with a profession of his Integrity where we may not think that he is justifying himself before God but only declaring how unjustly he was oppressed by men Defensio est non arrogantia 1. Ver. 1 I have done judgment and justice Judgment is the effect of justice and by the exact Rule of Justice And prayes that God leave him not to his enemies David had so proceeded in judging the people that he had given to every one his own and yet he could not live free from the calumnies and slanders of wicked men and therefore he prayes 2. Ver. 2 Leave me not to my Oppressours And his Petition hath equity in it for 't is but equal that he who had been so just to others should have justice done him And by it we may learn to commend a just cause to God if we look for his assistance Now in this Petition David proceeds and useth many other Arguments to perswade it 1. Be surety or undertake for thy servant for good My enemies suspect me of injustice and violence but do thou interpose and be surety for me that it is not true neither that ever they shall find any such dealing at my hand or answer for me when I am not by for what they lay to my charge 2. Let not the proud oppress me His condition is miserable Ver. 3 that falls into the hands of proud men for their insultations are unsufferable and they merciless such he fears and prayes against them 3. And this he doth in an ardent manner and the reason is because he saw he was destitute of all humane help it was Gods help that only could secure him which he expected and almost fainted in the expectation of it 1. My eyes fail The eyes of faith and whole intention of my soul are fixed on thee and they are ready to fail while thy help comes not 2. My eyes fail for thy salvation Not only that which is temporal in the deliverance from mine enemies though I vehemently desire that too but for that salvation of Gods people mentioned Psal 106.4 4.6 3. For the Word of thy righteousness The ground that I wait for thy salvation is thy Promise thy righteous Word passed to me 4. And he proceeds in this prayer and desires God to deal with him But deal with him as an honest servant as with an honest servant not which did his Will but yet desired to do it and was displeased with himself and sorrowful when he did it not he pleads not meâ—â— but mercy 1. O deal with thy servant according to thy mercy Ver. 4 2. And teach me thy statutes which he often asks and is then obtained when God infuseth so much love into our hearts that we know and do his Will for knowledge without charity puffs up but edifies not 5. He asks the same again renewes his Petition with a Reason and this frequent Petition of the same thing shewes his ardent desire to obtain it I am no stranger unto thee but a domestick servant and therefore bound to obey thy Commands let me want no grace that may enable me to serve thee Ver. 5 I am thy servant give me understanding that I may know thy Testimonies It is a gift of thy donation only 6. And now he enters his complaint and useth that as a new Argument He complains of the ungodly that destroyed Gods Law that God hear him 1. It is time for thee Lord to work to do judgment against the wicked To us there is a time when God seems not to work in that he executes not his wrath against the wicked Ver. 6 in such a time it is no sin to pray with David That God would arise and work for a time it is when his Church is in a publick trouble the sins of the Amorites full and his people brought low 2. For they have destroyed thy Law Not only broken it disgraced but cast it aside and destroyed it A time then it is to work and execute now made it void 7. Which David was zealous to preserve But their malice and endeavours were not so great to evacuate and destroy Gods Law as Davids zeal and affection was bent and inflamed for the preservation of it which he useth as another Argument that God would not leave him in the hand of his Oppressours ver 1. Therefore I love 1. Therefore David was no Temporizer in Religion Ver. 7 whose affections toward Gods Word depended upon times and persons but his love appears in this That when his enemies fought to destroy it then he loves it They endeavour to make void therefore I love thy Law 2. I love thy Law He saith not he fulfilled it but only he loved it it is a good progress in godliness when we come thus far that we can say with David I love thy Law 3. And shews his love to it And that he might shew the greatness of his affection he mentions those things which are most loved gold fine gold or jewels to which his love was not so great as to Gods Commandments I love thy Commandments above gold yea above fine gold And he insists upon this point his love to Gods Law What would they make it void and cast it aside This makes me the more esteem it and judge that there is the more excellency in it Ver. 8 It must needs be good which wicked men set lite by Two things I find in me arising from hence which are quite contrary an esteem and hatred but yet of contrary objects 1. And his estimate of it Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right He had an high estimate of Gods precepts he thought them just in all things just because they prescribe nothing but that which is exactly just and just because they bring a just punishment on the Transgressors and a reward to the righteous 2. Therefore I hate every false way Nor one way but every way of sin and the flesh many they are but he hates them all and his hatred arose out of the justice and equity he perceived to be in Gods Law therefore I hate The Prayer O Most Omnipotent God I can no way excuse my self before thy Tribunal for my manifold breaches of thy Law For I have sin'd against Heaven and against thee and am not worthy to be call'd thy son but to man I have done no harm Ver. 1 I have alwayes born such a love to justice that I have done that which is just and equal Thus with a good conscience I can profess before thée and therefore I beséech thée leave me not in the hands of those who continually calumniate me and séek to oppress me Thou knowest O Lord Ver. 2 how they detract from me and invent lies against me when I am no by do thou then interpose in my behalf undertake to answer for me and suffer not the proud Transgressors of thy Law to bring upon me that force and injury
and he expresses the cause 2. Because mine enemies have forgotten thy words I did even pine away for grief and anger that men should be so prophane to forget so just and useful Laws 4. 3 Commends it as pure like tryed gold And now he returns to a nother commendation of Gods Law and shewes another affection that from thence arose in him to wit love 1. Ver. 4 Thy Word is very pure or proved most pure 'T is like gold that is tried in the fire from which all drosse is by melting purged Psal 12.6 Upon trial Gods law will be found to be far from all injustice Unjust he is not when he chastiseth his children for there is sin in them nor unjust he is not when he suffers the wicked to flourish for it is their portion Luke 16.25 Righteous are thy judgments 2. And shews his love to it And this raised in David another affection viz. Love Therefore thy servant loveth it Love in God is the fountain of all his benefits bestowed on us and love in man is the fountain of all our service and obedience to our God Love is such a duty that it cannot be excused in any without which all that we can do in his service is nothing He must love Gods Law because it is his Law and a just Law that means to keep it for Love is the fulfilling of the Law 3. A third effect that this wrought in David was a careful remembrance of it yea albeit he was in a mean estate and for it despised by his enemies 1. Ver. 5 I am small the youngest and least among my brethren 2. And his care not to forget it no not in sad times And despised and little set by by my brethren Saul c. 3. Yet do not I forget thy precepts nor my poverty nor contempt can bring me to that passe that I forget my duty to thee Many there are who will professe Religion as long as they see peace and honour followit but rather than they will endure trouble and contempt will utterly forsake it Thus did not David he kept in memory Gods Law And indeed the first step of defection is to forget what God hath commanded for upon this the transgression easily follows 5. 3 He commends it from the perpetuity of it And here he interserts a fourth commendation of Gods Law viz. The immutability perpetulty and eternity of it It is immutable and may never be dispensed with it is a righteousnesse and it is everlasting 1. Ver. 6 Thy righteousnesse is an everlasting righteousnesse No man may change it no man may dispense with it so long as the world stands so long it must be rul'd by it 2. Thy Law is the Truth The Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath the priority of all Lawes in this it contains no falshood the promises and threats in it shall certainly be fulfilled 6. Upon which he makes mention of a fourth effect that it produced in him Therefore he joyes and delights in it in his tribulation viz. joy and delight yea non obstante all his troubles and sorrows 1. Trouble and anguish hath taken hold upon me The righteous are often under the crosse that sin may be subdued Ver. 7 patience and the graces of the Spirit increased the pleasures of the world contemned and the joyes of heaven desired 2. Yet thy Commandments are my delights Yet even in this great tribulation the meditation of thy truth contained in thy Law doth delight me it is the remedy against all my afflictions to call to mind what thou hast promised This is it that sanctifies all afflictions to me and makes me rejoyce in them 7. Ver. 8 That Gods Word and Truth was everlasting that gave him so much comfort and joy that he repeats it again 1. He repeats both And desires understanding in it The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is everlasting and adds only his accustomed Petition unto it 2. Give me understanding and I shall live Live and revive in all my troubles It is no life that men have who are destitute of this knowledge they live uncomfortably and therefore the Word of God is contemned by none but such as know not the excellency thereof and the comfort it brings The Prayer O Lord thou art a righteous Iudge and thy justice is so essential to thée Ver. 1 that thou canst no more defrand thy servants of thy promised comforts nor let the wicked escape unpunished in their sins than deny thy self to be God Thou art upright in thy judgments even in those stripes thy children receive and in all those plagues the wicked receive at thy hands O Lord we confesse that for our sins we justly have deserved to receive those blowes and yet we comfort our selves in this that these chastisements are to be but temporal whereas the stripes of the wicked are like to be eternal They may escape thy anger and flourish here but they shall never flye from the wrath to come Now from this eternal justice which is in thée hath procéeded thy Law which is a Law of equity for the testimonies which thou hast commanded Ver. 2 are exceeding righteous a Law of truth having no admiâ—tion of vanity or falshood a law of purity the finest gold purged from the drosse is not purer a perpetual and eternal law that to all men and at all times prescribes their duty Put then O Lord into my heart a zeal a love to this Law let me never forget it but take my delight in it even then when trouble and heavinesse have taken hold on me It is not unknown unto thée how I have béen consumed with grief and inflamed with anger because ungodly men have forgotten thy words Ver. 3 this they laugh at for this they despise me but their milice doth but increase my love to thy Law and their contempt quicken me in the memory of thy promises O give me an understanding heart and an inflamed soul to thy truth and so I shall live quietly in the midst of my calamities and chearfully end my dayes in thy sear and by thy favour be brought at last to a safe harbour in heaven by Iesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen 19. KOPH DAVID in this Octonary fervently petitions for Audience The Contents Davids prayer Deliverance increase of grace 2. The end he desires it is to keep to observe and meditate on Gods Word 3. His main reason to perswade it is Gods mercy and the danger he was in by mischievous enemies from whom nothing could deliver him but Gods goodness of which he had had former experience 1. For his prayer it was very well conditioned 1. Ver. 1 It was earnest a Cry rather than a Petition I cried and again ver 2. I cried 2. Ver. 3 It was sincere I cried with my whole heart Toto affectu totis viribus 3. Seasonable and continual he did persevere in prayer 1. I prevented the dawning of the
the Ark or else by the setling of it in the Temple by Solomon to foretel the Ascension of Christ into heaven who was the true Ark of the Covenant and the Propitiatory Then there was a Jubilee and so there must be at the remembrance of this It contains a Prophesie of Christs Kingdom and it hath two especial parts First Christs ascension typified An invitation to sing praises to Christ Secondly The reasons that perswade to it 1. Vers. 5 The Ascension of Christ is under the Arks ascension typified Verse 5. God is gone up with a shout His invitation to praise God for it the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet 2. Upon which he invites that we do that at this feast which was then done Vers. 1 viz. That we clap hands and sing praises That this be done 1. Cheerfully O clap your hands for clapping of hands is an outward sign of inward joy Nahum 3.19 2. Universally O clap hands all ye people 3. Vers. 6 Vocally Shout unto God with the voice of melody 4. Frequently Sing praises sing praises sing praises sing praises vers 6. And again sing praises vers 7. It cannot be done too often 5. Knowingly and discreetly Sing ye praises with understanding know the reason why you are to praise him 3. Now these reasons are drawn from his Greatness and his Goodness 2 The reasons to perswade to it 1. He is Great He is the Lord the most high 2. Terrible 3. A great King over all the earth All power at his Ascension 1 God great given to him in heaven and earth Vers. 2 2. He is a Good God Vers. 7 1. In collecting his Church by subduing the Nations 2 Good and that in four respects not by a Sword but by his Word and Spirit by which he would subdue their iniquities the iniquity of the Jew first Vers. 3 and then of the Gentile For the Law was to come out of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem To the discipline of that Religion and Service which we profess both were to submit and therefore both might well be said to be subdued to us and be brought under our feet Vers. 4 2. In honoring and rewarding his Church He shall chuse out an heritage for us even the worship of Jacob whom he loved 1. His Church was his choice A chosen generation a select people 2. His heritage for he will dwell among them and provide an inheritance for them blessings on earth and an inheritance in heaven 3. This is the worship and glory of Jacob of Jacob after the Spirit the Kingdom Priest-hood and all the promises made unto Jacob and the Fathers being theirs 4. The cause His love only He chose Vers. 7 c. because he loved 3. In increasing and amplifying his Church God is the King now of all the earth not of the Jews only For he reigneth over the heathen also He sits upon a Throne of Holiness rules by his Holy Word and Spirit making them Holy who were unholy 2. Yea and a willing people also For the Princes of the people are gathered together even the people of the God of Abraham 4. In protecting his Church whether by himself Vers 9 or by the Princes he raiseth up for her defence For the shields of the earth belong unto God Princes and Prelates are shields of the Church but God is the chief He is greatly exalted The Eucharistical Prayer collected out of the forty seventh Psalm O Lord God who hast exalted thy Son Iesus Christ with great Triumph into the Kingdom of heaven we beséech thée leave us not comfortless but send to us thy Holy Spirit to comfort us and exalt us to the same place whither our Saviour is gone before And thou O blessed Saviour Vers. 5 who when thou hadst finished our Redemption on earth didst ascend to the beaven in great glory and Majesty Vers. 2 and satest down on the right-hand of thy Father and art become the Lord the most high terrible and a great King over all the earth receive the petitions of thy humble Servants present them at the Throne of Grace and make intercession for us Subdue the people by the power of thy Spirit Vers. 3 and bring the Nations under thy féet by the sharp edge of thy Word Cause those who are yet strangers and aliens from thy worship to fall low before thée and perswade all those who are yet afar off to come néer and to embrace thy Gospel and the truth and equity of thy Law The time was Vers. 4 when in Judah only God was known and thy Name was great in Israel it was the excellency of Jacob which thou didst love but now thou hast merited Vers. 7 and art ordained to be the King of all the earth since therefore thou hast chosen these also for thine inheritance Vers. 4 reign thou even over the Heathen Vers. 8 and subduing their iniquities sit upon thy Throne of Holiness among them O happy day Vers. 9 when not the meanest and lowest but the greatest and the noblest when the Princes of the people shall be gathered together and be united to the people of the God of Abraham being all worshippers of the same God professors of one and the same Faith and partakers of one and the same mercy For then should the name of our God who is truly the shield and defence of his people be greatly exalted in the earth The praises of our God should then be in our mouths Vers. 7 and with-wisdom and understanding should we sing our Psalms heart and hand affections and work being every way agréeable to our Psalmodie O Lord infinite and wonderful are thy wayes and works toward the children of men but the work of Redemption by the blood of thy dear Son farre excéeds them all For this love for this mercy O work upon our hearts to sing praises to thy honour our tongues to sing praises to thy glory our lips to shout with the voice of melody O all ye Saints of his Vers. 1 Clap your hands for joy shout for triumph sing praises to God Vers. 5 sing praises sing praises to our King sing praises Let hands and tongue and works and words be ready prest to sing praises to the God of Jacob. Amen PSAL. XLVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 UNder the Type Jerusalem is set down the happiness of the Church which is alwayes protected by Gods favour Three parts there are of this Psalm 1. The excellencies and priviledges of the City of God from vers 1. to 4. 2. A Narration of a miraculous deliverance she obtain'd and upon it the Terrour that fell on her enemies from vers 4. to 8. 3. An Exhortation to consider it and praise God from vers 8. to 15. 1. The first part He begins with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised Great in himself Vers. 1 and greatly to be praised for all things in all
even before Kings 2 Tongue and will not be ashamed This is no small thing especially if we consider that though no men are more bound to God than Kings yet to none is Gods Word more unwelcom well yet even before them David would speak of Gods Testimonies and not be ashamed to do it 4. In the service of his affections Ver. 7 And I will delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved 3 Affections It is no small progress in Piety to delight in it and this followes upon our love for a man will delight in that he loves This will make that which would be other wayes burdensom a very light load an easie yoke and a light burden 5. In the service of his actions 4 Actions My hands also I will lift up to thy Commandments which I have loved Ver. 8 The hand is the chief instrument of operation when David then saith He would lift up his hands his meaning is that he would labour to express Gods Will in his Works He knew well that not the heart without the mouth and hand nor the mouth nor the hand without the heart would please God but that these must be conjoyned and that with delight in the study of true Piety and therefore he makes profession of all The Prayer WHILE we consider O Omnipotent God on one side the absolute perfection of thy Law and on the other side our own infirmities and disabilities we easily perceive that our obedience must néeds be very imperfect except thou shalt assist us with thy grace and extraordinary favour Let then thy mercies come unto us O Lord even thy salvation Ver. 1 according unto thy Word and so shall we have wherewith to answer our Adversaries that object unto us our slips and falls and be bold Ver. 2 upon the trust we have in thy Word who canst make good thy Promise because Thou art Omnipotent and wilt because Thou art a Merciful God O take not thy Word of Truth utterly out of our mouths Ver. 3 nor let us be so faint-hearted and dismayed as for ever to conceal thy Word for we rely upon thy fidelity and justice being assured that thou wilt poure down thy judgments upon those that deride thy Truth Notwithstanding all their opposition assist us with thy Spirit Ver. 4 and we will keep thy Law continually for ever and ever We séek thy Commandments frée us from the bondage of sin and the slavery of our lustful affections that we may walk at liberty and serve thée with a willing mind and a loving and quiet soul For then will we speak of thy Commandments even before Kings and not be ashamed Then will we delight our selves in thy Commandments which we have loved Then will we lift up our hands to thy Commandments which we have loved and meditate in thy statutes Our heart being surprized with delight we will express it with our tongue and our tongue shall call to our hands and set them to work Heart tongue and hand shall testifie that we are thy servants and that it is our whole delight to meditate in and kéep thy Commandments in the Name of Iesus Christ our Lord. 7. ZAIN IN this Octostich the Prophet first prayes The Contents 2. Next shewes his constancy to hope and trust in God notwithstanding some discouragements 3. Commends the Word of God shewing what effects it wrought in him 1. 1 He prayes In the first verse he begins with a prayer Remember thy Word unto thy servant in which thou hast caused me to hope 1. Ver. 1 Remember Not as if God could forget his Promise or change his Will or retract his Word That God would remember his promise for two reasons but God is then said to forget when he defers to fulfil his promise Remember then signifies nothing else than accomplish and perfect thy promise made unto me thy servant And though he will fulfil what he hath promised yet he will be asked to fulfil and prayer is one and a chief of those means that draws him to fulfil it 2. 1 Because his servant Remember thy promise made to thy servant Which he useth as an Argument to perswade God to remember his Word he was his servant and had in some measure done him sincere service and so had performed his promise made to God and therefore desires that God would remember his promise made to him It is in vain to desire God to remember his promises made to us when we make no conscience to perform our promises made to God 3. 2 For his Words sake Wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust This is another and more forcible Argument to move the Lord to perform his Word As if he had said it now stands with the honour of thy Truth to do so I hope not upon presumption but it was thou Lord that hast caused me to hope and I know the true God can no more beguile me than fail in his Truth Hope then I do 2. Now out of this hope and confidence he received comfort in his greatest affliction ver 2. declined not from Gods Law ver 3. pitied and lamented the case of Atheistical men ver 4. 1. In great afflictions and troubles he was but this hope kept him fast to God he despaired not Ver. 2 1. This made him constant This is my comfort in my affliction This thy Word and Promise in which thou hast caused me to hope 2. For thy Word thy Promise hath quickned me brought me life and spirit strength and increase the comforts of Gods Word to an afflicted soul are far beyond all Philosophical precepts or comforts 2. Enemies he had proud men and scoffers that tempted me to let go my hope and forsake thy Word 1. Ver. 3 The proud have had me greatly in derision which is a shrewd temptation to a generous spirit 2. Yet have I not declined from thy Law Thy promise put life and vigour into me 3. For in my affliction and their scorns and derisions 1. Ver. 4 I remembred thy judgments of old how thou casts down the proud and exalt'st the humble And comfortable in his afflictions giving ample rewards to those that kept thy Law as to Abraham Job c. and brought'st heavy punishments upon the Transgressors of it as the old World Sodom Pharaoh c. 2. And in those I have comforted my self believing quod bonis benè quod malis malè 3. His assured hope of reward promised in Gods Word made him to grieve for and commiserate the cause of those that forsook Gods Law wilfully and stubbornly because they should never be partakers of the Reward God had promised 1. Horrour hath taken hold upon me Totus homo contremisco He was afraid Ver. 5 and grieved at the sins of the wicked that scorned him 2 He commiserates the case of the disobedient because the Law of God was contemned by them not for the harm they
3 And quicken him Quicken me according to thy Word For thy promise made in thy Word concerning the reward of good men and punishment of bad quicken me put life into me by refreshing me by the life of grace and comforting me with the hope of the life of glory 2. He beleves he shall be heard because no wicked person Were I a wicked person this I could not hope from thee nor grace nor glory nor help nor deliverance I could not be perswaded that thou wouldst either consider or plead my cause or pass any judiciary sentence in my favour 1. Ver. 3 From whom salvation is far removed For salvation is far from the wicked In the former Section he said They are far from thy Law of which the consequent is That salvation is far from them Gods Law then must be kept by him that looks for salvarion If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Mat. 19. Do this and live 2. And this Davids Reason confirms For they seek not thy statutes Saved they cannot be Because they seek not Gods Law for they do not so much as seek to know thy Will the way of salvation they esteem it not make no account of it and therefore no wonder if thâ—y seek it not for men seek after that they esteem this is a sin of which a good man is never guilty transgress he may and doth yet he is alwayes seeking what is the mind of God and will find it if he can and live thereafter 3. And yet he desires mercies In which notwithstanding all his seeking and finding he still fails and comes short therefore he flies to Gods mercies with David in this place Great or many Ver. 4 are thy tender mercies O Lord. Two Epithites he bestowes on Gods mercies and we need both Which are great and many 1. Great or many for our sins are great and many Great they are in continuance they endure for ever great in extension for they they are above all his works and also many they are There is his preventing mercy his sparing mercy his pardoning mercy his renewing mercy his continuing mercy his crowning mercy there is a multitude of them Psal 51.1 2. And as they are great so are they tender Racham loving mercies 2 Tender and easie to be intreated they flow from his bowels and inward affection they are miserationes as well as misericordiae pitiful mercies tender as is the Matrix of the mother to the infant 3. Quicken me according to thy judgments To quicken him David found the life of grace in him dull'd deaded hindred impugned therefore so often he desires that God would quicken him 4. And now he begins to complain 't is not without reason He complains of his persecutors that I desire to be quickned and to have new life put into me for 1. Many are my persecutors and mine enemies many Devils many men many visible more invisible that go about to mortifie me Ver. 5 2. And yet I remain constant yet I do not decline to the right hand But is yet constant to Gods Law nor to the left I swarve not from thy Testimonies It is no great matter to cleave to the Law of God when none pursues thee for it when Authority allowes it when honour and prosperity followes it When the Lord gloried of his servant Job remember Satans answer Doth Job serve God for naught c. But do this and this to him and he will blaspheme thee to thy face But he was deceived for the more Job was cross't the more he cleaved to the Lord and so must a good man endure the fiery trial resist men to blood never decline or swarve 3. And a second strein of his complaint is Ver. 6 That these men were not only violent against him and malicious The qualities of his persecutors For which he grieved And appeals to God for the Truth of it but they were injurious to his God 1. They were Transgressours not simple sinners but workers of iniquity 2. Now this was it that went near his heart that his God should be dishonoured by them and his Word contemned I beheld the Transgressours and was grieved so before ver 139. 143. He took not so heavily his own persecution as the injury done to God An admirable Argument it is of love when the Glory of God and his Word is dearer to us than our lives It was so in Eliah in the Martyrs in David that melted away for grief to see wickedness exalted and Piety and true Religion trode under foot 5. This was I say an evident Argument of his love and for probation of it he appeals to God desiring the Lord to consider it whether it were so or no. 1. Consider Vide. No man dare say to God look upon me And desires him to consider it but he that is perswaded that God will like him when he looks upon him for he that doth evil hates the light and flies as did Adam that hid himself It is an Argument of a good conscience when we dare present our heart to God 2. Consider how I love It is not consider how I perform the comfort of a Christian while he lives in this body of sin is rather in sincerity And the love he bears to Gods Law and fervency of affection than in the absolute perfection of his actions for though he may fail oftentimes in his actions yet love in his affection still remains 3. And his love is to the precept He loves the Law because it is Gods Law from a just God and just in it self To love the promises of God is no such great matter for every man out of that love he bears to himself will be in love with these but to love Gods Law which is contrary to and restrains our corrupt nature is a great denial of himself and a manifest of true love so it was in David I love thy precepts 4. Therefore he petitions again for comfort And upon this he presseth on his Petition Quicken me O Lord according to thy loving-kindness As if he said Aequum est 't is but Reason thou be kind to me and quicken me since I grieve for the Transgressors and love thy Law 6. The Encomium of Gods Law viz. Now for the confirmation of his constancy he concludes with a commendation of Gods Law and Truth But these words are read or may be translated two wayes and they will have two senses for if we read 1. Thy Word is true from the beginning then the meaning is That when in the beginning thou commandest Adam not to touch the forbiden fruit under pain of death since thou hast verified thy Word for all men are since mortal 2. But if we read The beginning of thy Word is true Caput verbi tui veritas Vatab. The sense is Thy words proceed from Truth as from their Principle and Fountain and therefore are most true the
David exhorts to praise God The first part He begins with a Dialogism 1. He speaks to all Praise ye the Lord. 2. Ver. 1 Then by an Apostrophe he turns to himself Praise the Lord O my soul 3. And his soul answers While I live will I praise the Lord I will sing praises to my God while I have my being while I am and shall be 2. The second part But because the foundation of this praise is the trust and confidence which men have in God Dehorts from confidence in Princes for from which they are retarded by admiring over-much and relying upon the power and help of Kings and Princes the Prophet therefore subjoins his Dehortation and gives his Reasons for it 1. Ver. 3 Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man 2. His Reasons for it are 1. 1 Their impotency First Their Impotency There is no help in them They may seem potent but they cannot save themselves much less other men Ver. 4 2. 2 Mortality Their Fragility and Mortality Their breath goeth forth they return to the earth in that very day their thoughts perish 3. The third part But happy he that relies on God Those men cannot be happy that trust to them but now on the contrary If a man will be happy the Prophet shewes upon whom he must trust and rely which is on God for 1. Ver. 5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help him to whom Jacob trusted 2. And whose hope is in the Lord his God Not in impotent and short-liv'd men And this he confirms by divers Reasons The fourth part Because he is 1. 1 Omnipotent First From his Omnipotence He is God the Creatour he made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that is therein Able then to protect Ver. 6 2. 2 Faithful From his Veracity Who keeps Truth for ever His word is passed for our protection and he will perform it Potest vult quia promisit Ver. 7 3. 3 Just From his Justice He executeth judgment for the oppressed He defends the innocent and punisheth the unjust Good trusting then to him 4. Ver. 8 4 Merciful From his Mercy 1. He giveth food to the hungry Relieves men in their wants 2. The Lord looseth the Prisoners Another Act of grace and the rest follow 3. The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind Whether spiritually or corporally 4. The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down By sin wrath misery 5. From his Love The Lord loveth the righteous Ver. 9 5 Loving Of which the effects are 1. The Lord preserveth the strangers 2. He relieveth the fatherless and widow 3. But the ungodly find a quite contrary effect because they are noâ—â—ons of love but wrath But the way of the wicked he turns upside down Their glory perisheth and with it the hope of those fools that trusted to them 6. From the Eternity of his Kingdom therefore to be praised 6 Eternal and trusted to for ever Kings dye and perish but he is a King for ever in Zion i.e. Ver. 10 in his Church The Lord shall reign for ever even thy God O Zion unto all Generations Praise ye the Lord. The Hymn and Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty sixth Psalm O Omnipotent and most Merciful God Ver. 1 Thou art worthy to receive honour and glory and therefore with all my heart and soul while I live I will praise thee while I have any being I will sing praises to my God Thou art my staffe to trust to my sole confidence and my hape as for the greatest and most potent of the sons of men I dare not rely on them Ver. 3 for they are unable in their greatest exigence to help themselves much less to relieve others Their breath goeth forth and they return to the earth whence they came and in that very day all their high thoughts and proud attempts perish and vanish together with them Who then can be happy that relies upon such empty broken réeds Ver. 5 that trusts to such brittle earthen vessels Leaving then all earthly dependances as weak and miserable comforters To thee will I trust who art the God of Jacob the Lord of thy Church and people being assured That he is only happy whose hope is in the Lord his God Thou O Lord hast made Heaven and Earth the Seâ— and all that is in it Ver. 6 Thou dost confirm the Truth of thy promises by an exact performance Ver. 7 Execute then judgment for the oppressed give food to the hungry loose thy prisoners from their bonds and chains open the eyes and illuminate the understandings of those who are blinded in sin and errour Raise O Lord the hearts of such as are contrite and bowed down prosecute the righteous and innocent with thy love and favour preserve the stranger relieve the fatherless and widow and turn-upside down the way the plots devices and frauds of wicked mâ—n Turn O Lord the counsel of Achitophel into foolishness An which since we know to be thy wondrous wâ—â—ks and have experience of the performance of them to thy faithful servants in all Ages our faith is thereby confirmed Ver. 10 and our hope sustained in the miâ—st of our present troubles and calamities Wherefore being encouraged by this hope we humbly beséech thée look upon the sad condition of thy Church Thou O God reignest in Zion build then the decayed and ruined walls of Jerusalem and preserve and provide for this widow and her fatherless children amidst the storms and fury of her merciless oppressors for the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXLVII A Hymn THE Scope and intent of the Prophet in this Psalm is to stir up men to praise God for which he produceth many Arguments The occasion of the composing of it was the reduction of the Jewes from the captivity of Babylon and therefore it is supposed that Haggai and Zechariah the Prophets were the Authours of it and therefore some Interpreters put their names in the Title of it The parts are 1. An Exhortation to praise God ver 1. which is repeated ver 7. 12. 2. The Arguments to perswade to it Gods bounty wisdom power providence justice and mercy through the whole Psalm 1. He invites to praise God The first part The Exhortation is briefly proposed Praise the Lord ver 1. which the Prophet as the Chanter of the Quire begins and after some reasons given repeats in more words Ver. 1 Sing unto the Lord with Thanksgiving sing praises upon the Harp unto our God ver 7. And yet again at ver 12. Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Zion where the Arabique Greek and Latine Translators begin a new Psalm but in the Hebrew they are conjoyned and but one Hymn 2. The second part Now the Prophet hath no sooner ended his Exhortations but to every one of them singly he annexeth his Reasons To
voyces but one heart When the soul is pleased it is hereby dilated with joy and when it is sadned with godly sorrow it is hereby resolved into tears for a Psalm will fetch this water sometimes even from a heart of stone Aug. Confess 9.33 Professeth That he had so tender a heart that he melted into teats when he heard the Psalms sung in the Church of Milan and Musculus the like of himself at Auspurge Oh! the Wisdom of our heavenly Master who took care Ut eadem operâ cantemus res addiscamus That found a way to steal in his necessary Documents into our minds for that Doctrine which by violence and much difficulty is beat into us as easily slips out again and is forgotten but what 〈◊〉 drunk with delight and content stayes with us and is fixed in our memory Philoxenus was wont to say Carnes esse suavissimas non carnes pisces non pisces his meaning was That that flesh and fish had the best savour which were so delicately cooked and dressed that the sauce took away from them the natural Relish which might offend Precepts and Rules of Virtue and Piety have to humane palates but a harsh taste and they go down and are digested very hardly but being contrived into a Poem and conveyed into the ear by Musick the rigour and severity is much abated and we are pleased insensibly with the food by the Art with which it is seasoned God knew well our queasie and nauseous stomacks and therefore hath served us our Dyet in a Psalm Sect. Many good Precepts I have taught you many Rules of life out of Moses and the Prophets many Rules of Faith out of the Evangelists and Apostles More than these nine years I have spent my time in the preparation of this spiritual food but I fear me the meat hath been too strong or else your digestion hath not been so good as I desired so little fruit appears in your lives that there be who say you have little Faith Pudet haec opprobria nobis c. A shame it is that it should be objected but more a grief that it is not easie to answer it The Evil is spreading and the Disease very dangerous and I began to think how I might help it At last I thought to bring you the same meat in the Psalm of David and to try whether Faith and Repentance dressed up in Numbers might be effectual to amend your Lives and confirm your Belief These Hymns are yet left you to serve God these when you meet every Sabbath you read these when you come to this place you sing and it shall be the labour of my old Age that the Lessons which are here taught as well as the Musick and Meeter in which they are set forth be brought to your ears would I could say your hearts And thither they would be brought and there they would rest and have their effect could you but sing them with Davids spirit that is with a soul truly affected with what you read and what you sing Eadem est verborum sententia quocunque modo proferantur sed multum refert quo Spiritu quibus coram Deo proferuntur Affectibus Sect. Mirth sorrow hope and fear divide your lives and these are the Plummets of the soul that move it to honest actions Present a future evil men fear a present danger they grieve let good be present they rejoyce to come and they hope to attain it And it cannot be said how much power these have over the soul of man neither is it possible to contain them but they will break out My heart saith David was hot within me at last I spake with my tongue Psal 88. Sect. David was a man of much experience this way he had whereof to rejoyce wherefore to grieve he had sufficient cause to fear more to hope and as these passions took their turns so did his Psalms for now he rejoyceth sometimes he mourns one while he expresseth his Fear at another time his Hope and all in such pathetical Rhetorick that no Eloquence is able to come near it He sets himself before his God opens unto him all his secrets speaks of God to God with his God and poures forth his affections of Faith Hope and Love in such quick and powerful words that who shall lay them aside and make choice of his own shall find them waterish cold frozen I have lately seen some Meditations Vows Soliloquies of an afflicted soul composed with Davids spirit and Davids words and it makes my soul in my body become like melting wax Sect. That then we read or sing these Psalms with hard hearts and dry eyes it is because we want Davids affections we rejoyce not in God we grieve not that he is deported from us we fear not his Power and Majesty nor yet hope in the stedfastness of his Promises Quicken but your affections upon Davids grounds and you shall find there are no such prayers no such praises as these of David Never let any man fear that these words will not fit the affections of any pious and devout soul since an egge is not more like an egge nor a man a man than the Spirit of God is conformable to it self in all the Elect sons of God Have these words united Davids soul to God Have they made him familiar with Heaven Doubt not but they may have the same effect in you your confidence may be the more when you commence the same Petitions to the same God in the same words which he hath heard and granted already Doth he in these express his joy his grief his fear his hopes Be bold also to do the like and then expect the like effect But perhaps it may be said That they may be of singular use when the heart is dilated with joy and opened with that which pleaseth unfit they are altogether for a sad and oppressed soul for who shall sing who rejoyce who exult Is not this proper for chearful souls Is any man merry let him sing Psalms saith the Apostle James 5. What mirth can there be in pious men by which they are called upon to sing to God when they are obnoxious to so many storms of troubles such variety of temptation in this life that a man would think they should have little mind to sing any other Song than that of David Multae afflictiones Justorum and are Psalms fit for sorrow or mourning Quis enim ignorat musicam rebus tristibus parum accommodam All this is most true for no sad and sorrowful heart sings sweetly rather he mourns as a Dove and chatters as a Swallow he sighs he laments he grieves Neither do I deny that the best of Gods servants have alwayes sufficient reasons to water their Couch and bedew their cheeks with showres of tears When therefore they sing this is done out of experience or assured hope and both resolves them into mirth within A tryal they have of their Fathers
Vers. 1 and promised to hear those that call we thy poor afflicted and distressed people straitned with miseries and beset with sorrows in obedience to thy commands are bold to present our supplications before thée O God of our righteousness hear us when we call enlarge us in distress have mercy upon us be gracious unto us and hear our praper How long shall the sons of men turn our glory into shame Vers. 2 how long shall the vanity they have lov'd and the lyes which with an obstinate and malicious heart they have sought for and forg'd and their mischâ—â—ous counsels Vers. 3 prevail against us O make them know that however they seek to oppress us yet thou whose power no man can resist hast chosen to thy self and wilt take into thy love those who are godly and that when they call and cry to thee thou wilt hear them The Ark is departed from Irsael and shame hath cover'd our faces and wilt thou also turn away thy face for ever Return O Shulamite return return that we may look upon thee Vers. 4 Then perhaps those who now despight and hate us may be reconcil'd unto us and turn their anger into love and their rage into sorrow that they persecuted them whom thou hast smitten Move all our hearts good God that we map stand in awe and sin no more that we may recollect our wayes and examine our own consciences upon our beds that so out of compunction and godly sorrow we may lament our furious thoughts toward our brethren and hereafter bear more peaceable and quiet minds one toward another And because no sacrifice can please thee Vers. 5 but that of a person to whom thou art reconcil'd bath our souls in thy blood purifie our hearts by faith that through thy Son and in thy Son we may present unto thee our thanks for thy favours bestow'd upon us and reserv'd for us and our bodies and souls a holy reasonable and living sacrifice upon the Altar of a broken and contrite heart In a word so adore thee in spirit and truth so love and practice piety and charity that we may alwayes find thée propitious unto us There is not any thing O Lord but desires its own good and happiness Vers. 6 The Sea tells us that it is not to be found in it and the earth that it is not to be found in it From thée our heart procéeded and restless it will be until again it rests in thée Lord then lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us shine upon us with thy favour beautifie us with thy grace Vers. 7 assist us with thy hand and help so shall we be both glad and secure The joy of harvest the content of new wine the plenty of oyle are but fading pleasures in comparison of thy love Never then so let us set our hearts upon them that we forget thée but from these gifts let us rise to love thée which art the giver and be better pleas'd with the light of thy countenance in which there is solid and eternal joy than when our corn and oyle and wine is inceased So let us love these that we live in thée In thée alone is rest in thée security in thée tranquility Vers. 8 grant therefore O dear Father that amidst all the storms and troubles of this life we may lie down in peace and sléep in peace Thou only O gratious God art able to make us dwell in safety to thée therefore we flie for protection to thée alone for safety and succour Frée us from our sins deliver us from our dangers protect us from our enemies but especially from our sins that we may live in thy love dye in thy favour rest and sléep in our graves in peace rise in thy power and remain with thée in glory for ever and ever Amen PSAL. V. By occasion of his enemies It consists of five parts 1. AN introduction in which he petitions to be heard and professeth his earnestness about it vers 1 2 3. and his confidence of audience 2. He delivers his Petition vers 8. and the reason of it His enemies ver 8. 3. These his enemies he describes to the life vers 9. 4. He prayes against them that God would destroy them vers 10. 5. He prayes for the Church that God would preserve it vers 11 12. 1. The first part He prayes for audience In the entrance he prayes very earnestly for audience And the very Congeries shews that he meant to be earnest and fervent in it He chooseth such a Copy and variety of words to express the same thing Vers. 1 which yet have an Auxesis in them Vers. 2 and riseth by degrees from words he comes to meditation from thar to a voice from a voice to a cry 2. Then he earnestly desires God 1. To give ear Very earnestly 2. Then to consider 3. To hearken to him He gives ear that would understand what the Supplicant means He considers that weighs the justice of the cause He attends and hearkens to that intends to satisfie the Petitioner This therefore David desires earnestly that his words be understood his cause suit and meditation consider'd and his voice and cry heard granted satisfied 2. Three reasons for it The reasons he useth here to beget audience are very considerable 1. Vers 2 The relation that was betwixt him and his God Thou art my King and my God Vers. 2 2. 1 His relation to God That he would sue to no other To thee will I pray Which he illustrates 1. 2 To him alone he would sue From the time A morning Petition which the epikeuxis makes Emphatick 2. From the composure of it it was a well composed and order'd prayer 3. Vers. 3 He would lift up his eyes with it My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct dirigam disponam my prayer unto thee and will look up 3. 3 Who hears good men not sinners The third reason taken from the nature of God to wit whom he will and whom he will not hear Sinners God will not regard to good men he is ready to look Vers. 4 and on that ground he desires also audience The sinners which God would not hear Vers 5 he describes to the life 1. Men that delighted in wickedness evil Vers. 6 foolish men workers of iniquity lyars blood-thirsty and deceitful Now 't was not likely that God would hear such These he describes And shews his own conditions For thou art not a God who hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall any evil dwell with thee These should not stand in his sight These he hated These he would destroy These he did abhor 2. But he on the contrary was a faithful soul that relied on his God a fearful soul Vers. 7 that alwayes stood in awe a religious soul that was alwayes ready to come into his house Notwithstanding which he relies on Gods mercy In
this way Ver. 7 and despoil me of this my innocence that it must be more than an 〈…〉 that must preserve me Ver. 8 Shew therefore thy marvellous loving kindness 〈…〉 that savest by thy right hand those that trust in thee Let me be aâ— dear unto thâ—e and as safely kept as the apple of the eye protect and hide me under the shadow of thy wings with thy merciful care and tenderness more than the kind Hen doth her little Chickens from the coldest showres or the scorching Sun or the gréedy Hawk or Vulture For behold O Lord our enemies breathing nothing but fury and death Ver. 9 compass me and thy poor Church about on every side they have shut up their bowels of compassion towards us they waste and oppress us Ver. 10 they are fatned with wealth power success and prosperity and being swell'â— with their victories over us their mouth speaketh high and proud things It satisfieth not that they have outed us and despoiled us of all our goods oven yet when they have driven us almost to hide our selves in secret places they watch our steps Ver. 11 and compass us about with their nets and snares to catch and destroy us On this only they fasten their eyes and bend their thoughts and counsels Ver. 12 that they lay us flat upon the Earth and bring our honour to the dust No Lyon is more gréedy of his prey nor young Lyon that lurks in secret places dent to raven than they are to take tear and devour us But thou O Lord hast séemed overlong to sléep Ver. 13 the impunity of our enemies hath béen overlong deferr'd Arise now therefore O Lord and shew thy power and come amongst us Disappoint them and cast them down and deliver our souls from the ungodly who is thy Sword and the Rod of thy wrath with which thou dost punish thy disobedient and rebellious children Deliver us O Lord from the men of thy hand Ver. 14 from the men whom thy hand hath armed against us who yet now fight against thée save us from the men of this world who expect no other life nor reward nor are like to receive none for they shall receive their portion in this world in this short life and though their mind is unsatiable yet their bellies are fill'd their belly is their God and their belly thou fill'st with thy hid and choicest pleasures they flow and abound in wealth and delights they have enough and to spare a multitude of children to whom they leave their superfluities and ill-gotten goods And in this they place their greatest happiness But Vers. 15 O Lord let me never receive from thée these outward things as my sole and utmost reward rather let my lot be to suffer with thy people here in this life that I may be happy with them in the life to come With the hope of this reward I will sustain my self in the midst of my pressures I will not forgo my innocence as they must their riches but I hope to behold thy face in my righteousness with all the defects thereof pardoned and covered with the long white Robe of thy Son Being fully perswaded that I here who want and hunger neither could be satisfied with these vain and perishing goos if I did abound in them when I shall awake out of my bed of dust and be renew'd after thy likeness I shall be satisfied with thy glory joy immortality which thou hast prepared for all those who wait for the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen PSAL. XVIII Is Davids 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Song of Triumph after his Conquest of all his enemies 2 Sam. 22. IN which He expresseth what God is to him he first expresses what God is to his servants to him especially My Rock my Fortress my Deliverer c. 2. The first part The effect it wrought upon him 1. Love I will love the Lord. Vers. 2 The effect it wrought in him 2. Confidence In him will I trust 3. Invocation I will call on the Lord. The fruit of which was his safety So shall I be saved from my enemies 2. Vers. 1 Next he makes a long Narrative 1. Of the dangers in which he was Vers. 2 2. Of his Escape 1. Vers. 3 The second part His danger was great Sorrows of death floods of ungodly men sorrows of hell snares of death these compassed him made him afraid prevented him came upon him at unawares The danger he was in vers 4 5. 2. Vers. 4 5. He shews how he behav'd himself in these dangers and from whom he sought for help Very great He flies to God He betook him to God In my distress I call'd upon the Lord and cryed unto my God 3. He shews the goodness of God to him and his readiness to help him He heard me out of his Holy Temple Vers. 6 and my cry came before him c. 4. Vers. 6 The cause of his escape was the immediate hand of God who made use of his Power to deliver him Gods goodness for his escape From Vers 7. The manner to Vers 16. Vers 16 17 18. and testified his presence in a strong way by Concussion of the earth Thunders winds tempests darkness thick clouds hail-stones coals of fire lightnings strange inundations 5. He reckons up his deliverance with the manner and the causes 1. He took he drew me and when the danger was greatest for it was out of many waters from my strong enemy from them that hated me were too mighty for me that sought at unawares to surprise me 2. He did it in a strange way For he sent from above He brought me into a large place 3. But then he was my stay And the causes that moved him to it were 1. His own good-will Because he delighted in me 2. Vers. 20 My innocence Which he declares from vers 20. to vers 25. 6. Which extends to all good men And then ab hypothesi from his own particular case he takes occasion to discourse in Thesi that this is not true only in Davids person but shall be verified of all that are Innocent as he was Which he proves from the nature and usual manner of Gods proceeding with good and bad men from vers 27. With the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful and with an upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright With the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure and with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward For thou wilt save the afflicted people and bring down the high looks of the proud c. The third part Davids Victory amplified Now follows Davids glorious victory 2. The consequent upon it from vers 28. to 46. 1. His victory he expresses and amplifies many wayes 1. From the opposition that he conquer'd Nor troops Vers. 29 nor walls hinder'd Vers. 30 31. 2. From Gods singular protection He was his Buckler His Rock Vers. 32 33. 3. From the Armour the nimbleness the military
alone by my friends and afflicted by my enemies The sorrows of my heart are multiplied my sins are represented to me in the largest manner my distresses are instant my pain grievous O look upon my affliction bring me out of my troubles and forgive me all my sin for which I openly confess I have justly deserved to suffer what I now féel and complain of Make it known gracious God that thou dost see and confider the multitude of my enemies who hate me with cruel hatred and persecute me without any just cause for though I have justly deserved at thy hand those things which I suffer yet to them I have done no wrong neither do they pursue me in revenge of my sin but méerly out of malice and envy serving and gratifying their own lusts not any way intending thy Glory O keep then my soul which they séek to destroy and deliver me from their multitude and injustice I wait on and put my trust in thee let me not nor any that trust in thee be ashamed of their hope For it will derogate from thy glory that any that trust in thée be frustrated of their expectation but frustrate their counsels and let them be ashamed of their undertakings who without any just cause given them Ver. 21 do plot the ruine of thy people who endeavour to serve thée with an entire and upright heart Redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles Israel is thy people that thou hast chosen Israel the people that thou hast bought and purchased with thy own blood many troubles and enemies they have for them I pray and not for my self alone O Lord deliver them for thy Names sake and for thy Sons sake out of all their afflictions and pressures Amen PSAL. XXVI Davids Appeal to God to vindicate his Innocence THE parts of the Psalm are 1. An Appeal of David to God to be his Judge ver 1 2. 2. The causes that induced him to it his integrity especially 3. A Petition ver 9 11. 4. His Gratitude ver 12. He begins with his Appeal to God David appeals to God to be his Judge whom he knew to be a just Judge and therefore desires to be dealt withal in forma juris Judge me O Lord examine me O Lord and prove me try out my reins and my heart Ver. 1 2. Then he assigns two causes of it his integrity and his faith Ver. 2 1. His faith and confidence was such in God Upon his 1. Faith that he knew that the Judge of all the World would do him right I have trusted in the Lord Ver. 1 therefore I shall not slide I change not my Religion to which I am tempted 2 Integrity 2. His integrity for I have walked in my integrity Ver. 1 of which he assigns the cause for thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes Ver. 3 and I have walked in thy Truth I follow thy Word and the Truth therein The second part This he demonstrates Next he sets down his integrity by an injunction of parts which were two How he carried himself to men 2. How to God 1. He abstained from all society confederacy counsels 1 By his carriage to man and intimacy with wicked men nay he did abominate and hate their wayes I have not sate viz. in counsel with vain persons Ver. 4 neither will I go in with dissemblers I have hated the Congregation of wicked doers Ver. 5 and will not sit with the wicked 2. The other degree of his integrity was his piety which he here professeth 2 To God I will wash my hands in innocency and so will compass thine Altar O Lord Ver. 6 i. e. 1 To his worship I will worship thee for that end in the next verse he would keep his hands from blood oppression innocent pure it was Ut Ver. 7 That I may publish with the voyce of Thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works Non est speciosa laus in ore precatoris therefore he would be innocent And then he professeth a second act of his piety his love to Cods house Ver. 8 and the Service done in it O Lord I have loved the habitation of thy House 2 To his house The third part Therefore he prayes and the place where thine honour dwelleth Upon which conscientiousness of his integrity he falls to prayer That God would not suffer him to be polluted with the conversation of wicked men Ver. 9 nor involved in their punishments Gather not my soul with sinners Ver. 10 nor my life with the blood-thirsty in whose hands is mischief And describes wicked men with whom he would not converse and their right hand is full of bribes But by the way observe the many Titles he gives here to wicked men 1. They are vain persons void and empty of the fear of God irreligious 2. Deep men occulti absconditi versuti dissemblers aliud ore aliud corde 3. Caetus Malignorum Malignants doing all for their own ends 4. Impious Turbones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. Peccatores sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Workers of iniquity 6. Blood-thirsty men cruel and revengeful 7. Mischievous ready to execute with their hands what they plotted in heart 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That will do any thing for a bribe Now from some such kind David blesseth himself he will have nothing to do with them As for me I will walk in my integrity Redeem me Lord from such people and be merciful to me Lastly The fourth part His gratitude He shewes his gratitude My foot standeth right hitherto I am sure I am in a good way I will therefore praise the Lord in the Congregations not only privately but publickly The Prayer collected out of the twenty sixth Psalm MANY O Lord very many are those temptations to allurements which the World the Divel and Mon have laid before me to withdraw me from the profession of thy Truth and a religious course of life but because I have continued constant in my integrity they load me with slanders and pursue me with violence séeking to take away my life as they have already taken my inheritance But Lord I commit my cause to thée by whose power I have hitherto persisted in my uprightness Judge Ver. 1 and discern my Cause O Lord They impute folly errour and stubborness to me but my heart tells me That I have walked innocently They lay to my charge things that I knew not but thou art the searcher of all hearts Ver. 2 Examine me therefore and prove me try out therefore as gold in thy fire the secrets of my reins and the inmost cogitations of my heart explore what they are and whether they be worthy of that despite and ill usage which I have received from these men of blood Thou knowest Lord that I have gone on in that right way of piety which thou hast proposed and prescribed in thy Word nor profit hath allured me nor threats have
I never more fall from thée but with a frée willing loving and an ingenuous soul I may constantly kéep the strait paths of thy Commandments all the dayes of my life this this will be an assurance unto me That I am restored to the joy of thy salvation And being restored my self I shall first labour to confirm my Brethren and then also I shall praise thée I will teach sinners in the way as my example hath seduced them so shall my exemplary Repentance again reduce them I will shew them my tears by which I have recovered thy grace my sorrow my confession by which I have pacified thy wrath what they are to do if they will recover thy favour and how ready thou art to forgive and be reconciled if they do it by which many a poor sinner shall be converted to thee And then they with me and I with them shall sing aloud of thy righteousness That thou art a righteous God that punishest the wicked and impenitent a righteous God that hast promised and performest thy Word in pardoning the believing penitent O Gd of my salvation open my lips which my sin hath shut up and closed and my tongue shall sing of thy mercies all the day long which being offered upon the Altar of a broken tender melting and contrite heart thou hast promised to accept Wouldst thou be pleased with the first-born of my body for the sin of my soul I would not detain it Hadst thou any delight in the fat of Rams or sed Beasts I would bind these sacrifices with cords even to the horns of the Altar but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings but he that offereth thée thanks and praise he honoureth thée but he that brings a heart broken for his sin he pleaseth thée and to him that presents a soul truly contrite that he hath offended so kind a Father thou wilt look this broken heart I bring to thée this contrite spirit I bere sacrifice before thée O Lord accept of this offering of me thy thankful but weak and miserable except thou be merciful servant And in the last place being perswaded that I am reconciled unto thée Ver. 18 I pray not for my self alone but for thy whole Church Do good in thy good pleasure to Zion and build thou the walls of Jerusalem When thy servants think upon her stones it pitieth them to sée her in the dust my sins as well as others have brought upon her this ruine but Lord turn from thy fierce wrath and once more repair her breaches let this City flourish once again let peace be within her Walls and plenteousness within her Palaces but especially a happy progress in true Religion and fear of thy Name Then shalt thou be pleased not with burnt-offerings and oblations Ver. 19 but with the calves of our lips and Hymns and Psalms which they who confess thy Name shall sing melodiously in their hearts to thée O my God I will sing of thy Name and exalt thy power and mercy for ever Amen PSAL. LII THIS Psalm was composed by occasion of Doegs cruelty in falling upon and slaying the Priests of God 1 Sam. 21 22. and the Subject is Doegs malice and Gods goodness Three parts there are in this Psalm 1. An Invective against Doeg and his fall from ver 1. to 6. 2. The comfort that Gods people should take in it ver 6. 3. The security and flourishing estate of those who trust in God and Davids thanks for it ver 9. 1. David begins with an abrupt Apostrophe to Doeg The first part and figures it by an Erotesis Why boastest thou thy self in mischief thou Mighty man and answers Ver. 1 that this boasting was but vain The goodness of God endures continually An invective against Doeg 1. His Character which was enough to quiet any soul that was affrighted with his brags and threats And so having put this black character upon him that he was a malicious bloody man and arrived to that height of impudence that he boasted in mischief he descends to particulars and sets him out in his colours especially by the ill use of that part by which he did most mischief his tongue 1. Thy tongue worketh mischief like a Rasor working deceitfully 1. Which is an instrument to cut the Beard but it comes too near the Throat 2. When this is done a deceit there is in it for the man who came under the edge of the Rasor expected no such usage 2. Thou lovest evil more than good His wickedness was habitual he bore a love to it 3. Thou lovest lying rather than to speak righteousness An enemy he was to the truth and by lyes and flatteries ready to destroy good men 4. Which David in the next verse more plainly expresseth Thou lovest all devouring words O thou false tongue he was as it were all tongue and wholly false and deceitful This is his Character now David foretels his ruine and total destruction which he amplifies from the Author by a Congeries of words 2 His ruine God shall likewise destroy thee for ever he shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the Land of the living The Rooters up of Gods Priests shall be unrooted 2. The second part The comfort Gods people take in it Then follows how Gods people should be affected upon Doegs fall 1. They The Righteous shall set it and fear fear and reverence God more than before as taking a just revenge on a wicked man 2. And they shall laugh at him using this bitter Sarcasm Lo this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthned himself in his wickedness This ruine is justly hapned to him he trusted in his gold more than God and by adding one wickedness to another thought to strengthen himself But such a fearful end shall not fall upon David The third part The flourishing estate of the good not any good man when a wicked man shall be unrooted he shall flourish as an Olive that is never destitute of leaves nor fruit a good and bad man are here opposed and their successes 1. As for me I am like a green Olive Tree fruitful and green 2. An Olive Tree planted in the House of God without which the fruits are but sowre and the leaves bare leaves only 3. His faith is the cause of it An Olive lasts long two hundred years and long liv'd a good man shall be for ever and ever to a good life longaevity is promised here hereafter eternity 4. And the Reason of all this the good mans faith I trust in the mercy of God Upon which his Conclusion being full of confidence Which is accompanied with praise and hope and expectancy follows 1. I will praise thee for ever because thou hast done it 2. And I will wait on thy Name for this is good before thy Saints this alone is the foundation of
to thee for what thou hast done the proud are risen up against us and a whole assembly of armed and violent men have invaded us and sought after our souls and all they imagine is to take away our lives and thy worship not without a great and high contempt of thy Name But thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth Turn thée then unto us and have mercy upon us give thy strength unto thy servants save those who are thy Vassals and deliver our souls from the nethermost Hell O Lord we are oppressed do thou answer for us teach us the way in which we are to go and we will walk in thy Truth unite our hearts close unto thée and we will take delight to fear thy Name shew some token of thy favour at last to us that they which hate us may see it and be afraid let them sée it openly That thou Lord hast holpen us and comforted us So shall we praise thee O Lord our God with all our heart and we will magnifie and glorifie thy Name for evermore PSAL. LXXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm is short but sweet for it contains many excellent priviledges of the Church of God of which every one must be a Member that hopes for salvation whosoever was the Authour it was his purpose to excite men to be in love with the Assemblies of Gods Saints and to that purpose the dignity and amplitude of the Church is set forth in this Psalm and the notes of her beauty and perfection may well serve for the Analysis 1. The Church commended 1. For the foundation laid on a holy Mountain First the Church is here commended for her foundation the Authour of it is God it is his foundation and it is surely laid not in the sand but upon a Mountain and no common Mountain neither but a consecrated place laid it is in the holy Mountains His foundation is in the holy Mountain No question the Prophet alludes to the hill of Zion Ver. 1 which was the Type of the Catholick Church and indeed the foundation of it 2 From Gods love to her For the Law was to come out of Zion 2. Ver. 2 The second Prerogative of the Church is taken from Gods love and favour to it 3 From the predictions that went of her far beyond that of any other Assembly The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3. Now besides the commendation it hath from the builder which was God and his free love to it Ver. 3 a third Prerogative it hath and that is from the testimony and predictions of the Prophets 4 From the increase of it by the access of the Gentiles Isaiah Haggai Saint John who not Glorious things are sprken of thee Thou City of God Selah 4. And one of those glorious things foretold by the Prophets was the great increase and amplitude of the Church Ver. 4 by the access of the Gentiles even those Nations which were the greatest enemies to Gods people should become friends and Citizens of this City even the Egyptians Babylonians Tyrians Aethiopians in effect all the Gentiles of what language Countrey soever 1. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me i. e. among my friends and family Behold Phylistia and Tyre with Aethiopia some of all Nations are come into my family there is one Fold one Shepherd 2. This man was born there this man whom you now see a Citizen of Zion was an Alien he was born there in Egypt Babylon c. 5. But now having renounced his Countrey and his fathers house Vers. 5 his Idols and old wayes it shall be said of Zion Vir Vir 5 From her continuance for ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This and that man was born regenerate and become a new man in her Here he receiv'd his adoption and the earnest of the Spirit 6. Farther yet the felicity of this City shall in this far exceed all other 6 From her free Denizons whose names are that whereas they fall to decay and perish this shall our-last all time The gates of hell shall not prevail against it For the most highest shall confirm and est ablish her 1 Eniâ—ll'd 7. A seventh Prerogative of the Church is That God agit Censum Vers. 6 and does as it were enrole the names of the Citizens So that now there is no difference betwixt Jew and Gentile bond nor free all are one in Christ Jesus The Lord shall count when he writes up the people That this man this cast-off Gentile was burn there Be as free a Denizon and have all the priviledges and prerogatives of this City as the natural Jew 8. Another Prerogative of these Citizens is 2 And they shall enjoy a perpetual Solemnity That they shall enjoy a perpetual Solemnity grief and sorrow shall cease and with Songs and instruments of Musick they shall sound forth Gods praises As well the siagers as players on instruments shall be there 9. Lastly He concludes the Psalm with an excellent Epiphonema Vers 7 that indeed comprehends all that can be said in the praise of the Church viz. For that in her all good is to be found All my springs are in thee Here are the fountains of living water Here are to be found the hidden treasures of all knowledge Here the waters that will refresh a thirsty soul and a fainting spirit Here all comforts all content The waters that are muddy and troubled in other streams in this are as clear as Cristal 'T is Virgo aqua A Prayer collected out of the eighty seventh Psalm for the Catholick Church O Lord Iesas Christ that by thy Almighty power madest all creatures both visible and invisible that by thy wisdom hast disposed all things in a comely order and now doest govern them that by thy unspeakable goodness yet doest preserve protect and promote all actions and successes who by thy mercy doest restore what is decay'd renew what is fallen and raisest the dead Vouchsafe to cast thy eye upon and view with a pleasing countenance thy well-beloved Spouse thy Church which thou hast purchased with thy blood and betroth'd to thy self in righteousness and in judgement and in loving-kindness and in mercies Look upon her with that amiable and merciful face wherewith thou pacifiest all things in heaven and earth Vers. 1 This is that new City that new Jerusalem which thou hast founded upon the Mountains of holiness Thy holy Apostles and Prophets were at thy command the chief Labourers in the building of it and all men since as living stones are built upon their Doctrine Be pleased then to love the gates of this City by which all must enter that look for salvation and prosecute with greater care and affection this thy chosen Spouse than thou didst the old Synagogue even as thou didst love the hill of
casts in out way to hinder us that we be not scandalized at these we have the help of Angels And which is yet more under their custody we shall tread under foot Satan And they shall tread under foot all their enemies and all his Complices him a roaring Lyon an old Serpent a fierce Dragon and all his Associates Tyrants Persecutors all Hereticks and Hypocrites for such is the promise Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and Dragon shalt thou trample under feet Ver. 13 3. In the mouth of two or thrte witnesses shall every word stand saith God and here we find the Law strictly observed To be proved it was that all who truly trust in God were to be protected by God of which one witness The third witness that the good man shall be protected God himself who is here brought in to attest all this on three conditions was the just man ver 2. Another the testimony of the Spirit by the Prophet from ver 3. to this verse To which a third we have here even God himself for in these three last verses the Prophet brings in God himself testifying this great and comfortable Truth with his own mouth and adding much to what was formerly said But yet upon these three conditions presupposed in the protected 1. His love 2. His acknowledgment of Gods Name 3. He shall call upon me with vehemency with an earnest desire 1. Because he hath set his love upon me Chasak pleased me loved me Ver. 14 adhered close to me hoped in me trusted to me with a filial love and adherence 1 The good mans love to God 2. Because he hath known my Name acknowledged my Power Wisdom Goodness 2 His acknowledging of God these are the causes and the conditions presupposed in the protected 3. He shall call upon me Invocation necessary also 3 His Invocation Therefore I will deliver him I will answer him I will be with him in trouble Therefore saith God I will honour him which Bellarmine supposeth to belong to this life I will glorifie him or set him on high and the second I will deliver him 1 I will deliver him with long life I will satisfie him and shew him my salvation 1. I will deliver him by the shield by my Angels by other wayes mediatly 2 I will glorifie him or immediatly yet so that it be remembred that I do it Ver. 14 for these shall not deliver without me 3 I will answer his prayers 2. I will answer him answer his desires answer his prayers so they be cries 3. I will be with him in trouble joyn my self close to him 4 I will be with him in trouble go into prison with him as it were suffer with him and think my self pursued when he is persecuted give him comfort even then Martyres non eripuit sed nec deseruit They sung in prison 4. I will hâ—â—our him For the names of those who suffered for his sake 5 I will honour him are honourable right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his Saints These Promises may belong to this life to the other those which follow Ver. 15 1. I will deliver him For the just by death and by death only The promises for the other life repeated are freed from the present and all future miseries Blessed are the dead for they rest from their labours 2. I will glorifie him As if it were not enough to deliver him 1 Rest such a thing in this life may fall out as it happened to Joseph Job David 2 Glory Daniel But the true glory no question must be When the righteous shall shine like the Sun be set upon their Thrones and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel 3. With long life will I satisfie him i. e. with eternal felicity Ver. 16 with a continuance in bliss which shall be eternal for without eternity 3 Eternity even the length of dayes cannot satisfie as appears by old men who yet have complained of a short life 4. And that the Prophet speaks of this eternal felicity 4 The beatifical Vision is more than probable because he adds I will shew him my salvation Salutare meum My Christ his Jesus or salutem meam my salvation that is I will bring to pass that when through his whole life I have given him sufficient evidences of my fatherly affection I will at last translate him to a place where he shall no longer live by faith but shall see and experimentally feel what he hath believed I will make all manifest and shew it unto him Happy he shall be in the enjoyment of the Beatifical Vision which nor ignorance nor trouble nor labour nor sorrow nor death it self nor fear of it shall interrupt The Prayer O Gracious God who hast made so comfortable promises of security aid and help to all those that with faith love and hope adhere and trust to thée Teach us in all our temptations pressures and sorrows to dwell in thy secret place to rely upon thy visible assistance and to abide under the shadow of the Almighty Ver. 1 Make us know That thou art our Refuge That thou art our Fortress Ver. 2 That thou art our God That in thee alone must be our trust and confidence Assaulted we are secretly and openly the Fowler the Divel sets his snares for us Ver. 3 and hopes to take us in his Net as a silly Bird in danger we are to be devoured by the Sword and the noysome pestilence In the night we are surprized with terrours Ver. 5 too often affrighted with conspiracies and treasons of treacherous enemies and the secret whispers of false friends In the day of our prosperity Ver. 6 the kéen arrows of bloody enemies and persecutors are let flie at us the pestilence and pestilent plots of those which watch for our ruine walk about in the darkness and the malice of Tyrants by a perpetual destruction labours to waste us at noon-day even in the sight of the Sun Cover us Ver. 4 O gracious God as the Hen doth her tender Birds with thy feathers and give us confidence under thy wings assure our hearts by a lively faith of the Truth of thy promises and let thy faithfulness in the performance be unto us a Shield and a Buckler by which we may receive and quench all the fiery darts of the Divel O Lord we have made thée who hast no Superiour our Refuge our Sanctuary to flie to we have made thée our habitation to rest Ver. 9 to dwell in who art the most High above all and séest what is done below and sits in the highest Throne and over-rulest the whole World When then a thousand shall fall by our side Ver. 7 or ten thousand at our right hand let not thy heavy indignation come near to us let no evil befall us that repose our confidence in thée Ver. 10 nor any
plague come nigh our dwelling Thou oftentimes even in this World takest vengeance upon the wicked Pharaoh and his Host are drowned in the red Sea Dathan and Abiram were swallowed up by the gaping earth if it be thy good pleasure O let our eyes behold and see the reward of the wicked Ver. 8 let us lay it to heart and consider it and rejoyce when we sée the vengeance but not for the calamities that befall these miserable men but because thy justice is magnified thy wisdom exalted thy love and care of thy people the poor flock of thy pasture in a strange manner made apparent by the punishment and recompence taken upon these impudent obstinate and rebellious sinners who have not set thée before their eyes As for thy people direct them in thy Truth and preserve them in the right way Ver. 11 make thy Law their light and guide that their works may be good and their lives holy and as thou hast given a charge to those ministring Spirits the Angels so command them to kéep thine in all their wayes let them bear them up in their hands Ver. 12 employ their wisdom power will and intelligence for their perseverance that through their misguided affections of love and fear they stumble not and fall at those impediments obstacles scandals and discouragements laid in their way as so many stones by the common enemy of thy Church and his complices He is a roaring Lyon in our way that goes about Ver. 13 seeking whom he may devoure He is an Adder in our path that is ready to bite our héel give us power to tread upon him and bruise his head He and the Tyrants Persecutors Sectaries and Hypocrites he hath raised are as young Lyons and Dragons to us arm us with magnanimity and constancy to trample them under our féet Our love we set upon thée therefore deliver us Ver. 14 we know and acknowledge thy Name thy Power thy Wisdom thy Goodness Ver. 15 therefore once more honour us and set us on high We earnestly and instantly cry unto thée and call upon thée hear us therefore and answer us the sorrows of our hearts are enlarged and our troubles are great make then this promise good unto us and be with us in trouble let thy bowels yearn upon us go along with us to our prisons leave us not in our extremities and make them know that they who pursue us do persecute thée And in thy good time O Lord take us from our miseries and take us to thy self honour and glorifie us with thy Saints in those Mansions which thou hast prepared for us set us upon our promised Thrones where we shall shine as the Sun in his glory Even so come Lord Jesus Ver. 16 come quickly This life because short and full of misery will give no satisfaction satisfie us with that in which is length and eternity of dayes here we live by faith but there we shall experimentally see and féel what we have believed shew us therefore O Lord thy salvation and let us be happy in thy presence for evermore Amen Amen PSAL. XCII A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath-day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Title of this Psalm shews to what end it was to be composed viz. To be a part of the Jewish Lyturgy and on the Sabbath-day to be sung to the honour and praise of God whom on that day especially they were to magnifie for his goodness and faithfulness in creating and by his especial Providence governing the World of which Providence the Prophet gives two especial instances the sudden fall of the wicked the prosperity and security of the godly the parts then of this Psalm Are two 1. First A general Proposition Thesis Axiom or Maxim ver 1. It is good to give thanks to the Lord c. which is explained ver 2. 3. and applied ver 4. 2. A particular Narration of such works in which the goodness and faithfulness of God doth especially consist viz. The Creation and Government of the World ver 4 5. And of the last he gives two instances 1. One in wicked men 1. Of their sottishness and stupidity 6. 2. Then of their sudden extirpation ver 7 8 9. 2. Another in the godly whose prosperity is great from ver 10. to 14. and security certain ver 15. He begins with a Maxime The first part The general maxime It is good i. e. just profitable pleasant and commendable to give thanks to the Lord. 2. And to sing praises with heart Vers. 1 tongue and with Musical Instruments to thy glorious Name O thou most High 2. The explanation of it And both parts he explains 1. That we give thanks at all times Morning and Evening in Prosperity and Adversity and in our praises especially to remember his loving-kindness Vers. 2 and his faithfulness These must be the matter of our thanksgiving 1 Good to praise God at all times for his loving-kindness It is good to shew forth thy loving-kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night vers 2. 3. It is good also to add to our voices Instruments of Musick to that end To sing praises to thy Name and glory upon an Instrument of ten strings and upon the Psaltery Vers. 3 upon the Harp with a solemn sound vers 3. As it was then usual in the Temple 2 Good to express it always 4. Vers. 4 And thus the Maxime being proposed and explained he applyes it to himself This he applies and shews the reason viz. and shews his own practice and the reason of it For thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work I will triumph in the works of thy hands vers 4. 1. The delight he took in Gods works Thou hast made me glad He was first delighted and affected with Gods work 2. And then he exults and triumphs in it The heart must be first truly affected with the work of God before a man shall take any true content or delight in it He must see God and his goodness in the Creature before he shall take any delight or content in the Creature Which yet came from Gods Spirit He must discern Gods faithfulness in his works and wayes before he shall take any content and exult in his works and wayes And this content and delight is also a work of the Spirit Tuexhilarasti Thou hast made me glad 2. The second part Mention he had made of the work and works of God and now he farther opens what they are First The Creation of the Universe Secondly His especial Providence in ordering the things of this world He shews what these works are in which he delighted particularly about man 1. First he begins with the work of Creation upon which he enters with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 5 not without less than an admiration O Lord how great are thy works 1 Of Creation which he admires and thy thoughts are very deep As
now and at the day of judgement Jehovah is become the Supreme King and all other Kings and Powers become his Vassals and Servants A benefit so great that he moves the world to be glad of it Let the earth rejoice let the multitude of the Isles that is the inhabitants of both be glad thereof All men wheresoever and whatsoever for if they be oppressed by Tyrants yet the Lord they serve is Mightier the Kingdom is his all Power in heaven and earth given into his hands and he can repress and bring into order the proudest Tyrants He hath this name written on his thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 For the good 2. And 't is most certain that he will make use of his Scepter for the good of his Subjects and for the confusion and ruine of their and his enemies which is often done in this life but if deferr'd for some reasons best known unto him yet it shall be certainly done at the last day when his appearance will be very terrible yet comfortable to His. For 1. Clouds and darkness shall be round about him Vers. 2 as it was when he gave the Law in Sinai Of his Subjects 2. Righteousness and Judgement the habitation the Basis of his Throne 1. Righteousness justly to pass sentence in the defence of his people And so comfortable to them 2. Judgement to be poured out upon his enemies And so a terrible day to them 3. A fire goeth before him and burns up his enemies round about Vers. 3 His lightnings enlightned the world the earth saw it and trembled The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth For the confusion of his enemies In which three verses are set down the terror of that day as it is described Mat. 24 29 c. 2 Pet. 2.10 c. Psal 18.7 c. Which fire yet shall not hurt the godly it shall burn up only his enemies as is here said 4. And at this day the heavens declare his righteousness When his appearing shall be glorious when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and the Trump of God 1 Thess 4. 2. And all people his glory appearing in the clouds of heaven with all the Angels about him when every knee of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth shall bow unto him Phil. 2. 2. Upon the consideration of Christs Soveraignty The second part Upon which the Prophet and his glorious appearance at the last day our Prophet imprecates and exhorts 1. He imprecates that confusion and a curse may fall upon all Idolators Confounded be all they that serve carved Images Vers. 7 and boast themselves of Idols Which is indeed their shame 1 Imprecates 2. 2 Exhorts He exhorts Adore him all ye gods ye that excell in power on earth ye Angels that excell in power in heaven adore worship invocate submit to this King For this was and ought to be the practice of Gods people 1. Vers. 8 Sion heard of it heard that the Lord reigned that he would come to judge the quick and dead 3 And the people of God exult that Idolators should be confounded that Christ only was to be adored and rejoiced at it and was very well pleased with the News and desired it should be so 2. Vers. 9 The daughters of Judah that is the people of God rejoiced because of thy judgements O Lord did exult because thou O Lord do'st judge all men with a just judgement 3. But that which did most of all excite and heighten their joy was the exaltation of Christ to the Throne that the Lord of Gods people was now to be the Supreme Lord. Glad they were because Thou O Lord art high above all the earth high above all Kings and earthly Monarchs that thou art exalted far above all gods i. e. far above all Angels who are called gods by participation and far above all Devils who are worshipped as gods by an error of judgement 3. The third part The Character by which Gods people may be known At the eighth verse he made mention of the Church and call'd them Zion he spoke of the people of God under the name of the daughters of Judah and he saith they did exult and rejoice at it But that no man footh up himself with this Title for there be many who lay claim to Zion that belongs not to Zion and seem to rejoice that Christ is King who wish in their hearts it were otherwise Vers. 10 The Prophet sets down an infallible Character by which the Elect may be known viz. The Love of God and the infallible consequent of it The Hatred of evil to which he exhorts Ye that love the Lord hate evil 1. 1 They love God O you that make God your choice and Christ your King not feinedly but truly not with the lips alone but with the heart that fear and worship God not according to the external work but according to the Spirit of the Law 2. 2 They hate evil See that ye hate evil 't is not sufficient to fly it to decline from it but you must detest and hate it which without the work of the heart will never be done For the heart is the fountain of all actions good or bad from it before God they have their denomination and acceptance As out of the heart proceeds the love of the chief good so out of the heart again proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries c. Mat. 15. And that we lend the easier ear to this counsel The reward for this work the Prophet proposeth two great rewards to those that love the Lord and hate evil 1. Enemies they have in this life that hate them that seek to oppress thâ—m against these God promiseth protection from these deliverance 1. Vers. 10 He preserveth the souls of his Saints often their lives but alwayes their souls 1 Preservation which is a benefit beyond the other The Accuser of the brethren shall not hurt them 2. He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked sometime out of their hand that they fall not into it and sometime out of their hand when they are in it Ovis erepta lupo Now this is their first reward 2. Vers. 11 A second reward there is in the next verse That in their miseries they shall be fill'd with content 2 In miseries they shall find comfort and find comfort when they little expected it but then they must be righteous and upright in heart 1. 1 Light content Light is sown for the righteous or as the old Translator reads out of the Septuagint Light is risen up to the righteous The diversity as Moller and Bellarminâ— arose out of the nearness of the two Hebrew words Zarahh and Zarach Zarahh signifying Seminare and Zarach oriri
And he backs his Petition with a strong Reason drawn from the final cause Help me save me that they may know that this is thy hand that thou Lord hast done it That all men especially the Jewes may know by my rising again in despite of their watch and seal that it was not their malice nor power that brought me to this ignominious death but the whole matter my Passion suffering and death proceeded from thy hand Acts 2.23 cap. 3.18 And by his Resurrection he was declared to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 And in the close of his prayer His vote he sings as it were a Triumph over all his enemies the Devil Judas the Jewes those great enemies to him and his Church over them he insults in a bitter Epitrope 1. Let them curse speak evil of me call me a deceiver blaspheme me as the Jewes do in a solemn manner to this day 1 That God bless him let them esteem my followers as the off-scouring and out-casts of the World 2. 2 That the Jewes be confounded But bless thou So thou return me good for their cursing 2 Sam. 16.12 And not only to me in glorifying me and setting me on his right hand but for my sake bless all Nations that by faith in Baptism shall give up their names to me 3. When they arise For 1. Arise they will plot endeavour and oppose all they can both by force and fraud the establishment of my Kingdom 2. But let them be ashamed confounded and astonished that all their attempts are frustrate 4. 3 That he rejoyce But let thy servant for Christ took upon him the name and condition of a servant rejoyce not only that they are saved and their enemies confounded but because thy Name is thereby glorified And he continues his Imprecation But his adversaries cloathed with shame and comes over it again by way of Expolition Let my Adversaries be cloathed with shame and let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a Mantle Confounded at the last day for their ingratitude foolishness and malice before men and Angels and wrapp'd about with it as veste talari as with a Robe or a lined Mantle that comes about and covers every part of the body 4. And at last he closeth all with thanks which he opposeth to the confusion of the wicked The fourth part For which he would praise God publickly they for amazement and astonishment of heart shall be struck dumb as the man without the wedding garment but 1. I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth with great affection with a â—great Jubilee 2. Ver. 30 And that not closely among private Walls but in open Theater of the whole World yea I will praise him among the multitude Of which praise he renders this reason 1. He shall stand at the right hand of the poor i. e. such poor who are poor in spirit God will defend and save his people meek and humble and being conscious of their own wants and lack of strength are alwayes begging and beating at the door of God who is rich in mercy at the right hand of such a poor man he will stand as a Sword and Buckler to keep off every blow aimed at him for so it followes 2. I will stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul from the Devil and all his instruments Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his Church and he hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us and nail'd it to the Cross Col. 2.14 So that cùm à mundo damnamur à Christo absolvimur Tertull. The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and ninth Psalm O Almighty Merciful and Gracious Father Ver. 1 Thou art the God of whom we make our boast all the day long and desire to magnifie and praise all our life long who art alone the Witness of the honesty and integrity of our hearts hold not thy peace in this néedful time of trouble but be our Advocate and plead our cause against the wicked and deceitful men the enemies of thy Church and Oppressors of thy Truth and people It is not Lord Ver. 2 unknown to thée That the mouths of these wicked and false-hearted hypocrites are opened against thée our Religion and Profession It is not unknown unto thée That they not only load us with lies and blasphemies but that forgetful of all humanity and piety They have compassed us about with words of hatred Ver. 3 They hate and malice us and what foul aspersions their malice could invent those they have cast upon us But with this their malice was not satisfied for from words they came to blowes our blood have they shed like water by the fury of War and defiled their hands with the slaughter of innocents our Mothers Children have risen and sought against us without a cause For what cause have we given them except it were that in charity we would have taught and informed them in the Truth and continued them in the bosom of thy Church What cause except it were that we prayed for them Father forgive them for they know not what they do Ver. 4 but such is their ingratitude That for our love they are become our Adversaries they have rewarded us evil for good and hatred for our love And for our good-will Ver. 5 repay us with oppression and make use of their power and lay hold of the time put into their hands to destroy waste and root out thy inheritance As for us we have no means to resist their fury no power to oppose against their rage but our prayers and tears and therefore we will give our selves to prayer and first pray for them Lord lay not this sin to their charge Or if they shall persist and go on in their wickedness against them as thou hast taught us in this Psalm O Lord the Curses are bitter the Execrations are fearful and we know of what spirit we are we shall then leave it to thy Iustice to execute them as on whom and when thou shalt think fit not looking so much what these men of a reprobate mind have deserved as what is our Duty taught and enjoyned by thée To love our enemies to bless them that curse us to do good to them that hate us to pray for them that despitefully use us and persecute us Afraid we are lest we indulge too much to our humane affections of self-self-love anger hatred and impatience even in using this Form that thou hast taught and therefore we will forbear to curse them and sollicite for our selves Conscious we are to our selves that we have not lived a life worthy of thy Truth and Gospel revealed unto us which is the just cause that at this time Ver. 21 in thy worship there remains almost nothing which is not corrupted with Novelty and polluted with falshood But O merciful God give us true contrition
both great and small whether thou hast raised them to a high degrée of honour or made them vessels of dishonour Thou Lord art that great Lord that hath made both heaven and earth she power in heaven Thou hast reserved to thy self the earth Thou hast given to the children or men that they may inhabit it and be sustained by it By thine own mouth all those who serve thée in fear and reverence are pronounced to be the Blessed of the Lord give then good God to these the dew of heaven and the famess of the earth multiply and increase them more and more both the fathers and their children Of this nothing can deprive us but our abuse and unthankfulness that may make heaven brass and the earth iron under us So touch our hearts then with thy grace that we never receive a blessing but we be as ready to return a blessing that we use not the gift without blessing thée the Doner t is the end we live 't is the end we breath The dead praise thee not for the gifts of the earth because they have no use of them they that go down into the stlent places of the grave are altogether silent for thy swéet dewes and showres wherewith the earth is impregned and fatned because they stand not in néed of any of her supplies We are the men who yet live and draw our breath which must be nourished and sustained by the dugs of this good mother which we will never praw without thankfulness We will bless the Lord while we live upon the earth even from this time to the end of our life and if we could live for ever for evermore Since therefore O merciful Lord Thou hast given the earth for a possession to the sons of men and to that end that there may be upon the earth some to celebrate thy Name we beséech thée to defend thy little flock from the hands of violent men and suffer them not by their rage and fury to be taken from their possessions by a violent and immature death But much more O Lord preserve them from eternal death and damnation in which no man can praise thée and grant unto them that while they live on earth they may live by the life of thy Spirit that both now and for ever as it is their bounden duty they may praise and magnisle thy Name and set forth thy mercies in Iesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour Amen PSAL. CXVI Didascalicus THIS Psalm is gratulatory for it shewes some great straits to which David was brought from which God delivering him he vowes to be thankful The points of this Psalm are three 1. David makes profession of his love and shews the Reasons of it viz. Gods goodness to him in hearing him when he was in a sad condition and helping him from ver 1. to 9. 2. He professeth his duty and faith ver 9 10 11. 3. He vowes to be thankful and in what manner from ver 12. to 19. 1. Deum David diligit He begins with the expression of his content and love I have enough I love the Lord The first part and presently sets down his Reasons 1. Ver. 1 Because he hath heard my voyce and my supplications good reason then to love him Ratio prima That God heard him 2. Because he hath inclined his ear to me a certain evidence that he was heard Upon which certainty and experience of Audience Ver. 2 he infers this protestation Therefore will I call upon him as long as I live Secunda Ratio Amoris auditum in suâ angustiâ 2. Another Reason that moved him to love God and acquiesce in him was That he heard him in his greatest need and extremities which he describes in the next verse Neither can there be any greater for he suffered in body and soul by the sense of Gods wrath which how great they are those only can tell you that have had experience of them 1. The sorrowes of death compassed me even death it self is the King of fear Describet angustias 2. The pains of Hell gat hold upon me He feared the anger of God for his sin and the consequent of that anger 3. Both these brought him into a heavy case many compass'd about with the sorrowes of death living in prosperity they observe it not they consider it not and therefore they nor fear nor grieve But David was sensible of his condition he found where he was and therefore in grief and fear he-professeth I found trouble and sorrow but at last faith seems to conquer them he despairs not For he betakes himself to his old and safe remedy a remedy that never had failed him 1. Then in these sorrowes these pangs these troubles 2. Invocatio refugium I called upon the Name of the Lord Invocation was his sole Refuge 3. And he sets down the very words of his prayer for our use in the like case O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul i.e. from the sorrowes of death and dangers of hell And then Ostendit quibus fundament is nixus ad Deum fugit oravit viz. that he might shew that he prayed to God in faith and hope he acquaints us upon what ground he did it viz. those Attributes of God of which every one that happens to be in his case hath especial use or else he is not like to find comfort for then no talking of merits of predestination of Enthusiasms in such a case these are no Cordials to a soul under the sense of Gods wrath That which will then comfort any man is to remember and believe what David doth here 1. That God is gracious he inspires prayer and repentance into a man and freely remits sin Dei Attribut is and receives to favour all such as by a lively faith flie to him 2. And righteous and just that will perform what he hath promised and grant an induigence upon those terms that he hath promised 3. Yea our God is merciful he mingles mercy with his justice and though he scourgeth every son that he receives yet 't is with a fathers hand which is more prone to forgive than to punish 4. The Lord preserves the simple i. e. Men sine plicis such simple men as Job was these being without counsel or help he keeps he saves Of which David gives an instance in himself I was brought low and he helped me And the like favour others may find that call upon him on those grounds that I did relying on him because he is gracious righteous and merciful and preserves the simple 3. Another Reason he had to love God was the great rest quiet Tertia Ratio Amoris acquiescentia animi orta ex reconciliatione peace and tranquility he found in his soul after this storm was over and therefore after he had described the Tempest and the means he used for his deliverance out of it viz. Faith and Invocation and found them effectual
that they may glorifie my Father which is in Heaven Thy praise I will sound forth thy Name I will magniffe confess I will that thou hast been to me a gracious God and merciful Father even in the Courts of the Lords house even in the midst of thee O jerusalem in which I know thou wilt alone accept of thanks and hear and grant the pelitions of thy servants that are offered unto thée through the merits and in the Name of thy Son Iesus Christ our Lord and Saviour PSAL. CXVII A Hymn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS Psalm is short and sweet it contains a Doxology to God for his mercy and truth and it is also Prophetical in reference to the calling of the Gentiles as it appears Rom. 15.11 Two parts there are of it 1. An Exhortation to all Nations to praise God The first part 1. A Doxology both Gentiles and Jewes 1. He speaks to the Gentiles Praise the Lord all ye Nations he means after they were converted and made sons of the Church For how shall they call on him in whom they have not believeâ—â— Rom. 10. 2. He speaks to the converted Jewes whom he notes under the name of people as they are call'd Psal 2.1 Acts 4.25 Praise the Lord all ye people Both now make but one Church and therefore both now ought to joyn together in the praise of God 2. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Reason give for it The second part 1. Because his merciful kindness is great nay confirmed toward us 2 The reason in sending his Son to be a Saviour both of Jewes and Gentiles His Church is built on a foundation against which the gates of Hell shall not prevail 2. Neither is his mercy only by this confirmed but the truth also of his promises fulfilled as he promised to send a Messias so he hath performed it and this his truth endures for ever for it shall never be challenged there is no other Messiah to be expected now for this Praise ye the Lord. The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and seventeenth Psalm O Omnipotent and gracious God when all Mankind walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Aire the spirit that works in the children of disobedience When they walked according to the lusts of the flesh and fulfilled the desires of the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath Thou who art rich in mercy for thy great love wherewith thou hast loved us wast pleased to send thy only begotten Son Jesus Christ and to deliver him to death for the salvation of the World This thy great mercy it pleased thée to make known to us by thy Apostles and to call us who were Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of Promise to be partakers of thy merciful kindness In Christ Jesus we who were sometimes afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ so great hath thy mercy béen even toward us therefore from us immortal thanks are due unto thée who find our selves saved not for our merits but by thy sole goodness We therefore beséech thée that thou wouldst so confirm our hearts by the Spirit of faith that without any doubt adhering to thy truth which endures for ever we may apprehend those good things which thou hast promised and offerest fréely to us O Lord have mercy upon all Iewes Turks Iufidels and Hereticks and take from them all ignorance hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy flock that they may be saved among the remnant of thy true Israelites let us all méet in one Fold and have but one Shepherd that all Nations may praise the Lord and all people sing Hallelujah to thy holy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID being freed from many dangers and confirmed in his Kingdom according to Gods promise in this Psalm gives thanks The parts of this Psalm are 1. An Exhortation to praise God for his mercy from ver 1. to 5. 2. A perswasion to trust in God and that from his own example who call'd upon God in trouble and was deliver'd from ver 5. to 15. 3. The Exultation of the Church for it from ver 15. to 19. 4. A solemn Thanksgiving kept for it and in what manner it was celebrated from ver 19. to 28. 5. David invites to praise God The first part A short Doxology ver 28 29. 1. David invites all to praise God O give thanks unto the Lord and adds his Reasons 1. For he is good than which nothing could be said more briefly nothing more powerfully he is properly and absolutely good and therefore ought to be praised because there is nothing rightly worthy of praise but that which is good Ver. 1 Solum honestum laudabile 2. His reasons are 1. Good Good to us a mercifull God But secondly He is good and ever good to us a merciful God which flowes from his goodness and is then most conspicuous when it is imparted to those in misery Praise him because his mercy endureth for ever His mercy created us his mercy redeemed us his mercy protects us his mercy will crown us there is then no end of his mercy This his mercy extends especially to his people To his people and therefore he puts into the mouth of all his people this song of his mercy whom he distributes into three parts 1. Ver. 2 Let Israel now say the whole Nation that his mercy endureth for ever 2. Ver. 3 Let the house of Aaron that whole Tribe consecrated now to him say that his mercy endures for ever 3. Ver. 4 Let them now that fear the Lord Proselytes c. now say that his mercy endures for ever that is the burden of the Hymn so he begins so he ends ver 29. 2. The second part And so in general having given a Commendation of his mercy he desoends to that particular in which his mercy did consist The particulars of his mercy viz. A great deliverance of him when he was in a great strait which he could impute to no other cause than his mercy 1. Ver. 5 I was in distress And that 's the case of Gods people as well as Davids 2. I called upon the Lord I boasted not of my merits I complained not that I suffered unjustly but I fled to his mercy and invoked so did the Church in Peters case Of which he is an example Acts. 12.5 3. The issue was The Lord answered and set me in a large place and so it fell out to Peter Upon which experience David exults Shewing how God had been mercifull to him upon which he makes three Conclusions as the Church in the like case may so that all be still attributed to God and his mercy 1. The Lord is my helper And the first inference upon it
love if thou at any time dost desert me so that acknowledging mine own weakness and inability I may flie to thée for grace O forsake me not over-long because being destitute of thy grace and help I am able to do nothing Vpon every slip and fall then restore unto me the light of thy countenance so shall I not be amazed and confounded in my conscience while I have respect to all thy Commandments so shall I praise thée for thy grace and assistance with an upright and an honest heart because thou hast taught me to love and approve thy righteous judgments Make me Ver. 1 O Lord undefiled in thy way and to walk in thy Law teach me to kéep thy Testimonies Ver. 2 and to séek thée with my whole heart never suffer me with purpose of heart to adhere to or with content to delight or with constancy to continue in the works of iniquity but let my will be bent to kéep thy Law and walk in thy wayes that I may be blessed blessed in this life and in that which is to come Amen 2. BETH IN the first Octonary The Contents the Prophet having commended Gods Law from the Authour and the end which was happiness in these eight verses following sets out to us the efficacy and utility of it to a holy life without which that blessedness cannot be obtained Secondly And also the means and way that every one ought to take The profit and efficacy of Gods Word who intends that the Law of God shall have that effect upon him 1. The profit and efficacy of Gods Law he sets down in the first verse attributing to it a cleansing power and for it he chooseth the most unlikely Subject a young man he asks 1. Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way Ver. 1 In a young man the Law of the members is most strong he wants experience and cannot be so wise as an old man he knowes not the way yet for he is but newly set out and may be mistaken Wherewithall then by what art or remedy shall this Novice amend the corruptions of his depraved nature become a sanctified person refrain his passions and cleanse his way of life 2. To which the Prophet answers That the way to amend young men and indeed all men is by taking heed thereto by a careful watch over his wayes that they be conformed according to thy Word Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth It is good for a man to bear the yoke from his youth Gods Word is this yoke and being born from our tender age it will be operative and produce a holy life 2. It being granted The means to attain to holiness that the Word of God is of this efficacy to cleanse our way and cause us to live a holy life next by his own example he shewes the means how this holiness may be obtained which are many 1. The first is by a diligent search and by prayer 1. With my whole heart earnestly have I sought thee Ver. 2 It seems he was sensible of his wants for we seek for that we want 1 Dâ—ligent search and prayer and would fain have 2. And then petitions O let me not wander from thy Commandments As our first calling so our continuance in the state of grace is from the Lord David therefore prayes that God would not desert him for without his grace he must needs wander 2. The second means of Sanctification is Ver. 3 to keep and remember what God commands so did David 2 Delight in Gods Word 1. Thy words have I hid within my heart Remembred approved delighted in them 2. Yea and reduced them to practice The end was that I might not sin against thee 3. The third means of Sanctification is to bless God for his grace Ver. 4 and desire a further information so doth David here 3 To bless God for his grace and desire more 1. He blesseth God for what he had given Blessed art thou O Lord. 2. He asks more grace Teach me thy statutes He had Nathan he had Priests to instruct him himself was a Prophet but all their teaching was nothing without Gods blessing and therefore he prayes Teach me Paul may plant c. 4. The fourth means of Sanctification 4 Ardent love to Gods Law declared the ardent love which men ought to bear to the Law of God which is expressed in the four last verses both outwardly and inwardly 1. Ver. 5 His love outwardly testified by his mouth to the edification of others With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth 1 Outwardly He was no mute about Gods Law 2. Ver. 6 2 Inwardly by 1. Affection And inwardly his love was testified these wayes 1. In his affection I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches They are of great esteem with men thy Commandments with me Ver. 7 2. 2 Meditation In his meditation of them which brings the Word to the mind I will meditate in thy precepts 3. 3 Consideration In his consideration that which comes into the mind being never so good if it be not consider'd goes as it came whence he saith I will have respect to thy wayes look back upon them and consider them 4. Ver. 8 In his Delectation which ariseth out of the other two I will delight my self in thy statutes 4 Delectation I will not forget thy Word Having meditated considered Gods statutes he will delight in them he will never forget them The Prayer O Lord Ver. 1 thou expectest from us that we be holy as thou art holy and that we cleanse our polluted wayes and take héed to order them according to thy Word But all humane endeavour is utterly vain and unprofitable to this end Ver. 2 except thou be present and assist us by thy holy Spirit wherefore with our whole heart we séek unto thée Ver. 4 that thou wouldst bestow upon us grace Ver. 3 that we may not wander from thy Commandments Teach us O Lord thy statutes Ver. 5 and let us hide and remember thy words in our hearts that we may never sin against thée make it our daily exercise to declare with our lips the judgments of thy mouth cause us more to rejoyce in the way of thy testimonies than in all manner of riches Never suffer us to forget thy Word but let thy precepts be lodged in our mind by a daily meditation and thy wayes whetted upon our hearts by a continual consideration that we may be delighted with them so let us meditate that we may consider and by considering take delight and out of delight perform thy Will in righteousness and holiness all the dayes of our life through Iesus Christ our Lord. 3. GIMEL IN this Octonary The Contents The impediments of obedience David reckoneth up the impediments that he might meet with in the keeping of Gods Law 2. And prayes
affection and delight that he took to walk in it For therein do I delight Ver. 4 3. 3 He prayes to God to remove all impediments And now he prayes to God to remove all impediments that might hinder him in his walk 1. Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies No doubt David found his heart evil inclined and tempted to a wrong way averse and backward to obey and that therefore God would remove this averseness and bend and incline his heart the right way 2. But especially that he would avert his heart from covetousness 1 Covetousnes for that 's the root of all evil The Word in the Original may signifie profit Gen. 37.26 Psal 30.9 These profitable sins do take away the inclination of the heart to Gods Law David prayes against them 4. The next impediment is the lust of the eyes By the eyes Ver. 5 as by the windowes death too often enters into the heart Eve saw the apple fair to the eye 2 Lust of the eyes Achan the wedge of gold David himself Bathsheba from the top of his Palace Vt vidi ut perit and therefore Job makes a Covenant with his eyes not to look upon a Maid and David here prayes 1. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity The objects of which are vain The objects are but vain and empty things they have no solidity in them O turn my eyes from them He that will keep his heart with diligence must have a care of his senses especially his eyes for Qui exteriori oculo negligenter utitur interiori non injuste caecetur Gregory in Job 2. Quicken me in thy Law Man is quick enough to walk in his own way 4 He prayes for quickning he can do it without a Teacher but except God put life and keep it in his soul he hath nor knowledge nor life nor strength nor pleasure to walk in the wayes of God and therefore David prayes Quicken me raise enliven refresh conserve me in life 5. And here he inserts a Petition for perseverance Ver. 6 he vowed and promised it in the two first verses but being conscious to himself 5 And for perseverance how unable he was to perform it without Gods help he prayes 1. Stablish thy Word unto thy servant Make good thy Word give me grace to stand 2. And his Reason to perswade God to this is because he was his servant and such a servant that was devoted to his fear wholly dedicated to serve and fear thee I observe the condition that thou requirest in any servant Lord then make good thy Word and stablish me 6. It will be a great reproach in the sight of God at the last day For not to have persevered a reproach and is now in the fight of Angels not to have persevered in the keeping that Law which is so good and therefore David having prayed for perseverance adds 1. Turn away the reproach which I fear at the last day Ver. 7 let me not be then shamed 2. For thy judgments are good This Reason shewes he fear'd Gods rebuke Mans reproach comes from a corrupt judgment he condemns where God will absolve I pass not for it but I know thy rebuke is alway deserved For thy judgments are good 7. He concludes desiring God to look upon his Petitions Ver. 8 as proceeding from an honest heart 6 He again prayes for grace 1. Behold I have longed after thy precepts It appears by these ejaculations that I desire them seriously 2. Therefore quicken me in thy righteousness Encrease conserve me in this spiritual life false conceptions vanish and come not to the birth so the desires of man not quickned nor conserved by the grace of God This whole Octonary being a prayer there needs no other 6. VAU THIS Octostich is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Contents for he vowes and promises in it to be thankful 1. First He prayes for mercy at Gods hands and the Petition being granted he promiseth to shew his thankful heart two wayes 1. By a bold confession of Gods Law and the defence of it before the greatest Adversary 2. By a holy Conversation toward God in obedience to the Law The whole Section then consists of two Petitions and six Promises 1. Ver. 1 The first Petition is Let thy mercies come also unto me O Lord even thy salvation according to thy Word He prayes for mercy In his first Petition he joyns these two mercy and salvation as the cause and the effect for the mercy of God ever brings salvation 2. Which being granted This being granted he would be thankful and shews it by his boldness in confession of Gods Name in the presence of the proudest Adversary he would fear nor malice nor power of man when he found God kind and merciful to him 1. Ver. 2 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me When thy mercy shall be extended to me 1 He vows to confess Gods Law I shall not fear to answer any Adversary hitting me in the teeth That I fear God in vain For I shall give them a short answer and a true one 2. That I trust in thy Word I put my confidence in thee who canst make good thy promises because thou art Omnipotent and wilt because thou art Merciful 2. Ver. 3 His second Petition is Take not the Word of Truth out of my mouth The Reason And desires to continue in this resolution For I have hoped in thy judgments 1. Take not thy Word of Truth in which I boast and glory before my Adversaries 2. Take not this Word out of my mouth so that I dare not to speak and profess it openly 3. Take it not utterly If for a time I conceal it yet let it not be alway so 4. For I have hoped in thy judgments For my hope is in thy fidelity and justice which thou wilt so execute upon the desiders of thy Word that I shall have no need to be ashamed that I have taken thy Word of Truth into my mouth 3. Ver. 4 And now he begins to shew his thankfulness for Gods mercy by his profession of a holy Conversation 2 To shew himself thankful by a holy Conversation in heart in mind in word in deed 1. In keeping Gods Law So shall I keep thy Law continually for ever and ever 2. Ver. 5 In making the right use of his liberty Deo servire libertas A liberty there is of the flesh Serving God 1. With a free heart taken up by men but not given by God but the liberty that God gives is That being freed from our lusts we serve him with a willing mind not out of fear but love in joy affection and with peace of conscience which David professeth to do in this place For I seek thy precepts as a thing much to be desired and loved 3. Ver. 6 In the service of his tongue I will speak of thy Testimonies also
I have sought thy precepts I am thine because I sought nothing but that which is thine and how I might please thee O how few can say this and upon this account cry to God O save me 4. Which to do David had very great reason at this time This he had reason to do having many enemies and those for he had bitter enemies from whom he could not be safe except God saved him two things he notes in them 1. Diligence Te wicked have waited for me waited for an opportunity 2. Cruelty Waited to destroy me Their malice was so great Ver. 7 that no less would satisfie them 1 Diligent in mischief 3. And here now in such an extremity 2 Cruel Amidst which Gods promise sustained him the comfort of Gods Word is very seasonable the consideration of that is able to stay a fainting soul Psal 124. with which David comforts himself here But I will consider thy Testimonies that thou hast testified that thou art able and wilt deliver those that trust to thy Word Dan. 6.16 22. 5. He hath shewed the perfection of Gods Word in establishing and upholding the frame of the World 2. And then the excellency thereof in bringing joy comfort help to an afflicted soul but in the close of this Section he compares it with all other things which we esteem as excellent and perfect be they Riches Honours Scepters Crowns Kingdoms c. among which the Word of God hath still the preheminence they fail but Gods Word endures 1. I have seen an end of all perfection Ver. 8 Jonah 's Gourd is smitten with a worm the golden head had feet of clay c. 3 The preheminence of Gods Word the fairest day is enter'd at night 2. But thy Commandment is exceeding broad Exceeding broad indeed for in it are contain'd all other National and Municipal Lawes they being nothing else if just but extracts of it or exceeding broad because all Lawes of a good life and the rewards of those that keep the Law and on the contrary the prohibitions of all vices and the punishments of Transgressors are contained in it Or exceeding broad because it is the Commandment of love which extends to God Angels men enemies Or exceeding broad which is nearer Davids purpose because it extends to and refresheth all that are in distress and affliction it abides by them in tentations while they live and forsakes them not in their death but conveyes them into their grave in peace and the comfort of it abides with them for ever when they are dissolved The Prayer O Omnipotent God Thou hast given us assurance of thy Faithfulness and Truth in the performance of thy Word and Promise made unto thy servants even by that constant order and continuance which we behold in thy creatures For why is it that those orbs above have béen so long-liv'd why are they not corrupted why do they continue in that excellent beauty Ver. 1 and perpetual motion but that thy Word is setled in Heaven Why is it that the foundations of earth do not decay and shake Ver. 2 but that thy faithfulness is to all generations they continue this day according to thy Ordinance for they are thy creatures Thou their Lord Ver. 3 and they must serve and do their homage to thée We alone are thy disobedient creatures and for this thou bringest us justly into trouble and under these we should have fainted and utterly perished had it not béen from the comforts that we receive from thy Word Ver. 4 it delights our souls and confirms our hearts even in the extremities of our sorrowes when we find in it thy Word many gracious promises made unto thy servants I will never therefore forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickned me Ver. 5 I was ready even to expire and dye till I meditated on and called to mind thy Law which by the power of thy Spirit hath encreased grace in me and by the promise of glory brought me again to life Ver. 6 For which promise I am thine and I vow my self to be thine I will no more be a servant to the Devil the World and the flesh I renounce them all I forsake them and betake my self wholly to thy service And since I have given my self wholly unto thée let me be thy care Ver. 7 O save me save me O my God for I am invironed with malicious and cruel enemies whom nothing can satisfie but my blood they are diligent and wait for an opportunity to destroy me and take away my life but thou O Lord hast testified that thou wilt deliver those that trust in thée and therefore I will consider in my troubles these thy testimonies I sée an end of all perfection Riches Honours Crowns Kings Friends fade and fail Ver. 8 and are but miserable comforters but thy Commandment is exceeding broad it extends to and refresheth all that are in affliction it abides by them in tentations while they live and forsakes them not in their death in life and death therefore I will adhere to this Take not then the comfort of thy Word out of my mouth while I live and never let it leave me till it hath brought me to eternal happiness through Iesus Christ my Lord and Saviour Amen 13. MEM. DAVID in this Section shewes his great affection to the Law of God The Contents Davids affection to Gods Word 2. And the many benefits and fruits he reaped from it 1. His affection is declared in the first verse which he pathetically expresseth 1. Ver. 1 O how I love thy Law wherein he calls God himself to be Judge of his love witnessing thereby that it was no counterfeit love but compleat and sincere 2. And he proves that which he sayes The nature of true love is to converse with and think on the thing beloved and it useth all means to obtain it So David here proves his love to God by the love he bears to his Law and his love to his Word by the thoughts he had on it All the day long is my meditation in it I think speak or do little else all the day 2. 2 The Encomium of it first And now he enters upon his Encomium or praise of Gods Word from the admirable effects that it might have in them who will meditate in it of which he makes himself the instance This he amplifies by comparing himself with three kinds of men his Enemies his Teachers the Ancients than all which he grew wiser by this meditation 1. Ver. 2 Thou through thy Commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies The Law of God being well thought on 1 It made him wiser than his enemies teacheth a man what how where and when to speak or to be silent to act or desist which wisdom Davids enemies wanted he was then wiser than they A great controversie there is who is the wise man the godly man or the Machivilian Gods Word will easily
decide it 2. His Reason why he was wiser is For they are ever with me thy Commandments alwayes by me and at hand to be my Counsellors Again Ver. 3 secondly I have more understanding than all my Teachers for thy Testimonies are my meditation 2 Than his Teachers Which though it may seem to be arrogantly spoken yet it is not for it is no new thing for him that was sometimes a Scholar to out-go and excel his Master yea and there be many that will take upon them to be Masters to teach others that which they never learned themselves It is of practical knowledge David speaks and in this it was no hard thing to exceed his Teachers And yet again thirdly I understand more than the Ancients Ver. 4 He means not Adam Noah Abraham c. or any of those Ancient Worthies 3 Than the Ancients but those old men with whom he lived who were but grandaevi pueri being grown in years but not in knowledge and piety He was wiser than their gray hairs because he kept Gods precepts meditated in them and daily practised them 3. Another Encomium he gives to Gods Word is 2 The second Encomium of Gods Word That it is of power to keep from sin and for that he gives an instance in himself also 1. I have refrained my feet Ver. 5 Davids wisdom consisted not in a bare speculation but in practice he refrained from evil It keeps from sin he took no delight in walking in wicked wayes 2. I have refrained from every evil way He knowes not what it is to resist sin that resists not every sin that is fights not against and do his utmost endeavour to refrain it and take heed of it and subdue it if possible 3. And this resistance makes us stronger and more able to keep Gods Word whereas transgression diminisheth our spiritual light and strength whence David saith I have refrained from every evil way that I might keep thy Word Which he ascribes to Gods grace Now lest that any man should think that David ascribed this praise of godliness to himself or that it came from any goodness in him that he did refrain he gives all the glory to God in the next verse protesting because God did teach and enable him therefore he declined not I have not declined or departed from thy judgments Ver. 6 for thou hast taught me 4. A third Encomium of Gods Law is 3 The third Encomium of Gods Word That it brings great pleasure to those that keep it of which David having experience cries out O how sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than honey unto my mouth Ver. 9 I have a feeling of them I desire to speak of them to others From the pleasure it brings to the The words of God written in the heart are more tasteful and pleasant to the conscience because they quiet it than honey can be to the palate And in the last verse he proves what he said 1 Conscience by two excellent benefits he reaped by it the one was understanding in his mind 2 Understanding the other sanctification of his affections 1. Through thy precepts I get understanding I am by them become learned Ver. 8 wise prudent he was of good understanding of himself 3 Sanctification of the affections but he prefers this light 2. Therefore because I love thy Law I hate every false way whether it be a false Religion or evil manners his affections were sanctified by it which begot in him a strong confidence from which did arise in his soul joy peace and tranquility which is to be preferr'd before all treasures and pleasures The Prayer O Gracious God Ver. 1 I want words to express that love which I bear unto thy Law O how sweet are thy words unto my taste yea Ver. 7 they are sweeter than honey unto my mouth Ver. 1 and this is the reason that those houres of the day which others mispend upon banities and pleasures Ver. 3 I spend in the meditation of thy Commandments Ver. 2 Through thy precepts it is that I get understanding Ver. 8 by thy Commandments I am become wiser than my enemies of more understanding than my Teachers more prudent than the Ancients who are full of years but not of wisdom because they know not what to practise or will not practise what they know Be thou O Lord my Master and perfect thy work give me more knowledge Ver. 6 and teach me still so I shall not depart from thy judgments Let thy Commandments be ever with me alwayes in my memory alwayes in my heart Ver. 2 and so I shall not only refrain my féet which I desire from any one but from every evil way Ver. 5 so shall I carry a perfect hatred to every false way Grant O Lord that I may bestow that little remainder of my time I have to live in vertuous and religious actions to the glory of thy Name Ver. 8 and the salvation of my own soul by thy mercy and the merits of my Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 14. NUN IN this Octonary The Contents The commendation of Gods Word David gives a commendation of Gods Law 2. Obliges himself and resolves to keep it notwithstanding all opposition 1. The commendation he gives Gods Word is That it is a lamp Ver. 1 and a light Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my wayes For the Law of the flesh and sin darkens the understanding that which is the true good is not discerned from bad till the Word of God is called for to be the light to which if men have an eye and follow it they will avoid all precipices and arrive safely at the determinate end 2. Of this David was assured and therefore upon it he makes a protestation and binds it with an Oath Ver. 2 I have sworn Ver. 2 and will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments 1. I have sworn David tyes himself by oath to keep it 'T is not sufficient to begin well except we end well and David knew our humane frailty and that we are apt to slip from our Duty and therefore he binds himself to it by a solemn Oath or Vow viz. To follow the lamp or light of Gods Word 2. Which he retracts not And secondly It never repented him of it he did not retract his Vow I have sworn and I will perform it 3. And I will keep yea but this was beyond Davids power True legally it is so but to co-operate with Gods grace and do his best it is not and that is it which Davd vowes 4. I will keep thy righteous judgments for so they are in themselves Rules of the greatest equity and David therefore resolves to keep them 3. Not would though discouraged by afflictions Yea but calamities afflictions and many dangers accompany the profession of Religion and study of piety for they that will live
And prayes for the grace of God to sustain him in it that be may be quickned according to Gods promise nor frustrated of his hope but persevere unto the end Lastly He insults over his enemies and foretells their destruction 1. 1 David shews his hatred of wickedness David shewes his dislike to all things contrary to Gods Law 1. I hate vain inventions Not only execution of evil but the invention even the very beginnings of it New inventions in his Worship new glosses and interpretations contrary to the Text Ver. 1 David hates not dislikes only 1 His Reasons 1 His love to Gods Law but hates 2. But thy Law do I love And because I love thy Law I hate vain inventions 2 God a shield to him 3. And there is great reason I should do so For thou art my hiding place and my shield 1. Ver. 2 My hiding place That publick evils do not reach me 2. My shield to keep off blowes that are nearly made at me in both my hope is in thy Word 2. To God then and his Law he would adhere in all extremities 2 And to ill men whom he avoids but as for all wicked men he would be sure to sunder from them he knew he should get no good by their company and therefore he turns to them and bids them avaunt 1. D part from me ye evil doers for ye are the pests of piety 2. And your course and mine are contrary you go one way and I another you follow your own inventions Ver. 3 but I will keep the Commandments of my God 3. Now David being fully perswaded that he had a peculiar interest in God He prayes that God uphold him in this resolution turns himself to prayer and not without reason for our intentions and resolutions are nothing except God bless them and therefore David prayes 1. Uphold me according to thy Word that I may live Ver. 4 and let me not be ashamed of my hope Ver. 5 2. Hold thou me up and I shall be safe and I will have respect to thy statutes continually There is in Gods children an instability of love and obedience apt they are to cool and fall necessary then it is that they pray with David that God uphold them in life He did well in hating them by Gods example that they being conjoyned to him in love to hold them up when they slip and stumble that they fall not 4. And that he did well in hating wicked men he now proves it Ver. 6 in that therein he followed the example of God in which he could not choose but do well 1. Thou saith he hast trodden down trampled under thy feet as vile creatures all that erre from thy statutes 2. For their deceit is falshood They deceive themselves in their wickedness for either they conceive that they need nor be subject to the Law of God or that they look for a good in sin which sin promiseth but they shall never find or else they flatter themselves with a vain hope to escape Gods judgment which yet at last shall certainly overtake them 3. This last is certain and David in the next verse expresseth so much Ver. 7 Thou hast taken away all the wicked of the earth as dross for no better they are in Gods account they esteem Gods children for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they are so and for such shall be dealt with and scowred away 4. Therefore I love thy Testimonies therefore that I may avoid this judgment 5. How by the judgments of God he profited in the love of his Testimonies he shew'd in the end of the former verse in this he shewes how he profited in his fear My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgments Ver. 8 Happy is he that by other mens harms learns to be wise and godly A â—on Whom he fears when he sees a Slave whip't may learn not to offend his father The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord and we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling Our love in this life is imperfect and therefore it may nay must consist with fear nay which is more the love of God will never be kept in our hearts but by the fear of God and therefore this verse is read Confige timore tuo carnes meas Fasten as with Nails my lustful affections to the Cross of Christ that they have no liberty to move to go loose and wander where they please Gal. 5.24 'T is then as if David had said because I have begun to be afraid of thy judgments that bring heavy punishments on wicked men therefore I desire to be established in this holy and filial fear and never to be severed from it Over-much familiarity breeds contempt a true conception of Gods Justice and Majesty begets Reverence The Prayer O most holy God Ver. 1 and merciful Father it is not unknown to thée how I love thy Law thy eyes that séest the very secrets of the heart are conscious that my flesh trembleth for fear of thée and that I am afraid of thy judgments When I behold how thou hast trodden down all that erre from thy statutes how thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross my heart in â—he midst of my body is become like melting wax which every moment presents unto me my sin and what I have deserved Let their sufferings be my instructions and thy wrath executed on them be an admonition to me ever hereafter to love to keep thy Testimonies Lord I desire to be established in this holy and filial fear and to work out my salvation with fear and trembling Which that I may bring to good effect Lord upâ—old me according to thy Word that I may live the life of grace I hope in thy Word let me not be ashamed of my hope Thou art my God and I will keep thy Commandments hold thou me up and I shall be safe stay me in all tentations that I fall not hide me under the shadow of thy wings and be my shield to kéep off those blowes which Satan makes at me either by himself or his instruments these press â—ard upon me to invegle me to a false Worship and to joyn with them in their new coined inventions Ver. 1 but I hate all vain thoughts Depart from me ye evil doers for I will keep the Commandments of my God By thy grace I stand and by thy grace I am what I am O let thy grace continue with me and accompany me through all the changes and chances of this mortal life till it hath brought me to rest in the bosom of my Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen 16. AIN DAVID in this Octonary The Contents David professeth his integrity having made 1. Profession of his Integrity 2. Prayes for protection against his enemies 3. And also for grace to know his way upon earth and follow it 1. He begins
morning and cried 2. Mine eyes prevent the night morning and evening he prayed 2. For audience deliverance increase of grace That which he pray'd for was 1. Audience Hear me O Lord And again Hear my voyce ver 5. 2. Ver. 1 Deliverance Save me ver 2. 3. Increase of grace Quicken me ver 5. 3. Ver. 2 The end that he desires salvation and grace 1. That he might keep Gods statutes First is That he might keep Gods Statutes Hear me I will keep thy Statutes 2. Ver. 1 Save me that I may keep thy Testimonies ver 2. 3. Ver. 2 I prayed and watched that I might meditate in thy Word ver 4. 4. Ver. 4 Quicken me according to thy Word for the self-same end ver 5. 4. His arguments to perswade it The Arguments he especially useth besides the former to move God to hear and grant his Petitions are 1. His faith and hope I cried because I waited and hoped in thy Word and promises 1 His faith 2. Gods mercy Hear my voyce according to thy loving-kindness The common Argument to be used by all Gods children 2 Gods goodness for were they never so righteous and just yet in mercy they must desire to be heard and not for their merits 3. The danger that he was now in by persecuting enemies 1. Ver. 6 They draw nigh they are at hand the danger is near 2. 3 The danger he was now in His comfort that God was near him Yea and great too for they are mischievously bent they follow after mischief hunted after all occasions to do evil 3. Most impious men they are far from thy Law they hate it shun it labour to make it odious in every eye 5. But the comfort is that they are not so near but thou art as near they to do mischief but thou to defend me let then their number power malice be what it will thy power and mercy is beyond it 1. Thou art near O Lord let then these my enemies be far from thy Law they cannot be far from thee Ver. 7 Thou art near and wilt reach them by thy justice And would not desert him and this is my comfort 2. For all thy Commandments are Truth Albeit the evil of wicked men follow me because I follow thee yet I know thy Commandments are true and it is not possible that thou shouldst desert thy servants who stand to the maintenance of thy Word their wickedness shall never escape thy hand of punishment they may punish my body but they cannot deprive me of my Crown of glory 6. He concludes with an Epiphonema Of which he is confident being assured upon his own experience of the stability and immutability of Gods Word I know thy Commandments are Truth for Ver. 8 1. Concerning thy Testimonies thy Will that thou hast testified in thy Word 2. I have known of old even ever since I began to look into them study them and practise them 3. That thou hast founded them for ever They are of eternal Truth immutable and indispensable and this is the Anchor of our souls that we be not carried away with the winds and waves of tentations The Prayer OVL of a vehement desire I have cried to the Lord for help and that not only with my tongue and voyce but with my whole heart Ver. 1 hear me good God which if thou wilt vouchsafe to grant I will more studiously and fréely séek to know and kéep thy statutes Ver. 2 I have called and eried to no other God but thée therefore save me from these pressures and dangers Ver. 3 and being by thée saved and delivered I will more diligently kéep thy Testimonies Neither have I only called upon thée by bay but I have prevented the bawning of the morning with a great cry I have sought thy face and implored thy help because I repose my sole hope in thy promisses I have prevented also the night watches my eyes day and night have béen intent upon thée that I might be occupied in the meditation of thy words both in those in which thou hast promised thy mercy and in those in which thou hast signified thy Will and exacted my obedience Hear therefore my voyce according to thy loving-kindness and according to that equity by which thou usest to procéed with all those that love thée and call upon thy Name quicken me with the sense of thy savour and deliver me from this imminent death and danger And the impiety of my enemies makes me be the more instant to obtain this mercy for they that persecute my soul are set upon mischief they hunt after my life nay they hate not me only but thy Law it is odious in their eyes they look strangely upon it and desire it should be as odious in others From this imminent dagger it is not possible for me to be safe but by thy hand and guidance As then they approach near to hurt so do thou approach near to help and make it appear by my deliverance that all thy promises are truth This I have known long since and now Lord let me have erperience of it again so shall I have just cause to praise thy judgments and sing of thy mercies and make it known That thou hast founded them forever nor the rage of man nor the malice of Devils shall be ever able to shake thy-Truth or evacuate thy promises which thou hast maâ—â— to thy Church in Iesus Christ our Lord. 20. RESH IN this Section David petitions to God for help in his affliction The Contents 2. Complains of the multitude of his persecutors 3. Laments their condition 4. And shewes his constancy and love to Gods Word 1. David in his affliction prayes to God David begins with a petition In afflictions it is some comfort to us to have our case known consider'd and examined especially by those that love us therefore David desires 1. Ver. 1 That God would consider his case Consider my afflictions so much at least 1 To help him 2. Then that he would help him Deliver me from my tempting enemies 3. His Reason to perswade both For I do not forget thy Law though I perfectly keep it not yet I have not cast it behind my back I do not forget it I desire to keep it This he could plead with a good conscience if not what he had done yet what he would have done therefore he could boldly make this request Deliver me 4. 2 To be his Advocate But yet he goes further and desires God to be his Advocate to him he appeals 1. Plead my cause and deliver me At the bar of men a just cause oftentimes miscarries for want of a good Advocate Ver. 2 and is born down by an unjust Judge wherefore I beseech thee who art the just Judge of the World take my cause in hand plead it to their faces and deliver me Arise up for me in the judgment that thou hast commanded 2.
very garland and head of them is verity Two things he attributes to the Word of God Truth and Righteousness and they both serve very well to his present purpose to confirm him in his Petitions and constancy notwithstanding his many persecutors 1. 1 Truth Thy Word is true from the beginning Which perswasion is the mother of all obedience and faith for therefore we believe and obey it because we are perswaded it is true it begets such an assurance in our souls that no temptation or trouble is able to overcome it upon this St. Peter wisheth us to rely because it is a most sure Word 2 Pet. 1.19 The sure mercies of David God will not fail his people but according to his Word so it shall be 2. 2 Eternal justice And every one of thy righteous judgments endure for ever A reward remains for the righteous and a punishment for the wicked and with this assurance also David sustained himself against the delay of judgment against wicked men viz. A meditation of the eternal righteousness of Gods judgments he collected That for the present they might be spared but at length they would be punished seeing Gods judgments are everlasting The Prayer O Lord our afflictions at this time are great and our dangers are great we humbly therefore beséech thée to look down from thy holp Heaven and to consider our present trouble deliver us good Lord from our enemies for we do not forget thy Law Ver. 1 though we cannot perform it yet we have an especial regard to it and alwayes kéep it in memory desiring that our performances might be answerable to our destres Thou which art a just Iudge and to whom all judgment doth belong and to whom I have committed my cause plead my cause against mine Adversaries Ver. 2 and redéem my life from my unjust Oppressors according to thy promise quicken and revive my heart that is very much cast down by their insolencies Did my heart incline to any evil way I durst not appear in thy presence or expect so great a favour from thée Ver. 3 for salvation is far from the wicked As they are far from kéeping thy Law so also is salvation far from them when they séek not nor estéem thy statutes they cannot expect to be partakers of those promises which thou hast made to them that do séek them But thou O Lord knowest how I séek both them and thée Ver. 4 and thy mercies are great tender and many to those that fear thy Name according to these then deal with me and in equity deal with me that the remainder of my dayes which yet cannot be many may be comfortable The discomforts I have are infinite men and Devils Ver. 5 visible and invisible enemies on every side assault me tentations I méet with on the right hand and on the left and yet such is my love to thy Law Ver. 7 that hitherto I have not declined from thy Testimonies Consider then O Lord how I love thy precepts and according to thy loving-kindness deal with me and assist me and quicken me with thy grace that no tentation prevail over me Ver. 6 Let me not be seduced by any ill example and draâ—n to tread in the steps of wicked men for whose transgressions my heart is grieved because they keep not thy Word Ver. 8 which is a Word of Truth and Righteousness Never suffer me to decline from this Truth ever cause me to rely upon this Righteousness let me not be seduced by Errors nor be discomforted with the prosperity of wicked men whom though thou sparest for this present yet will at last poure upon them thy full Wols of vengeance because thy righteous judgments endure for ever O Lord get thy honour upon thy enemies but let the sure mercies of David never fail thy Church and people for thy Son Iesus Christs sake our only Lord and Saviour Amen 21. SCHIN DAVID in this Section shewes his love to the Law of God 2. The Contents David shewes his love to Gods Law And the perfection of his love 1. The first sign of his love was that notwithstanding he was persecuted for Gods sake yet he still was constant in his obedience to God Ver. 1 1. Princes have persecuted me Saul Ishbosheth Abner his son The signs of it 1. His constancy to it Absolon sought his life It is a great tentation to sustain injuries from any man but if from Princes a greater to persist and be constant then a notable Argument of love and fortitude 2. Without a cause Causes indeed were pretended but none found He spared Sauls life when he might have slain wept over Abner mourned for Absolon 3. But my heart stands in awe of thy Word This was the sign of his love this caused him to spare Gods Anointed revenge Ishbosheths death c. Though Princes degenerate and become Tyrants Touch them not let Gods Word awe thee 2. The second sign of his love is his joy and delight he took in Gods Law 2 His joy and delight in it He tells us that his joy in it exceeded that of men victorious in battel that returned loaden with spoiles Isa 9. David a Souldier and Conqueror could well tell what joy that was and yet he prefers this because it brings better tydings Ver. 2 I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great spoiles 3. A third sign of love to it was his hatred of all iniquity Ver. 3 and his abhorrence of falshood 3 His hatred of false wayes I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love It was no lite disliking of sin for a cold hatred of evil in time will be turned to liking no simple refusing of evil but an indignation against it a hatred an abhorrence Ye that love the Lord hate that which is evil for no man can serve two Masters Ver. 4 4. A fourth sign of his love was his fervour earnestness 4 His frequency to praise God and frequency of praising God Seven times a day do I praise thee Ver. 5 because of thy righteous judgments 5 The joy he took in Gods Saints and their peace and prosperity 5. A fifth sign of his love is the content he took that not only himself but others also were the better for loving of it He loved Gods Saints as well as his Law to these was 1. Great peace have they that love thy Law joy prosperity no peace to the wicked 2. And nothing shall offend them or they shall have no stumbling block Scandalize they will not actively nor be scandalized passively for that is offence taken by weak Christians who upon ignorance think that unlawful which is lawful or of Pharisees who interpret that to the worse part which they ought to interpret to the better But they which love the Law of God know why they love it they are perfect in charity nor weakling nor Pharisees and therefore they shall have no stumbling block 2.
He shewes the perfection of his love And now he shewes the perfection of his love in the three last verses 1. Ver. 6 By his hope and confidence Lord I have hoped for thy salvation 1 By his hope 2. 2 His obedience By his obedience and done thy Commandments 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course henceforth is laid up for me c. 3. And this he repeats in the next verse My soul hath kept thy Testimonies and I loved them exceedingly He that loves me saith Christ keeps my Commandments Si amor operari renuit amor non est 4. And yet again 1. I have kept thy Precepts and Testimonies 2. But this is upon another Motive which is proper to perfect men viz. Gods eye for all my wayes are before thee coram te Gods presence over-aw'd him whatever he did he did as in Gods sight well knowing that he saw all Walk before me saith God to Abraham and be thou perfect Gen. 17. The Prayer O Omnipotent God Ver. 1 Thou hast chosen unto thée a little flock and this flock lives among wolves the Devil and in his instruments séek to devoure it Antichrists and Tyrannical Princes daily without any cause persecute it their labour is to withdraw thy people from thy fear and to violate thy command be then present with these little ones assist these innocents that they fall not that they faint not ever kéep their heart upright and make it stand in awe of thy Word Among these I have had my portion less I confess than I deserve but sufficient to try my love and yet by thy mercy that hath held me up I have béen awed by thy Law and have not declined from thy fear Go on gracious God and assist me with thy Spirit that I may ever rejoyce in thy Word Ver. 2 estéem myself richer in the enjoyment of it than they that have enriched themselves by the gathering together of great spoiles Make me to hate this their iniquity Ver. 3 and mine own cause me to abhor all falshood and lying And out of a love I bear to justice and a dislike of all injustice to love the equity of thy Law Seven times a day as often as I think of it move my heart to praise thée for all thy righteous judgments In these thou hast shewed thy self a just God Ver. 4 that gives peace joy prosperity to those that love thy Law and pursuest the Transgressors of it with a perpetual infelicity for there is no peace to the wicked who though they lay snares for me and cast stumbling blocks in my way yet good Lord let me be so confirmed by thy grace that I be not offended at it Ver. 5 let neither their flatteries and example draw me to transgress nor their threats remove me from the love of thy Truth or a constant practice of piety and charity O Lord I have looked for thy salvation and I know that I cannot be saved except I do my duty both to thée and my neighbour Ver. 6 which is exactly prescribed in thy Law make me then to love excéedingly thy Word and to do what in it thou commandest and to kéep it because it is thy Precept Ver. 7 a just Rule an equal Law and work my heart to this love and obedience out of the consideration of thy eye and presence I am alwayes before thée Thou beholdest all the secret recesses of my heart much more my actions make me then so sincerely to walk before thee and be so studious to please thée in all thy Commandments that I may glorifie thy Name even before men and be glorified by thée in the presence of Saints and Angels at the last day Amen 22. TAU IN this last Section David prayes gives thanks confesseth his errours The Contents and craves mercy and promiseth obedience to Gods Commandments 1. He first prayes in the two first verses in which David prayes 1. He prayes for his prayers desiring God to accept them 1 For his prayers which is a very necessary duty 1. Let my cry come near before thee O Lord. Ver. 1 2. Let my supplication come before thee The ingemination shews his earnestness fervency importunity or perseverance Luke 11. 2. That which he prayes for is understanding 2. And deliverance 1. Give me understanding which he limits according to thy Word 2 Understanding thy promise Psal 32.8 That I may know fulfil and by my obedience obtain life eternal 2. Deliver me according to thy Word The end of understanding 3 Deliverance is to be delivered from sin John 8.36 If the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed 2. He gives thanks he proceeds to the other part of prayer 2 He gives thanks Thanksgiving 1. My lips shall utter praise His thanks should not be smother'd Ver. 3 nor mutter'd over but utter'd with a distinct and loud voyce not only his heart but his lips also should bear a part in it 2. And his lips should proclaim the equity of Gods commands but yet so that he were first taught and helped by grace My lips shall speak praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes Ver. 4 3. And yet again My tongue shall speak or intreat of thy Word to the edification of others and the Reason why he would speak in their hearing was Because all thy Commandments are righteousness and so most forcible to reform all unrighteousness there is corruption in Religion and confusion in manners when Gods Word is not heard 3. And now he sets to prayer again for having made promises of thankfulness 3 He prayes again for help he seeks help of God to perform them Our sufficiency is not of our selves to will and to do are of him he therefore prayes Ver. 5 1. Let thy hand help me thy power thy wisdom 2. For I have chosen thy precepts Optima ratio without which His Reasons no help from God to be looked for Ver. 6 3. And yet he adds two more both his desire and delight 1. I have longed for thy salvation O Lord 1 Obedience Gods children are not satisfied with the beginnings of mercy still they wait and seek and long 2 His earnest desire and sigh and thirst and hunger and long for more salvation they have but in promise they long for the accomplishment 2. 3 His delight in Gods Law And thy Law is my delight which well followes on his longing for these two are well conjoined salvation and Gods Law For all the hope we can have of salvation is the promise we find in Gods Word and the delight we take in performance of it I have chosen thy precepts longed for thy salvation delighted in thy Law therefore let thy hand help me 4. 4 He prayes again for prolongation of life And yet farther he proceeds in his Petition for prolongation of this life say some for eternal life say other
praise God he exhorts upon two grounds 1. Ab utili jucundo decoro ver 1. 2. For his bounty to Jerusalem in building it and bringing back the dispersed ver 2. in comforting the sad and contrite in soul ver 3. 2. For his wisdom ver 4. For his power ver 5. For his mercy and justice ver 6. His first Arguments are taken from the thing it self His reasons to perswade it because it is for to praise God is 1. Ver. 1 Good For it is good to sing praises to our God Good for divers Reasons 1 Good for four reasons 1. That is good which God commands Micah 6.8 So that Thanksgiving is no indifferent Action no Will-worship but it is cultus institutus not to be neglected 2. It raiseth the heart from Earth to Heaven and being the work of Angels and Saints in Heaven joins us with that Quite above 3. Good again because by it we pay a debt in which is justice Lift up your hearts unto the Lord Resp It is meet and right so to do 3. Good because for it we are like to receive a good and a great reward for if he that prayes to God is like to be rewarded Matth. 6. much more that man that sings praises to him for in prayer we consult with our own necessities in our praises we honour God and bless him for his gifts 2. 2 Pleasant in divers respects To praise God is pleasant 1. Because it proceeds out of love for nothing is more pleasant to him that loves than to make Sonnets in the praise of that party he loves 2. Because it must needs please a man to perform that Duty for which he was created for to that end God created men and 〈…〉 that they should praise him Isa 43.7 A check this is to that slowness and backwardness we find in our selves to praise God or when we feel it tedious unto us 3. Because God is delighted with it as the sweetest Sacrifice He that offereth me praise and thanks he honoureth me Psal 50. 4. It is pleasant to God because he is delighted with those vertues which are in us Faith Hope Charity Religion Devotion Humility c. of all which our praises are a manifest 3. It is comely For there is no greater stain than Ingratitude 3 Comely and decent it is made up of a lye and injustice for either it insinuates and denies that the benefit is not received or that if received a man will not pay for it no not thanks There is then all the decency in the World in it that man be thankful to his God that freely gives him all things 2. These are the first Arguments the Prophet useth and they are drawn 2 For his goodness to Jerusalem à natura rei Those that follow are more particular and as the case then stood respect Israel but may well be applied in all Ages to the Church of God 1. The first taken from the reduction of the people from Captivity and the building of Jerusalem in which appeared the goodness of God to them for it was the mercies of God that they were not consumed 1. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem his Church Ver. 2 the Head of the Kingdom and Seat of the Sanctuary he restored their Polity and Religion 2. He gathereth together the out-casts or dispersed of Israel or banished collected them which were scattered so he collected his Church of dispersed Gentiles John 10.16 3. He healeth the broken in heart the sad the calamitous whether oppressed with captivity or sin Luke 4.18 4. And bindeth up their wounds as if he were a good Chyrurgion Ver. 3 Luke 10.34 2. The second Argument is taken from his Wisdom 3 His wisdom in numbring the stars 1. He tells the number of the stars A thing it seems impossible for man Gen. 15.5 For there be many of them immersae orbi which then being shew'd to Abraham he could not number but God hath them upon account 2. And calls them all by their names They are his Army Isa 40.26 He knows their power properties efficacy of every one of them and calls them forth by their names and they answer Here we are Baruch 3. But by these stars some understand Gods Elect The servants of God like stars whose number is to us without number and whose names are written in his Book Now these are well-likened to the Stars 1. The stars are infinite in number So are his Elect to us not to him 2. Among the stars some are Planets Erratica His Elect sometimes wander up and down 3. The stars shine by night clearest His Elect in the darkness of persecutions 4. One star differs from another in glory The Elect excel each other in grace in piety c. 5. The stars are above far from impurity The Conversation of the Elect in Heaven 6. The stars are obscured with clouds but they being dispersed they shine again So the Church is sometime obscured Matth. 25. But at Christs appearing they shall appear in glory 1 John 3.2 For there is not one of these stars how obscure how dark how little or abject soever but Christ will call him by his name and this the Prophet intends What shall God ever tell the number of his banish'd people and gather together the dispersed into one Church why not He that can tell the number of the stars and call them by their names I hope 't is no difficult thing to him to tell the number of his Elect and call them by nomination 3. 4 From his power His third Argument to praise God is drawn from his power Great is our Lord Ver. 4 and of great power and his understanding is infinite Let no man despair of his power though the thing expected be great and difficult for his understanding is infinite And though we cannot find out a way yet he knows how to bring his Will to pass 4. 5 From his Mercy and His fourth Argument to praise God is taken from his Justice and Mercy 1. Ver. 5 His Mercy The Lord lifts up the meek His wayes are not like mens wayes with whom the meek are despised but these are the men whom he sustains defends exalts 2. Justice His Justice He casts the wicked down to the ground Wicked men shall not reign for ever God will laugh them to scorn and cast them from the highest step of dignity and power to contempt and scorn to the ground 2. The second part of the second Section He repeats his Exhortation to praise God But before the Prophet goes on he repeats his Exhortation as if he meant to rub up our memories and that we call to mind to what purpose he used the former and will yet use the following Arguments Sing unto the Lord with Thanksgiving Do it in words Sing praises upon the Harp unto our God Do it in works And presently he falls upon his Arguments Ver. 7 which are drawn from
Campi patentes Valles 5. Fruitful trees and all Cedars All trees fit to build with 6. Beasts and all Cattle both wild and tame 7. Greeping things Worms Serpents 8. And all flying fowls 3. 5 All mankind In the last place he cites all mankind to praise God 1. 1 Of all degrees The Highest Kings and all people They who command who obey 2. 2 Sexes Princes and all Judges of the earth All inferiour Magistrates 3. 3 Ages Of all Sexes Both young men and maidens 4. Of all Ages Old men and children Let them praise the Name of the Lord. For which he gives this reason 1. 1 For his Name is excellent For his Name is excellent alone There is no Name so sublime so high and worthy of all praise For all created things although great if compared to Gods greatness are nothing for what excellency soever they have they have from him whose Name is alone excellent 2. 2 His glory above His Glory is above the earth and heaven Their glory being from him 4. He concludes the Psalm with his goodness to his Church which is another reason 1. He also exalts the horn that is the power and glory of his people 2. 3 He is good to his Church He is the Praise of his Saints The Pride of Israel viz. 3. Even of the children of Israel a people near to him a people dedicated consecrated to God And near unto him in true knowledge faith true worship adoration Trust and filial love All which is to be understood not of Israel according to the flesh but of Israel according to the Spirit For all are not Israel that are of Israel Rom. 9. There were among them Generations of Vipers Mat. 3. and such as resisted the 〈…〉 â—host Act. 7. Now those that are true Israelites And therefore praise him and those especially he excites to sing Hallelujah Praise ye the Lord. The Prayer out of the one hundred and forty eighth Psalm O Omnipotent Lord Ver. 1 thy wonderful bounty admirable power and wisdom hath sufficiently declared thy Majesty in all those things which for mans sake thou hast created For which all thy creatures in heaven above and in earth beneath sing praises to thy Name The Angels land thée the Sun Moon and Stars magnifie thée the heaven of heavens exalt thée There is not a creature on the earth in the air or water that doth not set forth thy glory By thy command they were created by thy word established as they are and they observe strictly the Law thou hast made and transgress not in the least that decrée thou hast appointed for them All which when we consider we must néeds lament our own backwardness in setting forth thy glory Lamentable it is to think that man alone for whom all these things were made should be the ungrateful creature This we confess this we bewail Henceforth therefore we of all sorts of all sexes of all ages will fly to thée and praise thy Name alone because thy Name is excellent and thy glory above heaven and earth O Lord we humbly beséeth thée exalt the horn the power and glory of thy people those whom thou hast taken near unto thee and who worship thee in Spirit and Truth let not the gares of hell ever prevail against them and though Satan sift them like wheat yet let it be the praise of all thy Saints that still they adhere unto thee and come nearer unto thée by the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXLIX Hallelujah A Hymn IN this Psalm the Saints of God are excited to give him due thanks The Prophes excites Gods Saints to praise him The first part for For two reasons 1. For the Grace and Favour received from him from vers 1. to 5. 2. For the Glory and Priviledges they shall receive Ver. 1 from vers 5. to 9. 1. The Prophet first excites the Saints to a return of thanks And amplifies it divers wayes Let Israel rejoice let the children of Zion praise Which is amplified 1. From the persons who are to perform it Saints call'd here Israel the children of Zion For praise is not comely in the mouth of sinners 2. From the Quality of the Song it must be Canticum novum a New Song it was an old Song the Creatures sung in the former Psalm for their Creation It must be a New Song the Saints must sing for their Renovation and Glorification A new matter to be sung by new men 3. From the place in which it is to be sung not in private but in publick in the Church in a full Congregation of the Saints 4. From the manner in which it is to be done in all allacrity with all the affection that may be with a Song with joy with praise Cantate psallite jubilate And as if all we could do were too little to take the help of all Musical instruments Let us praise his Name in the dance let us sing praises unto him with Timbrel and Harp 5. From the object God who was their Creatour and their King Ver. 2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him let the children of Zion be joyful in their King And this part he concludes with a strong reason for a New Song 1 For his love and favour to them 1. For the Lord takes pleasure in his people He loved them from everlasting and that out of meer good-will and this his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the root and foundation of all our good therefore he predestinated therefore he called therefore he justified therefore he sanctified Ver. 4 therefore he will glorifie because it was his good-pleasure so to do he takes pleasure in his people Luk. 12.32 2. He will beautifie the meek with Salvation What was his good-pleasure he will fulfill That people who hath learned of him to be meek and humble he will exalt he will save he will honour with beauty and glory 2. And now he begins to describe the future glory The second part with which he will beautifie them 1. Let the Saints be joyful in glory To which they shall never come He describes their future glory except Saints 2. Let them rejoice in their beds i. e. Ver. 5 Their Mansions prepared for them in heaven where they instantly rest from their labours Rev. 14. But not from their praising God that 's no labour They sing aloud they sleep not then Their work there is twofold Their work in heaven for present to praise God one for the present the other for the future 1. For the present The high praises the greatest and highest that can be thought on let these be in their mouths Exaltant Deum exultant Vers. 6 2. Hereafter to exercise judiciary power For the future when Christ shall come to judgement Let a two-edged sword be in their hand The sword is in a Judges hand for he is an avenger of all that do ill By