it were a sensible creature and dejected even to trembling and amazement at the dispensations of his frowns and displeasure the great stupendious mountains are but as stubble to the fire if the Lord do but actuate the least token of his anger upon them they also are extreamly troubled and affrighted or annihilated and consumed for all their greatness like other things 33 Such are the works of God and so resplendent his greatness and goodness in them as that not a day shall go over my head wherein I will not out of the serious consideration and happy impression they make upon my spirit give glorie to God and will sing their praises to him day by day not for a fit or in a humor as hypocrits do when he humours them but how ever it go with me in weal or woe him will I worship and his name will I magnifie nothing shall hinder whilest God lends me life 34 I will not as most men do overlook his works and see nothing praise-worthy in them the commonness of them shall not so blind mine eyes but I will consider them and his praise-worthy attributes that shine forth in them I will not let mine heart stick in the creature it shall be my foot-stool to lift me up to the Creator to take a view of his excellencies and properties there shall mine heart lay out it self and suck in their sweetnesses which shall rejoice and establish it because of my relation to and interest in such a God so wonderfully qualified I will improve my meditation into application my thoughts shall not be meerly speculative but practical to the warning and working of my heart usefully towards God when my head is imployed about the creature 35 Those that will not honour and serve such a God that hath done all these things furnished the earth with such excellent commodities whereof they reap the benefit it is pitie they should live upon it to devour the creature without magnifying the Creatour especially they that abuse so much goodness and turn grace into wantonness making the creature against its nature to disserve the Lord by their perverting the use of it unto sin and Idolatrie I would such were in their graves that discontent God and discommode the godly But what ever others do O my soul do thou thy duty muster up all his mercies meditate all his works be thou affected by them to praise him for them and return the glorie of his Attributes that shine forth in them And all yee whose souls are like mine even all that are faithfull and upright in heart do as I do let him have his due praises as well from you as from me The cv PSALM This Psalm made by David as appears by part of that song upon the Arks remove to Ierusalem 1 Chron. 16. Exciteth the people of Israel to be thankfull to God to praise him and in faith to seek him for all that he hath done in the behalf of them and their fore-fathers of old in that he chose them entred covenant with them of all the earth for which covenant sake he had so infinitely befriended them ever since in the Patriarks sojournings Iosephs preferring Israels preserving in Egypt and wonderfull deliverance thence their provision and conduct in the wilderness and possession of Canaan and lastly shews the final cause of all the service of God and what should be the result His praise 1 AFter so many and great mercies as God hath afforded you above all people even to the setling the Ark of his presence amongst you upon his holy hill the resting place of it and him be not unmindfull of nor ungratefull for them but pour out your souls in thankfull acknowledgements of them all to the Lord especially of this tending so much to the perfecting and full accomplishment of the happie condition of this Church and Kingdom so long since promised and foretold and to that purpose frequent this place of his special residence here to worship him pray to him and praise him yea every where where you come and have opportunitie publish the great things he hath done from time to time and the wonders he hath wrought in behalf of his chosen Israel to get him glorie both amongst Jews and Gentiles 2 Make it your business to praise the Lord every way and by all manner of means sing forth his praises with heart and voice in Psalms solemnly sung and Quire-like with all the Art and Melodie that musical instruments added thereunto can make and at your own houses as well as at his busie your selves about him when you have not opportunitie to glorifie him one way do it another way speak and discourse of him and his works wrought for you to the keeping them alive in memorie and affections both your own and others at home and abroad as you have occasion 3 Make your boasts of God ye that are so nearly related to him both of what he hath done and of what he is able and hath promised to do for you be strong in faith and with assured hope and confidence rejoyce in the Lords future favour and grace to his people have no doubts nor fears to the contrarie onely frequent his sanctuary and there worship him and open your hearts in faithfull prayer unto him 4 You know where the Lord is to be sought and where he will be found his Ark is both the pledge of his strength and favour there you may have them for asking therefore be not lazie lose not such pearls for the digging though it cost you some travel yet such gains will quit your cost bestir you therefore come often at least as oft as he requires you and your posteritie after you keep him now you have him never forsake him and he will never forsake you 5 And when you do come come warm in affection carrie along in your hearts the faithfull and gratefull memorie of what wonderfull works he hath alreadie heretofore wrought in your behalfs the better to possess you of his power and good will towards you and to animate you in faithfull prayer towards him that you have found so faithfull and true of his word both of promise to you and of judgements to your enemies as he threatened 6 What I have spoken by way of exhortation I speak it to you and you onely that are the Israel of God heirs of promise the people of his covenant which he made with Abraham your father and his faithfull and obedient servant who as you come of him so I exhort you to inherit and imitate his graces that his God may be yours as also your more immediate father Jacob that holy Patriarch chosen of Gods free grace and you in him to be his peculiar Church and people when as his elder brother Esau and the Edomites his posteritie were and are rejected and given up to serve other gods yea all the world but you 7 He onely is the
happy is that man whom in mercie God freely justifies and acquits from the guilt and punishment of his sin and seals it to him by the never-failing testimonie of his sanctifying spirit bestowed upon him creating him anew towards God in sinceritie and holiness 3 I can speak by experience for when as I loved my sin and lived in it and was loth to confess and forsake it not seeking pardon for it nor grace against it how bitter and burdensome at last did the Lord make it to me tormenting me within with most insupportable horrours to the sensible decay of nature by reason of his heavy displeasure and the want of his favour so that it made me restlesly to roar and crie 4 Yea incessantly without intermission was I tormented with fear and terrour so that I was even scorched and my natural moisture dried up with inward anguish like unto leaves and grass by a summers drought I speak it freelingly 5 This made me come off and glad I was to acknowledge my sin unto thee and ask forgiveness which I did not daring to conceal it any longer but spread it before thee with confession and deprecation And truly when once I did but feel my self throughly and sincerely resolved in my spirit no longer to hide and harbour it in my bosom but humbly in self-judging to lay it open before the Lord presently hereupon I felt my heart eased of mine inward pressures and cleared with the comfortable apprehension of the pardon of the guilt and punishment of my sin and thine acceptance of me into grace and favour again I speak it joyfully 6 This testimonie of mine touching thy ready mercie to humble penitents shall incite by the faith thereof all that are or desire to be Godly to make their addresses to thee in their trouble for sin in hope and full assurance to find the like mercie from thee in their miserie which is a time indeed wherein thou art readiest to afford help and comfort Surely in the greatest of outward troubles or inward perplexities such an one as flies to thee for refuge shall find as I have done that though like waves they may threaten and affright him yet they shall not overwhelm him but being in faith by prayer sought unto thou wilt command a calm in his soul as thou didst in mine 7 Thou art the refuge that my soul still flies unto for succour in all distresses and so thou hast approved thy self and so wilt ever do in time of need I am confident thou wilt never but shew me mercie in my miserie and so wilt ever give me cause to praise thee and rejoyce in thee still as I have need of thee by my manifold and seasonable deliverances To thy glorie I speak it 8 As I have learned of the Lord the way of wel-doing so will I as is my dutie teach it unto thee who ever thou art for thy welfare out of a care and and desire of thy good I will shew thee the readie and certain way of gaining the favour of God as I have found it and seen the experience of it so will I declare it to thee 9 Which is this walk humbly with thy God and be tractable to his will and pleasure not rebelliously persisting in sin and so foolishly provoking him against thee to reduce thee by extremities as we are fain to do brute beasts or plague thee with his judgements to keep thee within compass 10 For the wicked by their wickedness do but kick against pricks and heap up judgement to themselves But he that is the Lords by faith and obedience the sails of his soul shall be filled with the comfortable sense of Gods mercie and favour to him and he shall find the good effects thereof in the whole course of his life 11 Therefore if the wicked will still be so at their peril But as for the Godly they have chosen the better part for the Lord is their portion in whom they may and ought to be glad and rejoyce even all that believe in him for the pardon of their sins and are sanctified by his holy spirit such whatsoever the world think of them that are thus sincere and truly Godly which all are not that make profession and shew of religion have infinit cause of joy in their blessed and happie condition which they shall do well to put in practise and make conscience of by an answerable actual rejoycing and comfortable course of life to the conviction of the world and the honour of God The xxxiii PSALM In this Psalm the Godly are incited exceedingly to praise the Lord because of their faithful experience of his word and works his holy nature goodness and power manifested all the world over for which all men also ought to reverence him But principally his people Israel whose happiness he hath decreed and will bring to pass maugre all opposition of contrarie counsels and attempts in case they walk with him and hope in him he will be with them He underrates for Israel in the name of all the faithful that they will and do effectually hope in the Lord and promiseth in so doing they shall speed accordingly and lastly prayes it may be so 1 O all ye chosen Israel who are or should be Saints and servants of the Lord rejoyce and be exceeding glad all those that are so in that you have him for your portion and truly better and more seemly service they cannot do him that are partakers of his grace and spirit than to render him praise for his love and benefits towards them 2 Never think you can give too many or too much praise to God but learn to be skilful in it and every way in the very best manner and with the most raised affections look you perform it to him that so highly deserves it at your hands 3 As he vouchsafes new mercies so still do you indite new praises to him with thankful hearts set all your skill and might on work to magnifie him 4 For the word of promise which he hath made to the righteous is firm to be trusted and will not deceive the believing soul but is and ever shall be true to him and all his works of power and providence towards them and against their enemies are the fruits of his mercy and faithfulness 5 The Lord is righteous and holy hates the wayes of the world injury and oppression and contrarily loves justice and equity and such as practise them he is bountiful also and out of his goodness fills the earth with abundance of good things for the use of man 6 And as his goodness so his power wonderfully appears in the world for at his meer command the heavens and all those lightsome glorious ornaments therein were made and other way of Being they had none saving his command to Be. 7 And as the heavens above so the earth beneath sheweth his
powerfully enable me in the other let me through thine assistance be as able as willing to do thy will alwayes in all things 36 I know O Lord naturally I have the same corrupt and inordinate affections in me as others have as ready upon temptation to warp world-ward as another man but I know thou hast my heart in thy hands and though I cannot rule it thou canst so that I pray thee have an eye to it and keep an hand over it to dispose and bend it the way of thy will and from the worlds allurements of pleasure or profit let grace supersead me from corruption specially of covetousness the root of all evil 37 Let not my outward sences be caught and sinfully transported with the baits of the flesh or of the world but give me a sanctified understanding to believe truly and not seemingly of sublunary things and to know them to be as in their own natures they are vain and transitory that can convey no permanent nor substantiall good or content to a man but delude him with the shews thereof by a false medium carnall concupiscence and that serves to steal the heart from God but Lord avert both eyes and heart from them give me such active graces and lively affections that may have continuall influence into all the parts of body and soul and so dispose them in love to thee and desire of heavenly things that as dead to the world they may comparatively be indisposed to all things else 38 Lord fulfill those promises of grace and goodness wherein thou standest engaged unto thy servant Thou that art Jehovah in thy Being be so in thy word by giving it a being in all those gracious promises it comprehends and exhibits and wherein thou hast caused me to trust in confidence whereof I have wholly cast my self upon thy grace and providence minding alwayes to serve thee more than how to provide and shift for my self as men of the world do 39 Let not thy servant sinne against thee thereby to provoke thee against him to the loss of thy favour the forfeiting of thy protection and the exposing me to mine enemies scorn and insultation which I exceedingly fear as well for thy sake who art so deeply concerned in me as for mine own If at any time I do fall Lord let not that be my punishment be thou and not they my Judge for that thy judgements are like thy self righteous and good but theirs are like themselves merciless and wicked 40 Thou knowest my heart is perfect towards thee take notice of it O Lord how my desires and affections are upright and sincere to the knowing and doing of thy will according to thy word give me a spirit of power and enablement as well as of will and desire according to thy righteous as well as gracious engagements for thou art as just to fulfill promises as to inflict punishments Vau. The sixth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the sixth part 41 And as I desire that thou wilt enable me with a spirit of holiness to walk uprightly in the way so also that in mercy thou wilt remember me concerning the promised end that it may effect that for me even my preservation in and my deliverance out of my sad condition and many dangers as thou hast engaged thy self to do 42 By this means I that now onely live by promises unpossessed of the thing promised and therefore cannot at present effectually convince men of carnall understandings and void of faith shall then be able demonstratively to stop their mouthes that now flout me for mine improbable hopes and forreign expectations and because I bear my self upon thy word which they think will never be fulfilled but I am otherwise perswaded therefore O Lord let not my trust be deceived and they in their presumptuous impiety confirmed 43 And let me never so sinne against thee as thereby to have mine own mouth stopped and despoil my self of what thou hast promised me whereof in faith of thy truth and goodness I have openly declared my confidence according to thy word which Lord let me never have cause to retract nor to speak less in praise of thy faithfulness but more by thy turning promises into performances according to the hope I have had in thy just fullfilling what thou hast promised me and threatened mine enemies 44 So shalt thou oblige me when I am delivered out of these heavy pressures which lie upon me as so many clogs and hinderances which I shall never forget without making bawks in mine obedience which through temptation I have been forced to do and fear I shall still do without thy powerfull prevention in love and thankfulness to serve and please thee the utmost hour of my life if set at liberty 45 Yea when thou hast enfranchized me out of these incumbrances of fear and care and made me a man of liberty and authority in Israel I will as thy free-man and servant carry and demean my self in all manner well-pleasing walking in the way of thy service and keeping all thy commandments which never shall be a burden or bondage to me for to be at liberty and to have ability and opportunity to learn and do thy will according to thy word is that I beg above any thing and which I should esteem as my greatest felicity 46 When thou hast advanced me I also will advance thee and execute the office of a Prophet as well as of a King and think it no shame to do so by declaring to others as occasion is offered what thy will and word is even to Kings and mighty men of the earth with whom I shall then be of equall levell and so have opportunity in that condition to converse more with them than now I have and I promise to improve it when I have it 47 And then will I as a man set at liberty from restraint run the wayes of thy commandments by dayly and frequent doing them my delight shall be to be conversant in thine ordinances which I have longed for and heartily loved and desired to be an actour in but hitherto have been an exile from them which hath set a vehement edge upon mine appetite which then I will satiate 48 For then both heart and hand shall act for thee my whole man with my whole might shall be set on work to know and do thy whole will in thy law revealed which I have dearly loved and longed to do and will perform them in spirit as well as in letter for when my mind is free from these distractions it shall move in a higher sphear and be active in and about the Gospel-sence of thy laws and ordinances Zain The seventh letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the seventh part 49 Be mindfull of thy word of promise and voluntary ingagements made to me thy chosen though unworthy servant touching grace preservation and deliverance upon
in the condition I am in I draw hardly in it through very rough and un-even wayes I am not mercenary earthly felicitie is not it that moves me to nor shall infelicitie remove me from my dutie and allegiance to thy precepts 142 No Lord it is the perfection of thy righteous will in thy word that draws me to it so that nothing can seperate me from it because it is ever was and shall be the onely unchangeable certain standard for holiness and happiness life and salvation and of that absolute truth and infallibility is thy Law and the rudiments thereof that all else are living destructive vanities that differ from it and conform not to it 143 I am under arrest never at libertie but a perpetual prisoner to outward trouble and inward grief and yet faith and a good conscience comfort me for I am sure if I be faithful to thee in obedience thou wilt be so to me in gracious recompence thy word is my warrant 144 The righteousness which thou prescribest in thy Law to be observed and obeyed is the onely absolutely unchangeable infallible rule to be holy and happie by teach me and guide me in the knowledge and practise of it and I doubt not the consequence because of thy faithfulness preservation temporal and salvation eternal how deadly and desperate soever my condition seem will certainly be the issue Koph The ninetenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the nineteenth part 145 Thou Lord knowest the faithful and affectionate addresses I have made to thee in this my distress not as men naturally do by instinct of fear and grief but of faith and hope Lord therefore hear me praying in spirit and grant my groans and what thou hast or shalt command me I will gratuitously observe and by thy grace make good my word 146 It was thou alone that I put my confidence and hope in in this my need do not therefore deceive thy servant nor frustrate my expectations but according to thy promise and my dependance preserve and deliver me into a free and comfortable condition wherein I may be able as well as willing to do those things which are held forth in thy word to be thy will and pleasure 147 Night nor day have I ceased to solicit thee my first thoughts are upon thee I no sooner wake but my heart fals to work and before I can see I am bespeaking thee in prayer for delay does not abate but sharpen the edge of my hope in thy promise and faithfulness 148 Yea early and late do I give my self to meditation and faithful consideration of thy word for to strengthen and direct me consulting it at all times about all things to be ruled by it 149 Let me prevail not Lord for my merits but for thy grace sake which I have ever in mine eye both as thy word specifies it and thy works have allwayes manifested it to the faithful Let my soul be evermore upheld in lively hope and expectation by the faith of thy respective righteousness of justice and mercie to me and mine enemies and let me effectually be delivered by it 150 I am sharply assaulted and sorely pursued by mischievous minded men void of all conscience to mine exceeding great hazard such as greedily covet to do evil but are far from the thoughts or care of well-doing diametrically opposite in their wayes to thy word have no fear of God before their eyes 151 Blessed be thy name though they persecute me and seemingly indanger me yet art thou as near to help as they to hurt and thou wouldest not have commanded me thy faithful people so often in thy word to believe in thee wait for thee and not to turn aside from thee to false refuges and unjustifiable courses but that in faithfulness thou wilt protect and preserve them that do so not let them be disappointed by so doing 152 For thine injunctions of that nature they are as true and stable many as firmly be believed in as thou thy self have been in all ages experimentally approved so to thy Church are so to be to thy people for ever grace salvation shall allwayes be their portion Resh The 20 letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the 20 part 153 Lord consider mine affliction according to the nature and pressure of it which thou knowest is grievous and let it move thee in compassion and mercie to deliver me out of it as thou hast promised For for all my distemperature I carefully and conscionably bear in mind both for my supportation and direction what thy word the rule of my life and foundation of my faith exhibites to walk thereafter not fearing God the less for fear of men 154 Thou knowest the goodness of my cause mine innocencie and the solitarie helplesness of my condition how all is against me and none for me doing me all manner of wrong in word and deed so that I have none to flie but thee and accordingly do I make mine humble address to thy justice and mercie to undertake and ingage for me against mine enemies maintain defend and deliver me and it from my wrong doers chear up my heart in thy promises concerning it and set me free from this impendent death and destruction as thou hast promised 155 I know thee too righteous to patronize mine enemies and their cause against me or mine thou wilt not let me perish and them prosper but contrarily I know and am confident such wicked wretches are so far from being saved and preserved by thee as that they shall be destroyed for they are under no promise judgement belongs to them who neither care to know nor do what thou hast commanded 156 Though mine afflictions be great and sorrows manifold yet thy mercies are so too wherewith thou tenderly compassionates thy people under wrongful sufferance O Lord therefore chear up my heart in the hopeful expectation of thy righteous power and goodness and faithfully fulfil it in my actual deliverance 157 I have had asmuch provocation to sin and temptation to diffidence as can well be imagined considering my manifold dangers by open and secret enemies and my wrongful injurious usages by word and deed of my many slanderous bloudy-minded persecutours Yet do I keep faith and a good conscience obey thy word and will for all that 158 Mine enemies and wrong-doers did not onely trouble me as to my self but it sadded me exceedingly for thee to see thee so contemned and thy word which should be a Law to them so despised by them walking quite contrarie 159 Hereby thou mayest perceive the dear affection I bear to thy word and will revealed in it I beseech thee take notice of it in way of gracious remuneration and Lord encourage me to hope and do thou fulfill all that in thy loving kindness and grace thou hast promised to those that do so
160 Thy promises have lost nothing of their virtue and vigour by their long standing but are as thou thy self art in goodness and faithfulness to thy people the same that ever they were and so shall all thy righteous ingagements be to the end no one word shall fall to the ground that thou hast spoken in way of promise to be believed in or of reward to be hoped for but shall certainly be fulfilled to thy people and Church in one age as well as another hereafter as heretofore and now as well as either Schin The 21 letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the 21 part 161 Mine enemies as they have not been few so nor mean for the chief have been chiefly against me men of might and greatness that should yield protection and right to the innocent and oppressed contrarily they have turned their power upon me to oppress wrong me to whom I never gave cause of offence but I am I bles thee for it not so transported with the fear of man as to forget God thy word the dutie and reverence I ow to it hath taken such rooting in my heart that no earthly powers can extirpate it 162 Whensoever I have been hard beset by temptation and thy word through grace hath seasonably minded me of my faith and dutie it hath joyed mine heart beyond expression no victor hath joyed more in the unexpected spoils of a conquered enemy 163 All false wayes and refuges are an abomination to me my mind and affections can entertain no treatie nor agreement with them they are utterly against the hair with me but thy Law is as consentaneous and connatural as they are contrarie and heterogenial I love it at my heart 164 Continually does my heart ejaculate thy praises every foot am I lifting up my soul in way of thankful acknowledgement of thy grace vouchsafed me in seasonable and effectual revealing thy righteous truths unto me for my support and guidance dayly as I have need which draws forth praises proportionably 165 What outward troubles soever happen unto thy people yet in the sincere filial affection they bear to thy word and will to live up and walk according to it herein do they enjoy transcendent peace and happiness surmounting all miserie for so they know they please thee and are accepted of thee and having God and a good conscience on their side what can trouble them And for my part what thy Law requires that have I constantly and diligently endeavoured to perform both by firm believing and exact walking Thou Lord knowest my hope of salvation has been in thee and thee onely in all my troubles and my wayes and works have been ordered by thy precepts not by mine own corrupt suggestions 167 Nor have I served thee either formally or hypocritically with outward shews or for base ends in the wayes and works of obedience but with an honest sincere heart have I done thy commandments in love to thy righteous will testified in thy word which hath my heart above all things 168 Thy whole covenant and dispensation of thy will as well in one thing as another have I in faith and obedience carefully observed without willfull swerving Thou knowest what I say to be true who from heaven hast beheld me every step I have gone in this my troublesome pilgrimage of persecution and as thine eye hath been upon me so hath mine eye been upon thee all the while as upon an all-seeing righteous judge and gracious rewarder to aw and incourage me Tau The 22 letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the 22 part 169 Lord let me find favour in thine eyes and my earnest prayer have audience at thy throne of grace in a thing so reasonable and consonant to thy mind as is this my request to wit that thou wouldest give me a good and perfect understanding of thy will effectually to be taught me by thy spirit at all times and in all things as occasion requires and thy word dictates and which is no more than thy word promises 170 And as I pray to be heard concerning a good understanding to guid me in the way so also that I may have a gracious audience and comfortable answer concerning the end and determination of these my troubles Lord deliver me from them as well as order me in them for so also is thy promise 171 If thou wilt be the guid of my life and powerfully instruct me how to walk well-pleasingly all along this hour of temptation and time of trial in the end thereof when thou shalt have done so I will pour forth praise to thee in solemn wise at thy sanctuarie 172 Then will I magnifie the faithfulness and righteousness of thy word and teach others to trust in it and walk by it for that they shall be sure to find in the end as I have done that all it sayes is yea and Amen certain and infallible materially righteous it is in it self and effectually so to all that keep and observe it 173 Lord take my part who have taken thine strengthen me against and deliver me from mine enemies and out of this my perillous state fight for me for I fight for thee against the world and the flesh and have chosen to imbrace thy precepts before their allurements and preferred thy will in all things before their suggestions to the contrarie 174 I have not sinfully shifted as I have been tempted to do but have persevered in a faithful expectation and hopeful longing still for thy promised salvation and deliverance for O Lord thou knowest mine heart is fixed upon nothing with contentment and confidence but thy covenant-dispensation for my wellfare and happiness 175 Do thou therefore tender me accordingly let it not be in the power of mine enemies to deprive me of my soul by taking away my life but preserve it as thou hast redeemed it from destruction that I may live by thy mercie and not perish by their cruelty that seek my death so shall I lay out and spend the life thou givest me in faithful affectionate praises of thee all my dayes Lord let thy righteousness be imployed for me in my defence and preservation against mine enemies their cruelty and oppression according as thy word holds forth for me to trust in and rely on 176 In this wilderness of troubles that I am in driven up and down from thy presence and people like a sheep wandred from the flock and out of the Shepheards ken I have I humbly confess lost my way and stept aside out of the direct and streight path I should have trod by infirmitie and frailtie O thou that art my Lord and God the shepheard of my soul whose I am and whom I desire to serve bring me back again into the un-erring path of thy precepts and enjoyment of sweet communion with thee thy people by freedom from these my troubles
been under sore dejections and grievous oppressions yet still upheld and in its lowest condition made to keep its feet to have a Being and raised in time to a well-being in despite of its potent adversaries by the Lord whose power many a time hath underpropt it and his grace restored it when it was low brought and who indeed in righteousness is pitiful to all that are wrongfully oppressed to right and relieve them and hath power to do it be their condition never so bad especially if they trust in him and seek to him whose Kingdom over the world is chiefly exercised in administring justice and mercie for and towards the afflicted 15 16 Whose goodness is as universal as his greatness and providencially extends it self to every creature that he hath made which also by instinct of nature it self waits upon providence seeks after and endeavours its own means of subsistence every one what is proper to its nature and kind as by and from God his ordination and especial dispensation thus acknowledging his supremacie both man and beast even the whole creation And he orderly in a suitable and seasonable manner supplies unto them food of several kinds in several seasons of both time and opportunitie for sustaining the nature and satisfying the hunger of all creatures of so many several kinds as are in the world and of every individual of each kind by his liberalitie and bountie so universally extended over the whole earth and providently dispensed to the sundry particulars in it which is onely then had when he gives it and therefore had because he gives it none being able to supply their own wants much less worthy to share in the honour of the worlds providing for both which is of the Lord alone who makes second causes instrumental to him and useful to man the power and governance of all creatures being his which therofore bringeth forth and increaseth because he appointeth and is satisfied because he dispenseth 17 Manifold dispensations there are in the world towards good and bad that seemeth strange to us but in this also is God and his government admirable and transcendently praise-worthy that nothing he does be it never so discrepant to humane reason and rules of policie amongst men but he is both righteous and holy in so doing for his will being the onely rule of both his works can none of them disaagree from either 18 His government and dispensation though it be to and over all yet principally and primarily doth it belong to the faithful as near as he seems to others yet is he far enough from them and as far as he seems from these who have the greatest share of adverse fortune in this life yet is he near unto them They that profess him publickly by adoration and worship and withal serve him sincerely in faith and affection that offer to find him fervent not fained prayer they shall be sure to find him a propitious God to a gracious heart accompanied with a holy life 19 Such as take care of him hee 'l take care of them they that fear to sin shall be satisfied with good such God will hear and answer graciously as hear and obey him conscionably and though sometimes by extraordinarie trials he may put them to it to ask yea crie hard for ease before they have it yet that is but to trie and exercise their graces with patient waiting and fervent importuning till the time the set time be come which he hath determined in himself as most opportune for him and them to be relieved and answered in and then though not till then they shall be sure of it when their fears are greatest and their hopes humanely least 20 The Lord will keep promise with all that fear to offend him out of love and desire to please him he may venture them but he will not lose them his eye is over and his hand under them for he has not many such that so love him nor therefore are there many that are so beloved of him and so they shall find that wickedly transgress against him that as he hath powerful grace in store to preserve the one so hath he vindicative justice to destroy the other which shall certainly fall to their lot every mothers son of them his Kingdom is administred by mercie and justice and so the good and bad shall find 21 My mind shall meditate of these thine admirable excellencies of several kinds exhibited to the world in general and thy people in particular both which are wholly under thy dominion and dispensation subject to thy greatness and sharers of thy goodness respectively common and special as also of thy mercie and justice My mouth shall extol them and praise thee the God of them that art so great in power so gracious in providence so rich in mercie and so severe in justice and let mankind in general in all times and places who ought to know thee under all and do know thee under most of these notions whereof they have dayly and frequent experience bless and magnifie thee in all thy holy attributes and properties that so shine forth in thy works of mercie power and righteousness all the world over in all the ages of it The cxlvi PSALM David exciteth all especially Gods people and most especially himself to praise the Lord principally by trusting in him and distrusting all but him Man both great and small being a perishable creature and God onely to be relied on but then that must be the true God and that also by a true faith acted upon his power goodness and never-failing faithfulness and that is every condition believing in God with a like never-failing stedfastness though our estate be various and miserable for that to the good he is ever graciously enclined and to the wicked quite contrarie As also for the perpetuitie and unchangeableness of his throne and dominion over his Church and people for their protection throughout all ages to the end of the world does the Psalmist again excite to praise him concluding as he began in this and so do every of these 5 concluding Psalms 1 2 AS it is the dutie so I wish it were the practise of all especially his people to be constant and conversant in praising God who himself is so constant and conversant in praise-worthie dispensations of several sorts and what I admonish others of I do much more so to my self that have cause beyond all men to praise the Lord and that with my whole heart throughout my whole life as well he deserves that I should spend and lay out my utmost strenght and best affections in praising him which I will be sure to do whilest my tounge can wag 3 4 But let your praises be real give God the praise of your faith which is thank worthie when in your hearts you set up his throne above all principalities and powers trust in him solely
BRIEF NOTES Upon the whole Book of PSALMS Put forth for the help of such who desire to exercise themselves in them and cannot understand without a Guid. Being a pithie and clear opening of the Scope and Meaning of the Text to the capacitie of the Weakest By GEORGE ABBOT ACTS 18. vers 30 31. And Philip said unto the Eunuch Vnderstandest thou what thou Readest And he said How can I except some man should Guid me LONDON Printed by WILLIAM BENTLEY and are to be sold by Iohn Williams at the Crown and Francis Eglesfield at the Mary-gold in S. Pauls Church-yard Anno Dom. 1651. TO The truly Religious and Virtuous M ris JOAN PUREFOY Wife to the Honourable Colonell William Purefoy of Caldecote in Warwickshire Esquire a Member of this present PARLIAMENT THe Authours name bespeaks entertainment for this Book with those that knew him and the work it selfe with those that knew him not The return of it unto you whose interest and property therein is greater than can be derived by any dedication may peradventure at the first sight have the like operation upon you which those words of Jospeph's brethren had upon their father Jacob. Is not this thy sons Coat But upon further insight into and more inward acquaintance with it you shall find that he who took a great part of your heart with him out of this World Hath distilled into this work so much of those sweet spirits and graces which were fragrant in him while he lived as may represent and continew unto you the fruition of him in that which was his better part besides whom you had no other object of maternall affection and by whom there was left no other off-spring but the fruit of his studies and pen the more lively characters of his heart and spirit of which this is the last drawn forth unto the life immediately before his death left as a legacy to the people of God and as an account of his expence of that time which by reason of bodily infirmities could not be imployed in the service of the Common-wealth in Parliament whereof he was a Member There is not a line added to it by any other pencill neither did it need any thing but midwifery to bring it forth into the World and present it unto you as his or if you please as him The honour of which service pardon me if I claim as of a kind of right upon my acquaintance with his studies and his both frequent communications with me and obligations put upon me for the greater part of twenty years together in which he lived under my Ministery and in intimate correspondence with me whereby he put me into a greater debt to him than I can exonerate by this acknowledgment which indeed might lessen my testimonie by misprision of partiality had he not left a blessed memory behind him for my justification and incouragement If I should set forth his spirituall abilities to the life which I decline and rather chuse to point out the way and means of his improvement to so great a measure and maturity of them and thereby render the point at which he aimed attainable by others that shall transcribe his copy by shewing the line in which he moved to it The method or discipline which God used towards him at his first entrance into the school of Christ was not unlike to that of the Wilderness wherein through the frequent recesses of the spirit and Gods turning the dark side of the cloud towards him he was exercised with fresh agitations discomposures of spirit so as like massive bodies he could not settle upon his true center without previous trepidation whereupon he converted his studies and indeavours to the settlement of his spirituall estate and began to search the Scriptures for the treasure hidden in that field which together with his assiduity in hearing the word Preached his sucking the sweet out of such Books as had marrow and experience in them his constant trade with Heaven by Prayer his communication of experience and conversation with such as knew Jesus Christ brought him to such firmness of consistence in his own spirit as one that was the better rooted by former shakings to such fixedness in his principles as one that did not onely understand the truth of them but had tasted the goodness and felt the power of them to such riches of spirituall experiences as he became the resort of troubled consciences and a dexterous artist in swathing up tender and weak infants in grace and to such spiritualty of affection as in whom the primogeniall virtue and sence of Gods dispensations toward and impressions upon him in his conversion or as the Scripture speaks the love of his espousalls continued fresh and vigorous As for his proficiency and progress in the way of Christianity it was thus advanced in matter of knowledge or doctrine his chiefest inquiry upon any point was cui bono of what proper use and conducement it was unto practicall holiness or fruition of good c. Searching out the nutrimentall pith or marrow that was in it and not greatly ingaging his thoughts into opinions of contention or mere notion which had no kernell In duties altogether unsatisfied except he found the spirit acting and stirring in him or were particularly sensible of the absence withdrawments of it In company communicative and trading in the staple commodities of Heaven Especially upon the Sabbath-day wherein he used to sequester his thoughts and words to the proper work of that day and to divert common and obvious occurrences into matter of spirituall insinuation which day he also vindicated in his Book entituled Vindiciae Sabbati when that controversie was rife and hot and some began to lay open Gods inclosure into common fields and upon which day the Lord of the day honoured him in the defence of an unfortified House by a very few assistants against the furious assaults by fire and sword of a numerous and potent enemy The memory of which deliverance he kept alive in himself and exprest his sence thereof even in his last will and Testament the rather doubtless in respect that you his ever honoured Mother being imbarked in the same bottom with him at that time was supported with courage above your sex and with faith above present sence and so brought clear off that threatning storm by the good hand of the Lord your God unto whom as you have learned and do know it is all one to save by few as by many I shall say no more of him thereby to aggravate your loss which yet was not all yours for the Family the Town the Countrey were sensible of the influence of his exemplary holiness but shall pray for you a heart to make a gain of it by learning to walk with God without a crutch and in him onely to make out all deficiency and wants of secondary helps in whom every creature-comfort is virtually and eminently contained and so shall you quench
your thirst at the spring it self whose waters are purest and which never shall be dry A lesson which you shall be often taught by the holy Psalmist and the godly Paraphrast in this Book whereof I need not say a word being therein prevented by the Authour himself in his Epistle to the Reader who shall here find the sweet spices punned into a greater fragrancy by the Authours accommodating his stile to the most vulgar capacity for it was his aime to elevate affections which in Psalms and spirituall songs are the predominant part and therefore he wrote not so much to the eye as to the tast which pardon the solecisme is the best sence to read him with so carrying on the work in this Paraphrase as also in that of Iob as one that had not a mere notionall or carnall knowledge of spirituall things but that peculiar light which they have which are taught of God Without which even Schollars themselves do see the beauty of them but by candle-light and which that it may increase in you as the light of the Sun unto the perfect day shall be the Prayer of LONDON Iune 17. 1650. Your ever obliged Servant In the work of the Lord Iesus RICHARD VINES TO THE READER In way of ARGUMENT and APPLICATION ALL Scripture was written by the holy men of God as they were moved or inspired by the holy Ghost but this of the Psalms was not onely written by a holy man but by a holy man in holy frames who was not onely moved by the spirit to write them but was in the spirit when he penned them not so much acted by externall impulsion as inward affection warmth of zeal and sensible experience For the Psalms being to be a speciall part of the worship of God in all ages of the Church whereby God not onely speaks to us as in other Scripture but we to him in Prayer and praise the Arguments of almost all of them were therefore dictated by another spirit than other Scripture by the spirit of grace and operation not onely of illumination prophesie or inspiration to shew us how God is to be worshipped not onely by holy regenerate men such as were all the sacred pen-men but by the regenerate part of a regenerate man else Prayers nor praises neither come down from heaven nor go up to heaven It was not enough to be a Priest to offer Sacrifice but it must be done by a holy man with holy fire And therefore should we sing the Psalms of David in the spirit of David and read them as he writ them with frameable tempers to the matter treated Of all Scripture our meditation in the perusall of this Book of the Psalmes so full of practicall Gospel ought to be sweet and spirituall of which one rightly affirms Let all the rest of the Scripture be the body and this is the heart so full of heavenly affections Every Psalm whereof is a spirituall pang or fresh gail breathed by the holy Ghost on Davids heart and penned by him and the rest in instanti in heat of affection His writing is his feeling and so should be thy reading the musick of the Temple should make musick in the living Temples of the holy Ghost the sons of Sion therefore have I laboured not onely to render the proper but also the full extensive meanings of the Psalmists by congruous enlargements to move the affections as well as to inform the judgement That so Davids spirit in these Psalms may be transmigrated into the experienced Reader in proportionable power energie wherewith they were conceived digestedly put over by him to the Church whereof as of Christ he was a most lively type wading through so many dangers temptations ebbings flowings yea and sins too to create him to be a Looking-glass for the Church and Spouse of Christ who may be black yet comly and can never pass through any condition of sin or suffering where first he hath not led the way and shewen the issue whose varieties of providences states and tempers made him of such an evangelicall spirit in the time of the Law as that God stiles him a man after his own heart so that in him we see that neither great sins nor great afflictions can seperate us from the love and approbation of God though the one may cost us dear and the other may lay us low yet neither the one nor the other can build up such a partition wall but that the grapling irons of Faith Prayer and Repentance are able to demolish it and make way for us to the throne of grace whither if we can but come we shall be sure to speed for grace can deny grace to none that graciously ask it And therefore if ever we will gain that Encomium of being as he was after Gods own heart who ever loves a zealous penitent better than a luke-warm innocent it must be by improving all advantages to the encrease of Gospel-growth thus If at any time God in his wisdom let us fall or Satan by his subtility and strength give us a fall or we by our weakness catch a fall all which may be in one and the same sin then know that that sin is thine advantage or opportunity which thou art to improve to mount thee to a higher rise of Gospel-ground and step forward towards more grace by the fresh exercise or exercise of fresh faith and humiliation God being more pleased with us when we penitently and faithfully confess our sin wherein David was very ingenuous than displeased when we commit it For though we are not to sin that grace may abound yet when we have sinned it s both our wisdom and duty too to look that grace do abound and that we make a sanctified sin of it Acts of sinning in the regenerate contrary to Philosophy lessening the habits of sin And so if we fall into afflictions there is another opportunity for the promise is that all shall work for good and that going in and out we shall find pasture yea even a price in our hands which if improved by the exercise of seasonable and suitable graces will ready us in our Gospel-way better than any trade-wind or constant gail of providence can ever do Severall conditions make exceedingly for setting forth the Art of God in the second Creation as severall creatures do his skill in the first which variety in both makes us to abound not onely with necessaries but delights which Scripture calls things both new and old which no one condition unvaried can possibly render us capable of for it is said all things work together for good c. Alluding to the Art of the Apothecary in the mixing of various and diverse Simples no one whereof alone is able to work that effect that many joyntly can And when I speak of change of states I mean inward as well as outward for the soul would be as a cake unturned excellent in something and stark naught in othersome or
all natural men live in sin and from the beginning have multiplied abominations not one either is or ever was that by nature without special and supernatural grace ever knew or served the Lord aright 2 The Lord made a long trial of it in the first age of the world in that time of nature between Adam and the giving of the Law purposely to see what it of it self would bring forth and how improve the talent that age afforded whether there were any one of all mankind that could and would improve it to the knowledge belief and worship of him or for default by nature to make out to him for grace 3 But he found by long experience notwithstanding his documents to and judgements upon the old world and so he finds still That all men are naturally fools void of understanding and generally without exception of polluted hearts and lives loathsome in his sight that none in nature does that which is right and acceptable no not a man of all mankind nor covets grace 4 In so much as God himself admired to see all men by nature void of the knowledge of him and of themselves in relation to him and wholly given over to sin and carnalitie yea even to the hatred and devouring those few in the world that are the people of God upon whom he hath bestowed his favour and grace and that differing from them walk in holines and righteousnes never taking thought to do or be like them neither themselves of themselves by nature worshipping God nor seeking to God for the like grace and inablement that those had given them but contemned it and hated them 5 Which at last brought fearful desolation upon them when the floud came and swept them all away Like measure shall the wicked contemners and haters of God and his worshippers have they shall find that God who by his spirit and grace throughout all ages is in the righteous will also be for them and against those that are against them 6 You graceless and wicked ones of this age take notice of it that have persecuted the poor and helpless and scorned him as a hairbrain fool for trusting so nakedly upon the Lord and bearing himself upon him without humane probabilities for deliverance and establishment 7 But O that the time were come which I am sure will come and is not long too that God will by mine enemies ruin settle my Kingdom in Sion as a Type of Christs in heaven and then and there by me send deliverance and happines to his people Israel as he will thence by him send salvation to his Church When God shall have thus delivered them from their enemies and out of their present troubles as formerly he did out of their captivities into peace and tranquillity as his Church by Christ shall be from wrath and hell how shall the faithful and true Israel of God who properly are the seed of his servant Jacob rejoyce proportionably in the type to what they shall then in the Antitype The xv PSALM David dâ—sirous to convince and convert the fâ—rmâ—â— professor or outward Jâ—y of and from an overweening conceit and mistaken apprehension of himsâ—lf and his ceremonious worship As a Prophet goes to God by way of question to know of him and so to deliver from him who he is that is in his account a true worshâ—pper of him and is and shall be partaker of his grace and glorie And brings answer that it s he and only he that in the sight of God is as well conscientious of the moral as of the ceremonial law practizing as well righteousness as holines in all manner converse and commerce with men in thought words and actions A Psalm made by David 1 LOrd there are many pretenders to thy service and frequenters of thy Tabernacle worship that take themselves to be of the Church because they are in it but thou knowest that many are of Israel that are not Israel Therefore declare by me thy prophet who and what manner of man he must be that is an Israelite indeed a true worshipper of thee and savingly implanted into the true Church ever to abide in thy Kingdom of grace here and of glorie hereafter 2 Why no wicked man nor bare professor or meer ceremonial worshipper that is but seemingly holy But he and he onely that in conscience to God carries on the whole trade of his life holily and righteously both in duties of pietie and acts of moralitie in common converse and commerce 'twixt man and man doing what he does justly and honestly without fraud and deceit and saying what he says in truth from his heart without dissembling 3 Doing injurie to no man by undermining his good name and sliely seeking his disreputation by insinuating and speaking ill of him behind his back yea that neither in word or deed doth willingly disparage or disprofit any man nor is well pleased another should not itching after tales and reports to other mens disparagement and aspersion nor being over credulous of them when he hears them to the lessening their credit but in all things is careful to do as he would be done by counting every man his neighbour and walking thereafter in doing good and not evil to all 4 He that gives no countenance or encouragement to wickednes and wicked men but declares himself against it and them for its sake contrarily having in great esteem and shewing good respect to them that are known to be holy and good and is careful to walk unblameably and therefore is so tender of his word as that if he have promised or sworn any lawful thing he will keep it though it be to his disadvantage rather than falsifie 5 He that violates not the Laws of charitie and justice but having it by him lends freely to them that need intending their commoditie and not his own And that in office or judicature gives judgement uprightly not suffering himself to be perverted by bribery to wrong the innocent He that thus walks is no formalist nor Hipocrâ—â— or cast-away but is the truly godly man that is blessed for ever with saving grace and assurance of glorie The xvi PSALM David having praied for divine preservation shews he expects to be saved by Gods goodnes and not his own which onely is gratuitous not meritorious Then he shews the vanitie and miserie of false religion and worship which he for his part disclainâ—s and by faith chuses to be happie in God onely Blessing God that hath by his word and spirit given him the wisdom to believe in him Which stablishes his heart in peace during life and in assured hope after death touching perseverance to the end and heaven in the end A Psalm made and set by David to a special tune called Michtam 1 O God of power uphold me from falling from thee lead me on in the knowledge love obedience of thy truth to
the end for on thee only on thy good grace do I trust for preservatiō unto salvatiō 2 My soul hath firmly entred covenant with thee and chosen thee for its Lord to serve thee and to be saved by thee of thy free mercie abandoning all worth or goodnes of mine own as any ways meritorious or beneficial to thee that needeth nothing but hast all fulnes and cause of full contentednes in th◠self alone 3 Onely to thy children and sanctified ones here on earth do I labour to express my gratitude by what offices of love and respect I can shew for thy sake as they that to me are most excellent of all men in the world be their outward condition never so mean being happy to be a fellow servant and true worshipper of thee amongst them 4 Discomfort and destruction insted of peace and salvation shall be heaped upon them that forsaking thee have their hearts set upon any other God For my part I renounce all but thee and will serve and sacrifice to thee alone and will have nothing to do with their false worship nor once open my lips to any God but thee to swear by him or to pray to him 5 With the Lord alone am I well satisfied a singular portion rich inheritance do I account my knowledge of him interest in him thou art full content to me in thee and by thee shall I be ever happie blessed when other men of other confidences shall be miserable 6 In having thee for my God I have my hearts desire and think my self enriched beyond all earthly pleasures and profits which many in the world have which have not thee 7 I will ever bless and praise the Lord for revealing to me in his word the way of life and salvation when others sit in darknes and in the shadow of death and also teaching me effectually by the inward and secret inspiration and whisperings of his spirit consciously to walk in it when as others that know it externally for want of inspiration do wander from it 8 In what condition soever I have been I have still kept the eye of my faith full upon God and not suffered it to take to other things and because I make God my support and lean so wholly upon him I know he will not deceive my confidence but will sustain me in his favour and support me with his power and grace for ever till he bring me to glorie 9 And in the faith hereof my heart is comforted above all worldly sorrows even to the causing my tongue to break out in holy boastings and praises that instrument of speech wherein man transcends other creatures Yea in this confidence I dare die as well as live and by virtue of it cheerfully bequeath my body to the grave in certain expectation of a blessed resurrection thence 10 For as thou wilt enable Christ whose type I am and who shall spring from me to overcome all his sufferings and preserve him who is thy beloved son and solely without sin from the putrefaction which all men else that are sinners must sustain in the grave making him to triumph over death who is the resurrection and the life So by Christ shall I be set free in soul and body from wrath and mortality by a glorious resurrection to immortality and life 11 Yea thou wilt teach me the way of life and salvation and lead me in it until thou bring me into thy heavenly presence to partake and be possessed of those soul-satisfying and substantial joyes that are there and of those everlasting and immortal pleasures which Christ the head of his Church at thy right hand hath to bestow on all his glorified members The xvii PSALM David probably when he was in the cave encompassed by Saul makes his prayer and appeal to God impartially pleading his innocency against his enemies Further testifies that in conscience to God he durst never do as he was done by nor praies he never may but commits his matter over to God in prayer to be righted by him and delivered from the violence of his proud outragious enemies in his extream straights And again presseth hard upon the Lord to shew himself for him against them that have no interest in his special and saving favour onely share in his common mercies which he hath and prizeth as an happiness above all A Psalm of David in way of prayer 1 THou that art a righteous God hear the prayer of the righteous and innocent person heed my humble and vehement supplication let my prayer have audience which speaks nothing but truth of my self and enemies 2 Judge thou my cause against mine adversaries by clearing mine innocency behold the wrong I sustain and by thy just judgements do me right upon them according to my righteousness 3 Mine integrity is not unknown to thee for thou hast searched mine heart as well as seen mine actions thou hast put me upon the scrutiny and discovery of my self in my most retired thoughts yea in thought word and deed hast thou tried me and sifted me through great and many afflictions and neither hast nor shalt find unrighteousness in me for I am by thy blessed assistance fully purposed as to think so to speak the truth in all uprightness and not to seek mine advantage by lying and dissembling as do mine enemies 4 Concerning the wrongs they have done me I have been careful for all their unjust provocations to walk by the rule of thy word not rendring evil for evil nor requiting their injurious cruelty with the like though it lay in my power 5 And so Lord inable me ever to do to walk after thy word that I may never erre from thy truth nor by sinning forfeit my well doing and good success in the end which by thy promise in the way of obedience I am sure of 6 I have made thee my confidence and ever addressed me to thee for I know and believe according to thy promise thou wilt hear and do for me now Lord is a fit time and a needful I pray thee therefore withdraw not thy self but be intreated to take notice of me and to hear mine instant prayer 7 Shew thy love to me in marvellously delivering me and fulfilling the wonderful things thou hast promised me O Lord that usest to imploy thy power for their preservation that trust in thee for deliverance from them that unjustly oppress them 8 Do thou Lord watch carefully over me that am dear to thee and in tender compassion preserve thy weak and innocent one 9 From them that unjustly seek my ruine and pursue me to the death with mighty ods of power and strength 10 They bear themselves high in confidence of their own greatness and power wallowing in abundance and give out great swelling words in disdain and contempt of me an abject 11 They have hunted
from the dead by freeing me from mortal dangers which put my very life in peril and caused much affliction of mind he hath carried on all the course of his providence towards me in a way of truth and faithfulnes according to his promise and that onely for his own free-grace and mercies sake therefore hath nothing failed of all that he promised me 4 Yea I have had such large and unquestionable experience of thy love and faithfulnes that though I should be brought into never so great danger and lie never so long under it yet will I not distrust thy deliverance at last for because all that befals me is by thy permission and makes not void thy grace and providence which is then with me when all things are against me Thou hast a rod of offence for mine enemies and a staff of defence and protection for thy sheep and for me thy servant which sustains my faith and courage against all fears and dangers 5 Thou hast plentifully provided for me enriched me with the spoil of my very enemies and made me master and owner of that was theirs to the great regret of those of them that live to see me so as many of them do Thou hast heaped such an abundance of all manner of affluence and beneficence both for honour delight and necessitie upon me that thou hast made me overflow in blessings and benefits unto others as shall Christ the head to his members 6 I cannot but conclude from that goodnes and mercie I have already found according to thy promise that I shall ever whilest I live be a large sharer in thy free and bounteous beneficence and liberality And I promise by Gods grace I will never so surfet of thy benefits as to forget my benefactor but will diligently frequent thy sanctuarie and hold on a constant course of praise and thanks-giving therein according to thy commandments as thou shalt hold on a course of mercie and favour to me according to promise ending as I begin The xxiiii PSALM David to invite men into a participation of the sanctifying graces of the spirit and salvation and glorification by Christ shews That though all the world and men in it belong to God yet with great difference for though all are his by right of creation yet hath his special favour of election and calling passed onely upon such as are holy others are but his creatures these his sons and daughters whom he spurs on to enlarge their desires after Christ in the exercise of faith and use of means and promises both him and together with him happines and security to such A Psalm made by David 1 THe Lord hath dominion over all the earth which together with those infinit species and individuals of creatures animate and inanimate that are in it are all of them his Yea the whole world from North to South and East to West is his and under his regiment together with all the inhabitants thereof every where 2 For it is he that hath made all both sea and land and that hath given an habitable existence and being to the earth above the waters which he hath placed below it in that great Abysse where the seas remain By his decree it is thus established over and above the waves and surges of the sea which else would soon surmount it 3 But though all the world be the Lords in common right of creation yet who are they that are his redeemed ones in special relation that have the honour and priviledge to be peculiarly elected and called out of the world to worship and serve him here and to be glorified of him hereafter like as in type we are being his peculiar and chosen people who of all the world are priviledged with his sanctuarie which we frequent and where we worship him upon mount Sion the figure of heaven 4 Why onely he that is holy and upright whose conversation and affections are changed from the corrupt course of the world in obedience and love to God purifying his heart from inward concupiscences and leading his life unblameably Who hath not either committed impietie in trusting in vain confidences or worshipping vain idols instead of the true God or iniquitie in swearing falsely to the wronging of truth or equitie 5 Such an one is and shall be blessed of the Lord with his grace and favour and shall partake the righteous reward of his holy walking at the hands of God who hath thereby ordained him unto salvation and glorification 6 These are the peculiar people and children of God chosen out of the world that do thus truly and sincerely set themselves to worship him Yea amongst Israel it self also there are none that are truly that is spiritually the children of holy Jacob that in this wise walk not in his steps sincerely serving and worshipping the God of Jacob. These are onely the blessed people of a blessed God 7 Ye that are thus the living Temples of the Lord and have already entertained his sanctifying spirit into you do you lift up your hearts in the use of holy ordinances through faith in joyful desires and assured expectation of him yea be you abundantly lift up by faith in the use of holy means who are the everlasting habitation of an everlasting God with a joyful and assured welcome of him for so shall you invite and undoubtedly entertain the high and mightie potentate the Lord Christ into your souls with the glorious manifestation and ravishing operation of his love benefits and graces 8 And know O all ye faithful and obedient ones for your courage and comfort who and of what qualitie this glorious King the Lord Jesus is whom the world despises but you honour Why he is the Almighty God of power all-sufficient to preserve and defend his people and Church that in trust of him do love and serve him against all the strength and power of men and devils that do or shall malign or oppose themselves against them and to put them to the foil as we his Israel in the letter have found by experience for your instruction and corroboration that are his people in Spirit 9 10 See the seventh and eigth verses foregoing These being a repetition tending to amplification for further assurance of what is there promised and ratified with a Selah for the incouragement of the Godly The xxv PSALM David notwithstanding the deep sense he had of his sins by reason of the great afflictions he lay under yet confidently repairs to God in prayer for justice against his enemies and mercie for himself both in the pardon of his sins and bestowing grace upon him assuring himself that herein he shall be heard because of Gods goodnes and the many sweet promises which in the general he hath made to his people which he applies to himself in particular And so ends as he begins with prayer forcibly urged upon God by the greatnes of
saw me so changed glad to forsake Jerusalem and flie for my life did in like manner flie from me and save themselves 12 Upon mine alteration I am become of no request but given for lost and undone without all hope of recoverie counted as a cast-away and contemptible man in an irreparable condition 13 Yea manifold slaunders and disgraceful injuries have come to mine ears which by mine enemies are heaped upon me to bring me into hatred and procure my destruction so that every way I am beset with fears and dangers by false rumors and secret plots and conspiracies devising to deprive me of my life and Kingdom 14 But in my deepest distress my faith failed me not but that still I trusted firmly in thee believing and encouraging my self still with this That by proof and promise I can say thou art my God in near relation and dear affection what ever befall me 15 And besides I know my self and fortune are wholly in thine hands and that nothing can befall me but by thy providence notwithstanding the malicious hatred of mine enemies thou canst preserve me from them that go about to destroy me be they never so potent or politick they cannot have their wills upon me to hurt me except thou permit it which I pray thee do not but deliver me 16 I have long and grievously undergone thy displeasure both inwardly and outwardly I have felt thine ire and the smart of my sin which hath brought me near to ruin now therefore Lord at last in tender mercie pittie me and shew me some sign of favour to refresh my spirit withal and give me some hopes of escape and recoverie who though a sinner yet am thy servant that thereby all men may see thy loving-kindness towards me by thy delivering me out of this danger also and restoring me to my former happie condition which how ever my sin deserves the contrarie yet for thy mercie sake vouchsafe it 17 Let not O Lord the misfortune which mine enemies hope to bring upon me ever befal me to the disappointing of my hope for I have trusted in thee and prayed unto thee which my wicked enemies have not done therefore let them miscarrie and let their hopes be frustrate yea let their vexatious courses receive an end by themselves doing so cut them off in thy displeasure for nothing but their deaths will secure my life in peace and quietnes and my name from opprobrie so restless are they in mischievous devices against me both by word and deed 18 Let the slaunderous mouths of my wicked adversaries be stopt after that sort they that through pride and malice lay mine honour in the dust through lies and contumelies in thy justice Lord lay them there for thou knowest me guiltless of their false aspersions and innocent of that they accuse me 19 O Lord for all mine afflictions yet mine heart is much comforted in the faithful confidence of thy great goodness and mercie which thou hast in store for such as are thine and walk holily as thine being careful to please and fearful to offend thee as I am and also because of the great manifestation thou hast ever made of it in admirable preservations and deliverances both of me and others that have relied upon thee in spite and sight of all our enemies 20 Such shalt thou by special and extraordinary providence keep as safe as if they were in heaven from the power of man be he never so potent and proud withall Yea all that they enmiously give out against them in brags and threats and slanderous suggestions shall have no issue but shall be as wind so safe shalt thou keep them from all harm 21 What I say I know by experience to be true Blessed and magnified be the Lord for it for as poor and destitute as I was left so much the more marvellous hath his loving kindness appeared that by his goodness and providence hath preserved me safe from the power and malice of mine enemie so that no fortress though never so fortified could have better secured me 22 For so great was my trouble and desolate my condition that upon the surprize before I well bethought me of thy goodness and power I apprehended my self as given up by thee into mine enemies hands inevitably to be destroyed Yet I had so much faith left as to pray for preservation though I could scarce hope it and though my faith was weak in regard of deliverance Yet in fervencie and supplication it was strong and thou wast pleased in mercie to pass by mine infirmitie and was intreated of me in my miserie and effectually didst hear me when in the anguish of my spirit I powred out my soul before thee 23 Be you provoked by mine exhortation and example O all ye Godly faithful ones to take heed of hastie discontent and unbelief let your condition be what it will be still bear up in faith have good thoughts of God who however he seems otherways yet is firm in his affections towards you and be you confident that he both can and will preserve you if you dare relie upon him and will wait for him the power and pride of your enemies he will bring down and in his own good time will make them plentifully taste the fruit of their evil ways by powring upon them his heavie and just displeasure 24 Be but stedfast and stout in faith when trials are upon you do but then hold out in undaunted believing and he shall give you inwardly by his spirit and outwardly by his providence great stay and comfort of heart even thus shall he do to all that chuse him and onely him to hope and trust in for protection Take it upon my word that speak it both by prophesie and experience The xxxii PSALM David sheweth what makes a man blessed to wit the justifying pardoning and sanctifying grace of God which he affirms feelingly in the sense of his own miserie the whilest it was suspended from him and the happiness he had when God renewed it in him whence he takes occasion to animate himself and all that are Godly in the faith of Gods goodness and from his own experience perswades from stubbornness in sin to yieldableness in piety for that produceth nothing but miserie but faith and holiness brings true joy and happiness A Psalm made by David upon the experimental miserie of the guilt of sin instructing all men wherein true happiness onely consists 1 ALl men would be happie and blessed but all men are not so whatever they think by themselves no no one are abound they never so in worldly felicitie saving he and he onely who by a lively faith laying hold of mercie in the vertue of a promise is sensible of the free pardon of all his transgressions and of his being clothed upon with the imputed righteousness of his redeemer 2 Blessed yea I say again onely blessed and
to offer them to me upon such humane and grosse principles as if the killing of cattell and shedding their bloud never discerning the Lords body were the thing I coveted were served by and took pleasure in no I hate such services and have no pleasure in such sacrifices it is not for want of such that I reprove thee I have had enow and too many of them 14 If you will serve me aright and sacrifice to give me content then offer other manner of sacrifices than these or these sacrifices after another manner I that am a spirit look for the service of your faith and affections let the ceremonies and sacrifices you perform be significant not shells without kernels when you pretend to thank me in peace-offerings c. Bring your hearts with you let your faith and affections be offered up unto me through the propitiatory mediatour in whom onely they are accepted in an humble gratulatory way for the good you acknowledge Remember its God you have to do with who looks for the service of the inward as well as the outward man have thy mind on high in the heavens where I am when thou worships me here below and therefore be sure with the spirit thou pour forth praise and thanks unto me for the goodness and benefits thou acknowledgest to have received from me when as thou offerest sacrifice 15 Its prayer and praise offered up in faith to me because of my grace and faithfulness to you that I set by it s that shall prevail with me not your empty ceremonies and sapless sacrifices If you be in trouble at any time let me then hear from you in that way and you shall be sure of a gracious answer from me because then and never till then I know I shall be sure to have a faithfull return made me of praise glory and thanks for the goodness I shew unto you 16 These are the men and this is that manner of service that God accepts of but to the carnall hypocrit or meer formall professor that is so busie in externall performances of legall rites commanded by God he would have such an one know that he had rather have his room than his company for all he does is but in abuse of God and his worship making shew of serving him and keeping covenant with him but without any truth or sincerity of heart whereby he adulterates Gods own ordinances and makes them utterly unpleasing to him though appointed by him but never intended they should be practised or preached by such men in such a manner 17 To bolster them up in their impieties taking liberty to sin because they conform to outward ceremoniall ordinances God would have such know that they neither glorifie him nor profit themselves that are carefull in outward duties and acts of Religion and careless of holiness in heart and conversation 18 Thou that art so full of seeming sanctity thinkest thou that God regards thy services if withall thy heart be full of hypocrisie and thy ways of unrighteousness breaking the morall law whilst thou makest conscience of the ceremoniall giving the reins to thy corrupt heart and hands to contrive and act all manner of impieties as theft adultery and joyning thy self with such companions 19 Taking liberty to lie and deceive and makest even a trade and common practise of it 20 Studiously back-biting and traducing others that mean thee no hurt nor never did thee any but ought to be loved of thee as brethren and of envy or emulation slandering those that are near and should be dear unto thee thine own very kindred and allies labouring their disparagement and disgrace 21 These things you know have been acted amongst you even by and amongst you that yet pretend to be a people in covenant with me and come and worship before me and sacrifice unto me and because I bear with you in these hypocriticall evil ways of yours and suffered my self to be thus mocked and abused by you you thought that I approved of you and your doings but you shall find that I set not so light by mine honour as you think for nor will not so easily put up with such abuses as you imagine there will come a time that I will make you smart for your base abuse of me and mine holy ordinances and you shall know that I am sensible of your ingratitude and so shall you be of my just indignation for these your sins which I have marked all along you shall find so much how that I le remember when you have forgotten them and mind you of them to your cost 22 For think you that I will be so severe against the sins of the rest of the world that in comparison of you have no knowledge of me nor have received no favours from me and that I will not be much more so towards you That I cannot pretend ignorance but sin against me either out of a stupid supine negligence and disrespect of me or out of a spirit of rebellion But consider it you had best how my name hath been prophaned amongst you and persist not to despise me in this sort and forget the duty and gratitude that you owe me who deserve better from you least that of all the world you smart most for it for as your sins are the greatest being against light and loving-kindness so without repentance shall your plagues be the sorest for as you are without excuse so shall you be without mercy no one not Moses nor any your forefathers upon whom you bear your selves no nor the Messiah himself shall open his mouth for you to save or deliver such an hypocriticall ill-deserving people 23 This is generally a nationall fault amongst you and will at last bring forth nationall judgements and common destruction upon you but yet as I have known and chosen you though ill deserving it to be my people of all the world so do I know and have chosen some from among you that bear me better respect than the rest And such an one who ever he be let not him fear to perish with the rest but be confident who ever he is that makes conscience to worship me in spirit as well as in form and when he sacrifices to me then with an humble faithfull and affectionate heart praiseth me for my benefits and favours vouchsafed that 's the man that mine eye is upon and upon the worship and service he performs to accept it for he alone worships me aright all else is lost labour and meer mockery The spirituall minded man and the reall sincere hearted Israelite who is as well conscionable and carefull of his life and conversation to walk uprightly with God and honestly with men as of the rites and formalities of the ceremoniall law and mine externall worship to do them this is the man that as he serves me acceptably so will I reward him bountifully he shall see with the eye of
as I have done for this I would have all men know that stumble at it that it s no such marvell rightly considered for wherein I differ from others it is thy grace and not my goodness that is the cause of it for the self-same nature and disposition to sin yea to all and any sin be it never so prodigious is in me that is in the worst of men as I have made it too evident for I inherit and have growing in me that bitter root of originall pravity that successively is derived from Adam to all his posterity which hath been fruitfull in me all my life long the Lord be gracious to me and pardon and weaken it in me more and more 6 Were I no other than nature hath formed me I should neither have acceptance nor favour from thee but as bad as I am and would have thy people know it to my humbling and their warning yet withall I would have them know that grace and sinfull nature is consistent together so that though they do condemn me for sin yet not of insincerity the root of the matter may be and is in me for all this as thou art gracious to pass by many and great sins and to own such a sinner for thy servant if thou seest an upright heart and a sanctified disposition in him towards thee so I would have them to be charitable and to pass though a just yet not a rash and finall sentence upon me for thou both hast and for all this out of the abundant riches of thy grace wilt yet further instruct me in the way of life and salvation to attain unto it by faith in the righteousness of another though I have none of mine own to trust in or to boast of 7 But what ever men think of me and how ever I stand in their good opinion yet my hearts desire is to be received again into thy favour which I know is possible notwithstanding my estate seems desperate The bloud of Christ who shall be sacrificed for penitent believing sinners and now is of virtue and use to such in his types being by grace through faith sprinkled upon me and his righteousness afresh imputed to me which the Lord grant is able to render me clean in thy sight so all-sufficient and meritorious is the bloud of this thy Son and and my Saviour that if thou wilt but wash me in it for all the filthiness I have contracted I shall in the sight of God by this supernaturall emundation exceed the purity of any creature whatsoever in the eyes of man 8 As thou hast sent me a sad message of thy heavy displeasure and threatned me with sore judgements and laid my sin terribly home to my conscience which hath fetched confession and contrition from me so now Lord that thou hast humbled and broken my secure and impenitent heart and cast me into such deep sorrows vouchsafe to change the temper of my spirit and by thine speak a reviving effectuall word of grace and reconciliation to my soul assure me of the pardon of my sin and mine acceptance into favour that I may therein rejoyce notwithstanding the sad things that are like to befall mine outward man and that justly 9 And that thou maiest do this Lord interpose the righteousness of Christ betwixt thine eyes and my sins look at that and not at them Let no one of all my many transgressions remain upon my score unpardoned for the bloud of Christ is as well able to do away all as any and till then I shall never be at quiet 10 Nor do I desire as hypocrits and unsincere professors do thy pardoning without thy purging grace it is thy justifying grace indeed that I earnestly sue for but not without thy sanctifying My course of sinning hath quite put my soul out of frame I am as if I never had been regenerated corruption hath so broken in upon all my faculties and born down all my graces that it hath and doth and is like still to bear sway and grace never to get the better again if thy power do not interpose O therefore good Lord begin the work of sanctification again in me kindle again those sparks of grace that he almost quite smothered breathe the breath of life into them that sin and corruption may take its turn to die above all free me from the bondage of lustfull concupiscencce that hath been so predominant and hath precipitated me into so many hideous sins subservient to it give me a spirit of holiness for time to come specially a pure spirit and such an one as may be firm for God and not drawn aside as mine hath been but able to resist temptations 11 My sins as I well deserve they should have separated betwixt me and my God the sense of thy love and favour that I was wont to feel in the actings of my faith and other graces is now extinct and I am as a banished man from thy presence without communion and fellowship but Lord have compassion upon this my disconsolate condition smile out upon my spirit in the renewed sense of thy loving-kindness and be not for ever strange to me nor take not quite away the spirit of grace and adoption from me but in mercy restore me to mine interest in thee and relation to thee and to those active graces that accompany these 12 Grant me that which I cannot live without though I have deservedly lost it by my sins yet return it to me graciously to wit the comfortable assurance of my salvation by thy grace that my heart may once more tast of those joyes and sweet apprehensions which formerly shoon bright in my soul but now are miserably eclipsed and let me not sink deeper and deeper into sin and sorrow but by thy spirit of adoption and liberty which can onely rescue me from the power and bondage of sin and make me to run the wayes of thy commandments underprop my decaying comforts and graces 13 If thou wilt thus befriend me it shall not onely engage me personally to thee but I will so declare thy grace out of mine own experience in zeal to the glory of it that who ever are burdened with the heavy pressure of their sins as I am I will instruct them what way they shall take to come out of that bondage to be thy freemen and servants and will incourage them in it by mine own success when I am converted I will strengthen my brethren and doubt not but thy grace to me and restauration of me into favour will be a means to convert and save many a sinner besides my self that weighs with himself and finds upon divine record what mountainous sins of mine thy mercy hath removed out of the way 14 The sins I confess are exceeding capitall which I have committed specially that of murdering Uriah and the rest that died with him by that design of mine for which I deserve capitall
temptation of corrupt fleshly reasoning occasioned by the wickeds prospiritie and his own infelicitie that had almost cost him a fall and made him cast off all care of religion and fear of God had not God taken up the business that was in controversie in his mind he abruptly thereupon silenceth all doubts and disputes and in the very beginning and first entrance into the Psalm breaks through all difficulties and dissidences wherewith he had been sore pestred affirming and declaring for the instruction and strengthning of the godly that maâ—ger all objections to the contrarie God is every jot as good as his word for so he had found by experience and befools himself for his mis-judging of God and the Godly as he had done and too highly prizing the wicked mans happie condition in this life acknowledgeth Gods infinite mercie in this his seasonable illumination and supportation of his faith so much staggered but now resolved and thereby enabled to declare God to be righteous in all his works and that to the faithfull he will ever approve himself such A Psalm made by Asaph 1 I Have had my share of trials and my share of temptations thereupon and also my share of experimented providences and mercies from God so that when all things are rightly weighed after a long debate and conflict betwixt flesh and spirit concerning the one and the other whether God be or be not to his people as he hath promised I must needs conclude he is God and as good as his word to Israel but to what Israel for there was my mistake not to all that go under that name because they are the seed of Jacob so called for all are not Israel that are of Israel but to the Israel in spirit not in the letter to them belongs the promise and performance of grace and goodness to such as are purified by faith not onely in the outward part by legal purifyings which are but umbrages but in the hidden man of the heart by effectual operation of faith and the spirit of grace to such the Lord is gracious and ever will be I know it by experience and so shall they let them never doubt it nor question the truth of Gods word and promise because of seeming contraridictoriness in his work of providence thereunto but take it upon the word of a Prophet as well as a promise it is a truth whatsoever is suggested to the contrarie by carnal and corrupt reason God is so will be so and cannnot be otherwise 2 I confess it is no easie matter to be thus perswaded considering the strange order that is in Gods providences and dispensations I my self for all I can now speak it boldly yet the time was when I was as misbelieving as other men extreamly staggered I was in my faith and judgement touching the truth of the promise and the goodness of God according thereunto I was almost fallen from faith and consequently from hope reverence and every thing of that nature ready to to turn Atheist as touching the points of Gods truth and goodness truly I was even going if God had not staied me to deviate and shift for my self by carnal policie and creature-confidence as I saw others do 3 For like a fool as I was I fastened mine eyes upon the outward face of things I saw them that are best suffer most those that are worst prosper best which put me into a passionate envy of them that clouded my judgement so that I could not but raise foolish conclusions upon foolish premises and think with my selfe that surely it is not God but Fortune that orders matters thus or if it be God that then he cannot bring both ends together punish his people prosper the wicked and yet be good to the one and just to the other 4 Whom contrarie to their demerits he lets live in such felicitie all their daies for for all their sins they have the world at will their minds and consciencies free from trouble their constitutions strong and bodies healthfull they feel no punishments nor pains in either neither living nor dying for after a prosperous life I thought I should see God meet with them at their deaths whereas they died as they lived without either pangs of bodie or horrour of conscience to mine admiration and stumbling 5 A man would almost think that judges with worldly judgement as I did that sin and wickedness were the high-way to happiness and that the promises were rather made to the bad than the good for whilest the godly undergo concussions and agitations within and without they live in a serene clime under a perpetual calm and feel not the twentieth part of what the righteous suffer 6 And therefore they brave it over them and pride themselves as the onely men on earth whom God favours far above the Godly whom they look contemptibly upon maligne and oppress them even for their pietie and povertie sake judging them therefore hated of God and so justly persecuted of men and themselves his onely friends and he theirs 7 They pamper their carcasses live deliciously fair well and thrive well upon it they have no want of Worldly wealth and outward felicitie God pours honey into their hive they prosper wondrously even beyond their own desires and expectations 8 Their plentie and voluptuousness makes them quite forget God to be above them they live sensually and sinfully as if they were controlable by none and with open face do injustice and wrong bragging of their power to oppress and threatning thunderbolts to the poor and despised people of God 9 Who if they make their appeal to heaven pray for and plead Gods power to protect them against theirs they contemn them and blaspheme God yea bid defiance both to God and man not caring for God above them and thinking all the world else to be below them for their proud and presumptuous speeches import no less 10 Whereupon it is that the people of God are in my very case they stumble and allmost fall and are in grievous agonies not onely by outward affliction but every way which is worse by inward diffidences and debates in themselves whilest the good are thus extreamly under and the bad a top of the wheel 11 Insomuch as I did so do they begin to question through the infirmitie of the flesh and their astonishment at the strangeness of such proceedings the providence and administration of God whither at all he that is in heaven heed these things below or if he do then how they can stand with his wise and righteous dispensations and word of promise 12 For thus they say within themselves who are they that come on and prosper in the World why generally the wicked and ungodly have most and do best is it not so every where 13 And who are they that have least and are most under hatches why truly they that fear God
never to live again Lord think other thoughts towards us bring us again into a comfortable condition and raise us up in joy as much as thou hast cast us down in sorrow by the return of thy reconciled favour to us which will infinitely rejoyce us 7 Let us be so happy as to see and feel the sweet effects of thy pardoning grace O good God by granting us a powerfull deliverance from under this misery and bondage 8 As pray so I will also expect an answer my faith shall listen diligently to the promise of God what it sayes as also to his providence what it will speak effectually by way of performance for his promises are then words he will do as he sayes and therefore I am confident how ever Gods time is now of punishing us so it will be of pardoning us his people shall have rest from these their troubles for his Saints the invisible Church sake that are amongst them but let them take heed of abusing such goodness by provoking the Lord again to wrath with back-sliding ingratitude lest he never take their words more 9 Surely deliverance from the Lord will make haste for the enfranchizing of all those that faithfully wait for it and will heartily imbrace it when it comes to the promoting and re-establishing his worship and service again in that land of his and ours though we are wrongfully disseiz'd of it and restoring it to its former glorie and splendour 10 Our return as it shall doubtless be so it shall be exceeding happie the very embleme of the salvation that comes by the Messiah to the Church and the glorious effects thereof for in our restauration there shall be an admirable commixtion of the mercie and truth of God thereby graciously fulfilling his promise touching the well-fare of his Church and freedom from her enemies together with a righteous obediential walking of his people with him in peace and tranquillitie Like as in Christ and in the restauration that he shall make of poor distressed sinners to a spiritual Libertie from their ghostly enemies sin and Satan there shall be a glorious reconciliation of those cross pleading attributes and properties in Gods divine nature and in the soul of every justified regenerate member of the Church for according to truth and righteousness Man that sinned hath died Christ being made a sacrifice and according to mercie and peace Man that hath sinned is saved and God he are reconciled and at one in the propitiation of his son so that in him the Laws threatnings and Gospels promises are agreed the rigour of Gods justice is fully satisfied all things in God peaceably accorded and God and man sweetly reconciled and man in his own conscience by the faith of all these comfortably quieted 11 We shall serve and obey God in truth and uprightness such sweet fruit shall Judea yield upon our restitution and God shall take pleasure in us and from heaven pour forth his righteous blessings upon us in grace and favour to us as it shall be with the Church when the Messiah that Truth of God shall be born in our nature of earthly parents with what satisfactorie content shall God then behold him and those justified sanctified members of his here below aswell as those glorified ones in heaven above and how shall he bless them 12 Yea the Lord shall be so reconciled to us that our evils shall be turned into their contrarie blessings he shall be our friend and make every thing else befriend us for good the creature shall be reconciled aswell as the creator and the land that our sins have made barren and fruitless shall by the blessing of God upon it be restored to that fertilitie it had heretofore when God was better served and it was better blessed and made to resemble the plenteous spiritual blessings that Christs enfranchized Church shall abound with here 13 God himself shall plentifully vouchsafe his graces and make us walk to his well-pleasing in holiness and righteousness as Christ shall his Church and set us in the right way which we have so miserably strayed from and enable us to walk it even the path of his precepts The lxxxvi PSALM David in this Psalm made probably either during Sauls persecution of him or after in mindfulness of that his estate personating himself as then it was with him praies for audience and deliverance because of his incessant intercessions and Gods innate goodness and promises himself what he praies for he extols God and prophesies all the World shall do so too prayeth for direction and establishment under his pressures promiseth praise for what God hath done for him and relates what manner of enemies his are as bad as bad can be but comforts himself in Gods opposit grace and goodness which he praies for a sensible sight and taste of by some remarkable act of providence and power for him against them to their shame and confusion and to his corroboration and consolation A praier that David made in the time of his grievous affliction recorded as a pattern and for the use of every faithful afflicted member of the Church 1 THou Lord that hast an ear for men in my case and heart too Let me I pray thee prevail for a gracious audience and though thou beest of so immense greatness and inhabitest heavens in unaccessable glorie yet Lord have regard to a poor worm on earth in this my deplorable helpless condition 2 That my life Lord is in danger thou knowest it and that my heart is upright towards thee and innocent towards man even to my very enemies thou Lord art not ignorant of it Therefore in righteousness deliver me out of their hands and save my life which they would destroy O Lord that art my God both in near relation and dear affection save me that thou knowest am entirely thine in loving obedience and faithful dependance and reliance 3 Let thy goodness and my miserie move thee to have mercie on me O Almightie Lord and to vouchsafe me deliverance for as I have cause my pressures being exceeding great and incessant so are my cries unto thee vehement and quotidian because my faith and hope is in thee 4 Set me free from my troubles and these despondencies of spirit that accompany them that I may with a joyful and thankful heart apprehend thy grace and mercie to me for Lord thou knowest my trust and confidence is in none besides thee as thou mayest perceive by my faithful and fervent addresses 5 For I know both from thine own word which I believe and mine own experience that thou art of a gracious compassionate nature to poor distressed suppliants and though just to punish sinners yet as ready to pardon penitents and to shew mercie of every kind both of forgiveness to humbled sinners and of deliverance to distressed innocents that in the faith thereof pray earnestly unto thee 6 And
questioning his power and goodness instead of meekly yielding to be proved by him and answering his expectations by suitable returns These were our progenitours of whom we come and of whose sins we therefore ought to beware 10 11 And this they did not onely once but often nor out of frailtie but obstinacie Nothing I could do or say saith God could reclaim them but they persisted the self same men from first to last from the Red-sea to the skirts of Canaan fourtie years together perpetually vexing me with their unbelief and rebellion even all the generation of them scarce a man that did other insomuch that at last after so long trial and experience of them I concluded that there was no good to be done they are a people whose hearts are not upright with me that erre not of infirmitie but obstinacie and for all that by my word and works I have taught and assured them thus long of my love care power and faithfulness yet have not they learned in all this time nor never will being wilfully blind and perversly inconsiderate how to walk and demean themselves towards me by honouring of me with their faithfull dependance humble submission and hopefull expectation of my goodness and power to appear for them and be extended to them and to return me praise and thanks love and obedience that so a perpetual intercourse of friendship and sweet correspondencie might have been traded betwixt us for ever as I intended But so hatefull and vexatious was their carriage and so infinite and endless their provocation that at last when I had tried them to the uttermost had brought them to the very borders of the promised land and saw they were still the same as unbelieving and murmuring as ever before it made me past patience so that in my rage I sware never to revoke it that so unworthy a people that I saw neither was nor never would be good do all that I could I say I sware they should upon no terms nor entreaty enter into and be possessed of the end of their travels the type of heaven that resting place the land of Canaan but should wast their days and end their lives in the wilderness where they had so sinned against me even the whole generation of them which I made good to the last man of that rebellious crew Let us fear and tremble hearken and obey praise and give thanks lest we the ofspring of such progenitours be guiltie of their sins and partake of their plagues be cast out as they were kept out of this good land The xcvi PSALM This Psalm was â—ndited at the remove of the Ark to its settled abode upon the hill of Sion in Jerusalem being in substance all one with that 1. Chron. 16.23 to 33. wherewith David ravished in spirit and prophetically disposed stirs up all the world Iews and Gentiles to praise the Lord for the Kingdom of Christ which was approching which that typified yea and all creatures the most irrational and unsensible â—or the general Iubilee that shall then be the happie restauration begun and not long to perfecting 1 2 O What a joyfull day is this to see the Ark brought after all its travels to its place of abode the holy mount in Jerusalem This new mercy deserves a new song yea extraordinarie praise and thanks not onely from us but from all the world the Gentiles as well as Israelites which from Sion shall have the glad tidings of salvation published to them news worthy of new songs and ineffable praises to be given to God whom we nor they can praise enough nor bless that infinite goodnese of his in vouchsafing the grace and knowledge of his salvation to us so eminently in this type of Christs peaceable and glorious Kingdom which they shall have really and indeed everlastingly amongst them worthy everlasting praises for them 3 Spread the glorious tidings of Christ and his approching Kingdoms far and near let it be told the Gentiles for they shall share in it and glorifie for it let all that he hath done for his Church and promised to do those wonderfull things of sending his Son calling the Gentiles and spreading his Church over the face of the earth be made known all the world over to prepare them for it with joy and thanks to receive it 4 For the Lord shall be better known though now they are ignorant of him and set light by him valuing stocks and stones before him yet the time will come when they shall know that this our God is the onely great and praise-worthy God and as well worthy to be worshipped and honoured of them instead of those false and fond gods they now serve as of us That there is none like him nor none but him 5 For all other gods which they ignorantly worship every where for all the world lies in darknesse are but dumb and deaf Idols made of wood and stone or at the best but creatures the Lord onely is the Creatour that made the whole world the glorious and beautifull heavens and reigns therein alone 6 In the midst of unaccessible Honour and Majesty which no man can see and live communicating thence some beams and rays of his heavenly and Divine properties of grace and power in that spiritual splendour that powerfully shines out of his holy sanctuarie into the souls and spirits of those that in faith and sincerity worshipping him there have their hearts thereby strengthened in believing and their graces enlivened by the fresh communicating of his ordinances and effectual answers to their prayers against their enemies 7 All ye people whether sons of Adam or of Abraham understand the Lord aright so as to honour him worthy of himself by glorifying him as the onely God of power yea the Lord Almightie 8 Worship not other gods instead of him nor yet together with him let him rule alone in your hearts that rules alone in the world pay your tribute and do your homage to him at his sanctuarie neither worship any God but him nor him in any other manner than as he hath appointed sacrifice to him upon his own altar in his own courts 9 Let all far and near come and welcome too do as we do worship the Lord in his holy sanctuarie O that the whole earth would turn to the Lord Gentiles as well as Jews as when Christ comes they shall have as free access to worship God as we and their worship as well accepted then as ours is now 10 Publish to the heathen what God hath made known to you his people How that the Lord onely is God and that the kingdom of the world as well as of Israel belongs to him and that his Church shall flourish every where as well as here which is not long to all things shall be brought into a better order one God in Christ shall be worshipped and stedfastly believed in instead of those
steadily in those wayes is he that I will be solicitous to enquire out and prefer both in domestick and republick offices 7 If I may know it there shall no crafty dissembler nor undermining oppressour harbour under my roof nor be imploid as any Minister of mine he that misinforms me thinking thereby to delude me advantage himself or disadvantage another such an one shall pack out of my doores he shall have no favour but all the discountenance I can give him 8 It shall be my first and chiefest work to weed out the notorious deboisheers generally in the Kingdom that have inured themselves so to sin in Sauls licentious reign as their is no hope of their amendment and as it shall be my first work so it shall be my constant course impartially to punish evil doers all the land over and specially in Jerusalem the place of Gods peculiar abode and worship that I may as near as I can bring all my people every where to be Gods people holy worshippers of him by working a thorough reformation among them most especially will I expunge them out of the sanctuary from officiating there where such men are a scandall and an eye-sore to God and all good men The cii PSALM The Authour of this Psalm in the name and person of the Church then in miserable captivity in Babylon but near the end of it prayes for speedy relief in their lamentable oppression and from under Gods own indignation and how desperate soever their condition seems yet he comforts himself and in himself the Church with Gods never failing-nature and truth which shall give existence to his Church and consequently restauration according to the prefixed time then at hand which will be joy to his people and honour to God both in present and after-ages amongst Iews and Gentiles for it shall be an occasion to convert some and a figure of the great restitution that shall be made by the coming of the Mâ—ssiah He magnifies Gods eternall being and assures the Church therefore an everlasting existence however frail in her self A Prayer made for the use and direction of the godly when he or they are so grievously afflicted as they seem to be overwhelmed therewith and his or their burden so unsupportable that it forceth him to pour out his soul in sad complaints before the Lord in the dolour and anguish of his heart 1 O Lord hear the prayer of thy servant and servants even of thy whole Church whom I personate complaining to thee in great misery and bondage to the enforcing of them to vehement importunities which Lord shut not thine ears against but give them audience and gracious admittance into both thine ears and heart 2 Though our sins have caused thy frowns and disfavour yet let our miseries move thy mercies and be intreated after so long an estrangement of so many years bondage at last to resume thy grace and to shine forth in favour upon us and to take our condition into consideration yea Lord now thou hast put it into our hearts to pray hopefully be intreated to answer us speedily by delivering and restoring us effectually let it not be long to 3 Our whole life in this condition we are in is spun out to an unprofitable length our time is unusefully spent wasted and consumed without honour to thee or good to our selves This long lingring oppression the sorrow we sustain under it because of the sense of thy heavy displeasure and thy Churches desolation hath dried up our radicall moisture and quite changed the constitution of our natures that our bones if visible are dried and discoloured as an hearth that hath long lain under a hot scortching fire as we have under the fire of affliction 4 Thou hast cut up all my earthly comforts as it were by the roots I can think of nothing of that nature comfortably my heart and they are parted by thy judgements as the grass is from the earth by the hand of the mower and as it withers for want of union and communication of sap and moisture so is my heart shrunk and exhausted within me by the utter absence of thy grace and favour finding no content the whilst in any thing though never so necessary insomuch as nature forgets to sustain it self feeds upon sorrow instead of bread having almost lost all appetite and digestion through anguish of heart 5 By reason of the expence of spirits through my continuall mourning day and night uttering my grief in groans and sighs for want of words my nature is totally impaired and my flesh so wasted that my skin and bones are met I am become a very skelliton 6 I am in a most solitary mournfull condition no representation in nature can sufficiently depaint it an exile a bondslave Chaldea and Assyria yield us as much comfort as if we were in a wilderness our cohabitation with the Babylonians is worse than the greatest solitariness upon earth the mournfull Pelican and hated Owl that therefore converse alone in desert places without pitie or societie so much as of one another do best resemble us for so are we a banished and a scattered people in a far countrey in an uncomfortable unsociable state 7 As my sorrow takes away my stomack so also my sleep and keeps me waking so that I scarce take any rest nor in this disconsolation have I any to comfort me but each of us are seperated from other as a sparrow from his mate lost to our countrey and lost to one another 8 All the mischief our enemies can heap upon us by word or deed we are sure of they shamefully reproch us and in us blaspheme thee they are implacable and outragious against us have sworn the destruction of us all even of thy whole Church sooner or later 9 And they use us accordingly more like dogs than men exposing us to all manner of hardship through the extremitie of our pressures and grief for them forcing us to take no content in any thing no not in our ordinarie repasts our provisions being so bad and unsavorie and our sorrows making it worse than it is feeding more upon sack-cloth and ashes weeping and mourning than either bread or drink 10 And this not so much for my sufferings though they be great but for thy wrath and indignation appearing in them and threatned by them which is the more apparent and the grievouser in this that thou wast once so gracious and beneficial the memorie whereof now aggravates our miserie exceedingly that thou shouldest be so changed and enraged against a people so nearly related and dearly beloved for whereas no nation flourished like us we are now no more a people but a scattered vassalaged company of men and women as if thou hadst raised us of purpose to make our fall the greater and made us therefore happie that we might become the more miserable like a man that to break a thing
in the praiseful acknowledgement whereof as also of thy grace and goodness towards us thy people thou thereby wilt give us infinite cause to rejoyce and glorie 48 And how ever we smart deservedly for our sins yet let the Lord be glorified Let us not forget his surpassing mercies to this nation but bless him that whatever our demerits have been yet hath ever approved himself like himself faithful and gracious and so will ever be to his people who ought therefore in the memorie of past and the faith of future mercies to bless him for it whilest the world endures and to this let all Israel subscribe and consent one and other for it is their dutie and the Lords due from them Therefore fail not on your part let nothing discourage you from thus praising the Lord and mark the issue The cvii. PSALM The Psalmist publishâ—th the Lords goodness and stirs up his Israel both in letter and spirit to be thankful for it so many wayes extended to them in all dispensations of what nature soever Yea all afflicted ones whom though in justice God punish for their sins yet he spares them when they crie unto him for mens folly enforceth God in goodness aswel as in justice to teach them wisdom by chastisement which so soon as they have learned they are released which providences and dispensations the Psalmist would not have lightly over-looked but solemnly acknowledged together with those admirable sea-providences in preserving and delivering men out of the jaws of death that King of fears as also his just and powerful transmutations in nature upon the land aswel as at sea and the righteous and gracious government he exerciseth upon the oppressor and oppressed respectively which to the godly-wise ought to be great rejoycing to see such love in such providence 1 LEt us give God his due praise and thanks for all those great and gracious mercies which he hath expressed to and bestowed on us his people and that goodness that still remains with him in our behalfs by vertue of his Covenant which makes that his mercie shall not determine but that we shall reap the benefit of his gracious engagement till all be fulfilled that is promised concerning his people to the end of the world 2 Let us and all the redeemed of the Lord to the worlds end speak forth our and their praise-worthy experinces of God his goodness and mercie whom he hath mightily rescued from under the cruel captivitie of our deadly enemies whether temporal or spiritual Pharaoh or the devil by Christ or Moses 3 And whom he hath chosen from among the confused heap of mankind to be peculiarly his and gathered far and near his elect from out all places on earth to inhabit heaven as he did us his Israel first out of Mesopotamia whence Abraham and his family was called and after that out of Egypt to be possessors of Canaan 4 In passage whereunto they had many a wearie step in a desert wilderness as the godly must exspect in their pilgrimage here and during all that time had no setled habitation but sought one to come as the faithful must do who like strangers and way-faring men here on earth live upon the promise and expectation of heaven hereafter 5 All that while having nothing to sustain them neither bread nor water but what providence and that extraordinarie administred to them which did supply them but not till God had tried and humbled them with the want yea very great want even of needful and essential accommodations as spiritually he orders his Church and chosen people during this their peregrination 6 When they were necessitated and saw that by no ordinarie course of nature nor no humane help they could be supplied they cried to the Lord for what they lacked and he never failed them when they did so but super-naturally supplied to them both bread and water and protection too when their necessitie required it and that Moses faithfully craved it for them as spiritually he provides for and sustains his Church when their soul-necessities sends them and Christs intercession recommends them to him 7 And he guided them by his own special conduct with a visible pillar of cloud and fire continually protecting and directing them the way that was most for his glorie and their good though to their carnal eyes least seeming so towards the land of Canaan there to settle them in tranquillity and rest and possess them of Towns and Cities ready built and provided to their hands like care to which he takes for his Church spiritual affording them invisible conduct all along this life in the manifold windings and turnings thereof which is the best though seemingly not the nearest way to heaven where they shall enter into their rest and be everlasting inhabitants of the new Jerusalem the Citie which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God purchased and prepared for them by Christ. 8 Oh that all men that every where participate of the goodness of God some more some less some in one kind some in another would make answerable returns to him and take faithful notice of his admirable works of providence principally to his Church but generally to all to praise him for them and acknowledge his grace and goodness in them 9 For its he that fills the hearts of men with food and gladness and the souls of penitents that hunger and thirst after righteousness with enough of it 10 Such as either in bodie or soul are in a comfortless condition and have the sentence of death really or in their own sense and apprehension past upon them and are detained in outward bonds or trouble of spirit or both 11 Because they have sinned against the Law of God written in their hearts or the word of God written in the Scriptures and refused to be ruled by his reason who as he is the Lord of all things ought also to be theirs and they obedient to his dictates 12 Therefore did the Lord and doth still upon occasion so load them with outward or inward sorrows either by enemies cross accidents or desertions that they are made glad to confess their folly and to humble themselves before the Lord whom they before set light by when they find themselves helpless in any other way than by the powerful hand or free grace of God 13 Then they used and are wont to make their addresses to God in such inextricable extremities and he both hath done and of mercie will still in such cases when their troubles have wrought so good effect hear the cries of afflicted suppliants to ease and deliver them 14 Out of that disconsolate condition whereinto he cast them for their rebellions that he might humble them and then be gracious to them 15 Oh that all men that every where participate of the goodness of God would make answerable returns to him and take faithful notice of
Church which by a mightie and out-stretched arm thou hast bought and brought thither there to remain in perfect happiness with thee and under me for ever 2 The Lord Almighty who is able to bring to pass great things by weak means shall raise up glorious lights in Jerusalem and Jurie where thou first manifests thy self as Aopstles Evangelist c. that shall give light to them that sit in darkness the glad tidings of the Gospel which is the mightie power of God to salvation that rod of Moses to save Israel shall by these his emissareis be held forth and preached to the Gentiles people of all nations and languages whereby they that now are forreigners shall be brought within the pale and shall take laws from thee and be subjected to thee O blessed Saviour that art advanced in the humane nature wherein thou sufferedst in such power and glorie at the right hand of the most high God there by his appointment to sway the Scepter of thy Mediatorian Kingdom by the power whereof the preaching of the Gospel through the eternal spirit accompanying it shall maugre all opposition of Gentilism who now are thy professed enemies and then shall strongly oppose thy Kingdom prevail to set up thy throne in the hearts of thy chosen all the world over who shall every where make glorious profession of thy name and own thee for their Lord and King spite of all earthly opposing powers and contemners of a crucified Saviour who shall be no more able to hinder thy Church from flourishing than thee from rising out of the grave 3 Those that are given to thee of God the Father and redeemed by thee out of the world when thou shalt have offered thy self a propitiatorie and taken possession of thy Kingdom at his right hand through thy mission of the spirit thence and his mighty working by the word upon the hearts of those thy people they shall thick and three-fold be converted neither the pravitie of their natures nor their long accustomed Idolatries shall obstruct their ready and chearfull compliance with the Gospel but shall willingly imbrace the tender of grace and come under thy governance in the Church which shall then so multiply as to assemble and conveen in all places for the exercise of Christian religion as thy people the Jews do at the beautifull and holy Temple that type of Christ in which Christian Synagogues especially in the first breaking forth of the light of the Gospel as the morning sun upon the face of the earth shall be born unto thee out of the then pregnant productive womb thereof begotten by the holy Ghost in those thy first loves and nuptial imbraces of the Church thy Spouse immediately upon thine ascention and investiture into glory an off-spring spread far and wide upon the whole earth as innumerable as the dew drops which insensibly fall from the heavens as the spirit shall then invisibly upon their hearts at the preaching of the word 4 For the great God of heaven by his everlasting decree and immutable oath revealed for the consolation of his people and corroboration of their faith hath never to revoke it conferred upon thee their Mediatour and Saviour the honour and office of that everlasting Priest-hood not temporary as the Levitical but without change or succession pourtraied in Melchisedeck Yea to be a King and Priest in one person as he was and none else to typifie that glorious priviledge to belong to thee and none other who therefore at thy Fathers right hand for thy Church and people transacts a royal Priesthood of righteousnes and peace according to the office person and name of Melchisedeck King of Salem 5 The Lord the God and Father who onely hath the preheminencie of thee as thou hast under him of of all things else shall imploy his power for the advancement of thine honour and revenge of thy dishonour wrathfully destroying Kings Kingdoms that shall oppose themselves and hinder the coming of thy Kingdom in thy Churches growth and felicity in the time when he thinks fit to judge them for it 6 Thou who art paramount the onely He or the promised Messiah for the Churhes comfort shalt rule the world the Gentiles shall be under his Judicature he will preserve his people that are converted to him and profess his name every where among the heathen taking vengeance on their enemies whom he shall remarkably destroy as he was wont to do the enemies of Israel The earthly Potentates of the world shall find him to be above them if they bruise his heel afflict his people as they will in all places he will bruise their heads their greatness shall not priviledge them at all 7 If you will know the reason of this high preferment of Christ in our nature at Gods right hand and of the power and head-ship he hath there it is because he shall drink deep of the wrath of the Almighty streamed down upon him in the way thereunto and for the obtaining thereof by suffering a cursed death upon the Cross with bodily torments and unutterable soul-agonies the unavoidable means of effecting his Mediatour-ship and mans redemption therefore shall he upon that full and faithfull discharge of his office here upon earth ascend unto and sit for ever at the right hand of his Father which is in heaven to act there the glorified part thereof in full powerâ— and absolute dominion over all there and here Angels and men Jews and Gentiles friends and foes The cxi PSALM The Psalmist first gives the word and then the example for praising the Lord which he tels us Gods works gives us cause enough to do if we consider them well especially to his Church supplying them in their need possessing them of the promised land fulfilling his promises of grace to them and for their sakes his judgements threatened upon their enemies for which he looks his commandements should be respected which are as binding to us as his covenant to him and through grace his covenant is as binding to him as they are to us Therefore he shews a man is never wise pretend what he will till he have gotten God upon this lock to be his by being Gods in faith and obedience And concludes as he begun with invitation to praise him 1 LEt all of us be diligent and cordial in praising the Lord. I will not be wanting on my part and in mine own example herein for he shall have the heartiest thanks that I can give him both in lesser meetings of entire Israelites that voluntarily and frequently assemble themselves to perform such holy exercises as also in those more solemn rare and mixed congregations that at times appointed assemble themselves at thy Sanctuarie 2 Greatly doth the Lord appear in his wonderous works of Creation Providence and Redemption his manifold attributes are made manifest therein yet not to all but onely to those that in love to God love to busie
their minds in the practical contemplation of him in them that they may affect their hearts toward him with suitable frame of thankfulness and praise for the greatness and goodness they are sensible of thereby 3 All that he hath done declares him to be for honour and power incomprehensible nor shall one word fail of all that he hath spoken concerning what he will do his Prophesies and promises yea and his threatenings too are as sure to be fulfilled as those which are already 4 The Lord hath done such memorable and admirable things for his Church in all ages as are never to be forgotten but with praise and thanksgiving to be had in everlasting remembrance his grace in choosing and compassion in relieving and pardoning his people is worthy our best observation and memory 5 He hath provided for his Church all along the Series of their successions and in all their peregrinations so that when in humble and faithfull addresses they that feared him at any time sought unto him they had supply of needfull mercies both for themselves and others that though they were of the visible Church yet did not so well deserve at his hands their sinnes and murmurings being enough to have made God unchurch them but that he was mindfull of his covenant made with our forefathers Patriarchs and Prophets Types of Christ not to do it of which as then he was so still he is and ever will be mindfull to be as good as his word in sparing and pardoning his people and blessing and preserving them when in fear of him and in the faith of his covenant they in humble-wise seek his favour towards them 6 He made manifest enough his exceeding great power in those miraculous victories he gave his people Israel over the Cananites when they entered the promised land which had been long possessed and inhabited by those heathenish Idolaters whom the Lord rooted out to establish them in it 7 The things he hath wrought have not onely been Acts of power but also of Truth and Justice his promises as well as his power have been written in legible Caracters in those his wonderfull dispensations to and for his Church as also his righteous judgements long before threatened to such wicked wretches and as his works have approved the faithfulness and infallibility of his promises and comminations so that other part of his word the Law of Commandments a safe rule to walk by is likewise as firm God looks they shall be obeyed by his people as certainly and undispensably as he gives them leave to expect his promises and threats to be fullfilled by him for them 8 Both the one and the other his word and works commands and providences as to his Churches preserving and governing are built upon a firm foundation the good pleasure and free grace of God according to his word and covenant and as inseperable companions go together God is good and doth good to those that are good and keep his commandments and ever will be so his truth and faithfulness binds him to be so and to do so to such as in truth and uprightness serve him 9 The Lord from time to time when his people were in jeopardy or the thraldom for their sinns if they cried unto him and humbled themselves before him he delivered them he hath established his covenant of free-grace as firm as any Law and hath bound himself by the one as firmly as us by the other so that his people shall ever find him to be the same unchangeable God for their good alwayes provided they walk worthy of him and becomingly towards him in reverence of his Majesty and obedience to his holiness 10 A man that hath never so much worldly wisdom and lives in sinne is for all that all that while but a fool till in the faithfull application of Gods saving goodness he be an altered man and fearing to offend him is carefull in all things to please him then and never till then he begins to be wise with that which is true wisdom for onely they have a right understanding both of the chiefest good and their chiefest end what 's best for themselves and why they were made that fulfill the will of God their Creatour living thereafter for therein is great reward As his mercy and faithfulness is and ever shall be firm to his faithfull and obedient people and Church in her preservation and her enemies confusion so ought to be his praises as long and large as his benefits which shall have no end The cxii PSALM The Psalmist stirrs up the people of the Lord in works to praise him the benefit whereof will be theirs their persons and posterities will be blessed by it in wo as well as in weal will God graciously visit such He sheweth a charitable minded man is much set by of God and by faith and a good conscience in the worst of times enjoys himself happily spite of those that malign him his liberall giving to the poor shall enrich him when as the covetous wretch for all his carking and caring shall suffer want and envy his abundance 1 LEt the Lord have his due praises for his great deservings and admirable excellencies that appear to be in him by what we see done by him and that not onely vocall but reall for he principally praiseth him and is certainly blessed of him that with a filiall fear dares not offend him and with a faith working by love is carefull in all things to please and obey him whose happiness is holiness and sinne his greatest affliction 2 Nor will God determine his blessings upon himself but extend them further even to his posterity walking in his wayes witness our forefather Abraham how did the Lord multiply his seed according as he promised and like blessings hath he in store for faithfull Abrahams faithfull off-spring who walking as he did with an upright heart before God in perfect obedience shall be as he was blessed in their own persons and posterities 3 God will both increase his family and provide well for it whereof our times and the times of our forefathers and Scripture-records have given good testimony He and his shall reap the benefit of his and their righteousness by a Series of blessings successively transferred by virtue of the covenant made to him and them for many generations 4 And though God doth not alwayes bless him that is of an upright heart and righteous conversation with externall affluence for his dispensations though agreeable to wisdom and justice are various yet this such an one may be sure of that he shall find God most trusty in his greatest trialls and no such cloud of tribulation shall ever over-shadow him but the sunne of righteousness shall shine through it upon his soul with healing consolations in his wings for God whatsoever he may seem to be by his outward dispensations is in his native disposition
hath made him his servant and freeman for which he will publickly praise him 1 I Cannot express how much the Lord is endeared to me for the grace he hath vouchsafed me my heart is glued to him in affection such love hath he shewed to me and such care over me in all mine extremities whensoever I minded him of me and craved his help that I am bound to love him as long as I live and from my very heart I do so 2 The Lord hath got my custom I have had such faithful and good dealing from him as if my condition were never so bad I would seek no where else for allwayes when necessitie wrung me I cried and when ever I cried the Lord heard and helped and this course I am resolved still to take whensoever I have occasion and doubt not of the same success 3 I cannot but recount my by-gone difficulties how that many a time I gave my self unavoidably for a dead man so near have I been to mine end in mine own apprehension that I made full account of my grave the very pangs of death have seized on my soul and it was seldom other with me 4 Yet though my danger and fear was never so great so that in all humane probability and visibilitie of means I was as good as gone yet my faith would still have a saying to God pray I must and did and I no sooner gave the word but God took the Alarm if I but named my Soul it was enough and oft-times my surprises were so sudden and danger so emergent that I had scarce time to do that which though they made my prayer short yet sharp they helped to put an edge upon mine affections and when I prayed for my soul it was with my soul which in an ejaculation was quickly in heaven and had as quick dispatch there 5 For there had I the attributes of God presently to speak for me his grace justice and mercie and had an answer accordingly Let others be incouraged by mine example to trust in the Lord and seek to him for they shall find as I did that God is freely good and free of his goodness faithful of his promise yea though objections lie in the way thy sins and his judgements flash in thy face yet be not daunted if thou beest one of us belongest to God for he is merciful to pardon and pitie thee and in an instant will break through all to do the good 6 Those that suffer being innocent although they be shiftless and have not worldly wisdom to do withall like other men yet if with honest hearts they bequeath themselves to God and unfainedly trust in him he will find wayes to befool their enemies and make good their confidence I am sure none can be in greater danger nor have less hope of help but from him than I a poor innocent man and more than once or twice and he alone served my turn I never miscarried but was ever delivered though many times strangely yea miraculously from time to time till he brought me to this I am come to 7 Be thou therefore at peace within thy self and recumbent upon God O my soul that hath by his means gone through so many difficulties and through him thy benefactour art arrived at so great happiness out of all the storm that have blown over thee 8 For the Lord hath as it were raised me out of the grave so near death was I many a time when thou delivered me and hath now made me a livesman again in the full accomplishment of thy promise whereby I am comforted beyond all my fore-past sorrows which are as it were forgotten and set me free from all those deadly traps and gins that were laid for me by my mortal enemies 9 Now that God by his power and mercie hath raised me to this estate and brought me through those many perplexities to possess his promise I doubt not of his further favour and protection but in confidence thereof I will comfortably and conscionably labour to discharge my place high office as in the presence and to the well-pleasing of the Lord that hath set me over his people compared to whom all the world is in darkness and shadow of death 10 11 O the several frames of heart and tempers of soul that I have passed through in my trials sometimes chearing up my self with the faith of Gods promises that they should certainly be fulfilled and then could I hopefully address my self to God and comfortably bespeak and incourage my soul to wait upon the Lord at another time I have been as much dejected and cast down and upon a surprize when my fear hath been great because my danger was imminent I have not stuck in that perplexitie of mind to think and say within my self all that the Prophets had foretold concerning my succession to the Kingdom was a meer delusion and that I must needs perish before that day could come that they and their predictions would certainly deceive me and come to nought and that they speak not of God but of themselves 12 Now when I look back and consider what a world of dangers nay deaths I have past what dismal apprehensions and perplexities of mind I have waded through what admirable deliverances the Lord hath wrought and how oft and how strangely I have been preserved and now what an absolute complement he hath given to all those promises which I thought never to have seen fulfilled and conclusion to my miseries which many time I thought would have made an end of me before I should thus have seen an end of them I am at a stand and in an extasie how and what to return to this good God I am now in perplexitie by a plenitude of happiness for the Lord hath so loaden me with benefits that I know not what to say nor do to or for him in any proportion to them 13 14 I may fancie many wayes and things to my self to gratifie God with all and when I have done I am never the near for imaginarie retributions and will-worship he will not accept Therefore I will content my self to do what he hath bid me for when I have all done I must live and die his debtor I will therefore make a feast to all Israel which he did at the bringing up of the Ark and then and there offer my peace-offerings and in the sight and hearing of all the Lords people with the cup of blessing and gratulation in mine hand will joyfully and thankfully publish the praises of my God and make open acknowledgement of the manifold benefits and deliverances from first to last that I have been partaker of The mercies I gained by prayers and vows in mine extremitie I will wear them by praise and sacrifice now in my prosperitie all Israel shall be witness 15 I have found it by experience and speak it knowingly for
for the good and well-fare of his Church and to be a type of Christ be blessed in his own person and a means of much blessing unto Israel and blessed of them again with a prayer and praise to God for him and his Government Yea let the Priests of the Lord that wait upon the Altar whose office by the Lords special appointment it is to bless his people discharge their sacred function in performance of that holy action from out that sacred place where they immediatly attend the Lords service upon David and his people the figure of Christ and his Church and let him and them be blessed accordingly both of Priests and people that worship within or without in the Courts of the sanctuarie of the Lord. 27 God hath approved himself to be the Lord omnipotent for that he hath brought us out of a miserable estate void of temporal but especially spiritual felicitie having of late nothing but confusion amongst us in Church and Kingdom and reduced us to a comfortable condition in both principally in the enjoyment of the Doctrine and ordinances of his saving truth and holy worship which by David and Christ that blessed type and Antytipe are made to shine forth upon the Church and people of God after the dark times of Sauls reign and Gentilism like as the sun comforts and lightens all creatures when the darkness is past for which unspeakable and unvaluable mercie let us therefore bring those offerings and sacrifices the Law appointeth accompanied with sincere and hearty praise and thanks-givings before him and tie them with cords ready for their oblation and that in abundance answerable to his benefits and for the larger expression of our praises in proportion to those Holocausts of Hallelujahs that shall be offered under Christs regiment Let the people by their frank and liberal offerings find the Priests store of work in their sacrificing imployment at the Altar 28 For my part I am resolved to lead the way by mine example unto thy praising and magnifying and I confess cause I have to do so if I consider how much thou hast done for me and how thou hast made choice of me to this place and office of honour and service 29 As I begun so I conclude with hearty advice and instigation to be mindful of and thankful for the goodness of God whose mercie to his Church and faithful people never failed nor never shall The cxix PSALM This Psalm by the Author of it which some say and by many circumstances probably was David in his flight and exile is divided into 22 parts according to the number and order of letters in the Hebrew Alphabet each part containing eight verses and the first word of every verse in each part beginning with the same letter that is prefixet to the part it self as it is in order and succession in the Hebrew A. B. C. which its conceived was done for help of memorie The Psalm is without title and for the matter of it drives on no one particular subject but partly by the Psalmists own example and partly by rule is represented what is requisit to enter a man into and carrie him through a holy life specially in an afflicted state which are promiscuously scattered throughout the Psalm promises precepts documents prayers being variously intermingled and to be taken notice of accordingly by the Reader as they happen in his way as also the Authors exalting Gods grace and decrying self in his own person a president for all and a confutation of all self-opinionists or justiciaries whether Papists Armenians in judgement or practise mâ—n morally righteous or carnally confident Israelitish Christians which worship God but not in the spirit and rejoyce but not in Christ Iesus having confidence in the flesh contrarie to Paul Phil. 3.3 and David throughout this Psalm Aleph Is the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and is therefore here according to order prefixed to the first part of this Psalm to signifie that it is so and so do all the rest of the Letters in their ranck and order as they are prefixed to each part signifie alike numerarie orderly succession of the rest of the parts of this Psalm for instance The second letter Beth signifies that to be the second part and the third letter the third part and so of the rest 1 ALl men would be blessed but certainly happie and onely happie is here and shall be hereafter that man that seeks not after a sensual sinful felicitie as most do but on the contrarie throughout the whole course and trade of his life approves himself as one that walks towards heaven in heavens way in conscience to God avoiding the spots and stains of every sin in heart and life that may render him unpleasing or unsightly with God and strives to walk exactly in holy obedience to all his commandments to his well-pleasing 2 Yea they onely do and shall partake of true happiness peace of conscience and favour with God which deviate not into by-wayes of their own fancying but keep constant to an obediential walking with him according to the rules he in his word hath prescribed and commanded and that set so high a rate upon his grace and favour as to over-value it to all other happiness and therefore pray for it as their chiefest good and strive to walk worthy of it in all well-pleasing with sincere and entire obedience 3 Nor dare they transgress or willingly contract the least guilt of any known sinne upon themselves out of a filiall fear of displeasing God and forfeiting his favour but carefully tread his paths which onely lead to life and true happiness and bring with them sweet peace of conscience and seals of sincerity 4 And if it be asked what is the cause of the blessed mans exact walking and not taking the liberty that others do to sinne it is because he prefers Gods will before his own because the holy God strictly commandeth holiness therefore is he strict in observance to do thereafter to keep all and break none of his commandments 5 Lord let other men take other courses my prayer is and ever shall be that I may be so happy as to be enabled by thee to walk in well-pleasing to thee all my dayes and in all my wayes according to the rule of righteousness 6 Others think shame of holiness but I count it my glory yea the more holiness the less shame to come short of duty and sincerity is onely shame-worthy make me therefore in sincerity of heart and integrity of life to do thy whole will with my whole heart and then and never but then am I as I would be because then and onely then I am as I ought to be able to look God and man in the face free from an evil conscience 7 Truly Lord if I know mine own heart and I take it to be upright towards thee there is nothing that thou
canst give me or do for me shall better please me and more oblige me to praise and thank thee with an honest gratuitous heart and conversation than thy teaching of me by thy word and spirit to know and do thy commandments the onely righteous rule of faith and manners 8 O Lord my purpose of heart is to keep thy commandments and to walk exactly in faith love and obedience as thou enjoynest but alas I know mine own imbecillity and the necessity of thy continuall inablement hereunto by thy spirit and grace which if withdrawn I am at a loss therefore Lord in pitie of my weakness and in prosecution of the good work begun in me that desire to fear thy name leave me not to my self nor lead me not into temptation to buckle with it in mine own strength let no sinne cause separation though correction but remember mercy and renew in me a right spirit when I do go wrong as who doth not Beth. The second letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the second part 9 Young men are aptest to go astray and therefore had need to be inquisitive and circumspect of themselves and their wayes how to avoid the pollutions of mind and manners whereunto their age prompts them with a more than ordinary aptitude and doubtless I speak it knowingly the onely remedy for such distemperature is for them to be conversant in thy word and thence to observe with a child-like disposition what pleaseth and displeaseth thee their heavenly father and in conscience thereunto carefully to regulate their inward and outward man accordingly by believing and obeying 10 O Lord thou knowest my heart to be perfect with thee for thou hast made it so how that I have neither been partiall nor unsincere in mine obedience but entirely endeavoured alwayes in all things to please thee as desirous above all things of thy grace and favour fearing to forfeit it which good Lord grant I may never do by going astray from thy precepts therefore I beseech thee watch over me that no temptation mislead me on the right or left hand out of the way of thy commandments in which I desire to walk from one end of my life to the other without deviating 11 I have Lord stored up thy word in mind and memory especially such and so much of it as I knew was of present and practicall concernment to me in my condition with full purpose of heart to keep close thereunto and not sinfully to suffer my self to be seduced there-from what ever happened 12 Thou Lord art onely blessed in and of thy self from whom as from a fountain flowes forth all derived blessedness unto thy creature which thou art wont to confer most upon them that please thee best as a gracious remuneration of their love and service Lord therefore teach me to know and enable me to do thy will revealed in thy word that I may partake thy blessedness be sharer in thy holiness and happiness here and hereafter 13 As I have found thy law usefull to me by my knowledge of it and framing my course of life according to it so have I endeavoured to make it to be to others and therefore have I according to my measure of light and the duty of my place and office taught it publickly and privately not concealing any truth I knew might make for thy glory and their edifying when I had oportunity of time and occasion 14 My delight and care I bless thee for giving me such an heart hath been more to hear understand and practise those things which in thy word are testified to be thy will and more sweet peace and consolation have I had when I have been so happy as to attain the knowing and doing of them than they that set their hearts to heap up riches when they have their desire of opulency and affluence 15 Therefore whereas worldlings cast in their minds and occupy their thoughts how to enhance their earthly store because their delight is there my meditations shall be otherwayes imploied my care and thoughts shall be how to know more and practise better thy will revealed for therein is my delight and thereto will I bend my mind studying how best to please thee 16 To know and do what pleaseth thee shall be a pleasure unto me yea nothing shall more delight me and therefore am I fully purposed to make thy word the subject of my meditation day and night and the rule of mine obedience in weal and wo. Gimel The third letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the third part 17 Lord thy promises to thy people are comprehensive of all good things as thou hast made them so fulfill them Let me thy servant reap the blessed fruits of thy grace and bounty according to them touching life temporall and spirituall grant me both and what conduces unto both as a faithfull creatour and gracious redeemer that by grace I may live both the life of grace and nature 18 Lord thou knowest what great impediments there are that hinder our knowledge and acquaintance with thee even in those things thou hast revealed of which yet we are ignorant and seeing we see not there being a two-fold vail that interposeth betwixt a right understanding and them the one over our hearts blindly mistaking the mind and meaning of the spirit and stumbling at the stumbling stone the letter The other over thy law and covenant it self exprest in dark and typicall umbrages and dispensations full of wonderous divine excellency in their signification and antitypicall meaning but impossible to be understood but by thy more than litterall revelation Therefore dispense thy spirit who onely knows the mind of God and can onely make it known unto thy servant draw aside thy curtaines of my blindness and thy laws darkness that in thy light I may see light and be made able to behold the mysticall and spirituall tenderness of thy whole law and covenant both in the morall typicall dispensation of it which unfolded to a spirituall eye are admirable and ravishing portraying as in a table the divine history and mistery of mans redemption and salvation with all that heavenly wisdome free-grace and Almighty power that shines therein 19 I am thine and properly belong to another world onely here I must for a time lead a transient life because it is thy will more than mine who though I am in the world yet not of the world but in mind and heart estranged from it therefore seeing it is thy pleasure that I must live mine appointed time to serve thee on earth take it into consideration what divine light and guidance is requisite so to do and vouchsafe me it proportionably least I wander out of thy way the world and flesh with which I here converse being strangers and estranged thereunto and apt to mislead me if thy word and spirit be not alwayes a light and guide unto me 20
which as thou hast commanded me so also hast thou effectually over-powered enabled me by thy spirit to rest in assured hope of thy faithfulness and my happiness thereby 50 Throughout all my long and tedious triall where with thou afflictedst me I have nothing to bear up upon but this and I bless thee for it this serves the turn to do it thy promise through faith doth comfort and cordialize my heart and hath done many a time when to sence and reason I have been a dead man 51 My faith and I for my faiths sake have been exceedingly slighted and scorned by mine enemies men of proud and carnall minds yet have I neither been afraid nor ashamed of my cause or confidence but haue stuck to thy promises in faith and obedience waiting the fulfilling of them 52 I was ever confident that as mine enemies had their time so thou wouldest have thine and that I should see thee as just in reward and punishment as heretofore when by miracle thou savedst thy people and destroyedst thine and their adversaries the consideration hereof knowing thee to be the same unchangeable God in omnipotency and faithfulness hath alwayes born up my heart comfortably in hope of no worse success 53 And were it not for thy word of promise and works of power and providence that the faith of these are a stay to me I were of all men most miserable for the horrid insolencies unjust violences of my wicked and graceless enemies that have no fear of God before their eyes but reject both thee and thy precepts it makes me tremble to think of it and the heavy judgements that will befall them for it so at present I feel the evil effects thereof being driven to extream straits and perplexities both of body and mind by these impious lawless wretches 54 For my life is no better to me by their persecution and prosecution of me from place to place than a perpetuall pilgrimage so that my dwelling is no dwelling for I am in a continuall peregrination restlesly changing my station sometimes in caves sometimes in desarts and sometimes in exile and banishment yet every where and at all times the memory and meditation of thine engagements and promises concerning me which bind thee by grace as laws do us by duty and are thy statutes as well as are thy commandments have cheared up my heart and were as my songs and instruments of musick heretofore were wont to be unto me at leasurable times in mine own house 55 I have made it my imployment and set my seriousest thoughts on work upon the minding and meditating thy faithfulness power and justice when others have been refreshing their bodies with rest in the night season then have I been refreshing my weary and carefull mind with pondering thee in thine excellencies O Lord and have been so setled in mind thereby as I have taken up a resolution by carnall and sinfull shifts never to prevaricate what ever come of me but to persist in faith and holiness to the end 56 These soul supportations renewed graces and heart comfortings the Lord vouchsafed me in the meditations of him his promises and properties because I was conscionable and carefull to walk alwayes in all things to his well-pleasing therefore did he reward and sustain me with these divine cordialls and comforts in the time of my comfortless peregrination Cheth The eighth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the eighth part 57 The comforts and confidences of worldly men are in worldly things there portion is here below in things I bless my God too low for me who have no happiness contentment or confidence short of God who is all in all to me and as Lord thou art mine so I have fully purposed to be thine and to yield thee faithful and fruitful obedience in dependencie on thy promises and conformitie to thy precepts 58 Lord thou knowest what value I have alwayes set on thy favour how above all blessings I have lain at thee for that as more to me than all besides so that before and above all have I preferred and sought it as my choicest and chiefest happiness and therefore beg of thee that I may ever be blessed with thy grace mercie and truth vouchsafed and fulfilled according to promise 59 Fearful was I to offend and forfeit that thy favour I set so much by and therefore was alwayes solicitous and thought-ful of the steps I took whether they tended to thy pleasing or displeasing and if at any time by temptation or frailty I began to be misbiassed or that actually I deviated before I was awar I quickly through thy grace recollected my self and faced about 60 When I found mine errour I soon quit it no reasonings of flesh and bloud prevailed to make me persist but by the power of thy grace I broke through all impediments to serve and please thee 61 Wicked men by wicked wayes have prospered and thriven and by combination have turned me out of all and enriched themselves with my spoils but for all that I have stuck to my tackling held close to faith and a good conscience in believing and doing as I was appointed and left their punishment and my vindication unto thee 62 And it no whit repents me but exceedingly rejoyceth me of that thy gracious supportation of my faith yea such peace of conscience it brings with it and such a seal of special favour it is unto me according to thy righteous ingagements to be thus inabled to walk holily as that the thoughts thereof are more sweet and refreshing to my mind than sleep to my nature and make me suspend the one even in the season thereof to feed upon the other and make thankful repayment of my debts and endearments contracted thereby 63 Thy wayes and they that walk in them are my delight I fear thee my self so I love all those that do so I have no pleasure as not in wickedness so nor in wicked men but the out-casts of the world such as I my self am that fear to offend thee and desire to please and serve thee these have my heart and with such will I stand and fall live and die 64 As a faithful Creator thou hast plentifully provided for man and beast nature is well stored with varieties of created conveniencies for all kinds of Beings upon earth which also are mercifully continued though long since forfeited by the fall But O Lord there is one thing necessarie and a mercie more worth than all these and that is to be able to see and seek a happiness that is above nature and that grows in no earthly soil to have a frameable and teachable heart Lord grant me that write thy Law in it and let both thy precepts and promises be believed and obeyed by me That is my desire Teth. The ninth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the ninth part 65 I have
not found thy grace or truth to fail me but as I have endeavoured to approve my self a good servant so O Lord have I found thee a good master true of thy promise and as good as thy word 66 Lord give me a right understanding of things that differ let me not mistake falshood for truth nor evil for good but teach me to know the thing that good is and dispose mine heart and affections practically thereunto for so far as I have been taught by thy spirit I have gladly imbraced and conscionably obeyed and not refused either belief or subjection to any thy commandments 67 My very afflictions through thy grace and faithfulness are become wholsom physick and good documents to me for I was apt to wander out of thy way until I smarted for my folly but now I have learned another lesson and have ever since run another course kept close to thy will revealed in thy word without hearkening to the dictates of corrupt reason tending to self-pleasing or self-saving which before were too prevailing 68 Goodness of all kinds O Lord is natural to thee so it is not to us in any kind for there is none good but God and flows plentifully from thee as all creatures but man especially can witness of whose bountie they have their beings and those beings their subsistencies all the world over but Lord it is thy saving goodness that I pray to partake of my soul is more to me than my bodie and grace than nature therefore do I beg special and supernatural grace and wisdom to know and do thy will which I prefer before common and natural benefits the pleasing of thee before either profit or pleasure to my self of thy goodness grant me this which is part of the divine nature and onely makes man like to God in being and doing good which I would both be and do 69 My proud disdainful enemies that fear not God nor care not what wickedness they commit in word or deed to discredit me have falsly aspersed me for a traiterous conspiratour and that it is my ambition not thy determination that puts me upon expectancie of the Kingdom but I am resolved this slaunder shall not stagger me but in confidence of thy truth and mine own integritie I will persist to serve thee in sinceritie of heart who I know wilt vindicate mine innocencie and make appear their forgerie 70 Their worldly pomp and plentie hath made their hearts so gross and carnal as that their consciences are benummed and sensless and their minds puft up with pride and arrogance they sin without restraint and scoffe at pietie as pusillanimitie but thy Law is my delight though not theirs I am troubled when I break it and glad at heart when I do and can keep it through thy gracious enablement 71 Yea such is my love to holiness that I never think it a dear purchase whatsoever it cost me and therefore value mine afflictions which in mercie thou sentest to beget in me a teachable and tractable heart to thy commandments above their prosperitie that hardeneth their hearts in ignorance and carnallitie 72 Thy word and Law written in my heart effectually taught and wrought there by thy spirit however it is counter to my corruptions yet because as it is thine so pliable hast thou made my will to thy will even therefore do I praise it and apprehend my self more enriched with my knowledge of it and love to it than if I had the wealth the world so dotes on in never so great abundance Iod. The tenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the tenth part 73 Thou Lord that madest me was pleased to difference me from other creatures by endowing me with natural capacities above them so that though I have lost my created perfections of righteousness and holiness yet not my created and passive capacities of thy renewing them again in me my soul hath the same faculties and my bodie the same parts and Organs thou gavest me at the first in and upon which thou art able to re-imprint thine image vouchsafe me I pray thee thy renewing grace more and more powerfully enlighten my dark understanding encline my whole man O Lord to the loving and obeying of thy whole will I am still thy creature renew thy likeness 74 If Lord thou wilt strengthen thy graces in me and enable me to hold out stedfast in faith and holy obedience to the end and then reward thine own graces in me with a happie issue and close of things how will it rejoyce the hearts of thy servants that fear thee and hope in thee when they shall see me have overcome all my miseries and be possessed of my hopes and thy promises because of thy gracious enabling me to hold out in affiance of thy word it will affect them greatly 75 I know O Lord that thou art righteous in what thou sayest and doest thy word and thy works are consentaneous thy faithfulness is fulfilled in my very afflictions though seemingly otherwayes thy judgements and mercies and shall conduce to bring about thy promises made to me 76 Let I pray thee thy mercie of favour and grace long since promised me be in the faith of it a continual comfort to me yea Lord comfort me thy servant chosen and called with the accomplishment of it according to thy word 77 Make me inwardly sensible of those tender affections which thou bearest me that they may help to revive me in this comfortless condition whilest it lasts and express them also in outward manifestations let me see thy pitie and compassion in a comfortable deliverance and conclusion that I may live free from these troubles which makes my life a very death for how ever by frailtie I have and cannot but offend thee yet thou knowest thou hast mine heart and good will in all things to serve and obey thee that is my desire and in that I delight 78 Let not me therefore miscarrie by the hands of proud men and evil doers that are lawless and scorn subjection Lord let them miscarrie in their designs and evil purposes for thou knowest how contrarie to their consciences they have persecuted me as nocent when as they know me to be an innocent person but their dealing shall not make me forget my dutie I will keep mine eye still fixed upon that and walk stedfastly in the way of thy precepts in confidence of my reward and their punishment 79 Give me such remarkable deliverance and so change the scene that those of thy people that truly fear thee and have been savingly enlightened by thee whom my afflictions have staggered or that have been misled by delusions and false reports may see convincing signs of thy special favour to me and purposes concerning me and thereby be encouraged and invited in the faith of thy promises and my innocent cause to take part and joyn with me against mine
of this my sad condition let nothing fail me that thou hast spoken who am related in a nearer proprietie to thee than that of creation I am thy son and servant not passively but actively by a gratuitous intrinsical principle as thou hast chosen me so I have chosen thee for my Lord and Master and thy Laws for the rule of my faith and manners and allwayes consult them to that purpose 95 I have been in a many a sore temptation and imminent peril of my life by sinister plots and practises of my ungodly adversaries and still am yet will I not deviate by sinful shifts but studie to keep faith and a good conscience for so art thou ingaged to my securitie by thy word the testimonie of thy truth 96 There is but a finite and transitorie good in the very best things that are their natures are too narrow to give either full content to a mans mind or stay to a mans heart being subject to alter or end as I have found by experience and know by reason but thy word is all-sufficient nothing pertaining to holiness or happiness stay or contentment is wanting in thy Law or Divine dispensation nor shall be to him that believes and obeyes it for the dimensions of it are as large as thy self in truth and goodness infinite and permanent superabundantly soul-satisfying Mem. The thirteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the thirteenth part 97 I for my part see so much goodness and find so much settlement in and by thy word that the love of it far transcends the love of all things else I cannot express the affections I bear it they are so ardent towards it that they set my mind on work continually upon it my thoughts and meditations are day and night taken up with the consideration and application of the blessed soul-affecting Divine truths and benefits contained and exhibited in that Law and word of thine 98 By thine instructing and enabling me to walk according to the rule of faith and righteousness commanded in thy word thou hast thereby prospered me above mine enemies and made this mine holy simplicitie to be too hard for their subtilitie and craft which hath never yet taken effect against me but come to naught and ever will whilest by thy grace I abandon the wisdom of the flesh and walk in the wisdom of thy spirit and word which I am careful to do allwayes in all things and prosper by it 99 I have had the benefit of education and humane helps as to the affairs and literature of the world and conversed with men of understanding and seen the wayes that they have gone in the managing of their transactions and when I sum up all the wisdom that ever I have learned and known I both count it and find it to be but foolishness compared with the studie and practise of those holy and righteous rudiments thy word dictates wherein I bless thee I have through thy grace being taught of God out-stript all humane teaching and teachers by delightning to know and do thy will revealed for my direction and supportation 100 Yea I find by experience though young that godliness is greater wisdom and better succeeds a mans affairs by the blessing of God according to his promises thereupon than the advice and counsel of the grave senatours and sages of the world who pretend and justly to great wisdom by advantage of years and experience yet with reverence to those hoary heads I like my wisdom which is thine better than theirs and find sinceritie the best policie and that the best wisdom is to do thy will which accordingly I endeavour 101 I have I bless thee ever since thou taughtest it me been of that mind and my practise hath been answerable for my care was still at no rate to sin but in every thing to tread the steps thy word hath chalk'd me out and leave the rest to thee 102 I have not suffered my self to be misled and seduced by mine own or other mens counsels from keeping thy commandments which I am sure must judge me and all men else for I bless thee thou hast taught me better by thy word and over-powered me by thy spirit to yield to those thy teachings which therefore have been to strong for my temptations which else had been too strong for me 103 I cannot express for any to understand but my self that feel it what pleasure and contentment thy covenant of grace and adoption with its concomitant promises and precepts of holiness and happiness believed and applied brings to my soul and conscience beyond all earthly comparisons hony to my pallate is not comparable 104 I make thy precepts my studie and meditation whereby I get by thine assisting grace good understanding and enablement to avoid by-wayes of sin and errouâ— tending to thy displeasing whereunto I am tempted but make constant resistance and from my heart detest deviation as knowing holiness onely leads to happiness and hath the promises both of this life and of that to come Nun. The fourteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the fourteen part 105 Lord throughout this untrodden path of mine where there are so many ways to miscarrie the right way so hard to hit the world and Satan without flesh and corruption within counselling this that to make me stumble and fall my manner is to silence them all consult thy word the Divine light whereof of guids me out of and dispels those mists and fogs that carnal reason taking advantage of my present temptation casts before mine eyes and sets me into and leads me on in the path of thy well-pleasing which I choose to walk 106 As Lord thou hast been pleased to enter covenant with me of pardon acceptance and grace so also have I stipulated with thy Majesty and bound my self by solemn vow for ever to be thine obedient and faithful servant and subject and by thy gracious assistance I am accordingly purposed to walk in conformitie to thy Law the righteous rule of thee my righteous Judge 107 My affliction and grief is very great remember Lord it is for thy sake and by thy providence befallen me therefore grant me what thou hast promised me comfort in and deliverance out of my calamities 108 Thou knowest O Lord I am debarred from sacrificing to thee as else I would but that which is the substance of those ceremonies the free-will-offerings of praise and thanks-giving those I can and do offer which I pray thee accept and shall give me cause so to do by teaching me to know and do thy righteous precepts in all my difficult cases and great temptations 109 I am in perpetual peril of my life imminent danger and destruction is ever at hand yet through faith in thee they do not distract or afright me from my dutie to thee and thy commandments but I call them to counsel and
have them in mind at every turn 110 I have been attempted upon and my life laid for by wicked dissemblers that rather than their lives would have had mine and cared not how nor which way yet I have not revenged my self nor taken indirect wayes against them as they do against me but have committed my cause to thee and kept thy commandments 111 I have abandoned all confidence and contentment in every thing saving thy precious promises and covenant-ingagements the testimonies of thy love wherewith alone I am sufficiently enriched and as well by voluntarie election as outward necessitie have chosen thy free grace testified in thy word as my chief and onely portion to be happie by for ever for my heart can take felitie in nothing else comparatively to them they rejoyce me above my sorrows 112 And as I have chosen thy free grace for ever to be happie by so in like sort have I given my self a free-will-offering unto thee again for ever to be thine in love and thankful obedience to thy commandments Samech The fifteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the fifteenth part 113 Temptations have wrought upon my corruptions and suggested this thing and that to me tending to misbelieving and misdoing but though I could not hinder my mind from entertaining the thoughts of them yet I allwayes set my will on work to dismiss and oppose them they had no room in my heart though they intruded into my head for there thy Law kept them out which hath anticipated mine affections and sequestred them to it self from all Heterodox suggestions to the contrarie 114 I abhor all sinful shifts and carnal securities thou onely art my securitie and defence what ever my danger be Thy word of truth and goodness do I flie to and confide in and in no earthly refuge whatsoever 115 This is the full and final purpose of mine heart therefore all that are not thus minded I renounce them as no friends nor counsellours of mine they that do evil and would have me do so avant for I am resolved what ever others think say or do to stick to my principles and to my God to be saved in the way of faith and Godliness or to perish 116 This is my purpose but Lord the power of performance is from thee and truly therefore do I purpose it because thou hast promised it thou hast said I shall and therefore is it that I say I will fail me not then I beseech thee neither of grace nor protection but grant me both that neither by my sin nor thy desertion I perish but may live holily and hopefully to thy glorie and my comfort and never have cause by my miscarriage either in sin or success to be ashamed of my confidence or frustrated of my expectation 117 Do thou Lord support and preserve me and then I am sure not to fall as on the other hand if thou do not uphold me I am sure not to stand whereby I shall be confirmed in well-doing for thy grace can onely establish me and thy gracious performances will strengthen and ingage me more and more in faith and obedience to the end 118 Thou hast made examples good store in several ages of the world of thy dislike of wicked workers worldly wise and carnal confident men by executing vengeance and bringing fierce destruction upon them and made it appear plain enough how vain and deceiveable such wayes and confidences are which thy word doth not warrant and that truth and safety are onely there to be had 119 I well know of what value and esteem wicked men how ever the world thinks of them are of with thee and what ends they make compared to the godly they are to thee as refuse dross to refined silver and so shall be differenced and distinguished by thee in thy wrath they shall be consumed with all their earthly confidences and go out like a snuff whilest those that serve thee and were as dross in the worlds eye are notwithstanding highly esteemed of thee and safely preserved by thee both living and dead they are precious to thee therefore do I stick to what thy word warrants and testifies to be thy will that I obey love and delight in spite of the wicked of the world their hatred and contempt of me and it 120 I see such effects of sin and so well know the doom of sinners that I fear more to offend thee and incurre thy displeasure than any evil that can else befal me from which I chiefly pray to be delivered Ain The sixteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the sixteenth part 121 Thou Lord knowest mine innocencie and the uprightness of mine heart and conversation to my very enemies in this very cause wherein I am so wrongfully and injuriously prosecuted and persecuted neither thinking nor doing them evil no not evil for evil therefore in thy righteousness take part with the righteous and leave me not to the mercie or rather expose me not to the crueltie of mine oppressours that seek my life 122 Do thou in grace and faithfulness own thy servant and his innocent cause for thine to protect him and it from the violence of his clamorous bloud-thirsty adversaries let them not by their potencie which makes them proud wrongfully ruin me as they desire to do I have waited long and dreely looked even to the weakning of my sight and impairing of my senses for thee to deliver me and fulfil the word of grace thy promise of salvation which thou the righteous God hast made unto me and will undoubtedly fulfil in righteousness 124 Lord thou knowest the hardship I undergo the temptations wherewith my faith and holiness is assaulted and endangered Good Lord have compassion upon me that am and desire to be thy faithful and obedient servant and in tender mercie deal gently with me lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil I know my frailty therefore in self-diffidence I pray thee at every turn stand by me to instruct and inable me what to do that I erre not 125 Thou hast honoured me to be thy servant both by effectual calling and special designment to extraordinarie imployment in thy Church therefore furnish me with such a measure of illumination and sanctification that I may walk worthy my high calling and evermore to the end approve my self that which I am by a proportionable measure of grace enabling and assisting me to know and do thy will constantly 126 It is high time O Lord for thee to shew thy self in some remarkeable manner against my proud enemies and to execute judgement upon them nor so much for my sake as thine own for such is their presumption that they care as little for thee as me slighting thy Law and scorning obedience to it as if it were a thing of nought to no purpose and of no authority 127
prosperitie of it the Government and worship in it consists the happiness and tranquillitie of all Israel chiefly the Israel of God whose heaven upon earth Jerusalem is where they worship and serve the God of Israel seek his face and enjoy his presence therefore pray I for her prosperitie and well-fare that they may be blessed with her and by her who are interessed and concerned equally in her felicitie with my self I as the head and they as the bodie 9 It is the zeal I have to the Church and glorie of God that makes me pray thus and for which I will spend and be spent therefore will I lay out mine uttermost endeavours to compass the good and well-fare of Jerusalem that that singular happiness and priviledge of the sanctuarie and sanctuarie-worship of the Lord God of Israel who there is present with us his people and from thence hears our prayers and to which appertains so many excellent promises and by it to us redounds so many precious priviledges and benefits and where is performed the onely true honour and service to the onely true God in all the world Therefore for these reasons do I will I evermore pray and faithfully endeavour the good of this place and so let all others do that are good together with me as members of the Church bodie mystical typified in this resemblance The cxxiii PSALM The Church and people of Israel being at present either under Babylons captivitie or Antiochus his crueltie some Prophet or holy man of God bespake the Lord in this pathetical short psalm in her behalf uttering much of the spirit in few words for afflictions commonly swell the heart too big for the mouth which makes him here to pray rather by signs than words with his eies rather than his tongue yea with both he presseth hard upon God for free grace to shew them mercie in their unspeakable miserie professing their patient waiting till then See the title of the 120 Psalm 1 WHat the present distress and calamities of thy poor Church and people Israel are thou Lord knowest right well utterly helpless and hopeless forlorn and disconsolate none on earth favouring us shewing any mercie or compassion to us but exercise all manner of crueltie and scorn towards us yet Lord in thy Churches and mine own behalf I am an humble suitor to thee in the agonie of my heart who I dare not can not believe hast quite forgotten to be gracious though thou seemest so as things frame here below but O thou that inhabitest the heavens and hast thy reserves of good will and pleasure there known to thy self unknown to us but hoped in by us and power to bring them to pass though to us impossible as much above all sublunarie powers as heaven is above earth to thee there with groans and sighs lift we up our eyes speechless with grief for thee graciously to look down upon us here in this our calamitie 2 Look how bond-men and bond-women who by their condition are as we exposed to hard and uncourteous usage depend upon the free grace and beneficence of their masters and mistesses can chalenge nothing no wages nor reward but wait with patience till pitie and compassion move them to extend their hand of favour and good will to them so do we under this just deserved punishment of long and grievous thraldom by cruel task-masters humbly and patiently wait till thine own mercie move thee towards us a sinful undeserving people yet thy people and thou our God by grace and election which hold us in hope 3 Good Lord take our case into consideration and commiseration to pitie us at last and to shew mercie to us a people that are made the very scum and scorn of our proud imperious enemies who for thy sake whose name we bear and whose we are do Lord it over us with disdain which imbitters our sorrows and breaks our hearts 4 Yea Lord it is not to be spoken how afflictive the reprochful vilifications of our insolent enemies are to us who judging by events because of our calamities scoff and scorn us as a vain besotted people that believe in we know not what and worship we know not whom and boast themselves unmeasurably over us our God and religion to our unutterable grief because of their superioritie and present felicitie which puffs them up with pride and contempt even to blasphemie The cxxiv PSALM David mindes Israel in their prosperitie of their adversitie to make them mindful of God praiseful to God and evermore dependent on God as his Church and people ought ever to be in their transmutations of estates and fortunes See the title of the 120 Psalm the Authors name superadded here 1 2 3 NOw that the Lord hath been pleased to bring us to the happie condition we are in we should do well to look back we the Israel and and Church of God and consider from the beginning to this day ever since we were a people chosen of the Lord out of the world to name his name upon what a world of enemies we have had and perils we have waded through before and since we came into this land where we have been a continual eye-sore not onely to the natives remaining in it but to all the mightie nations and Gentile people bordering round about it who severally and joyntly by combination of great men and Potentates have sundry times and wayes subtilly projected and violently attempted our utter abolition which to speak humanely was inavoidable had not the Lord our good God miraculously from time to time delivered us from their furie and preserved us a people to this day maugre all they could do as he shall his Church spite of the wicked world its power and malice who else long ere this had been no people nor nation but destroyed again and again by those many mightie barbarous enemies of ours that on all hands from all quarters have assailed us with most mortal and bloudie purposes greedy to prey upon us and with that odds of strength that they were able to have devoured us and as it were swallowed us alive as easily as the great fish does the little ones or the savage and ravenous beast tears his prey in pieces if God had not over-powered them and been for us against them when we were altogether unable to make resistance which now we should do well to weigh seriously and in all humilitie to acknowledge thankfully to his praise and glorie 4 5 Yea to consider that when all mankind was as it were against us and we were like sheep in the midst of Wolves and Bears that with mightie power and rage have broken in upon us like an unresistable torrent able to over-run the whole land and destroy man woman and child as easily as the sea or some mightie river drowns the countrey when it breaketh the banks and with pride and confident disdain made
the promised time of my deliverance with confidence 4 All even the heathen Kings that have little knowledge or sence of God round about when they hear and understand how this thing is brought to pass that I am become King of Israel a poor persecuted abject man how that it was fore-told by thy Prophet that it should be so and answerably fulfilled by thy power it shall convince those very infidels to believe and admire thee for thy word of truth and the wonderfull unquestionable truth of that thy word to the praise thereof 5 Yea they shall be ravished in their spirits at the consideration of circumstances and providences and shall not contain themselves but in praisefull expressions shall vent their apprehensions of thee touching those strange and circumferent waies thou hast taken and untroden paths of unlikely means and providences which thou hast made use of to bring to pass thy purpose towards me so manifestly shalt thou appear even to them to be the sole author of it so glorious shalt thou appear in those manifestations of my preservation exaltation and mine enemies confusion notwithstanding the great disproportion that was betwixt me and them 6 For though the Lord be in heaven swaying there the universal scepter and that such greatness seems to be at too infinite a distance and disparitie to one man of mankind and he also a mean one as I was that he should regard him yet is that no cause of disregard in God I have found it so that this almightie glorious Lord and heavenly Potentate is notwithstanding respectfull of the poor in spirit that suffer wrongfully and walk dependingly on his grace to relieve and protect them whereas those that walk presumptuously to God or oppressively towards their brethren and think their places or personal excellencies as Gods on earth engage him or prefer them in his favour such shall find that humble adversitie is more regarded of God than proud prosperitie he is near to those that to the world seem to be far from him and far from those that upon mistaken grounds think themselves near unto him and much respected by him for such he knows indeed but with no good intentions towards them to judge them not to save them I and mine enemies have found it so and so shall others too 7 The experience I have had of thy power and faithfulness makes me confident for future that however I may have troubles still yea though my life be a continual war-fare and that I may seem to be crushed by them yet my greatest extremity shall be but thine opportunitie even from the grave it self as it were wilt thou restore me as thou shalt Christ. Mine enemies rage against me shall enrage thee against them and instead of hurting me they shall undo themselves for in judgement shalt thou mightily destroy them and with almighty mercie preserve me from them 8 What the Lord had purposed and promised concerning me though it seem impossible to be brought to pass yet he that hath thus far advanced it will as certainly perfect it as he will the Kingdom of Christ it shall not miscarrie by any malice or power of men for God is not as man to say and unsay do and undo the works and calling of God are without repentance what thou O Lord in mercy purposeth to and for thy Church and people that thou wilt in mercy perfect thy Covenant is an everlasting Covenant as mercie moved thee to it so nothing shall remove thee from it or make the grace faithfulness of God of none effect in mercy therefore persevere to finish and lay the top-stone of grace concerning me who am brought thus far onwards towards it by thine almightie goodness and efficiencie who hath done all that hath been done and so must do still The cxxxix PSALM David to evince God of his integritie and freedom from close hypocrisie a sin too common in the world useth several arguments of his knowledge of Gods omnisciencie omnipresencie and omnipotencie as appears in his works of creation but specially in himself so artificially framed for which with reverence and fear he magnifieth and praiseth God as also for his gracious purposes towards him which also are ever in his eye as the one to deter him so the other to affect and dispose him better than to dissemble with such a God who is severe against sinners with whom therefore he dare hold no correspondencie in their wicked ungodly courses but from his heart abandons them and bears them as much ill will that are so minded towards God as if they were open enemies to himself for all which both on his integritie of heart towards God and sincere hatred of sin and sinners he puts himself upon Gods soul-searching inquisition praying if he be in any thing mistaken God would rectifie him To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 O Lord that art all-seeing and all-knowing thou hast exercised me under many trying temptations for a long time and what hath been my behaviour under them thou knowest right-well having put me to it thou knowest me by it what mine heart is and how it stands affected towards thee thy commandements 2 Thou knowest me throughout in thought word and deed all the actions of my life are apparent to thee from one to another of what kind or nature soever they be none excepted yea my very thoughts whence originally spring those mine actions are also known unto thee yea before my mind conceive them thou fore-seest them much more before I act them whilest I think them 3 Wheresoever I am whithersoever I go whatsoever I do night or day thou art with me and knowest both me and it nothing can scape thee no time nor place for thou art present with me every step I take and every thing I do all my life long to judge both it and me 4 For there is not the least word which at any time I have a purpose to speak but sure enough thou knowest it before I utter it yea the motives and ends whereupon and whereunto I do speak it are known to thee though oftentimes they are concealed from man who can judge onely by the letter but thou knowest the spirit 5 Thine omnipresencie hath and doth begirt me round there is no avoiding thee if one had a mind to it for as thou willest or permittest so it is and must be even as a child in a mans hand is guided which way he will so am I by thine all-disposing hand of power and providence in all I do think or speak 6 Lord such incomprehensible wisdom as thou hast that thus wonderfully knowest all things before they are and when they are in their causes motives ends is too deep for me to fathom and too high for me to climbe
that thou wilt be meet with wicked workers and pay them in their kind they that unjustly seek to destroy others shall themselves justly be destroyed by thee the righteous God and judge of all the world therefore will I keep me free from partner-ship with them in those their evil and injurious waies of wrong or revenge no such guilt will I bring upon my head and so I declare my self I fear thee though they do not 20 For they stick not presumptuously to despise and despite thee by open blasphemies and reproches of thy justice power and faithfulness scornfully abusing in the height of their pride and malice against thee and thine all those thine excellencies which thy people fear and reverence thee for 21 Thou Lord knowest how little good-will I bear to wickedness and wicked men I am far from having fellowship with them that I see bear an evil will toward thee thy worship or people my very heart riseth at such with indignation out of zeal to thee and it is no small trouble to me to see wicked men to provoke thee and bear themselves so contemptuously toward thee so great a God as they do 22 Yea from my heart root do I abominate wicked men in their wicked courses nor do I dissemble the matter but profess my self no friend or favourer of them no more nor so much than if they were mine own very enemies and hated me for my love to thee makes me more sensible of the dishonour and indignitie that is done thee than my self and worse can I endure it or them that do it 23 And in regard many that are mine enemies are also thine such as perversly sin against thee as well as injure me and that therefore I may play the hypocrite and dissemblingly make shew of hatred to them for thy sake when covertly it is for mine own thinking thereby to commend my self unto thee and gain upon thee by such a profession therefore do I willingly lay my self open before thee and uncover every corner of my heart for thee to see into it whether it be not as I say and that my thoughts and affections in this point be not sincere and upright against wicked men purely for wickedness 24 Yea spare not to make such discovery of me whether although I speciously seem to hate their persons if yet secretly I love not their waies and could find in my heart to practise wickedness as they do rather than pietie yea if there be any the least root of bitterness remaining in me or the least sin unmortified or abetted by me whereby I may incur thy displeasure that art an all-discerning God or grieve thy spirit who am judge of mine and if there be any such unknown to me for I know mans heart is deceitful convince me of it and convert me from it that by thy gracious powerful manu-mission I may be set free from thraldom to sin that leads to perdition the reward of every such transgression and by thy no less gracious and powerful manu-diction be ordered and inabled in my whole man through my whole life to walke in a perfect way of holiness that onely leads to everlasting life and thy well pleasing this Lord is my desire The cxl PSALM David in way of prayer makes his complaint against his wicked and violent persecutours Saul and Doeg and the rest of their considerates that by a saynt combination plot and labour to take away both his life and good name by all under-hand contriâ—anâ—â—s that may be Therefore he applies himself to God that hath preserved him from open now to protect him from secret violence and bring the evil they intend to him upon themselves yea remarkable judgements upon such impâ—nitâ—nts And promiseth himself and all others that suffers in a good cause with a good conscience as he doth happy deliverance and their enemies confusion To him that is the first and principall of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 O Lord that knowest the wrong I sustain by being thus unjustly persecuted of Saul and his complices that most wickedly and unmercifully prosecute me to the death that never wronged him nor them in all my life do thou that art a righteous Judge of oppressours and a gracious God to right the oppressed undertake my cause and me to vindicate the one and protect the other from the bloudy intentions of my causeless cruell enemy and enemies 2 Whose hearts are full of cursed contrivances how to mischief and undo me and to take away both my good name and life labouring to increase their party and stirre up others against me dayly by false suggestions plotting all manner of wayes and means by joynt advice and endeavour to wage war upon me that would fain be at peace 3 They labour to wound mine innocency as deep as they can possibly by lying and slanderous reports of me and vermin-like spit their venom at me behind my back by prejudicing the people against me with their false calumnies which they have ready at hand to poyson all ears that will give them the hearing It is their continuall practise 4 5 The good Lord watch for me to save me as they do against me to undo me and keep me from their destructive malice and power that have put in practise every way in the world to compass my ruin with extream and unappeasable violence doth Saul seek my life and to that end hath laid snares to catch and intrap me that I should not escape him as yet I bless thee I have done and pray still I may do by thy powerfull preservation and deliverance of me from him and those proud presumptuous wretches his Partizans that disdain the purpose though of God himself as touching me to be King over them and therefore try all conclusions and use their utmost endeavours to disappoint it by subtill stratagems and wicked devices laying as it were traps and toils nets and grins all manner of engins to catch me that craft can device the way they think I take as if I were some wild beast or monster among men of a perillous nature and dangerous consequence not fit to live They are restless to ruin me 6 In this my hazardous condition when I was thus way-laid on all hands I repaired to God as alwayes I do to extricate me out of it by faithfull prayer pleading my propriety in him and his grace which of grace he had vouchsafed me minded him of it and prayed him for it to lend me an hearing ear in my very great need for deliverance and preservation 7 Saying O gracious God the onely Lord Almighty the sole power I trust in and depend upon for safety I have found thee a deliverer and preserver in former dangers when my life hath laien at stake and been in hazard by open violence in the day
well know mine own naturall inclination what it is how prone to evil mine heart and affections are specially upon temptation yea to any or to every evil of words or actions how vild soever and that unavoidably if thou decline it not thou must bend it the contrary way by thine over-powering efficacious grace grace-ward or else it will warp sin-ward with the weight or attraction of temptation I have no confidence in it but onely in thee in whose hands are all hearts and mine more especially dispose thou 〈◊〉 therefore to good and not to evil to right and not to wrong-doing of no kind less nor more let no temptation in no condition upon no occasion prevail with me to sinne but so establish my heart and strengthen my graces that I may make constant resistance without envying their happiness that prosper by undue courses whilest I in the practise of piety find nothing but misery keep me from being taken with their golden baits of earthly felicity to the loss of heavenly for that shall be their reward that live in sinne how sweet soever it is at present to their corrupt tasts and so shall it to be mine if I leave the way I am in of serving thee to serve sinne whence Lord deliver me 5 O that I might be free from the temptations of these wicked malicious persecutours Saul and his chieftaines that so impiously against their own consciences traduce me to the people and unworthily seek my life by all sinister courses tempting me to the like wicked wayes of revenge and retaliation which I find I can hardly forbear so injurious are my sufferings and hazardous my condition it being humanely impossible to shift them by lawfull and conscionable courses without taking all advantages as they do And that the well-meaning innocent people that perpetrate nothing of malice but through credulity and misprision are misled to do that they do against me O that they would not so erre but would question and blame me to my face in a fair and friendly manner as becomes one towards another touching what they hear and too easily take upon trust I should take such dealing exceeding kindly and interpret those reproofs no acts of enmity and hostility but friendly and good offices Who though they do not so but suffer themselves thus to be misled to the wronging me in this sort yet wish I no ill to them but pity them for their unhappy ingagement in so bad a cause and shall be heartily sorry when any hurt befalls them for it as I know there will which when it doth I will pray for them as for my self 6 When the time comes for God to execute vengeance on their Rulers and Commanders who now so bewitch the people and that they fall by the sword in mount Gilboa and the Kingdom so unexpectedly be translated to me then will the people be brought to a right understanding of me when I shall declare to them that I never sought the Kingdom as they had been made believe but it was the purpose and good will of God to cast it upon me for their good and the happiness of all Israel which shall follow thereupon they shall then be won to believe and hope so to their comfort when they see it so wonderfully brought about merely by providence and Gods just judgement maugre the malice and power of mine enemies their seducers to the contrary 7 The danger of me and all that take part with me in regard of its eminency and mine enemies rage is as great as great can be sure we are all of us to be slain if taken and that in a barbarous cruell manner too hewen in pieces and piece-meal exposed above ground no mercy alive nor dead can such Traitours as we are counted to be expect but the uttermost rigour and exemplary severity that can be inflicted are we sure of 8 But Lord in this strait of me and mine I am not so dejected as to let fall my faith nor to cease prayer but to thee a gracious and omnipotent Lord God to whom belong the issues from death do I in the vehement ardency of my spirit make mine address for relief in this mine extremity my confidence is more because of thee thy power and goodness in which I trust then is my fear by reason of my dangers greatness therefore be not wanting to save my life which I give for lost if thou save it not for other help or helper I have none 9 I know nothing is impossible to God the snares and grins that mine enemies lay privily for me are known to thee though by mine ignorance I may be hazarded yet by thy providence I hope to be prevented Keep me from being caught which else I shall be and from being made a prey to malicious bloud-thirsty men that are void both of piety and humanity 10 Let my wicked enemies be overtaken in their own projects by thy just judgements who art able to ensnare them in and by their own craft and to make it appear that simple honesty is the best policy and wicked policy the greatest simplicity and most self-destructive make them manifest examples of it by thine out-witting and mine escaping them but their not escaping thee The cxlii PSALM David shut up in the cave at Engeddi by an in raged multitude layes seidge to God by servent and incessant prayer who he confesseth saved him by his wisdom and contrivance when his own had almost undone him He sheweth his heart made some excursions toward the creature but in vain and quickly with-called it self and betook it again to God as to all that was left him and therefore presseth hard upon him for deliverance particular and generall that he and the righteous may once be acquainted that now are strangers and may joyntly praise him Davids instruction to the faithfull in time of extremity to pray as he did when he was hid in the cave of Engeddi begirt with Sauls Army 1 AS was mine extremity so was mineimportunity I was hard beset and I beset God as hard incessantly urging my condition upon him again and again iterating it in his ears so that I gave him no rest whilest my danger lasted 2 I made my moan unto him how injuriously my life was sought for him to right me and how my danger increased to a very crisis for him to relieve me shewed him how nothing humanely was betwixt me and utter destruction if he interposed not death was unavoidable 3 When I was at my wits end and knew no way to escape when I thought this thing and that thing but saw safety in nothing that I could imagine then hadst thou designed the way of my deliverance how I should come out of that so eminent perill else I could never have been preserved for that which I took to be my safest course there to hide my self in the wilderness of Engeddi proved of all other
Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers took counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying 3 Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us 4 He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure 6 Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion 7 I will declare the decree the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my Son this day hâ—ve I begotten thee 8 Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel 10 Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth 11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling 12 Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him Psalm 3. A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son 1 LOrd how are they encreased that trouble meâ— many are they that rise up against me 2 Many there be which say of my soul There is no help for him in God Selah 3 But thou O Lord art a shield for me my glory and the lifter up of my head 4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill Selah 5 I laid me down and slept I awaked for the Lord sustained me 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about 7 Arise O Lord save me O my God for thou hast smitten all â—ine enemies upon the cheek bone thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly 8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord thy blessing is upon thy people Selah Psalm 4. To the chief musician on Neginoth A Psalm of David 1 HEar when I call O God of my righteousness thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress have mercie upon me and hear my prayer 2 O ye sons of men how long will ye turn my glorie into shame how long will ye love vanitie and seek after leasing Selah 3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself the Lord will hear when I call unto him 4 Stand in aw and sin not commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still Selah 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the Lord. 6 There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us 7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased 8 I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord onely makest me dwel in safetie Psalm 5. To the chief musician upon Neginoth A Psalm of David 1 GIve ear to my words O Lord consider my meditations 2 Hearken unto the voice of my crie my King and my God for unto thee will I pray 3 My voyce shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up 4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquitie 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing the Lord will abhor the bloudie and deceitful man 7 But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercie and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy Temple 8 Lead me O Lord in thy righteousness because of mine enemies make thy way straight before my face 9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth their inward part is very wickedness their throat is an open sepulchre they flatter with their tongue 10 Destroy thou them O God let them fall by their own counsels cast them out in the multitude of their transgressioâ—s for thy have rebelled against thee 11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest him let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee 12 For thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield To the chief musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith A Psalm of David 1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure 2 Have mercie upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed 3 My soul is also soar vexed but thou O Lord how long 4 Return O Lord deliver my soul o save me for thy mercie sake 5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks 6 I am wearie with my groaning all the night make I my bed to swim I water my couch with my tears 7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief it waxeth old because of all mine enemies 8 Depart from me all ye workers of iniquitie for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping 9 The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receive my prayer 10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed let them return and be ashamed suddenly Psalm 7. Shiggaion of David which he sang unto the Lord concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite 1 O Lord my God in thee do I put my trust save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me 2 Lest he tear my soul like a Lion renting it in pieces while there is none to deliver 3 O Lord my God if I have done this if there be iniquitie in my hands 4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me Yea I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemie 5 Let the enemie persecute my soul and take it yea let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honour in the dust Selah 6 Arise O Lord in thine aâ—ger lift up thy self because of the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the judgement that thou hast commanded 7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about for their sakes therefore return thou â—e high 8 The Lord shall â—udge the people â—udge me O Lord according to my righteousness and according to mine integritie that is in me 9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end but establish the just â—or the righteous God trieth the heaâ—rs and reins 10 My defence is of God which saveth the upright in heart 11 God judgeth the righteous and God is angrie with the wicked every day 12 If he turn not he will wheâ— his sword he hath bent
the tongue that speaketh proud things 4 Who have said with our tongue will we prevail our lips are our own who is Lord over us 5 For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needie now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safetie from him that puffeth at him 6 The words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times 7 Thou shalt keep them O Lord thou shalt preserve them from this Generation for ever 8 The wicked walk on every side when the vilest men are exalted Psalm xiii To the chief musician A Psalm of David 1 HOw long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever how long wilt thou hide thy face from me 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul having sorrow in my heart daily how long shall mine enemies be exalted over me 3 Consider and hear me O Lord my God lighten mine eyes least I sleep the sleep of death 4 Lest mine enemies say I have prevailed against him and those that trouble me rejoyce when I am moved 5 But I have trusted in thy mercie my heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation 6 I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me Psalm xiii To the chief musician A Psalm of David 1 THe fool hath said in his heart there is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good 2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God 3 They are all gone aside they are all together become filthy there is none that doth good no not one 4 Have all the workers of iniquitie no knowledge who eat up my people as they eat bread and call not upon the Lord. 5 There were they in great fear for God is in the generation of the righteous 6 You hâ—ve shamed the counsel of the poor because the Lord is his refuge 7 O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people Jacob shall reioyce and Israel shall be glad Psalm xv A Psalm of David 1 LOrd who shall abide in thy tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill 2 He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousnes and speaketh the truth in his heart 3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue nor doth evil to his neighbour nor taketh up a reproch against his neighbour 4 In whose eyes a â—â—le person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord he that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not 5 He that putted not out his money to usurie nor taketh reward against the innocent He that doth these things shall never be moved Psalm xvi Michtam of David 1 PReserve me O God for in thee do I put my trust 2 O my soul thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord my goodnes extendeth not to thee 3 But to the sâ—â—ints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God their drink-offerings of bloud will I not offer nor take up their names into my lips 5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot 6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage 7 I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel my reins also instruct me in the night seasons 8 I have set the Lord alwayes before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glorie rejoyceth my flâ—sh also shall rest in hope 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither â—ilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psalm 17. A prayer of David 1 Hear the right O Lord attend unto my cry give ear unto my prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips 2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence let thine eyes behold the things that are equal 3 Thou hast proved mine heart thou hast viâ—ited me in the night thou hast tried me and shalt find nothing I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgreâ—â— 4 Concerning the works of men by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer 5 Hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not 6 I have called upon thee for thou wilt hear me O God incline thine ear unto me hear my speech 7 Shew thy marvellous loving kindness O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them 8 Keep me as the apple of the eye hide me under the shadow of thy wings 9 From the wicked that oppress me from my deadly enemies who compass me about 10 They are inclosed in their own fat with their mouth they speak proudly 11 They have now compassed us in our steps they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth 12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places 13 Arise O Lord disappoint him cast him down deliver my soul from the wicked which is or as in the margin by thy sword 14 From men which are or as in the margin by thine hand O Lord from men of the world which have their portion in this life and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasurâ— they are full of children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes 15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Psalm xviii To the chief musician a Psalm of David the servant of the Lord who spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul And he said 1 I Will love theâ— O Lord my strength 2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the born of my salvation and my high tower 3 I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praiâ—ed so shall I be saved from mine enemies 4 The sorrows of death compassed me and the flouds of ungodly men made me afraid 5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about the snares of death prevented me 6 In my distresse I called upon the Lord and cried unto my God he heard my prayer out of his Temple and my cry came before him even into his ears 7 Then the earth shook and trembled the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken because he
his temple doth every one speak of his glorie 10 The Lord sitteth upon the floud yea the Lord sitteth King for ever 11 The Lord will give strength unto his people the Lord will bless his people with peaâ—e Psalm xxx A Psalm and song at the dedication of the house of David 1 I Will extol thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me 2 O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me 3 O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit 4 Sing unto the Lord O ye saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness 5 For his anger endureth but a moment in his favour is life weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning 6 And in my prosperitie I said I should never be moved 7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled 8 I cried to thee O Lord and unto the Lord I made supplication 9 What profit is there in my bloud when I go down to the pit shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy truth 10 Hear O Lord and have mercie upon me Lord be thou mine helper 11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness 12 To the end that my glorie may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Psalm xxxi To the chief musician A Psalm of David 1 IN thee O Lord do I put my trust let me never be ashamed deliver me in thy righteousnes 2 Bow down thine ear to me deliver me speedily be thou my strong rock for an house of defence to save me 3 For thou art my rock and my fortress therefore for thy name sake lead me and guid me 4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me for thou art my strength 5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth 6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities but I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glâ—d and rejoyce in thy mercie for thou hast considered my trouble thou hast known my soul in adversities 8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemie thou hast set my feet in a large room 9 Have mercie upon me O Lord for I am in trouble mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly 10 For my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing my strength faileth because of mine iniquitie and my bones are consumed 11 I was a reproch among all mine enemies but especially among my neighbours and a fear to mine acquaintance they that did see me without sled from me 12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind I am like a broken vessel 13 For I have heard the slaunder of many fear was on every side while they took counsel together against me they devised to take away my life 14 But I trusted in thee O Lord I said Thou art my God 15 My times are in thy hand deliver me from the hand of mine enemies and from them that persecute me 16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant save me for thy mercies sake 17 Let me not be ashamed O Lord for I have called upon thee let the wicked be ashamed and let them be silent in the grave 18 Let the lying lips be put to silence which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous 19 O how great is thy goodnes which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee whâ—ch thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sâ—ns of men 20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues 21 Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong citie 22 For I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes nevertheless thou hearest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee 23 O love the Lord all ye his saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer 24 Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord. Psalm xxxii A Psalm of David Maschil 1 BLessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie and in whose spirit there is no guil 3 When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long 4 For day and night thy hand was heavie upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of summer Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquitie have I not hid I said I will confess my transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquitie of my sin Selah 6 For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found surely in the flouds of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him 7 Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance Selah 8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guid thee with mine eye 9 Be ye not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding whose mouths must be held in with bit and bridle lest they come near unto thee 10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upâ—ight in heart Psalm xxxiii 1 REjoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright 2 Praise the Lord with harp sing unto him with the psalterie and an instrument of ten strings 3 Sing unto him a new song play skilfully with a loud noise 4 For the word of the Lord is right and all his works are done in truth 5 He loveth righteousness and judgement the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord weâ—e the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap he layeth up the depth in store houses 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him 9 For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast 10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect 11 The
counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance 13 The Lord looketh from heaven he beholdeth all the sons of men 14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth 15 He fashioneth their hearts alike he considereth all their works 16 There is no King saved by the multitude of an host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength 17 An horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength 18 Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy 19 To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine 20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord he is our help and our shield 21 For our heart shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy name 22 Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee Psalm xxxiv A Psalm of David when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech who drove him away and he departed 1 I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth 2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad 3 O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together 4 I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears 5 They looked unto him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed 6 This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles 7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them 8 O tast see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him 9 O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him 10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing 11 Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is he that desireth life and loveth many dayes that he may see good 13 Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile 14 Depart from evil and do good seek peace and pursue it 15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry 16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth 17 The righteous cry the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles 18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all 20 He keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken 21 Evil shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate 22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Psalm xxxv A Psalm of David 1 PLead my cause O Lord with them that strive with me fight against them that fight against me 2 Take hold of shield and buckler stand up for mine help 3 Draw out also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute me say unto my soul I am thy salvation 4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul let them be turned back brought to confusion that devise my hurt 5 Let them be as chaff bâ—fore the wind and let the Angel of the Lord chase them 6 Let their way be dark and slippery and let the Angel of the Lord persebute them 7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit which without cause they have digged for my soul. 8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares and let his net that he hath hid catch himself into that very destruction let him fall 9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord it shall rejoyce in his salvation 10 All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him 11 False witnesses did rise up they laid to my charge things that I knew not 12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. 13 But as for me when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth I humbled my soul with fasting and my prayer returned into mine own bosome 14 I behaved my self as though he had been my friend or brother I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother 15 But in mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together yea the abjects gathered themselves together against me and I know it not they did tear me and ceased not 16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth 17 Lord how long wilt thou look on rescue my soul from their destructions my darling from the lions 18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation I will praise thee among much people 19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoyce over me neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause 20 For they speak not peace but they devise deceitâ—ul matters against them that are quiet in the land 21 Yea they opened their mouth wide against me and said Aha aha our eye hath seen it 22 This thou hast seen O Lord keep not silence O Lord be not far from me 23 Stir up thy self awake to my judgement even unto my cause my God and my Lord. 24 Judge me O Lord my God according to thy righteousness and let them not rejoyce over me 25 Let them not say in their hearts Ah so would we have it let them not say we have swallowed him up 26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoyce at mine hurt let them be clothed with shame dishonour that magnifie themselves against me 27 Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause yea let them say continually Let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant 28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long Psalm xxxvi To the chief musician A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord. 1 THe transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyeâ— 2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes until his iniquity be found to be hateful 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity deceit he hath left off to be wise and to do good 4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed he setteth himself in a way that is not
mouth were smoother than butter but war was in his heart his words were softer than oyl yet were they drawn swords 22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he will sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved 23 But thou O God shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction bloudie and deceitful men shall not live out half their dayes but I will trust in thee Psalm lvi To the chief musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim Michtam of David when the Philistines took him in Gath. 1 BE merciful unto me O God for man would swallow me up he fighting daily oppresseth me 2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up for they be many that fight against me O thou most High 3 What time I am afraid I will trust in thee 4 In God I will praise his word in God I have put my trust I will not fear what flesh can do unto me 5 Every day they wrest my words all their thoughts are against me for evil 6 They gather themselves together they hide themselves they mark my steps when they wait for my soul. 7 Shall they escape by iniquitie in thine anger cast down the people O God 8 Thou tellest my wandrings put thou my tears into thy bottle are they not in thy book 9 When I crie unto thee then shall mine enemies turn back this I know for God is for me 10 In God will I praise his word in the Lord will I praise his word 11 In God will I put my trust I will not be afraid what man can do unto me 12 Thy vows are upon me O God I will render praises unto thee 13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death wilt not thou deliverâ— my feet from falling that I may walk before God in the light of the living Psalm lvii To the chief musician Altaschith Michtam of David when he fled from Saul in the cave 1 BE mercifull unto me O God be mercifull unto me for my soul trusteth in thee yea in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge untill these calamities be overpast 2 I will cry unto God most high unto God that performâ—th all things for me 3 He shall send from heaven and save me from the reproch of him that would swallow me up Selah God shall send forth his mercy and his truth 4 My soul is among lions and I lie even among them that are set on fire even the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword 5 Be thou exalted O God above the heavens let thy glory be above all the earth 6 They have prepared a net for my steps my soul is bowed down they have digged a pit before me into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves Selah 7 My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise 8 Awake up my glory awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early 9 I will praise thee O Lord among the people I will sing unto thee among the nations 10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens and thy truth unto the clouds 11 Be thou exalted O God above the heavens let thy glory be above all the earth Psalm lviii To the chief musician Altaschith â— Michtam of David 1 DO ye indeed speak righteousness O generation do ye judge uprightly O ye sons of men 2 Yea in heart you work wickedness you weigh the violence of your hands in the earth 3 The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray assoon as they be born speaking lies 4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent they are like the deaf Adder that stoppeth her ear 5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers charming never so wisely 6 Break their teeth O God in their mouth break out the great teeth of the young lions O Lord. 7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows let them be as cut in peices 8 As a snail which melteth let every one of them pass away like the untimely birth of a woman that they may not see the sun 9 Before your pots can â—eel the thornes he shall take them away as with a whirlwind 10 The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance he shall wash his feet in the bloud of the wicked 11 So that a man shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth Psalm lix To the chief musician Al-taschith Michtam of David when Saul sent and they watched the house to kill him 1 DEliver me from mine enemies O my God defend me from them that rise up against me 2 Deliver me from the wrâ—kers of iniquity and save me from bloudy men 3 For lo they lie in wait for my soul the mighty are gathered against me not for my transgression nor for my sin O Lord. 4 They run prepare themselves without my fault awake to help me behold 5 Thou therefore O Lord God of hosts the God of Israel awake to visit all the heathen be not mercifull to any wicked transgressours 6 They return at evening they make a noise like a dog and go round about the Citie 7 Behold they belch out with their mouth swords are in their lips for who say they doth hear 8 But thou O Lord shalt laugh at them thou shalt have all the heathen in derision 9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee for God is my defence 10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies 11 Slay them not least my people forget scatter them by thy power and bring them down O Lord our shield 12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride and for cursing lying which they speak 13 Consume them in wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth 14 And at evening let them return and let them make a noise like a dog and go round about the citie 15 Let them wander up and down for meat and grudge if they be not satisfied 16 But I will sing of thy power yea I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble 17 Unto thee O my strength will I sing for God is my defence and the God of my mercy Psalm lx To the chief musician upon Shushan Eduth Michtam of David to teach when he strove with Aram Naharaim and with Aram Zobah when Joab returned and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand 1 O God thou hast cast us off thou hast scattered us thou hast been displeased O turn thy self to us again 2 Thou hast made the earth to tremble
young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thy commandments 11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sinne against thee 12 Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy statutes 13 With my lips have I declared all the judgements of thy mouth 14 I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches 15 I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy wayes 16 I will delight my self in thy statutes I will not forget thy word Gimel 17 Deal bountifully with thy servant that I may live and keep thy word 18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy law 19 I am a stranger in the earth hide not thy commandments from me 20 My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgement at all times 21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed which do erre from thy commandments 22 Remove from me reproach and contempt â—or I have kept thy testimonies 23 Princes also did sit and speak against me but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes 24 Thy â—eâ—timonies also are my delight and my counsellours Daleth 25 My soul cleavetâ—â— unto the dust quicken thou me according to thy word I have declared my wayes and thou heardest me teach me thy statutes 27 Make me to unâ—derstand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wonderous works 28 My soul melteth for heaviness strengthen thou me according unto thy word 29 Remove from me the way of lying and grant me thy law graciously 30 I have chosen the way of truth thy judgemâ—nts have I laid before me 31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies O Lord put me not to shame 32 I will run the wayes of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart He. 33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end 34 Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart 35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments for therein do I delight 36 Encline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness 37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy way 38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear 39 Turn away my reproach which I fear for thy judgements are good 40 Behold I have longed after thy preceptsâ— quicken me in thy righteousness Vau. 41 Let thy mercies come also unto me O Lord even thy salvaâ—tion aâ—cording to thy word 42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me for I trust in thy word 43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth for I have hoped in thy judgements 44 So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever And I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts 46 I will speak of thy testimonies also before Kings and will not be ashamed 47 And I will delight my self in thy commandments which I have loved 48 My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments which I have loved and I will meditate in thy statutes Zain 49 Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope 50 This is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickened me 51 The proud have had me greatly in derision yet have I not declined from thy law 52 I remembred thy judgements of old O Lord and have comforted my self 53 Horrour hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law 54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrim age 55 I have remembred thy name O Lord in the night and have kept thy law 56 This I had because I kept thy precepts Cheth 57 Thou art my portion O Lord I have said that I would keep thy words 58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart be merciful unto me according to thy word 59 I thought on my wayes and turned my feet into thy testimonies 60 I made hast and delayed not to keep thy commandments 61 The bands of the wicked have robbed me but I have not forgot thy Law 62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements 63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts 64 The earth O Lord is full of thy mercie teach me thy statutes Teth. 65 Thou hast dealt well with thy servant O Lord according unto thy word 66 Teach me good judgement and knowledge for I have believed thy commandments 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word 68 Thou art good and doest good teach me thy statutes 69 The proud have forged a lie against me but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart 70 Their heart is as fat as grease but I delight in thy Law 71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes 72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver Iod. 73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments 74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me because I have hoped in thy word 75 I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me 76 Let I pray thee thy merciful kindness be for my comfort according to thy word unto thy servant 77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live for thy Law is my delight 78 Let the proud be ashamed for they dealt perversly with me without a cause but I will meditate in thy precepts 79 Let those that fear thee turn unto me and those that have known thy testimonies 80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Caph. 81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation but I hope in thy word 82 Mine eyes fail for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort me 83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke yet do I not forget thy statutes 84 How many are the dayes of thy servant when wilt thou execute judgement on them that persecute me 85 The proud have digged pits for me which are not after thy Law 86 All thy commandments are faithful they persecute me wrongfully help thou me 87 They had almost consumed me upon earth but I forsook not thy precepts 88 Quicken me after thy loving kindness so shall I keep the testimonie of thy mouth Lamed 89 For ever O Lord thy word is setled in heaven 90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations thou hast established the earth and it abideth 91 They continue this day according to thine ordinances for all are
thy servants 92 Unless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine affliction 93 I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me 94 I am thine save me for I have sought thy precepts 95 The wicked have waited for me to destroy me but I will consider thy testimonies 96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy commandment is exceeding broad Mem. 97 O how love I thy Law it is my meditation all the day 98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies for they are ever with me 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my mediation 100 I understand more than the ancients because I keep thy testimonies 101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep thy word 102 I have not departed from thy judgements for thou hast taught me 103 How sweet are thy words unto my tast yea sweeter than honey to my mouth 104 Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way Nun. 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path 106 I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgements 107 I am afflicted very much quicken me O Lord according unto thy word 108 Accept I beseech thee the free-will-offerings of my mouth O Lord and teach me thy judgements 109 My soul is continually in my hand yet do I not forget thy Law 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me yet I erred not from thy precepts 111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart 112 I have enclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway even unto the end Samech 113 I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love 114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy word 115 Depart from my ye evil duers for I will keep the commandments of my God 116 Uphold me according unto thy word that I may live and let me not be ashamed of my hope 117 Hold thou me up and I shall be safe and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually 118 Thou hast troden down all them that erre from thy statutes for their deceit is falshood 119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross therefore I love thy testimonies 120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements Ain 121 I have done judgement and justice leave me not to mine oppressours 122 Be surety for thy servant for good let not the proud oppress me 123 Mine eyes fail for thy salvation and for the word of thy righteousness 124 Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercie teach me thy statutes 125 I am thy servant give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies 126 It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made void thy Law 127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold yea above fine gold 128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Pe. 129 Thy testimonies are wonderful therefore doth my soul keep them 130 The enterance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple 131 I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy commandments 132 Look thou upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name 133 Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquitie have dominion over me 134 Deliver me from the oppression of man so will I keep thy precepts 135 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant and teach me thy statutes 136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Tsaddi 137 Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy judgements 138 Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful 139 My zeal hath consumed me because mine enemies have forgotten thy words 140 Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it 141 I am small and despised yet do I not forget thy precepts 142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness and thy Law is the truth 143 Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy commandments are my delights 144 The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting give me understanding and I shall live Koph 145 I cried with my whole heart hear me O Lord I will keep thy statutes 146 I cried unto thee save me and I shall keep thy testimonies 147 I prevented the dawning of the morning and cried I hoped in thy word 148 Mine eyes prevent the night watches that I might meditate in thy word 149 Hear my voyce according unto thy loving kindness O Lord quicken me according to thy judgement 150 They draw nigh that follow after mischief they are far from thy Law 151 Thou art near O Lord and all thy commandments are truth 152 Concerning thy testimonies I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever Resh 153 Consider mine affliction and deliver me for I do not forget thy Law 154 Plead my cause and deliver me quicken me according to thy word 155 Salvation is far from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes 156 Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken me according to thy judgements 157 Many are my persecutors mine enemies yet do I not decline from thy testimonies 158 I beheld the transgressours and was grâ—eved because they kept not thy word 159 Consider how I love thy precepts quicken me O Lord according to thy loving kindness 160 Thy word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgements endureth for ever Schin 161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but mine heart standeth in aw of thy word 162 I rejoyce at thy word as one that findeth great spoil 163 I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love 164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgements 165 Great peace have they which love thy Law and nothing shall offend them 166 Lord I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy commandments 167 My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly 168 I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies for all my wayes are before thee Tau 169 Let my cry come near before thee O Lord give me understanding according to thy word 170 Let my supplication come before thee deliver me according to thy word 171 My lips shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes 172 My tongue shall speak of thy word for all thy commandments are righteousness 173 Let thine hand help me for I have chosen thy precepts 174 I have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is my delight 175 Let my soul live and it shall praise thee let thy judgements
for ever 23 Who remembered us in our low estate for his mercie endureth for ever 24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies for his mercie endureth for ever 25 Who giveth food to all flesh â— for his mercie endureth for ever 26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven for his mercie endureth for ever Psalm cxxxvii 1 BY the rivers of Babylon there we sat down yea we wept when we remembred Sion 2 We haâ—ged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song and they that wasted us required of us mirth saying sing us one of the songs of Sion 4 How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange land 5 If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning 6 If I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy 7 Remember O Lord the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem who said Rase it rase it even to the foundation thereof 8 O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us 9 Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones Psalm cxxxviii A Psalm of David 1 I will praise thee with my whole heart before thâ— Gods will I sing 〈◊〉 unto thee 2 I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name 3 In the day when I cried thou answeredsâ— me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. 4 All the Kings of the earth shall praise thee O Lord when they hear the words of thy mouth 5 Yea they shall sing in the waies of the Lord for great is the glorie of the Lord. 6 Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly but the proud he knoweth afar off 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble thou wilt revâ—ve me thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies and thy right hand shall save me 8 The Lord will perfect that which cocerneth me thy mercie O Lord endureth for ever forsake not the works of thine own hands Psalm cxxxix To the chief musitian A Psalm of David 1 O Lord thou hast searched me known me 2 Thou knowest my down â—itting and mine uprising thou understandest my thoughts afar off 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my waies 4 For there is not a word in my tongue but â—o O Lord thou knowest it altogether 5 Thou hast besâ—t me behind and before and laid thine haâ—d upon me 6 Such knowledge is too wonderfull for me it is high I cannot attain unto it 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence 8 If I ascend up into heaven thou art there if I make my bed in hell behold thou art there 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the 〈◊〉 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me 11 If I say surely the darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me 12 Yea the darkness hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkness and the light are both alike to thee 13 For thou hast possessed my reins thou hast covered me in my mothers womb 14 I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well 15 My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth 16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book all my members are written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the summe of them 18 If I should count them they are moe in number than the sand when I wake I am still with thee 19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked O God depart from me tâ—erefore ye bloâ—dy men 20 For they speak against theâ— wickedly thine enâ—mies take thy name in 〈◊〉 21 Do not I hate them O Lord that haâ—â— thee and am I not grieved with these that rise up against theâ— 22 I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies 23 Search me O God and know my heart try me know my thoughts 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Psalm cxl To the chief musitian A Psalm of David 1 DEveâ— me O Lord from the evil man preserve 〈◊〉 from the violent man 2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart continually are they gathered together for war 3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent adders poison is under their lips Selah 4 Keep me O Lord from the hands of the wicked preserve me from the violent man who have purposed to overthrow my goings 5 The proud have hid a snare for me and cords they have spread a net by the way side they have set grins for me Selaâ— 6 I said 〈…〉 Lord thou art my God hear the voice of my supplications O Lord. 7 O God the Lord the strength of my salvation thou hast covered my head in the day of battell 8 Grant not O Lord the desires of the wicked further not his wicked deviâ—e least they exalt themselves Selah 9 As for the head of those that compass me about let the mischief of their own lips cover them 10 Let buâ—ning coals â—all upon them let them be cast into the fire into deep pits that they rise not up again 11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth evil shall hunt the violent maâ— to overthrow him 12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor 13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name the upright shall dwell in thy presence Psalm cxli. A Psalm of David 1 LOrd I cry unto thee make hast unto me give ear unto my voice when I cry unto thee 2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice 3 Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips 4 Encline not my heart to any evil thing to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity and let me not eat of their dainties 5 Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my head for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities 6 When their Judges are overthrown in stony
presence of the God of Jacob. 8 Which turned the rock into a standing water the flint into a fountain of waters Psalm cxv 1 NOt unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truths sake 2 Wherefore should the heathen say where 〈◊〉 now their God 3 But our God is in the heavens he hath done whatsoever he pleased 4 Their Idols are silver and gold the work of mens hands 5 They have mouths but they speak not eyes have they but they see not 6 They have ears but they hear not noses have they but they smell not 7 They have hands but they handle not feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through their throat 8 They that make them are like unto them so is every one that trusteth in them 9 O Israel trust thou in the Lord he is thy help and thy shield 10 O house of Aaron trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield 11 Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield 12 The Lord hath been mindfull of us he will bless us he will bless the house of Israel he will bless the house of Aaron 13 He will bless them that fear the Lord both small and great 14 The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children 15 You are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth 16 The heaven even the heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the children of men 17 The dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into silence 18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore Praise the Lord. 1 I Love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications 2 Because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live 3 The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of hell-gate hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow 4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my Soul 5 Gracious is the Lord and righteousâ— yea our God is merciful 6 The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me 7 Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee 8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling 9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living 10 I believed therefore have I spoken I was greatly afflicted 11 I said in my hast All men are liars 12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me 13 I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. 14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints 16 Oh Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds 17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanks-giving will call upon the name of the Lord. 18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people 19 In the courts of the Lords house in the middest of thee O Jerusalem praise yâ— the Lord. Psalm cxvii 1 O Praise the Lord all ye nations praise him all ye people 2 For his merciful kindness is great towards us and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxviii 1 O Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good because his mercie endureth for ever 2 Let Israel now say that his mercie endureth for ever 3 Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercie endureth for ever 4 Let them now that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever 5 I called upon the Lord in distress the Lord answered me and set me in a large place 6 The Lord is on my side I will not fâ—ar what can man do unto me 7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me 8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man 9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in Princeâ— 10 All nations compassed me about but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them 11 They compassed me about yea they compassed me about but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them 12 They compassed me about like bees they are quenched as the fire of thorns for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them 13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me 14 The Lord is my strength and song and is become my saltion 15 The voyce of rejoycing and salvation is in the Tabernacles of the righteous the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly 16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly 17 I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. 18 The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not given me over unto death 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness I will go in to them I will praise the Lord. 20 This gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter 21 I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation 22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner 23 This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes 24 This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it 25 Save now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperitie 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. 27 God is the Lord which hath shewed us light bind the sacrifice with cords even unto the horns of the Altar 28 Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God I will exalt thee 29 O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercie endureth for ever Aleph 1 BLessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart 3 They also do no iniquity they walk in his wayes 4 Thâ—u hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently 5 O that my wayeâ— were directed to keep thy statutes 6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandments 7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgements 8 I will keep thy statutes O forsake me not utterly Beth. 9 Wherewithall shall a