to Saul that though he be mine utter enemie and hath wrongfully and without any cause at any time given by me laboured my destruction which nature can ill brook yet even then in that time of open hostilitie when I had him at advantage and might have rid my self of him once or twice such was my respect and loyaltie to him and fear of sinning against thee that I delivered him though to the hazard of mine own life thereby 5 If thou Lord who knowest all things know me guilty of this persidious treacherie whereof I am accused then in thy righteous judgement let Saul never cease to seek my life till he have it and then let him put me to as shameful a death as ever any suffered and brand me for a most treacherous ignominious wretch to all posteritie even from my heart I wish it 6 But Lord thou knowest its otherways therefore in thy just displeasure and in the greatness of thy power bestir thee in my behalf to right me on my false accusers and bloudie persecutors because of their unjust violence against me and delay no longer but take this season of their sinning to destroy them and fulfil that righteous decree and judgement which is gone forth of thy mouth concerning the making me the Kingly type of Christ over Israel 7 And I will cause thy sanctuarie to be erected upon Sion so shall all Israel meet solemnly to worship thee therefore for thy peoples sake who do now want the means of serving and seeking thee as they desire seat thy self upon thy Tribunal to do justice which now thou hast long forborn and shew forth thy power from heaven as formerly thou hast done in their behalfs 8 The Lord will right this wrong which his people sustain in having his worship deteined from them and I pray thee consider my case too O Lord to right me also on mine enemies who have deprived me of thine ordinances for that thou knowest me just in my behaviour and in mine heart upright towards Saul and most falsly slandered in those things whereof I am accused and for which I am persecuted 9 O Lord do thou put an end to the wicked practises of mine ungodly enemies but make good thy promise of mine establishment in the throne of Israel who fears thy name and am just in all my dealings for thou that knowest the inward thoughts and desires of mens hearts canst judge whether I or mine enemies be the wrong-doors 10 My trust is wholly in the Lord for my preservation against the furie of mine implacable and malicious adversaries who I know will not let the upright hearted man perish who fears to sin and hath a care to walk honestly 11 God though he seem slack yet will sooner or later judge the righteous mans cause and as well as the wicked seem to prosper yet hath God a continual eye upon them and their evil ways whereby his displeasure is daily increased against them 12 He indeed waits a time to see if the wicked will repent and turn from his evil ways but if after he have waited a while he turn not then will he be the more inraged severe in the execution of justice for which he hath all things in a readiness when the time comes 13 Yea he is preparing all the while he lets him live in sin to bring upon him utter destruction for it at last and the proud persecutors of the poor and godly he means in the end to make them the marks at whom he will discharge all his quiver of plagues and punishments 14 The world shall see that after he hath taken a great deal of pains and been at much trouble to compass his wicked ends by wicked means and hath with much studie contrived mischievous devices against the innocent the end will be that he will be deceived in his expectation both of the righteous mans ruin and his own prospering for he shall be the man that shall perish with all his machinations but the upright man shall be preserved in his innocencie 15 After he hath long set his wits a work and moiled and toiled to compass the godly mans destruction God shall so bring it about that his very design upon the righteous shall turn to his own utter undoing 16 All the ill he meant to others shall light upon himself and his violence against the good shall fall heavie upon him to his utter destruction 17 That day I know and am sure I shall live to see though it seems afar off when I shall have cause to praise the Lord for keeping promise with me and for all his righteous judging me according to mine innocencie in my deliverance and mine enemies downfall and when this is which I am sure will be I promise before hand in the faith of it that I will praise the power and goodness of the Lord God Almightie who rules over all and raiseth and abaseth whom he pleaseth Eighth PSALM David having honoured God with his absolute and relative title of Sovereigntie extols the excellencie of his manifested attributes which appear in his works by way of interrogation as unable otherways to express them to their worth shewing how both great and small yea the smallest things most convincingly set forth the praise of his admirable power and gracious goodness and providence towards mankind even to the confounding and confuting all ungodly and perverse Atheists And shews that for his own part when he seriously considers the workmanship of God in the Heavens and his creating the lights that shine therein for mans use together with his gracious rebestowing the use and dominion of the creature upon him by a new title of Redemption and heaven to boot when as he had lost all by sin and was worthie of none he cannot but with admiration acknowledge his great goodnes to man yea he cannot enough admire both his greatnes and goodnes To him that is most skilful upon Gittith the instrument used by Obed-Edom the Gittite and his family do I David that made this Psalm commit it for his ordering it in the Quire 1 MOst glorious Lord who hast the dominion over all the world and specially over us thy chosen how full of renown is thy power wisdom and greatness all the world over by reason of those admirable creatures and glorious Lights the Sun Moon and Starrs which thou hast created and placed up on high to shine through the ayrie regions to give light and convey heat to all that live upon earth 2 Yea every thing high and low great and small hold forth thy glory and manifest thy prais-worthy power and providence The very instinct and infant oratory that thou puttest into the new born babe to cry after the Mothers breasts making that silly creature so wise as to seek its subsistence so soon as it hath a Beeing and by moving pity therewith to be able also
twelve even it is destroied Judea the place where it grew is miserably wasted with fire and the people with the sword in thy wrathfull displeasure hast thou blasted this tender branch which is the more dejected at thy frowns because thy former favours were so resplendent upon it 17 Let thy power and grace appear in protecting and delivering this single Tribe of Judah's posterity the sole remainder of Jacobs sons who hath ever hitherto been mightily favoured and prospered by thee even for Davids sake that man after thine own heart who sprung out thence and whom thou madest a mighty King ruling Jews and Gentiles and endowing him with singular gifts and graces fit for that place and imploiment thou conferest upon him out of whose loins must also come the Messiah whom he tipified for as he is thy Son so shall he be Davids and Judah's whom thou hast set apart for that high office and glorious work of mediation placed him at thy right hand in power and furnished him with graces fit for this imploiment to rule sanctifie and save thy people his Church even the man that is thy fellow God and man the Almighty Mediatour and Sovereign King for his sake therefore put forth thy power in poor Judah's behalf for to restore her 18 Lord if thou wilt do thus for us thou wilt bind us to thee everlastingly we will then renew our covenant and keep it which by our back-sliding we have broken the cause of all our misery Let us but live again and we will not live to our selves but to thee thou shalt have the praise of our restauration and the obedience of our lives and conversation 19 Lord how ever our condition is very forlorne and miserably yet art thou that commandest the whole creation able to change it to what it was and to carry us into our own land and give us the use and enjoyment of thy worship again if thou wilt but turn thy frowns into favours and thy face upon us instead of thy back parts pardoning our sins and receiving us again into grace we shall be a happy people and see good dayes for all this The lxxxi PSALM The Psalmist quickens up the people of Israel to pour out praises to God as God himself also hath commanded them to do for all his mercies to them specially that great deliverance out of Egypt and by way of caution hints notwithstanding Israels ingratitude and unmindfulness of Gods providence and goodness at the bitter waters in the wilderness where they murmured and believed not as also after in Canaan which cost them full dear who else had been always a prosperous people and their land a plentifull land To him that is most skilfull upon Gittith the instrument used by Obed-edom the Gittite and his family do I Asaph that made this Psalm commit it for his ordering it in the Quire 1 AS we have received mercies and favours of great extraordinary natures from God so let our praises be sutable with heart and voice let all Israel in their solemn conventions magnifie the Lord acknowledge all those great things thankfully which by a mighty hand he hath done and wrought for them Let them with infinite exultation and confidence in God as theirs be loud and large in their praises 2 All we can do will be too little and come short of what the Lord demerits but let not us be wanting to the utmost of our power but with voice and instrument yea all manner of musicall instruments one and other specially the sweetest and choicest of them let us sound forth his praises that heaven and earth may ring of us 3 Be sure when you celebrate those solemn festivities appointed in the law as the new moon c. That you perform it in a faithfull chearfull manner and express it heartily by sound of trumpet and all other wayes as may most testifie your inward joy and best enliven it 4 This you ought to do not onely of gratuity but also of duty for God doth not onely deserve it but hath expresly enjoyned it as a statute and everlasting law for Israel to yield obedience to even these solemn meetings for solemn thanksgivings appointed of old by the God of our forefather Jacob. 5 Even then did he institute it when Josephs posterity had the precedency among all the Tribes not Judah as now it is ever since the time that God destroied the first born in Egypt and thereupon ordained the Passeover when miraculously he brought us out thence from being imbondaged under a people whom we understood not saving by blows as beasts do men they not speaking our language nor we theirs a people strange to God and as strangely using his Church that uncomfortably sojourned amongst them without civil converse 6 From the wofull slavery and cruell bondage of those Egyptian Tyrants and Task-masters did God by a strong hand wonderfully deliver us and made us free-men to serve him of bondmen serving them in hard labour of bearing burdens and doing base offices of brick-clamping and pot-making in kills furnaces 7 Thou criedst unto me sayes God in thy bondage in Egypt after also in thy danger at the red sea and I thou knowst heard thee and by a mighty hand and apparent signs of favour delivered thee from the one the other from on high plaguing and troubling thine enemies the Egyptians with thunder and lightning and delivering thee which I thought thou wouldst have remembred and for which I could not but believe thou wouldst have been thankfull and believing in my grace and providence in after-times but did I find it so when I tried thy faith meekness and patience a little after at the waters of strife no thou knowst I did not 8 9 10 Where yet for all thine ungratefull murmurings thou remembrest I did not reject thee nor so much as punish thee but took occasion thence to enter and renew my covenant with thee and to take thee into my service and make further proof of thee whereupon I made a statute and an ordinance that if thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God and walk as my people before me in obedience of those laws which I shall give thee worshipping none but me and keeping your distance to all other Gods worshipped by those that are not my people chusing me onely for yours by the same token I powerfully and with such sign of favour brought you out of the land of Egypt the Type indeed of a nearer spirituall relation whereby we are or ought to be united that then if thou wouldest but do thus if ever thou wantedst what thou wouldst have and was usefull for thee it should not be because I would not give it for then would I withhold no needfull blessings from thee but because thou didst not ask it the fault should be thine and not mine if in the faith of my gracious covenant-engagements
Thy faithfulness whereupon the promise of mercie and grace is builded and whereby it shall be fulfilled it is engaged and ratified to thy son the Churches head in heaven on thy Churches behalf on earth therefore sure enough to be accomplished from first to last both here and hereafter as well in heaven as on earth nothing shall hinder 3 Even this mercie which thou hast declared and stipulated Covenant-wise and sworn it too the faster to bind thee and strengthen our faith to thy chosen servant even to David that Kingly type of Christ and head of thy people 4 That thou wilt establish the Kingdom and Church in David the type and his posteritie in successive generations and in Christ the antitype for ever and will make his throne glorious and his dominion to increase and enlarge it self to all nations and all generations Even so Amen 5 According to which Covenant for the fulfilling thereof in the preservation and deliverance of thy Church thou shalt manifest such power and do such wonders as shall affect the very Angels in heaven who shall in the sympathy and love they bear to thy people praise thee as if themselves shared in the benefit and in heaven magnifie thy faithfulness as well as we on earth for keeping promise and remembering thy Covenant to fulfil it 6 For as there is none that on earth ought to be adored and magnified but God so nor in heaven where he alone rules as well as here below the Angels are our fellow-creatures and subjects as much inferiour to him as we are to them Yea though they are not of humane race propagated as we are but by the immediate hand of God created as was Adam yet there is no more comparison betwixt them and him than betwixt us and him he alone is absolute and Almighty 7 As God is great yea the sole Monarch of heaven aswell as earth so is he there greatly had in reverence and so ought to be of those his holy Angels and glorified saints aswell as here of his people they therefore have the honour to be his servants in ordinarie domesticks in heaven with him that they may glorifie him sutably to their excellent natures and happie condition it is their dutie and his due 8 O God that hast the sole Empire in heaven and earth and the sovereign chief command of all creatures in both who therefore is of strength like unto thee nay of any strength at all but thee from whom all things are and thou onely eternally of thy self who then can match thee in power or in faithfulness which is equal to thy power and appears in all things wherein thy power appears be they acts of providence or created Beeings and where is it that thy power appears not on every side in heaven or earth before or behind on the right hand or on thy left and of like extent is thy truth thy promise being as large as thy power and thy goodness as large as both in thy Churches behalf for her preservation and accomplishment 9 10 What was it but thy power and faithfulness that when time was did dispose and rule the unruly waters of the red-sea for the preservation of thy Church then ready to be killed or drownd by it before and the Egyptians behind whom thou as it were at one blow cutst off and destroyest as one man at once and didst defeat those thine enemies because thy Churches and their great preparations and bloudy designs upon thy people by a mightie manifestation of power which thou shalt ever put forth in thy Churches behalf stilling the storms that every where in the world she shall meet with like a ship at sea and preserve her spite of all her enemies though never so proud and potent 11 How can it be otherwise for all is thine and at thy dispose heaven earth and all things in them both it is thou that hast given existence and Being to the whole world and all things in it both sea and land as many as they are 12 Thou hast created all things from one end of the heavens to the other from pole to pole thy Church every where from East to West for so it shall spread as Judea from mount Tabor in the West to mount Hermon in the East shall have cause of rejoycing in thy power and faithfulness manifested in her behalf and to praise thee for it 13 Thy strength and power when as thou pleasest to make use of it and put it forth either by means or miracles in an ordinarie or extraordinarie way it is unresistable and prevalent 14 As thou hast power worthie thy greatness to execute thy will withall so also justice judgement mercy and truth the beauty and establishment of thrones and dominions these are principally and originally in thee who governest and orders thy jurisdiction over the world respectively to good and bad by them dispensing to the unrighteous enemies of thy Church and thee justice and judgement and unto her even all thy holy ones thou wilt exhibit merciful providences and for her fulfil faithfully thy promises with the gracious manifestation of thy love and favour to her in all those thy dispensations 15 Blessed are thy people above all the world for they onely of all the world are acquainted with the inward sense and savorie tast of thy peculiar love and saving grace whispered into their consciences by the still voice and secret workings of the spirit to the ravishing their hearts with joy unspeakable and glorious as thine Israelites are inured to and cheared with the sound of the sacred trumpets of God in their solemn feasts and sacrifies Such shall comfortably run their race in the whole progress of their lives they shall walk in a steady course by a faithful dependancie upon thy faithful providence and in sweet interviews of thee and frequent feelings of thy favour 16 Such as these shall all their life long have cause of rejoycing in thy powerful dispensation of providences from time to time in their behalf and in thy keeping promise with them the experience and faith whereof shall lift up their heads above dangers and difficulties 17 For their glorying is in thee who though weak in themselves yet are as it were omnipotent by their interest in thee and relation to thee that art so by whose power and gracious favour we that are thy people Israel resemblancers of thy Church doubt not of a prosperous state both civil and sacred and to have the better of our enemies 18 For the great and faithful God is our defence protection his power and goodness shall preserve us as a shield the holy Lord that hath chosen Israel to be a holy people and that shall ever have on earth a holy Church is the Sovereign Lord and protector of us and it and so shall Christ his vicegerent be and David his 19 Thou Lord in
in pieces lifts it on high with the greater violence to dash it against the ground 11 Thy poor Church O Lord whom I personate to thee it is even at sun-setting it is but a shadow of a Church and people no substance or Being left and that shadow too is extinguishing it is expiring like the shadows that towards sun-setting now are and anon are not so soon as the sun is gone down Like the grass that is mown withered with the sun and sapless such are thy people miserably parched with grief and sorrow and utterly comfortless 12 Thus it is with thy Church she is at last gasp she hath as it were received the sentence of death in her self But thou that art her God her support and strength canst never die nor she as considered in thee interessed in thy faithfulness though in outward appearance she be perishing yet thy truth past in promise to her which is thy self cannot fail thou wilt certainly remember to make it good to the uttermost period even to the Worlds end shall it endure and therefore so shall thy Church as low as it is brought at present 13 Therefore Lord though we seem to be dying our faith begins to sprout we are in hope that these our greatest extremities are thine immediate opportunities and that as thou hast lifted us up and cast us down so now thou casts us down to lift us up Yea we are very confident our sorrows are shorter-lived than we that we shall out-live them for all this yea we shall see a speedy end of them and that thou art even now about to shew thy self for us and to restore thy Church and in mercie pardon her sins which thou hast punished all this while and suddenly ease her of her miseries which she hath so long undergone and make Sion that was the glorie of the whole earth flourish again for as thou art mindfull of thy promise so are we that is that livens our faith and clears our heart even the thought of the expiration of the seventy years which is now drawing on the time appointed prophesied and promised by thee to end our captivitie and restore us to mercy which time is now accomplished revives our hopes 14 For such is the love thy servants bear to thee thy worship and the place appointed for it where thou hast promised thy presence that it is not the devastations which before hand they know they shall find there that does any whit discourage them no they are joyed to think that ever they shall set footing there and see that sacred rubbish that remains of that glorious fabrick what travel or pains so ever they undergo which they purpose to re-edifie 15 When thou hast thus wonderfully brought about our restauration after so long captivitie and the re-edification of that thy ruinated Temple what an amazement shall it put the heathen into how shall they admire thine omnipotencie that thus raised the dead and saved us as a brand out of the fire Yea the Princes and potentates of the whole earth hearing shall be strucken with astonishment at so glorious and Almightie a work 16 When the time comes which is now at hand that both thy spiritual and local Sion O Lord shall be restored and repaired by thee thy worship and worshippers in statu quo O how glorious wilt thou then appear in the eyes of Jews and Gentiles 17 And this be confident of that as God at this time hath extraordinarily stirred up his people to hope and pray to be delivered out of his destitute condition and made them more than ordinarily sensible of the loss of their countrey and happie priviledges they there enjoyed and ardently desire to return thither again so will he effect it and not let them lose their labour and pray in vain 18 This deliverance like that out of Egypt shall be upon everlasting record and renown for all posteritie and after-ages to admire and be strengthned thereby in the faith of Gods all-sufficiencie truth and grace And those of us that shall be gathered together again into the land of Judah in a formed bodie and an orderly way of worshipping the Lord from out this confusion and Chaos where we are neither a people nor a Church but a scattered mixture of vagrant folk O how shall we jointly praise the Lord and his power that hath thus raised us from the grave and as it were created us again out of the very dust nay the nothing whereinto we are resolved as Christ shall his Church 19 For from heaven which his sanctuarie was wont to represent hath the Lord heard and seen our moans and miseries though he be there in unaccessable glorie and majesty yet from that height hath he vouchsafed to pitie us here below that are no better then the earth we tread on 20 And to hear the groans we sent up to him in that sorrowful condition and save the lives and restore the liberties of his people a poor remainder of them who were destined to death and destruction aswel as the rest that they killed in hot bloud having sworn to root us all out every mothers son and not leave us a name upon earth 21 This shall the Lord do to the end his people so heard and so saved may magnifie the glorious power and rich grace of God in Sion as aforetime and praise him in Jerusalem his royal Citie and place of special residence 22 Which they shall do when they are embodied there again and reduced from that dissipation and confusion they now lie under which shall be a lively adumbration of the calling of the Gentiles and the gathering of Church and Kingdom from out the Kingdoms of the earth every where to believe in and and worship him many whereof shall be won and induced to give in their names unto him by that great deliverance like as when that great Jubile and goal-delivery by Christ himself shall be which is not far behind 23 Long have we looked for his coming and much hath his people suffered in the profession of his truth and for it in the interim the whilest they have lived in expectation of that happiness even to the loss of many yea almost of all his whole Church here in Babylon as must be the lot of the Church inhabitant in this world to suffer even death it self in way to the end the salvation of their souls 24 But I put my self before the Lord in the name of his faithful people and poor Church still remaining The ciii PSALM 2 O thou soul of mine that art of such transcendent excellencie to all sublunarie created beings and so adapted for to praise the Lord above them all do not thou burie thy talent in a napkin nor steward it unseeming thy trust to whom he hath committed such praise-worthie endowments and on whom he hath bestowed such thank-worthie benefits natural and divine which
the powers of my soul that is left me 9 Thy effectuall grace in my powerfull deliverance is mine humble and earnest suit I put up unto thee that mine enemies who seek and make sure of my life may not destroy it which they will certainly and suddenly do if thou prevent not to whom onely I flie from them for no place on earth can escape them 10 And as I beg to be preserved by thy power out of the hands of mine enemies so by thy grace out of the power of my corruptions which by reason of my temptations are very stirring and hardly suppressed inclining me upon occasion to deviate but my trust is in thee and prayer unto thee for this as well as that sinne being as death to me therefore for thy goodness sake which hath so freely and so fully ingaged thee to be every way a gracious God unto me and specially in soul-concernments Lord teach me at every turn and in every strait what is thy will and how to obey it by the powerfull energie of thy spirit which himself is good and can make me so by his efficacious impowering my spirit thereunto maugre all temptations within or without yea all my life long effectually dispose me to walk in the way of holiness and righteousness which onely leads unto everlasting life the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness a pattern whereof shall be that flourishing estate of thy Church in holiness shortly to be accomplished to thine Israel by and under me a figure of Christ which good Lord teach me how to attain to that my sins debar me not so great a blessing 11 For the glory of thy power which is so highly esteemed and little feared by mine enemies do thou manifest it in as it were my resurrection from the dead for such am I in effect and in all humane appearance and for thy faithfulness sake both in point of grace and justice be mindfull of me thy servant wrongfully oppressed and persecuted to set me free from these deadly dangers I am continually in 12 And of meer compassion to me in so great misery undertake my cause and quarrell that without cause am thus persecuted to the death by violent and bloudy enemies who are untreatable and from whom I must never expect other till thou shalt disable them to destroy me by destroying them which I pray thee do as an act of mercy to my wronged innocency let none escape that would not have me do so that my soul may be free from these distractions to serve thee for thereunto through mercy am I designed and by grace am I called The cxliv. PSALM David being in part possessed of the Kingdom blesseth God for that which he acknowledgeth to be of him as also all his atchievements and deliverances and aggravates the greatness of God goodness to him from the baseness and disparity of him to God whom he prayes extraordinarily to stand for him against and rid him of his remainder of enemies as bad as the rest and promiseth upon finall deliverance to tune all his instruments to his praise as the sole Saviour specially of him and again iterates his request that the times of Israels tranquillity under him and his may hasten that they may once be happie after so much miserie which then they shall be with the ample possession of temporall felicities of all kinds and God to boot which will make them or any people happie that are so blessed A Psalm made by David 1 MAgnified be the Lord for his praise-worthy goodness to me in so marvellously inabling me beyond either naturall ability or acquired skill to do things so much above my self in souldiery as through his assistance I have done to mine own and all mens admiration and to such wonderfull success as I have had thereby 2 But it was the Lord and of him onely who hath and doth shew me so many favours and is so bountifull and beneficent to me as I cannot express it but in the abstract of goodness it self so freely are they acted and so manifoldly multiplied to descend into particulars were infinite but what can be imagined by way of offence to mine enemies or defence to my self that the Lord is and hath been to me and I am confident so will be still He it is that hath brought and will go on irresistably to bring this stubborn stiff-necked people of Israel to submit to me as their King who so hardly are removed from their prejudices concerning me and brought to believe the truth of promises touching me 3 Lord I cannot when I reflect upon my self and thee the disproportion 'twixt my nature and essence frail mortal dust and ashes here below and thy spiritual eternal incomprehensible Being and infinite Majestie in heaven above but admire That such an earth-worm as man the whole kind whereof is at best but as the drop of thy bucket subject to generation and corruption should be so regarded of thee as to expend and lay out so much of thy wisdom care and providence upon him especially considering what he is becom by sin not worthie the name of a creature that by nature is thine enemy and that yet thou shouldest exercise so much grace and goodness towards him sundry wayes 4 Man in respect of thee is as the most vain and emptiest thing in the world is to him for substance a thing of nothing and for duration as momentanie and uncertain is his life subject to time and change as the shadow which is as transient as the sun is moveable 5 Yet such is thy goodness to this poor inconsiderable creature that thou art pleased to work miracles many times for the preservation of a very few yea of one single person that belongs unto thee and to descend as it were from thine imperial throne of Divine Majestie to help here on earth wonderfully when thine are in extremitie and so Lord vouchsafe to do now manifest thy presence as when in thick and darksome clouds thou formerly descendedst and made the mountains seem all on fire under thee such let be thine out-goings against mine and thy Churches enemies consume those mountainous powerful adversaries that oppose themselves against thee in thy wrathful displeasure a little whereof will serve to do it as high and mightie as they are in their own vain imaginations 6 Thy peoples extraordinarie dangers have produced extraordinarie and miraculous effects of providence for their preservation and so let it do still let thy power be now as evident as when with thunder and lightening thou foughtest for them destroyedst and discomfitedst their enemies heretofore 7 When earthly helps fail from heaven do thou send succour and set me free from this deluge of trouble and troublesome adversaries that break in upon me like an unresistable torrent let me not fall into the hands of those that though they are visible Israelites of the seed and family
his sins expose him to if God did not guard him as a field-flower that lieth open to men and beasts wind and weather 16 Subject to be despoiled of its beauty and laid along by every blast that blows and as gay as it is now appears straightway it disappears and is not and such is man 17 But for all this that man is of himself thus subjected by sin to return to dust and nothingness every moment yet is the mercie of God long-lived his Church and faithful people who shall never fail upon the face of the earth shall find that it shall never fail them but they and theirs throughout all generations that believe in him and filially fear him shall have the benefit of it grace and protection 18 Even all in all ages that enter Covenant with God and are careful and conscionable in the keeping of it by stedfast believing in him and exact walking with him in universal obedience to all his commandments seasonably and respectively calling to mind his will and their dutie as occasion requires to do accordingly in all occurrences 19 The glorie of the Lord is most perspicuous in heaven where his throne of dominion and rule is principally placed and he in his excellencies far more conspicuous there than the creature here doth or can represent or demonstrate him being seen of us thereby as but through a glass darkly from whence yet he extends his Sovereigntie hither ordering and governing aswell all things here as there especially his Church and that for ever 20 As the Lord appears most glorious in heaven so you his glorified angels that excel all other creatures in all manner of excellencies whose strength though derivative and created yet exceeds all humane power yea all humane imagination who are as fellow-creatures so fellow-servants with us yielding obedience to his commandments aswel as we and do his will revealed and commanded from his mouth as we from his word do you I say with us and for us bless the Lord and praise him both in his greatness and goodness 21 You that are so many millions waiting upon him and ministring at his pleasure what he commands do you even that whole heavenly army of glorious and mightie angels again and again bless and praise him that is as much above you in power and place as you are above us 22 And as his dominion is aswell over the earth and all things there and in the firmament above the earth as in heaven so ought his praises to be extended Even every creature that he hath made for so far extends his governance in all places throughout all ages ow him all the honour that in their kinds and after their created abilities they can do unto him But chiefly O thou my soul that art not onely beholden to God for a created being but for redemption and salvation which of free grace he hath vouchsafed thee a mercie far exceeding all meer created bounty do thou therefore above all in heaven and earth praise the Lord and bless his holy name answerable to thine ingagements so far beyond theirs The civ PSALM This Psalm as it is subsequent to the last so it is coherent with it made doubtless by the same Author the beginning and end of both being alike and the argument not unlike The one treating of God as a gracious redeemer of his Church and people and the benefits that redownd thereby the other as a powerful Creatour of all things heavens earth seas and all things in them together with their orderly conservation and provident preservation All which things strikes the Psalmist into admiration and puts him upon ingagement to constant meditation and praise wishing none might live that live not to the Lord in like sort 1 O Thou my soul my best and principal part praise thou the Lord the Lord Almighty which is the onely true God whom I worship and serve Thou Lord art wonderfully great in power and dominion the whole frame and order of nature in the great work of creation shew thee to be such specially the heavens whose scituation is above as thou art which as in a mirrour shew forth thine incomparable honour and Majesty in those glorious lights which is the visiblest representation of thee to our capacities thy throne being there 2 Thou hast spread the light over our heads throughout the aery element so that it is filled therewith and the Heavens where thou art seem to be covered thereby from our sight who can onely see on this side those supernal luminaries And as the light so that vast expanse of heaven thy Princely pavilion is drawn between thine unaccessible Majesty and us like the curtains of a royal Tent. 3 Who as he hath laid the foundation of the earth which is his foot-stool in the depths of the sea so hath he laid the floor of his upper loft the heavens where principally he resides as great men do above stairs amongst the clouds that spread like a sea far and wide over our heads on which he seems to ride as great men do in Chariots directing the uncertain motions thereof hither and thither and so also disposeth of the winds in their swift transition and sudden mutation to go and do as pleaseth him 4 Who therefore hath made the glorious angels those heavenly messengers of his not of such natures as we sublunaries are but spirits agil and active to come and go of his errands and do his pleasure here below instantly and effectually as far distant as it seems making those celestial ministers of his to execute his fiery indignation either visibly appearing as flames of fire as sometimes they have done so the Israelites were consumed in the wilderness or invisibly destroying his enemies but suddenly and terribly like as fire devoures combustible matter 5 Who also hath by his transcendent supernatural wisdom so established the earth upon its center as a house upon a firm foundation so that though it be pendent as a ball in the air and therefore seems nothing more moveable yet indeed there is nothing more immoveable all the winds and storms that overthrow other things that have foundations cannot stir this that hath none but from the first creation to the uttermost dissolution of all things it shall continue firm 6 In the first creation thou didst overflow all the earth and encompassed it with those waters that are now the sea they then spread themselves over the earth as a garment over a mans body so that no drie land appeared the mountains as well as the valleys were then under water 7 Until thou wast pleased to command the contrarie and then when thou preparedst that great Abyss to receive them that now contains them and biddest them contrarie to their nature that would still be overflowing all and drowning the whole earth to retire into it as into their mansion and place of abode they in reverence
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
and I am withered like grass 12 But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance unto all generations 13 Thou shalt arise and have mercie upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof 15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glorie 16 When the Lord shall build Sion he shall appear in his glorie 17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer 18 This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. 19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuarie from heaven did the Lord behold the earth 20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner to loose those that are appointed to death 21 To declare the name of the Lord in Sion and his praise in Jerusalem 22 When the people are gathered together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. 23 He weakened my strength in the way he shortned my dayes 24 I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my daie 2 Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed as the Eagles 6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed 7 He made known his wayes unto Moses his acts unto the children of Israel 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and plenteous in mercy 9 He will not allwayes chide neither will he keep his anger for ever 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercie toward them that fear him 12 As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removeth our transgressions from us 13 Like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him 14 For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust 15 As for man his dayes are as grass as a flower of the field so he flourisheth 16 For the wind passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more 17 But the mercie of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousness unto childrens children 18 To such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his commandments to do them 19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all 20 Bless the Lord ye his angels that excel in strength that do his commandments hearkening unto the voice of his word 21 Bless ye the Lord all ye his hosts ye ministers of his that do his pleasure 22 Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion bless the Lord O my soul. Psalm civ 1 BLess the Lord O my soul O Lord my God thou art very great thou art clothed with honour and Majestie 2 Who coverest thy self with light as with a garment who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain 3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters who maketh the clouds his chariot who walketh upon the wings of the wind 4 Who maketh his angels spirits his ministers a flaming â—ire 5 Who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed for ever 6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment the waters stood above the mountains 7 At thy rebuke they fled at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away 8 They go up by the mountains they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them 9 Thou hast set a bound that they may may not pass over that they turn not again to cover the earth 10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys which run among the hils 11 They give drink to every beast of the field the wild asses quench their thirst 12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation which sing among the branches 13 He watereth the hils from his chambers the earth is satisfied with the fruit of his works 14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattel and hearb for the service of man that he may bring forth food out of the earth 15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man and oyl to make his face to shine and bread which strengtheneth mans heart 16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap the Cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted 17 Where the birds make their nests as for the stork the fir-trees are her house 18 The high hils are a refuge for the wild Goats and the rocks for the conies 19 He appointeth the moon for seasons the sun knoweth his going down 20 Thou makest darkness and it is night wherein all the beasts of the forrest do creep forth 21 The young lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God 22 The sun ariseth they gather themselves together and lay them down in their dens 23 Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour until the evening 24 O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches 25 So is the great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great 26 There go the ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein 27 These wait all upon thee that thou maist give them their meat in due season 28 That thou givest them they gather thou openest thine hand they are filled with good 29 Thou hidest thy face they are troubled thou takest away their breath they die and return to their dust 30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth 31 The glorie of the Lord shall endure for ever the Lord shall rejoyce in his works 32 He looketh on the earth and it trembleth he toucheth the hills and they smoak 33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being 34 My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. 35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more bless thou the Lord O my soul. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cv 1 O Give thanks unto the Lord call upon his name make known his deeds among the people 2 Sing unto him sing Psalms unto him talk ye of all his wonderous works 3 Glorie ye in his holy name let the heart of them rejoyce that â—ear the Lord. 4 Seek
earth in that very day his thoughts perish 5 Happie is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God 6 Which made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is which keepeth trust for ever 7 Which executeth judgement for the oppressed whiâ—h givâ—th food to the hungry the Lord looseth the prisoners 8 The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down the Lord loveth the righteous 9 The Lord preserveth the strangers he relieveth the fatherless and widow but the way of the wicked he turneth it upâ—side do 〈◊〉 10 The Lord shall reign for ever even thy God O Sion unto all generations Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxlvii 1 PRaise ye the Lord for it is good to sing praises unto our God for it is pleasant and praise is coâ—ly 2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem he gathereth together the out-casts of Israel 3 He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds 4 He telleth the number of the stars he calleth them all by their names 5 Great is our Lord and of great power his understanding is infinite 6 The Lord lifteth up the meek he casteth the wicked down to the ground 7 Sings unto the Lord with thanks-giving sing praise upon the harp unto our God 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds who prepareth rain for the earth who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains 9 He giveth to the beast his food and to the young ravens which crie 10 He delighteth not in the strenght of horse he taketh not pleasure in the leggs of a man 11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercie 12 Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Sion 13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates he hath blessed thy children within thee 14 He maketh peace in thy borders and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat 15 He sendeth forth his commandement upon earth his word runneth very swiftly 16 He giveth snow like wooll he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes 17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels who can stand before his cold 18 He sendeth out his word and meltâ—th them he causeth his wind to blow and the waters flow 19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes his judgements unto Israel 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not known them Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxlviii 1 PRaise ye the Lord praise ye the Lord from the heavens praise him in the heights 2 Praise ye him all his Angels praise ye him all his hosts 3 Praise ye him sun and moon praise ye him all ye stars of light 4 Praise him ye heavens of heavens ye waters that be above the heavens 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded they were created 6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever he hath made a decree which shall not pass 7 Praise the lord from the earth ye dragons all deeps 8 Fire hail snow and vapour stormy wind fulfilling his word 9 Mountains and all hils fruitful trees and all Cedars 10 Beasts and aâ— cattel creeping things and flying fowl 11 Kings of the earth and all people Princes all Judges of the earth 12 Both young men and maidens old men and children 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is excellent his glorie is above the earth and heaven 14 He also exalteth the horn of his people the praise of all his saints even of the children of Israel a people near unto him Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxlix 1 PRaise ye the Lord sing unto Lord a new the song and his praise in the congregation of saints 2 Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Sion be joyfull in their King 3 Let them praise his nâ—me in the dance let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp 4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meek with salvatâ—â—â— 5 Let the saints be joyful in glorie let them sing aloud upon their beds 6 Let the high praiseâ— of God be in their mouth and a two edged sword in their hand 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishments upon the people 8 To bind their Kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron 9 To execute upon them the judgement written this honour have all his saints Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cl 1 PRaise ye the Lord praise God in his sanctuary praise him in the firmament of his power 2 Praise him for his mightie acts praise him according to his excellent greatness 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet praise him with the psaltery and harp 4 Praise him with the timbrel dance praiâ—e him with the stringed instruments and organs 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals praise him upon the high sounding cymbals 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.