not found thy grace or truth to fail me but as I have endeavoured to approve my self a good servant so O Lord have I found thee a good master true of thy promise and as good as thy word 66 Lord give me a right understanding of things that differ let me not mistake falshood for truth nor evil for good but teach me to know the thing that good is and dispose mine heart and affections practically thereunto for so far as I have been taught by thy spirit I have gladly imbraced and conscionably obeyed and not refused either belief or subjection to any thy commandments 67 My very afflictions through thy grace and faithfulness are become wholsom physick and good documents to me for I was apt to wander out of thy way until I smarted for my folly but now I have learned another lesson and have ever since run another course kept close to thy will revealed in thy word without hearkening to the dictates of corrupt reason tending to self-pleasing or self-saving which before were too prevailing 68 Goodness of all kinds O Lord is natural to thee so it is not to us in any kind for there is none good but God and flows plentifully from thee as all creatures but man especially can witness of whose bountie they have their beings and those beings their subsistencies all the world over but Lord it is thy saving goodness that I pray to partake of my soul is more to me than my bodie and grace than nature therefore do I beg special and supernatural grace and wisdom to know and do thy will which I prefer before common and natural benefits the pleasing of thee before either profit or pleasure to my self of thy goodness grant me this which is part of the divine nature and onely makes man like to God in being and doing good which I would both be and do 69 My proud disdainful enemies that fear not God nor care not what wickedness they commit in word or deed to discredit me have falsly aspersed me for a traiterous conspiratour and that it is my ambition not thy determination that puts me upon expectancie of the Kingdom but I am resolved this slaunder shall not stagger me but in confidence of thy truth and mine own integritie I will persist to serve thee in sinceritie of heart who I know wilt vindicate mine innocencie and make appear their forgerie 70 Their worldly pomp and plentie hath made their hearts so gross and carnal as that their consciences are benummed and sensless and their minds puft up with pride and arrogance they sin without restraint and scoffe at pietie as pusillanimitie but thy Law is my delight though not theirs I am troubled when I break it and glad at heart when I do and can keep it through thy gracious enablement 71 Yea such is my love to holiness that I never think it a dear purchase whatsoever it cost me and therefore value mine afflictions which in mercie thou sentest to beget in me a teachable and tractable heart to thy commandments above their prosperitie that hardeneth their hearts in ignorance and carnallitie 72 Thy word and Law written in my heart effectually taught and wrought there by thy spirit however it is counter to my corruptions yet because as it is thine so pliable hast thou made my will to thy will even therefore do I praise it and apprehend my self more enriched with my knowledge of it and love to it than if I had the wealth the world so dotes on in never so great abundance Iod. The tenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the tenth part 73 Thou Lord that madest me was pleased to difference me from other creatures by endowing me with natural capacities above them so that though I have lost my created perfections of righteousness and holiness yet not my created and passive capacities of thy renewing them again in me my soul hath the same faculties and my bodie the same parts and Organs thou gavest me at the first in and upon which thou art able to re-imprint thine image vouchsafe me I pray thee thy renewing grace more and more powerfully enlighten my dark understanding encline my whole man O Lord to the loving and obeying of thy whole will I am still thy creature renew thy likeness 74 If Lord thou wilt strengthen thy graces in me and enable me to hold out stedfast in faith and holy obedience to the end and then reward thine own graces in me with a happie issue and close of things how will it rejoyce the hearts of thy servants that fear thee and hope in thee when they shall see me have overcome all my miseries and be possessed of my hopes and thy promises because of thy gracious enabling me to hold out in affiance of thy word it will affect them greatly 75 I know O Lord that thou art righteous in what thou sayest and doest thy word and thy works are consentaneous thy faithfulness is fulfilled in my very afflictions though seemingly otherwayes thy judgements and mercies and shall conduce to bring about thy promises made to me 76 Let I pray thee thy mercie of favour and grace long since promised me be in the faith of it a continual comfort to me yea Lord comfort me thy servant chosen and called with the accomplishment of it according to thy word 77 Make me inwardly sensible of those tender affections which thou bearest me that they may help to revive me in this comfortless condition whilest it lasts and express them also in outward manifestations let me see thy pitie and compassion in a comfortable deliverance and conclusion that I may live free from these troubles which makes my life a very death for how ever by frailtie I have and cannot but offend thee yet thou knowest thou hast mine heart and good will in all things to serve and obey thee that is my desire and in that I delight 78 Let not me therefore miscarrie by the hands of proud men and evil doers that are lawless and scorn subjection Lord let them miscarrie in their designs and evil purposes for thou knowest how contrarie to their consciences they have persecuted me as nocent when as they know me to be an innocent person but their dealing shall not make me forget my dutie I will keep mine eye still fixed upon that and walk stedfastly in the way of thy precepts in confidence of my reward and their punishment 79 Give me such remarkable deliverance and so change the scene that those of thy people that truly fear thee and have been savingly enlightened by thee whom my afflictions have staggered or that have been misled by delusions and false reports may see convincing signs of thy special favour to me and purposes concerning me and thereby be encouraged and invited in the faith of thy promises and my innocent cause to take part and joyn with me against mine
his mouth 6 O ye seed of Abraham his Servant ye children of Jacob his chosen 7 He is the Lord our God his judgements are in all the earth 8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever the word which he commanded to a thousand generations 9 Which covenant he made with Abraham and his oath unto Isaac 10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law and â—o Israel for aâ— everlasting covenant 11 Saying unto thee will I give the land of Canaan the lot of your inheritance 12 When they were but a few men in number yea very few and strangers in it 13 When they went from one nation to another from one Kingdom to another people 14 He suffered no man to do them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sakeâ— 15 Saying Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm 16 Moreover he called for a famin upon the land he brake the whole staff of bread 17 He sent a man before them evâ—n Joseph who was sold for a servant 18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters he was laid in Iron 19 Until the time that his word came the word of the Lord tryed him 20 The King sent and loosed him even the ruler of the people and let him go free 21 He made â—im Lord of his house and ruler of all his substance 22 To bind his Princes at his pleasure and teach his senatours wisdom 23 Israel also came into Egypt and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 24 And he increased his people greatly made them stronger than their enemies 25 He turned their heart to hate his people to deal subtilly with his servants 26 He sent Moses his servant and Aaron whom he had chosen 27 They shewed his signs among them and wonders in the land of Ham. 28 He sent darkness and made it dark and they rebelled not against his word 29 He turned their waters in o bloud and slew their fish 30 The land brought forth frogs in abundance in the chambers of their Kings 31 He spake and there came diverse sorts of flies and lice in all their coasts 32 He gave them hail for rain and flaming fire in their land 33 He smote their vines also and their fig-trees and brake the trees of their coasts 34 He spake the locusts came and cater-pillars and that without number 35 And did eat up all the hearbs in the land and devoured the fruit of their ground 36 He smote also all the first-born in their land the chief of all their strength 37 He brought them sorth also with silver and gold and there was not one feeble person among their Tribes 38 Egypt was glad when they departed for the fear of them fell upon them 39 He spread a cloud for a covering and a fire to give light in the night 40 The people asked and he broughâ— quailes and satisfied them with the breaâ— of heaven 41 He opened the rock and the waters gushed out they ran in the dry places like a river 42 For he remembred his holy promise and Abraham his servant 43 And he brought forth his people with joy and his chosen with gladness 44 And gave them the lands of the heathen and they inherited the labour of the people 45 That they might observe his statutes keep his laws Praise ye the Lord. PRaise ye the Lord O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever 2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord who can shew forth all his praise 3 Blessed are they that keep judgement and he that doth righteousness at all times 4 Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation 5 That I may see the good of thy chosen that I may rejoyce in the gladness of thy nation that I may glory with thine inheritance 6 We have sinned with our fathers we have committed iniquity we have done wickedly 7 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies but provoked him at the sea even at the red sea 8 Nevertheless he saved them for his names sake that he might make his mighty power to be known 9 He rebuked the red sea also and it was dried up so he led them through the depths as through the wilderness 10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy 11 And the waters covered their enemies there was not one of them left 12 Then believed they his words they sang his praise 13 They soon forgat his works they waited not for his counsell 14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted God in the desert 15 And he gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul. 16 They envied Moses also in the 17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram 18 And a fire was kindled in their company the flame burnt up the wicked 19 They made a calfâ— in Horeb and worshipped the molten image 20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass 21 They forgat God their saviour which had done great things in Egypt 22 Wonderous works in the land of Ham and terrible things by the red sea 23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath least he should destroy them 24 Yea they despised the pleasant land they believed not his word 25 But murmured in their tents and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord. 26 Therefore he lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the wilderness 27 To overthrow their seed also among the nations and to scatterâ— them in the lands 28 They joyned themselves also unto Baal-peor and ate the sacrifices of the dead 29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions and the plague brake in upon them 30 Then stood up Phinehas and exe uted judgement and so the plague was stayed 31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore 32 They angred him also at the waters of strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes 33 Because they provoked his spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips 34 They did not destroy the nations concerning whom the Lord commanded them 35 But were mingled among the heathen and learned their works 36 And they served their idols which were a snare unto them 37 Yea they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils 38 And shed innocent bloud even the bloud of their sons and their daughters whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan and the land was
With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thy commandments 11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sinne against thee 12 Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy statutes 13 With my lips have I declared all the judgements of thy mouth 14 I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches 15 I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy wayes 16 I will delight my self in thy statutes I will not forget thy word Gimel 17 Deal bountifully with thy servant that I may live and keep thy word 18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy law 19 I am a stranger in the earth hide not thy commandments from me 20 My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgement at all times 21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed which do erre from thy commandments 22 Remove from me reproach and contempt â—or I have kept thy testimonies 23 Princes also did sit and speak against me but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes 24 Thy â—eâ—timonies also are my delight and my counsellours Daleth 25 My soul cleavetâ—â— unto the dust quicken thou me according to thy word I have declared my wayes and thou heardest me teach me thy statutes 27 Make me to unâ—derstand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wonderous works 28 My soul melteth for heaviness strengthen thou me according unto thy word 29 Remove from me the way of lying and grant me thy law graciously 30 I have chosen the way of truth thy judgemâ—nts have I laid before me 31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies O Lord put me not to shame 32 I will run the wayes of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart He. 33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end 34 Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart 35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments for therein do I delight 36 Encline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness 37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy way 38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear 39 Turn away my reproach which I fear for thy judgements are good 40 Behold I have longed after thy preceptsâ— quicken me in thy righteousness Vau. 41 Let thy mercies come also unto me O Lord even thy salvaâ—tion aâ—cording to thy word 42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me for I trust in thy word 43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth for I have hoped in thy judgements 44 So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever And I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts 46 I will speak of thy testimonies also before Kings and will not be ashamed 47 And I will delight my self in thy commandments which I have loved 48 My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments which I have loved and I will meditate in thy statutes Zain 49 Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope 50 This is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickened me 51 The proud have had me greatly in derision yet have I not declined from thy law 52 I remembred thy judgements of old O Lord and have comforted my self 53 Horrour hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law 54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrim age 55 I have remembred thy name O Lord in the night and have kept thy law 56 This I had because I kept thy precepts Cheth 57 Thou art my portion O Lord I have said that I would keep thy words 58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart be merciful unto me according to thy word 59 I thought on my wayes and turned my feet into thy testimonies 60 I made hast and delayed not to keep thy commandments 61 The bands of the wicked have robbed me but I have not forgot thy Law 62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements 63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts 64 The earth O Lord is full of thy mercie teach me thy statutes Teth. 65 Thou hast dealt well with thy servant O Lord according unto thy word 66 Teach me good judgement and knowledge for I have believed thy commandments 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word 68 Thou art good and doest good teach me thy statutes 69 The proud have forged a lie against me but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart 70 Their heart is as fat as grease but I delight in thy Law 71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes 72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver Iod. 73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments 74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me because I have hoped in thy word 75 I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me 76 Let I pray thee thy merciful kindness be for my comfort according to thy word unto thy servant 77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live for thy Law is my delight 78 Let the proud be ashamed for they dealt perversly with me without a cause but I will meditate in thy precepts 79 Let those that fear thee turn unto me and those that have known thy testimonies 80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Caph. 81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation but I hope in thy word 82 Mine eyes fail for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort me 83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke yet do I not forget thy statutes 84 How many are the dayes of thy servant when wilt thou execute judgement on them that persecute me 85 The proud have digged pits for me which are not after thy Law 86 All thy commandments are faithful they persecute me wrongfully help thou me 87 They had almost consumed me upon earth but I forsook not thy precepts 88 Quicken me after thy loving kindness so shall I keep the testimonie of thy mouth Lamed 89 For ever O Lord thy word is setled in heaven 90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations thou hast established the earth and it abideth 91 They continue this day according to thine ordinances for all are
thy servants 92 Unless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine affliction 93 I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me 94 I am thine save me for I have sought thy precepts 95 The wicked have waited for me to destroy me but I will consider thy testimonies 96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy commandment is exceeding broad Mem. 97 O how love I thy Law it is my meditation all the day 98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies for they are ever with me 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my mediation 100 I understand more than the ancients because I keep thy testimonies 101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep thy word 102 I have not departed from thy judgements for thou hast taught me 103 How sweet are thy words unto my tast yea sweeter than honey to my mouth 104 Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way Nun. 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path 106 I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgements 107 I am afflicted very much quicken me O Lord according unto thy word 108 Accept I beseech thee the free-will-offerings of my mouth O Lord and teach me thy judgements 109 My soul is continually in my hand yet do I not forget thy Law 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me yet I erred not from thy precepts 111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart 112 I have enclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway even unto the end Samech 113 I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love 114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy word 115 Depart from my ye evil duers for I will keep the commandments of my God 116 Uphold me according unto thy word that I may live and let me not be ashamed of my hope 117 Hold thou me up and I shall be safe and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually 118 Thou hast troden down all them that erre from thy statutes for their deceit is falshood 119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross therefore I love thy testimonies 120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements Ain 121 I have done judgement and justice leave me not to mine oppressours 122 Be surety for thy servant for good let not the proud oppress me 123 Mine eyes fail for thy salvation and for the word of thy righteousness 124 Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercie teach me thy statutes 125 I am thy servant give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies 126 It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made void thy Law 127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold yea above fine gold 128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Pe. 129 Thy testimonies are wonderful therefore doth my soul keep them 130 The enterance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple 131 I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy commandments 132 Look thou upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name 133 Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquitie have dominion over me 134 Deliver me from the oppression of man so will I keep thy precepts 135 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant and teach me thy statutes 136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Tsaddi 137 Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy judgements 138 Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful 139 My zeal hath consumed me because mine enemies have forgotten thy words 140 Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it 141 I am small and despised yet do I not forget thy precepts 142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness and thy Law is the truth 143 Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy commandments are my delights 144 The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting give me understanding and I shall live Koph 145 I cried with my whole heart hear me O Lord I will keep thy statutes 146 I cried unto thee save me and I shall keep thy testimonies 147 I prevented the dawning of the morning and cried I hoped in thy word 148 Mine eyes prevent the night watches that I might meditate in thy word 149 Hear my voyce according unto thy loving kindness O Lord quicken me according to thy judgement 150 They draw nigh that follow after mischief they are far from thy Law 151 Thou art near O Lord and all thy commandments are truth 152 Concerning thy testimonies I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever Resh 153 Consider mine affliction and deliver me for I do not forget thy Law 154 Plead my cause and deliver me quicken me according to thy word 155 Salvation is far from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes 156 Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken me according to thy judgements 157 Many are my persecutors mine enemies yet do I not decline from thy testimonies 158 I beheld the transgressours and was grâ—eved because they kept not thy word 159 Consider how I love thy precepts quicken me O Lord according to thy loving kindness 160 Thy word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgements endureth for ever Schin 161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but mine heart standeth in aw of thy word 162 I rejoyce at thy word as one that findeth great spoil 163 I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love 164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgements 165 Great peace have they which love thy Law and nothing shall offend them 166 Lord I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy commandments 167 My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly 168 I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies for all my wayes are before thee Tau 169 Let my cry come near before thee O Lord give me understanding according to thy word 170 Let my supplication come before thee deliver me according to thy word 171 My lips shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes 172 My tongue shall speak of thy word for all thy commandments are righteousness 173 Let thine hand help me for I have chosen thy precepts 174 I have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is my delight 175 Let my soul live and it shall praise thee let thy judgements
would give to find me being utterly without the knowledge or fear of God as if they speak not in his learning nor should never be called to an account for those lies and false reports they raise against me 8 But thou O Lord shalt laugh at this presumptuous folly of theirs that dare set so light by thee all those that care not to know and fear thee now shall one day wish they had when as thou shalt give them to understand that thou carest as little for and sets as light by them as they by thee and though Israelites in their own esteem yet in thine they are no better than heathens and so they shall find 9 Mine enemy indeed is much too hard for me but not for thee so that his strength and power to afflict and wrong me shall have this effect it shall make me adhere to thee and depend upon thee the firmelier for deliverance for I never yet was in so perillous condition but thou didst protect me nor I believe never shall 10 But that God whom I have ever found gracious and mercifull to me will still be so and do more for me than I can ask for my self And will certainly be as good as his word wherein he hath caused me to hope in confounding mine enemies 11 Yet I desire not that thou shouldst do by them as they would do by me destroy them out and out both for their good and mine own and all my friends and adherents I rather desire they may remain standing monuments as the Jews Christs persecutours shall be to the believing Gentils of thy forepast mercies to mind us of them that we forget not our deliverances and that therefore thou wouldst rather chuse by thy power to abate theirs which they so much confide in that so they may be humbled and come to know and acknowledge thee to be as indeed thou art O Lord thy servants shield and faithfull protectour 12 Bring all their sinfull slanders upon themselves in thy just judgements let them be cast from the top of honour and affluence wherein they so pride themselves for example sake into the bottome of infamie and indigencie and for those curses and falshoods which they belch out against me 13 Do thou abase their power and pride and bring them and it to nought in thy heavy displeasure let them live like abjects here and there without power or credit as shall Christs crucifiers And that not onely for encouragement and instruction of thy peoples faith but make them examples of thy wrath and terrour to the very heathen also every where who are capable of instruction of that nature that they may learn not to rebell against thee in opposing the Kingdome of Christ typically resembled in mine over Israel which hereby they may see thou wilt effect and make good maugre all opposition in faithfulness to thy covenant and love to thy servant Jacob that type of Christ the root of thy Church which is thy Kingdome in which thou rulest and for which thou over-rulest all earthly powers Let them Lord know so much 14 Let mine enemies and the enemies of thy Church know what it is to oppress and persecute thy people let them have enough of their own ways in the issue and tast the bitter fruit of their eager prosecuting and malicious slandering the faithful and upright by changing the scene and being necessitated to range and raven for their own subsistence with as much hunger and greediness as ever they did for my ruine 15 Let them come to shamefull want and penury even to beg their bread and yet not get enough to satisfie their hunger but fret and repine at this their lamentable condition and spend their days in poverty and discontent 16 But though they cannot but fret and â—ume under their troubles I will sing under mine and shew forth thy power and goodness as concerning other remarkable deliverances so specially this over night from those that were appointed to kill me in the morning when yet I shall live to sing hearty praises to thee for thou hast contrived my rescue out of their hands that would have detroyed me and were near the doing it 17 Though my condition is weak and mine enemies potent yet thou art strong enough to deal with them that 's my comfort and in the faith thereof I will chear up my heart and sing to thee the praise of my success magnifying thee O God for my deliverance who hast ever been and ever wilt be a God of protection and mercy to me The lx Psalm David takes occasion from complicate victories of maâ—y enemies to shew the people the different proceedings of God towards them now to what was heretofore then they were the miserablest of all people by reason of their sins and his judgements and now through his grace and faithfulness are become the happiest and succesfullest under him the type of Christ and his Church And admonisheth them therefore to live by faith and to seek to God promising in so doing they shall prosper and be victorious To him that is most skilfull upon the sweet instrument Shushan Eduth in this Psalm made by David committed to be plaid upon that instrument and sung to the speciall tune of Michtam the scope whereof is to teach the Israelites in whom to trust and from whom to expect their happiness even from God and his faithfulness because of his promises which he will now fulfill under his government as his late victories over the Syrians and Edomites give good proof 2 Sam. 8.3.13 1 Chron. 18.3 c. Together with other experiences mentioned in this Psalm 1 O God notwithstanding the peculiarity of interest and relation betwixt us thy people and thee yet hast thou for a long time suffered us to be oppressed and worsted by the heathen nations and people about us and within us our sins were the cause why thou wast displeased at us and didst so by us but let it seem long enough to have been strange to us now Lord have mercy on us be reconciled and take part with us as thou didst at first when thou broughtest us out of Egypt and gavest us this land to possesse 2 Fearfull concussions have been in this state by reason of their sins and thy judgements what invasions and inrodes of forreign enemies what civil wars fractions and divisions amongst themselves and what desolations hath befallen them by all these so that for a long time miserable hath been their disorder and confusion therefore pity this thine own people at last and give them better times for the nation hath been sore shaken and thunder-strucken by thy judgements upon it that if thou underprop it not now it cannot stand nor remain any longer a people to thee 3 Who though they are so yet hast thou greatly afflicted them with many and grievous calamities thy judgements our miseries have been such
by it yet is not so typed to it but thou canst hear and help me and art present with me to do me good here as there for thou canst stretch thy wings of power and protection as far as I can stretch my faith and that shall never fail in every condition and place to rely upon thee for it Amen 5 For I have double assurance from thee both my former experiences having evermore had my prayers granted and my vows of praise and thanks accepted which at any time they have not been a few in mine extremities I engaged my self to perform unto thee and the promise fulfil'd of being King over the people that of all the world only know and fear thee as Christ over his Church both I and mine and therefore am not to be put besides it I am confident but shall be restored to it again and leave it peaceably to my successours 6 Yea I doubt not but I shall out-live this trouble and being annoynted and appointed King by God in special remembrance of the Messiah I shall be re-installed and undoubtedly live out the uttermost period of my days which shall not be a few in that estate and condition 7 This is as certain as God is true for herein I his peculiar chosen for that purpose am by the grace and favour of God to be the type and symbol of Christs certain and everlasting reign over his Church notwithstanding all his and her troubles To this end Lord shew forth thy mercy in pardoning my sin and removing this judgement and remember thy faithfulness to do as thou hast promised concerning me for on these two crutches Mercy and Truth do I lean and doubt not to be upheld and preserved by them and brought out of this my present misery into a good condition and restored to Jerusalem and thy Tabernacle again in a peaceable and lasting possession of my Kingdom 8 And when thou hast done this for me then comes my turn to do for thee even to praise thee there and to magnifie thy power and goodness for this my deliverance so long as I live which I will certainly do and when I am dead too by an everlasting Memorandum which I will leave of it to thy Church and will daily resort to thy Sanctuary and there as oft as I go to worship will not fail to remember mine engagements and perform my vows unto thee for this and all other thy mercies for which I stand indebted to thee The lxii PSALM David abruptly breaks into a declaration of his sole confidence in God for his own preservation and his enemies destruction that maligne him to the death but encourageth himself in his trust in God and adviseth all else that are faithfully affected and wait upon the promise to do so â—oo fall back fall edge shewing how vain it is to trust in ought else which he disswades them from at any rate because both by Gods word and our own daily experience we may learn That it is his power mercy and justice that onely can and will save us and utterly destroy our enemies To Seduthun one of the prime musicians and the principal of all his lineage do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 GOd hath been pleased to exercise me under infinite and endless trials none ever the like and I have had no small temptations by them to impatience and dispair but yet they have not taken effect I have and do still hold out dependingly rely upon God and patiently wait the issue which I know shall be good for as I have had one trial upon the neck of another so hath he never failed me with deliverance upon deliverance in most marvellous manner no nor never will 2 I have ever found him alone all-sufficient to deliver me out of my dangers though they have been never so great and from mine enemies though they have been never so many and I doubt not but to find him so still for my faith is the same it was and so is he and will approve himself no less I am confident in my behalf whensoever I stand in need so that though I may yet wade through more troubles and undergo further agitations yet they shall be but like the rest exercises and tryals of my faith and patience they shall never undo me but I shall sooner or later be delivered 3 How long will you persist to compass my ruine and think because I am but a man whom you strive against therefore it must needs be feasible never considering what God hath decreed and promised concerning me which is not frustrable by all that you can do but shall make me though a low and despicable man in your eyes able to hold out against you all who instead of ruining me shall your selves be destroyed your own weight of wickedness shall serve to crush you and your sinfull courses shall lay you low enough as strong and well fortified as you take your selves to be 4 They set themselves against me as if they had no other enemy fearing that I shall be King which they would gladly hinder if they could they stick not to say I rebelliously seek it though they know and have had experience of the contrary and out of their own mouthes have pronounced me innocent and faultless wished well to me for it in outward expressions when notwithstanding in heart they hated me and meant me nothing but mischief as I have found by experience 5 My soul what ever be the carriage of thine enemies towards thee yet cast not off thy confidence in God but hold out patiently to expect the fulfilling of his promise and the issue of thy sufferings make him thy sole stay and trust for thou hast good grounds so to do 6 I have ever found him alone all-sufficient to deliver me out of my dangers though they have been never so great and from mine enemies though they have been never so many and I doubt not but to find him so still for my faith is the same it was and so is he and will approve himself no less I am confident in my behalf whensoever I stand in need so that though more troubles may befall me yet shall they be but exercises and trials of my faith and patience they shall never undo me but I shall sooner or later be delivered 7 I have solely deposited my safety and honour in the hands of God which mine adversaries seek to ruinate and to deprive me of both present being and future well-being but shall do neither for God hath undertaken for both and will undoubtedly make it good 8 Let me be your example encourager to trust immoveably in God at all times in all conditions better or worse Ye his faithful upright-hearted people that have waited for better times as I have done be not dismaied but let your faith be
with thee in it nor ascribe it to ought else besides thee such extraordinary and strange vengeance didst thou take upon those blasphemous enemies as if it had been with the stroke and terrour of a Thunder-bolt from heaven and so terrifying it was to all nations where the fame of it came and it spread not a little ground the report of this wonderfull overthrow of so mighty an army as that none of them had the heart to invade us but were quiet and durst not stir though their fingers itched to be at us 9 Upon Gods executing this just and fearfull judgement on the Assyrian army in rescue of his own poor distressed people even all his whole Church and faithfull servants at once which he had upon the face of the whole earth that were in a helpless hopeless condition and had no remedy left but prayer 10 Surely Lord thy servants need fear nothing but thee for the rage and fury of thy peoples and Churches enemies shall serve not for theirs but their own destruction thou shalt so order the matter as that it shall prove but the ripening of their sins and the hastening of thy righteous judgements upon their heads and be occasion of thy peoples praises and thanksgivings to thee and shalt so terribly affright others that are like minded towards thy Church that they shall have no mind to meddle when they hear so great an army that gave out so great words and threats could effect nothing but came to such an end 11 O Israel and chiefly you inhabitants of Jerusalem vow praises and thanksgivings to the Lord for this unspeakable deliverance and miraculous preservation and forget not to pay what you owe in that kind let neither supine negligence now you are in peace and quietness nor unfaithfull covetousness hinder your solemn returns to God both with inward fervour and outward legall solemnities and sacrifices yea let all the heathen people and nations round about that hear of this wondrous work of God do homage to him as the onely God worthy to be worshipped and feared of all the world even Israels God 12 For as he hath done by these so shall he do by others even the Princes and Potentates of the earth if they take not warning thus they shall be served it shall cost them their lives if they blaspheme and rebell against God contemn his worship or distress his Church in his wrath shall he destroy them suddainly and make them a terrour to the Kings of the earth like as he hath made Senacherib exemplary unto them The lxxvii PSALM The Psalmist in grievous affliction and desertion labours to comfort himself with the success of former prayers in former distresses and by parallel difficulty in prevailing then so now but is overpowered with the extremity and prolixity of his present grief and the ineffectualness of his endeavours to minister comfort to himself which puts him upon an expostulatory interrogating himself with some diffidence touching the nature and promise of God for which he chides himself at last takes up another resolution and falls to work in a quite other way incouraging himself by the faith of those very things and experiences God to his Church in their distress which before he perverted and made use of to the encrease of diffidence To Jeduthun one of the prime musicians and the principall of all his lineage do I Asaph that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 O Lord how oft have I upon occasion put up my prayers unto thee even continually in my distresses of what sort soever I made thee still my sanctuary fled to thee by faithfull and fervent prayer and I do not know the time that ever I went without mine errant but was always heard and had my suite granted though long first and hardly gained 2 I will remember what a troublous fit I had under a painfull disease in what extremity I lay for a long time both in pain of body and anguish of mind finding neither remedy for the one nor comfort for the other though I sought to God earnestly and importunately in that my sad condition yet I could have no ease my pain was the same and my soul that nothing else could comfort could obtain no glimpse of Gods favour towards it to quiet and refresh it withall for a long season 3 Insomuch that I was even tired out with fruitless solicitations I was in such misery and found so little remedy though I prayed hard for it as that at last prayer it self became painfull to me I could not think of going to God having gone so oft and sped so ill but it troubled me when as all my complaints in so sad a condition moved nothing it even killed my very heart This case was I in and to this extremity was I brought 4 And as it was then so is it now thou hast cast me into such extream affliction and misery that it doth not onely take up whole dayes the pain of it but whole nights too without any intermission so that I can take no rest all the night long and so from night to night and I have praied so long and sped so ill that the trouble of my mind hath even stopped my mouth I can speak no more 5 I have cast about every way and considered every thing that might make for my comfort I have called to mind thy former gracious dispensations to thy people and servants of old in their distresses recorded purposely for thy Churches benefit in succeeding times 6 As also mine own former experiments and happy changes which thou hast made of sorrow into joy and praise I consider how many times thou hast ravished my heart with the sense of thy loving kindness and made me lie awake in the night season to bless and praise thee with a ravished heart not to weep and lament as now I do I think with my self what may comfort me and call to mind all things of that nature as also what should be the cause that no comfort can fasten but that there is so great and so long an estrangement and that I and comfort are so far asunder 7 Insomuch as then I think with my self surely I have seen all the comfort that ever I must have in this life and yet I cannot conclude it neither but the length and extremity of my grief makes me in some fear and doubtfulness interrogate with my self whether or no it will ever be other whether God is purposed thus to afflict me and withdraw the signs and sense of his favour from me always 8 Shall I never tast of mercy any more but must I wear away under trouble and sorrow thus shall his promise of pity and compassion whereupon I so much relie be for ever ineffectuall to me 9 Hath God quite forgotten me can he so contrary to his nature let me thus pine
to know we are mortall Lord therefore pitie our stupidity teacheth us even what we know already for common truths that are of greatest use though they be most known yet they are oft-times least understood for we live as if we should never die though we know nothing is more sure nor more uncertain than death such fools are we and void of true wisdom till thou inspire us with it make us then so to know the momentanies of our loves as thereby to be instigated to make it our first and chiefest care to seek and secure to our selves a blessed eternity after them especially we that are under thy heavy displeasure and consumed by it day by day let the loss of this earthly incite us to look after a heavenly Canaan 13 O Lord call to mind that ancient love wherewith thou lovedst our fore-fathers and those many acts of grace which we their children have participated from thee formerly to perswade with thee to reassume that temper towards us and to be again gracious to us We Lord think it long till we be received into favour again do thou think so too we humbly pray thee and put an end to this thy displeasure that hath so long lain heavy upon us Yea let what thou hast already done seem too much at least Lord do no more so but cease to destroy us and take us into grace again whom thou hast honoured above all the world with the title of thy people and servants 14 O satisfie our longing desires after mercy and do it betime whilest some of us are yet left alive before the sun be set upon us all Lord spare that remnant that are not yet consumed and let us see some token for good that may again revive us and perswade us of thy reconciled favour towards us which would make us quite forget all our sorrow passed for the joy we should conceive thereat and be happy men for time to come 15 Lord let thy mercies hold some proportion with thy judgements especially towards us thy people against whom though thou hast denounced some threats yet hast thou made us many more promises therefore call to mind the number nature and long continuance of our afflictions both in Egypt and since we came thence especially this long peregrination of ours ever since thou swarest we should not enter into thy rest now at last to have some commiseration and another while to let us tast of mercy as we have done of misery and to have a surviving joy to succeed our long-lived sorrow 16 Lord thou hast ingaged thy self in a great undertaking even to give this thy people the land of Canaan in full possession and dominion some progress its true thou hast made towards it by our deliverance out of Egypt and conduct through the wilderness to the skirts thereof but the complement of it we would fain see which we had seen ere this but for our own default which we pray thee at last obliterate and make good thy promise of possession in our sight and time and of that glorious state and condition which shall be to thy Church and Kingdom in succeeding ages let after-generations see it in its full splendour 17 And let the blessing and favour of the Almighty and our good God be with his people for ever to make them beautifull and glorious in the eyes of all nations who in the absence thereof are the abject despondent people living And make succesfull all their great undertakings in enterprising Canaan driving out and destroying those many Kings and great people the enlarging their borders and dominion into remote countries and building of the Temple whatsoever Lord thou hast promised to do for them give them hearts faithfully to believe it and in the faith thereof couragiously to undertake it and indefatigably to persist in it and succesfully to prosper in all things unto an establishment in a full fruition absolute dominion and glorious condition of Church and Kingdome The xci PSALM The Psalmist prophetically declares Gods great care for the welfare of the faithfull commends it by his own testimony and example and therefore exhorts them to walk with a holy carelesness in midst of dangers upon assurance of his deâ—ence Brings in God himself promising to the faithfull deliverance temporall and salvation eternall 1 HE that by faith is firmly fixed upon God making him his never-failing refuge and wholly confiding in his sure though invisible protection at all essayes shall be as secure and safely preserved as the Almighty power of God can tell how to protect him which he need neither fear nor doubt of 2 I believe and therefore I will and dare with boldness affirm as much of the Lord by mine own experience of him as I recommend unto others to make triall of how that he is the onely refuge and fortress even this my God that I have ever in all straits and concussions fled unto and never found him falsifie his word or fail my trust therefore I both have and will trust in him and relie upon him and him onely fall back fall edge 3 Let me and mine example perswade with thee to do so too surely thou shalt not repent thee but find the happy fruits of it in his gracious and powerfull preservation of thee neither men nor divels by power or policy shall be able to do thee any hurt they may endanger thee but thine extremity shall be his oportunity no nothing though in its own nature never so destructive and inavoidable the plague it self that uncomfortable all-devouring disease shall not annoy thee 4 He shall take care of thee and by his Almighty power secure thee from danger as a Hen doth her Chickins wherein the more thou trusts the more thou may such experience shalt thou have of him and of his faithfulness cast but thy care on him and trust firmly in him and thou shalt find him true of his word and true to thy trust and thy self better safeguarded by thy faith in his faithfulness than by any humane helps or warlike accommodations whatsoever 5 Thou shalt therein apprehend such safety and thy mind find such recumbency as that nothing shall disquiet thy peace no time place person nor thing shall be cause of fear to thee for day and night shalt thou have sweet repose in his protection both against naturall evils and supernaturall extraordinary judgements which as they come immediately from him so are they ordered by him how mortall and sudden soever they seem to be 6 Thou shalt be antidoted and fearless of the plague of pestilence that infecteth secretly and spreadeth here and there uncertainly and insensibly and where it rageth leaves sad spectacles of natures frailty sinners mortality and Gods heavy displeasure to be seen and lamented by all in all places in streets and houses frequently and openly dying night and day 7 And though by Gods just judgement and secret
powerfully enable me in the other let me through thine assistance be as able as willing to do thy will alwayes in all things 36 I know O Lord naturally I have the same corrupt and inordinate affections in me as others have as ready upon temptation to warp world-ward as another man but I know thou hast my heart in thy hands and though I cannot rule it thou canst so that I pray thee have an eye to it and keep an hand over it to dispose and bend it the way of thy will and from the worlds allurements of pleasure or profit let grace supersead me from corruption specially of covetousness the root of all evil 37 Let not my outward sences be caught and sinfully transported with the baits of the flesh or of the world but give me a sanctified understanding to believe truly and not seemingly of sublunary things and to know them to be as in their own natures they are vain and transitory that can convey no permanent nor substantiall good or content to a man but delude him with the shews thereof by a false medium carnall concupiscence and that serves to steal the heart from God but Lord avert both eyes and heart from them give me such active graces and lively affections that may have continuall influence into all the parts of body and soul and so dispose them in love to thee and desire of heavenly things that as dead to the world they may comparatively be indisposed to all things else 38 Lord fulfill those promises of grace and goodness wherein thou standest engaged unto thy servant Thou that art Jehovah in thy Being be so in thy word by giving it a being in all those gracious promises it comprehends and exhibits and wherein thou hast caused me to trust in confidence whereof I have wholly cast my self upon thy grace and providence minding alwayes to serve thee more than how to provide and shift for my self as men of the world do 39 Let not thy servant sinne against thee thereby to provoke thee against him to the loss of thy favour the forfeiting of thy protection and the exposing me to mine enemies scorn and insultation which I exceedingly fear as well for thy sake who art so deeply concerned in me as for mine own If at any time I do fall Lord let not that be my punishment be thou and not they my Judge for that thy judgements are like thy self righteous and good but theirs are like themselves merciless and wicked 40 Thou knowest my heart is perfect towards thee take notice of it O Lord how my desires and affections are upright and sincere to the knowing and doing of thy will according to thy word give me a spirit of power and enablement as well as of will and desire according to thy righteous as well as gracious engagements for thou art as just to fulfill promises as to inflict punishments Vau. The sixth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the sixth part 41 And as I desire that thou wilt enable me with a spirit of holiness to walk uprightly in the way so also that in mercy thou wilt remember me concerning the promised end that it may effect that for me even my preservation in and my deliverance out of my sad condition and many dangers as thou hast engaged thy self to do 42 By this means I that now onely live by promises unpossessed of the thing promised and therefore cannot at present effectually convince men of carnall understandings and void of faith shall then be able demonstratively to stop their mouthes that now flout me for mine improbable hopes and forreign expectations and because I bear my self upon thy word which they think will never be fulfilled but I am otherwise perswaded therefore O Lord let not my trust be deceived and they in their presumptuous impiety confirmed 43 And let me never so sinne against thee as thereby to have mine own mouth stopped and despoil my self of what thou hast promised me whereof in faith of thy truth and goodness I have openly declared my confidence according to thy word which Lord let me never have cause to retract nor to speak less in praise of thy faithfulness but more by thy turning promises into performances according to the hope I have had in thy just fullfilling what thou hast promised me and threatened mine enemies 44 So shalt thou oblige me when I am delivered out of these heavy pressures which lie upon me as so many clogs and hinderances which I shall never forget without making bawks in mine obedience which through temptation I have been forced to do and fear I shall still do without thy powerfull prevention in love and thankfulness to serve and please thee the utmost hour of my life if set at liberty 45 Yea when thou hast enfranchized me out of these incumbrances of fear and care and made me a man of liberty and authority in Israel I will as thy free-man and servant carry and demean my self in all manner well-pleasing walking in the way of thy service and keeping all thy commandments which never shall be a burden or bondage to me for to be at liberty and to have ability and opportunity to learn and do thy will according to thy word is that I beg above any thing and which I should esteem as my greatest felicity 46 When thou hast advanced me I also will advance thee and execute the office of a Prophet as well as of a King and think it no shame to do so by declaring to others as occasion is offered what thy will and word is even to Kings and mighty men of the earth with whom I shall then be of equall levell and so have opportunity in that condition to converse more with them than now I have and I promise to improve it when I have it 47 And then will I as a man set at liberty from restraint run the wayes of thy commandments by dayly and frequent doing them my delight shall be to be conversant in thine ordinances which I have longed for and heartily loved and desired to be an actour in but hitherto have been an exile from them which hath set a vehement edge upon mine appetite which then I will satiate 48 For then both heart and hand shall act for thee my whole man with my whole might shall be set on work to know and do thy whole will in thy law revealed which I have dearly loved and longed to do and will perform them in spirit as well as in letter for when my mind is free from these distractions it shall move in a higher sphear and be active in and about the Gospel-sence of thy laws and ordinances Zain The seventh letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the seventh part 49 Be mindfull of thy word of promise and voluntary ingagements made to me thy chosen though unworthy servant touching grace preservation and deliverance upon
and wholly let not worldly appearances dazle your eyes and make you disparage God by preferring others to him though they be never so great and powerful Kings or Princes trust in nothing short of God no not in all the power of flesh which it self is mortal and perishable and to you or whomsoever trusts in it will prove deceitful not being of power though never so powerful to stand us in stead further than God wills and assists their preparations and projects being like themselves die when they do and how soon and sudden that may be none knows and for ought he knows what ever he is if he be a man that very instant when his undertakings and preparations are the greatest and his and thy hopes by reason of them are at the highest he and all the arm of flesh thou trusts in may expire breathe his last which him for ought every breath he breaths may be and then this goodly confidence of thine in man whom thou makest a God of as from the earth he came in the first creation so to earth he returns by dissolution the fate of all flesh one and other and so all thy hopes built upon such imaginarie helps as he or they promised and designed fall to the ground are in an instant annihilated and come to nothing though never so wisely fore-cast and humanely hopeful 5 Happie and onely happie is he or they that contradistinguished to all false Heathenish Gods or creature-confidence hath his assurance in the onely true God the sole creatour who is the God of Israel his servant Jacobs posteritie for his helper and defender the anchor of whose hope is cast in firm ground Divine not humane such as will not drag after him as do all other hopes in all other helps Gods or men that hath his heart fixed upon the Lord and none other and that also by a Divine not a humane faith the faith of adoption such as Jacobs was first being regenerate by him and so believing in him by a faith of gracious proprietie unto salvation as his God as well as Jacobs and then hoping on him for faithful performance of his promise of securitie and preservation as to Jacob so to him being the faithfull seed of that faithfull Patriark to whom he is alike ingaged 6 That thus I say with a true and unfained faith trusts in the true God in him that hath his being of himself and gives being to all things else as the heavens earth and sea and all things in them and that not onely as an Almightie but also as a gracious benevolent God neverfailingly faithful of his word and promise of grace to all in all ages and cases that confide in him and therefore as well willing as able to do them good who himself is as well good as great 7 That be his wrongs never so great his necessities never so pressing his case never so desperate yet holds up his hope in his God and supports his faith by his power and goodness justice and mercie waiting believingly upon the Lord as knowing him though free in his gracious dispensations yet just to dispense his righteous judgements which shall sooner or later certainly and most seasonably be executed upon oppressours for vindication and relief of those that are oppressed and in like sort though he let the faithful suffer want yet to believe in him for supply by virtue both of his promise and pitie and that principally when they are in their greatest necessitie and though they be in actual bondage and imprisonment yet to have their hearts at liberty in the middest of their thraldom in the faith of his power and faithfulness to release and relieve them which when the time comes for him to do no bolts nor bars can hinder him 8 Be a mans condition what it will and of what nature soever faith and affliction must allwayes go together and that makes him a happy man in his greatest unhappiness whether they be those external and bodily ones afore-named or that he be implunged into inward inextricable perplexities of mind and difficulties of affairs that his own or other mens councels cels cannot wind him out off yet must he believe in the onely wise God to direct him whose very creative power and goodness we should allegorize and improve them into the faith of providence as occasion offers arguing fom things natural and corporal to things supernatural or spiritual and proportionably believing the one as the other that Jehovah who can and doth give bodily eyes to see with and sight to those eyes can and will as well enlighten the eye of the mind in time of need and as he cures the impotent and crazed in bodie so is he the same to comfort and relieve the distressed in spirit yea he or they that are righteous doth righteousness it is not any thing under the sun that befalls them within or without in body or mind in way of tryal or trouble that should make them think one jot worse of themselves as to God his love and care of them but first to know themselves to be faithfull and that they suffer not for evil doing and then to be confident in God and of God his love and faithfulness but not otherwise 9 No it is not the solitarie condition of the stranger or exile that can render him unhappie or exposed as in such cases we are apt to fear it will if he believe in the Lord Almightie who is abler to preserve him than man is to oppress him we his people have found it so when and where we are strangers for that notwithstanding we were strangely preserved and powerfully delivered Nor need the widdow and fatherless give all for lost when God takes away their earthly supports if they marry him and secure themselves under his wings by faith they shall find him to supply the want of all earthly relations and accommodations in and from himself by his faithfulness and mercy But no such thing can I promise to the sinner that loves and lives in sinfull waies aud courses nothing but subversion and mis-fortune is his lot by any thing the promises speak for to him of due belongs onely the threatenings and curses of the word not the blessings and mercies of the covenant as the good by faith and hope are finally happie in all unhappiness that can or doth befall them so the wicked in their seeming felicities are both finally and totally sure to conclude in miserie and utter frustration of their confidence and forecast 10 And as the Lord Jehovah is faithfull and Almightie to do as aforesaid so is he also everlasting and therefore also worthy and solely to be trusted in and relied on he is not like earthly Princes that may be and are many times dethroned whilest they live or if not so yet mortal and sure to die and so not to be trusted in but of the same power and faithfulness to all faithfull
not mine enemies triumph over me 3 Yea let none that wait on thee be ashamed which transgress without cause 4 Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy paths 5 Lead me in thy truth and teach me for thou art the God of my salvation on thee do I wait all the day 6 Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have been ever of old 7 Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake O Lord. 8 Good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach sinners in the way 9 The meek will he guide in judgement and the meek will he teach his way 10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies 11 For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great 12 What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose 13 His soul shall dwell at ease and his seed shall inherit the land 14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his covenant 15 Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord for he shall pluck my feet out of the net 16 Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my distresses 18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain and forgive all my sinnes 19 Consider mine enemies for they are many and they hate me with cruel hatred 20 O keep my soul and deliver me let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee 21 Let integrity â— uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee 22 Redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles Psalm xxvi A Psalm of David 1 JUdge me O Lord for I have walked in mine innocency I have trusted also in the Lord therefore I shall not slide 2 Examine me O Lord and prove me try my reins and my heart 3 For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth 4 I have not sat with vain persons neither will I go in with dissemblers 5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers and will not sit with the wicked 6 I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compass thine Altar O Lord. 7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works 8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house the place where thine honour dwelleth 9 Gather not my soul with sinners nor my life with bloudy men 10 In whose hands is mischief and their right hand is full of bribes 11 But as for me I will walk in mine integrity redeem me and be merciful unto me 12 My foot standeth in an even place in the congregations will I bless the Lord. Psalm xxvii A Psalm of David 1 THe Lord is my light and my salvation whoÌ„ shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid 2 When the wicked even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell 3 Though an host should enâ—amp against me my heart shall not fear though warre should rise against me in this will I be confident 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord to enquire in his Temple 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me up upon a rock 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy I will sing yea I will sing praises unto the Lord. 7 Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me 8 When thou saidest seek ye my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek 9 Hide not thy face farre from me put not thy servant away in anger thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation 10 When my father and my mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up 11 Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies for false witnesses are risen up against me and such as breath out cruelty 13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living 14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Psalm xxviii A Psalm of David 1 UNto thee will I cry O Lord my rock be not silent to me lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit 2 Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee when I lift up mine hands toward thy holy oracle 3 Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity which speak peace to their neighbours but mischief is in their hearts 4 Give them according to their deeds according to the wickedness of their endeavours give them after the works of their hands render to them their desert 5 Because they regard not the works of the lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them not build them up 6 Blessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications 7 The Lord is my strength my shield my heart trusted in him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth and with my song will I praise him 8 The Lord is their strength and he is the saving strength of his annointed 9 Save thy people and bless thine inheritance feed them also and lift them up for ever Psalm xxix A Psalm of David 1 GIve unto the Lord O ye mighty give unto the Lord glory and strength 2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness 3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters the God of glory thundereth the Lord is upon many waters 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful the voice of the Lord is full of Majestie 5 The voice of the Lord breaketh Cedars yea the Lord breaketh the Cedars of Lebanon 6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn 7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire 8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadâ—sh 9 The voice of the Lord maketh the Hinds to calve and discovereth the forrests and in
his temple doth every one speak of his glorie 10 The Lord sitteth upon the floud yea the Lord sitteth King for ever 11 The Lord will give strength unto his people the Lord will bless his people with peaâ—e Psalm xxx A Psalm and song at the dedication of the house of David 1 I Will extol thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me 2 O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me 3 O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit 4 Sing unto the Lord O ye saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness 5 For his anger endureth but a moment in his favour is life weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning 6 And in my prosperitie I said I should never be moved 7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled 8 I cried to thee O Lord and unto the Lord I made supplication 9 What profit is there in my bloud when I go down to the pit shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy truth 10 Hear O Lord and have mercie upon me Lord be thou mine helper 11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness 12 To the end that my glorie may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Psalm xxxi To the chief musician A Psalm of David 1 IN thee O Lord do I put my trust let me never be ashamed deliver me in thy righteousnes 2 Bow down thine ear to me deliver me speedily be thou my strong rock for an house of defence to save me 3 For thou art my rock and my fortress therefore for thy name sake lead me and guid me 4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me for thou art my strength 5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth 6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities but I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glâ—d and rejoyce in thy mercie for thou hast considered my trouble thou hast known my soul in adversities 8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemie thou hast set my feet in a large room 9 Have mercie upon me O Lord for I am in trouble mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly 10 For my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing my strength faileth because of mine iniquitie and my bones are consumed 11 I was a reproch among all mine enemies but especially among my neighbours and a fear to mine acquaintance they that did see me without sled from me 12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind I am like a broken vessel 13 For I have heard the slaunder of many fear was on every side while they took counsel together against me they devised to take away my life 14 But I trusted in thee O Lord I said Thou art my God 15 My times are in thy hand deliver me from the hand of mine enemies and from them that persecute me 16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant save me for thy mercies sake 17 Let me not be ashamed O Lord for I have called upon thee let the wicked be ashamed and let them be silent in the grave 18 Let the lying lips be put to silence which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous 19 O how great is thy goodnes which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee whâ—ch thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sâ—ns of men 20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues 21 Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong citie 22 For I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes nevertheless thou hearest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee 23 O love the Lord all ye his saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer 24 Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord. Psalm xxxii A Psalm of David Maschil 1 BLessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie and in whose spirit there is no guil 3 When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long 4 For day and night thy hand was heavie upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of summer Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquitie have I not hid I said I will confess my transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquitie of my sin Selah 6 For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found surely in the flouds of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him 7 Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance Selah 8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guid thee with mine eye 9 Be ye not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding whose mouths must be held in with bit and bridle lest they come near unto thee 10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upâ—ight in heart Psalm xxxiii 1 REjoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright 2 Praise the Lord with harp sing unto him with the psalterie and an instrument of ten strings 3 Sing unto him a new song play skilfully with a loud noise 4 For the word of the Lord is right and all his works are done in truth 5 He loveth righteousness and judgement the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord weâ—e the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap he layeth up the depth in store houses 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him 9 For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast 10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect 11 The
good he abhorreth not evil 5 Thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds 6 Thy righteousnes is like the great mountains thy judgements are a great deep O Lord thou preservest man and beast 7 How excellent is thy loving kindness ' O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow oâ— thy wings 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures 9 For with thee is the fountain of life in thy light shall we see light 10 O continue thy loving kindness unto them that know thee and thy righteousness to the upright in heart 11 Let not the foot of pride come against me and let not the hand of the wicked remove me 12 There are the workers of iniquitie fallen they are cast down and shall not be able to rise Psalm xxxvii A Psalm of David 1 FRet not thy self because of evil doers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquitie 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb 3 Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed 4 Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart 5 Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgement as the noon-day 7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him fret not thy self because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass Cease from anger 〈◊〉 forsake wrath â—â—et not thy self in any wise to do evil 9 For evil doers shall be cut off but those that wait upon the Lord they shall inherit the land 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall not be yeâ— thou shalt diligently consider his place and iâ— shall not be 11 But the meek shal inherit the earth shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace 12 The wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his teeth 13 The Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming 14 The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needie and to slay such as be of upright conversation 15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart and their bows shall he broken 16 A little that a righteous man hath is is better than the riches of many wicked 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken but the Lord upholdeth the righteous 18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright and their inheritance shall be for ever 19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the days of famin they shall be satisfied 20 But the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs they shall consume into smoak shall they consume away 21 The wicked borroweth and payeth not again but the righteous sheweth mercie and giveth 22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way 24 Though he fall he shall not utterly be cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand 25 I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread 26 He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed 27 Depart from evil and do good dwell for evermore 28 For the Lord loveth judgement and forsaketh not his saints they are preserved for ever but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off 29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein for ever 30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom his tongue talketh of judgement 31 The Law of his God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide 32 The wicked watcheth the righteous and seeketh to slay him 33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand nor condemn him when he is judged 34 Wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it 35 I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a green bay-tree 36 Yet he passed away and so he was not yea I sought him but he could not be found 37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace 38 But the transgressours shall be destroyed together the end of the wicked shall be cut off 39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in time of trouble 40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in him Psalm xxxviii A Psalm of David to bring to remembrance 1 O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure 2 For thine arrows stick fast in me and thine hand presseth me soar 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin 4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me 5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness 6 I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long 7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease there is no soundness in my flesh 8 I am feeble sore broken I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart 9 Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee 10 My heart panteth my strength faileth me as for the light of mine eyes it also is gone from me 11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore and my kinsmen stand far off 12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me they that seek my hurt â—peak mischievous things and imagin deceits all the day long 13 But I as a deaf man heard not and I was as a dumb man that opened not his mouth 14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofs 15 For in thee O Lord do I hope thou wilt hear O Lord my God 16 For I said Hear me least otherwise they should reâ—oyce over me when my foot slippeth they magnifie themselves against me 17 For I am readie to halt and my sorrow is continually before me 18 For I will declare mine iniquitie I will be sorie for my sin 19 But mine enemies are lively and they are strong and they that hate me wrongfully
Lord a new song sing unto the Lord all the earth 2 Sing unto the Lord bless his name shew forth his salvation from day to day 3 Declare his glory among the heathen his wonders among all people 4 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised he is to be feared above all gods 5 For all the gods of the naâ—ions are idols but the Lord made the heavens 6 Honour and majestie are before him strength and beautie are in his sanctuarie 7 Give unto the Lord O ye kindreds of the people give unto the Lord glorie and strength 8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name bring an offering and come into his courts 9 O worship the Lord in the beautie of holiness fear before him all the earth 10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved he shall judge the people righteously 11 Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad let the sea roar and the fulness thereof 12 Let the field be joyfull and all that is therein then shall all the trees of the wood rejoyce 13 Before the Lord for he cometh for he cometh to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth Psalm xcvii 1 THe Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of Isles be glad thereof 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him righteousness judgement are the habitations of his throne 3 A fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about 4 His lightenings enlightned the world the earth saw and trembled 5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth 6 The heavens declare his righteousnes and all the people â—ee his glory 7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images that boast themselves of idols worship him all ye gods 8 Sion heard was glad and the daughters of Judah rejoyced because of thy judgements O Lord. 9 For thou Lord art high above all the earth thou art exalted far above all Gods 10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil he preserveth the souls of his Saints he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked 11 Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart 12 Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous give thanks at the remembrance of his holinesâ— Psalm xcviii A Psalm 1 O sing unto the Lord a new song for he hath done marvellous things his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten himself the victory 2 The Lord hath made known his salvation his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen 3 He hath remembred his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God 4 Make a joyfull noise unto the Lord all the earth make a loud noise and rejoyce and sing praise 5 Sing unto the Lord with the harp with the harp and the voice of a Psalm 6 With trumpets sound of corner make a joyfull noise before the Lord the King 7 Let the sea roar the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein 8 Let the flouds clap their hands let the hils be joyful together 9 Before the Lord for he cometh to judge the earth with righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equitie Psalm xcix 1 THe Lord reigneth let the people tremble he sitteth between the cherubims let the earth be moved 2 The Lord is great in Sion and he is high above all people 3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name for it is holy 4 The Kings strength also loveth judgement thou doest establish equity thou executest judgement and righteousness in Jacob 5 Exalt ye the Lord your God and worship at his foot-stool for he is holy 6 Moses and Aaron among his Priests and Samuel among them that call upon his name they called upon the Lord and he answered them 7 He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar they kept his testimonies and the ordinance that he gave them 8 Thou answeredst them O Lord our God thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions 9 Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy hill for the Lord our God is holy A psalm of praise 1 MAke a joyfull noise unto the Lord all ye lands 2 Serve the Lord with gladness come before his presence with singing 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise be thankfull unto him bless his name 5 For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations Psalm ci A Psalm of David 1 I will sing of mercy judgement unto thee O Lord will I sing 2 I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way O when wilt thou come unto me 3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the work of them that turn aside 4 A froward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked person 5 Who so privily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer 6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithfull of the land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me 7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight 8 I will early destroy all the wiâ—ked of the land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the citie of the Lord. Psalm cii A Prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed pourâ—th out his complaints before the Lord. 1 HEar my prayer O Lord and let my cry come unto thee 2 Hide not thy â—ace from me in the day that I am in trouble encline thine ear unto me in the day when I call answer me speedily 3 For my dayes are consumed like smoak my bones are burnt as an hearth 4 My heart is smittâ—â— and withered like grass so that I forget to eat my bread 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin 6 I am like a Pelican of the wilderness I am like an Owl of the desert 7 I watch and anâ— as a sparrow alone upon the house top 8 Mine enemies reproch me all the day and they that are mad against me are sworn against me 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down 11 My dayes are like a shadow that declineth
and I am withered like grass 12 But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance unto all generations 13 Thou shalt arise and have mercie upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof 15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glorie 16 When the Lord shall build Sion he shall appear in his glorie 17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer 18 This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. 19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuarie from heaven did the Lord behold the earth 20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner to loose those that are appointed to death 21 To declare the name of the Lord in Sion and his praise in Jerusalem 22 When the people are gathered together and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. 23 He weakened my strength in the way he shortned my dayes 24 I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my daie 2 Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed as the Eagles 6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed 7 He made known his wayes unto Moses his acts unto the children of Israel 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and plenteous in mercy 9 He will not allwayes chide neither will he keep his anger for ever 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercie toward them that fear him 12 As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removeth our transgressions from us 13 Like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him 14 For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust 15 As for man his dayes are as grass as a flower of the field so he flourisheth 16 For the wind passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more 17 But the mercie of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousness unto childrens children 18 To such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his commandments to do them 19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all 20 Bless the Lord ye his angels that excel in strength that do his commandments hearkening unto the voice of his word 21 Bless ye the Lord all ye his hosts ye ministers of his that do his pleasure 22 Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion bless the Lord O my soul. Psalm civ 1 BLess the Lord O my soul O Lord my God thou art very great thou art clothed with honour and Majestie 2 Who coverest thy self with light as with a garment who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain 3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters who maketh the clouds his chariot who walketh upon the wings of the wind 4 Who maketh his angels spirits his ministers a flaming â—ire 5 Who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed for ever 6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment the waters stood above the mountains 7 At thy rebuke they fled at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away 8 They go up by the mountains they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them 9 Thou hast set a bound that they may may not pass over that they turn not again to cover the earth 10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys which run among the hils 11 They give drink to every beast of the field the wild asses quench their thirst 12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation which sing among the branches 13 He watereth the hils from his chambers the earth is satisfied with the fruit of his works 14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattel and hearb for the service of man that he may bring forth food out of the earth 15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man and oyl to make his face to shine and bread which strengtheneth mans heart 16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap the Cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted 17 Where the birds make their nests as for the stork the fir-trees are her house 18 The high hils are a refuge for the wild Goats and the rocks for the conies 19 He appointeth the moon for seasons the sun knoweth his going down 20 Thou makest darkness and it is night wherein all the beasts of the forrest do creep forth 21 The young lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God 22 The sun ariseth they gather themselves together and lay them down in their dens 23 Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour until the evening 24 O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches 25 So is the great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great 26 There go the ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein 27 These wait all upon thee that thou maist give them their meat in due season 28 That thou givest them they gather thou openest thine hand they are filled with good 29 Thou hidest thy face they are troubled thou takest away their breath they die and return to their dust 30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth 31 The glorie of the Lord shall endure for ever the Lord shall rejoyce in his works 32 He looketh on the earth and it trembleth he toucheth the hills and they smoak 33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being 34 My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. 35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more bless thou the Lord O my soul. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cv 1 O Give thanks unto the Lord call upon his name make known his deeds among the people 2 Sing unto him sing Psalms unto him talk ye of all his wonderous works 3 Glorie ye in his holy name let the heart of them rejoyce that â—ear the Lord. 4 Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore 5 Remember his marvelous works that he hath done his wonders and the judgements of
to Saul that though he be mine utter enemie and hath wrongfully and without any cause at any time given by me laboured my destruction which nature can ill brook yet even then in that time of open hostilitie when I had him at advantage and might have rid my self of him once or twice such was my respect and loyaltie to him and fear of sinning against thee that I delivered him though to the hazard of mine own life thereby 5 If thou Lord who knowest all things know me guilty of this persidious treacherie whereof I am accused then in thy righteous judgement let Saul never cease to seek my life till he have it and then let him put me to as shameful a death as ever any suffered and brand me for a most treacherous ignominious wretch to all posteritie even from my heart I wish it 6 But Lord thou knowest its otherways therefore in thy just displeasure and in the greatness of thy power bestir thee in my behalf to right me on my false accusers and bloudie persecutors because of their unjust violence against me and delay no longer but take this season of their sinning to destroy them and fulfil that righteous decree and judgement which is gone forth of thy mouth concerning the making me the Kingly type of Christ over Israel 7 And I will cause thy sanctuarie to be erected upon Sion so shall all Israel meet solemnly to worship thee therefore for thy peoples sake who do now want the means of serving and seeking thee as they desire seat thy self upon thy Tribunal to do justice which now thou hast long forborn and shew forth thy power from heaven as formerly thou hast done in their behalfs 8 The Lord will right this wrong which his people sustain in having his worship deteined from them and I pray thee consider my case too O Lord to right me also on mine enemies who have deprived me of thine ordinances for that thou knowest me just in my behaviour and in mine heart upright towards Saul and most falsly slandered in those things whereof I am accused and for which I am persecuted 9 O Lord do thou put an end to the wicked practises of mine ungodly enemies but make good thy promise of mine establishment in the throne of Israel who fears thy name and am just in all my dealings for thou that knowest the inward thoughts and desires of mens hearts canst judge whether I or mine enemies be the wrong-doors 10 My trust is wholly in the Lord for my preservation against the furie of mine implacable and malicious adversaries who I know will not let the upright hearted man perish who fears to sin and hath a care to walk honestly 11 God though he seem slack yet will sooner or later judge the righteous mans cause and as well as the wicked seem to prosper yet hath God a continual eye upon them and their evil ways whereby his displeasure is daily increased against them 12 He indeed waits a time to see if the wicked will repent and turn from his evil ways but if after he have waited a while he turn not then will he be the more inraged severe in the execution of justice for which he hath all things in a readiness when the time comes 13 Yea he is preparing all the while he lets him live in sin to bring upon him utter destruction for it at last and the proud persecutors of the poor and godly he means in the end to make them the marks at whom he will discharge all his quiver of plagues and punishments 14 The world shall see that after he hath taken a great deal of pains and been at much trouble to compass his wicked ends by wicked means and hath with much studie contrived mischievous devices against the innocent the end will be that he will be deceived in his expectation both of the righteous mans ruin and his own prospering for he shall be the man that shall perish with all his machinations but the upright man shall be preserved in his innocencie 15 After he hath long set his wits a work and moiled and toiled to compass the godly mans destruction God shall so bring it about that his very design upon the righteous shall turn to his own utter undoing 16 All the ill he meant to others shall light upon himself and his violence against the good shall fall heavie upon him to his utter destruction 17 That day I know and am sure I shall live to see though it seems afar off when I shall have cause to praise the Lord for keeping promise with me and for all his righteous judging me according to mine innocencie in my deliverance and mine enemies downfall and when this is which I am sure will be I promise before hand in the faith of it that I will praise the power and goodness of the Lord God Almightie who rules over all and raiseth and abaseth whom he pleaseth Eighth PSALM David having honoured God with his absolute and relative title of Sovereigntie extols the excellencie of his manifested attributes which appear in his works by way of interrogation as unable otherways to express them to their worth shewing how both great and small yea the smallest things most convincingly set forth the praise of his admirable power and gracious goodness and providence towards mankind even to the confounding and confuting all ungodly and perverse Atheists And shews that for his own part when he seriously considers the workmanship of God in the Heavens and his creating the lights that shine therein for mans use together with his gracious rebestowing the use and dominion of the creature upon him by a new title of Redemption and heaven to boot when as he had lost all by sin and was worthie of none he cannot but with admiration acknowledge his great goodnes to man yea he cannot enough admire both his greatnes and goodnes To him that is most skilful upon Gittith the instrument used by Obed-Edom the Gittite and his family do I David that made this Psalm commit it for his ordering it in the Quire 1 MOst glorious Lord who hast the dominion over all the world and specially over us thy chosen how full of renown is thy power wisdom and greatness all the world over by reason of those admirable creatures and glorious Lights the Sun Moon and Starrs which thou hast created and placed up on high to shine through the ayrie regions to give light and convey heat to all that live upon earth 2 Yea every thing high and low great and small hold forth thy glory and manifest thy prais-worthy power and providence The very instinct and infant oratory that thou puttest into the new born babe to cry after the Mothers breasts making that silly creature so wise as to seek its subsistence so soon as it hath a Beeing and by moving pity therewith to be able also
ever for me to trust in He shews now that he hath not been idle all the while he seemed so but hath been fitting himself to execute judgement when the time shall come as now it is 8 And the wicked of the world shall ever find it so that though they think him remiss and careless how things go yet they shall find that he is not so but with most perfect wisdom righteousness and integrity will judge and punish the wicked all the world over sooner or later 9 And so also on the other side shall the poor and innocent when they are unjustly oppressed however they may likewise think him regardless yet shall they not find him so but if they flee to him trust in him he will be a refuge to them yea then when because of extremity they most need it and can least think or exspect it 10 And truly they that know thy power and goodness and have had triall of it will venture all upon thee For for my part I am able to say it that as I have sought to thee and none but thee so thou hast never failed mine exspectation nor been unfaithful to my trust but according to my praier and dependance have I ever found thee helpful to me and so shall others 11 O ye Ministers of his worship to whom I have recommended this Psalm of praise Lift up your voices in praises to the Lord that hath chosen Sion for the place of his special residence and solemn worship where accordingly you celebrate it let the people that resort thither hear you sing aloud his marveilous doings that they may also learn to praise him and trust in him 12 When the time cometh that mens sins are ripe and that he will call them to accompt and reckon with them for the bloud of the innocent which they have unjustly shed or coveted he will then make it appear that he remembers to right the wrongs of them that trust in him and seek to him and forgets not the cry of the afflicted that in singleness of heart and poverty of spirit makes his humble addresses to him as to his onely refuge 13 Though I have had many deliverances and thou hast given me great cause to praise thee for ridding me of a world of enemies yet I am not without but still have those that hate me and of meer malice vex and trouble me so that I suffer much by them good Lord still continue to be merciful to me and to deliver me thou that many and many a time hast delivered me when mine enemies had brought me to that pass that I knew not which way to turn me but death and destruction waited for me on every side 14 That I may muster up all thy mercies and praisefully proclaim them in the publick assemblies of Sion the place which of all Israel and Jerusalem thou hast chosen for thy publick and solemn worship Yea there I will most joyfully make known thy saving grace and favour to me 15 Thou hast vanquished the heathen and disappointed their plots and designs against me having ensnared them in the ruine they meant to me 16 All men that have eyes may see that thou favorest me and may be convinced that it is onely thy doing that mine enemies are foiled by the manner of thy effecting it and thine executing such wonderful and admirable judgments upon them making their own wicked enterprises against me the means to bring to pass their own destruction I cannot but extraordinarily put men on seriously to mind and muse on this thy remarkable providence Yea again and again I wish they would well consider this thing 17 And mark how my foes perish even so shall all the wicked of the world that rebel against Christ and resist his government and oppress his innocent and righteous people perish eternally in hell even all the nations of the world that know not God to serve him and believe in him like as the heathen people hereabout that take up arms against me come to ruine 18 For though God may defer his judgeing the wicked and his delivering the poor and needy that trust in him very long for so he did me yet will he not ever do so either first or last there will come a time when the poor afflicted ones shall be sure of what they have long praied and looked for 19 Thou O Lord hast long forborn the heathen but truely they are grown now to that greatness and insolency that if thou doest not shew thy self in my behalf they will have the better of me and so of thee whose quarrel I maintain Therefore look thou to it that they which are but men get not the better of thee by vanquishing me but by thy judgements upon them let them plainly see its thou that condemnest them and justifies me 20 O Lord by thy judgements upon them make them afraid to hold on their course of enmity and opposition against me by seeing thee to take part with me and so cause them to know by their ill success that for all their great power and multitudes of people they are too weak by humane strength which yet they trust in as if it were more to resist thee whose cause I maintain and fight for Yea Lord make them know it to purpose Tenth PSALM David represents to God his own and his peoples condition generally in this world under the insolent confidence of the wicked heaping unmeasurable pressures upon the godly by reason of his long-suffering towards them which makes them worse and not better as he finds by experience in his persecutors Saul and his complices And therefore praies the Lord to appear for his people against them that do but abuse his patience and doubts not but he will even destroy the Churches enemies as he did the Cananites for Israels sake being the same God in pittie and power now as ever 1 2 MOst merciful and righteous Lord why art thou contrarie to thy nature and promise a stranger to the trouble of thy people me and others and takest no knowledge of it to help us in it but seemeth to let the wicked afflict the godly without regard who by thy forbearance is heightned exceedingly in wickednes and takes a pride to vex and trample down the poor thinking to make themselves great by oppression but Lord do thou blast and utterly disappoint their wicked designs against them that are good and do thou turn all the evil they unjustly imagine against the innocent upon the nocent 3 And truly its time for thee to shew thy self for men grow shameless in wickednes and are confident by those courses to carrie all before them thinking meanly of all good men and the ways they walk that are not as wicked and worldly minded as themselves esteeming those onely wise and happie that heap up riches and grow great by hook or crook whom
yet the Lord abhors and counts the greatest fools 4 The wicked have had such a time of it against the godly and therewith are grown so high-minded and self-confident that he never cares whether God be with him or against him he thinks least of him or sets least by him of any thing 5 Leading a life as if there were no God for his whole trade and course is composed of nothing else but disobedience to God and injurie to men and because he feels not thy judgements he is therefore fearless and thinks they will never befal him but that he is safe enough not caring a jot but setting at nought both God and all that take Gods part with me against him 6 And hath fully concluded in the pride of his heart and confidence of his present condition that he shall never be worse than he is but shall ever prosper and never taste of misfortune 7 He stands in no aw of God nor scruples no sin but gives libertie of speech to himself to curse swear and forswear lie and dissemble in so much as that he is altogether conversant in mischievous speeches and self confident boastings not any truth or good comes from him 8 He every where fore-laids me lying in wait near high ways and neighbour Towns to catch me and seeks in holes and corners where he thinks I hide my self or may pass by to find me out and murder me without any cause given watching diligently all opportunities and means to take me at unawares who am poor and friendless 9 He is as greedily affected and as cruelly disposed towards me as a Lion to his prey seeking all advantages against me never regarding mine innocencie and the unjust sufferings he exposeth me to studying by all means possible to seduce and to entrap me in my simplicitie that he may circumvent me to destroy me 10 And as proud as he is yet in subtilty he can abase himself and with glavering speeches and fawning behaviour indirectly endeavour the overthrow of the innocent and distressed that by fair pretences he may deceive and bring them under his power and execute his rage upon them by the hands of his privado's desperate Assassinats 11 And in all this is confident of impunitie taking for granted because at present he perceives not God to mind him that therefore he never will but as he thinks what 's past is forgotten so he shall speed no worse for the time to come 12 But Lord let him find it otherways by some manifestation of thy self in judgement good God have a care of thine honour and mine innocence and other thy people who are concerned in me yea of thy whole Church which is resembled by me by executing some remarkable judgement and let not the world have cause to think thee careless of the afflicted that humbly depend upon thee 13 Why shouldest thou by thy forbearance give the wicked such occasion to insult over thee and slight thy judgements confidently promising himself that thou wilt never call him to an account for what he does 14 But its sure enough that thou takest notice of the mischievous and spiteful carriage of the wicked both against God and those that are godly for what ever they think yet I know thou precisely markest them to pay them home with condigne punishment in the faith whereof it is that the poor afflicted man I and others that in this world must look to fare as I do puts himself and his cause over into thine hands to be righted for that thou art the helper of the helpless and distressed against oppressors 15 Weaken thou the power of the wicked wherein he so much trusteth and which he imploys to evil purposes trase him quite through the course and trade of his iniquities even to the uttermost end of them and punish him accordingly 16 The Lord that governs his Church and people hath approved himself and ever wil to be the supream commander and disposer of all and over all for their sakes as appears by his wonderful works for how hath he destroyed the heathen in this land which he promised to bestow upon Israel and made it holy of prophane in so much as they are wasted to just nothing who were potent and numerous and his worship and worshippers planted in it maugre their resistance after that sort shall he do by the enemies of his Church and people destroy them as these 17 For it hath been alwayes Gods manner to trie his peoples faith and patience till they see a need of him and make their humble addresses to him and then to help them Yea when he has a purpose and sees it time to work their deliverance and destroy their enemies then doth he inspire them with a more than ordinarie spirit of prayer and faith to seek and hope for those very things 18 Which shall certainly come to pass for therefore hath God deferred it and always doth until most remarkably for his peoples greater good and his greater glorie he may vindicate their oppressions and enfranchise them from under the tyrannie of their oppressors who when they are at the highest in carnal confidence and the godly at the lowest in worldly diffidence that 's Gods time to rescue these and ruin those The xi PSALM David by protesting his trust in God silences his companions and rejects the advice they gave him to save himself by flight and give over expecting the Kingdom disswades them from disheartning him and shews how he no whit doubteth but by the justice of God his wicked enemies for all their malicious designs upon him should perish in their wickednes and that he should be sustained in his uprightnes To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 IN the Lord whom I know to be a sufficient safeguard do I trust to fulfil his promise How then is it that you my companions dispair and to the grief of my soul counsel me distrustfully to give all for lost abandon the cause and never more to look after it but how to save my self 2 For though its true the power and malice of mine enemies is great yet consider this They are wicked and manage an unrighteous cause maliciously seeking my destruction whom they in their own consciences know to be upright and innocent and therefore I am confident it shall turn to theirs 3 Do not ye tempt me by despair to relinquish a righteous cause and to distrust a righteous God For faith and an upright heart are the onely foundations that a righteous man hath to support himself withall and if you undermine them you quite undoe him 4 Be confident of this therefore that God is neither absent nor idle but is present in his tabernacle here below to hear the prayer of the
the end for on thee only on thy good grace do I trust for preservatiō unto salvatiō 2 My soul hath firmly entred covenant with thee and chosen thee for its Lord to serve thee and to be saved by thee of thy free mercie abandoning all worth or goodnes of mine own as any ways meritorious or beneficial to thee that needeth nothing but hast all fulnes and cause of full contentednes in th◠self alone 3 Onely to thy children and sanctified ones here on earth do I labour to express my gratitude by what offices of love and respect I can shew for thy sake as they that to me are most excellent of all men in the world be their outward condition never so mean being happy to be a fellow servant and true worshipper of thee amongst them 4 Discomfort and destruction insted of peace and salvation shall be heaped upon them that forsaking thee have their hearts set upon any other God For my part I renounce all but thee and will serve and sacrifice to thee alone and will have nothing to do with their false worship nor once open my lips to any God but thee to swear by him or to pray to him 5 With the Lord alone am I well satisfied a singular portion rich inheritance do I account my knowledge of him interest in him thou art full content to me in thee and by thee shall I be ever happie blessed when other men of other confidences shall be miserable 6 In having thee for my God I have my hearts desire and think my self enriched beyond all earthly pleasures and profits which many in the world have which have not thee 7 I will ever bless and praise the Lord for revealing to me in his word the way of life and salvation when others sit in darknes and in the shadow of death and also teaching me effectually by the inward and secret inspiration and whisperings of his spirit consciously to walk in it when as others that know it externally for want of inspiration do wander from it 8 In what condition soever I have been I have still kept the eye of my faith full upon God and not suffered it to take to other things and because I make God my support and lean so wholly upon him I know he will not deceive my confidence but will sustain me in his favour and support me with his power and grace for ever till he bring me to glorie 9 And in the faith hereof my heart is comforted above all worldly sorrows even to the causing my tongue to break out in holy boastings and praises that instrument of speech wherein man transcends other creatures Yea in this confidence I dare die as well as live and by virtue of it cheerfully bequeath my body to the grave in certain expectation of a blessed resurrection thence 10 For as thou wilt enable Christ whose type I am and who shall spring from me to overcome all his sufferings and preserve him who is thy beloved son and solely without sin from the putrefaction which all men else that are sinners must sustain in the grave making him to triumph over death who is the resurrection and the life So by Christ shall I be set free in soul and body from wrath and mortality by a glorious resurrection to immortality and life 11 Yea thou wilt teach me the way of life and salvation and lead me in it until thou bring me into thy heavenly presence to partake and be possessed of those soul-satisfying and substantial joyes that are there and of those everlasting and immortal pleasures which Christ the head of his Church at thy right hand hath to bestow on all his glorified members The xvii PSALM David probably when he was in the cave encompassed by Saul makes his prayer and appeal to God impartially pleading his innocency against his enemies Further testifies that in conscience to God he durst never do as he was done by nor praies he never may but commits his matter over to God in prayer to be righted by him and delivered from the violence of his proud outragious enemies in his extream straights And again presseth hard upon the Lord to shew himself for him against them that have no interest in his special and saving favour onely share in his common mercies which he hath and prizeth as an happiness above all A Psalm of David in way of prayer 1 THou that art a righteous God hear the prayer of the righteous and innocent person heed my humble and vehement supplication let my prayer have audience which speaks nothing but truth of my self and enemies 2 Judge thou my cause against mine adversaries by clearing mine innocency behold the wrong I sustain and by thy just judgements do me right upon them according to my righteousness 3 Mine integrity is not unknown to thee for thou hast searched mine heart as well as seen mine actions thou hast put me upon the scrutiny and discovery of my self in my most retired thoughts yea in thought word and deed hast thou tried me and sifted me through great and many afflictions and neither hast nor shalt find unrighteousness in me for I am by thy blessed assistance fully purposed as to think so to speak the truth in all uprightness and not to seek mine advantage by lying and dissembling as do mine enemies 4 Concerning the wrongs they have done me I have been careful for all their unjust provocations to walk by the rule of thy word not rendring evil for evil nor requiting their injurious cruelty with the like though it lay in my power 5 And so Lord inable me ever to do to walk after thy word that I may never erre from thy truth nor by sinning forfeit my well doing and good success in the end which by thy promise in the way of obedience I am sure of 6 I have made thee my confidence and ever addressed me to thee for I know and believe according to thy promise thou wilt hear and do for me now Lord is a fit time and a needful I pray thee therefore withdraw not thy self but be intreated to take notice of me and to hear mine instant prayer 7 Shew thy love to me in marvellously delivering me and fulfilling the wonderful things thou hast promised me O Lord that usest to imploy thy power for their preservation that trust in thee for deliverance from them that unjustly oppress them 8 Do thou Lord watch carefully over me that am dear to thee and in tender compassion preserve thy weak and innocent one 9 From them that unjustly seek my ruine and pursue me to the death with mighty ods of power and strength 10 They bear themselves high in confidence of their own greatness and power wallowing in abundance and give out great swelling words in disdain and contempt of me an abject 11 They have hunted
to compassion and pardon of all those my sins that may have caused thy displeasure that so I may find favour and receive some ease 19 My state is very forlorn and perillous if thou consider as I pray thee do and send help accordingly mine enemies for their number which is great and for their hatred of me which is to the death and their pursuit is accordingly with extream violence 20 They do all they can to take away my life O therefore do thou undertake to protect it from their rage and deliver me out of their hands Let me not miscarry by their power or policy and so I and my faith be rendred scornful and scandalous to them for I put my trust in thee thy truth and goodness therefore fail me not 21 Let the innocency of my cause and my just behaviour in it move thee to preserve me from the injustice of mine adversaries for on thee in respect of thy righteous promises do I trust and wait to be righted against their wrongs 22 O God that in thy faithfulness didest deliver Israel our Father out of all his troubles do the like by his seed and bring them into a state of peace and rest by and under me as shall the Church and faithful have one day by Christ. The xxvi PSALM David being slaundered by his enemies appeals to God to judge if he have done or thought as they say of him and whether to God and man his behaviour hath not been such as it should be which he is sure it hath the love of God constraining him Yea he hath declined all temptations to the contrary and is fully resolved to keep faith and a good conscience to the end And then praies That since he is and hath been studious of piety and innocency he may not be exposed to wicked mens cruelty nor his end be like theirs promising when God shall advance him to be as incorrupt and innocent in prosperity as in adversity And concludes with confidence of supportation and good success in Gods way which is the way he is in A Psalm made by David 1 MIne enemies condemn and censure me but Lord I appeal to thee who judgest with righteous judgement of whom I am sure I shall be acquit of all their slaunderous accusations for thou knowest that all I have done hath been with an honest heart in obedience to thee and without wrong-doing to any man nor have I so much as stepped out of the way by indirect and unlawful means to compass the fulfilling of thy promises but have both waited and believed in the Lord to do it in his own way and time Therefore I am confident that God in his grace and righteousness will uphold and prosper me and mine innocency against mine enemies 2 Having a clear conscience I freely expose and put my self into thine hands where I am sure of justice and truth to be examined and tried of those things whereof mine enemies unjustly accuse me both within and without as well touching the uprightness of mine heart in respect of pride or malice as the honesty and warrantableness of mine actions 3 For indeed I have such a tie upon me by reason of thy love and goodness to me which I alwayes with such thankful admiration and faithful dependance bear in mind as that it awes me from offending thee in any kind and makes me in return of love to thee to be most precise in my walking strictly observing to answer my duty to thy word and will in all things 4 Besides I have ever shunned occasions of evil not so much as taking counsel of men void of grace and conscience to do as they would have me nor will I ever consent to use or practise any crafty or hipocritical dealing like men that live and move more by policy than faith and honesty 5 I have ever detested both the company and counsels of wicked men nor will I be infected with them or adviced by them to go out of the way of faith and uprightness 6 My purpose is alwayes to tread an innocent path and to keep my self from doing unjust or unlawful things for such I know O Lord by those many legal cleansings thou hast instituted thou wilt onely accept of to worship thee and therefore will I be careful principally to maintain a pure conscience and conversation and then will I in comfort and confidence of thine acceptance of me and mine offering frequent thy tabernacle and there perform my ceremonial services of sacrifices and peace-offerings to thee 7 That so I may let all men know that do resort thither and declare to them both by those tokens of my thankfulness appointed in thy law for that purpose and by Psalms of praise the wonderful things thou shalt have wrought for me according to my trust in thee and thy promises which are my onely stay and thereby move them also to faithful thanksgiving 8 O Lord thou knowest my wayes have not been wayes of wickedness but of piety and holiness I have dearly loved and devoutly frequented thy holy ordinances in thy holy tabernacle and have been a diligent worshipper and honourer of thee there which thou hast ordained for that purpose and where thou art specially present 9 In thy goodness and mercy therefore remember me as such an one that desires and endeavours to serve thee in holiness and righteousness and expose me not to the wicked and bloudy hands of mine enemies nor bring that wrathful destruction upon me thou intendest unto them as the punishment of their iniquity and cruelty 10 Who plot and practise nothing but mischievous things and regard neither truth nor honesty but abuse their authority and pervert justice through corruption of bribes 11 But as for me if thou pleasest to set me in place of justice and authority then as I have carried my self in mine affliction so thou shalt find I will still keep a good conscience and walk in incorrupt and sincere wayes therefore O Lord think on me to deliver me out of my great affliction and misery and in mercy make good thy gracious promises to me 12 The unjust and unequitable wayes that mine enemies walk I am sure will bring them to ruine but as for me as I have troden the path of piety and equity so I am sure to find the reward of grace and mercy and to be upheld and made to stand when they shall stumble and fall This I know shall be my portion and for this before hand I vow praises and thanksgivings to God even in the publick congregations of Israel The xxvii PSALM David rowseth up his faith to overtop his fear by many arguments taken from former preservations and confidence that as God hath stirred up an earnest desire in him to worship him in his Tabernacle so he shall be preserved thereunto He further backs his faith with prayer pressing upon God the
and difference made between him and his wicked enemies whom he accurses as the wilful withstanders of the will of God touching him a type of Christ And therefore promises and prophesies their destruction and his own assured establishment over Israel whom he prayes for that they may be blessed under him as the Church shall be under the Messiah A Psalm made by David 1 UNto thee will I as I have ever done make my moan in my misery and cry for help for on thee O Lord depends all my trust and hope of safety therefore deny not to hear and help me who have no other helper for if thou doest I am utterly helpless and must unavoidably perish 2 Stop not thine ears nor with-hold not thy favour from me for it is as bitter as death to have my prayers unheard when in anguish of my spirit I pour them forth before thee and when according to thine ordinance I lift up mine eyes and hands in supplication towards the sanctuary which thou hast appointed as a type of heaven to vouchsafe thy presence and to hear and answer prayer in 3 Let me not perish as an evil doer by evil doers nor be untimely taken away in thy wrath as a male-factour and wicked worker amongst those that are so who with hipocritical dissembling make shew of peace and friendship to them that really mean no ill but intend nothing but mischievous deceit against them 4 Such as are so and do so which are mine enemies let them feel and find thy just displeasure according to their demerits and answerable to their sinful practises against the innocent let them have the wages they have wrought for and in thy justice pay them their just deserved punishment 5 And because they regard so little and slight so much the Lord in his remarkable judgements upon themselves and his no less remarkable grace and favour unto me so clearly manifested by extraordinary testimonies and singular providences confirming mine election to the Kingdom as a type of Christ he will and shall therefore at last I am sure do himself and me right upon them and make them understand it by their utter extirpation and overthrow and my establishment in their steads as he shall do by Christ and his enemies 6 Now blessed be the Lord who enables me in full assurance of faith and by an infallible spirit of of prophecy to foresee the issue of my prayers to be according to my desires and his gracious promise and decree touching me 7 So that I can say in the assurance of the event that the Lord is and shall be to the end my all-sufficient preserver and defendor against mine enemies Yea in full perswasion of faith I can say as if I had already taken a farewel of all my troubles That I am for so I shall be be fully delivered and gratiously established in a good estate according to the trust I have put in him therefore my heart at present rejoyceth as if all were done and past and with a Psalm of thanksgiving do I now promise publickly to praise the Lord when it shall be so 8 The Lord is a faithful and powerful deliverer and rescuer of his people from out their oppressions and from under their enemies and for their sakes he is and will be the undoubted Saviour and preserver of me whom he hath annointed and decreed to set over them for their good and welfare as a type of Christ over his Church 9 Therefore remember thy people to bring them out of the tyrannie of their enemies and the present distempers they lie under and bless them whom thou hast peculiarly chosen out of all the world to be thine by setting me over them as a type of Christ and feed them under me as Christ the shepheard shall feed his flock with plenty of grace and peace and bring them to a lasting and settled condition of tranquillity giving them the victory and dominion over all their enemies by and under me as the Church shall have by and under him The xxix PSALM David to awe all men to be respective of Gods Church people specially Kings from whom they then did ever should receive most opposition hardship He first seeks to awe them by a due respect of God himself and of his ordinances exhorting them to give him honour worship And therefore sets before their considerations the terriblest of his words to convince them of his glorious greatness to wit the thunder shewing the marvellous effects it hath upon things both sensible and unsensible the better to move with man and specially with great men to reverence the greatness of Almighty God And besides that he also preaches to them his glorious goodness manifested in his word and ordinances to excite them to partake therein together with his people But in case they refuse and obstinately oppose themselves against him and them He incourageth the Israelites and in them the faithful assuring them that God will subdue their enemies and make them prosperous under him as Christ shall his Church spite of all the world A Psalm made by David 1 O ye mighty potentates of the world suffer a word of exhortation be not high in your own conceits to which you are most subject be warned not to swell with the pride of your honour and power but set the Lord above you and pay the homage of both to God least he lay your honour in the dust and bring your strength to weakness 2 Do by God as you exspect others should do by you that are your subjects and inferiours Give him the honour that is due to his greatness and leave off your superstition and come and worship him and bring your gifts in token of service and subjection to his beautiful sanctuary for no where else will he receive them it being the sole appointed place of his glorious and solemn worship and special presence 3 Your power is here below but Gods is up above which loudly declares it self to us on earth from out those watery clouds that are in the firmament over us whence God who is the Lord of supream glory dreadfully thunders and shews his greatness by that terrible noise multiplied out of sundry clouds by sundry thunder-claps at once and by the infinite inundation of rain that immediately follows thereupon by sundry thunderclaps at once and by the infinit inundation of rain that immedaitly follows thereupon 4 This voice of the Lords thunder is in it self very dreadful and declares him to be of mighty power and of exceeding great Majestie and glorie far above all earthly potentates 5 When the Lord thunders it is so mightie and forcible that it overthrows the strongest trees even the great and tall Cedars of Lebanon are broken and turned up by the roots by the violence of thunder-storms 6 Yea of such affrightment is that terrible voice of his and
infinite power for thereto hath he given a surface above the waters which he hath notwithstanding they were once uppermost and would be so again confined to their concave or the pit he digged for them for all their fluid and spreading nature there he keeps them safe from breaking out and overwhelming the earth again 8 And as the faithfully righteous have cause to praise the Lord for his word and works as being happy in him for their God that is of such power and truth so also from that light and power which is imparted to them out of the creation should all the world one and other submit to his authority and know it to be their duty to honour and obey him reverencing his commandments and fearing his powerfull judgements 9 For all things that they see how great and wonderfull soever above and beneath them were made meerly by his fâ—at or word of command yea the great and weighty globe of the earth was established for ever by its sole and onely center without any other prop or pillar through the Almighty command of God for it so to be 10 And the Lord is as wise as powerfull defeating in his peoples behalf all the machinations that their enemies device against them frustrating and making ineffectual all the plots of the Gentils round about against his chosen 11 For the gracious purposes of the Almighty towards his shall stand good spite of all opposing power and policy yea they shall never be frustrated but ever be effectual and succesfull in the behalf of those that trust in him to the worlds end 12 O therefore blessed are we above all the world who have the knowledge and worship of the true God and so have him in a special manner gracious to us and Lord over us Yea happy are the people whom he hath picked out from amongst all people unto the adoption of sons and servants as we are 13 This God who is our God is in heaven and from thence he beholds and governs all men and all their actions 14 Yea from heaven the place of his most glorious and special residence doth he all-knowingly see and dispose of all men and all things here below 15 The Lord knows all men within and without for he made all and therefore knows all no man made himself but he alike made all as any and therefore knows all as well as any even the subtilest and wisest devices of the deepest politicians he is privy to and considers the events ordering them after his mind and not after theirs 16 So that be mans confidence never so great though he be a King and have never such authority and power or if for bodily strength he be equal to a Giant yet can it neither conquer nor keep himself from being conquered if God be not purposed to favour him 17 If God help not nothing can an Horse which men trust much in be he never so swift or strong will deceive and can neither safeguard his rider nor harm his opposer if God forbid it 18 The gracious favour and good providence of God is worth all which they are sure of that in fear obey him and by faith trust in his goodness and mercy over whom he keeps a carefull and watchful eye 19 To deliver them from the deadly plots of their enemies and other dangerous perils and to sustain and provide for them in times of scarcity and want when he lets other men starve 20 We therefore that are the Lords people ought and I hope we do with one heart and mind faithfully and affectionately seek to him and trust in him as our onely preserver and defendor as do and ever will the faithful 21 And this we may be sure of that we shall find him faithfull he will not fail us but we shall have cause of joy and thanksgiving in the manifestation of his grace and favour to us if so be that we fail not to put our trust stedfastly in his power and goodness which for his holiness sake can never deceive them that trust therein as do the faithful 22 Let Lord accordingly thy merciful loving-kindness and gratious providence be for ever vouchsafed unto thy people who make thee their stay and strength alone xxxiv PSALM For his deliverance mentioned in the title David in the ravishing apprehension thereof excites himself and others to praise the Lord greatly and to believe in him so too promising as he sped so should they in so doing be their danger never so great and their help humanely never so small He would have them that doubt it but try him by trusting and assureth them they shall experimentally find all true that he sayes touching Gods goodness And out of his duty to God and love to the godly he instructs them as a prophet and from his own experience how to out-live temptations and afflictions and be happy and blessed to wit by eschewing evil and doing good for to such and such onely the Lord is good and gracious for the wicked shall certainly smart for their wickedness it shall cost them their undoing A Psalm made by David when as being forced to flie from Saul and not knowing where to be safe in Israel he betook himself to Gath of the Philistins where being known by reason of his late conquest of Goliah and hated for the destruction that befel their Host thereby he was therefore in great danger and put to his shifts to feign himself mad for which being contemned of the King he was dismissed his presence and so escaped again to Judea 1 SO great hath been the goodness and power of God in my behalf as that I will never forget to magnifie him for it but will ever bear it in remembrance and continually be speaking of his praise-worthy mercies to me in my deliverance 2 Yea from my very soul and inmost affections will I praise him and confidently tell both what he hath done and what thereupon I believe he will do for me whereby I shall I am sure incourage all self-denying believers to the worlds end to hope in him in trouble and adversity and for present shall have such as fear God and wish me well partakers of my joy 3 And such I call upon to help me in exalting the Lord and with heart and voice to joyn with me in magnifying his loving-kindness and power the better to amplifie his praises 4 For I in mine extremity put up my prayers faithfully and fervently to the Lord and was presently answered and freed from my dangers by his good providence 5 And as it was with me so shall it be for certain with other his people that from mine example humbly rely upon him and in extremity not knowing which way to turn them with fervency of spirit by faithful prayer and ejaculation cast their eyes towards heaven they shall find favour and have a
way shewed them to escape in the greatest and doubtfullest dangers nor shall they have cause to hide their heads because of their miscarrying for God will deliver them and they shall praise him 6 They shall make me their instance and incouragement of their faith how that as I in my poor and hazardous condition cried to the Lord for mercy and was graciously heard and delivered so they shall take heart to do the like in a like estate in confidence of like success from God who is graciously pittiful to all that in affliction faithfully seek to him as I did 7 Nor matters it how humanely helpless and desolate any such seem to be for God hath given his faithful and obedient people in charge to Christ and his ministering spirits the holy Angels to yield them divine assistance who accordingly have a watchful eye over them to prevent their hurt and procure their good maugre all their enemies 8 Make but proof of God as I have done by believing in him and relying on him and you shall find him no worse but by faith and experience shall be able to affirm him as I do to be sensibly gracious and good to such as seek to him for it is as true and undeniable as any thing can be that he certainly and he alone is blessed and shall be happy that makes him and him onely his trust and confidence 9 O therefore stick close to the Lord you that are his people and depart not from him be your temptation what it will be by mistrust or misdoing for be sure of it you shall not want the Lords gracious presence with you and providence for you if you so do 10 Faithfully relying upon and seeking to the Lord is the most effectual and prosperous way any man can take all else is fallible wisdom strength whatsoever is relied upon Though a man had the force and courage of the stoutest lion yet as they notwithstanding theirs go without their prey till providence supply it them so shall he notwithstanding his of what he stands in need if he seek it not of God who onely is to be confided in and sought to for whatsoever we need or desire for to such hath he engaged himself as farre as is desireable even to give them what is good for them whatever else they want God and his goodness shall be theirs to their hearts contentment 11 Come all ye that are the children of the most High and as dear to me as mine and that in love and meekness desire to walk well-pleasingly towards God Give ear to what I say as an experienced man and true Prophet And it shall shew you your hearts desire even how to walk acceptably with him 12 What man is he that doth desire to out-live his enemies and the miseries he sustains by them and would be blessed of God with a long and happy life which though all would have yet all men take not the way to get but by their sin procure themselves misery and destruction therefore hearken thou to such instructions as will effect it 13 Do what God commands thee in word and deed refrain thy tongue and lips from revengeful slaunders or deceivable lies to or against any 14 Be not tempted or enticed either by the provocations of thy nature or the worlds corruptions to wrong or deceit and on the contrary study and endeavour to walk holily and righteously in all things towards God and men in all manner of well-doing seek the favour of God carefully maintain peace with men and pursue it earnestly with the uttermost self-denial in meek holy and righteous walking 15 For onely they are in favour with God and have the eyes of the Lord watchful over them for good that are good and he is very inclinable to hear the cries of such in affliction and to send them relief accordingly 16 But on the contrary in stead of a long and happy life the anger of the Lord is against them that are evil whom by his judgements he shall in justice cut off both them and theirs 17 The good its true may be afflicted as well as the bad but with this difference that they have the Lord to go and bewail themselves unto and the Lord hath promised to hear them and hath approved himself manifoldly as good as his word and so will still to such for if they call he will answer and ease them of their troubles 18 For the Lord is apt to pitty them that he sees humbled under his afflicting hand and very ready to relieve them in their extremities and doth deliver them that self-judgeingly in the sense of their unworthiness in time of misery seek to him for mercy 19 Those that are righteous and live godly have many enemies and suffer as many if not more trials and afflictions than do the wicked but still as I say with this difference the Lord that brings them in leads them out 20 And spite of all the power and malice of their enemies who if they could would grind them to powder yet shall they not be able to fasten the least evil upon them which the wise providence of God not appointed for their good for he keeps them so safe that not so much as their little finger shall take hurt or a hair of their head perish by any will or power of man 21 But now contrary-wise the malicious evil wayes of the wicked shall be their utter ruine and they that wickedly persecute the godly shall in stead of compassing their destruction procure their own and their posterities for ever 22 Whereas for the comfort of the godly let the lives of his people that faithfully trust in him and dutifully serve him be it never such hazard and danger by the power of their enemies yet he that redeemed their souls from everlasting destruction can and will preserve and deliver them I can put a probatum est unto it and none of all those that depend upon him and trust in him shall be destroyed by the wrath of man as shall the wicked by the wrath of God for he will preserve them I know by experience The xxxv PSALM David in the name of Christs and the Churches enemies prayes for the confusion of his own because of their unjust and inhumane dealing promising exceedingly to praise God when he shall be delivered from their violence and wrong making God the judge betwixt him and them and praying him to maintain his innocency against their unrighteousness by making them examples of his justice and him of his mercy so shall he purchase to himself much praise from the whole Church but specially from himself which he shall be sure of A Psalm made by David 1 O Lord oppose mine opposers be thou the defendor of mine innocency and the preserver of my life against my slanderous back-biters and persecuting enemies to whom be thou an enemy
2 I have no help but thine therefore quit thee answerably to the affiance I put in thee for my defence for thou art mine all in all therefore stand to me and appear for me fail me not but by thine Almighty power defend and keep me safe from my violent adversaries 3 Nor onely defend me but also offend them that would offend me secure me from my persecutors and prevent their cruel designs upon me Let thine actions outwardly speak thy loving kindness towards me and inwardly perswade mine heart to firm affiance in thee amidst mine afflictions 4 O Lord thou knowest in what place thou hast set me not as a private man therefore for revenge but as a Prophet and publick person representing thy Christ and Church do I accurse mine enemies and pray that they may not prosper in their designs but that confusion and destruction may be the portion of them that persecute my life let them be discomfited and brought to ruine that plot mine 5 Let thy violent and sudden judgements sweep them away past all help Yea with a divine and unresistable power from heaven do thou utterly defeat all their humane power wherein they put such confidence 6 And let them totally miscarry in their discomfiture so that they may not know how to escape to save themselves but void of power and policy let them stumble and fall and be followed at the heels by thine immediate judgements until they be overtaken and quite destroyed 7 Yea Lord let them be catched in thy trap as they have endeavoured to catch me in theirs using all manner of deceit and craft to compass my destruction and to take away my life unjustly without any desert or cause given by me 8 Measure to mine enemy as he would measure to me Let sudden destruction befall him when he least fears himself and makes most sure of me Yea let him be caught in his own very craft and the self-same ruin he intends to me let it fall on him 9 So wilt thou give me cause of rejoycing in thee and thy favour towards me yea and accordingly I will exceedingly rejoyce in thy saving mercy and will praise thee for it ascribing all my safety to it 10 Yea both soul and body each part and faculty with all their might in a joynt and joyful acclamation shall feelingly break out into unexpressible praises and thankful acknowledgements of thy transcendent power and goodness in my behalf So that I will make faithful publication of thee to be a non-such for poor afflicted persons to trust in and seek to when they are distressed and over-powered by unjust violence yea for the most impotent and despicable person living to flie to to be righted and relieved on him that wrongfully violates and oppresseth him be he never so much too hard for him 11 Thou O Lord knowst how falsly I as Christ shall be am accused by mine injurious adversaries to Saul who by might suppresses right and I can get no hearing but am partially and unduly proceeded against as guilty of such things as never so much as came in my thoughts nor am not suffered to clear my self 12 Yea they have dealt most inhumanely with me requiting all the good service that I have done them by preserving their lives with the apparent hazard of mine own against their enemies with the going about enviously to deprive me of mine as they shall Christ of his 13 Their carriage towards me is not as mine to them for when they ailed any thing were sick or in trouble so far was I from wishing them ill as is falsely suggested that I fasted and prayed for thy mercy to them and deliverance of them as for my self though I now perceive God having rejected them for their wickedness I lost my labour but not my reward for I have the comfort of a self-excusing conscience by it 14 Thou Lord knowest what manner of duty and love I bare to Saul how that had he been my brother a thousand times I could not have borne and shewed more tender affections to him than I did Yea my sorrow was as natural and passionate for him as a childs for his mother 15 But alas how differently have they walked towards me driving me into adversity and rejoycing at it all that envied and maligned me combining together against me to bring me to ruin and hatred yea base unworthy wretches men of flattering and lying tongues laid their heads together to accuse and calumniate me which being innocent I suspected not incessantly back-biting me and slandering mine innocency 16 They have scornfully derided me at their feasts and in their cups even such as I thought had been my friends but they prove false ones and have uttered their spitefull aspersions of me and threats against me 17 O Lord be moved to compassionate me and be not always a spectator of my miseries and a tolerator of mine enemies cruelties but take me and my cause into thy merciful consideration and let not my life be a prey to their hatred but preserve and deliver my pretious soul that principal part from the malicious rage of them that would unjustly deprive me of it by cruel death 18 Which when thou shalt have done and made me partaker of thy publick ordinances from which mine enemies have driven me I will promise to magnifie and praise thee with sacrifices of thanksgiving in the face of all Israel gathered together at thy Sanctuary 19 Seeing I stand for the right let not mine enemies that maintain a wrong cause against me ever have their wills upon me and rejoyce at mine unjust overthrow never let â—hem have cause mockingly to insult and contemptuously to jear in their sleeves at my destruction that they causelesly hunt after and hope for 20 For mine enemies are so implacably and violently bent against me that no parley or hope of peace can be had at their hands but they practise all manner of wayes by false accusations and treacherous machinations to molest and harm me yea utterly to ruin me that would fain live peaceably by them in the land of Israel without doing or thinking any harm unto them and not be driven thence 21 They have made me their table-talk belching out their hatred against me in impudent false assertions and joyful expressions at my misery 22 This their carriage towards me O Lord thou art privy to and hast seen their malice forbear no longer to rebuke them for it O Lord whom I serve and trust be not deaf to my cries nor a stranger to my wrongs but take my part and send me speedy help 23 Be provoked by mine enemies outrage and my wronged innocency to execute judgement on mine and my causes behalf upon the wrong-doers O my most gracious and Almighty Lord God 24 Such is my reighteousness and innocency in this matter as I put it into thine
1 BE not thou that belongest to God angrie or agrieved to see wicked men to prosper and to go unpunished in the world neither envie thou the happiness of sinners in their affluence of worldly felicitie nor be moved by it to step out of thy way into theirs 2 For it is but for a very little while that they do so their happines is short-lived commonly God by some unexpected judgement and untimely end snatches them from it or if not yet at best its mortal like themselves and dieth with them 3 But whilest they trust in their strength or store do thou trust in God and whilest they go on in sinning do thou go on in serving the Lord so shalt thou and thy posteritie inherit the promise of life and blessing to survive the wicked maugre their power and malice that at present Lord it as if life and inheritances were not the gifts of God but theirs by an indeleble proprietie whom yet God will extirpate and doubt not but trusting in him and being careful to do thy dutie to him he will provide what is needful for thee and will bless thee with convenient food and raiment as much as a gracious heart and contented mind desires for Godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come they shall not hinder it 4 Also the whilest they make riches and pleasures their God and greatest good do thou make God and his good grace thy riches and chief delight and so God will give thee what shall be for thy good and withhold from thee what may do thee hurt which is the desire of every gracious heart 5 Be not over solicitous and careful in and about thine affairs but ease thy mind on God when thou art engaged in his cause or by his providence pass them over to him to manage for thee trusting withall that according to his goodness and faithfulness he will order and dispose them and thou shalt find every thing to prosper better in his hands than in thine and a good success to follow upon it 6 And though thy pietie and innocencie may be rewarded with obloquy and oppression yet be sure the time will come and be comforted in it when God shall right all thy wrongs and vindicate thine uprightness if thou trust in him to do it to thy full satisfaction and the worlds conviction as certainly as light springs out of darkness and day out of night and as clearly as the sun shines in his greatest brightness for all eyes to see it 7 How ever things frame relie thou upon God with a stedfast unwavering faith and a quiet contented mind be not hastie nor impatient of the end but stay Gods leasure submissively to his will and believingly in his promise to the very uttermost period of his pleasure And though thou in a good cause go by the worse and others in a bad one succeed and prosper yet let it not unsettle thy faith or distemper thy spirit to see wicked men fortunate in wicked ways and evil designs 8 At any rate suppress passionate misprisions of God his truth or righteousness and beware of casting off a meek spirit and entertaining a wrathful envious disposition incident in such temptations let not distemper seize upon thee however matters go but specially not so far as to move thee to forgo thy faith and and obedience and to fall to sinful shifts and practises 9 For so thou and they shall fare alike even both be cut off in Gods displeasure whereas if thou hold on in patient and faithful waiting on the Lord thou shalt at last find it to be the most successeful and prosperous course and that in so doing God will bless and provide for thee when as they and their hopes shall perish 10 For if thou wilt but have a little patience and stay Gods leasure it shall not be long before the wicked have their reward though God may let them prosper for a while yet the time will come when either their happiness shall be taken from them or they from it yea thou or thine shall see an end of him and his to your admiration and God his exaltation 11 But on the contrarie they that wait patiently and bear meekly they shall find it the best and happiest way for that God will preserve them and at last bless them with rest and safetie when the wicked shall perish 12 The malice of the wicked indeed is every way very provoking both in real wrongs causelesly working against the righteous in irritating deportments manifesting his inward rancor and imbittered mind against him when he cannot prevail 13 But there 's no danger for God laughs to see his folly so to fret himself and labour in vain to root out the faithful and Godly man when as all that while he is but digging his own grave and hastening his own destruction for the more he endangers him and hath him at a lift the speedier shall be his own ruin to make way for his preservation 14 The wicked do all they can by wit or power to overthrow the poor opressed innocent man and set themselves with all their might to slay without cause the good even because they are good 15 But God shall make use of their power and violence against themselves for they shall work their own destruction and the aim they have at the Godly shall be defeated and they preserved spite of all their power and malice 16 The righteous man that trusts in God and serves him is happier and richer in a little that God gives him than the wicked are with much ill gotten goods wherein they put great confidence 17 For the carnal confidences and strength of the wicked wherein they trust shall be weakened made ineffectual against the Godly and their faith but them will God sustain be they never so despicable and void of secundarie helps spite of all adverse power 18 The Lord hath decreed to a minute how long the righteous shall suffer and remembers his promise touching their surviving happiness after their miseries and their enemies oppressions to keep it which he will certainly do to their well-being here or if not for ever hereafter in heaven 19 Which confidence of theirs shall make them hold up their heads when others droop in times of distress Yea their hope and trust in God shall yield them their bellies full of content even in death 20 When as the wicked for want of it shall comfortlesly pine away and the ungodly ones for whose sake those judgements are sent together with all their substance shall in the Lords anger be consumed by them as the fire melts lambs grease yea they shall be quite consumed 21 The wicked for all his abundance and abundant confidence therein by Gods just judgements are oft times impoverished and put to borrow and disabled to pay again whereas
the righteous whose confidence is in God and can find in his heart in obedience to him to be charitable with that he hath is blessed of God with enough for his own comfortable subsistence and the relief of the needie 22 For he hath temporal blessings in store for them on whom he hath bestowed his favour and grace and they shall have a comfortable subsistence when as others far greater and of more account in the world living in sin and being in hatred with God shall unexspectedly be undone and destroyed 23 God prospers him that is good and gives a good issue to his undertakings because he takes pleasure in and receives honour from his conscionable and serviceable walking 24 He may be low brought and hard set but he shall never be quite forsaken of God nor rendred to the will of his enemies to his utter undoing For the Lord hath an eye to him and an hand on him to keep him from drowning though he let him sink they may be cast down but not destroyed 25 All my life long which is no short one I have ever taken notice of Gods dealing with his people and have always observed his faithfulness to the faithful how that they that have trusted in him and walked with him have never been quite forsaken of him though they have oft and many a time been put soar to it yet hath he never falsified his word of promise and providence but whereas I have seen the wicked turned naked out of all and glad to be beholden to to the righteous as Esau was to Jacob for a mess of pottage the Lord on the contrarie hath always provided so competently and contentedly for them that they have never needed to crave relief from the ungodly 26 The righteous mans propertie is still to be doing good trusting in the Lord more than in riches and therefore whereas others hoard up all they can get he lends gives as there is cause to them that want and hopes to be never the poorer for it counting it his riches to lay out not to lay up nor is he for God rewards his good deeds upon his posteritie after him and blesseth them for his sake 27 Wouldst thou then have a blessing upon thy self and derive it to thy posteritie take the course the godly do forsake sin and serve God and thou shalt find that that 's the onely way for thee and thine to be happie from generation to generation 28 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness and will bless them that love and practise it they that are holy and practise holiness hee l stick as close to them as they do to him and will never fail them of his promises that he hath made to them and theirs but the wicked shall find he as much hates them as he loves the godly either they or their posteritie shall smart for their wickedness and be rooted out by it 29 The righteous liver shall by the blessing of God subsist and derive a subsistence from himself to his children of peace and happiness and the favour of God generation after generation 30 The righteous man as he himself is good so he loves to be doing good and to instruct others as oportunitie serves specially his own like as God hath instructed him with the knowledge of his wayes of holiness and righteousness wherein he is conversant both in walking and talking 31 The Law of God whom he loves and who he knows loves him is written in his heart and naturalized therein which shall keep him from sin and for which God will prosper and preserve him from evil maugre Satan and the World 32 Yea though the wicked watch him never so narrowly by power or policie to ruine him 33 For the Lord will not forget his promise nor withdraw his providence so as to expose him without support or supply nor will God judge him as they do nor condemn him upon their accusations but will defend him acquit his innocencie and revenge his wrong 34 Trust stedfastly in the Lord patiently waiting upon him in his own time to fulfil his own promise and shew forth his mercie to thee in thy trouble and keep a good conscience by walking unweariedly and with a constant course in and after his commandments and he will at last do great things for thee thou shalt certainly be a top of the wheel and shall see the wicked under thee how ever they at present over-top thee 35 I speak what I have seen and what others shall see if they wait and observe to wit The wicked most formidably powerful and priding themselves in great prosperitie flourishing like a bay-tree in earthly felicitie 36 Yet have I lived to see him quite blasted and withered so as if he never had been such a man and all this in my time 37 So likewise have I marked the righteous man and so I would have others to do to prevent rash judgement and that they may see what I say to be true to wit That though he that is faithful and sincere towards God may have a time of sadness and suffering yet it s most certain his end shall be most comfortable for either he shall out-live his miseries here as oft they do or leave them behind him with a peaceable and joyful departure out of this life from them to the Lord his God who will receive him into everlasting happiness 38 Whereas on the contrarie well may the wicked fare for a while but in the end judgement shall devour them and as they have been brethren in evil so shall they be fellows in punishment none shall escape The end of the wicked shall not be death but destruction wrath shall slay them happines forsake them and confusion receive them 39 So it is with them but so shall it not be with the righteous whose salvation is not placed in false refuges as is wicked mens but in the power and faithfulness of the Lord he is their strength and trust in time of trouble 40 Who will not deceive them but will certainly relieve and release them he both must and will do it for he is bound by his grace and truth to save them that trust in him and destroy the wicked enemies of his Church and that bond hee 'l never break The xxxviii PSALM David lying soar oppressed at once both under some bodily distemper and many enemies humbly repairs to God in prayer Wherein first he bewaileth his sin and Gods displeasure and then his sufferings both in bodie which were very grievous and also in mind But yet comforts himself in this that the groans and prayers which those miseries forced from him were heard and regarded of God though he had not present relief but continued worse and worse And still holds out praying and ripping up his whole estate to God how it fared with him on the one side and with
1 BEing grievously tempted to impatiencie by extream afflictions mine enemies provocations I was fain to watch my self narrowly to take up a vow and resolution not to give the reins to my tongue but to bridle it from taking libertie to exceed in intemperate speeches specially whilest I had to do with wicked men who lay at advantage to take scandal at me and my profession by any miscarriage they could espie 2 Wherefere I abstained utterly from speaking even that which was truth in mine own defence and their reproof least therewith impatiencie should get vent though thereby I was much troubled and had much ado to do it 3 In so much as my heart was full and so heated with smothering my grief that I burst out in prayerful expostulation betwixt God and me and said 4 Lord mine afflictions are so many and great as that they make me wearie of my life comfort me so far as to inform me how near I am to mine end and how few my miserable dayes shall be Let me know this of thee that so I may hope of deliverance at least by mortalitie 5 Sure I am my life is not long and at longest it is but short compared with thine eternal being its as nothing and what is mans life considered in it self Even when it is at best its very vanitie void of true satisfaction Would men would consider it 6 Surely every man hath here but an imaginarie happiness certainly they cark and care to be that which this life can never make them labouring in vain to be happie in it What a deal of pains does a man take to be rich yea richer and richer and can never live to use all he hath nor knows not how soon he shall depart with it nor how it will be spent nor into whose hands it will come when he is gone witness the state I had and was in erewhile whereof how soon and unexpectedly am I deprived 7 And now Lord seeing every thing is thus emptie and unprofitable why should I trust in or desire to be happie by any thing short of thee no I do not Thy favour and grace is that I prize and hope in most of all I wait for and desire it above all earthly felicitie the restorement of it is more to me than my Kingdom and happier shall I be in it 8 Grant me for my happiness the pardon of my sins that have brought me into this miserie and let not my wicked enemies prevail against me to destroy me and insult over me and God in me 9 Though I endured very much yet I bare it patiently without fretfulness because I know in justice I had deserved it and thou inflictedst it 10 Good Lord be intreated to pitie me and to ease me of my grief for I am almost utterly perished by thine afflicting hand and heavie judgement for my sin 11 When thou punisheth and correcteth man for iniquitie thou changest him quite from what he was both in condition and constitution his honour thou layest in the dust and himself thou makest little less every way defacest him and makest him comparatively to what he was as a beautifull garment when its moth-eaten and consumed thus am I yea surely every man even the whole kind of him in thine hands is as nothing To thy glory and mans abasing and humbling be it spoken 12 O Lord hear the prayer I put up unto thee and the cries I pour forth in mine extremity let my tears be effectual and prevalent in mine own behalf and against mine enemies for my help is wholly in thee and must be from thee in the faith of whose truth and goodness I subsist in my travel through this world as did my godly forefathers who were heirs of promise and lived by faith being though in the world yet not of it but belonged to thee and so do I who therefore suffer therein as they did 13 O take me not away in thy displeasure but in mercy revive and restore me to a comfortable feeling of thy favour again in the sensible pardon of my sin remission of my punishment and re-establishment in mine estate that so I may end this my short and transitory life when I do end it which is not long to in thy grace both to mine own sense and the worlds sight when I bid it adeiu The xl PSALM David being in trouble probably under Absaloms rebellion reckons up his former experiences of Gods goodness and his great deliverances first from Saul and then from after evils pronouncing a blessing upon himself and others that trust firmely in the Lord extolling his wonderfull mercies to such And shews what manner of praise he hath wont to offer to God for them not ceremoniall but reall and thus winds in upon God by recounting his favours to him and his service back again to God both in praising and publishing his goodness and truth And then after a self-judging preamble comes upon him with new requests for instant deliverance both from sin and punishment and for confusion of his enemies and lastly chears up himself and all his faithfull well-willers and partakers with a hopefull prayer notwithstanding his present condition To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 I have endured much and long but having a promise I staid my self upon it and have patiently undergone all his providence in a faithfull expectation of the Lord in truth and goodness to fulfil it at last which he hath done and hath most graciously vouchsafed me audience and deliverance 2 I was low sunk in fear and danger even of utter ruine whence he hath marvellously delivered me out of a very miserable condition hath he brought me that no power but his could ever have freed me from but he hath done it and not onely delivered me from an ill estate but estated me in a good and safe one and confirmed it to me spite of all those mine enemies and opposers and all they could do to the contrary 3 And hath given me further occasion of thanksgiving and praises by new and fresh mercies even to the full accomplishment of his promise and my happiness his wonderful power and goodness to me-ward shall amaze many that never thought to see it and affect them both with fear of and faith in the Lord that bringeth great things to pass 4 That man is a blessed man and shall be a successfull man that stedfastly relies upon the Lord alone and regards not the threatnings of the proud presumptuous boaster nor the brags of such as put their confidence in sinfull practises and self-refuges to dissettle his faith or follow their example 5 Manifold O most powerfull and gracious Lord God are the wonderfull providences protections and deliverances which thou hast done and
and reproves not onely for a sinfull but an ungratefull and a despising people that having those excellent priviledges of his worship and presence amongst them so shamefully play the hypocrits with him pretending holiness in outward ceremoniall worship and performances but never heed how faith and grace acts in their services nay many of them are not onely formall but even prophane hypocrites that dare to live in sin even gross sins and yet be frequent in duties thus mocking God to his face and yet think he likes well enough of that they do because they smart not for it but God tells them they shall tast the bitter fruit of their wayes if they repent not And for them that spiritually and uprightly worship him amongst them as they honour him so he will reward them to their hearts content A Psalm made by Asaph THe onely true and Almighty God the Lord of all the earth having noted thē Idolatrous miscarriages and false worships that are every where practised summons all men in all the world to take notice 2 That though the whole world be in sinfull darkness and ignorance of the true God and the right way of serving him Yet there is a corner of the earth that God hath vouchsafed to shine out of as the sun when it arises in the East and spreads its light by degrees over the face of the whole heavens a place and people that he hath chosen to reveal himself in and amongst it is his people Israel in the land of Canaan principally in the Citie Jerusalem but most especially upon mout Sion there shall you find and see in a breife map of lively types and representations God manifested not onely in his majesty but in his true and saving way of worship grace and truth shining there and from thence shall take its rise to overspread the whole world 3 This God that is so peculiarly ours and at present seems comparatively to be professour of no part of the earth but this that his people dwell in nor to have no dominion over any else for none serve him but they This God of ours shall one day make it appear that he is Lord of all the world when he shall come to judge it which he will do though now he forbear and suffer it to lie in ignorance and Idolatry but he will appear in terrour and great glory to the astonishing and confounding of all men all the world over that believe not in him nor worship him aright 4 None shall escape his judgement the heavens and the earth which he made he shall command to render up all mankind alive or dead and dissolved into their elements or first principles as subject to him to be judged by him from the four corners of the world 5 Then shall it appear that but some of all the world are Gods peculiar sanctified ones a people sprinkled with the bloud of the covenant keeping faith and a good conscience which the Angels by speciall appointment shall gather together from out the rest of the world and set them on Gods right hand in heaven as now his Israel his onely covenanting and sacrificing people severed from all the world besides are by a powerfull hand settled in Canaan 6 His righteous justice shall be made manifest over all the earth in condemning the wicked be they never so many and saving those that are godly from amongst them be they never so few for the righteous and omnipotent God that is Lord over all and hath all power both in heaven and earth who is of wisdom to judge aright of all men and of power to execute his judgement shall himself pass sentance infallibly from heaven upon them Even so be it 7 What have been said of my peculiar favour to you above all the world besides is true how that I have chosen you out of the whole earth placed you in the promised land vouchsafed you my speciall presence in my speciall place of worship entered covenant with you to be your God and you likewise with me to be my people mine Israel to tread in the steps of your faithfull forefathers and therefore though I have a quarrell with all the world for their sinfull evil ways for which I will one day judge them as I have said yet you that are my people even because you are so I would have you know and therefore do I passionately press it upon you that your sins in your ignorance of me and abuse of my name and worship in an outward pretence of holiness without faith and affection are my greatest trouble and which I cannot but with griefe complain of as a great unkindness against me the God of all the world but more especially your God above and beyond all the world besides and therefore exspect to be served in sincerity and not in hypocriticall shews and formalities by you 8 It is not your sacrifices that I so much care for nor do I complain the want of them I have had enough and too many of such ceremonies from you that I even surfet again of them 9 Those are things which thou valuest thy Bullocks and thy Goats they are thy livelihood and sustenance which makes thee set by such kind of service but they are not of that value to me nor of that use it is not they that give me content I had rather be without them than have them after that carnall and formall manner you offer them you think you do me a pleasure by being at such charges and that you feast me as you do your selves with the sacrifices you offer me whereas did I need such things I would not be beholden to your stalls or folds for them 10 I would go where there is better choice and more variety and take either what I wanted or what I pleased all the world over for they are all mine the whole store that the whole earth is furnished with and where you can plead no propriety 11 Yea I can command also the fowls that flie in the air or that breed in the mountains out of your reach and those beasts that naturally are wild and untameable and never will be at your command they are all mine 12 So that if I were an hungry and had an appetite to eat and feed upon the creature as thou dost as by your manner of service you seem to fancy me to be I need not take the meat out of thy mouth by appointing you sacrifices to any such end who am the God of all the world and can serve my self as I please upon the creature which I have replenished the whole earth withall 13 Can you have such low and base thoughts of me as to think me to have appointed the sacrifices I command you for any such carnall and sensuall respects that am a spirit and look to be worshipped in spirit or are you so void of reason and understanding as
PSALM David taketh occasion to ingage God the more to him by how much the more his enemies and dangers increased upon him by secret treacheries and open violences and found God as he hoped his deliverer whereupon he goes a pin higher and strengthens his faith in his ultimate deliverance and establishment promised at which time when it shall come to pass he promises not to be a little thankful to God To him that is most skilfull upon the stringed instrument Neginoth is this Psalm committed of Davids making upon that occasion when the Ziphims came once and again to inform Saul where David had retired himself with his men for him to persecute him Instructing us to draw near to God as dangers draw nearer to us 1 LOrd remember thy gracious ingagements for my preservation and future establishment accordingly in thy grace and faithfulness deliver me out of mine extream difficulties when all humane help fails then for thy righteousness sake who knowest mine innocencie and mine enemies treacherie let thy miraculous and omnipotent power appear for me 2 Lord be mindful of me that flie to thee for succour and make thee my refuge hear my prayer in this my necessitie and grant me the deliverance I so earnestly make suite for 3 For besides the King and his courtiers and his ordinarie souldierie men that never saw my face meerly because I come to safeguard my self amongst them without any harm to any of them The Ziphims are also conspired against me and have betrayed me to Saul and his complices my deadly enemies who are upon their march against me to catch or kill me These Ziphims as they are strangers to me so they are to God and his wayes else they durst never have sought to betray innocent bloud in this sort The Lord remember them for it 4 But though enemies increase and dangers multiply yet by experience I find that God is able to deliver me and doth do so as my late wonderful escapes have made to appear and though I have many against me that seek my life and but few with me or for me yet they that are on my side he is on theirs and preserves them for my sake 5 The Lord shall be meet with these unjust enemies of mine and reward them according to their treacherous dealing and cruel persecution in thine own time and way O Lord ease me of them by destroying them that would destroy me without cause according to thy faithful promises and righteous judgements 6 If so when that time comes whereas now I am exercised in fear dependence then will I be as conversant in faithful thanks-givings when thou shalt set me free I will praise thee with an inlarged heart and offer free-will-offerings peace-offerings to thee in a plentiful and gratuitous manner magnifying thy grace and faithfulness which I have found made good unto me 7 For so it shall come to pass I am as sure of it as if it were already my faith carries me to it beyond and above all intervening difficulties so that I me thinks already enjoy my quietus est and see my bloud-thirsty enemies laid low enough for doing me any more harm The lv PSALM David being greatly oppressed by Saul and in some imminent danger probably that of Keilah plyes God hard by argument in prayer wishing himself any where out of Sauls reach and that God would by some exemplarie judgement both punish and disappoint his enemies declaiming against the base perfidiousness of some old acquaintance and intimates of his wishing such wicked dissemblers to God and man might perish remarkably but for all their crast and hypocrisie towards him doubts not but God will stand by him as he hath done and both preserve him and punish them He sets forth Sauls perfidious hatred against him but strengthens his faith in God who he is assured will put a speedy end to his cruelty and his own miserie To him that is most skilful upon the stringed instrument Neginoth to which this Psalm of instruction to trust in God for deliverance in greatest troubles is chiefly set do I David that made it recommend it for the care and ordering of it in the Quire 1 O God mine extremitie is thine opportunitie as is my danger such is my prayer the one present the other pressing In thy faithfulness hear me making my piteous moan in this my miserie for grace and mercie to be shewn me and thy power to appear for me in this my necessitie 2 Be not careless of my condition but weigh well what I say and pray being so nearly concerned and grant what I ask for as my grief such is my sorrow both of them very great forcing me bitterly to complain to thee of mine enemies and to lament my self with woful bewailing which for all my strivings I cannot smother but they do break out from me 3 Because of the calumnies and threats of Saul and his complices against me and their cruel and unjust persecution of me for they lay treason and conspiracie to my charge which I was never guiltie of and for this their false accusation they as if it were true bear a deadly hatred to me and with furie and revenge seek to take away my life 4 Their rage and crueltie is such as I am in such continual danger by it that I sustain wonderful trouble of mind and am almost sunk into despair of escaping their hands who at this instant do put my life in peril if thou deliver not 5 I cannot express the miserie that I am in and the anguish of mind I lie under at present my dangers are so imminent and my trouble so insupportable 6 Insomuch that I could wish my self any where far enough off to avoid Sauls causless suspition of me where ever I might enjoy my peace and freedom from this continual fear I am in of him 7 Had I but means he should soon see I would quit his Kingdom where I am such an eye-sore to him and live in the most solitarie place in all the world rather than to be thus in continual trouble and hazard I would to God it were so 8 He should soon be rid of me if I could tell how to get from him before I would lead this life to undergo this continual storm and tempest of such uncessant vexations within and without I would thrust my ship into any creek in the whole world go as far from him as my legs nay wings could carrie me if I had them 9 Thou hast O Lord heretofore admirably manifested thy power in a marveilous manner destroying those that opposed and mutined against thy servants witness Korah and his complices and against thee witness the confusion of Babel Truly now art thou also affronted and I thy servant endangered as Moses was then by a sort of people the Lord divert and frustrate their malice by destroying them and scattering
that office whereof he shall give me possession as far remote as I seem to be from it now and that not onely to my joy but to the rejoycing of all his faithfull people who in sincerity of heart profess and serve him they shall joy and glory in me as the type of the Messiah his rule and governance over his Church who shall come as hardly by it and in the eyes of the world shall seem as unlike for it as I to be King of Israel And when it s their turn and mine to rejoyce on the contrary those that now make no conscience of any thing they do or say shall hang their heads and not have a word to speak in excuse or justification of themselves because of despondencie of spirit and their self-accusing consciencies as also shall Christs enemies at last The lxiv. PSALM David having some advertisement of great desigâ—s upon him by his â—â—â—mies prays God to preserve him from them who are so wickedly and mischievously bent against him and accordingly is confident of his deliverance and that Gods just and remarkable judgements shall beâ—al his adversaries to the aâ—â—esting of some with fear and others with joy To him that is the chief and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be sung 1 O Lord my present calamitie puts me upon great and earnest importunity hear me I pray thee that am sore put to it and therefore both with heart and voice press hard upon thee for the rescue of my life out of mine enemies hands that endanger it greatly 2 Let thy protection equal mine enemies projects who turn every stone to compass mine undoing They have their private plottings conspirings to surprize or betray me but Lord do thou hide me that these hidden stratagems may never find me as also from their open violence for such is their malice and so cruelly are they bent that nothing shall be unattempted upon me 3 Incensing all they can against me with false and slanderous reports to the wounding of mine innocencie and set me up as a mark to discharge all their callumnies and falshoods upon 4 They know they believe me and yet though conscious to their own wickedness and mine innocencie they spare not to backbite me and privily to inform all manner of untruths against me to Saul they suggest and let flie any thing against me that they either hear or imagine never caring to wrong me nor fearing to offend God and provoke his justice 5 They animate one another with hopes to prevail against me at last and that I shall not scape them they consult to ensnare me at unawares by fraud and treaherie any way so it be done and think to carry the matter so privately and to cloak it so cunningly as that none shall suspect them nor nothing can prevent them of their hopes 6 They contrive exceeding subtilly and cast about in their thoughts and imaginations with a great deal of studie and diligence how and which way they may likeliest deceive and destroy me and many times make sure of it and indeed so close and dissembling they are that it is impossible for me to know or avoid them by any skill or power of mine 7 But though I miss the mark and shoot far short of finding out their devices and may be deceived by their dissemblings I am sure God he knows them they cannot scape him for all they lye at a close ward he knows how when and where to hit them even when they are most confident and least fear any ill to befall them shall his judgements overtake them 8 This shall be the want of all their lying reports and slanderous back-bitings instead of bringing evil upon me upon whom they design it they shall bring sin and that sin shall bring judgement upon themselves yea so remarkable shall the hand of God be upon them that men shall shun them as they did Korah and his complices 9 The justice and terrour of the Lord shall astonish men and make them both fear themselves and caveat others to beware of the judgements of God from this example for it shall awaken the minds of men and put them all that have any eyes in their heads to consider the justice power and terrour that accompanies this judgement in bringing their wickedness thus upon themselves and delivering me an innocent person 10 A wonderfull confirmation shall it be to all that are upright and cause of rejoycing to see the care that God hath over such to vindicate their integrities against evil doers and to deliver them out of their sufferings by executing apparent judgemens upon their enemies for their sakes how shall this make them trust God and trust in God what ever betide them Yea it shall make all that are sincerely Godly from this example of my deliverance and mine enemies overthrow with confidence to bear up themselves in God and despise the power and malice of all wicked men be they never so potent and politick The lxv PSALM David tells God with what saithfull expectations his people wait upon him for mercies to the end they might have new occasions to praise him and though for their sins they deserve no good from God yet shall be of Free-grace do them good which is a point of special comfort to the faithfull to whom God is a sure friend and ever will be and an enemie to their enemies and accordingly will keep and protect them all the world over for whose sake it is that mankind and all creatures enjoy such temporal blessings and needfull mercies as they do To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for the care and ordering of it to be both sung and plaid by voices and instruments 1 O God we desire to be mindfull of thy mercies and still as thou givest occasion of praise not to fail to return it we are ready O Lord if thou wilt administer fresh mercies to render thee the thanks of them and to worship thee for them as thou hast appointed not onely inwardly in spirit but also in thine Ordinances with Sacrifices and Free-will-offerings according to thy law will we do it 2 Thou Lord art the onely God of thy peoples prayers Let it more and more appear that thou hearest us and that our prayers are powerfull with thee for the good of this poor Church and thy servants and people under this administration that it may be upon Scripture-record for thy Church in after-ages to encourage their faith and to invite them all the world over to seek unto thee in hope and confidence of like audience grace and success from thee 3 Mine own and my peoples sins are they that stand in the way of our prayers and hinder good things from us so that I
it was conveyed thence to Ierusalem whither he excites all Israel to come and duely frequent iâ— and promises himself as much of them both one and other assuring thâ—m that as its God that hath put them into this good condition so must be preserve them in it and therefore must be sought to for it and then shall the Church flourish from a tabernacle to a temple even like unto Gospel-times when Gentils as well as Iews shall make up the Church whereof he would have the world take notice and be 〈◊〉 to God for it when it is who now onely is made manifest to them by works of creation by which they are to know him and for which they are to praise him even him who is at present the God which they the Israelites worship and who from heaven and his sanctuarie hath so blessed them and overthrown their enemies as he hath done To the President of the Quire is this Psalm committed by David that made it for his ordering it to be sung and plaid by voices and instruments 1 THine Ark O Lord the token of thy presence hath hitherto been in obscuritie in comparison of what it shall be upon this remove of it to Jerusalem there to be placed upon thy holy hill where it shall be in far more eminencie than formerly and thy worship and service better acted and frequented And as hath been thine Ark so hath been thy self under a cloud towards thy people till now that I doubt not will be far otherwayes for time to come and wilt let the World see that as thy glorie and worship is promoted and thy people awakened as it were out of their supine neglect of thee to honour and serve thee so wilt thou arise for them to do them good and make them a flourishing nation under me the type of Christ and his Government so that their enemies which hereafter shall be thine because theirs shall by thy power and in thy wrath be discomfited and confounded in all their attempts against them and they shall destroy and be victorious over all that have formerly triumphed over them and though still they hate them yet shall they not now in the flourishing estate of thy Church be able any more to hurt them Lord let all these things be so 2 Let thine and thy Churches enemies come to nought scatter their forces and vacate their counsels and let it appear by the nature and manner of thy destructive judgements upon such wicked wretches that it was thee that didst it in the behalf of thy people and for their sakes with whom and for whom thou art as really present as thine Ark is present in Jerusalem 3 Let it be now the portion of thy faithful ones thy poor afflicted people to joy their while in thy presence as they have been sadned a long time at thine absence let them so clearly see thee for them and with them as may even ravish their hearts and raise up their spirits exceedingly 4 In confidence of this that he will now be with and do after this sort for us his Church and people in the faith of it I say for ye need not doubt it sing praises to him for it even for his grace and faithfulness to us and the just remuneration of our enemies which he counts his let your thoughts be of him and praises to him answerable to his greatness let your faith pierce the Heavens to behold him there in his glorie and majestie over-looking the World from thence and ruling and ordering all things here by his mightie power who onely hath his being of himself and gives being to every thing else which can be said of no God or Gods besides him as such be sure to magnifie and praise him and in the faith hereof that this his infinit power absolute regiment and glorious independant Being shall be improved and imployed for you do you rejoyce in him 5 God is both gracious to help those that are in need and just to relieve those that are oppressed have they never so few friends or many enemies this though all the World be against us we shall even therefore be sure of him on our side he will from heaven hear our prayers put up to him in his tabernacle take our parts and judge our cause against them that are against us 6 Those that are comfortless exiles solitarily wasting their dayes far from home in penurie and pressures incident to banishment amongst strangers God hath his eye on such to pitie them and to give them a settled habitation in a comfortable enjoyment of their possessions and relations at home he hath compassion on those that suffer for his sake which they shall not do alwayes but shall have deliverance from under their yoaks and bonds and be preferred to a free and happie condition when as those that are wicked and oppress them shall be transplanted from that their prosperous estate and made miserable 7 We have cause to say so that have had so great experience of his power and goodness towards us in that wonderful enfranchising of us out of our Aegyptian thraldom and destroying the Aegyptians before our faces what wonders did he work to bring it to pass which we have cause to record in all the circumstances of it as a certain pledge to his Church for ever of his care over her How then when the Lord by evident tokens of his presence in a pillar of fire and cloud conducted and protected his people our fore-fathers out of Aegypt through the red-sea and along throughout the desert wilderness Let it never be forgotten 8 How then I say he did appear with them and for them altering the very course of nature many times for their supply and benefit both the heaven and the earth the one and the other though sensless of all other things yet seemed sensible of the presence of the Lord with his people The earth quaking with awful reverence the clouds doing fealtie and paying their tribute in emptying themselves of their exhalations Sinai also that mightie mountain when in that dreadful manner God gave the Law and manifested his presence upon it was affected at it with signs of terrour and amazement and all this was when he undertook the protection and conduct of his people Israel the emblem of his Gospel-Church and her travel through this world her wilderness to Canaan which is above 9 And though we left behind us the fruitful plains of Aegypt over-flowed with Nilus yet hast thou brought us into a good land of hils and valleys blessed by thee from heaven with seasonable and fructifying showres whereby thou didst approve it to be a land of promise and thy gift having made good it to thy people and thy blessings unto it as it stood need 10 Thy Church and people Israel chosen to be so from out the whole earth as thou hast placed them so thou hast preserved them
and thanks-giving by mercifull and powerfull deliverances which I have celebrated accordingly 18 And now Lord approve thine unchangeableness make out thy goodness to the uttermost period of my life when I have most need stick closest to me now in my declining old age O God withdraw not thine assistance but still be helpfull to me and magnifie thy power in my weakness that I may have cause to declare thy stedfastness and al-sufficiencie to preserve and deliver out and out and may be a pattern to the faithfull throughout the whole series of my life not onely to the past but present and all succeeding ages and generations of thy power to protect by thy wonderfull deliverances vouchsafed me in all of them 19 And thy faithfulness is no less to be extolled than thy power and will be by this mercie magnified in the same degree equally sharing in the glorie of all the wonderous deliverances thou hast and shalt vouchsafe me O God how wilt thou alone be exalted and thy peoples faith strengthened when they shall consider what thou hast done for me from one end of my life to the other it will cause astonishment and admiration and make thee to rule alone in all thy peoples hearts 20 For my sake they shall never have cause to despare when they consider how often I was plunged into most intricate perplexities and yet by thine almighty hand hath been extricated out of them as I shall be out of this as well as all the rest and shall have a resurrection out of this state of death and miserie wherein I seem to be swallowed up as of the grave 21 Yea thou shalt make this humbling a step to my further exaltation and as a foil to my future glorie which shall shine the brighter for it and my present sorrows shall bring me an increase of comforts favour and peace with God and man shall succeed them 22 And as thou shalt exalt my glorie and increase my comforts so will I magnifie thee in thanks-giving and praises which with mine uttermost power and skill I will give thee and particularly for thy truths sake which hath so firmly stuck to me and never deceived me whensoever I relied upon thee for it who hast ever been a faithfull God unto me therefore will I all the waies I can devise celebrate thy praises in the most solemn and affectionate manner that may be O thou God of truth and never failing faithfulness to thine ellect and chosen people that put their trust in thee worship and serve thee in holiness and righteousness 23 Lord I will every way that instrument and voice art and nature inward and outward man can act and perform celebrate thy praises and that with energie of spirit in the joyfull impressions and apprehensions of the things I utter will I express my mind and not with bare lip labour my mouth shall speak my heart and both shall greatly rejoice in thy salvation 24 Nor shalt thou be the onely subject of my song or solemn worship but also of my discourse and common converse thy faithfulness and just performance of thy promises shall never be out of my mouth I will make it even my table-talk for all to take notice of when as thou shalt as I know thou wilt with shame and destruction disapoint and defeat mine enemies that conspire against me to take away my life and Kingdom The lxxii PSALM David having set Solomon upon his throne a little before he dyed praies for him and prophesies of him according to what he praies how blessed a King he shall prove and what a flourishing Church and Kingdom there shall be in his daies how he shall be admired abroad and beloved at home admirably prefiguring Christ and his spiritual Kingdom A Psalm made by David near his death for and concerning his son and successour Solomon and his government 1 O God thou by whom Kings reign as thou hast called me and my son Solomon after me to sway the Scepter of Israel so do thou inable both me for that little time I have yet to live and him in an happy succession to me with those gifts of wisdom and knowledge as also of justice and holiness that are fit for Israels King to have above the Tyrants of the world who is to represent the Messiah thy son his government in and over his Church 2 And Lord what I pray for I also prophesie in thy name concerning this my son and successour whom thou hast especially chosen before all his brethren to rule in my stead He shall with understanding and uprightness administer justice and judgement unto this thy people committed to his charge and with impartialitie with just and fatherly pitie shall he give easie access to and judge the cause of the poor of thy people as well as of the rich he shall be no accepter of persons thy proprietie in them shall make him accept and esteem them equally and administer justice to them accordingly 3 O the wonderfull happiness of peace and plentie by the blessing of God that shall be all the land over under his government by the righteous administration thereof 4 He shall not onely be a father to the poor of thy people Israel but a just impartial Judge also to all other poor that come under his governance and a mercifull protectour of the helpless one or other against those that by might would wrong and oppress them not suffering a just cause to miscarrie for want of money and friends to carry it on but himself shall be the poor mans advocate and the judge of his oppressour who shall not escape by his greatness but be severely yet justly censured according to his merits 5 In his time the Temple shall be built and the Church and people of Israel put into a flourishing condition the worship of God in the types and significant ceremonies thereof shall be in his time compleated never to receive any more augmentation after who shall reign as well long as happily and is to be the liveliest type of Christ the saviour and King of his Church who in the age of the Gospel when he is come and taken upon him the Kingdom shall have a people a Church as in all places so in all ages of the world that shall fear and worship him in spirit and truth according to those resemblances that shall be in Solomons daies 6 His wise and just administrations with sweet and gracious deportments shall clear up the hearts of his people and make Israel by the blessing of God grow again and be a flourishing Common-wealth that hath undergone sad times and afflictions formerly like as Christ shall with evangelical Doctrines and the heavenly divine graces of his spirit distil into and upon the hearts of his people to their spiritual growth and refreshing 7 Together with the worship of God shall the number of the righteous people
most that labour to keep a good conscience and to walk uprightly and innocently both towards God and man but to little purpose if the cards play on this fashion 14 For as they see nothing but good so I nothing but evil all my life long from day to day and from weeks end to weeks end have I been harrowsed with one trouble and miserie in the neck of another and have had the rod never off my back who labour to please God and to do well whereas they that take no such thought but live as they list feel not the smart of any one twig 15 Thus have I been pressed upon by my corruptions and fleshly apprehensions as others are no doubt by theirs to give way to such thoughts yea and to break out through discontent into such speeches and to utter such things for irrefragable positions but I would not for a World I had done so O the sad consequences that would have followed thereupon what discouragement would thy people have taken upon it from mine example both at present and in future ages also should it have been upon record to my shame thy dishonour and a stumbling-stone to the Godly to the Worlds end 16 And I confess loth I was to let go my hold-fast of thee and to let my faith fail and therefore I sought by all means to give my self satisfaction and to quiet my doubts by debate of reason and to make it speak all it could for thee to justifie these thy dispensations thus to the good and bad but alas it would not do my reason was too weak for my affections my mind would not be satisfied with all the arguments I could bring by my natural discourse to think that such dispensations could possibly be of God or if they were how they could stand with thy truth on one side by reason of thy promises and with thy justice on the other side by reason of thy threatnings 17 Thus did I reason the matter with my self too and again all in vain lost my labour rested still unsatisfied till at last when I saw that then I resolved to take another course to make mine addresses to thee to be resolved in this great and difficult case of conscience touching the strangeness of thine administrations whereupon I used all holy means I prayed earnestly to thee in heaven prostrating my self before thee in thy tabernacle studied thy word and at last it pleased thee effectually to inspire me with a right understanding taughtest me to judge of occurrents by spiritual and divine principles then and never before could I apprehend to any purpose the end that thou wilt make with these kind of men how that then is time enough for the wicked to be miserable and for thee to punish which shall wofully certainly and eternally conclude this their temporarie happiness so much wondred at 18 And how ever they think they have firm footing and are greatly in favour with thee yet it s far otherwise they and we are much deceived for though thou raisest them high it is that they may have the greater fall their standings upon carnal and creature-confidences cannot hold long they will fail them when death comes they must part and then the everlasting perdition that in hell by thy just judgements they shall endure shall far surpass the moment of carnall contentment this life afforded them 19 O Lord what a sudden and sad change will there be when in the moment of dissolution their souls shall be overwhelmed and seized upon with the dreadful sense and apprehension of their eternal perdition how unspeakably shall they be confounded at it 20 When their sins are ripe and thou O Lord art disposed to take vengeance on them and execute judgement how shall all their phanatical imaginarie happiness of Worldly wealth and prosperitie be annihilated and vanish into forgetfulness and non entity as a dream when one awakes and how despicable shall this their so much Idolized honour and felicitie mistaken tokens of thy favour and themselves notwithstanding it be to thee then 21 Thus wast thou pleased to shew me with what a vain transitorie shadow I troubled my self and made the imaginarie felicitie of the wicked a real infelicitie unto me in disquieting my mind about it which when I saw it was no small trouble to me that I should commit such an errour 22 And be so bruitishly blockish in my foolish misapprehensions and sottish conceits of these prosperous conditions of wicked men and of thee because of them to my shame I now confess my sin folly before thee â—hat more like a beast than a man I have been thus sensually misled 23 But O the trial I have had of thy grace by this experiment insomuch as I can say it for the establishment and strengthening of the generation of the righteous whom by my foolishnes I had like to have offended and stumbled as much and more than the prosperitie of the wicked that truly God is good to Israel for for all my sinful censuring and misjudging thee being now by thine infinit mercie brought thus to my right wits I see I am and so are they alwayes under thy special care who by thy mightie power and secret grace hast upheld me from blaspheming and miscarrying under this temptation when my feet had well nigh slipt and of thine infinit goodness set me clear of it the worst of evils 24 I hope Lord through thy grace to take warning by it and no more to be ruled by my corrupt reason nay I am confident I shall do so by thy blessing thou wilt instruct me better for time to come than to let me fool it in this sort any more while I live I hope never to follow any other guide but thine nor to be wise with any other wisdom that now hath set me into the right way again so that I am well assured by this pledge thou wilt certainly conduct me through all the rest of my temptations and difficulties of this life that I am to undergo until thou hast safely landed me in heaven above all storms and tempests there to enjoy the sweet imbraces of thy favour in a glorified estate which shall put a happie period to all my troubles the whilest the prosperitie of the wicked that so much stumbled me I now see shall end in endless miserie 25 I have had enough of deviations from thee it hath cost me so dear and I see so much vanitie in every thing else as that I am resolved to stick to thee alone thou shalt be mine all in all thy word and spirit shall solely rule me thy providence shall satisfie me and thy self in the love and favour thou vouchsafest me shall be a portion sufficient for me Let whom will I for my part will no more either care for or set by creature-comforts or creature-confidence but mine heart shall be staid on thee fall back
his word or suffer them to perish for want of sustenance he did supernaturally supply them and whereas he could have done it with materials of nature terrestrial corn or bread he chose rather to do it with the bread of heaven such food as nature never did produce extraordinary provision as well as in an extraordinary way descended from the heavenly mansion of the blessed angels to shew in what a degree of honour and amity God admits his chosen people that are on earth fellow-servants and of the same houshould with the angels whereof God is the Lord as really by faith feeding them with Christ the son of God that spiritual soul-sustaining bread of life Mediator of angels and men figured by Manna as the angels do feed their eyes and desires in continually beholding him in heaven and are there sustained by him in that their blessed and unchangeable state nay he gave them not onely bread but flesh too in abundance 26 27 28 For in regard they tempted him and mis-doubted his power to do it therefore to vindicate his omnipotencie not in favour and respect to them he by a South-west wind which he then raised and caused to blow full upon the place where they pitched from the sea-ward brought home to their doors infinite of Quails which fell as thick as rain and lay for a days journey like sea sand round about their camp at Kibroth-hattaavah two cubits high upon the face of the earth 29 30 So that they both saw and felt by experience that God could do what they thought he could not even furnish a table in the wilderness with dainties far fetched upon the wings of the wind such as they fed not on in Egypt whereof they had plenty and eat their fill for God stinted them not but gave them enough to glut themselves and so they did of that they so inordinately desired not to sustain or suffice nature but to palliate their lusts wherein God gave them the full length of teather abridged them not but withall this sweet meat had sowre sauce even whilest these unbelievers were greedily feeding upon these dainties without confessing their sin and giving the glory to God 31 The wrath of the Lord was kindled against them and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague which God so disposed as that it chiefly swept away the more insolent carnal-minded ringleaders in this mutiny they that having been used to dainties in in Egypt could not be without them in the wilderness but whether God would or not must have them or murmur and quarrel for want of them and set the rest to do so too these chief mutiners principal men in the camp of Israel did God chiefly slay by the plague to affright the rest 32 But nothing could reclaim this stubborn people nothing that God could do for them or against them no blessings though miraculous no punishments though never so formidable and capital could do good upon them to make them leave their murmuring and live by faith 33 Therefore whereas he promised them Canaan if they had believed in him and been obedient to him contrarily he adjudged them to wander out their days in that wilderness where they so murmured and misbelieved even all in effect that came out of Egypt wasted out their lives in a vain unprofitable pilgrimage there to their exceeding great trouble and in Gods disfavour for forty years space after they were arrived at the skirts of Canaan in which time they were all destroyed by their sins and Gods just judgements 34 They were a people that God could do no good on by mercies and benefits but the better he was the worse they were onely when for their rebelliousness God was forced to fall heavy upon them and to destroy them sometimes by one judgement sometimes by another then upon the same principles that before they murmured against him would they then seek unto him the one for self-pleasing the other for self-saving when the fire was burning and the plague consuming then down on their knees and up with their hands promising any thing to be spared Oh what a reformed and changed people they will be then they post as fast as they can to Moses to pray for them and save their carcasses and desiring but to know their sin Oh how would they then repent of it and their duty how they might but please God for the time to come and they would never fail to perform it 35 Then there was none but God with them they could then remember all the great deliverances he had wrought for them and recount them one by one how this time and the other time God saved them from being destroyed by their enemies and his own judgements then they could give him his titles and acknowledge his attributes of Sovereignty and Omnipotencie he that they never thought well of nor could afford a good word now is becom their onely saviour they cannot say too much of him nor give too much to him 36 But all this was but to deceive God to carry fair towards him to work their ends upon him pretending sorrow for sin and resolution of amendment when as all that was spoken by them was but from teeth outward so long as the blow smarted never meant as they spake nor made good any thing they said 37 For all was but pretences to serve their own turns there was no true inward remorse for all their shew of sorrow nor no sincere change for all their fair promises their hearts were as wicked as ever and as bad principled towards God breaking promises as fast as they made them yea the grand charter the covenant it self so solemnly contracted and so often renewed between God their fore-fathers and themselves that God would be their God and that they would be his people and walk thereafter this they made not good but notwithstanding all Gods promises to them and theirs to him they sinned against him deviated from him and falsified with him 38 But the Lord having chosen them for his people and remembring the ancient league of amity and friendship that was betwixt him and their fore-fathers could not find in his heart to do to them as their sins deserved but being a people that for his names sake he would be good unto and preserve himself a Church and holy seed amongst he from time to time with patience and pitie overcame their provocations and his own hot displeasure that justice called to destroy them but mercie staid his hands and moderated his furie so that his punishments were rather examplary than otherwise never destroying all that offended which yet justice called upon his wrath to do again and again 39 For the Lord knew if he should give way to his anger according to the instigation of his justice and their demerit they that were mortal and short lived by nature would quickly perish
after time preserved and defended them from one enemy after another till he brought them safe to the very skirts of Canaan the type of heaven a land long before promised them and designed for the special place of his worship and residence of his Church where when they were ready to enter and he to give them possession how did they then also murmur and disbelieve so that that generation was not permitted to enter but wandered in the wilderness till they perished there but their posteritie lived to enjoy it God brought them into possession of this promised land by as great victories and miracles as their fore-fathers had seen in Egypt and the wilderness casting out the inhabitants from before them in every place where they came yea the scornfull self-confident Jebusites by the hands of his servant David whom he made able to dislodge them from of mount Sion that strong fort so long detained and possess it for his special use and service placing his Sanctuary there 55 As great and gyant-like as the natives of Canaan were and as high and strong as were the walls yet God made way for his people to pass through the land as conquerours where ever they came no enemy could stand before them but were either put to flight or taken and killed So that they were enriched with the spoils of the land which they became Lords and masters of the heathen-native Canaanites by Gods just judgements and mighty power being ejected the whole countrie was apportioned amongst them as they thought good each tribe being possessed of those cities towns and houses that fell to their lot which were built to their hands 56 Yet these Israelites to whom God gave possession of this promised land notwithstanding all the wondrous works he wrought for them and the terrible judgements they saw executed before their faces and by their very hands upon their Idolatrous enemies yet did they from time to time even in the land of Canaan do as did their fore-fathers in the way thither provoke the Lord to anger even the God of whom they had had such experience for his power to punish them in case they sinned and faithfulness to fulfil his promise in case they believed and obeyed which they did neither 57 Never cared for God further than to serve their turns upon him when they had need of him then they could flatter and dissemble with fair promises and pretended good affections just as did their forefathers and made good nothing they said but fell off presently from God both disbelieved and disobeyed as did their perfidious ancestours before them whom therefore God destroyed in the wilderness and would not suffer to enter Canaan which yet he gave to these their posteritie in hope they would take example from their predecessours sins and his punishments to walk more closely and believe more firmly But they utterly deceived his expectation and warped from the rule he gave them to walk by both in faith and manners as an arrow deviates from the mark when shot by an unsteadie hand or out of a crooked wrycast bow 58 For in stead of frequenting his tabernacle to worship him there as he appointed they built altars in high places an invention of their own not commanded of God and so provoked God to anger by worshipping not onely the true God in a false manner but even other Gods graven images strange things for the chosen people of the living and great God to worship especially after such and so wonderful declarations of himself and his power whereby they grievously incensed him to see them go a whoring in this sort to whom he bare such conjugal affections being his onely spouse and of whose reciprocal respect and love to him he was so jealous 59 When the Lord saw this and heard the crie of their ungrateful back-sliding in this manner come up to heaven he could not hold but grew extream angrie at such base abuse and rejection of him and the more he had loved them the more now upon this occasion he hated and abhorred his own chosen Israel 60 So that having cast off his people that would not worship him he cast off the place too where he was to be worshipped afforded no protection to Shiloh nor presence there where the Ark and Tabernacle had been so long the pledge of his presence where he hath vouchsafed to dwell and onely there of all the earth in his Tabernacle as in a tent whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain 61 But in anger and discontent at such ingratitude and neglect from a people that he had done so much for and took such delight in he at last even gave up his Ark that pledge of his presence and consequently of his gracious and powerful assistance by which and for which he had given them so many deliverances from and victories over their enemies into their enemies hand whom he then made absolute victors over them and the Ark too suffering the Philistines to take it prisoner and carrie it away captive into their own countrey and so left Israel naked and destitute of divine power and protection and stript off the visible sign of the presence of the invisible God amongst them and for them a most glorious priviledge afforded them above and beyond all the whole World which they lost and the Philistines in punishment of their sins and to the everlasting shame and reproch of their cowardise specially Ephraims took and carried from them 62 And to shew their strength was gone when God had left them and suffered his Ark the token both of him and it to be taken by the uncircumcised Philistines and how little he cared for them that cared not for him he utterly forsook his people that day and let the enemie kill and slay as they would themselves so that there fell that day at Eben-Ezer thirtie thousand foot-men they cowardly deserting the battel and fled every man to his tent and this was the issue of their provoking God to anger they lost him and themselves too 63 For the jealousie of the Lord which was kindled against them suddenly consumed them in his fierce displeasure did he expose them to the merciless sword of the Philistines which hewed down so many thousands of the choice young men of Israel that day which so unpeopled them that the maids could not have husbands there not being men enow to marrie them nor if there had would those times the saddest that ever befel Israel have been oportune for bride-feasts when all eyes were full of tears and hearts full of sorrow at so great disaster upon such a slaughter and the loss of the Ark of God their strength and glorie 64 At which time also Hophni and Phinehas the two sons of Eli that waited upon the Ark were likewise slain wose widows were so transported with the loss of the Ark as the loss of their husbands was swallowed up in it
rotting upon the superficies of the earth in multitudes unburied 11 Let their Nobles and great men all the Princes and chieftains of this aggregate body that comes to invade us speed as did those Kings and Princes of the Midianites Oreb and Zeeb which were taken in their flight and beheaded Zeba and Zalmunna whose Host was smitten themselves slain by Gideons own hand 12 Let these proud enemies of ours and thine come to the same end that with such malice and carnall confidence invade thy land and people and stick not to promise themselves the possession of the one and the enslaving of the other and utterly to dispossess thee of both and to ruin both thy worship and all those places where it was used to be performed the Temple and Synagogues or to pervert and turn them to their own Idolatrous usages 13 O God in whom we thy poor Church do trust for preservation and defence against this confederation turn their projects upside down make giddy their counsellours and amuze their designs let them no sooner rise but fall have no success in what they project or attempt bring nothing to an issue let them and their undertakings be as vain uncertain and ineffectuall as light and loose straw before the wind that 's scattered and tossed hither and thither 14 As a fire caused by thunder and lightening and enkindled with the wind violently breaks forth and consumes whole woods and forrests the flames whereof reach the tallest tops of trees that grow upon the highest mountains formidably appearing to spectatours far and near and consumes them as easily as the lowest shrubs 15 Such Lord let be thine anger and so do thou break forth in thy fiery indignation upon this huge army of numerous associats that march like a wood against us by an Almighty power and with terrible judgements as tempests from heaven do thou confound and astonish them that thus affright and purpose to destroy thy whole Church and people at once to the amazement and terrour of all that see or hear it spare neither great nor small high nor low but in thine enraged jealousie destroy the destroyer as well Prince as people 16 So cross their designs disappoint their hopes and confound their confidences that this enterprise may be for their shame not for their honour and that by experience of thy power to deliver thy people and subdue thine enemies they may be wrought upon and forced to beg pardon and compassion at thine hands acknowledging thee for sole Lord and God of all the earth whom they now so much contemn and mean to despight if thou wilt suffer them 17 Do thou Lord so affright and astonish them as they may never dare to enterprise against thee any more and so shamefully defeat by some strange overthrow this their invincible confederation that these invadours may have neither heart nor power to meddle in this sort again 18 That so not onely thine own people but others even all these Idolatrous nations that know nothing of thee but what thou enforcest upon them by sense and experience may be made to confess that thou who indeed art and onely art the Almighty and everliving Lord art not onely to be acknowledged by us but that the whole earth as well as we ought to pay thee Homage as the sole Sovereign God of Gods and Lord of Lords The lxxxiv PSALM David after his restaurationâ— from banishment and settlement both of him in the Kingdom and the Ark on mount Sion yet personates that estate in this Psalm and the mind he then was in shewing what longings he then had after the sanctuary and ordinances of God how he envied the priviledge the very birds had and blessed the priviledge others of Gods people had and he wanted the least whereof he would have been glad of but still believed and hoped to find God gracious and true of his word To him that is most skilfull upon Gittith the instrument used by Obed-Edom the Gittite and his family is this Psalm committed for his ordering of it to be sung by the Korathites 1 TO a spirituall minded man who knows the worth and excellency of thy worship and service in each part and circumstance of it and how to improve it to edification and exercise of his graces O how delicious and affecting are thine ordinances acted in thy sanctuary O most mighty God of heaven and earth and Lord of all the innumerable creatures in both 2 My soul which was wont to be feasted with heavenly and divine delicacies in the courts of thy Sanctuary where I worshipped thee longeth incessantly to frequent them again yea so vehement is my desire that the long frustration of it makes me ready to swound away like a woman with child disappointed of her longing My whole man soul and body gaspeth after and earnestly importunes to be restored to my former communions with thee and lively soul-quickning participations of thee whereof to mine unspeakable grief I have been so long deprived 3 I envy the happiness of the very irrationall creature the poor birds for that they have a priviledge far beyond me they can dwell in thy land amongst thy people the sparrow and swallow have their freedom there harbour themselves and make their nests where they will in view of and near to thy very Altar whereas I a son of Abraham an heir of the promise one that have a right and title to all the emoluments of thy Church and people am notwithstanding forced into exile among the heathen as if I were not related to thee nor had no right to worship thee O Lord whom yet in mind and heart I will and do worship acknowledging no God besides thee and adoring thee for the sole sovereign Creatour and commander of heaven and earth and all in both whose subject and servant I am though Saul will not own me for his and in whom I yet trust in hope to find thee gracious to me for all this 4 O happy condition are they in whose function and office makes them not onely frequenters but indwellers in thy sanctuary the Preists and Levites they have their fill of what I want that is opportunities to magnifie and praise thee in the dayly sacrifices and solemn ordinances there administred 5 Blessed and onely blessed is he that in diffidence of his own self-sufficiency specially spirituall-self makes his diligent humble and faithfull resort to thee after thy prescript and rule and lives the life which he lives by faith in thee and continuall addresses to thee for spirit and grace in prayer and supplication In whose heart is throughly grounded this belief and accordingly frames his practise walking as all those do that faithfully believe thus 6 And therefore overcome all difficulties for those sweet injoyments it is neither length of way nor deficiency of accommodation in the journey that can hinder such sure I am it
dispensation men die and fall as thick as hail round about thee by the pestilence which of it self knows no difference nor makes none betwixt one man and another whose natures are alike mortall and their constitutions alike apt to infection yet shall God whose judgement it is and whose will it performs so order and dispose the dispensation of it that thou shalt be as it were shot-free when thousands and ten thousands drop dead at thy feet 8 Thou in thine own person shalt feel no harm thou shalt onely be a spectatour of other mens destruction and Gods judgement executed upon sinners by suddain and untimely death overtaking many thousands that misimploied their life-time living in sin and impenitency and would have continued so 9 Because thou hast done as I do thou shalt speed as I have sped for God his promise and performance shall be one and the same to all believers and therefore as I made him my refuge and so he was so thou doing the like he shall be the like even the Almighty God from heaven shall safeguard thee as well as me if thou take sanctuary in him 10 So doing thou shalt be like Israel in Egypt when the first born were smitten how ever it happen to others thy faith shall secure thee yea both thee and thine even from commonest judgements 11 For all the powers of heaven shall be imploid to preserve thee if there be need besides both the ordinary and extraordinary providence of God he shall double his guard upon thee yea not one but many nor many but all the Angels of heaven shall stand charged with thee if there be cause to protect thee from miscarriage by any power or accidents on earth whilest thou walkest in wayes pleasing to God and believest stedfastly in him 12 For as the faithfull have many and great enemies so have they many more and greater friends If Sathan and his Angels lay stumbling blocks in thy way God and his Angels shall either remove them that is enable thee to keep on thy course without making a stand or turning back thou shalt either not stumble or so as not to fall thou shalt catch no hurt though thou maiest be endangered 13 Manifold dangers and fierce enemies men and divels the faithfull shall meet with secret plotters and open assailers but neither the one nor the other shall do them any hurt but instead thereof both they and their attempts shall miscarry Gods faithfull people shall take no hurt by the most hurtfull creatures be they never so poisonous or ravenous nor by men of like dispositions to whom the godly are great eye-sores living amongst them they are a trouble and vexation to them against whom they act their rage and malice but to their own destruction 14 Besides my doctrine and example hear God himself bespeaking thee with promises as from his own mouth whom I his Prophet personate Because saith he he that is faithfull hath out of love to me and my faithfulness put his affiance in me he shall have no cause to repent him I will not deceive him he shall not miscarry I will deliver him out of trouble and danger set him quite out of gun-shot they shall as soon hurt heaven as him because out of a right understanding and belief of my power and faithfulness he hath honoured me by believing in me with sutable recumbency 15 Such an one shall but ask and have if he be in trouble I will have an eye to him and an ear for him if he call for deliverance it shall come at his call I will deliver him and in such a manner as that because he honours me I also will honour him with speciall marks of my favour such as his very enemies men or divels shall honour or envy him for here on earth and reward him with glory in heaven 16 Thus will I preserve and lengthen his life to his own desire maugre all that would shorten it he shall know I can and will save him if he trust in me yea my everlasting salvation more worth than my temporall will I open his eyes to see and desire above it and if he believe me for it he shall be sure of it and he that hath the comfort and assurance of that by my spirits ascertaining it unto him will have no cause to think I break faith with him or deceive his faith in me whatever happen The xcii PSALM The Psalmist for the better sanctifying of the Sabbath having penned this Psalm shews the proper and adequate service of that day is to praise the Lord for his manifestations of himself and thank him for his gracious and beneficiall administrations to his people richly declared in his works of creation redemption providence and just judgements all which are nothing in the eyes of worldlings that mind the creature and not the Creatour but how ever they neglect God yet be neglects not to punish them and bless his people who by him and in him shall be happy here and hereafter A Psalm to be both sung and plaied by voices and instruments principally of use upon the Sabbath-day for its better celebrating and the peoples edifying when then they are solemnly assembled to serve the Lord. 1 IT is an acceptable service to God and a commendable imploiment for his people to be much conversant specially on the Sabbath-day in the meditation and recollection of all the benefits of what nature soever which God hath and doth bestow upon us whether of creation providence or redemption and to have our hearts affected and enflamed with them so as to be exceeding thankfull for them And to view and consider his power goodness and mercy manifested and exhibited in them so as to be moved thereby with reverence love and admiration devoutly and solemnly to worship before him and to celebrate his glory and praise as the great and onely God worthy of honour 2 Our duty is to take continuall notice of thy continued and renewed benefits and always to have our hearts upheld thereby in a sweet gratuitous frame and temper with the eye of faith piercing into the love and faithfulness answerable to his grace and promises which shine forth in them that should take us more than the things themselves and cause our thanksgivings far beyond them 3 Which cannot be too solemnly celebrated all the musick of the Temple is too little to do it therefore lay out your utmost strength and skill you that are especially appointed to that honour and service and gifted for it resembling the heavenly Quire raise up your hearts and in that holy place at the appointed times tune up all your instruments those chiefly that are most affecting and heart-ravishing to this work chiefly on this day 4 For though O Lord thou art exceeding beneficiall to all mankind yet of all the world thou hast done most for us which I and the rest of thy peculiar
people have cause to remember and acknowledge and with joyfull hearts to praise thee for especially for that transcendent work of mercy in chosing us from out all the world to be thine which together with those concomitant powerfull dispensations and manifestations of thy self in our behalfes from time to time gives cause to me and them to triumph and glory in faith and hope 5 O Lord how unconceivable is thy power and wisdom in all thy decrees counsels and dispensations towards both thy Church and the enemies thereof in thy strange providences and marvellous judgements 6 Which yet are little taken notice of by most men so worldly minded and sensually disposed are people ordinarily that God is not in all their thoughts spending their time more like beasts than men of reason minding the creature more than the Creatour who is never so much as owned much less honoured by the earthly minded and wicked Athiesticall persons of the world in any thing he doth though never so remarkable 7 Neither the hazardous condition that they themselves are in in this their earthly felicity which they take to be a speciall note of Gods peculiar favour to them that they can sin and yet prosper when others that are holy and strict in their wayes are at an ebb-water in poverty and misery not considering that God gives wicked men their hearts desire here le ts them swim in plenty and pleasure for a while during a short life that they may compleat their sins to the sum totall and he his judgements even unto everlasting destruction in endless pains never to enter into his rest 8 They neither understand themselves nor thee O Lord God never imagining that thou rulest in the highest heavens and thence judgest of all men and their actions here below But whatever their vain thoughts are thou art the everlasting King of thy Church and people and the righteous judge of thine and their enemies and so they shall find thee to be to the worlds end 9 For as sure as Gods in heaven so sure shall the wicked of the earth however they prosper and whatever they may think of themselves compared with other men come to ruine and utter destruction for though they think God their friend yet doth he know and reckon them for his enemies and as such shall his proceedings be towards them for all evil doers though they be many and the godly few in all ages and places they shall be weeded out and consume away by the hand of God upon them they and their felicity shall part and be everlastingly seperated 10 But as despicable as the godly are in the eyes of worldlings they shall have their turn I and other thy faithfull servants shall see better dayes when they shall see worse principally in heaven that everlasting sabbatism when our turn comes to rise then they shall fall and there is no doubt but that day will come when we shall be made able by thee whose faithfulness is engaged for it to lift up our heads and enjoy those everlasting consolations hoped for and those divine honours of being Kings and Priests unto thee 11 The faithfull shall not fail of the grace promised them and the justice to be executed upon their enemies but they shall undoubtedly be both eye and ear-witnesses of the righteous judgements of God upon the wicked of the world that hate and persecute them 12 The righteous however they be decried and depressed by wicked worldlings yet shall God so bless them that they shall out-grow their miseries and over-top their enemies Gods Church and his people of whom it consists shall grow in grace untill they arrive in glory 13 Those that are Israelites indeed which by the spirit and faith are made members and have taken rooting in the family and Church of God shall thrive and come on prosperously in spirituall graces by use of holy means in frequenting his sanctuary and sanctifying his Sabbath to Gods glory their own assurance and unspeakable rejoycing They that are rooted here in grace shall grow up from grace to grace and be crowned at last with eternall life in the heavens 14 These trees and plants of Gods own planting by a divine supernaturall supply of spirituall sap and nourishment contrary to the course of nature the elder they grow the better they shall flourish and fructifie both on earth and to all eternity in heaven 15 Thus shall both the wicked perish and the godly flourish to shew that however by outward appearance of providences and weakness of faith the Lord seems oft-times to us to go against himself and break his word yet it s nothing so the Lord for all that is faithfull true of his promise a never failing refuge to every true believer and there is no such thing as our sinfull imagination and unbelief-fancy of him not the least uâ—righteousness in word or deed The xciii PSALM The Psalmist goes about to settle the faith of the Church in the Empire and omnipotency of the Lord her God together with his faithfull engagements the holy performances whereof she is bound to believe and relie upon for ever 1 THe Church and people of God ought to know and believe this for an infallible maxim in practicall as well as dogmaticall divinitie that The Lord reigneth He that is their God is God and King of all and over all the empire and regalitie of the whole world is his the resplendent majestie whereof appears in all created Beings in heaven and earth and in that power which he so effectually and dexterously manifests for his Churches preservation and their enemies confusion whereby the world also is centred so firm as upon a basis so that though it hang like a ball in the air yet it is as firm and immoveable as the fixed mountains 2 This dominion of thine O Lord glorious in its administrations of protection and government hath ever been never was there any vacation of it and as it hath been so it shall be from everlasting to everlasting as thou thy self art 3 As in nature thou Lord hast ordained in the waterie element thereof vâ—â—y formidable and dreadfull agitations as in the tempestuous ragings of the sea the over-flowing of great waters making a hideous noise such storms and concussions are raised on land too even all the earth over against thy Church tossed as a ship at sea and boistrously handled by wicked and unreasonable men that rage against her readie to be swallowed up and devoured by them 4 But as high as these waves and tempests of danger and destruction to thy Church do mount yet is the Lord in heaven both higher and mightier than they be they never so terrible for noise and number he can allay and quiet them at his pleasure yea though the Church be as a boat in a storm at sea in the midst of gusts and surges God can preserve
joyfull praises of his coming from heaven to earth to redeem his Church Yea all that is within you praise his holy name for so great salvation wrought not onely by the power as all the rest were but also by the person of God himself whom you ought therefore with studied thankfulness and elaborate expressions of joy and honour entertain and usher into the world worthy his greatness and best expressing your high esteem of such unvaluable grace 7 8 9 These three last verses being the same in sence and almost in letter with the 11 12 13 being also the three last verses of the 96 Psalm see the Paraphrase upon them for the explanation of these Saving that those words in the eighth verse of this Psalm let the hills be joyfull together signifie that as all people are admitted into the same priviledge with the Jews by Christ so all places have the same fellowship in propriety and title to God and his worship as hath the hill of Sion once his peculiar Iohn 4.21 The xcix PSALM The Psalmist probably upon some deliverance magnifies the Lord in relation to his people the Iews and their happy condition above all people exciting them to praise God answerably to his mercies and righteousness even that God which hath ever been their God and done great things for them by his servants of old 1 THe Amighty God whose throne is in the heavens is pleased in behalf of his Church and chosen people to make it appear that he also hath dominion upon earth by their powerfull preservation and their enemies destruction therefore let the heathen people our neighbour nations that so malign us take it into serious consideration and tremble to think of provoking him by injuring his Church Let them rather and all the rest of the Gentiles with a reverentiall fear submit themselves to his regiment and be gathered into the number of his people worshipping him not after their own imaginations but in the manner and place that he hath appointed the Temple where onely he hath fixed his presence upon the mercy-seat between the Cherubims which condescention of the great God of heaven full of incomprehensible majesty and holiness to reside on earth ought to make even the whole creation sensible of it by way of Allegiance and subjection to him and honour of the place where and the people amongst whom he is pleased to erect his throne 2 Wonderfull great hath the power of God appeared in the preservation of his people and the defence of his holy Temple in the behalf whereof he hath mightily approved his wisdom and power infinitely to exceed all humane policy and strength of the great Sages and confederate forces of the world which sundry times he hath dissipated and strangely defeated 3 O therefore let thy people who have been so extraordinarily blessed by thee return answerable thanks unto thee and praise thee for those righteous and terrible judgements executed upon their enemies wherein thou hast manifested such Almighty power and gracious providence and hast thereby approved thy self a holy God faithfull of thy word and promise 4 And as well righteous as holy not exercising a Tyrannicall absolute Arbitrary power over the creature yea though thou canst yet thou wilt not but affectest to subject thy proceedings to the rules of righteousnese ordering thy power by thy justice and putting it forth by way of judgement which thou both justly and severely executest upon sinners and enemies to thee and thy people unto whom both by thy works and word president and precept thou holdest forth and recommendedst equity and righteousness for them to walk thereafter yea thou art not partiall to thine owne people the seed of Jacob no more than to the heathen but if they sin they smart for it in righteousness thou punishest them as well as others 5 Magnifie and praise O ye his people this your God the onely Lord come frequent his Temple the onely place on earth where he that sits in heaven is pleased to be present there bow down with adoration and reverence before him as at the foot-stool of the great and glorious Majesty of heaven worshipping him in spirit with holiness of heart abasing your selves and exalting the Lord who onely is holy and his worship holy all other Gods throughout the world being vain Idols and their worship sin and superstition 6 That God that hath made himself known to you as by eminent Miracles so by eminent Messengers such as the memory of them is famous and honourable amongst you how much more ought God to be so Moses and Aaron those chosen worthies that in the beginning were prime Rulers and Peers of his Church and Samuel an honourable Prophet in the after-ages of it what gracious answers did he vouchsafe to their prayers These holy men powerfull intercessours Types of the Messiah the great Mediatour of his Church how ever and anon were they heard when they prayed for the people and what salvation was vouchsafed still at their request 7 These Saints and servants of God had familiar communication with him as Moses and Aaron all the way in the wilderness they had God present with them ordering and advising their course in that great charge that lay upon them whose command and covenant they faithfully delivered over to the people and observed themselves 8 These holy men were beloved and honoured by the holy Lord God who for us his peoples sake put them into office made them intercessours yea effectuall prevailing-ones such as Christ shall be many a time passing by the sins of Israel for their sakes whom thou didst not nor wouldest not have punished but forgiven and forgotten too had not iterated provocations and back-slidings from thee and thy commandments to Idolatry and wil-worship forced thee to take vengeance and minded thee of the abuse of former long-suffering which then thou also reckonedst with them for when once thine anger did break forth 9 See the fifth verse of this Psalm onely the word holy-hill here instead of foot-stool there means the same thing viz. The Temple built upon his holy hill mount Sion The c. PSALM The Psalmist excites the Church and people of God among the Gentiles as well as Iews to praise the Lord and imbrace his salvation so freely bestowed upon them who are so dear to him whom therefore he would have turn proselites apace and lose no time but glorifie him both now and hereafter for his grace to his Church in all ages A Psalm penned to stir up the people to praise the Lord. O give thanks sing forth the praises of the Lord and of his great gracious salvation in Christ all ye people of the earth not Jews onely but Gentiles also every where where the glad tidings of it come to entertain it joyfully and praise him for it thankfully 2 Cast off all old superstitious and vain worship of
false gods readily embrace his truth take the Lord for your God and give your selves to him to be his people count it your happiness to be so that you may have the honour and priviledge to be admitted to put up prayer and to offer praises to him as your God that once were aliens and without God in the world now Christ hath taken down the partition-wall and brought God and you together again be much with him in faithfull and gratefull praising of him 3 Learn this lesson well that the Lord is God and that he onely is so you that have been used to Idolize other gods do so no more own him and honour him for the onely Iehovah that hath being and hath it of himself and that is the sole Creatour of all men we made not our selves and then nothing else but he did nay it is he that hath begotten us again he hath of and by his grace made us new creatures this we are sure is as much of him and as little of our selves as the former those that are his people may thank him they are so their souls had never been renued nor saved by any thing they themselves could have done or suffered vocation justification and sanctification are the gifts of God to his Elect as are all the faithfull of what nation soever of whom we Israelites now his peculiar are a type and as he hath done us in the manifestation of grace and administration of providence such singular love will he bear to his Church for ever 4 Seeing we are to be all one Church begin betime joyn fellowship with us in the worship of this one onely true God do as we do now frequent his holy Temple worship him in the Courts and Ordinances thereof whilest they are till they cease and then in holy Christian assemblies worship him in spirit and truth be thankfull to him and magnifie him for the unspeakable goodness and power manifested in so great salvation 5 For though we be evil yet the Lord is good and though our sins provoke his judgements against us yet his long-suffering and mercy is like himself everlasting we have found it so and so shall his Church in all ages his faithfulness according to the covenant of grace shall not fail on his part though it be too often broke on ours it shall be perpetuated in Christ and for Christ to his Church The ci PSALM David drawing nigh towards the possession of the Kingdom so long promised and delaid to forward the accomplishment preingageth himself to God that he will praise him for it when he hath it and serve him faithfully in it both as a King and a pater-familias in walking uprightly and avoiding sin carefully neither countenancing it in himself nor othors whether in Citie or Countrey Church or Common-wealth but on the contrary the good and godly shall be they he will prefer and imploy A Psalm made by David 1 O Lord when thou shalt in favour to thy servant have seated me in the throne I will magnifie thy free grace and mercifull beneficence in bringing me out of such trouble and hazard unto such an honour and dignity as also thy righteousness and justice when thou shalt have executed those judgements upon mine enemies which thou hast threatned 2 When thou hast advanced me to it I hope I shall walk worthy of it my full purpose is with godly wisdom to order all mine affaires and not be as most Kings are wise to their own and their Kingdoms destruction by exercising their policy to advance their tyranny and governing by no rule of reason or justice but by the arbitrary dictates of their own inordinate appetites I purpose to be wise with other manner of wisdom and to tread in quite other steps in obedience to thy Laws and dispensation of Justice and good government to my people when they are mine Lord when shall that day be that thou wilt come in the full accomplishment of thy promises to me I hope I shall not give thee cause to repent thee whensoever it is for my purpose is to be both a good King over my people and a carefull head over my Court and family to breed my successours and rule my servants and officers as well as my subjects in the fear of God giving good example in my place to all under me both of innocency and sincerity 3 I will watch against the temptations incident to that estate condition whereof it is full will therefore purposely avoid occasions of evil whereby I know beforehand I shall miscarry if not carefully shunned specially then when my power is almost equall with my will therefore in a holy fear of sinning I will turn my back upon allurements refuse their offers and walk in a steady resolved course of holiness and righteousness without coveting an evil covetousness abusing my power to gratifie unlawfull desires for I hate warping and back-sliding such defection is extream distastfull to me by Gods help such corrupt thoughts shall never lodge in my breast nor such wickedness hang at my heels to hinder my progress in piety and good government though I know before-hand the baits that will lie in my way but I will not stoop to take them up 4 I hope then to be rid of this heart which now by reason of my bitter afflictions is sore put to it and oft enclines to discontent and untuneableness but I hope then to be free from the temptation and consequently from the distemper and to be never the prouder for mine honour which I come so hardly by and which whensoever I have it it must be of thy free gift but of meek demeanour both towards thee above me and my fellow-brethren though subjects under me And as I will not allow of wickedness in my self so nor in any other no wicked person nor no person in the practise of any wickedness shall have my countenance to credit him 5 I know how incident Princes are to be misled by whisperers and what false reports they hear by giving ear to flatterers and back-biters to the unjust prejudice of the innocent but I will take a course with such men I will watch mine ears as well as mine eyes will severely punish those that I catch doing so nor shall any proud vain-glorious fool draw me from an humble walking with God such shall see that I know humility and Sovereignty are not incompatible but consistent I will neither pride it over my brethren my self nor suffer any else because of his place or office about me to do so 6 My countenance shall be to the good and not to the bad and my care shall be to find out such as are faithfull and sincere-hearted towards God to entertain and imploy such who I know will also be faithfull and uncorrupt in their places the man that is a practiser of piety and honesty and in the course of his life walks
their unthankfull provocations yet would he not take vengeance on them nor let those enemies triumph in their destruction from under whose power he had newly delivered them but for the honour of his own name that was named upon them they being now noted more than ever for his peculiar people and for the further glorifying of his power and grace in their behalves he brought them safe out of that inextricable strait by an Almighty hand for ever to be had in thankfull remembrance 9 For rather than he would there let them perish and dishonour himself though they deserved it he wrought a Miracle beyond any the rest contrary to the course of nature commanded the very Sea to give place and divide it self to make them way and for all its propensity to return into its course God conjured it to abide as a Wall on their right hand and on their left which it did and could do no other untill they were quite passed through the bottom of it upon the dry land as if it had been part of that Wilderness which afterward they travelled 10 And thus with infinite long suffering and glorious power did he save them because they were his chosen people out of the hands of Pharaoh that perfect enemy of theirs that pursued them with a deadly design either to have reduced them into bondage or slain them all upon the place 11 And these waters that thus gave way to preserve our fathers so soon as they were all passed over and God had revoked his word of command they presently returned into their Chanell and closed again upon the whole Host of the Egyptians all which were drowned therewith so that not a man of them escaped 12 The gladsomness of that deliverance by such a Miracle made them for all their hard hearts at present whilest the sense and memory of it was warm which lasted but a while to credit what God spake by Moses touching his good will to them and his safe and certain bringing them into the land of promise and for a flash they were as full of faith as a bladder full of wind and sang the praise of his rich mercy goodness and power manifested in that their so late and great salvation with abundance of joy and delight in God 13 But alas neither this faith nor praise was out of any well grounded principle towards God but out of the present sense which self-love had of the present good-turn he did them for they had not travelled above three dayes from the red-sea to the waters of Pharaoh but there they were at old ward falling into unbelief and discontent against God and Moses and forgat all that was past as if it had never been even all those wonders within and without Egypt that God wrought for them to have gained their hearts to believe in him and relie on him but it would not be all was one they were in cold bloud the self-same men at one time as at another whensoever God tried them and would never in an humble gratuitous belief of him make their addresses to him and enquire of him in this or that strait but streight-way fell foul ready to flie in Moses his face and consequently in Gods so soon as ever they at any time suffered they had not patience nor piety in the faith of his former transactions which they had experimentally seen managed to the best of advantage and opportunity to wait upon such his wise and seasonable dispensations as might accordingly in the issue still most evince his glory and conduce to their spirituall benefit and edification as his precedent acts had done 14 But they were a carnall-minded people nothing spiritualized nor bettered towards God by all heâ— did for them but made their belly their God settting light by Angels food for they saw nothing Angelicall or Divine in it being mere sensualists inordinately lusting after belly-chear and variety of acates in the very Wilderness where they saw and knew that by course of nature nothing could be had they must either be supernaturally maintained or starve yet in that barren place where God notwithstanding had so long and often miraculously supplied them with all needfull things they were not therewith content but murmured for superfluities questioning the power and not submitting to the will of God as if what they wanted and had not as they desired was because he had not power to give it them 15 But the Lord to vindicate his power which they had impeached saying who shall give us flesh to eat or can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness and to let them see the unprofitableness of creature-contentment though in never so great abundance if not sanctified by the word of God and prayer sent them their desire even plenty of Quails-flesh to their bread but they had better have been without it than to have had it given them in anger accompanied with judgement as it was not onely bodily so many perishing at Kibroth Hataavah with meat in their mouthes and so destroying instead of nourishing them for being obtained but not in Gods way though it was his gift yet it wanted his grace was empty of blessing being no act of favour and therefore pleased the sense but edified not the soul the proper tendency of all he bestowes and the best effect even of temporall benefits which else are a shell without a kernell blessings accursed and so was this to them feeding on it a moneth together gluttonously without fear or spirituall descerning till at last it wrought their overthrow by surfetting instead of nourishing for God gave them up to wear it as they won it spend it as they got it to wit lustfully which excess and carnall mindedness he severely plagued both in body and soul. 16 They gave themselves up to studied provocations not onely murmuring upon emergentcases but by combination conspiring among themselves against Moses and Aaron those approved holy men and speciall servants of the Lord one whereof to wit Aaron was his declared High-Priest officiating in speciall before him for their good in expiating their sins and diverting Christ-like Gods judgements yet no relation of them to God nor of advantage to themselves could perswade but these men whom God had substituted in those places of conduct and Priest-hood and set so many seals upon must at their pleasure be removed suspected after so long experience to be Impostors and another government and Preist-hood agitated by other men must be erected and this which God had ordained demolished 17 And it is never to be forgotten what fearfull vengeance God executed upon the chief ringleaders of that conspiracy and with what a fearfull death he visited them causing the earth to open and swallow up Korah Dathan and Abiram those chieftains with all that belonged to them and to close upon them in the sight and to the amazement of all Israel so that with a fearfull cry they
vexation and affliction when they become a vexation unto him chastising them with wars plagues and civil oppressions that minisheth their number impoverisheth their plentie and renders their lives uncomfortable 40 Nor doth the Lord onely afflict wicked and degenerated underlings but Kings and Princes also are judged by him If they forget their duties unto him he makes their people do the like to them and casts their honour in the dust at home and abroad rendring them scornful and contemptible and intricates them into such Labyrinths of troubles that all their policie and King-craft cannot extricate them or shew them a way out 41 And as he pulleth down unjust and wicked Princes from the top of honour and voluptuousness into penury and disgrace so on the other hand is he as mindful to protect and deliver the poor oppressed people from under the inhumanity of such tyrants when they crie to him and maketh them able to overtop their oppressions and oppressours by advancing them and abasing these blessing them with a numerous of-spring and making them able in a state of liberty and freedom to spread forth their branches that ere-while were stocked by tyrannie and oppression witness our condition under and from under Pharaoh 42 Those that have eyes in their heads the godly-wise shall take notice of such dispensations of justice and providence respectively to good and bad and shall rejoyce in confidence and hope of Gods goodness to them and in the goodness of their conscience and conversation towards him when they see that God takes notice of men and their manners and that sooner or later he will make it appear so and as the good rejoyce to see the reins of government in Gods hand so the wicked are sorrie for it and down in the mouth to see they are under judicature and not lawless as they hoped they had been 43 Those whom God hath endowed with grace and spiritual understanding the onely true wisdom and will set themselves faithfully and heedfully to consider and observe his judgements upon wicked oppressours and his strange providences in the behalf of the innocent and humble suppliant to deliver bless and prosper him as he hath done us They shall experimentally perceive the love and tender affection the Lord bears his people that sincerely serve him trust in him and call upon him and how safe and comfortable it is to do so The cviii PSALM A Psalm made by David to be sung and plaid by voices and instruments THis 108 Psalm is made up or composed of the two latter parts of two foregoing Psalms viz. the 57. and 60. which being joyned together upon the same or like occasion of success and victory do here make one entire Psalm Therefore for these five first verses of this Psalm see the Paraphrase upon the five last verses viz. the 7 8 9 10 11. of the 57. Psalm they being the same And for these eight last verses of this Psalm see the Paraphrase upon the eight last verses viz. the 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. of the 60. Psalm they also being the same The cix PSALM David doth promiscuously and prophetically in this Psalm treat of Christ and himself And though Saul Doeg and Judas be eminently to be understood one or all of them by the third person singular in diverse verses yet for most part he intends thereby his enemies in the general as they were united in conspiracie against him together with the nation of the Iews embodied as it were in one â—oint combination against Christ as appears by the third person plural used in other verses chieflie in the 20th which is a summinarie and explanatorie conclusion to his fore-going maledictions shewing the persons he meant them to and for what And so passeth from his adversaries to himself where Christ is still here and there to be taken in Praying as their confusion so his preservation argued from Gods mercie his own miserie and the glorie that God will get and praises that he will give thereupon To him that is the first and principal of all the Quire do I David that made this Psalm recommend it for his care and ordering it to be sung 1 O Lord as I know thou art not regardless of my unjust calumniations so I pray thee make it appear upon my calumniators let them find thou takest notice of the wrong they do me O God who hath all my life long given me cause to praise thee for thy goodness and with whom I am well accepted though of men rejected as the Messiah shall be 2 For such as make no conscience of what they say and that studiously abuse the ears of Saul whom they know hates me they spare not to let flie aginst me all manner of lies and slanders to gain them his favour and me his dis-favour 3 They do me all the wrong they can in word or deed reproching and threatening me on all hands as if they would eat me up alive and causelesly with open violence attempt to take away my life 4 5 Nay I did not onely walk inoffenssively towards them but did them many actual good offices and ever expressed my self a friend to them as occasion served and the more I have endeavoured to express my love and loyalty the more I am requited with hatred and malignity seeking my life that have saved theirs as the Jews do Christs but as he so I desire nor seek not revenge or like for like as to my self but refer me and my cause to be judged by God upon whose faith and protection I cast my self praying onely deliverance from them and that they may be of better minds 6 But in zeal to thee as they are enemies to thy Church and people and fore-runners of those that shall betray and murther the Messiah and as a Prophet and publick person so I wish that their deserts may over-take them let them reap oppression as they sow it let those that hate and persecute me for thy sake because I am thy select and anointed servant be as the Jews and Judas shall for betraying and crucifying the Lord of life how shall the one be captivated to the heathenish Roman Empire and the other exposed to Satan that enemy of mankind to prevail against him and destroy him even with his own very hands by making away himself 7 Let them find such favour as shall Judas at the hands of the Chief-priests and Elders upon his repentance even to be judged and condemned from his own confession out of his own mouth yea both by God and man be unpitied and unpardoned 8 Let them not live to the end of their lives as they may be prolonged by nature but cut short their daies by some violent and unnatural death such as Judas shall die and possess another more worthy of their place and office as Judas his
Apostleship shall be transferred upon Matthias and the Jewish priviledges translated to the Gentiles for crucifying Christ. 9 As the sin of my persecutour and Christs crucifiers is communicative and tendeth to the destruction not of me onely but of Christ his Church and Spouse also so let their punishment be derivative let their wives and children become widows and fatherless by their untimely ends pitied and relieved of none for that they oppress and are merciless to the innocent and afflicted 10 Let my persecutours prosperity be hatefull as shall the Jews amongst all nations let them that have made me an exile out of my own Countrey among the heathen Idolaters be themselves and their children after them no better but be like the wandering Jews that when they have crucifyed the Lord of glorie shall not be restored into Canaan as aforetime out of their captivities but be continual vagabonds a dispersed people in all countries glad to beg an abiding place any where being hatefull every where and driven so from place to place that very necessitie shall inforce them to take up and seek relief in the most abject desolate places of the world such as will scarce yield them to keep life and soul and glad they may 11 12 Let them become a prey to all manner of men let the griping usurious extortioner so entangle their estates in bonds and bils and use upon use that they may never be able to come out of debt till the creditor seize on all they have and turn them out of doors a begging let them find no manner of mercy but be esteemed as enemies of mankind every where where they are let them be made a prey counted for intruders and exposed to the spoil and rapine of the inhabitants and natives of all countries where they come as a people not fit to be entertained any where into scocietie and protection both they and their children though never so fatherless and destitute let them be relict and deserted of all according to the curse of guiltless bloud which they brought upon them and theirs so let it be with them and upon them 13 Let my persecutours by the sword of thy justice weilded in the hands of their enemies be quite cut off let them be destroyed root and branch so that after a while no succession or name of them may remain though in yet not over Israel but the rule thereof be utterly and for ever trans-ferred from them to another as shall befall the rebellious Jews Christs persecutours by the Romans no name nor place of any such nation once so famous shall remain but be quite blotted out a Lo-ammi or vagabond people they shall be at best and Christian written in the room of it in the next age of thy Church which shall be among the Gentiles to whom thou wilt trans-fer thy grace and favour for ever 14 Let the persisting in the same sin of abrenunciation and blaspheming Christ by their scattered progeny bring to remembrance the guilt of all their stiff-necked predecessours transgressions and rebellions ever since they were a Church espoused to thee their Lord and husband the punishment whereof was then sparingly inflicted by thee but now upon divorce and putting away let justice and judgement run down like a torrent upon them without any mixture and stop of mercie 15 As the bloud of Christ shall alwaies appear before God so let the sins of them do that murtherously shed it that as they would have destroyed the Messiah whom yet God raised again so his vengeance may root out them either to have no being or to be hatefull and odious where ever they are 16 Let such things befall mine enemies whose mercilesness to me doth in a figure pourtray out the usage of Christ himself for as they shew me no more mercie in miserie but are the more cruel and pitiless by how much I am the more miserable and the more they see me implunged into distress and insupportable grief of bodie and mind by so much the more eagerly lust they after my life to take it away thus shall it be with him and so as aforesaid let it be with them 17 Let the cursed calumnies and balsphemies of mine and his enemies wherein they are so conversant bring like evil upon their own heads as they intend to others let their curses light upon themselves that refuse salvation and blessing and put it far from them when God graciously visites them with it renouncing me for their King and Christ when he comes for their Saviour 18 Let such as take the curse and bring the guilt of mine and Christs guiltless bloud upon themselves have enough for it as they are ambitious to be known to be his crucifiers and my persecutours and voluntarily involve themselves into so great a sin and the deadly consequences that attend it by acting the one and labouring the other so let it be unto them let hardness of heart blindness of mind and seared consciences be the cursed product of such wicked bloud-suckers 19 Let the guilt and curse they so sinfully bring upn themselves never depart from them but stick by them and accompanie them in all places and throughout all ages 20 Let these foresaid maledictions be the judgement and reward of mine and my Lord Christs adversaries who can right himself and me though all men joyn together to wrong us and devise to take away both good name and life it self as mine enemies and his do endeavour and shall in great measure effect but wo be to them by whom such offences do come 21 But Lord as much as others are against me and mine Anti-type the Lord Christ so thou that art his God and father and in him mine be thou as much for me and him for thy covenant and righteousness sake wherein and whereby thy grace and faithfulness is engaged to approve thy self a mercifull good God protector of the innocent and deliverer of the oppressed be thou so to me let my preservation and deliverance from mine enemies by thine Almighty power adumbrate Christs powerfull resurrection out of the grave whence thou shalt raise him and the Churches final deliverance out of all her terrestial miseries by thy mercie both whom I personate 22 Let both thy mercie and my misery move thee who am low brought by reason of outward afflictions inward fears and terrours which affect me deeply and distress me sore as Christ himself shall be with complicate evils within and without in soul and body-sufferings 23 My life seemeth to me by reason of mine imminent dangers that threaten death every moment to be but as a shadow when the sun is setting ready to extinguish and whilest I do live I have no setlement but am harrowed hither and thither from place to place by the incessant persecutions and various contrivances of mine enemies to take away my life even as the grashopper
Church which by a mightie and out-stretched arm thou hast bought and brought thither there to remain in perfect happiness with thee and under me for ever 2 The Lord Almighty who is able to bring to pass great things by weak means shall raise up glorious lights in Jerusalem and Jurie where thou first manifests thy self as Aopstles Evangelist c. that shall give light to them that sit in darkness the glad tidings of the Gospel which is the mightie power of God to salvation that rod of Moses to save Israel shall by these his emissareis be held forth and preached to the Gentiles people of all nations and languages whereby they that now are forreigners shall be brought within the pale and shall take laws from thee and be subjected to thee O blessed Saviour that art advanced in the humane nature wherein thou sufferedst in such power and glorie at the right hand of the most high God there by his appointment to sway the Scepter of thy Mediatorian Kingdom by the power whereof the preaching of the Gospel through the eternal spirit accompanying it shall maugre all opposition of Gentilism who now are thy professed enemies and then shall strongly oppose thy Kingdom prevail to set up thy throne in the hearts of thy chosen all the world over who shall every where make glorious profession of thy name and own thee for their Lord and King spite of all earthly opposing powers and contemners of a crucified Saviour who shall be no more able to hinder thy Church from flourishing than thee from rising out of the grave 3 Those that are given to thee of God the Father and redeemed by thee out of the world when thou shalt have offered thy self a propitiatorie and taken possession of thy Kingdom at his right hand through thy mission of the spirit thence and his mighty working by the word upon the hearts of those thy people they shall thick and three-fold be converted neither the pravitie of their natures nor their long accustomed Idolatries shall obstruct their ready and chearfull compliance with the Gospel but shall willingly imbrace the tender of grace and come under thy governance in the Church which shall then so multiply as to assemble and conveen in all places for the exercise of Christian religion as thy people the Jews do at the beautifull and holy Temple that type of Christ in which Christian Synagogues especially in the first breaking forth of the light of the Gospel as the morning sun upon the face of the earth shall be born unto thee out of the then pregnant productive womb thereof begotten by the holy Ghost in those thy first loves and nuptial imbraces of the Church thy Spouse immediately upon thine ascention and investiture into glory an off-spring spread far and wide upon the whole earth as innumerable as the dew drops which insensibly fall from the heavens as the spirit shall then invisibly upon their hearts at the preaching of the word 4 For the great God of heaven by his everlasting decree and immutable oath revealed for the consolation of his people and corroboration of their faith hath never to revoke it conferred upon thee their Mediatour and Saviour the honour and office of that everlasting Priest-hood not temporary as the Levitical but without change or succession pourtraied in Melchisedeck Yea to be a King and Priest in one person as he was and none else to typifie that glorious priviledge to belong to thee and none other who therefore at thy Fathers right hand for thy Church and people transacts a royal Priesthood of righteousnes and peace according to the office person and name of Melchisedeck King of Salem 5 The Lord the God and Father who onely hath the preheminencie of thee as thou hast under him of of all things else shall imploy his power for the advancement of thine honour and revenge of thy dishonour wrathfully destroying Kings Kingdoms that shall oppose themselves and hinder the coming of thy Kingdom in thy Churches growth and felicity in the time when he thinks fit to judge them for it 6 Thou who art paramount the onely He or the promised Messiah for the Churhes comfort shalt rule the world the Gentiles shall be under his Judicature he will preserve his people that are converted to him and profess his name every where among the heathen taking vengeance on their enemies whom he shall remarkably destroy as he was wont to do the enemies of Israel The earthly Potentates of the world shall find him to be above them if they bruise his heel afflict his people as they will in all places he will bruise their heads their greatness shall not priviledge them at all 7 If you will know the reason of this high preferment of Christ in our nature at Gods right hand and of the power and head-ship he hath there it is because he shall drink deep of the wrath of the Almighty streamed down upon him in the way thereunto and for the obtaining thereof by suffering a cursed death upon the Cross with bodily torments and unutterable soul-agonies the unavoidable means of effecting his Mediatour-ship and mans redemption therefore shall he upon that full and faithfull discharge of his office here upon earth ascend unto and sit for ever at the right hand of his Father which is in heaven to act there the glorified part thereof in full powerâ— and absolute dominion over all there and here Angels and men Jews and Gentiles friends and foes The cxi PSALM The Psalmist first gives the word and then the example for praising the Lord which he tels us Gods works gives us cause enough to do if we consider them well especially to his Church supplying them in their need possessing them of the promised land fulfilling his promises of grace to them and for their sakes his judgements threatened upon their enemies for which he looks his commandements should be respected which are as binding to us as his covenant to him and through grace his covenant is as binding to him as they are to us Therefore he shews a man is never wise pretend what he will till he have gotten God upon this lock to be his by being Gods in faith and obedience And concludes as he begun with invitation to praise him 1 LEt all of us be diligent and cordial in praising the Lord. I will not be wanting on my part and in mine own example herein for he shall have the heartiest thanks that I can give him both in lesser meetings of entire Israelites that voluntarily and frequently assemble themselves to perform such holy exercises as also in those more solemn rare and mixed congregations that at times appointed assemble themselves at thy Sanctuarie 2 Greatly doth the Lord appear in his wonderous works of Creation Providence and Redemption his manifold attributes are made manifest therein yet not to all but onely to those that in love to God love to busie
their minds in the practical contemplation of him in them that they may affect their hearts toward him with suitable frame of thankfulness and praise for the greatness and goodness they are sensible of thereby 3 All that he hath done declares him to be for honour and power incomprehensible nor shall one word fail of all that he hath spoken concerning what he will do his Prophesies and promises yea and his threatenings too are as sure to be fulfilled as those which are already 4 The Lord hath done such memorable and admirable things for his Church in all ages as are never to be forgotten but with praise and thanksgiving to be had in everlasting remembrance his grace in choosing and compassion in relieving and pardoning his people is worthy our best observation and memory 5 He hath provided for his Church all along the Series of their successions and in all their peregrinations so that when in humble and faithfull addresses they that feared him at any time sought unto him they had supply of needfull mercies both for themselves and others that though they were of the visible Church yet did not so well deserve at his hands their sinnes and murmurings being enough to have made God unchurch them but that he was mindfull of his covenant made with our forefathers Patriarchs and Prophets Types of Christ not to do it of which as then he was so still he is and ever will be mindfull to be as good as his word in sparing and pardoning his people and blessing and preserving them when in fear of him and in the faith of his covenant they in humble-wise seek his favour towards them 6 He made manifest enough his exceeding great power in those miraculous victories he gave his people Israel over the Cananites when they entered the promised land which had been long possessed and inhabited by those heathenish Idolaters whom the Lord rooted out to establish them in it 7 The things he hath wrought have not onely been Acts of power but also of Truth and Justice his promises as well as his power have been written in legible Caracters in those his wonderfull dispensations to and for his Church as also his righteous judgements long before threatened to such wicked wretches and as his works have approved the faithfulness and infallibility of his promises and comminations so that other part of his word the Law of Commandments a safe rule to walk by is likewise as firm God looks they shall be obeyed by his people as certainly and undispensably as he gives them leave to expect his promises and threats to be fullfilled by him for them 8 Both the one and the other his word and works commands and providences as to his Churches preserving and governing are built upon a firm foundation the good pleasure and free grace of God according to his word and covenant and as inseperable companions go together God is good and doth good to those that are good and keep his commandments and ever will be so his truth and faithfulness binds him to be so and to do so to such as in truth and uprightness serve him 9 The Lord from time to time when his people were in jeopardy or the thraldom for their sinns if they cried unto him and humbled themselves before him he delivered them he hath established his covenant of free-grace as firm as any Law and hath bound himself by the one as firmly as us by the other so that his people shall ever find him to be the same unchangeable God for their good alwayes provided they walk worthy of him and becomingly towards him in reverence of his Majesty and obedience to his holiness 10 A man that hath never so much worldly wisdom and lives in sinne is for all that all that while but a fool till in the faithfull application of Gods saving goodness he be an altered man and fearing to offend him is carefull in all things to please him then and never till then he begins to be wise with that which is true wisdom for onely they have a right understanding both of the chiefest good and their chiefest end what 's best for themselves and why they were made that fulfill the will of God their Creatour living thereafter for therein is great reward As his mercy and faithfulness is and ever shall be firm to his faithfull and obedient people and Church in her preservation and her enemies confusion so ought to be his praises as long and large as his benefits which shall have no end The cxii PSALM The Psalmist stirrs up the people of the Lord in works to praise him the benefit whereof will be theirs their persons and posterities will be blessed by it in wo as well as in weal will God graciously visit such He sheweth a charitable minded man is much set by of God and by faith and a good conscience in the worst of times enjoys himself happily spite of those that malign him his liberall giving to the poor shall enrich him when as the covetous wretch for all his carking and caring shall suffer want and envy his abundance 1 LEt the Lord have his due praises for his great deservings and admirable excellencies that appear to be in him by what we see done by him and that not onely vocall but reall for he principally praiseth him and is certainly blessed of him that with a filiall fear dares not offend him and with a faith working by love is carefull in all things to please and obey him whose happiness is holiness and sinne his greatest affliction 2 Nor will God determine his blessings upon himself but extend them further even to his posterity walking in his wayes witness our forefather Abraham how did the Lord multiply his seed according as he promised and like blessings hath he in store for faithfull Abrahams faithfull off-spring who walking as he did with an upright heart before God in perfect obedience shall be as he was blessed in their own persons and posterities 3 God will both increase his family and provide well for it whereof our times and the times of our forefathers and Scripture-records have given good testimony He and his shall reap the benefit of his and their righteousness by a Series of blessings successively transferred by virtue of the covenant made to him and them for many generations 4 And though God doth not alwayes bless him that is of an upright heart and righteous conversation with externall affluence for his dispensations though agreeable to wisdom and justice are various yet this such an one may be sure of that he shall find God most trusty in his greatest trialls and no such cloud of tribulation shall ever over-shadow him but the sunne of righteousness shall shine through it upon his soul with healing consolations in his wings for God whatsoever he may seem to be by his outward dispensations is in his native disposition
hath made him his servant and freeman for which he will publickly praise him 1 I Cannot express how much the Lord is endeared to me for the grace he hath vouchsafed me my heart is glued to him in affection such love hath he shewed to me and such care over me in all mine extremities whensoever I minded him of me and craved his help that I am bound to love him as long as I live and from my very heart I do so 2 The Lord hath got my custom I have had such faithful and good dealing from him as if my condition were never so bad I would seek no where else for allwayes when necessitie wrung me I cried and when ever I cried the Lord heard and helped and this course I am resolved still to take whensoever I have occasion and doubt not of the same success 3 I cannot but recount my by-gone difficulties how that many a time I gave my self unavoidably for a dead man so near have I been to mine end in mine own apprehension that I made full account of my grave the very pangs of death have seized on my soul and it was seldom other with me 4 Yet though my danger and fear was never so great so that in all humane probability and visibilitie of means I was as good as gone yet my faith would still have a saying to God pray I must and did and I no sooner gave the word but God took the Alarm if I but named my Soul it was enough and oft-times my surprises were so sudden and danger so emergent that I had scarce time to do that which though they made my prayer short yet sharp they helped to put an edge upon mine affections and when I prayed for my soul it was with my soul which in an ejaculation was quickly in heaven and had as quick dispatch there 5 For there had I the attributes of God presently to speak for me his grace justice and mercie and had an answer accordingly Let others be incouraged by mine example to trust in the Lord and seek to him for they shall find as I did that God is freely good and free of his goodness faithful of his promise yea though objections lie in the way thy sins and his judgements flash in thy face yet be not daunted if thou beest one of us belongest to God for he is merciful to pardon and pitie thee and in an instant will break through all to do the good 6 Those that suffer being innocent although they be shiftless and have not worldly wisdom to do withall like other men yet if with honest hearts they bequeath themselves to God and unfainedly trust in him he will find wayes to befool their enemies and make good their confidence I am sure none can be in greater danger nor have less hope of help but from him than I a poor innocent man and more than once or twice and he alone served my turn I never miscarried but was ever delivered though many times strangely yea miraculously from time to time till he brought me to this I am come to 7 Be thou therefore at peace within thy self and recumbent upon God O my soul that hath by his means gone through so many difficulties and through him thy benefactour art arrived at so great happiness out of all the storm that have blown over thee 8 For the Lord hath as it were raised me out of the grave so near death was I many a time when thou delivered me and hath now made me a livesman again in the full accomplishment of thy promise whereby I am comforted beyond all my fore-past sorrows which are as it were forgotten and set me free from all those deadly traps and gins that were laid for me by my mortal enemies 9 Now that God by his power and mercie hath raised me to this estate and brought me through those many perplexities to possess his promise I doubt not of his further favour and protection but in confidence thereof I will comfortably and conscionably labour to discharge my place high office as in the presence and to the well-pleasing of the Lord that hath set me over his people compared to whom all the world is in darkness and shadow of death 10 11 O the several frames of heart and tempers of soul that I have passed through in my trials sometimes chearing up my self with the faith of Gods promises that they should certainly be fulfilled and then could I hopefully address my self to God and comfortably bespeak and incourage my soul to wait upon the Lord at another time I have been as much dejected and cast down and upon a surprize when my fear hath been great because my danger was imminent I have not stuck in that perplexitie of mind to think and say within my self all that the Prophets had foretold concerning my succession to the Kingdom was a meer delusion and that I must needs perish before that day could come that they and their predictions would certainly deceive me and come to nought and that they speak not of God but of themselves 12 Now when I look back and consider what a world of dangers nay deaths I have past what dismal apprehensions and perplexities of mind I have waded through what admirable deliverances the Lord hath wrought and how oft and how strangely I have been preserved and now what an absolute complement he hath given to all those promises which I thought never to have seen fulfilled and conclusion to my miseries which many time I thought would have made an end of me before I should thus have seen an end of them I am at a stand and in an extasie how and what to return to this good God I am now in perplexitie by a plenitude of happiness for the Lord hath so loaden me with benefits that I know not what to say nor do to or for him in any proportion to them 13 14 I may fancie many wayes and things to my self to gratifie God with all and when I have done I am never the near for imaginarie retributions and will-worship he will not accept Therefore I will content my self to do what he hath bid me for when I have all done I must live and die his debtor I will therefore make a feast to all Israel which he did at the bringing up of the Ark and then and there offer my peace-offerings and in the sight and hearing of all the Lords people with the cup of blessing and gratulation in mine hand will joyfully and thankfully publish the praises of my God and make open acknowledgement of the manifold benefits and deliverances from first to last that I have been partaker of The mercies I gained by prayers and vows in mine extremitie I will wear them by praise and sacrifice now in my prosperitie all Israel shall be witness 15 I have found it by experience and speak it knowingly for
Lord my soul is as the broken and chawned earth in time of drought labouring alwayes in unsatiable desire after the soul-nourishing and refreshing knowledge of the divine excellencies comprehended in thy righteous precepts and covenant-dispensations as it doth incessantly after rain that so I may alwayes live the life of faith and fear love and obedience 21 That 's my desire to understand the fear of the Lord that I may walk humbly with my God for the proud disobedient gain-sayers of his will that have taken cursed and displeasing curses the Lord hath sooner or later met with them as they are hatefull to him so he hath made it appear upon them by heavy judgements 22 Which I am confident shall still be their portion even the portion of my proud disdainfull enemies who think scorn of me and basely asperse me because of my faith in and obedience unto God but Lord I hope that both I and they are accepted at thine hands and that thou takest notice of mine Ismaelitish persecution by mine arrogant foes and wilt find a time to quit me of them who thou knowest hath not been ashamed of thee nor deserted either my faith or fear of thee for fear of men 23 I have been the by-word of high and low those that should have been by their places men of more integrity and good example yet did not they stick to abuse their authority and me by casting scorn upon me in the audience of others but I patiently bear it and my thoughts the while were upon thy word and my duty in such cases that so I might approve my self to thee not caring to be judged by mans day 24 And though I had cause enough of sorrow and trouble yet my comfort is they made me not break covenant nor falsifie my faith but still I kept a good conscience and followed my rule and had the comfort of it in mine own spirit not consulting with flesh and bloud what to do at such times when temptations were sore upon me but with thy word which I knew was the will and wisdom of God the mighty Counsellour and Prince of Princes Daleth The fourth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the fourth part 25 I am exceeding low brought by thine afflicting hand my discomfitures make my life a very death oh do thou raise me restore comfort and thereby life unto me according as thou hast graciously promised 26 For I have not hid mine offences but confessed and declared them to thee as I have done every thing else in the whole course of my life I have alwayes acquainted thee how it was with me in my temptations and troubles and I have ever found thee gracious and so doubt not still to do speak peace and holiness therefore now to my soul that I may sinne no more but learn to love and serve thee 27 Lord instruct me and over-power my naturall pravity and corrupt disposition to walk holily and steadily in the fear of thy name and obedience of thy commandments by thy renewing of my joyes and strengthening of my graces so shall I magnifie thy power in my weakness and animate the faith of others 28 The sense of my sinne and thy displeasure for it lies so heavy upon my spirit that I sensibly decay and wast under it speak reconciliation and absolution to me that may revive and restore me according to thy promise of grace and mercy to poor penitents and suppliants such as I am 29 The sinne that hath brought me into this distemper is my want of faith to carry me through and my making now and then in extremity of temptation lies my refuge which repents me that ever I did so the Lord forgive it and remove that spirit of fear and diffidence that caused it that I may no more tread in such by-paths of thine own free goodness grant me the mercy and grace promised in thy word and exhibited in the typicall ordinances of thy law 30 Lord how ever I have slipt through frailty yet thou knowest the bent and bias of my heart is to love truth and not falshood it is the way I have chosen to walk in and have used the means that might aw me to it and direct me in it by serious pondering thy righteous commandments penally inhibiting such sinfull aversations though my grace being weak my endeavours through temptation have sometimes been ineffectuall 31 I have not ordinarily no nor willingly at any time given the reins to my corruption though otherwhiles they have been too strong for me but have carefully and conscionably in the main and course of my life though troublous and temptatious walked exactly and kept me closely to thy will testified in thy word O Lord therefore compassionate me in this my sinne and trouble for it and so order my wayes that I sinne no more to provoke thee against me to the loss of thy favour and the forfeiting my self to mine enemies 32 I have been faithfull though with some failings which if thou wilt but please to pass by and renew thy favour to me and grace in me whereby my heart may again be comforted and consequently enlarged and enabled for thy joy is my strength then do I promise for my self being confident in the power of thy grace to yield universall and chearfull obedience to thy commandments maugre impediments He. The fifth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the fifth part 33 I know my whole life throughout is to be expended in thy service but how to persevere with unwearied and unvaried constancy I see not but by thy speciall and spirituall guidance who canst either order mine affaires to be free from temptation or teach and enable me to wade through them without warping from the rule and way of thy commandments pitie therefore my weakness and humane frailty and by thy spirit supply and prompt me continually so shall I do what else I cannot avoid sinne and persevere in holiness all my life in all the various alterations of it 34 How many are befooled with worldly wisdom and carnall reason Lord thou knowest and truly so shall I amongst the rest if thou beest not more mercifull unto me to teach me better yea contrary to such things as those principles dictate even the wholesome rudiments of thy law and covenant dispensation which if thou wilt of thy good grace vouchsafe to do I shall gladlier serve thee than sinne yea if thou wilt effectually lead me I will gladly and cordially follow and obey thee in whatsoever thou commandest for to will is present with me but how else to perform I see not 35 Both the will and the deed is thine and of thee now therefore as thou hast enabled me in the one for through thy grace my heart is byassed to obedience so that my desire is to it and my delight is in it so do thou no less graciously and
of this my sad condition let nothing fail me that thou hast spoken who am related in a nearer proprietie to thee than that of creation I am thy son and servant not passively but actively by a gratuitous intrinsical principle as thou hast chosen me so I have chosen thee for my Lord and Master and thy Laws for the rule of my faith and manners and allwayes consult them to that purpose 95 I have been in a many a sore temptation and imminent peril of my life by sinister plots and practises of my ungodly adversaries and still am yet will I not deviate by sinful shifts but studie to keep faith and a good conscience for so art thou ingaged to my securitie by thy word the testimonie of thy truth 96 There is but a finite and transitorie good in the very best things that are their natures are too narrow to give either full content to a mans mind or stay to a mans heart being subject to alter or end as I have found by experience and know by reason but thy word is all-sufficient nothing pertaining to holiness or happiness stay or contentment is wanting in thy Law or Divine dispensation nor shall be to him that believes and obeyes it for the dimensions of it are as large as thy self in truth and goodness infinite and permanent superabundantly soul-satisfying Mem. The thirteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the thirteenth part 97 I for my part see so much goodness and find so much settlement in and by thy word that the love of it far transcends the love of all things else I cannot express the affections I bear it they are so ardent towards it that they set my mind on work continually upon it my thoughts and meditations are day and night taken up with the consideration and application of the blessed soul-affecting Divine truths and benefits contained and exhibited in that Law and word of thine 98 By thine instructing and enabling me to walk according to the rule of faith and righteousness commanded in thy word thou hast thereby prospered me above mine enemies and made this mine holy simplicitie to be too hard for their subtilitie and craft which hath never yet taken effect against me but come to naught and ever will whilest by thy grace I abandon the wisdom of the flesh and walk in the wisdom of thy spirit and word which I am careful to do allwayes in all things and prosper by it 99 I have had the benefit of education and humane helps as to the affairs and literature of the world and conversed with men of understanding and seen the wayes that they have gone in the managing of their transactions and when I sum up all the wisdom that ever I have learned and known I both count it and find it to be but foolishness compared with the studie and practise of those holy and righteous rudiments thy word dictates wherein I bless thee I have through thy grace being taught of God out-stript all humane teaching and teachers by delightning to know and do thy will revealed for my direction and supportation 100 Yea I find by experience though young that godliness is greater wisdom and better succeeds a mans affairs by the blessing of God according to his promises thereupon than the advice and counsel of the grave senatours and sages of the world who pretend and justly to great wisdom by advantage of years and experience yet with reverence to those hoary heads I like my wisdom which is thine better than theirs and find sinceritie the best policie and that the best wisdom is to do thy will which accordingly I endeavour 101 I have I bless thee ever since thou taughtest it me been of that mind and my practise hath been answerable for my care was still at no rate to sin but in every thing to tread the steps thy word hath chalk'd me out and leave the rest to thee 102 I have not suffered my self to be misled and seduced by mine own or other mens counsels from keeping thy commandments which I am sure must judge me and all men else for I bless thee thou hast taught me better by thy word and over-powered me by thy spirit to yield to those thy teachings which therefore have been to strong for my temptations which else had been too strong for me 103 I cannot express for any to understand but my self that feel it what pleasure and contentment thy covenant of grace and adoption with its concomitant promises and precepts of holiness and happiness believed and applied brings to my soul and conscience beyond all earthly comparisons hony to my pallate is not comparable 104 I make thy precepts my studie and meditation whereby I get by thine assisting grace good understanding and enablement to avoid by-wayes of sin and errouâ— tending to thy displeasing whereunto I am tempted but make constant resistance and from my heart detest deviation as knowing holiness onely leads to happiness and hath the promises both of this life and of that to come Nun. The fourteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the fourteen part 105 Lord throughout this untrodden path of mine where there are so many ways to miscarrie the right way so hard to hit the world and Satan without flesh and corruption within counselling this that to make me stumble and fall my manner is to silence them all consult thy word the Divine light whereof of guids me out of and dispels those mists and fogs that carnal reason taking advantage of my present temptation casts before mine eyes and sets me into and leads me on in the path of thy well-pleasing which I choose to walk 106 As Lord thou hast been pleased to enter covenant with me of pardon acceptance and grace so also have I stipulated with thy Majesty and bound my self by solemn vow for ever to be thine obedient and faithful servant and subject and by thy gracious assistance I am accordingly purposed to walk in conformitie to thy Law the righteous rule of thee my righteous Judge 107 My affliction and grief is very great remember Lord it is for thy sake and by thy providence befallen me therefore grant me what thou hast promised me comfort in and deliverance out of my calamities 108 Thou knowest O Lord I am debarred from sacrificing to thee as else I would but that which is the substance of those ceremonies the free-will-offerings of praise and thanks-giving those I can and do offer which I pray thee accept and shall give me cause so to do by teaching me to know and do thy righteous precepts in all my difficult cases and great temptations 109 I am in perpetual peril of my life imminent danger and destruction is ever at hand yet through faith in thee they do not distract or afright me from my dutie to thee and thy commandments but I call them to counsel and
have them in mind at every turn 110 I have been attempted upon and my life laid for by wicked dissemblers that rather than their lives would have had mine and cared not how nor which way yet I have not revenged my self nor taken indirect wayes against them as they do against me but have committed my cause to thee and kept thy commandments 111 I have abandoned all confidence and contentment in every thing saving thy precious promises and covenant-ingagements the testimonies of thy love wherewith alone I am sufficiently enriched and as well by voluntarie election as outward necessitie have chosen thy free grace testified in thy word as my chief and onely portion to be happie by for ever for my heart can take felitie in nothing else comparatively to them they rejoyce me above my sorrows 112 And as I have chosen thy free grace for ever to be happie by so in like sort have I given my self a free-will-offering unto thee again for ever to be thine in love and thankful obedience to thy commandments Samech The fifteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the fifteenth part 113 Temptations have wrought upon my corruptions and suggested this thing and that to me tending to misbelieving and misdoing but though I could not hinder my mind from entertaining the thoughts of them yet I allwayes set my will on work to dismiss and oppose them they had no room in my heart though they intruded into my head for there thy Law kept them out which hath anticipated mine affections and sequestred them to it self from all Heterodox suggestions to the contrarie 114 I abhor all sinful shifts and carnal securities thou onely art my securitie and defence what ever my danger be Thy word of truth and goodness do I flie to and confide in and in no earthly refuge whatsoever 115 This is the full and final purpose of mine heart therefore all that are not thus minded I renounce them as no friends nor counsellours of mine they that do evil and would have me do so avant for I am resolved what ever others think say or do to stick to my principles and to my God to be saved in the way of faith and Godliness or to perish 116 This is my purpose but Lord the power of performance is from thee and truly therefore do I purpose it because thou hast promised it thou hast said I shall and therefore is it that I say I will fail me not then I beseech thee neither of grace nor protection but grant me both that neither by my sin nor thy desertion I perish but may live holily and hopefully to thy glorie and my comfort and never have cause by my miscarriage either in sin or success to be ashamed of my confidence or frustrated of my expectation 117 Do thou Lord support and preserve me and then I am sure not to fall as on the other hand if thou do not uphold me I am sure not to stand whereby I shall be confirmed in well-doing for thy grace can onely establish me and thy gracious performances will strengthen and ingage me more and more in faith and obedience to the end 118 Thou hast made examples good store in several ages of the world of thy dislike of wicked workers worldly wise and carnal confident men by executing vengeance and bringing fierce destruction upon them and made it appear plain enough how vain and deceiveable such wayes and confidences are which thy word doth not warrant and that truth and safety are onely there to be had 119 I well know of what value and esteem wicked men how ever the world thinks of them are of with thee and what ends they make compared to the godly they are to thee as refuse dross to refined silver and so shall be differenced and distinguished by thee in thy wrath they shall be consumed with all their earthly confidences and go out like a snuff whilest those that serve thee and were as dross in the worlds eye are notwithstanding highly esteemed of thee and safely preserved by thee both living and dead they are precious to thee therefore do I stick to what thy word warrants and testifies to be thy will that I obey love and delight in spite of the wicked of the world their hatred and contempt of me and it 120 I see such effects of sin and so well know the doom of sinners that I fear more to offend thee and incurre thy displeasure than any evil that can else befal me from which I chiefly pray to be delivered Ain The sixteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the sixteenth part 121 Thou Lord knowest mine innocencie and the uprightness of mine heart and conversation to my very enemies in this very cause wherein I am so wrongfully and injuriously prosecuted and persecuted neither thinking nor doing them evil no not evil for evil therefore in thy righteousness take part with the righteous and leave me not to the mercie or rather expose me not to the crueltie of mine oppressours that seek my life 122 Do thou in grace and faithfulness own thy servant and his innocent cause for thine to protect him and it from the violence of his clamorous bloud-thirsty adversaries let them not by their potencie which makes them proud wrongfully ruin me as they desire to do I have waited long and dreely looked even to the weakning of my sight and impairing of my senses for thee to deliver me and fulfil the word of grace thy promise of salvation which thou the righteous God hast made unto me and will undoubtedly fulfil in righteousness 124 Lord thou knowest the hardship I undergo the temptations wherewith my faith and holiness is assaulted and endangered Good Lord have compassion upon me that am and desire to be thy faithful and obedient servant and in tender mercie deal gently with me lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil I know my frailty therefore in self-diffidence I pray thee at every turn stand by me to instruct and inable me what to do that I erre not 125 Thou hast honoured me to be thy servant both by effectual calling and special designment to extraordinarie imployment in thy Church therefore furnish me with such a measure of illumination and sanctification that I may walk worthy my high calling and evermore to the end approve my self that which I am by a proportionable measure of grace enabling and assisting me to know and do thy will constantly 126 It is high time O Lord for thee to shew thy self in some remarkeable manner against my proud enemies and to execute judgement upon them nor so much for my sake as thine own for such is their presumption that they care as little for thee as me slighting thy Law and scorning obedience to it as if it were a thing of nought to no purpose and of no authority 127
And surely Lord so ill do I like their manners that I love thy commandments the better for it because they are so contrarie to them the less they set by them and the more they value the wealth of the world the more I value them and the less I set by it for swine know not the worth of pearls no treasure under heaven is so precious and profitable in mine eye nor indeed in it self or to the possessour as thy Law and Commandments are to the sincere professour and practiser of them the holy dictates of a holy God making both holy and happie them that know and do them which I desire and good Lord grant me to do above all things as alone sufficient to make me both rich and happie to my hearts content 128 As black sets forth white and a crooked line a streight one so doth mine enemies wayes thy commandments in their puritie and rectitude their deformed and crooked courses of impietie and iniquitie makes the line of thy precepts much more streight and right in mine eyes yea those that carnal sence and corrupt reason can worst approve of to me through thy grace they are most precious and desireable as tending to nearest perfection and likeness with thy self and on the contrarie as I love thy Law which they hate and make void so do I hate what they love sinful deviations and prevarications Pe. The seventeenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the seventeenth part 129 Mans reason and understanding is both contrarie to and infinitly short of comprehending the holy and high mysteries of salvation and Godliness revealed in thy word which nature could never have known nor taught us had they not been supernaturally revealed being the hidden uncreated wisdom of God taught and wrought in the souls of thy servants by extraordinarie illumination and of special grace and favour therefore for their Divine nature and worths sake which in mercie thou hast opened mine eyes to see though others do not do I love and delight in them meditate and obey them even lay out my whole strength upon them 130 In whomsoever and at what time soever thy word by the efficatious working of thy spirit first takes saving and sanctifying impression there and then and never till then the sun of righteousness rises with light and healing to the expulsion and dispersion of that deadly darkness that naturally benighteth every soul man though otherwise never so worldly wise is but a very fool vain and ignorant both of truth and goodness till thou write thy Law in his heart that and onely that is true wisdom and they and onely they have true understanding though otherwise never so foolish 131 I for my part never longed more after meat and drink in my greatest extremitie of hunger and thirst nor any creature living than I did for the incomming of thy word with power into my soul when it was under the guilt and dominion of sin O the sighs and groans that I incessantly breathed forth after my transforming and thine inabling grace to believe and obey 132 Thou Lord knowest how I longed and still do to serve thee out of a sincere and hearty love to thee Let therefore thine eye of grace and compassion be upon me mercifully to keep me from falling into sin or by sin into thy displeasure as thou hast promised and in thy goodness art accustomed to do to such as thou knowest I am a lover of and hoper in thy grace truth and mercie 133 Let my whole conversation course of life by thy spirit according to thy word the rule of holiness and righteousness be powerfully over-ruled ordered in all things and let not my innate pravity by force or subtility of temptation in no case overmaster thy grace and make me sin against thee whom I desire to serve 134 My greatest temptation and fear is the unjust violence and cruel persecution of mine enemies thou that art the Almighty and gracious Lord God set me free and deliver me from the injuries of proud malicious minded men so shall I be ingaged and inabled when set at liberty thankfully and chearfully to serve and please thee 135 Bring me out of this comfortless darksom condition threatening thy displeasure whereby I have nothing but troubles without and sorrows within let me by deliverance see the skie clear up upon me let thy favourable aspect break forth from under this cloud and Lord it is as well the light of grace as comfort of sanctification as deliverance that I beg of thee the one without the other will but little profit nor please me 136 So deeply am I affected with the opprobries and contempt that thou undergoest by the wicked of the world specially mine enemies who turn grace into wantonness and make thy impunity their immunity to sin that it is a greater trouble and grief of heart to me than any I undergo in mine own behalf and costs me as many sighs and tears the injuring of thee in thine honour as my self in my peace and innocencie which I should be as glad were vindicated and they punished as I delivered Tsaddi The eighteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the eighteenth part 137 Let other men that love to live in sin think as contemptuously as they will of thee and thy Laws yet art thou and they righteous and so they shall find when according to those Laws thou passest a just and righteous sentence upon them for their wicked disobedience 138 What thou hast testified to be thy will in thy word by commanding it to be done is just and righteous in it self and tends to make men so if rightly performed yea happie also thy commands having their rewards which to the faithful shall be faithfully performed 139 I sustain no small grief by my persecutours in mine own person but if I know mine own heart it is far short of what I undergo for thy sake the contemptuous neglect and slight esteem which my proud enemies have of thy commandments making a trade of sinning hath so affected me to see thee thus dishonoured and thy Law unregarded that mine ardent apprehension of it in fervour and affection to thee and holy impatience against them hath meagred and impaired me much 140 That for which others dislike and refuse thy word is because it is in its own nature pure and tends to the refining their natures and corrupt manners which wicked worldlings cannot abide And for this very reason sake do I love it and delight in it because it is such and hath that gracious operation with it for that I am thy servant and do long more and more to be so in all manner of holiness and righteousness whereof it is the perfect rule and pattern 141 I have temptations of poverty persecution scorn and what not that put me to it yet I swerve not nor cast not off thy yoak though
in the condition I am in I draw hardly in it through very rough and un-even wayes I am not mercenary earthly felicitie is not it that moves me to nor shall infelicitie remove me from my dutie and allegiance to thy precepts 142 No Lord it is the perfection of thy righteous will in thy word that draws me to it so that nothing can seperate me from it because it is ever was and shall be the onely unchangeable certain standard for holiness and happiness life and salvation and of that absolute truth and infallibility is thy Law and the rudiments thereof that all else are living destructive vanities that differ from it and conform not to it 143 I am under arrest never at libertie but a perpetual prisoner to outward trouble and inward grief and yet faith and a good conscience comfort me for I am sure if I be faithful to thee in obedience thou wilt be so to me in gracious recompence thy word is my warrant 144 The righteousness which thou prescribest in thy Law to be observed and obeyed is the onely absolutely unchangeable infallible rule to be holy and happie by teach me and guide me in the knowledge and practise of it and I doubt not the consequence because of thy faithfulness preservation temporal and salvation eternal how deadly and desperate soever my condition seem will certainly be the issue Koph The ninetenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the nineteenth part 145 Thou Lord knowest the faithful and affectionate addresses I have made to thee in this my distress not as men naturally do by instinct of fear and grief but of faith and hope Lord therefore hear me praying in spirit and grant my groans and what thou hast or shalt command me I will gratuitously observe and by thy grace make good my word 146 It was thou alone that I put my confidence and hope in in this my need do not therefore deceive thy servant nor frustrate my expectations but according to thy promise and my dependance preserve and deliver me into a free and comfortable condition wherein I may be able as well as willing to do those things which are held forth in thy word to be thy will and pleasure 147 Night nor day have I ceased to solicit thee my first thoughts are upon thee I no sooner wake but my heart fals to work and before I can see I am bespeaking thee in prayer for delay does not abate but sharpen the edge of my hope in thy promise and faithfulness 148 Yea early and late do I give my self to meditation and faithful consideration of thy word for to strengthen and direct me consulting it at all times about all things to be ruled by it 149 Let me prevail not Lord for my merits but for thy grace sake which I have ever in mine eye both as thy word specifies it and thy works have allwayes manifested it to the faithful Let my soul be evermore upheld in lively hope and expectation by the faith of thy respective righteousness of justice and mercie to me and mine enemies and let me effectually be delivered by it 150 I am sharply assaulted and sorely pursued by mischievous minded men void of all conscience to mine exceeding great hazard such as greedily covet to do evil but are far from the thoughts or care of well-doing diametrically opposite in their wayes to thy word have no fear of God before their eyes 151 Blessed be thy name though they persecute me and seemingly indanger me yet art thou as near to help as they to hurt and thou wouldest not have commanded me thy faithful people so often in thy word to believe in thee wait for thee and not to turn aside from thee to false refuges and unjustifiable courses but that in faithfulness thou wilt protect and preserve them that do so not let them be disappointed by so doing 152 For thine injunctions of that nature they are as true and stable many as firmly be believed in as thou thy self have been in all ages experimentally approved so to thy Church are so to be to thy people for ever grace salvation shall allwayes be their portion Resh The 20 letter of the Hebrew Alphabet signifying the 20 part 153 Lord consider mine affliction according to the nature and pressure of it which thou knowest is grievous and let it move thee in compassion and mercie to deliver me out of it as thou hast promised For for all my distemperature I carefully and conscionably bear in mind both for my supportation and direction what thy word the rule of my life and foundation of my faith exhibites to walk thereafter not fearing God the less for fear of men 154 Thou knowest the goodness of my cause mine innocencie and the solitarie helplesness of my condition how all is against me and none for me doing me all manner of wrong in word and deed so that I have none to flie but thee and accordingly do I make mine humble address to thy justice and mercie to undertake and ingage for me against mine enemies maintain defend and deliver me and it from my wrong doers chear up my heart in thy promises concerning it and set me free from this impendent death and destruction as thou hast promised 155 I know thee too righteous to patronize mine enemies and their cause against me or mine thou wilt not let me perish and them prosper but contrarily I know and am confident such wicked wretches are so far from being saved and preserved by thee as that they shall be destroyed for they are under no promise judgement belongs to them who neither care to know nor do what thou hast commanded 156 Though mine afflictions be great and sorrows manifold yet thy mercies are so too wherewith thou tenderly compassionates thy people under wrongful sufferance O Lord therefore chear up my heart in the hopeful expectation of thy righteous power and goodness and faithfully fulfil it in my actual deliverance 157 I have had asmuch provocation to sin and temptation to diffidence as can well be imagined considering my manifold dangers by open and secret enemies and my wrongful injurious usages by word and deed of my many slanderous bloudy-minded persecutours Yet do I keep faith and a good conscience obey thy word and will for all that 158 Mine enemies and wrong-doers did not onely trouble me as to my self but it sadded me exceedingly for thee to see thee so contemned and thy word which should be a Law to them so despised by them walking quite contrarie 159 Hereby thou mayest perceive the dear affection I bear to thy word and will revealed in it I beseech thee take notice of it in way of gracious remuneration and Lord encourage me to hope and do thou fulfill all that in thy loving kindness and grace thou hast promised to those that do so
shall have no more power to hurt thee through his gracious providence and protection over thee than a worm under thy feet 7 Fear neither less nor more great nor small for God shall certainly protect thee as well from one evil as another especially thy soul whether respecting life temporal or eternal shall have a special guard fear that least because as it is most of wroth in it self so also in Gods esteem and valuation 8 God is every where in all places at all times thou needest not put cases of fear and doubt to thy self of this though not that may befal me and then though not now for whatsoever thou doest and whither ever thou goest God is with thee and it and will ever be so to keep thee from evil and bless thee with good and to prosper thee in all thy wayes of well-doing believe it stedfastly and live comfortably in the faith thereof The cxxii PSALM David overjoyed to see the universal concord and conformitie in his people for the bringing the Ark to Ierusalem and worshipping the Lord there as God had appointed the more to sharpen them to it and ingratiate it to them highly commends the prerogative of that place and that people by reason of it and therefore exhorts them not to degenerate but in love and zeal still to labour and pray for the happiness of it promising happiness to those that do so and so does he himself and shews the reasons why See the title of the 120 Psalm the Authors name superadded here 1 HOw infinitly did it rejoyce me to hear and see such an universal unanimity in my people Israel to submit to and approve of the transportation and fixing the Ark and sanctuarie in Jerusalem where God had appointed it with desire and forwardness to worship God there without the least scruple or question 2 Saying amongst themselves with rejoycing now is the time and Jerusalem is the place that God will fulfil his promise by giving his Ark a settled condition which hitherto hath moved and removed from place to place and together with his Ark his Church and people Israel who have been both for worship and Government in an unsetled and various state but now shall there be an happie establishment as both Christ and the Church by Christ shall have at his glorifying 3 And indeed a blessed and desireable place Jerusalem is exceeding lovely for uniformitie of structure order in Government and harmonie of hearts and affections in the inhabitants towards the true worship of the onely true God stately and strong both in men and materials sweetly composed and well compact a Citie specially blessed of God to represent the happie condition of his Church both under Christ on earth united by faith in him their head and with Christ in heaven 4 It is the most beautiful place of the world and enriched with the most singular and Divine priviledges of any on earth being a resemblance of heaven it self and the Church both there and here for as thither the twelve tribes of Israel a chosen generation out of the whole world do congregate and ascend to the mount of God solemnly to worship him before the Ark the testimonie of his covenant and presence with his people so shall his elect the Church of the first born all the world over be gathered to Jesus and ascend into the heavenly Jerusalem evermore to praise him in that general assembly the celestial Quire of innumerable Angels and spirits of just men made perfect Yea by spirit and faith they shall meet in one bodie mystical on earth and with raised affections worship one God in Christ that blessed Emmanuel the mediatour of the new testament upon mount Sion in spiritual Jerusalem the Church that Citie of the living God 5 And as Christs Priestly office is established and clearly held forth in the sanctuarie-worship in Jerusalem so also is his Kingly in those thrones of honour and justice civil and ecclesiastical erected and perpetuated there in the royal line of David his posterity Kings of Judah the figure and progenitours of Christ according to the flesh as is his tribunal in heaven where he hath dominion over his Church and the whole world and from whence he shall come to judge all flesh at the latter day 6 Many are the enemies of this flourishing Citie Jerusalem as shall be to the Church yea all the world is against it and the worship and Government that is in it but yet we need not fear for God is for it able to preserve it in peace and prosperitie maugre all its adversaries if our sins and carnal presumption do not indispose him to it Therefore all ye Israelites specially ye that with a spiritual understanding are inlightned to know the worth and excellencie of the place which is in the world as the sun is in the firmament mystically comprehending all that Divine light and life that the sun of righteousness the Messiah shall illuminate the world withall when he comes to save his Church as Gods High-priest and take possession of his Kingdom as King of Kings and Lord of Lords do you serve the Lord and seek to him for the continuation of his grace and favour to it and his blessing upon it that it may be evermore happie with his love and presence and as a consequent thereof have rest and quiet from its enemies And of this be confident that they that thus for Christ and religion sake under that notion and relation sincerely love pray for and endeavour the happiness of it shall how ever it may suffer by other mens sins and formal hypocrisies within the pale or without by external violence of Gentile enemies be themselves happie and blessedly rewarded of God with grace peace and protection in their own particulars 7 It is and shall be my heartie prayer that the Lord will preserve thee as from outward forrain enemies so also from intestine civil broils and disunions in peace unanimity and concord within thy self as the Church shall be in heaven and ought to be on earth as one so at one under their one and onely head the Lord Christ. And that the throne of David his royal seed successours over his people Israel here in Jerusalem may successively flourish in peace and prosperitie and by the blessing and favour of God be established in judgement and righteousness there administred in honourable equipage as shall the Prince of peace Christ Jesus the righteous his throne and dominion over his Church be for ever in heaven 8 Nor am I a self-seeker in my well-wishes to this place no the Lord can witness for me that I desire the good and happiness of all the faithful yea of all Israel as mine own who to me are as dear as my nearest kindred and acquaintance by that relation natural and civil that God hath given me to them knowing right well that in the peace and
long together upon a people of so great provocations did he destroy potent Princes and Kings that were famous warriours by them a wayfaring people as Sihon King of the Amorites Og the Giant King of Bashan who opposed them and so utterly subdued them as that in stead of leave to pass he gave livery and seisin of all they had to his people Israel whose sword and service he made use of against them and well rewarded their labour and travel making them conquerours and heirs of the conquered both beyond and on this side Jordan in Canaan whose lands they have to this day and where they are to serve and worship him mercie gave it and mercie hath continued it our sins could neither hinder the getting nor the keeping it because though sin breaks on our part yet grace keeps covenant on Gods part thank and admire the God of so rich infinite and everlasting mercie in all and every passage from first to last of his dispensations and Israels provocations 23 Indeed we cannot say that ever his mercie failed us he remembred us many and many a time when we forgot our selves towards him giving us the inheritance of that mercie he long since passed over by Indenture and covenant to our fore-fathers insomuch as our extremitie was but his opportunitie alwayes when our miseries and dangers were greatest mercie and deliverance was nearest 24 Yea he hath redeemed us from our enemies with the bloud and slaughter of them when but for mercie we had been slaughtered by them or been perpetual bond-men to them and that many a time with successive deliverances by never-failing mercies 25 Nor do his people onely thus fare the better for his mercie but for their sakes all creatures living do so too his covenant of grace made everlastingly with his Church in special hath influence upon the creation in general the world subsists by it and for it and all flesh living is plentifully provided for with suitable and seasonable food by reason of it temporal benefits are bestowed on the Churches enemies for the Churches sake and on those out of covenant because of the covenant and them it pertains to according as he promised to Abraham saying In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed 26 You therefore that have such priviledges to be the Lords adopted heirs of the covenant covenant-mercies do not you degenerate own this God for your God that hath thus owned us by his special mercies for his peculiar people even the onely true God whose throne is in the heavens no vain earthly Idol give as is due praise and thanks to him for his mercie and especially for that it is made over to you and all the faithfull Israel by a covenant of grace as unchangeable and everlasting as God himself The cxxxvii PSALM The Psalmist in the name of the whole Church led captive into the empire of Babylon and Iudah and Ierusalem miserably destroyed shews their behaviour there how uncomfortable their condition was that could joy in nothing derided in captivitie with the very worship of God their glorie which notwithstanding they resolve to glorie in and in nothing comparably He praies and prophecies against Edom and Babylon that they may be rewarded as they have done and deserve 1 WHen the Lord brought that great judgement upon Judah the ruin of all at once by the Babylonian who destroyed many and carried the rest captive when in that condition we were far advanced into that Kingdom and from our own countrey the solitarie consideration of it seized sadly upon us no earthly nor pleasurable improvements here could give allay to our sorrows but with restless repose we sate down as the rest did by those pleasant rivers where notwithstanding we were capable of no content or refreshing except it were by venting of our grief in tears which whilest they rejoyced we shed abundantly at our rememberance of so unvaluable a loss as is Sion to be driven from the enjoyment of God and his worship there and to leave it in that desolate estate which no earthly felicities could recompence 2 Whereupon though the Priests and Levites in the midst of that general plunder and devastation in their zeal to the memorie of Gods worship in the Temple preserved their instruments and carried them as fellow-mourners into captivitie with themselves thinking to mitigate and mixe their sorrows with some musical refreshings yet when at leasurable times and delectable places by clear streams under cool shades they were invited to it their hearts misgave their fingers failed them sorrow so overwhelmed their spirits that it put all out of tune them and their instruments which in the condition and place they were in they as useless hung by untuned and unstrung upon the willows their grief encreasing by their sight in stead of lessening by their use when they apprehended them and themselves joyntly and totally captived in the midst of their mortal enemies far from Jerusalem which too was left as desolate as themselves were disconsolate 3 And the rather for that the Babylonians insultingly called to us to sing and be merrie laughing at the miserie they had brought us into being now their prisoners far from home in their own countrey having laid ours quite wast and with deriding insolence commanded us to prophane the worship of God which we were wont solemnly to celebrate in his Temple upon Sion by making them merrie with one of those sacred songs 4 But we took courage and disdained to do it at their command though in that condition resolving to expose our selves rather than Gods sacred service to heathenish derâ—sion and therefore made answer Though we are your prisoners yet we are servants to the Lord our God and must obey him before you who hath commanded those songs you require to be sung in a sacred manner to him onely and in the place appointed by him his Temple in Jerusalem and not to be prophaned to any other use in any other place nor were it lawful are we in a condition to sing that are as you see such sad spectacles of miserie and misfortune in a strange place and captives to a strange people that understand not our language much less our musical ditties 5 If any worldly contentment whatsoever burie in me who personate in that I speak Gods faithful servants Priests and Levites uttering their thoughts the sad rememberance of the Churches desolations that my grief for thee O Jerusalem that was wont to afford such sacred solace in Gods worship now under scorn and derision be not ever in my thoughts above pleasing my self or others let me forfeit the priviledge of that gift and honour God hath given me of celebrating his divine praise and worship let mine hand fail to do its duty when I fail of mine to thee and all my skill forsake me If I abuse or use it to any other purpose than God
Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers took counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying 3 Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us 4 He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure 6 Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion 7 I will declare the decree the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my Son this day hâ—ve I begotten thee 8 Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel 10 Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth 11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling 12 Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him Psalm 3. A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son 1 LOrd how are they encreased that trouble meâ— many are they that rise up against me 2 Many there be which say of my soul There is no help for him in God Selah 3 But thou O Lord art a shield for me my glory and the lifter up of my head 4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill Selah 5 I laid me down and slept I awaked for the Lord sustained me 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about 7 Arise O Lord save me O my God for thou hast smitten all â—ine enemies upon the cheek bone thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly 8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord thy blessing is upon thy people Selah Psalm 4. To the chief musician on Neginoth A Psalm of David 1 HEar when I call O God of my righteousness thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress have mercie upon me and hear my prayer 2 O ye sons of men how long will ye turn my glorie into shame how long will ye love vanitie and seek after leasing Selah 3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself the Lord will hear when I call unto him 4 Stand in aw and sin not commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still Selah 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the Lord. 6 There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us 7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased 8 I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord onely makest me dwel in safetie Psalm 5. To the chief musician upon Neginoth A Psalm of David 1 GIve ear to my words O Lord consider my meditations 2 Hearken unto the voice of my crie my King and my God for unto thee will I pray 3 My voyce shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up 4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquitie 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing the Lord will abhor the bloudie and deceitful man 7 But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercie and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy Temple 8 Lead me O Lord in thy righteousness because of mine enemies make thy way straight before my face 9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth their inward part is very wickedness their throat is an open sepulchre they flatter with their tongue 10 Destroy thou them O God let them fall by their own counsels cast them out in the multitude of their transgressioâ—s for thy have rebelled against thee 11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest him let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee 12 For thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield To the chief musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith A Psalm of David 1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure 2 Have mercie upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed 3 My soul is also soar vexed but thou O Lord how long 4 Return O Lord deliver my soul o save me for thy mercie sake 5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks 6 I am wearie with my groaning all the night make I my bed to swim I water my couch with my tears 7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief it waxeth old because of all mine enemies 8 Depart from me all ye workers of iniquitie for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping 9 The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receive my prayer 10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed let them return and be ashamed suddenly Psalm 7. Shiggaion of David which he sang unto the Lord concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite 1 O Lord my God in thee do I put my trust save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me 2 Lest he tear my soul like a Lion renting it in pieces while there is none to deliver 3 O Lord my God if I have done this if there be iniquitie in my hands 4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me Yea I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemie 5 Let the enemie persecute my soul and take it yea let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honour in the dust Selah 6 Arise O Lord in thine aâ—ger lift up thy self because of the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the judgement that thou hast commanded 7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about for their sakes therefore return thou â—e high 8 The Lord shall â—udge the people â—udge me O Lord according to my righteousness and according to mine integritie that is in me 9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end but establish the just â—or the righteous God trieth the heaâ—rs and reins 10 My defence is of God which saveth the upright in heart 11 God judgeth the righteous and God is angrie with the wicked every day 12 If he turn not he will wheâ— his sword he hath bent
his bow and made it readie 13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors 14 Behold he travelleth with iniquitie and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falshood 15 He made a pit and digged it and is fallen into the ditch which he made 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head and his violent dealing shall come upon his own pate 17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousnes and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high Psalm 8. To the chief musician upon Gittith A Psalm of David 1 O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the earth who hast set thy glory above the Heavens 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thineâ— enemies that thou mightest still thâ— enemie and the avenger 3 When I consider thy Heavens the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Starrs which thou hast ordained 4 What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels hast crowned him with glory and honour 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet 7 All sheep and Oxen yea and the beasts of the field 8 The fowl of the aire and the fish of the sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea 9 O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth Psalm 9. To the chief musiciâ—n upon Muth-labben A Psalm of David 1 I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will shew forth all thy marvellous works 2 I will be glad and rejoyce in thee I will sing praise to thy name O thou most high 3 When mine enemies are turned back they shall fall and perish at thy presence 4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause thou â—atest in the throne judgeing right 5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen thou hast destroied the wicked thou hast put out their name for ever and ever 6 O thou enemy destructions are come to a perpetual end and thou hast destroied cities their memory is perished with them 7 But the Lord shall endure for ever he hath prepared his throne for judgement 8 And he shall judge the world in righteousnesse he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness 9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in times of trouble 10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee 11 Sing praises to the Lord which dwelleth in Sion declare among the people his doings 12 When he maketh inquisition for blood he remembreth them he forgetteth not the cry of the humble 13 Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death 14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Sion I will rejoyce in thy salvation 15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made in the net which they hid is their own foot taken 16 The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah 17 The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God 18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten the exspectation of the poor shall not perish for ever 19 Arise O Lord let not man prevail let the heathen be judged in thy sight 20 Put them in fear O Lord that the nations may know themselves to be but men Selah Psalm 10. 1 WHy standest thou afar of O Lord why hidest thou thy self in times of trouble 2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined 3 For the wicked boasteth of his hearts desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth 4 The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts 5 His ways are always grievous thy judgements are far above out of his sight 6 He hath said in his heart I shall not be moved for I shall never be in adversity 7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud under his tongue is mischief and vanitie 8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages in the secret places doth he murder the innocent his eyes are privily â—et against the poor 9 He lieth in wait secretly as a Lion in his den he lieth in wait to catch the poor he doth catâ—h the poor when he draweth him into his net 10 He croucheth and humbleth himself that the poor may fall by his strong ones 11 He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it 12 Arise O Lord O God lift up thine hand forget not the humble 13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God he hath said in his heart Thou wilt not require it 14 Thou hast seen it for thoâ— beholdest mischief and spite to require it with thy hand the poor committeth himself unto thee thou art the â—eâ—per of the fatherless 15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man seek out his wickâ—dness till thou find none 16 The Lord is King for ever and ever the heathen are perished out of his land 17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear 18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed that the man of the earth may no more oppress Psalm xi To the chief musician A Psalm of David 1 IN the Lord put â— my trust how say ye to my soul flee as a bird to your mountain 2 For lo the wicked bend their bow they make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart 3 If the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do 4 The Lord is in his holy temple the Lords throne is in heaven his eyes behold his eye lids trie the children of men 5 The Lord trieth the righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth 6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousnes his countenanâ—e doth behold the upright Psalm xii To the chief musician upon Sheminith A Psalm of David 1 HElp Lord for the godly man ceaseth for the faithful fail from among the children oâ— men 2 They speak vanitie every one with hiâ— neighbour with flattering lips and witâ— a double heart 〈◊〉 they speak 3 The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips and
was wroth 8 There went up a smoak out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals were kindled by it 9 He bowed the heavens also came down and darkness was under his feet 10 And he rode upon a cherub and did flie yea he did flie upon the wings of the wind 11 He made darkness his secret place his pavilion â—round about him were dark watters and thick clouds of the skies 12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed hail-stones and coals of fire 13 The Lord also thundred in the heavens and the highest gave his voice hailstones coals of fire 14 Yea he sent out his arrows and scattered them and be shot out lightnings discomfited them 15 Then the chanels of waters were seen and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke O Lord at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils 16 He sent from above he took me he drew me out of many waters 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy and from them whiâ—h hated me for they were too strong for me 18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity but the Lord was my stay 19 He brought me forth also into a large place he delivered me because he delighted in me 20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hand hath he recompâ—nced me 21 For I have kept the wayes of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God 22 For all his judgements were before me and I did not put away his statutes from me 23 I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity 24 Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands in his eye-sight 25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful with an upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright 26 With the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure and with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward 27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people but wilt bring down high looks 28 For thou wilt light my candle the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness 29 For by thee I have run through a troupâ— and by my God have I leaped over a wall 30 As for God his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tried he is a buckler to all those that trust in him 31 For who is God save the Lord or who is a rock save our God 32 It is God that girdeâ—h me with strength and maketh my way perfect 33 He maketh my feet like hindes feet setteth me upon my high plaâ—es 34 He teacheth my hands to warre so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms 35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation and thy right hand hath holden me up thy gentleness hath made me great 36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me that my feet did not slip 37 I have pursued mine enemies and overtaken them nâ—ither did I turn again till they were consumed 38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise they are fallen under my feet 39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto battel thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me 40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies that I might destroy them that hate me 41 They cried but there was none to save them even unto the Lord but he answered them not 42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets 43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people and thou hast made me the head of the heathen a people whom I have not known shall serve me 44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me the strangers shall submit themselves unto me 45 The strangers shall fade away and be afraid out of their close places 46 The Lord liveth blessed be my rock and let the God of my salvation be exalted 47 It is God that avengeth me and subdueth the people under me 48 He delivereth me from mine enemies yea thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me thou hast delivered me from the violent man 49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee O Lord among the heathen and sing pâ—aiâ—â—â—â— unto thy name 50 Great deliverance giveth he to his King and sheweth mercy to his annointed to David and to his seed for evermore Psalm 19. To the chief musician A Psalm of David 1 THe heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work 2 Day unto day uttereth speech night unto night sheweth knowledg 3 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard 4 Their line is gone out throughout all the earth and their words to the end of the world in them hath he set a Tabernacle for the sun 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoyceth as a strong man to run a â—ace 6 His going forth is from the end of the Heaven and his circuit unto the ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof 7 The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple 8 The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes 9 The fear of the Lord is clean enduring for ever the iudgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether 10 More to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also then honey and the honey-comb 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned and in keeping of them there is great reward 12 Who can understand his errours cleanse thou me from secret faults 13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sâ—â—s let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer Psalm xx To the chief musician A Psalm of David 1 THe Lord bear thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Jacob defend thee 2 Send thee help from the sanctuarie and strengthen thee out of Sion 3 Remember all thy offerings and accept thy burnt sacrifice Selah 4 Grant thee according to thine own heart and fulfil all thy counsel 5 We will rejoyce in thy salvation and in the name of our God we will set up our banners the Lord fulfil all thy petitions 6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his annointed he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his â—ight hand 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God 8 They
counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance 13 The Lord looketh from heaven he beholdeth all the sons of men 14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth 15 He fashioneth their hearts alike he considereth all their works 16 There is no King saved by the multitude of an host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength 17 An horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength 18 Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy 19 To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine 20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord he is our help and our shield 21 For our heart shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy name 22 Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee Psalm xxxiv A Psalm of David when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech who drove him away and he departed 1 I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth 2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad 3 O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together 4 I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears 5 They looked unto him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed 6 This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles 7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them 8 O tast see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him 9 O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him 10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing 11 Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is he that desireth life and loveth many dayes that he may see good 13 Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile 14 Depart from evil and do good seek peace and pursue it 15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry 16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth 17 The righteous cry the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles 18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all 20 He keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken 21 Evil shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate 22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Psalm xxxv A Psalm of David 1 PLead my cause O Lord with them that strive with me fight against them that fight against me 2 Take hold of shield and buckler stand up for mine help 3 Draw out also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute me say unto my soul I am thy salvation 4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul let them be turned back brought to confusion that devise my hurt 5 Let them be as chaff bâ—fore the wind and let the Angel of the Lord chase them 6 Let their way be dark and slippery and let the Angel of the Lord persebute them 7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit which without cause they have digged for my soul. 8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares and let his net that he hath hid catch himself into that very destruction let him fall 9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord it shall rejoyce in his salvation 10 All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him 11 False witnesses did rise up they laid to my charge things that I knew not 12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. 13 But as for me when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth I humbled my soul with fasting and my prayer returned into mine own bosome 14 I behaved my self as though he had been my friend or brother I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother 15 But in mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together yea the abjects gathered themselves together against me and I know it not they did tear me and ceased not 16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth 17 Lord how long wilt thou look on rescue my soul from their destructions my darling from the lions 18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation I will praise thee among much people 19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoyce over me neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause 20 For they speak not peace but they devise deceitâ—ul matters against them that are quiet in the land 21 Yea they opened their mouth wide against me and said Aha aha our eye hath seen it 22 This thou hast seen O Lord keep not silence O Lord be not far from me 23 Stir up thy self awake to my judgement even unto my cause my God and my Lord. 24 Judge me O Lord my God according to thy righteousness and let them not rejoyce over me 25 Let them not say in their hearts Ah so would we have it let them not say we have swallowed him up 26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoyce at mine hurt let them be clothed with shame dishonour that magnifie themselves against me 27 Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause yea let them say continually Let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant 28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long Psalm xxxvi To the chief musician A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord. 1 THe transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyeâ— 2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes until his iniquity be found to be hateful 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity deceit he hath left off to be wise and to do good 4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed he setteth himself in a way that is not
reâ—uge and my fortress my God in him will I trust 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snâ—re of the fowler anâ— from the noysom pestilence 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust his trust shall be thy shield and buckler 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh ie darkness nor for thâ— destruction that wasteth at noon-day 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee 8 Onely with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked 9 Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge even the most high thy habitation 10 There shall no evil befall thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling 11 For he shall give his Angelâ— charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands least thou dash thy foot against a stone 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder the young lion the dragon shalt thou trample under feet 14 Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him I will set him on high because he hath known my name 15 He shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and honour him 16 With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation Psalm cxii A Psalm or song for the Sabbath-day 1 IT is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord to sing praises unto thy name O most high 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning thy faithfulness every night 3 Upon an instrument of ten strings upon the Psaltery upon the harp with a solemn â—ound 4 For thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work I will triumph in the works of thy hands 5 O Lord how great art thy works and thy thoughts are very deep 6 A bruitish man knoweth not neither doth a fool understand this 7 When the wicked spring as the grass and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroied for ever 8 But thou Lord art most high for evermore 9 For lo thine enemies O Lord for lo thine enemies shall perish all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered 10 But my horn shall thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn I shall be anointed with fresh oyl 11 Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me 12 The righteous shall flourish like the Palm-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon 13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing 15 To shew that the Lord is upright he is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in him Psalm cxiii 1 THe Lord reigneth he is clothed with majesty the Lord is clothed with strength wherewith he hath girded himself the world also is established that it cannot be moved 2 Thy throne is established of old thou art from everlasting 3 The flouds have lifted up O Lord the flouds have lifted up their voice the flouds lift up their waves 4 The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters yea than the mighty waves of the sea 5 Thy testimonies are very sure holines becometh thine house O Lord for ever Psalm xciv 1 O Lord God to to whom vengeance belongeth O God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy self 2 Lift up thy self thou Judge of the earth â—ender a reward to the proud 3 Lord how long shall the wicked how long shall the wicked triumph 4 How shall they utter and speak hard things and all the workers of iniquitie boast themselves 5 They break in pieces thy people O Lord and afflict thine heritage 6 They slay the widow and the stranger and murther the fatherless 7 Yet they say The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it 8 Understand ye bruitish among the people and ye fools when will ye be wise 9 He that planted the ear shall he not hear he that formed the eye shall he not see 10 He that chastiseth the heathen shall not he correct he that teacheth man knowledge shall not he know 11 The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanitie 12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy law 13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversitie untill the pit be digged for the wicked 14 For the Lord will not cast off his people neither will he forsake his inheritance 15 But judgement shall return unto righteousness and the upright in heart shall follow it 16 Who will rise up for me against the evil doers or who will stand with me against the workers of iniquitie 17 Unless the Lord had been my help my soul had dwelt in silence 18 When I said my foot slippeth Thy mercie O Lord held me up 19 In the multitude of the thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. 20 Shall the throne of iniquitie have fellowship with thee which frameth mischief by a law 21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous condemn the innocent bloud 22 But the Lord is my defence and my God is the rock of my refuge 23 And he shall bring upon them their own iniquitie and shall cut them off in their own wickednes yea the Lord our God shall cut them off Psalm xcv 1 O Come let us â—ing unto the Lord let us make a joyfull noise to the rock of our salvation 2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyfull noise unto him with Psalms 3 For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all Gods 4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth the strength of the hils is his also 5 The sea is his and he made it and his hands formed the drie land 6 O come let us worship bow down let us kneel before the Lord our maker 7 For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand to day if you will hear his voice 8 Harden not your heart as in the provocation and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness 9 When your fathers tempted me proved me and saw my works 10 Fourty years long was I grieved with this generation and said It is a people that do erre in their heart and they have not known my ways 11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest Psalm xcvi 1 O Sing unto the
presence of the God of Jacob. 8 Which turned the rock into a standing water the flint into a fountain of waters Psalm cxv 1 NOt unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truths sake 2 Wherefore should the heathen say where 〈◊〉 now their God 3 But our God is in the heavens he hath done whatsoever he pleased 4 Their Idols are silver and gold the work of mens hands 5 They have mouths but they speak not eyes have they but they see not 6 They have ears but they hear not noses have they but they smell not 7 They have hands but they handle not feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through their throat 8 They that make them are like unto them so is every one that trusteth in them 9 O Israel trust thou in the Lord he is thy help and thy shield 10 O house of Aaron trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield 11 Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield 12 The Lord hath been mindfull of us he will bless us he will bless the house of Israel he will bless the house of Aaron 13 He will bless them that fear the Lord both small and great 14 The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children 15 You are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth 16 The heaven even the heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the children of men 17 The dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into silence 18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore Praise the Lord. 1 I Love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications 2 Because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live 3 The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of hell-gate hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow 4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my Soul 5 Gracious is the Lord and righteousâ— yea our God is merciful 6 The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me 7 Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee 8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling 9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living 10 I believed therefore have I spoken I was greatly afflicted 11 I said in my hast All men are liars 12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me 13 I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. 14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints 16 Oh Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds 17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanks-giving will call upon the name of the Lord. 18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people 19 In the courts of the Lords house in the middest of thee O Jerusalem praise yâ— the Lord. Psalm cxvii 1 O Praise the Lord all ye nations praise him all ye people 2 For his merciful kindness is great towards us and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxviii 1 O Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good because his mercie endureth for ever 2 Let Israel now say that his mercie endureth for ever 3 Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercie endureth for ever 4 Let them now that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever 5 I called upon the Lord in distress the Lord answered me and set me in a large place 6 The Lord is on my side I will not fâ—ar what can man do unto me 7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me 8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man 9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in Princeâ— 10 All nations compassed me about but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them 11 They compassed me about yea they compassed me about but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them 12 They compassed me about like bees they are quenched as the fire of thorns for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them 13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me 14 The Lord is my strength and song and is become my saltion 15 The voyce of rejoycing and salvation is in the Tabernacles of the righteous the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly 16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly 17 I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. 18 The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not given me over unto death 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness I will go in to them I will praise the Lord. 20 This gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter 21 I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation 22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner 23 This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes 24 This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it 25 Save now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperitie 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. 27 God is the Lord which hath shewed us light bind the sacrifice with cords even unto the horns of the Altar 28 Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God I will exalt thee 29 O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercie endureth for ever Aleph 1 BLessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart 3 They also do no iniquity they walk in his wayes 4 Thâ—u hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently 5 O that my wayeâ— were directed to keep thy statutes 6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandments 7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgements 8 I will keep thy statutes O forsake me not utterly Beth. 9 Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word 10
help me 176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant for I do not forget thy commandments A song of degrees Psalm cxx 1 IN my distress I cried unto the Lord and he heard me 2 Deliver my Soul O Lord from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue 3 What shall be given unto thee or what shall be done unto thee thou false tongue 4 Sharp arrows of the mightie with coals of juniper 5 Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar 6 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace 7 I am for peace but when I speak they are for war Psalm cxxi A song of degrees 1 I Will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help 2 My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven earth 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved he that keepeth thee will not slamber 4 Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep 5 The Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day nor the moon by night 7 The Lord shall reserve thee from all evil he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and even for evermore Psalm cxxii A song of degrees of David 1 I Was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord. 2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates O Jerusalem 3 Jerusalem is builded as a Citie that is compact together 4 Whither the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord unto the testimonie of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. 5 For there are set thrones of judgement the thrones of the house of David 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee 7 Peace be within thy walls and prosperiâ—ie within thy palaces 8 For my brethren and companions sake I will now say Peace be with thee 9 Because of tâ—e house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good Psalm cxxiii A song of degreeâ— 1 UNto thee lift I up mine eyeâ— O thou that dwellest in the heavens 2 Behoâ—d as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their maiters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercie upon us 3 Have mercie upon us O Lord have mercie upon us for we are exceedingly filled with contempt 4 Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and with the contempt of the proud Psalm cxxiv A song of degrees of David 1 IF it had not been the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say 2 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us 3 Then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us 4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us the stream had gone over our soul. 5 Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. 6 Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth 7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers the snare is broken and we are escaped 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth Psalm cxxv A song of degrees 1 THey that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever 2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever 3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquitie 4 Do good O Lord unto those that be good and to them that are upright in their hearts 5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked wayes the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquitie but peace shall be upon Israel Psalm cxxvi A song of degrees 1 WHen the Lord turned again the captivitie of Sion we were like them that dream 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter our toÌ„gue with singing then said they among the heathen the Lord hath done great things for them 3 The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad 4 Turn again our captivity O Lord as the streams in the south 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth hearing pretious seed shall doubtless â—ome again wiâ—h reioycing bringing his sheaves with him Psalm cxxvii A Song of degrees for or as in the margin of Solomon 1 EXcept the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it except the Lord keep the citie the watchman waketh but in vain 2 It is vain for you to rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrow for so he giveth his beloved sleep 3 Lo children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward 4 As arrows are in the hands of a mighty man so are children of the youth 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate Psalm cxxviii A Song of degrees 1 BLessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his waies 2 〈◊〉 thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee 3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitfull vine by the sides of thine house thy children like olive plants round about thy table 4 Behold that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. 5 The Lord shall bless thee out of Sion and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life 7 Yea thou shalt see thy childrens children and peaâ—e upon Israel Psalm cxxix 1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth may Israel now say 2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth yet they have not prevailed against me 3 The plowers plowed upon my back they made long their furrows 4 The Lord is righteous he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked 5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Sion 6 Let them be as the grass upon the house tops which withereth before it springeth up 7 Wherewith the mowe silieth not his hand nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom 8 Neither do they whiâ—h go by say the blessing of the Lord be upon you we bless you in the name of the Lord. Psalm CXXX A song of degrees 1 OUt of the depths have I cried uno thee O Lord. 2 Lord hear my vioce let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication 3 If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities
places they shall hear my words for they are sweet 7 Our bones are scatterâ—d the graves mouth as whâ—n one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth 8 But mine eyes are unto thee O God the Lord in thee is my trust leave not my soul destitute 9 Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me and the grins of the workers of iniquitie 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets whilest that I withall escape Psalm cxlii Masâ—hil of David a pâ—ayer when he was in the cave 1 I cried unto the Lord with my voice with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication 2 I poured out my complaint before him I shewed before him my trouble 3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me then thou knewest my path in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me 4 I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would know me refuge failed me no man cared for my soul. 5 I cried unto thee O Lord I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living 6 Attend unto my cry for I am brought very low deliver me from my persecutours for they are stronger than I. 7 Bring my soul out of prison that I may praise thy name the righteous shall compass me about for thou shalt deal bountifully with me Psalm cxliii A Psalm of David 1 HEar my prayer O Lord give ear to my supplications in thy faithfulness answer me in thy righteousness 2 And enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified 3 For the enemie hath persecuted my soul he hath smitten my life down to the ground he hath made me to dwell in darkness as those that have been long dead 4 Therefore is my spirit over-whelmed within me my heart within me is desolate 5 I remember the dayes of old I meditate on all thy works I muse on the work of thine hands 6 I stretch forth mine hands unto thee my soul thin steth after thee as a thâ—rsty land Sâ—laâ— 7 Heaâ— me speedily O Lord my spirit saileth hide not thy face from me least I be like unto them that go down into the pit 8 Cause me to heathy loving kindness in the morning for in thee do I trust cause me to know the way wherein I shall walk for I lift up my soul unto thee 9 Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies I flie unto thee to hide me 10 Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy spirit is good lead me in the land of uprightness 11 Quicken me O Lord for thy names sake for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble 12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul for I am thy servant Psalm cxliv. A Psalm of David BLessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight 2 My goodness and my fortress my high tower and my deliverer my shield and he in whom I trust who subdueth my people under me 3 Lord what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou makest account of him 4 Man is like to vanitie his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away 5 Bow thy heavenâ— O Lord and come down touch the mountains and they shall smoke 6 Cast forth lightning and scatter them shoot out thine arrows destroy them 7 Send thine hand from above rid me and deliver me out of great waters from the hand of strange children 8 Whose mouth speaketh vanitie and their right hand is a right hand of falshood 9 I will sing a new song unto thee O God upon a â—saltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee 10 It is he that giveth salvation unto Kings who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword 11 Rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children whose mouth speaketh vanity and their right hand is a right hand of falshood 12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth that our daugâ—ters may be as corner stones polished after the similitude of a palace 13 That our garners may be full affording all manner of store that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets 14 That our oxen may be strong to labour that there be no breaking in nor going out that there be no complaining in our streets 15 Happy is that people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Psalm cxlv Davids Psalm of praise 1 I Will extol thee my God O King and I will bless thy name for ever and ever 2 Every day will I bless thee and I will praise thy name for ever and ever 3 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable 4 One generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mightie acts 5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy Majestie and of thy wonderous works 6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts and will declare thy greatness 7 They shall abundantly utter the memorie of thy great goodness and shall sing of thy righteousness 8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercie 9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works 10 All thy works shall praise thee O Lord and the saints shall bless thee 11 They shall speak of the glorie of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power 12 To make known to the sons of men his mightie acts and the glorious Majestie of his Kingdom 13 Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations 14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall raiseth up all those that be bowed down 15 The eyes of all wait upon thee and and thou givest them their meat in due season 16 Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing 17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works 18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth 19 He 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 that fear 〈…〉 will hâ—ar their crie and will save them 20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him but all the wicked will he destroy 21 My mouth â—hall speak the praise of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever Psalm cxlvi 1 PRaise ye the Lord praise the Lord O my soul. 2 While I live will I praise the Lord I will sing praise unto my God while I have any being 3 Put not your trâ—st in Princes nor in the son of men in whom there is no help 4 His breath goeth forth be returneth to this
earth in that very day his thoughts perish 5 Happie is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God 6 Which made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is which keepeth trust for ever 7 Which executeth judgement for the oppressed whiâ—h givâ—th food to the hungry the Lord looseth the prisoners 8 The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down the Lord loveth the righteous 9 The Lord preserveth the strangers he relieveth the fatherless and widow but the way of the wicked he turneth it upâ—side do 〈◊〉 10 The Lord shall reign for ever even thy God O Sion unto all generations Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxlvii 1 PRaise ye the Lord for it is good to sing praises unto our God for it is pleasant and praise is coâ—ly 2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem he gathereth together the out-casts of Israel 3 He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds 4 He telleth the number of the stars he calleth them all by their names 5 Great is our Lord and of great power his understanding is infinite 6 The Lord lifteth up the meek he casteth the wicked down to the ground 7 Sings unto the Lord with thanks-giving sing praise upon the harp unto our God 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds who prepareth rain for the earth who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains 9 He giveth to the beast his food and to the young ravens which crie 10 He delighteth not in the strenght of horse he taketh not pleasure in the leggs of a man 11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercie 12 Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Sion 13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates he hath blessed thy children within thee 14 He maketh peace in thy borders and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat 15 He sendeth forth his commandement upon earth his word runneth very swiftly 16 He giveth snow like wooll he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes 17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels who can stand before his cold 18 He sendeth out his word and meltâ—th them he causeth his wind to blow and the waters flow 19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes his judgements unto Israel 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not known them Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxlviii 1 PRaise ye the Lord praise ye the Lord from the heavens praise him in the heights 2 Praise ye him all his Angels praise ye him all his hosts 3 Praise ye him sun and moon praise ye him all ye stars of light 4 Praise him ye heavens of heavens ye waters that be above the heavens 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded they were created 6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever he hath made a decree which shall not pass 7 Praise the lord from the earth ye dragons all deeps 8 Fire hail snow and vapour stormy wind fulfilling his word 9 Mountains and all hils fruitful trees and all Cedars 10 Beasts and aâ— cattel creeping things and flying fowl 11 Kings of the earth and all people Princes all Judges of the earth 12 Both young men and maidens old men and children 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is excellent his glorie is above the earth and heaven 14 He also exalteth the horn of his people the praise of all his saints even of the children of Israel a people near unto him Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cxlix 1 PRaise ye the Lord sing unto Lord a new the song and his praise in the congregation of saints 2 Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Sion be joyfull in their King 3 Let them praise his nâ—me in the dance let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp 4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meek with salvatâ—â—â— 5 Let the saints be joyful in glorie let them sing aloud upon their beds 6 Let the high praiseâ— of God be in their mouth and a two edged sword in their hand 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishments upon the people 8 To bind their Kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron 9 To execute upon them the judgement written this honour have all his saints Praise ye the Lord. Psalm cl 1 PRaise ye the Lord praise God in his sanctuary praise him in the firmament of his power 2 Praise him for his mightie acts praise him according to his excellent greatness 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet praise him with the psaltery and harp 4 Praise him with the timbrel dance praiâ—e him with the stringed instruments and organs 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals praise him upon the high sounding cymbals 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
to procure it when it is utterly of it self helpless and at anothers finding this doth most convincingly testifie to thy praise thy power and providence in despight of all wicked and ungodly Atheists that list not to acknowledg thee and stops the mouth of the most perverse and devillish-minded caviller against thee whilst they must needs see thy great power and as great goodness whereof themselves have shared in putting that instinct into little children to provide for themselves and that power in nature to accommodate their need with food suting their weak estates and that love and pity in parents to understand their meaning by instinct 3 When for my part I take view and seriously consider that wonderfull workmanship of thine the Heavens with their infinite height and vast extent and the world of great and weighty Clouds that pass and repass therein and those foresaid Lights of Moon and Starres which thou hast appointed to move in their courses and appear in their Seasons and to give Light and influence down below 4 It maks me thankfully acknowledg and wonder at that great goodness thou hast shewed to man above all how unsensible soever others are of it whom thou madest out of dust and clay that thou shouldest set so much by him as to create and ordain such things for his use and shouldest further have such continuall regard to him that is of such ill desert by sin and so little worth by nature frail and mortall subject to generation and corruption as to exercise such a daily care and providence over him from first to last and to redeem him out of his lost estate by taking his nature 5 For notwithstanding all these superexcellent and permanent creatures yet hast thou given him and renewed unto him the principal place in the order of creation next the Angels honouring him with a greater dominion and likeness to thy self in heavenly and angelical qualities than any thing but they and made him capable of that celestial and everlasting glory and happiness which they enjoy with thee by the redemption which thou hast afforded him in Christ who himself became lower than the Angels by suffering in our nature that he might invest him with a title to heaven and the glory and happiness that is there which in virtue of his resurrection he is already possessed of for him 6 And restore him again to his dominion over the creature having as at first put the rule of all terrestriall things into his hands though they were made by thee and not by him and hast subordinated every creature to his use and regiment 7 The multitude of sheep and neat that are every where in the world yea both tame and wild beasts are subjugated to his dominion and ordained for his service 8 The fowl that flee above him yet are subjected under him and the fish that inhabit the great vast and deep seas and live and move there invisibly to man are yet ordained for him and subordinated to him 9 O Lord whom we must needs acknowledge to be Lord over us though thou hast made us Lords over all its admirable to consider how many wayes and in how many and sundry things thy wisdom power providence greatness and goodness excels towards mankind by what thou hast provided for him and doest bestow upon him furnishing every place both above and below throughout the whole world with infinite store and variety of all good creatures for his sake Ninth PSALM David breaks out into a joyful and faithful praising of God for his many wonderful deliverances his enemies overthrows and his executing judgement according to the justness of his cause and his enemies wickedness shewing his adversaries by the success the difference between their trust and his and the different judgement that righteousness and unrighteousness shall ever have from God encouraging all Gods people to take notice of what he hath done for him thereby to strengthen their faith for themselves He praiseth the Lord and excites others to it who when the time cometh will punish the oppressor and right the oppressed And after praises given for former victories having further need of his help because of more enemies he praies him still to be his deliverer that still he may have farther matter of praise and rejoycing in him Stirring up all men to take notice of the admirable defeats God hath given to his wicked enemies and that so all the Churches enemies shall be served Concluding with prayer to God not to suffer himself to be wounded in his honour through his sides by his proud enemies To him that is most skilful upon the instrument Muth-labben so called some conceive from the victory he had in the duel fought with Goliah to which this Psalm is chiefly set do I David that made it recommend it for the care and ordering of it in the Quire 1 O Lord I have often praied to thee and alwaies sped so well as that now I will praise thee with as good a heart and will as ever I praied unto thee for my preservation in my greatest danger and will let the world know what wonderfull things thou hast done for me from time to time by dedicating a Psalm of praise to thee for them 2 I will wonderfully chear up my heart in the apprehensions of thy favour to me so amply manifested and will with publick praises glorifie thy power and goodness which have appeared in thy marvellous works O God of infinite might and Majesty 3 Mine enemies though they vex me sore and persecute me long yet when the time comes that thou wilt foil them then they shall be able to make no resistance but in thy just displeasure shall certeinly come to nought 4 As hath been already made apparent for maugre their power and malice thou hast still hitherto maintained and manifested my title to the Kingdom to be just my cause to be honest by thy righteous judgements whereby thou hast made it appear more than once that thou art and wilt prove thy self a righteous judge 5 Thou hast punished all that were against me whether they were my heathen and forraign enemies that knew less what they did yet they have smarted for it or my wicked countreymen and domestick foes who should have had more understanding them therefore hast thou quite destroied and divested of all their power and authority and cut of all title to the throne of Israel from them and their posterity for ever 6 O thou mine implacable enemy that wouldest never be reconciled till thou wast ruined which now thou art and all thy destructive plots and practises with thee never to trouble me more Both themselves and the great Cities and Fortresses they builded for to establish their dominion and eternize their name hast thou Lord destroied and caused them and their memorials to perish for ever 7 But the Lord who is my city of refuge abides for