they might not be touched they were thy Prophets and they might not be harmed touched harmed they might not be no no not when they were few in number yea very few and these few strangers in the land They then went from one Nation to another from one Kingdom to another people yet the Charge was Nolite tangere And in them Thou hast given us a pledge and pown what thou wilt do for thy Church in comparison of the great multitude of profane men and unbelievers 't is but a little flock few in number yea very few In the World these are strangers and they used as strangers they wander up and down in many Kingdoms Repress their wrongs suffer not the Devil and his Imâ—â—ments for ever to pursue them reprove the prondest Kings for their 〈◊〉 Give forth thy Command as once thou didst and let the Tyrants tremble 〈◊〉 it Touch not my Anointed and do my Prophets no harm And he unto those who will not hear it what thou wast unto Pharaoh and poure down the plagues of Aegypt upon their heads from ver 27. to 33. At this time There is a King risen amongst us that knowes not Joseph Ver. 17 he hath taken Counsel against us and works wisely and subtilly with thy servants as he thinks to root us out Joseph is sold for a Bond-servant his feet are hurt with fetters and the iron hath entred into his Soul This we hope is but thy are to try him to purge out his dross and not to consume him and now after so long a trial raise up the Spirits of Princes to loose him frée him from his Exile and unsufferable injuries by their hands Make him O Lord the Ruler of thy House and bless his substance Put power in his hands To bind Princes at his pleasure and give unto him so wise a heart That he may teach his Senators wisdom But we pray not for him alone we pray also for our selves who groan under Aegyptian bondage and a darkness that may be felt Hear our cries and ease our sorrows Send Moses thy servant to be our Deliverer and Aaron whom thou hast chosen to be our Teacher that so Truth and Peace may be restored at once to thy poor afflicted people The mercy is great we ask and far beyond our desert to crave and we except not to receive it upon any other Score than upon thy Holy Promise made with thy servant Abraham We are the seed of Abraham according to the Spirit we are the children of Jacob thy chosen O remember thy holy Covenant which thou madest for ever Thou art the Lord our God and thy judgements are in all the Earth Judge and revenge our cause O Lord so will we remember the marvellous works that thou hast done and the wonders and the judgements of thy mouth Then We will give thanks unto thee Ver. 1 O Lord and call upon thy Name we will make known thy deeds among the people we will sing unto thee yea we will sing Psalms unto thee we will talk of all thy wondrous works we will glory in thy Holy Name and it shall be the very joy and rejoycing of our hearts that we may seek the Lord. Séek thée we will hereafter with an honest and sincere heart and denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts our endeavour shall be to live righteously soberly and godlily in this present world being conscious to our own infirmities we will séek thy strength and we will séek it in the place where thine honour dwelleth Sensible we now are what grievous afflictions have béen upon us since thy face hath béen turned away and therefore for the future we will séek thy face thy grace thy favour evermore Be merciful O Lord look down from Heaven remove thy angry Brow Ver. 45 and look upon us with a chearful and serene Countenance and for it we vowe our selves to be thy Vassals and Servants Return unto thée we will not only the Tribute of our lips but the Tribute of our lives For we will observe thy Statutes and keep thy Lawes And with a loud voyce sing we will Allelujah Allelujah for evermore PSAL. CVI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Intention of the Prophet in this Psalm is To express Gods Long-suffering in bearing with rebellious sinners and yet his Mercy in pardoning them upon the Confession of their sins and turning to him both which he doth exemplifie by a long Narration of Israels Rebellions Repentance Turning to God and Gods dealing with them which gave him just occasion both to praise God and to pray for his Church and People The Contents of this Psalm are these 1. An Exhortation to praise God with the Reasons in general ver 1. and who are fit to perform this Duty ver 2 3. 2. A Petition and Prayer directed to God in his own person for the whole Church and the end of it ver 4 5. 3. A Confession of fin particularly of the Israelites together with Gods patience to them and his healing them upon their Repentance Toties quoties from ver 6. to 46. 4. His Prayer that God would collect his Church out of all Nations that they might meet and praise him ver 47 48. 1. Allelujah Praise ye the Lord O give thanks unto the Lord. The first part He incites to praise God To this the Prophet invites and that we stick the less at the performance by two Reasons he perswades unto it 1. Because he is good he is before-hand with us Ver. 1 and prevents men with many Benefits 2. Because his mercy endures for ever his mercy is everlasting and far exceeds our sins and miseries for after men have offended him and deserve no mercy yet his mercy is unconquerable for he receives to mercy penitent offendors 'T is but Reason then we praise him and magnifie his mercy Yea but now it may be said Quis idoneus ad haec Ver. 2 Who is sufficient for these things who fit to praise him and set forth his mercies Those fit to do it who keep judgment and do righteousness Who can utter the mighty Acts of the Lord that is the infinite Benefits in mercy exhibited to his people Or Who can shew forth all his Praise in conserving pardoning defending propagating his Church This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or right answer should be Who can none can Ver. 3 for we are all sinners and therefore all unworthy Praise being not comely in the mouth of a sinner But the Prophet gives in his answer another way They are only happy men who keep judgment and do righteousness at all times and by consequent fit to do this Duty they may speak of the mighty Acts of God with comfort and shew forth all his praise 1. They are happy in prosperity and adversity they dwell in the house of God under his protection 2. They keep his judgments follow in their lives the strict Rule of Divine Law by
both may very well stand together 1. Ver. 7 Let my soul live not only a natural but a spiritual life which is properly the life of the soul and the way to that life which is eternal 2. And it shall praise thee which should be the especial work of the soul here and shall be the great employment in Heaven 3. And let thy judgments help me Let thy judgments which I have kept be a comfort unto me and help me when I appear before thy Tribunal For I know thou wilt judge every man according to his works 4. He relies not on his obedience And yet David relies not on these he knew his works were not perfect and therefore in the last verse 1. He confesseth his Errours 2. Desires mercy 3. And protests his obedience 1. 1 For he confesseth his errours I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost Erravi I learned it from Adam his corrupt nature adheres to me hath and doth seduce me and I yet to my grief follow it so much I confess against my self notwithstanding all my sincerity all my diligence my seeking purpose resolution to keep thy Law Erroris medicina est confessio 1. But yet my errour hath been out of infirmity and simplicity I have erred as a sheep not as the Devil maliciously nor as a roaring Lyon malapertly and presumptuously proudly 2. But yet my errours have carried far from the Fold I am that lost sheep Luke 15. 2. 2 Asks mercy And upon it I petition for mercy O seek thy servant Thou which art the great Pastour that leftest the ninty nine feeding in the Wilderness to seek that sheep that wander'd from thee come thou Lord and by thy grace bring me home again seek me for by thy grace I seek thee 3. 3 Yet protests his service I seek thee where by thy grace I hope to find thee in a sincere obedidience to thy Will Seek me who am thy servant for I forget not thy Commandments Though I have fallen yet there remains some grace in me transgressed I confess I have yet I have not fallen into a full oblivion of thy Will as David was quickned by the Word so by it he is conserved when he fell the Word wakened him when wounded the Word cured him if at any time he resisted the Word armed him it went then well with him so long as he did not forget the Word The Prayer IT is thy Command O Lord that we ask séek and knock and thy promise is to give and open to such Ver. 1 in obedience to which thy Command I have so often sollicited thée and with servour of spirit and importunity of soul approached unto thy Throne of grace Let my cry O Lord come near before thee and my supplication be admitted in thy sight Ver. 2 and as I often have importuned thée make me wise not according to the methods of worldly wisdom but according to the rule of thy Word deliver me from the power of sin and malice of Satan I have chosen thy precepts and made thy Law my delight as well knowing that without the observation thereof I cannot hope for salvation This Lord I long for let thine hand then help me that I may fulfil thy Commandments and by my obedience come to everlasting life O spare me a little before I go hence and be no more seen but throughout that little remainder of my life let my soul live the life of grace then I shall praise thée then shall my lips utter and proclaim the equity of thy commands then shall my tongue intreat of thy Word even to the edification of others and make it known That thy Commandments are righteousness and of force to those who will take héed to them to reform all iniquity When I shall appear before thy Tribunal let thy judgments help me and when every man shall be judged according to his works let it be a comfort unto me that I have had a regard to thy Word in all my wayes This Lord I plead but not for my justification for many are my aberrations from thy Law I have gone astray like a lost sheep my corrupt nature hath seduced me and I have followed it O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Thou which art the great Shepherd that leftest the ninty nine in the Wilderness to séek that shéep which wander'd from thy Fold come Lord and by thy grace bring me home again séek me for by thy Spirit I séek unto thée and however in simplicity and 〈◊〉 I shall still erre yet by thy assistance maliciously and presumptiously I will no◠offend O Lord kéep me in the right way and write thy Law so 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 memory and heart that I may bear a great affection to and 〈…〉 Commandments Reclaim me from sin and make me obedient to thy Word for thy mercy-sake which thou hast fréely made known and fréely given to the World in thy Son Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Of the fifteen following Psalmes called Hammahaloth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Psalmes of Ascension or Degrees WHY the fifteen Psalmes following bear this Title it is not certainly known many conjectures there are of which the most likely are these 1. The first is of Rabbi David Kimchi and it is most generally received that there were fifteen steps by which the Priests ascended into the Temple upon every one of which the Priests standing sung one of these Psalms ascending by degrees from the lowest step to the highest and for this Reason these were called Psalms of Ascension or Degrees 2. A second opinion is that of Lyranus which is near to the former for he speaks not of the steps of the Temple but of a higher and more eminent place of the Temple where the Levites were wont to sing these fifteen Psalms daily and for this he conceives they were called Ascensions or Psalms of Degrees because they ascended unto that place to sing them 3. Rabbi Saadias conceives That Mahuloth had reference to a kind of Musick or Melody and when the word signifies an Ascent he supposeth that the Levites were thereby admonished that when they sang these Psalms they should sing with a full high voyce a degree higher than usual 4. Abenezra refers not these to the intention of the voyce in singing but to some Tune then commonly known to which these Psalmes were set 5. Some say they were set to be sung by the Jews when they came out of Captivity from Babylon and ascended to Jerusalem But this is not likely if David was the Author of them as is generally received More likely it is that they were composed to be sung by the way when they went up to the Temple yearly For they ascended with a Pipe Bellarmine hath this Moral of it that we ought still to ascend and be mounting upward from vertue to vertue or from one degree of vertue to another till we come to
Lord. Vers. 7 The administration of his Kingdom is 1. Eternal The Lord shall endure for ever Vers. 8 2. His Office to be Judge He hath prepared his Throne for judgement 3. He is an universal Judge He shall judge the whole world 4. He is a just Judge He shall judge in righteousness Which begets a confidence in his people he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness 5. He is a merciful Judge to his people Vers. 9 For the Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in time of trouble 5. The effect or consequent upon this his execution of justice which is the confidence thence arising in the hearts of his people which are here describ'd by their knowledge of God 2. Seeking him Vers. 10 They that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee 2. An Exhortation to others to praise God 2 He exhorts others to praise God Sing praises to the Lord that dwells in Zion that is in the midst of his people and Church to defend them Declare among the people his doings The second part Of which he assigns the reason that he is a just God and will require their blood at the hands of those that oppressed and slew them Vers. 11 An inquisition for blood he will make And when he makes inquisition for blood For his justice he remembreth them the innocent unjustly oppressed and slain Vers. 12 and forgets not the cry of the humble The cry of their blood shall be heard 3. A Petition for himself that God would shew him mercy 3 He Petitions for favour and look upon his affliction Have mercy upon me O Lord The third part consider the trouble of them that hate me thou that lifts me up from the gates that is the power of death Vers. 13 As if he had said Do by me now as thou hast done heretofore And the Reason or Argument by which he perswades God to hear him and shew mercy is drawn from the final cause Vers. 14 he looks not so much upon himself as Gods honour it is That he may have just cause to praise God which he vows That I may shew thy praise 2. All thy praise 3. In thy Church in the gates of the daughter of Zion 4. That I may do it with joyful lips 5. Which I will do I will rejoice in thy salvation 4. And then as if he were shewing forth this praise in the Congregation The fourth part he sings forth his Song of Triumph his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over his enemies in Metaphors And performs in a Song of Triumph 1. The heathen are sunk down into the pit that they made 2. In the net which they hid is their own foot taken 3. This is the Lords doing Vers. 15 Therefore though wicked men did doubt before of his providence and justice yet Vers. 16 now the Lord is known by the judgement he executes For 4. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah Which is a thing exceedingly to be meditated on and not forgotten 5. The wicked shall be turn'd to hell and all the people that forget God Vers. 17 their breath is in their nostrils and dye they must which is some comfort to those they oppress and if they repent not Vers. 18 suffer eternal punishment 2. But the chief comfort is The fifth part is A Petition and proceeds from Gods justice and his goodness toward the innocent unjustly oppressed For the needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever Their hope shall not be frustrate Vers 19 5. The Conclusion is Petitory Arise O Lord. Against the enemies of the Church 1. Let not man prevail over thy people 2. Let the heathen be judg'd in thy sight Vers. 20 3. Put them in fear O Lord now they fear nothing That they may fear being in their height and prosperity they are insolent and proud manifest thy divine presence to their terrour For then 4. And know themselves to be but men They will know themselves to be but men infirm and mortal creatures and not insult over thy people and glory upon their own strength and prosperity The Prayer and Hymn out of the ninth Psalm for the Church in affliction persecuted and oppressed by enemies I Will praise thee Vers. 1 O Lord with my whole heart and I will make known to others as much as in me lies those wonderful works which thou hast done for thy people in all ages Vers. 2 I will not be glad and rejoice so much in the vain and empty things of this life as in thée the giver of them and for that I will sing praise to thy name O thou most high higher than all things in this world and far beyond all praise that I can give For thou Vers. 7 Lord who art from all eternity and shall continue the same for ever Vers. 8 hast prepared thy seat to judge the world on which being ascended thou wilt judge the world in righteousness rewarding every man according to his deserts repaying good things to those who know thy name and séek thée but heavy judgements to those who dishonour thée and oppress thy people Have mercy upon me Vers. 13 O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me Vers. 4 O thou that sittest in the Throne and judgest right maintain my right and my cause Vers. 16 and lift me up from the power of death Make thy self known by executing judgement for me Vers. 3 O let my enemies be turn'd back and perish at thy presence Vers. 18 Forget not the cry of the needy and let not the expectation of the poor perish for ever Vers. 12 Make inquisition for that innocent blood of thy servants which they have poured out like water that cannot be gathered up again and forget not the voice of Abels blood that yet from the earth cryes unto thée O God we have heard with our ears and our Fathers have declared unto us the noble works that thou didst in their dayes and in the old time before them Vers. 5 how thou hast destroy'd the wicked and rebuked the heathen and put out their name for ever and ever Vers. 9 Arise therefore O Lord be a refuge to the oppressed Vers. 19 a refuge in this needful time of trouble let not man prevail and let thy enemies be judged in thy sight Put them in fear O Lord that they may know themselves that they are not God but weak infirm and mortal men Now they are proud of their victories and puff'd up with their successes O break the hardness of their heart with some calamities and fearful disasters that being brought to consider their own frail condition and intolerable insolence they may cease to pride it against thée and thy Church O thou enemy Vers. 6 thou breathest nothing but
the righteous but in that morning the upright shall have dominion over them They and their beauty shall consume together in the grave when the Lord shall exalt his Servants to eternal Glory Good God when thou hast blessed us with wealth and when we abound in honour give us understanding hearts that we think on these things that our time is short our riches vain our houses frail our honours fading that there is a life after this in which we must be happy or miserable so then let us set our hearts upon these transitory advantages that we never forget the desire of that life to come so use this World as if we used it not making it a passage to the celestial Canaan Amen PSAL. L. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Prophet by a Prosopopeia brings in God prescribing rules for his Worship The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then or the main debate in this Psalm is How God will be honour'd in his Church which because that none can teach but God himself therefore he brings him in speaking to his people Two general parts it hath 1. The Majesty and Authority of the person that is to judge this debate described from vers 1. to 7. 2. The sentence by him given from vers 7. to 23. The Prophet begins with an Elegant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calls an Assize The first part The Majesty and Authority of God the Judge summons a Court presents us with a Judge produceth Witnesses cites those who are to answer and having seated the Judge on the Throne gives forth his charge 1. He presents the Judge in Authority and Majesty The mighty God Vers. 1 even the Lord hath spoken He is Deus Deorum other gods there may be so called so feined but he is the God Almighty over them all vers 1. 2. The place whence he comes to judge is his Church Out of Zion the perfection of beauty God hath shined To Zion the Law was given and out of Zion the Law was to come according to which Law he would judge and therefore it was rightly said That out of Zion the Lord hath shined 3. His coming to judgement is like to be terrible It was so Vers. 3 when he gave his Law upon Mount Sinai and 't is like to be so when he shall come to require it Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about 2 Pet. 3.10 Luk. 21.25 26. Secondly Those that are cited here to appear before him Vers. 5 are call'd his Saints not only those who are truly such but all that bear the name Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me with Sacrifice i. e. undertaken to worship me as I have appointed Not as if others were excluded and should not come to judgement but because those they are who know his Will with whom God hath the contest in this place Vers. 1 Thirdly Against these he produceth his Witnesses The heavens the earth The Lord hath called the earth from the rising of the Sun Vers. 4 unto the going down thereof He shall call to the heavens above and to the earth that he may judge his people And the heavens shall declare his righteousness Witness his judgement to be just and other it could not be For God is Judge himself Next follows the Charge given by God himself the Judge to which The second part The charge at the Tribunal that he might win attention he thus prefaceth Hear O my people and I will speak O Israel and I will testifie against thee I am God even thy God Vers. 7 1. I am God therefore worship and obedience is due to me from all creatures 2. I am thy God thou my people therefore due from thee especially 3. I will speak judge and determine this Controversie about my Worship 4. I will testifie against thee and convince thee for what is amiss A double Worship there is 1. Ceremonial and External 2. 1 About outward worship Spiritual and Moral and I will speak and testifie of both First A duty then there was owing in Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Law which indeed I expect because I have commanded but let no man think that I am satisfied with the outward Act except they be brought perform'd and offer'd with an honest heart 1. I will not then reprove thee for thy Sacrifices or thy burnt-offerings Vers. 8 to have been continually before me These thou bringest and these I accept and that thou according to my Ordinance thou hast brought I reprove not But that thou think'st that by this External service howsoever performed 2 About inward worship without the outward rejected I am pleased and that for these thou deservest a pardon that is it which I reprove 2. For I without an inward reflexion upon that obedience unto my command and a sincere and loving faithful penitent heart in the offer of them will never think my self honour'd Vers. 9 I will take no Bullock out of thy house nor he-goats out of thy folds And that for two reasons 1. First I need them not I am rich and Opulent For every beast of the Forrest is mine Vers. 10 and the Cattle upon a thousand Hills I know all the fowls of the Mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine Vers. 11 if I were hungry I will not tell thee for the world is mine and the fulness thereof 2. My perfection is such that I need it not The gods of the Heathen may be pleased and fed as their Hierophantae taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indore carnium with the fumes of their Sacrifices and complain of starving when they were detain'd But think'st thou that I will eat the flesh of bulls Vers. 12 or drink the blood of goats I need no meat of thy provision Upon these terms then these Sacrifices though of mine own institution please me not Ex antithesi then I shall acquaint thee with those Sacrifices that worship which will please 2. Inward worship required which hath two parts And here begins the second part of the Charge concerning Moral and Spiritâ—â— Worship which is Synecdochically declared by the two parts of prayer Thanksgiving and Petition or Invocation 1. Vers. 14 Thankfulness he expects Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most High 2. Vers. 15 Invocation he looks for And call upon me in the day of trouble Which being done he makes an Indenture with us 1. On his part that he will deliver us I will deliver thee 2. On our part that we return him the Glory of our deliverance And thou shalt glorifie me 3. No worship accepted from hypocrites And yet here he puts in his exception against some men viz. Hypocrites and impious men For praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner and a petition presented by an obstinate rebellious profane soul shall not be heard To such he
Psalm with an Epiphonema in which he perswades all good men to consider the former Premises and lay it to heart To observe the whole course of Gods Providence that they impute not the Changes of the World to Chance and Fortune nor be overmuch dejected at them but rather bless God for all as Job did 1. The righteous shall see it Consider and seriously meditate upon it 2. And rejoyce when they are assured that God is their Guardian and that therefore the Crosses which he layes upon them are trials for their good not for their ruine 3. And all iniquity shall stop her mouth By observation of the event at last evil doers shall not have occasion to laugh and blaspheme and find fault with Gods wayes but confess That all was by God justly done and wisely disposed But this is a Consideration not for every brain 't is for wise men that look afar off and think on it 1. Who is so wise will observe these things That is vicissitudes and changes of this World 2. And they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord It shall appear unto them at last how ineffable his mercy is toward them which truly fear him and call upon his Name but our life is hid with Christ in God The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and seventh Psalm O Omnipotent God when we look upon the strange vicissitudes and alterations of the things of this World our faith would waver and our hearts would faint were we not assured that all things are guided by thy hand and over-ruled by thy Providence and secret Will and Counsel Ver. 1 Who art good and whose mercy endures for ever Be it then that we are brought to wander in the Wilderness in a solitary way that we be pilgrims and strangers and have no City to dwell in that we are oppress'd with hunger and dryed up with thirst so that our soul is ready to faint within us yet will we not despair In our trouble to thée will we cry to thée will we make our moan nothing doubting but that if it shall be for thy glory and our good Thou wilt deal by us as thou hast done formerly with thy servants them thou hast deliver'd from their distresses those thou hast led forth by the right way and brought to dwell in their own Cities and Habitations Thou hast satisfied their longing souls and filled their hungry souls with good things which since thou art good and thy mercy endureth for ever we are in good hope Thou wilt do for us Redéem O Lord thy banished and bring them home So shall we praise thee for thy goodness and declare thy wonderful works which thou dost for the Children of men Long it is O merciful God That we have sate in darkness Ver. 10 and in the shadow of death our back is bowed down with many iron hands that we cannot lift up our head our heart is brought low through affliction and we find none to help and all this is justly come upon us because we have rebelled against the words of our God and contemned the Counsel of the most High We have not done thy Will nor kept thy Commandments but have set up abominations and have multiplied offences But now O Lord in our trouble we cry unto thée we how the knées of our hearts beséeching thée of grace forgive forgive O Lord and destroy us not with our iniquities Save us Lord from our distresses bring us out of this darkness and shadow of death and break our Bands asunder break these gates of Brass and cut asunder these Bands of Iron so shall we thy redeemed praise thee O Lord for thy goodness all the dayes of our lives and declare the wonderful works which thou dost for the children of men O Lord I confess against mine own soul that I have béen seduced and pielded to many foolish lusts of the flesh Ver. 17 and because of this my iniquity and transgression I am justly afflicted and séel no whole part in my body that thou shouldst lengthen out my dayes any farther I sée no hope my disease is so grievous That my soul abhorreth all manner of meat and my vital spirits so far spent That I am drawing to the gates of death To whom O Lord should I flie but to thée To whom should I cry in this my trouble but to thée O God be merciful to thy servant and press me not beyond my strength save me out of my distress send out thy Word and heal me and deliver me from destructions O let not thy fierce anger go beyond a fatherly correction and in judgment remember thy mercy that endures for ever So shall I whom Thou hast redeemed from the jawes of death praise thee my God for thy goodness and for thy wonderful works to the children of men I will sacrifice the Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and declare thy works with rejoycing O Lord our Vocation calls upon us to go down to the Sea in Ships and to negotiate Ver. 23 and do our business in great waters where we see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep At thy Command the stormy wind ariseth and the waves of the Sea are lifted up Tossed we are and mount up to Heaven and by and by we go down to the bottom of the Sea so that there we dwell in the shadow of death and our soul is melted and faints because of the present trouble we reel too and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at our wits end for our wisdom and our skill then fails us our sole refuge is in our prayers In this instant of our trouble as thou hast commanded We cry unto thee look down upon thy servants who in the abyss of the Seas and the abyss of our trouble invocate the abyss of thy mercies bring us out of these distresses Thou which didst command the winds and rebuke the Seas and they obeyed thée Make the storm a calm Rebuke the furious winds and waves and still them by thy power make us glad by rescuing us from the present danger and quietly bring us to the desired Haven So will we praise thee O Lord for thy goodness and for thy wonderful works to the children of men And when we come to land We will exalt thy Name in the Congregation of thy people and praise thee in the Assembly of the Elders O Lord we set our minds too much upon earthly things and attribute too much to Nature and second Causes whereas all the power that is in the Creature is from thée and that restraint that is upon the Creature procéeds from thée Remove from our hearts this heavy and gross ignorance and impiety and make us know and acknowledge that it is thy hand That turns Rivers into a Wilderness and a land water'd with pleasant Springs into a dry ground by which a fruitful land becomes barren But in this change thy Iustice O Lord is exalted by this thou shewest
David's HARP Strung and Tuned Or an easie ANALYSIS Of the whole BOOK of PSALMS Cast into such a Method that the Summe of every Psalm may quickly be collected and remembred With a Devout MEDITATION or PRAYER At the end of every Psalm framed for the most part out of the words of the Psalm and fitted for several Occasions By the Reverend Father in GOD WILLIAM by the Divine providence Lord Bishop of Gloucester LONDON Printed for William Leake and are to be sold at the sign of the Crown in Fleet-street between the two Temple-Gates 1662. To the Right Honorable EDWARD EARLE of CLARENDON Viscount Combury Baron of Hyndon Lord High Chancellor of ENGLAND and Chancellor of the University of OXFORD and one of His MAJESTIES most Honorable Privy Councel Right Honorable A KING and a Prophet greet you well And yet it is the same Person under two names who under either notion I presume shall be welcome For you have a King in your heart and admit the Prophet into your bosome The great services you perform to the one and the great affections you bear and real courtesies you do the other hath embolâ—â—ed me to present these my Meditations unto your protection I shall lesse fear the rigid Censures of others if in your Lordships deep judgment I have contributed the least mite that may help forward devotion You are the great Moderator of the rigor of the Law and therefore what I cannot claim in justice I humbly beg in equity that is a favourable sentence for exposing these my crude conceptions under your Name and I am enough honoured if no dishonour be cast upon you by fixing your Honors name to a Work so unworthy This indeed I had not done had not your Lordships favour in particular obliged me to it 'T is by your Lordships influence upon me that I glimmer as a little Star in the Church and that I yield a more vigorous luster is your Lordships endeavor for which I have little to return but thanks in this poor acknowledgment That you are a Patron to the Muses in general is too large and universal Propositions are as Catholica Catholick medicines that cure few That you have been a Patron to my studies puts life into my old blood not to be faint and weary A vice to which old age is subject that is to waste and go out except there be oile in the Lamp That I no sooner medled with this subject was because I durst not The Mysteries herein contain'd and the Art in the delivery were so superlative that I always held them fit for a mature judgment which by length of years and observation is heightned in old men till they wrack upon dotage Besides I have observed that the best of Expositors have presented their thoughts upon the Psalms in their riper years and made them one of their last works Heavenly raptures they met with in this Book which raised their spirits and hearts and beforehand prepared them to that place to which they did approach I have therefore written after their Copy and brought it to light as the child of my old age and then 't is supposed there may be many infirmities in it which that your Lordship cover with your mantle will be a signal Act of charity The Motive that chiefly was most powerful with me to undergo this task were those Meditations and Devotions of others which I used and perused upon these Hymns These to my judgment weak I confesse relish'd more of the Composers own Cenius than of Davids spirit To remedy this I conceived no better way than to compose the Prayer in Davids words which for the most part is here done and though the order of the Verses be here often inverted yet this is done for the better Connexion of the whole The scope and intent of the Psalmist is strictly observed Pray and Sing we ought with understanding and that is not possible till we understand what we Pray or Sing Now to beget this knowledge in those whom I do desire to animate and render devout in those duties the easiest way I could think on was to present the whole Summe of every Psalm in a brief Synopsis This consideration produced that Analysis which I here offer How happily or unhappily this is perform'd I leave it to your Lordships exacter judgment And yet there was another reason which cast me on this Subject The face of the times were sad and cloudy and our Mother the Church in a mourning weed as Rachel lamenting for her children because they were not and yet upon the promises of God there was hope of a resurrection As then those who accompany their dearest friends to their last home though covered over with vests of sadnesse yet mourn not as men without hope So I in this doleful and general funeral as it were of this our Mother followed her to the grave as the bitter and enraged enemies of hers hoped and boasted with a sad heart and waterish eye and yet in this depth of sorrow I received this comfortable assurance that the day of resurrection would appear for Zion that her walls would be rebuilt and flourish which beyond my expectation God be blessed for it I have lived to see and by your Lordships favor enjoy a large and honorable portion in it Now that I might have somewhat suitable and at hand ready to expresse both these passions I could not find any part of Scripture so apt and pertinent as this little Epitom of the whole By which I have been taught to grieve and hope to lament and joy to complain to my God and comfort my self in the deepest of those complaints with those lively and inspiriting encouragements which this Swan of Bethlehem hath left to be sung by all the good people of God in their extremities The whole is Davids the Method only mine and if it shall find a Candid interpretation from others and a favorable acceptation from your Honour you shall oblige me to remain what I am Your Lordships in all due observance WILL. GLOUCESTER A PREFACE To the EXPOSITION of the Psalms THERE is no way by which Man may learn but by the same God vouchsafes to teach him There is Liber Naturae and Liber Scripturae The Book of his Creatures and his Book of Scriptures The Book of his Creatures is as it were a great Common-place Book written in Folio for all Nations and Languages and able to Catechize all men in these two Principles That there is a God and that he is to be worshipped 2. Sect. But his Book of Scriptures is as it were his own Book of Statutes written for his own peculiar people the Church wherein by Precepts he instructs by Requests he exhorts by Promises he allures by Threats he terrifies and therefore hath he sent his servants for the attaining of these ends with divers qualities Some like Moses to teach some like Esau to comfort some like Jeremy to mourn but David with his
Harp to do all this So that of Cassiadore is true That the Book of the Psalms is a spiritual Library of most kind of Doctrines fit for Meditations c. As Ambrose Commune quoddam Medicinae promptuarium 3. Sect. The whole is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and came from one and the same Fountain One Word and Wisdom of God revealed these words to the sons of men one Holy Ghost indited them one Blood of the Lamb sealed them one Spirit of Inspiration moved in the Pen-men that set them down one Spouse of Christ hath received them and preserved them so that we may not nor dare not prefer one Prophet before another nor Evangelist before Evangelist or Apostle before Apostle In this House they are all Vessels of equal Honour and Authority Moses is no better than Samuel David a King than Amos the Heardsman not Peter than Luke or Luke than Paul 4. Sect. Notwithstanding as the parcels of this Book were published and delivered by divers Notaries in divers Ages and on divers Occasions so also may they serve for divers ends and purposes though all to make the Man of God perfect Precepts of Life and Worship we read in Moses Examples of Virtue and Piety in the Histories Predictions Promises and Threats in the Prophets the plain and true Doctrine of Salvation in the Evangelists and Epistles 5. Sect. But the Book of the Psalms is so composed that it comprehends whatsoever may be useful in all these so that it is much like the Israelites Manna which tasted and relished according to every mans desire and necessity Prophesies we find here to settle Promises to stay the wavering spirit In brief many Stories to delight a curious Reader Examples of Virtue enough and enough Rules for practice good store Dehortations from Vice Exhortations to Virtue Judgments brought on the wicked Mercies multiplied upon the righteous In a word A whole Treasury of Divine Truth 6. Sect. The Temptations and Afflictions of good men cannot be so many but in these Psalms they may find ease and remedy nor their Affections in Piety so inflamed but here they may find Forms to express them 1. Sect. For do our sins lie as a weight of Lead upon our souls or doth the heavy wrath of God sadden and molest the Conscience Here are words to be found that being sent up to God with Davids spirit may ease it Do Tyrants oppress us Doth the malice of man pursue us Do friends in this case forsake us nay which is more than all this Doth God from Heaven seem to write bitter things against us Whence can we fetch more ready and certain comfort than from this little Manual 2. Sect. Would you meditate on Gods Benefits keep a Record of his Providence Need you Exhortations to Piety Are your hearts inflamed to pray to or to praise God Not a Book of the Old or New Testament that can sooner and to more effect satisfie your desires than this What is it I pray that you may not learn out of the Psalms Here you may find ready made a Buckler of Fortitude the exact Scale of Justice a Rule for grave Temperance absolute Prudence the way of Repentance the Rules of Patience some of these may be fetch 't out of other Authors but not upon such grounds never instill'd from the like spirit 3. Sect. But I am yet too low Here you may learn the great Mysteries of Christianity and that stupendious good Will of God to all Mankind the whole work of mans Redemption the Incarnation the Passion the Resurrection the Ascension of the Son of God is so lively in divers Psalms expressed as if David had been an Eye-witness rather than a Prophet and to write a Story rather than a Prediction Sect. To collect all If our Patience be to be strengthned in our Afflictions if we are to call and cry to God for his help in Extremities if our Hope be to be under-prop'd if our Love and Piety be to be inflamed if our Faith to be confirmed about the great Mysteries of our Redemption if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be given to God in the exercise of which all the power of Religion doth consist every good and pious man ought to betake himself to this rich Treasury destined by God to these uses and yet left to us for those uses that we should not be to seek for comfort when we need nor for Forms of Thanksgiving when we have received 2. Sect. Now that all these advantages might the better be apprehended by us and have the deeper impression in us it hath pleased the Spirit of God to convey unto us in Poetry and Musical Numbers all this for God saw how hardly man would be drawn to that which is good and how prone we are to that which delights and therefore as skilful Physitians lap up their bitter Pills in sugar lest the sick Patient should be averse to what will restore and recover him so hath God by the smoothness of Musick conveyed his Precepts to the ear that listning to what we delight in we might at the same time learn what might do us good Sect. Scarce any Prophetical Prediction or Prophetical Precept is by the Vulgar remembred beyond the Church-door but the tune of the Psalms and the words too are longer lived Pueri modulantur domi vivi foro circumferunt That was the use in Basil's time and would it were in use still our Lives would be more holy and our Passions more calm For a Psalm doth calm the waves of our passions and quiet the soul it pacifies the anger of the mind and cools the flames of wantonness A Psalm unites friends reconciles enemies knits together disagreeing souls for who can think that man his enemy with whom he hath joined his voyce in singing a Psalm to his God Charity is the chiefest good amongst men of which the consent of the voyce puts us in mind A Discord we make in this heavenly Musick so often as there is not an union of souls as well as voyces in this Quire he sings out of Tune that is not in Charity Sect. This Symphony drives away evil spirits this Harmony brings the Angels to our help this is our Armour in the darkness of the night with this we ease the labour of the day A Psalm is an Ornament in the mouths of children and young men a comfort to the aged the best dress for women an honour to Virgins it is the work of the Angels the study of the Saints a spiritual sacrifice and a shadow of your future happiness this this Symphony beautifies our Festivals and graces all our Service To Beginners in Religion it is a Rudiment to Proficients an increase in grace to perfect men a foundation The voyce of the whole Church being in harmony and but one sets babes and sucklings to learn Hosanna better Scholars to go on in their praise and old Mâ—asons to rejoyce that their God should be thus honoured with many
by oppressing tyrants do prostrate our selves before thy Throne of mercy Vers. 1 and earnestly beséech thée to look upon our afflictions and not for ever to hide thy face from us O Lord why standest thou so far off as if thou hadst deposed all care of us and hadst quite forgotten us why hidest thou thy self and withdrawest thy eye thy hand thy help in this néedful time of trouble when our present calamities are so great that now we stand in most néed of thy ayd and succour The wicked being exalted to dignity and power Vers. 2 in the pride of his heart doth persecute the poor breathing nothing but fire and flames to devour thy people he conspires makes Leagues and takes counsel to oppress the just The wicked boasteth and gloryeth Vers. 3 that he hath attain'd to what his heart and soul desired and the covetous wretch flyes upon other mens goods Sacred and prophane Vers. 4 he catcheth and heaps up riches and blesseth himself in his rapine judging that he is the sole happy man Yea as if it were too little to insult over poor miserable men he abhorreth even the Lord he laughs at and contemns the anger and judgement of thee our God as if he were gotten to that heighth Vers. 4 that he should never be cast down Through the pride of his countenance he snuffeth at thee he saith in his heart There is no God No God that will regard Vers. 5 enquire into and avenge the deeds of men There hath been hitherto success and prosperity in his wayes and therefore his endeavours are alway grievous afflictive and heavy through oppression thy judgements are far above out of his fight he considers not that there is another day when the works of all men shall be examin'd and their impious works punished and therefore he goes on securely and puffs at contemns derides and with the breath of his mouth thinks to blow away all those he counts his enemies Vers. 6 He sings a Requiem to his soul He hath said in his heart I shall never be removed I shall never be cast down from this state and honour dignity and power from generation to generation I shall not be in adversity Yea Vers. 7 his mouth is full of cursing deceit and fraud under his tongue is mischief and vanity He is of a fraudulent and insidious nature and that he may the easilier cover this his craft and subtilty to deceive the imprudent he will not stick to bind himself with a vow an oath a curse when under these fair and religious words there lies nothing but vanity mischief and poyson And at last when all these frauds and deceits break forth as a high-way-man Vers. 8 he sits in the lurking-places of the Villages in the secret places he murders the innocent Vers. 9 his eyes as those of an Archer are privily levelling and aiming at the goods and life of the poor What by his For-like fraud he cannot compass he will do by violence for he lieth in wait secretly as a Lyon in his Den he lieth in wait to catch the poor harmless man when he takes him in his net he destroye him He fasts he prayes Vers. 10 he croucheth he humbleth himself that the Congregation of the poor may fall into the hands of his Captains or strong Ones O God his impiety his pride his covetousness his cruelty his hypocrisie his perjury is so great Vers. 11 because he hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hides his face and will never see it Arise O Lord lift up thy hand Vers. 12 hitherto thy hand hath séemed remiss and féeble in our protection but now O God declare thy power and shew the strength of thy arm and smite these our enemies on the cheek-bone let it never be cast in our téeth that thou hast forgotten the humble Why should he dare with his blasphemies thus to contemn and revile thee Why should he say in his heart Thou wilt not require it that thou carest not for things below Vers. 13 that thou wilt not punish the wicked nor avenge the just The imaginations of mans heart are but vain for surely thou hast seen it Vers. 14 for thou behold'st mischief and spite thou weighest the mischievous actions and spiteful dealings of the wicked against the innocent Vers. 15 to requite and revenge it in a season best known to thée And therefore O Lord we thy poor afflicted people as destitute of help as poor Orphans depriv'd of their Parents look for no humane succour nor seek after unlawful wayes but commit our selves and cause wholly to thee who art the helper and hast promised relief to the fatherless Break thou the arm and power of the wicked and evil man Vers. 16 seek our and take away his wickedness that there may remain no sign or step of his impiety punish him till thou find nothing to punish being condemn'd let him perish and come to eternal ignominy and contempt So shall thy people have reason to bless thee Vers. 17 break forth into singing and say The Lord is King for ever and ever and the wicked are perish'd out of the good land which he hath given to his people for an inheritance They are rooted out of the land of the living Thou O Lord art a gracious God Vers. 18 for thou hast heard the desire of the humble Hear us now then now in our distress O good God prepare our hearts to ask and cause thine ear to hear our Petitions Iudge the fatherless who is destitute of counsel help and strength frée thy oppressed people from the tyranny of the Oppressour let not the man of the earth who is from the earth and minds nothing but the earth be any longer exalted So shall thy afflicted people sing of thy mercies and return thée due praises through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XI In this Psalm David manifests his confidence in God in the midst of his extremities IT is composed Dialogue-wise betwixt David and those his Counsellours that perswaded to fly to some place of safety from Sauls fury which if he did not he was in a desperate condition It hath two parts 1. He brings in his Counsellours words vers 1 2 3. 2. To which he returns his answer vers 1. and confirms it vers 4. ad 7. 1. The first part The advice of Davids Counsellours You my Counsellours whether of good or bad will I know not tempt me that deposing all hope of the Kingdom I go into perpetual banishment such you say Sauls fury is against me Thus you advise Flee as a bird unto the mountain and your Arguments are Vers. 1 1. Vers. 2 The greatness of the danger I am in For lo the wicked bend their bow they make ready their arrow upon the string Their reasons that they may privily shoot at upright in heart 1 The great danger 2. The want of aid and assistance There was no hope of help For the foundations were cast
places but especially The excellencies of the Church In the City of our God in the Mountain of Holiness Then he descends to set forth the Excellencies and Ornaments of the Church 1. It is the City of God Built govern'd by him He resides there 2. It is a Holy Mountain The Religion in it Holy The people a Holy people 3. Vers. 2 It is Beautiful for Situation God had put his beauty upon it 4. The joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion The joy of all the Land of Juda then and after of the whole earth Because the Law was to come out of Zion 5. The City of the great King that is God He founded it and rules in it Vers. 3 6. God is known in her Palaces In her is the knowledge of God yea and by an experimental knowledge to be an Asylum a sure refuge 2. And well it is that it is so for Jerusalem i.e. The Church hath many The second part The enemies of the Church and great enemies which vers 5. the Prophet begins to describe and desires that notice be taken of them for he points them out with an Ecce Fâ—r Lo. 1. They are many and powerful They were Kings a plurality of them Vers. 4 2. Confederate Kings The Kings were assembled Many and Mighty But prevail nor Vis unita fortior But all the endeavours of these Kings of these Confederate Kings came to nothing 1. They passed by together Together they came and together they vanished Vers. 5 2. They saw they wondered They saw the strength of this City and wondered how it should be so strangely delivered out of their hands And troubled at it 3. And upon it they were troubled they trembled and hasted away Fear took hold upon them Which the Prophet illustrates by a double Similitude 1. By a travailing woman Fear and trembling took hold upon them Vers. 6 as upon a woman in travail 2. By the fear of Mariners at Sea Vers. 7 when an Euroclydon threatens to tear their shâ—p Their amazement was such Gods protection of her as when Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an East-wind 3. Now follows the third part of the Psalm The third part in which are two especial points 1. A grateful acknowledgement of Gods protection of his Church 1 Gratitude Vers. 8 as he promised As we have heard so have we seen in the City of our God Heard we have that he will protect this City and we see that he hath done it and perswaded we are that he will alwayes do it God upholds the same for ever 2. And this shall never be forgotten by us Vers. 9 We have thought upon thy Name O Lord and loving-kindness in the midst of thy Temple 3. And so thought of it as to praise thee for it According to thy Name so is thy praise O God to the ends of the earth Vers. 10 All the earth shall know that thy righ-hand is full of righteousness That thou with a powerful hand dost help thy people oppressed with injuries and dost punish their enemies by which thou dost give a manifest evidence of thy righteousness and justice The other point of the third part is an Exhortation to Gods people 1. That they exult and rejoice for that which God does for them 2 To which the Church is incited Let Mount Zion rejoice let the daughters of Judah be glad because of thy judgements in defending thy Church Vers. 11 in punishing their enemies 2. That they take especial notice of his miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem with all the particulars of it that notwithstanding the Army was great that lay against it yet no harm was done to any part of it Walk about Zion and go round about her and tell the Towers thereof Vers. 12 Mark ye well her bulwarks and consider her palaces See mark consider whether they are not all yet standing entire 3. And do it for this That you may tell it to the generation following Vers. 13 Leave it upon Record how miraculously God hath delivered you 4. Now for this there is good reason For this God Vers. 14 This God that so protects and defends his Church and takes revenge for us is our God by Covenant and promise for ever and ever and he will for ever keep this Covenant with us He will be our guide even unto death and in death Leave us he will not when all the world leaves us Therefore exult rejoice mark it and make it known to the generation to come The Prayer collected out of the forty eighth Psalm O Lord God of Israel Vers. 1 thou which dwellest betwixt the Cherubints thou art the God even thou alone of all the Kingdoms of the earth and yet amongst these thou hast erected to thy self an everlasting Kingdom and set thy King upon thy Holy Hill of Zion this thou hast chosen to be the City of our God the Mountain of Holiness This thou hast seated on a fruitful Hill ordained to be the joy of the whole earth In this City of the great king and in her Palaces thou hast hitherto made thy self known for a sure refuge Lord bow down thine ears and hear Lord now open thine eyes and see for lo the Kings of Nations are assembled they passed by together and are confederate against thee they lay their heads together with one consent and take counsel how they may lay Jerusalem in the dust O Lord let not our sins be of more power to destroy than thy mercy to save this thy City shew thy strength and come and help us let all our enemies be troubled let them hast away let fear take hold suddenly upon them as the pangs upon a woman in travail Break their power and dissipate their Armies as ships at Sea are broken to pieces by some violent and unexpected wind O Lord we have heard with our ears and our fathers have declared unto us what thou hast done in the dayes of old As we have heard so let it be seen in the City of our God make us experimentally to know that thou wilt establish this thy City thy Church for ever So shall we have just reason to think of thy loving-kindness and to magnifie thy mercy in the midst of thy Temple Vers. 13 to praise thy name to the ends of the Earth to exalt thy right-hand so full of righteousness to speak of thy judgements and to tell of all thy wonderous works to all generations to come O let Mount Zion rejoice and the daughters of Judah be glad for the bulwarks that yet stand fast and the palaces that flourish proclaim that this God is our God for ever and ever that he is a great Lord and greatly to be praised and that he will be our guide unto death Amen PSAL. XLIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AND the Doctrine it teacheth is That rich men be not proud of their wealth nor poor men dejected and troubled at their mean estate since all
indulgence to this sin In giving him 1. A right spirit there was a crooked and perverse spirit that had prevailed over him he judged not as he did before of Gods Law but perversly opposed it he desires that God would give him a spirit to judge rightly as he did before and firmly to resolve to keep to that was the right and strait way to happiness Renew O Lord in me a right Spirit 2. A holy Spirit The profane carnal spirit is opposed to this 2 A boly spirit and to that he hearkned by this holy Spirit he was wont to be carried which opposed all carnality but such good and sweet motions he perceived to be departed and therefore he desires of God a restitution of this holy Spirit this sanctifying and renewing Spirit that might again kindle in him the love of God holy motions agreeable to Gods Law and an obedience to the same Take not thy holy Spirit from me 3. A free Spirit He found that ever since he fell into his sin he did his duty 3 A free spirit and served his God with an ill will with much reluctancy he took no delight in the doing of it as he did before this therefore he begs that God would again give and restore to him a free Spirit that freely chearfully willingly he might run the way of Gods Commandments and that he would so uphold him with his Spirit that he might constantly continue in the same to his lives end Uphold me O Lord with thy free Spirit 2. Hitherto the Prophet hath presented his three Petitions The second part of the Psalm in which he vows three things and upon the confidence of these he makes his vows first to teach others secondly to praise God thirdly to offer him the best sacrifice a sacrifice which should be instead of all sacrifices which he knew would accept a contrite heart 1. Then that is after my pardon obtained and my reconciliation unto thee I shall teach Ver. 13 for a man under guiltiness himself is not meet to speak and declare a pardon to others His first vow to teach others 2. I will teach thy wayes to sinners not my wayes of sinning but thy methods of pardoning viz. That to the stubborn thou wilt shew thy self froward and stubborn but to the penitent such as I am thou wilt shew mercy 3. And the effect will be That sinners shall be converted unto thee They who were perverted before and averted from thee being encouraged by the mercy I have found shall be converted 2. His second vow to praise God His second vow and promise is to praise God My tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness Ver. 14 my mouth shall shew forth thy praise But to this he was unapt so long as he remained in his sin Ver. 15 for praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner And also unable to do without Gods special assistance But because not fit to do this he prayes and therefore he prayes for a capacity to do both 1. 1 For remission Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God and then my tongue shall sing 2. 2 For assistance O Lord open my lips and then my mouth shall shew forth thy praise 3. His third vow is about a sacrifice which should be better than any then in use not the sacrifice of a beast but the sacrifice of a heart a heart well-conditioned His Preface to his third vow Negatively That God delights not in sacrifices seasoned with contrition and sorrow such he knew God would accept and such he should have 1. Thou desirest no sacrifice That is the outward in comparison of the inward would the outward please I would not be behind for that also I would give it thee but I know Thou delightest not in burnt-offerings without the heart 2. Nor in the heart till contrite No nor with the heart neither till it be broken and contrite broken for sin and contrite for meer love that it hath offended so good a Father I vowe therefore to bring thee this sacrifice this is instead of all other instead of many sacrifices this thou wilt not despise and this I will tender The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit His third vow a contrite heart The third part in which he prayes for the Church a broken and a contrite heart Thou O God wilt not despise 3. David having finished his prayers and vows for himself forgets not to petition for Jerusalem for Gods Church and the reason might be a religious fear in him lest for his sin Jerusalem might suffer such a thing might happen for so it did when he numbred the people Peccant Reges plectuntur Achivi His method was to be commended and his charity 1. His method first to be reconciled to God himself before he prayes for others for the prayers of a righteous man prevails much and the Apostle speaks of intercession 2. His charity for we are alwayes bound to remember the afflictions of Joseph and to pray for the peace of Jerusalem He prayes then for her 1. Ver. 18 That God who out of his good pleasure did choose a Church would out of his meer good will and love preserve it 1 That God protect his Church Do good in thy good pleasure to Zion 2. That he would have a special favour even to the material buildings Build thou the walls of Jerusalem 2 Even the walls for these fall not alone Religion and the Service of God fall when the Temple and Houses of God fall to ruine Probatum est 3. Then Religion would flourish For the consequence of Jerusalems prosperity would be this That Religion would flourish with it Then there would be sacrifices burnt-offerings and Holocausts Ver. 19 then they shall offer Bullocks upon thine Altar And which is yet more we shall offer And God pleased with it and thou shalt accept Then thou shalt be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness We being reconciled unto thee justified sanctified righteous upon thy account and in favour all our sacrifices shall find a gracious acceptance The Prayer collected out of the fifty first Psalm O Almighty Lord and most merciful God thou hast shewed compassion to many penitent sinners since the very beginning of the World thou never rejectedst any that sought to thée with a penstent soul and therefore Lord since thou art the same and no shadow of change in thée I beféech thée cloze not that door of mercy on me that hath béen opened to receive so many before me and let not those Rivers of compassion be dried up to me that have flowed so plentifully to others Have mercy on me O Lord on me Ver. 1 that have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am not worthy to be called thy son but according to thy goodness and multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquities I know Lord thou hast thy debt-book wherein thou writest the
transgressions of them with a pen of Iron and point of a Diamond with whom thou mindest to enter into judgment let not me O Lord be of that number let not my debt stand registred in that Book but of thy mercy and not my merit put it away and blot it out for if my sin stand upon thy account I am but a dead man Lord quicken me Lord forgive me my trespass and put away the hand-writing of thy Ordinance that is against me O Lord if thou wash me not I shall have no part with thée spots I have Ver. 2 that are not the spots of a son pollutions that are of a scarlet dye wash me then by thy vower from iniquity and cleanse me by thy Spirit from my sin or else as an Aethiop I shall never change my spots O Lord lest my uncleanness banish me from my fellowship with thée wash I beséech thée not my féet only but my hands and my head also Wash my féet that is my unclean affections wash my hands that is my unclean actions and wash my head that is my unclean imaginations cleanse me in all that the pollution of any do not cast me from thy presence O Lord I do not hide and conceal the iniquity of my bosom Ver. 3 I séek not to cover it as hitherto I have done but behold now I know it I acknowledge it I confess it to thée against my self therefore shew Lord some pity and compassion upon a miserable sinner and forgive it my sin is ever before me do thou therefore cast it behind thy back My sin is so secret to the eye of the World that no eye beholds it Ver. 4 to them I séem to be what I am not from them I find no trouble but thou O Lord art he to whom all creatures must render an account against thee then against thee I confess that I have grievously offended and done evil in thy sight and therefore it is not O Lord without cause that I suffer these heavy things from thy hands I have deserved them all and given thée just Reason to procéed against me as thou hast done and now I here acknowledge it before the world that thou mayest be justified and have the praise of righteousness even in those things which by the hands of men thou hast brought upon me Righteous art thou O Lord and just in thy judgments I know that in me that is in my flesh there dwells no good thing it is not one Fact only in which I am culpable Behold I was born in iniquity and in sin hath my mother conceived me A Transgressor I have béen from the womb for that bitter root of sin ingraffed in my nature hath gathered strength and shot forth new branches my understanding is darkned my will perverted and my affections bent to evil so that I am truly abominable in thy sight and ashamed of my self especially being conscious to those foul and enormous actual sins that grow from this polluted féed Behold Thou lovest Truth in the inward affections but wo is me I am a man of a double heart Thou hast often instructed my conscience by many secret motions of thy holy Spirit and taught me the way of wisdom but I foolishly have given a check to those inspirations and strayed like a lost shéep in the wayes of folly the light of my conscience I have put out and against my own knowledge I have transgressed Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin I thank God through Iesus Christ my Lord he hath shed his blood for me he alone is my Iesus Purge me then O Lord not with hyssop but with his blood nor Sope nor Niter nor Fullers Sope can make me clean but that stream which issued out of his wounds and side Purge me then with this blood and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow though my sins were as scarlet yet I shall be whiter than wool though they be red like crimson yet 〈◊〉 shall be white as the driven snow O Lord I hear within me the accusing voyce of a disquiet conscience which pursues accuseth and terrifies me O Lord let me hear the voyce of joy and gladness send down from above the Comforter who alone can speak peace to my soul and then my body which pineth away under this anguish and my bones which séem to be broken through my disconsolate condition shall again recover their wonted strength and my flesh upon me shall rejoyce If then Lord mark what is amiss who can abide it even thy dear Son when he endured the looks of thy angry face fell into agony his soul was heavy his flesh in such pain that he sweat thick clotts of blood how miserable then am I so long as thou shalt look upon me with an angry brow Hide O hide thy face from my sins and blot out all my misdeeds Turn thy angry look from me and look upon the face of thy Anointed that so thy anger when it reacheth me may as the Sun-beams passing through some thick cloud be refracted and mitigated O Lord by my sin I have grieved thy holy Spirit and forced thée who art properly my heart and life of my heart to forsake me come again Lord and restore life unto me without thée I am dead in trespasses and sins I have lost my life Ver. 10 and like a man wanting his quickning spirit when thou wentest away my life went away Return O Lord and come again and create a new heart within me Of my self I have fallen by thy assistance I must rise lend me then the helping hand of thy grace that may lift me up And being fallen my heart is foul Ver. 11 polluted and unclean and who is able to bring a clean thing out of an unclean This is a work much like the producing the first World out of the Tohu and Bohu set O Lord Almighty thy power to work again and create in me a clean heart Fallen I am into the old age of sin begin with me again and make me young and lusty as an Eagle Ver. 12 Cast me not away and forsake me not in my old age of iniquity as a dead man out of mind but let thy presence yet be with me and restore me to the joy of thy salvation O take not from me the graces and assistances of thy Spirit thy right Spirit thy holy Spirit thy frée Spirit A perverse spirit I find in my self thy Spirit will rectifie it and teach me to go the right way an unclean spirit I am possessed with thy Spirit will sanctifie it and purge it from pollution 't is the spirit of bondage to which I am subject thy Spirit can set it at liberty and make it frée impart therefore some nay a liberal portion of this thy Spirit that may teach me the right way that may set me in a holy course that may kéep preserve uphold and confirm me in it that
Generation let Him sée His séed and let His séed sit upon His Throne till the Heavens pass away with a noise the Elements melt with fervent heat and this Earth with the works that are therein be burnt up O let Him abide before thee His God for ever never let Him in His own person fall out of thy favour nor his Posterity from the light of thy countenance establish His Throne in mercy and truth and let thy loding-kindness alwayes preserve Him His heart is in thy hand melt it into clemency affect it with mercy that He may be a Father unto thy people and mourn with those that mourn and lament with those that lament yet affect Him sofar with the love of Truth that he be zealous for the Truth of Religion earnest to promote thy worship in sincerity and resolute to administer true judgment unto thy people let him bring the whéel upon the wicked and extend the bowels of compassion to the innocent and oppressed A mercy this is when we cast our eye upon the present calamities and state of things even beyond hope beyond expectation but thou our God art Almighty and All-sufficient stir up thy strength then and come and help us where the help of man is in vain then let thy power be manifest which thing if thou wilt grant us Then will I sing praise unto thy Name for ever I will return unto thée every day that Thanksgiving which I have vowed which is due and which I doubt not thou wilt accept through the Name of Iesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen PSAL. LXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE intent of this Psalm is to teach men to trust in God and not to trust in wealth strength or in the power or promises of man The Contents of the Psalm 1. Davids confidence in God ver 1 2. 2. The mischievous but vain attempts of his enemies ver 3 4. 3. He encourageth himself and others to the same confidence from ver 5. to 9. 4. That no trust is to be put in men or riches ver 9 10. 5. The grounds of our confidence in God ver 11 12. 1. In the two first verses David expresseth The first part His affiance in God or rather labours to express as appears by his often repetition of the same thing in divers words his hope trust and confidence in God Ver. 1 1. Truly my soul waiteth upon God or is silent i.e. I do acquiesce in him 2. From him comes my salvation If I be safe in my greatest troubles Ver. 2 't is from him 3. He only is my Rock and my Salvation he is my Defence so that I shall not greatly be moved He is to me what a Rock or Tower of defence is to such as flie to them 2. And upon it he infers The second part He upon it insults over his enemies that the mischievous attempts of his bitterest adversaries are but vain with them he expostulates them he checks and over them he insults 1. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man i. e. me he chides their obstinacy Ver. 3 2. Ye shall be slain all of you And shewes their mischievous attempts and their ruine he declares by a double similitude Ye shall be as a bowing wall whence when some stones begin to shut out or fall the rest follow or as a tottering fence that is easily thrown down Next by the description of their manners he intimates the cause of their ruine Ver. 4 1. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency Their counsels to destroy David 2. They delight in lyes invent tales and lies to destroy me 3. Flatterers and Dissemblers they are They bless with their mouth but curse inwardly no marvail then if destined to the slaughter if they be as a broken wall c. 3. And lest his heart faint and fail through the multitude of tentations The third part He encourages 1. Himself he first encourageth himself to be confident still secondly then perswades others to it 1. He encourageth himself Ver. 5 making use of the words of the first and second verses for Reasons My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him he only is my Rock and my Salvation he is my Defence I shall not be moved In God is my Salvation and my Glory the Rock of my strength and refuge is in God 2 Others to trust in God 2. He exhorts others to do the like Trustin him ye people which he amplifies 1. By assignation of the time Trust in him at all times in prosperity that he be not secure in adversity that ye be not heartless 2. And in our saddest occasions he shews and exhorts what is to be done that we bring our grievances and complaints to God and with an honest heart open them Poure out your heart that is the griefs of your heart before him 3. The reason he our refuge Adding this Reason God is our Refuge for us 4. The fourth part So are not other things whether men secondly wealth especially unjustly gotten 1. So not other things Not men there is no credit or trust to be put in them of what degree soever 1. 1 Not men Surely men of low degree are vanity 2. And men of high degree are a lye The low are notable the high deceive and frustrate our hopes 2. Put them into the balance they are altogether lighter than vanity make trial of them as you would of things in a Scale and you shall find them so vain and light 2 Not riches But God is to be trusted for his power and mercy that they carry no proportion to what is weighty they ascend and flurt up and away as an empty Scale 2. Nor riches and wealth especially if unjustly heaped together and therefore rely not on them Trust not in oppression and become not vain in robbery if riches increase set not your heart upon them 5. The fifth paâ—t In the Close he sets down the grounds of his confidence taken upon Gods Word God hath spoken ' twice have I heard the same i. e. He hath often spoken it 1. That power belongs to God and therefore he is to be trusted 2. That mercy belongs to God and therefore also he is to be trusted The consequent of both is Thou renderest to every one according to his works bonis vera malis malè rely upon him The Prayer collected out of the sixty second Psalm O God infinite in essence terrible in judgments though thou hast commanded us in our trouble to call upon thee and to trust unto thee yet such is the infirmity of flesh and blood that we find in our distresses too many discouragements tempted we are to doubt whether thou canst but more often sollicited to doubt whether thou wilt come down and deliver us But such is thy condescension to the weakness of man Ver. 11 That thou hast spoken once Ver. 12 nay twice
found their hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. 4. The cause of this consternation At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the Chariot and Horse are cast into a dead sleep Thus God became Glorious and Excellent among good men 2 Terrible 2. Vers. 7 But he became Terrible also to wicked men So Terrible that 1. Thou even thou art to be feared for who may stand in thy sight when thou art angry None be he never so proud 2. Vers. 8 Of which this is an evident Argument Thou didst cause judgement to be heard from heaven It was so in the destruction of Senacherib The earth feared and was still Men saw it were amaz'd at it and put to silence And this work of God in overthrowing his enemies The effects of it and saving his Church he farther amplifies When God arose to judgement to save all the meek of the earth Vers. 9 The consequent was this 1. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee 1 Praise from the wicked The fierceness and rage of man against thy Church shall at last turn to thy praise confess they shall being conquered by thy hand that thou art mightier than they so did Pharaoh This is the finger of God so Julian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain 2 And victory Though they body and rally again yet thou shalt overcome and conquer their fury 3. In the Close he exhorts all Gods people to vow him honour The third part For which and to perform their vow 1. Vow and pay unto the Lord your Gâ—d let all that are round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared All to vow praises 2. And he adds his Reason in an Epiphonema 1. He shall cut off the spirits of Princes Take away from Tyrants their courage and prudence 2. He is terrible to the Kings of the earth They shall know he is God A Psalm of Thanksgiving after some great Victory collected out of the seventy sixth Hsalm O Omnipotent God and most merciful Father it hath pleased thy unspeakable goodness beyond any merit or desert of our's Ver. 1 to make thy self known to us in thy Gospel and thy Name great and famous in our Israel Declared thou hast to all Nations that Salem the City of peace is that place where thou wilt set up thy Tabernacle and Mount Sion thy Church Ver. 2 that habitation which thou wilt defend from the violent attempts of her malicious enemies Our ingratitude no question was very great and our provocations many our lives not answering to the light of thy Word which thou madest shine unto us and because we rebelled against thée therefore this great Army of rebellious men is justly risen up against us who threatned to unroot thy people and utterly to lay waste thy Zion But thou O Lord passing by our transgressions hast put a hook into the nose of our enemies and a bridle into their lips defended miraculously thou hast thy City Jerusalem for thy own sake and for thy servant Davids sake our blessed Saviour There hast thou broken the strength of the Bowe Ver. 3 and not suffered him to shoot an arrow there in our land thou hast made void their Shield dull'd the edge of the Sword scattered their Army and by thy power dissolved and brought to nothing all their warlike preparation and ammunition When we are compassed as it were with a darksom cloud of fear and even despaired of any help and succour then thou didst appear in glory thy excellence then arose to save us our aid was from Heaven our deliverance from above thy Kingdom established in righteousness and holiness far excéeds that power that is gotten by violence murder and robbery therefore they that came to spoil us are spoiled they are consumed and have slept their sleep out of which when they awaked they have béen amazed that in their hands of so much wealth and plunder which they dreamed of they found nothing which hapned unto them not by the course and ordinary changes and chances of things in this World no nor yet by our force and power but at thy rebuke O God of Jacob by thy command by the severity of thy judgment both the Chariot and those who trusted in it both the Horse and his Rider are fallen O Lord Thou even thou art terrible Thou even thou alone art to be feared Who is there though never so potent though defenced with the strongest Army that is able to resist thée that may stand in thy sight when thou art angry At this time thou hast fought from Heaven for us Thou didst make all people to hear thy judgments from thence and the Tyrants of the earth when they felt the power of thy hand trembled and shaked at it their heart melted and their knées smote together quiet they were and silent not daring to mutter against thée or against thy people O Lord the fierceness the rage the pride of man shall turn to thy praise even thy enemies the profanest men being humbled by thy judgments shall confess thy power and acknowledge thy hand say they shall This is the finger of God that thou Lord goest before thy people that thou hast done it and their posterity shall by their example be restrained from doing any such wickedness and by their fathers punishment taught to fear God And now O all ye which are Israelites indéed and perptually stand in his presence Vow unto your God for this his great mercy and pay the sacrifice of praise bring presents unto him whom alone you ought to fear and reverence To him I say vow and perform your vows who for your sake hath cut off the animosities and taken down the courage of Princes and made it appear That he will be a terrible God to all the Kings of the earth to whom be praise to whom be glory now and for ever Amen PSAL. LXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this Psalm the Prophet shews the bitter agony which a troubled spirit undergoes upon the sense of Gods desertion and the comfort again it receives upon the consideration of Gods great and gracious works Two parts of this Psalm 1. He sets forth the strife betwixt the flesh and the Spirit and how the flesh tempts to despair and calls into question the goodness and favour of God from ver 1. to 10. 2. Next he shews the victory of the spirit over the flesh being raised encouraged and confirmed by the Nature Promises and Works of God from the 10th verse to the end of the Psalm an excellent Psalm this is and of great use in all spiritual desertions 1. The first part I cryed unto God with my voyce even unto God with my voyce and he gave ear unto me Ver. 1 in the day of my trouble I sought the Lord ver 1 2. Here David shews the course he took to find ease in his extream trouble of soul he accused not
if he said I cannot be satisfied in the contemplation of them Expleri mentem nequit ardescitque tuendo There is such a depth in them that I cannot attain to it nor comprehend it 2. And he ends it not without an indignation that the wise men of the world Vers. 6 who yet in his judgement for their disregard of it are but fools But fools disregard should not consider it In the Creature they look after nothing but profit and pleasure in which regard they are but fools for this bruitish man knows not how great are his works this fool understands not how deep are his cogitations 2. 2 Of Governance of the world about which the mistake is That fools judge those that flourish happy men And that he may illustrate their folly the more from the work of Creation he comes to Gods work of Governance of the world and shews that as they who would be and are reputed wise are mistaken in the one so also they are mistaken in the other For they think the ungodly and such as flourish in power and wealth happy and that the righteous men sometimes oppressed are unhappy and upon these two instances he insists to the end of the Psalm First He instances in the ungodly When the wicked spring up rise on a sudden for such a time there is as the grass that grows insensibly and in a night Vers. 7 and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish become very conspicuous But this is not so exalted in pride and power and abound in wealth Who would not now take them for happy men For their felicity is but for a moment and ends in infelicity No saith our Prophet it is not so He that governs the world hath another end in it 1. This their felicity is the greatest infelicity It is that they may perish be destroyed 2. That they may perish for ever Remember Dives 3. And this their destruction is from God that sits in the Throne and is immutable in his decrees and wayes They flourish and are aloft but it is but for a Moment But thou Lord Vers. 8 art most high for evermore And thou wilt execute thy decree upon them 4. Which the Prophet fully opens in the next verse Vers. 9 which the Epizeuxis makes more Emphatical For lo thine enemies O Lord for lo thine enemies shall perish and all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered 1. Behold they were green they flourished but the change shall be sudden 2. They were enemies thy enemies workers of iniquite therefore cursed with a curse 3. They shall perish they shall be scattered they rose 2 But with the godly it is quite otherwise whose happy condition he demonstrates they flourished as grass and they shall be scattered as dry grass which the wind blows from the face of the earth His second Instance is in the Godly whose happy condition he demonstrates First in Hypothesi or in himself vers 10 11. And in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In all others that be true members of the Mystical Church of Christ from vers 12. to the end 1 In himself 1. He instanceth in himself that his condition is not like the ungodly Vers. 10 He shot not up as the fading grass but his strength and power should be as an Unicorn 1. But my horn shalt thou exalt as the horn of an Unicorn which hath one lofty and strong horn that is my power and glory and felicity shall still mount higher 2. And I shall be anointed with fresh oyle Anointed to be King over Israel by Samuel with a horn of Oyle by God with the gracious sweet Oyle of his Spirit 3. And that which adds to my flourishing estate My eye shall see my desire on my enemies and my eares shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me Which he lived to see and hear in the ruine of Saul and his house 2. And that which the Prophet said of himself 2 In all other righteous persons that are like the he transfers now to all just and righteous men whom he compares to the Palm and Cedar 1. The righteous shall flourish like a Palm tree Of which the Poet Vers. 11 1 Palm-tree Nititur in pondus palma consurgit in altum Quo magis premitur hoc mage tollit onus So a good Christian 2. He shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon 2 And Cedar Cedar wood is not consumed by worms or time Nor the Church by antiquity Vers. 12 nor persecution The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it nor any true member of it Of which the reason is because these Palms and Cedars Vers. 13 these righteous men are planted set by faith water'd by the Word and Sacraments The reason they planted in the house of God rooted by Charity in the Church which is the house of the Lord and therefore they shall flourish be green and vigorous in the Courts of our God Every plant that our heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out In which they 1. Shall flourish as are all those wild Olives that grow out of the Pale of the Church or those that are in it but were never truly engraffed into it but the true plants shall flourish 2. Nay which is yet more they shall be full of Sap and loaden with fruit Vers. 14 1. They shall bring forth fruit in their old age 2 Be fruitful It shall be contrary to them as to other trees Those grow fruitless and bear not when they grow old These are then most loaden with the fruits of grace 2. 3 Abound in grace They shall be fat and flourishing Other trees when old are zere and dry These then are fat in juice and flourish in good works 'T is conceiv'd that in the end of the last dayes the estate of Christs Church shall most flourish 3. And the reason of this their vigour of the continuance of this their radical and vital moysture to their old age Which is done for that end that they may extoll the praises of God is that they bring forth fruit which is specified in the last verse Vt annuncient That they might shew forth Gods faithfulness praise him for that as it is at the second verse 1. Vers. 15 That they might shew that the Lord is upright Just and righteous in himself 2. That he is a Rock A sure stable foundation to trust to 3. And that there is no unrighteousness in him No injustice though for a time he suffer the wicked to flourish and the just to be under the Cross For in his good time he will shew his Justice in rewarding the just and punishing the unjust The Prayer O Almighty God Vers. 1 and Merciful Father since it is a good thing in it self just and to be paid as a due debt honourable being the work of Angels Vers. 3 to give thanks to the Lord and to
God in promising and a faithful God in performing thy Holy Covenant that thou hast remembred thy Mercy and Truth toward the house of Israel This is a mercy beyond all mercies and in mercy good Lord continue this mercy unto us Never remove our Candlestick or remove the light of thy Gospel from us And though at this time it be eclipsed and that very justly for our unthankfulness in the use of this light for our undervaluing of it and not rejoicing in it yet we beséech thée upon our contrition and amendment of our lives let it repent thee of the evil that thou hast brought upon thy people and all mists of error and heresie all darkness of prophaneness being dispell'd shew forth the bright beams of thy countenance unto those thousands of Israel who seek and sigh after thy Truth with an honest heart Descend Vers. 9 O Lord descend and with righteousness judge the cause of thy poor afflicted oppressed people in equity raise their grieved souls Let thy Truth flourish the Gospel have a free passage amongst us and bring to a spéedy confusion all that are enemies to thy peace through Iesus Christ our Lord. PSAL. XCIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Subject matter of this Psalm is the self-same with the former for it sets forth the Glory of Christs Kingdom the Majesty Power and Justice of the King and exhorts all by the example of his former servants to exalt call on him and praise him Two parts of this Psalm 1. A Description of Christs Kingdom 1. From the Majesty and Terrour of it against his enemies ver 1 2 3. 2. From the Equity of it in execution of judgment and justice ver 4. 3. From the King 's Patience and Clemency in giving Audience to his servants 6 7 8. 2. A Demand of praise and honour of all that acknowledge him for their King Psal 93. begun at the third verse repeated at the fifth and continued in the last This is the third time he begins his Hymus with this solemn Acclamation The first part Christ is King The Lord reigneth Jehovah is King And then as is usual in Musick Rests and pauseth as it seems to me after as if he had recovered breath Ver. 1 he sings with full voyce 1. The Terrour Power Glory and Majesty of it He bids the defiance to his enemies and comforts his people 1. He bids a defiance as it were to all his enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irascantur commoveantur fremant populi let the people be angry fret and be unquiet as Psal 2.1 Let the earth that is the Tyrants of the earth be movd at it yet let them know that all their endeavours are but vain For 1. God is present with his Church For 1. He sits between the Cherubims the Cherubims were over the Ark by which was signified the presence of God with his people and they covered the Propiatory and Ark with their wings The sense then is God is alwayes present with his people to them and therefore no fear though the earth be moved Ver. 2 2. The Lord is great in Zion of great power and high above all people 2 He is potent and higher than all people in Majesty Power Wisdom no fear then for this also though the earth be moved 3. His Name is great and terrible Great Ver. 3 and therefore terrible to his enemies for it is holy and therefore venerable In a word 3 His Name great and terrible holy his Regal Majesty and Regal Sanctity is such that he is a most potent and a most just King and therefore no fear yet though the earth be moved rather let them give the praise and honour due unto his Name 2. Our Prophet describes the Kingdom of Christ 4 He is a just King from the justice and equity which is administred in it and thereby moves his not to fear though the earth be moved Ver. 4 1. The Kings strength Hoz heb strength honour dignity authority holiness c. loveth judgment judgeth righteously out of the love he bears to justice not constrained by fear passion or necessity 2. And this he shews by the following Apostrophe in which he thus speaks to the King 1. Thou dost establish equity Confirm and establish just and equal Laws 2. Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob In thy Kingdom thou executest these Laws also justly by punishing sin and rewarding good works of which there be examples in both Testaments for though for a time he suffered the godly to be afflicted and the ungodly to be exalted yet he at last frees his servants and crowns their patience but he falls in fury on the wicked and damns them he punisheth sometimes in this life alwayes in the life to come Upon which the Prophet collects That God is to be adoted to which he earnestly exhorts Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at his Foot-stool for he is holy For this he exhorts us 1. Exalt ye by praising his Majesty with the heart Ver. 5 and magnifying him with your voyce 1 To â—â—alt him 2. 2 To adore before his footstool And worship at his footstool not his footstool as some read it that have a months mind to have Images worshipped In which expression David had an eye to the Ark of the Covenant for so I find it called 1 Chron. 28.2 Lam. 2.1 Toward which the Jews were bound to bow And his intention is that all our approaches and applications to the Lord our God be with the greatest reverence and submission of mind and body that may be All is too little 3. 3 For he or it is Holy For he is Holy or it is holy for the skilful in the Hebrew confess it may be read in either gender Holy the Jews call'd whatsoever was eminent excellent perfect chast entire sincere God then is holy because he is so in himself and his house his Priests his Day c. The Ark his footstool is Holy in relation to him when then we approach to him or any place where he ordinarily shews his presence Holy and Reverent actions and gestures are required of us Take heed to thy feet Prophane not what is holy 3. 5 He is a kind King Hears and grants petitions As is evident The third way by which the Prophet sets out the excellency of Christs Kingdom and the Clemency and Mercifulness of our King is in that he is ready to hear Petitioners and receive Petitions and of an inclinable nature to grant them also for which he brings examples of three illustrious men all eminent in their generations Moses a Prince Aaron a Priest and Samuel a Judge in Israel who all fell down and worshipp'd at his footstool call'd upon and were heard in their intercessions 1. Vers. 6 Moses and Aaron among his Priests The Hebrew word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Moses Aaron alwayes signifies not a Priest but a Prince and
joyful noyse 1 Universally that it be done in gladness and singing 3. 2 Heartily That it be not partial and restrain'd but complete the Copia verborum in which the Exhortation is offer'd 3 Completely shews it Jubilate colite scitote Vers. 2 venite laudate benedicite 4. 4 Sincerely That it be sincere and not feined done as in his eye and presence Vers. 3 5. 5 Knowingly That it ought to be well grounded arise from knowledge Know ye that Vers. 4 6. 6 Thankfully But thanksgiving be a part of it 7. 7 Publickly That it be as oft as occasion is offer'd Publick Enter into his Courts with Thanksgiving 2. The second part The Duty being set down reasons the Prophet sets down also to perswade to it The reasons for it drawn from the Nature of God 2. The benefits he bestows on us 1. First from his Essence Know ye if you know not so much already that the Lord he is God Vers. 3 Other gods there be talk'd on but none True but he 1 He is God Which shewed by his works of And therefore none to be serv'd but he 2. And this he shews himself to be by his work of Nature and Grace upon you 1. 1 Nature or Creation By his work of Nature for he is your Maker It is he that hath made us and not we our selves Parents are said to get chilcren but that ability is from God He makes the barren to bear and to be a joyful Mother of children Thou hast fashioned me in my mothers womb What saith Elkanah Am I in the place of God when his Wife was displeased she had no child 2. 2 Of Grace By his work of Grace For we were out of the fold but he call'd us into it and ever since accounted of us as his people of his pasture He governs us feeds us And that we be yet the more cheerful and ready to perform this duty in the last verse he puts us in mind of three Attributes of God His Mercy his Goodness his Truth for which he is worthy to be praised by us because we the better for them for be cause he is good he hath mercy upon us and because he is merciful 2 He is he promiseth us aid and assistance and because he is faithful and true he will perform it 1. Vers. 5 For the Lord is good O how good to those that are true of heart He is reconcil'd to us 1 A good God pardons our sin justifies us adopts us for his children and that freely without any merit of ours 2. His Mercy is everlasting He is the Father of Mercies 2 Merciful and begets Mercies as oft as we bring forth sins It is the Mercy of the Lord that we are not consumed 3. And his Truth endureth to all generations 3 Faithful For he never made promise but either he hath or will perform it God is not as man that he should lye The Prayer collected out of the one hundred Psalm O Omnipotent and holy God Vers. 1 the excellency and transcendency of thy Nature and those infinite benefits by thy favour conferr'd upon us exact at our hands that we appear in thy presence to celebrate thy name with joy and gladness and enter into thy Gates with thanksgiving and into thy Courts with praise But being conscious to our own unworthiness which ariseth from the thoughts of our manifold transgressions afraid we are that we dust and ashes sinful dust and ashes should take upon us to speak unto our Lord we tremble at thy presence and are ready to sink under thy displeasure If thou Lord should'st be extream to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it Remember yet we are thy creatures and the work of thy own hands Vers. 3 for thou hast made us and not we our selves Remember that when we were not a people worthy of love thou calledst us and madest us thy people when we were clean without the pale that wentest after us and broughtest us home to thy fold and madest us the sheep of thy pasture Give us grace then O thou great Shepherd of our souls that we may lament our unthankfulness and forgetfulness of these favours and the heinousness of our rebellions being removed be reconciled unto us and inable us that instead of a corrupt and impure life we may serve thée in righteousness and holiness all our dayes Of this we have yet some hope because thou art good Vers. 5 thy mercy is everlasting and thy truth endureth from generation to generation from thy goodness procéeds thy mercy and because thou art merciful thou hast made promises to penitent believing sinners and we are assured thou wilt perform them because thou art faithful and true O seal these promises to our disconsolate hearts by the graces of thy Holy Spirit Vers. 2 then we shall be bold to come into thy presence then will we enter into thy Gates with thanksgiving then we will be thankful unto thée and bless thy holy Name We will serve the Lord with gladness and make a joyful noyse to our Lord the God of Jacob for ever Amen Here ends the Third Book of the Psalms according to the Hebrews PSAL. CI. A Psalm of David Didascalicus DAVID being Anointed by Samuel to be King or as most conceive newly made King promiseth and vows to God to reign in Righteousness and Holiness In a word he would so govern Himself his Palace the Church the State that all wicked doers being taken away and all good men countenanc'd by him God should be honour'd and justice peace temperance piety flourish Two parts of the Psalm 1. The Syllabus or brief of the Psalm with the Dedication of it vers 1. 2. The full Explication of what he means by Mercy and Judgement and how practised 1. Toward himself For he shews what his life shall be from vers 2. to 5. 2. Toward ungodly men vers 4 5 7 8. and the end of it vers 8. 3. Toward all good men vers 6. These should be his Counsellors and Servants 1. The sum of the Psalm The first part He Summarily sets down what he will treat of in this Psalm viz. Mercy and Judgement the two great vertues of a King I will sing of mercy and judgement Ver. 1 1. Mercy Judgement which he really vowes Mercy in countenancing giving audience judging for and rewarding the good 2. Judgement in discountenancing punishing and being a terror to evil works and workers And that he would do this really not talk and seem to profess a great love to Mercy and Judgement as Princes use to do when they mean no such matter He makes a Solemn Vow to God to perform it Unto thee O Lord will I sing From thee proceed these gifts to thy honour they shall be referr'd and by me as in thy sight impartially executed This I Vow and Promise to thee 2. The
second part And first I will begin with the reformation of my self and my own house that I may be an example to my whole Kingdom 1. 1 In himself for he would walk wisely in his house I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way 1. Via is Vita and my life shall be perfect pro statu viatoris The way I shall choose shall be the way of perfection 2. And then I will walk wisely in it I will be wise as a Serpent and as innocent as a Dove for for want of wisdom even in a perfect way a man may be mistaken It is good to be zealous in a good matter and in a good manner We see in a good matter zeal where there wants prudence commits foul errors 2. God assisting him with his grace When wilt thou come unto me Which some read with an interrogative point and then it is an Ejaculation When O Lord wilt thou perform thy promise to me for as yet it is supposed by some that he was not King Or else When wilt thou come unto me with thy assistance of grace Others tead it without the interrogative and couple this clause to the former words thus I will behave my self wisely when thou comest unto me intimating that he was not able to do what he professed without the aid and help of Gods grace But yet signifying thus much that if God would come unto him to illuminate him to teach him to inflame him to move and inable him he then would behave himself wisely in a perfect way 3. I will walk within my house with a perfect heart 1. I will walk it should be his delight his constant course 2 And with a perfect heart as men take in their Garden-walks 2. I will walk in my house Not abroad only carrying himself modestly but within doors in his private Closet Or else he would have a care of his Family 3. I will walk in my house with a perfect heart My heart which is the fountain of life and death I will keep with all diligence That shall be sincere upright innocent though I may slip in my walk yet it shall be far against my will I will alwayes walk with a perfect heart Affirmatively he hath shewed what he would do and in the next verses Negatively Negatively he declares what he would not do he had manifested the innocency of his heart and now he shews what should be the innocency of his eyes and hands 1. I will set no wicked thing before my eyes Ver. 3 Death climbs up the windows saith Jeremy No wicked thing should be esteemed by him Eve saw the forbidden fruit pleasant to the eye A chan saw the Wedge of Gold and goodly Babylonish garment Ut vidi ut perii So innocent he would be in judging his Subjects and distributing honours that nothing of Belial 1 His eye not love it as the Hebrew hath it should come in his sight that might pervert his judgement Oportet judicem non solum manus sed oculos habere continentes 2. I hate the work of them that turn aside I hate it for so he must 2 His heart hate it that means to leave it for when there is not a hatred of evil the temptation will work too strongly 3. It shall not cleave to me No part of it God willing 3 His hands not touch it shall cleave to his fingers 2. Declared he hath what he would be in himself 2 To others if wicked he would be severe and now he sets forth what he would be toward others both bad and good And first as touching naught and evil men 1. A froward heart that is a man of a perverse froward and crooked heart shall depart from me Ver. 4 2. I will not know that is approve uphold countenance For instance such he would be love a wicked person Of which froward malicious and wicked people he gives three instances in the following verses Detractors proud and fraudulent men Such he would not endure Ver. 5 1. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off 1 To slanderers from the Court from my friendship from his government from life it self if the flender deserves it 2. Him that hath a high look is proud 2 To proud men For pride is shew'd in the look and eye 3. And a proud heart Heb. Latus corde 3 To the ambitious and coveâ—ous a heart so extended with ambition and coverousness that it cannot be satisfied with riches and honours Him I will not suffer He shall not eat with me These shall not be about me nor find any countenance from me 3 But to good men a kind Prince such I will punish and not favour Others there are whom I will prefer and honour faithful and honest men For he shews now how he would carry himself to honest men 1. My eye shall be upon the faithful in the Land Ver. 6 that they may dwell with me be my Servants sit at my Table and be my Counsellors These should be his servants 2. He that walks in a perfect way that serves God shall serve me For certainly he that will not ferve God sincerely will never faithfully serve man And so having opposed by way of Antithesis to the fifth verse But he would give no countenance what kind of men should be of his Court and Counsel He proceeds in his Negative and adds whom he would not entertain before not slanderers no proud men not ambitious Ver. 7 nor covetous But now 1. 1 To dissemblers No fraudulent persons He that works deceit shall not dwell in my house Enter they might but upon discovery stay they should not dwell they should not there 2. 2 To Lyars Nor Lyars He that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sight He shall not find grace in my eyes And in Conclusion 3 To no evil Doers that he need not instance in more he shews his dislike to all evil doers and his zeal to purge the City of God from scandalous persons 1. With such he would make quick work I will early that is speedily and maturely do it before the evil be too fast rooted 2. Ver. 8 I will destroy all the wicked of the Land All of them shall go one and the same way These he would destroy who are worthy of death and whose life may endanger innocent persons 3. His end in this severity was That I may cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord i. e. That to the Church which is a holy and a peaceable City I may restore Holiness Piety and Peace and to the society of men that live within it tranquillity and administration of justice all disturbers of Peace and Piety being utterly unrooted which under Sauls government bore too great a sway A Prayer for a King or Chief Magistrate collected out of the one hundred and first Psalm O Thou
found out a way to remedy this also and that was by sending Rain out of his Bottles the Clouds a gift so great and peculiar to him that he is called by Job the Father of the Rain He watereth the Hills from his Chambers Ver. 13 that is from the upper Rooms the Clouds the effect and end of which 1. 1 Their use in general In general the satisfaction of the Earth which being thirsty gapes for Rain and drinks abundantly from Gods plenty The Earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works by the Rain which is by thy hand prepared and is thy work in the Clouds 2. 2 In particular In particular the effects ends and consequences of these dewes and showres are many which all yet are from God as the prime cause for quod est causa causae est causa causati 1. Grass for the Cattle He causeth the Grass to grow for the Cattle 2. Ver. 14 Herbs for Meat and Medicine And Herbs for the service of men 3. All kind of Food And that he may bring forth Food out of the Earth which without Rain would not be had 4. And Wine which hath this lively spirit That it makes glad the heart of man and if we stay there lawful 5. And Oyle to make his face to shine Oyle supples comforts Ver. 15 strengthens the nervs and keeps the flesh and skin smooth fresh plump and youthful 6. And bread which strengthens mans heart Where there is bread there is no Famine it seems it is the strength of the Feast for it is alwayes the chief and necessary part of the Service 5. 4 The Trees Neither hath the Providence of God been forgetful to provide us Trees also which besides they serve for divers uses as shade building fuel and yield many kind of fruit in the production of them God hath not forgotten the very Birds they serve them for their Nests their Songs 1. The Trees of the Lord also his Trees because he first made them and now makes them grow are full of sap which is another effect of the Rain The Cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted 2. Where the Birds make their Nests as for the Stork the Firre Trees are her house in them slie builds 5 Hills 3. Nay other Creatures are not forgotten by him not the Coats nor the Conies For the high Hills are a Refuge for the wild Goats 4 The work of the fourth day Sun Moon by them and the Rocks for the Conies 3. The Psalmist goes on to the work of the fourth day the Creation of the two great Luminaries the Sun and the Moon and the consequences of it Ver. 19 in which Providence also is very conspicuous 1. He i. e. God appointed the Moon for certain seasons that it should shine in a fit and apt time in the night and not in the day 2. And the Sun knoweth his going down that it is not to shine out of season 1 Night and for rest but to give place to the night And in this division of time the Providence of God was admirable both to Man and Beast Thou makest darkness and it is night 1. For the good of the Beasts even the wildest that they may be sustained for 1. The night comes and then the Beasts of the Forrest that durst not appear by day do creep forth The young Lyons roar after their prey and seek their meat from God that is seek their meat in that manner as Gods Providence hath ordained 2. Again the day appears The Sun riseth and they appear not they gather themselves together and lay themselves down in their Dens 2. For the good of man 2 Day for labour for this disposition of seasons by the course of the Sun and Moon are good for him to it is Ver. 23 that he may labour in the day and rest in the night for quod caret alternâ requie durabile non est Man goeth forth to his work and labour See what he was born to to get his living by honest labour and not by preying murdering tearing and ravening as a Beast that riseth in the night to that purpose but to labour in the day and not tire himself out neither labour he must all day and then take rest Labour till the Evening Upon the consideration of all which the Prophet as a little rap't out of himself by the thoughts of Gods Providence Power Wisdom Goodness interserts this Exclamation O God how manifold are thy works in wisdom thou hast made them all the Earth is full of thy riches His Acclamation to Gods Works 1. How manifold are thy works how great how excellent how worthy of praise such that I cannot express them 2. In wisdom hast thou made them all No thing is rashly and by chance done but all with judgment and with great Reason nothing in them doth want nothing doth abound 3. All the Earth is full of thy riches No place no part of it but in it thy works proclaim that thou art a most bountiful and most wise Creator and an open-handed and liberal Bestower of thy Riches 4. The Ordinance for the Sea The Amplitude The Prophet hath hitherto set forth Gods wisdom in his works in the Heaven the Aire the Earth and now he descends into the Sea in which he shewes his wisdom 1. In the Amplitude of it It is the great and wide Sea extended far and wide 2. 5 The work of the fifth day Fish In the Abundance of Fish in it which was the work of the fifth day Wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great animals 3. In the useful Art of Navigation which God first taught by Noah's Ark There go the Ships 2 Creatures in it 4. 3 Navigation In the Whale There is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein 5. Gods good ness in Conservation of the Creature The Conservation of the Creature now followes from ver 27. to 30. where their dependance is shewed upon the Providence of God both for their meat their life and continuation of them in their species For these words These wait all upon thee though they immediatly reflect upon the flesh he last spake yet they must be referr'd to all Creatures all having upon God the like dependance Ver. 27 1. For he gives them meat in season These all wait upon thee They are all expectants and wait they must till thou give 2. That thou mayest give them their meat Freely give and meat fit for them and that in a fit opportune season meat fit for every season of the year and when they want it 3. That thou givest them they gather That and no more nor less for it is not meat till God make it so his power and blessing must co-operate with the second causes 4. Being the Authour of This he farther explains in the following words Thou openest thine hand and they are filled with good filled and
deserved both praise and a reward And an ample reward he had for it for God established the dignity of the high Priesthood in Phineaz and in his posterity as long as the Common-wealth of the Jewes continued 7 Another rebellion at Meribah 7. The Prophet comes to another remarkable sin of the Jewes extant Numb 20. where the people chode with Moses for want of water 1. They anger'd him also at the waters of strife That is God when they contradicted Moses 2. So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes for being passionate and disturbed with cholar He spake unadvisedly with his lips When Moses smote the Rock and offended God Hear now ye Rebels c. and he smote the Rock By their murmuring and grumbling they so provoked his spirit to bitterness that he who at other times was chearful and ready to obey all Gods Commands did now somewhat strike at it 8 Their rebellion after they came into Canaan 8. Hitherto the Prophet hath set down seven several rebellions of the Jewes during their abode in the Wilderness now he proceeds to shew us how they have behaved themselves after they came into and were seated in the land of Canaan Better a man would think they should be now that God had made good his Word to them But I see a Blackmore cannot change his skin nor they their manners disobedient stubborn and rebellious they were still which the Prophet confesseth and is upon Record in the Book of Judges 1 They destroy'd not the Heathen 1. God had expresly commanded that the Nations of Canaan should be destroyed Deut. 7.1 2 3. But they did not destroy the Nations concerning whom the Lord had commanded this was Disobedience 2 They married with them 2. But were mingled among the Heathen They made Leagues and Marriages with them Judg. 2. 3. 3. And learned their works Many superstitious many lewd customes 3 Learned their works 4. But which went beyond all they learned to be Idolaters of them 4 Became Idolatrous forsook God for the Devil 1. They served their Idols which was a snare unto them for for that they became their slaves Judg. 2 c. 2. Yea they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto Devils that is to Moloch 5 This polluted them and the land 3. With inhumane sin that the Prophet might aggravate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he comes over it again And shed innocent blood that is the blood of innocent children even the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the Idols of Canaan The Consequents of which were double First a double pollution Secondly a heavy judgment 1. First A pollution of the Land in which they dwelt The land was defiled with blood 2. A pollution of their own souls Thus were they defiled in their own works Polluted as a Harlot that pollutes her body by the prostitution of it so they polluted when they went a whoring after their own inventions Espoused they were to God their husband but they left him and followed Idols they were to be accounted no better than Whores which Idols were properly their own inventions For which they were punish'd abominated for they learned to prostitute themselves to them neither from God nor Moses The judgment or punishment now followes and a signification whence it proceeded it came not by chance nor meerly by the hand of man it was by Gods Order and Anger 1. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people Therefore for their Idolatry Murder Whoredom so that he was not only angry but his anger was kindled it was in a flame 2. Nay he took so great dislike to them that abominatus est insomuch That he abhorred his own inheritance It must be a very foule offence that will kindle the wrath of a mild King against his people And justly given into the hand of the Heathen and a strange dislike for which a man will renounce and abhor his own inheritance it shewes how heinous a sin Idolatry is And the punishment he took upon them was very just 1. He gave them into the hand i. e. the power of the Heathen and this E Lege Taliouis God had given the Heathen into their hands to destroy them which because they did not but learned their works therefore now God gave them into the hands of the Heathen 2. Who were hard Lords over them He made them their Lords and hard Lords they were as easily appears in the story of the Book of Judges and the first of Samuel and no wonder for they hated them yea even when they made Leagues and Contracts with them Their case must be then very miserable when those that hated them ruled over them from such they were to expect little favour 3. And little they had for the Prophet in the next verse acquaints us that 1. Their enemies also oppressed them Tyrants Oppressors they were read the Book of Judges c. and very often if they sought to free themselves 2. They were brought into subjection under their hand to wit under the hand of the Philistines Moabites Ammonites c. In which state and condition yet God did not forget them For many times did he deliver them Not once but often as by Gideon Jephtha Deborah Sampson and others Yet God deliver'd them But O the ingratitude of a sinful Nation whereas being deliver'd they should have served But they provoked him again being deliver'd they provoked him with their Counsel that is by following the Counsels of their own hearts and not the directions of God And so were very justly brought into the case they were before And again punished For they were brought low for their iniquity that they might know that God that had humbled them and deliver'd them could when they revolted bring them into the same case they were before Yet again receiv'd to grace for God is moved by their affliction as he often did And now the Prophet adds that which indeed he drives at through the whole Psalm the wonderful and immutable good-will of God to them though he forgave and deliver'd them upon their Repentance and in a short time provoked him again Nevertheless he received them to Grace even after their Recidivations and Relapses and the Causes that moved him to this were external and internal 1. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that outwardly and occasionly moved him to it was their affliction and cry He regaraed their affliction when he heard their cry 2. But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that inwardly sway'd him was his word past to them But more out of Mercy and his Word and his mercy 1. His word and his promise was past to Abraham to be their God and he would not break it And he remembred for them his Covenant 2. His tender affection that he alwayes bear them this caused him to repent and grieve that they should be
thy Gospel which came out of Zion and was planted by thy Apostles and diffused by the impulse and power of thy good Spirit Ver. 3 once more flourish amongst us so visibly and extraordinarily work for us That all men even thine enemies may acknowledge That this is the day of thy power Thy power it must be that can collect us whom Heresie Schism and Tyranny hath dispersed thy power to cause us to méet in our solemn Assemblies speak but the word O Lord and appoint the day and thy people will be a willing people they will méet out of love and joy of heart and offer thee free-will offerings in the beauties of holiness O holy Father we must with shame confess against our own souls that we have profaned thy Sanctuary by entring into it with our shooes on our féet and when we have béen in it we have too often offer'd the Sacrifice of Fools holiness is that virtue which becomes thy house for ever and this holiness is from the womb of the morning it comes not from the will of man it procéeds not from the will of the flesh it is a swéet and Virgin dew that distills from thy holy Spirit and as by the silver drops that descend from above the roots of the Herbs are moistned refreshed and cherished so by these secret dews of grace our dry hearts are quickned and recover life vouchsafe we beséech thée therefore to descend upon us with these dewes that being regenerate and born again we may grow and increase in holiness in obedience in alacrity in thy Service refresh us when we are weary make us shoot when we are at a stand ever let us retain the dew of our youth that being lively in all the exercises of Christianity we may at last be exalted and set at thy right hand as thou art seated at the right hand of thy Father and enjoy those heavenly Mansions which our Lord is gone to prepare for us Grant us this O heavenly Father for thy Son Jesus Christs sake to whom with thee and the Holy Sprit three Persons and one God be ascribed all Honour Glory and Praise for ever and ever Amen PSAL. CXI 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 T IS conceived that this Hymn was set by David to be sung at the Passeover and that it might be the easilier learned and remembred the Colons of it are in number as many and digested by order of the Hebrew Alphabet The Sum of it is an Exhortation to praise God for his wonderful favours and benefits bestowed upon the World at large and in special toward his people Israel and the Church Three parts there are of this Psalm 1. A Protestation of David to praise God and the manner how and the company with whom he would do it ver 1. 2. An Expression of the Reasons that moved him to it viz. his admirable benefits bestowed both general and special which he enumerates from ver 2. to 10. 3. A Conclusion or Inference upon the premises by way of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which he commends the fear of God ver 10. 1. The Title of the Psalm is Allelujah Praise ye the Lord Allelujah The first part He praiseth God himself And that this his Exhortation might pierce the deeper and that his Subjects might the more readily follow his example presently he vowes and protests 1. I will praise the Lord And expresseth the manner how he would do it and as indeed it ought to be done Ver. 1 2. Not hypocritically with the lips and mouth only 1 In sincerity but with the heart 2 In unity and with the Church 3. Not with a heart and a heart but with the whole heart 4. Not separately or Schismatically but in the Assembly of the upright and in the Congregation 1. Both in that Assembly where good and upright men are met 2. And also in the company of many even with the mix't multitude secretly among good men and openly in the Congregation he would praise God 2. And having made a pious confession of his readiness to practise the Duty The second part next sets down the ground and matter of his praise which contains the Reasons that moved him to it as if he had said Which he doing and perswading sets down his Reasons for it There be great and urgent causes that may move me and all others to praise God 1. The first of which is His works of power be it the Creation of the World and its Conservation or be they the favours shewed to his Church these are his works And these works of the Lord are great Ver. 2 1. Great not only for variety and beauty 1 Because his works great 1. Of Creation but that also in the least and most base creature his Wisdom admirable his Power wonderful there is nothing that came from his hand which is not very great and greatly to be admired 2. Great 2 Of Election for it was a great work of his to take to himself a people out of another people to make a Covenant with them to them to reveal his promises to give them a Law to settle among them a policy for Church and State c. This was also a great and admirable work 3. Fools and impious men indeed little consider these works Which fools little think of but wise men consider they think not of the Authour and therefore esteem them not much But in the eyes of all wise men they are exquisite works and they are sought out searched into by all them that take pleasure therein That are pleased both with the Authour the work and the use and end of them 2. Ver. 3 The second of these is His work of Wisdom in the governing of those creatures which he hath created 2 His work of wisdom in governing the World his Church which is 1. Honourable and his Church which he hath collected and this his work is 1. Honourable worthy of honour worthy of praise and therefore much more the Authour 2. And glorious Many Princes have done very glorious works but not to be compared to any work of God the Glory Magnificence and Majesty far exceeds them all 2 Glorious 3. 3 Is his work of Justice The third work is that of his Justice He is a righteous God and his righteousness endureth for ever Men may complain that they see wicked men exalted and his servants under the Cross oppressed and afflicted But the judgments and wayes of God may be secret and hid from us unjust they can never be for he never departs from the exact Rule of Justice though we cannot discern it nor search it out 4. 4 His work of mercy His fourth work is a work of mercy of which he would have a Record kept 1. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred as in the Jewish Feasts Ver. 4 2. And these proceeded from his meer mercy For the Lord is gracious
and full of compassion 1 A gracious God 1. Gracious in doing these works for they came from his meer grace pity and favour 2 Full of compassion and not from any desert of mans 2. And full of compassion Rachum affected with the bowels of a father toward his children The instances of his mercy are gracious in habit compassionate in act Of which the Prophet now descending to particulars gives in several instances gracious and full of compassion he was in that 1. 1 Manna given He hath given meat to them that fear him He nourished his people for forty years in the Wilderness and gave them Manna from Heaven this meat he gave especially to those that fear'd him and for their sakes to others or else the whole Congregation might well be said to fear him because at that time they took him for their God and worshipped him 2. 2 Keeping his Covenant He will be ever mindful of his Covenant which is his second instance A mercy it was to make a Covenant with them but notwithstanding their high provocations to be ever mindful of it and keep it is a higher degree of mercy 3. 3 Doing miracles for them He hath shewed his people the power of his works which is a third instance His works were the turning of Jordan backward the overthrow of Jericho by the sound of Rams Horns the staying of the Sun and Moon in the valley of Ajalon at Joshua's prayer c. All these were works of power which he then shew'd his people 4. 4 Giving them the land of Canaan And these he did That he might give them the heritage of the Heathen which is his fourth instance For who can deny but it was a work of mercy to expel the Canaanites before them and bestow upon his own people their inheritances Now as before he used an Acclamation when he entred upon the works of God in the Creation of the World Ver. 7 and the Conservation and Governance of it The works of the Lord are great honourable glorious So after these instances of his works of mercy lest any man should suspect him unjust in this last instance especially viz. ejecting the Canaanites and giving away their inheritances he aptly interserts this Elogy of them The Elogy of these done 1. Ver. 7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment 1. 1 In verity 2. In judgment The Elgoy of the moral Law Verity these works had truth in them for by it he had made good his promise made to Abraham to give them the land 2. And secondly Judgment for by it his Justice was executed upon Idolaters and profane persons 2. Which shewes unto the whole World that 1. All his Commandments are sure That his Laws 1 It is sure especially that which is Moral are certainly true and that he deceives none in the promulgation of them but that they bring a punishment to the Transgressors and a reward to the Observers of them as it appears by the example of the Canaanites that were ejected for the breach of them Levit. 18.24 c. 2. That these Commands being but the Law of Nature stand fast for ever Ver. 8 2 Eternal that they are indispensable and immutable and for this reason because they are done and established in truth and uprightness containing in them the most absolute Justice Equity Rectitude and Truth that is conceivable 5. The Elogy of Gods Law being ended 5 His last instance of mercy Redemption he at last instances in a work of mercy that exceeds all the rest to wit the work of Redemption of all Mankind by his Son for however it be true of the Redemption of Israel out of Aegypt yet it is better with the Fathers to expound it of that Redemption purchased by Christ of which he saith 1. He sent Redemption i. e. a Redeemer so often promised Ver. 9 so much expected to his people who redeemed them from the power of darkness 2. And with them in him he established an eternal Covenant For he hath commanded this his Covenant for ever which is extant Jer. 31.31 Hebr. 8.8 3. Thus the Prophet having enumerated many of Gods works both of Power The third part For all these his Name to be accounted Wisdom and Mercy concludes the Psalm with three Epiphonema's which shew us the manner how God is to be praised holily reverently fearfully Ver. 9 1. The first Epiphonema is to the Name of God 1 Holy Holy and Reverent is his Name i. e. his Service or any thing whereby he is signified This is 1. Holy It may not then be polluted with a false hypocritical Service the Command being Be ye holy for I am holy 2. Reverent Not then rashly carelesly negligently to be performed 2 Reverent Terrible but with the greatest Reverence that may be Or as some read it Terrible and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God 2. The second Epiphonemn followes upon the other Ver. 10 for if the Name of the Lord be Holy and Reverent then it is wisdom to fear him Wisdom therefore to fear him Now 1. This fear is the beginning of wisdom for then men begin to be wise when they begin to fear God eschew evil and do good and it is best out of filial fear out of love rather than dread of punishment 2. This fear if it be right will be practical And this fear will be practical and this practice will proceed out of science and knowledge of what is to be done all other knowledge is but vain For a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments for to him that knows what is good and doth it not to him it is sin Jam. 4. 3. The third Epiphonema or Acclamation is His praise endureth for ever Hi. praise and fear will continue for ever which some refer to God others to the man that fears God and both are true 1. For the praise of God will and must continue for ever his power his wisdom his mercy is for ever and then his praise must continue for over 2. But if referr'd to the man that fears God then the sense will be that 1. His praise that is the praise with which a man that fears God praiseth him will endure for ever For they that dwell in thy house will be alwayes praising thee Psal 84.4 2. And the praise of him that fears God Or his praise that is the commendation of a good man will be had in everlasting remembrance Psal 112.6 The name of the wicked shall rot but the memorial of the just is blessed Prov. 10.7 The Lord will say to such a man Well done thou good and faithful servant Matth. 25.21 His praise is in this World lasting in the future everlasting The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and eleventh Psalm O Omnipotent most wise and merciful God it is our Duty to
praise thée not with the lips only in an hypocritical manner but with the whole heart Ver. 1 sincerely and truly yea and to set forth thine honour not privately only but openly in the Assembly of the upright and in the Congregation of the faithful for thy wonderful works express'd toward the children of men I never look upon the Creature but I admire thy Power How great a work was it Ver. 2 to create all things of nothing in such variety in such beauty How great a work to preserve the same being created in so decent and constant an order I take pleasure in the search of it and the more I search the more I admire and the more I admire the readier I am to magnifie praise and adore the Author of it Ver. 3 To me the work is honourable but much more the Author of it In my eyes the work is glorious but much more the Lord of Glory For their sins O Lord Thou oftentimes layest thy Rod heavy upon thy best servants and for their sins Thou exaltest the wicked and sufferest impious Atheists to have dominion over them at which the hearts of thy best servants have béen troubled and their treadings had well nigh slip't But when we cast our eyes upon our deserts Ver. 3 we must néeds confess that thy judgments are just though thy procéedings are hid from us yet we know they are most equal in themselves because thy righteousness endures for ever We never call to mind thy great works which thou hast done for thy people Ver. 4 but our hearts are raised in the greatest extremities The memorials of them which thou wouldst have kept upon Record shew That thou art a gracious Lord and full of compassion no fathers bowels can yearn more over the fruit of his own loins than thy heart hath béen pitiful to thine own children Ver. 5 though they have béen rebellious and froward sons yet thou hast béen ever mindful of thy Covenant and shew'd thy self a merciful and compassionate Father O Lord notwithstanding our ingratitude forsake us not in the depth of our sufferings remember the Oath that thou swaredst to our fore-fathers and established for a thousand Generations and quench not the light of thy Gospel that once shin'd amongst us This O merciful God is that this is that chiefly which we beg at thy hands Then send Redemption unto thy people as thou didst to thy afflicted in Aegypt supply us that fear thy Name with necessary food as thou didst give them meat shew thy people the power of thy work restore to and kéep us in our inheritances of which men worse than the Heathen have dispossest us And though we now suffer grievous things under thy hand yet we complain not of thy justice for we are assured That all the works of thy hands are Verity and Judgment Thy Truth hath béen verified upon us in bringing a judgment upon a sinful Nation and we acknowledge thy judgments to be just because we have broken all thy Commandments They are sure and the punishments which were threatned in them is come upon us by our abominations we had defiled the land and therefore the land is ready to spue us out But O compassionate Father turn once more the light of thy countenance toward us teach us to know That thy Commandments must stand fast for ever that they are immutable and indispensable and that they are established in truth and uprightness containing in them an everlasting truth and the most absolute equity that can be conceived Quicken our hearts then with such a measure of grace that we may never dispense with them nor go about to change them or bend them to our corrupt affections making our depraved hearts the rule of our actions and not thy eternal Law Establish thy Covenant with us which thou hast commanded for ever put thy Lawes in our minds and write them in our hearts be to us a God and make us to be thy people make us to know thee from the least to the greatest and when being compassed by infirmities we fall from thée then send us Redemption and a Redéemer thy Son our Lord Iesus Christ and for his merits be merciful to our unrighteousness and remember no more our sins and our iniquities as thou hast promised Thy Name O Lord is holy make us a holy people Thy Name O Lord is terrible make us with reverence approach thy Hajesty And because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom make us so wise that we may alwayes begin in thy fear and continue in thy fear and practise and end all our actions in thy fear Teach us to know thy Will and thy Word and to believe in thée and love thée and to trust in thée and to give thanks unto thée according to that good understanding which thou shalt infuse into us So let us live and so let us dye that whereas the name of the wicked shall rot in oblivion or ignominy our memorial for the present may be blessed and in the World to come Thou with thine own mouth may'st call to us and say It is well done thou good and faithful servant enter into thy Masters joy Which we beséech thée grant unto us for the merits of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen PSAL. CXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID having put it down for an infallible Maxim in the close of the former Psalm That the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom in this sets down the felicity of that man in many particulars Two parts there are of the Psalm 1. A Proposition in general that he is blessed ver 1. 2. An Enumeration of particulars in which that blessedness doth consist from ver 2. to the end 1. To the first part he prefixeth an Allelujah Praise the Lord Allelujah The first part which is the intent and scope of the Psalm That God be praised for those rewards of piety which God bestowes upon such as fear him and so he enters upon the matter 2. And delivers this one general Postulatum or Proposition which by divers instances he proves through the whole Psalm that he may perswade men to piety Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord Ver. 1 that delights greatly in his Commandments He that fears God is blessed with an 1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that believes in him honours him serves him 2. But because a man should not be mistaken supposing that he fears him when he does not he adds these three Restrictions to his Proposition 1. 1 Obediential fear That it must be an obediential fear For he must keep his Commandments 2. 2 A filial fear That it must be a filial no servile fear out of delight not compulsion He delights in them is pleased with the equity of them and loves them 3. 3 An affectionate fear That it must be a chearful ready fear performed with all alacrity earnestness care and study He delights
delivered over our souls to death this encourageth us yet to rely upon thée Ver. 8 and to trust to thée and we know It is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in man It is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in Princes Ver. 14 For some would but cannot some can but will not help but thou art a God of power and if thou wilt Thou canst become our salvation and we believe thou wilt because thou hast spared us hitherto and hast not given us over to death Save now we beseech thee O Lord O Lord we beseech thee send us now prosperity Be our strength that we may resist and be our salvation that in thy Name we may destroy them that compass us about Let the voyce of rejoycing and salvation be once more in the Tabernacles of the righteous and let this be their song The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly The right hand of the Lord is exalted The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly We have béen froward and stubborn children and for this the doors of thy house have béen shut against us in mercy O Lord open unto us once more the gates of righteousness Ver. 19 that we may go into them and praise the Lord That hath befallen to us Ver. 22 which befel our Head thy dear Son our Lord and Saviour He was the Head-stone of the corner and yet the chief builders refused him and cast him aside but thou didst not forsake him in this contempt and low condition Thou call'ost for him again and gavest him a Name above every name This was the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Look down now O Lord from thy Mercy-seat behold how the living stones in thy building are refused and cast aside call for them again and set them in their places and do it in such a way that the whole World may say This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give the praise In the day of thy power thy people shall offer thée free-will offerings they shall appear in the beauty of holiness and sing This is the day that the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it God is the Lord that hath shewed us light The Priests then shall bless thy people as they ought out of thy house Ver. 1 and every one of thy people shall sing with a loud voyce and with his whole â—eart Thou art my God and I will praise thee Thou art my God and I will exalt thee How joyful will be the melody of the whole Assembly as the Seraphims crying one to another O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good because his mercy endureth for ever Let Israel now say that his mercy endureth for ever Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercy endureth for ever Let them all now that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever It is his mercy that we were not consumed and his méer mercy that hath brought us together again into his house to offer unto him this Sacrifice of Thanksgiving in the Name of Iesus Christ our Lord Amen PSAL. CXIX Est mixti generis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AS this Psalm is the longest of all the rest so it is of most use because it teacheth us in what true happiness doth consist and by what means it may be obtained to wit in the keeping of Gods Commandments 1. To these David shewes a singular affection because there is not any one verse except the 122. in which he makes not mention of Gods Word under some of these names Law Statutes Precepts Testimonies Commandments Promises Wayes Word Judgments Name Righteousness Trâ—th 2. What he writes of them he desires no doubt to be committed to memory and to help us in that he hath divided the whole into twenty two Sections and comprized every Section in eight verses and every verse in the Hebrew of each Section begins with that letter with whith the Section is intituled as if it begins with Aleph then Aleph begins every verse if with Beth with Beth and so in all the rest for which this Psalm may be called the A. B. C. of godliness 3. Any other method of this Psalm cannot well be laid only we may say that every verse in it either contains 1. A Commendation of Gods Word from some excellent quality in it 2. Promises to those that keep it 3. Threatnings against them that keep it not 4. A prayer of David for grace to confirm him in the observation of it 5. Protestations of his unfeigned affection toward it The meaning of those Synonyma'es used in this Psalm under which the Commandments of God are signified which are ten 1. The Law because it is the Rule of our actions Torah Gods Doctrine 2. Statutes because in them is set down what God would have us do 3. Precepts because God as the great Law-giver prescribes the Rule for us 4. Commandments because God layes his Commands upon us for their observation 5. Testimonies because they witness his Will to us and his Good-will if observed by us 6. Judgments because they pronounce Gods judgment of our words works thoughts 7. His Word because they proceeded from his mouth 8. The wayes of God because they shew the way that God would have us walk 9. His Righteousness because they contain an exact righteousness and justice in them 10. Promises because they have the promises of life if kept PSAL. CXIX ALEPH. IN this first Octonary The Contents the Prophet commends to us the Law of God and perswades to the practice of it by two Arguments The first is happiness ver 1 2. The second is the excellency of the Law-giver ver 4. 2. He shewes his affection to this Law desiring grace to keep it ver 5. upon which he knew there would follow a double effect 1. Peace in Conscience He should not be ashamed and confounded ver 6. David perswades to obedience 2. Thankfulness to God for his teaching ver 7. 3. He acquaints us with his Resolution if God should assist him ver 8. Blessed are they who are undefiled in the way Ver. 1 who walk in the Law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his Testimonies Ver. 2 and seek him with their whole heart They also do no iniquity they walk in his wayes 1. The first argument Blessedness The first Argument the Prophet useth to perswade men to obedience is Blessedness which is so true that godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come eternal and temporal felicity depend upon it He then that would be happy must be obedient and his obedience if true may be thus discerned 1. Ver. 1 He must be undefiled in the way Via is vita and he must keep himself as much as may be from the dirt and filth of sin To
He judgeth rightly of his afflictions 1. Before I was afflicted I went wrong Prosperity is the mother of Errour 2. But now I have kept thy Word Schola Crucis Schola Lucis The Rod on his back made him wiser God then had graciously dealt with him to afflict him bad men are the worse for afflictions the good better and this sanctifies afflictions to them 3. Upon which he acknowledgeth again what he said in the first verse Thou hast dealt graciously in this thou art good and gracious Ver. 4 and repeats in effect his Petition Teach me thy statutes which is all one Which proceeded from wicked men These with teach me knowledge 4. Now a great part of his affliction proceeded from wicked men that were his enemies and oppugned him in his wayes and service of God in which yet he was constant these he describes in the two next verses 1. That they were proud men the proud It is not without cause Ver. 5 that they are called proud 1 Proud for pride is the mother of all Rebellion against God and man Grace ever works Humility Pride Contempt Treason c. 2. How they warr'd against David it was with a lye 2 Lyars Satans two Arms by which he wrestles against the godly are violence and lies where he cannot or dare not use violence there he will be sure not to fail to fight with lyes 3. How they trimmed up their lyes Concinnarunt mendacia Tremell 3 Hypocrites Their lyes were trimmed up with the coverings of Truth to make them more plausible their unrighteous dealings were covered over with appearances of righteousness 4. But I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart Davids armour against them He would not fight against the wicked with their own Weapon rendring a lye for a lye or rebuke for rebuke but he takes himself to the Truth of Gods Word and obedience to him Ver. 6 5. Their he art is as fat as grease Either 1. Because they abounded in worldly wealth 4 Obdurate in prosperity which is well signified by grease 2. Because they were sensless of their condition For the fat of all Creatures is the least sensitive Needles thrust into it will not be felt 3. But I delight in thy Law 5. But the condition of godly men is other the godly are not proud Good men are tender-hearted they are humble afflictions make the ungodly rage storm and blaspheme good men kiss the Rod and are ready to say with David for their heart is not sensless as fat as grease but they are tender-hearted they melt at every blow God gives them and say 1. It is good for me that I have been afflicted Before I was proud Make a right use of afflictions now humble before stubborn and disobedient but now soft-hearted and obedient 2. That I might learn thy statutes Learn them not by Rote but by experience learn to keep them better lest I be whip'd again learn to be more wise godly religious when the trouble is gone and this is a sanctified Cross 3. And by this also I might learn to put an higher price and value upon Gods Commands than hitherto I have done to which no earthly treasure is comparable The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver For by keeping of thy Law I shall obtain eternal life His estimate of Gods Law which gold and silver cannot purchase The Prayer O Most gracious God though thou hast brought upon us many troubles and afflicted us with heavy judgments Ver. 1 yet in this thou hast dealt graciously with thy servants and even according to thy Word that we have béen better'd by thy judgments and found comfort in the midst of our sorrowes O Lord Thou art good in thy self and dost good to thy servants in all that thou bringest upon them and we must néeds confess that even those things we suffer have béen good unto us by thy mercy for before we were afflicted we went astray But now being put in mind of our sins the causes of our afflictions we have béen more attent and diligent to kéep thy Law It is good for us then that we have been afflicted that we might learn thy statutes Go on then gracious God not to afflict but still to teach us and by thy chastisèments to make us wiser teach us good judgment and knowledge let us judge aright of thy judgments and our own deserts and let this thy Discipline make us know our duty and perform our duty better ever hereafter both to thée and our Neighbour make us by these to love thée to fear thée and to believe thy Word That thou art a jealous God that will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth Generation of them that hate thee and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love thee and keep thy Commandments And yet in these we cannot but complain unto thée of those injuries we suffer from the hands of proud and rebellious men Ver. 5 Thou Lord art just in letting them in upon us but they most unjust and malicious in the execution of thy wrath Pride hath béen the cause of their rebellion and a continued pack of lies the means they have used to bring their Treason to pass these they forged against us and spun with so fine a thread and dressed up in so handsom a way that they have béen taken for Truth and by that colour deceived the simple to our ruine under a pretence of Piety Iustice Liberty and Reformation they have brought upon us this horrid confusion And in this they still go on in this they procéed for their heart is swollen with pride and fatned with success and riches they are not sensible of thy judgments nor fear thy wrath Their heart is as fat as grease and there is nothing but some heavy judgment from thy hand that can melt it O Lord abate their pride asswage their malice and confound them in their lies And confirm thy people in the Truth that being no way withdrawn by their delusions nor affrighted with their malice they may be constant and live in thy fear Ver. 8 and delight in thy Law and keep thy Commandments with their whole heart O let the Law of thy mouth be more dear and better unto them than thousands of gold and silver These cannot redéem a soul from hell or from the grave but the observation of thy Law will deliver from eternal death and bring a man to that life which is everlasting through the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. 10. JOD IN this Section The Contents 1. He prayes for understanding And perswades it because his creature David prayes for understanding comfort mercy 2. And useth many Arguments to perswade God unto it 1. In the first verse he petitions for understanding and labours to perswade God unto it because he was his Creature made and fashioned by him 1.
3 And quicken him Quicken me according to thy Word For thy promise made in thy Word concerning the reward of good men and punishment of bad quicken me put life into me by refreshing me by the life of grace and comforting me with the hope of the life of glory 2. He beleves he shall be heard because no wicked person Were I a wicked person this I could not hope from thee nor grace nor glory nor help nor deliverance I could not be perswaded that thou wouldst either consider or plead my cause or pass any judiciary sentence in my favour 1. Ver. 3 From whom salvation is far removed For salvation is far from the wicked In the former Section he said They are far from thy Law of which the consequent is That salvation is far from them Gods Law then must be kept by him that looks for salvarion If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Mat. 19. Do this and live 2. And this Davids Reason confirms For they seek not thy statutes Saved they cannot be Because they seek not Gods Law for they do not so much as seek to know thy Will the way of salvation they esteem it not make no account of it and therefore no wonder if thâ—y seek it not for men seek after that they esteem this is a sin of which a good man is never guilty transgress he may and doth yet he is alwayes seeking what is the mind of God and will find it if he can and live thereafter 3. And yet he desires mercies In which notwithstanding all his seeking and finding he still fails and comes short therefore he flies to Gods mercies with David in this place Great or many Ver. 4 are thy tender mercies O Lord. Two Epithites he bestowes on Gods mercies and we need both Which are great and many 1. Great or many for our sins are great and many Great they are in continuance they endure for ever great in extension for they they are above all his works and also many they are There is his preventing mercy his sparing mercy his pardoning mercy his renewing mercy his continuing mercy his crowning mercy there is a multitude of them Psal 51.1 2. And as they are great so are they tender Racham loving mercies 2 Tender and easie to be intreated they flow from his bowels and inward affection they are miserationes as well as misericordiae pitiful mercies tender as is the Matrix of the mother to the infant 3. Quicken me according to thy judgments To quicken him David found the life of grace in him dull'd deaded hindred impugned therefore so often he desires that God would quicken him 4. And now he begins to complain 't is not without reason He complains of his persecutors that I desire to be quickned and to have new life put into me for 1. Many are my persecutors and mine enemies many Devils many men many visible more invisible that go about to mortifie me Ver. 5 2. And yet I remain constant yet I do not decline to the right hand But is yet constant to Gods Law nor to the left I swarve not from thy Testimonies It is no great matter to cleave to the Law of God when none pursues thee for it when Authority allowes it when honour and prosperity followes it When the Lord gloried of his servant Job remember Satans answer Doth Job serve God for naught c. But do this and this to him and he will blaspheme thee to thy face But he was deceived for the more Job was cross't the more he cleaved to the Lord and so must a good man endure the fiery trial resist men to blood never decline or swarve 3. And a second strein of his complaint is Ver. 6 That these men were not only violent against him and malicious The qualities of his persecutors For which he grieved And appeals to God for the Truth of it but they were injurious to his God 1. They were Transgressours not simple sinners but workers of iniquity 2. Now this was it that went near his heart that his God should be dishonoured by them and his Word contemned I beheld the Transgressours and was grieved so before ver 139. 143. He took not so heavily his own persecution as the injury done to God An admirable Argument it is of love when the Glory of God and his Word is dearer to us than our lives It was so in Eliah in the Martyrs in David that melted away for grief to see wickedness exalted and Piety and true Religion trode under foot 5. This was I say an evident Argument of his love and for probation of it he appeals to God desiring the Lord to consider it whether it were so or no. 1. Consider Vide. No man dare say to God look upon me And desires him to consider it but he that is perswaded that God will like him when he looks upon him for he that doth evil hates the light and flies as did Adam that hid himself It is an Argument of a good conscience when we dare present our heart to God 2. Consider how I love It is not consider how I perform the comfort of a Christian while he lives in this body of sin is rather in sincerity And the love he bears to Gods Law and fervency of affection than in the absolute perfection of his actions for though he may fail oftentimes in his actions yet love in his affection still remains 3. And his love is to the precept He loves the Law because it is Gods Law from a just God and just in it self To love the promises of God is no such great matter for every man out of that love he bears to himself will be in love with these but to love Gods Law which is contrary to and restrains our corrupt nature is a great denial of himself and a manifest of true love so it was in David I love thy precepts 4. Therefore he petitions again for comfort And upon this he presseth on his Petition Quicken me O Lord according to thy loving-kindness As if he said Aequum est 't is but Reason thou be kind to me and quicken me since I grieve for the Transgressors and love thy Law 6. The Encomium of Gods Law viz. Now for the confirmation of his constancy he concludes with a commendation of Gods Law and Truth But these words are read or may be translated two wayes and they will have two senses for if we read 1. Thy Word is true from the beginning then the meaning is That when in the beginning thou commandest Adam not to touch the forbiden fruit under pain of death since thou hast verified thy Word for all men are since mortal 2. But if we read The beginning of thy Word is true Caput verbi tui veritas Vatab. The sense is Thy words proceed from Truth as from their Principle and Fountain and therefore are most true the
very garland and head of them is verity Two things he attributes to the Word of God Truth and Righteousness and they both serve very well to his present purpose to confirm him in his Petitions and constancy notwithstanding his many persecutors 1. 1 Truth Thy Word is true from the beginning Which perswasion is the mother of all obedience and faith for therefore we believe and obey it because we are perswaded it is true it begets such an assurance in our souls that no temptation or trouble is able to overcome it upon this St. Peter wisheth us to rely because it is a most sure Word 2 Pet. 1.19 The sure mercies of David God will not fail his people but according to his Word so it shall be 2. 2 Eternal justice And every one of thy righteous judgments endure for ever A reward remains for the righteous and a punishment for the wicked and with this assurance also David sustained himself against the delay of judgment against wicked men viz. A meditation of the eternal righteousness of Gods judgments he collected That for the present they might be spared but at length they would be punished seeing Gods judgments are everlasting The Prayer O Lord our afflictions at this time are great and our dangers are great we humbly therefore beséech thée to look down from thy holp Heaven and to consider our present trouble deliver us good Lord from our enemies for we do not forget thy Law Ver. 1 though we cannot perform it yet we have an especial regard to it and alwayes kéep it in memory desiring that our performances might be answerable to our destres Thou which art a just Iudge and to whom all judgment doth belong and to whom I have committed my cause plead my cause against mine Adversaries Ver. 2 and redéem my life from my unjust Oppressors according to thy promise quicken and revive my heart that is very much cast down by their insolencies Did my heart incline to any evil way I durst not appear in thy presence or expect so great a favour from thée Ver. 3 for salvation is far from the wicked As they are far from kéeping thy Law so also is salvation far from them when they séek not nor estéem thy statutes they cannot expect to be partakers of those promises which thou hast made to them that do séek them But thou O Lord knowest how I séek both them and thée Ver. 4 and thy mercies are great tender and many to those that fear thy Name according to these then deal with me and in equity deal with me that the remainder of my dayes which yet cannot be many may be comfortable The discomforts I have are infinite men and Devils Ver. 5 visible and invisible enemies on every side assault me tentations I méet with on the right hand and on the left and yet such is my love to thy Law Ver. 7 that hitherto I have not declined from thy Testimonies Consider then O Lord how I love thy precepts and according to thy loving-kindness deal with me and assist me and quicken me with thy grace that no tentation prevail over me Ver. 6 Let me not be seduced by any ill example and draâ—n to tread in the steps of wicked men for whose transgressions my heart is grieved because they keep not thy Word Ver. 8 which is a Word of Truth and Righteousness Never suffer me to decline from this Truth ever cause me to rely upon this Righteousness let me not be seduced by Errors nor be discomforted with the prosperity of wicked men whom though thou sparest for this present yet will at last poure upon them thy full Wols of vengeance because thy righteous judgments endure for ever O Lord get thy honour upon thy enemies but let the sure mercies of David never fail thy Church and people for thy Son Iesus Christs sake our only Lord and Saviour Amen 21. SCHIN DAVID in this Section shewes his love to the Law of God 2. The Contents David shewes his love to Gods Law And the perfection of his love 1. The first sign of his love was that notwithstanding he was persecuted for Gods sake yet he still was constant in his obedience to God Ver. 1 1. Princes have persecuted me Saul Ishbosheth Abner his son The signs of it 1. His constancy to it Absolon sought his life It is a great tentation to sustain injuries from any man but if from Princes a greater to persist and be constant then a notable Argument of love and fortitude 2. Without a cause Causes indeed were pretended but none found He spared Sauls life when he might have slain wept over Abner mourned for Absolon 3. But my heart stands in awe of thy Word This was the sign of his love this caused him to spare Gods Anointed revenge Ishbosheths death c. Though Princes degenerate and become Tyrants Touch them not let Gods Word awe thee 2. The second sign of his love is his joy and delight he took in Gods Law 2 His joy and delight in it He tells us that his joy in it exceeded that of men victorious in battel that returned loaden with spoiles Isa 9. David a Souldier and Conqueror could well tell what joy that was and yet he prefers this because it brings better tydings Ver. 2 I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great spoiles 3. A third sign of love to it was his hatred of all iniquity Ver. 3 and his abhorrence of falshood 3 His hatred of false wayes I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love It was no lite disliking of sin for a cold hatred of evil in time will be turned to liking no simple refusing of evil but an indignation against it a hatred an abhorrence Ye that love the Lord hate that which is evil for no man can serve two Masters Ver. 4 4. A fourth sign of his love was his fervour earnestness 4 His frequency to praise God and frequency of praising God Seven times a day do I praise thee Ver. 5 because of thy righteous judgments 5 The joy he took in Gods Saints and their peace and prosperity 5. A fifth sign of his love is the content he took that not only himself but others also were the better for loving of it He loved Gods Saints as well as his Law to these was 1. Great peace have they that love thy Law joy prosperity no peace to the wicked 2. And nothing shall offend them or they shall have no stumbling block Scandalize they will not actively nor be scandalized passively for that is offence taken by weak Christians who upon ignorance think that unlawful which is lawful or of Pharisees who interpret that to the worse part which they ought to interpret to the better But they which love the Law of God know why they love it they are perfect in charity nor weakling nor Pharisees and therefore they shall have no stumbling block 2.
the sword then Judiciary power may well be understood Deut. 32.41 Rom. 13.4 And the Saints at the last day are to be Judges 1 Cor. 6.2 Mat. 19.28 Then the exercise of this judiciary power shall be The end of that power 1. Vers. 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen to reprove them and to pronounce a condemnatory sentence against them to exprobate to them their former life Wisd 5.1 c. and to pronounce punishment on the people To judge them to punishment 2. Vers. 8 To bind even the greatest their Kings in chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron The phrase is Metaphorical as is that of the Gospel Mat. 22. Bind him hand and foot and cast him into utter darkness The meaning of it is that at the day of Judgement the Saints shall approve the sentence passed by Christ against all Nero's Diocletians Herods Julians when they shall be bound in chains of darkness and crushed by Christs iron Scepter 3. Vers. 9 To execute upon them the judgement written The judgement against wicked doers and persecutors of Gods Church written in Gods Book and as certain as if engraven in a pillar His immutable judgement 3. This is the glory of all his Saints He concludes with an Epiphonema This glory of sitting with Christ in the clouds and judging the world is the Glory of all his Saints Allelujah An Appendix to the four last Verses in this Psalm BEcause these last verses have according to mens fancies been applyed to several purposes as they might suit best with their interests therefore I thought good to say a little more of them 1. The Jews first applyed them to the time succeeding their Captivity and fancied to themselves that the promise was made to them that they should have a two-edged sword in their hand that is power to execute vengeance on the heathen c. But he that shall read the story of the Maccabees and Josephus shall find that such a time never came that so far they were from binding Kings in chains that Kings held them in bondage as Antiochus Seleucus Tryphon Pompey c. This sence then can have no foundation in these words 2. Which the Jews that now live perceiving tell us that these words shall have the accomplishment at the coming of their yet expected Messias for then they shall be Lords of the world and bind all Kings they please in chains and Nobles with fâ—tters of Iron c. But never any such temporal Messiah shall come and therefore this is but a fiction of their own brain 3. The Anabaptists Millenaries Fifth-Monarchy-Men dream also of such a golden age they tell us of a thousand years that Christ shall come and with his Apostles reign upon the earth in which time his Laws only must take place and that his Saints shall have a two-edged sword in their hands execute vengeance and punish who they please binds Kings and Nobles in chains punish who they please and execute the judgement written And the consequent of this Doctrine is destructive and dangerous as experience hath taught us in Muncer John of Lâ—yden our new Sectaries who upon it labour to unroot all Monarchies and destroy all that wear a Crown But this is but an illusion for of Christ it is said That him the Heavens must contain till the consummation of all things when Christ will come and take his Elect to him that where he is they may be also and that is into Heaven not on Earth Here then we may not expect to reign with him 4. A fourth opinion there is which is the most received and by very judicious Divines that these words are to be taken in a spiritual sense That by the Saints are to be understood Christ his Apostles and Successors that by the two edged Sword is to be understood the Word of God by Chains and Fetters the Lawes and Precepts of the Gospel by punishments the sharp rebukes used by the Ministers of the Word to stubborn sinners by the revenge taken on them Repentance which is a revenge taken for a former sin 2 Cor. 7.11 which being admitted the sense will run thus Let the hiâ—gh praises of God be in the mouth of his Ministers and the two-edged Sword of the Gospel Hebr. 4.12 in their hand to execute vengeance upon the Heathen to bring them to repentance and make them take revenge upon themselâ—es for their former wayes and punishments to utter sharp rebukes upon the people to bind not the people only and Plebians but even the most mighty Kings and Princes Nobles and great men with the Lawes of Christ and Precepts of the Gospel as fast as if they were bound with Chains of Brass and Fetters of Iron And 't is known how the greatest Princes have submitted their necks to the yoke and Doctrine of Christ To execute upon them the judgment written Not that any of Christs Ministers usurp Authority over Kings and Princes in temporal matters for they are only to proceed according to the letter of their Commission Go and teach all Nations and acquaint the greatest Princes That if they obey and believe the Gospel they shall be saved but if they believe not they shall be damned This is the judgment written and it is executed when proclaimed and preached to them which if it take no place it is beyond their Commission to raise Arms against them This is no where written Now this is the honour of all his Saints of all those whom he hath entrusted with his Commission And indeed an honour it is unto them to be his Embassadors and Heraulds 5. The fifth interpretation is that which I mentioned before in the Analysis who apply the Text to the Judiciary power that the Saints receive at the last day and I rather embrace it than the former But I leave every one to his choice The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty ninth Psalm THOV art worthy O Lord God of Heaven and Earth Ver. 1 to whom a new Song should be sung in the Congregation of thy Saints and indéed how can it he otherwise that that people Ver. 2 who acknowledge thée the God that made them and the King who rules and governs them should do less than rejoyce in thée their Creator and be joyful in their Soveraign Ver. 3 To this end we tune our hearts and conform our voyces and because they are too little call for the assistance we do of all Musical Instruments Praise thee we will with Timbrel and Harp There is no merit at all in us why thou shouldst look upon us a mass of corruption and sin we find in our selves but nothing to deserve thy love Ver. 4 and yet thou in mercy hast béen pleased to take pleasure in us to redéem to justifie to sanctifie us and to beautifie all such as are méek in heart with salvation In thy good time O Lord bring us to glory Ver. 5 where we may be joyful with thy Saints