Davids Harp Strung and Tuned

A Prayer collected out of the One hundred and forty one Psalm.

O LORD, [Ver. 1] being beset with many sorrows and dangers, I cry unto thee, make haste to help me, O my God, and send me some speedy deliverance, lest if thou make as if thou hearest not; I become like them that go down into the pit. Give ear therefore now unto my voice, when my soul being heavy unto the death, with fervor and affectionate sighs I cry unto thee. O let my prayer which I present to thee on the Altar of a sincere heart, by the intercession of Jesus Christ my Lord, [Ver. 2] he a sweet perfume in thy nostrils, accepted and set before thee as was that Incense, which as offered unto thee upon the golden Altar by the High Priest in the Holy of Holiests, and let this lifting up my hands be as grateful and pleasing to thee, as was the evening sacrifice.

And first of all, [Ver. 3] O Lord, because I am prone to offend in my tongue. I beseech thee, set a watch before my mouth, that I may observe what words are fit to go forth, and what fit to be kept in, and keep the door of my lips, that it may not open or shut but by prudence and charity. Suffer me not to speak, but what I ought, and as I ought, and when I ought, and where I ought. Let my words be ever gracious, [Ver. 4] and seasoned with salt. And because the errors of the tongue proceeds from the vanity and corruption of the heart, suffer not my heart to be inclined to any malicious wickedness; or if such a conception be formed within, let it never come into act and practice. O let me never be so destitute of thy grace, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity, and so far be seduced by their example, familiarity, and society, as to eat of their dainties, and communicate with them in their hypocrisy, their feigned sanctity, their specious doctrines, their ill acquired riches and power, or with them seek for excuses to defend what to satisfy andplease their own lusts they have greedily made choice of.

If at any time being overcome by the weakness and frailty of my flesh, [Ver. 5] I shall indulge overmuch to my desires, and be overtaken in an offense, send some spiritual guide who may smite me friendly, and restore me in the spirit of meekness. This I shall reckon as a mercy to my soul. Let such a man reprove me and it shall be as an excellent oil to cure my ulcerous soul. But never permit the smooth balm and oyly words of the wicked to fall on my head, nor their flatteries and sothing applauses so please my heart, that thereby I be cherished, and nuzzled up in my grossest sins. For so far I am from seeking the favor of the wicked, that I shall always pray against their malice and wickedness.

At this time they set and besiege the rocky hills, [Ver. 6] and stoy the passages to take away my life. They hunt for my soul as a Partridge upon the mountains. O Lord, let their chief conductors and leaders be overthrown and dashed to pieces, as a ship against the rocks. So shall it come to pass, that the people who have followed them in simplicity of heart, and whom these Princes have seduced, shall hereafter give better heed to my words which I sounded in their ears of piety and justice, and mine own innocence. For these were and are in themselves able to work in them a penitent and obedient heart, and to the penitent and obedient they will be very •• eet and delightful. [Ver. 7] For, till this be effected, and their conversion wrought, I, and all my followers and adherents are in very great danger, that our lives shall be taken away in these mountainous places, and our dead bodies lie unburied in this wilderness, and consequently our bones scattered at the graves mouth, as when one cuts and cleaves wood upon the earth.

But O thou my Lord God, because my eyes are always intent on thee, and all my hope and trust is placed in thee, [Ver. 8] leave not my soul destitute, suffer me not to fall into their hands, who seek to take away my life. [Ver. 9] Keep me that I be not taken in their snares, which they have laid for me, and those gins which these workers of iniquity have twisted and cunningly disposed for my ruin. But let the wicked fall into their nets, [Ver. 10] and be taken in the crafty wiliness which they have imagined, but let me and the people which serve thee in sincerity and truth, forever escape them by the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PSAL. CXLII. The Title, a Maschil of David.

A Prayer when he was in the Cave.

THE Cave was that of Engaddi, or more probably, that of Odullam, when he was more destitute. The occasion, the persecution of Saul, and his danger by Achish king of Gath. The matter of it, an earnest Prayer to God, in which he begs deliverance from danger.

The parts are

• 1. An Exordium, in which he
  • 1. First shows what he did in his trouble, took himself to prayer, ver. 1, 2.
  • 2. Then his consternation and anxiety of heart, which arose from the malice and craft of his enemies, and the defect of help from his friends, ver. 3, 4.
• 2. His address to God, and Petition, ver. 5, 6, 7.

1. The two first verses show David's intention in this Psalm, viz. by Prayer in his trouble to make his Addresse to God. 1. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. 2. I poured out my supplication before him, and shown him all my trouble. This is amplified

• 1. From the vehemence, instance, fervor. I cried, I supplicated, [Ver. 1] I poured out, I shown. [unspec 2]
• 2. From the Object, unto the Lord, him and no other I invocated. I poured out before him. [Ver. 1]
• 3. From the Instrument. With my voice. Which doth not exclude vocem cordis. For no question he understood, and attended what he said.
• 4. From the humility in Prayer. It was a supplication. [Ver. 2] I made my supplication.
• 5. From his free and full expression, fully and at large he opened his griefs and desires, he left nothing behind, unsaid, that should be. I poured out my complaint, vented all from my heart as water poured out of a vessel. Shew'd and declared my trouble.
• 6. From his sincerity and confidence in God. That he durst do this before him, in his eye, in his sight, argues an honest heart.

That which caused him to do this: was,

• 1. The consternation and anxiety of mind in which he was. This I did, [Ver. 3] when my spirit was overwhelmed within me. When my breath was as it were gone, and my life, for ought I saw, almost at an end, and I in the confines of death. There being then no sufficiency in me, I betook myself unto thee, who art All-sufficient.
• 2. Then I addressed myself to thee. For thou knewest my path, my actions, my intentions, the secret of my ways, my path, and that without any just cause I suffer these things, being forced and hunted into this Cave.
• 3. The craft and sly dealing of his enemies. Especially Saul.
• 2. In the way wherein I walked: In my Vocation, in that way wherein thou settest me.
• 2. Have they privily laid a snare for me. Saul gave him his caughter Mical to be a snare to him; and a Dowry he must have of an hundred fore-skins of the Philistines, that he might fall by their hands.

4. [Ver. 4] His destitution at this time of trouble, all forsook him, deserted him; even his friends.

• 1. I looked on my right hand for the help of my friends, and behold, if any man would be an assistant to me, and take my part, stand by me, as Soldiers in War to their Captain; but there was no man that would know me; they were as strange to me, as if they had never seen me: Not a man durst own me; the miserable have few friends.
• 2. Refuge failed me: With Achish at Ziklag, I have no place to fly for safety.
• 3. No man cared for my soul, regarded my life, cared whither I perished or not.

2. david being excluded of all human help, now makes his Address to God: I cried unto thee, O Lord, and said,

• 1. Thou art my refuge, my stay, my hope, my Tower of defense to fly to, my Sanctuary. [unspec 5]
• 2. Thou art my portion, my inheritance in the land of the living, while I live in this world.

And upon it he sends up his prayer to God, fortified from a double Argument.

• 1. From the lamentable condition to which he was brought.
• 2. From the fury, malice, and power of his enemies.
  • 1. His condition at this time was very pitiful: Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low, afflicted, depressed, have none to help me. [Ver. 6]
  • 2. The power and malice of his enemies was very great: Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.

He renews his prayer, and presseth it from the final cause: Bring my soul out of Prison; upon which follow two effects:

• 1. [Ver. 7] The first in myself, Gratitude: That I may praise thy Name.
• 2. The second in others, Assistance and encouragement to defend me, and my Cause: The righteous shall compass me about, come and flow from all parts unto me.
• 3. The Reason: For thou shalt deal bountifully with me. Bestow favors upon me, after thou hast freed me from my former miseries; which men seeing, who are commonly the friends of prosperity, will magnify me, and resort unto me.

PSAL. CXLIII. Being the last of the Penitentials.

DAVID being driven from Jerusalem by his son Absalom, wisely calls to mind his sin, as being the cause of it; which, in this Psalm he deplores, and desires grace and mercy of God.

The parts of this Psalm are.

• 1. A Prayer to God for remission of sin, grounded upon God's promise and goodness, ver. 1. not upon his own worthiness, ver. 2.
• 2. A Narration of the sad state of his Affairs, ver. 3, 4.
• 3. The Comfort he received in his sad condition, and whence, ver. 5, 6.
• 4. His Petition, containing divers particulars, to which are annexed particular Reasons, from ver. 7. to the last.

1. In the beginning he petitions for Audience; Hear my prayer, O Lord, give car to my supplication; [Ver. 1] but expresses not the matter he prayed for, which yet out of the following words may well be collected to be remission of sin, for which he was thus punished; and this he begs of God to grant, both in regard of his promise and mercy.

• 1. In faithfulness answer me. Thou art a faithful God, that hast promised pardon to penitents; a penitent I am, make then thy Word good to me, and pardon me.
• 2. And in thy righteousness, which here signifies, mercy and loving-kindness. In thy mercy then answer me, and seal my pardon, justify me, because I confess my iniquities, Isa. 43.26. Men call for confession from the guilty to condemn, God to pardon.

And that this is the sense, appears more clearly by the next verse.

• 1. [Ver. 2] And enter not into judgment with thy servant. Call me not to a strict and rigorous account at thy Bar of Justice. This he deprecates, so that justitia in the former verse could not be taken for that justice which punisheth sin, and rewards righteous deeds; for that he pleads not here, but declines it, yea, and assigns the Reason.
• 2. For in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Not I, nor any man that ever did, doth, or shall live: Let me then have my pardon upon thy promise and mercy, and not for my merits. It is not then the most commendable work that can justify any man at the Bar of God, but his mercy in Christ, which he hath promised to accept: Taught he hath us daily to pray, Remit debita.

2. And now he enters upon the Narration of his sad condition, which he urgeth as another Reason to persuade God to remit his offense, [Ver. 3] and it is taken from the grievousness of temptation, and the consequent of it.

• 1. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul. I look not so much upon my son Absalom, that seeks my life, as upon the enemy of Mankind, Satan, who entic'd me to Adultery, and tempted me to Homicide.
• 2. He hath smitten my life down to the ground: He hath humbled me, made me vile and contemptible in thy sight; made me a lover of the earth, and earthly pleasures, who before had my Conversation in Heaven.
• 3. He hath made me dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead: For after that he had entangled my soul with earthly pleasures, he made me dwell in spiritual darkness, that I saw not the way to life, but was indeed dead in trespasses and sins; I knew no more of what belonged to the life of the Spirit, than those that have been long dead, Eph. 4.18, 19. & 2.5.

And the effect that it wrought upon me, was fear, consternation, and horror of mind out of the sense of thy wrath against my sin.

• 1. [Ver. 4] Therefore my spirit was overwhelmed within me: I suffered a kind of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in my soul, I was ready to faint, when I considered thy holiness, and my impurity; thy severe justice, and my inability to satisfy it.
• 2. And my heart within me is desolate, far from all comfort. Troubled I was not lightly, not superficially, but seriously and inwardly; my soul was heavy to the death.

3. In this sadness I cast about what to do: Though I felt thy hand heavy upon me, yet despair I durst not; even from this miserable state I began to fetch my remedy, I found it was thy grace to bring me to this astonishment for my sin; that my heart was not hardened in sin, but astonished for sin, mollified, when it was thus troubled; and à dolore parturivi salutem. That then which came into my head, were thy ways that thou hadst taken with penitent sinners before me.

• 1. I remember the days of old. The days of Adam, Noah, Abraham, [unspec 5] Moses, &c. who all being thy servants, yet sinning grievously, and repenting, Thou admit'st to mercy, whose examples I applied, and they kept me from despair, read Psal. 77.5, 6, 7, &c. for all these were Testimonies of thy 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , of thy love to man.
• 2. I meditate on all thy works, I muse upon the works of thy hands. I did not slightly run them over, but I meditate, I muse upon them; for in this combat betwixt hope and despair, comfort is not obtained, but by a long and serious meditation of God's works; his works, in making a second Covenant with us, and purchasing and applying Redemption.
• 3. And the profit that came from this my meditation, was admirable: For, [Ver. 6]
  • 1. I stretch forth my hands unto thee. I began earnestly to pray, and to put forth my hand unto thee, as a child doth to his father, from whom he hopes to receive what he asks, and what he wants; some help, some Boon.
  • 2. My soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty Land. A thirsty soul I have that hungers and thirsts after righteousness; and as the earth in a drought chops and gapes till the rain falls, and closes it; so doth my soul open for want of thy dew of grace, and nothing can close it till this comfortable water descend. Farther, as the earth without rain hath no consistence, but is pulverized; neither is it clad with flowers, nor mantled with grass, nor loaden with fruits, but presents itself to the eye with a burnt, withered, bare face: So the soul, not moistened with the grace of God, becomes loose, and falls asunder on this and that side to vice and wickedness, tost it is by temptations, as dust by the wind; it wants the Robe of Justice to clothe it, and the garment of wisdom to adorn it, it is unprofitable and barren, and brings forth no fruit of good works; all which a penitent by experience finds true in himself, and therefore he thirsts the more for grace, the more sensible he is of the want of it.

4. The sad case in which David was, upon the sense of God's indignation, makes him seek out speedily for a remedy, as the sick in haste seeks to the Physician; and he that is thirsty, seeks for drink: Quiet he could not be, nor his thirst be satisfied, before he had some assurance that God was reconciled to him, which is an evident Argument of a true contrite soul, never to be at rest, till he have an assurance that his peace is made, being impatient of all delays of reconciliation: And to this purpose he puts up a Petition, which consists of many parts, and many reasons.

• 1. His first petition is for speedy audience, [Ver. 7] as being impatient to be deferred, Hear me speedily, O Lord: and his reason for this, is the sad condition in which he was, and was like to be, till he was assured, that God was pacified for his sin. He said it before, but now repeats it. My spirit fails, I am in extremity, I scarce can draw my breath.
• 2. This petition he enforceth in other words. Hide not thy face from me, thy presence, thy favor, thy help. But not averse, inexorable, but look up once more in mercy on me. His reason for this is, That if God hide his face still from him, He be like unto a dead man; or which is worse, like to them that go down into the pit of hell. For those whom God pardons not, not gives the life of grace, they must perish forever.
• 2. His next Petition is near the same with the former, but enforced upon another reason.
  • 1. Cause me to hear thy loving kindness. Thy pardoning mercy, which must proceed out of mere clemency and pity. [unspec 8] Cause me to hear it out of thy Word, or else I may hear thy Word, and never hear my pardon. It is thy Spirit that must work with it.
  • 2. In the morning. Betime, speedily, quickly. Or in the morning, when the light of grace shines. I have been long enough in the darkness, and night of sin, let the day of grace at last rise upon me.
  • 3. His reason. For in thee do I trust. I let not my hold go in all this my extremity. In the spiritual combat then, we must not look to the beginnings of it, as to the end. In the beginning is nothing but matter of discomfort, horror, despair. But the end hath comfort in it, hope, and confidence. He that can say, in thee is my trust, despairs not.
• 3. His third Petition.
  • 1. Cause thou me to know the way in which I should walk. David being a true penitent, and being now assured of pardon, is fearful of a relapse, and therefore prays to God to work in his heart so powerfully, that he might know his way, and hereafter walk in it, as it becomes a friend and a son.
  • 2. His reason. For I lift up my soul unto thee. My course, the intent of my heart is to that purpose. I have now bid adieu to all secular desires, and therefore I desire the Lamp and light of thy Word to direct me in my walk.
• 4. His fourth Petition.
  • 1. Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies. From the Devil, and all his instruments; from ill concupiscences, and the effects, which fight against the soul.
  • 2. His reason: For I fly unto thee to hide me; i. e. from them: I lie, [Ver. 9] as it were, under the umbrage and shadow of thy wings.
• 5. [Ver. 10] His fifth Petition is near the same with the third.
  • 1. Teach me to do thy Will, both by an active and passive obedience. Instruct me to know thy good, perfect, and acceptable Will; and in adversity to submit to it, and bear my Cross with patience; and in prosperity to do it, and not to be proud, arrogant, secure, obstinate, and presumptuous.
  • 2. His reason: For thou art my God, who hast promised me help, and whom I have promised and bound myself to serve; Thou art the beginning and end of all my good, from whom I have received my being, my soul, my body, and from whom I expect beatitude and glory; to do thy Will, is the way to attain it; teach me then to do it, as thou art my God.
• 6. His sixth Petition, Thy Spirit is good: Not mine, not the evil spirit; it is thy Spirit which is the Author of goodness, love, obedience, &c. Let this Spirit then lead me in the right, plain way, that I may walk wisely, knowingly, uprightly, constantly.
• 7. [Ver. 11] His seventh Petition.
  • 1. Quicken me, O Lord; comfort, restore me to life, remit my sin, justify me, free me from this fear.
  • 2. For thy Names sake: Not for my merits, but for thy mercy, and the glory that will thereby accrue to thy Name, in acquitting a penitent, and restoring him to thy favor, and as it were, to life. Muscular well observes, That they only can pray this prayer:
    • 1. Who are brought into a sad condition, and oppressed with the sense of death.
    • 2. Who belong to God, and whose life and quickening brings honor to his Name.
    • 3. Who seek the honor of God's Name, and not their own honor.
  • 2. He goes on: For thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble: Freedom he desires, but still upon mercy.
• 8. His last Petition, is for the destruction of Satan's Kingdom. [unspec 12]
  • 1. Of thy mercies cut off my enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul.
  • 2. His reason: For I am thy servant; a Client, a Follower, one under thy Protection and Patronage; one of thy Family, honored with the dignity of thy servant; and well contented to do my Duty, and serve thee honestly, therefore defend me, and destroy my enemies; for these, in being mine, are thy enemies.

PSALM CXLIV. An ode of David.

THis Psalm is of a mixed kind, for in it is contained a thanksgiving. A prayer. And doctrine. Interpreters are not agreed upon the occasion and time of the writing of it. For some think, being moved thereto by the Title, that it was composed by David upon his victory over Goliath: Others, upon his victories after over the Philistines, Ammonites, &c. Some again, in the beginning of his reign, before he was fully settled. But be it as it will,

The parts of the Psalm are,

• 1. A thanksgiving, from verse. 1. to 5.
• 2. A petition, from verse. 5. to 12.
• 3. A discussion of happiness, and wherein it consists, from verse. 12. to the end.

1. In the beginning the Prophet gives thanks, and praiseth God.

• 1. He gives him thanks. Blessed be the Lord. And he expresseth his reason. [Ver. 1] Which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. In general, Who hath taught me the Art of War. In particular, That taught my hands to use the sling, and my fingers to choose the stones, and direct them to the forehead of Goliath. For this was Artis opus, non virtutis. Skill, not strength, which he taught me.
• 2. [Ver. 2] He praiseth God, and that for many Titles. He is my strength, my goodness, and my fortress, my high tower, and my deliverer, my shield, and he in whom I trust, in which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , there is an Incrementum, and a Gradation. As it is before, Psalm 18.1, 2. To which Psalm this is very like, so that it is thought to be made on the same occasion.
  • 1. He is my Strength, or my Rock. The strength I have, is from him.
  • 2. My Goodness, benignity, or mercy. That is, original of all my good. In mercy he called me from the sheepfold: And in mercy he hath hitherto prevented and sustained me.
  • 3. He is my Fortress, to him I fly as to a strong hold, or an high Tower of defense.
  • 4. And when I fly to him, he deserts me not, he is my deliverer from danger and captivity, and he is my shield to protect me, and cover my head in the day of battle. Therefore I will Trust in him, and rely upon him.
• 3. He praiseth God, that he had done more for him, than he could wish or expect, for he had not only freed him from the hand of Goliath, but had subdued the people unto him. Put it unto their hearts to yield obedience to him, as their General, after his victory over Goliath, 1 Sam. 18.5. or when they made a league with him in Hebron, 2 Sam. 5. It is a favor of God, when the people are subdued, and yield quiet obedience to their King.

Now out of the consideration of so many benefits, David breaks forth into an admiration. He wonders that when God is so great, and man so vain, vile, and base, that he should look upon him, esteem him at so high a rate, to love him, to advance him. Of which he was an example above other men. Which acknowledgement tends very much to the praise of God.

• 1. As amazed therefore and astonished, he asks, Lord, what is man? [Ver. 3] what am I, and my fathers house? 2 Sam. 7.18. What is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?
• 2. To which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 he returns this answer, which tends to the exaltation of God, and debasement of man.
  • 1. Man is like to vanity. Capable indeed of great things, [Ver. 4] if God fill him, but till he be filled by God, like a vain and empty vessel, that hath nothing but air in it.
  • 2. His days are as a shadow that passeth away. God is always the same, he changeth not, but man is but for a moment, like a shadow that is always moving, and shifts the place, till the night coming on, it vanisheth. In comparison of God, this is the condition of man, who otherwise is the glory of God's creatures.

2. David, though he had the people subdued unto him, yet was not as yet freed from enemies, the Philistines, Ammonites, &c. did molest him, and therefore he prays to God to assist him in the conquest of these, and show some evident tokens from heaven, that he did assist him in their Conquest. He speaks after the manner of men, as before, Psal. 18. from verse. 7. to 16.

This is the first part of his Petition against his enemies. 2. And now he commenceth a second, and makes his Address to God for himself.

• 1. Rid me and deliver me out of great waters, i. e. from dangers of men.
• 2. From the hands of strange Children. Moabites, Ammonites, [Ver. 7] Philistines, &c.

Upon whom he sets these two Characters.

• 1. Their mouth speaks vanity. Lyes, no truth, flatteries, no sincere words.
• 2. And their right-hand, is a right-hand of falsehood. [Ver. 8] Their power they use to oppress, to deceive, to rapine, homicide, &c.

But before he proceeds and ends his Petition, he breaks out, as it were, in an ecstacy, and falls back to that he began with, the praise of God, interserting this short Hymn.

• 1. [Ver. 9] I will sing a new song unto thee, O God, upon a Psaltery, and an instrument of ten strings, [unspec 10] will I sing praises to thee, Psal. 33.3. And this I will do, because Thou givest victory unto Kings. To Saul by my hand and service, but especially because, Thou hast delivered me David thy servant from the hurtful sword. From that sharp and deadly sword of the great Goliath.

And then he returns, repeats, and concludes his Petition in the same words he began.

Rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children. [Ver. 11] 2. Whose mouth speaks vanity. 3. And their right-hand, is a right-hand of falsehood.

3. His Benedictus and Petition being ended, he falls upon a discourse of the Happy man, and shows that happiness is of two kinds; one in the eye of the world, and that it ariseth from Temporal felicities. The other in the sight of God, and it ariseth from Piety and Religion, where both these are conjoined, the Man is happy, but the first without the last, will never make a happy man. The first are the things that the greatest part of the world aim at. That their sons may be as plants, &c. verse. 12, 13, 14. And David denies not, but the people are happy that are in such a case, verse. 14. But always with this condition and limitation, that God be not left out and forgotten. For, Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord, verse. 14. The addition of Temporal blessings will be a great comfort to our lives, and God promiseth them to the obedient, Deut. 28. But there is another thing Necessary, the fear of God, which will make a Man happy. Without which, men talk in vain, when they speak of felicity, and therefore the old Translatour reads the words thus.

Quorum filij. [Ver. 12] Whose sons may be as plants, &c. verse. 12. And then the Antecedent to Quorum must be. They whose mouth speaks vanity. And then the sense will be. It is the desires of vain men, that their sons may be as plants, their daughters beautiful, that their sheep multiply, their Oxen strong, no decay of anything. Upon which they are apt to sing to themselves. Happy are the people that are in such estate. But David checks this vanity, this false opinion. What, they happy? No, no. They are happy, who have the Lord for their God.

This is an acute sense of this whole clause; But if I mistake not, David in earnest intends it as a blessing, when men enjoy even Temporal blessings, so it be with God. For Godliness hath the promises of this life, as well as that which is to come. And it may not be conceived, that God created so many excellent things in this world only for fools and disobedient persons. Besides, many of his best Servants have enjoyed the particulars here mentioned, let no man think then, but they may be rewards of piety. David therefore prays,

• 1. [Ver. 12] Ut, That our sons may be as plants grown in their youth. Well planted, well rooted, green and flourishing. Which is the first happiness of any family. For sons are the pillars of any house. They first desired, and for them other things.
• 2. Ut, That our daughters may be as Corner-stones. Antarij lapides. Stones that join and knit the buildings, Polished after the similitude of a Palace, i. e. very beautiful, specious, hansome, for upon such stones there is commonly most Art showed.
• 3. [Ver. 13] Ut, That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store. Semper domus tota boni & assidui Domini lccuples, abundat haedo, lacte, caseo, gallina, &c. Referta est cella vinaria, olearea, mellarea, &c. It hath in it newand old.
• 4. [Ver. 14] Ut, That our sheep may bring forth thousands, and ten thousands in our streets. Our flocks increase.
• 5. Ut, That our Oxen may be strong to labor. Healthy, not sickly.
• 6. Ut, That there be no breaking, nor going out. No plundering among us, nor inroads made upon us, as Job 1. But that we live in peace, and enjoy our own.
• 7. Ut, That there be no complaining in our streets. No screetches of women, tumults of people, cries, and clamours in our Cities, as is usual in insurrections, and irruptions of enemies.

This is a part of David's prayer, and it hath coherence with the tenth verse, where he thanks God for delivering him from the sword. This he desires God to continue, that under his reign his people might be happy, and enjoy the fruits of peace, viz. that their sons might grow up as plants in their youth, &c. Which if it happen, so they take in the last clause of the Psalm, he pronounceth them a Happy people. For he concludes all with this Epiphonema,

• 1. Happy is that people that are in such a case. [Ver. 15] Such as he formerly named.
• 2. Yea, Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord. That hath for his God the True God: that is persuaded he is loved by him, adopted to be his son, and that he takes care of him. For if they be happy, who possess those outward blessings, They must needs be much more happy, who possess the fountain of those blessings and all other.

PSAL. CXLV. Hallelujah, or an Hymn.

THis Hymn containeth excellent matter, and is penned after an excellent manner. The matter of it is God's holy praise, which is the Alpha and Omega of all our actions. The manner of it, that of the Hebrew Alphabet, which is done to help our memory, in recording those things which concerns our Makers praise. Of which there be,

These three parts.

• 1. A Proem, or a protestation to praise God, ver. 1, 2.
• 2. And a celebration of divine praises through the whole Psalm, and to that end, he produceth many arguments, which are reduced to these heads.
  • 1. From the greatness of God, ver. 3.
  • 2. From his works of wonder, ver. 4. which works he distinguishes into three kinds;
    • 1. Glorious and beautiful, of Majesty, and therefore wonderful, ver. 5.
    • 2. Marvelous, and full of terror, ver. 6.
    • 3. Amiable, and full of goodness, ver. 7, 8, 9. But all wonderful.
  • 3. From his Kingdom and government of it and in it, from ver. 10. to. 21.
• 3. A conclusion, ver. 21. In which be performs his protestation praising God

1. In the two first verses David proposeth what he will do through the whole Psalm, acquaints us fully with his intention.

• 1. I will extol, I will bless, I will praise.
• 2. Thee my God, my King. A King above me, [Ver. 1] in comparison of whom I am a servant, a subject: I will bless, I will praise thy Name, all virtues by which thou art known.
• 3. Every day will I praise thee: [unspec 2] No day shall pass without a Hymn.
• 4. For ever and ever will I do it: It shall now begin and continue by a succession of men, who shall sing this and the like Hymns made to thy honor, to the consummation of all things.

2. And so he sets upon the praise itself: And the first thing he praiseth God for, is for his Essense, set forth under this word Great.

• 1. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: This follows on the other; for if great, greatly to be praised.
• 2. And his greatness is unsearchable, [Ver. 3] past our weak capacity it is to comprehend it; search we may, but we shall never find it: Higher it is than the Heavens, as being higher than the Highest; deeper than Hell, as passing the depth of our understandings, Job 11.8, 9. Broador than the Sea, as measuring the waters thereof in his fist, Isaiah 40.12. And longer than the earth, as having no end; there it no end of his greatness.
• Or if Great, here to be referred to him as a King: Then a great King he is in respect of extension, for all creatures, from the highest Angel to the poorest worm are under him; great for length, for his Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom. Great for depth; for he rules even in the hearts of Kings, of all men, over-rules their thoughts, affections, nothing is hid from him. And great again for height, being a great King over other gods, ruling by his own absolute Power and Authority; whereas all other have their Sword from him, and Rule by a delegated and Vicarious power.
• 2. From the Essence of God, David passeth to his works and effects, [Ver. 4] which set forth his praise; which, because no one man is able to do, therefore David saith, One Generation shall praise thy works unto another, and shall declare thy mighty Acts. Every several Age is an eye-witness of several acts of wonder, and therefore as one succeedeth another in days, so shall they succeed in duty. The father shall declare them to the son, and the son again to his son, &c. So that no Generation that considers thy mighty Acts, but shall have just occasion to admire them, and praise thee.

And so from the works in general, all which are mighty, he descends to the particulars, which he ranks into three sorts.

• 1. The first are those which are marvelous, and full of glory, splendor, and beauty, such as are his works in Heaven: For the Heavens declare his glory. The Sun, Moon, Stars, their variety, multitude, splendor, [Ver. 5] constant and perpetual motions; their influences and effects, are all wondrous works, and they speak of the glorious honor of his Majesty: Why else did the Heathen take and worship these for gods? and these works David means in ver. 5.
• 2. A second kind of works there are of God, which are full of Terror and Justice, these are terrible Acts, and they speak out his Might and Greatness; such were the universal Deluge in Noah's days, the fire of Sodom, Pharaphs overthrow in the red Sea, [Ver. 6] the opening of the earth to swallow Corah, Dathan, Abiram, &c. And these he points at in ver. 6.
• 3. Other works are marvelous, as being full of his abundant kindness, love, mercy: And because he would have us take more special notice of these, as those which bring to us more comfort, and concern us more to know, therefore he in more words insists upon these, spending three whole verses in the explication of them; of which, pag. sequents.
  • 1. [Ver. 7] They, i. e. Thy great works shall abundantly utter. Eructabun. Vulgar, The memory of thy great goodness. All Generations filled with the abundance of thy bounty, they shall be eloquent, and without any intermission collect them in their memory, and commit them to posterity to be remembered. 2. And sing of thy righteousness, in exhibiting thy promised blessings. Of this kind are all temporal benefits, night and day, the seasons of the year, fertility, abundance of Fish, Fowl, Cattle, Rivers, Seas, Orchards, Gardens, Groves, &c. But these are light, if compared to the gifts of Grace. The incarnation, Death, Passion, Resurrection, Ascension of Christ, mission of the holy Ghost, calling of the Gentiles, Justification, Sanctification, eternal life. All which being brought to memory by a pious meditation, Eructubunt, scaturient, eloquentur, canent, men must abundantly utter God's goodness. And sing here with David in the next verse,
  • 2. [Ver. 8] The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy; of which before, Psal. 103.8.
  • 3. [Ver. 9] The Lord is good to all. For he rains upon the just and unjust. Slow to execute wrath upon the reprobates, 2 Tim. 2.4.2. Pet. 3.9. Prov. 1.21. Hos. 14.9. Ezek. 18.31, 32.
  • 4. His mercies are over all his works. There is not any work of God but hath mercy in it, Psal. 1.36. For whenas in rigor of justice for their sins he might destroy the world, out of mercy he gives time of repentance.

3. The Prophet hitherto hath sung of the marvelous works of God, both of Glory, Terror, and Mercy. And adds for the close, All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord.

But now he begins to praise him for a New matter, [unspec 10] viz. for the erection of his peculiar Kingdom in his Church, in which he is to have for his Subjects a peculiar people, a holy nation, a royal Priesthood, which he in this place calls Saints. Now be it that profane and impious men of the world should neglect to praise God, and not admire his works of Glory, Terror, and Mercy, yet these will not neglect their Duty. [Ver. 10] And thy Saints shall bless thee. They shall bless thee for thy marvelous works before mentioned, but they shall not stay there, consider they shall thy Kingdom in thy Church, and lay to heart the Quality of that Kingdom, and especially praise thee for that.

Now the power and glory of Christ's Kingdom, from the Kingdoms of men may be known by this fourfold difference.

• 1. That Kings on earth have but few subjects, and small wealth and treasure, being Commanders perhaps but of one, or at most but of some few Provinces. But God hath for his subjects, Angels, Men, Devils, and the wealth of the whole world is his.
• 2. Earthly Kings so reign over their subjects, that they must be servants to their people, they depend upon them, and are forced to yield to them: yea, though they abound in wealth, yet they want, and are forced to beg, or exact Subsidies, Contributions, Tributes, Taxes, &c. from them, being often indebted great sums. But God is so a Lord, that he serves none, he needs not their help, so abounds, that in a moment he can create of nothing much more than he hath.
• 3. Earthly Kings glory indeed in their power, and rejoice in their dignity and honor, but their crown is but a crown of thorns, for they are tormented with cares, anxiety, fear, sorrows: But God is glorious without fear or care, he reigns in security, tranquility, peace and ease.
• 4. Earthly Kings reign but for a time. Christ forever.

All which differences are found in these verses.

• 1. The first in the eleventh verse. They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom, &c. They shall speak of the power and glory of it, that in multitude of subjects, in wealth and riches it exceeds all other Kingdoms.
• 2. The second and third in the twelfth verse, They shall make known, &c. that they Acts are far beyond theirs, and thy magnificence no dependency, no needy, no thorny crown.
• 3. The fourth in the thirteenth verse. Thy Kingdom Everlasting, so not theirs.

And so the Prophet having described the Kingdom of Christ, begins to set down the excellent Qualities and Virtues of a good King, which do most perfectly agree to Christ.

In this place after the thirteenth verse, it is very probable that there is a verse omitted in the Hebrew Copies we now use, which yet anciently were in it. For the Septuagint, the Arabic Copies, and the Vulgar out of them retain it: and so doth Kimhi. It is supposed it came to pass incuria librariorum. And Bellarmine, Moller conceive it should be admitted, because when the Psalm is disposed according to the order and number of the Hebrew Alphabet, it will be imperfect without it. For the verse will be wanting, that begins with the letter Nun. Musculus receives it into the Text. In it are set down two excellent qualities of a good King,

• 1. Veracity, and
• 2. Probity. The verse is this. Faithful the Lord is in all his words, and holy in all his works. But I go on, [Ver. 14] The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be down.
• 3. This is another quality of a good King, which is Veri regia & Pastoralis, so to govern his Subjects, that they fall not, and to raise them if fallen. This is Mercy, Goodness. And it is proper to Christ, who by his Grace sustains and upholds his people that they fall not into sin, or if fallen, raiseth them up again, by a new Grace, when they are down. This verified in David, Peter, the Prodigal, &c. He sustains, raiseth them by his Gospel and Spirit.
  [Ver. 15] The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season.

  [unspec 16] Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
• 4. This is Liberality and Bounty, and is an excellent virtue in a King, whose care for his Subjects ought to be, that they want no necessaries. Benefacere regjum est, and most properly may be attributed to Christ, who provides for his Church all manner of things that are good. Temporal, Spiritual.
  • 1. They are expectants. Their eyes wait upon him.
  • 2. And he gives. 'It is a gift, not a debt.
  • 3. Their meat. Variety, to everyone what is fit for him.
  • 4. In due season. Then when fit for them to eat. Wine oil, corn, &c. as the season fits. He crowns the year, Psal. 65.11. He gives when fit to eat: for sometimes 'tis fit that the meat be taken away, when men are wanton, exceed and riot in it.
  • 5. Thou openest thy hand: He gives not sparingly, but bountifully.
  • 6. Thou satisfiest: For a man may have, and not be satisfied; Avarui semper eget. The content and satisfaction is from God.
  • 7. The desire of every living thing: Giving to every living thing such meat as is suitable to his appetite; all which is much more true in spiritual blessings.

• 5. This is another virtue of a good King to be just, which is most true of Christ; for just he is in distribution of punishments, and giving rewards.

• 6. This is the sixth quality of a good King, to show himself easy to receive Petitions, and to them that implore his aid, which God doth, De •• r. 4.7.2. But the Prophet corrects his works, and limits them; 'It is to all that call upon him in Truth; which word includes all the conditions of a good prayer.
  • 1. Faith: For he that prays without faith, prays to an Idol of his own brain.
  • 2. Hope and confidence: He prays not seriously, that hopes not to be heard.
  • 3. Love: For no man can call on him seriously, whom he hates, or to whom hateful.
  • 4. Desire: For no man prays heartily, that desires not to obtain.
  • 5. Attention and intention; without which, the prayer is babbling, no true prayer.

• 7. This is the seventh quality of a good King, to grant Petitions, so that they ask such Petitions as is fit for the King to grant; this will Christ do.
  • 1. He will fulfil the desires: But with this limitation, So they fear him.
  • 2. He will hear their cry: So it must be, a cry, vehement, earnest.
  • 3. And will save them: Hear he will, ad salutem semper, licet non ad voluntatem.

• 8. This is the last quality of a good King:
  Parcere Subjectis, & debellare Superbos.
  Which Christ will do; he preserves his Martyrs in patience, constancy, faith, [Ver. 21] receives them to glory, and takes revenge on their enemies. Martyrs non eripuit, sed nec deseruit.

4. The Conclusion is an Epiphonema, and answers to the beginning of the Psalm.

• 1. For all these things which I have said, My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: This shall be my work while I live.
• 2. And I wish it may be done by all others also. And let all flesh blest his holy Name forever and ever.

PSAL. CXLVI. A Hymn, Hallelujah.

THE Subject of this Hymn is the same with the former, and it hath,

These four parts.

• 1. An Exhortation to praise God, ver. 1. which David is resolved to do, ver. 2.
• 2. A Dehortation from confidence in man, how great soever, ver. 3, 4.
• 3. On the contrary, he pronounceth them happy that trust in God, ver. 5.
• 4. And to this confidence in God he persuades for many Reasons, from ver. 6. to the last.

1. He begins with a Dialogism.

• 1. He speaks to all, Praise ye the Lord.
• 2. [Ver. 1] Then by an Apostrophe he turns to himself, Praise the Lord, O my soul. [unspec 2]
• 3. And his soul answers, While I live will I praise the Lord, I will sing praises to my God while I have my being; while I am, and shall be.

2. But because the foundation of this praise is the trust and confidence which men have in God, from which they are retarded, by admiring over-much, and relying upon the power and help of Kings and Princes; the Prophet therefore subjoins his Dehortation, and gives his Reasons for it.

• 1. [Ver. 3] Put not your trust in Princes, nor in the son of man.
• 2. His Reasons for it are:
  • 1. First, Their Impotency: There is no help in them. They may seem potent, but they cannot save themselves, much less other men. [Ver. 4]
  • 2. Their Fragility and Mortality: Their breath goeth forth, they return to the earth, in that very day their thoughts perish.

3. Those men cannot be happy that trust to them; but now on the contrary. If a man will be happy, the Prophet shows upon whom he must trust and rely, which is on God; for,

• 1. [Ver. 5] Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help; him to whom Jacob trusted.
• 2. And whose hope is in the Lord his God: Not in impotent, and short-lived men.

And this he confirms by divers Reasons.

• 1. First, From his Omnipotence: He is God the Creator, he made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that is therein. Able then to protect. [Ver. 6]
• 2. From his Veracity: Who keeps Truth forever. His word is passed for our protection, and he will perform it. Potest & vult, quia promisit. [Ver. 7]
• 3. From his Justice: He executeth judgment for the oppressed. He defends the innocent, and punisheth the unjust: Good trusting then to him.
• 4. [Ver. 8] From his Mercy.
  • 1. He giveth food to the hungry: Relieves men in their wants.
  • 2. The Lord looseth the Prisoners. Another Act of grace, and the rest follow.
  • 3. The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: Whether spiritually, or corporally.
  • 4. The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: By sin, wrath, misery.
• 5. From his Love: The Lord loveth the righteous. [Ver. 9] Of which the effects are.
  • 1. The Lord preserveth the strangers.
  • 2. He relieveth the fatherless and widow.
  • 3. But the ungodly find a quite contrary effect, because they are no •• ons of love, but wrath: But the way of the wicked he turns upside down. Their glory perisheth, and with it the hope of those fools that trusted to them.
• 6. From the Eternity of his Kingdom; therefore to be praised, and trusted to forever. Kings die and perish, but he is a King forever in Zion, i.e. [Ver. 10] in his Church.
  The Lord shall reign forever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all Generations, Praise ye the Lord.

PSAL. CXLVII. A Hymn.

THE Scope and intent of the Prophet in this Psalm, is, to stir up men to praise God, for which he produceth many Arguments. The occasion of the composing of it, was the reduction of the Jews from the captivity of Babylon, and therefore it is supposed that Haggai and Zechariah the Prophets were the Authors of it; and therefore some Interpreters put their names in the Title of it.

The parts are.

• 1. An Exhortation to praise God, ver. 1. which is repeated, ver. 7. & 12.
• 2. The Arguments to persuade to it, God's bounty, wisdom, power, providence, justice and mercy, through the whole Psalm.

1. The Exhortation is briefly proposed, Praise the Lord, ver. 1. which the Prophet, as the Chanter of the Choir, begins; and after some reasons given, repeats in more words, [Ver. 1] Sing unto the Lord with Thanksgiving, sing praises upon the Harp unto our God, [unspec 7] ver. 7. And yet again at ver. 12. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, [unspec 12] praise thy God, O Zion; where the Arabic, Greek, and Latin Translators begin a new Psalm; but in the Hebrew they are conjoined, and but one Hymn.

2. Now the Prophet hath no sooner ended his Exhortations, but to everyone of them singly he annexeth his Reasons.

To praise God, he exhorts upon two grounds.

• 1. Ab utili, jucundo, decoro, ver. 1.
• 2. For his bounty to Jerusalem, in building it, and bringing back the dispersed, ver. 2. in comforting the sad and contrite in soul, ver. 3. 2. For his wisdom, ver. 4. For his power, ver. 5. For his mercy and justice, ver. 6.

His first Arguments are taken from the thing itself; for to praise God, is,

• 1. [Ver. 1] Good: For it is good to sing praises to our God: Good, for divers Reasons.
  • 1. That is good which God commands, Micah 6.8. So that Thanksgiving is no indifferent Action, no Will-worship, but it is cultus institutus, not to be neglected.
  • 2. It raiseth the heart from Earth to Heaven; and being the work of Angels and Saints in Heaven, joins us with that Quite above.
  • 3. Good again, because by it we pay a debt, in which is justice: Lift up your hearts unto the Lord: Resp. It is meet and right so to do.
  • 3. Good, because for it we are like to receive a good and a great reward; for if he that prays to God is like to be rewarded, Matth. 6. much more that man that sings praises to him; for in prayer we consult with our own necessities, in our praises we honor God, and bless him for his gifts.
• 2. To praise God is pleasant.
  • 1. Because it proceeds out of love; for nothing is more pleasant to him that loves, than to make Sonnets in the praise of that party he loves.
  • 2. Because it must needs please a man to perform that Duty for which he was created; for to that end God created men and 〈…〉 that they should praise him, Isa. 43.7. A check this is to that slowness and backwardness we find in ourselves to praise God; or when we feel it tedious unto us.
  • 3. Because God is delighted with it, as the sweetest Sacrifice: He that offereth me praise and thanks, he honoreth me, Psal. 50.
  • 4. It is pleasant to God, because he is delighted with those virtues which are in us, Faith, Hope, Charity, Religion, Devotion, Humility, &c. of all which, our praises are a manifest.
• 3. It is comely: For there is no greater stain than Ingratitude; it is made up of a lie and injustice; for either it insinuates and denies, that the benefit is not received, or that if received, a man will not pay for it, no not thanks. There is then all the decency in the World in it, that man be thankful to his God, that freely gives him all things.

2. These are the first Arguments the Prophet useth, and they are drawn, à natura rei. Those that follow are more particular, and as the case then stood, respect Israel; but may well be applied in all Ages to the Church of God.

1. The first taken from the reduction of the people from Captivity, and the building of Jerusalem, in which appeared the goodness of God to them; for it was the mercies of God that they were not consumed.

• 1. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem; his Church, [Ver. 2] the Head of the Kingdom, and Seat of the Sanctuary; he restored their Polity and Religion.
• 2. He gathereth together the outcasts, or dispersed of Israel, or banished; collected them which were scattered; so he collected his Church of dispersed Gentiles, John 10.16.
• 3. He healeth the broken in heart, the sad, the calamitous, whether oppressed with captivity or sin, Luke 4.18.
• 4. And bindeth up their wounds; as if he were a good Surgeon, [Ver. 3] Luke 10.34.

2. The second Argument is taken from his Wisdom, in numbering the stars.

• 1. He tells the number of the stars. A thing it seems impossible for man, Gen. 15.5. For there be many of them, immersae orbi, which then being showed to Abraham, he could not number; but God hath them upon account.
• 2. And calls them all by their names: They are his Army, Isa. 40.26. He knows their power, properties, efficacy of everyone of them, and calls them forth by their names, and they answer, Here we are, Baruch 3.

But by these stars some understand God's Elect, whose number is to us without number, and whose names are written in his Book. Now these are well-likened to the Stars.

• 1. The stars are infinite in number: So are his Elect to us, not to him.
• 2. Among the stars some are Planets, Erratica: His Elect sometimes wander up and down.
• 3. The stars shine by night clearest: His Elect in the darkness of persecutions.
• 4. One star differs from another in glory: The Elect excel each other in grace, in piety, &c.
• 5. The stars are above, far from impurity: The Conversation of the Elect in Heaven.
• 6. The stars are obscured with clouds, but they being dispersed, they shine again: So the Church is sometime obscured, Matth. 25. But at Christ's appearing, they shall appear in glory, 1 John 3.2. For there is not one of these stars how obscure, how dark, how little, or abject soever, but Christ will call him by his name; and this the Prophet intends. What, shall God ever tell the number of his banished people, and gather together the dispersed into one Church? why not? He that can tell the number of the stars, and call them by their names; I hope 'tis no difficult thing to him to tell the number of his Elect, and call them by nomination.

3. His third Argument to praise God, is drawn from his power: Great is our Lord, [Ver. 4] and of great power, and his understanding is infinite: Let no man despair of his power, though the thing expected be great and difficult; for his understanding is infinite: And though we cannot find out a way, yet he knows how to bring his Will to pass.

4. His fourth Argument to praise God, is taken from his Justice and Mercy.

• 1. [Ver. 5] His Mercy: The Lord lifts up the meek, His ways are not like men's ways, with whom the meek are despised; but these are the men whom he sustains, defends, exalts.
• 2. His Justice: He casts the wicked down to the ground. Wicked men shall not reign forever, God will laugh them to scorn, and cast them from the highest step of dignity and power, to contempt and scorn to the ground.

2. But before the Prophet goes on, he repeats his Exhortation, as if he meant to rub up our memories, and that we call to mind to what purpose he used the former, and will yet use the following Arguments.

Sing unto the Lord with Thanksgiving: Do it in words.

Sing praises upon the Harp unto our God: Do it in works.

And presently he falls upon his Arguments, [Ver. 7] which are drawn from God's Providence, of which he gives divers instances.

• 1. [Ver. 8] Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth: When he brings clouds over the face of heaven, it is not in his purpose to obscure or darken the beauty of it, but to water and moisten the earth, without which it will not be fruitful, Psal. 104.13, 14. Jer. 14.22.
• 2. Who makes grass to grow on the Mountains, in the most barren places, to which the rain will not suffice, except God co-operate with it.
• 3. He giveth to the Beast his food. He giveth it them, they gather it.
• 4. [Ver. 9] And to the young Ravens which cry. Naturalists tell us, That the Raven seeds not his Chickens, till they be plumed, not owning them, till they be like them, all which time, God sustains them: But others, that no Bird so soon suffers his young to prey for themselves, as the Raven, being then deserted by the Dam, cro • itant, invocant, and God hears and sends them meat, Job 38.41. Christ useth this Argument, that we rely on God's Providence, Mat. 6. Luke 12.

Yea, [Object.] but here the infirm and distrustful Jew may argue, Alas, we see no means for our deliverance, we have no Strength, no Ammunition, nor Horse, nor Armor for War, no, nor yet hearts to fight: How shall we be delivered?

The Prophet prevents and answers this objection; viz. That God who is to gather them, needs no help at all, he can do it without means, as well as means.

• 1. [Ver. 10] He delights not in the strength of an horse; which is a warlike creature.
• 2. He takes not pleasure in the legs; i. e. nimbleness, agility, valor of a man; that is, in any military preparation or power, so far forth, as if they were necessary means, and he could not do his work without them; these he will have in ordinary use, but not trusted to, he delights not in that.

But he placeth his delight in his servants, and those some way or other he will deliver.

• 1. The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear him, not in the Majesty, rich, noble, or superficial Pharisee, but in those that fear him, and trembles at his words.
• 2. And in those that hope in his mercy. That put their confidence, that out of mercy, love, goodness he will deliver them.

3. He again repeats this proposition, and calls to the Church to perform it, where in the Greek and Vulgar begins a new Psalm.

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, praise thy God O Zion. Though others be negligent to praise God, yet be not thou. Not Jerusalem, not Zion.

And then recites four arguments for which he would have Zion sing praises. [Ver. 12]

• 1. Security and defense. 2. Benediction. 3. Peace. 4. Sustenance or provision.
  • 1. Jerusalem is a City secure, being defended by God. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates. Gates and bars do well to a City, [Ver. 13] but then alone the City is secure, when God makes them strong. The true ammunition of a City is God's defense. Arms, Laws, wealth, &c. are the bars.
  • 2. Jerusalem is a happy City. For he hath blessed thy children within he, thy Kings, Princes, Magistrates, &c. with Wisdom, Religion, Piety, &c.
  • 3. Jerusalem is a peaceable City. He maketh peace in thy borders. The very name intimates so much. For Jerusalem interpreted, is Visio pacis.
  • 4. Jerusalem is a City provided by God with necessary food and provision. [Ver. 14] For, He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.

Now that it is God that doth all this for Jerusalem, the Prophet makes good by other things that he doth for the whole world, for which he needs not any instruments and under-officers to do it by, but only his word and his command: 'It is but for him to say the word, and what he will, is done. He sends forth his command upon earth, and his word runs very swiftly, it pierceth all things, [Ver. 15] and presently execution follows upon it, Heb. 1.3. & Wisd. 7.22, 24. & 8.1. For instance.

• 1. He giveth snow like wool. [Ver. 16] Sometimes great flakes of it like locks of wool, or else to cover the earth, as a winter-garment a man, and keep it warm from the nipping of the cold winds, as is evident in Northern Countries.
• 2. He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. That thickens the air as if ashes were cast into it. For I have observed, that with a hoar-frost commonly there is a mist, which resolves into rain within twenty four hours.
• 3. He casteth forth his ice like morsels. That is, fragments of ice.
• 4. Who can stand before his cold? That is, able to endure it, had not he provided clothes, furrs, fire against the violence and rigor of it.

Described he hath the vehemency of the cold in the snow, frost, ice; next he shows with what facility and celerity he dissolves and removes it. Only by his Word.

• 1. He sends out his word and melts them. [unspec 18]
• 2. He causeth his wind to blow. His South wind, and the waters flow, Ice and Snow are resolved into water.

But note here that the Prophet calls it His ice, His cold, His word, His wind, that we may know that the constipation and resolution is from him, and therefore we depend upon his providence for out food and raiment, &c.

4. This is an act of God's providence in common to all Nations, and by it he teacheth all Nations to acknowledge their Creator. But there is a peculiar Act of his providence extended to his people in which other Nations did not, nor do not yet communicate with them, viz. The knowledge of his word, and manifestation of his Will, and this is a new argument by which he persuades them to praise God. What Israel might, that now the Christian Church may say, and that with advantage.

• 1. [unspec 19] He shows his word unto Jacob, his statutes and judgments unto Israel. To them he spake by Moses and the Prophets. To us by his own Son, his Apostles and their successors.
• 2. [unspec 20] He hath not dealt so with any Nation, with none at that time; And now to none, who belong not to the spiritual Jerusalem, which is the Church.
• 3. And as for his judgments. The Evangelical Preceps, and Rules of life, and salvation, they have not known them.

Now for all these benefits, and for all these reasons. Hallelujah. Praise ye the Lord.

PSAL. CXLVIII. A Hymn. Or Hallelujah.

THE Prophet in this Psalm calls upon the whole Creation to be instrumental in the praises of God. By which he shows,

• 1. His ardent desire that God be praised in that, as if Creatures endued with reason, were too few to praise God, he calls even to inanimate things, that they would join with him, and be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Naz.
• 2. His intention, what he would have done, then what could be done.
• 3. That what could be, should be done: that they by our mouths praise God; That is, we seeing in them God power, wisdom, goodness, be ready to praise.
• 4. That in their kinds they really do praise him, because being made in a wonderful beauty and order, which they transgress, proclaim to the world, and testify of God even without a voice, that he must needs be a wise, intelligent understanding, that so made them.

The Psalm is disposed by an excellent Distribution.

1. He calls to the celestial creatures in General. 2. In special.

• 1. The Angels. Praise ye the Lord. 1. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens; Ye. Of the celestial Order. Or ut caeles, i. e. [Ver. 1] de habitaculo vestro; and this is no command, 〈◊〉 exhortation, as if the Angels were negligent in their duty, but an invitation to continue in doing what they do already. 2. Praise him in the heights, i. e. the heavens above. 3. And yet more plainly. For the second verse is but an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or declaration of the first. 1. Praise him all his Angels. 2. Praise him all his hosts. Which in St. Luke are Militia caeli. [Ver. 2]
• 2. The Sun and Moon, Stars. Praise ye him Sun and Moon. Praise him all ye Stars of light. Though not with voice, which ye want, yet praise him by your greatness, motion, beauty, light, efficacy. [Ver. 3]
• 3. He comes to the body of the heaven, the Orbs.
  • 1. Praise him ye heaven of heavens, that is, the Coelum Empyraum. [Ver. 4]
  • 2. And ye waters that be above the heavens, that is, all the Orbs above the air, which in the Scripture is called heaven; as volucres coeli nubes coeli, &c.

And in the two next verses he gives the reason, why the heavens praise God.

• 1. He commanded, and they were created. They are his creatures; [Ver. 5] therefore,
• 2. He hath established them forever, [Ver. 6] he hath made a decree which shall not pass. They are incorruptible, they must keep the Order he made.

2. From heaven he descends to the earth, and all sublunary bodies, as the earth, Air, water, and creatures that live in these, or are in these. Praise the Lord from the earth. All that are from the earth, [Ver. 7] all made of an elementary substance. As,

• 1. Ye Dragons. Ye Whales. Muse. Greater fishes. Bellar.
• 2. All Deeps. All kind of waters. Lakes, Ponds, Rivers, Seas.
• 3. Fire and hail, snow and vapors, stormy wind fulfilling his word. Meteors. [unspec 9]
• 4. Mountains and all hills. Campi patentes & Ualles.
• 5. Fruitful trees and all Cedars. All trees fit to build with.
• 6. Beasts and all Cattle, both wild and tame.
• 7. [unspec 10] Greeping things. Worms, Serpents.
• 8. And all flying fowls.

3. In the last place he cites all mankind to praise God.

• 1. The Highest Kings and all people. They who command, who obey.
• 2. [unspec 11] Princes and all Judges of the earth. All inferior Magistrates.
• 3. [unspec 12] Of all Sexes. Both young men and maidens.
• 4. Of all Ages. Old men and children.

Let them praise the Name of the Lord. [unspec 13] For which he gives this reason,

• 1. For his Name is excellent alone. There is no Name so sublime, so high, and worthy of all praise. For all created things, although great, if compared to God's greatness, are nothing, for what excellency soever they have, they have from him, whose Name is alone excellent.
• 2. His Glory is above the earth and heaven. Their glory being from him.

4. He concludes the Psalm with his goodness to his Church; which is another reason.

• 1. [unspec 14] He also exalts the horn, that is, the power and glory of his people.
• 2. He is the Praise of his Saints. The Pride of Israel, viz.
• 3. Even of the children of Israel, a people near to him, a people dedicated, consecrated to God. And near unto him in true knowledge, faith, true worship, adoration, Trust, and filial love.

All which is to be understood not of Israel according to the flesh, but of Israel according to the Spirit. For all are not Israel, that are of Israel, Rom. 9. There were among them Generations of Vipers, Mat. 3. and such as resisted the 〈…〉 • host, Act. 7.

Now those that are true Israelites, and those especially he excites to sing Hallelujah. [unspec 14] Praise ye the Lord.

PSAL. CXLIX. Hallelujah. A Hymn.

IN this Psalm the Saints of God are excited to give him due thanks, for For two reasons:

• 1. For the Grace and Favor received from him, from verse. 1. to 5.
• 2. For the Glory and Privileges they shall receive, [Ver. 1] from verse. 5. to 9. [unspec 2]

1. The Prophet first excites the Saints to a return of thanks. Let Israel rejoice, let the children of Zion praise. Which is amplified

• 1. From the persons who are to perform it, Saints, called here Israel, the children of Zion. For praise is not comely in the mouth of sinners.
• 2. From the Quality of the Song, it must be Canticum novum, a New Song, it was an old Song the Creatures sung in the former Psalm for their Creation. It must be a New Song the Saints must sing for their Renovation and Glorification. A new matter to be sung by new men.
• 3. From the place, in which it is to be sung, not in private, but in public in the Church, in a full Congregation of the Saints.
• 4. From the manner in which it is to be done, in all allacrity, with all the affection that may be, with a Song, with joy, with praise. Cantate, [unspec 3] psallite, jubilate. And, as if all we could do were too little, to take the help of all Musical instruments. Let us praise his Name in the dance, let us sing praises unto him with Timbrel and Harp.
• 5. From the object, God, who was their Creator, and their King. [Ver. 2] Let Israel rejoice in him that made him, let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

And this part he concludes, with a strong reason for a New Song.

• 1. For the Lord takes pleasure in his people. He loved them from everlasting, and that out of mere good-will, and this his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is the root and foundation of all our good, therefore he predestinated, therefore he called, therefore he justified, therefore he sanctified, [Ver. 4] therefore he will glorify, because it was his good-pleasure so to do, he takes pleasure in his people, Luk. 12.32.
• 2. He will beautify the meek with Salvation. What was his good-pleasure, he will fulfill. That people, who hath learned of him to be meek and humble, he will exalt, he will save, he will honor with beauty and glory.

2. And now he begins to describe the future glory, with which he will beautify them.

• 1. Let the Saints be joyful in glory. To which they shall never come, except Saints.
• 2. Let them rejoice in their beds, i. e. [Ver. 5] Their Mansions prepared for them in heaven, where they instantly rest from their labors, Rev. 14. But not from their praising God, that's no labor. They sing aloud, they sleep not then.

Their work there is twofold, one for the present, the other for the future.

• 1. For the present. The high praises, the greatest and highest that can be thought on, let these be in their mouths. Exaltant Deum, & exultant. [Vers. 6]
• 2. For the future; when Christ shall come to judgment; Let a two-edged sword be in their hand. The sword is in a Judges hand, for he is an avenger of all that do ill. By the sword then, Judiciary power may well be understood, Deut. 32.41. Rom. 13.4. And the Saints at the last day are to be Judges, 1 Cor. 6.2. Mat. 19.28.

Then the exercise of this judiciary power shall be,

• 1. [Vers. 7] To execute vengeance upon the heathen, to reprove them, and to pronounce a condemnatory sentence against them, to exprobate to them their former life, Wisd. 5.1, &c. and to pronounce punishment on the people. To judge them to punishment.
• 2. [Vers. 8] To bind even the greatest, their Kings in chains, and their Nobles with fetters of iron. The phrase is Metaphorical, as is that of the Gospel, Mat. 22. Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into utter darkness. The meaning of it is, that at the day of Judgment, the Saints shall approve the sentence passed by Christ against all Nero's, Diocletians, Herod's, Julians, when they shall be bound in chains of darkness, and crushed by Christ's iron Scepter.
• 3. [Vers. 9] To execute upon them the judgment written. The judgment against wicked doers, and persecutors of God's Church, written in God's Book, and as certain, as if engraven in a pillar. His immutable judgment.

3. He concludes with an Epiphonema.

PSAL. CL. A Hymn.

THIS Psalm is of the same Subject that the former. In the 148. All creatures are invited to praise God. In the 149. Men especially, and those that are in the Church: But in this, that they praise him, and that with all kind of Instruments.

The parts are.

• 1. An Invitation to praise God, which word is ingeminated thirteen times, according to the number of the thirteen Attributes of God, as the Rabbins reckon them.
• 2. That this be done with all sorts of Instruments, intending thereby that it be performed with all the zeal, care, alacrity, ardency of affections that may be.

1. In the beginning, and all along the Psalm, he calls on men to praise God. [Ver. 1]

• 1. Praise, praise, praise, praise.
• 2. Praise God in his Sanctuary: In his Temple; or in your hearts, which are the Temples of the Holy Ghost: Or praise him, that dwells in Sanctis; that is, in his holy Heaven.
• 3. Praise him in the firmament of his power: For his power, magnificence, which is firm: Or, who shows his power in the Firmament, when he sits as in his Throne or Palace. Some understand the Church by it, in which his Saints shine as Stats in the Firmament.
• 4. [Ver. 2] Praise him for his mighty Acts; the works of power he doth.
• 5. Praise him according to his excellent greatness. That greatness whereby he excels all other things; he being absolutely great, they only comparatively.

2. He desires that no kind of way be omitted, by which we may show our zeal, alacrity and ardency in praising him, and to that end he makes mention of all sorts of Instruments, which either make Music, being touched with the hand, or forced to sound with wind.

• 1. Praise him with the sound of Trumpet: An Instrument then used in their solemn Feasts. Tuba flatu sonitum reddet.
• 2. Praise him with the Psaltery and Harp: Pulsu chordarum resonant: [Ver. 3] And to these they sung; so that the Music was made by hand and voice.
• 3. Praise him with the Timbrel, and dance. Tympano & Choro. Vulg. [unspec 4] in the Choir, where, with the consent and harmony of many voices.
• 4. Praise him with stringed Instruments; Lutes, Viols, &c. and Organs. [Ver. 5]
• 5. Praise him upon the loud Cymbals. They are round, and being shaken, make a tinkling noise. [unspec 5]
• 6. Praise him upon the high sounding Cymbals: An Instrument that yielded a great sound, as Bells do amongst Christians. Bellar.

His Conclusion is universal: Let everything that hath breath, praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Allelujah. [unspec 6]

• 1. Every thing that breaths; whatever hath strength or faculty to do it.
• 2. Every thing that hath life; whether spiritual, as Angels, or animal, as Beasts, or both as men: Or Metaphorically, all other things; which, though they be inanimate, yet may be said to live to God, because they obey his Order and Decree. The Prophets intent may be, that all things praise God, because all things that have life or being, have it from him.

And here I in particular thank thee for thy assistance in this work, which I wholly attribute to thy Grace, and dedicate to thy Honor.

And if I have done well, and truly expressed the sense of the Spirit of God, who inspired into the Prophet these Psalms and Hymns, it is that I desired: But if slenderly and meanly, it is that which I could attain to.