is a happy man Now whether he speaks of That is of compassionate bowels and applies the following particulars to the poor and needy or to the man that considers him Interpreters are doubtful the particular comforts are six 1. The Lord will deliver him in time â—f trouble Ver. 2 2. The Lord will preserve him that he faint not in his great troubles The particulars of his blessing 3. The Lord will keep him alive prolong his life and dayes 4. He shall be blessed upon earth God shall enrich him and bless his substance 5. Thou wilt not deliver him to the will of his enemies never to their will to their full desire though sometimes into their hands 6. The Lord will strengthen him upon the Bed of languishing Ver. 3 Thou wilt make his Bed in his sickness He shall have comfort in his grief and assurance of Gods favour in his sick Bed Now before he enters upon the second part The second part He petitions for mercy the complaint of the unkindness of men to him he offers a short ejaculation to God begging mercy health and pardon which he asks upon confession of his sins health he asks first for his soul that being healed from sin he doubts not it would go well with his body 1. Ver. 4 I said the Lord be merciful to me merciful to my sin 2. Heal my soul in which there is yet the sense of thy wrath 3. He complains of others malice And the Reason is because I have sinned against thee And the complaint of himself being ended he complains of others 1. Of their hatred and malice My enemies speak evil of me 2. Ver. 5 Of their cruelty they long for my death they say When shall he dye and his name perish 2 Cruelty They would have no memory left behind of me 3. 3 Perfidiousness Their perfidious dealing and dissimulation They come indeed to visit me but it is to fish what they can from me Ver. 6 to make their advantage of it If he comes to see me he speaks vanity all vain and feigned words for his heart gathereth iniquity to it self fraudulently searcheth my counsels for presently being gone abroad he openeth and tells all to my hurt 4. 4 Conspiracies Of their plots and conspiracies All that hate me whisper together against me Ver. 7 against me do they devise my hurt 5. 5 Joy at his miseries Their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exultation at his misery An evil disease say they cleaveth unto him and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more 6. 6 Of a perfidious friend Of the perfidiousness of some particular friend perhaps Achitophel Yea mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath lift up his heel against me I fed and fatted the Beast and he kicked at me And then he prayes The third part He prayes to God to raise him But thou O Lord be merciful unto me and raise me up which prayer he enforceth by these Reasons 1. That thereby as a King he should have power to do justice on Traytors That I may requite them 2. Ver. 10 By this he should have experience of Gods favour By this I know thou favourest me c. 3. Ver. 11 This will be a testimony unto me that thou favourest not only my person but my cause Ver. 12 As for me thou upholdest me in my integrity and seâ—tâ—st me before thy face for ever Then he closeth the Psalm with a Benedictus And concludes with a Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting Ver. 13 Amen Amen The Prayer collected out of the forty first Psalm O Merciful God Ver. 1 who shewedst compassion toward the compassionate and hast promised mercy to those who are merciful so stir my bowels within me that I may rejoyce with thy servants that rejoyce and mourn with those that mourn never let me behold any of thy servants in want distress misery and affliction but let me consider it seriously and wisely lay it to heart make his my own case and chearfully afford him that help and comfort which I would expect and desire my self if it should please thée to visit me with the same or the like affliction This very day is a day of blackness and heaviness of gloominess and sad affliction unto thy servants and Lord out of a fellow-feeling I lay it to heart I pray not for my self alone but for them also O Lord deliver them in this time of trouble preserve them and kéep them that they fall not into evil nor faint not under their pressures Ver. 2 Prolong their dayes that they may sée thy revenge upon their enemies and bless to them good God that little substance which the spoiler and destroyer hath yet left to them The malice of their enmies is unsatiable their desire is to root them out that they may be no more a people O never deliver them to their will nor leave them in their hands into which thou hast now brought them for some reasons best known to thée When thou shalt cast any of these upon his sick bed then stand by him and strengthen him and comfort him though his body languish yet let thy consolations refresh his soul if it so séems good to thée make him whole again however soften under him his Bed ease his pain and let him rest swéetly and quietly in thy arms Make thou for him his Bed in all his sickness Lord be merciful unto him heal his soul and let it not be wounded with a desperate sense of thy hot displeasure As thou hast made him an object of pity to us so make him an object of mercy to thée and in confessing his sin let him find ease and assurance of pardon Thou Lord knowest our enemies how many they are and how they bear a tyrannous hate against us they speak evil of us they imprecate evil against us The prolongation of our life is an eye-fore to them and the lengthning of our dayes a corrosive to their hearts They long for our death and wish the abolition of our names and memory from under Heaven They may come indéed sometimes to visit us and insinuate themselves into our company but it is not out of any good will for even then they lay snares for us The kind words they use are full of falshood and dissimulation their intent is thereby to dive into the counsels of our hearts that they make some narrative to our destruction They whisper and lay their heads together with one consent all that they devise is to do us mischief under their power and command they have brought us and now that we are down their plot is that we never rise again Yea and how many of us may justly say which is a great corrosive to our souls My own familiar friends whom I trusted which did eat of my bread whom I have fed at my Table
mighty King of Kings and Lord of Lords by whom Kings and Princes decree justice Ver. 1 that especially which thou requirest of thy Vicegerents on earth is That they shew Mercy and execute Judgement that they extend acts of Grace and Charity toward the good and to be a terror to evil doers Come Ver. 2 Lord unto me with thy aid and Spirit for without thy help I am not able to do any duty and make me first to reform my self and my house Cause me to walk wisely with zeal and prudence in a perfect way Give me power to walk constantly and with delight in my own family with a perfect heart Ver. 3 that I may be a pattern of good works unto all within my house an example of piety religion iustice and charity to all about me Slip Lord and fall I may but it shall not be willingly and maliciously for I will set no wicked thing before my eyes that I should be tempted thereby Thou Lord hast hitherto put into my heart a hatred of the works of them that turn aside Ver. 4 and gracious God continue in me that hatred still for so I am sure that nor the Wedge of Gold nor the Babylonish Garment shall cleave to my fingers Give me so much courage O Lord as to execute judgement upon the wicked Ver. 5 and so much charity as to extend mercy to the good Let my justice be so exemplar that every man of a crooked and perverse froward heart be afraid of me and depart from me let me never know countenance or shew the least friendship to a wicked person Embolden me to cut off every one that privily slandereth his neighbour Ver. 7 As for the men who shew the pride of their heart with the rowling of their eyes and for such who have a heart so full swoln with ambition and covetousness that nothing can satisfie suffer me not to have any familiarity with them not so much as to admit them to my Table Thou knowest O Lord how full the world now is of fraudulent persons and men of lying lips make my sevetity so awful and my authority so reverential that he that works deceit do not dare to dwell stay and remain within my house and he that tells lyes be afraid to tarry in my sight As on the contrary move me to discern Ver. 6 and to be favourable is all those who are faithful in the Land men of truth and trust let my eyes be bent upon them to do them good these let me call from all places to dwell with me and if there be any that walk in a perfect way bring him to be my servant my Counsellor my bosome-friend Iustice and Religion are the Pillars of any Kingdom and at this time the foundations of the earth be out of course make me to beat up the Pillars of it Write the book of thy Law within my heart and let the advancement of true Religion be my chiefest care Ver. 8 After let me carry so great a love to justice that the wicked of the Land be by me early and speedily destroyed and all wicked doers be unrooted and cut off from the City of my God This is a City of Saints far far be removed from it all yride and covetousness all fraud and lying all Idolatry and false worship all impiety and injustice Let righteousness flourish in the Gates and piety in the Temples thereof and holiness shew it self in the lives of the Citizens to the glory of thy Holy name and the salvation of our poor souls through Iesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen PSAL. CII The Title of this Psalm is A Prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and poureth out his complaint before God It is by the Church chosen for one of the Penitentials IT seems to me to be composed by the Prophet to be a form of prayer to be used by the faithful Jews in the time of their Captivity at Babylon For in it is expressed the sad condition they were then in in the person of an afflicted man the present state of Religion under the desolation of the Temple which the Prophet laments and yet again comforts himself and his people upon the consideration of Gods Eternity and Immutability and that therefore he will perform his promise have mercy on Sion build again the Temple restore them again to their own Land in which they should quietly and happily dwell This no question is the literal sense of the Psalm but it cannot be doubted but the Prophet had a farther intent in it For the faithful among the Jews knew that the Restitution of Solomons Templâ— was but a Type of that Temple which the Messiah would build up of living stones and inhabit by his Spirit This then they prayed for and for the erection of it when they prayed for the re-edification of the other as appears by very many passages in this Psalm Two General parts there are of this Psalm 1. A description of the Calamity of the Church under the person of an afflicted man from vers 1. to 12. 2. The comfort yet she took in these Calamities and the ground of it from vers 12. to 28. 1. The whole is formed into a prayer A Prayer The first part which is proposed in the two first verses and an earnest motion made for audience 1. Ver. 1 Hear my prayer O Lord and let my cry come unto thee 2. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble encline thine ear to me In which he complains and shewes his sad condition in the day when I call answer me speedily 2. And he presseth his prayer by way of complaint shewing many wayes what a heavy case he was in 1. Ver. 3 By a consumption of his strength 1. My dayes are consumed as smoke In many respects which though it swells into the air in a great thick body yet it is suddenly dispersed and vanisheth 2. And my bones which are as it were the pillars of this house my body are burnt and dryed up 1 A Consumption as it were an hearth or the stones of the hearth which the fire by continuance burns out 3. My heart is smitten and withered like grass that either cut down withers to hay or standing is burnt up by the scorching heat of the Sun 4. To this pass I am come that I can take no sustenance I forget to eat my bread 2. From his continual weeping and pining away By reason of the voice of my groaning 2 Grief my bones cleave to my skin 3. From his Solitude He was deserted of his friends Clausa fides miseris 3 Solitude I am become like a Pellican in the Wilderness I am become like an Owle in the Desert Solitary Birds 4. 4 Watching From his continual watchings I watch and am as a sparrow alone on the house top As Moller observes this kind of bird impatientissime viduitatem ferunt 5.
shall my prayer prevent thée Lord why castest thou out my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to dye yea from my youth up thy terrours have I suffered with a troubled mind thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy displeasure hath cut me off This is the desire of my enemies Ver. 7 among whom I daily live who insult over me for my sins and labour to draw me to despair of thy mercies these come daily about me like water and compass me about together Oh let not their mischievous imagination prosper left they be too proud never let them cry there there so would we have it But I will praise the Lord for that he hath done I will wait on thy name for thy Saints like it well Ver. 8 therefore all ye workers of iniquity who have temptted me to sin and pressed me to despair Depart from me for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping Ver. 9 the Lord which I repeat with joy and comfort hath heard the voyce of my supplication the Lord hath received and graciously answered my prayer So let thine enemies perish Ver. 10 O Lord so let them be ashamed and suddenly confounded and sore vexed even as many as are adversaries to thy Church and thy Glory Amen PSAL. VII The occasion A slaunder and accusation laid against him by Cush the son of Jemini that he sought to kill Saul from which he frees himself before God THree parts there are of this Psalm 1. His Appeal to God by way of Petition ver 1.2 6. 2. The Reasons of it set down through the whole Psalm 3. The first part Davids Appeal to God by way of petition to which he desires God to be The Doxology or his Thanksgiving ver 17. 1. He begins his Appeal with a Petition for freedom and deliverance from his Persecutors Save me deliver me ver 1. in which he desires God to be 1. Attentive to him first upon the Relation that was betwixt them for he was his Lord his God secondly He trusted in him O Lord my God I trust in thee Ver. 1 ver 1. 2. 1 Attentive 2 Benevolous Benevolous For he was now in danger of death he had 1. Enemies 2. Many Enemies 3. Persecuting Enemies 4. But one above the rest a Lyon who sought first to catch then to tear and rend him to pieces so that if God forsook him he would do it Save me from those that persecute me and deliver me least he catch my soul as a Lyon and tear it in pieces while there is none to deliver ver 2. The second part His reasons of Appeal 2. And then he gives his Reasons why he doth appeal to his God which are his own Innocency and Gods Justice 1. He makes before God a protestation of his Innocency Accused he was 1 His innocency that he lay in wait and plotted for Saul's life and Kingdom but he purgeth himself shews the impossibility of it and that with a fearful imprecation 1. O Lord my God if I have done any such thing as they object Ver. 3. 4. if therâ— be iniquity in my hands if I have rewarded evil tâ— him that was at peace with me ver 3 4. which was indeed an impossible matter And imprecates evil to himself if it were not so for I have deliver'd him that without any cause is my enemy as Saul in the Cave 1 Sam. 24. 2. Upon which he falls to a fearful imprecation to light upon himself if he were any way guilty Then let my enemy persecute my soul and take it Ver. 5 let him tread down my life upon the Earth and lay mine honour in the dust In effect thus then let my enemy have his will upon me take both my life and my honour dearer than my life from me lay all in the dust Kingdom Life Fortunes whatsoever thou hast promised me and I expect 2. And which is the second Reason of his Appeal being thus innocent 2 Gods justice he call to God for justice Arise O Lord in thy anger lift up thy self Ver. 6 because oâ— the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded 1. The rage of my enemies is great 2. The judgment was thine that chose me from my Brethren to be King of thy people Israel Thou commandest Samuel to anoint me Arise thou therefore lift up thy self and awake for me 3. Besides this will be for thy Honour and Eâ—ification of thy Church 3 Gods glory The Congregation of thy people shall compass thee not me about Ver. 7 they will assemble to praise thee for their sakes therefore return thou on High Ascend the Tribunal and do justice Now upon this Argument of Gods justice He stayes upon Gods justice he dwells and insists till the last verse of the Psalm and he implores it upon the ingemination of his own innocency and the impiety of his enemies God the Judge 1. He avows God to be the Judge not of his cause alone but of the whole world The Lord shall judge the people Ver. 8 2. Then he importunes him to do justice to him and to wicked men He implores his justice 1. To him an innocent and upright person 1 To him an innocent Judge me O Lord according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me 2. To the wicked O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end Ve. 9 3. And yet again he prayes over the same thing but not only for himself 2 Upon the wicked In God all the properties of a a good Judge 1. Knowledge 2. Prudence 3. To save but all good men Establish the just and adds his Reason that God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He knows not only the words and deeds but the heart also The righteous Lord trieth the very hearts and reins and therefore fittest to be a Judge in whom is required knowledge and prudence 4. The other two properties of a Judge are to save to punish and the triumph of his faith is that he knows he will do both 1. He will save the just and upright in heart he will judge the righteous Ver. 10 and therefore his defence is in God 2. He will punish the wicked for he is angry with the wicked every day Ver. 11 And yet even to them he shews much clemency and forbearance 4 To punish he stayes for their conversion he whets bends sharpens prepares his instruments of death he cuts them not down shoots not till-there is no remedy 5 Clemency Marry If they will not turn he will whet his Sword Ver. 12 he hath bent his Bowe and made it ready Ver. 13 he hath prepared for him the instruments of death and ordains his Arrows against the Persecutors 5. But mercy shewed unto the wicked it seems will not mend and better him nor Davids innocency But forbearance mends
down Vers. 3 Saul had broken all Leagues and Covenants he had made with him 2 The want of assistance The Priests were slain with the Sword His fortresses taken from him His outward estate destroy'd Laws subverted If he staid perish he must some few righteous men are left But what can the righteous do 2. The second part To these their Arguments and counsel David returns his answer in a sharp reprehension I tell you 1. Davids answer I trust in God In the Lord put I my trust How say you then to my soul Vers. 1 and he gives his Reasons for it from the Sufficiency and Efficiency of God 1 That he trusts in God 1. What say you the foundations are cast down yet I despair not for God is sufficient 1 Who is sufficient 1. Present in his holy Temple He can defend 2. Vers. 4 He is a great King and his Throne is in heaven 3. Nothing is hid from him His eyes behold and his eye-lids try the children of men 4. 2 Just He is a just God which is seen in his proceeding both to just and unjust Vers. 5 1. He tryeth the righteous by a Fatherly and gentle correction 2. But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hates These two last Propositions he expounds per partis and begins with the wicked 1. Vers. 6 Vpon the ungodly he will rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible Tempest For he will punish the wicked this shall be the portion of their cup. 1. Pluet He shall rain upon them when they least think of it even in the midst of their jollity As rain falls on a fair day 2. Or he shall rain down the vengeance when he sees good for it rains not alwayes Though he defers it yet it will rain 3. The punishment comes to their utter subversion as Sodoms fire 4. This is the portion of their cup that which they must expect from him 2. Vers. 7 But he does good to the just For the righteous God loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright And reward the just He bears him good-will and is careful to defend him The Prayer collected out of the eleventh Psalm IT is not unknown to thée O merciful Father to how many dangers to how many enemies thy elect people are exposed Our enemies drive us from our dwellings and say unto our souls Vers. 1 Fly and wander as a bird from hill to hill as Fowlers they pursue us and suffer us in no place to build or to be at rest And when they have chased us from house to home even in this obscure place they give us no respite Vers. 2 but hunt us as a Partridge upon the Mountains they bend their how and make ready their arrow upon the string that when we think least of it Vers. 3 they may privily shoot at the upright in heart To those streits and miseries we are brought that we know not what to do All our fortunes are decay'd all our strong holds taken all outward helps fall us the very foundations of our hope and help is perish'd when that Religion truth and service in which we were wont to glory and rejoice is taken from us Yea those very Leagues Oaths Covenants which they have given us for our security they have null'd and broken off from their necks and cast away thy cords from them O Lord what shall the righteous do what shall he say Vers. 3 whether shall he fly for aid and succovr to whom shall he make his moan when they whose heart is upright and would are unable to help And what have we done that these men should pursue us to take away our lives O Lord thou art my God in thee will I trust who art able to do all things Vers. 1 and wilt never forsake those who hope in thy mercy and relie upon thy word and power And though these present dangers hang over my head yet I will not despair For I know the Lord whom I have believed fits above in Heaven as in a Royal Palace and. Throne and is over and above all Therefore I will not fear though the foundations of the earth be moved despair I will not of help nor depose my expectation of deliverance since his eyes behold from that holy Temple and his eye-lids sée consider try Vers. 5 and judge the doings and sufferings of the children of men Thou Lord knowest how to discern the just from the unjust and to put a difference in their rewards Vers. 6 for thou doest approve try and gently correct the righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence thy soul hates For as the fairest day is overcast with clouds and thunder and lightning suddenly break out from abova and affright and involde the world in an unexpected Tempest So wilt thou O Lord though thou defer thine anger rain down vengeance on the wicked in their greatest jollities when they think not of it and promise to themselves the fairest dayes and are in greatest security Thou wilt cast down snares and take them a sudden fire and brimstone shall destroy them as it did Sodom the storm and tempest of thy fury shall overwhelm them This is the portion this their reward this their lot which thou hast measured to them out of thy cup. But I know thou art in thy Temple Vers. 7 and wilt be present with the just in all his dangers to govern to help to defend to frée him For it is not as men think and as Reason would over-hastily judge the foundations are not overthrown nor all our helps and aids perished For thou O Lord lovest righteousness and thy countenance doth behold the upright A just God thou art and a lover of justice and just men and thou wilt set thy face to do good to those who are upright in thy eyes These thou wilt love their cause thou wilt defend their persons thou wilt protect for the merits of thy dearly beloved Son Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XII The Summe is A prayer of David to God to save and help him and keep him from the deceits and contagion of the wicked of which the world is too full THERE be four parts of this Psalm 1. A Prayer and the reasons of it vers 1 2. 2. A Prophecy of the fall of the wicked or an Imprecation vers 3. whose arrogance he describes vers 4. 3. Gods answer to Davids Petition with a promise full of comfort vers 5. for it is tatified vers 6. 4. A Petitory Conclusion Keep them thy people or a confident affirmation That God will keep them from the contagion of the wicked vers 7. Of which there are too many vers 8. 1. The first part He calls for help His Petition is brief and jaculatory for he breaks upon God with one word Help or Save Lord vers 1. Of which he gives two reasons 1. Vers. 1 1 Because good men are few The
in your hands persecute him and take him for there is none to deliver him But in thee O Lord is my trust be not far from me O my God Vers. 1 12. make haste to my help Deliver me for thy righteousness and cause me to escape Vers. 2 encline thine car unto me and save me Thou art my Rock and my Fortress be thou thâ—n my strong Habitation whereunto I may alway resort Thou hast given a Commandment to save me Deliver me then at this time Vers. 13 out of the hand of the wicked out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt O Lord for thy sake I am become as a prodigious thing unto many Vers. 7 they cast a scornful eye upon me as if I were the off-scouring of the world but thou Lord art my strong helper under whose wing I shall be safe and overcome come those difficulties Vers. 5 which otherwise are inevitable Thou Lord art he alone in whom from my youth to this day I have put my hope By thee I have been upholden from the womb Thou art he that tookest me out of my mothers bowels and ever since by thy miraculous preservation of me hast given me just occasion to praise thee Let then my mouth be fill'd with thy praise and with thy honour all the day long Now also when I am old and gray-headed good Lord forsake me not So shall I praise thee more and more my mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness thy faithfulness in kéeping promises thy justice in punishing wicked men and thy mercy to me in sending salvation at all times Great and wonderful things O Lord are those that thou hast done for me they excéed for number I cannot reach to them for heighth O Lord who is like unto thee If I would declare them and speak of them they are more than I am able to express Yet what I can do I will do I will shew thy strength to this generation and thy power to all them that are yet for to come Though I am a man of a short time and no way eloquent yet I will go in the strength of the Lord God and I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine only O God from my youth thou only hast taught me Many experiences I have had of thy power and justice for thou hast shew'd me great and sore troubles and yet hast quickned me again thou hast brought me within the sight of death and the grave and yet hast recovered me again from the depths of the earth From so great a death thou hast delivered me and I am perswaded that thou wilt yet deliver me nay that thou wilt yet adde this over and above to thy goodness that thou wilt yet increase my greatness and comfort me on every side Thought I am by thy Word assured by thy Spirit that thou wilt not be wanting in thy promise neither then will I be wanting in my thanks As thou wilt be merciful so will I alwayes be thankful I will set forth thy praises with the Psaltery I will sound out thy truth in performing thy promises with instruments of Musick To thee will I sing upon the Harp O my God O thou that art holy and makest Israel to be a holy people Neither will I resound thy honour in a dull and a heavy manner my lips shall clearly express what the instrument darkly brings to the ear and my heart and soul which thou hast redéemed shall exult and rejoice at the honour of thy name And after the Anthymne is ended I will yet praise thee more and more for my tongue all the day long shall be employed in talking and making mention of thy righteousness And all that fear thee shall say Blessed be God who hath confounded and brought to shame all those who study the hurt of his people and the subversion of his Church PSAL. LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID being near his death makes his prayer for his son Solomon that he may be a just peaceable and great King and his Subjects happy under his Government But this is but the shell of the Psalm for the kernel is Christ and his Kingdom under whom righteousness peace and felicity shall flourish and unto whom all Nations shall do homage for ever and ever The parts of the Psalm are 1. The Petition vers 1. 2. The general express of the Qualities of this Kingdom vers 2 3 4. 3. The particular unfolding of these in the effects from vers 4. to 18. 4. The Doxology from vers 18. to 20. 1. The first part He prayes for Solomon David being taught by experience how hard a matter it is to govern a Kingdom well prayes to God for assistance to his son Solomon to whom being to dye he was to leave his Crown and Scepter 1. Give the King thy judgements O Lord Vers. 1 The true knowledge of thy Law This granted the effects will be 2. And thy righteousness to the Kings son That he may not decline to the right or left hand but judge ex aquo bono Administer thy justice Judge for God The second part 2. For then this will follow 1. Justice will flourish in his Kingdom 1 Justice He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgement Vers. 2 2. And peace also and prosperity The Mountains i. e. 2 Peace The chief Magistrates and the little hills the lesser officers Vers. 3 shall bring peace to the people 2. But by righteousness For justice upholds the world Opus justitiae pax 3. And now he proceeds to unfold himself upon the two former generals The third part The effects of justice first of justice then of peace 1. Of justice he assigns two effects 1. The defence of good men He shall judge the poor of the people he shall save the children of the needy Vers. 4 2. The revenge of the ill He shall break in pieces the oppressor 2 Of peace The Consequents of peace are 1. Fear and reverence and the service of God They shall fear thee Vers. 5 as long as the Sun and Moon endures throughout all generations 2. Plenty and abundance Vers. 6 He shall come down as the rain upon mowen grass that causeth it to shoot again and as showers that water the earth 3. Prosperity of good men In his time shall the righteous flourish Vers. 7 and abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth 4. Now he shews the amplitude and greatness of this Kingdom 2 The Amplitude of Solomons or rather of Christs Kingdom which will not be so true of Solomon as of Christ and his Kingdom 1. His Kingdom will be very large He shall have dominion from Sea to Sea and from the river to the ends of the earth 2. His Subjects many some of which shall
of Gods favour A fourth Petition again he presents that he might have a sence and feeling of Gods favour 1. Make thy face to shine upon thy Servant For as the Sun by the intetposition of a cloud is obscured Ver. 7 and by it we are deprived of light and heat So when God doth not help us by his Grace he seems to hide his face upon which there follows a coldness and darkness upon the soul of which David having experience prayes Make thy face to shine for then the contrary effects would follow light and comfort of soul 2. And teach me thy statutes Illuminate me 4. Ver. 8 These Prayers of David testifie how he loved the Law and now he witnesseth the same by his grief He grieves for the wickedness of others his grief for the sins of others to that use he put his tears Rivers of water run down from my eyes because they keep not thy Law The sins of other men may become ours if we mourn not for them 1 Cor. 5.2 Ezek. 9.8 The Prayer O Lord Ver. 1 I never can be satisfied in the contemplation of thy Law in which I find so great depths Mysteries and wonders in few words I find most perfect wisdom and equity contain'd all vertues commanded all vices prohibited all men of all ages and all conditions taught their duties The very entrance into them gives light Ver. 2 and dispels the darkness of error and ignorance the continuance in them gives understanding to the simple who are of an humble spirit and submit and captivate their reason to thy wisdom The proud and malicious thou dost reject and to them the Lamp of thy Law gives no more light than a Candle hid under a Bushel O make me then of an humble spirit teach me to submit my natural and corrupted reason to thy divine revelations never let me think my self so wise in my own eyes that I néed not the teaching of thy Spirit so shall I hope to understand the wonderful things of thy Law Ver. 1 so shall my soul kéep them That I may obtain so great a favour Ver. 3 I have opened my mouth in prayer never did any man that is anhelous and almost stified more labour for breath than I have panted for this grace for I have excéedingly longed and desired to come to a right understanding of thy Commandments Behold I turn my prayer unto thée be thou converted and look upon me Ver. 4 look upon me with the eye of that mercy as thou usest to do upon those that love thy Name and thy Honour deal by me as thou art wont to deal with thy friends and dutiful servants for I desire to be in that number though O Lord I must néeds confess my self to be an unprofitable servant That I may be better hereafter order my steps Ver. 5 dispose and direct all my affections and actions according to the eract rule of thy Word and never permit any iniquity to have the dominion over me Though to my grief it will dwell yet never let it reign in my mortal body or so far dominéer that I obey it in the lusts thereof Ver. 7 I am sensible what a darkness comes over my soul upon thy displeasure and the withdrawing of thy countenance make then thy face to shine upon thy servant that all mists and darkness being dispelled I may be again refreshed and comforted by the bright beams of thy favour and withal teach me thy most just Statutes without the knowledge of which I can expect neither protection from thée nor felicity To with-hold and deter me from my duty to thée I find too many impediments tentations I have from men who scoff and mock at me because I keep thy Law that calumniate and detract from my good name because I adhere to thy Truth that oppress and undo me because I am constant in my obedience to thée O deliver me from the scorns and oppression of man and so being set at liberty I shall more readily and chéerfully keep thy precepts These are bitter enemies to thy truth and sons of Belial they have broke the yoke and cast oft thy bonds and yet for them my soul shall mourn in secret Rivers of water shall run down my eyes because they keep not thy Law Turn Lord even to these if it be thy good pleasure and turn them to thée for they are thy creatures and bear thy Image true it is that they have defaced it by rebellion but thou canst restore it by thy Spirit which if they shall go on to ver and grieve to rebell and provoke while he is at his work then number them to the sword and bow them down to the slaughter because when thou calledst they would not answer when thou spakest they would not hear but continued to do evil before thy eyes and did choose that wherein thou didst not delight Make them know that there is a God in Israel that will avenge his own cause and protect his people and get himself glory upon his enemies But let thy servants sing for joy of heart and rejoice in thy salvation for ever and ever 18. TSADDI IN this Octonary David again commends the Law of God from the Author The Contents from the equity contain'd in it from the purity and perpetuity of it 2. The consideration of which wrought in him zeal and love to it a care to remember it and a joy and delight in it 3. Notwithstanding all opposition 1. Ver. 1 David being rempted to impatience and distrust at the prosperity of the wicked David in trouble comforts himself with Gods justice comforts himself with the consideration of Gods righteous Nature Righteous art thou O Lord Thou alterest not with times thou changest not with persons thou art alwayes unto all the one and the same Righteous God 2. 2 He commends Gods Law as just And just are thy Judgements in giving rewards and distributing punishments righteousness is so essential to thee that thou canst no more defraud the godly of their promised comforts Ver. 2 nor let the wicked go unpunished in their sins than deny thy self to be God which is impossible 2. And from a righteous God hath proceeded a righteous Law For God forbid that the Judge of all the world should do unjustice The Testimonies which thou hast commanded are exceeding righteous and very faithful So that God is not only just in himself and just in his retributions but that very Law which he hath commanded us to keep contains in it exact justice The Laws of men may be unequal but Gods Law hath in it nothing but equity and Truth it gives liberty to no injustice or iniquity 3. Shews his zeal to it Now the first affection that this consideration wrought in David was an ardent zeal it anger'd and griev'd him that so just a God should be dishonored and so just a Law forgotten Ver. 3 1. My zeal hath even consumed me My zeal to thy Law
as some great King in his Throne providing for all the parts of his Empire examining all Causes and doing justice to every one 1. Vers. 13 The Lord looks from heaven and beholds all the sons of men 2. That he sees all From the place of his habitation he looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth Vers. 14 3. And he is not â—â—iosus spectator neither Vers. 15 He sees and considers their hearts their works Considers in what men put their trust And he sees in what they put their confidence in their Armies in theiâ— strength in their Horse not in him But all in vain Vers. 16 For there is no King that can be saved by the multitude of an Hoast Evacuates their designs A mighty man is not delivered by much strength An horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any man by his great strength Multitude strength c. without God are useless 2. Hitherto he hath given a proof of Gods providence toward all men 2 But defends his Church but now he descends to a particular proof of it by his care over his Church which he wonderfully guides defends protects in all dangers and assaults And that notice be taken of it he begins with an Ecce Behold the eye of the Lord his tender'st care is over them that fear him Vers. 18 upon them that hope in his mercy To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine Upon this Gods people The third part The three last verses contain the Acclamation of Gods people who believe and place all their hope and trust in God For being excited as it were by the former Arguments They do three things Vers. 20 1. They express and profess their faith and dependance on God 1 Wait on him Our soul waiteth on God he is our help and our shield Vers. 21 2. They publish upon what hope they are held up and how comforted 2 Publish his name and rejoice in it For our heart shall rejoice in him because we have trusted in his Holy Name Vers. 22 3. Upon this hope they commend themselves by prayer to God 3 Commend themselves to Gods mercy Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee The Prayer collected out of the thirty third Psalm O God thy goodness is so great thy faithfulness so constant thy power so wonderful thy providence so universal but thy care so Fatherly toward thy people that we were unworthy of the least of thy mercies should we not acknowledge them and return thee due honour and thanks For there is nothing in the whole world which doth not witness thée to be a bountiful God Vers. 4 and a most Merciful Father Thy Word O Lord thy Decrée for the Creation and Government of the World is right and equal and all thy works are done in true wisdom righteousness and judgement Vers. 5 For there is nothing that thou hast commanded which is not just Nothing that thou hast promised which thou wilt not make good and bring to pass Out of that love thou bearest to righteousness and judgement the earth is full of thy goodness there being in it nothing so minute and vile which one way or other doth not partake of thy bounty Vers. 6 and commend thy goodness and mercy to us By thy Word alone and sole Command were those incorruptible Orbs of the Heavens made and confirm'd and all the hoast of them that multitude of starres so orderly and beautifully disposed by the breath the word the Fiat of thy mouth Thou hast gather'd together those unruly waters of the Sea into one place and shut them up with bounds and limits that they return not again to cover the earth And thou hast hidden and laid up great streams of waters in the bowels of the earth as in a Treasure-house which at thy pleasure thou bring'st forth to water a thirsty Land He spake and all this was done he commanded and it stood fast For so great is thy power that without any labour without any delay without any help all this was done and that by thy Will and Word only and by thy Word and Will it is that it doth so now continue and remain without dissolution Therefore O ye righteous rejoice in the Lord Praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner Vers. 2 praise therefore a righteous God with an upright heart Neither with your mouth only express his praise but set it forth with musical instruments Praise the Lord with the Harp sing unto him with the Psaltery and an instrument of ten strings And you who have so often sung of his honour now since he hath renew'd his mercies set forth your joy with a New Song play skilfully with a loud voice So set forth his praise his power his wisdom his mercy that all the earth may fear the Lord and the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him For what he hath ordained by his eternal counsel shall be fulfill'd and stand fast for ever and the thoughts of his heart to all generations Since then thou O Jehovah art most just most merciful most Mighty blessed is that Nation who have chosen and worshipped thee O Lord for their God and happy is the people whom thou hast chosen for thine inheritance O make us Lord alwayes of this people that we may be happy under thy protection Dwell in the midst of us and bless us But O Lord bring the counsels of wicked men against this thy people to nought and make the devices of the people of none effect Look down from heaven and behold all the sons of men from the place of thy habitation look upon the inhabitants of the earth Thou searchest the very hearts and reins and knowest all their plots and secret counsels they take against thy people thou séest their preparations and provisions O Lord make them know and so fashion their hearts that they may perceive that all hope and confidence is in vain which is not in thée Because there is no other can save besides thy self For there is no King that can be saved by the multitude of an hoast neither is a mighty man deliver'd by much strength An Horse whether in battle or flight is a vain-deceitful thing to save a man neither shall he deliver his rider by his great strength It is not in these vain helps we put our considence our hope is in thée alone on thée we relie to thée we trust from thée we look for help Let thy eye therefore O Lord be upon us that fear thee who relie not upon any merits and creatures but on thy méer mercy let thy everlasting mercy then follow us and deliver our souls from temporal and eternal death and suffain us with a sufficient livelihood in the time of famine Upon thee O Lord our soul doth wait be our shield to protect us our help to deliver us So shall our heart
the right and strait way we have not forgotten our God nor holden up our hands to any strange god No not when thou hast smitten us in a land of captivity where we converse with Dragons in the shape of men and every hour presents us with the face of death Should any such wickedness be in our hands it could not be hid from thée Thou Lord wouldst search it out for thou knowest the secret of the heart And now Lord what is our hope truly our hope is then in thée Thou art our King O God command deliverance for Jacob Give us power by thée to push down our enemies and through thy Name to tread them down that rise up against us We will not trust in our Bowe neither shall our Sword save us it is thou alone thou alone O Lord who must save us from our enemies who must put them to shame and confusion that hate us At this time we are in great distress Ver. 25 our soul is bowed down to the dust our belly cleaveth to the ground Awake therefore O Lord why sleepest thou arise and cast us not off for ever Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and oppression Arise for us and help us and redeem us for thy mercy sake then in God will we boast all the day long and praise thy Name for ever Ver. 8 Thy mercy will appear to be so wonderful and signal in our delivery that we will give thée perpetual and eternal thanks celebrate and extoll thy loving kindness from Generation to Generation PSAL. XLV An Epithalamium or spiritual Marriage-Song composed for the solemn espousal of Christ and his Church THE Type of the Messiah is Solomon of the Church especially of the Gentiles to be espoused Pharaoh's daughter Three parts there are of the Psalm 1. A Preface v. 1 2. 2. The body of the Psalm containing two commendations 1. Of the Bridegroom from ver 3. to 10. 2. Of the Bride from ver 10. to 18. 3. The Conclusion promissory and laudatory ver ult 1. In the Preface the Prophet commends the Subject he is to treat of The first part The Preface signifying 1. That is a good thing good as speaking of the Son of God Ver. 1 who is the chief good 2. And good for us for upon the Marriage of Christ to his Church depends our good 2. That the Authour of this Psalm and the Subject of it is God He was but the pen the instrument to write it full he was of the Holy Ghost therefore his heart was enditing and his tongue followed the dictate of his heart and presently became the instrument of the ready Writer viz. of the Holy Spirit My tongue is the pen of a ready Writer And so having insinuated into his Auditory 1. The second part By the commendation of the matter of which he is to treat viz. that it is good 2. That it tends to a good end viz. to the honour of the King i. e. Christ the King of his Church He falls upon the main business which hath two particulars 1. He turns his speech to Christ the King The excellency of Christ and commends him for many eminent and excellent endowments never was there such a Spouse 1. For his beauty Thou art fairer than the children of men 2. For his elocution and speech Full of grace are thy lips Ver. 2 3. For his valour and fortitude Gird thee with thy Sword upon thy thigh O most Mighty Ver. 3 4. For his happy success and prosperity in his Kingdom Ver. 4 And in thy Majesty ride on prosperously 5. For his equal administration of his Kingdom in Truth Meekness Righteousness Ride on because of Truth Meekness and Righteousness Ver. 5 6. For his Battels and Conquests Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the Kings enemies Ver. 6 whereby the people shall fall under thee 7. For the stability and eternity of his power Thy Throne O God Ver. 7 is for ever and ever 8. For his justice and equity The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter Thou lovest righteousness and hatest iniquity 9. For the fulness of his gifts and graces superlatively beyond all others Therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladness above thy Fellows 10. For his splendour both in his garments and buildings All thy garments smell of Myrrhe Ver. 8 Cinnamon and Cassia out of the ivory Palaces whereby they have made the glad There is nothing we can call good The commendation of the Church either internally or externally nothing praise-worthy in any Prince that may not be found in this King 2. From the Bridegroom he descends to commend the Bride which is the Catholick Church whom he sets forth 1. By her Attendance 1. No mean persons but Kings daughters and honourable women Ver. 9 2. By her Name Title and Dignity A Queen 3. By her Place On the right hand did stand the Queen 4. By her Attire and Vesture She stood in a vesture of gold of Ophir And in the very midst of this great Encomium His counsel to the Church he breaks off and by an Apostrophe turns his speech to the Church lest she forget her self in the height of her honour giving her this good counsel 1. Ver. 10 O daughter of the most High audi hearken mark what Christ saith 2. Vide look about and consider what is done for thee 3. Incline thine ear and be obedient 4. Forget thine own people and thy fathers house leave all for Christ thy old wayes Ver. 11 thy old opinions deny thy self 5. The consequence Gods favour and good will Reasons to perswade to obedience The consequence of which will be this So shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty ver 11. 6. And there is all the reason in the World that thou hear that thou be obedient and conformable to his Will 1. For first He is the Lord thy God and thou shalt worship him 2. Then again it will redound to thy benefit for thence will accrue unto thee great wealth Ver. 12 Tyre shall bring the purple and rich gifts The daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift and the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour ver 12. The counsel and admonition being ended The second Encomium of the Church he returns again to the Encomium of the Spouse and commends her 1. For her inward vertues and endowments The Kings daughter i. e. the Church Ver. 13 is all glorious within 2. For her externals whether doctrine manners offices which are as it were her cloathing 't is of wrought gold 3. For her Rites and Ceremonies They are as Needle-work of divers colours Ver. 14 in divers Churches 4. Her Maids of Honour Virgins holy and sincere souls men pure in heart in life and doctrine living in every particular Church these her companions shall follow her 1. These from all Nations shall
be brought to thee i. e. the Church 2. Ver. 15 They shall be brought with joy and gladness and enter into the Kings Palace Ver. 16 gladly and willingly they shall enter into his Courts on earth and after be received to a Mansion in Heaven 5. For her fruitfulness Barren she shall not be for she shall have many children The Churches gratitude good children and great for the Fathers the Patriarchs Prophets Priests in the old Law Apostles Evangelists and their Successors in the New that may be made Princes in all Lands her Officers are not contemptible 3. The third part The conclusion which is gratulatory for for this honour the Church would 1. Erect as it were a statue I will make thy Name to be remembred in all Generations 2. Ver. 17 The praise shall be perpetuated Therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever The Prayer collected out of the forty fifth Psalm LET the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart be alwayes acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redéemer Ver. 1 grant that my heart may endite a good matter and make my tongue a ready instrument of thy Spirit nimbly and aptly and solely to express what thou shalt dictate to me of the King of glory O thou wonderful God and Man the Messiah and Saviour of the World Ver. 2 Thou wert fairer in thy conception and more beautiful in thy birth than all the sons of men born we were all in iniquity and in sin our mother conceived us but thou wert holy in and from the womb being fréed and purified by the Holy Ghost from the stain and spots of our original corruption and when thou wast pleased to manifest thy self to the World thy lips were full of grace thy words drop'◠as the honey-comb never man spake like thée never was there such discourses of mercy such calls and offers of love by which thou didst encourage the weary and heavy-laden to come unto thée and we miserable sinners to be reconciled to God for which God hath blessed thee for ever and given thée all power in Heaven and Earth for which we bless thée for ever on Earth and hope to do it in Heaven Now since thou art the Lord of power Gird thy Sword I pray thee Ver. 3 upon thy Thigh O most Mighty conquer and subdue thy enemies whether impious Devils or devilish men take from the one that dominion which they usurp over thy people and bring the other readily and willingly to submit unto thée this will increase thy glory this will improve thy Majesty and Renown Ver. 4 and in thy power prosper and ride on that Truth and Meekness and Righteousness may flourish in thy Kingdom which is easie for thée to do because the right hand of thy power and Divine Omnipotence shall wonderfully teach and direct thée in this work causing thée to the admiration of all not to desist till thou hast obtained an absolute victory and lead in triumph thy enemies Let the words of thy Gospel be sharper than arrows Ver. 5 with a wonderful quickness let them pierce the hearts of many Nations that whereas now they are rebellious and enemies to thy Kingdom they may be wounded to their good that they may fall under thée even at thy foot-stool yield to thy command and be ready to do thy will whose Throne is for ever and ever Ver. 6 and the Scepter of whose Kingdom is a right Scepter Cause them to love that which thou lovest and hate that which thou hatest Thou lovest righteousness make them then in love with equity Ver. 7 thou hatest iniquity cause them to hate all injustice and since thou wast anointed with the oyle of gladness above thy fellows yet for thy fellows anoint also all those that thou hast taken into this fellowship with a fragrant portion of this thy holy oyle that they rejoyce to do thy will Let Kings Daughters noble and princely souls Ver. 9 stand among those thy Saints whom thou hast honoured and brought to thy obedience O let the Queen thy Church whom in mercy and loving-kindness in judgment and justice thou hast espoused to thée stand on thy right hand cloathed in a golden Robe of thy Righteousness O let the smell of their garments be as a Field that the Lord hath blessed Ver. 8 and the swéet of their vertues and graces more odoriferous in thy Nostrils than the perfumes of Myrrhe Cinnamon and Cassia compounded by the skilfullest art of the Apothicary And thou O Daughter so peculiarly beloved and elected by the Messiah consider and encline thine ear attend and give diligent héed what the King shall teach thée concerning the true God and his Service Our eyes are heavy and we cannot sée our ears are deaf and we cannot hear Lord open our eyes that we may sée and say thou Ephatha to our ears that we may hearken and soften our hearts that we may consider of the great honour thou hast done us Teach us to leave father and mother and house and land for thy sake to forget our own people and our fathers house and all that is most dear unto us the bewitching lusts of our own wills and the vanities of our former lewd conversation Enrich our hearts with thy gifts of Grace so shall the King have pleasure in our beauty and we shall acknowledge him for the Lord our God adore fear reverence and worship him Kéep our hearts O Lord in thy fear for then the Nations round about us shall séek and sue to us the Princes of Tyre shall come and bow to us and offer us gifts the rich also among the people shall intreat our favour and desire they may be united to our Communion Adorn us O Lord inwardly with thy Graces and outwardly with an orderly worship and discipline Let our chief glory be that which is within the hid man of the heart and then make us beautiful without in all the ornaments of true Religion vertuous works and Christian lives and over and above in the vestments of outward Ceremonies which are as it were the needle-work and embroydery of Holiness By all which the Virgin-souls of the people may be brought unto thee and accompany us to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven This may move them to enter into the unity of the Church with joy and gladness which is the door of those mansions which thou hast prepared for them in Heaven where they shall enjoy thy sight and thy presence for ever Raise up O Lord our King instead of the fathers of our profession the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles Apostclical men Bishops Pastours and lawful Ministers of thy Word whom thou may'st make Princes to féed and guide to govern and teach thy Church in all lands O Lord thy Mercies are so great and manifold to thy Church that I will make thy name to be remembred in all Generations O let the people praise thee and sing of thy honour for
injustice being grown rich and mighty have not only despoyl'd us of our goods but consin'd our bodies also in darksome dungeons and loathsome prisons The Iron hath entred into our souls Forget not the voice of the insulting enemy The tumultuous and proud attempts of those which rise up and hate thée continually increaseth more and more And thou to whose eyes all things are naked and into whose ears all oppressions enter art not ignorant of it Arise therefore O Lord and plead thine own cause and plead the cause of thy people remember how the foolish people reproacheth thee dayly O let not the oppressed thy poor people that humbly flées to thée for help be ashamed and depart out of thy presence as frustrated of their expectation So shall these poor and néedy and destitute of all humane help being delivered by thy Omnipotent hand and Fatherly goodness praise and magnifie thy name for ever and ever PSAL. LXXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IT is most likely that David composed this Psalm upon his Inauguration or entrance upon the Kingdom and he sets out unto us in it an example of a good King The parts of the Psalm are 1. His Doxology vers 1. repeated vers 9. 2. His profession to perform his Kingly office vers 2 3 10. 3. His rebuke and remove of mistakes in foolish men 1. Partly for their pride when they rise to great places vers 4 5. 2. Partly that they know not whence their preferment comes vers 6 7. 3. And that they judge not rightly of afflictions vers 8. 1. David begins with thanksgiving and he ingeminates it The Doxology The first part that it be often done 1. Unto thee do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks Vers. 1 2. His reason for it is For that thy Name is near thou thy help is at hand for God is near to those that call on him For Gods help and his exaltation to the Kingdom 3. Of which he had experience who beyond all hope and expectation was now exalted to the Kingdom Which he calls here Mirabilia Dei This thy wondrous works declare 2. And next he shews which way he would shew his thankful heart to God for his preferment which was in doing the Office of a good King The second part For which he promiseth When I shall receive the Congregation or when I shall take a set time when the people shall come to me for judgement upon every season and opportunity given 1. I will Judge uprightly Which is the first part of the Kingly Office Vers. 2 2. I will restore and set right what is out of order 1 To judge justly Which is the second part of a Kings duty 1. Now till I came to the Crown the earth 2 To rectifie disorders and all the inhabitants are dissolved Vers. 3 In Sauls reign there was a dissolution in Manners Justice Religion 2. But I bear up the pillars of it Religion and Justice are the pillars that support a Kingdom and David was resolv'd to support them 3. From this profession of his duty he falls upon a Rebuke of foolish men The third part 3. To robuke bad men Which is also the third part of the Kingly Office it being for a Superiour to reprehend in the Inferiour what is amiss And he labours to rectifie in them three mistakes 1. The first was their Pride which caused them to do foolish unjust 1 For their pride imous Acts. Vers. 4 1. I said to the fools so David calls Sauls ambitious arrogant Courtiers Deal not foolishly i. e. impiously unjustly Vers. 5 2. And to the wicked Lift not up your horn Vaunt not of your wealth power c. 3. Lift not up your horn on high Be not over-proud of your place 4. Speak not with a stiff neck Be not Rebellious and Contumacious 2. The second was that they thought their honour came from Saul 2 For ignorance that they knew not the true fountain of honour their wit their good parts and not from God which was indeed the cause of their pride To remove this David tells them who is the fountain of Honour 1. Negatively Not any man in the whole world no Prince in the East none in the West none in the North none in the South 1 Negatively Not man or else the wind blows no man to any high place Vers. 6 No not David himself 2. Positively God is the Judge He humbles he exalts Vers. 7 He puts down one put case Saul and sets up another 2 Positively God me David upon the Throne 3. 3 For their mistake in imputing afflictions to a wrong cause Whereas they are from God The third mistake was about the calamities and afflictions that befall men in this life Impute them they usually do to wrong causes whereas these even these come from God Is there evil in the City and hath not God done it To prove this the Prophet useth an Elegant comparison or Hypotyposis for he likens God to a Master of a Feast who invites and entertains all kind of men at his Table and that hath a Cup of mixt wine in his hand by which he understands the miseries that befall men in this life and God reaching to every one good and bad some portion of this Cup to all some but to all not equally nor yet of the same wine Vers. 8 For mark what David saith 1. Who dispenseth them diversly For in the hand of the Lord there is a Cup. The Cup at his dispose 2. And the wine is red 'T is high colour'd faeculent or troubled wine i. e. afflictions 3. It is full of mixture Not all sour nor all sweet The strength of it is allay'd and temper'd by God that it intoxicate not the head nor produce a feavour there are some waters of comfort mixt with it 4. And he viz. God poureth out of the same some of this mixt wine even to his dearest children For you must drink of the Cup that Christ drank 5. But for the dregs thereof the lees that settles in the bottom of this Cup all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them Because they drink last there is nothing left for them but the dregs of Gods wrath in which there is none of the mixt sweet wine He concludes the Psalm with a double repetition He concludes First Of his thanks Secondly Then of a second protestation of his duty 1. Vers. 9 Thankful he would be But I will declare for ever I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 1 With thanks 2. His Duty as King he would do in both kinds 1. Vers. 10 De bellabo superbos All the horns also of the wicked will I cut off 2 With a manifest of his Duty 2. Parcam subjectis bonis favebo But the horns i. e. power dignity honour of the righteous shall be exalted An intercession out of the
in heaven nor Monarch in earth his Peere For who in the heaven can be compared to thee O Lord Vers. 6 who among the sons of the Mighty i.e. Celestial Spirits can be likened to the Lord Which is so true that the very Angels fear and reverence his Majesty and ought to do it Vers. 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him And because this should be alwayes fix'd in our memory he comes over it again Vers. 8 vers 8. O Lord God of hosts who is strong like unto thee or to thy faithfulness round about thee 2. 2 No such Agent or Governor By his Agency in governing the world as for example First The Sea 1. Thou rulest the raging of the Sea when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them Thou brokest Rahab i. e. the Egyptian Pharaoh in pieces as one that is slain Thou hast scatter'd thine enemies with a strong arm viz. in the Red Sea 2. Heaven and earth The heavens are thine the earth also is thine 3. 3 No Creator but he alone By his Creation of all things As for the world and fulness thereof thou hast founded it The North and South thou hast created them Tabor and Hermon i. e. East and West shall rejoice in thy name And then he concludes this part of the Majesty and Power of God with this Epiphonema Thou hast a mighty arm strong is thy hand and high is thy right-hand 2. 2 The Subject of their praise is also his Attributes The other part of the praise which both the Prophet and the Angels sing to Gods honour is taken from his Attributes summ'd up in the 14. verse Justice and judgement are the habitation of his throne mercy and truth shall go before his face He presents God as a great King sitting in his Throne 1. The Basis of which is Justice and Judgement 2. The Attendants Mercy and Truth 1. Justice which defends his Subjects and does every one right 2. Judgement which restrains Rebels and keeps off injuries 3. Mercy which shews compassion pardons supports the weak 4. Truth that performs whatsoever he promiseth 4. The fourth part And in regard that God is powerful just merciful faithful he takes an occasion to set out the happy condition of Gods people that live under this King Blessed are the people In which rejoicing his people are happy divers wayes that know the joyful Sound do know that God is present with them and his Kingly Majesty is at hand to protect them The phrase is taken from Moses For the Law was given by sound of Trumpet The calling of the Feasts by sound of Trumpet At that sound they removed At that sound they assembled Balaam said Clangor Regis The sound of a King is among them Happy then are the people that know the joyful sound God present their King speaking ruling defending pardoning them That they are Happy the effects do evince which are 1. They shall walk in the light of thy countenance i. e. Though beset with troubles yet they shall walk confidently being assured of Gods favour 2. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day long Their joy is firm 3. In thy righteousness shall they be exalted They shall get a name strength In their Union and Communion with God they shall be happy Confident then joyful and strong they are in all temptations which yet they have not from themselves All is from God For Thou art the glory of their strength and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted Vers. 17 For the Lord is our defence the Holy One of Israel is our King 5. The Doxology being now ended The fifth part The Prophet enlarges himself on the Covenant made with David and the happiness of Gods people expressed and proved the Prophet now enlarges himself upon the Covenant formerly mentioned vers 4 5. exemplified in David but truly verified in Christ Which he continues to the 30 vers 1. Then i. e. when David was chosen to be King and invested with the Regal Robe Vers. 19 2. Thou spakest in Vision to thy Holy One. To Samuel for his anointing And saidst 3. I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people That is David in Type but Christ in the Antitype So explain'd I have found David my servant with my holy Oyle have I anointed him To which there follows the promises made to him The particulars of it 1. For his establishment and confirmation in the Throne With whom my hand shall be established mine arm also shall strengthen him 2. For protection against his enemies The enemy shall not exact upon him nor the son of wickedness afflict him 3. A Conquest over his enemies And will beat down his foes before his face and plague them that hate him 4. And that there be no doubt of the performance of these ample promises nor yet those that follow the Prophet interserts the cause viz. The Faithfulness and Mercy of God In Mercy he said it and it should so come to pass But my Faithfulness and Mercy shall be with him And now he goes on 5. His Horn shall be exalted He shall have as it were the strength of an Unicorn And this his exaltation appears 1. In the dilatation of his Empire I will set his hand also in the Sea and his right hand in the rivers i. e. From the Sea to Euphrates 2 Sam. 8. 2. In the Honour done him to call God Father his God his Rock He shall call me Thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my salvation 3. Then that God asserts and fixes this Prerogative upon him acknowledging him to be his Son his first-born Son Also I will make him my first-born higher than the Kings of the earth 4. In the perpetuity of his Kingdom which is rightly attributed to Gods mercy as vers 25. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him 5. In the promise made to his seed His seed also will I make to endure for ev er and his Throne as the dayes of heaven 6. And next the Prophet puts a Case and answers it The sixth part Object But what if Davids seed prove rebellious But what if Davids seed transgress Gods Covenant break his Laws violate his Statutes become rebels and disobedient will God then keep Covenant with them shall his seed endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of heaven To this doubt God answers from vers 30. to 38. shewing us how Davids seed if they transgress shall be dealt with 1. If his children forsake my Law That is my whole doctrine of Worship Religion Faith c. 2. And walk not in my judgements i. e. in those Laws which set out rewards and punishments 3. If they break my Statutes Those Statutes I have set down for my service
and in Truth according to his Word and Promise He will accept no mans person but render to every man according to his works The Prayer collected out of the ninty sixth Psalm O Merciful Lord so déep is the Sea of thy mercies which hath from everlasting flow'd over unto us and thy dayly favours Vers. 1 2. that thou doest conter upon us that except we will be ungrateful we must sing unto thee a new Song for new blessings and bless thy name for fresh gifts and graces Vers. 5 What is man that thou shouldst be so mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldst regard him Thou who madest the heaven Vers. 4 createdst him after thy own image but he defaced it Vers. 5 Thou who wert to be feared far above all gods gavest him a command to worship and honour thee but he made to himself other gods which indéed were no gods Vers. 4 but petty and ridiculous Deities and cast by thée the great God of heaven and earth a God greatly to be praised a God to be feared above all gods and worshipped the inventions of his own brain and the works of his own hands But all this did not cool thy love nor retard thy mercy even when all the kindreds of the Nations did serve other gods thou sentest them Redemption thou sentest thy Son to be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Great and marvellous are thy works O Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Vers. 2 who ought not to fear thee and glorifie thy Name Warm therefore our cold hearts with thy love that we may shew forth thy Salvation from day to day Vers. 3 Make our flow tongues eloquent and powerful that we may publish this glad-ridings and declare thy glory unto the heathen and thy wonders to all people So resplendent is thy Honour and Majesty so immense thy strength Vers. 6 so illustrious thy beauty that we dust and ashes tremble in our approaches to thee and were it not for those commands thou hast laid upon and invitations and encouragements thou hast given to penitent and believing sinners we durst not presume to tender our selves and our homage before thee Vers. 7 But since thou hast call'd for a gift from us we do fréely give unto thée glory and strength fluce thou doest expect as a due debt glory to thy name we chéerfully give thée glory and proclaim thy name to the whole world The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Offerings we have none that are worthy of thée Vers. 8 yet such as we have we bring we offer unto thée the Sacrifice of a troubled and a contrite spirit we tender unto thée our petitions and thanks upon the Altar of a mortified and broken heart we confess our unworthiness and fast and wéep before thée we come into thy Courts and present what we are able two poor mites soul and body Lord accept of these our offerings for Iesus Christs sake Our desire is to worship thee in the Beauty of Holiness to be holy as thou art holy to be perfect as thou art perfect but being conscious to our selves of the impurity and imperfections of our own hearts and sensible of thy excellencies we step back for very fear and retire for shame Bold and impudent we cannot be in thy presence but we worship thée with trembling spirits and adore with reverence Yet thus much we are and may be bold to proclaim among the heathen The Lord reigneth Vers. 10 Jehovah who is our righteousness is our King long let him reign Vers. 11 for ever let him live Hosannah to the son of David and let all things in heaven and earth say Amen to it Let the Angels and Saints in Heaven rejoice at it Vers. 12 let all men on earth be glad of it let the wicked who are like the troubled Sea will they nill they reare it out let the fulness thereof the impious spirits that move them bow at the Name of Jesus Yea let the wildest tree in the field and wood be brought at last to confess that Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father O thou great King of all the world Vers. 11 to whom all power is given in heaven and earth rule thy people with thy Word and Spirit and judge the adversaries of thy worship and enemies of thy Gospel bear rule and dominion among the heathen that yet have not submitted unto thee let the whole world be established by thy Gospel and thy Laws take place among them and never be removed Lord hasten thy Kingdom and appear in thy glory Even so come Lord Jesus Vers. 13 Come quickly Come to judge the earth seat thy self upon thy Throne and call all the Nations of the world before thee and make it known that thou art not an accepter of any mans person but that thou wilt judge the world with righteousness and the people with thy Truth and that those that have done ill shall go into eternal punishment but the righteous into life eternal Be thou my King O sweet Iesus inform me in thy Law guide and rule me by thy Spirit cause me so to worship and fear thee to offer such spiritual Sacrifices unto thee to give what I owe such glory and honour to thy Name that at thy coming I may be set on thy right-hand and be one of that number to whom thou wilt say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world For thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen PSAL. CXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IN this Psalm David sets forth Gods power and glory and being moved by the Spirit of Prophesie foretels the downfall of Idolators and the happy estate of those who serve God with an honest heart Three parts there are of this Psalm 1. A Prophetical description of Christs power and glory especially at the day of judgement from vers 1. to 7. 2. A manifest difference put betwixt Idolators and the people of God Confusion he imprecates to the first vers 7. And gives notice of the joy of the second with the reasons vers 8 9. 3. He exhorts those that love God to a good life encouraging them upon Gods favour vers 10. And upon the joy that is like to follow it vers 11. for which he stirs them up to rejoice and to be thankful vers 12. He begins with a Solemn Acclamation The Lord reigneth The first part God is the Supreme King being the self-same that he commanded to be proclaimed in the former Psalm vers 10. As if he had said By the coming of Christ the Empire of Death Vers. 1 the Power of the Devil all Oracles are silenc'd and all Idols destroy'd And he will use his Scepter
God in promising and a faithful God in performing thy Holy Covenant that thou hast remembred thy Mercy and Truth toward the house of Israel This is a mercy beyond all mercies and in mercy good Lord continue this mercy unto us Never remove our Candlestick or remove the light of thy Gospel from us And though at this time it be eclipsed and that very justly for our unthankfulness in the use of this light for our undervaluing of it and not rejoicing in it yet we beséech thée upon our contrition and amendment of our lives let it repent thee of the evil that thou hast brought upon thy people and all mists of error and heresie all darkness of prophaneness being dispell'd shew forth the bright beams of thy countenance unto those thousands of Israel who seek and sigh after thy Truth with an honest heart Descend Vers. 9 O Lord descend and with righteousness judge the cause of thy poor afflicted oppressed people in equity raise their grieved souls Let thy Truth flourish the Gospel have a free passage amongst us and bring to a spéedy confusion all that are enemies to thy peace through Iesus Christ our Lord. PSAL. XCIX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Subject matter of this Psalm is the self-same with the former for it sets forth the Glory of Christs Kingdom the Majesty Power and Justice of the King and exhorts all by the example of his former servants to exalt call on him and praise him Two parts of this Psalm 1. A Description of Christs Kingdom 1. From the Majesty and Terrour of it against his enemies ver 1 2 3. 2. From the Equity of it in execution of judgment and justice ver 4. 3. From the King 's Patience and Clemency in giving Audience to his servants 6 7 8. 2. A Demand of praise and honour of all that acknowledge him for their King Psal 93. begun at the third verse repeated at the fifth and continued in the last This is the third time he begins his Hymus with this solemn Acclamation The first part Christ is King The Lord reigneth Jehovah is King And then as is usual in Musick Rests and pauseth as it seems to me after as if he had recovered breath Ver. 1 he sings with full voyce 1. The Terrour Power Glory and Majesty of it He bids the defiance to his enemies and comforts his people 1. He bids a defiance as it were to all his enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irascantur commoveantur fremant populi let the people be angry fret and be unquiet as Psal 2.1 Let the earth that is the Tyrants of the earth be movd at it yet let them know that all their endeavours are but vain For 1. God is present with his Church For 1. He sits between the Cherubims the Cherubims were over the Ark by which was signified the presence of God with his people and they covered the Propiatory and Ark with their wings The sense then is God is alwayes present with his people to them and therefore no fear though the earth be moved Ver. 2 2. The Lord is great in Zion of great power and high above all people 2 He is potent and higher than all people in Majesty Power Wisdom no fear then for this also though the earth be moved 3. His Name is great and terrible Great Ver. 3 and therefore terrible to his enemies for it is holy and therefore venerable In a word 3 His Name great and terrible holy his Regal Majesty and Regal Sanctity is such that he is a most potent and a most just King and therefore no fear yet though the earth be moved rather let them give the praise and honour due unto his Name 2. Our Prophet describes the Kingdom of Christ 4 He is a just King from the justice and equity which is administred in it and thereby moves his not to fear though the earth be moved Ver. 4 1. The Kings strength Hoz heb strength honour dignity authority holiness c. loveth judgment judgeth righteously out of the love he bears to justice not constrained by fear passion or necessity 2. And this he shews by the following Apostrophe in which he thus speaks to the King 1. Thou dost establish equity Confirm and establish just and equal Laws 2. Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob In thy Kingdom thou executest these Laws also justly by punishing sin and rewarding good works of which there be examples in both Testaments for though for a time he suffered the godly to be afflicted and the ungodly to be exalted yet he at last frees his servants and crowns their patience but he falls in fury on the wicked and damns them he punisheth sometimes in this life alwayes in the life to come Upon which the Prophet collects That God is to be adoted to which he earnestly exhorts Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at his Foot-stool for he is holy For this he exhorts us 1. Exalt ye by praising his Majesty with the heart Ver. 5 and magnifying him with your voyce 1 To â—â—alt him 2. 2 To adore before his footstool And worship at his footstool not his footstool as some read it that have a months mind to have Images worshipped In which expression David had an eye to the Ark of the Covenant for so I find it called 1 Chron. 28.2 Lam. 2.1 Toward which the Jews were bound to bow And his intention is that all our approaches and applications to the Lord our God be with the greatest reverence and submission of mind and body that may be All is too little 3. 3 For he or it is Holy For he is Holy or it is holy for the skilful in the Hebrew confess it may be read in either gender Holy the Jews call'd whatsoever was eminent excellent perfect chast entire sincere God then is holy because he is so in himself and his house his Priests his Day c. The Ark his footstool is Holy in relation to him when then we approach to him or any place where he ordinarily shews his presence Holy and Reverent actions and gestures are required of us Take heed to thy feet Prophane not what is holy 3. 5 He is a kind King Hears and grants petitions As is evident The third way by which the Prophet sets out the excellency of Christs Kingdom and the Clemency and Mercifulness of our King is in that he is ready to hear Petitioners and receive Petitions and of an inclinable nature to grant them also for which he brings examples of three illustrious men all eminent in their generations Moses a Prince Aaron a Priest and Samuel a Judge in Israel who all fell down and worshipp'd at his footstool call'd upon and were heard in their intercessions 1. Vers. 6 Moses and Aaron among his Priests The Hebrew word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Moses Aaron alwayes signifies not a Priest but a Prince and
joyful noyse 1 Universally that it be done in gladness and singing 3. 2 Heartily That it be not partial and restrain'd but complete the Copia verborum in which the Exhortation is offer'd 3 Completely shews it Jubilate colite scitote Vers. 2 venite laudate benedicite 4. 4 Sincerely That it be sincere and not feined done as in his eye and presence Vers. 3 5. 5 Knowingly That it ought to be well grounded arise from knowledge Know ye that Vers. 4 6. 6 Thankfully But thanksgiving be a part of it 7. 7 Publickly That it be as oft as occasion is offer'd Publick Enter into his Courts with Thanksgiving 2. The second part The Duty being set down reasons the Prophet sets down also to perswade to it The reasons for it drawn from the Nature of God 2. The benefits he bestows on us 1. First from his Essence Know ye if you know not so much already that the Lord he is God Vers. 3 Other gods there be talk'd on but none True but he 1 He is God Which shewed by his works of And therefore none to be serv'd but he 2. And this he shews himself to be by his work of Nature and Grace upon you 1. 1 Nature or Creation By his work of Nature for he is your Maker It is he that hath made us and not we our selves Parents are said to get chilcren but that ability is from God He makes the barren to bear and to be a joyful Mother of children Thou hast fashioned me in my mothers womb What saith Elkanah Am I in the place of God when his Wife was displeased she had no child 2. 2 Of Grace By his work of Grace For we were out of the fold but he call'd us into it and ever since accounted of us as his people of his pasture He governs us feeds us And that we be yet the more cheerful and ready to perform this duty in the last verse he puts us in mind of three Attributes of God His Mercy his Goodness his Truth for which he is worthy to be praised by us because we the better for them for be cause he is good he hath mercy upon us and because he is merciful 2 He is he promiseth us aid and assistance and because he is faithful and true he will perform it 1. Vers. 5 For the Lord is good O how good to those that are true of heart He is reconcil'd to us 1 A good God pardons our sin justifies us adopts us for his children and that freely without any merit of ours 2. His Mercy is everlasting He is the Father of Mercies 2 Merciful and begets Mercies as oft as we bring forth sins It is the Mercy of the Lord that we are not consumed 3. And his Truth endureth to all generations 3 Faithful For he never made promise but either he hath or will perform it God is not as man that he should lye The Prayer collected out of the one hundred Psalm O Omnipotent and holy God Vers. 1 the excellency and transcendency of thy Nature and those infinite benefits by thy favour conferr'd upon us exact at our hands that we appear in thy presence to celebrate thy name with joy and gladness and enter into thy Gates with thanksgiving and into thy Courts with praise But being conscious to our own unworthiness which ariseth from the thoughts of our manifold transgressions afraid we are that we dust and ashes sinful dust and ashes should take upon us to speak unto our Lord we tremble at thy presence and are ready to sink under thy displeasure If thou Lord should'st be extream to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it Remember yet we are thy creatures and the work of thy own hands Vers. 3 for thou hast made us and not we our selves Remember that when we were not a people worthy of love thou calledst us and madest us thy people when we were clean without the pale that wentest after us and broughtest us home to thy fold and madest us the sheep of thy pasture Give us grace then O thou great Shepherd of our souls that we may lament our unthankfulness and forgetfulness of these favours and the heinousness of our rebellions being removed be reconciled unto us and inable us that instead of a corrupt and impure life we may serve thée in righteousness and holiness all our dayes Of this we have yet some hope because thou art good Vers. 5 thy mercy is everlasting and thy truth endureth from generation to generation from thy goodness procéeds thy mercy and because thou art merciful thou hast made promises to penitent believing sinners and we are assured thou wilt perform them because thou art faithful and true O seal these promises to our disconsolate hearts by the graces of thy Holy Spirit Vers. 2 then we shall be bold to come into thy presence then will we enter into thy Gates with thanksgiving then we will be thankful unto thée and bless thy holy Name We will serve the Lord with gladness and make a joyful noyse to our Lord the God of Jacob for ever Amen Here ends the Third Book of the Psalms according to the Hebrews PSAL. CI. A Psalm of David Didascalicus DAVID being Anointed by Samuel to be King or as most conceive newly made King promiseth and vows to God to reign in Righteousness and Holiness In a word he would so govern Himself his Palace the Church the State that all wicked doers being taken away and all good men countenanc'd by him God should be honour'd and justice peace temperance piety flourish Two parts of the Psalm 1. The Syllabus or brief of the Psalm with the Dedication of it vers 1. 2. The full Explication of what he means by Mercy and Judgement and how practised 1. Toward himself For he shews what his life shall be from vers 2. to 5. 2. Toward ungodly men vers 4 5 7 8. and the end of it vers 8. 3. Toward all good men vers 6. These should be his Counsellors and Servants 1. The sum of the Psalm The first part He Summarily sets down what he will treat of in this Psalm viz. Mercy and Judgement the two great vertues of a King I will sing of mercy and judgement Ver. 1 1. Mercy Judgement which he really vowes Mercy in countenancing giving audience judging for and rewarding the good 2. Judgement in discountenancing punishing and being a terror to evil works and workers And that he would do this really not talk and seem to profess a great love to Mercy and Judgement as Princes use to do when they mean no such matter He makes a Solemn Vow to God to perform it Unto thee O Lord will I sing From thee proceed these gifts to thy honour they shall be referr'd and by me as in thy sight impartially executed This I Vow and Promise to thee 2. The
and full of compassion 1 A gracious God 1. Gracious in doing these works for they came from his meer grace pity and favour 2 Full of compassion and not from any desert of mans 2. And full of compassion Rachum affected with the bowels of a father toward his children The instances of his mercy are gracious in habit compassionate in act Of which the Prophet now descending to particulars gives in several instances gracious and full of compassion he was in that 1. 1 Manna given He hath given meat to them that fear him He nourished his people for forty years in the Wilderness and gave them Manna from Heaven this meat he gave especially to those that fear'd him and for their sakes to others or else the whole Congregation might well be said to fear him because at that time they took him for their God and worshipped him 2. 2 Keeping his Covenant He will be ever mindful of his Covenant which is his second instance A mercy it was to make a Covenant with them but notwithstanding their high provocations to be ever mindful of it and keep it is a higher degree of mercy 3. 3 Doing miracles for them He hath shewed his people the power of his works which is a third instance His works were the turning of Jordan backward the overthrow of Jericho by the sound of Rams Horns the staying of the Sun and Moon in the valley of Ajalon at Joshua's prayer c. All these were works of power which he then shew'd his people 4. 4 Giving them the land of Canaan And these he did That he might give them the heritage of the Heathen which is his fourth instance For who can deny but it was a work of mercy to expel the Canaanites before them and bestow upon his own people their inheritances Now as before he used an Acclamation when he entred upon the works of God in the Creation of the World Ver. 7 and the Conservation and Governance of it The works of the Lord are great honourable glorious So after these instances of his works of mercy lest any man should suspect him unjust in this last instance especially viz. ejecting the Canaanites and giving away their inheritances he aptly interserts this Elogy of them The Elogy of these done 1. Ver. 7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment 1. 1 In verity 2. In judgment The Elgoy of the moral Law Verity these works had truth in them for by it he had made good his promise made to Abraham to give them the land 2. And secondly Judgment for by it his Justice was executed upon Idolaters and profane persons 2. Which shewes unto the whole World that 1. All his Commandments are sure That his Laws 1 It is sure especially that which is Moral are certainly true and that he deceives none in the promulgation of them but that they bring a punishment to the Transgressors and a reward to the Observers of them as it appears by the example of the Canaanites that were ejected for the breach of them Levit. 18.24 c. 2. That these Commands being but the Law of Nature stand fast for ever Ver. 8 2 Eternal that they are indispensable and immutable and for this reason because they are done and established in truth and uprightness containing in them the most absolute Justice Equity Rectitude and Truth that is conceivable 5. The Elogy of Gods Law being ended 5 His last instance of mercy Redemption he at last instances in a work of mercy that exceeds all the rest to wit the work of Redemption of all Mankind by his Son for however it be true of the Redemption of Israel out of Aegypt yet it is better with the Fathers to expound it of that Redemption purchased by Christ of which he saith 1. He sent Redemption i. e. a Redeemer so often promised Ver. 9 so much expected to his people who redeemed them from the power of darkness 2. And with them in him he established an eternal Covenant For he hath commanded this his Covenant for ever which is extant Jer. 31.31 Hebr. 8.8 3. Thus the Prophet having enumerated many of Gods works both of Power The third part For all these his Name to be accounted Wisdom and Mercy concludes the Psalm with three Epiphonema's which shew us the manner how God is to be praised holily reverently fearfully Ver. 9 1. The first Epiphonema is to the Name of God 1 Holy Holy and Reverent is his Name i. e. his Service or any thing whereby he is signified This is 1. Holy It may not then be polluted with a false hypocritical Service the Command being Be ye holy for I am holy 2. Reverent Not then rashly carelesly negligently to be performed 2 Reverent Terrible but with the greatest Reverence that may be Or as some read it Terrible and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God 2. The second Epiphonemn followes upon the other Ver. 10 for if the Name of the Lord be Holy and Reverent then it is wisdom to fear him Wisdom therefore to fear him Now 1. This fear is the beginning of wisdom for then men begin to be wise when they begin to fear God eschew evil and do good and it is best out of filial fear out of love rather than dread of punishment 2. This fear if it be right will be practical And this fear will be practical and this practice will proceed out of science and knowledge of what is to be done all other knowledge is but vain For a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments for to him that knows what is good and doth it not to him it is sin Jam. 4. 3. The third Epiphonema or Acclamation is His praise endureth for ever Hi. praise and fear will continue for ever which some refer to God others to the man that fears God and both are true 1. For the praise of God will and must continue for ever his power his wisdom his mercy is for ever and then his praise must continue for over 2. But if referr'd to the man that fears God then the sense will be that 1. His praise that is the praise with which a man that fears God praiseth him will endure for ever For they that dwell in thy house will be alwayes praising thee Psal 84.4 2. And the praise of him that fears God Or his praise that is the commendation of a good man will be had in everlasting remembrance Psal 112.6 The name of the wicked shall rot but the memorial of the just is blessed Prov. 10.7 The Lord will say to such a man Well done thou good and faithful servant Matth. 25.21 His praise is in this World lasting in the future everlasting The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and eleventh Psalm O Omnipotent most wise and merciful God it is our Duty to
Jerusalem which is above and this is Nazianzenes conceit Junius and Tremellius prefix before these Psalms this Title Canticum excellentissimum it seems to me that their meaning was to affix this commendation that they excel the rest and by some degrees were to be prefer'd For certain it is that in qualities the more intense the quality is the nearer to perfection as we say water that hath seven or eight degrees of heat comes nearer to the true nature of heat than that which hath but two or three when then usually these Psalms were called Psalms of degrees they were pleased to translate it a most excellent Psalm The first Psalm of Degrees being the 120. DAVID being oppressed by the Calumnies and flatteries of Sault Courtiers especially of Doeg composed this Psalm In which he first prayes 2. Then sets forth the mischief of a foul false tongue 3. Complains of his banishment 1. The first part David flyes to God David being in distresse implores not the help of man but of God 1. Ver. 1 When I was in distress I cried to the Lord. He took the best Prayes to be delivered and the right way 2. Ver. 2 And he heard me So he had in all his distresses before and therefore he did believe he would do so now From a false tongue 2. And the Prayer he offered was this O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul 1. From lying lips for from these come detractions calumnies defamations c. false testimonies which are all against the rules of justice and he had reason to pray against these for he was accused for a seditious person a disturber of the peace a traytor to Saul 3. And from a deceitful tongue Which under the colour of friendship coucheth deceit such a one will make you believe he is your friend offer you his service that he may search out your secrets to do a mischif Flattering dissembling fraudulent words you shall have from him There be lying lips without a deceitful tongue For a detractor does his mischief openly a flatterer secretly so that when a deceitful tongue is joyn'd with lying lips The second part the mischief is intolerable 3. Ver. 3 Which David well understanding expostulates with a kind of indignation 1. The miscief of it What shall be given unto thee Or What shall be done unto thee O thou false tongue 2. To which he answers sharp arrows of the mighty with coales of Juniper They that read the words thus conceive the Prophets meaning to be that a false tongue is such a mischief that there cannot be a greater nothing can be added unto it Lingua mali pars pessima servi Which the Prophet amplifies by two similitudes the first is of an arrow sharp and shot by a strong man 2. The second of coals of Juniper 1. Arrows which wound a far off and on such a sudden that it is hard to void them 2. Sharp arrows prepared by the Artificer and such as pierce deep 3. Sharp arrows of the mighty shot by a strong hand and so much the more dangerous 4. With coals they are fiery they burn and destroy as fire as lightning especially when they are instruments of the Devil who hath his fiery darts Ephes 6. 5. With coals of Juniper which of all coals are hottest and keep fire longest they say that they glow within or raked up in ashes keep fire a whole year But these words may be otherwayes read and then the sense will be other What shall the decitful tongue give unto thee or what shall it profit thee Ver. 3 They that calumniate and do wrong to other or moved to it upon some gain The vanity and revenge of it But detractors gain nothing by it but hatred for they make themselves suspected and contemned by wise men nay even odious to them to whom they tell the tale 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What shall it profit thee What nothing But this is not all for Gods vengeance will overtake thee Thy reward is It is the sharp arrows of the mighty man with coals of Juniper 1. The mighty man is God Ver. 4 and he will pursue thee with his sharp arrows of wrath 2. And shall consume thee with eternal fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more hot and lasting than coals of Juniper 3. And now David falls upon his complaint and laments his case The third part To this the best men subject A case to which honest men are subject for the more pious any man is the more subject he is to ill tongues Ver. 5 1. Wo is me that I sojourn in Meshech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar 1. He laments his banishment when he was forced to fly from Saul Sometimes banished to live with wicked people Which was Davids case This he laments and sojourn where he could get a place to abide even among the Syrians Ammonites Philishims and in the Wildernesse to lodge in Tents as did those of Kedar the Arabians 2. These men were inhumane barbarous impious such as were the posterity of Meshech and Ishmael It was then all one to him to live among those he did as to live among them It was a Wo to him to live among so firece a people enemies to piety and civility And amplifies shewing the unquiet nature of his enemies 2. And he amplifies his complaint by the continuance of the evil and expounds in plainer words what he said in the former verse My soul hath long dwelt among them that are enemies to peace Ver. 6 By peace they could not thrive Davids disposition to peace and therefore they hated the very name of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. My disposition is quite contrary to theirs 't is not like then I live a contented life among them 1. I am for peace I am a man of peace Or Pax eram even peace it self 2. But when I speak unto them thereof Ver. 7 they make themselves ready to battel or they are for War As Philip of Macedon said of his Macedonians Illis pacem esse bellum bellum pacem The Prayer out of the one hundred and twentieth Psalm MAny are the afflictions and distresses into which for my sins thou Ver. 1 O Lord hast justly brought me but I murmur not against thy providence I have not despaired nor yet trusted to the arm of flesh for my deliverance but with earnest and servent prayer I have cryed unto thee and thou hast delivered me Of which having had experience and now being oppressed with a heavy misery Ver. 2 I again fly unto thee O Lord deliver my soul that my enemies may not hurt me who with slanderous calumnies and a fraudulent tongue seek to undo me their words are smoother than oyle but they have War in their hearts Ver. 3 These are very swords that wound near at hand and these are as arrows that wound afar off these are shot by the mighty and sharp they are that
under the person of a mighty King in whose Palace all things that may set forth his Majesty To be praised also for his Honour Majesty c. are presented to the eye of the Subject and Strangers Honour Majesty Strength Beauty So saith our Prophet Honour and Majesty are before him Vers. 6 Strength and Beauty are in his Sanctuary God is indeed invisible but his Honour and Majesty his Strength and Beauty may easily be seen in his ordering governing and preserving the whole world and his Church both which may not be unfitly call'd His Sanctuary and the last His Holy Palace Which he moves all Subjects to give their King 3. God he hath proved to be an universal King and now he perswades all his Subjects that is all kindreds of the people or the Families of the Nations to return unto their King his tribute his due their debt to wit his due honour and worship which he comprehends in these words Give bring an offering Vers. 7 worship fear proclaim him to be King 1. Give unto the Lord and again 1 To give him freely Glory and Strength Give unto the Lord Glory and Strength Give freely to him and solely attribute to him the glory of your being and well-being that he made and redeem'd you and that by the strength of his right-hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath pluck'd you out of the hands of your enemies This was the glorious Work of Mercy and Power Sing for this with the Angels Glory be to God on high 2. Give unto the Lord the honour due to his Name Remember 't is a debt Vers. 8 and a debt in equity must be paid And the honour due to his Name 2 The Honour due to his Name is To acknowledge him to be Holy True Just Powerful The Lord the faithful God good merciful long-suffering c. all that was proclaim'd before him Exod. 34.5 6 7. Defraud not his Name of the least Honour 3. 3 To bring him Offerings Bring an offering and come into his Courts Appear not before the Lord empty as the Jews were commanded to which out Prophet alludes They had their Sacrifices and we also have our spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ to bring 1 Pet. 2.5 And these are the Sacrifices of a contrite heart Confession of sin Mortification Prayer Fasting Alms. Bring these when ye come into his Courts into his presence and into his House of Prayer 4. Vers. 9 O worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness They that come into the presence of a King 4 To Adore him presently fall on their knees in token of their submission and homage when you come into the presence of your King do the like Adore 2. And remember to do it in the Beauty of Holiness which if referr'd to the material Temple consider that it is by relation a Holy place 5 In the Beauty of Holiness and should not then be profaned a Beautiful place and should not then be defaced but kept beautiful But if to be referr'd to the Spiritual Temple the Temple of the Holy Ghost that also is to be beautified with Holiness A holy life holy vertues 5. 6 And to do it in fear and reverence Fear before him all the earth Join fear to your Worship for a man may be too bold and saucy in the presence of this King Serve the Lord in fear and rejoice with reverence There is a fear that ariseth out of the apprehension of greatness and excellency in the person together with our dependance on and our subjection to him which both in body and mind makes us step back and keep a distance And this kind of fear causeth and produceth all Acts of Reverence and Adoration and this is it which the Prophet here calls for 6. Vers. 10 Say among the Heathen The Lord reigns Or as some point it Say 7 Proclaim him to be King The Lord reigns among the Heathen Be as it were Heraulds and proclaim as with sound of Trumpet God is King Christus Regnat Vive le Roy. Hosannah Now here the Prophet begins to set forth the Amplitude of Christs Kingdom The Amplitude of Christs Kingdom 1. Before it was confin'd to Judaea but now it is enlarg'd All Nations are become his Subjects he reigns among the Heathen 2. The Stability of it The stability of it The world shall be established that it shall not be moved the Laws of this Kingdom not to be alter'd as were those given to and by Moses but fix'd and to last for ever The Gospel is to be an eternal Gospel a standing Law 3. The Equity in it The equity to be observ'd in it He shall judge the people righteously for he shall give to those who observe his Laws great rewards but to such as contemn them break them and say Nolumus hunc regnare a condign punishment 4. The Prophet having described the King and the state of his Kingdom exulting in spirit at it Vers. 11 12. as if he had seen him coming to sit upon the Throne he calls not the Gentiles only whom it did very nearly concern but all creatures to rejoice with him heaven earth the Sea the fields the trees the woods And he calls all creatures to rejoice at it Although there be that by heaven understand the Angels by the earth men by the Sea troublesome and restless spirits by the trees fields and woods the Gentiles who were to believe But this needs not because such Prosopopeia's are frequent in Scripture The meaning is that as the Salvation was Universal so he would have the joy for it to be Universal To the words then Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad let the Sea roare Vers. 11 and the fulness thereof Vers. 12 Let the field be joyful and all that is therein then shall the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord. He incites all Creatures to rejoice for Christs coming both for the first And for his coming and the second for the first in which he consecrated all things for the second at which he will free all things from corruption Rom. 8. from vers 19. to 22. 1. For he cometh for he cometh to judge the earth To judge the earth Which first part of the verse the Fathers refer to his first coming Vers. 13 when he was incarnate and came to Redeem the world by his Death And was to the end to judge that is to Rule and Govern the world by his Word Ordinances and Spirit 2. And again He shall come to judge the world with righteousness With Equity and Truth and the people with his Truth Which coming though terrible to the wicked yet will be joyful and comfortable to the righteous For saith our Saviour Lift up your heads for your Redemption draws near And to comfort them and terrifie the wicked He tells them That he will judge in equity that is justice
second part And first I will begin with the reformation of my self and my own house that I may be an example to my whole Kingdom 1. 1 In himself for he would walk wisely in his house I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way 1. Via is Vita and my life shall be perfect pro statu viatoris The way I shall choose shall be the way of perfection 2. And then I will walk wisely in it I will be wise as a Serpent and as innocent as a Dove for for want of wisdom even in a perfect way a man may be mistaken It is good to be zealous in a good matter and in a good manner We see in a good matter zeal where there wants prudence commits foul errors 2. God assisting him with his grace When wilt thou come unto me Which some read with an interrogative point and then it is an Ejaculation When O Lord wilt thou perform thy promise to me for as yet it is supposed by some that he was not King Or else When wilt thou come unto me with thy assistance of grace Others tead it without the interrogative and couple this clause to the former words thus I will behave my self wisely when thou comest unto me intimating that he was not able to do what he professed without the aid and help of Gods grace But yet signifying thus much that if God would come unto him to illuminate him to teach him to inflame him to move and inable him he then would behave himself wisely in a perfect way 3. I will walk within my house with a perfect heart 1. I will walk it should be his delight his constant course 2 And with a perfect heart as men take in their Garden-walks 2. I will walk in my house Not abroad only carrying himself modestly but within doors in his private Closet Or else he would have a care of his Family 3. I will walk in my house with a perfect heart My heart which is the fountain of life and death I will keep with all diligence That shall be sincere upright innocent though I may slip in my walk yet it shall be far against my will I will alwayes walk with a perfect heart Affirmatively he hath shewed what he would do and in the next verses Negatively Negatively he declares what he would not do he had manifested the innocency of his heart and now he shews what should be the innocency of his eyes and hands 1. I will set no wicked thing before my eyes Ver. 3 Death climbs up the windows saith Jeremy No wicked thing should be esteemed by him Eve saw the forbidden fruit pleasant to the eye A chan saw the Wedge of Gold and goodly Babylonish garment Ut vidi ut perii So innocent he would be in judging his Subjects and distributing honours that nothing of Belial 1 His eye not love it as the Hebrew hath it should come in his sight that might pervert his judgement Oportet judicem non solum manus sed oculos habere continentes 2. I hate the work of them that turn aside I hate it for so he must 2 His heart hate it that means to leave it for when there is not a hatred of evil the temptation will work too strongly 3. It shall not cleave to me No part of it God willing 3 His hands not touch it shall cleave to his fingers 2. Declared he hath what he would be in himself 2 To others if wicked he would be severe and now he sets forth what he would be toward others both bad and good And first as touching naught and evil men 1. A froward heart that is a man of a perverse froward and crooked heart shall depart from me Ver. 4 2. I will not know that is approve uphold countenance For instance such he would be love a wicked person Of which froward malicious and wicked people he gives three instances in the following verses Detractors proud and fraudulent men Such he would not endure Ver. 5 1. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off 1 To slanderers from the Court from my friendship from his government from life it self if the flender deserves it 2. Him that hath a high look is proud 2 To proud men For pride is shew'd in the look and eye 3. And a proud heart Heb. Latus corde 3 To the ambitious and coveâ—ous a heart so extended with ambition and coverousness that it cannot be satisfied with riches and honours Him I will not suffer He shall not eat with me These shall not be about me nor find any countenance from me 3 But to good men a kind Prince such I will punish and not favour Others there are whom I will prefer and honour faithful and honest men For he shews now how he would carry himself to honest men 1. My eye shall be upon the faithful in the Land Ver. 6 that they may dwell with me be my Servants sit at my Table and be my Counsellors These should be his servants 2. He that walks in a perfect way that serves God shall serve me For certainly he that will not ferve God sincerely will never faithfully serve man And so having opposed by way of Antithesis to the fifth verse But he would give no countenance what kind of men should be of his Court and Counsel He proceeds in his Negative and adds whom he would not entertain before not slanderers no proud men not ambitious Ver. 7 nor covetous But now 1. 1 To dissemblers No fraudulent persons He that works deceit shall not dwell in my house Enter they might but upon discovery stay they should not dwell they should not there 2. 2 To Lyars Nor Lyars He that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sight He shall not find grace in my eyes And in Conclusion 3 To no evil Doers that he need not instance in more he shews his dislike to all evil doers and his zeal to purge the City of God from scandalous persons 1. With such he would make quick work I will early that is speedily and maturely do it before the evil be too fast rooted 2. Ver. 8 I will destroy all the wicked of the Land All of them shall go one and the same way These he would destroy who are worthy of death and whose life may endanger innocent persons 3. His end in this severity was That I may cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord i. e. That to the Church which is a holy and a peaceable City I may restore Holiness Piety and Peace and to the society of men that live within it tranquillity and administration of justice all disturbers of Peace and Piety being utterly unrooted which under Sauls government bore too great a sway A Prayer for a King or Chief Magistrate collected out of the one hundred and first Psalm O Thou