Law
very garland and head of them is verity Two things he attributes to the Word of God Truth and Righteousness and they both serve very well to his present purpose to confirm him in his Petitions and constancy notwithstanding his many persecutors 1. 1 Truth Thy Word is true from the beginning Which perswasion is the mother of all obedience and faith for therefore we believe and obey it because we are perswaded it is true it begets such an assurance in our souls that no temptation or trouble is able to overcome it upon this St. Peter wisheth us to rely because it is a most sure Word 2 Pet. 1.19 The sure mercies of David God will not fail his people but according to his Word so it shall be 2. 2 Eternal justice And every one of thy righteous judgments endure for ever A reward remains for the righteous and a punishment for the wicked and with this assurance also David sustained himself against the delay of judgment against wicked men viz. A meditation of the eternal righteousness of Gods judgments he collected That for the present they might be spared but at length they would be punished seeing Gods judgments are everlasting The Prayer O Lord our afflictions at this time are great and our dangers are great we humbly therefore beséech thée to look down from thy holp Heaven and to consider our present trouble deliver us good Lord from our enemies for we do not forget thy Law Ver. 1 though we cannot perform it yet we have an especial regard to it and alwayes kéep it in memory desiring that our performances might be answerable to our destres Thou which art a just Iudge and to whom all judgment doth belong and to whom I have committed my cause plead my cause against mine Adversaries Ver. 2 and redéem my life from my unjust Oppressors according to thy promise quicken and revive my heart that is very much cast down by their insolencies Did my heart incline to any evil way I durst not appear in thy presence or expect so great a favour from thée Ver. 3 for salvation is far from the wicked As they are far from kéeping thy Law so also is salvation far from them when they séek not nor estéem thy statutes they cannot expect to be partakers of those promises which thou hast made to them that do séek them But thou O Lord knowest how I séek both them and thée Ver. 4 and thy mercies are great tender and many to those that fear thy Name according to these then deal with me and in equity deal with me that the remainder of my dayes which yet cannot be many may be comfortable The discomforts I have are infinite men and Devils Ver. 5 visible and invisible enemies on every side assault me tentations I méet with on the right hand and on the left and yet such is my love to thy Law Ver. 7 that hitherto I have not declined from thy Testimonies Consider then O Lord how I love thy precepts and according to thy loving-kindness deal with me and assist me and quicken me with thy grace that no tentation prevail over me Ver. 6 Let me not be seduced by any ill example and draân to tread in the steps of wicked men for whose transgressions my heart is grieved because they keep not thy Word Ver. 8 which is a Word of Truth and Righteousness Never suffer me to decline from this Truth ever cause me to rely upon this Righteousness let me not be seduced by Errors nor be discomforted with the prosperity of wicked men whom though thou sparest for this present yet will at last poure upon them thy full Wols of vengeance because thy righteous judgments endure for ever O Lord get thy honour upon thy enemies but let the sure mercies of David never fail thy Church and people for thy Son Iesus Christs sake our only Lord and Saviour Amen 21. SCHIN DAVID in this Section shewes his love to the Law of God 2. The Contents David shewes his love to Gods Law And the perfection of his love 1. The first sign of his love was that notwithstanding he was persecuted for Gods sake yet he still was constant in his obedience to God Ver. 1 1. Princes have persecuted me Saul Ishbosheth Abner his son The signs of it 1. His constancy to it Absolon sought his life It is a great tentation to sustain injuries from any man but if from Princes a greater to persist and be constant then a notable Argument of love and fortitude 2. Without a cause Causes indeed were pretended but none found He spared Sauls life when he might have slain wept over Abner mourned for Absolon 3. But my heart stands in awe of thy Word This was the sign of his love this caused him to spare Gods Anointed revenge Ishbosheths death c. Though Princes degenerate and become Tyrants Touch them not let Gods Word awe thee 2. The second sign of his love is his joy and delight he took in Gods Law 2 His joy and delight in it He tells us that his joy in it exceeded that of men victorious in battel that returned loaden with spoiles Isa 9. David a Souldier and Conqueror could well tell what joy that was and yet he prefers this because it brings better tydings Ver. 2 I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great spoiles 3. A third sign of love to it was his hatred of all iniquity Ver. 3 and his abhorrence of falshood 3 His hatred of false wayes I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love It was no lite disliking of sin for a cold hatred of evil in time will be turned to liking no simple refusing of evil but an indignation against it a hatred an abhorrence Ye that love the Lord hate that which is evil for no man can serve two Masters Ver. 4 4. A fourth sign of his love was his fervour earnestness 4 His frequency to praise God and frequency of praising God Seven times a day do I praise thee Ver. 5 because of thy righteous judgments 5 The joy he took in Gods Saints and their peace and prosperity 5. A fifth sign of his love is the content he took that not only himself but others also were the better for loving of it He loved Gods Saints as well as his Law to these was 1. Great peace have they that love thy Law joy prosperity no peace to the wicked 2. And nothing shall offend them or they shall have no stumbling block Scandalize they will not actively nor be scandalized passively for that is offence taken by weak Christians who upon ignorance think that unlawful which is lawful or of Pharisees who interpret that to the worse part which they ought to interpret to the better But they which love the Law of God know why they love it they are perfect in charity nor weakling nor Pharisees and therefore they shall have no stumbling block 2.
He shewes the perfection of his love And now he shewes the perfection of his love in the three last verses 1. Ver. 6 By his hope and confidence Lord I have hoped for thy salvation 1 By his hope 2. 2 His obedience By his obedience and done thy Commandments 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course henceforth is laid up for me c. 3. And this he repeats in the next verse My soul hath kept thy Testimonies and I loved them exceedingly He that loves me saith Christ keeps my Commandments Si amor operari renuit amor non est 4. And yet again 1. I have kept thy Precepts and Testimonies 2. But this is upon another Motive which is proper to perfect men viz. Gods eye for all my wayes are before thee coram te Gods presence over-aw'd him whatever he did he did as in Gods sight well knowing that he saw all Walk before me saith God to Abraham and be thou perfect Gen. 17. The Prayer O Omnipotent God Ver. 1 Thou hast chosen unto thée a little flock and this flock lives among wolves the Devil and in his instruments séek to devoure it Antichrists and Tyrannical Princes daily without any cause persecute it their labour is to withdraw thy people from thy fear and to violate thy command be then present with these little ones assist these innocents that they fall not that they faint not ever kéep their heart upright and make it stand in awe of thy Word Among these I have had my portion less I confess than I deserve but sufficient to try my love and yet by thy mercy that hath held me up I have béen awed by thy Law and have not declined from thy fear Go on gracious God and assist me with thy Spirit that I may ever rejoyce in thy Word Ver. 2 estéem myself richer in the enjoyment of it than they that have enriched themselves by the gathering together of great spoiles Make me to hate this their iniquity Ver. 3 and mine own cause me to abhor all falshood and lying And out of a love I bear to justice and a dislike of all injustice to love the equity of thy Law Seven times a day as often as I think of it move my heart to praise thée for all thy righteous judgments In these thou hast shewed thy self a just God Ver. 4 that gives peace joy prosperity to those that love thy Law and pursuest the Transgressors of it with a perpetual infelicity for there is no peace to the wicked who though they lay snares for me and cast stumbling blocks in my way yet good Lord let me be so confirmed by thy grace that I be not offended at it Ver. 5 let neither their flatteries and example draw me to transgress nor their threats remove me from the love of thy Truth or a constant practice of piety and charity O Lord I have looked for thy salvation and I know that I cannot be saved except I do my duty both to thée and my neighbour Ver. 6 which is exactly prescribed in thy Law make me then to love excéedingly thy Word and to do what in it thou commandest and to kéep it because it is thy Precept Ver. 7 a just Rule an equal Law and work my heart to this love and obedience out of the consideration of thy eye and presence I am alwayes before thée Thou beholdest all the secret recesses of my heart much more my actions make me then so sincerely to walk before thee and be so studious to please thée in all thy Commandments that I may glorifie thy Name even before men and be glorified by thée in the presence of Saints and Angels at the last day Amen 22. TAU IN this last Section David prayes gives thanks confesseth his errours The Contents and craves mercy and promiseth obedience to Gods Commandments 1. He first prayes in the two first verses in which David prayes 1. He prayes for his prayers desiring God to accept them 1 For his prayers which is a very necessary duty 1. Let my cry come near before thee O Lord. Ver. 1 2. Let my supplication come before thee The ingemination shews his earnestness fervency importunity or perseverance Luke 11. 2. That which he prayes for is understanding 2. And deliverance 1. Give me understanding which he limits according to thy Word 2 Understanding thy promise Psal 32.8 That I may know fulfil and by my obedience obtain life eternal 2. Deliver me according to thy Word The end of understanding 3 Deliverance is to be delivered from sin John 8.36 If the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed 2. He gives thanks he proceeds to the other part of prayer 2 He gives thanks Thanksgiving 1. My lips shall utter praise His thanks should not be smother'd Ver. 3 nor mutter'd over but utter'd with a distinct and loud voyce not only his heart but his lips also should bear a part in it 2. And his lips should proclaim the equity of Gods commands but yet so that he were first taught and helped by grace My lips shall speak praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes Ver. 4 3. And yet again My tongue shall speak or intreat of thy Word to the edification of others and the Reason why he would speak in their hearing was Because all thy Commandments are righteousness and so most forcible to reform all unrighteousness there is corruption in Religion and confusion in manners when Gods Word is not heard 3. And now he sets to prayer again for having made promises of thankfulness 3 He prayes again for help he seeks help of God to perform them Our sufficiency is not of our selves to will and to do are of him he therefore prayes Ver. 5 1. Let thy hand help me thy power thy wisdom 2. For I have chosen thy precepts Optima ratio without which His Reasons no help from God to be looked for Ver. 6 3. And yet he adds two more both his desire and delight 1. I have longed for thy salvation O Lord 1 Obedience Gods children are not satisfied with the beginnings of mercy still they wait and seek and long 2 His earnest desire and sigh and thirst and hunger and long for more salvation they have but in promise they long for the accomplishment 2. 3 His delight in Gods Law And thy Law is my delight which well followes on his longing for these two are well conjoined salvation and Gods Law For all the hope we can have of salvation is the promise we find in Gods Word and the delight we take in performance of it I have chosen thy precepts longed for thy salvation delighted in thy Law therefore let thy hand help me 4. 4 He prayes again for prolongation of life And yet farther he proceeds in his Petition for prolongation of this life say some for eternal life say other
up against us Men carnal corrupt men that look after nothing but to satisfie their own Ambition Lust Avarice Those arose seditiously tumultuously rebelliously of such the Proverb is true Home homini lupus 2. Which the Prophet verifies in the next verse expressing the danger that the Church was in from these men or Beasts rather by these two similitudes of Beasts of prey of waters 1. Ver. 3 Then they had swallowed us up quick that had been the consequent of their rising The danger the Church was in before delivered like Wolves and Bears they had rush'd upon us and devoured us as poor sheep eaten us even alive Though Bellarmine refers this Clause to waters also because Beasts tear before they devour and so eat not their prey alive But the Metaphor may be proper enough the other way for he shewes what they would do if they could and that in their fury they spare not a living soul By cruel enemies 2. The cause their wrath Which fury of theirs the Prophet conceals not but illustrates it by a Metaphor This they had done to us when their wrath was kindled against us Ver. 4 3. His other similitude is from waters Then the proud waters had gone over our soul And in the verse before Then the waters had overwhelmed us the stream had gone over our soul He compares the Enemies Army to a swelling Torrent that carries all before it 3. Ver. 6 Next acknowledgeth the deliverance and gives thanks to the Authour to be God alone He gives thanks for it Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us over as a prey into their teeth The deliverance was beyond expectation which he illustrates by another similitude of a Bird taken in but escaping out of a snare unexpectedly 1. Ver. 7 Our soul is escaped as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler taken to be killed 2. The snare is broken and we are delivered the Fowler is deceived of his prey 4. Ver. 8 He concludes the Psalm with a gratulatory Epiphonema 1. And relies on God Our help is in the Name of the Lord. The Church relies in all dangers upon God whether they be assaulted openly as by Bears and Wolves or secretly as the Fowler layes wait for the Bird yet her help is in Gods protection and tutelage 2. Who made Heaven and Earth i. e. The Creatour who hath all things in his hand and power and therefore is able to deliver us The Prayer EXcept thou Ver. 1 O Omnipotent and Merciful God shalt by thy power and favour assist and help us our enemies Swords drawn out against us must néeds dispatch and consume us for their wrath is so kindled against us that as Wolves and Bears devour the poor flock so have they rush'd into amongst us and desired to swallow us quick when they seditiously and rebelliously rose up against us yea the déep waters of the proud hath overwhelmed and gone over our soul Sought they have to swéep us away as a mighty Torreut and over-run us at once as an unexpected inundation doth the lower vallies And what they could not do by violence that they have attempted by close and secret practices for they have set snares for our souls as the crafty Fowler doth for the innocent Bird. O Lord avert thy anger from us and take not vengeance upon us according to our deserts be not wanting to thy own Ordinances to thy Name thy Truth which with us is like to suffer Bring to pass that we may at last say Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us over for a prey unto their teeth let their nets be broken Ver. 6 their plots vissolved weaken their strength and bring to naught their counsels and make a way for our souls to escape as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler from thée alone which hast made Heaven and Earth we look for help therefore we humbly beséech thée that for thy infinite goodness and mercy Ver. 8 thou wouldst be propitious to our prayers and deliver us from these fierce bloody and subtile enemies for the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSALM CXXV ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã IT is the purpose of the Prophet to comfort the Church of God 1. The Sume By an assurance of her perpetuity both from Gods presence and protection ver 1 2. 2. That though God suffer them to be chastised by the wicked yet he will not leave them under the rod ver 3. 3. He prayes for the good 4. Sets down the portion of the wicked ver 4 5. 1. The first part In the beginning of the Psalm the Prophet sets down a general promise of the perpetuity of the Church because of Gods continual presence with her Ver. 1 And shews to whom it belongs 1. They that trust in the Lord. That trust in him The Church shall continue not with a vain confidence and presumption but that rely upon him by faith not fained out of a pure heart and a good conscience and aftervent love 2. These shall be as mount Zion which cannot be moved secure and immovable as is Zion not only immovable because a mountain but because a holy mountain consecrated and dear to God 3. Which the Prophet farther explains and assigns a perpetual duration to it but abides for ever which is a comfort to the Church Because God protects it of which Zion was the Type No tempest no storm no persecution no enemy shall destroy it Of which the Prophet gives a reason in the next verse by a Similitude for Zion which was in Jerusalem hath the mountains round about it for a wall of defence 't is not easie for an enemy to approach Jerusalem nor to take It was a Virgin-City never taken but twice and then when God took away his protection from it and delivered it to the hand and will of the Babylonians and Romans Which protection he will never take from his Church and therefore the Church is unexpugnable 1. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem 2. So the Lord is round about his people A wall of fire round about Ver. 2 Zach. 2. 3. From henceforth even for ever They that trust in the Lord shall be alwayes safe and secure for though they be temporally afflicted yet all shall work for their good He may take from them their wealth health c. yet he gives something better patience comfort with hope of eternal glory 2. Which the Prophet confirms preventing an objection The second part What shall those that trust in the Lord be safe and secure How comes it to passe then that they are oppressed to which the Prophet by way of prevention answers The power of the wicked shal never destroy it He grants it may be so but the oppression is not to continue The power of the wicked shall be over the just for their probation for their trial and correction but it shall not rest upon them it
shall be transient not permanent temporal not eternal 1. For the rod i. e. Scepter and power of the wicked shall not rest i. e. Ver. 3 Stay continue stand settle upon the loât inheritance part Not prevail long portion of the righteous 2. The reason is Lest the righteous put forth his hand to wickednesse That good fall not away i. e. Lest the righteous do faint and being discouraged lose their perseverance in piety justice when they see the prosperity of wicked men to be overlong and joyn with them in their villany 3. And because he said there was some danger to pious men Ver. 4 lest they should be scandalized by the oppression of the wicked He prayes for them and be seduced to fall by their prosperity therefore he prayes earnestly for them 1. Do good O Lord send them patience send them comfort and a speedy deliverance 2. I mean those who are upright in their hearts conform their hearts to thy will do acquiesee in thee wait upon thee and expect thy promises 4. Ver. 5 Now to these men that are upright in heart he opposeth the wicked the revolters and shews the end of Apostatees and Apostates and declares what will be the end of them 1. As for such as turn aside to their crooked wayes That decline from their uprighrnesse of heart to some crooked way and in persecution and tribulation let go their patience and revolt from the Truth and confidence either denying the faith complain of God and murmur at his providence 2. The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity A terrible Commination their portion shall be with their persecutors the worst of men Hypocrites Factors for mischief 3. Whereas the good shall have peace But peace shall be upon Israel The wicked being separated from the society of good men there shall remain an eternal peace to the people of God The Prayer out of the one hundred five and twentieth Psalm O Most gracious God because all humane helps are vain uncertain weak and deceitful therefore we are commanded and according to thy command 't is the joy of our hearts that we can repose our sols considence in thée Ver. 1 For we are assured that those that can rely on thée with a pure heart a good conscience servent love and saith unseined shall be as mount Zion that Mountain which thou hast chosen before all the earth to set thy name there which nor storm nor tempest nor enemy nor persecution shall remove Be Ver. 2 O good Lord a wall of fire about thy Church and as the mountains were placed round about Jerusalem for her defence so Lord stand round about thy people in this néedful time of trouble let not the gates of hell prevaile against them nor the wicked approach to hurt them but be a strong tower of defence unto them from henceforth even for ever Ver. 3 For our sins and hainous transgressions thou hast justly suffered the wicked to lay their severe rod upon the backs of the righteous people but suffer not this their power and scepter to rest stay and continue overlong upon them Lest that they who are infirme and weak in the saith saint and be discouraged and by the tentation of their and thy enemies prosperity deserting the way of piety and justice joyn with them in their villany and put forth their hands unto iniquity O Lord send to all thy good servants constancie send them patience Ver. 4 send them comfort send them deliverance Do good O Lord to them that are true of heart But as for those Ver. 5 who turn aside to their crooked wayes not only imagine wickednesse in their hearts but by their utmost endeavour bring it to effect whose labour it is that thy Word be dishonoured sincere Religion extinguished and the sincere invocation of thy Name obliterated lead them forth with the workers of iniquity and make them séele and know the hottestot thy wrath and indignation But restore unto thy people Israel who serve thée with an honest heart their former peace and tranquility and make them partakers of thy mercy which thou hast promised to thy Church for thy Sons sake Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The plainer summe of the CXXIV Psalm in which is described 1. The subtilty of the adversaries of the Church in laying snares to entrap it as fowlers do to catch birds vers 7. 2. Their Cruelty in seeking to tear it in pieces yea to swallow it up quick as some cruel beasts of prey or as mighty inundations that overflow all in their way vers 3 4 5 6. 3. The cause of their Subtilty and Cruelty Wrath Displeasure vers 3. 4. The delivery of the Church from both by the power and goodness of God vers 1 2 6 7. 5. The Duty perform'd for this deliverance Praise to God vers 6. PSAL. CXXVI THIS Psalm seems to be penn'd about the end of the Captivity when Cyrus gave liberty to the Jews to return into their own Land and to build again the Temple and Jerusalem For it is the purpose of the Prophet in gratitude to celebrate so great a mercy The Contents of it are 1. An expression of joy for the strange liberty granted them to return which was wonderful both to Jews and Gentiles vers 1 2 3. 2. A prayer for the return of the remaining part vers 4. 3. An excellent Corallary or Moral collected by the Prophet from it that there is a Vicissitude of things that our mourning shall be turn'd to joy vers 5 6. 1. The Prophet first celebrates their return from the Captivity The first part The Prophet exults for the Jews return from Captivity and amplifies it three wayes 1. From the cause 2. From the wonder of it 3. From the joy at it 1. The cause was Jehovah Ver. 1 When the Lord turn'd again the Captivity of Zion though Cyrus gave a Commission for it 1 The Author Jehovah yet it was the Lord that did it 2. So strange and wonderful and beyond expectation it was 2 It was beyond imagination that the Jews were like them that dream When they heard of it for joy they could scarse believe it so that they thought that they nor heard nor saw it but did only dream of such a thing That hapned to them which did to Jacob at the news of his son Josephs exaltation in Egypto he did scarse believe it 3. Their joy for this wonderful deliverance is expressed vers 2. Ver. 2 For from their inward comfort there proceeded an external mirth 3 Their joy for it which they expressed by the joy of their countenance and with the voice 1. Then was our month fill'd with laughter We had a merry look 2. And one tongue with singing Songs they sung to the praise of God This God did for them witness Now that God did this for them he proves by a twofold attestation 1. Of the Heathen Then said they among
Name attributing the success to thy mercy only Never suffer us to be distracted with anxiety for the things of this life or be over-sollicitous for to morrow but having used those means which thou hast ordained honest labour and a competent thrist let us rely upon thy Providence and compose our minds to rest and sléep in it for this is the acquiescence thou givest to those thou lovest We know O Lord that children are the props of our Families Ver. 3 and that these are thy blessings also For children are an heritage of the Lord and the fââit of the womb are thy Reward Thou O God hast the Keyes of Heaven and Hell of Rain and Providence of the Grave and of the womb let not then thy servants féel the curse of dry breasts and a barren womb but make us joyful parents of children that may increase the number of thy redéemed Give us thy grace and favour that we may instruct them with diligence and méekness govern them with prudence and holiness and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord provide for them such useful imployments That they may be as Arrowes in the hand of a mighty man Ver. 4 defences and succours to our old age If it he thy blessed Will let them live to a full age and make us happy that we have our quivers full of them from whose powerful arm may be shot quick and sharp arrowes into the very hearts of those Ver. 5 who are enemies to all Piety thy Gospel and thy Truth fill O Lord thy Church with such children of youth who while they oppose the Adversary and maintain the sincerity of Religion in word and déed may never be ashamed nor yield when they speak with the enemies in the gate Grant us these things O gracious Father for thy Son our Lord Iesus Christs sake PSAL. CXXVIII IN this Psalm the Prophet perswades to fear God upon the several Rewards that attend upon Piety The Contents are these 1. He describes the pious man and pronounceth him blessed ver 1. 2. He proposeth the particulars of his blessing ver 2 3 5 6. 3. He gives his Acclamation to it ver 4. 1. The first part That man that fears God He describes the man who is to expect the blessing two qualities be must have 1. He must fear the Lord Fear to offend him not decline from him Ver. 1 2. Is Blessed He must walk in his wayes For this is the true character of his fear 3. This man shall be blessed yea every such man high or low rich or poor there is no exception Blessed is every one In a happy condition 2. The second part And the blessedness and happiness consists in these particulars 1. He shall enjoy those Goods which he hath honestly gotten with the labour of his hands Ver. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands His happiness is not in having much 1 In his goods but enjoying it Eccles 6.1 2. 2. Happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee So well that he shall have enough for himself and be able to relieve others and leave somewhat to his children 3. 2 In his wife Happy he shall be in his marriage too often ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã But he that fears the Lord and marries in the Lord shall be happy in his match 1. Ver. 3 His wife shall be as a fruitful Vine Fatifera non steriliâ 2. Upon the walls of thy house Domi porta modest and shamefac't staying at home and caring for the things of the house while her Husband is taking care abroad ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 4. 3 In his children Happy in his children 1. Thy childreâ like the Olive-branches Fresh green spredding fruitful and pledges of peace not like sharp Thorns and a pricking Hedge 2. Round about thy Table It will be a comfort to see them sit with them eat with them and hear their pretty Discourse Now these temporal happinesses the Prophet concludes with an Acclamation Lo ãâ¦ã the man be blest that fears the Lord. Thus in his goods Ver. 4 wiââ ââildren The third part 3. But there is a blessing attends him far beyond all this The Acclamation the summe of which is Ver. 5 1. Gods blessing The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion God shall-bless him by a federal blessing a Church-blessing 2. Thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem 1 With a Church-blessing the peace and prosperity of the Church all thy dayes 3. Yea thou shalt see thy childrens children Ver. 6 Et natos natorum qui nascuntur ab illis 2 With grand-children 4. And peace upon Israel 3 With a peaceable life And a flourishing Commonwealth and Kingdom for by peace is understood all prosperity The Prayer out of the One hundred and twenty eighth Psalm O Holy and just God if no blessing or happiness can befall any Ver. 1 but those which fear thée and walk in thy wayes we must needes acknowledge the cause to be just why we are brought into these straits and woful afflictions For when thou hadst opened unto us a full Sea of mercies and beyond our deserts confer'd upon us infinite and unspeakable benesits we have neglected thy fear and gone a whoring after our own inventions and thy Commandments being cast aside we have walked after our own wayes O Lord pardon our iniquities and be merciful to our sins Ver. 2 put thy fear into our hearts and obedience to thy Lawes Ver. 3 so shall we yet hope to eat the labour of our hands that we may yet be happy that our wives may be as the fruitful Vines upon the walls of our houses and our children as the Olive-branches round about our Tables Good God however thou please to deal with us yet remember thy afflicted Church and bless her out of thy high and holy place of Zion Ver. 5 she is thy Spouse let her then flourish as a fruitful Vine Ver. 6 and bring forth children unto thée let her sée her childrens children and enjoy a perpetual and a setled peace After our great troubles and afflictions it would be the rejoycing of our hearts might we but sée the good of Jerusalem all the dayes of our life and behold thy people Israel that are now divided by Factions and Schisms united in a Christian peace O thou who art the God of peace grant us this for his sake who made our peace thy only Son our Saviour Iesus Christ PSAL. CXXIX THE intent of the Prophet in this Psalm is to comfort the Church in affliction and to stir her up to glorifie God for his Providence over her alwayes over her for her good and bringing her enemies to confusion and a sudden ruine The Contents are 1. The indefatigable malice of the enemies of the Church ver 1 2 3. 2. That their malice is in vain for they pâââail not from ver 2. to 4. God saves them
appear before thee and let not that happen to them that fell to the Bethshemites 1 Sam. 6. 3. He prayes for the King that is himself For thy servant Davids sake 3 For the King turn not away the face of thine Auointed Ver. 10 1. For thy servant Davids sake David is not here to be taken absolutely for his person only but as having the Covenant and Promise made to him and God could not be better put in mind of the promise than by mention of the person to whom it was made He prayes not then to be heard for Davids merits but for the promise made to David 2. Turn not away the face of thine Anointed That is suffer me not who am Anointed in my fathers stead and sit upon his Throne to depart from thy presence ashamed and confounded rejecting my prayer In this Form Bathsheba petitioned to Solomon for Adonijah 1 Kings 2.20 I desire one small Petition of thee ne avertas faciem meam which we translate Say me not nay Or else this phrase imports That we turn our face from God when we sin and he turns away his face from us and so long as we continue in that state our faces are turned from God Solomon then might pray That when at any time he turned his face from God that God would not continue his face from him but look back upon him as Christ did on Peter that so he might repent and amend and not alwayes stand with his face from God for though we freely sin and turn our face from God yet if God be pleased with a merciful eye to look upon us and pity us that so by his mercy and pity we desire and endeavour to sin no more then he does not turn away our face shame and confound us for ever Solomon in this sense prayes Suffer not my face to be turned from thee which will be done If thou suffer not thy face to be turned from me 2. The second part Gods promise made to David The Prophet now proceeds to reckon up the promises made to his father David which were confirmed by an Oath from God that these being remembred he might the easilier prevail in his Petitions asking of God as it were a due debt in which we are to observe 1. Ver. 11 The manner of the promise he confirmed by his own Oath The Lord hath sworn in truth to David 1 Confirmed by oath having no greater to swear by he swear by himsel 2 The matter of his oath 2 Sam. 12.13 Isa 55.3 Psal 89.34 It was mercy to promise but greater for assurance to bind himself by a faithful Oath and irreversible Oath He will not turn from it he will not repent of it Psal 110.4 2. 1 As it relates to Christ absolute The matter of his Oath expressed in the end of the eleventh and in ver 12 13 14. 1. For the seed of David as it concerns Christ is categorical and absolute Of the fruit of thy body I will set upon thy Seat which words are refer'd by St. Peter unto Christ Acts 2.30 According to the flesh he was from Davids seed Ver. 12 and it is observable that the Prophet speaks reservedly De fructu ventris not de fructu femoris for by the mothers side Christ was to be of Davids seed not by the fathers 2. Again I will set upon thy Seat Luke 1.32 Davids Seat was Zion and Zion typically 2 As it relates to Davids seed hypothetical Isa 2. is the Church over that Christ was to reign as David in Zion 2. For the seed of David as it relates to his posterây the Oath is hypotherical and conditional If thy children will keep my Covenant and my Testimonies that I shall teach them their children shall ãâã upon thy Throne for evermore 1 Chron. 28.9 Psal 89.28 to 37. Ezek. 21.26 For if his posterity observed not the Law 3 And to Zion i. e. the Church eternal but worshipped their own inventions the promise was at an end 3. As the external Kingdom was by this Oath annexed to one Family so by the same Oath and Covenant Ver. 13 the external worship was assigned to one place 1. Ver. 14 For the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation 2. This my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it From the time of the promise performed Zion was the Seat of the Sanctuary and so continued to the coming of the Messiah so long Zion was Civitas Regia Sacerdotalis But Zion was but a Type of Christs Church The promise which God makes to his Church The third part of which these words are more truly verified for this Christ hath truly chosen and it shall be his rest for ever with it he will be for ever present efficacious in the hearts of Believers and approve their works and worship to the worlds end 3. In the last part of the Psalm the Prophet brings in God promising to his Church many good things 1. Ver. 15 First He promiseth such abundance of temporal things that the poor shall not want I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her poor with bread Godliness hath the promise of this life as well as that which is to come Ver. 16 2. Ver. 17 He promiseth for a second blessing That her Priests should be endued with holiness and her Saints shout for joy which answers to the Petition in the ninth verse 3. The third Benefit is That there the Kingdom of David to arise viz. The Kingdom of the Messiah There will I make the horn of a David to flourish that is the power Luke 1.69 I have ordained a Lamp for mine Anointed 1 Kings 11.36 15.4 John 5.35 4. The fourth Benefit is the confusion of their enemies Ver. 18 and eternal Authority in this Kingdom His enemies will I cloath with shame but upon himself shall his Crown flourish The Prayer out of the One hundred and thirty second Psalm Ver. 1 O Lord merciful and gracious declare thy self mindful of the séed of our David be âuindful O Lord of all his mildness charity and patience Ver. 2 in which he suffered with a constant and invincible fortitude many and great afflictions Remember O Lord his dowes remember how mindful he was of his oath given unto thée for the proservation of thy Church and Truth He gave his eyes no sleep nor slumber to his eye lids that he might uphold the places deckcated to the Lord the habitations of the mighty God of Jacob. These O Lord for our sins Thou hast suffered to be demolished and profaned wicked men are come into thine inheritance and made thy house of proper a den of Thieves Arise O Lord and reward the proud after their deservings Then will we go into thy Tabernacle we will worship at thy footstool Arise O Lord into thy rest and come with us into that place that thou hast peculiarly chose unto thy self and
it rase it even to the foundations And thou O Babylon which hast done the work as I doubt not but as my God hath begun and will in his good time take a condign punishment upon the Edomites so also he will bring thée down Thou art miserable and thou shalt be miserable Happy shall that King and people be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones O merciful God whatever wrath and indignation is due unto us for the breach of thy Commandments and dishonouring thée in thy Service remove it O Lord from thy people and transfer it upon them that with an implacable malice pursue thy people and séek by all means to corrupt and waste thine inheritance which was purchased by the precious blood of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ PSAL. CXXXVIII DAVID delivered from his enemies and troubles and advanced to the Kingdom gives thanks to God acknowledgeth Gods goodnesse in hearing his prayers foretels the conversion of Kings shews that God regards the humble rejects the proud puts his trust in God for the future and prayes that God would continue and enlarge his mercy to him More briefly 1. In the three first verses he promiseth a grateful heart and to sing forth the praises of God because God heard his cryes and prayers and in tribulations sent him comfort 2. In the three next he shews what after Kings would do when the works and truth of God should be made known to them 3. In the two last verses he professeth his confidence in God shews what he hopes for from him and in assurance that God will perfect his work prayes him not to desert and forsake him David shews his thankfulness 1. First David shews his thankfulness which he illustrates and amplifies 1. The first part And illustrates it that From the manner of the doing of it done it should be cordially sincerely ardently totally I will praise thee with my whole heart 2. From the witnesses before whom it should be done Before the Gods will I sing praise Ver. 1 Coram Elohim Not only privately but publickly before the Potentates 1 He would do it heartily 2 Before all men whether Angels or Kings of the earth Psal 111.1 Psal 107.32 3. From the place the Temple then the Tabernacle a symbol of Gods presence with his people Ver. 2 It was as it were Gods Palace and there he ruled as a King 3 In the Temple and therefore he would fall low bow worship I will worship toward thy Holy Temple Which the Jews did when absent from Jerusalem Dan. 6. 4. 4 The causes inducing him to it From the causes inwardly inducing him to it I will praise thy Name for thy loving kindnesse and for thy truth 1. 1 Gods calling him to be King For thy loving kindnesse in calling me from the sheepfold to the Kingdom 2. 2 Performing his word And for thy Truth in performing thy promise In performing which 5. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name This clause is diversly read Thou hast magnified thy Name in thy Word that is in performing thy Word above all things Or Thou hast-magnified thy Name and thy Word above all things Or Magnificas cum toâo nomine tuo sermonem tuum Jun. All these have the same sense But the vulgar reads it thus Quoniam magnificasti super omne nomen sanctum tuum And Bellarmine by Sanctum tuum understands Christ who Luc. 1. is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to whom he gave a Name above every Name I suppose our English Translation should be pointed thus Thus hast thou magnified thy Word above all thy Name or and above all thy Name For Musculus by and joyns the Substantives 3 For hearing and granting his petitions Magnificasti super omnia nomen tuum eloquium 6. From Gods facility in hearing and granting his petitions which he presented to his God in the time of his banishment and affliction Ver. 3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Infirme creatures we are and in temptations and afflictions must faint except God strengthen us Out of all these motives David would praise God 2. David having set down what God had done for him The second part in mercy call'd him from following the Ewes great with young ones anointed him to be a King heard his prayers strengthned him in his affliction and in truth performed his promises conceives it impossible but that either the Neighbour or future Kings should take this when they heard of it into their consideration and âcknowledge the miracle and praise God for it This certainly is the literal sense This mercy to David was like to move other Kings to magnifie God though it may have an eye to the conversion of Kings in future to the faith 1. All the Kings of the earth Hiram Toe c. or the future Kings of Israel Judah shall praise thee when they hear the words of thy mouth what thou hast said of me David and of my seed Ver. 5 2. Yea They shall sing in the wayes of the Lord that is of the wayes of the Lord Muscul of his mercy truth clemency For great is the glory of the Lord he is very glorious in all his wayes his works his proceedings 3. Of which this is one Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly of which I David may be an instanÌce But the proud he beholds afar off He removes far from him he will not have to do with them they are in remotis agendis of which Saul may be an example and the Devil 3. Because God who is high looks upon the lowly The third part With it so mov'd he was that he puts his affiance in God therefore David being conscious to himself of his own humility promiseth himself help from God in all his tribulation even for the time to come 1. If I walk in the midst of trouble that is on all sides exposed to trouble Ver. 7 2. Thou wilt revive me make me live and preserve me safe and untouch't 3. Thou shalt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies Thou by thy power shalt restrain their fury that would devour me and hinder their endeavours and enterprises 4. And thy right hand shall save me Thy power thy virtue thy Christ who in Isa 53. is call'd the arm of the Lord shall do it The last verse depends on the former because he knew And that that God who had would yet deliver him that as yet many troubles and afflictions remained to be undergone therefore he was confident that the same God who had hitherto delivered him would be a good God to him for the future and deliver him in time to come and so make his work perfect 1. The Lord will perfect that which concernt me not for any
David exhorts to praise God The first part He begins with a Dialogism 1. He speaks to all Praise ye the Lord. 2. Ver. 1 Then by an Apostrophe he turns to himself Praise the Lord O my soul 3. And his soul answers While I live will I praise the Lord I will sing praises to my God while I have my being while I am and shall be 2. The second part But because the foundation of this praise is the trust and confidence which men have in God Dehorts from confidence in Princes for from which they are retarded by admiring over-much and relying upon the power and help of Kings and Princes the Prophet therefore subjoins his Dehortation and gives his Reasons for it 1. Ver. 3 Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man 2. His Reasons for it are 1. 1 Their impotency First Their Impotency There is no help in them They may seem potent but they cannot save themselves much less other men Ver. 4 2. 2 Mortality Their Fragility and Mortality Their breath goeth forth they return to the earth in that very day their thoughts perish 3. The third part But happy he that relies on God Those men cannot be happy that trust to them but now on the contrary If a man will be happy the Prophet shewes upon whom he must trust and rely which is on God for 1. Ver. 5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help him to whom Jacob trusted 2. And whose hope is in the Lord his God Not in impotent and short-liv'd men And this he confirms by divers Reasons The fourth part Because he is 1. 1 Omnipotent First From his Omnipotence He is God the Creatour he made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that is therein Able then to protect Ver. 6 2. 2 Faithful From his Veracity Who keeps Truth for ever His word is passed for our protection and he will perform it Potest vult quia promisit Ver. 7 3. 3 Just From his Justice He executeth judgment for the oppressed He defends the innocent and punisheth the unjust Good trusting then to him 4. Ver. 8 4 Merciful From his Mercy 1. He giveth food to the hungry Relieves men in their wants 2. The Lord looseth the Prisoners Another Act of grace and the rest follow 3. The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind Whether spiritually or corporally 4. The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down By sin wrath misery 5. From his Love The Lord loveth the righteous Ver. 9 5 Loving Of which the effects are 1. The Lord preserveth the strangers 2. He relieveth the fatherless and widow 3. But the ungodly find a quite contrary effect because they are noââons of love but wrath But the way of the wicked he turns upside down Their glory perisheth and with it the hope of those fools that trusted to them 6. From the Eternity of his Kingdom therefore to be praised 6 Eternal and trusted to for ever Kings dye and perish but he is a King for ever in Zion i.e. Ver. 10 in his Church The Lord shall reign for ever even thy God O Zion unto all Generations Praise ye the Lord. The Hymn and Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty sixth Psalm O Omnipotent and most Merciful God Ver. 1 Thou art worthy to receive honour and glory and therefore with all my heart and soul while I live I will praise thee while I have any being I will sing praises to my God Thou art my staffe to trust to my sole confidence and my hape as for the greatest and most potent of the sons of men I dare not rely on them Ver. 3 for they are unable in their greatest exigence to help themselves much less to relieve others Their breath goeth forth and they return to the earth whence they came and in that very day all their high thoughts and proud attempts perish and vanish together with them Who then can be happy that relies upon such empty broken réeds Ver. 5 that trusts to such brittle earthen vessels Leaving then all earthly dependances as weak and miserable comforters To thee will I trust who art the God of Jacob the Lord of thy Church and people being assured That he is only happy whose hope is in the Lord his God Thou O Lord hast made Heaven and Earth the Seâ and all that is in it Ver. 6 Thou dost confirm the Truth of thy promises by an exact performance Ver. 7 Execute then judgment for the oppressed give food to the hungry loose thy prisoners from their bonds and chains open the eyes and illuminate the understandings of those who are blinded in sin and errour Raise O Lord the hearts of such as are contrite and bowed down prosecute the righteous and innocent with thy love and favour preserve the stranger relieve the fatherless and widow and turn-upside down the way the plots devices and frauds of wicked mân Turn O Lord the counsel of Achitophel into foolishness An which since we know to be thy wondrous wââks and have experience of the performance of them to thy faithful servants in all Ages our faith is thereby confirmed Ver. 10 and our hope sustained in the miâst of our present troubles and calamities Wherefore being encouraged by this hope we humbly beséech thée look upon the sad condition of thy Church Thou O God reignest in Zion build then the decayed and ruined walls of Jerusalem and preserve and provide for this widow and her fatherless children amidst the storms and fury of her merciless oppressors for the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXLVII A Hymn THE Scope and intent of the Prophet in this Psalm is to stir up men to praise God for which he produceth many Arguments The occasion of the composing of it was the reduction of the Jewes from the captivity of Babylon and therefore it is supposed that Haggai and Zechariah the Prophets were the Authours of it and therefore some Interpreters put their names in the Title of it The parts are 1. An Exhortation to praise God ver 1. which is repeated ver 7. 12. 2. The Arguments to perswade to it Gods bounty wisdom power providence justice and mercy through the whole Psalm 1. He invites to praise God The first part The Exhortation is briefly proposed Praise the Lord ver 1. which the Prophet as the Chanter of the Quire begins and after some reasons given repeats in more words Ver. 1 Sing unto the Lord with Thanksgiving sing praises upon the Harp unto our God ver 7. And yet again at ver 12. Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Zion where the Arabique Greek and Latine Translators begin a new Psalm but in the Hebrew they are conjoyned and but one Hymn 2. The second part Now the Prophet hath no sooner ended his Exhortations but to every one of them singly he annexeth his Reasons To
his and so are the Cattle upon a thousand Hills will he eat Bulls flesh or drink the blood of Goats To what purpose are the multitude of sacrifices and the fat of fed Beasts these thou delightest not in incense is an abomination unto thee the calling of Assemblies the new Moons the Sabbaths all external worship is hateful and a trouble unto thée so long as the persons of those who observe them are not accepted so long as the men are Formalists Hypocrites and have their hands full of blood 't is the penitent soul to which thou wilt look the sincere heart which thou wilt regard Cleanse me therefore O Lord and wash my heart give me power to put away the evil of my doings let me cease to do evil and learn to do well that so my person being pleasing in thy sight thou may'st hear my prayers and accept my thanks It is now a day of trouble and as thou hast commanded I call unto thee for help Ver. 15 Lord hear my prayers and deliver me as thou hast promised so shall I glorifie thy Name be obliged to offer thee Thanksgiving and pay my vows to the most High Remit Lord and pardon the sins of thy people put our present sufferings and extream afflictions before thy eyes and return to us who return to thée with fasting wéeping and mourning so shall we have just occasion to offer thée praise and glorifie thée for this great mercy and deliverance for ever and ever thy statutes shall be our song in the house of our pilgrimage and we will run the way of thy Commandments all the dayes of our life PSAL. LI. One and a chief of the Penitentials THE occasion of this Psalm was the message that David received from God by Nathan the Prophet for the murder of Vriah and his Adultery in defiling Bathsheba this put him into the state of a Penitent and to petition to God for mercy for pardon for grace for peace of conscience for renovation of his heart It in general contains Davids prayer 1. For himself ver 1. to 13. 2. And three vows or promises ver 13. to 18. 3. For the Church from ver 18. to the end David being in a perplexed estate conceived he could have no comfort The first part but in Gods mercy and therefore he first in general prayes for that Have mercy on me Ver. 1 O Lord not on David the King thine Anointed but on me The general Petition for mercy that am not worthy to be called thy servant thy son and the motive he useth to gain that is not any plea or merit of his own but 1. The kindness of God Have mercy on me according to thy loving-kindness 2. The compassion of God According to the multitude of thy compassions The general Petition for mercy being offered next he tenders three particular Petitions 1. His first particular Petition is for forgiveness of his sins the fact was past The first Petition for forgiveness but the guilt remained he therefore earnestly petitions Put away mine iniquities and upon this he insists and in other terms comes over it for a soul that is truly sensible of sin is never at rest and satisfied with one deprecation for sin is a spot a deep stain Therefore wash me throughly wash me from mine iniquities Ver. 2 and cleanse me from my sin Amplius lava as if one washing were too little for a double sin for two such sins To this Petition for mercy he subjoins a confession of his sin knowing well To this he subjoins a confession that this was the readiest way to obtain it for he that confesseth and forsakes his sin shall find mercy in which we may learn many excellent conditions requisite in a true Confessionist 1. He enters into a serious consideration of the nature of sin he feels the weight the burden of it feels the anguish and abhors it I excuse it not 1. I know my iniquity I know it now to abhor to reform it Ver. 3 2. It is ever before me not to please me but to trouble and grieve me 3. He aggravates it with divers names iniquity sin transgression it is Pasteanos rebellion it is Greavah crooked dealing Chatta errour and wandring 2. And so he falls upon an open and plain confession Peccavi I have sinned Ver. 4 and this he first aggravates by two circumstances He aggravates his sins 1. From the person 1. Of the person It is against thee against thee I say a good gracious God that from a Shepherd hast made me a King a great and terrible God that art able and hast threatned to punish there was neither grace nor fear in me that I durst sin against thee against thee the Epizeuxis is emphatical yea against thee only have I sinned In maxima fortuna minima licentia So highly thou hast advanced me that I need to fear none but thee but this hath not kept me from this sin in this was unthankfulness Vriah was my Souldier I need not fear him the People my Subjects they cannot judge me it is to thee I am to answer for breach of thy Law I esteem therefore my sin to be against thee only for I had not known this sin to be a sin hadst not thou forbidden it nor need not fear any wouldst not thou punish it 2. Of the manner it was an impudent sin done in thy sight 2 The manner before thy eyes thou being by and looking on and so done without any reverence of thy Majesty as it were in contempt I have done this evil in thy sight So that I confess that in reproving and threatning me by Nathan thou art a just God and to be justified in thy sayings and clear in the judgment of any who with an impartial eye shall examine my offence and thy proceeding for I have deserved whatsoever thou hast threatned and given thee just cause to speak and judge as thou hast done Vt is not here causal but consequential for it is not his meaning that he sinned for that end that God should be justified but that this would follow upon it whensoever he was brought to confess his sin then God would be justified in his proceeding against him Ver. 5 3. He proceeds in the Amplification and Exaggeration of his sin He yet aggravates his sin 1. That it proceeded from original sin in him and declares from what root this his actual sin sprang even from his original Behold I was born in iniquity and in sin hath my mother conceived me This very sin that I have committed gives me occasion to enquire into my state and I find and confess upon a diligent inquisition that I am universally corrupted even from my mothers womb and that I carry about me the seeds of all sin 4. Ver. 6 Another aggravation of his sin is that in himself he found not that which God loves 2 From an insincere heart Thou requirest truth in the inward parts
The Lord is holy his eye is pure he delights in holiness truth and sincerity of the heart but I am unclean fallacious and therefore miserable because my disposition and affections are contrary to his 5. 3 Committed against conscience And that which yet more aggravates his sin committed it was against his conscience against that light of knowledge and wisdom with which God had endued him for God in the hidden part by a secret and unknown way by the motions of his holy Spirit had taught him wisdom but he like a Beast had suffered that light of knowledge to be suffocated by the fury of his own affections Hitherto hath David confessed and aggravated his sin Ver. 14 as every penitent ought but as if a general confession were not enough 4 And lastly names his sin at the 14th verse he names in particular the sin for which he asks pardon Blood-guiltiness Deliver me from Blood-guiltiness O Lord. His sin being confessed He renews his first Petition for remission and that not coldly or for fashion but aggravated with all the circumstances he renews his first Petition for remission which he doth under a Type then in use and a Metaphor the Type is Hyssop and the Metaphor Wash me Ver. 7 1. 1 To be justified Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean with a bunch of Hyssop dipped in the blood of the Paschal Lamb the Israelites sprinkled their doors This was again used in besprinkling and cleansing the Leper and in the sacrifice for sin this bunch was and the blood alterius in enigma a Type of Christs blood with that it was that David desired to be sprinkled for then he knew he should be clean for the blood of Christ purgeth from all sin Justified then he would be for it is the blood of Christ that alone justifieth 2. 2 Sanctified And sanctified also he would be and therefore he adds Wash me wash me with thy holy Spirit who is compared to water and I shall be whiter than snow have a snow-white soul not as if he should be without sin while he remained in this life but that his sin being by the power of Gods Spirit weakned mortified and subdued that it reigned not in him it should never be imputed and a sin not imputed is as if it never had been committed 2. The second Petition That the effects of sin be removed 1. Remorse of conscience David having ended his first Petition for forgiveness now proceeds and craves another viz. That the ill effects which sin had brought upon him may be removed the first of which is grief to the soul terrour and disquiet that ariseth out of the accusation of an evil conscience David lay under this the sense of his sin had taken from him his inward joy and his wonted peace of this he desires a restitution Ver. 8 Make me to hear of joy and peace and gladness 2. 2 An ill state of body A second effect it had even upon his body he was in a pining condition his bones were as it were broken through the extremity of the anguish of his spirit the moysture of his body was like the drought in Summer vide Psal 32. ver 3. 4. To be restored again to Gods favour he desires That even the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce 3. Ver. 9 A third ill effect he found upon his sin was that Gods face his favour was turned from him 3 Gods anger and displeasure he that shewed him a favourable countenance now beheld him with an angry brow and so he knew it would be till his sin was remitted and pardoned and therefore he begs 1. Hide thy face from my sins for if they appear before thy eyes I know they will provoke thine anger and then I am but in an ill case for who can abide thine anger He that turns away his face considers not remembers not and he that considers not will not punish 2. And blot out all mine iniquities I know there is a long Catalogue of sins in thy Book writ against me good God Dele blot raze out this hand-writing that it may not be read he that turns away his face from a writing may yet call for it again and read it but if blotted it cannot be read David therefore desires both 3. Now follows Davids third Petition The third Petition for grace and sanctification in which he craves the grace of Sanctification he first sought for remission then for reconciliation and now for renovation which he asks of God in the three following verses Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Ver. 10 Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit In which we are to consider 1. The subject upon which the work is to be done the heart the spirit Of the heart for as the heart is that part that first lives in nature so it first lives in grace within this work must begin or else outward renovation is to no purpose 2. The work it self which is 1. A Creation By a new Creation Sin had brought Davids heart in respect of a heavenly being as it were to nothing and from nothing to make it something must be an act of power O Lord create when thou wentest away my life went away Lord come again and create 2. It is a Renovation David was fallen as I may so say And renovation of a new spirit in senium peccari into the old age of sin therefore he desires that God would as it were begin with him again and make him to renew his youth as an Eagle O Lord renew a right spirit within me 3. Reconciliation and Restitution And a restitution of a spiritual life Therefore he craves that God would no cast him aside as a dead man and take from him his Spirit by which he lived Cast me not away take not away restore to me the joy of thy salvation 4. A confirmation in what was good Vphold confirm establish me 3. Who was to do this work not himself no humane power but God alone And a confirmation in goodness Which work God alone could do By changing the qualities of the heart but his power his Spirit O God create O Lord restore uphold me by thy Spirit Renovation is a work that hath its beginning its progress its continuance and perseverance from God and his Spirit 4. The Quality of this a cleansing so in the general for it was not the substance of the heart which was to be renewed and changed but the qualities and disposition only now what he means by this pure and clean heart he declares in the following words when he begs of God to give him a right Spirit a holy Spirit a free Spirit 1. A right spirit for he easily perceived that by his