Davids Harp Strung and Tuned

The Prayer collected out of the thirty third Psalm.

O God, thy goodness is so great, thy faithfulness so constant, thy power so wonderful, thy providence so universal, but thy care so Fatherly toward thy people, that we were unworthy of the least of thy mercies, should we not acknowledge them, and return thee due honor and thanks. For there is nothing in the whole world, which doth not witness thee to be a bountiful God, [Vers. 4] and a most Merciful Father.

Thy Word, O Lord, thy Decree, for the Creation and Government of the World, is right and equal, and all thy works are done in true wisdom, righteousness, and judgment. [Vers. 5] For there is nothing that thou hast commanded which is not just: Nothing that thou hast promised, which thou wilt not make good, and bring to pass. Out of that love thou bearest to righteousness and judgment, the earth is full of thy goodness, there being in it nothing so minute and vile, which one way or other doth not partake of thy bounty, [Vers. 6] and commend thy goodness and mercy to us. By thy Word alone, and sole Command, were those incorruptible Orbs of the Heavens made and confirmed, and all the host of them, that multitude of stars so orderly and beautifully disposed by the breath, the word, the Fiat of thy mouth. [unspec 7] Thou hast gathered together those unruly waters of the Sea, into one place, and shut them up with bounds and limits, that they return not again to cover the earth. And thou hast hidden and laid up great streams of waters in the bowels of the earth, as in a Treasure-house, [unspec 9] which at thy pleasure thou bring'st forth to water a thirsty Land. He spake and all this was done, he commanded, and it stood fast. For so great is thy power, that without any labor, without any delay, without any help, all this was done, and that by thy Will and Word only, and by thy Word and Will it is that it doth so now continue, and remain without dissolution.

Therefore, O ye righteous, rejoice in the Lord; [unspec 1] Praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner, [Vers. 2] praise therefore a righteous God with an upright heart. Neither with your mouth only express his praise, but set it forth with musical instruments. [unspec 3] Praise the Lord with the Harp, sing unto him with the Psaltery, and an instrument of ten strings. And you who have so often sung of his honor, now since he hath renewed his mercies, set forth your joy with a New Song, play skillfully with a loud voice. So set forth his praise, his power, his wisdom, [unspec 8] his mercy, that all the earth may fear the Lord, and the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. [unspec 11] For what he hath ordained by his eternal counsel, shall be fulfilled, and stand fast forever, and the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Since then thou, O Jehovah, art most just, most merciful, [unspec 12] most Mighty, blessed is that Nation, who have chosen and worshipped thee, O Lord, for their God, and happy is the people, whom thou hast chosen for thine inheritance. O make us, Lord, always of this people, that we may be happy under thy protection: Dwell in the midst of us, and bless us.

But, O Lord, bring the counsels of wicked men, against this thy people, to naught, [unspec 10] and make the devices of the people of none effect. Look down from heaven, [unspec 13] [unspec 14] and behold all the sons of men, from the place of thy habitation look upon the inhabitants of the earth. [unspec 15] Thou searchest the very hearts and reins, [unspec 16] and knowest all their plots and secret counsels they take against thy people, thou seest their preparations and provisions. O Lord, make them know, and so fashion their hearts, that they may perceive, that all hope and confidence is in vain which is not in thee. Because there is no other can save besides thyself. [unspec 17] For there is no King that can be saved by the multitude of an host, neither is a mighty man delivered by much strength. An Horse, whether in battle or flight, is a vain-deceitful thing to save a man, neither shall he deliver his rider by his great strength. It is not in these vain helps we put our confidence, our hope is in thee alone, on thee we rely, to thee we trust, from thee we look for help. [unspec 18] Let thy eye, therefore, O Lord, be upon us that fear thee, who rely not upon any merits and creatures, [unspec 19] but on thy mere mercy, let thy everlasting mercy then follow us, and deliver our souls from temporal and eternal death, and suffain us with a sufficient livelihood in the time of famine.

Upon thee, [unspec 20] O Lord, our soul doth wait, be our shield to protect us, our help to deliver us. So shall our heart rejoice in thee, and we shall have just occasion to triumph, [unspec 21] that we have trusted in thy Holy Name. O Lord, let thy infinite Mercy be upon us, [unspec 22] according as we hope in thee. For thy Sons sake we hope for mercy, and for his sake let it descend upon us. Amen.

PSAL. XXXIV. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

THIS Psalm is composed with great art: which must be observed by him who will rightly Analyse it. The Scope of it is to praise God, and instruct in his fear. The parts in General are,

1. He praiseth God himself, and calls upon others by his example, to do so, from verse. 1. to 8.

2. He sets himself in the place of a Master, instructs and teacheth in the fear of God, from verse. 8. to the last.

1. He praiseth God himself, which he professeth thus,

• 1. I will bless the Lord. 2. His praise shall be. 3. He would boast in it.
• 2. [Vers. 1] He would not cease in it, it should be done all his days. Continually.
• 3. Expressed it should be by his mouth, [Vers. 2] but by a tongue affected by the heart; My • oul shall make her boast in the Lord.
• 4. And so long he would continue in it, till others were moved to do the like; The humble shall hear thereof, and will be glad.

2. Upon which he provokes others to join with him to praise God also, O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his Name together: [Vers. 3] And that he may the easilier encourage them unto it, he proposeth his own example of God's dealing to him, I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Yea, but perhaps it may be said, This was a singular mercy exhibited to David. To which he replies in effect, No, a Mercy it is, [Vers. 4] that belongs to all that seek God. [Vers. 5]

They looked unto him and were lightened, and their faces were not ashamed. [Vers. 6]

But it seems this did not satisfy neither. For they rejoin, This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, that is, David, but he was in favor, and saved him out of all his troubles. [Vers. 7] To which he replies by this general and undeniable Maxim, The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. Be they who they will. And for this cause he persuades them to join with him in the praise of God.

2. And thence he falls to his instructions. Now the Lessons are two. [Vers. 8]

• 1. That they make a trial of God's goodness: O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. [Vers. 9]
• 2. That they become his Servants: O fear the Lord, ye his Saints, for there is no want to those that fear him. Which he illustrates by a comparison, The lions lack, &c. But they that seek the Lord, shall not.

These promises, and this blessing, belongs to none but such as fear God. [Vers. 10] That then no man deceive himself, conceiving that he shall have a share in the blessing, when it belongs not to him, he enters upon, and discourses of the common place, The Fear of God; and calls his Auditors to be attentive, Come you Children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. That fear of the Lord, which, if a man be desirous of life, and to see many days, [Vers. 11] shall satisfy him; And if he be ambitious to see good, [Vers. 12] the peace of a quiet soul and good conscience shall lodge it with him.

• 1. Let him be sure to have a Lock upon his tongue: Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile.
• 2. Let him bear no affection to injustice: [Vers. 13] Decline and depart from evil.
• 3. Let him be charitable, ready to do good works: Do good. [Vers. 14]
• 4. Let him be a Peace-maker: Seek peace, and ensue it. Else, he fears not God.

These be the Characters of those that seek the Lord, and fear him, and these shall want no manner of thing that good is. Nothing that God sees good for them.

Object. Yea, but are not the righteous exposed to obloquies, scorn, injuries? &c. and do not the wicked flourish in wealth, power, and authority? &c.

Resp. Yes indeed, but they, the godly, are neither unhappy for this, nor the ungodly happy. For though the world deride them, and tread them underfoot, yet they are dear to God.

• 1. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, [Vers. 15] and his ears are open to their cry.
• 2. But the face of the Lord is against those that do evil, [Vers. 16] to cut off the remembrance of them from off the earth.

And upon this point David makes his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and comes over it in the rest of the Psalm.

• 1. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth him, [Vers. 17] and delivereth him out of all his troubles, he hears him ad voluntatem, or ad salutem; and delivers him, either by taking them from him, or him from them.
• 2. [Vers. 18] The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Consolatur, confirmat, roborat.
• 3. [unspec 19] I confess that many are the afflictions of the righteous. But deserted they are not. But the Lord delivers him out of them all, because he makes him patient, constant, able, cheerful in all, Superior to all.
• 4. [unspec 20] He keeps all his bones, so that not one of them is broken: Perhaps it refers to Christ, whose bones were not broken; or to the bones of the Saints in their graves, which shall come again together. Capilli capitis numerantur.

But as for the ungodly, it is not so with them. Occidet impios malicia. The very root of their perdition is their malice. The first showed to God, the second to good men.

• 1. [Vers. 21] Evil shall slay the wicked.
• 2. And they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

And then David concludes this Psalm with this excellent 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Though God suffers his Servants to come into trouble, yet he delivers them from thence. For that is the nature of Redemption, to free one from misery; for Redeem'd one cannot be, who is not under some hardship. This shall be done, saith David. The Lord redeemeth the souls of his servants, [Vers. 22] and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

PSAL. XXXV. Is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

THE parts of it are,

1. A prayer for defense against his enemies. In which he prays, first for protection, verse. 1, 2, 3, 17, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25. Then imprecates evil to fall on them, verse. 4, 5, 6, 8, & 26.

2. A bitter complaint against the malice of his enemies, which he pours out into the ears of God, as motives to plead his cause, verse. 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21.

3. A proposal of his trust and confidence in God for help and deliverance, his joy in it, verse. 9, 10. His thanks for it, verse. 18, 28. and a motive to others to do the like, verse. 27.

1. In the Courts of men and Princes innocents are often oppressed by false accusations and calumnies, persecuted, and over-borne by power. He then,

First, Prayes to God to be his Advocate, his Patron and Protector.

• 1. Litiga: Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that serive with me. [Vers. 1]
• 2. Fight against them that fight against me. [unspec 2] Take hold of the shield and buckler, and stand up for my help. Dram out also the spear, [unspec 3] and stop the way against them that persecute me.
• 3. Say unto my soul. Assure me, I am thy salvation.

Secondly, He falls to an Imprecation against his enemies.

• 1. Let them be confounded and put to shame, &c. verse. 4.
• 2. Let them be as chaff before the wind, &c. verse. 5. [Vers. 4]
• 3. Let their way be dark and slippery, &c. verse. 6. [unspec 5]
• 4. Let destruction come upon him at unawares, verse. 8. [unspec 6]

And here he interserts some reasons of his Petition and Imprecation. [unspec 8]

• 1. From the justice of his cause, and their unjustice: Without cause they have hid a net, &c. verse. 7. [Vers. 7]
• 2. [Vers. 9] From his gratitude, that being delivered he would be thankful: And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord, [unspec 10] &c. verse. 9, 10.
• 3. From his enemies dealing with him, from verse. 11. to 17.

And so enters upon his Complaint, which is the second part of the Psalm, and upon this he stays long. And he lays to their charge,

• 1. Perfidiousness and extreme malice, and perjury: False witnesses did rise up, [Vers. 11] they laid to my charge things that I know not.
• 2. [Vers. 12] Ingratitude: They rewarded me evil for good: Good he did to them, he, [unspec 13] when they were, fasted, and prayed for them: But they were cruel to him. [unspec 14]
• 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . In my adversity they rejoiced, &c.
• 4. [unspec 15] Mocking, jesting, jeering: The abjects gathered themselves against me, [unspec 16] they rent me, and ceased not, with hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
• 5. And a Conspiracy in all, to verse. 20, 21.

Then he returns to his Prayer again, and expostulates his cause with God, wondering that he should be so patient: Lord, how long wilt thou look on? resoue my soul from their destruction, [unspec 17] and my Darling from the lions. And to move God the sooner to do it, [unspec 18] he repeats his former reason, verse. 9. engaging himself to be thankful, I will give thee thanks in the great Congregation, I will praise thee among much people.

And yet so he gives not over, but continues his suit even unto the end of the Psalm, sometimes praying, sometimes imprecating.

• 1. [unspec 19] He deprecates, Let not them which are mine enemies, wrongfully rejoice over me, neither let them in scorn wink with their eyes at me, without a cause. And that God be the readier to hear him, and stay this their joy and triumph, he subnects this reason; For they speak not peace, [unspec 20] but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land. [unspec 21] Again, they are impudent, lying people: Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

This is a Truth, [unspec 22] this not hid from thee. This thou hast seen, and from them to thee I turn my eyes, and thus make again my prayer.

• 1. Keep not still silence. Neglect not always my cause, or grant them impunity.
• 2. [unspec 23] Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God, and my Lord: defend me, and punish their impudence.
• 3. [unspec 24] Judge me according to thy righteousness: which suffers not the just to be oppressed always.
• 4. Let them not rejoice over me. And in me over the Truth, and a just cause.
• 5. [unspec 25] Let them not say in their hearts, So would we have it; let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
• 6. [unspec 26] But rather, let that befall them, which I have before prayed for, Let them be ashamed, and brought to confusion, that rejoice at my hurt, let them be clothed with shame and dishonor, that magnify themselves against me.

The conclusion is drawn from the consequent of David's prayer, if heard, then he, and the whole Church, all good men would rejoice with him.

• 1. To them he first turns his speech, Let them shout for joy that favor my righteous dealing; yea, let them say continually, The Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
• 2. Then he professeth for his own particular as he had done before, verse. 9, 10. & 18. My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness, and of thy praise all the day long.

PSAL. XXXVI. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

THE end of this Psalm, is to implore God, that out of his goodness, he would deliver David, and all good men from the pride and malice of the wicked: To this purpose,

• 1. He sets down a Character of a wicked man, and his grievous estate, from ver. 1. to ver. 5.
• 2. He makes a Narrative in the commendation of God's mercy, from ver. 1. to ver. 10.
• 3. He prayeth for the continuance of God's goodness to his people, petitions against his proud enemy, and exults at his fall, ver. 10, 11, 12.

1. Howsoever other men may judge of wicked men, bless them while they prosper, [Ver. 1] and speak well of them, yet my censure and judgment of them, is this:

The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes: Sic apud me statuo, sic decerno. This is David's postulatum, and he first sets it down, as the bitter root from which all the ill fruit following doth grow; and so he enters upon an induction of particulars, and by them describes a wicked man.

• 1. [Ver. 2] His first note is, the pleasure, the glory, the boasting he takes in wickedness; He flattereth himself in his own eyes: His 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , love to himself is so great, that a great sin in his sight is no sin; vice is virtue; falsehood, truth.
• 2. The second, that in this he continues, and will not be persuaded out of it, until his iniquity be found to be hateful; till God by some heavy judgment, hath past his sentence, and dislike against it.
• 3. [Ver. 3] The third is, his hypocrisy, aliud cord, aliud ore; The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: He gives goodly words, but hath war in his heart.
• 4. The fourth is, his pertinency in evil, and his abrenunciation of good: Desinit adhibere intelligentiam, he hath left off to behave himself wisely; or he will not understand, that he may do good.
• 5. [Ver. 4] And in the fifth verse, he bundles up as it were his sins. 1. He plots evil, and deviseth mischief upon his bed. 2. He sets himself in the way that is not good. 3. He abhors no evil. He invents wickedness, he sets about it to perfect it; yea, though it be of the highest strain; he swallows it, and nauseates it not.

This is the description of a wicked man, which some men beholding, begin to wonder at God's patience, that he will endure this a buse and affront, and are apt upon it to question his providence; to whom, that David may return an answer, he enlargeth himself upon God's mercy and goodness, from which this his longsuffering doth proceed: And two streins there are of it; the first absolute and general, extended to all: 2. The other particular, which is exhibited to the faithful only.

First, In general: God is good to all, which is seen in his bountifulness, his fidelity, and his justice, and his preservation of all things.

• 1. Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the Heavens: Thou preservest them.
• 2. Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the Clouds: They water the Earth, [unspec 5] as its promised.
• 3. Thy righteousness is like the great Mountains, immovable. [unspec 6]
• 4. Thy judgments are a great deep; unsearchable, past finding out.
• 5. Thou Lord preservest man and beast; in thee, we live, move, and have our being.

Secondly, But of his special care and providence, as it stands in relation to the faithful, he gives another account; 'tis a precious thing, he sets a price upon it, and admires it; O how excellent is thy loving kindness, O Lord; [Ver. 7] Quam preciosa: Of which the consequent is in the faithful, hope, confidence, comfort in distress.

• 1. [unspec 8] Therefore the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
• 2. The effects of it, the plenty of all good things prepared for the faithful.
  • 1. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House. [unspec 9]
  • 2. Thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasure.
• 3. To which he adds the cause: For in thee is the Fountain of life, and in thy light we shall see light.

He concludes with a Prayer. 1. For all God's faithful people. 2. For himself.

• 1. He prays that this peculiar and precious mercy might light upon the heads of all those that serve God in sincerity: O continue thy loving kindness to them that know thee, [Ver. 10] and thy righteousness to the upright of heart.
• 2. He prays for himself, that he may be defended from the pride and violence of wicked men: Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me. [Ver. 1]
• 3. Lastly, He closes all with this exulting Epiphonema, There are the workers of iniquity fallen: There, when they promised to themselves peace and security, and said, tush, no harm shall happen to us; there, [unspec 12] and then are they fallen: They are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

PSAL. XXXVII. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

T HE 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.
• 2. He gives many Reasons to persuade unto it.

1. He begins with an Interdict, and then descends to give forth some Commands.

• 1. His Interdict is, [unspec 2] Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Be nor angry, not envious; [unspec 7, 8.] to which he adds this Reason, That their prosperity is but short; [unspec 35, 36.] for they shall be cut down as the grass, and wither as the green herb: [unspec 38] This interdict is repeated, ver. 7, 8. and the reason, ver. 9, 10, 35, 36, 38.
• 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 human 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. [unspec 4]
  • 5. Delight thou in the Lord, be pleased with his way: Ratio; Dabit petitions cordis. [unspec 5]
  • 6. Commit thy way unto the Lord; labor in an honest vocation, leave the rest to him; for he shall bring it to pass; [unspec 6] he shall bring forth thy righteousness, &c.
  • 7. Rest and acquiesce in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; [unspec 7, 8.] his time is the best, and then he repeats his Interdict, Fret not thyself.

Then he resumes his former Reason mentioned at the second verse, and amplifies it by an Antithesis, viz. that bonis been, malis male erit, ver. 9, 10, 11. and so it falls out plerum{que}, 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. 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, [unspec 12] and gnasheth upon him with his teeth: To which David answereth:

The Lord shall laugh at him; for he seeth that his day, dies ultionis, [unspec 13] is coming.

Yea, But the wicked have drawn out their Sword, and have bent their Bowe (which is beyond plotting and derision) to cast down the poor and needy, [unspec 14] and slay such as are of an upright Conversation. David answers:

Be it so, Their Sword shall enter into their own heart, [unspec 15] and their Bowe shall be broken. [Object. 2]

The other Tentation, is beggary and poverty; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . The ungodly swim in wealth, but the godly are commonly poor, and therefore exposed to contempt; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

To this David answers, A little that the righteous hath, is better than the riches of many wicked; better, because used better; better, because possessed with content; better, because it hath God's blessing upon it: [unspec 16] And this David proves by many Reasons. [unspec 17]

• 1. For the arms of the wicked: i. e. Their arm and strength of riches, shall be broken; but God sustains with his blessing, that little of the righteous.
• 2. The Lord knows the days, good or bad, of the upright; he loves them, [unspec 18] and they are his care; and their inheritance shall be forever, firm, stable. [unspec 19]
• 3. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, nor destitute, nor forsaken of necessaries, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

But with rich wicked men it is not so; though they abound in wealth, [unspec 20] yet they shall insensibly consume, perish, as the fat of Lambs, that burnt upon the Altar, vanisheth into smoke, and passeth away.

• 4. And yet another blessing there is upon the good man's little, that he hath over and above, [unspec 21] and something to spare, to give; whereas the wicked, notwithstanding his ample fortune, is a borrower, and hath this ill quality, that he payeth not again; the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth.
• Of which he gives this Reason: For such as God blesseth, shall possess the earth; [unspec 26] and they that be cursed of him, shall be cut off: i. e. They shall have, [unspec 22] but not enjoy the goods of this life.
• And thus much David proves by his own experience; [unspec 29] I have been young, and now am old, [unspec 38] yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread; [unspec 25] his liberality was the cause of it, He is ever merciful, and lendeth, [unspec 26] and his seed is blessed.

Another Argument of God's protection, is, that God upholds him: The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delights in his way; and be it that by infirmity, [unspec 23] he err, slip, fall; yet though he fall, yet he shall not utterly be cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. [unspec 24]

In the rest of the Psalm, David makes a repetition of all that went before, he ingeminates his chief rule, his promises, his comforts, his comminations.

And he begins with his Rule, ver. 3. Depart from evil, and do good, and dwell for evermore: [unspec 27] In which he exhorts to obedience, and instanceth in both parts of Repentance, Mortification, Vivification; which he fortifieth with a double Reason, the same before.

• 1. A promise to the godly: For the Lord loveth righteousness, he forsaketh not his Saints, [Ver. 28] they are preserved forever.
• 2. A commination to the wicked; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

These two Reasons he resumes, amplifies, and illustrates.

First, [unspec 29] That of the righteous: The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever; and that you may know who he means by his righteous man, he further sets down his Character; he it is,

• 1. Whose mouth speaks wisdom; he speaks honourably and reverently of God's Justice, and denies not his Providence.
• 2. [unspec 30] Whose mouth talks of judgment; i. e. that only which is just and right.
• 3. [unspec 31] The Law of God is in his heart; not in his tongue alone, or his brain.
• 4. None of his steps shall slide; he keeps on his right way, and will not be seduced: [unspec 32] This is the righteous man I mean; but this righteous man, as I said before, ver. 12, 13, 14, 15. hath his enemies; for the wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeks to slay him.

Well, [unspec 33] be it so, that this righteous man hath his Protector also; The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged: And therefore do what I have formerly advised, [unspec 34] ver. 3, 7. Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land; when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

Secondly, For they shall be cut off, as I said, ver. 28. This I know by my own experience, I have seen the wicked in great power, and flourishing like a green bay Tree; yet he passed by, and lo he was gone; I sought him, but he could not be found.

And what I have in my time observed, [unspec 35] that you by your own experience, if you be diligent and attentive, [unspec 36] ye may observe to be as true also, even in both kinds, both just and unjust, [unspec 37] godly, and ungodly; for,

• 1. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace.
• 2. [unspec 38] But the Transgressors shall be destroyed together, the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

Of which, if you shall inquire the cause, it is easy to give it, and I have said it before, but I will here say it over again, for it can be never too often repeated, that it may be the better remembered: [unspec 39] But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, he is their strength in the time of trouble; and the Lord shall help them, and deliver them from the wicked, [unspec 40] and save them, because they trust in him; and on the contrary, the wicked shall be cut off, and perish, because they trust not in him.

PSAL. XXXVIII. Which is the third of the Penitentials; in which he doth implore God's mercy, being grievously afflicted.

T HE parts of it are, two in general.

• 1. A Deprecation begun in the first verse, and continued in the two last.
• 2. A grievous complaint of his sin, disease, misery, God's anger, his friends, and his enemies, through the whole Psalm; all which he useth, as Arguments to move God to pity him, and show him mercy.

In the first verse, that the fears of his heart proceeding from the sense of God's anger against his sin, might be mitigated at least, though rebuked, yet not in wrath; though corrected, [Ver. 1] yet not in rigor: O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, nor chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

And so he falls instantly upon his complaint, which he amplifieth divers ways.

• 1. From the prime cause, God: For thine arrows stick fast in me, thy hand presseth me sore, [Ver. 2] because of thy anger.
• 2. [Ver. 3] From the impulsive cause, his sin, his iniquities, ver. 4. his foolishness, ver. 5.
• 3. [unspec 3] From the weight and gravity of his afflictions; which in general were, The arrows of God that stuck in his flesh, the hand of God with which he was pressed; [unspec 4] which was so grievous, That there was no soundness in his flesh, no rest in his bones.
• 4. By an induction of particulars, where he declares many effects of his disease.
  • 1. [unspec 5] Putrefaction and stink: My wounds stink, and are corrupt.
  • 2. [unspec 6] A sad posture of body: I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly, I go mourning all the day long.
  • 3. [unspec 7] A torment of his bowels: My loins are filled with a sore disease.
  • 4. A general disaffection of parts: There is no soundness in my flesh.
  • 5. [unspec 8] A debility and grievous plague: I am feeble, and sore smitten.
  • 6. A pain that forced from him an out-cry: I have roared.
  • 7. The disquietness of his heart: I have roared for the disquietness of my heart. In the midst of which, that he might not be thought to have let go his hold, his hope, his confidence in his God, he turns his speech to him; [unspec 9] Lord, all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee; he hopes, he prays still.
  • 8. The palpitation and trembling of the heart: My heart pants.
  • 9. The decay of his strength: My strength fails.
  • 10. The defect of his sight: As for the light of my eyes, [unspec 10] it is gone from me.

All these pressures and calamities were upon David from within, thus he suffered in body and in mind. But what, had he now a ••• omfort from without? Not any.

• 1. None from his friends. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore, and my kinsmen stand afar off. Amici non amici. [unspec 11]
• 2. As for his enemies, they even then added to his affliction. They also that seek after my life, lay snares for me, [unspec 12] and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceit all day long. In action, tongue, and thought, they seek to undo me.

He next descends to show his behavior in these grievous sufferings both from within and without. He murmur'd not at them, but was silent and patient, as a Lamb he opened not his mouth. But I was as a deaf man that heard not, [unspec 13] and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs. [unspec 14] He seemed not to hear what they objected, and made no sharp reply to their bitterness. In patience and silence he possessed his soul, that was his strength, Isa. 30.15. Which is another chief Argument he useth to mitigate God's wrath, and hot displeasure. Of which patience he gives these reasons.

• 1. His reliance on God for audience and redress. For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: Thou wilt hear me. [unspec 15]
• 2. For this he petitions: For to God he was not silent, though deaf and dumb to man; for I said, Hear me. [unspec 16] And this also made him patient, being assured, that being heard, God's honor would be vindicated in him. For if not heard, his enemies would triumph. Hear me then, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me, as accounting me a patient fool: When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
• 3. That in the greatness of his grief he was thus patient, for I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me. I am under a bitter cross, and I know if I be thy Servant I must be under the cross, [unspec 17] and therefore I take it up, and bear it patiently.
• 4. And this cross I know I have deserved also: 'tis for my iniquity, [unspec 18] and I will not conceal it. For I will declare mine iniquity, I will be sorry for my sin. I suffer justly, and therefore have reason to be patient.

Only, O Lord, I hope this shall not be imputed to my impatience, if I complain again of my enemies, and put thee in mind of their prosperity, that they live quietly, securely, plentifully, that they are strong and powerful, that they hate me, and are ungrateful persons.

But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong, [unspec 19] and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. They also that render evil for good, are my adversaries: [unspec 20] because I follow the thing that good is.

And so he concludes with a petition to God, in which he begs three things.

• 1. God's presence. Forsake me not, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me. [unspec 21]
• 2. Ayd and help.
• 3. And then that it be speedily afforded: Make haste to help me, [unspec 22] O Lord my salvation.

PSAL. XXXIX.

THIS Psalm is conceived to be penned upon the same occasion with the former, in some grievous distress he was, that's certain; whether by Absalom, or Shimei, or some great sickness, uncertain: However, as he professed before, at his sufferings and in juries, he was patient and silent. I was as as a deaf man, that heard not; and as a dumb man, &c. Psal. 38.13, 14. Yet here he confesseth, that the temptation was so sharp, and the provocation was so great, that he could not choose but speak, he could hold no longer, but must needs burst out; yet as there, so here, his complaint and petition is to his God: There be three parts of the Psalm.

• 1. A Manifest of his resolution and full purpose of heart for silence, ver. 1. and the consequence upon it, ver. 2, 3.
• 2. His Expostulation with God about the shortness and variable condition of life, ver. 4, 5, 6.
• 3. His Petition for remission from sin, ver. 8. from punishment, ver. 10. for a farther respite and grace, ver. 12, 13.

First, David acquaints us here with his resolution; Dixi, I said, I decreed, I fully purposed; and it was filent and dumb in the presence of his enemies.

• 1. I said I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue; and again, I will keep my mouth, as with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. [Ver. 1]
• 2. And this resolution for a while he kept; I was dumb with silence, [Ver. 2] I held my peace, even from good, even from a just defense.
• 3. But I found in this very great difficulty; nay, impossiblity.
  • 1. For all this while, my sorrow was stirred, it was pain to me to be silent.
  • 2. My heart was hot within me; I was in flame to utter my mind. [Ver. 3]
  • 3. And while I was thus musing, the fire burst out; what was within, I saw could not be concealed, no more than fire, for a while raked up in embers; and at last, I spake with my tongue.

Secondly, But better it had been, he had been silent still, since in a querulous manner he begins to expostulate with God; Lord, let me know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: As if he had said, [Ver. 4] Better it were my days were ended, and I in my Grave, than to be thus vexed in body and mind, without, by enemies and perfidious friends; and if yet it must be so, it were well I knew the end of it, and how long I must be under this Cross; and were my life, what others is, yet it hath many properties to alleviate the comforts of it.

• 1. It is very brittle and frail: Make me know how frail I am. [Ver. 4]
• 2. It is very short, it may be measured out by a hand-breadth, which is no long measure, nor a yard that is made of it: Behold, thou hast made my days as a hand-breadth. [Ver. 5]
• 3. Nay, which is yet of less reckoning: 'It is as nothing before thee, a nihil.
• 4. 'It is full of vanity: Verily, every man at his best state, in his strength, riches, power, is altogether vanity; his labors promise much, satisfy little.
• 5. 'It is unstable and uncertain; as a shadow, the image of a shadow; Surely every man walketh in a vain shadow. [Ver. 6]
• 6. 'It is full of trouble and disquiet; Surely they are disquieted in vain.
• 7. His labors are for he knows not whom: He heapeth up riches, and knows not who shall gather them.

Thus David querulously expostulates, but presently recollecting himself, he stops and checks, as it were, his immodesty; nor the brevity, nor the vanity, nor the uncertainty, nor the anxiety of his life shall hereafter much trouble him, he had a surer Rock than any worldly thing whereon to rely, which was his God: And now Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. Let others toil for riches, admire dignities, empires, pleasures; let them be proud of these, and complain that their life is too short to enjoy these: [unspec 7] But I have far a stronger hold to trust to, even thee O Lord, who I am persuaded wilt be propitious to me, and be my stay among all the variety and instability of human things; this was his comfort.

Thirdly, Then upon this confidence he falls to prayer.

• 1. [unspec 8] For remission of sin: Deliver me from all my transgressions.
• 2. For defense against ill tongues: Make me not a reproach to the foolish.
• 3. Pardon for his immodest expostulation, upon promise not to do the like: I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; hereafter I will humble myself under thy hand, and be silent; for thou hast done it, my affliction is from thee. [unspec 10]
• 4. A remove of his punishment: Take away thy plague away from me.
  • 1. And he adds the cause; either remove thy hand, or I must needs yield and perish: I am even consumed by the means, or by the blow of thy hand.
  • 2. And this he amplifies by a similitude of a Moth, and adds a second Reason: [unspec 11] When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty consume away as a Moth; which is bred in the Garment, and insensibly corrodes, frets, eats it; as doth some disease our body, that bred in it, consumes it: And for confirmation, he repeats his former words, ver. 5. delivering it here in a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Surely every man is vanity, Selah; mark that.
  • 3. To which may be added a third, The consideration of our present condition in this life; [unspec 12] we, and all our fathers, are but pilgrims and strangers in this life: I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were; therefore parce.

Faith is always struggling with temptations; before, ver. 7. he is confident, God is his hope; but yet his calamities, his sickness, his enemies, the brevity, fugacity, troubles of his life, ever and anon come into his memory, and therefore he prays again for mitigation of these; [unspec 13] and his prayer ariseth by a gradation.

• 1. He prays for Audience: Hear my prayer, O Lord.
• 2. Then that his cry, for such it was, be heard: Give ear unto my cry.
• 3. For admission of his tears: Hold not thy peace at my tears; the Reason is, a stranger, thy grace, thy favor.
• 4. For some relaxation and ease: O spare me, that I may recover my strength; which he quickens with this motive; before I go hence, and be no more seen. Restore me to thy favor in this life, hereafter it will be too late to expect it. Ne moriar desperans.

PSAL. XL. Which is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

THERE be two main parts of this Psalm.

• 1. A Thanksgiving, from ver. 1. to 11.
• 2. A Prayer, from ver. 11. to the end.

Thankfulness consists in the exercise of two virtues, Truth and Justice.

• 1. Truth causeth us to acknowledge the benefit, and from it we have received it.
• 2. Justice ties us to be grateful, and to perform some duties, as evidences of our thankful mind; and both these we meet with in the first part.

David begins with the profession of his thankfulness, and he premits to it his confidence, I waited patiently for the Lord; then shows the success, or what God did for him. [unspec 1]

• 1. He inclined his ear, and heard my cry.
• 2. He brought me also out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay.
• 3. [unspec 2] He set my feet upon a Rock; being drawn from danger, he set me in a safe place.
• 4. He established my goings, he confirmed my steps, that I slip and slide no more.
• 5. [unspec 3] And he hath moved me to be thankful; He hath put a new song into my mouth, even a thanksgiving unto our God. The deliverance was not common, and therefore the praise should not be common, but expressed by a new and exquisite song.

Of which he conceived the consequent would be, that his example would be a common document; many shall see it, my deliverance, my thanks, and shall fear God, and acknowledge his providence and protection, and shall put their trust in the Lord.

And so he falls upon his form of thanksgiving, and,

• First, Pronounceth the man blessed that relies on God, affirmatively.
  • 1. Blessed is the man that makes the Lord his trust, reposeth his hope in him.
  • 2. [unspec 4] Negatively, trusts on no man, respects not the proud; men proud of their wealth, wit, or power, nor such as turn aside to lies, trust on lying vanities, which will deceive.
• Secondly, Then by an exclamation admires God's mercies and goodness to his people.
  • 1. [unspec 5] For their multitude and greatness: Many, O Lord my God, are thy Works.
  • 2. For the strangeness, they are not vulgar, but miraculous: Thy wonderful Works.
  • 3. For the incomparable wisdom by which they are done and ordered: Many, O Lord my God, are thy wondrous Works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward; they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee; if I would declare them, and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

2. And so having in words acknowledged his thankfulness, he descends to speak of the other part of his gratitude, his real thanks, to which in equity he thought himself bound: viz. To be obedient to God's voice, which is the best sacrifice, and indeed far beyond all legal sacrifices; as is apparent in Christ, to whom these words, and the obedience contained in them, is principally attributed, and by way of accommodation, belongs to everyone of his Members, who means to be thankful for his Redemption.

• 1. And first he acquaints us, that the outward worship is to little worship, if sincerity and true piety inwardly be wanting: Sacrifice and offerings thou didst not desire, burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required. [unspec 6] Not these absolutely, but as subservient to true piety, and the internal obedience of the heart, without which they are of little value; I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.
• 2. To this end, Aures perforasti mihi; Thou hast opened, bored, and made a window in my ear; made me docible, and thy servant.
• 3. And I will be obsequious, a willing and voluntary servant: Then said I, [unspec 7] lo I come; this thy whole Law requires, in the Uolume of thy Book it is written.
• 4. He describes his singular obedience.
  • 1. That he performed it cheerfully, and with complacency: I delight to do thy Will, O my God. [unspec 8]
  • 2. That he did it heartily: Thy Law is within my heart. The obedience of eyes, hands and feet may be hypocritical and feigned, that which is done with the heart cannot; that the heart thou requirest, and that thou shalt have; to that purpose I have placed thy Law there.
  • 3. That he did it charitably, to the benefit of others, he published the Gospel.
    • 1. I have preached righteousness in the great Congregation. [unspec 9]
    • 2. I have not refrained my lips, and that thou knowest: Feci sine fuco.
    • 3. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart.
    • 4. I have declared thy faithfulness, and thy salvation. [unspec 10]
    • 5. I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and truth from the great Congregation.

In which verse, we have the commendation of the Gospel, that it is righteousness, for it justifies, it sanctifies; that it is God's truth and faithfulness, for in it his promises are performed; that it is our salvation, freeing us from sin, death, God's wrath, hell; which must be published and preached in the great Congregation; and to it obedience must be yielded, to which there be four things necessary set down in this place.

• 1. The help of God's Spirit, Thou hast opened my ears.
• 2. A ready and willing mind, Then said I, lo I come.
• 3. A ready performance in the work, I delight to do thy Will.
• 4. That a respect be had to God's Law, Thy Will is within my heart.

And thus having premised his thanks for some deliverance already receive, he thought he might be the bolder to petition for continuance of this mercy and favor for the future; upon which he now enters in these words,

Of which Petition, he adds a necessary Reason drawn from the greatness of his evils and sins. [unspec 12]

• 1. For innumerable evils have compassed me; his miseries were many.
• 2. My iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more in number than the heirs of my head.
• 3. Therefore my heart faileth me; my agony is great, my vital spirits fail. [unspec 13]

And therefore prays again, Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me, make haste to help me.

2. The second part of his prayer, is, for the confusion of his wicked enemies; [unspec 14] Let them be ashamed, [unspec 15] and confounded together, that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil; let them be desolate for a reward of their shame, that say unto me, Aha, Aha!

3. The third part of his prayer, is, for all good men: Let all those that seek thee, be joyful and glad in thee; let such as love thy salvation, say continually, The Lord be praised, [unspec 16] his Name be magnified.

In the Close, he renews his Petition for himself, and to move God the sooner,

• 1. He puts himself into the number of the poor afflicted people, he boasts not, I am a just man, a King, a Prophet: But I am poor and needy.
• 2. [unspec 17] Shows his hope and confidence: Yet the Lord, I know, thinks upon me.
• 3. He casts himself solely on God: Thou art my Help, and my Deliverer.
• 4. Therefore make no long tarrying, O my God, delay me not.

PSAL. XLI.

I N this Psalm, David shows how men should, and how commonly they do carry themselves toward men in affliction and trouble.

• 1. They should carry themselves compassionately and kindly, which would make them happy, and find mercy from God, from ver. 1. to 4. which is the first part of the Psalm.
• 2. But they commonly carry themselves unkindly, and afflict the afflicted, of which David complains, from ver. 4. to 10. which is the second part.
• 3. Upon which unkindness he flies to God, and prays for mercy, ver. 11. shows his hope and confidence in God, ver. 11, 12. and blesseth him, ver. 13. which is the third part.

1. He begins with an excellent 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or a grave sentence, Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy; i. e. any man in trouble, want, &c. [Ver. 1] This man is a happy man: Now whether he speaks of, and applies the following particulars to the poor and needy, or to the man that considers him, Interpreters are doubtful; the particular comforts are six.

• 1. The Lord will deliver him in time • f trouble. [Ver. 2]
• 2. The Lord will preserve him, that he faint not in his great troubles.
• 3. The Lord will keep him alive, prolong his life and days.
• 4. He shall be blessed upon earth, God shall enrich him, and bless his substance.
• 5. Thou wilt not deliver him to the will of his enemies; never to their will, to their full desire, though sometimes into their hands.
• 6. The Lord will strengthen him upon the Bed of languishing, [Ver. 3] Thou wilt make 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 his Bed in his sickness: He shall have comfort in his grief, and assurance of God's favor in his sick Bed.

Now before he enters upon the second part, the complaint of the unkindness of men to him; he offers a short ejaculation to God, begging mercy, health and pardon, which he asks upon confession of his sins; health he asks first for his soul, that being healed from sin, he doubts not it would go well with his body.

• 1. [Ver. 4] I said, the Lord be merciful to me, merciful to my sin.
• 2. Heal my soul, in which there is yet the sense of thy wrath.
• 3. And the Reason is, because I have sinned against thee.

And the complaint of himself being ended, he complains of others.

• 1. Of their hatred and malice: My enemies speak evil of me.
• 2. [Ver. 5] Of their cruelty, they long for my death, they say, When shall he die, and his name perish? They would have no memory left behind of me.
• 3. Their perfidious dealing and dissimulation: They come indeed to visit me, but it is to fish what they can from me, [Ver. 6] to make their advantage of it: If he comes to see me, he speaks vanity, all vain and feigned words; for his heart gathereth iniquity to itself, fraudulently searcheth my counsels; for presently being gone abroad, he openeth and tells all to my hurt.
• 4. Of their plots and conspiracies: All that hate me, whisper together against me, [Ver. 7] against me do they devise my hurt.
• 5. Their 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or exultation at his misery: An evil disease, say they, [unspec 8] cleaveth unto him; and now that he lieth, he shall rise up no more.
• 6. Of the perfidiousness of some particular friend, perhaps Achitophel: Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lift up his heel against me; [unspec 9] I fed and fatted the Beast, and he kicked at me.

And then he prays, But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up; which prayer he enforceth by these Reasons.

• 1. That thereby, as a King, he should have power to do justice on Traitors, That I may requite them.
• 2. [Ver. 10] By this he should have experience of God's favor, By this I know thou favourest me, &c.
• 3. [Ver. 11] This will be a testimony unto me, that thou favourest not only my person, but my cause: [Ver. 12] As for me, thou upholdest me in my integrity, and se • t • st me before thy face forever.

Then he closeth the Psalm with a Benedictus, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. [Ver. 13] Amen. Amen.

PSAL. XLII. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

D AUID, whether by Saul or Absalom, [Arg.] forced from the Assembly of God's people, complains; and as men overwhelmed with troubles, are also oppressed with grief, so is he; and as they surprised with passion abruptly, express their thoughts, so doth he; for sometimes he expostulates, sometimes he complains, sometimes he corrects and checks himself for his weakness and passion; one while he opens his doubts and diffidence, and presently again sets forth his affiance and confidence in his God. It will not then be more easy to set this Psalm in order, than the speeches of a passionate man; yet I shall endeavor it, by reducing the whole to these four heads.

• 1. The zeal of David to serve God in God's house, ver. 1, 2, 4, 6.
• 2. His complaints, and expressions of grief for his absence, for his affliction, and his enemies insultation upon that ground, ver. 3, 4, 7, 10.
• 3. His expostulation with his soul for his dissidence, ver. 5, 6. And again, with God for his desertion, ver. 9.
• 4. His faith and confidence in God's promises, ver. 5, 8, 11.

More particularly,

1. He begins with an expression of his grief, for his ejection from the Assembly, and then sets forth his zeal and desire he had to be present with God's people, by an elegant similitude of a chased, [Ver. 1] and hunted, and thirsty Stag: As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God; my soul is athirst for God, [unspec 2] for the living God; When shall I come and appear before the presence of God? ver. 1, 2.

2. Then he shows what case he was in in the mean time, in a very heavy condition.

• 1. [Ver. 3] My tears have been my meat day and night, ver. 3.
• 2. And the cause was, not only his absence, but this bitter Sarcasm of his enemies; namely, while they insult, and continually say in scorn unto me, Where is now thy God? [Ver. 4] where is thy Protector? where he in whom thou trustest.

3. Now that which added to his grief, was that which gave occasion to this Sarcasm, his Banishment from God's Sanctuary, and consequently, as they thought, from his favor and presence: This overwhelmed his soul with sorrow, this caused a flood of tears.

• 1. When I remember these things, my absence, their insultation, I pour o • t my heart by myself; Effundo; unda{que} impellitur uno; Tear follows upon tear; complaint, and that from the heart, upon complaint.
• 2. And good Reason, when I lay together my former happiness with my present condition; for the comparison aggravates my misery: Thus it was with me, but now it is not so. I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the House of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept Holy-day, ver. 4. I had gone, now I cannot, I must not go.

2. Hitherto he hath expressed his zeal, his sorrow, his complaints, with the causes of them, these put his soul into a sad condition; to which, by an Apostrophe, [Ver. 5] turning his speech, he thus expostulates.

• 1. Blaming himself for his weakness and diffidence: Why art thou so vexed; O my soul? why art thou cast down? and why art thou so disquieted within me?
• 2. Then presently fortifies himself in God's promises, assuring himself of the performance; Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

In all which, is lively described unto us the combat and temptation that a good man undergoes in a spiritual desertion, who finds a great difficulty to struggle at the same time with despair and hope; who yet at last conquers through faith, and kisses the promises.

3. But as yet David's combat is not over; for he renews his complaint, Lucta recursat & trahitur ad novas pugnas; [Ver. 6] he exclaims again, and ingenuously confesseth, how he is affected, O my God, my soul is cast down within me; of which he assigns two causes.

• 1. [unspec 1] That though he was ready to serve and remember his God, yet that he was forced to do it in an improper place, at Jordan, at Hermon; 'twas his grief, that there, and not at Zion, he must remember it: Therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites from the Hill Mizar.
• 2. [unspec 2] Then the greatness and continual succession of his troubles: Deep calls upon deep; [Ver. 7] calamity calls upon calamity, and one temptation treads upon the heels of another, so that I have just cause to think, All thy waves and billows, all kind of afflictions, are gone over me.

4. And yet he despairs not, he casts not away his hope and confidence for all that, but again closeth with his God, and encourageth himself in his mercy: Yet, I know, the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the daytime: [Ver. 8] A day of deliverance there will be, when there shall be a Mandat from his mercy for my good, and therefore even now, in the night-season, even in this night of trouble:

• 1. His song shall be with me.
• 2. And my prayer unto the God of my life.

5. Upon which he grows more bold, courageous, confident, and fuller of life and spirit, and again expostulates, not now with his soul, as before, but with his God; I will say unto God, my Rock. [Ver. 9]

• 1. Why hast thou forgotten me? for so much my carnal part presents to me.
• 2. Why go I thus mourning, because of the oppression of the enemy?
• 3. Why am I thus wounded with grief? For, as with a Sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me, while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? [Ver. 10] No Sword cuts so deep as this taunt: Omnes dolores leves, preterquam tum carendum quod erat.

6. But in the close, after all his complaints and expostulations, he quiets his soul (as every good man ought in the like vicissitudes of trial and combat) by a full assurance, faith, confidence of God's favor and protection.

• 1. Chiding himself for his discontent and diffidence: Why art thou cast down O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?
• 2. Then encourageth and revives his heart upon God's goodness and faithfulness: Hope thou in God, for I shall yet give him thanks, who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

PSAL. XLIII.

T HIS Psalm is of the same nature with the former, and is, as it were, the Epitom of it, and it contains two chief things.

1. A Petition, which is double.

• 1. One in the first verse.
• 2. The other in the fourth verse.

2. A comfortable Apostrophe to his own soul, ver. 5.

First, He petitions to God.

• 1. That being righteous, he would be his Judge: Judge me, O Lord.
• 2. That being merciful, he would plead his Cause: Plead my Cause. [Ver. 1]
• 3. That being Omnipotent, he would deliver him: Deliver me, ver. 1.

Of this he assigns two Reasons.

• 1. The first, the unmerciful condition of his enemies.
  • 1. They were a factious, bloody, inhumane people: Plead my cause against an ungodly Nation, an unmerciful people, ver. 1.
  • 2. They were men of deceit and iniquity: Deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man, ver. 1.
• 2. The other from the Nature of God, and his relation to him: [Ver. 2] For thou art the God of my strength, ver. 2. Thou hast promised to defend me; and upon it he expostulates.
  • 1. Why hast thou cast me off? For so to the eye of sense it seems to me.
  • 2. Wh • go I mourning, because of the oppression of the enemy? ver. 2.

Secondly, The second partt of his Petition, is, that he may be restored to God's favor, and reduced from banishment to his Country, ver. 3.

• 1. O send forth thy Light and thy Truth, [Ver. 3] the light of thy favor and countenance, and make thy promises true to me, let them lead me, ver. 3.
• 2. Let them guide me; whether? to my dignity and honors? No, I ask not that so much, as to thy holy Hill, and to thy Tabernacles, where I may enjoy the exercises of piety, ver. 3.

Thirdly, [Ver. 4] Now that he might the more move God to hear his Petition, he does as good as vow, that this courtesy should not be cast away upon an ungrateful wretch; thankful he would be, and make it known how good God had been unto him.

• 1. Then will I go to the Altar of God, unto the God of my exceeding joy; the joy and content he would take in this, should not be vulgar.
• 2. Yea, upon the Harp will I praise thee, O God my God. His joy should be expressed outwardly, and God's Name celebrated with a Psalm, and instruments of Music, ver. 4.

The Petitions being ended, and he now confident of audience and favor, he thus bespeaks his heavy and mournful heart, just as in the former Psalm: 1. Chiding. 2. Encouraging himself.

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:

• 1. A Petition, from ver. 24. to the end.
• 2. The Arguments by which the Petition is quickened, from ver. 1. to 24.

First, He begins with the Arguments; of which,

1. The first is drawn from God's goodness, of which he gives in particular; viz. his Benefits and Miracles done for their Fathers; 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 days, [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] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Negatively, by remotion of what s •• 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. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Positively; for it was thy right hand, and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance, a mere gratuito, because thou hadst a favor 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 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , 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 persuasion of future victory; but still with God's 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, and praise thy Name forever, Selah.

Secondly, The second Argument by which he wings his Petition, is drawn from the condition in which for the present God's 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, 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 Country, 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 naught, 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 neighbors: [Ver. 13] Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn 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: 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 public, their words and gestures are not concealed, they speak out what they please; Asham'd I am for the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth, for the enemy and avenger.

Thirdly, And yet he useth a third Argument, that the Petition may be the more grateful, and more easily granted; drawn it is, from the constancy and perseverance of God's 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 falsely 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. 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.

Fourthly, But the last Argument is more pressing than the other three; 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 defense of thy Truth.

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, thy truth; therefore awake, arise, help us; for upon these grounds he commenceth his Petition.

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 forever, ver. 23.
• 3. That he would show them some favor, [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.

PSAL. XLV. An Epithalamium, or spiritual Marriage-Song, composed for the solemn espousal of Christ and his Church.

THE Type of the Messiah is Solomon; of the Church, especially of the Gentiles, to be espoused, Pharaoh 's daughter.

Three parts there are of the Psalm.

• 1. A Preface, v. 1, 2.
• 2. The body of the Psalm, containing two commendations.
  • 1. Of the Bridegroom, from ver. 3. to 10.
  • 2. Of the Bride, from ver. 10. to 18.
• 3. The Conclusion promissory and laudatory, ver. ult.

1. In the Preface, the Prophet commends the Subject he is to treat of, signifying:

• 1. That is a good thing; good, as speaking of the Son of God, [Ver. 1] who is the chief good.
• 2. And good for us; [unspec 2] for upon the Marriage of Christ to his Church depends our good.

2. That the Author of this Psalm, and the Subject of it, is God: He was but the pen, the instrument to write it, full he was of the Holy Ghost; therefore his heart was enditing, and his tongue followed the dictate of his heart, and presently became the instrument of the ready Writer, viz. of the Holy Spirit: My tongue is the pen of a ready Writer.

And so having insinuated into his Auditory, 1. By the commendation of the matter of which he is to treat; viz. that it is good. 2. That it tends to a good end; viz. to the honor of the King: i. e. Christ the King of his Church. He falls upon the main business, which hath two particulars.

1. He turns his speech to Christ the King, and commends him for many eminent and excellent endowments, never was there such a Spouse.

• 1. For his beauty: Thou art fairer than the children of men.
• 2. For his elocution and speech: Full of grace are thy lips. [Ver. 2]
• 3. For his valor and fortitude: Gird thee with thy Sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty. [Ver. 3]
• 4. For his happy success and prosperity in his Kingdom: [Ver. 4] And in thy Majesty ride on prosperously.
• 5. For his equal administration of his Kingdom, in Truth, Meekness, Righteousness: Ride on, because of Truth, Meekness and Righteousness. [Ver. 5]
• 6. For his Battels and Conquests: Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things; thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the Kings enemies, [Ver. 6] whereby the people shall fall under thee.
• 7. For the stability and eternity of his power: Thy Throne, O God, [Ver. 7] is forever and ever.
• 8. For his justice and equity: The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter; Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest iniquity.
• 9. For the fullness of his gifts and graces, superlatively beyond all others: Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy Fellows.
• 10. For his splendor both in his garments and buildings: All thy garments smell of Myrrh, [Ver. 8] Cinnamon and Cassia; out of the ivory Palaces, whereby they have made the glad.

There is nothing we can call good, either internally, or externally, nothing praise-worthy in any Prince, that may not be found in this King.

2. From the Bridegroom he descends to commend the Bride, which is the Catholic Church, whom he sets forth:

• 1. By her Attendance: 1. No mean persons, but Kings daughters, and honorable women. [Ver. 9]
• 2. By her Name, Title and Dignity: A Queen.
• 3. By her Place: On the right hand did stand the Queen.
• 4. By her Attire and Vesture: She stood in a vesture of gold of Ophir.

And in the very midst of this great Encomium, he breaks off, and by an Apostrophe, turns his speech to the Church, lest she forget herself in the height of her honor, giving her this good counsel.

• 1. [Ver. 10] O daughter of the most High, audi, hearken, mark what Christ saith.
• 2. Uide, look about, and consider what is done for thee.
• 3. Incline thine ear, and be obedient.
• 4. Forget thine own people, and thy fathers house, leave all for Christ; thy old ways, [Ver. 11] thy old opinions; deny thyself.
• 5. The consequence of which will be this: So shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty, ver. 11.
• 6. And there is all the reason in the World, that thou hear, that thou be obedient and conformable to his Will.
  • 1. For first, He is the Lord thy God, and thou shalt worship him.
  • 2. Then again, it will redound to thy benefit, for thence will accrue unto thee great wealth; [Ver. 12] Tyre shall bring the purple, and rich gifts: The daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift, and the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor, ver. 12.

The counsel and admonition being ended, he returns again to the Encomium of the Spouse, and commends her:

• 1. For her inward virtues and endowments: The Kings daughter; i. e. the Church, [Ver. 13] is all glorious within.
• 2. For her externals; whether doctrine, manners, offices, which are as it were, her clothing; 'tis of wrought gold.
• 3. For her Rites and Ceremonies: They are as Needle-work, of divers colors, [Ver. 14] in divers Churches.
• 4. Her Maids of Honor, Uirgins, holy and sincere souls, men pure in heart, in life and doctrine, living in every particular Church, these her companions shall follow her.
  • 1. These from all Nations shall be brought to thee; i. e. the Church.
  • 2. [Ver. 15] They shall be brought with joy and gladness, and enter into the Kings Palace; [Ver. 16] gladly and willingly they shall enter into his Courts on earth, and after be received to a Mansion in Heaven.
• 5. For her fruitfulness: Barren she shall not be, for she shall have many children, good children, and great; for the Fathers, the Patriarchs, Prophets, Priests in the old Law; Apostles, Evangelists, and their Successors in the New, that may be made Princes in all Lands; her Officers are not contemptible.

3. The conclusion, which is gratulatory; for for this honor the Church would,

• 1. Erect, as it were, a statue; I will make thy Name to be remembered in all Generations.
• 2. [Ver. 17] The praise shall be perpetuated: Therefore shall the people praise thee forever and ever.

PSAL. XLVI. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

THIS Psalm is wholly Gratulatory, sung by the Church for some very great deliverance after the victory from confederated enemies.

Two especial things to be considered.

• 1. The confidence the Church hath in God, from verse. 1. to 8.
• 2. An Exhortation to behold it, and that he is the Lord of Hosts, the Author of War and Peace, verse. 8, 9, 10.

1. He begins with a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Maxim, which is the ground of all the confidence which the people of God can have. God is our Asylum or refuge to fly to, our strength, [Vers. 1] stay, munition, on which to rely, a very present help to deliver us in trouble.

Upon which God's people infer this Conclusion, Therefore will we not fear, no not in the greatest calamities and multitude of enemies. Which he expresseth, First, Metaphorically, then in plain proper terms. Fear we will not, [Vers. 2]

• 1. Though the earth be moved, or removed, on which the Church is seated.
• 2. Though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea; i. e. the great and strongest Empires and Kingdoms should be ruined and overwhelmed.
• 3. Though the waters roar and be troubled. [Vers. 3] Though a multitude of people threaten and join their forces to ruin the Church.
• 4. Though the Mountains, i. e. Kingdoms shake at the tumour and swelling pride of these Compiratours. For the waters are people, Revel. 17.

More plainly, for we have the interpretation of these Metaphors, Vers. 6. [Vers. 6] Though the heathen raged, the Kingdoms were moved: yet will we not be afraid.

2. And of this he next descends to show the reasons.

• 1. There is a River, the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God, the holy place of the Tabernacles of the most high. [Vers. 4] The City of God, was Jerusalem, the type of the Church; and the holy place of the Tabernacles, the Temple. The little Siloah that ran softly, did water Jerusalem, and the Gospel-promises that shall flow always in the Church, shall make glad the hearts of God's people. [Vers. 5]
• 2. God is in the midst of her, to keep, to defend her, therefore she shall not be moved, that is, utterly removed, but shall remain forever.
• 3. God shall help her, and deliver her: yea, and that right early in a fit season. He that should come, will come, and will not tarry.
• 4. He uttered his voice, and the earth was melted. The hearts, [Vers. 6] of the men of the earth, that exalted themselves against his Church, at the least word uttered from his mouth, melted, were struck with fear and terror.
• 5. The Lord of hosts is with us. He is Dominus exercituum, [Vers. 7] their Armies then are at his command, verse. 7, 11. [unspec 11]
• 6. The God of Jacob is our refuge. He is our Asylum, and he will say us, verse. 7, 11.

The second part contains two Exhortations.

• 1. He calls to all to behold the works of the Lord, and of two he gives instance for to behold.
  • 1. That War is his work. [Vers. 8] See what desolations he hath made in the earth. [Vers. 9]
  • 2. That Peace is his work. [Vers. 10] He maketh War to cease to the end of the earth, &c.
• 2. Then in the person of God, he exhorts the enemies of the Church to be quiet, for their endeavors are but in vain, and their rage to no purpose. Be still, and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

PSAL. XLVII. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & Triumphalis.

T HE Prophet takes occasion from the bringing up of the Ark, or else by the settling of it in the Temple by Solomon, to foretell 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 Prophesy of Christ's Kingdom, and it hath two especial parts.

First, An invitation to sing praises to Christ.

Secondly, The reasons that persuade to it.

• 1. [Vers. 5] The Ascension of Christ is under the Arks ascension typified Verse 5. God is gone up with a shout, 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. [unspec 6] 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. [unspec 7] Frequently. Sing praises, sing praises, sing praises, sing praises, verse. 6. And again, sing praises, verse. 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.
  • 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, 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, 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 choose 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. [unspec 8] God is the King now of all the earth, not of the Jews only. [unspec 9] 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 defense. 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.

PSAL. XLVIII. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

UNder the Type Jerusalem, is set down the happiness of the Church, which is always protected by God's favor.

Three parts there are of this Psalm.

• 1. The excellencies and privileges of the City of God, from verse. 1. to 4.
• 2. A Narration of a miraculous deliverance she obtained, and upon it the Terror that fell on her enemies, from verse. 4. to 8.
• 3. An Exhortation to consider it, and praise God, from verse. 8. to 15.

1. He begins with a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. Great in himself, [Vers. 1] and greatly to be praised for all things, in all places, but especially, In the City of our God, in the Mountain of Holiness.

Then he descends to set forth the Excellencies and Ornaments of the Church.

• 1. It is the City of God. Built, governed by him. He resides there.
• 2. It is a Holy Mountain. The Religion in it Holy. The people a Holy people.
• 3. [Vers. 2] It is Beautiful for Situation. God had put his beauty upon it.
• 4. The joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion. The joy of all the Land, of Judah then, and after of the whole earth: Because the Law was to come out of Zion.
• 5. The City of the great King; that is, God. He founded it, and rules in it. [Vers. 3]
• 6. God is known in her Palaces. In her is the knowledge of God, yea, and by an experimental knowledge to be an Asylum, a sure refuge.

2. And well it is, that it is so; for Jerusalem, i.e. The Church, hath many, and great enemies, which, verse. 5. the Prophet begins to describe, and desires that notice be taken of them, for he points them out with an Ecce, F • r Lo.

• 1. They are many and powerful. They were Kings, a plurality of them. [Vers. 4]
• 2. Confederate Kings. The Kings were assembled. Vis unita fortior.

But all the endeavors of these Kings, of these Confederate Kings, came to nothing.

• 1. They passed by together. Together they came, and together they vanished. [Vers. 5]
• 2. They saw, they wondered. They saw the strength of this City, and wondered how it should be so strangely delivered out of their hands.
• 3. And upon it they were troubled, they trembled and hasted away. Fear took hold upon them. Which the Prophet illustrates by a double Similitude.
  • 1. By a travailing woman. Fear and trembling took hold upon them, [Vers. 6] as upon a woman in travail.
  • 2. By the fear of Mariners at Sea, [Vers. 7] when an Euroclydon threatens to tear their sh • p. Their amazement was such, as when Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an East-wind.

3. Now follows the third part of the Psalm, in which are two especial points.

• 1. A grateful acknowledgement of God's protection of his Church, [Vers. 8] as he promised: As we have heard, so have we seen in the City of our God: Heard we have that he will protect this City, and we see that he hath done it, and persuaded we are, that he will always do it. God upholds the same forever.
• 2. And this shall never be forgotten by us. [Vers. 9] We have thought upon thy Name, O Lord, and loving-kindness, in the midst of thy Temple.
• 3. And so thought of it, as to praise thee for it. According to thy Name, so is thy praise, O God, to the ends of the earth. [Vers. 10] All the earth shall know that thy righ-hand is full of righteousness. That thou with a powerful hand dost help thy people oppressed with injuries, and dost punish their enemies, by which thou dost give a manifest evidence of thy righteousness and justice.

The other point of the third part, is an Exhortation to God's people.

• 1. That they exult and rejoice for that which God does for them. Let Mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments, in defending thy Church, [Vers. 11] in punishing their enemies.
• 2. That they take especial notice of his miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem, with all the particulars of it, that notwithstanding the Army was great that lay against it, yet no harm was done to any part of it. Walk about Zion, and go round about her, and tell the Towers thereof. [Vers. 12] Mark ye well her bulwarks, and consider her palaces. See, mark, consider whether they are not all yet standing entire.
• 3. And do it for this, That you may tell it to the generation following: [Vers. 13] Leave it upon Record, how miraculously God hath delivered you.
• 4. Now for this there is good reason. For this God, [Vers. 14] This God that so protects and defends his Church, and takes revenge for us, is our God by Covenant and promise forever and ever, and he will forever keep this Covenant with us. He will be our guide, even unto death, and in death. Leave us he will not, when all the world leaves us. Therefore exult, rejoice, mark it, and make it known to the generation to come.

PSAL. XLIX. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

A ND the Doctrine it teacheth, is, That rich men be not proud of their wealth, nor poor men dejected and troubled at their mean estate, since all men are mortal, and it is not the wealth of the one can make them happy, nor the mean estate of the other can make them unhappy, there being another life, by which the condition of both is to be judged.

Three parts of the Psalm.

• 1. An Exordium or Preface, from verse. 1. to 5.
• 2. The matter proposed, debated and argued, from verse. 5. to 16.
• 3. An Advice or Admonition given, from verse. 16 to 20.

1. In the Exordium he

• 1. Calls together his Auditory, viz. All people. All Nations of the world, men of all conditions, high, low, rich, poor, because what he is to speak of concerns All. [Vers. 1]
• 2. Then he calls to them to be Attentive. Hear, give ear. [unspec 2]
• 3. He labors to make them docile, and Benevolous, [unspec 3] by commendation of the matter of which he is to treat. Speak he would not of light or vain things, but of a weighty, wise matter, of that which he had seriously thought.
  • 1. My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding: that which I understand, and is fit for others to understand.
  • 2. Then that to which I will be obedient. I shall teach you no lesson, but that I teach myself. I will incline my ear. [unspec 4]
  • 3. 'It is a Parable, 'tis a dark speech I am to deliver, and such wise men are delighted to hear.
  • 4. Lastly, That it may be brought to your ear with more delight, I have set it to the Harp: I will open my dark saying upon the Hart.

2. And thus having assembled his Auditory, and made them Attentive, Docile, and Benevolous, he propounds his Parable and dark saying, and it is done with much Art and Rhetoric. For he first seems to prevent an Objection which might be thus read. David, we see you are troubled much at the prosperity of the wicked. To which he returns his answer by a quick E • otesis, Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil? when the wicked prosper, [unspec 5] and I am under the cross? and when the wickedness of my heels shall compass me about? when they, who insidiantur calcaneo, compass me about to destroy me. Or else: Why should I unjustly seek after wealth, honor, &c. which would make me fear in the day of vengeance, and when the wickedness, that is, the punishment which follows all iniquity at the heels, would overtake me?

There is no reason of this fear to me, to the wealthy, ambitious there is: And this he demonstrates two ways, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , for he takes away Happiness from the one, from verse. 6. to 15. and places Happiness in the other, verse. 15.

• 1. They that trust in their wealth, [Vers. 6] and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, are not happy, verse. 6. For wealth will not deliver in the evil day.
  • 1. 'Twill save no man's life. None of them, these rich men, can redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him. [unspec 7] God will not be bribed to save any man's life.
  • 2. 'Twill save no man's soul. For it cost more to redeem asoul, [unspec 8] 'tis a precious thing, money is no 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for it. 'sis a work he must let alone.
  • 3. Yea, be it that he be wise, and a long-lived man. [unspec 9] Though he live long, and see not the grave, yet die he must. For he seeth, that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish.
  • 4. And which sufficiently shows the vanity of their riches. 1. [unspec 10] They leave them. 2. They leave these great riches. 3. They leave them to others, they suppose to their heirs, children, but it often falls out, that strangers, others they thought not of, enter into their labors. They leave their riches aliis, alienis, such as they thought should never enter upon their labors. [unspec 11]
  • 5. Farther yet, Their thoughts are vain. For
    • 1. Their inward thoughts are, that their houses shall continue forever, and their dwelling-places to all generations.
    • 2. To this end, they call heir lands after their own names. They study not only to be rich, but are vainglorious also.

But this their study is, [Vers. 12] First, Vanity. Secondly, Folly.

• 1. Vanity it is. Nevertheless, man being in honor, abideth not, for Summis stare din parcarum lege negatur. A change there will be, and the most glorious man, will be like the beasts that perish, an eternal Oblivion will be brought upon his name. The man no more remembered than a beast.
• 2. [unspec 13] This is Folly. This their way is but foolishness, a great foolery to place their chief good in riches, and honors; and yet, Their posterity are guilty of it, as great fools as their forefathers. For their posterity praise, approve, and applaud their sayings, follow their way, magnify their thoughts, tread in their steps, and gape after Riches and Honor.

That then, if it be possible, I may take down these high, vain, and ambitious thoughts, and remove them from those inordinate studies, and immoderate desires of Wealth and Honor, I shall propose unto them these considerations touching their future condition.

• 1. [unspec 14] Like sheep they are laid in the grave. That's their common condition, for as sheep they are, but fatted for the slaughter.
• 2. Death shall feed on them. The second death, for with Dives, they shall be buried in Hell, and the fire that cannot be extinguished, shall feed upon their soul and body.
• 3. In the morning of the Resurrection the upright shall have dominion over them. The righteous shall shine like the Sun when it ariseth in the morning, when they shall be made Christ's footstool. They shall see the godly placed on the right-hand, and seated on Thrones to judge them, when they shall be set on the left, to be judged and condemned. And this to their great grief, read the fifth Chapter of Wisdom.
• 4. And their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling, their riches, their power, their glory which accrued from these, veterascet, shall waste, wax old, as doth a garment. For the figure of this world passeth away.

Happy then the Rich of this world, and the possessors of great Glory and Honor are not. But now 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or rather 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , He set down the Happy man. 'It is true, that he, walking in his integrity, is subject to many crosses, and oppressed with many miseries, but look upon his end, and you must needs judge him happy. For whereas the wicked shall live in torment, he shall be freed from eternal death, and gifted with eternal life.

But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, [unspec 15] for he will receive me.

• 1. He shall redeem my, and all good men's souls.
• 2. Not from the grave, for die we must: but from the hand, the power, the dominion of death. Death shall not reign over them.
• 3. And the reason is, Because he shall receive me with favor; adopt me, and make me capable of all the promises made over to me by Covenant.

3. Upon these considerations, viz. The different conditions of good and bad men, he gives forth his prohibition, and admonisheth the good, that they be not troubled at the prosperity of the wicked. Ne trineas. Be not afraid. Let not your heart betroubled. [unspec 16]

• 1. Not at the great wealth of the rich. Be not thou afraid, when one is made rich.
• 2. Not at the glory and honor of the mighty. Nor when the glory of his house is increased.

And he repeats the former reason. [unspec 17] For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away: His glory shall not descend after him. Their happiness was then but Momentary.

This he amplifies by a bitter Epitrope. Esto. Be it they flatter themselves, and are flattered by others.

• 1. Though while he lived, he blessed his soul. Soul, thou hast many goods for many years.
• 2. Though men will praise thee, and sound in thy ears, Euge, been, [Vers. 18] recte, so long as thou doest well to thyself; i. e. providest for me, heapest up Riches, and gapest after Honor. Think to be Semi-deum.
  • 1. A mortal thou art, short-lived as all that went before thee were. [Vers. 19] Thy life no longer dated than theirs. He shall go to the generation of his fathers. And
  • 2. If wicked, be cast into utter darkness. They shall never see light.
• 3. Surely any man, how rich soever, how great soever, who understands not thus much, beasts himself. [Vers. 20] For with this Epiphonema he concludes the Psalm, which is doubled, that it may be remembered. [unspec 12]