confusion together that take pleasure at my hurt and let them be cloathed with shame and dishonour that magnifie themselves against me So shall my soul be joyful in thee O Lord it shall rejoyce in thy salvation I will not be unthankful nor stupid upon the sense of thy mercy my heart shall exult and all my bones sinews strength shall join in thy praise and say O Lord Who is like unto thée in goodness power mercy and justice Who I say is like unto thée who by thy immense power and goodness deliverest the poor man who is destitute of all help from the violent hands of those who are too strong for him the indigent and afflicted from him that spoileth him As for me I will give thee thanks in the great Congregation I will praise thee among much people and my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long O Lord be merciful to thy poor afflicted and persecuted Church and in thy good time deliver thy people from the hand of the Oppressor Let them shout and be glad that favour and stand up in the defence of a righteous cause yea let them say continually let the Lord be magnified who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants Amen PSAL. XXXVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE end of this Psalm is to implore God that out of his goodness he would deliver David and all good men from the pride and malice of the wicked To this purpose 1. He sets down a Character of a wicked man and his grievous estate from ver 1. to ver 5. 2. He makes a Narrative in the commendation of Gods mercy from ver 1. to ver 10. 3. He prayeth for the continuance of Gods goodness to his people petitions against his proud enemy and exults at his fall ver 10 11 12. 1. The first part Howsoever other men may judge of wicked men bless them while they prosper Ver. 1 and speak well of them yet my censure and judgment of them is this The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart A character of a wicked man that there is no fear of God before his eyes Sic apud me statuo sic decerno This is Davids postulatum and he first sets it down as the bitter root from which all the ill fruit following doth grow and so he enters upon an induction of particulars and by them describes a wicked man 1. Ver. 2 His first note is the pleasure the glory the boasting he takes in wickedness He flattereth himself in his own eyes 1 He calls evil good His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love to himself is so great that a great sin in his sight is no sin vice is vertue falshood truth 2. 2 He continues in it The second that in this he continues and will not be perswaded out of it untill his iniquity be found to be hateful till God by some heavy judgment hath past his sentence and dislike against it 3. Ver. 3 The third is his hypocrisie aliud corde aliud ore The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit 2 He is an hypocrite He gives goodly words but hath war in his heart 4. 4 He is obstinate The fourth is his pertinacy in evil and his abrenunciation of good Desinit adhibere intelligentiam he hath left off to behave himself wisely or he will not understand that he may do good 5. Ver. 4 And in the fifth verse he bundles up as it were his sins 1. He plots evil and deviseth mischief upon his bed 5 He is studious in wickedness 2. He sets himself in the way that is not good 3. He abhors no evil He invents wickedness he sets about it to perfect it yea though it be of the highest strain he swallows it and nauseates it not This is the description of a wicked man which some men beholding begin to wonder at Gods patience that he will endure this a buse and affront and are apt upon it to question his providence to whom that David may return an answer he enlargeth himself upon Gods mercy and goodness Gods patience and mercy from which this his long-suffering doth proceed And two streins there are of it the first absolute and general extended to all 2. The other particular The second part which is exhibited to the faithful only First In general God is good to all which is seen in his bountifulness 1 To all even all creatures his fidelity and his justice and his preservation of all things 1. Thy mercy O Lord is in the Heavens Thou preservest them 2. Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the Clouds They water the Earth as it s promised 3. Thy righteousness is like the great Mountains immoveable 4. Thy judgments are a great deep unsearchable past finding out 5. Thou Lord preservest man and beast in thee we live move and have our being 2 But particularly to his people which he admires Secondly But of his special care and providence as it stands in relation to the faithful he gives another account 't is a precious thing he sets a price upon it and admires it O how excellent is thy loving kindness O Lord Ver. 7 Quam preciosa Of which the consequent is in the faithful hope confidence Upon which the faithful comfort in distress 1. Therefore the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy wings 1 Trust 2. The effects of it 2 Are satisfied the plenty of all good things prepared for the faithful 1. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House 2. Thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasure 3. To which he adds the cause For in thee is the Fountaine of life and in thy light we shall see light He concludes with a Prayer 1. For all Gods faithful people 2. For himself The third part He prayes that this effect may light 1. He prayes that this peculiar and precious mercy might light upon the heads of all those that serve God in sincerity O continue thy loving kindness to them that know thee Ver. 10 and thy righteousness to the upright of heart 1 On Gods people 2. He prayes for himself that he may be defended from the pride and violence of wicked men Let not the foot of pride come against me 2 On himself and let not the hand of the wicked remove me Ver. 1 3. Lastly He closes all with this exulting Epiphonema 3 His acclamation upon it There are the workers of iniquity fallen There when they promised to themselves peace and security and said tush no harm shall happen to us there and then are they fallen They are cast down and shall not be able to rise The Prayer collected out of the thirty sixth Psalm O Omnipotent God Ver. 5 such is the amplitude of thy mercy that it extends it self far and wide so that from the lowest Earth to
the time of the Judges when the Judicature was in divers places nor yet in Sauls Reign David seated his Throne at Jerusalem and with it the Courts of Justice which lasted till the destruction of the City 3. The commendation being ended he turns his speech to the Tribes that ascend thither The third part He exhorts the Tribes and exhorts them for their own good to pray for the happy estate of Jerusalem 1. Ver. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem It is our Duty to pray for the Church and Kingdom 1 To pray for her peace since it is the Seat of Gods Sanctuary and the Kings 2. They shall prosper that love thee If not then for their sakes yet for our own let us pray for the peace of the King and Church for in the destruction and disturbance of these Justice and Religion perish King and Priest are ruined and then our ruine must follow as we know by miserable experience whereas if we love and pray for these prosperity is promised us 3. Ver. 7 And that we be not to seek for our prayer the Prophet puts one into our mouths The prayer formed to our hands Peace be within thy Walls and prosperity within thy Palaces Peace and prosperity two things that are especially good and joined maâ—â— happy Cities for peace without prosperity is but a secure possession of misery And again prosperity without peace is but a dubious and uncertain selicity 1. 1 For peace Peace be within thy Walls In thy walls in which consists the strength of any City in the multitude of people in which consists the strength of any Kingdom in thy Armies in which consists the strength of War 2. 2 For prosperity And prosperity within thy Palaces In the Kings house peace for Factions destroyes it and with it the Kingdom and Nation Where the King prospers not the people can never prosper 4. And what the Prophet exhorts others to do he promiseth to do himself This prayer he commenceth 1. I will now say peace be within thy walls a pious Prophet 2. Of which he gives two reasons I will seek to do thee good It shall be my study to do it a pious King And he adds his Reason to both I will say peace be within thy Walls Ver. 8 1. 1 That they in Jerusalem are his Brethren Companions For my Brethren and Companions sake The King calls his Subjects because of the same Church and Religion his Brethren and Companions and in his Vote regards not so much himself as them peace prosperity abundance be within their walls let Jerusalem flourish for their sakes Ver. 9 2. 2 That Religion was established But a second Reason there was which yet moved him more the religious Service of God there established Because of the house of the Lord I will stek to do thee good Jerusalem I know is the City in which the Truth of Religion is established and professed and in it is the house of God where they that profess this Truth must tender their worship and therefore I will with all my endeavour seek out wayes and means to do good to Jerusalem knowing that in the flourishing of that City Religion will flourish Nothing then shall be wanting in me for this Reason to advance Jerusalem I wish more Kings were of Davids mind therefore they wear Crowns The Prayer out of the One hundred and twenty second Psalm O Lord it was the very joy of our hearts and the delight of our souls when Neighbour call'd to his Neighbour Ver. 1 Friend call'd to his Friend and the Master to his Family Come let us go into the house of the Lord but now thou hast turned our joy into mourning debarred we are to offer up our wonted and solemn supplications to our God in thy house of prayer our solemn Feasts are cast aside in which we met to praise thy Name for those infinite benefits of our Redemption and receive the comfortable seals of our Salvation O Lord at last turn away thy wrath from us and bring us out of this captivity speak peace to thy people that sigh after thy Ordinances and long to appear in thy Assemblies before thée Ver. 2 and let our féet stand with chearfulness in thy gates from which the malice and will-worship of our enemies have so long driven us Thou O Lord hast adorned and beautified thy Church with most excellent gifts the unity thereof was far beyond that of any City Ver. 3 where the Buildings are uniform and compacted together the Doctrine in it was pious the Discipline orderly the Rites sew and decent Ver. 4 and among the Citizens there was a wonderful consent and harmony of minds thither the Tribes took delight to ascend even the Tribes of the Lord Ver. 5 that they might appear before thy presence and give thanks to the Name of their God And while thou wert thus serv'd in the beauty of holiness in Jerusalem were set the Thrones of judgment and from the Thrones of David justice did run down as a River But all is quite contrary our unity is dissolved our solemn méetings are disturbed for justice we reap nothing but wormwood and hemlock Lord restore to us our former unity and knit all the members of this Church together in perpetual concord Let the Tribes of thy people go up again to thy house to praise thy Name and all Schisms and Heresies and Blasphemies being dispelled let thy Word alone be heard and obeyed amongst us Restore our Judges as at first and our Counsellours as at the beginning set up the Thrones of judgment the Thrones of the house of David to whom alone Kingly and Judiciary Power doth of Right belong In the profession of true Religion we know our peace consists in the prosperity of Jerusalem we know our prosperity is involved Jerusalem we love Jerusalem we long for let as many then as love Jerusalem join with us in prayer and say Peace be within thy Walls and plenteousness within thy Palaces for peace without plenty is but a secure possession of misery and plenty without peace an unsecure felicity In Jerusalem I have many Brethren and Friends professors of the same Faith and Religion with me for their sakes I will now say Peace be within thee in Jerusalem is the house of the Lord our God the house of prayer set apart to his Service and for this cause also I will séek as much as lies in me to do thee good Lord accept of my poor endeavours for the re-edification of these broken walls and let me never farther prosper then I séek and labour for the peace and prosperity of thy Church and to unite all the infirm and collapsed members of this body to our Head thy Son Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXXIII THIS Psalm is a prayer of a Church in distress and a low condition made unto God to have mercy upon her and to deliver her in which she
rent me and ceased not with hypocritical mockers in feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth 5. And then prayes again to be delivered from them And a Conspiracy in all to vers 20 21. Then he returns to his Prayer again and expostulates his cause with God wondering that he should be so patient Lord how long wilt thou look on resoue my soul from their destruction and my Darling from the lions And to move God the sooner to do it he repeats his former reason vers 9. engaging himself to be thankful Vowing thanks I will give thee thanks in the great Congregation I will praise thee among much people And yet so he gives not over He continues his prayer but continues his suit even unto the end of the Psalm sometimes praying sometimes imprecating 1. He deprecates Let not them which are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me 1 Deprecating neither let them in scorn wink with their eyes at me without a cause And that God be the readier to hear him and stay this their joy and triumph he subnects this reason For they speak not peace but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land Again they are impudent lying people Yea they opened their mouth wide against me and said Aha aha our eye hath seen it This is a Truth this not hid from thee This thou hast seen and from them to thee I turn my eyes 2 And praying God to protect him and thus make again my prayer 1. Keep not still silence Neglect not alwayes my cause or grant them impunity 2. Stir up thy self and awake to my judgement even unto my cause my God and my Lord defend me and punish their impudence 3. Judge me according to thy righteousness which suffers not the just to be oppressed alway 4. Let them not rejoice over me And in me over the Truth and a just cause 5. Let them not say in their hearts So would we have it let them not say We have swallowed him up 6. But rather let that befall them which I have before pray'd for Let them be ashamed 3 And bring them to shame and brought to confusion that rejoice at my hurt let them be cloathed with shame and dishonour that magnifie themselves against me The conclusion is drawn from the consequent of Davids prayer The third part He moves the Church to give thanks if heard then he and the whole Church all good men would rejoice with him 1. To them he first turns his speech Let them shout for joy that favour my righteous dealing yea let them say continually The Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant 2. Which he would be ready to do Then he professeth for his own particular as he had done before vers 9 10. 18. My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long The Prayer collected out of the thirty fifth Psalm O Lord thou séest with how many enemies I am beset and how maliciously they are bent against me they set their snares and hide their nets as in a déep pit that I may unawares fall into the mischief that they imagined And that their injustice and ingratitude may the sooner move thée to have pity on me Behold they have suborn'd against me false witnesses who laid to my charge things of which I was no way conscious When they were afflicted I humbled my soul with fasting when they were in trouble I poured out my prayer for them I behaved my self as though they had been my friend or my brother I went heavily as one that mourneth for his mother But they have rewarded me evil for good to the great discomfort of my soul Their words are not the words of peace but they devise deceitful matters against those that are quiet in the Land Even they who had nothing but swéet words of peace in their mouths took their opportunity to open their mouths wide against me to insult and boast Ah ah we have now seen what we desired with our eyes Thus have they rejoiced in my adversity and gather'd themselves together for my ruine yea the very abjects gathered themselves together who did dayly tear my good name and never gave over In their feasts I was their mirth and the drunkards and scurrilous persons made their Songs of me Yea so much they were enraged against me that for very anger and indignation they gnashed on me with their teeth being ready and very desirous to devour me Lord how long wilt thou look upon this how long wilt thou leave me in the hands of these ungrateful and cruel men Vp Lord rescue my soul at last from destructions and my darling from these lions O thou the Lord of the whole world although thou hitherto seemest not to see what I have unworthtly suffered yet I know thou hast seen it because thou seest all things Keep not then still silence in my cause but thou who hast been alwayes present with me and shewed me thy favour withdraw not now thy help and be not farre from me Thou who to my prevalent enemies hast seemed to sleep now rouse up thy self awake and shew that my judgement and cause is dear unto thee O Lord my God to whom I have alwayes committed my self and on whom I do wholly depend Plead thou my cause O Lord with them that strive with me Do me justice according to thy righteousness and suffer not mine enemies to have their desire and to rejoice over me Never let them say in their hearts 'T is well So would we have it neither let them have occasion to boast We have swallowed him up Wrongfully they pursue me without a cause they hate me let them not then exsult at my ruine nor in scorn wink at me with their envious and bloody eyes That this happen not fight thou against them that fight against me lay hold on the shield and buckler and stand up for my help Draw out also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute me and assure my soul that thou wilt be my salvation Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt And as the lightest chaff is blown hither and thither by the wind so let them the Angel of the Lord scattering them be carried up and down by the passions and impulses of their own lusts and knowing not what counsels to follow be driven headlong from one evil to another till they come into such dark and slippery ways that they know not what to refuse and what to choose and so at last be taken and fall by the darkness and lubricity of their own counsels and imaginations In which let destruction come upon them unawares and let the net that they hid privily catch themselves into that very destruction let them fall Let them be ashamed and brought to
hypocritically and falsly as all flatterers do But to that pass they should have been brought that they should be glad to dissemble with and flatter Gods people 2. 2 Their peace long and lasting The second benefit is That their time should have continued for ever i.e. Their peace their tranquility their health their quiet habitation should have been very long and not interrupted with War Sedition Tumults 3. The third benefit is The abundance of all things Expressed by wheat 3 Abundance of all things to satisfaction and honey 1. I should have fed them also not with bran mixt with flowre as poor folks use and is usual in time of famine with the finest of the wheat 2. And with honey out of the Rock in which in Judaea Bees commonly liv'd would I have satisfied thee 'T is a blessing to say I have enough The Prayer collected out of the eighty first Psalm INsinite Vers. 1 O Lord are the causes that we have with the greatest alacrity to praise thée Thou art our strength thou art the God of Jacob we will therefore sing aloud and make a joyful noyse unto thee and because our breath is too short and low to resound thy praises we will call in the assistance of musical instruments the Nary the Lute and Psaltery and when those Feasts and Solemn Festivals shall come which are set forth for to celebrate thy mercies to man-kind we will blow abroad thy honour with shrill sounding Trumpets In which we yet shall but do our duty for this was made a Statute for Israel and a Law of the God of Jacob. Thou wert merciful to thy people Israel when in trouble they called upon thee thou deliveredst them thou broughtst them to Mount Sinai and proclaimed thy Law in their eares with the sound of a Trumpet when they heard a voice never heard before Thou easest his shoulder from the burden of carrying earth tiles bricks and straw and his hands were delivered from making the pots Thou hast been to us no less merciful than to them when in our afflictions and troubles we have called upon thee thou hast come down and delivered us thou hast freed us from our Aegyptian darkness of ignorance thou hast loused us from the slavery of the devil and from the drudgery and service of sin which laid a heavy burden upon our consciences and instead of thy Law proclaimed with so much terrour in Mount Sinai thou hast spoken to us from heaven by thy only begotten Son and sounded in our ears the glad-tidings of the Gospel And now Lord what doest thou require at our hands for all these favours even the self-same that thou requiredst of Israel For thus thou then spakest to them and thus thou speakest to us Hear O my people Vers. 8 and I will testifie unto thee O Israel if thou wilt hearken unto me there shall be no strange god in thee neither shalt thou worship any other god I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me And wo be so us miserable wretches our ears have béen dull of hearing and we have not hearkned to thy command though we have not set up strange gods yet we have worshipped our own imaginations and adored our own inventions We have forgotten that thou brought'st us out of our more than Aegyptian darkness of ignorance and sin and fill'd our mouths with all good things In a word we have not hearkned to thy voice we have set thée by for the vanities of our own hearts and would none of thée In justice therefore thou hast given us up to our hearts lusts and we have walked in our own counsels and because we would not receive the love of the truth that we might be saved for this cause hath God sent us a strong delusion that we should be lieve a lye and take pleasure in unrighteousness But O Lord though Israel hath transgressed yet let not Judah sin in Sodom thou hadst a Lot in Ur of the Chaldees an Abraham in the Land of Uz a Job though the four hundred Prophets have followed Baal yet there is one Micajah left nay seven thousand vnées that have not vowed to the Idol these will hearken unto thee these will walk in thy wayes Lord here their prayers hearken unto their groans for the remnant that are left And thou who wouldst have spared that sinful City at the request of Abraham could ten righteous men have been found in it return in mercy to the thousands of Israel which day and night cry unto thee to spare thy people O Lord for their fakes rather for thine own sake spéedily subdue and bring under our enemies and turn thy hand against our adversaries let all those who by their works and practical Atheism séem to hate thee bow like lerbants before thy people and at least shew and sein a voluntary subjection not daring to carry themselves proudly and stubbornly before thy servants nor to manifest their secret rancour But let the time of those who in sincerity of heart in truth and in spirit worship thée endure for ever let their peace be secure their tranquility long their prosperity perpetual their habitation quiet and their health confirm'd When they shall open their mouths wide in prayer fulfil their requests whatsoever they shall ask in thy name according to thy promise give it Because they first seek the glory and prosperity of thy Kingdom and the righteousness thereof let all other things be added unto them Supply them with the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth when other Prodigals féed upon husks then feed them with the finest of the wheat Let the Rocks yield them honey the Mountains Brass and Iron let their pastures de clothed with flocks Vers. 1 and their valleys to codered over with corn that they shout for ioy and sing that they take a Psalm and bring forth the Tabret the merry Harp with the Lute and on thy great and appointed Solemnities sing aloud to the God of their strength and make a cheerful noyse to the God of Jacob. Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christs sake our only Lord and Saviour Amen PSAL. LXXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THAT the Prophet might admonish and check the Judges of the earth about their duty he sets God in the midst of them commanding that they do justice and â—hreatning revenge for their injustice assuring them that he will rise one day and judge them Three parts of the Psalm 1. The Prophets Proclamation vers 1 2. Gods contestation with the Judges of the earth from vers 2. to 8. 3. The Prophets prayer that God would rise to judge v. 8. 1. The first part Gods preâ—ence proclaimed in the Court. The Prophet as a Cryer in a Court proclaims first a very profitable Doctrine and layes a solid foundation for all justice viz. That all Judges remember that as at
God in promising and a faithful God in performing thy Holy Covenant that thou hast remembred thy Mercy and Truth toward the house of Israel This is a mercy beyond all mercies and in mercy good Lord continue this mercy unto us Never remove our Candlestick or remove the light of thy Gospel from us And though at this time it be eclipsed and that very justly for our unthankfulness in the use of this light for our undervaluing of it and not rejoicing in it yet we beséech thée upon our contrition and amendment of our lives let it repent thee of the evil that thou hast brought upon thy people and all mists of error and heresie all darkness of prophaneness being dispell'd shew forth the bright beams of thy countenance unto those thousands of Israel who seek and sigh after thy Truth with an honest heart Descend Vers. 9 O Lord descend and with righteousness judge the cause of thy poor afflicted oppressed people in equity raise their grieved souls Let thy Truth flourish the Gospel have a free passage amongst us and bring to a spéedy confusion all that are enemies to thy peace through Iesus Christ our Lord. PSAL. XCIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Subject matter of this Psalm is the self-same with the former for it sets forth the Glory of Christs Kingdom the Majesty Power and Justice of the King and exhorts all by the example of his former servants to exalt call on him and praise him Two parts of this Psalm 1. A Description of Christs Kingdom 1. From the Majesty and Terrour of it against his enemies ver 1 2 3. 2. From the Equity of it in execution of judgment and justice ver 4. 3. From the King 's Patience and Clemency in giving Audience to his servants 6 7 8. 2. A Demand of praise and honour of all that acknowledge him for their King Psal 93. begun at the third verse repeated at the fifth and continued in the last This is the third time he begins his Hymus with this solemn Acclamation The first part Christ is King The Lord reigneth Jehovah is King And then as is usual in Musick Rests and pauseth as it seems to me after as if he had recovered breath Ver. 1 he sings with full voyce 1. The Terrour Power Glory and Majesty of it He bids the defiance to his enemies and comforts his people 1. He bids a defiance as it were to all his enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irascantur commoveantur fremant populi let the people be angry fret and be unquiet as Psal 2.1 Let the earth that is the Tyrants of the earth be movd at it yet let them know that all their endeavours are but vain For 1. God is present with his Church For 1. He sits between the Cherubims the Cherubims were over the Ark by which was signified the presence of God with his people and they covered the Propiatory and Ark with their wings The sense then is God is alwayes present with his people to them and therefore no fear though the earth be moved Ver. 2 2. The Lord is great in Zion of great power and high above all people 2 He is potent and higher than all people in Majesty Power Wisdom no fear then for this also though the earth be moved 3. His Name is great and terrible Great Ver. 3 and therefore terrible to his enemies for it is holy and therefore venerable In a word 3 His Name great and terrible holy his Regal Majesty and Regal Sanctity is such that he is a most potent and a most just King and therefore no fear yet though the earth be moved rather let them give the praise and honour due unto his Name 2. Our Prophet describes the Kingdom of Christ 4 He is a just King from the justice and equity which is administred in it and thereby moves his not to fear though the earth be moved Ver. 4 1. The Kings strength Hoz heb strength honour dignity authority holiness c. loveth judgment judgeth righteously out of the love he bears to justice not constrained by fear passion or necessity 2. And this he shews by the following Apostrophe in which he thus speaks to the King 1. Thou dost establish equity Confirm and establish just and equal Laws 2. Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob In thy Kingdom thou executest these Laws also justly by punishing sin and rewarding good works of which there be examples in both Testaments for though for a time he suffered the godly to be afflicted and the ungodly to be exalted yet he at last frees his servants and crowns their patience but he falls in fury on the wicked and damns them he punisheth sometimes in this life alwayes in the life to come Upon which the Prophet collects That God is to be adoted to which he earnestly exhorts Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at his Foot-stool for he is holy For this he exhorts us 1. Exalt ye by praising his Majesty with the heart Ver. 5 and magnifying him with your voyce 1 To â—â—alt him 2. 2 To adore before his footstool And worship at his footstool not his footstool as some read it that have a months mind to have Images worshipped In which expression David had an eye to the Ark of the Covenant for so I find it called 1 Chron. 28.2 Lam. 2.1 Toward which the Jews were bound to bow And his intention is that all our approaches and applications to the Lord our God be with the greatest reverence and submission of mind and body that may be All is too little 3. 3 For he or it is Holy For he is Holy or it is holy for the skilful in the Hebrew confess it may be read in either gender Holy the Jews call'd whatsoever was eminent excellent perfect chast entire sincere God then is holy because he is so in himself and his house his Priests his Day c. The Ark his footstool is Holy in relation to him when then we approach to him or any place where he ordinarily shews his presence Holy and Reverent actions and gestures are required of us Take heed to thy feet Prophane not what is holy 3. 5 He is a kind King Hears and grants petitions As is evident The third way by which the Prophet sets out the excellency of Christs Kingdom and the Clemency and Mercifulness of our King is in that he is ready to hear Petitioners and receive Petitions and of an inclinable nature to grant them also for which he brings examples of three illustrious men all eminent in their generations Moses a Prince Aaron a Priest and Samuel a Judge in Israel who all fell down and worshipp'd at his footstool call'd upon and were heard in their intercessions 1. Vers. 6 Moses and Aaron among his Priests The Hebrew word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Moses Aaron alwayes signifies not a Priest but a Prince and
néedy to an opulent and a voluptuous life which the many aim at in their prayers but the end of this our Request is That thanks may be given to thy holy Name and that we may triumph in thy praise that the purity of that Religion which thou hast delivered and committed unto us may be conserved and propagated and thy worship now intermitted may be restored and thy praises which by the sadness of these times have béen silenced may again with triumph be heard in the Congregation Then with joyful lips we shall give thanks unto the Lord and by experience make it known That thou art good and that thy mercy endureth for ever Ver. 1 Not indéed as we ought not as thou deservest for who can utter the mighty Acts of the Lord or who can shew forth all his praise But we will do what we can exalt with our voyces and honour thée with our lives We will keep thy judgments and do righteousness at all times that thy praises may be comely in our mouths and our lives become thy Gospel Grant us this mercy O Lord and then the Priests shall sound forth at thine Altar Blessed be the Lord God of Israel and all the people shall say with a chearful heart Amen Hallelujah The end of the fourth Book of the Psalmes according to the Hebrewes PSAL. CVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Title of this Psalm is Allelujah because in it are set forth the praises of God for delivering such as are oppressed from four common miseries after every of which is expressed those intercalary verses Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness c. Then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble As also for the effects of his Providence who only by his power orders and governs the change and vicissitudes we see in the World There be four especial Points handled in this Psalm 1. A Preface in which he exhorts all to praise God especially the Redeemed ver 1 2. 2. A Declaration of his goodness in particular 1. To the banished and strangers famish'd from ver 3. to 9. 2. To the prisoners and captives from ver 10. to 16. 3. To the sick from ver 16. to 23. 4. To the Mariners from ver 23. to 32. 3. A praise of Gods Power and Providence which is evidently seen in the changes and varieties of the World of which he gives several instances by which it is proved That he is the sole Disposer and Governour of the Universe from ver 33. to 42. 4. The Conclusion which sets forth the use we are to make of it ver 42 43. 1. The first part He incites all to praise God This Psalm begins as did the former and the intention in it is the same viz. That we celebrate and set forth Gods praise yea and for the same Reasons O give thanks unto the Lord Ver. 1 1. For he is good 2. And merciful For his mercy endureth for ever 2. And those who he invites to perform this Duty are indeed all who are sensible that they have received any mercy or goodness from him any way Especially the redeemed in Soul or Body whom he calls the Redeemed of the Lord that men may know when they are freed from any evil that it is only by chance or by their wisdom c. Gods hand is in it he is the first and chief cause of it the rest inferiour instruments to bring to pass his Providence 1. Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so i. e. that he is good that he is merciful 2. Ver. 2 They say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy If the Holy Ghost by the enemy means the Devil then he speaks of our Redemption by Christ if by the enemy some Tyrant Tribulation c. then a corporal and temporal Redemption but the last is generally understood and especially is referr'd to the first afflicting misery Banishment and the next verse intimates so much 3. And gather'd them out of the Lands from the East and from the West from the North and from the South which is yet as true of our spiritual Redemption and Christs collection of his Church from all parts of the World Mat. 8.11 John 10.16 11.52 2. Most Expositors therefore begin the second part at the second verse But some at the fourth The second part but the matter is not much material In those two there was mention made of Gods goodness in their deliverance in their collection from all lands But in the following is an evident Declaration of what they suffered during their absence from their Countrey which is the first misery described here by the Prophet to which a mans life is subject And it is the heavier Cross when a man is forc'd to it by Banishment as is apparent by the complaints that have been made of it by those that have suffer'd they are sine foco sine lare Curat nemo vagos laedere nemo veretur Exul non curae creditur esse Deos. Omnes exhausti jam casibus omnium egeni And this is the misery which the Prophet first instanceth in this place which first he describes then shewes the course the Banished took and lastly acquaints us with the manner of their deliverance which is the method in the rest 1. The first kind of misery Banishment Their misery was 1. That they wander'd no small discomfort to an ingenuous nature to be a Vagrant to walk from place to place and not have a certain House to put his head in In which they 1. Wandered 2. In solitary places Gods people were for a time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pilgrims and strangers and all that time few and evil were their dayes 2. The place adds to the misery Banished men are not confined to solitary places alwayes though that they have not the company they desire yet company they may have but the case of these Banished was That they wander'd in the Wilderness in a solitary place they fovnd no City to dwell in Literally it was fulfilled in the Israelites while they travelled through the Wilderness 3. Hungry and thirsty omnium egeni Men may wander and be in solitary places 3 Suffer'd hunger and thirst but yet have a supply of necessary food To this pass sometimes Gods people come that they have nor meat nor drink as Eliah the Israelites David c. 4. 4 Even to fainting And the Famine may be so great that their souls that is their life is ready to faint in them This is the Incrementum that the Prophet useth to aggravate the misery of Banished men and are the several steps by which it riseth 2. The course they took Next the Prophet shewes us the Course that these banished and hungry souls took for ease and help and that it failed them not no nor the rest following that took the same Course and therefore he four times repeats it versu intercalari The way was
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 â—great 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
they came into Aegypt and of Judah because from him they were called Jewes This being premised I come now to Analyse and explain the Psalm in which is described 1. The condition of the Jewes before their deliverance they were in Aegypt Ver. 1 all one as if he had said in bondage and liv'd among Idolators 1 They were in bondage nor form'd into a State nor into a Church 2. Among a barbarous people or a people of a strange language 2. The condition of the Jewes after their deliverance 2 But delivered by God they were then his Sanctuary and his Scigniory When Israel went art of Aegypt c. then Judah was his Sanctuary and Israel his Dominion 1. Ver. 2 His Sanctuary a people sanctified and adopted by him a peculiar people consecrated to his Worship 1 His Sanctuary a holy people as holy Temples and Sanctuaries and having holy Priests to govern them in points of Piety 2. 2 His Seigniory he their Lord and King His Dominion or Seigniory in whom he reigned as a King by his Lawes and spirit and appointed godly Magistrates to rule them in matters of Policy for the Government among them was first a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till they cast it off by choosing to themselves a King whence God told Samuel They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them 1 Sam. 8.7 2. 2 The manner of their deliverance by wonders done The Prophet sets down the manner of their deliverance which was not by ordinary means but extraordinary by signs miracles and wonders of which he gives us these instances 1. Ver. 3 In the red Sea The Seasaw that and fled That is the Sea seeing Gods people come toward it 1 At the red Sea and desirous to pass through it at the presence of the Lord turned back all night Exod. 14. Wisd 19.7 Where in a Poetical stâ—rein he attributes sense to the Sea The Sea saw that 2. 2 In and at Jordan In or at Jordan forty years after when they were entring the Land when Jordan was driven back and suffered a reflux for a long time Josh 4. Ver. 4 3. 3 At Sinai At Sinai where the Law was given where the greater parts of that Mountain and the lesser Hillocks about it trembled and quaked The Mountains skipped like Rams and the little Hills like Lambs The sum is That all the Creatures at the Commandment of the Creator were then turned upside down ready to do or not to do to continue in or to change their natural courses according to his good-will or pleasure Wisd 19.18 2. The second part The Psalm is composed after a Poetical vein and therefore having related the wonderful deliverance His Expostulation and the manner of it he expostulates with the Sea Jordan and the Mountains what the matter was with them that they so strangely alter'd their course with what passion they were affected and why What aileth thee Ver. 5 O thou Sea that thou fleddest and thou Jordan that wast driven back 1 With the Sea and Jordan O ye Mountains what aile ye that ye skipped like Rams and ye little Hills like young sheep 2 And the Mountains To which The answer of the Prophet in the person of the earth speaking to her self the Prophet answers so that it is both a Prosopopeia and an Apostrophe 1. Ver. 7 Tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob. That Gods presence was the cause As if it had been said Would you know the reason why we flie turn back move The cause is this The Lord hath appeared and shewed his Force and Power and laid his Commands upon us and therefore not abiding his Presence trembleth the Mountains are moved c. 2. Now of his Power let this miracle suffice for an instance 't is that God Who turned the hard Rock into a standing water Ver. 8 and the flint-stone into Fountains of water Caused not only waters to flow from thence but turned the very substance of a flint which is apter to yield fire than water into that fluid Element Numb 20. The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and fourteenth Psalm O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the World Thou art glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders able to do whatsoever thou wilt Ver. 2 and willing to do whatsoever is best for Judah whom thou hast adopted to be thy Sanctuary wherein thou wilt be served and Israel thy Dominion over whom thou wilt reign as a King by thy holy Word and Spirit O God Thou hast béen very gracious unto us that were Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel for in every Nation every one that feareth God and worketh righteousness is now accepted of thée all true believers are now become the séed of Abraham and the house of Jacob. Thou hast brought us out of Aegypt out of that Kingdom of darkness and ignorance in which we lived into a marvellous light Thou hast fréed us from the bondage of Pharaoh the Prince of darkness under whom we served and groaned Ver. 1 Thou hast taken the burden of the Law a yoke grievous and heavy to be born from off our shoulders and cancelled the Hand-writing that was against us laying upon our necks an easier yoke and upon our shoulders a lighter burden Thou hast overturned as it were the Chariots and Horse-men and destroyed the Host of our enemies by suâ—â—uing our iniquities and casting all of them into the bottom of the Sea that they may never appear before us again to confound our Consetences in this World or condemn our Souls in the next O Lord shall the dumb and insensible Creatures tremble at thy presence and shall not we be moved with so great mercies Shall they all in their kinds praise thée and shall not we who are endued with reason alwayes sing of the loving-kindness of our God Shall the Sea flée and the waters r etire and the Mountains and Hills skip at the presence of the God of Jacob Ver. 3 and shall not Jacob himself serve the Lord in fear and rejoyce before him in trembling Shall the hard Rock be turned into a standing water and the flint-stone into a springing Well and shall not our hard and flinty hearts in consideration of our own miseries Ver. 8 and Gods unspeakable mercies in delivering us from the bondage of our sins and tyranny of Satan if not gush forth into Fountains of tears express so much as a little standing water in our eyes It is a hard heart indeed that is not rent with compunction nor softned with kindness nor moved with prayers nor will yield to threats and blowes And yet O Lord such are our hearts so hard so flinty O touch thou the Mountains and they shall smoke touch our lips with a Coal from the Altar and they shall shew
the quantity and degrees of his calamity which he shews to be very great from the effects 1. In general he was in a languishing disease I am weak 2. In particular a sharp pain in his bones My bones are vexed 3. Vers. 2 Trouble in his soul My soul also is sore troubled 2. Vers. 3 From the continuance of it It was a long disease a lingring fickness and no ease he found Vers. 4 no not from his God The pain though great I could the better bear 2 From the continuance of it if I had any comfort from heaven But thou O Lord how long This makes me a man of sorrows that thou my Lord seems to have withdrawn thy countenance long long from thy servant Vers. 3 Lord how long 3. Vers. 3 3 From the consequence viz. Death From the consequence that was like to follow death and the event upon it 'T is my intention to celebrate thee and praise thy name This the living only can do therefore let me live For in death no man remembers thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit Vers. 5 4. And that to Deaths-door he was now brought he shews by three apparent symptomes 1. Sighs and groans which had almost broke his heart The symptoms of it being the companions of a perpetual grief with these he was oppressed even to weariness I am weary of my groaning Ver. 6 2. The abundance of tears which fell from him had even dried and washed his body these fell in such showres and so continual Ver. 6 That he made his bed to â—wim and watered his couch with his tears 3. His eyes also melted away and grew dim so that he seemed old before his time for grief preys upon the vital spirits and dries up the bones Ver. 7 Thus he complains My eye is consumed because of grief it waxeth old 5. And that which increased his grief and added to his sorrow was 4 From the joy his enemies took at it that he had many ill-willers who did laugh and boast and insult over him in this his extremity My eye is waxen old because of mine enemies Ver. 7 Secondly But at last receiving comfort and joy from his penitential tears The second part His insultation over his enemies These he rejects with scorns he begins to look up and from his complaint he turns upon his enemies who gaped after his death and over them he insults in the three last verses 1. He rejects these Reprobates from him with scorn and indignation you looked for my end and expected my ruine but all in vain and therefore now deluded of your hopes Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity 2. He assings the cause in effect Ver. 8 because God hath been moved by his prayer to reject them upon which ground he was so confirmed and pleased Because God had heard his prayer that he comes over it again and again thrice for failing 1. For the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping Ver. 8 2. The Lord hath heard my supplication Ver. 8 3. The Lord will receive my prayer Ver. 9 3. Then in the close there follows his imprecation His imprecation that which is made up of these three ingredients which he prayes may light upon them 1. Shame and confusion Let them be confounded to see their hope frustrate 1 Shame 2. Vexation Let them be vexed that they suffer by the hand of justice Ver. 10 3. Eversion Let them return with shame enough 2 Vexation that their plots come to nothing 3 Eversion may befall them And these two last he aggravates by the weight and speed for he desires that their punishment might begreat and speedy 1 Grievously 1. That their vexation should be nor easie nor mild but very sore Ver. 10 let them be sorely vexed 2. That their shame and overthrow linger not but be present hasty 2 Suddenly and sudden Let them be turned back and put to shame in a moment or suddenly The Prayer collected out of the sixth Psalm O Omnipotent holy and just Lord to whose commands we owe obedience and whose will ought to be our Law I wretched sinner and disobedient Caitiff do confess that for my disobedience I have deserved thy just displeasure I have provoked thy wrath and done evil before thée O Lord I have sinned and multiplied my iniquities Now therefore I vow the knées of my heart and humbly beléech thée to forgive and not to destroy me with my iniquities O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Ver. 1 neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure I tremble O dear Father and am even out of heart when I remember my great offences and féel thy severe justice My soul is sore vexed and the pains of Hell have overtaken me But thou Ver. 3 O Lord how long how long wilt thou turn away thy face from me and set me up as a mark to shoot at how long Lord wilt thou be absent for ever and shall thy jealousie burn like fire how long shall I take counsel in my soul and be thus vexed in my heart wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thy enemy wilt thou break a leaf driven too and fro with the wind and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me possess the sins of my youth Ver. 6 I am weary and worn out with sighs and groans and every night when solitude and darkness brings to me the memory of my sins Ver. 7 I make my Bed to swim and water my Couch with my tears The eye of my mind is darkned at the sense of thy revenge and the eye of my body grown dim and consumed with grief Have mercy upon me Ver. 2 have mercy upon me O my God and for thine own sake remit my sin and heal the running ulcers of my soul with thy grace for I am weak and unable to any good heal me from this my infirmity and the wounds of my transgressions Ver. 4 for which my bones are now justly vered Return O Lord who art now justly turned away from me for my sin and be propitious to me deliver my soul from the fear of thy judgment and eternal death and save him who hath deserved to be cast away for thy mercy sake I said in the cutting off my dayes Ver. 5 I shall go to the gates of the grave I am deprived of the residue of my years I said I shall not sée the Lord even the Lord in the land of the living I shall behold man no more with the Inhabitants of the world For in death no man remembreth thee and in the grave who shall give thee thanks Wilt thou shew wonders among the dead or shall the dead arise and praise thée shall thy wonders be known in the dark or thy righteousness in the land where all things are forgotten But unto thée have I cryed O Lord and in the morning
shall my prayer prevent thée Lord why castest thou out my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to dye yea from my youth up thy terrours have I suffered with a troubled mind thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy displeasure hath cut me off This is the desire of my enemies Ver. 7 among whom I daily live who insult over me for my sins and labour to draw me to despair of thy mercies these come daily about me like water and compass me about together Oh let not their mischievous imagination prosper left they be too proud never let them cry there there so would we have it But I will praise the Lord for that he hath done I will wait on thy name for thy Saints like it well Ver. 8 therefore all ye workers of iniquity who have temptted me to sin and pressed me to despair Depart from me for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping Ver. 9 the Lord which I repeat with joy and comfort hath heard the voyce of my supplication the Lord hath received and graciously answered my prayer So let thine enemies perish Ver. 10 O Lord so let them be ashamed and suddenly confounded and sore vexed even as many as are adversaries to thy Church and thy Glory Amen PSAL. VII The occasion A slaunder and accusation laid against him by Cush the son of Jemini that he sought to kill Saul from which he frees himself before God THree parts there are of this Psalm 1. His Appeal to God by way of Petition ver 1.2 6. 2. The Reasons of it set down through the whole Psalm 3. The first part Davids Appeal to God by way of petition to which he desires God to be The Doxology or his Thanksgiving ver 17. 1. He begins his Appeal with a Petition for freedom and deliverance from his Persecutors Save me deliver me ver 1. in which he desires God to be 1. Attentive to him first upon the Relation that was betwixt them for he was his Lord his God secondly He trusted in him O Lord my God I trust in thee Ver. 1 ver 1. 2. 1 Attentive 2 Benevolous Benevolous For he was now in danger of death he had 1. Enemies 2. Many Enemies 3. Persecuting Enemies 4. But one above the rest a Lyon who sought first to catch then to tear and rend him to pieces so that if God forsook him he would do it Save me from those that persecute me and deliver me least he catch my soul as a Lyon and tear it in pieces while there is none to deliver ver 2. The second part His reasons of Appeal 2. And then he gives his Reasons why he doth appeal to his God which are his own Innocency and Gods Justice 1. He makes before God a protestation of his Innocency Accused he was 1 His innocency that he lay in wait and plotted for Saul's life and Kingdom but he purgeth himself shews the impossibility of it and that with a fearful imprecation 1. O Lord my God if I have done any such thing as they object Ver. 3. 4. if therâ— be iniquity in my hands if I have rewarded evil tâ— him that was at peace with me ver 3 4. which was indeed an impossible matter And imprecates evil to himself if it were not so for I have deliver'd him that without any cause is my enemy as Saul in the Cave 1 Sam. 24. 2. Upon which he falls to a fearful imprecation to light upon himself if he were any way guilty Then let my enemy persecute my soul and take it Ver. 5 let him tread down my life upon the Earth and lay mine honour in the dust In effect thus then let my enemy have his will upon me take both my life and my honour dearer than my life from me lay all in the dust Kingdom Life Fortunes whatsoever thou hast promised me and I expect 2. And which is the second Reason of his Appeal being thus innocent 2 Gods justice he call to God for justice Arise O Lord in thy anger lift up thy self Ver. 6 because oâ— the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded 1. The rage of my enemies is great 2. The judgment was thine that chose me from my Brethren to be King of thy people Israel Thou commandest Samuel to anoint me Arise thou therefore lift up thy self and awake for me 3. Besides this will be for thy Honour and Eâ—ification of thy Church 3 Gods glory The Congregation of thy people shall compass thee not me about Ver. 7 they will assemble to praise thee for their sakes therefore return thou on High Ascend the Tribunal and do justice Now upon this Argument of Gods justice He stayes upon Gods justice he dwells and insists till the last verse of the Psalm and he implores it upon the ingemination of his own innocency and the impiety of his enemies God the Judge 1. He avows God to be the Judge not of his cause alone but of the whole world The Lord shall judge the people Ver. 8 2. Then he importunes him to do justice to him and to wicked men He implores his justice 1. To him an innocent and upright person 1 To him an innocent Judge me O Lord according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me 2. To the wicked O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end Ve. 9 3. And yet again he prayes over the same thing but not only for himself 2 Upon the wicked In God all the properties of a a good Judge 1. Knowledge 2. Prudence 3. To save but all good men Establish the just and adds his Reason that God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He knows not only the words and deeds but the heart also The righteous Lord trieth the very hearts and reins and therefore fittest to be a Judge in whom is required knowledge and prudence 4. The other two properties of a Judge are to save to punish and the triumph of his faith is that he knows he will do both 1. He will save the just and upright in heart he will judge the righteous Ver. 10 and therefore his defence is in God 2. He will punish the wicked for he is angry with the wicked every day Ver. 11 And yet even to them he shews much clemency and forbearance 4 To punish he stayes for their conversion he whets bends sharpens prepares his instruments of death he cuts them not down shoots not till-there is no remedy 5 Clemency Marry If they will not turn he will whet his Sword Ver. 12 he hath bent his Bowe and made it ready Ver. 13 he hath prepared for him the instruments of death and ordains his Arrows against the Persecutors 5. But mercy shewed unto the wicked it seems will not mend and better him nor Davids innocency But forbearance mends
destruction and blood overturning of Cities and polluting of holy Temples but thy destructions shall come to a perpetual end Vers. 17.18 and thy memorial shall perish Thou shalt fall into the pit that thou hast made and in the snare that thou hast set thy own foot shall be taken Thou shalt be brought to the sides of the pit thou without repentance shalt be turn'd into hell with all the people that forget God And therefore all ye servants of God Vers. 11 which trust in him sing praises unto God which dwelleth among his people and walks in the midst of the Candlesticks declare in the Congregation his marvellous works shew forth all his praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion and rejoice in his salvation So they Vers. 10 O Lord who know thy name thy eternal power justice and goodness toward them that trust in thee shall fall down and relie upon thee because thou hast never forsaken them who in their tribulations have sought thy help in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ PSAL. X. A Prayer to God to destroy the enemies of the Church and the oppressours of his people THERE be three parts of this Psalm 1. A Complaint 2. A Narration of his enemies malice 3. A Petition to be deliver'd from them The first part is a Complaint 1. The Complaint is contain'd in the two first verses Vers. 1 and it is double 1 Of Gods absence 1. Of Gods absence which is quickned by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 2 1. Why standest thou so far off O Lord 2. Why hidest thou thy self in times of trouble 2 Of his enemies 2. Then he complains of his enemies Whose Characters are The wicked in his pride doth persercute the poor These he describes by many Characters 2. The first is Insolency Pride and the effect persecution of good men The second part They being gotten to dignity places of honour and enrich'd Vers. 2 they become persecutours And they do it in Pride 1 Insolency and persecution This occasions an imprecation against them Let them be taken in the devices they have imagined They conspire and make Leagues to oppress good men let them be taken when they least think of it 2. The second Note of this wicked man is that he gloryeth in mischief 2 Boasting in wickedness which is a sign of extream malice Vers. 3 The wicked boasteth of his hearts desire 3. A third is that he applauds encourageth others in their rapine 3 Encouragement of others in mischief plunder and spoil to which they are moved by their covetousness He blesseth the covetous whom God abhorreth 4. A fourth is his Contempt of God and man and Perseverance in evil Vers. 5 1. Man he contemns His wayes prosper all succeeds well with him 4 A contempt he never thinks to be call'd to an account 1 Of Man Thy judgements are far out of his sight and therefore in scorn he slights and puffs at all his enemies 2. And God he reverenceth not Vers. 4 Through the pride of his countenance he will not seek after God 2 And God neither is God in all his thoughts 5. The fifth Note is his profane security He saith in his heart Vers. 6 I shall never be moved I shall never be in adversity Excessere metum mea jam bona 5 Profane security Major sum quam cui possit fortuna nocere 6. The sixth Note is his falshood His mouth is full of cursing 6 Falshood Vers. 7 deceit and fraud under his tongue is mischief and vanity Verborum faditas He will not stick at an Oath and curse himself and imprecate God to be a revenger if he perform it not that so under the colour of Religion and Piety he may deceive 7. The seventh is his Cruelty set out in the ninth and tenth verses 7 Cruelty and Hypocrisie Factorū rabies where he is compared to a Thief an Archer a Lyon Vers. 8 and if force will not do it craft shall Vbi non valet vellis leomnia assuit vulpinam for Vers. 9 he falleth down croucheth and humbleth himself Vers. 10 that the Congregation of the poor may fall into the hands of his Captains and strong ones He is animo vers 6. Ore vers 7. Opere malus vers 8 9 10. 8. The eighth Note upon him is that he is a close Atheist 8 Atheism Vers. 11 He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth away his face A petition to be freed from this wicked man and will never see it Which is the cause of his Cruelty Falshood Security c. The third part of the Psalm is a Petition to be freed from this wicked man The third part Arise O Lord lift up my hand forget not the humble Vers. 12 To perswade which he useth two Arguments 1. Vers. 13 That thereby God should assert his own glory For why should the wicked be suffer'd to blaspheme in this manner Wherefore do the wicked contemn God while he doth say in his heart Thou wilt not require it 2. Vers. 14 Taken from Gods glory nature office 1. In punishing wicked men 2. And defending the helpless Surely thou hast seen it for c. verse 14. Then he returns to his prayer 2 That God would set an end to his power and enforceth his second Argument taken from the justice and office of God 1. That he would out this wicked man from his power and strength Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man Vers. 15 seek out his wickedness till thou find none Till thou find none to punish let none escape Let them appear no more 2. Vers. 16 Then that he would hear and defend the righeous be no worse now to his people than he had been 3 That he would hear and defend the righteous as he had formerly 1. The Lord is King for ever and ever 2. He had expell'd the Canaanites before them The heathen are perish'd out of the land 3. Thou hast heard the desire of the humble Upon which he concludes with the expression of his confidence full of much comfort Of which he is confident 1. Thou wilt prepare the heart of the humble to wait on thee 2. Vers. 17 Thou wilt cause thine ear to hear 3. To the safety of the oppressed To judge the fatherless and poor 4. Vers. 18 To the ruine of the Oppressour That the man of the earth may no more oppress The Prayer collected out of the tenth Psalm for deliverance from tyrannous and oppressive enemies O Almighty and Merciful God whose eyes go through the world and doest sée to how many dangers thy poor Church is exposed and the rage and tyranny of wicked men against thy people we grievous sinners yet thy humble servants justly at this time for our transgressions against thée environ'd with cruel enemies and ready to be swallow'd up
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
begins with a Petition and it is for Audience The first part He petitions for Audience and he perswades it upon two Reasons 1. The justice of his cause 2. The sincerity of his heart 1. Hear the right O Lord attend unto my cry give ear unto my prayer 2. Ver. 1 That goeth not out of feigned lips it comes from a sincere heart and not from the lips only And gives the Reasons therefore hear it 2. Then again there be other Reasons why I desir'd to be heard Ver. 6 1. I am apt to slip and fall from thee Hold up my goings c. Ver. 5 2. The danger I am in is great and it must be a strange miracle Ver. 7 some special grace if I perish not Shew thy marvellous loving kindness Ver. 13. 14. 3. My Enemies insolent and mighty and thy Sword only can deliver me The second part He appeals to God as his Judge Arise O Lord disappoint him and cast him down c. ver 13 14. 2. His Appeal to God since a verdict must pass upon me Let my sentence come forth from thy presence for I know that thou art a just Judge Ver. 2 thou art sway'd with no prejudice Let thine eyes behold the things that is equal and then I am assured it will go well with me Ver. 3 For thou hast before this time taken me to task Being conscious of his innocency and hast found nothing and I am resolv'd that thou shalt find nothing nothing as touching that cause that my Enemies alledge against me 1. Nothing in my heart Thou hast proved my heart 2. Nothing in my tongue For I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress 3. Ver. 4 Nothing in my hand For concerning the works of men which are mischievous by the words of thy lips I have had so great regard to that which thou hast expresly in thy Word prohibited That I have kept my self from the paths and wicked wayes of the Destroyer of him that to satisfie his own lusts breaks all Lawes Perfasque nefasque ruit 4. And yet desires assistance I confess indeed that I am a poor weak and infirm creature apt to fall as other men Ver. 5 without thou sustain me by thy grace do thou therefore keep me in this mind ever Hold up my goings in thy paths thâ—t I slip not And this first Petition he renews again Ver. 6 and quickens it by his assurance and confidence to be heard He renews his Petition I have called upon thee for thou wilt hear me O God Encline thine ear to me and hear my speech And he puts in a special Petition which hath two parts or clauses Ver. 7 1. Shew thy marvellous loving kindnesses More than ordinary which he perswades from the person of God O thou that savest by thy right hand them that put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them 2. Ver. 8 That he would save him with the greatest care and vigilancy as a man would preserve the apple of his eye as the Hen her Chickens Keep me as the apple of thine eye hide me under the shadow of thy wings And to perswade this Ver. 9 he fetcheth his Argument from his present necessity he was inviron'd with enemies And perswades it from the quality of his enemies wicked men deadly enemies whom he describes 1. Capital enemies they were and they oppressed him They compass'd him about 2. Ver. 10 Powerful proud rich enemies they were Men inclosed in their own Fat with their mouth they speak proudly They insult and threaten him Ver. 11 3. Their counsels were fixt and bent to ruine him Figentes lumine terram 4. Ver. 12 Cruel they were as Lyons like a Lyon c. ver 12. 5. Ver. 14 Enemies they were that prosper'd in their designs ver 14. They are men of this World 2. They have their portion and look for no other in this life 3. Their bellies are fill'd 4. Their children are many 5. And they leave off their substance to their Babes Therefore he petitions the third time Ver. 13 ver 13. Arise O Lord disappoint him He petitions yet again The third part 1. Faith c. 3. The Conclusion containing the expectation of David opposed to his enemies felicity 1. In the life As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness 2. In this life to come when I awake up i. e. rise from the dead after thy likeness I shall be satisfied with it The Prayer collected out of the seventeenth Psalm I Have called unto thée O Lord be not deaf to my prayer but attend to my cry Ver. 1. 6. Encline thine ear and hear my speech be favourable to the justice of my cause and grant my petition which I make unto thée from the bottom of my heart and offer unto thée not with feigned and dissembling lips I know that thou art a just Iudge who art sway'd with no prejudice to thée therefore I do appeal Let my sentence come forth then from thy presence Ver. 2 and let thine eyes which behold all things consider that which is just and right and look upon that which is equal betwixt me and my accusers For my innocence is not unknown to thée for thou hast proved my heart Ver. 3 whether it were sincere or no thon hast visited me by a night of crosses and temptations and often spoken unto me and searched me out by many thoughtful cogitations which thou hast sent into my soul when déep sléep falls upon man Thou hast tried me as gold in the fire by many a sharp tribulation and yet hast not found any perfidiousness or malicious falshood in me for I have purposed notwithstanding the provocations and great pride and injuries which cruel men have laid upon me that my mouth shall not offend and blaspheme Ver. 4 And though it be a difficult thing for flesh and blood not to wish and speak and return ill to such impious and injurious Malefactors yet in all my life I have had an eye to thy Commandments and by the words of thy lips I have kept my self from the wayes and works and paths of those who attempt to corrupt thy Truth and destroy thy Law But I do not impute this my innocence Ver. 5 and Christian Conversation to my own strength I am not as the Pharisee proud ot it for whatsoever is in me good and vertuous I attribute it wholly to thy grace and benignity I am a weak creature as apt to fall and sin as any I beséech thée therefore who by thy preventing grace hast caused me to enter into the way of thy Commandment go along with me by thy concomitant grace in it Uphold my goings in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not that nor my desires nor actions deviate from the right way and so I become worthy that thy talent of grace be taken from me So many enemies I have that lay wait to subvert me in
to make intercession for Kings and all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Hear the prayers of thy Church which we send up unto thée for our King now in the day of his trouble Ver. 2 let the power of that God who defended Jacob from the fury of his brother Esau protect him and set him on high in a safe place Send him help from thy Sanctuary thy Throne in Heaven strengthen and support him by those prayers that are offered out of Zion for him Remember O Lord those fervent supplications and intercessions that are daily offered at thy Throne of grace in his behalf and accept the vowes and sighs and groans sent up unto thée by thy afflicted people for his restitution Grant unto him according to his own hearts desire and fulfil and give good success to all his counsel and whatsoever he for the advance of thy glory piety justice and the good of his people shall request that be pleased to hear and deny him not the request of his lips Our enemies put their trust in their Arms and Ammunition and suppose that their strength of Horse and arm of flesh shall hold them up and kéep them safe in that power which they have got by violence blood perjury and hypocrisie But we will remember the Name of the Lord our God being assured that a Horse is but a vain thing to save a man neither shall he deliver any man by his great strength it is not these humane helps we put our trust in but in thy Name alone Truly when thou shalt perform this for us as we trust thou wilt then will we rejoyce in thy salvation and in the Name of our God will we set up our Trophies of victory O let his enemies be brought down Ver. 8 and fall flat before him and let all those who with a sincere heart séek to advance his cause and right thy Church and thy sincere worship Ver. 6 rise and stand upright Make it known That the Lord will save his Anointed that he hath heard him and the prayers that have béen offered for him from his holy heaven and that he hath restored him by the saving strength of his right hand Save Lord save the King the Church and thy People Let the King of Heaven thy Christ our Iesus whom thou hast exalted to be Lord and King hear us when we call Amen PSAL. XXI The Peoples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Carmen Triumphale THIS Psalm is the Peoples Thanksgiving after the Victory In the former Psalm they pray'd for David when he went out to War in this they praise God for the Conquest God gave him over his enemies and the singular mercies God bestowed on him Three parts there are of it 1. A general Proposition in ver 1. 2. A Narration which is twofold from ver 1. to 4. 1. An enumeration of the particular blessings bestowed on David from ver 1. to 6. 2. An account how God would deal with his enemies from ver 6. to 13. 3. A Vow or Acclamation ver 14. The Sum of the Psalm is contained in the first verse The King shall joy The first part the King shall be exceeding glad Ver. 1 Joy then is the affection that King and People were transported with for all that follows shew but the rise and causes of it The joy of the King in Gods salvation 1. The rise or object of it The strength of God the salvation of God 1. His strength by which he did subdue his enemies contemn dangers 2. His salvation by which he escaped dangers fell not in battle 2. The second part Then they make a large Narration of the goodness of God to Davids person in particular of which the severals are these following 1. God granted to the King what he ask'd with his heart and mouth Gods goodness to David Thou hast given his hearts desire and hast not witholden the requests of his lips 2. He granted unto him more than he asked was more ready to give Ver. 2 than David to pray Thou preventedst him with the blessings of goodness Ver. 3 3. He chose him to be King Thou hast set a Crown of pure gold upon his head in which God prevented him chosen him when he thought not of it 4. When he went to War He asked his life Ver. 4 and thou gavest him even length of dayes for ever and ever which is most true in Christ who was the Son of David in him his life and Kingdom is immortal 5. A great accession of Glory Honour Majesty he was no poor obscure King now as at first nor contemptible in the eyes of the people Ver. 5 but greater than Saul or any King of Israel that followed of which yet he was not to boast not in his power not in his riches wisdom but in Gods goodness His glory is great but in thy salvation Honour and Majesty hast thou laid upon him All which are sum'd up under the word Blessing in the next verse Ver. 6 For thou hast made him most blessed for ever And added this to the blessing that thou hast given him a heart to rejoyce in it Thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance 6. The continuance of these blessings which is another favour Ver. 7 with the cause of it Davids confidence in God The cause his trust in God For the King trusteth in the Lord and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved 2. Hitherto is the first part of the Narrative that concerned Davids person in particular now follows the effects of Gods goodness to him ab extra and the whole Kingdom in the overthrow of his enemies The overthrow of his enemies by God and necessary it was to add this since no Kingdom though abounding with good Laws Wealth Subjects prudently governed can be happy except it be defended and safe from enemies abroad Now here their ruine and destruction is described and the cause 1. God by Davids hand would do it Thine hand the Sword of God and Gideon 2. He would certainly do it Ver. 8 for he should find them out wherever they were Thy hand shall find out all thy enemies and thy right hand shall find out all that hate thee 3. Ver. 9 This was easie to do as easie as for fire to consume the stubble Thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven in the time of thy wrath the Lord shall swallow them c. 4. Ver. 10 This destruction should be universal it should reach to them and their posterity Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the Earth and their seed from among the children of men 5. Ver. 12 Their judgment fearful and unavoidable God would set them up as a Mark to shoot at that should turn their back and yet they should not so escape because when they fled God would overtake them with a bended Bow and shoot his Arrows upon them
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. Peccatores sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Workers of iniquity 6. Blood-thirsty men cruel and revengeful 7. Mischievous ready to execute with their hands what they plotted in heart 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
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
as some great King in his Throne providing for all the parts of his Empire examining all Causes and doing justice to every one 1. Vers. 13 The Lord looks from heaven and beholds all the sons of men 2. That he sees all From the place of his habitation he looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth Vers. 14 3. And he is not â—â—iosus spectator neither Vers. 15 He sees and considers their hearts their works Considers in what men put their trust And he sees in what they put their confidence in their Armies in theiâ— strength in their Horse not in him But all in vain Vers. 16 For there is no King that can be saved by the multitude of an Hoast Evacuates their designs A mighty man is not delivered by much strength An horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any man by his great strength Multitude strength c. without God are useless 2. Hitherto he hath given a proof of Gods providence toward all men 2 But defends his Church but now he descends to a particular proof of it by his care over his Church which he wonderfully guides defends protects in all dangers and assaults And that notice be taken of it he begins with an Ecce Behold the eye of the Lord his tender'st care is over them that fear him Vers. 18 upon them that hope in his mercy To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine Upon this Gods people The third part The three last verses contain the Acclamation of Gods people who believe and place all their hope and trust in God For being excited as it were by the former Arguments They do three things Vers. 20 1. They express and profess their faith and dependance on God 1 Wait on him Our soul waiteth on God he is our help and our shield Vers. 21 2. They publish upon what hope they are held up and how comforted 2 Publish his name and rejoice in it For our heart shall rejoice in him because we have trusted in his Holy Name Vers. 22 3. Upon this hope they commend themselves by prayer to God 3 Commend themselves to Gods mercy Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee The Prayer collected out of the thirty third Psalm O God thy goodness is so great thy faithfulness so constant thy power so wonderful thy providence so universal but thy care so Fatherly toward thy people that we were unworthy of the least of thy mercies should we not acknowledge them and return thee due honour and thanks For there is nothing in the whole world which doth not witness thée to be a bountiful God Vers. 4 and a most Merciful Father Thy Word O Lord thy Decrée for the Creation and Government of the World is right and equal and all thy works are done in true wisdom righteousness and judgement Vers. 5 For there is nothing that thou hast commanded which is not just Nothing that thou hast promised which thou wilt not make good and bring to pass Out of that love thou bearest to righteousness and judgement the earth is full of thy goodness there being in it nothing so minute and vile which one way or other doth not partake of thy bounty Vers. 6 and commend thy goodness and mercy to us By thy Word alone and sole Command were those incorruptible Orbs of the Heavens made and confirm'd and all the hoast of them that multitude of starres so orderly and beautifully disposed by the breath the word the Fiat of thy mouth Thou hast gather'd together those unruly waters of the Sea into one place and shut them up with bounds and limits that they return not again to cover the earth And thou hast hidden and laid up great streams of waters in the bowels of the earth as in a Treasure-house which at thy pleasure thou bring'st forth to water a thirsty Land He spake and all this was done he commanded and it stood fast For so great is thy power that without any labour without any delay without any help all this was done and that by thy Will and Word only and by thy Word and Will it is that it doth so now continue and remain without dissolution Therefore O ye righteous rejoice in the Lord Praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner Vers. 2 praise therefore a righteous God with an upright heart Neither with your mouth only express his praise but set it forth with musical instruments Praise the Lord with the Harp sing unto him with the Psaltery and an instrument of ten strings And you who have so often sung of his honour now since he hath renew'd his mercies set forth your joy with a New Song play skilfully with a loud voice So set forth his praise his power his wisdom his mercy that all the earth may fear the Lord and the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him For what he hath ordained by his eternal counsel shall be fulfill'd and stand fast for ever and the thoughts of his heart to all generations Since then thou O Jehovah art most just most merciful most Mighty blessed is that Nation who have chosen and worshipped thee O Lord for their God and happy is the people whom thou hast chosen for thine inheritance O make us Lord alwayes of this people that we may be happy under thy protection Dwell in the midst of us and bless us But O Lord bring the counsels of wicked men against this thy people to nought and make the devices of the people of none effect Look down from heaven and behold all the sons of men from the place of thy habitation look upon the inhabitants of the earth Thou searchest the very hearts and reins and knowest all their plots and secret counsels they take against thy people thou séest their preparations and provisions O Lord make them know and so fashion their hearts that they may perceive that all hope and confidence is in vain which is not in thée Because there is no other can save besides thy self For there is no King that can be saved by the multitude of an hoast neither is a mighty man deliver'd by much strength An Horse whether in battle or flight is a vain-deceitful thing to save a man neither shall he deliver his rider by his great strength It is not in these vain helps we put our considence our hope is in thée alone on thée we relie to thée we trust from thée we look for help Let thy eye therefore O Lord be upon us that fear thee who relie not upon any merits and creatures but on thy méer mercy let thy everlasting mercy then follow us and deliver our souls from temporal and eternal death and suffain us with a sufficient livelihood in the time of famine Upon thee O Lord our soul doth wait be our shield to protect us our help to deliver us So shall our heart
rejoice in thee and we shall have just occasion to triumph that we have trusted in thy Holy Name O Lord let thy infinite Mercy be upon us according as we hope in thee For thy Sons sake we hope for mercy and for his sake let it descend upon us Amen PSAL. XXXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm is composed with great art which must be observ'd by him who will rightly Analyse it The Scope of it is to praise God and instruct in his fear The parts in General are 1. He praiseth God himself and calls upon others by his example to do so from vers 1. to 8. 2. He sets himself in the place of a Master instructs and teacheth in the fear of God from vers 8. to the last 1. David praiseth God The first part He praiseth God himself which he professeth thus 1. I will bless the Lord. 2. His praise shall be 3. He would boast in it 2. Vers. 1 He would not cease in it it should be done all his dayes Continually 3. Expressed it should be by his mouth Vers. 2 but by a tongue affected by the heart My â—oul shall make her boast in the Lord. 4. And so long he would continue in it till others were moved to do the like The humble shall hear thereof and will be glad 2. Upon which he provokes others to join with him to praise God also And incites others to it O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together Vers. 3 And that he may the easilier encourage them unto it In that God heard his prayer and will hear others also he proposeth his own example of Gods dealing to him I sought the Lord and he heard me and deliver'd me from all my fears Yea but perhaps it may be said This was a singular mercy exhibited to David To which he replies in effect No a Mercy it is Vers. 4 that belongs to all that seek God Vers. 5 They looked unto him and were lightned and their faces were not ashamed Vers. 6 But it seems this did not satisfie neither For they rejoin And by his Angel deliver them This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him that is David but he was in favour and saved him out of all his troubles Vers. 7 To which he replies by this general and undeniable Maxime The second part The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them Be they who they will He gives them counsel And for this cause he perswades them to join with him in the praise of God 2. And thence he falls to his instructions Now the Lessons are two Vers. 8 1. That they make a trial of Gods goodness 1 To relie on God O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him Vers. 9 2. That they become his Servants O fear the Lord ye his Saints 2 To fear him for they shall not wanr for there is no want to those that fear him Which he illustrates by a comparison The lyons lack c. But they that seek the Lord shall not These promises and this blessing belongs to none but such as fear God Vers. 10 That then no man deceive himself conceiving that he shall have a share in the blessing when it belongs not to him he enters upon and discourses of the common place The Fear of God and calls his Auditours to be attentive 3 This fear he teacheth Come you Children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. That fear of the Lord which if a man be desirous of life and to see many dayes Vers. 11 shall satisfie him And if he be ambitious to see good Vers. 12 the peace of a quiet soul and good conscience shall lodge it with him 4 And shews the qualities of the man in whom this fear is 1. Let him be sure to have a Lock upon his tongue Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips that they speak no guile 2. Let him bear no affection to injustice Vers. 13 Decline and depart from evil 3. Let him be charitable ready to do good works Do good Vers. 14 4. Let him be a Peace-maker Seek peace and ensue it Else he fears not God These be the Characters of those that seek the Lord and fear him and these shall want no manner of thing that good is Nothing that God sees good for them Object Yea but are not the righteous exposed to obloquies scorn injuries c. and do not the wicked flourish in wealth power and authority c. To these God is propitious Resp. Yes indeed but they the godly are neither unhappy for this nor the ungodly happy For though the world deride them and tread them underfoot yet they are dear to God 1. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous Vers. 15 and his ears are open to their cry 2. But the face of the Lord is against those that do evil Vers. 16 to cut off the remembrance of them from off the earth And upon this point David makes his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which largely he declares and comes over it in the rest of the Psalm 1. The righteous cry and the Lord heareth him Vers. 17 and delivereth him out of all his troubles he hears him ad voluntatem or ad salutem and delivers him either by taking them from him or him from them 2. Vers. 18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit Consolatur confirmat roborat 3. I confess that many are the afflictions of the righteous But deserted they are not But the Lord delivers him out of them all because he makes him patient constant able cheerful in all Superiour to all 4. He keeps all his bones so that not one of them is broken Perhaps it refers to Christ whose bones were not broken or to the bones of the Saints in their graves which shall come again together Capilli capitis numerantur But as for the ungodly But the wicked shall perish for their malice it is not so with them Occidet impios malicia The very root of their perdition is their malice The first shew'd to God the second to good men 1. Vers. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked 2. And they that hate the righteous shall be desolate And then David concludes this Psalm with this excellent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though God suffers his Servants to come into trouble yet he delivers them from thence For that is the nature of Redemption The godly delivered to free one from misery for Redeem'd one cannot be who is not under some hardship This shall be done saith David The Lord redeemeth the souls of his servants Vers. 22 and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate The Prayer collected out of the thirty fourth Psalm MAny Vers. 1 O Lord are the
troubles from which thou hast delivered thy servant therefore I will praise thy name at all times and thy honour shall be continually in my mouth It shall be the boast of my soul and the joy of my heart that when I sought thée thou hast heard me and deliver'd me from those fears with which I was surprised For behold I a poor afflicted wretch forsaken by all contemn'd by all in the midst of my miseries have implored thy help and thou didst hear me out of thy Holy Heaven and camest down and savedst me from my troubles O let this thy mercy shew'd to me raise the hearts of thy afflicted people let all those who are of a méek and patient spirit under the cross heat thereof and be glad Let them magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together being fully perswaded that that God who sent his Angel and deliver'd me will also send his Angel to encamp round about them and will deliver them When their eyes are dejected even then let them look up to thée when their faces are clouded with sorrow then enlighten them with thy favourable countenance Refresh them with thy aspect as with a pleasing light and never suffer them to be ashamed that they have relied and put their trust in thée Though those bruitish men who prey and tear like Lions may want and suffer hunger yet let not those who séek thy name want any manner of thing that is good supply them with necessaries for this life and in their penury teach them to be content because thou hast made them to abound with the spiritual and true riches O teach them to taste and confess that the Lord is good and that the man is blessed that trusts in him O Lord let thy eyes be upon the righteous and thy ears open to their cry They are of broken hearts be nigh unto them they are of contrite spirits O save them they in their afflictions cry to thee O hear them and deliver them out of all their troubles Thou hast said it O make thy word good That many are the troubles of the righteous but do thou deliver him out of all And that we may be alwayes in thy favour and under thy care good God instruct-us ever in thy fear Keep O Lord our tongue from evil and our lips from speaking guile Teach us to depart from evil and to do good And because it is a hard matter to have peace with all men make us to live without offence and to seek peace so much as in us lies and to pursue it So shall we have our desires and obtain what we love long life sée many dayes and much good O Lord let thy face be against those that do evil and cut off the remembrance of them from off the earth Let their own malice if they persist in it slay the wicked and their death be miserable And let them which hate the righteous because his life is not like theirs but of another fashion be desolate adding sin unto sin to their destruction being destitute of thy grace destitute of thy favour for which they are subject to thy anger in this world and obnorious to eternal punishment But as for those who serve thée with a single heart though they are exposed to many troubles and over-weakly yield to many temptations yet O Lord redéem their souls from death deliver them from the craft and violence of Satan frée them from the dominion of sin and suffer them not to commit that great offence for which thou in thy just displeasure shouldst cast them off Pass by their weaknesses pardon their infirmities and negligences renew them daily by the power of thy Spirit increase their hope confirm their saith and because they put their trust only in thy mercy forsake them not leave them not but let the riches of thy mercy guide and conduct them through the many afflictions and troubles of this sinful world to that place of everlasting habitations that they may live with thée and rest with thée in glory and perpetual felicity for ever and ever And O Lord grant that I with thy Saints may have this for my portion through the merits of my only Redéemer Iesus Christ my Lord. Amen PSAL. XXXV Is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE parts of it are 1. A prayer for defence against his enemies In which he prayes first for protection vers 1 2 3 17 19 22 23 24 25. Then imprecates evil to fall on them vers 4 5 6 8 26. 2. A bitter complaint against the malice of his enemies which he pours out into the ears of God as motives to plead his cause vers 7 11 12 13 14 15 16 19 20 21. 3. A proposal of his trust and confidence in God for help and deliverance his joy in it vers 9 10. His thanks for it vers 18 28. and a motive to others to do the like vers 27. 1. The first part He prayes God to be his Advocate In the Courts of men and Princes innocents are often oppressed by false accusations and calumnies persecuted and over-borne by power He then First Prayes to God to be his Advocate his Patron and Protector 1. Litiga Plead my cause O Lord with them that serive with me Vers. 1 2. Fight against them that fight against me Take hold of the shield and buckler and stand up for my help Dram out also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute me 3. Say unto my soul Assure me I am thy salvation 2 He imprecates against his enemies Secondly He falls to an Imprecation against his enemies 1. Let them be confounded and put to shame c. vers 4. 2. Let them be as chaff before the wind c. vers 5. Vers. 4 3. Let their way be dark and slippery c. vers 6. 4. Let destruction come upon him at unawares vers 8. And here he interserts some reasons of his Petition and Imprecation 1. From the justice of his cause and their unjustice 3 The reasons of both Without cause they have hid a net c. vers 7. Vers. 7 2. Vers. 9 From his gratitude that being deliver'd he would be thankful And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord c. vers 9 10. 3. From his enemies dealing with him from vers 11. to 17. And so enters upon his Complaint The second part His complaint of his enemies which is the second part of the Psalm and upon this he stayes long And he layes to their charge 1. Perfidiousness and extream malice and perjury False witnesses did rise up Vers. 11 they laid to my charge things that I know not 2. Vers. 12 Ingratitude They rewarded me evil for good Good he did to them he when they were fasted and pray'd for them But they were cruel to him 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In my adversity they rejoiced c. 4. Mocking jesting jeering The abjects gather'd themselves against me they
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 aâ—â—â—omfort 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 soâ—â—hat 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
is a happy man Now whether he speaks of That is of compassionate bowels and applies the following particulars to the poor and needy or to the man that considers him Interpreters are doubtful the particular comforts are six 1. The Lord will deliver him in time â—f trouble Ver. 2 2. The Lord will preserve him that he faint not in his great troubles The particulars of his blessing 3. The Lord will keep him alive prolong his life and dayes 4. He shall be blessed upon earth God shall enrich him and bless his substance 5. Thou wilt not deliver him to the will of his enemies never to their will to their full desire though sometimes into their hands 6. The Lord will strengthen him upon the Bed of languishing Ver. 3 Thou wilt make his Bed in his sickness He shall have comfort in his grief and assurance of Gods favour in his sick Bed Now before he enters upon the second part The second part He petitions for mercy the complaint of the unkindness of men to him he offers a short ejaculation to God begging mercy health and pardon which he asks upon confession of his sins health he asks first for his soul that being healed from sin he doubts not it would go well with his body 1. Ver. 4 I said the Lord be merciful to me merciful to my sin 2. Heal my soul in which there is yet the sense of thy wrath 3. He complains of others malice And the Reason is because I have sinned against thee And the complaint of himself being ended he complains of others 1. Of their hatred and malice My enemies speak evil of me 2. Ver. 5 Of their cruelty they long for my death they say When shall he dye and his name perish 2 Cruelty They would have no memory left behind of me 3. 3 Perfidiousness Their perfidious dealing and dissimulation They come indeed to visit me but it is to fish what they can from me Ver. 6 to make their advantage of it If he comes to see me he speaks vanity all vain and feigned words for his heart gathereth iniquity to it self fraudulently searcheth my counsels for presently being gone abroad he openeth and tells all to my hurt 4. 4 Conspiracies Of their plots and conspiracies All that hate me whisper together against me Ver. 7 against me do they devise my hurt 5. 5 Joy at his miseries Their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exultation at his misery An evil disease say they cleaveth unto him and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more 6. 6 Of a perfidious friend Of the perfidiousness of some particular friend perhaps Achitophel Yea mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath lift up his heel against me I fed and fatted the Beast and he kicked at me And then he prayes The third part He prayes to God to raise him But thou O Lord be merciful unto me and raise me up which prayer he enforceth by these Reasons 1. That thereby as a King he should have power to do justice on Traytors That I may requite them 2. Ver. 10 By this he should have experience of Gods favour By this I know thou favourest me c. 3. Ver. 11 This will be a testimony unto me that thou favourest not only my person but my cause Ver. 12 As for me thou upholdest me in my integrity and seâ—tâ—st me before thy face for ever Then he closeth the Psalm with a Benedictus And concludes with a Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting Ver. 13 Amen Amen The Prayer collected out of the forty first Psalm O Merciful God Ver. 1 who shewedst compassion toward the compassionate and hast promised mercy to those who are merciful so stir my bowels within me that I may rejoyce with thy servants that rejoyce and mourn with those that mourn never let me behold any of thy servants in want distress misery and affliction but let me consider it seriously and wisely lay it to heart make his my own case and chearfully afford him that help and comfort which I would expect and desire my self if it should please thée to visit me with the same or the like affliction This very day is a day of blackness and heaviness of gloominess and sad affliction unto thy servants and Lord out of a fellow-feeling I lay it to heart I pray not for my self alone but for them also O Lord deliver them in this time of trouble preserve them and kéep them that they fall not into evil nor faint not under their pressures Ver. 2 Prolong their dayes that they may sée thy revenge upon their enemies and bless to them good God that little substance which the spoiler and destroyer hath yet left to them The malice of their enmies is unsatiable their desire is to root them out that they may be no more a people O never deliver them to their will nor leave them in their hands into which thou hast now brought them for some reasons best known to thée When thou shalt cast any of these upon his sick bed then stand by him and strengthen him and comfort him though his body languish yet let thy consolations refresh his soul if it so séems good to thée make him whole again however soften under him his Bed ease his pain and let him rest swéetly and quietly in thy arms Make thou for him his Bed in all his sickness Lord be merciful unto him heal his soul and let it not be wounded with a desperate sense of thy hot displeasure As thou hast made him an object of pity to us so make him an object of mercy to thée and in confessing his sin let him find ease and assurance of pardon Thou Lord knowest our enemies how many they are and how they bear a tyrannous hate against us they speak evil of us they imprecate evil against us The prolongation of our life is an eye-fore to them and the lengthning of our dayes a corrosive to their hearts They long for our death and wish the abolition of our names and memory from under Heaven They may come indéed sometimes to visit us and insinuate themselves into our company but it is not out of any good will for even then they lay snares for us The kind words they use are full of falshood and dissimulation their intent is thereby to dive into the counsels of our hearts that they make some narrative to our destruction They whisper and lay their heads together with one consent all that they devise is to do us mischief under their power and command they have brought us and now that we are down their plot is that we never rise again Yea and how many of us may justly say which is a great corrosive to our souls My own familiar friends whom I trusted which did eat of my bread whom I have fed at my Table
and derision to them that are round about us and this he amplifies Ver. 14 1. From the circumstances 1. That they were a Proverb of reproach The Aggravation by an excellent incrementum or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen 2. That in scorn any one that would used a scornful gesture toward them We are become a shaking of the head among the people 3. That this insultation is continual My confusion is daily before me Ver. 15 4. It is superlative shame so great that he had not what to say to it The shame of my face hath covered me Ver. 16 5. It is publick their words and gestures are not concealed they speak out what they please Asham'd I am for the voyce of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth for the enemy and avenger Thirdly And yet he useth a third Argument The third Argument from the constancy of the Church under the Cross that the Petition may be the more grateful and more easily granted drawn it is from the constancy and perseverance of Gods people in the profession of the Truth notwithstanding this heavy cross persecution and affliction All this is come upon us Thus we are oppressed devoured banished sold Ver. 17 derided Yet we continue to be thy servants still we retain our faith hope service 1. We have not forgotten thee not forgotten that thou art our God 2. We have not dealt falsly in thy Covenant we have not bogled and jugled in thy Service daubing with any side for our advantage renouncing our integrity Ver. 18 3. Our heart is not turned back our heart is upright not turned back to the Idols our Fathers worshipped 4. Our steps are not gone out of thy way Slip we may but not revolt no not though great calamities are come upon us 1. Broken 2. Ver. 19 Broken in the place of Dragons i. e. enemies fierce as Dragons 3. Their appeal Though covered with the shadow of death Now that all this is true we call thee our God to witness Ver. 20 who knowest the very secrets of the heart and art able to revenge it If we have forgotten the Name of our God or stretched out our hands to c. Ver. 21 Shall not God search it out for he knows the very secret of the heart Fourthly But the last Argument is more pressing than the other three The fourth Argument from their profession of truth it is not for any wrong we have done those who thus oppress us that we are thus persecuted by them it is for thee it is because we profess thy Name and rise up in defence of thy Truth Yea for thy sake are we killed all the day long Ver. 22 for thy sake are we counted as sheep for the slaughter The sum then is since thou hast been a good God to our Fathers since we suffer so great things under bitter Tyrants since notwithstanding all our sufferings we are constant to thy Truth since these our sufferings are for thee for thy sake His Petition thy truth therefore awake arise help us for upon these grounds he commenceth his Petition The second part This is the second part of the Psalm which begins ver 23. and continues to the end in which Petition there be these degrees 1. That God Ver. 23 who to flesh and blood in the calamities of his Church seems to sleep would awake and set a stop to their trouble Awake why sleepest thou O Lord ver 23. 2. That he would arise and judge their cause and not seem to neglect them as abjects Arise cast us not off for ever ver 23. 3. That he would shew them some favour Ver. 24 and not seem to forget their miseries Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and oppression 4. Lastly That he would be their Helper and actually deliver them Arise for our help Ver. 26 and redeem us for thy mercies sake Which Petition that it might be the sooner and easier granted he briefly repeats the second Argument Ver. 25 ver 25. For our soul is bowed down to the dust our belly cleaveth to the Earth brought we are as low as low may be even to the dust to death to the grave The Prayer collected out of the forty fourth Psalm O God the Father of mercy Ver. 1 Thou hast called those thy people which were not a people and chosen them to be thy children who were aliens and strangers to thy Covenant Ver. 2 We have heard with our ears and our Fathers have declared unto us That thou hast gathered thy Church out of all Nations that thou hast driven out thine own people the Jewes and planted us Gentiles in their room Thou hast called us by thy Gospel redéemed us by thy Blood purified us by thy Spirit and that not for any merit that was in us or goodness or power Ver. 3 to which we could lay claim For we got not a possession in thy Church by our own Sword neither was it out own arm that could save us but it was thy right hand and thy arm and the light and favour of thy countenance no other reason can be given of this wonderful kindness but because thou hadst a favour and borest a good will unto us But now O Lord Thou hast cast us off and put us to shame Thou hast not gone forth with our Armies Ver. 9 Thou hast made us turn our backs upon our enemies and they that hate us spoile us our habitations our goods and thy Temples at their pleasure deslined we are like simple and harmless shéep to be slaughtered and devoured by these gréedy woldes scattered and dispersed whether they please and forced out of our Countrey to dwell among another people As slaves they have made merchandize of us and sold us at so base a rate as if we were of no value as if the most contemptible thing were price good enough for us To our neighbours we are become a reproach to those round about us a scorn a derision a proverb our misery is their mirth and at the sight of us in a scoff they shake their heads every day we méet with what doth amaze and confound us and for shame in every place we come we hide and cover our faces for our enemies lift up their voyces and revile us petulant they are and take their revenge by reproaches and blasphemies Thou Lord knowest the secret of the heart Thou Lord knowest that 't is for thy sake we are killed all day long and accounted no better than sheep appointed to be slain Ver. 21 All this is come upon us for thee these scorns and calamities we suffer for the profession of thy Truth and yet we are patient under the Cross Yet we have not forgotten thee thy Worship thy Service nor dealt falsly and hypocritically in thy Covenant our heart is yet sincere and upright we have not turned our backs upon thee Ver. 17 neither have our steps gone out of
ever and ever Amen Amen PSAL. XLVI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm is wholly Gratulatory sung by the Church for some very great deliverance after the victory from confederated enemies Two especial things to be considered 1. The confidence the Church hath in God from vers 1. to 8. 2. An Exhortation to behold it and that he is the Lord of Hosts the Authour of Warre and Peace vers 8 9 10. 1. The first part The Churches confidence He begins with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Maxime which is the ground of all the confidence which the people of God can have God is our Asylum or refuge to fly to our strength Vers. 1 stay munition on which to relie a very present help to deliver us in trouble Upon which Gods people inferre this Conclusion The inference upon it boldness in persecution Therefore will we not fear no not in the greatest calamities and multitude of enemies Which he expresseth First Metaphorically then in plain proper terms Fear we will not Vers. 2 1. Though the earth be moved or removed on which the Church is seated 2. Though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea i. e. the great and strongest Empires and Kingdoms should be ruin'd and overwhelm'd 3. Though the waters roar and be troubled Vers. 3 Though a multitude of people threaten and join their forces to ruine the Church 4. Though the Mountains i. e. Kingdoms shake at the tumour and swelling pride of these Compiratours For the waters are people Revel 17. More plainly for we have the interpretation of these Metaphors Vers 6. Vers. 6 Though the heathen raged the Kingdoms were moved yet will we not be afraid Justum tenacem propositi virum non civium ardor prava jubentium Non vultus instantis tyranni Mente quatet solidâ Neque Auster Dux inquietus turbidus Adriae Nec fulminantis Jovis manus Si fractus illabatur orbis Impavidum ferient ruina 2. And of this he next descends to shew the reasons 1. There is a River The reasons of this the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God the holy place of the Tabernacles of the most high Vers. 4 The City of God was Jerusalem the type of the Church and the holy place of the Tabernacles the Temple The little Siloah that ran softly did water Jerusalem and the Gospel-promises that shall flow alwayes in the Church shall make glad the hearts of Gods people Vers. 5 2. God is in the midst of her to keep to defend her therefore she shall not be moved that is utterly removed but shall remain for ever 3. God shall help her and deliver her yea and that right early in a fit season He that should come will come and will not tarry 4. He uttered his voice and the earth was melted The hearts Vers. 6 of the men of the earth that exalted themselves against his Church at the least word uttered from his mouth melted were struck with fear and terrour 5. The Lord of hosts is with us He is Dominus exercituum Vers. 7 their Armies then are at his command vers 7 11. 6. The God of Jacob is our refuge He is our Asylum and he will saye us vers 7 11. The second part contains two Exhortations 1. He calls to all to behold the works of the Lord Exhortations The second part and of two he gives instance for to behold 1. That War is his work Vers. 8 See what desolations he hath made in the earth Vers. 9 2. That Peace is his work Vers. 10 He maketh War to cease to the end of the earth c. 2. Then in the person of God he exhorts the enemies of the Church to be quiet for their endeavours are but in vain and their rage to no purpose Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted among the heathen I will be exalted in the earth The Prayer out of the forty sixth Psalm Or an Hymne O Blessed Lord God Vers. 1 upon whom we have depended ever since we were born forsake us not now in this néedful time of trouble but be our refuge to whom we may flie our strength on whom we may relie our present help in these distracted times either by fréeing us from our pressures or giving us patience to undergo them So shall we not fear in the greatest storms No Vers. 2 though the Devil raise the greatest persecutions against thy Church to remove it from the earth no not though a multitude of people conspire and swell with pride though they compass us about as a flood of waters Vers. 3 Though we behold the shaking and commotions of all other Kingdoms and Empires about us For thy rich promises will sustain our fainting hearts Vers. 4 A River of mercy there is in thee whose ever flowing streams shall make glad the City of our God the most high in which he hath set his Tabernacle to dwell and which we know he will uphold for ever Vers. 5 God is in the midst of her and she shall not be removed by any incursion help her he will in a fit season right early he hath promised to come and he will not tarry Arise Vers. 6 O God to fight for us utter thy voice to defend our cause for then the Nations will tremble the Kingdoms will be moved the hearts of our enemies shall melt like war and all that have exalled themselves against us shall lose their courage and be surprized with an astonishing fear Certainly the Lord of hosts Vers. 7 at whose command there is an Army an Army of Angels is with us The God whom Jacob worshipped and by whose power and mercy he was defended from the fury of his brother Esau will defend us when we flie to him O come then Vers. 8 and consider the works of the Lord behold what wonders he hath done for his people in all ages For their sakes he hath destroyed mighty Armies and brought strange desolations upon the mightiest Kingdoms Vers. 9 Again for their sakes he hath made Wars to cease in all the World he hath broken the Bows of the mighty cut their Spears in sunder and burnt up their Chariots with fire from Heaven giving to his people the blessing of peace All then you who are enemies to his Church Vers. 10 be still cease from your wicked plots and conspiracies for know this for certain that he is God he will get himself honour upon you Vers. 11 and he will be exalted not only in the Heaven above but he will also be exalted by what he doth for his people on Earth So that when we shall see his wonderful deliverance that he sends his people and the revenge he takes on their enemies we shall have reason to say and say again The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge PSAL. XLVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Triumphalis THE Prophet takes occasion from the bringing up of
their hope who commend themselves to thy goodness and are favoured by thee The Prayer collected out of the fifty second Psalm O Lord God Almighty who hast seperated the Tribe of Levi to come near unto thée and hast commanded them to teach Jacob thy judgments and Israel thy Laws behold and look down from Heaven and consider the disgrace and injury we suffer for thy Name Thou hast sent us as shéep among wolves and as wolves they fall upon us and devour us counted we are as the off-scouring of all things for thy sake and made a spectacle to Men and Angels The tongue of the Mighty deviseth mischief against us like a sharp Razor they wound and cut Ver. 2 and work deceitfully instead of love they return us haired Their tongue is deceitful they speak lies against us and words that may devour us Nay to that height of pride and impiety they are come that they glory they boast in this mischief Ver. 1 as if in destroying of us they thought they should do God good service And now Lord what is our hope truly our hope is even in thée Thy goodness O Lord endureth continually we know whom we have trusted we know on whom we rely and we are assured that thou wilt perform thy promise unto us as they have sought to destroy us so shall God likewise destroy them for ever he shall take them away and pluck them out of their dwelling place and root them out of the Land of the living This the righteous shall live to see done with their eyes and for it serve thee their Lord with more fear and rejoyce before thee with the greater comfort being delighted not so much with their destruction as with the express of thy justice Laugh they shall and say So so let it happen unto all those who make not God their strength but trust to the abundance of their riches and strengthen themselves in their wickedness But O Lord let the fate of him that for thy sake is seperated from his brethren be altogether otherwise Let every one of the Tribe of Levi that seeks his God with a clean heart and in sincerity serve thee in thy house be like a green Olive tree full of fruit and full of youth and for ever and ever be joyful in thy mercy Which thing if thou wilt do for us then shall we praise thy Name then will we wait upon thee and expect to see thy goodness in the land of the living through Iesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour PSAL. LIII THIS Psalm is the very same with the fourteenth The Analysis then must be the same and the Prayer and therefore I refer you thither PSAL. LIV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID in danger in the Wilderness of Ziph composed this Psalm There be 2 parts of the Psalm 1. His Prayer for help and salvation from vers 1. to 4. 2. His Confidence that he should have help and upon it his gratitude to vers 7. David preferres his Petition in the two first verses 1. Save me plead my cause Hear my prayer The first part Davids Petition Give ear to the words of my mouth Earnest he is and he ingeminates his desire and yet he desires not to speed except his cause be just Vers. 1 If so it appear then he desires God to plead it Plead thou my cause 2. He produceth two grounds upon which he petitions The name The ground of it the strength of God 1. He that calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved I call Save me in thy Name 2. Thou art a powerful God able to do it Save me in thy strength And this his Petition he quickens by the greatness of his danger His enemies The greatness of his danger 1. Were strangers from them he could expect very little favour 2. They were violent oppressors formidable cruel tyrants and from such I must expect no mercy 3. Nothing can satisfie but my blood They arise not for me but against me and seek after my life 4. They are a sort of impious people They have not set God before their eyes Well yet be they Aliens The second part In which he expresses his confidence and by their works unworthy of the name of Israelites formidable and cruel men who will shew me no mercy bloody-minded whom nothing can satisfie but my life Impious and ungodly people that remember not that God hath a revengeful eye Yet I will not fear For behold God openly favours me 2. And is against them Me he favours and those who are with me 1. God is my helper As he hath promised so he hath done and will do to me 2. God is with them also that stand for me and uphold my soul Ecce Behold both these But he opposeth them that oppose me Is an enemy to them who are mine enemies He shall reward evil to such enemies that observe me Vers. 5 and lay wait for my soul Of which being assured in the Spirit of Prophecy he imprecates Destroy thou them And imprecates cut them off in thy truth Promised thou hast that it shall go well with the righteous but on the ungodly thou wilt rain snares fire and brimstone Let God be true Fiat justitia pereat mundus As thou hast said Cut them off Now for so great a mercy Vows to be thankful David vows not to be unthankful For this 1. He would Sacrifice I will praise thy Name 2. Vers. 6 He would do it with a cheerful ready heart which is the fat of the Sacrifice I will Sacrifice freely For which he gives two reasons 1. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which internally moved him unto it For it is good The reasons 6. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occasional or outwardly impulsive His deliverance 1. For he hath deliver'd me out of all my trouble 2. And mine eye hath seen to my great admiration and content his desire upon my enemies Delivered I am they confounded The Prayer collected out of the fifty fourth Psalm O Almighty Lord who heardst the cryes of thy people Israel when they were oppressed in Egypt Vers. 1 look upon the afflictions of us thy people who have just reason to groan under our hard Task-Masters and heavy burdens By experience we find that all the help of man is in vain we therefore invoke thy name and implore thy power Hear our prayer O God and give eat to the words of our mouth Now we stand in néed of thy strength now we have use of thy powerful arm since our enemies become strangers to their own blood and shew us no favour are violent oppressors and load us with heavy burdens are cruel tyrants from whom we must expect no mercy are bloody men whom nothing can satisfie but our lives are a sort of impious people that have not set thee before their eyes O God be thou our helper and Saviour and be present with all those that fight for thée and
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. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 heaâ—d 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judas betrayest Thou Being thus much wrong'd and moved
2. Their treachery this The Mighty men are gathered against me They run and prepare themselves 3. They are diligent about it They return at Evening 2. Mad and set to do it they make a noise like a Dog and threaten boldly 3. Unwearied and obstinate in their purpose They go round about the City 4. Impudent and brag what they will do to me Behold they belch out with their mouth 5. And their words are bloody Swords are in their lips 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. And the cause of this is that they are proud and atheistical Who say they doth hear Secure they think themselves supposing they may contemn God and man neither regard what 's done or what becomes of poor David Ver. 3 4. 5. In the mid'st of which aggravations he inserts his own innocency Expresseth his own innocency They gather themselves together not for my transgression nor for my sin O Lord they run and prepare themselves without my fault And upon this he renews his Petition Ver. 4 1. Awake to help me and behold He renews his Petition 1. Thou therefore the Lord God of Hosts the God of Israel the Lord God of Hosts therefore powerful 2. The God of Israel therefore merciful 2. Awake to visit all the Heathen i.e. Punish the Heathen and the Israelites in this no better 3. And be not merciful to any wicked Transgressors i. e. malicious obstinate To this rage and implacable hatred of his enemies The third part Comforts himself in Gods promises he now begins to oppose the comfort he had upon the assurance of Gods promises this I know 1. Thou O Lord shalt laugh at them as it were in sport destroy them be their power never so great yet thou wilt laugh them to scorn 2. Them and all that are like them Thou shalt have all the Heathen in derision 3. I confess that Saul's strength is great but my Protector greater Because of his strength I will wait upon thee for God is my defence 4. This I am assured also That the God of my mercy that hath hitherto shewed me mercy shall prevent me come in feason to my help 2. Expresseth his desire about his enemies And God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies And to the 16th verse he expresseth what his desires were 1. Negatively He would not have them slain and eradicated He would not have them slain and be gives his Reason for it Slay them not lest my people forget for a dead man is quickly out of mind and his punishment out of mind and so few are the better for it 2. Positively The first degree of which is dispersion But 1. Sâ—attered vagrancy and banishment Scatter them which how heavy a judgment it is let the Jewes be witness 2. The second degree is Humiliation Bring them down O Lord our shield 2 Humbled Bring them from their power command honour to a low degree which is no small heart-breaking to a great spirit Fuimus Troes is never remembred without a groan And now he assigns the cause why he would have them scattered and brought low The causes that their blasphemies and lies may never be forgotten but they stand as a terrour to all lyars and blasphemers 1. For the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips 1 Taken in their own snaâ—e let them be taken in their pride The Jewes cryed Beelzebub Nolumus hum and taken they were 2. And for cursing and lying which they speak They cursed themselves his blood be upon us and upon them it is with a witness 3. He goes on in his desires Consume them O Lord emphatically consume them in wrath that they may not be which at first sight seems contrary to his first desire Slay them not But it is not so 4 Consumed for he speaks not of their life as if he would have them so consumed that they should not remain alive but he desires only a consumption of their power royalty command c. And so these words are a farther explication of his second desire Bring them down He would have them so brought down and consumed in their strength dignity command wealth riches that made them proud that they never be able any more to oppose God hurt his people trample upon Religion and his Church he would have them live 4. The final cause to deter others And shews the end why he would have them live and remain still it is ut cognoscant that they might know by their calamities and miseries That it is God that ruleth in Jacob and unto the ends of the Earth that he doth wonderfully govern and preserve his Church that is scattered over all the Earth 5. His insultation over them by a Sarcasm And now by a bitter Epitrope or Synchoresis rather he insults over them before at the 6th verse he shewed their double diligence threats malice to do mischief 1. They return at Evening Well esto be it so And at Evening let them return 2. They make a noise like a Dog Well Let them make a noise like a Dog 3. They go round about the City Well Let them go round about the City So withall they know that they shall be but in a miserable poor mean condition 1. Let them wander up and down for meat Let them find no setled habitation but wander among strange Nations to seek for necessary food 2. And grudge if they be not satisfied Let them be famelici so hunger-bit that is nor little that will satisfie them let them be alwayes grudging if they have not content so that if they be not satisfied they will stay all night be importunate and unmannerly Beggars vexed with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. The fourth part The Doxology The Conclusion is a Doxology and contains Davids thanks in which he acknowledgeth That God is his defence his refuge his strength of him therefore he would make his song 1. But I will sing of thy power 2. I will sing of thy mercy 1. Aloud 2. In the morning 3. The Reason he gives For thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble Both he repeats again 1. Vnto thee O my strength will I sing 2. The Reason The Reason For God is my defence and the God of my mercy And he joyns these two Attributes strength and mercy very well for take away strength from him and he cannot remove morcy and he will not protect both must go together in any one that will defend Power that he can mercy that he will otherwise 't is but in vain to hope for help from him David found God to be both and for both he extolls him The Prayer collected out of the fifty ninth Psalm OMy God Ver. 1 whom only I serve on whom alone I do depend deliver me I beséech thée from the hands of my enemies defend me from the malice of those that rise up against me
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil 3. Perpetually Let thy wrathful anger take hold of them for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
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 â—â—ecessary 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 hâ—st thou forgotten to be gracious and wilt thou in anger shut up thy tender bowels of mercies that I shall never more have any sense or féeling of them Of a truth Lord for my wicked life I have deserved the fiercest of thy wrath and all the judgments which thou hast threatned against rebellious sinners but O Lord Thou art able of a Saul to make a Paul of a Publican a Disciple of Zachaeus a Penitent of Mary Magdalen a Convert these changes are in the hand of the most High Turn then me O Lord and so I shall be turned and turn unto me and so I shall be refreshed pardon my sin and change my heart and so I shall be assured that thy mercy is not clean gone For after this long debate betwixt me and my own soul upon the serious thoughts of thy mercy I came to this resolve that my diffidence proceeded from my own pusillanimity for I said all this trouble is from my own infirmity I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember how gracious he hath béen to other sinners how strangely he hath converted them how mercifully he hath forgiven them and this change hath put me in good hope of an old man to become a new man of a vessel of wrath a vessel of mercy and that though in anger for a time he hath séemed to desert me yet out of méer compassion he will return and be gracious to me I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old time I will meditate also of all thy works and talk of thy doings I will call to mind That thou dost not call thy people to partake of the pleasures of this World but to desperate conflicts with sin death Satan and Hell that there is not any of thy servants of old but have born this burden and heat of the day and shall I then look to escape shall I hope to be exempted Thy way O God is in the Sanctuary A secret there is why thou dealest thus with thy servants and known it cannot be till we go into thy Sanctuary there we may learn That thou chastnest every child that thou receivest there we shall find That the reason of all thy procéedings are full of equity and holiness and that there is nothing we can justly reprehend or complain of Which of the gods of the Nations is in power to be compared unto thée which in mercy is like thée Thou art the God that dost wonders Thou hast declared thy strength in our weakness thy power in our infirmity O shew therefore thy self to be the self-same God and in this my weakness and infirmity support me It is not for nothing that thy favour to thy people Israel is left upon Record the Redemption of the sons of Jacob and Joseph are expressions of thy power and mercy Then O Lord the waters of the red Sea law thee then the waters felt thy presence and as if
shew thy power severity and mercy All which should breed in us fear and reverence But like those rebellious Israelites we have not kept thy Covenant nor walkt in thy Law we have forgot thy works and thy wonders then done we have turned back we have tempted thee our God these ten times we have provoked and grieved the holy One of Israel We have not remembred thy hand nor the day when thou deliverest us from the hand of the enemy Of a truth Lord when thy hand hath been heavy upon us by the pestilence famine or sword when thou by any of thy severe judgements didst stay us and bring us to the jaws of death then we sought thee then we returned and enquired early after God then we remembred that God was our Rock and the high God our Redeemer Novertheless we did but flatter thee with our mouths and lyed unto thee with our tongues for thy heavy hand was no sooner removed but our obedience was at an end We have again rempted and provoked the most High God we have not kept thy Testimonies but turned back and dealt unfaithfully with our fathers Thine own people were not more contumacious Israel not more stubborn forgetful wilful than we have been If they dissembled with thee we have done the like if they provoked grieved tempted thee we have done the like Our great deliverances have not wrought upon us thy apparent judgements have not bettered us thy returns of mercy have stiffned our hard hearts Wo be to us for our infidelity and disobedience whither shall we fly to whom shall we go Were it not that we consider that thou art the Father of mercies our hearts would faint Those words upon record are sweeter than honey and the honey-comb to our dying souls Israel was not right with him nor stedfast in his Covenant But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroy'd them not yea many a time he turn'd his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath For he remembred that they were but flesh a wind that passeth away and cometh not again Remember O Lord the mould of which we are made consider that we are but weak and vain flesh strive not alwayes with us remember that the breath in our nostrils is but a wind that passeth away and cometh not again then turn away thine anger and stir not up all thy wrath Out of thy meer compassion pardon and forgive our iniquity and destroy not the work of thine own hands Raise us by the power of thy Spirit and confirm us in thy truth that there never may be in us hereafter a heart of unbelief Never let us depart from the living God or harden our hearts from thy fear The natural branches are broken off and we who were slips of the wild Olive are graffed in of which we have not so much reason to boast as to tremble lest that thou who hast refused the Tribe of Joseph and cast aside the Tribe of Ephraim for their ingratitude rebellion impiety and disobedience shouldst upon the same ground reject us also We will not boast against the natural branches but come before thee with fear and hope with fear lest what hapned to them may befall us and yet with hope that the same mercy which followed them may yet follow us In the hottest of thy anger thou yet madest choice of the Tribe of Judah and sett'st thy love upon Mount Zion there thou built'st thy Sanctuary on high and sett'st it like the earth which never should move at any time David thou madest choice of to be their Prince and brought'st him to feed Jacob thy people and Israel thine inheritance Let this thy love notwithstanding our wickedness continue unto thy Church let the Tribe of Judah be dear in thy eyes take pleasure and do good to Zion build thy Sanctuary on high and make it conspicuous and beautiful in the eyes of her very enemies never let the gates of hell prevail against it Call thy servant David from his low condition to guide thy people and rule thy inheritance And let the power of thy Spirit be so effectual in him that he may feed thy people according to the integrity of his heart and guide them prudently with all his might So shall we who are the sheep of thy pasture give thee thanks for ever and ever PSAL. LXXIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm was composed when the Church was oppressed as some conceive by Antiochus certain it is it was in a very distressed condition And it hath These parts Viz. 1. A Complaint for the desolation of Jerusalem from vers 1. to 5. 2. A Deprecation of Gods anger vers 5. 3. A twofold Petition 1. Against the enemies of the Church vers 6 7 10 11 12. 2. For the Church vers 8 9. 4. A Doxology vers 13. 1. The Complaint is very bitter and riseth by many degrees The first part The Complaint bitter and amplified by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. O God the heathen are come into thine inheritance The Antithesis is elegant The heathen those Wolves impure beasts are come into thy Land thy peculiar 2. Thy Holy Temple have they defiled Vers. 1 Prophaned the place consecrated to thy service 3. They have laid Jerusalem on heaps Funditus deleverunt Vers. 2 4. Their cruelty they have exercised upon the Dead The dead bodies of thy Servants have they given to be meat to the fowls of the aire the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the Land Vers. 3 5. A second part of their cruelty was that they made no more reckoning to let out the life-blood of a man than of so much water Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem 6. They wanted a grave And there was none to bury them 7. Vers. 4 And to make up the full measure of their calamities their enemies looked on and scoffed at it We are become a reproach to our Neighbours a scorn and derision to them that are round about us 2. The second part The misery being fully decipher'd in this pathetical Complaint next the Psalmist acknowledgeth the cause of their calamity and expostulates with God The cause Gods anger 1. The cause was Gods anger and jealousie 2. Vers. 5 He expostulates with God about it and deprecates it How long O Lord About which he expostulates with God wilt thou be angry for ever shall thy jealousie burn like fire i.e. Cessairasci 3. The third part And prayes And now he begins his Prayer which is two-fold First Against the enemy 1. Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee and upon the Kingdoms that have not call'd on thy name 1 For vengeance to fall on the enemy for their cruelty Not upon us but on them 2. And he adds the reason and 't is a reason of weight in which he respects not himself but Gods people For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 peculâ—â—r 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
good-will to man and what he will have done by all his loving Subjects which is that they be a Holy people 2. 2 And holy as are his Subjects also For Holiness becomes thy House for ever The Temple the Priests the people must be a Holy Nation for ever correspondent to the Holiness of his Law and Testimonies Be ye Holy for I am Holy Holiness becomes thy House O Lord for ever The Prayer collected out of the ninty third Psalm O Omnipotent Lord which framedst the whole world by thy power and orderest all things by thy wisdom and yet in mercy hast made choice of some only to be a peculiar people to thy self Vers. 3 thou seest how this thy little flock is opposed afflicted oppressed by the pride and malice of bloody men Our enemies O Lord are mighty and insult over us they roare as the Sea they lift up their voice they seek to dash us in pieces with their insolent waves of anger and hatred as an inundation of waters and a tempestuous Sea they encompass us and seek to swallow us quick Let it be thy pleasure Vers. 4 O Lord to deliver us from these waves we believe that thou O Lord art mightier than the noyse of many waters yea than the mighty waves of the Sea stir up then thy strength and come amongst us Cast them then down in thy power still the waves of this troublesome Sea with thy word break in pieces the heads of Leviathan in these waters that we may have just cause to glorifie thy name Other Lords now raign over us Vers. 1 but thou art our King shew thy self then thou that sitt'st between the Cherubims appear as thou art clothed with Majesty Vers. 2 fortified with power and strength girded with thy sword upon thy thigh revenge thine own cause upon thy enemies and defend thy little flock Thou art from everlasting Vers. 1 thou art the sole Monarch of the World thou reignest thy Throne is established of old let not man then have the upper hand lest he grow too proud Shew that thou hast so established the World and thy Church in the World that it shall never be moved In thee Vers. 5 all the promises made unto us are yea and Amen thy Testimonies are very sure and the decrées of thy Kingdom immutable They require of us Faith Obedience and Holiness Oh thou who art our King and our God give us Faith to relie on thy promises Obedience to submit to thy Laws and a study of Holiness constantly and ever to perform such holy services and duties that thou requirest and becomes thy house and those that dwell in it Make our bodies Temples of the Holy Ghost that the Holy Ghost may take delight to dwell in this Temple for ever Amen PSAL. CXIV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IN this Psalm our Prophet prayes complains inveighs against wicked men Oppressors of the innocent reproves their Atheism and informs them of Gods Omniscience Comforts the godly and encourages the just to put their trust in God assuring them that God will reward the wicked and defend the righteous In this Psalm then The parts are 1. A Petition for vengeance upon the wicked vers 1 2. 2. A pitiful complaint with the causes of it which were two 1. The delay of Gods judgements on them vers 3 4. 2. Their insolence oppression of the poor blasphemy against God to 7. 3. A sharp reprehension of their blasphemy and Atheism and the refutation of it from vers 8. to 12. 4. A consolation to all good men that God will reward the wicked and defend the righteous from vers 12. to the end Which is confirmed 1. From Gods faithfulness who hath promised and will perform it vers 14. 2. From Davids own experience from vers 16. to 20. 3. From Gods hatred of injustice tyranny oppression vers 20 21. 1. Which will cause him to be a Rock and defence to his people vers 22. 2. A severe Revenger to the Oppressors vers 23. 1. He begins with a Petition The first part He petitions for vengeance on the wicked that God would take vengeance of the Oppressors of his people which that he might the easier perswade he makes choice of an Attribute and to shew the ardour of his prayer ingeminates it which is peculiar to God for mihi vindicta ego retribuam O Lord God Vers. 1 to whom vengeance belongs to whom vengeance belongs As if he had said Thou art the most powerful Lord a God of power and justice and hast vengeance into thy own hand Therefore now 1. Shew thy self appear shine forth evidently and apparently shew thy justice vers 1. 2. Lift up thy self thou Judge of the earth Do thy Office of Judicature Vers. 2 ascend thy Throne and Tribunal as Judges use to do when they give judgement 3. Render a reward to the proud For the proud humble not themselves to thee they repent not pronounce therefore the sentence of condemnation against them 2. And now the Prophet begins to Complain The second part He complains that it is delayed by which that by the delay of Gods vengeance wicked men were hardned in their impiety and gloryed in their villany 1. How long how long This thy forbearance seems tedious to us especially since the wicked grow worse and worse by it and insult over us the more 2. For they triumph of their strength they glory in their prosperity Vers. 3 and in their wickedness The wicked are encouraged in mischief 3. They utter and speak hard things boldly rashly Vers. 4 proudly they threaten ruine to thy Church they breath nothing but blood and eversion of Kingdoms and Cities freely and without fear they talk of nothing else but what they have done and what they will do 4. They are workers of iniquity and they boast themselves 'T is not sufficient for them to do ill but they boast of it Of their strength they boast of their power they boast of their success they boast as if nothing were able to withstand their counsel their sword their wisdom Especially to insult over and oppress the Church and poor Now to what end do they make use of all these for of that I must complain also the consequence is lamentable the event sad the effects are lamentable for in their fury and injustice 1. Vers. 5 They break in pieces thy people O Lord. The people elect seperate dedicated to thee 2. They afflict thine heritage The people that thou hast chosen for thy possession 3. Vers. 6 They slay the widow destitute of the comfort of an Husband 2. And the stranger a man far from his Friends and Countrey 3. And murder the fatherless all which thou hast taken into thy protection and commanded that they be not wrong'd Exod. 22. Deut. 24. Yet such is their fury that they spare not Sex nor age nor any condition of men Nay And to blaspheme God himself it were yet tolerable if their rage
joyful noyse 1 Universally that it be done in gladness and singing 3. 2 Heartily That it be not partial and restrain'd but complete the Copia verborum in which the Exhortation is offer'd 3 Completely shews it Jubilate colite scitote Vers. 2 venite laudate benedicite 4. 4 Sincerely That it be sincere and not feined done as in his eye and presence Vers. 3 5. 5 Knowingly That it ought to be well grounded arise from knowledge Know ye that Vers. 4 6. 6 Thankfully But thanksgiving be a part of it 7. 7 Publickly That it be as oft as occasion is offer'd Publick Enter into his Courts with Thanksgiving 2. The second part The Duty being set down reasons the Prophet sets down also to perswade to it The reasons for it drawn from the Nature of God 2. The benefits he bestows on us 1. First from his Essence Know ye if you know not so much already that the Lord he is God Vers. 3 Other gods there be talk'd on but none True but he 1 He is God Which shewed by his works of And therefore none to be serv'd but he 2. And this he shews himself to be by his work of Nature and Grace upon you 1. 1 Nature or Creation By his work of Nature for he is your Maker It is he that hath made us and not we our selves Parents are said to get chilcren but that ability is from God He makes the barren to bear and to be a joyful Mother of children Thou hast fashioned me in my mothers womb What saith Elkanah Am I in the place of God when his Wife was displeased she had no child 2. 2 Of Grace By his work of Grace For we were out of the fold but he call'd us into it and ever since accounted of us as his people of his pasture He governs us feeds us And that we be yet the more cheerful and ready to perform this duty in the last verse he puts us in mind of three Attributes of God His Mercy his Goodness his Truth for which he is worthy to be praised by us because we the better for them for be cause he is good he hath mercy upon us and because he is merciful 2 He is he promiseth us aid and assistance and because he is faithful and true he will perform it 1. Vers. 5 For the Lord is good O how good to those that are true of heart He is reconcil'd to us 1 A good God pardons our sin justifies us adopts us for his children and that freely without any merit of ours 2. His Mercy is everlasting He is the Father of Mercies 2 Merciful and begets Mercies as oft as we bring forth sins It is the Mercy of the Lord that we are not consumed 3. And his Truth endureth to all generations 3 Faithful For he never made promise but either he hath or will perform it God is not as man that he should lye The Prayer collected out of the one hundred Psalm O Omnipotent and holy God Vers. 1 the excellency and transcendency of thy Nature and those infinite benefits by thy favour conferr'd upon us exact at our hands that we appear in thy presence to celebrate thy name with joy and gladness and enter into thy Gates with thanksgiving and into thy Courts with praise But being conscious to our own unworthiness which ariseth from the thoughts of our manifold transgressions afraid we are that we dust and ashes sinful dust and ashes should take upon us to speak unto our Lord we tremble at thy presence and are ready to sink under thy displeasure If thou Lord should'st be extream to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it Remember yet we are thy creatures and the work of thy own hands Vers. 3 for thou hast made us and not we our selves Remember that when we were not a people worthy of love thou calledst us and madest us thy people when we were clean without the pale that wentest after us and broughtest us home to thy fold and madest us the sheep of thy pasture Give us grace then O thou great Shepherd of our souls that we may lament our unthankfulness and forgetfulness of these favours and the heinousness of our rebellions being removed be reconciled unto us and inable us that instead of a corrupt and impure life we may serve thée in righteousness and holiness all our dayes Of this we have yet some hope because thou art good Vers. 5 thy mercy is everlasting and thy truth endureth from generation to generation from thy goodness procéeds thy mercy and because thou art merciful thou hast made promises to penitent believing sinners and we are assured thou wilt perform them because thou art faithful and true O seal these promises to our disconsolate hearts by the graces of thy Holy Spirit Vers. 2 then we shall be bold to come into thy presence then will we enter into thy Gates with thanksgiving then we will be thankful unto thée and bless thy holy Name We will serve the Lord with gladness and make a joyful noyse to our Lord the God of Jacob for ever Amen Here ends the Third Book of the Psalms according to the Hebrews PSAL. CI. A Psalm of David Didascalicus DAVID being Anointed by Samuel to be King or as most conceive newly made King promiseth and vows to God to reign in Righteousness and Holiness In a word he would so govern Himself his Palace the Church the State that all wicked doers being taken away and all good men countenanc'd by him God should be honour'd and justice peace temperance piety flourish Two parts of the Psalm 1. The Syllabus or brief of the Psalm with the Dedication of it vers 1. 2. The full Explication of what he means by Mercy and Judgement and how practised 1. Toward himself For he shews what his life shall be from vers 2. to 5. 2. Toward ungodly men vers 4 5 7 8. and the end of it vers 8. 3. Toward all good men vers 6. These should be his Counsellors and Servants 1. The sum of the Psalm The first part He Summarily sets down what he will treat of in this Psalm viz. Mercy and Judgement the two great vertues of a King I will sing of mercy and judgement Ver. 1 1. Mercy Judgement which he really vowes Mercy in countenancing giving audience judging for and rewarding the good 2. Judgement in discountenancing punishing and being a terror to evil works and workers And that he would do this really not talk and seem to profess a great love to Mercy and Judgement as Princes use to do when they mean no such matter He makes a Solemn Vow to God to perform it Unto thee O Lord will I sing From thee proceed these gifts to thy honour they shall be referr'd and by me as in thy sight impartially executed This I Vow and Promise to thee 2. The
5 Reproach From the reproach of them who had been his friends but were now his enemies for a wicked man thinks himself reproached by a good mans honest conversation Wisd 5. Mine enemies reproach me all the day long and they are mad against me are sworn against me have conspited by an Oath to undo me 6. And that which made them so mad and sweâ—r was my repentance which I testified by ashes on my head 6 Sadness and tears in my eyes I have caten ashes like bread my dayly food and mingled my drink with weeping I drank tears with my wine that is I was fed with bitterness and sustain'd with tears which they derided And now behold the reason why every true penitent is thus humbled All these increased by the sense of Gods anger it is not for want nor yet for want of wit but it is out of a true sense of Gods anger which he hopes to pacifie by his sorrow and humiliation 1. Ver. 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath for my former sin 2. Which I collect thus Thou hast formerly lifted me up then sure I was in thy fovour but hast now cast me down whence I may well conclude that I am in disfavour with thee 3. And the effect plainly shews it For my dayes are as a shadow that declines and am withered like grace Become mortal flying fading from thy wrath raised by my own default 2. The second part He yet comforts himself in Gods promises Hitherto the Prophet hath petition'd and complain'd His case was lamentable yet he is notswallow'd up of sorrow Heart he begins to take and comfort he promiseth himself in the Eternity and Immutability of God and his love to his Church Hence he conceives hope of reconciliation and being moved by the Spirit of God foretells the restauration of Zion and Jerusalem and typically the state of Christs Church 1. To his Church on which he will have mercy and had when he restored them True I wither away as grass and so shall all Individual men But 1. Thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and therefore thy Church and promises to thy Church 2. And thy Remembrance from generation to generation The Covenant which thou hast made shall be remembred from father to son Ver. 13 till the worlds end 2. Thou seemest now to sleep But thou shalt arise 1. Thou shalt have mercy on Zion and save thy people 2. For the time to favour her yea the set time is come Literally the seventy years of the Captivity were neer expired Typically by the Spirit the Prophet foresaw and conceiv'd the Redemption of the Church in the future as a thing present And both he calls a time of favour for from the favour and mercy of God both proceeded 3. And this Consideration wrought a double effect This wrought a double effect 1. One upon Gods people for the present viz. an earnest desire to have it so Ver. 14 Earnest they were that Jerusalem should again be built the Church set up For thy servants take pleasure in her stones 1 A desire to have it so and favour the dust thereof Ver. 15 2. The other upon the Heathen 2 Another on the Heathen viz. Compassion Conversion So the Heathen shall fear thy name which began when Darius and Cyrus saw and acknowledged the Prophesies and obeyed them 2. And all the Kings of the earth thy glory which was truly fulfill'd in the conversion of Constantine c. to the Faith And he adds the cause why Kings and Nations should be so strangely converted because he had beyond all belief and expectation of man Ver. 16 so strangely delivered his people from Captivity and so miraculously set up his Kingdom in his Church This shall be done When or because the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in glory Before he cast his people into the grave as it were without any hope of life or restitution but when he shall bring them from thence he shall make his glory and honour manifest And that which moved him to it was the prayers of his people Ver. 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer Which effects followed on their prayer Of this mercy a Record to be kept Now lest the Jews should conceive that what was done for them did concern them only and not their Children or to speak more properly the whole people of God in all ages to come God would have a Record kept of it 1. This shall be written for the generation to come 2. And the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord Ver. 18 Cum viderint impleta quae praedicta And of this he assigns two reasons even the self-same set down at the 16. and 17. Verses 1. For be hath looked down from the height of his Sanctuary Ver. 19 from the heaven did the Lord behold the earth 2. To hear the groans of the prisoners Ver. 20 to loose those that are appointed to death That the glory be returned to God Now this Mercy from God calls upon us for our Duty for the proper end of it was and the effect that it should work upon us is that we should be thankful Therefore he looked down therefore he heard the groans of the prisoners c. That being freed 1. They should declare the name of the Lord in Zion Ver. 21 and his praise in Jerusalem 2. And this praise should be compleated Ver. 22 When the people are gathered simul or in unum united together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. The Gentiles join with the Jews in it And here methinks I hear the Prophet breaking off his comfort The Prophet laments he shal not live to see it and breaking out in the midst of his prophecy with Balaam As if he had said I am assured all this shall come to pass and be done for Gods people but alas who shall live when God doth this Whosoever shall I shall not certainly For he weakned my strength in the way and hath shortned my dayes Ver. 23 Yet my desire is it might be otherwise Yet he desires he might and in this my desire is but the same with many Kings and Prophets that have gone before me all which long and desired to see the flourishing estate of the Church under the Messiah and therefore Ver. 24 I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my age But suffer me to draw out my life to see that that all good men have aspired to see to wit that I may behold Christ promised in the flesh and be a partaker of the glory of his Kingdom Which Petition And presseth that he might Perswading God to it upon 24. The consideration of Gods eternity and immutability that it might be the easier granted he presseth it by a Collation of Gods Eternity and Immutability with his own life As if he should say Spare me
return daily to God for his good things he freely bestowes on us and how many good things he returns to us daily notwithstanding the evil we return him and we shall easily understand how great is the goodness of God That retributes good for evil and makes his Sun to shine on the just and unjust Luke 6. And Beneficia they are to us for we are the better for them The second part Which now he beginâ— by an 〈◊〉 to number the Benefits 1. Done to himself 2. At the third verse the Prophet begins his Declaration and by an Induction of particulars reckons up the benefits and that in this order 1. Those done to himself in which yet he excludes not others as if they might not share with him 2. Done to the whole Church But of the first he had a true sense and experience what others felt he could not say Now these benefits to himself were either spiritual or temporal 1. Ver. 3 The first spiritual Benefit was Justification or Remission of sin by which of an unjust man Spiritual as 1. Justification he made him just of an enemy a friend of a slave a son Bless God who forgiveth all thine iniquities freely forgives thy Debt or unjust Actions although many All everyone Original and Actual 2. 2 Regeneration The second Benefit is Regeneration by which the Power of Concupiscence that dwells in us is daily weakned and subdued though not wholly abolished The full cure must be expected in the life to come but such a cure is done upon us in this life That it shall not reign in our mortal bodies and we obey it in the lusts thereof And of this cure in himself David was sensible and therefore he saith Who heals all thy diseases or infirmities is daily cutting away and snubbing these roots of sin 3. Ver. 4 The third Benefit is Redemption Who redeemeth thy life from destruction 3 Redemption from the Pit from the Grave from Death and that which followeth it eternal Destruction 4. 4 Glorification all out of mercy The fourth Benefit Glorification Who Crowneth thee gives a Crown of Glory and the cause of this and the other Benefits be conceals not it is with or out of loving-kindness and tender mercies ex visceribus miserecordiae Neither is he behind with thee for temporal Benefits for however Bellarmine refers these and the following words to the felicity of the Soul 2 Temporal and immortality of the Body in the life to come which I dislike not in the Anagogical sense yet I conceive the Literal sense of the words may properly be referred to this present life in which God feeds and nourisheth our Bodies and supplies what is necessary for Food and Rayment and also conserves us in this life and gives us health and strength Ver. 5 both which the Prophet teacheth us in the following words 1. 1 Abundance Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things He gives not sparingly and with a Niggards hand but gives abundantly to enjoy 1 Tim. 6. He satisfieth and good things they are till we abuse them 2. 2 Long life and health So that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles An Eagle is a youthful and lusty Bird in her old age and of long life and this often God grants to many of his that they be long-liv'd healthful and lively active and vigorous old men as to Moses Joshua Job which if it happen it is a Gift of God 2. 2 Benefits to the whole Church As man is to pray so also is he bound to bless God for the good that befalls his Neighbour which course David here takes for he blesseth God not only for the Benefits of God bestowed upon himself but such as were common and did belong to the whole Church and in two he gives his instance The first is the defence of his people and deliverance of all that are oppressed The second is the Manifestation of his Will by his Servants the Pen-men of Scripture to them 1. 1 Deliverance Most just God is to his and good in punishing their Adversaries The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed with wrong Ver. 6 which is a new Benefit Two Alms he distributes 1. A righteous portion to his servants 2. Judgment and a just revenge to his enemies to all that are oppressed with wrong The Israelites were preserved in Aegypt but Pharaoh plagued 2. 2 Manifestation of his Will Most kind in making known his Will which had he not declared to his servants Ver. 7 we had never known it It must then be acknowledg'd for another favour That he made known his Wayes to Moses his Acts unto the children of Israel And here the Prophet interserts four Epithers or Attributes of God Both the Benefits bestowed because God is which declares unto us the true cause of all the former and following favours The Lord is Merciful and Gracious flow to anger and plenteous in mercy 1. Ver. 8 Merciful Rachum because he bears a pateâ—nal Affection to pious men 2. Gracious Channum the Giver of Grace and Benefits For he that loves with a fatherly Affection will give 3. Slow to anger Not easily drawn to strike he will bear long and much as a Father before he punish 4. Plenteous in mercies When he does us good being moved by no merit of our's Of all which Attributes the Prophet shewes the effects and applies them singula singulis in the following verses 1. He is merciful bears a paternal Affection to his Children 1 Merciful He will not alwayes chide neither keep his anger for ever Ver. 9 Angry he will be with his Children when they are untoward yea and chastise them too For every father chastises the son that he loves But his anger shall not last long for in his heart there remains the love of a Father from whence the stripes proceed 2. He is gracious Ver. 10 and therefore out of meer Grace he will give us a Pardon For if he should deal with us according to our deserts 2 Gracious who could abide it Psal 130. For what doth a sinner deserve but death Rom. 6. Whereas he forgives us and gives us Life Grace Glory and therefore we may truly say with David here He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Ver. 11 This Grace and Favour the Prophet amplifies by two Comparisons 1. The first is the distance of the Heaven from Earth which from the Center to the highest Orb is of an immense Altitude Yet look As high as the Heaven is above the Earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him 2. The second is the distance of the East from the West which is of an immense Longitude and yet look Ver. 12 As far as the East is from the West so far hath he set our sins from us Let the sin be of what extent it will it is
they might not be touched they were thy Prophets and they might not be harmed touched harmed they might not be no no not when they were few in number yea very few and these few strangers in the land They then went from one Nation to another from one Kingdom to another people yet the Charge was Nolite tangere And in them Thou hast given us a pledge and pown what thou wilt do for thy Church in comparison of the great multitude of profane men and unbelievers 't is but a little flock few in number yea very few In the World these are strangers and they used as strangers they wander up and down in many Kingdoms Repress their wrongs suffer not the Devil and his Imâ—â—ments for ever to pursue them reprove the prondest Kings for their 〈◊〉 Give forth thy Command as once thou didst and let the Tyrants tremble 〈◊〉 it Touch not my Anointed and do my Prophets no harm And he unto those who will not hear it what thou wast unto Pharaoh and poure down the plagues of Aegypt upon their heads from ver 27. to 33. At this time There is a King risen amongst us that knowes not Joseph Ver. 17 he hath taken Counsel against us and works wisely and subtilly with thy servants as he thinks to root us out Joseph is sold for a Bond-servant his feet are hurt with fetters and the iron hath entred into his Soul This we hope is but thy are to try him to purge out his dross and not to consume him and now after so long a trial raise up the Spirits of Princes to loose him frée him from his Exile and unsufferable injuries by their hands Make him O Lord the Ruler of thy House and bless his substance Put power in his hands To bind Princes at his pleasure and give unto him so wise a heart That he may teach his Senators wisdom But we pray not for him alone we pray also for our selves who groan under Aegyptian bondage and a darkness that may be felt Hear our cries and ease our sorrows Send Moses thy servant to be our Deliverer and Aaron whom thou hast chosen to be our Teacher that so Truth and Peace may be restored at once to thy poor afflicted people The mercy is great we ask and far beyond our desert to crave and we except not to receive it upon any other Score than upon thy Holy Promise made with thy servant Abraham We are the seed of Abraham according to the Spirit we are the children of Jacob thy chosen O remember thy holy Covenant which thou madest for ever Thou art the Lord our God and thy judgements are in all the Earth Judge and revenge our cause O Lord so will we remember the marvellous works that thou hast done and the wonders and the judgements of thy mouth Then We will give thanks unto thee Ver. 1 O Lord and call upon thy Name we will make known thy deeds among the people we will sing unto thee yea we will sing Psalms unto thee we will talk of all thy wondrous works we will glory in thy Holy Name and it shall be the very joy and rejoycing of our hearts that we may seek the Lord. Séek thée we will hereafter with an honest and sincere heart and denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts our endeavour shall be to live righteously soberly and godlily in this present world being conscious to our own infirmities we will séek thy strength and we will séek it in the place where thine honour dwelleth Sensible we now are what grievous afflictions have béen upon us since thy face hath béen turned away and therefore for the future we will séek thy face thy grace thy favour evermore Be merciful O Lord look down from Heaven remove thy angry Brow Ver. 45 and look upon us with a chearful and serene Countenance and for it we vowe our selves to be thy Vassals and Servants Return unto thée we will not only the Tribute of our lips but the Tribute of our lives For we will observe thy Statutes and keep thy Lawes And with a loud voyce sing we will Allelujah Allelujah for evermore PSAL. CVI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Intention of the Prophet in this Psalm is To express Gods Long-suffering in bearing with rebellious sinners and yet his Mercy in pardoning them upon the Confession of their sins and turning to him both which he doth exemplifie by a long Narration of Israels Rebellions Repentance Turning to God and Gods dealing with them which gave him just occasion both to praise God and to pray for his Church and People The Contents of this Psalm are these 1. An Exhortation to praise God with the Reasons in general ver 1. and who are fit to perform this Duty ver 2 3. 2. A Petition and Prayer directed to God in his own person for the whole Church and the end of it ver 4 5. 3. A Confession of fin particularly of the Israelites together with Gods patience to them and his healing them upon their Repentance Toties quoties from ver 6. to 46. 4. His Prayer that God would collect his Church out of all Nations that they might meet and praise him ver 47 48. 1. Allelujah Praise ye the Lord O give thanks unto the Lord. The first part He incites to praise God To this the Prophet invites and that we stick the less at the performance by two Reasons he perswades unto it 1. Because he is good he is before-hand with us Ver. 1 and prevents men with many Benefits 2. Because his mercy endures for ever his mercy is everlasting and far exceeds our sins and miseries for after men have offended him and deserve no mercy yet his mercy is unconquerable for he receives to mercy penitent offendors 'T is but Reason then we praise him and magnifie his mercy Yea but now it may be said Quis idoneus ad haec Ver. 2 Who is sufficient for these things who fit to praise him and set forth his mercies Those fit to do it who keep judgment and do righteousness Who can utter the mighty Acts of the Lord that is the infinite Benefits in mercy exhibited to his people Or Who can shew forth all his Praise in conserving pardoning defending propagating his Church This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or right answer should be Who can none can Ver. 3 for we are all sinners and therefore all unworthy Praise being not comely in the mouth of a sinner But the Prophet gives in his answer another way They are only happy men who keep judgment and do righteousness at all times and by consequent fit to do this Duty they may speak of the mighty Acts of God with comfort and shew forth all his praise 1. They are happy in prosperity and adversity they dwell in the house of God under his protection 2. They keep his judgments follow in their lives the strict Rule of Divine Law by
That when all humane helps failed they implored the aid and help of God Almighty 1. Then in their trouble When no other Course will work this will do it Ve. 6 and therefore God lets his be brought into trouble In prosperity They cryed to God the heart of the best man is often too secure and thinks not on God but let such a one be brought into some extremity and streight and he will cry They did so here 2. They cryed In their Petition they were very earnest 't was not a cold prayer that might freeze in the way before it came to Heaven but it was fervent a Cry 3. And they cryed Not to any false god as did Baals Priests nor relied wholly on any humane help But they cryed unto the Lord their cry was rightly directed Now the success was answerable to their desire 1. In general He delivered them out of their distresses He delivered them 2. But in particular the deliverance was every way fit and accommodated to the exigence they were in the manner being this 1. They wandered in the Wilderness in a solitary way they found no City to dwell in ver 4. But he led them forth by the right way Ver. 7 that they might go to a City of habitation 2. They were hungry and thirsty and their soul fainted in them ver 5. But he satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness Which mercies are every way correspondent to them express'd in ver 4 5. And upon this he inculcates his Exhortation to praise God For which he exhorts them to praise God with which he began ver 1. But is so earnest to have it done that he interserts between the mercies as if he were loth to have it deferr'd which Course he also perpetually takes as may be seen after in the Psalm Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 1. The Lord deliver'd the Lord led them forth let him then have the praise 't is his due 2. It was out of meer goodness he did it not out of desert For he is good ver 1. 3. And the effect of his goodness was seen in his works his wonderful works He would then have his praise be as publick as were his works open manifest And it was his hearts desire it should be so Oh that men would praise 2. The second Corporal Misery to which men are subject is Captivity and Imprisonment which as before he first describes The second misery captivity then shewes the Course the Captives and Prisoners took and the consequent of it viz. Gods mercy in their deliverance upon which he exhorts them as he did the banish'd and hunger-starv'd to be thankful 1. He describes their misery 1. Captives they were taken by the enemy put into Dungeons and Prisons Ver. 10 where they were debarred of the comfort of the Sun In which they suffer often very sorely For they sate in darkness and shadow of death for such is a Dungeon and they in it are in daily expectation of death 2. Besides in this place They were fast bound with affliction and iron the iron enters into their souls For disobedience against God 3. And the farther it will enter if the cause be as it is of the most their rebellion against God when they are conscious of this their irons will be far the more afflictive To others as Joseph the Apostles Jeremy the Dungeon will be the less troublesom But as I said this is the cause of few the most come thither Because they rebelled against the words of the Lord Ver. 11 and contemn'd the counsel of the most High as did the Israelites in the time of the Judges and after And therefore he brought down their heart took down their pride with labour they fell down and there was none to help 2. But then they took the same course that the banished did 1. The remedy as before They cryed unto the Lord in their trouble 2. And found the same favour And he saved them out of their distresses 3. The manner being very sutable to their distress 1. For they sate in darkness and shadow of death ver 10. But he brought them out of darkness When the same course is taken and shadow of death 2. They were bound in affliction and iron he brake their Bands asunder yea and set open the Prison-doors For he hath broken the gates of Brass and cut the bars of iron in sunder The Prison was not so strong but he was stronger and in mercy did deliver his from the severest and sharpest Captivity Now he interposeth as before his Exhortation to be thankful Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 3. The third misery some great sickness The third Misery in which the Prophet instanceth is some great sickness or pining away of the Body under some grievous disease incurable by man such as was that of the Israelites when stung by fiery Serpents or after of Hezekiah And about this he useth his former method 1. Describes the danger and dolour under which the sick parties languish 2. Shewes the Course they took for recovery which was the very same with the Exiles and Captives 3. And the Consequent upon it their recovery upon which he the third time calls upon the delivered to be thankful 1. Which God sends on foolish sinners The appellation he fastens upon these diseased persons is Fools Not but that they may be wise enough in other things but in that they sin with a high hand against God for which they draw some plague upon them they are Fools 2. For some grievous sin Now such Fools God often smites with an incurable disease Fools because of their transgression and because of their iniquity are afflicted Not but all sickness is from sin but this that the Prophet here speaks of being extraordinary was for some general Apostacy Rebellion Contempt of God and his Word some more than ordinary sin You have the first description of their sickness from the Cause 3. For which the sickness sharp The next is from the Effect which was lamentable and double 1. Their soul abhorred all manner of meat Meat with which the life of man is sustained all manner of meat becomes loathsom to them the disease was grievous 2. And deadly to the eye of man Yea and deadly too no Art of Physitians able to cure them For they draw near to the gates of death i. e. the Grave where death exerciseth his power as the Judges of Israel did in the gates 2. This causeth them to cry to God But these being but dead men in the eye of man took the same Course as they before 1. Then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble 2. Ver. 19 And by Gods blessing they recovered beyond all hope and expectation God
his Power Providence and Wisdom in the vicissitudes and alterations we find in things below which proceed not from Chance and Casualty but from his wise Dispensation In the Earth we see strange Mutations in Kingdoms wonderful Revolutions and though for these we are apt to assign inferiour Causes and fix on them yet we must go higher and not rest till we acknowledge Gods Hand in all whose Wisdom orders all and whose Power hath an influence in all these Alterations and Revolutions let Epicurus and his Scholars think what they please to the contrary Now of these Changes the Prophet produceth some Instances upon which Tertullian very wittily descants in his Cap. 2. de Pallio His first Instance is in the Earth for in that he finds a great Change but yet so as God is the Cause of it that he would have remembred 1. He turns Rivers into a Wilderness and Water-springs into a dry ground 1 Changes in the Earth The fertility of any Land ariseth from the Rivers Ver. 33 as is apparent in Aegypt which is made so fruitful by the overflow of Nilus From fertile to barren and è contra And when Elisha would free the Soyle from barrenness he first healed the waters Now when God pleaseth to bring sterility upon a Land he can dry up these Rivers or stay them that they shall not overflow as it was in Aegypt in the seven years Famine And easie it were to produce examples of Rivers that have left their Channels and diverted their Courses by which the Land that was formerly fruitful is become barren and desolate as a Wilderness and when there were Springs of water now very dry ground so that a fruitful Land is turned into barrenness as Sodom Gomorrah Gen. 14. 19. And if stories be true the whole Land of Canaan which was a Land flowing with milk and honey but is now in comparison of what it was very barren 2. And the Cause of this is The iniquity of them that dwell therein Iniquity the cause Sodom is an instance In my ears are the cry of your sins saith the Lord of Hosts and therefore of a truth many houses shall be desolate even great and fair without an Inhabitant yea ten Acres of Vineyard shall yield one Bath and the seed of an Homer shall yield an Ephah Isa 5.9 10. 2. And now on the contrary 2 From barren to fruitful land that which more yet illustrates his Mercy and Providence is the Change we find in barren dry and incultivated grounds which at his will become fruitful inhabited and abundant in all necessaries for the life of man which must be ascribed to his Power for no Power is able to turn Nature into a better course but that of God Or if it be done by mans industry yet it is God that teacheth him the skill to do it and gives the blessing to his labour It was an impious Speech of Cyclops in Euripides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now this our Prophet in this place insists on and amplifies at large This from God 1. He that is God turneth the Wilderness into a standing water and dry ground into Water-springs i. e. He hath brought to pass that in desert and dry places there should be Pools of water and the Earth which had no water should abound with Springs and Rivers which is all one as if he had said They should be very fertile and fruitful which is done for mans sake 2. For there he makes the hungry to dwell Upon the discovery of some new found good Land Colonies are transported thither He puts into mens minds to plant Colonies and such who live in want and hunger at home betake themselves to these Forrain Plantations which yet is done so much upon their own choice as Gods secret direction For there he makes the hungry to dwell 3. Yea and to build houses That they may prepare a City for habitation Pars aptare locum tecto Aenead 1 c. pars ducere muros 4. Farther yet the studies and endeavours of these new Colonies are 1. To sowe Fields 2. To plant Vineyards which may yield fruits of increase That innocent work of Husbandry is their Profession which was the first Trade in the World 5. And Gods blessing is upon their honest endeavours He blesseth them also 1. In Children So that they are multiplied greatly 2. In Cattle And suffereth not their Cattle to decrease 2. 2 But even in these changes But there is nothing in this World perpetual and stable which leads the way to his second Instance even those that God sometimes had blessed and by blessing multiplied and enriched continue not alwayes at the same stay 1. Ver. 39 These are minished and brought low 2. These are worn out by oppression affliction and sorrow by some publick Calamity or other either War Famine Pestilence Invasion Inundations c. Neither is this only true in common men but even in the greatest Princes 3 Monarchy mutable Principalities and Monarchies even these are subject to Changes All the Monarchies are fallen 1. He poures Contempt upon Princes This to our grief we have liv'd to see and feel And it is a heavy judgment both to Princes and people and a great Argument of some grievous precedent sins that he suffer Princes whether Civil or Ecclesiastical to become contemptible for then the Reins of Discipline is let loose confusion followes and all things grow worse which effusion of vengeance when it happens is sometimes caused for the sin of the Prince sometime of the people sometime of both 'T is certainly as he said before For the iniquity of those that dwell in the Land 2. Monarchs brought low And causeth them to wander in the Wilderness where there is no way which Clause is subject to a double Interpretation 1. Either that he suffers Princes to erre in their Counsels in their Lives and Examples being destitute of the light of Wisdom and Grace they live vitiously and scandalously or they enact unjust Lawes favour wicked men and oppress the good in which there is no way of God 2. Or else he suffers them to be Wanderers in the World as banished Persons which I read with tears well knowing That there cannot be a greater Calamity to a Noble and ingenious spirit But yet there is some Comfort in the following verse To whom he will look and raise them That it shall not be so alwayes 1. Yet he will look upon the poor afflicted penitent and raise him Yet setteth he the poor man on high from affliction He will give him ease and release from his temporal and spiritual affliction 2. And make him Families like a Flock He will yet multiply him gather him and his Family into one Fold become his Shepherd feed him and govern him by his singular Providence and Manuduction 4. The fourth part All this written for our meditation He concludes the
thy Gospel which came out of Zion and was planted by thy Apostles and diffused by the impulse and power of thy good Spirit Ver. 3 once more flourish amongst us so visibly and extraordinarily work for us That all men even thine enemies may acknowledge That this is the day of thy power Thy power it must be that can collect us whom Heresie Schism and Tyranny hath dispersed thy power to cause us to méet in our solemn Assemblies speak but the word O Lord and appoint the day and thy people will be a willing people they will méet out of love and joy of heart and offer thee free-will offerings in the beauties of holiness O holy Father we must with shame confess against our own souls that we have profaned thy Sanctuary by entring into it with our shooes on our féet and when we have béen in it we have too often offer'd the Sacrifice of Fools holiness is that virtue which becomes thy house for ever and this holiness is from the womb of the morning it comes not from the will of man it procéeds not from the will of the flesh it is a swéet and Virgin dew that distills from thy holy Spirit and as by the silver drops that descend from above the roots of the Herbs are moistned refreshed and cherished so by these secret dews of grace our dry hearts are quickned and recover life vouchsafe we beséech thée therefore to descend upon us with these dewes that being regenerate and born again we may grow and increase in holiness in obedience in alacrity in thy Service refresh us when we are weary make us shoot when we are at a stand ever let us retain the dew of our youth that being lively in all the exercises of Christianity we may at last be exalted and set at thy right hand as thou art seated at the right hand of thy Father and enjoy those heavenly Mansions which our Lord is gone to prepare for us Grant us this O heavenly Father for thy Son Jesus Christs sake to whom with thee and the Holy Sprit three Persons and one God be ascribed all Honour Glory and Praise for ever and ever Amen PSAL. CXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 T IS conceived that this Hymn was set by David to be sung at the Passeover and that it might be the easilier learned and remembred the Colons of it are in number as many and digested by order of the Hebrew Alphabet The Sum of it is an Exhortation to praise God for his wonderful favours and benefits bestowed upon the World at large and in special toward his people Israel and the Church Three parts there are of this Psalm 1. A Protestation of David to praise God and the manner how and the company with whom he would do it ver 1. 2. An Expression of the Reasons that moved him to it viz. his admirable benefits bestowed both general and special which he enumerates from ver 2. to 10. 3. A Conclusion or Inference upon the premises by way of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which he commends the fear of God ver 10. 1. The Title of the Psalm is Allelujah Praise ye the Lord Allelujah The first part He praiseth God himself And that this his Exhortation might pierce the deeper and that his Subjects might the more readily follow his example presently he vowes and protests 1. I will praise the Lord And expresseth the manner how he would do it and as indeed it ought to be done Ver. 1 2. Not hypocritically with the lips and mouth only 1 In sincerity but with the heart 2 In unity and with the Church 3. Not with a heart and a heart but with the whole heart 4. Not separately or Schismatically but in the Assembly of the upright and in the Congregation 1. Both in that Assembly where good and upright men are met 2. And also in the company of many even with the mix't multitude secretly among good men and openly in the Congregation he would praise God 2. And having made a pious confession of his readiness to practise the Duty The second part next sets down the ground and matter of his praise which contains the Reasons that moved him to it as if he had said Which he doing and perswading sets down his Reasons for it There be great and urgent causes that may move me and all others to praise God 1. The first of which is His works of power be it the Creation of the World and its Conservation or be they the favours shewed to his Church these are his works And these works of the Lord are great Ver. 2 1. Great not only for variety and beauty 1 Because his works great 1. Of Creation but that also in the least and most base creature his Wisdom admirable his Power wonderful there is nothing that came from his hand which is not very great and greatly to be admired 2. Great 2 Of Election for it was a great work of his to take to himself a people out of another people to make a Covenant with them to them to reveal his promises to give them a Law to settle among them a policy for Church and State c. This was also a great and admirable work 3. Fools and impious men indeed little consider these works Which fools little think of but wise men consider they think not of the Authour and therefore esteem them not much But in the eyes of all wise men they are exquisite works and they are sought out searched into by all them that take pleasure therein That are pleased both with the Authour the work and the use and end of them 2. Ver. 3 The second of these is His work of Wisdom in the governing of those creatures which he hath created 2 His work of wisdom in governing the World his Church which is 1. Honourable and his Church which he hath collected and this his work is 1. Honourable worthy of honour worthy of praise and therefore much more the Authour 2. And glorious Many Princes have done very glorious works but not to be compared to any work of God the Glory Magnificence and Majesty far exceeds them all 2 Glorious 3. 3 Is his work of Justice The third work is that of his Justice He is a righteous God and his righteousness endureth for ever Men may complain that they see wicked men exalted and his servants under the Cross oppressed and afflicted But the judgments and wayes of God may be secret and hid from us unjust they can never be for he never departs from the exact Rule of Justice though we cannot discern it nor search it out 4. 4 His work of mercy His fourth work is a work of mercy of which he would have a Record kept 1. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred as in the Jewish Feasts Ver. 4 2. And these proceeded from his meer mercy For the Lord is gracious
that they may glorifie my Father which is in Heaven Thy praise I will sound forth thy Name I will magniffe confess I will that thou hast been to me a gracious God and merciful Father even in the Courts of the Lords house even in the midst of thee O jerusalem in which I know thou wilt alone accept of thanks and hear and grant the pelitions of thy servants that are offered unto thée through the merits and in the Name of thy Son Iesus Christ our Lord and Saviour PSAL. CXVII A Hymn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm is short and sweet it contains a Doxology to God for his mercy and truth and it is also Prophetical in reference to the calling of the Gentiles as it appears Rom. 15.11 Two parts there are of it 1. An Exhortation to all Nations to praise God The first part 1. A Doxology both Gentiles and Jewes 1. He speaks to the Gentiles Praise the Lord all ye Nations he means after they were converted and made sons of the Church For how shall they call on him in whom they have not believeâ—â— Rom. 10. 2. He speaks to the converted Jewes whom he notes under the name of people as they are call'd Psal 2.1 Acts 4.25 Praise the Lord all ye people Both now make but one Church and therefore both now ought to joyn together in the praise of God 2. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Reason give for it The second part 1. Because his merciful kindness is great nay confirmed toward us 2 The reason in sending his Son to be a Saviour both of Jewes and Gentiles His Church is built on a foundation against which the gates of Hell shall not prevail 2. Neither is his mercy only by this confirmed but the truth also of his promises fulfilled as he promised to send a Messias so he hath performed it and this his truth endures for ever for it shall never be challenged there is no other Messiah to be expected now for this Praise ye the Lord. The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and seventeenth Psalm O Omnipotent and gracious God when all Mankind walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Aire the spirit that works in the children of disobedience When they walked according to the lusts of the flesh and fulfilled the desires of the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath Thou who art rich in mercy for thy great love wherewith thou hast loved us wast pleased to send thy only begotten Son Jesus Christ and to deliver him to death for the salvation of the World This thy great mercy it pleased thée to make known to us by thy Apostles and to call us who were Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of Promise to be partakers of thy merciful kindness In Christ Jesus we who were sometimes afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ so great hath thy mercy béen even toward us therefore from us immortal thanks are due unto thée who find our selves saved not for our merits but by thy sole goodness We therefore beséech thée that thou wouldst so confirm our hearts by the Spirit of faith that without any doubt adhering to thy truth which endures for ever we may apprehend those good things which thou hast promised and offerest fréely to us O Lord have mercy upon all Iewes Turks Iufidels and Hereticks and take from them all ignorance hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy flock that they may be saved among the remnant of thy true Israelites let us all méet in one Fold and have but one Shepherd that all Nations may praise the Lord and all people sing Hallelujah to thy holy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID being freed from many dangers and confirmed in his Kingdom according to Gods promise in this Psalm gives thanks The parts of this Psalm are 1. An Exhortation to praise God for his mercy from ver 1. to 5. 2. A perswasion to trust in God and that from his own example who call'd upon God in trouble and was deliver'd from ver 5. to 15. 3. The Exultation of the Church for it from ver 15. to 19. 4. A solemn Thanksgiving kept for it and in what manner it was celebrated from ver 19. to 28. 5. David invites to praise God The first part A short Doxology ver 28 29. 1. David invites all to praise God O give thanks unto the Lord and adds his Reasons 1. For he is good than which nothing could be said more briefly nothing more powerfully he is properly and absolutely good and therefore ought to be praised because there is nothing rightly worthy of praise but that which is good Ver. 1 Solum honestum laudabile 2. His reasons are 1. Good Good to us a mercifull God But secondly He is good and ever good to us a merciful God which flowes from his goodness and is then most conspicuous when it is imparted to those in misery Praise him because his mercy endureth for ever His mercy created us his mercy redeemed us his mercy protects us his mercy will crown us there is then no end of his mercy This his mercy extends especially to his people To his people and therefore he puts into the mouth of all his people this song of his mercy whom he distributes into three parts 1. Ver. 2 Let Israel now say the whole Nation that his mercy endureth for ever 2. Ver. 3 Let the house of Aaron that whole Tribe consecrated now to him say that his mercy endures for ever 3. Ver. 4 Let them now that fear the Lord Proselytes c. now say that his mercy endures for ever that is the burden of the Hymn so he begins so he ends ver 29. 2. The second part And so in general having given a Commendation of his mercy he desoends to that particular in which his mercy did consist The particulars of his mercy viz. A great deliverance of him when he was in a great strait which he could impute to no other cause than his mercy 1. Ver. 5 I was in distress And that 's the case of Gods people as well as Davids 2. I called upon the Lord I boasted not of my merits I complained not that I suffered unjustly but I fled to his mercy and invoked so did the Church in Peters case Of which he is an example Acts. 12.5 3. The issue was The Lord answered and set me in a large place and so it fell out to Peter Upon which experience David exults Shewing how God had been mercifull to him upon which he makes three Conclusions as the Church in the like case may so that all be still attributed to God and his mercy 1. The Lord is my helper And the first inference upon it
is The Lord is on my side therefore I will not fear what man can do unto me He saith God is for me therefore I shall not suffer for he knew that he was to suffer many things But God is my helper therefore I will not fear for the evils that man can bring upon me because I know That all things shall work together for good to those that fear God Matth. 10.28 2 Cor. 4.17 2. The Lord takes my part with them that help me And his second Inference is Therefore I shall see my desire upon them that hate me I shall see my self in safety my enemies cast down and peace restored to the Church which last is my chief desire Out of which he deduceth yet a third Inference viz. that men trust in God for 1. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in man Ver. 8 for be it he be willing to help yet oftentimes man is not able 2. And again It is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in Princes for say they be able to help yet they are false politick and will not David found it true in Achish King of Gath But the Lord both can and will and therefore it is far better to trust in him 3. Of which being confident he sings an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Davids Triumph for his assured victories acquaints us in what dangers he was and yet how God ever deliver'd him and therefore proposeth himself for an example how good it is to trust in God 1. All Nations Moabites Ammonites Edomites Philistines Syrians compassed me about But to no purpose for in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them 2. They compassed me about yea they compassed me about but in the Name of the Lord I will destroy them 3. They compassed me about like Bees swarms there were of them and they were angry creatures arm'd with stings but they were quench'd as fire of thorns that makes a great blaze and a great noise but suddenly goes out for in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them A multitude of enemies here were angry and stinging enemies and all compassing and about him David a King for Kings are most opposed and subject to be stung but in the Name of the Lord I will destroy them The arms that I confide in and especially prepare against them is Nomen Domini I fight indeed and war against them but my special weapons in all my War in which I trust is the Name the Protection the Tutelage of the Lord setting upon them in his power with his help I will destroy them Now he that fights in the Name of the Lord must be sure to have 1. A Vocation to fight 2. A good Cause And 3dly He must manage the War with affections conformable to piety he must not seek himself nor his own ends but Gods glory execution of justice c. 4. He told us of a multitude of enemies and for the overthrow of these he sang his Triumph now he singles out some one in particular whether Saul Ishbosheth or his son Absolon it is uncertain But to such a one by an Apostrophe he turns his speech 1. Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall Ver. 13 I came into some great danger there was little hope of life or of escape 2. But the Lord helped me I impute it not to my own indeavour wit good fortune that I escaped nor yet to any second causes it was the Lord that did it for me Which in the next verse he more fully acknowledgeth The Lord is my strength and song and is become my salvation 1. My strength that I am able to resist my enemies 2. My salvation that I be delivered from my enemies 3. My song The third part The Triumph sung by the Church him whom I joyfully praise and sing of after I am delivered 3. And that this his song might be the fuller here David calls for the whole Quire to sing with him His delivery concern'd the whole Church and therefore he desires the praise be sung in full voyce by the whole Church and so it fell out for they kept a Jubilee a day of Thanksgiving for it 1. Ver. 15 The voyce of rejoycing and salvation is in the Tabernacles of the righteous They congratulate their own safety in my delivery and sing thus to God 2. Ver. 16 The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly The right hand of the Lord is exalted The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly This was the Anthem that the whole Quire of Saints and Believers sang and they repeat it and come over it again and again to express their joy Now this Anthem sung by the Church By David again was no sooner ended but David takes his Harp again and sings this Versicle by himself and insulting over his enemies he chants 1. I will not dye as they desired and indeavoured by a violent death I will not be broken-hearted by these griefs and pressures but I will take heart and rise as it were out of the Grave not to live an idle life and spend my dayes in pleasure but to declare the works of the Lord. 2. And among his works this is one upon which I will especially insist that 1. The Lord hath chastned me sore Within I have strugled with sin with the Devil with the sorrowes of death without I have been assaulted by bitter enemies 2. But in both these I must acknowledge his fatherly affection for these stroaks were not deadly he hath not given me over unto death 4. The fourth part It is conceived that this Psalm was composed by David that it might be sung The Anthymn sung betwixt David and the Priests when Priests and people were assembled together to give thanks to the Lord for that their good King was now fully delivered from his enemies and quietly setled in his Throne that then which followes may be best understood if with Junius we form it into a Dialogue 1. Ver. 19 David in these words speaks to the Priests and Levites who had the care of the Tabernacle Open to me the gates of righteousness that is the gates of Gods house in which righteousness ought to dwell For I will go in to them and I will there publickly and in the whole Assembly of good men praise the Lord and give him thanks for his mercy to me 2. Ver. 20 To this the Priests return answer This is the gate of the Lord the sole gate of justice that leads to him and the just only shall enter into it procul este profani 3. David replies shewing his Reason in brief why he entred into Gods house Ver. 21 his end was to praise God which he doth in few words for God loveth not long prayers I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation And to the 28th verse how God had setled him in his Kingdom made him
shall be transient not permanent temporal not eternal 1. For the rod i. e. Scepter and power of the wicked shall not rest i. e. Ver. 3 Stay continue stand settle upon the loâ—t inheritance part Not prevail long portion of the righteous 2. The reason is Lest the righteous put forth his hand to wickednesse That good fall not away i. e. Lest the righteous do faint and being discouraged lose their perseverance in piety justice when they see the prosperity of wicked men to be overlong and joyn with them in their villany 3. And because he said there was some danger to pious men Ver. 4 lest they should be scandalized by the oppression of the wicked He prayes for them and be seduced to fall by their prosperity therefore he prayes earnestly for them 1. Do good O Lord send them patience send them comfort and a speedy deliverance 2. I mean those who are upright in their hearts conform their hearts to thy will do acquiesee in thee wait upon thee and expect thy promises 4. Ver. 5 Now to these men that are upright in heart he opposeth the wicked the revolters and shews the end of Apostatees and Apostates and declares what will be the end of them 1. As for such as turn aside to their crooked wayes That decline from their uprighrnesse of heart to some crooked way and in persecution and tribulation let go their patience and revolt from the Truth and confidence either denying the faith complain of God and murmur at his providence 2. The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity A terrible Commination their portion shall be with their persecutors the worst of men Hypocrites Factors for mischief 3. Whereas the good shall have peace But peace shall be upon Israel The wicked being separated from the society of good men there shall remain an eternal peace to the people of God The Prayer out of the one hundred five and twentieth Psalm O Most gracious God because all humane helps are vain uncertain weak and deceitful therefore we are commanded and according to thy command 't is the joy of our hearts that we can repose our sols considence in thée Ver. 1 For we are assured that those that can rely on thée with a pure heart a good conscience servent love and saith unseined shall be as mount Zion that Mountain which thou hast chosen before all the earth to set thy name there which nor storm nor tempest nor enemy nor persecution shall remove Be Ver. 2 O good Lord a wall of fire about thy Church and as the mountains were placed round about Jerusalem for her defence so Lord stand round about thy people in this néedful time of trouble let not the gates of hell prevaile against them nor the wicked approach to hurt them but be a strong tower of defence unto them from henceforth even for ever Ver. 3 For our sins and hainous transgressions thou hast justly suffered the wicked to lay their severe rod upon the backs of the righteous people but suffer not this their power and scepter to rest stay and continue overlong upon them Lest that they who are infirme and weak in the saith saint and be discouraged and by the tentation of their and thy enemies prosperity deserting the way of piety and justice joyn with them in their villany and put forth their hands unto iniquity O Lord send to all thy good servants constancie send them patience Ver. 4 send them comfort send them deliverance Do good O Lord to them that are true of heart But as for those Ver. 5 who turn aside to their crooked wayes not only imagine wickednesse in their hearts but by their utmost endeavour bring it to effect whose labour it is that thy Word be dishonoured sincere Religion extinguished and the sincere invocation of thy Name obliterated lead them forth with the workers of iniquity and make them séele and know the hottestot thy wrath and indignation But restore unto thy people Israel who serve thée with an honest heart their former peace and tranquility and make them partakers of thy mercy which thou hast promised to thy Church for thy Sons sake Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The plainer summe of the CXXIV Psalm in which is described 1. The subtilty of the adversaries of the Church in laying snares to entrap it as fowlers do to catch birds vers 7. 2. Their Cruelty in seeking to tear it in pieces yea to swallow it up quick as some cruel beasts of prey or as mighty inundations that overflow all in their way vers 3 4 5 6. 3. The cause of their Subtilty and Cruelty Wrath Displeasure vers 3. 4. The delivery of the Church from both by the power and goodness of God vers 1 2 6 7. 5. The Duty perform'd for this deliverance Praise to God vers 6. PSAL. CXXVI THIS Psalm seems to be penn'd about the end of the Captivity when Cyrus gave liberty to the Jews to return into their own Land and to build again the Temple and Jerusalem For it is the purpose of the Prophet in gratitude to celebrate so great a mercy The Contents of it are 1. An expression of joy for the strange liberty granted them to return which was wonderful both to Jews and Gentiles vers 1 2 3. 2. A prayer for the return of the remaining part vers 4. 3. An excellent Corallary or Moral collected by the Prophet from it that there is a Vicissitude of things that our mourning shall be turn'd to joy vers 5 6. 1. The Prophet first celebrates their return from the Captivity The first part The Prophet exults for the Jews return from Captivity and amplifies it three wayes 1. From the cause 2. From the wonder of it 3. From the joy at it 1. The cause was Jehovah Ver. 1 When the Lord turn'd again the Captivity of Zion though Cyrus gave a Commission for it 1 The Author Jehovah yet it was the Lord that did it 2. So strange and wonderful and beyond expectation it was 2 It was beyond imagination that the Jews were like them that dream When they heard of it for joy they could scarse believe it so that they thought that they nor heard nor saw it but did only dream of such a thing That hapned to them which did to Jacob at the news of his son Josephs exaltation in Egypto he did scarse believe it 3. Their joy for this wonderful deliverance is expressed vers 2. Ver. 2 For from their inward comfort there proceeded an external mirth 3 Their joy for it which they expressed by the joy of their countenance and with the voice 1. Then was our month fill'd with laughter We had a merry look 2. And one tongue with singing Songs they sung to the praise of God This God did for them witness Now that God did this for them he proves by a twofold attestation 1. Of the Heathen Then said they among
it yea Ver. 2 that even those that now hold us in bondage may say Ver. 3 The Lord hath done great things for his people Yea and we also in thankfulness and in a just acknowledgment of thy favour will eccho back unto them The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we will be glad So great that we even in the enjoyment of it could scarse believe it or think it possible to be done we were even like unto those that dream But since we have experience of it our mouth shall be filled with laughter and our tongue with joy O Lord long it is that we have sowed in tears Ver. 5 O let us reap in jâ—y for many years we have gone on our way weeping Ver. 6 and eaten the bread of carefulness O let us come again with joy and gather the full fruits of our Piety and Religion for the Merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. PSAL. CXXVII THE Jewes were at this time very busie in building their Temple their Houses and the Walls of their City and that in all they should be sure to take God along with them the Prophet teacheth them That without his assistance all their labour would be in vain for that nothing can be gotten and conserved without his blessing That inheritances are from him and children the props of Houses are his blessing also This the Prophet shewes by these words repeated Nisi nisi frustra frustra and proves it by an Induction 1. Nothing can prosper without Gods help In Civil Affairs whether in House or City 1. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it God must be the chief Builder in the Family his blessing and help by prayer call'd for 1 In the family to the sustentation and nourishment of Wife Children Ver. 1 Servants Corn Cattle c. else all labour and industry is in vain 2. 2 Or City Except the Lord keep the City the Watchman wakes but in vain And 't is so in Kingdoms and Commonwealths also The Jewes had now a Trowel in one hand and a Sword in the other watchful they were against their enemies But the Prophet tells them that the Lord must be their Protector and Keeper otherwise the Watch would be to sittle purpose Magistrates Judges Officers their great Councel of little value And this he declares and illustrates Without his blessing all labour care is in vain by an elegant Hypotyposis of an industrious man that does all that may be to be rich great and safe but not calling for Gods blessing upon his labours 't is all in vain Such a man omits nothing that may be thought on or is to be done that he may thrive 1. He riseth early No man up before him he prevents the Sun Ver. 2 2. He sits up late No man goes later to Bed or takes less rest 3. He eats the bread of sorrowes He defrauds himself of necessary food fares very hard his mind is so taken up with labour care and fear that a pleasant morsel comes not into his mouth But all this without God is in vain It is in vain for you to rise up early c. Whereas with God it is far otherwise With it all goes well for to what before he said briefly and obscurely he subjoins this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so he gives his Beloved sleep So in his blessing in his help he gives to all those he loves who call upon him for assistance after the honest labours he gives a quiet and contented mind and sound sleep at night nor cares nor fears distract them 2. Children are a blessing from him After the Prophet had set down that nor in the House nor in the State nor in a mans private goods no man can prosper except God be with him he proceeds to shew Ver. 3 that children the stay props and continuance of a mans house are from him also about which he sets down their Generation Education and the Benefit that comes by them 1. For their Generation Their Generation that from the Lord Lo children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward He hath the key of the womb opens and shuts Rachel said to Jacob Give me children or else I dye What saith he am I in Gods stead Gen. 30.1 2. Children are inheritances that come of God and they are rura relicta non labore parta 2. For their Education being well brought up and in the fear of God and vertue they become to be of generous spirits Ver. 4 Education which is a blessing of God also for we see many that are brought up with great care and cost often degenerate But with Gods blessing they become brave men As Arrowes are in the hand of a mighty man so are the children of thy youth enabled to great Actions to defend themselves and others 3. And the Benefit will redound to the father in his old age Ver. 5 1. Happy is the man that hath his Quiver full of them full of such arrows 3 From them the parents receive comfort in their old age full of such children 2. He shall not be ashamed but they shall speak with the enemies in the Gate able enough he shall be to defend himself and keep off all injuries being fortified by his children and if it happen that he hath a Cause depending in the gate and to be tryed before the Judges he shall have the Patronage of his children and not suffer in his plea for want of Advocates his sons will stand up in a just cause for him The Prayer out of the One hundred and twenty seventh Psalm O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself It is not in man that walks to direct his steps Thou art our sirength and all our sufficiency is in thée vouchsafe therefore so to preserve Ver. 1 and direct us through the whole course of our lives that whatsoever we do may prosper Prosper thou the work of our hands O prosper thou our handy-work build thou our Houses and Families for us let our wives our children our servants our corn and Cattle be watered with the dew of heaven Watch thou upon the Walls of our Cities and assist and bless the Watch-men our Princes Prelates Ver. 2 Counsellors Magistrates and Souldiers with thy favour for we know without thy help except thou build with us and watch over us our building and waking is but vain It is vain for us to rise early to sit up late and to eat the bread of sorrowes anxiety and carefulness all our early labour and late endeavours accompansed with thrist and trouble of mind to come forward in our vocations are to no purpose if thou shalt blow upon it Prevent us then O Lord with thy gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thée Ver. 2 we may ever gloriâ—â—e thy holy
invaded the Kingdom But thou Lord art Omniscient and knowest all things thou art Omnipresent and at all my actions if therefore I be such a man execute justice upon me For 1. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked thou wilt execute vengeance upon them I dare not then be of their society Will not have to do with such men or embrace their friendship 2. Depart therefore from me ye bloody men Joab Doeg Shimei Saul avaunt 3. Besides I desire none of their company and acquaintance for they are not only enemies to me but thee also they speak not only ill of me but they blaspheme For they speak against thee wickedly and thy enemies take thy name in vain 4. And yet he deals more roundly with them that he was so far from shewing them any love and giving them the right-hand of fellowship that he hated them Which hatred arose from their hatred of God their impiety was the cause of it and to that he opposeth himself even with a perfect hatred 1. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee Such he hates and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee The interrogatory makes it the more quick 2. And to himself he returns this answer Yea I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them my enemies I cannot then be the man they would make me so far I am from the imputed crimes that no man condemns them more than my self 4. The last part And sets himself before Gods Tribunal Lastly for his more full purgation and sets himself before Gods Tribunal It seems his conscience was very clear and his heart sincere that he durst abide that Trial. If I be such as they say I refuse no punishment but if otherwise shew some testimony of my innocency in this matter 1. Search me O God and know my heart What in the beginning of the Psalm he said God did now he intreats him to do and to do it with effect 2. Try me and know my thoughts examine my heart my wayes my thoughts my progess my actions 3. And see if there be any wicked way in me i.e. any malicious bloody presumptuous way Prayes for Gods direction 4. And lead me in the way everlasting This this was the end he proposed of his trial That if God saw any way of wickedness in him that might seduce him he would withdraw him from that way and lead him to think desire and do those things which would bring him to eternal life The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and thirty ninth Psalm SO great is thy knowledge Ver. 1 providence and perspicality O Almighty God Ver. 2 that nothing can be hid from thy eye Thou hast searched and known my actions my thoughts my motions and my intentious There is not a word in my tongue but thou know'st it altogether Whither then shall I go from thy Spirit Ver. 7 or whither shall I go from thy presence Could I ascend to Heaven Thou art there should I make my bed in Hell Thou art there also Nor East nor West nor Sea nor Land nor Night nor Day are able to conceal us from thée for thou knowest all and art present at all our secrets So awe us then O God nay over-awe us by the presence of thy eye that in fear and reverence we may walk before thée as wary to offend the eye of holiness and to provoke the ear of jealousie I never cast my eye seriously upon my self but I find matter of wonder and fear for I am fearfully and wonderfully made Thou wert present with those seminal vessels when I was framed in secret and fashioned in my mothers womb Thy work then was curious the formation strange the symmetry wonderful the harmony admirable the proportions sutable in thy Book were all my members written which in continuance were fashioned from an imperfect Embrio Thou brought'st me to the shape of a perfect child and gavest me life and being O how precious are all thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the sum of them If I should go about to count them they pass my capacity for they are more in number than the Sand and therefore so often as I take thy wayes and works into consideration I awake out of the lethargy of a secure and careless mind and am present with thée in my thoughts and meditations as desirous only to live to thée and to please thée alone Thy wisdom thy knowledge thy presence doth over-awe me in all my wayes for I am assured that thou looksst into the very secret recesses of the heart and that thou wilt slay the wicked and all them that speak against thee wickedly and who take thy Name in vain These thou countest for thy enemies and they never shall be estéemed for my friends Depart therefore from me you bloody men Thou Lord which knowest all things and searchest the secrets of all hearts art my witness That I hate them that hate thee and that I am grieved with those that rise up against thee yea I hate them with a perfect hatred because they are enemies to thée therefore I count them my enemies They lay to my charge many grievous crimes for I am a man of contentions they charge me as a pestilent Fellow a son of Belial a troubler of Israel But ' Lord Thou knowest my Innocency and integrity of my heart to thée there fore I appeal who art an infallible Witness and Iudge of my Conversation Search me then O my God and know my heart try me and examine my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way any action or progress of any wickedness in me And if as by the testimony of a good conscience I am firmly perswaded no such guilt can be found upon me leave we not then to perish with wicked men but lead me constantly in the way of Virtue and Religion in which without thy conduct I cannot walk lead me I say in that way by thy Word and Spirit which will bring me to everlasting life through the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXL DAVID being persecuted by Saul Doeg and the men of Ziph prayes to God for his safety and defence from their evil tongues But the Fathers apply it more largely and make it a prayer of the Church in persecution against the Devil and wicked men which are his instruments to persecute Gods people The parts of the Psalm are 1. A Petition to be delivered from his enemies whom he describes from ver 1. to 6. 2. A Protestation of his confidence in God ver 6 7. 3. A prayer against them ver 8 9 10 11. 4. A manifestation of his hope that God will uphold him in a just Cause ver 12 13. 1. He first summarily proposeth his Petition 1. Deliver me O Lord from the evil man Doeg or the Devil The first part David prayes for deliverance from wicked men qui inimious home Mat. 13. 2. Preserve
grief and scorn is fallen upon me justly for my sin To them Lord I have done no hurt but thée I have offended and to thée I will declare my iniquity and be sorry for my sin I beséech thée therefore O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath nor chasten me in thy hot displeasure Forsake me not O Lord my God be not far from me for I séem to be destined and appointed to bear stripes and affliction and my sorrow is continually before my eyes But in thee O Lord is my hope answer for me O Lord my God in my prayer I have and will alwayes say Lord hear me lest otherwise my enemies should rejoyce over me for when my foot at any time slippeth they proudly insult and magnifie themselves against me make haste to help me O Lord my salvation Amen PSAL. XXXIX THIS Psalm is conceived to be penned upon the same occasion with the former in some grievous distress he was that 's certain whether by Absolom or Shimei or some great sickness uncertain However as he professed before at his sufferings and in juries he was patient and silent I was as as a deaf man that heard not and as a dumb man c. Psal 38.13 14. Yet here he confesseth that the tentation was so sharp and the provocation was so great that he could not choose but speak he could hold no longer but must needs burst out yet as there so here his complaint and petition is to his God There be three parts of the Psalm 1. A Manifest of his resolution and full purpose of heart for silence ver 1. and the consequence upon it ver 2 3. 2. His Expostulation with God about the shortness and variable condition of life ver 4 5 6. 3. His Petition for remission from sin ver 8. from punishment ver 10. for a farther respite and grace ver 12 13. First David acquaints us here with his resolution Dixi I said I decreed The first part Davids resolution to be silent I fully purposed and it was filent and dumb in the presence of his enemies 1. I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue and again I will keep my mouth as with a bridle while the wicked is before me Ver. 1 2. And this resolution for a while he kept I was dumb with silence Ver. 2 I held my peace even from good even from a just defence But his heart boyled within him sain he would speak 3. But I found in this very great difficulty nay impossiblity 1. For all this while my sorrow was stirred it was pain to me to be silent 2. My heart was hot within me I was in flame to utter my mind Ver. 3 3. And while I was thus musing the fire burst out what was within And at last he burst out and spake in a querulous manner The second part I saw could not be concealed no more than fire for a while raked up in embers and at last I spake with my tongue Secondly But better it had been he had been silent still since in a querulous manner he begins to expostulate with God Lord let me know mine end and the measure of my dayes what it is As if he had said Ver. 4 Better it were my dayes were ended and I in my Grave than to be thus vexed in body and mind without by enemies and perfidious friends and if yet it must be so it were well I knew the end of it and how long I must be under this Cross and were my life what others is The condition of mans life yet it hath many properties to alleviate the comforts of it 1. It is very brittle and frail Make me know how frail I am Ver. 4 1 Frail. 2. It is very short it may be measured out by a hand-breadth 2 Short which is no long measure nor a yard that is made of it Behold thou hast made my dayes as a hand-breadth Ver. 5 3. Nay which is yet of less reckoning 'T is as nothing before thee a nihil 3 A Nihil 4. 'T is full of vanity Verily every man at his best state in his strength 4 Vain riches power is altogether vanity his labours promise much satisfie little 5. 'T is unstable and uncertain as a shadow the image of a shadow 5 Uncertain Surely every man walketh in a vain shadow Ver. 6 6. 'T is full of trouble and disquiet Surely they are disquieted in vain 6 Troublesome 7. His labours are for he knows not whom He heapeth up riches 7 Laborious and knows not who shall gather them Thus David querulously expostulates but presently recollecting himself 2 He checks himself he stops and checks as it were his immodesty nor the brevity nor the vanity nor the uncertainty nor the anxiety of his life shall hereafter much trouble him he had a surer Rock than any worldly thing whereon to rely which was his God And now Lord 3 And shewes God to be his stay what wait I for my hope is in thee Let others toyle for riches admire dignities empires pleasures let them be proud of these and complain that their life is too short to enjoy these But I have far a stronger hold to trust to even thee O Lord who I am perswaded wilt be propitious to me and be my stay among all the variety and instability of humane things this was his comfort Thirdly The third part He prayes Then upon this confidence he falls to prayer 1. For remission of sin Deliver me from all my transgressions 2. 1 For remission For defence against ill tongues Make me not a reproach to the foolish 3. Pardon for his immodest expostulation upon promise not to do the like I was dumb 2 For defence I opened not my mouth hereafter I will humble my self under thy hand 3 Pardon for his impatience and be silent for thou hast done it my affliction is from thee 4. 4 A remove of punishment and pleads for it A remove of his punishment Take away thy plague away from me 1. And he adds the cause either remove thy hand or I must needs yield and perish I am even consumed by the means or by the blow of thy hand 2. And this he amplifies by a similitude of a Moth and adds a second Reason When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty consume away as a Moth which is bred in the Garment and insensibly corrodes Upon divers Reasons frets eats it as doth some disease our body that bred in it consumes it And for confirmation he repeats his former words ver 5. delivering it here in a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely every man is vanity Selah mark that 3. To which may be added a third The consideration of our present condition in this life we and all our fathers are but pilgrims and strangers in this