was good reason for God had been very good to him which in the next verses he declares and calls to others to come and hear that too 1. Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul To those that fear God he calls to come for they were most likely to regard it Vers. 16 And he calls them not to confider what Sacrifices how many how bountiful he offered Not what he had done to God but what God had done to him 2. And this was that God had done for him I cryed unto him with my mouth and extoll'd him with my tongue and God heard me and attended to the voice of my prayer vers 17 19. 3. Yea but then he would have notice taken what kind of person he was when he cryed and prayed No impious person no impenitent sinner conscious enough of infirmities but no way indulgent to his sin For if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me God hears not sinners 5. The fifth part A Doxology Lastly He closeth the Psalm with a Doxology blessing God that out of mercy not of any merit he would hear and grant his requests Blessed be God which hath not turn'd away my prayer nor his mercy from me The Thanksgiving and Prayer out of the sixty sixth Psalm O All ye that dwell in the earth Vers. 1 make a joyful noise unto God set a Psalm to the honour of his name obscure not his glory darken not his honour but in a glorious and magnificent fashion make it known that praise and honour are his due Say even before God O Lord how wonderful and admirable are thy wayes and thy works past finding out how terrible are thy doings even among thy very enemies so that not only they which love and serve thée with an honest heart shall submit unto thée but even those whom thou hast conquered by thy power and subdued by thy mighty arm Those willingly these against their wills shall adore and worship and sing praise to thy name which is great wonderful and holy But O the stupidity of men O the dullness of our wits God does terrible things but they are not regarded his works are wonderful but they are not considered Come then and sée the works of God and confessed it must be that he is terrible in his doings toward the children of men Who was it that turn'd the red Sea into dry land was it not thée O Lord Who made Jordan to stand on a heap till thy people went through the flood on foot was it not thy power Even we we that were not then born will rejoyce for it being assured that thou which didst these wonders for them wilt do even mighty things for us also in them we were delivered we were saved In him I say did they rejoice and in him will we rejoice since it is the same God that rules by his power for ever the same God whose eyes of providence beholds all Nations conserving Crowns disposing Scepters and upholding Cities and civil Societies in a word the same God that brings down the rebellious though they exalt themselves and set their nests above the clouds O God of our salvation thou hast of late shew'd thy people heavy things Vers. 10 proved us thou hast by many tribulations tryed us by a fiery affliction even as silver is melted and tryed in the fire till it be purified and refined from the dross but not consumed Thou hast permitted us to be brought into captivity and slavery Our enemies have enclosed us as with a Net out of which we had no hope to escape upon our loyns they have laid heavy loads as if we were no better than beasts of burden They have set their feet upon our necks and insulted and rode over our heads So many have been our calamities so many our pressures that we seem'd as men burning in a fiery furnace or compassed round with a vast deluge of waters And yet O Lord we were not consumed thou even thou hast upheld our soul in life and not suffered us for any affliction to fall from thee pressed we were but not oppressed sing'd but not burnt tempted but not overcome in mercy thou hast not suffered our feet to slip And to endear and crown this thy mercy the more unto us after all this trial and trouble thou hast brought us into a moist fertile and wealthy place where for sorrow we shall have joy for discomfort refreshment for barrenness fertility for want plenty in a word for our troubles rest and felicity Now for this wonderful and unexpected vicissitude O bless our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard This thy goodness O Lord shall never be written in sand nor laid up in an ungrateful heart for this I will go into thy house and fall low before thy foot-stool and offer unto thee a Sacrifice of praise which is better than all burnt-offerings I will pay thee there those vowed thanksgivings which my lips have clearly uttered and my mouth hath distinctly spoken when I was in trouble Cheerfully and willingly I will offer unto thee as a Holocaust upon the Altar of a penitent heart the whole man body and soul to be a living holy and acceptable Sacrifice unto thee And indeed I should be very ungrateful should I offer less for Come you hither all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul In my great distress and sorrow of heart I cryed aloud to him for help with my mouth and as I cryed my tongue exalted and extolled him as him alone that was able and I expected to deliver me and because I call'd unto him with a clean and sincere heart he graciously heaâ—â— me and gave attention to my prayer For of this I am assured that had I served him with a double heart and called upon him with hypocritical lips that the Lord had not heard me For obstinate malicious impenitent sinners he will not hear nor such as regard iniguity with their heart Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which hath not turn'd away my prayer not that I am worthy to be heard not that I can bring any thing of worth that may encline his ear It is his sole mercy his love his goodness that I can plead and out of his mercy he hath heard and I am assured that he will hear those petitions which I offer unto him in the name of Jesus Christ his Son my only Lord and Saviour Amen PSAL. LXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm contains a Prayer of Israel first for the flourishing estate of their own Church and people and then that the Mercy and Blessing of God might be so extended to them that the Kingdom of Christ might be enlarg'd and all Nations come in and bless and praise God with them with joyful hearts and exultation of spirit The parts are 1. A general Prayer
thy hatred to sin and incorrigible sinners for this is caused for the wickedness of them that dwell therein Good God so let us lay to heart this judgment That our Houses be not desolate great and fair without an Inhabitant that ten Acres of Vineyard yield not a Bath and the seed of an Homer yield not an Ephah And in this vicissitude thy Mercy is as conspicuous as thy Iustice for on the contrary Thou turnest the Wilderness into a standing water and dry ground into Water-springs Put into the hearts of thy hungry to dwell there thither lead their Colonies in them let them prepare their Cities for habitation give life to the séed of the Fields which they sowe and water the Vineyards that they plant That they may yield them fruits of increase Bless them also O Lord so that they be multiplied greatly in the fruit of their bodies and suffer not their Cattle to decrease But yet if these sin against thée and kick after they are waxed fat visit their offences with the rod and their sin with scourges as thou didst multiply them so again diminish them as thou didst exalt them so again bring them low let some oppressing enemy or sharp and afflictive disease put them to grief and sorrow My bowels my bowels I am pained at the very heart my eyes do fail with tears and my liver is poured out upon the Earth for the Lord hath despised in the indignation of his anger the King and the Priest How long shall I sée thy Standard and hear the sound of thy Trumpet How long wilt thou poure contempt upon Princes and cause them to wander in a strange land where yet they can find no way no way of relief no way of help In mercy return good God and visit the séed of the righteous cast not his Crown to the ground for ever but set the poor man on high from affliction build him a sure house gather him and his family into one flock and fold become his Shepherd féed and govern him by thy singular Providence and Manuduction and let thy work in it be so manifest that all who sée it may fear and say This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes The righteous shall see and consider it and rejoyce and then all iniquity shall stop her mouth Make us wise O Lord to observe and in observing to consider and by considering to lay to heart these things That thou sitting in thy Throne above yet orderest the things below that honour and contempt are from thée that sickness and health are thy gife that relief in a Famine that restitution to the Banish'd that liberty to the Captive that deliverance from any furious storm and tempest is from thy hand that the barrenness of the ground is from thy curse and the fertility of the earth followes upon thy blessing for so shall we understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and fo◠his wonderful works to the children of men O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Let the redeemed of the Lord say so those whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gather'd them out of all lands and brought them into his Church that they bow their knees at the Name of Jesus by whom all mercies pass to us and to whom be all praise honour laud and dominion this day and for evermore PSAL. CVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm is wholly composed and drawn into one out of two Psalms The first part of it untill the 6th verse is verbatim taken out of the 57th Psalm beginning at the 7th verse the latter part from ver 6. to the end is taken out of the 60th Psalm beginning as it doth here at the 6th verse and is continued as here unto the end I shall not need therefore to Analyse and explain or insert a Meditation upon it since it is done already and therefore I pass on to the next PSAL. CIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE later Expositors expound this Psalm of Doeg Achitophel and other Persecutors of David and so it may be understood in the Type But the Ancient Fathers apply it to Judas the Traytor and the Jewes that put Christ to death which opinion because it is more probable being occasioned by those words of Peter Acts 1.20 which by him are applied to Judas out of this Psalm I shall expound it of Christ whom David doth personate and of Judas and the malicious Jewes very fitly understood in the persons of his wicked and slanderous enemies There be four parts of this Psalm 1. A short Ejaculation ver 1. and the Reasons of it express'd in a Complaint of the fraud and malice of his enemies ver 6. 2. A bitter Imprecation against them from ver 6. to 21. 3. A Supplication presented to God for himself from ver 21. and the Reasons to ver 30. 4. A profession of thanks ver 30 31. 1. The first part He begins with an ejaculation He begins with an Ejaculation Hold not thy peace O God of my praise ver 1. Observe 1. Ver. 1 The Epithite or Title he useth O God of my praise In the reading Translators vary O God for thus they read Deus laudis meae Deus laus mea Deus laudabilis mihi and they expound it 1. Either actively that is O God whom I praise even in my greatest pressures or calamities 2. Or passively Who art my praise the Witness and Advocate of my innocency and integrity when I am condemned by malicious tongues which sense seems fittest for this place and to this the Vulgar gives more light that thus reads it Domine laudem meam ne tacueres And Bellarmine puts the words into Christs mouth in which he desites that God would not conceal his Charity Innocence and other Virtues being very like that prayer John 17.5 Father glorifie thy Son 2. Hold not thy peace Hold not thy peace Tacere in Scripture when referr'd to God is to connive and rest and seems as it were not to regard and the contrary loqui to speak to do somewhat for revenge or deliverance This then is that which David here asks That when the malice of his enemies arrived at that height that it could be no longer endured that God would connive at them suffer them and hold his peace no longer but would declare his displeasure against them 2. The reason the malice of his enemies Whom he describes to be And after by way of Complaint he describes unto us their malicious nature and unsufferable conditions which he aggravates by an elegant Gradation For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me they have spoken against me with a lying tongue They were 1. Impious 2. Deceitful 3. Lyars Impiety deceit lying were then the ingredients of their sin Ver. 2 1. 1 Turpious For the
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
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
be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me Aha Aha! 3. 3 He prayes for all good men The third part of his prayer is for all good men Let all those that seek thee be joyful and glad in thee let such as love thy salvation say continually The Lord be praised his Name be magnified In the Close And for himself he renews his Petition for himself and to move God the sooner 1. He puts himself into the number of the poor aflicted people he boasts not I am a just man a King a Prophet But I am poor and needy 2. Shews his hope and confidence Yet the Lord I know thinks upon me 3. He casts himself solely on God Thou art my Help and my Deliverer 4. Therefore make no long tarrying O my God delay me not The Prayer collected out of the fortieth Psalm O Lord I am poor and destitute of all humane help think upon me Thou art my Helper and Deliverer in all my troubles do not therefore longer delay me but send me some aid and comfort Withhold not thou thy tender mercies which thou hast hitherto shewed from me and let thy loving-kindness and truth in performing thy promises alwayes preserve me For troubles more than I can number are come about me and my iniquities which in my prosperity séemed to be at rest now muster themselves against me and arrest me before thy Tribunal so that I am not able to stand in thy presence or with confidence look up to thée they are multiplied and excéed in number the hairs of my head upon the view of which my soul is in a bitter agony and my heart and vital spirits fail me Great evils I have formerly suffered under thy hand but in those depths I ardently continually and patiently expected thee my Lord and thou didst incline thy ear to me and heard'st my cry be pleased then now O Lord to deliver me O Lord make haste to help me bring me out of this misery and calamity in which I am plunged as in some déep Pit or in some miry and thick Clay and being delivered set me upon a Rock and safe place and settle and confirm my goings that I may walk with a shady and inoffensive foot I know by experience That the man is blessed that makes the Lord his trust and relies not upon his wit his wealth his power these are all lying vanities and proud men that trust to them will be deceived I beséech thée therefore instruct me in thy Truth and kéep me from putting any confidence in such lyes and alwayes give me an humble soul to rely upon thy mercies and not upon my own counsels Didst thou take pleasure in Sacrifices and burnt-offerings then would I give them thée but these Ceremonies thou dost not now require nor ever didst estéem without the sacrifice of a contrite heart but thou hast boared my ear and made me thy servant teach me then my Duty and make me obedient to thy Will as was thy only Son of whom it is written in the Volume of thy Book Lo I come I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Many O Lord my God and wonderful are the Works which thou hast done not to me alone but to all those that trust in thée and thy thoughts which are for good to Mankind who can number They cannot be declared they cannot be spoken they cannot be set in order before thee But of all thy works of wonder that is most admirable that thou shouldest send thy only Son into the World fit him with a body and cloath him with our flesh bring him down and humble him to the state of a servant that he might do thy Will redéem lost man by making his soul a sacrifice for sin 'T is the wonder of wonders that upon the Cross he should shed his blood to save us weak men and without strength ungodly and without worth enemies and without love for scarcely for a righteous man will one dye But in this thou hast commended thy love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us O wonderful love O unexpressible mercy We that were ungodly sinners are justified by his blood we who were sons of wrath are through him saved from thy wrath we who were enemies are reconciled unto thée by his death we in him have received that perfect righteousness and justice which alone we dare plead before thy Tribunal his obedience being a full satisfaction for our disobedience his voluntary sacrifice the sole oblation with which thou art well-pleased And this mercy and faithfulness thou hast declared and published to the sons of men and sent thy servants into the World that they should proclaim these glad tidings of which thou hast called me the unworthiest of all thy servants to be an Embassadour And this thy righteousness have I preached in the great Congregation lo my lips have not refrained to speak of thy goodness I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart I have not concealed thy faithfulness in performing thy promises and thy salvation which thou fréely offerest to all penitent Believers This I have declared in the frequentest and fullest Assemblies For this I now suffer and bitter enemies I have That seek after my soul to destroy it O let them be ashamed and confounded together let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil let them receive confusion for the reward which is due to their iniquity let them be forsaken and destitute of help in the day of trouble as many as insult over me glory in their wickedness and say so would we have it Frée me O Lord from their hands That those who with an honest heart seek thee may see it and rejoyce and be glad in thee and those who love thy salvation expecting defence and deliverance from thée alone may have just reason continually to say The Lord be magnified who is so merciful and just toward his servants Amen PSAL. XLI IN this Psalm David shews how men should and how commonly they do carry themselves toward men in affliction and trouble 1. They should carry themselves compassionately and kindly which would make them happy and find mercy from God from ver 1. to 4. which is the first part of the Psalm 2. But they commonly carry themselves unkindly and afflict the afflicted of which David complains from ver 4. to 10. which is the second part 3. Upon which unkindness he flies to God and prayes for mercy ver 11. shews his hope and confidence in God ver 11 12. and blesseth him ver 13. which is the third part 1. He begins with an excellent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a grave sentence The first part He is blessed Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy i. e. any man in trouble want c. Ver. 1 This man
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
be brought to thee i. e. the Church 2. Ver. 15 They shall be brought with joy and gladness and enter into the Kings Palace Ver. 16 gladly and willingly they shall enter into his Courts on earth and after be received to a Mansion in Heaven 5. For her fruitfulness Barren she shall not be for she shall have many children The Churches gratitude good children and great for the Fathers the Patriarchs Prophets Priests in the old Law Apostles Evangelists and their Successors in the New that may be made Princes in all Lands her Officers are not contemptible 3. The third part The conclusion which is gratulatory for for this honour the Church would 1. Erect as it were a statue I will make thy Name to be remembred in all Generations 2. Ver. 17 The praise shall be perpetuated Therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever The Prayer collected out of the forty fifth Psalm LET the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart be alwayes acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redéemer Ver. 1 grant that my heart may endite a good matter and make my tongue a ready instrument of thy Spirit nimbly and aptly and solely to express what thou shalt dictate to me of the King of glory O thou wonderful God and Man the Messiah and Saviour of the World Ver. 2 Thou wert fairer in thy conception and more beautiful in thy birth than all the sons of men born we were all in iniquity and in sin our mother conceived us but thou wert holy in and from the womb being fréed and purified by the Holy Ghost from the stain and spots of our original corruption and when thou wast pleased to manifest thy self to the World thy lips were full of grace thy words drop'◠as the honey-comb never man spake like thée never was there such discourses of mercy such calls and offers of love by which thou didst encourage the weary and heavy-laden to come unto thée and we miserable sinners to be reconciled to God for which God hath blessed thee for ever and given thée all power in Heaven and Earth for which we bless thée for ever on Earth and hope to do it in Heaven Now since thou art the Lord of power Gird thy Sword I pray thee Ver. 3 upon thy Thigh O most Mighty conquer and subdue thy enemies whether impious Devils or devilish men take from the one that dominion which they usurp over thy people and bring the other readily and willingly to submit unto thée this will increase thy glory this will improve thy Majesty and Renown Ver. 4 and in thy power prosper and ride on that Truth and Meekness and Righteousness may flourish in thy Kingdom which is easie for thée to do because the right hand of thy power and Divine Omnipotence shall wonderfully teach and direct thée in this work causing thée to the admiration of all not to desist till thou hast obtained an absolute victory and lead in triumph thy enemies Let the words of thy Gospel be sharper than arrows Ver. 5 with a wonderful quickness let them pierce the hearts of many Nations that whereas now they are rebellious and enemies to thy Kingdom they may be wounded to their good that they may fall under thée even at thy foot-stool yield to thy command and be ready to do thy will whose Throne is for ever and ever Ver. 6 and the Scepter of whose Kingdom is a right Scepter Cause them to love that which thou lovest and hate that which thou hatest Thou lovest righteousness make them then in love with equity Ver. 7 thou hatest iniquity cause them to hate all injustice and since thou wast anointed with the oyle of gladness above thy fellows yet for thy fellows anoint also all those that thou hast taken into this fellowship with a fragrant portion of this thy holy oyle that they rejoyce to do thy will Let Kings Daughters noble and princely souls Ver. 9 stand among those thy Saints whom thou hast honoured and brought to thy obedience O let the Queen thy Church whom in mercy and loving-kindness in judgment and justice thou hast espoused to thée stand on thy right hand cloathed in a golden Robe of thy Righteousness O let the smell of their garments be as a Field that the Lord hath blessed Ver. 8 and the swéet of their vertues and graces more odoriferous in thy Nostrils than the perfumes of Myrrhe Cinnamon and Cassia compounded by the skilfullest art of the Apothicary And thou O Daughter so peculiarly beloved and elected by the Messiah consider and encline thine ear attend and give diligent héed what the King shall teach thée concerning the true God and his Service Our eyes are heavy and we cannot sée our ears are deaf and we cannot hear Lord open our eyes that we may sée and say thou Ephatha to our ears that we may hearken and soften our hearts that we may consider of the great honour thou hast done us Teach us to leave father and mother and house and land for thy sake to forget our own people and our fathers house and all that is most dear unto us the bewitching lusts of our own wills and the vanities of our former lewd conversation Enrich our hearts with thy gifts of Grace so shall the King have pleasure in our beauty and we shall acknowledge him for the Lord our God adore fear reverence and worship him Kéep our hearts O Lord in thy fear for then the Nations round about us shall séek and sue to us the Princes of Tyre shall come and bow to us and offer us gifts the rich also among the people shall intreat our favour and desire they may be united to our Communion Adorn us O Lord inwardly with thy Graces and outwardly with an orderly worship and discipline Let our chief glory be that which is within the hid man of the heart and then make us beautiful without in all the ornaments of true Religion vertuous works and Christian lives and over and above in the vestments of outward Ceremonies which are as it were the needle-work and embroydery of Holiness By all which the Virgin-souls of the people may be brought unto thee and accompany us to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven This may move them to enter into the unity of the Church with joy and gladness which is the door of those mansions which thou hast prepared for them in Heaven where they shall enjoy thy sight and thy presence for ever Raise up O Lord our King instead of the fathers of our profession the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles Apostclical men Bishops Pastours and lawful Ministers of thy Word whom thou may'st make Princes to féed and guide to govern and teach thy Church in all lands O Lord thy Mercies are so great and manifold to thy Church that I will make thy name to be remembred in all Generations O let the people praise thee and sing of thy honour for
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
in heaven nor Monarch in earth his Peere For who in the heaven can be compared to thee O Lord Vers. 6 who among the sons of the Mighty i.e. Celestial Spirits can be likened to the Lord Which is so true that the very Angels fear and reverence his Majesty and ought to do it Vers. 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him And because this should be alwayes fix'd in our memory he comes over it again Vers. 8 vers 8. O Lord God of hosts who is strong like unto thee or to thy faithfulness round about thee 2. 2 No such Agent or Governor By his Agency in governing the world as for example First The Sea 1. Thou rulest the raging of the Sea when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them Thou brokest Rahab i. e. the Egyptian Pharaoh in pieces as one that is slain Thou hast scatter'd thine enemies with a strong arm viz. in the Red Sea 2. Heaven and earth The heavens are thine the earth also is thine 3. 3 No Creator but he alone By his Creation of all things As for the world and fulness thereof thou hast founded it The North and South thou hast created them Tabor and Hermon i. e. East and West shall rejoice in thy name And then he concludes this part of the Majesty and Power of God with this Epiphonema Thou hast a mighty arm strong is thy hand and high is thy right-hand 2. 2 The Subject of their praise is also his Attributes The other part of the praise which both the Prophet and the Angels sing to Gods honour is taken from his Attributes summ'd up in the 14. verse Justice and judgement are the habitation of his throne mercy and truth shall go before his face He presents God as a great King sitting in his Throne 1. The Basis of which is Justice and Judgement 2. The Attendants Mercy and Truth 1. Justice which defends his Subjects and does every one right 2. Judgement which restrains Rebels and keeps off injuries 3. Mercy which shews compassion pardons supports the weak 4. Truth that performs whatsoever he promiseth 4. The fourth part And in regard that God is powerful just merciful faithful he takes an occasion to set out the happy condition of Gods people that live under this King Blessed are the people In which rejoicing his people are happy divers wayes that know the joyful Sound do know that God is present with them and his Kingly Majesty is at hand to protect them The phrase is taken from Moses For the Law was given by sound of Trumpet The calling of the Feasts by sound of Trumpet At that sound they removed At that sound they assembled Balaam said Clangor Regis The sound of a King is among them Happy then are the people that know the joyful sound God present their King speaking ruling defending pardoning them That they are Happy the effects do evince which are 1. They shall walk in the light of thy countenance i. e. Though beset with troubles yet they shall walk confidently being assured of Gods favour 2. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day long Their joy is firm 3. In thy righteousness shall they be exalted They shall get a name strength In their Union and Communion with God they shall be happy Confident then joyful and strong they are in all temptations which yet they have not from themselves All is from God For Thou art the glory of their strength and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted Vers. 17 For the Lord is our defence the Holy One of Israel is our King 5. The Doxology being now ended The fifth part The Prophet enlarges himself on the Covenant made with David and the happiness of Gods people expressed and proved the Prophet now enlarges himself upon the Covenant formerly mentioned vers 4 5. exemplified in David but truly verified in Christ Which he continues to the 30 vers 1. Then i. e. when David was chosen to be King and invested with the Regal Robe Vers. 19 2. Thou spakest in Vision to thy Holy One. To Samuel for his anointing And saidst 3. I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people That is David in Type but Christ in the Antitype So explain'd I have found David my servant with my holy Oyle have I anointed him To which there follows the promises made to him The particulars of it 1. For his establishment and confirmation in the Throne With whom my hand shall be established mine arm also shall strengthen him 2. For protection against his enemies The enemy shall not exact upon him nor the son of wickedness afflict him 3. A Conquest over his enemies And will beat down his foes before his face and plague them that hate him 4. And that there be no doubt of the performance of these ample promises nor yet those that follow the Prophet interserts the cause viz. The Faithfulness and Mercy of God In Mercy he said it and it should so come to pass But my Faithfulness and Mercy shall be with him And now he goes on 5. His Horn shall be exalted He shall have as it were the strength of an Unicorn And this his exaltation appears 1. In the dilatation of his Empire I will set his hand also in the Sea and his right hand in the rivers i. e. From the Sea to Euphrates 2 Sam. 8. 2. In the Honour done him to call God Father his God his Rock He shall call me Thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my salvation 3. Then that God asserts and fixes this Prerogative upon him acknowledging him to be his Son his first-born Son Also I will make him my first-born higher than the Kings of the earth 4. In the perpetuity of his Kingdom which is rightly attributed to Gods mercy as vers 25. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him 5. In the promise made to his seed His seed also will I make to endure for ev er and his Throne as the dayes of heaven 6. And next the Prophet puts a Case and answers it The sixth part Object But what if Davids seed prove rebellious But what if Davids seed transgress Gods Covenant break his Laws violate his Statutes become rebels and disobedient will God then keep Covenant with them shall his seed endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of heaven To this doubt God answers from vers 30. to 38. shewing us how Davids seed if they transgress shall be dealt with 1. If his children forsake my Law That is my whole doctrine of Worship Religion Faith c. 2. And walk not in my judgements i. e. in those Laws which set out rewards and punishments 3. If they break my Statutes Those Statutes I have set down for my service
sing praises to thy Name O thou most High Enable me by the power of thy Spirit that with heart and tongue that upon an instrument of ten strings Vers. 2 and upon the Psaltery that upon the Harp with a solemn sound I may shew forth thy loving-kindness in the morning Vers. 4 and thy faithfulness in keeping thy promises in the night season Make me glad O Lord and give me delight in the consideration in thy work and beauty of the whole Vniverse Vers. 5 and let me triumph and rejoice in the serious meditation of thy immense power wisdom and goodness declared in the works of thy hands Vers. 6 So great and wonderful they are that no man can sufficiently admire them so déep and secret are thy thoughts in them that no understanding of man is able to search them The bruitish man who is destitute of thy Spirit séeks no farther into them than to satisfie his pleasure or profit and therefore he knows not the depth of thy counsels the natural man who is the true fool séeks only in these to satisfie his curiosity and therefore in his understanding he is darkned and erres Oh therefore send down thy Spirit of wisdom into my heart that she may labour with me in the search of thy wayes and works that so all ignorance being removed and all bruitishness being expell'd I may attain to the true knowledge of them and thée and be moved to set forth thy loving-kindness and extol thy wisdom and faithfulness first in Creating and then in wisely governing the whole world Sinners Vers. 7 when they spring up suddenly as the grass and the workers of iniquity so long as they flourish think themselves the sole happy men Put into their hearts O Lord to consider their latter end and give me grace to consider their fall and punishment Their prosperity is not lasting their state is not immutable that is a property that belongs only to thée for thou Lord art the most High for evermore Their raising is for their ruine and their end to be destroyed for ever For lo thine enemies O Lord lo thine enemies shall perish and all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered But Lord I fear thy name and tremble at thy judgements I admire thy power and adore thy wisdom be gracious then to thy Servant and let me partake of that blessing which thou hast promised to thy Catholique Church Vers. 10 O Lord exalt her horn as the horn of an Vnicorn she is depressed raise her she is weak strengthen her she is in sadness and her ointment putrified anoint her O Lord with fresh oyle Her enemies are many that rise up against her bring upon them a sudden destruction and let her eye see her desire on her enemies and her ears hear her desire of the wicked that rise upagainst her But for thy righteous Servants who adhere to the Truth and serve thée in sincerity of heart let them flourish like a Palm tree grow higher and gréener by their pressures let no time consume them nor storm of persecution more shake them than a Cedar in Lebanon the more they are hewed the more make them to grow the more they are cut the more cause them to spread These being by nature Cyences of the Wild-Olive Vers. 13 thou hast engraffed into the good Olive-trée and planted them in thy house thy Church water them by thy Word and Sacraments root them in Charity Vers. 14 prune them by thy Discipline that they may flourish in the Courts of the house of our God let them be fat and full of sap in this old age of the world and when other Trées are barren let them still bring forth fruit Be unto them a strong Rock to which they may fly in every storm Vers. 15 and on which they may stand secure and undanted in the greatest tempest Let them live to praise thy name and shew that the Lord is upright and acknowledge that there is no unrighteousness in thee though thou dost suffer the wicked man to flourish for a time and thy best Servants to lie under the Cross Ah good Father cherish our fainting hearts with this hope comfort us with this thy loving-kindness and faithfulness in Iesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour PSAL. XCIII A Doxology 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T IS the purpose of the Prophet to comfort the Church opposed by Tyrants and Persecutors and yet she shall not utterly fail The gates of Hell shall not prevail against her because Christ sits in his Church as King The Sum of it is 1. The magnificence and power of Christ our eternal King vers 1 2. 2. That he defends his Church in the day of a storm vers 3 4. 3. That his Laws are holy and his Church also vers 5. The Prophet in the first verse describes our King 1. From his Office He reigns He is the great and chief Monarch The King of the Church described The first part 1. From his Office He is no idle Spectator of things below but wisely and justly and powerfully he administers all things 2. He is a glorious King For he is clothed with Majesty 3. He is a potent King The Lord is clothed with strength 4. He is a warlike King For he hath girded himself Vers. 1 buckled his sword upon his armour for offence of his enemies 2 His Majesty for defence of his Kingdom 3 His Power Then for his Kingdom 4 His Ammunition 1. It is first Universal The World 2 His Kingdom universal 2. It is fix'd firm and stable The World is also stablished and cannot be moved Vers. 2 3. It is an everlasting Kingdom from everlasting to everlasting 1 Firm immutable Thy Throne is established of old Thou art from everlasting 2 Everlasting Aeternus Rex aeternum Regnum 2. The second part Against this Tyrants arise But in this his Kingdom there be those who raise tumults commotions and rebellions These he compares to swelling waters and foming waves 1. The floods i. e. Tyrants Persecutors c. have lifted up O Lord Vers. 3 the floods have lifted up their voice the floods lift up their waves The Church dwells in the Sea and the waves of tyranny ambition malice beat furiously upon it 2. But to no purpose Well be it so yet the Lord on high is mightier than the noyse of many waters yea than the mighty waves of the Sea He wonderfully and strangely hath shewed his might Vers. 4 in getting himself the Victory over all Persecutors and propagating and inlarging his Kingdom over all the earth in despite of his enemies 3. The third part The Laws of his Kingdom unalterable And as his Kingdom is immoveable so are also the Laws by which it is governed fixt and unalterable also Thy Testimonies are very sure The Gospel is an eternal Gospel the Doctrine thereof holy and inviolable by which God Vers. 5 testatus est hath witnessed his
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
and in Truth according to his Word and Promise He will accept no mans person but render to every man according to his works The Prayer collected out of the ninty sixth Psalm O Merciful Lord so déep is the Sea of thy mercies which hath from everlasting flow'd over unto us and thy dayly favours Vers. 1 2. that thou doest conter upon us that except we will be ungrateful we must sing unto thee a new Song for new blessings and bless thy name for fresh gifts and graces Vers. 5 What is man that thou shouldst be so mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldst regard him Thou who madest the heaven Vers. 4 createdst him after thy own image but he defaced it Vers. 5 Thou who wert to be feared far above all gods gavest him a command to worship and honour thee but he made to himself other gods which indéed were no gods Vers. 4 but petty and ridiculous Deities and cast by thée the great God of heaven and earth a God greatly to be praised a God to be feared above all gods and worshipped the inventions of his own brain and the works of his own hands But all this did not cool thy love nor retard thy mercy even when all the kindreds of the Nations did serve other gods thou sentest them Redemption thou sentest thy Son to be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Great and marvellous are thy works O Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Vers. 2 who ought not to fear thee and glorifie thy Name Warm therefore our cold hearts with thy love that we may shew forth thy Salvation from day to day Vers. 3 Make our flow tongues eloquent and powerful that we may publish this glad-ridings and declare thy glory unto the heathen and thy wonders to all people So resplendent is thy Honour and Majesty so immense thy strength Vers. 6 so illustrious thy beauty that we dust and ashes tremble in our approaches to thee and were it not for those commands thou hast laid upon and invitations and encouragements thou hast given to penitent and believing sinners we durst not presume to tender our selves and our homage before thee Vers. 7 But since thou hast call'd for a gift from us we do fréely give unto thée glory and strength fluce thou doest expect as a due debt glory to thy name we chéerfully give thée glory and proclaim thy name to the whole world The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Offerings we have none that are worthy of thée Vers. 8 yet such as we have we bring we offer unto thée the Sacrifice of a troubled and a contrite spirit we tender unto thée our petitions and thanks upon the Altar of a mortified and broken heart we confess our unworthiness and fast and wéep before thée we come into thy Courts and present what we are able two poor mites soul and body Lord accept of these our offerings for Iesus Christs sake Our desire is to worship thee in the Beauty of Holiness to be holy as thou art holy to be perfect as thou art perfect but being conscious to our selves of the impurity and imperfections of our own hearts and sensible of thy excellencies we step back for very fear and retire for shame Bold and impudent we cannot be in thy presence but we worship thée with trembling spirits and adore with reverence Yet thus much we are and may be bold to proclaim among the heathen The Lord reigneth Vers. 10 Jehovah who is our righteousness is our King long let him reign Vers. 11 for ever let him live Hosannah to the son of David and let all things in heaven and earth say Amen to it Let the Angels and Saints in Heaven rejoice at it Vers. 12 let all men on earth be glad of it let the wicked who are like the troubled Sea will they nill they reare it out let the fulness thereof the impious spirits that move them bow at the Name of Jesus Yea let the wildest tree in the field and wood be brought at last to confess that Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father O thou great King of all the world Vers. 11 to whom all power is given in heaven and earth rule thy people with thy Word and Spirit and judge the adversaries of thy worship and enemies of thy Gospel bear rule and dominion among the heathen that yet have not submitted unto thee let the whole world be established by thy Gospel and thy Laws take place among them and never be removed Lord hasten thy Kingdom and appear in thy glory Even so come Lord Jesus Vers. 13 Come quickly Come to judge the earth seat thy self upon thy Throne and call all the Nations of the world before thee and make it known that thou art not an accepter of any mans person but that thou wilt judge the world with righteousness and the people with thy Truth and that those that have done ill shall go into eternal punishment but the righteous into life eternal Be thou my King O sweet Iesus inform me in thy Law guide and rule me by thy Spirit cause me so to worship and fear thee to offer such spiritual Sacrifices unto thee to give what I owe such glory and honour to thy Name that at thy coming I may be set on thy right-hand and be one of that number to whom thou wilt say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world For thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen PSAL. CXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IN this Psalm David sets forth Gods power and glory and being moved by the Spirit of Prophesie foretels the downfall of Idolators and the happy estate of those who serve God with an honest heart Three parts there are of this Psalm 1. A Prophetical description of Christs power and glory especially at the day of judgement from vers 1. to 7. 2. A manifest difference put betwixt Idolators and the people of God Confusion he imprecates to the first vers 7. And gives notice of the joy of the second with the reasons vers 8 9. 3. He exhorts those that love God to a good life encouraging them upon Gods favour vers 10. And upon the joy that is like to follow it vers 11. for which he stirs them up to rejoice and to be thankful vers 12. He begins with a Solemn Acclamation The Lord reigneth The first part God is the Supreme King being the self-same that he commanded to be proclaimed in the former Psalm vers 10. As if he had said By the coming of Christ the Empire of Death Vers. 1 the Power of the Devil all Oracles are silenc'd and all Idols destroy'd And he will use his Scepter
now and at the day of judgement Jehovah is become the Supreme King and all other Kings and Powers become his Vassals and Servants A benefit so great that he moves the world to be glad of it Let the earth rejoice let the multitude of the Isles that is the inhabitants of both be glad thereof All men wheresoever and whatsoever for if they be oppressed by Tyrants yet the Lord they serve is Mightier the Kingdom is his all Power in heaven and earth given into his hands and he can repress and bring into order the proudest Tyrants He hath this name written on his thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 For the good 2. And 't is most certain that he will make use of his Scepter for the good of his Subjects and for the confusion and ruine of their and his enemies which is often done in this life but if deferr'd for some reasons best known unto him yet it shall be certainly done at the last day when his appearance will be very terrible yet comfortable to His. For 1. Clouds and darkness shall be round about him Vers. 2 as it was when he gave the Law in Sinai Of his Subjects 2. Righteousness and Judgement the habitation the Basis of his Throne 1. Righteousness justly to pass sentence in the defence of his people And so comfortable to them 2. Judgement to be poured out upon his enemies And so a terrible day to them 3. A fire goeth before him and burns up his enemies round about Vers. 3 His lightnings enlightned the world the earth saw it and trembled The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth For the confusion of his enemies In which three verses are set down the terror of that day as it is described Mat. 24 29 c. 2 Pet. 2.10 c. Psal 18.7 c. Which fire yet shall not hurt the godly it shall burn up only his enemies as is here said 4. And at this day the heavens declare his righteousness When his appearing shall be glorious when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and the Trump of God 1 Thess 4. 2. And all people his glory appearing in the clouds of heaven with all the Angels about him when every knee of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth shall bow unto him Phil. 2. 2. Upon the consideration of Christs Soveraignty The second part Upon which the Prophet and his glorious appearance at the last day our Prophet imprecates and exhorts 1. He imprecates that confusion and a curse may fall upon all Idolators Confounded be all they that serve carved Images Vers. 7 and boast themselves of Idols Which is indeed their shame 1 Imprecates 2. 2 Exhorts He exhorts Adore him all ye gods ye that excell in power on earth ye Angels that excell in power in heaven adore worship invocate submit to this King For this was and ought to be the practice of Gods people 1. Vers. 8 Sion heard of it heard that the Lord reigned that he would come to judge the quick and dead 3 And the people of God exult that Idolators should be confounded that Christ only was to be adored and rejoiced at it and was very well pleased with the News and desired it should be so 2. Vers. 9 The daughters of Judah that is the people of God rejoiced because of thy judgements O Lord did exult because thou O Lord do'st judge all men with a just judgement 3. But that which did most of all excite and heighten their joy was the exaltation of Christ to the Throne that the Lord of Gods people was now to be the Supreme Lord. Glad they were because Thou O Lord art high above all the earth high above all Kings and earthly Monarchs that thou art exalted far above all gods i. e. far above all Angels who are called gods by participation and far above all Devils who are worshipped as gods by an error of judgement 3. The third part The Character by which Gods people may be known At the eighth verse he made mention of the Church and call'd them Zion he spoke of the people of God under the name of the daughters of Judah and he saith they did exult and rejoice at it But that no man footh up himself with this Title for there be many who lay claim to Zion that belongs not to Zion and seem to rejoice that Christ is King who wish in their hearts it were otherwise Vers. 10 The Prophet sets down an infallible Character by which the Elect may be known viz. The Love of God and the infallible consequent of it The Hatred of evil to which he exhorts Ye that love the Lord hate evil 1. 1 They love God O you that make God your choice and Christ your King not feinedly but truly not with the lips alone but with the heart that fear and worship God not according to the external work but according to the Spirit of the Law 2. 2 They hate evil See that ye hate evil 't is not sufficient to fly it to decline from it but you must detest and hate it which without the work of the heart will never be done For the heart is the fountain of all actions good or bad from it before God they have their denomination and acceptance As out of the heart proceeds the love of the chief good so out of the heart again proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries c. Mat. 15. And that we lend the easier ear to this counsel The reward for this work the Prophet proposeth two great rewards to those that love the Lord and hate evil 1. Enemies they have in this life that hate them that seek to oppress thâ—m against these God promiseth protection from these deliverance 1. Vers. 10 He preserveth the souls of his Saints often their lives but alwayes their souls 1 Preservation which is a benefit beyond the other The Accuser of the brethren shall not hurt them 2. He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked sometime out of their hand that they fall not into it and sometime out of their hand when they are in it Ovis erepta lupo Now this is their first reward 2. Vers. 11 A second reward there is in the next verse That in their miseries they shall be fill'd with content 2 In miseries they shall find comfort and find comfort when they little expected it but then they must be righteous and upright in heart 1. 1 Light content Light is sown for the righteous or as the old Translator reads out of the Septuagint Light is risen up to the righteous The diversity as Moller and Bellarminâ— arose out of the nearness of the two Hebrew words Zarahh and Zarach Zarahh signifying Seminare and Zarach oriri
Donec Untill the time that his Word came So long then he lay in Prison and no longer For a time best known to God God hath then his Donec for his servants to suffer and when that Donec comes they shall suffer no longer 1. Vntill the time his Word came His Word i.e. Gods Word for his deliverance 2. Or as others Joseph's word to the Butler came to pass 2. The Word of the Lord tried him God tried his patience Or the Interpretation of the Dreams proving true were a sufficient trial that it was the Word of the Lord which he spake He spoke by the Spirit of God 2. And now followes his Honour and Advancement 1. But taken thence and exalted Pharaoh by his Butler hearing of Joseph's wisdom He sent and loosed him from Prison 2. Even the Ruler of the people let him go free a work fit for a King 2. To be the Rulet in Aegypt And his Advancement followes To free an Innocent a signal Favour but to advance him a greater this Pharaoh did 1. Ver. 21 He made him Lord of his House Majordorno 2. And Ruler of all his Substance He was his Treasurer Gen. 41.40 c. Indeed a great Viceroy a grand Visier 3. Ver. 22 The Kings end in it admirable not only in the Famine to provide bread to feed their bodies To feed them To instruct them but for the good of their fouls also 1. To punish the Rebellious To bind his Princes at his pleasure 2. To instruct them his Counsellors in that Wisdom those Arts Sciences Religion which he excelled in exalted he was to teach his Senators the great Counsel of his Kingdom wisdom and it is supposed That all the learning in which the Aegyptians excelled was first taught them by Joseph 4. Jacob and his Family descends thither The fourth Benefit followes of God toward his people from ver 22. to 37. which was their nourishment their increase in Aegypt their oppression and deliverance thence 1. He begins with Jacobs descent thither 1. Israel also Josephs father went down into Aegypt read Gen. 45. 2. Sojourns there 222. years And Jacob with all his family seventy souls sojourned there then to remain for a time viz. two hundred and twenty two years in the land of Ham viz. in Aegypt so called from Cham the father of Misraim that first peopled it after the Flood 2. And multiply He proceeds with their strange increase there for it is wonderful that in so short a time they should so multiply and grow into such multitudes Exod. 1.7 at their going out they were six hundred thousand besides children Exod. 12.37 And he increased his people greatly and made them stronger than their enemies Exod. 1.9 This was the Occasion of their Afflictions Bondage and Sufferings for 1. But are made Bond-men He turned the Aegyptian hearts to hate his people i.e. He suffer'd them to be turned For there arose another King which knew not Joseph Exod. 1.8 2. Afflicted and subtilly dealt with And to deal subtilly with his servants Come on say they let us deal wisely with them Exod. 1.10 and their wise work was 1. To set over them Task-masters to afflict them with their burdens Exod. 1.11 But when they saw That the more they afflicted them the more they multiplied and grew ver 12. 2. Then they order'd That all the male-children should be strangled by the Midwives ver 16. And when this way took not neither 3. Then Pharaoh charged That every son that was born should be cast into the River ver 22. Thus subtilly they dealt but it hindered not their Multiplications God sends Moses to deliver them there is no Counsel against God Now God seeing their Affliction and hearing their Groans sent them a Deliverer Ver. 26 1. Hesent Moses his servant and Aaron whom he had chosen 2. By signs and wonders which were They shewed his signs among them 1. To the Israelites 2. And wonders in the land of Ham then to the Aegyptians of which the Caralogue followes 1. He sent darkness and it was dark and they i.e. Moses and Aaron rebelled not against his Word 2. He turned their waters into blood and slew their fish 3. The Land brought forth Frogs in abundance in the Chambers of their Kings 4. He spake and there came divers sorts of Flies and Lice in all their Coasts 5. He gave them Hail for Rain and flaming fire in their land 6. He smote the Vines also and Fig-trees and brake the Trees of their Coasts 7. He spake and the Locusts came and Caterpillars and that without number and did eat up all the herbs in the land and devoured the fruit of their ground 8. He smote also the first-born of their Land the chief of all their strength These were the wonders that God wrought in Aegypt by the hand of Moses and Aaron for the deliverance of his people which therefore the Psalmist briefly Records that they might remember to be thankful and praise him 5. The fifth Benefit which God bestowed upon his people is He brought them out and entiched them that he brought them not out Beggars but enriched them with the Spoiles of Aegypt nor in a sickly but healthful condition 1. He brought them forth with silver and gold for they were sent by God to borrow Jewels And when they pretend by their example to rob honester men than themselves whom yet they esteem no better than Aegyptians can shew such an immediate Commission from God to do it content I am that they borrow and never restore rob and spoil whom they please till that be shewn they are Thieves and Robbers and Sacrilegious persons 2. Farther Gave them healthful bodies whereas they left the Aegyptians afflicted with some strange disease of which their first-born was dead in every house they came forth with healthy bodies There was not one no not one feeble person among their Tribes not one among six hundred thousand men The terrour of them was so great and the fear of death so instant And brought fear upon the Egyptians that little regarding their Jewels Gold and Silver they urged them to be gone they thrust them out as glad at heart they were upon terms rid of them which the Prophet thus expresseth Aegypt was glad when they departed for the fear of them fell upon them for Exod. 12. They said We are all dead men 6. The sixth Benefit followes after their departure which was After their departure The Pillar of a Cloud by day and the Pillar of fire by night He spread a Cloud for a covering and Fire to give light in the night Which most interpret As if the Cloud by day did overshadow them and keep off the heat of the Sun He gave them a Pillar of a Cloud and Fire And therefore the Prophet saith He spread it for a covering But Bellarmine conceives it somewhat otherwise grounding his conjecture upon
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
let us rest in those Mansions which thou hast prepared for us as in our beds and exercised with no other labour but in singing perpetual Allelujahs O let the high praises of thee our God be in our mouth let us sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes Thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art holy We do not doubt Ver. 7 but thou art able to take revenge of the Nations and people who do blaspheme thée That thou canst bind their Kings in Chains and their Nobles with Links of Iron Therefore we pray thée that either by the two-edged Sword of thy Word thou wouldst convert them or else execute thy judgment written upon them Lord let thy Kingdom come Thy Kingdom of Grace by which thou dost reign in the hearts of all thy Elect Thy Kingdom of power by which thou wilt subdue all thy enemies and thy Kingdom of glory when thy Saints shall be called to sit upon their Thrones and with thée judge the World When vengeance shall be executed on the Heathen that have not known thy Name and an inheritance given to the Saints whom thou wilt honour for ever and ever PSAL. CL. A Hymn THIS Psalm is of the same Subject that the former In the 148. All creatures are invited to praise God In the 149. Men especially and those that are in the Church But in this that they praise him and that with all kind of Instruments The parts are 1. An Invitation to praise God which word is ingeminated thirteen times according to the number of the thirteen Attributes of God as the Rabbins reckon them 2. That this be done with all sorts of Instruments intending thereby that it be performed with all the zeal care alacrity ardency of affections that may be 1. The first part In the beginning and all along the Psalm he calls on men to praise God Ver. 1 1. He invites to praise God Praise praise praise praise 2. Praise God in his Sanctuary In his Temple or in your hearts which are the Temples of the Holy Ghost Or praise him that dwells in Sanctis that is in his holy Heaven 3. Praise him in the firmament of his power For his power magnificence which is firm Or who shewes his power in the Firmament when he sits as in his Throne or Palace Some understand the Church by it in which his Saints shine as Stats in the Firmament 4. Ver. 2 Praise him for his mighty Acts the works of power he doth 5. Praise him according to his excellent greatness That greatness whereby he excels all other things he being absolutely great they only comparatively 2. The second part He desires that no kind of way be omitted by which we may shew our zeal alacrity and ardency in praising him With zeal and all kind of Musick and to that end he makes mention of all sorts of Instruments which either make Musick being touch'd with the hand or forc'd to sound with wind 1. Praise him with the sound of Trumpet An Instrument then used in their solemn Feasts Tuba flatu sonitum reddet 2. Praise him with the Psaltery and Harp Pulsu chordarum resonant Ver. 3 And to these they sung so that the Musick was made by hand and voyce 3. Praise him with the Tymbrel and dance Tympano Choro Vulg. in the Quire where with the consent and harmony of many voyces 4. Praise him with stringed Instruments Lutes Viols c. and Organs Ver. 5 5. Praise him upon the loud Cymbals They are round and being shaken make a tinkling noise 6. Praise him upon the high sounding Cymbals An Instrument that yielded a great sound as Bells do amongst Christians Bellar. That he be praised by all His Conclusion is universal Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Allelujah 1. Every thing that breaths whatever hath strength or faculty to do it 2. Every thing that hath life whether spiritual as Angels or animal as Beasts or both as men Or Metaphorically all other things which though they be inanimate yet may be said to live to God because they obey his Order and Decree The Prophets intent may be that all things praise God because all things that have life or being have it from him A Thanksgiving occasioned by the last Psalm O Eternal God Lord and Creator Ver. 1 Governour and Disposer of all things both in the firmament of thy power and in the earth which is thy footstool who loadest us with blessings and only expects our Tribute of thanks we thy obliged creatures and servants in all humility appear before thée to pay that reverence and worship and devotion which is thy due and our duty Ver. 2 We praise thee for thy mighty Acts and we desire to praise thee according to thy excellent greatness Thy wisdom is infinite thy mercies are glorious and we are not worthy O Lord to appear before that presence at which the Angels cover their faces yet since thou O Lord art worthy to receive glory and honour and power Ver. 6 since thou art to be praised in thy Sanctuary because thou hast made preserved and redéemed us We unworthy wretches do in all humility and obedience offer thée all possible land and honour while we have breath we will praise the Lord. And that we do it with the greater alacrity and more attentive zeal Ver. 3 with more chearful hearts and warmer affections let us choose to our selves such apt and melodious instruments that may raise our souls in this Service and that the unity and melody of our devotions may be as swéet and pleasing in thy ears as the harmony is delightful to ours We cannot be too joyful in the presence of our God we cannot be too thankful to our Salvation and therefore we will sing Hallelujah after Hallelujah and call for Hymn after Hymn with Psalms and spiritual Songs voyces and instruments of Musick we will praise the Lord praise thy power praise thy wisdom praise thy goodness praise thy mercy thy bounty thy love to us for ever and ever And here I in particular thank thee for thy assistance in this work which I wholly attribute to thy Grace and dedicate to thy Honour And if I have done well and truly expressed the sense of the Spirit of God who inspired into the Prophet these Psalms and Hymns it is that I desired But if slenderly and meanly it is that which I could attain to Analyticam hanc Psalmorum explicationem per gratiam Dei absolvi devotiones inde collectas Anno. 1658. Octob. 22. Hallelujah FINIS