Son of God Be wise therefore O ye Kings in which Ver. 11 1. The persons to whom this fair Caveat is given Kings and Judges 1 Know their Duty 2. What they are here taught 2 To do their Duty First To know their Duty Be wise be learned Secondly To do their Duty Serve the Lord in fear rejoyce with trembling Ver. 12 kiss the Son 3 Without delay and that 3. The time when this is to be done even Now the Reason double 1. Drawn from his wrath and the consequent punishment 1 Lest he be angry and destroy them Lest he be angry and ye perish from the right way 2. From the happy condition of those who learn to know him and fear 2 Because they are happy that trust in him and serve and adore him For if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him The Prayer collected out of the second Psalm O Blessed God unto whom all hearts are open and from whom no secrets are hid whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun and pass through the World and behold all the thoughts and conspiracies and actions of men Encline thine ear and hear open thine eyes and sée the attempts of Satan and wicked men The Heathen have raged furiously and the people have tumultuously assembled Ver. 1 and imagine vain things yea the Kings of the Earth have risen together they have taken counsel and joyn'd their power against God Ver. 2 and against him who is thy Anointed These many in number Ver. 3 strong in power encourage themselves in mischief saying Come let us break off these Bonds of Laws and Religion from off our necks by which they would yoke us and cast away their cords in which they would bind us for we will not that he or his Anointed reign over us For of a truth Lord against thée and thy holy child Iesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the Nation of the Jewes have gathered themselves together and do whatsoever thy hand and thy Counsel determined before to be done And now O Lord behold their threatnings for thy Names sake for thy Sons sake for thy Promise sake let not the gates of Hell prevail against thy Church Ver. 4 Thou that sits in Heaven laugh them to scorn Ver. 5 Thou which art the most High have them in derision speak unto them in thy wrath and vex them in thy sore displeasure Raise up thy power Ver. 6 O Lord and come amongst us Set thy King upon thy holy Hill of Zion Ver. 7 He is thy only begotten Son from everlasting and yet was content for our Redemption to humble himself to the womb and be born and made of a woman that he might preach thy Law and make known the glad tidings of salvation to all people Ver. 8 Give him therefore the Heathen for his inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for his possession Merciful God who hast made all men and hatest nothing that thou hast made nor wouldest the death of a sinner but rather that he should be converted and live have mercy upon all Iewes Turks Infidels and Heretiques and take from them all ignorance hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and fetch them home blessed Lord to thy stock that they may be saved among the remnant of thy true Israelites that there may be but one Fold and one Shepheard As for such who obstinately and wilfully and maliciously stop their ears that they may not hear and shut their eyes that they may not sée lest they should hear with their ears and sée with their eyes and thou shouldst heal them These are the men O Lord who will not have thée reign over them poure therefore thy indignation upon them and bring them down in their pride and obstinacy Ver. 9 break them in pieces with a rod of iron and dash them into shivers like a Potters vessel of which being broken into smaller parcels there is no use nor hope or possibility of reparation Gracious God Ver. 10 poure down the graces of thy holy Spirit upon all thy people especially upon the Kings and Rulers of the Earth give them those gifts that may make them wise and those graces that may make them good let them learn their Duties Ver. 11 and do their Duties to thée O so encline all our hearts that we may serve thee in fear rejoyce before thee with reverence that we kiss bow down and adore thy Son submit and be obedient to him receive his Doctrine and acquiesce in his Laws and never be at rest till our heart assure us that thou art reconciled unto us through him O who may stand in thy sight when thou art angry we tremble therefore to féel at this time the effect of thy hot wrath upon us Ver. 12 for thou hast suffered us to perish from the right way for truth to embrace lying vanities and for thy Gospel to worship our own imaginations This is the just reward of our disobedience this is the just revenge and punishment of our sin in that we have not served thée in fear nor come into thy Courts and rejoyced before thée with reverence nor bow'd our knées and béen obedient to thy Son Vers 12 For this thy wrath is kindled and it burns not a little against us O Lord grant that this thy severity may have a true impression upon our hearts let us be true penitents and by our sighs and groans give thée no rest in heaven till thou return and have mercy upon us Recall us again to the right way Vers. 12 and never let us more erre and wander from it Confirm our hope it rengthen our faith alwayes let us put our confidence in thy mercy knowing that they alone who put their trust in thée are blessed for when thy wrath is kinded they shall be gather'd under thy wings and shall be safe under thy feathers Call us O Lord to thy truth justifie us by thy Sons blood sanctifie us by his Spirit and make us of that number to whom thou wilt say at the last day Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world Amen Amen PSAL. III. The occasion of this Psalm was Absalons rebellion DAVID being deserted by his subjects rail'd upon by Shimei pursued for his Crown and life by his ungracious son and not finding to whom to make his moan betakes himself to his God and before him he expostulates his wrong confesseth his faith and makes his prayer There be then three strains of this accurate Psalm 1. His complaint 2. The confession of his confidence 3. His Petition The first part Davids complaint of his enemies 1. He begins with a sad and bitter complaint amplified 1. By the Number and Multitude of his enemies That they were Multi Many Multi valde very many that they were multiplicati
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
is thy God where is thy Helper thy Redéemer thy Deliverer But O my soul be of good comfort Why art thou cast down Ver. 11 why art thou so disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God The Prayer out of the forty third Psalm O God thou art my strength and comfort Judge me then Ver. 2 and plead my cause against this unmerciful people O deliver me from the deceitful unjust and cruel man why dost thou stand afar off as if thou hadst cast me aside why go I thus heavily because of the oppression of the enemy Ver. 2 that bitter enemy to me and to thy Church O send out thy Light and thy Truth Ver. 3 Compassed about we are with a fearful mist and darkness of errours and false opinions dispel these thick Foggs with the beams of thy Truth Driven even to the very brink of despair we are by our present calamities and yet we remember that thou hast made many comfortable promises to those that fear thy Name verifie these O Lord in us and to us and let these alwayes lead us and direct us in our way till they again bring us to thy holy Hill and to thy Temple where thine honour dwells and where thou hast promised to be present and to hear the supplications of thy servants Bring us again to thy House O God Thou Ver. 4 who art the God of our exceeding joy for then will we offer upon the Altar of a contrite heart a sacrifice of peace and thanksgiving yea upon the Harp and Organ will we praise thee O Lord our God Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Ver. 5 Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God Though the storms and waves of persecutions have gone over us and the depths of Tentations gaped very wide to swallow us up quick yet we are confident that with the Tentation thou wilt give the issue and so moderate the whole by thy grace and mercy that the solid joy of a good conscience shall never be taken from us O Lord enable us by the power of thy Spirit that in these our pressores we fall not from thée but expect deliverance from thy hand for which we will return thée thanks in the great Congregation through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XLIV IN this Psalm is lively expressed the Sufferings the Complaints the Assurances the Petitions which are offered to God by good men who suffer together with other in the common afflictions that God brings on his people The parts are two The Arguments to perswade his Petitions 1. A Petition from ver 24. to the end 2. The Arguments by which the Petition is quickned from ver 1. to 24. First He begins with the Arguments of which 1. The first part The first is drawn from Gods goodness of which he gives in particular viz. his Benefits and Miracles done for their Fathers 1 Arg. From Gods goodness to his people as if he had said This thou didst for them why art thou so estranged from us 1. We have heard with our ears O God and our Fathers have told us what Works thou didst in their dayes Ver. 1 and in the times of old The particulars of which are 1. Ver. 2 How thou didst drive out the Heathen viz. the Canaanites 2. How thou plantedst them 3. How thou didst afflict the people and cast them out ver 2. 2. This we acknowledge to be thy work which he expresseth 1. Ver. 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Negatively by remotion of what sâ—â—e might imagine They got not the Land in possession by their own Sword neither was it their own arm that helped them ver 3. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name be the praise 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Positively for it was thy right hand and thy arm and the light of thy countenance a meer gratuito because thou hadst a favour unto them no other reason can be assigned but that ver 3. 3. Ver. 4 Upon this consideration by an Apostrophe he turns his speech to God and sings an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For which he sings an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which the streins are 1. An open confession Thou art my King O God 2. A Petition Send help unto Jacob ver 4. 3. A confident perswasion of future victory but still with Gods help and assistance Ver. 5 ver 5 6 7. 1. Through thee will we push down our enemies 2. Through thee will we tread them under that rise up against us all through thee in thy Name by thy Power 4. An abrenunciation of his own power or arm For I will not trust in my Bowe Ver. 6 neither shall my Sword save me 5. A reiteration or a second ascription of the whole victory to God But thou hast saved us from our enemies Ver. 7 Thou hast put them to shame that hated us ver 7. 6. Ver. 8 A grateful return of thanks which is indeed the Tribute God expects and we are to pay upon any deliverance In God we boast all the day long The second Argument the present misery the Church was in and praise thy Name for ever Selah Secondly The second Argument by which he wings his Petition is drawn from the condition in which for the present Gods people were in before he had done wonders for their deliverance but now he had delivered them to the will of their enemies This would move a man to think that his good will was changed toward them Ver. 9 But thou hast cast us off The consequent lamentable and put us to shame and goest not forth with our Armies Of which the consequences are many and grievous although we acknowledge that all is from thee and comes from thy hand and permission 1. Ver. 10 The first is Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy ver 10. 2. The second we become a prey They which hate us spoil for themselves v. 10. 3. Ver. 11 The third we are devoured Thou hast given us as sheep appointed for meat killed cruelly when and as they please ver 11. 4. The fourth we are driven from out Countrey and made to dwell where they will plant us Thou hast scattered us among the Heathen inter Gentes Ver. 12 and that 's a great discomfort to live among people without God in the World 5. The fifth we are become slaves sold and bought as Beasts and that for any price upon any exchange Thou sellest thy people for nought and dost not increase thy wealth by their price ver 12. puts them off as worthless things 6. The sixth we are made a scorn a mock and to whom to our enemies nay for that might be born but even to our friends and neighbours Ver. 13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours a scorn
vers 1. and the reason vers 2. 2. A double vow vers 3 4. with the reason The vow repeated vers 5. 3. The effects which were to follow vers 6 7. 1. The first part A prayer for 1. Mercy He first desires of God that he would so carry himself to his Church and people that it might appear that he hath a care of them that he loves them 1. Vers. 1 God be merciful to us favour us for his Mercy is the fountain of all our good 2. 2 A blessing Then Bless us Give whatsoever is good Temporal spiritual blessings 3. 3 The blessing of favour and grace Vers. 2 In particular Cause his face to shine upon us Clear up his countenance to us Every man desires a blessing the good man this blessing 4 That this blessing be extended to all people the blessing of the right-hand Let him openly shew that he favours us And for this he gives his reason viz. That the light may be communicative and the benefit pass over to others The second part even unto all men all Nations 1. In which he votes praise to God and desires that all may join with him That thy Way thy Will thy Word thy Works may be known on earth 2. Thy saving health not in Jury alone but among all Nations He desires that all men may come to the knowledge of the Truth and take notice of those wayes which he takes for the salvation of his people 2. And upon it he Votes honour to God for one will easily and naturally flow from the other Vers. 3 his mercy brings knowledge and his knowledge praise Let the people praise thee O God Let all the people praise thee This verse is Emphatical 1. Vers. 5 In respect of the Object Te. Thee Not other strange gods 2. Celebrent omnes All the people Not mutter thy praises but make them illustrious 3. And do it he artily And do it often Repeat them again and again as he doth this verse vers 5. 4. Vers. 4 And do it with a joyful and glad heart O let the Nations rejoice and sing for joy And of this also he gives his reason The reason the Acts that flow from Gods special providence his governing his moderating his directing his people 1. 1 Gods equity in judging His equity in judging Thou shalt judge the people righteously 2. 2 His wisdom in ordering His wisdom in governing Thou shalt govern lead and direct the Nations and that on earth that they know the way to eternal happiness Via gratia via gloriae 3. The third part The Consequences The effects of his blessing and our praise are expressed in the two last verses 1. Vers. 6 Then shall the earth yield her increase Which literally is an ample Harvest Spiritually 1 An increase the inhabitants of the earth shall increase in knowledge thanks c. 2. And God shall bless this increase for without his blessing 2 A blessing of that increase the increase will be to little purpose God even our God shall bless Which he ingeminates that it be not forgotten God shall bless Vers. 7 3. The last effect is 3 Gods worship that God shall be worshipped and honoured all the world over And all the ends of the earth shall fear him The Prayer collected out of the sixty seventh Psalm O God great in power but infinite in mercy acknowledge we do that thou art the Father of all gifts and the Fountain of all goodness Vers. 1 and from thy bounty and liberality it is that we receive whatsoever we can call ours and therefore we humbly beséech thée to be favourable and merciful to us to bless unto us whatsoever is good and make it openly and plainly appear that thou doest carry a serene aspect and a clear countenance towards us That so while we remain in this earth we may perfectly know that way that leads to thée and to our future happiness And this mercy we ask not for our selves alone but for all Nations Vers. 2 O happy day when not in Jury alone but all the world over thy wayes shall be made known when there shall be but one fold and one shepherd and thy saving health made evident and receiv'd by all Nations Bring to pass O God that many may come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God Vers. 3 Thy name will be glorious thy honour enlarg'd when the Gentiles with the Jews and the Jews with the Gentiles shall with one heart and one voice sing hymns to thy name O then let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Thou art a just God in equity judge for us thou art a wise God in wisdom govern and direct us Deliver thy people from the tyranny of men and from the rage and fury of Devils direct and govern our hearts in the way of thy Laws and in the works of thy Commandments so shall we appear in thy presence with joyful and glad hearts and sing merrily our songs of Zion to thy name Again and again I beg of thée O Lord that all men may come to the knowledge of thy truth and confess thy name O let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Let them cast away their strange gods and fall low before thy foot-stool and adore thée alone the Maker of all things the Redéemer of all men for then the Lord will hear the heavens and the heavens shall hear the earth and the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Israel Out of thy mercy O God bestow upon us the light of thy countenance and grateful hearts that so all other things may be administred unto us bless our fields with increase and our houses with abundance and because all plenty is no better than poverty without thy blessing give thy blessing to that thou hast given so shall we fear thy name and adore thy Majesty and admire thy wise providence and in all reverence and humility set forth thy praise from generation to generation Amen PSAL. LXVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DIverse conjectures there are of the occasion of the composure of this Psalm But the most probable is that it was composed by David when he brought up the Ark of God which was the Type of the Church and Symbol of Gods presence to Jerusalem This after it was sent home by the Philistines rested first in the obscure Lodge of Aminadab then for a while it stay'd with Obed-Edom near sixty years in both places It was Davids care to provide a fit room for it in the head of the Tribes even in his own City And to express his joy and honour the Solemnity David led the way dancing with all his might in a linnen Ephod and all the house of Israel followed with shouts and instruments of
that they should inherit the Land which now they could not do in quiet For all the earth was full of darkness i. e. impiety and cruel habitations Plunderers every where And he goes on in his Prayer and useth two Arguments more 1. That Gods people be not ashamed of their hope and expectation and dependance on God O let not the oppressed return ashamed 2. From their gratitude Let the poor and needy praise thy Name In the close of the Psalm he more openly expresseth the affection of his heart for God and presseth him for help because the cause is his the enemies his the blasphemy against him and redounds to the dishonour of his name and that it dayly increaseth 1. Arise O Lord plead thine own cause 2. Remember how the foolish people reproach thee dayly 3. Forget not the voice of thine enemies 4. The tumult of those that rise against thee increaseth continually The Prayer to be collected out of the seventy fourth Psalm is needless it being so powerful methodical and easie a Prayer of it self I shall only then Paraphrase upon it AND why O God doest thou carry thy self toward us at this time Vers. 1 as if thou didst seem to have cast us off rejected us from thy care and favour wholly and for ever O good God why doth the severity of thy indignation smoke against those whom thou hast chosen to feed care for Vers. 2 and govern as if they had been thine own sheep thy selected flock O thou which hast seem'd for a long time to be unmindful of us remember we beseech thee thy Congregation which thou hast purchased with thy blood whom thou hast bought to be thy inheritance not yesterday nor to day but before the beginning of the world Remember Mount Zion that is now destroy'd by the enemy and that place wherein thou hast dwelt Therefore that thy mercy may be answerable to thy former love Vers. 3 with-hold not any longer the hand of thy Omnipotence and Iustice but make bare thy arm and lift up thy feet to the perpetual desolation and eternal destruction of every enemy that hath done wickedly in the Sanctuary Thy adversaries being become conquerors have cryed with a loud voice Vers. 4 and proudly boasted and roared as Lions in the midst of the Congregations they have prophaned thy Solemn Feasts they have thrown down thy Altars and slain thy Priests with the edge of the sword and they have set up their banners in thy Temples as manifest signs of their victories without any reverence had to thy holy place without any acknowledgement or honour exhibited to thy name by whose permission for our prophaneness they thus triumph over us and these confecrated places When they enter'd into these holy Oratories they shew'd no more reverence than if they had fet footing into some thick wood Those beams of Cedar which our fore-fathers out of piety and dedotion had polished and dedicated to the ornament and deanty of thy house these those rude and barbarous hands have broken down with Ares and Hammers Yea they have cast fire into thy Sanctuary they have prophaned the Tabernacle consecrated to thy name drawing it down to the ground despoyling it of all glory and the sincere worship of thy name being taken away instead thereof they have set up and worship'd their own indentions Nay their malice stay'd not here Not a Synagogue of the Land but hath felt their fury no School of the Prophets but hath groaned under their oppression They encourage each other in mischief Come say they let us destroy them all together Thus have they made all thy Solemn Festivals to cease and thy whole worship to be annihilated As for thy Prophets they are few left and those that are disgraced eiected imprisoned oppressed accounted the off-scouring of the world and made a spectacle to men and Angels thy Word in their mouths is estéemed a lye and the defence of thy truth held for superstition and the Traditions of men and with them thy holy Ordinances are all cast aside as â—â—ecessary Ceremonies O Lord how long wilt thou suffer the adversary to reproach Wilt thou be of that long-suffering and patience that the prophane shall blaspheme thy holy Name and by his blasphemies provoke thée to anger for ever Why as a lazy man is wont toda doest thou kéep thy right-hand in thy bosome why doest than not pluck it from thence and make these profane persons féel the blow and thy people the mercy It cannot be ascribed to thy want of power that thou art thus patient For thou art the same God now as of old Thou art the great King which hast wrought salvation for our fathers in the midst of the earth even in the sight of all people Marvellous and terrible were thy works Vers. 13 which thou didst for thy people of Israel Thou didst divide the Sea by thy strength and made the waters to stand on a heap till thy people were past through it Thou brakest the heads of that Dragon Pharaoh and all his hoast in the red Sea Thou didst cleave the Rock and turn'dst the flint-stone into a springing Well that thence the thirst of thy people might be satisfied as from a fountain And on the contrary thou hast dryed up the swiftest current and mest violent stream that thy people might pass dry-foot through it Neither is thy power declared only in these extraordinary miracles but also in all creatures The night and day were created by thee Thou hast prepared the light and the Sun Thou hast set the bounds of the Sea and all the borders of the earth Thou hast made Summer and Winter The vicissitudes of all things is a manifest of thy power and the change of all times and seasons is thy Ordinance wisely disposed for the commodity of man When then O Lord thy power is so great shew thy might and come amongst us remember this that the enemy hath reproached in effect imputed weakness and impotence to thée said in his heart What God shall deliver them out of my hand O Lord remember that the foolish people in prophaning thy Temples and trampling thy Prophets have blasphemed thy name being regardless of thy Omnipotence and secure upon thy patience We beséech thée suffer no longer the souls of those innocent mournful Turtle Doves who desire to worship and praise thée to be delivered to the multitude and rabble of the wicked neither leave destitute of thy favour and help for ever the Congregation of the afflicted people whose considence is thy care and security thy sole protection Have respect O Lord to the Covenant thou hast made with our fathers Never let the gates of Hell as thou hast promised prevail against thy Church which at this time can find no rest for the sole of her foot since the places of the earth are full of darkness and cruel habitations for bloody and deceitful men having their heart darkned are spread over the Land and by violence and
his dwelling place The other part of his Prayer 2 For the Church is for pardon and help for the Church 1. He said vers 5. that God was angry and anger ariseth from sin First then he begs remission 1 Remission 1. O remember not against us our former iniquities 2. Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us Ratio For we are brought very low 2. 2 Help And then he prayes for help Help us O God of our Salvation using the most powerful Argument Gods glory Help us for the glory of thy name 3. Which both he conjoins His Arguments to prevail with God Then joins both together Deliver us and purge away our sins for thy Names sake And now he adds to his first reason viz. Gods glory two more why he desires sudden help which are The Blasphemy of the heathen 2. The Misery of his people at this time That if not delivered the enemy would Blaspheme 1. If they were not delivered the enemy was like to blaspheme and say Now wherefore should the heathen say Where is their God Therefore Let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenge of the blood of thy Servants which is shed 2. That their condition was miserable Our case is miserable we are an object of pity Let then the sighing of the prisoners come before thee according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to dye 3. And thirdly render unto our neighbours seven-fold into their bosomes i.e. largely even the reproach with which they have reproached thee O Lord. 4. The fourth part The Vote or Obligation to be thankful for the deliverance 1. So we that be thy people and sheep of thy pasture shall give thee thanks for ever The Doxology for their deliverance 2. We will shew forth thy praise to all generations We thy people thy sheep will do it For praise is not comely nor acceptable out of the mouth of a sinner The Prayer collected out of the seventy ninth Psalm O Merciful God and loving Father thou hast chosen us from among all people to be thine inheritance and hast omitted nothing either for our instruction or future happiness Thou hast written unto us the wonderful things of thy Law thou hast open'd to us the Mysteries of thy Gospel thou hast washed us with water and fed us with the flesh and blood of thy Son But with shame and confusion of face we confess before thee that we have walkt unworthy of so great mercies and unthankful wretches as we are have been disobedient to thy holy Will For this thy wrath and jealousie is justly kindled against us and it hath brought in a cruel and barbarous enemy upon us Vers. 1 These infidels and miscreants O Lord by thy permission have invaded that people whom thou hast chosen for thy inheritance They have prophaned with their imaginations and wasted without any reverence thy holy Temples and they have laid upon heaps Jerusalem Vers. 2 those houses which were dedicated and consecrated to thy honour Neither hath their fury only extended to these material buildings but they have shew'd their rage against the dead bodies of thy Saints sometimes the Temples of the Holy Ghost These they have not suffered to be brought with honour to the grave and to be gathered to their fathers in peace but have given them to be meat to the fowls of the air and the beasts of the Land While they liv'd they made no more account of their blood than of so much water that being spilt upon the ground cannot be gather'd up again and therefore without any commiseration they have poured it but round about Jerusalem Which affliction falling thus heavy upon us and suffered by us when our Neighbours that are enemies to thy truth behold they deride and mock us to them we are become a Proverb of reproach a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us not without the ignominy of thy Name in which they boast that we have bellev'd in vain But O Lord how long how long wilt thou be angry with us for ever shall thy jealousie and hot indignation be continually kindled and burn against us like a mighty fire that wastes and devoures all before it O let thy wrath cease from the shéep of thy pasture And if thou wilt be angry still pour out thy indignation upon the barbarous bloody and blasphemous people that have not known thée or if known dishonour'd thée and empty thy vials upon their heads who have not call'd upon thy name or if called yet hypocritically and so lyed unto thée These are the people that have devoured Jacob thy servant these have laid waste his dwelling place Let them not escape thy fury and force them to drink up the dregs of that Cup which is in thy hand and wring put the lées of it We beséech thée therefore for thy mercies sake and at the intercession of thy beloved Son our Lord that thou would'st not remember our former iniquities which we and our fathers have committed against thée but that passing by our demerits thy tender mercies would spéedily prevent us now that we are brought very low before we are utterly consumed Help us therefore now O God of our salvation to thée we fly to thée we cry help us and deliver us and that not for our selves for we have justly deserv'd thy wrath but for the glory of thy name For it will much redound to the honour of thy name that such sinners such men so low so disconsolate and helpless should be saved Come therefore O Lord and deliver us and purge away our sins for thy Names sake If we now perish under our enemies hands they will not insult only over us but thée ask they will in scorn and derision Where now is their God He is either so impotent that he cannot or so cruel that he will not deliver those whom he calls his people out of our hands Oh why should the heathen say this or blaspheme thus Be therefore O Lord known among the heathen in our sight by the revenge thou takest for the blood of thy servants which is shed O let the sighs and groans of those who are led Captive and now in prison come before thee and by the greatness of thy power preserve us the remainder and sons of those who have béen slain from death And to our malicious Neighbours Vers. 12 who have adjoyn'd themselves to our enemies and glory at our calamity render seven-fold unto them as they have reproached us so let them be a reproach So we that thou hast honour'd to be thy people and chosen to be the sheep of thy pasture shall give thee thanks for ever So shall we be encouraged to shew forth thy praise from generation to generation PSAL. LXXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE occasion of this Psalm is the same with the former viz. An oppression of Israel and devastation as
each form hath a reason annexed 1. Ver. 1 Bow down thy ear hear me Ratio For I am poor and needy i. e. destitute of other help 2. Ver. 2 Preserve my soul Ratio For I am holy i.e. pious and studious of holiness ready to serve thee 3. Ver. 3 O thou my God save thy servant Ratio That trusteth in thee relies on thy help and for that exposed to dangers 4. Be merciful unto me O Lord Ratio For I cry unto thee dayly I cry and call without intermission 5. Rejoyce the soul of thy servant comfort me with thy presence and sense of thy favour Ratio For unto thee O Lord I life up my soul i. e. with great desire I long after thee And all these Reasons perswade to Audience from the person of the Supplicant who because he was in distress and yet studious to please his God did rely upon God and daily cry and earnestly desire the sense of his favour therefore he did lift up his soul to him The second part A continuance in his Petition from the nature of God 2. And yet he continues his Petition from the consideration of the Nature and Person of God to whom he prayes Hear me and turn away thy wrath 1. For thou O Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thee Ver. 5 give ear therefore unto my prayer and attend to the voyce of my supplications 2. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee Ratio For thou wilt answer me it runs thus Thou art merciful to them that call upon thee ver 5. I call None like to him in his works therefore thou wilt answer 3. There is none among the gods like unto thee O Lord neither are there any of their works like thy works None like in goodness wisdom power in thy works which thou dost to save thy people and therefore I call and cry to thee for help And this the Prophet amplifies in the two next verses as if he had said the event doth shew That there is none like thee no works like thy works for 1. All Nations which now worship Idols she ll come i. e. be converted and worship thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name 2. For thou dost great and wondrous things of which the conversion of the Gentiles is one Thou art God alone And upon this Reason Therefore he begs to be governed by his Word and Spirit that none is like God none comparable to him in his works 1. He falls to prayer again and first begs of God that he may be governed by his Word and Spirit for then he would be an obedient servant Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy Truth unite my heart to fear thy Name For which he professeth to be thankful 2. And secondly professeth he would be a thankful servant I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy Name for evermore To which he subjoyns his Reason For great is thy mercy toward me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Hell i. e. from the greatest troubles And upon both these his obedience and thankfulness he pleads to be heard 3. And yet he presseth another Argument viz. The third part He presseth his prayer from the nature of his enemies The person and quality of his Adversaries 't is but Reason that God hear him for he was beset with enemies and these were proud men 2. Potent men 3. Ungodly men 1. Proud they were The proud have risen up against me 2. Potent they were and many of them The Assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul 3. Ungodly men Atheists Scorners They have not set thee before them 4 And now he hath recourse again to his former Arguments The fourth part He amplifies his former Argument but amplifies them 1. First drawn from the Nature of God ver 5. But thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth 2. The second from his own condition ver 1 2. O turn unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strength unto thy servant and help the son of thy Handmaid i.e. one born within thy Covenant and of a poor humble mother 3. The third from the quality of his Adversaries that they which were Atheists might see Gods hand in his deliverance and confounded by it Shew me a token for good i.e. shew by some evident sign that thou art not angry with me but that thou hast received me into thy favour That they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me The Prayer collected out of the eighty sixth Psalm O Lord great in Power infinite in Majesty so great is our misery and poverty and so destitute we are of help Ver. 1 that we are unworthy of any gracious aspect from thée but since thou art a God who lookest upon thy néedy and poor servants vouchsafe us one good look let our humility bend thy Majesty Bow down thine ear to our prayers and condescend to our requests Ver. 2 Kéep our lives that we fall not into the hands of our enemies O thou who art our God sée'st and know'st that we desire and endeavour to serve thée in holiness preserve therefore the souls of thy servants who have no other hope but thée Be merciful unto us O Lord who every day call and cry to thee Rejoyce the grieved and sad souls of thy servants who renouncing all worldly helps do lift up their souls unto thee Give ear O Lord to our prayer and attend to the voyce of our supplications if not for our sake if not out of the consideration of our present miseries yet for thine own be to us now what thou hast alwayes béen and alwayes wilt be Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy toward all that call upon thee This Lord is the day of our trouble a day of darkness and gloominess and in this we call upon thée Lord hear us bow down thine ear and according to thy wonted mercy receive our Petitions O good God be propitious for if thou wilt thou canst relieve us among men some would but cannot some can but will not help And among the Angels there is none of what order soever like unto thée their power though great is not to be compared to thy power their works though marvellous are nothing to thy works which are so full of wonder that even those Nations who yet know thée not and are out of the Covenant upon whom thou hast together with us set thine own image even these being moved by the greatness of thy works shall at last come and bow and worship before thee and magnifie and glorifie thy Name for thou dost great and wondrous things Thou art God alone O God at this time because we have béen ungrateful
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
soever ye live see that ye trust in the Lord and that for the same reason For he will be their help and their shield also In every Nation those that fear him and do righteousness are accepted of him He will be a Lord Protector even to these as to Job Naaman c. 3. And that his Exhortation to trust in God might take the deeper root The third part The blessing upon it he tells all three that they should be no losers by it for it was it that had and would bring a blessing upon them For God doth not use to forget those that trust in him but he hath been mindful of us Ver. 12 And by a singular and especial Providence and care of us he hath shew'd it and he will shew it to every one of you 1. To you of the Nation He will bless the house of Israel 1 To the Nation 2. To you of the Priesthood He will bless the house of Aaron 3. To all you that fear him He will bless them that fear the Lord 2 To the Priesthood both small and great And the Prophet taking his example from God 3 To all that fear him This the Prophet seconds with his prayer poures forth his blessing upon them also he thought it not enough to exhort them only to trust in God and acquaint them that God would bless them except he seconded it with his prayer and therefore to Gods blessing he adds his own and desires the blessing may rest upon the heads of them and their children 1. The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children 2. Let the World curse you and speak evil of you yet I say Ye are the blessed of the Lord come ye blessed Deutr. 28. 3. That Lord which made heaven and earth which words are added that they be assured that their blessing is a real blessing coming from him in whose hand is the dew of heaven and fatness of the earth in which form Isaac blessed Jacob Gen. 27.28 4. It comes from one that is able to bless 1. For the heaven even the heavens are the Lords In them he especially shewes his Presence Majesty Glory from thence descend the dewes of grace and the drops of rain that water the earth 2. As for the earth he hath made a Deed of Gift for that He hath given it to the children of men that by his blessing upon their labour they may be sustained with food and rayment so that while they live in it and enjoy the Goods thereof they praise him 4. The fourth part For that is the true end of their being here the chief nay the sole end they live upon it And that for their blessing they again bless God the end that God gave it to them an end which they that are dead cannot attain unto This he illustrates by an Antithesis betwixt the dead and the living 1. Ver. 17 For the dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into the silence Among them there is great silence of the dewes of heaven and the fatness of the earth they need neither and therefore they praise not God for them The blessing of the City and blessings of the Field are nothing unto them they have no mouths to fill and therefore no mouths in a corporal manner to open in the praise of God Him they praise but it is after their manner not ours him they praise but it is for other blessings than ours 2. Ver. 18 But we as yet are upon the earth we enjoy his protection we enjoy besides spiritual these temporal blessings also this his gift we must make use of And therefore we will do that the dead cannot We will bloss the Lord from this time forth for evermore By our selves while we live and desire it may be done by our posterity when we are going down into silence 3. However ye that are alive this day Praise ye the Lord. The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and fifteenth Psalm O Omnipotent and Gracious God in all Ages thou hast béen merciful to thy people and even in their greatest afflictions raised up the spirits of some one or other of thy servants by whose hands thou hast delivered them At this time we are in great misery at this time we are in affliction send us help from thy Sanctuary raise us up some Moses to go before us some Joshua to sight for us Ver. 2 some Sampson to deliver us wherefore should the uncircumcised triumph over us and say Where is now their God The reproach O Lord redounds to thée this insultation is to thy dishonour arise then O Lord and give the glory unto thy Name shew thy merciful countenance and that thou art a God of Truth Ver. 1 and for thy Mercy and Truths sake come down at last and deliver us Merit there is none on our part why thou shouldst do it for us and therefore it must be mercy Merit there is too much on our part why thou shouldst not do it and therefore if it be done it must be thy Truth thy Word pass'd to thy servants that moves thée to it We destre not that any part of this work be attributed to us but that the honour of it be wholly thine Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name which is now blashemed and vilified Ver. 3 give the Glory for thy Mercy and for thy Truths sake Make them know that have so long trusted in lying vanities and worshipped the imaginations of their own hearts That our God is in Heaven that he hath done whatsoever pleased him that as it hath béen his pleasure to humble us so it is his pleasure to exalt us he hath brought us very low but he can set us again on high when how and by whom he pleaseth O Lord heal our back-slidings and love us freely turn away thine anger from us be as a dew to thy Israel make his branches â—oread Ver. 9 and his beauty as the Olive-trée let him revive as the Corn and grow as the Vine what have we to do any more with Idols vain men That have hands and cannot help and ears and will not hear Thée O Lord will we hear Thée will we alone observe For thou art our help and our shield Thou wilt be the Lord Protector to thy Israel Thou wilt be a shield to the house of Aaron Thou wilt be a helper to all those that fear thée therefore renouncing the arm of flesh we will trust to thée alone O Lord be mindful of us and bless us bless the house of Israel that people which thou hast chosen to thy self and gathered from among the Nations Bless the house of Aaron that Tribe that thou hast chosen to thy self and set apart to come near unto thée among this people O Lord bless them all that sear thy Name in what part of the World soever they remain of what condition soever they he
him this answer containing very remarkable Notes of a lively Member of the Church 1 In general 1. In general he is such a man who is 1 Upright 1. Upright in thought hath an honest heart He that walketh uprightly Ver. 2 2 Just 2. Just in his deed He works righteousness 3 True 3. True in his word He speaks the truth in his heart 4 Who eschews evil for he is not 2. In particular he is such a man who escheweth evil 1. In himself 1. Ver. 3 For he is no slanderer He back-bites not with his tongue 2. A slanderer c. He is no wrong doer Nor doth evil to his Neighbour 3. He is no reviler tale-bearer or hearer of them He takes not up a reproach c. 4. He is no favourer of sin in whose eyes a vile person is contemned 5. 2 He loves good men He is no oppressor or extortioner He puts not his money out to his poor brother to usury 6. Ver. 4 No briber He taketh no reward against the innocent 2. 3 He keeps his word Such a man he is That honours them that fear the Lord. 3. The second part His reward eternal salvation That sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not He will be sure to keep his word Piety and Charity is his Character 2. The Epiphonema hath it in these two points 1. Ver. 5 The party to whom this priviledge belongs He that doth these things For the doers of the Law shall be justified 2. Haec omnia haec 2. The promise made to him He shall never fall The life of Grace is the way to the life of Glory Potest in momentum movere sed non in aternum Resurget The Prayer out of the fifteenth Psalm that we may lead a life worthy of a Christian O Merciful and Bountiful God thou sole giver of Grace and Glory who hast made thy Tabernacle on Earth Ver. 1 a Type of that celestial Mansion thou hast promised us in Heaven and hast also taught us that we must first sojourn with thée in this before we shall come to dwell with thée in those everlasting habitations Give us Grace Ver. 2 that the whole old man of sin being put off we may walk uprightly before thée addict our selves to work righteousness and speak the truth plainly and sincerely from our hearts nor by dissimulation deceiving nor by fraud falshood and lies imposing upon our Neighbour Suffer us not with our tongues to detract from any mans good name and reputation Ver. 3 nor by false reports and whispers to backbite the absent let us not return evil for evil unto any much less evil for good nor with a contented mind receive a reproach against them Never let us respect any mans person if wicked Ver. 4 for their birth wealth power or glory nor palliate or flatter them in their vices but rather contemn all vile persons and on the contrary highly honour and love all those that fear the Lord. Make us faithful in our promises Ver. 5 and so religiously observant of our oaths that neither profit nor necessity compel us having sworn to our Neighbour to disappoint him Ver. 5 although it be to our own hinderance Remove from us all covetous destres and kéep us far from all unjust and oppressive contracts O let us never be corrupted with bribes and gifts to defend an evil cause and pronounce an unjust sentence Since those that do these things shall never fall or be removed from thy favour and presence vouchsafe to give us thy grace that our poor souls being purified from vitious habits and adorn'd with these Robes of Iustice Truth and Charity and sanctified by the merits of thy dear Son may live with thée eternally in Glory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. XVI Mictham David Davids precious Jewel or Psalm of Gold literally to be understood of David but primarily and principally of Christ Acts 2. whom he calls Chasid Gods Holy One ver 10. and foretels his Passion Resurrection Ascension ver 9 10 11. TWO parts there are of this Psalm in general 1. A Petition ver 1. The first part Davids Petition for conservation 2. A Thanksgiving ver 7. 1. The Petition begins the Psalm 't is for preservation Preserve me O God Ver. 1 keep me to the Kingdom both temporal and eternal that thou hast promised He perswades it guard me guide me keep me To perswade God to this he produceth his Reasons 1. His confidence For in thee I trust this is a powerful plea 1 By his confidence in God 2. That his God for to trust God is the highest honour we can do him it sets the Crown on his head 2. His relation O my soul thou hast said unto the Lord Ver. 2 Thou art my God 3. For this I would shew my self thankful and return thee best of my best But what can I give save 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My goods or goodness my benificence or bounty is nothing unto thee 3 By his charity to the Saints Sacrifice thou needest not Psal 50.8 Nor art delighted in them but mercy thou requirest Hosea 6. 4. Then I will seek out thy Receivers Thy Saints that are in the earth Ver. 3 The Family of the Saints were the object of Davids bounty and his delight In whom he delights Illustratur à contrario But not in wicked men and Idolaters But my liberality and charity shall extend to the Saints that are in the earth and unto such as are excellent in whom is all my delight 5. But as for wicked men and Idolaters I have no delight in them they shall not partake of my bounty and goodness rather the contrary 1. They hasten after another god or endow another god They spare no cost but are lavish in endowing their gods Ver. 4 Israel part with Jewels c. 2. They offer their children to Moloch therefore 1. Their sorrows shall be multiplied I will punish them 2. I will not partake with them Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer To the Saints he would be liberal because God had dealt liberally with him 3. But detest them I will not take up their names with approbation within my lips ver 4. 6. And yet he gives another Reason why he would shew himself so thankful to God and bountiful and liberal to his Saints it was Gods great bounty and liberality to him Ver. 5. 6. 1. That God had set him out his portion and it was satisfactory The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup. 2. That God defended him in it Thou maintainest my lot ad corroborandum 3. And it was a fair portion The lines are fallen unto me in a fair ground or pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage Goodly indeed for it was a Crown 2. The second part of this golden Psalm is Davids Thanksgiving it begins The second part David gives thanks I
the highest Heaven there is not any thing which is not partaker of thy goodness Those bottles of Heaven that continually resolve and water the Earth are expresses of thy Constancy and Truth Thy way of suffice is incomprehensible and thy judgments by which thou dispensest all things in the Earth a great deep Ver. 6 which no man can search an abysse which no humane understanding can find out Man and Beast have their being life motion from thée to man and beast thou suppliest wharsoever is necessary for food or existence they are sustained by thy goodness and preserved by thy mercy But thy care O Lord and providence over thy people is far more gracious Who can Ver. 7 as it ought estéem it Who can set a sufficient price upon it O how excellent is thy loving-kindness toward them thou lovest and them that love thée These thou wilt protect as a Hen doth her Chickens under the shadow of thy wings These shall enjoy not only temporary good things common to man and beast but in this present life thou wilt give them a taste of thy heavenly treasures by the Holy Ghost diffused in their hearts which as Rivers of pleasure will refresh their thirsty souls and after receive them into a celestial mansion where they shall be satisfied with the abundance of thy House that is with the beatifical vision and full fruition of thyself for thou art the fountain of that life which is true life indéed and perpetual Thou art the spring of light and when we come to enjoy that light all darkness being dispelled we shall sée light indéed Till we come thither we pass through a vally of darkness and live a life that may rather be called a death 't is so full of cares so full of miseries so full of sin howsoever in this let us have a taste of thy mercies protect us under thy wings let us dwell in thy house satisfie us with the graces of thy Spirit let us drink of the Rivers of thy pleasure make our life comfortable and let us enjoy the light of thy countenance This will be life to us even when we sit in this shadow of death this will be light to us even while we remain in this darkness Here we are subject to many temptations and the ungodly thrust sore at us that we might fall But O never let the foot of pride come and prevail against us let not the hand of the wicked remove us We know O Lord that their malice is so great against thy Truth that they are not moved with any fear or reverence of thy Name resolved they are to please and flatter themselves in their own eyes till their iniqity be found out and made apyear to be odious before God and man whatsoever they speak is full of iniquity and fraud they are not only ignorant but they will not be taught to be wise whosoever shall advise them to do good is accounted their enemy and hateful in their sight In the night-season when the mind is retired and should meditate on the best things then they fasten it upon the worst in their Bed they devise mischief and so hardned in their sin that they will not set themselves in any good way nor abhor even the foulest evil Therefore O Lord for thy mercy and faithfulness for thy loving-kindness and righteousness sake we beséech thée suffer not our souls to be delivered over as a prey into their hands and since they will not desist from their mischievous and bloody enterprise let these worker of iniquity fall together for peace let them find war for security trouble let them be cast down from their fancied state of dignity and felicity and never be able to rise again by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen PSAL. XXXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE intent of this Psalm is that good men be not over-much troubled at the prosperity of wicked men and what is here delivered may be reduced to these two general Heads 1. He sets down the Duty of a good man which is to be patient and put his confidence in God when he sees the wicked prosper and flourish The first part That we fret not at wicked mens prosperity 2. He gives many Reasons to perswade unto it 1. He begins with an Interdict and then descends to give forth some Commands 1. His Interdict is Fret not thy self because of evil doers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity Be nor angry not envious to which he adds this Reason That their prosperity is but short for they shall be cut down as the grass and wither as the green herb This interdict is repeated ver 7 8. and the reason ver 9 10 35 36 38. He sets down some Rules to keep from envy 2. Then he sets down some commands or rules to keep from fretting and anger 1. The first is a perpetual rule for our whole life Trust in the Lord rely not on humane helps riches friends c. trust to God 2. Do good increase not thy state by ill arts and means 3. Dwell in the land desert not thy station for verily thou shalt be fed 4. And therefore enjoy quietly what thou hast at present 5. Delight thou in the Lord be pleased with his way Ratio Dabit petitiones cordis 6. Commit thy way unto the Lord labour in an honest vocation leave the rest to him for he shall bring it to pass he shall bring forth thy righteousness c. 7. Rest and acquiesce in the Lord and wait patiently for him his time is the best and then he repeats his Interdict Fret not thy self Then he resumes his former Reason mentioned at the second verse The first Reason and amplifies it by an Antithesis viz. that bonis benè malis malè erit ver 9 10 11. The second part Evil doers cut off and so it falls out plerumque but not semper which is enough for temporal blessings 1. Evil doers shall be cut off but those that wait on the Lord shall inherit the Earth 2. Yet a little while and the wicked shall not be yea and thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be But the meek shall inherit the Earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace To this he adds a second Reason taken from the Providence of God 1. The second Reason Gods Providence Object 1. Bad men hate good men In protecting the righteous and confounding their enemies 2. In blessing the little they have in which he seems to remove a double objection The first about the tyranny of the wicked over just men The second that they were commonly in want and poverty The first Tentation that much troubles pious souls is the power the cruelty the implacable hatred of wicked men The wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his teeth To which David answereth Resp God shall revenge it The Lord shall laugh at
and derision to them that are round about us and this he amplifies Ver. 14 1. From the circumstances 1. That they were a Proverb of reproach The Aggravation by an excellent incrementum or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen 2. That in scorn any one that would used a scornful gesture toward them We are become a shaking of the head among the people 3. That this insultation is continual My confusion is daily before me Ver. 15 4. It is superlative shame so great that he had not what to say to it The shame of my face hath covered me Ver. 16 5. It is publick their words and gestures are not concealed they speak out what they please Asham'd I am for the voyce of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth for the enemy and avenger Thirdly And yet he useth a third Argument The third Argument from the constancy of the Church under the Cross that the Petition may be the more grateful and more easily granted drawn it is from the constancy and perseverance of Gods people in the profession of the Truth notwithstanding this heavy cross persecution and affliction All this is come upon us Thus we are oppressed devoured banished sold Ver. 17 derided Yet we continue to be thy servants still we retain our faith hope service 1. We have not forgotten thee not forgotten that thou art our God 2. We have not dealt falsly in thy Covenant we have not bogled and jugled in thy Service daubing with any side for our advantage renouncing our integrity Ver. 18 3. Our heart is not turned back our heart is upright not turned back to the Idols our Fathers worshipped 4. Our steps are not gone out of thy way Slip we may but not revolt no not though great calamities are come upon us 1. Broken 2. Ver. 19 Broken in the place of Dragons i. e. enemies fierce as Dragons 3. Their appeal Though covered with the shadow of death Now that all this is true we call thee our God to witness Ver. 20 who knowest the very secrets of the heart and art able to revenge it If we have forgotten the Name of our God or stretched out our hands to c. Ver. 21 Shall not God search it out for he knows the very secret of the heart Fourthly But the last Argument is more pressing than the other three The fourth Argument from their profession of truth it is not for any wrong we have done those who thus oppress us that we are thus persecuted by them it is for thee it is because we profess thy Name and rise up in defence of thy Truth Yea for thy sake are we killed all the day long Ver. 22 for thy sake are we counted as sheep for the slaughter The sum then is since thou hast been a good God to our Fathers since we suffer so great things under bitter Tyrants since notwithstanding all our sufferings we are constant to thy Truth since these our sufferings are for thee for thy sake His Petition thy truth therefore awake arise help us for upon these grounds he commenceth his Petition The second part This is the second part of the Psalm which begins ver 23. and continues to the end in which Petition there be these degrees 1. That God Ver. 23 who to flesh and blood in the calamities of his Church seems to sleep would awake and set a stop to their trouble Awake why sleepest thou O Lord ver 23. 2. That he would arise and judge their cause and not seem to neglect them as abjects Arise cast us not off for ever ver 23. 3. That he would shew them some favour Ver. 24 and not seem to forget their miseries Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and oppression 4. Lastly That he would be their Helper and actually deliver them Arise for our help Ver. 26 and redeem us for thy mercies sake Which Petition that it might be the sooner and easier granted he briefly repeats the second Argument Ver. 25 ver 25. For our soul is bowed down to the dust our belly cleaveth to the Earth brought we are as low as low may be even to the dust to death to the grave The Prayer collected out of the forty fourth Psalm O God the Father of mercy Ver. 1 Thou hast called those thy people which were not a people and chosen them to be thy children who were aliens and strangers to thy Covenant Ver. 2 We have heard with our ears and our Fathers have declared unto us That thou hast gathered thy Church out of all Nations that thou hast driven out thine own people the Jewes and planted us Gentiles in their room Thou hast called us by thy Gospel redéemed us by thy Blood purified us by thy Spirit and that not for any merit that was in us or goodness or power Ver. 3 to which we could lay claim For we got not a possession in thy Church by our own Sword neither was it out own arm that could save us but it was thy right hand and thy arm and the light and favour of thy countenance no other reason can be given of this wonderful kindness but because thou hadst a favour and borest a good will unto us But now O Lord Thou hast cast us off and put us to shame Thou hast not gone forth with our Armies Ver. 9 Thou hast made us turn our backs upon our enemies and they that hate us spoile us our habitations our goods and thy Temples at their pleasure deslined we are like simple and harmless shéep to be slaughtered and devoured by these gréedy woldes scattered and dispersed whether they please and forced out of our Countrey to dwell among another people As slaves they have made merchandize of us and sold us at so base a rate as if we were of no value as if the most contemptible thing were price good enough for us To our neighbours we are become a reproach to those round about us a scorn a derision a proverb our misery is their mirth and at the sight of us in a scoff they shake their heads every day we méet with what doth amaze and confound us and for shame in every place we come we hide and cover our faces for our enemies lift up their voyces and revile us petulant they are and take their revenge by reproaches and blasphemies Thou Lord knowest the secret of the heart Thou Lord knowest that 't is for thy sake we are killed all day long and accounted no better than sheep appointed to be slain Ver. 21 All this is come upon us for thee these scorns and calamities we suffer for the profession of thy Truth and yet we are patient under the Cross Yet we have not forgotten thee thy Worship thy Service nor dealt falsly and hypocritically in thy Covenant our heart is yet sincere and upright we have not turned our backs upon thee Ver. 17 neither have our steps gone out of
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
do it in such a place and such an Assembly as may most redound to Gods honour I will praise thee O God among the people I will sing of thee among the Nations Now that all this be done The Reason David ver 10. gives a sufficient Reason that which may move any man to do it Gods Mercy and Truth his Mercies his infinite Mercies in promising his Truth in performing For thy Mercy is great to the Heavens and thy Truth to the Clouds And then as is usual in Poesie he repeats the verse before in which we meet with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be thou exalted Lord above the Heavens and thy Glory above the Earth The Prayer collected out of the fifty seventh Psalm O Lord our enemies are many and mighty they roar against us like Lyons they are set on fire to devoure us their teeth are as spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword to wound us in our good name crafty they are for they have digged a Pit and cunning they are for they have spread a Net to ensnare to take us O Lord be merciful O God be merciful unto us send down we beséech thée help from Heaven and save us from the reproach of them that would eat us up Declare thy power O Lord and come amongst us and send forth thy Mercy and Truth for our deliverance thy Mercy is infinite thy Word is past and in that my soul trusteth and in the shadow of thy wings in thy protection only shall be my Refuge till these calamities be over-past Continually and with an ardent soul I will call upon that God which is the most High most potent that God that hath so often done me good and I doubt not but be will perform his word and make perfect his salvation Do thou O Lord declare thy power and shew that thou art the Lord of the whole Earth get thy self a Name by the punishment of these wicked men that all things both in Heaven and Earth may exalt thy justice and give thée the glory To do this O Lord my heart is ready my heart is fixed for thy benefits shall never slip out of my memory nor thy goodness recede from my heart neither will I remember them alone but they shall be my song in the house of my pilgrimage I will compose Hymns to the honour of thy Name and in my song praise thée I will say to my heart and tongue which art my glory awake out of thy bed of forgetfulness shake off this dulness in which thou hast slept so long and readily and chearfully sing Hymns to the honour of thy Saviour and that the praise may be the fuller call for thy Harp and Psaltery and all other instruments of Musick which in these troublesome times have béen broken and cast by call for these I say and make a melodious sound in the ears of the God of Jacob. Come along with me and we will enter together into the house of our God then before the morning Sun that we may praise him early with joyful lips There will we praise thee O Lord in the Assembly of many people there will we chant Hymns to thy honour before many Nations For thy mercy is so great That it reacheth to the very Heavens and thy faithfulness in keeping thy promises such That it extends above the Clouds for both these mount up to the Heavens above and pass through the Earth beneath both these are so high and wonderful that they can never be comprehended by us Therefore I pray and I pray again that thou wouldst shew thy self Lord of the Heaven and that thou wouldst shew thy Glory in the whole Earth which though thou dost eminently when thou dost frée the innocent from the hand of the Oppressor yet then thou shalt perfectly bring it to pass when the goodness and mercy and glory of thy justice being divulged through the World by the preaching of thy Gospel all false-worship being destroyâ—â— thou shalt drow all men unto thy self Arise therefore O good Father Be thou exalted and make thy glory illustrious convert all Nations to the Truth break the Nets fill up the pits make the craft and subtilty of Antichrist and his Followers of none effect which they use to eclipse the light of thy Gospel so shall our hearts be every day more and more confirmed to confess praise and celebrate thy Name and to exalt it above all things through Iesus Christ thy only Son and out only Saviour Amen PSAL. LVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 DAVID deprecates the danger that hung over his head from Saul and his counsel The parts of the Psalm are three A sharp Invective or Reprehension of his Adversaries ver 1. An Imprecation or Denunciation of Gods judgments upon them from ver 6. to 9. The Benefits that the reby would redound to the righteous ver 10 11. 1. The first part He reprehends his Adversaries David begins with an Apostrophe and figures it with an Erotesis which makes his reproof the sharper 1. Ver. 1 O Congregation O ye counsel of Saul By which he intimates that indeed they did neither 2. Do you indeed speak righteously By which he intimates that indeed they did neither 3. Do you judge uprightly O ye sons of men By which he intimates that indeed they did neither 2. Ver. 2 Which in the next verse in plain terms he affirms and layes home to their charge Yea in heart you work wickedness 2. You weigh the violence of your hands in the earth heart and hand are bent to do evil which the words well considered do exaggerate 1. They were iniquities a plurality of them 2. It was their work 3. Their hearty work 4. Their handy work 5. Weighed out by their scale of justice 6. Which indeed under the colour of justice was but violence 7. And it was in this earth in Israel where no such thing was to be done 3. He aggravates their crime This their wickedness he amplifies both from the Original and the Progress of it 1. Ver. 3 The root of it was very old into the World they brought it with them 1. 1 From their birth The wicked are estranged from the womb Alienati from God and all goodness 2. They go astray even from their Cradle they take the wrong way 3. 2 From their malice and obstinacy Assoon as they be born speaking lyes enclined from the very Birth to falshood 2. And in this their falshood they are malicious and obstinate 1. Ver. 4 Malicious The poyson of their tongue is like the poyson of a Serpent innate adanct deadly 2. Obstinate for they will not be reclaimed by any counsel or admonition They are like the deaf Adder that stops her ear which refuseth to hear the voyce of the Charmer charm he never so wisely 2. The second part He prayes against 1. their wayes and plots Their wickedness malice and obstinacy being so great now he prayes against
hypocritically and falsly as all flatterers do But to that pass they should have been brought that they should be glad to dissemble with and flatter Gods people 2. 2 Their peace long and lasting The second benefit is That their time should have continued for ever i.e. Their peace their tranquility their health their quiet habitation should have been very long and not interrupted with War Sedition Tumults 3. The third benefit is The abundance of all things Expressed by wheat 3 Abundance of all things to satisfaction and honey 1. I should have fed them also not with bran mixt with flowre as poor folks use and is usual in time of famine with the finest of the wheat 2. And with honey out of the Rock in which in Judaea Bees commonly liv'd would I have satisfied thee 'T is a blessing to say I have enough The Prayer collected out of the eighty first Psalm INsinite Vers. 1 O Lord are the causes that we have with the greatest alacrity to praise thée Thou art our strength thou art the God of Jacob we will therefore sing aloud and make a joyful noyse unto thee and because our breath is too short and low to resound thy praises we will call in the assistance of musical instruments the Nary the Lute and Psaltery and when those Feasts and Solemn Festivals shall come which are set forth for to celebrate thy mercies to man-kind we will blow abroad thy honour with shrill sounding Trumpets In which we yet shall but do our duty for this was made a Statute for Israel and a Law of the God of Jacob. Thou wert merciful to thy people Israel when in trouble they called upon thee thou deliveredst them thou broughtst them to Mount Sinai and proclaimed thy Law in their eares with the sound of a Trumpet when they heard a voice never heard before Thou easest his shoulder from the burden of carrying earth tiles bricks and straw and his hands were delivered from making the pots Thou hast been to us no less merciful than to them when in our afflictions and troubles we have called upon thee thou hast come down and delivered us thou hast freed us from our Aegyptian darkness of ignorance thou hast loused us from the slavery of the devil and from the drudgery and service of sin which laid a heavy burden upon our consciences and instead of thy Law proclaimed with so much terrour in Mount Sinai thou hast spoken to us from heaven by thy only begotten Son and sounded in our ears the glad-tidings of the Gospel And now Lord what doest thou require at our hands for all these favours even the self-same that thou requiredst of Israel For thus thou then spakest to them and thus thou speakest to us Hear O my people Vers. 8 and I will testifie unto thee O Israel if thou wilt hearken unto me there shall be no strange god in thee neither shalt thou worship any other god I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me And wo be so us miserable wretches our ears have béen dull of hearing and we have not hearkned to thy command though we have not set up strange gods yet we have worshipped our own imaginations and adored our own inventions We have forgotten that thou brought'st us out of our more than Aegyptian darkness of ignorance and sin and fill'd our mouths with all good things In a word we have not hearkned to thy voice we have set thée by for the vanities of our own hearts and would none of thée In justice therefore thou hast given us up to our hearts lusts and we have walked in our own counsels and because we would not receive the love of the truth that we might be saved for this cause hath God sent us a strong delusion that we should be lieve a lye and take pleasure in unrighteousness But O Lord though Israel hath transgressed yet let not Judah sin in Sodom thou hadst a Lot in Ur of the Chaldees an Abraham in the Land of Uz a Job though the four hundred Prophets have followed Baal yet there is one Micajah left nay seven thousand vnées that have not vowed to the Idol these will hearken unto thee these will walk in thy wayes Lord here their prayers hearken unto their groans for the remnant that are left And thou who wouldst have spared that sinful City at the request of Abraham could ten righteous men have been found in it return in mercy to the thousands of Israel which day and night cry unto thee to spare thy people O Lord for their fakes rather for thine own sake spéedily subdue and bring under our enemies and turn thy hand against our adversaries let all those who by their works and practical Atheism séem to hate thee bow like lerbants before thy people and at least shew and sein a voluntary subjection not daring to carry themselves proudly and stubbornly before thy servants nor to manifest their secret rancour But let the time of those who in sincerity of heart in truth and in spirit worship thée endure for ever let their peace be secure their tranquility long their prosperity perpetual their habitation quiet and their health confirm'd When they shall open their mouths wide in prayer fulfil their requests whatsoever they shall ask in thy name according to thy promise give it Because they first seek the glory and prosperity of thy Kingdom and the righteousness thereof let all other things be added unto them Supply them with the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth when other Prodigals féed upon husks then feed them with the finest of the wheat Let the Rocks yield them honey the Mountains Brass and Iron let their pastures de clothed with flocks Vers. 1 and their valleys to codered over with corn that they shout for ioy and sing that they take a Psalm and bring forth the Tabret the merry Harp with the Lute and on thy great and appointed Solemnities sing aloud to the God of their strength and make a cheerful noyse to the God of Jacob. Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christs sake our only Lord and Saviour Amen PSAL. LXXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THAT the Prophet might admonish and check the Judges of the earth about their duty he sets God in the midst of them commanding that they do justice and â—hreatning revenge for their injustice assuring them that he will rise one day and judge them Three parts of the Psalm 1. The Prophets Proclamation vers 1 2. Gods contestation with the Judges of the earth from vers 2. to 8. 3. The Prophets prayer that God would rise to judge v. 8. 1. The first part Gods preâ—ence proclaimed in the Court. The Prophet as a Cryer in a Court proclaims first a very profitable Doctrine and layes a solid foundation for all justice viz. That all Judges remember that as at
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
the head of the corner that was rejected that it was Gods doing alone and a marvellous work that the day in which this was done was a Festival and the people to rejoyce in it that then they pray'd to God to save them by his hand and blessed their King adorned their Temple and offer'd Sacrifices with many thanks to God for his mercies Thus no question these verses may literally be understood of David But it must be confessed that in all this David was but a Type of Christ and that these words properly belong unto him we have a clear testimony first from his own mouth attested by three Evangelists Matth. 21.42 Mark 12.10 Luke 20.17 and by his Apostles St. Peter Acts 4.11 and St. Paul Rom. 9.33 These words to be applied to Christ out of Isa 28.16 Of Christ then I shall rather interpret them than of David without doubt the Prophet being wonderfully illuminated by the Holy Ghost wrote concerning Christ as followeth 1. The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner Ver. 22 1. The Church is oftentimes in Scripture likened to a building of which the Saints are living stones of which Christ is the chief stone the head and corner stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that joins and keeps together the two walls Jewes and Gentiles 2. But the Jewes the Priests especially to whom did pertain the office of building the Church refused this stone and cast him aside We will not have this man to reign over us we have no King but Caesar They crucified him and in his Grave call'd him a Deceiver St. Peter layes it to their charge Acts 4.11 3. But God call'd for him again and he is become the head of the corner Ephes 2.20 That is he is made head of the whole Church and such a head that whosoever is not built upon him cannot be saved 2. This saith the Prophet was the Lords doing both his rejection and raising again was from him it was done by his Election and Divine Power not from any counsel or hand of man Acts 2.23 24. 3. And it is marvellous in our eyes For who can do less than wonder that a crucified man dead and butied should by his own power rise again after three dayes be immortal and have all power given to him and be made Head and Prince of all men and Angels For this mercy a day set apart and that by him there should be a way made to mortal men to the Kingdom of Heaven to the society of Angels and an immortal life For so great a work fit it is that a day be set apart and such there is saith David 1. This is the day that the Lord hath made which questionless was the day of his Resurrection and God is said to have made this day more than other as honouring it above other making it memorable to posterity in which the Son of righteousness arose from the Grave and making it an high and holy day from which every other Sunday had his Original This is the Lords day 2. And the end why this day was made for joy and gladness The duty of the day The day wherein Adam fell was a doleful day but this day wherein Christ rose from the dead is a joyful day The Redemption by Christ is a year of Jubilee the Resurrection of Christ is the chief day in the year We will therefore rejoyce for it and be glad in it 3. Yea and in the midst of our rejoycing we will pray and sound forth Osanuah to the son of David which is being interpreted Save now we beseech thee O Lord O Lord we beseech thee send now prosperity Blessed be he that comes in the Name of the Lord Which was the gratulatoâ—â— and precatory words that the people used to our Saviour when he rode in Triumph into Jerusalem Mat. 21. That we may be assured that the Form of Acclamation belongs nor so much to David as to Christ and it was the opinion of the Jewes That when their Messiah came these words should be sung before him that being the cause that the people used them then The whole Prophesie of Christs coming riding into Jerusalem in Triumph The Priests duty then to bless Rejection Passion Resurrection Benediction being thus explained the Prophet turns his speech to the people putting into the mouth of the Priests these words in which they were to do their Duty Numb 6. and to bless 1. We have blessed you as we ought to do all happiness be to you under this King 2. And all happiness be to you out of the house of the Lord from the Church and to the Church alone the blessing belongs Ye are the blessed of the Lord. 3. God is the Lord which hath shewed us light Revealed unto his Son the light of the World and removed from us the darkness of errour sin hell c. 4. Therefore be thankful unto him bind the Sacrifice with cords even to the horns of the Altar make a solemn day for it and meet in the Church to praise him 5. The fifth part Being a Doxology The Prophet concludes with a Doxology fit to be used by the people met and assembled in which he sets forth his faith and gratitude 1. Thou art my God 2. And I will praise thee which he ingeminates Thou art my God and I will exalt thee which ingemination shewes his ardent desire to be thankful 3. And so concludes with the same Exhortation that he began the Psalm and in the same words O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever The Prayer collected out of the One hundred and eighteenth Psalm O Blessed and Holy Iesus King of the World and Head of the Church who hast bought us by thy blood and espoused us in mercy and loving-kindness Ver. 13 it is not unknown unto thée how the enemies of thy Truth dally oppose us and with what storms and tempests of persecutions we are daily assaulted The Devil daily thrusts sore at us that we might fall and Antichrist with his complices compass us about they compass us about they compass us about in anger and rage they swarm about us as thick as Bées to sting us even to death might they have their will upon us In these our dangers we have none to fly to but thée we have none to call upon in our distress but on thée Who art the Lord our God answer us O Lord and set our feet in a large place Be on our side and then we will not fear what man can do unto us take our part with them that help us and so shall we see our desire upon them that hate us We confess O Lord we confess before men and Angels that our sins with which we have provoked thy justice Ver. 18 have deserved far greater punishments and that for these Thou hast sorely chastned and corrected us yet in mercy Thou hast not
and before all others for ye are the servants of the Lord chose out of the people to this service 3. Ye are those which by night stand in the house of the Lord ye are appointed Levit. 8. Numb 18. and must therefore stand upon your watch In the Temple you ought not to be sleepy and idle for you were set for another purpose Therefore 4. Lift up your hands by prayer in the Sanctuary before the Ark of the Covenant which was the symbol of his presence And to bless the people 5. Bless the Lord laud and magnifie his Name The other part of your office is to bless the people let not that be forgotten neither but say in this Form of words 1. Which they do The Lord blesse thee Let them know from whom the blessing comes 2. Out of Zion So long as they remain'd in the unity of the Church no blessing to be expected The form of blessing when Zion was left 3. That Lord who hath made heaven and earth He that hath power to bless and hath given and must give his blessing to all creatures without which they will not be blessed to thee The Prayer collected out of the one hundred and thirty fourth Psalm O Merciful God that hast chosen the Tribe of Levi and taker us neere unto thy self give us grace and abilities to perform our duties to thee We are thy chosen servants we are to stand in the house of the Lord cause us therefore night and day to stand consciouably upon our watch to lift up our hands in thy Sanctuary to offer up our prayers continually unto thee and to intercede for thy people and never let us forget to bless thee our Lord and thy people in thy name And moreover we intreat of thee dear Father that thou wouldst ever do good to thy people out of Zion who fly unto thée for a blessing Thou art the Lord who hast made heaven and earth deliver us from our present difficulties and dangers and since thou hast vouchsafed to call us to the knowledge of thy truth give us a hoart to land and praise thy holy Name for ever and ever Amen Here endeth the Psalms of Degrees PSAL. CXXXV IN this Psalm the Prophet invites the servants of God to praise him and Ministers especially vers 1 2. by arguments drawn 1. From his goodness especially in his election of Israel vers 3 4. 2. From his greatness and power shewed in his works from vers 5. to 8. 3. From his justice shewed upon the enemies of Israel from vers 8. to 13. 4. From his loving kindness extended and to be extended to his servants vers 13 14. 5. He invites the Levites to praise God The first part Having derided the vanity of Idols from vers 15. to 19. he returns to his exhortation calling upon all to blesse God from vers 19. to 21. 1. He calls upon the Ministers of Religion especially to attend to the recitation of divine praises and in the same words of the former Psalm 1. Ver. 1 Praise ye the Lord praise ye the Name of the Lord praise Him O ye servants of the Lord. 2. Ver. 2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord in the Courts of the house of our God 2. The second part The reasons And now ingeminating his words again he produces his reasons to perswade it 1. Ver. 3 Because the Lord is worthy of all praise Praise the Lord for he is good What is good is worthy of praise 1 Because he is good what is bad worthy of dispraise But God is absolutely good not comparatively nor by participation from himself good not from any other and therefore praise the Lord because he is good 2. 2 It is a pleasent work Sing praises to his Name because it is pleasant it is no troublesome work or laborious but full of delight sweetness content The Hebrew word Nahim may be referred to the Lord to his Name or to the praise so that the sense may be sing unto the Lord because the Lord is sweet or sing to his name for it is sweet or sing unto the Lords Name for it is a pleasant and an action of content that delights the soul Ver. 4 3. Praise the Lord for his love to Israel which imposeth a debt and obligation to praise him 3 They tyed to do it because God chose Jacob. 1. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself to be his inheritance portion 2. And Israel to be his peculiar treasure Rom. 9. Malach 1. I have lâ—ved Jacob and hated Esau And this obligation lies upon Christians now The third part 3. The next Argument which the Prophet useth to perswade to the praise of God is from his greatness of which he was assured For I know first that the Lord is great secondly Ver. 5 that our Lord is above all gods 4 Because God is great And first that the Lord is great and of great power he proves by many instances 1. From his Empire and universal dominion in heaven the earth the seas c. Ver. 6 1. Whatsoever the Lord pleased that he did In his works Nothing is impossible to him We would do many things but cannot He does all by his free will not out of any need but we work for the most part because we want necessity compels us 'T is but 't fithen we give to him the praise not to our selves 2. He doth all things what he pleaseth in all places in heaven earth seas hell And these last words the Prophet amplifies by setting down some especial places in which his works are most apparent 1. In the earth 1 In the earth He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth from all parts East West North South Ver. 7 which are endued with several qualities 2. In the air and clouds above He maketh lightning for the rain 2 Aire A wonder that fire should be mixt with water and not distinguished 3. In the water For he brings the winds out of his treasures 3 The water A third wonder for nothing is more obscure than the generation of the winds out of his treasures they come from his rich and secret power John 3. 4. The third argument the Prophet useth to perswade us to praise God The fourth part is from his justice in taking vengeance of the enemies of his people as 5 Because just 1. Upon the Aegyptians Ver. 8 1. Who smote the first-born of Aegypt both of man and beast For instance on Egypt and it was evident that it was his hand because the first-born only were smitten and of the Aegyptians onely and not of Israel 2. Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee O Aegypt upon Pharaoh and all his servants Exod. 7.8 9 10 11 12. in brief he minds us of all the signs and plagues of Aegypt 2. On the Amoritish Kings Sihon and Og 2 On
it rase it even to the foundations And thou O Babylon which hast done the work as I doubt not but as my God hath begun and will in his good time take a condign punishment upon the Edomites so also he will bring thée down Thou art miserable and thou shalt be miserable Happy shall that King and people be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones O merciful God whatever wrath and indignation is due unto us for the breach of thy Commandments and dishonouring thée in thy Service remove it O Lord from thy people and transfer it upon them that with an implacable malice pursue thy people and séek by all means to corrupt and waste thine inheritance which was purchased by the precious blood of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ PSAL. CXXXVIII DAVID delivered from his enemies and troubles and advanced to the Kingdom gives thanks to God acknowledgeth Gods goodnesse in hearing his prayers foretels the conversion of Kings shews that God regards the humble rejects the proud puts his trust in God for the future and prayes that God would continue and enlarge his mercy to him More briefly 1. In the three first verses he promiseth a grateful heart and to sing forth the praises of God because God heard his cryes and prayers and in tribulations sent him comfort 2. In the three next he shews what after Kings would do when the works and truth of God should be made known to them 3. In the two last verses he professeth his confidence in God shews what he hopes for from him and in assurance that God will perfect his work prayes him not to desert and forsake him David shews his thankfulness 1. First David shews his thankfulness which he illustrates and amplifies 1. The first part And illustrates it that From the manner of the doing of it done it should be cordially sincerely ardently totally I will praise thee with my whole heart 2. From the witnesses before whom it should be done Before the Gods will I sing praise Ver. 1 Coram Elohim Not only privately but publickly before the Potentates 1 He would do it heartily 2 Before all men whether Angels or Kings of the earth Psal 111.1 Psal 107.32 3. From the place the Temple then the Tabernacle a symbol of Gods presence with his people Ver. 2 It was as it were Gods Palace and there he ruled as a King 3 In the Temple and therefore he would fall low bow worship I will worship toward thy Holy Temple Which the Jews did when absent from Jerusalem Dan. 6. 4. 4 The causes inducing him to it From the causes inwardly inducing him to it I will praise thy Name for thy loving kindnesse and for thy truth 1. 1 Gods calling him to be King For thy loving kindnesse in calling me from the sheepfold to the Kingdom 2. 2 Performing his word And for thy Truth in performing thy promise In performing which 5. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name This clause is diversly read Thou hast magnified thy Name in thy Word that is in performing thy Word above all things Or Thou hast-magnified thy Name and thy Word above all things Or Magnificas cum toâ—o nomine tuo sermonem tuum Jun. All these have the same sense But the vulgar reads it thus Quoniam magnificasti super omne nomen sanctum tuum And Bellarmine by Sanctum tuum understands Christ who Luc. 1. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom he gave a Name above every Name I suppose our English Translation should be pointed thus Thus hast thou magnified thy Word above all thy Name or and above all thy Name For Musculus by and joyns the Substantives 3 For hearing and granting his petitions Magnificasti super omnia nomen tuum eloquium 6. From Gods facility in hearing and granting his petitions which he presented to his God in the time of his banishment and affliction Ver. 3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Infirme creatures we are and in temptations and afflictions must faint except God strengthen us Out of all these motives David would praise God 2. David having set down what God had done for him The second part in mercy call'd him from following the Ewes great with young ones anointed him to be a King heard his prayers strengthned him in his affliction and in truth performed his promises conceives it impossible but that either the Neighbour or future Kings should take this when they heard of it into their consideration and â—cknowledge the miracle and praise God for it This certainly is the literal sense This mercy to David was like to move other Kings to magnifie God though it may have an eye to the conversion of Kings in future to the faith 1. All the Kings of the earth Hiram Toe c. or the future Kings of Israel Judah shall praise thee when they hear the words of thy mouth what thou hast said of me David and of my seed Ver. 5 2. Yea They shall sing in the wayes of the Lord that is of the wayes of the Lord Muscul of his mercy truth clemency For great is the glory of the Lord he is very glorious in all his wayes his works his proceedings 3. Of which this is one Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly of which I David may be an instanÌ„ce But the proud he beholds afar off He removes far from him he will not have to do with them they are in remotis agendis of which Saul may be an example and the Devil 3. Because God who is high looks upon the lowly The third part With it so mov'd he was that he puts his affiance in God therefore David being conscious to himself of his own humility promiseth himself help from God in all his tribulation even for the time to come 1. If I walk in the midst of trouble that is on all sides exposed to trouble Ver. 7 2. Thou wilt revive me make me live and preserve me safe and untouch't 3. Thou shalt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies Thou by thy power shalt restrain their fury that would devour me and hinder their endeavours and enterprises 4. And thy right hand shall save me Thy power thy virtue thy Christ who in Isa 53. is call'd the arm of the Lord shall do it The last verse depends on the former because he knew And that that God who had would yet deliver him that as yet many troubles and afflictions remained to be undergone therefore he was confident that the same God who had hitherto delivered him would be a good God to him for the future and deliver him in time to come and so make his work perfect 1. The Lord will perfect that which concernt me not for any
merit but mercy 2. Of which he gives the Reason Thy mercy O Lord endureth 〈◊〉 â—ver Ver. 8 It is not for a moment it vanisheth not with one benefit For his mercy but 〈◊〉 is eternal so is it eternal and the resote I know that God will persâ—â— in me what he hath begun 3. And to that end he concludes with a prayer And for this he prayes Forsake not the work of thy own hands Thou which in mercy hast begun this work conserve increase perfect it because it is thine own work only and none of mine If we desire that God should perfect any work in us we must be sure that it is his work Absolons work had no blessing for it was none of Gods The Prayer out of the One hundred and thirty eighth Psalm O Lord I will praise thee with my whole heart neither will I do this privately and within the walls of my house but in publick and in the Assembly of thy Saints even before Angels and the greatest Princes who are Terrestrial gods Ver. 1 I will sing Psalms to the honour of thy Name I will bow my self and fall low and worship towards thy holy Temple and there praise thy Name for thy loving-kindness in making unto me many gracious promises and for thy Truth in performing what thou hast promised in both which Thou hast magnified thy Name Ver. 2 and thy Word above all things that are in heaven and earth Thou hast commanded me to call on thée in time of trouble and I in obedience to thy Word have call'd And in the day when I cryed Thou answer'dst me by which Thou hast magnified thy Word and in my weakest estate Ver. 3 Thou hast strengthned me with strength and consolation in my soul by which Thou hast magnified thy Name So many have béen thy mercies so wonderful thy Providence so strange thy protection toward me through my whole life so beyond expectation thy salvation sent unto me in my greatest dangers Ver. 4 That whosoever shall hear the words of thy mouth spoken of me and fulfilled in me will be ready to praise thee yea Ver. 5 they shall sing of the wayes of the Lord of thy wisdom thy power thy justice thy goodness and confess upon the consideration of thy works That great is the Majesty and Glory of our God For though thou art high most high in nature most high in power most high in command and empire Ver. 6 yet thou humblest thy self and hast respect to the lowly for whose sake thou humbledst thy self in thy Son didst vouchsafe to descend from Heaven and converse with them As for the proud Thou beholdest them afar off as no way approving their haughty thoughts O Lord remove far from me all pride of heart and create in me an humble spirit that thou may'st cast one good look toward me descend into my heart by grace and that I may from this low estate ascend unto thée Thou O Lord hast hitherto béen merciful unto me and deliver'd me from many troubles Ver. 7 but yet I carry about me a body of flesh and my sorrowes are not at an end I must look for afflictions and I expect them that which alone can arm me against these calamities is the experience of thy former mercies hitherto thou hast and I am assured that hereafter thou wilt deliver me Though then I walk in the midst of trouble I know thou wilt revive me Thou shalt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of mine enemies quell their fury and allay their rage and thy right hand shall save me O Lord perfect thy work in me that thou hast begun It procéeds not from my merâ—â— but thy mercy Ver. 8 and this thy mercy is not for a moment but endures for ever 〈◊〉 vanisheth not with one benefit but is eternal as thou art eternal And all the works that flow from me whether within me or done upon me are thy works forsake not then but protect and cherish the works of thine own hands nor leave me who am thy workmanship created after thine own image Good God renew in me what is decay'd by the fraud and malice of the Devil or my own frailty let thy grace pursue me and thy right hand uphold me that I may attain to that perfection of thy Saints in glory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PSAL. CXXXIX IN this Psalm David having aspersions laid upon him by his enemies appeals to God in justification of his innocency and he desires of God to be his Witness and Compurgator ver 23. Now that this his Appeal be not thought unreasonable he presents God in his two especial Attributes Omniscience and Omnipresonce Then he shewes how free he was like to be from the faults with which he was charg'd in that he loved goodness and good men and hated the wayes of wickedness and wicked men This is the Sum. The parts are 1. A Description of Gods Omniscience from ver 1. to 7. 2. The Description of his Omnipresence from ver 7. to 18. 3. Davids hatred of evil and wicked men from ver 19. to 23. 4. The Protestation of his own innocency which he offers to the Test and Tryal of God ver 23 24. 1. He begins with Gods Omniscience The first part Gods Omniscience He and takes upon him the person of mankind for what he saith of himself is as true of all men for we are all known to God Ver. 1 1. O Lord Thou hast searched me out proved examined Knowes tryed me by an exact search or scrutiny it needed not but he would have us know that God most accurately searcheth into all our wayes not the least thing we do is hid from him Thou searchest me out and knowest me Now what he said in general he opens in particulars Ver. 2 2. As first for our Actions he searches and knowes them 1 Our actions 1. Thou knowest my down-sitting and my uprising when where and for what cause I sit down or rise 2. For our thoughts he searches them also 2 Our thoughts Thou understandest my thoughts afar off from all eternity Thou knowest my counsels my cogitations even before I began to think them Ver. 3 3. The intents and purposes of our thoughts and actions 3 Our intents the ends we aim at Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my wayes 4. Yea and our words too There is not a word in my tongue but Ver. 4 O Lord Thou knowest it altogether 4 Our words And of this he gives this Reason because God is our Maker Ver. 5 toti quanti quanti sumus we are his work Thou hast beset me behind and before The Reason is because he is our Maker and laid thy hand upâ—â— me The Vulgar reads this verse thus Ecce Domine tu cognovisti omnia novissima antiqua mea tu formasti me posuisti super me manum tuam where Bellarmine saith there be