Davids Harp Strung and Tuned

The Prayer collected out of the forty ninth Psalm.

O God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy, who hast created man through wisdom according to thy likeness, giving him a capacity to know, and a will to choose the true way to Happiness: Give me Wisdom that sits by thy Throne, and reject me not from among thy children, [Vers. 20] never let me so far forfeit my understanding, being depressed by want, or enticed by abundance, or affected with the glory of the world, that I become like a beast that perisheth. But grant, that in what condition soever I am, [unspec 1] whether high or low, rich or poor, I may give ear, [unspec 2] and hearken to the instruction of thy Holy Spirit. O let my mouth always speak of wisdom, and let the meditation of my heart be of such things which may make me judge prudently, [unspec 3] and govern myself wisely in this present life. Bore my ear, and make it incline to what thou shalt teach, [unspec 4] and teach me with an eloquent tongue to declare to others, the Mysteries, the Parables, the dark and abstruse Mysteries of thy Law. Then Lord, lo, I will not refrain my lips, and that thou knowest.

Taught us thou hast in thy Divine Oracles, that we should not place our confidence in the vain and fading things of this life. But with shame and confusion of face confess we must, that we have made the World our God, [unspec 6] and the wedge of gold our stay, that we are in the number of those, who have trusted in their wealth, and boasted in the multitude of their riches. [unspec 11] Our inward thought hath been to add house to house, and land to land, persuading ourselves, that our houses shall continue forever, [unspec 18] and our dwelling places to all generations; We labor to be immortal here on earth, and to that purpose we call the land after our own names. We bless ourselves in our abundance, and say to our souls, Eat, drink, and be merry: Soul, thou hast goods laid up for many years.

This is our vanity, this is our way, our folly, [unspec 13] and yet our posterity approve and applaud these our sayings and doings, [unspec 18] for when we do thus well unto ourselves, they stand by, flatter, and praise us.

O good God, keep under, and subdue these immoderate affections, and teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom, let it never slip out of our memories, that we are mortal, and all the things of the world momentary, vain, fading. [unspec 10] Daily experience we have before our eyes, that wise men die, and the fool and brutish person perish. Every man is but short-lived, [unspec 19] and must follow the generation of his fathers; and when he dieth, [unspec 17] he shall carry nothing away with him, and his glory shall not continue and descend after him. [unspec 14] All like sheep fatted for the slaughter, are laid in the grave. Our wealth in that evil day, will not profit us, our glory will no way avail us.

What wealth, [unspec 7] what strength, what splendor, what dignity soever any man may have, will not ransom or redeem any man's life; nor at a man's own hand, nor at a man's brothers, will God receive a recompense, that he should still live forever, [unspec 9] and not see corruption. Make us wise, O Lord, to consider these things, and always to remember our latter end.

To the house of death we must be brought, but that is not our latter end. Of an immortal soul we do consist, as well as of a mortal body. And will wealth or power be able to deliver that, either from the wrath of God, or the torments of hell? [Vers. 8] O no! It cost more to redeem a soul, so that he must that alone forever. The redemption was a precious price, bought we were, not with gold or silver, but with the precious blood of the Son or God. While worldlings are bussed then in increasing of riches, and thirsting after honors, let us be studious to save this, so that that precious blood be not spilled, nor that ransom paid in vain.

The wicked shall be turned into Hell, [unspec 15] and all the people that forget God, but thou, O Lord, wilt redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for I verily believe to set God in the land of the living. Why then should I fear in the days of evil; [unspec 5] why, when the wickedness of my heels compasseth round about? Surely there is a reward for the righteous, doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth. Men that are in honor, and understand not, are like the beasts that perish: [Vers. 20] but the souls of the righteous are in the hands of God, he shall receive them, [unspec 15] and no torment shall touch them. They, the wicked, shall never see light, [unspec 19] whereas the righteous shall shine like the Sun. Death, eternal death, [unspec 14] and the fire that never shall be quenched, shall feed on them: whereas the righteous shall enjoy everlasting life. At the general resurrection those goats shall be set on the left-hand, and the other sheep honored with the right. While they lived they trampled upon, and oppressed the righteous, but in that morning the upright shall have dominion over them. They and their beauty shall consume together in the grave, when the Lord shall exalt his Servants to eternal Glory.

Good God, when thou hast blessed us with wealth, and when we abound in honor, give us understanding hearts, that we think on these things; that our time is short, our riches vain, our houses frail, our honors fading, that there is a life after this, in which we must be happy, or miserable, so then let us set our hearts upon these transitory advantages, that we never forget the desire of that life to come, so use this World, as if we used it not, making it a passage to the celestial Canaan. Amen.

PSAL. L. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

T HE Prophet by a Prosopopeia brings in God prescribing rules for his Worship. The 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 then, or the main debate in this Psalm, is, How God will be honor'd in his Church, which because that none can teach but God himself, therefore he brings him in speaking to his people.

Two general parts it hath.

• 1. The Majesty and Authority of the person that is to judge this debate, described, from verse. 1. to 7.
• 2. The sentence by him given, from verse. 7. to 23.

The Prophet begins with an Elegant 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , calls an Assize, summons a Court, presents us with a Judge, produceth Witnesses, cites those who are to answer, and having seated the Judge on the Throne, gives forth his charge.

• 1. He presents the Judge in Authority and Majesty, The mighty God, [Vers. 1] even the Lord hath spoken. He is Deus Deorum, other gods there may be so called, so feigned, but he is the God Almighty over them all, verse. 1.
• 2. The place whence he comes to judge, is his Church, Out of Zion the perfection of beauty God hath shined; To Zion the Law was given, and out of Zion the Law was to come, according to which Law he would judge, and therefore it was rightly said, That out of Zion the Lord hath shined.
• 3. His coming to judgment is like to be terrible. It was so, [Vers. 3] when he gave his Law upon Mount Sinai, and 'tis like to be so, when he shall come to require it. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence, a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about, 2 Pet. 3.10. Luk. 21.25, 26.

Secondly, Those that are cited here to appear before him, [Vers. 5] are called his Saints, not only those, who are truly such, but all that bear the name. Gather my Saints together unto me, those that have made a Covenant with me with Sacrifice; i. e. undertaken to worship me as I have appointed. Not as if others were excluded, and should not come to judgment, but because those they are who know his Will, with whom God hath the contest in this place. [Vers. 1]

Thirdly, Against these he produceth his Witnesses. The heavens, the earth. The Lord hath called the earth from the rising of the Sun, [Vers. 4] unto the going down thereof. He shall call to the heavens above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness. Witness his judgment to be just; and other it could not be. For God is Judge himself.

Next follows the Charge given by God himself the Judge, to which, that he might win attention, he thus prefaceth, Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee. I am God, even thy God. [Vers. 7]

• 1. I am God, therefore worship and obedience is due to me from all creatures.
• 2. I am thy God, thou my people, therefore due from thee especially.
• 3. I will speak, judge and determine this Controversy about my Worship.
• 4. I will testify against thee, and convince thee for what is amiss.

A double Worship there is. 1. Ceremonial and External. 2. Spiritual and Moral, and I will speak, and testify of both.

First, A duty then there was owing in Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Law, which indeed I expect, because I have commanded, but let no man think that I am satisfied with the outward Act, except they be brought, performed, and offered with an honest heart.

1. I will not then reprove thee for thy Sacrifices, or thy burnt-offerings, [Vers. 8] to have been continually before me. These thou bringest, and these I accept, and that thou, according to my Ordinance, thou hast brought, I reprove not. But that thou thinkest, that by this External service howsoever performed, I am pleased, and that for these thou deservest a pardon, that is it, which I reprove.

2. For I without an inward reflection upon that obedience unto my command, and a sincere, and loving, faithful, penitent heart in the offer of them, will never think myself honor'd. [Vers. 9] I will take no Bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds. And that for two reasons.

• 1. First I need them not. I am rich and Opulent. For every beast of the Forest is mine, [Vers. 10] and the Cattle upon a thousand Hills. I know all the fowls of the Mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are mine; [Vers. 11] if I were hungry, I will not tell thee, for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof.
• 2. My perfection is such that I need it not. The gods of the Heathen may be pleased and fed, as their Hierophantae taught, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , indore carnium, with the fumes of their Sacrifices, and complain of starving when they were detained. But thinkest thou, that I will eat the flesh of bulls, [Vers. 12] or drink the blood of goats? I need no meat of thy provision.

Upon these terms then, these Sacrifices, though of mine own institution, please me not. Ex antithesi then I shall acquaint thee with those Sacrifices, that worship, which will please.

2. And here begins the second part of the Charge concerning Moral and Spirit •• Worship: which is Synecdochically declared by the two parts of prayer, Thanksgiving and Petition, or Invocation.

• 1. [Vers. 14] Thankfulness he expects. Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the most High.
• 2. [Vers. 15] Invocation he looks for. And call upon me in the day of trouble. Which being done, he makes an Indenture with us.
  • 1. On his part, that he will deliver us. I will deliver thee.
  • 2. On our part, that we return him the Glory of our deliverance. And thou shalt glorify me.

3. And yet here he puts in his exception against some men, viz. Hypocrites and impious men. For praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner, and a petition presented by an obstinate, rebellious, profane soul, shall not be heard.

To such he speaks in these following words. To the wicked God saith,

• 1. [Vers. 16] What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy mouth?
• 2. The reason is, because in words thou professest thou lovest me, but in deeds thou deniest him. Thou hatest instruction, in thy heart hatest that Law, [Vers. 17] that with thy mouth thou commendest, and hast cast my words. behind thee: Written I have to thee the wonderful things of my Law, and thou hast counted them a strange thing.

This I shall now prove and illustrate by a distribution.

• 1. [Vers. 18] Thou hast no regard of the eighth Commandment. When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him. In the consent is the more malice; it shows that it was not rashly done, but on purpose, deliberation, counsel.
• 2. [Vers. 19] Nor of the seventh. Thou hast been partaker with the Adulterers.
• 3. [Vers. 20] Nor of the ninth. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother, thou slanderest thine own mothers son. Against thy brother, not a stranger, and that not casually neither, or in anger, but studiously, thou satest and speakest.
• 4. No nor of the first. For thou hast had a profane thought even of me, [Vers. 21] and of my mercy, forbearance, and longsuffering. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence, arose not presently to take vengeance on thee: And thou thought'st, that I was altogether such a one as thyself. A Patron, an approver of wickedness as thou thyself art.

But from any such imputation, here I purge myself before the Heaven and Earth, and the whole World. For I will not suffer this thy wickedness to go unreveng'd. The day shall come, when I will reprove thee, [Vers. 21] and punish this thy wickedness with severe punishments, and set in order before thine eyes, the villainy that thou hast committed, and labor'd to hide. Confess at that day thou shalt, that the sentence pronounced against thee is most just.

And yet in judgment God remembers mercy. It becomes a Judge, even when he is pronouncing sentence, to take unto him the bowels of compassion. And these, God, who is to be our Judge, here puts on. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . For he gives a fair warning to the wicked, that they repent, and perish not.

1. Now, while you have time, consider this, [Vers. 22] that God is not pleased with outward Rites, Formalities, and Ceremonies only, that he is not to be pacified with long prayers, and preaching of his Law, if the life be wicked. For this is upon the point to forget, that he is a God of pur eyes, and cannot behold iniquity. Consider this then, I say, lest like as an angry lyon, he break out upon you on a sudden, and there be none to deliver. This is a fair warning to the wicked. [Vers. 23]

2. Now to those who worship God in sincerity, he makes a quite contrary promise, of defense, help, salvation. Who offereth with an honest heart, praise, glorifieth me, and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, goes the right way that God's Word directs, I will show the salvation of God: He shall be saved, and know that he worships not God in vain.

PSAL. LI. One, and a chief of the Penitentials.

T HE occasion of this Psalm, was the message that David received from God by Nathan the Prophet, for the murder of Uriah, and his Adultery in defiling Bathsheba; this put him into the state of a Penitent, and to petition to God for mercy, for pardon, for grace, for peace of conscience, for renovation of his heart.

It in general contains David's prayer.

• 1. For himself, ver. 1. to 13.
• 2. And three vows or promises, ver. 13. to 18.
• 3. For the Church, from ver. 18. to the end.

David being in a perplexed estate, conceived he could have no comfort, but in God's mercy, and therefore he first in general prays for that, Have mercy on me, [Ver. 1] O Lord; not on David the King, thine Anointed, but on me, that am not worthy to be called thy servant, thy son; and the motive he useth to gain that, is not any plea or merit of his own; but,

• 1. The kindness of God, Have mercy on me, according to thy loving-kindness.
• 2. The compassion of God, According to the multitude of thy compassions.

The general Petition for mercy being offered, next he tenders three particular Petitions.

1. His first particular Petition, is, for forgiveness of his sins; the fact was past, but the guilt remained, he therefore earnestly petitions, Put away mine iniquities; and upon this he insists, and in other terms comes over it; for a soul that is truly sensible of sin, is never at rest, and satisfied with one deprecation; for sin is a spot, a deep stain: Therefore wash me, thoroughly wash me from mine iniquities, [Ver. 2] and cleanse me from my sin; Amplius lava, as if one washing were too little for a double sin, for two such sins.

To this Petition for mercy, he subjoins a confession of his sin, knowing well, that this was the readiest way to obtain it; for he that confesseth, and forsakes his sin, shall find mercy; in which we may learn many excellent conditions requisite in a true Confessionist.

1. He enters into a serious consideration of the nature of sin, he feels the weight, the burden of it; feels the anguish, and abhors it: I excuse it not.

• 1. I know my iniquity; I know it now to abhor, to reform it. [Ver. 3]
• 2. It is ever before me; not to please me, but to trouble and grieve me.
• 3. He aggravates it with divers names, iniquity, sin, transgression; it is Pasteanos, rebellion; it is Greavah, crooked dealing; Chatta, error and wandering.

2. And so he falls upon an open and plain confession, Peccavi, I have sinned; [Ver. 4] and this he first aggravates by two circumstances.

• 1. Of the person; It is against thee, against thee I say, a good gracious God, that from a Shepherd hast made me a King; a great and terrible God, that art able, and hast threatened to punish; there was neither grace, nor fear in me, that I durst sin against thee, against thee; the Epizeuxis is emphatical; yea, against thee only have I sinned: In maxima fortuna minima licentia: So highly thou hast advanced me, that I need to fear none but thee; but this hath not kept me from this sin, in this was unthankfulness. Uriah was my Soldier, I need not fear him; the People my Subjects, they cannot judge me; it is to thee I am to answer for breach of thy Law; I esteem therefore my sin to be against thee only, for I had not known this sin to be a sin, hadst not thou forbidden it; nor need not fear any, wouldst not thou punish it.
• 2. Of the manner; it was an impudent sin, done in thy sight, before thy eyes, thou being by, and looking on, and so done without any reverence of thy Majesty, as it were in contempt: I have done this evil in thy sight.

So that I confess that in reproving and threatening me by Nathan, thou art a just God, and to be justified in thy sayings, and clear in the judgment of any, who with an impartial eye shall examine my offense, and thy proceeding; for I have deserved whatsoever thou hast threatened, and given thee just cause to speak and judge as thou hast done: Ut is not here causal, but consequential; for it is not his meaning that he sinned for that end, that God should be justified; but that this would follow upon it, whensoever he was brought to confess his sin, then God would be justified in his proceeding against him. [Ver. 5]

3. He proceeds in the Amplification and Exaggeration of his sin, and declares from what root this his actual sin sprang, even from his original: Behold I was born in iniquity, and in sin hath my mother conceived me. This very sin that I have committed, gives me occasion to inquire into my state, and I find, and confess upon a diligent inquisition, that I am universally corrupted even from my mothers womb, and that I carry about me the seeds of all sin.

4. [Ver. 6] Another aggravation of his sin, is, that in himself he found not that which God loves; Thou requirest truth in the inward parts. The Lord is holy, his eye is pure, he delights in holiness, truth, and sincerity of the heart; but I am unclean, fallacious, and therefore miserable, because my disposition and affections are contrary to his.

5. And that which yet more aggravates his sin, committed it was against his conscience, against that light of knowledge and wisdom with which God had endued him; for God, in the hidden part, by a secret and unknown way, by the motions of his holy Spirit, had taught him wisdom; but he like a Beast, had suffered that light of knowledge to be suffocated by the fury of his own affections.

Hitherto hath David confessed and aggravated his sin, [Ver. 14] as every penitent ought; but as if a general confession were not enough, at the 14th. verse, he names in particular the sin for which he asks pardon, Blood-guiltiness; Deliver me from Bloodguiltiness, O Lord.

His sin being confessed, and that not coldly, or for fashion, but aggravated with all the circumstances, he renews his first Petition for remission, which he doth under a Type then in use, and a Metaphor; the Type is Hyssop, and the Metaphor, Wash me. [Ver. 7]

1. Purge me with Hyssop, and I shall be clean; with a bunch of Hyssop dipped in the blood of the Paschal Lamb, the Israelites sprinkled their doors. This was again used in besprinkling and cleansing the Leper, and in the sacrifice for sin; this bunch was, and the blood alterius in enigma, a Type of Christ's blood; with that it was that David desired to be sprinkled, for then he knew he should be clean; for the blood of Christ purgeth from all sin: Justified then he would be; for it is the blood of Christ that alone justifieth.

2. And sanctified also he would be, and therefore he adds, Wash me, wash me with thy holy Spirit, who is compared to water, and I shall be whiter than snow, have a snow-white soul; not as if he should be without sin, while he remained in this life, but that his sin, being by the power of God's Spirit weakened, mortified and subdued, that it reigned not in him, it should never be imputed; and a sin not imputed, is, as if it never had been committed.

2. David having ended his first Petition for forgiveness, now proceeds, and craves another; viz. That the ill effects which sin had brought upon him may be removed; the first of which, is grief to the soul, terror and disquiet that ariseth out of the accusation of an evil conscience, David lay under this; the sense of his sin had taken from him his inward joy, and his wonted peace, of this he desires a restitution: [Ver. 8] Make me to hear of joy and peace, and gladness.

2. A second effect it had even upon his body, he was in a pining condition, his bones were, as it were, broken, through the extremity of the anguish of his spirit; the moisture of his body was like the drought in Summer, vide Psal. 32. ver. 3. & 4. To be restored again to God's favor, he desires, That even the bones which thou hast broken, may rejoice.

3. [Ver. 9] A third ill effect he found upon his sin, was, that God's face, his favor was turned from him; he that shown him a favorable countenance, now beheld him with an angry brow; and so he knew it would be, till his sin was remitted and pardoned; and therefore he begs:

• 1. Hide thy face from my sins; for if they appear before thy eyes, I know they will provoke thine anger, and then I am but in an ill case; for who can abide thine anger? He that turns away his face, considers not, remembers not, and he that considers not, will not punish.
• 2. And blot out all mine iniquities: I know there is a long Catalogue of sins in thy Book writ against me, good God, Dele, blot, raze out this handwriting that it may not be read; he that turns away his face from a writing, may yet call for it again, and read it; but if blotted, it cannot be read: David therefore desires both.

3. Now follows David's third Petition, in which he craves the grace of Sanctification; he first sought for remission, then for reconciliation, and now for renovation, which he asks of God in the three following verses.

• Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. [Ver. 10]
• Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. [unspec 11]
• Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit. [unspec 12]

In which we are to consider,

1. The subject upon which the work is to be done, the heart, the spirit; for as the heart is that part that first lives in nature, so it first lives in grace; within this work must begin, or else outward renovation is to no purpose.

2. The work itself, which is:

• 1. A Creation: Sin had brought David's heart in respect of a heavenly being, as it were to nothing, and from nothing to make it something, must be an act of power, O Lord create; when thou wentest away, my life went away, Lord come again and create.
• 2. It is a Renovation: David was fallen, as I may so say, in senium peccari, into the old age of sin; therefore he desires that God would, as it were, begin with him again, and make him to renew his youth, as an Eagle: O Lord, renew a right spirit within me.
• 3. Reconciliation and Restitution: Therefore he craves that God would no cast him aside, as a dead man, and take from him his Spirit by which he lived: Cast me not away, take not away, restore to me the joy of thy salvation.
• 4. A confirmation in what was good; Uphold, confirm, establish me.

3. Who was to do this work; not himself, no human power, but God alone, but his power, his Spirit: O God create, O Lord restore, uphold me by thy Spirit. Renovation is a work that hath its beginning, its progress, its continuance and perseverance from God and his Spirit.

4. The Quality of this, a cleansing, so in the general; for it was not the substance of the heart which was to be renewed and changed, but the qualities and disposition only; now what he means by this pure and clean heart, he declares in the following words, when he begs of God to give him a right Spirit, a holy Spirit, a free Spirit.

1. A right spirit; for he easily perceived that by his indulgence to this sin, there was a crooked and perverse spirit that had prevailed over him; he judged not as he did before of God's Law, but perversely opposed it; he desires that God would give him a spirit to judge rightly, as he did before, and firmly to resolve to keep to that was the right and strait way to happiness: Renew, O Lord, in me a right Spirit.

2. A holy Spirit: The profane, carnal spirit, is opposed to this, and to that he hearkened; by this holy Spirit he was wont to be carried, which opposed all carnality; but such good and sweet motions he perceived to be departed, and therefore he desires of God a restitution of this holy Spirit, this sanctifying and renewing Spirit, that might again kindle in him the love of God, holy motions agreeable to God's Law, and an obedience to the same: Take not thy holy Spirit from me.

3. A free Spirit: He found that ever since he fell into his sin, he did his duty, and served his God with an ill will, with much reluctancy, he took no delight in the doing of it, as he did before; this therefore he begs, that God would again give, and restore to him a free Spirit, that freely, cheerfully, willingly he might run the way of God's Commandments, and that he would so uphold him with his Spirit, that he might constantly continue in the same to his lives end: Uphold me, O Lord, with thy free Spirit.

2. Hitherto the Prophet hath presented his three Petitions, and upon the confidence of these, he makes his vows, first to teach others; secondly, to praise God; thirdly, to offer him the best sacrifice, a sacrifice which should be instead of all sacrifices, which he knew would accept a contrite heart.

1. Then, that is, after my pardon obtained, and my reconciliation unto thee, I shall teach; [Ver. 13] for a man under guiltiness himself, is not meet to speak and declare a pardon to others.

2. I will teach thy ways to sinners; not my ways of sinning, but thy methods of pardoning; viz. That to the stubborn thou wilt show thyself froward and stubborn; but to the penitent, such as I am, thou wilt show mercy.

3. And the effect will be, That sinners shall be converted unto thee: They who were perverted before, and averted from thee, being encouraged by the mercy I have found, shall be converted.

2. His second vow and promise is to praise God: My tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness, [Ver. 14] my mouth shall show forth thy praise: But to this he was unapt, so long as he remained in his sin; [Ver. 15] for praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner: And also unable to do without God's special assistance, and therefore he prays for a capacity to do both.

• 1. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, and then my tongue shall sing.
• 2. O Lord open my lips, and then my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

3. His third vow is about a sacrifice, which should be better than any then in use; not the sacrifice of a beast, but the sacrifice of a heart, a heart well-conditioned, seasoned with contrition and sorrow, such he knew God would accept, and such he should have.

1. Thou desirest no sacrifice: That is, the outward in comparison of the inward; would the outward please, I would not be behind for that also; I would give it thee, but I know, Thou delightest not in burnt-offerings without the heart.

2. [unspec 16] No nor with the heart neither, till it be broken and contrite; broken for sin, and contrite for mere love, that it hath offended so good a Father; I vow therefore to bring thee this sacrifice, this is instead of all other, instead of many sacrifices; [unspec 17] this thou wilt not despise, and this I will tender: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, Thou, O God, wilt not despise.

3. David having finished his prayers and vows for himself, forgets not to petition for Jerusalem, for God's Church; and the reason might be, a religious fear in him, lest for his sin Jerusalem might suffer; such a thing might happen, for so it did when he numbered the people: Peccant Reges plectuntur Achivi; His method was to be commended, and his charity.

• 1. His method; first to be reconciled to God himself, before he prays for others; for the prayers of a righteous man prevails much, and the Apostle speaks of intercession.
• 2. His charity; for we are always bound to remember the afflictions of Joseph, and to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. He prays then for her.

1. [Ver. 18] That God, who out of his good pleasure did choose a Church, would out of his mere good will and love preserve it: Do good in thy good pleasure to Zion.

2. That he would have a special favor even to the material buildings: Build thou the walls of Jerusalem, for these fall not alone; Religion, and the Service of God fall, when the Temple and Houses of God fall to ruin: Probatum est.

3. For the consequence of Jerusalem's prosperity would be this, That Religion would flourish with it: Then there would be sacrifices, burnt-offerings, and Holocausts; [Ver. 19] then they shall offer Bullocks upon thine Altar: And which is yet more, we shall offer, and thou shalt accept: Then thou shalt be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness. We being reconciled unto thee, justified, sanctified, righteous upon thy account, and in favor, all our sacrifices shall find a gracious acceptance.

PSAL. LII.

THIS Psalm was composed by occasion of Doeg's cruelty in falling upon, and slaying the Priests of God, 1 Sam. 21, 22. and the Subject is Doeg's malice, and God's goodness.

Three parts there are in this Psalm.

• 1. An Invective against Doeg and his fall, from ver. 1. to 6.
• 2. The comfort that God's people should take in it, ver. 6.
• 3. The security and flourishing estate of those who trust in God, and David's thanks for it, ver. 9.

1. David begins with an abrupt Apostrophe to Doeg, and figures it by an Erotesis, Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, thou Mighty man? and answers, [Ver. 1] that this boasting was but vain; The goodness of God endures continually; which was enough to quiet any soul, that was affrighted with his brags and threats.

And so having put this black character upon him, that he was a malicious bloody man, and arrived to that height of impudence, that he boasted in mischief; he descends to particulars, and sets him out in his colors, especially by the ill use of that part by which he did most mischief, his tongue.

• 1. Thy tongue worketh mischief, like a Rasor, working deceitfully. [unspec 2]
  • 1. Which is an instrument to cut the Beard, but it comes too near the Throat.
  • 2. When this is done, a deceit there is in it; for the man who came under the edge of the Rasor, expected no such usage.
• 2. Thou lovest evil more than good: His wickedness was habitual, [unspec 3] he bore a love to it.
• 3. Thou lovest lying, rather than to speak righteousness: An enemy he was to the truth, and by lies and flatteries ready to destroy good men.
• 4. Which David in the next verse more plainly expresseth, [unspec 4] Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou false tongue; he was, as it were, all tongue, and wholly false and deceitful.

This is his Character; now David foretells his ruin and total destruction, which he amplifies from the Author by a Congeries of words: God shall likewise destroy thee forever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the Land of the living: [unspec 5] The Rooters up of God's Priests, shall be unrooted.

2. Then follows how God's people should be affected upon Doeg's fall.

• 1. They, The Righteous shall set it, and fear; fear and reverence God more than before, as taking a just revenge on a wicked man.
• 2. [unspec 6] And they, shall laugh at him, using this bitter Sarcasm, Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, [unspec 7] but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness: This ruin is justly happened to him, he trusted in his gold more than God; and by adding one wickedness to another, thought to strengthen himself.

But such a fearful end shall not fall upon David, not any good man; when a wicked man shall be unrooted, he shall flourish as an Olive, that is never destitute of leaves nor fruit; a good and bad man are here opposed, and their successes.

• 1. [unspec 8] As for me, I am like a green Olive Tree, fruitful and green.
• 2. An Olive Tree planted in the House of God, without which the fruits are but sour, and the leaves bare leaves only.
• 3. An Olive lasts long, two hundred years, and long lived a good man shall be, forever and ever; to a good life longaevity is promised here, hereafter eternity. [unspec 9]
• 4. And the Reason of all this, the good man's faith: I trust in the mercy of God.

Upon which his Conclusion being full of confidence, and expectancy follows.

• 1. I will praise thee forever because thou hast done it.
• 2. And I will wait on thy Name, for this is good before thy Saints; this alone is the foundation of their hope, who commend themselves to thy goodness, and are favored by thee.

PSAL. LIII.

THIS Psalm is the very same with the fourteenth. The Analysis then must be the same, and the Prayer, and therefore I refer you thither.

PSAL. LIV. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

D AUID, in danger in the Wilderness of Ziph, composed this Psalm.

There be 2 parts of the Psalm.

• 1. His Prayer for help and salvation, from verse. 1. to 4.
• 2. His Confidence, that he should have help, and upon it his gratitude, to verse. 7.

David prefers his Petition in the two first verses.

• 1. Save me, plead my cause. Hear my prayer. Give ear to the words of my mouth. Earnest he is, and he ingeminates his desire, and yet he desires not to speed, except his cause be just. [Vers. 1] If so it appear, then he desires God to plead it. Plead thou my cause. [unspec 2]
• 2. He produceth two grounds upon which he petitions. The name, the strength of God.
  • 1. He that calls on the Name of the Lord, shall be saved. I call, Save me in thy Name.
  • 2. Thou art a powerful God, able to do it. Save me in thy strength.

And this his Petition he quickens by the greatness of his danger. [unspec 3] His enemies,

• 1. Were strangers: from them he could expect very little favor.
• 2. They were violent oppressors, formidable, cruel tyrants, and from such I must expect no mercy.
• 3. Nothing can satisfy but my blood. They arise, not for me, but against me, and seek after my life.
• 4. They are a sort of impious people. They have not set God before their eyes.

Well yet, be they Aliens, and by their works unworthy of the name of Israelites, formidable and cruel men, who will show me no mercy; bloody-minded, whom nothing can satisfy, but my life. Impious and ungodly people, that remember not that God hath a revengeful eye. Yet I will not fear. For behold God openly favors me. 2. And is against them. Me he favors, [unspec 4] and those who are with me.

• 1. God is my helper. As he hath promised, so he hath done, and will do to me.
• 2. God is with them also, that stand for me, and uphold my soul. Ecce, Behold both these.

But he opposeth them, that oppose me. Is an enemy to them, who are mine enemies.

He shall reward evil to such enemies that observe me, [Vers. 5] and lay wait for my soul. Of which being assured in the Spirit of Prophecy, he imprecates.

Destroy thou them, cut them off in thy truth. Promised thou hast, that it shall go well with the righteous, but on the ungodly thou wilt rain snares, fire, and brimstone. Let God be true. Fiat justitia, pereat mundus. As thou hast said, Cut them off.

Now for so great a mercy, David vows not to be unthankful. For this

• 1. He would Sacrifice, I will praise thy Name.
• 2. [Vers. 6] He would do it with a cheerful ready heart, which is the fat of the Sacrifice, I will Sacrifice freely.

For which he gives two reasons.

• 1. [unspec 7] The 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that which internally moved him unto it. For it is good.
• 6. The 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , occasional, or outwardly impulsive. His deliverance.
  • 1. For he hath delivered me out of all my trouble.
  • 2. And mine eye hath seen, to my great admiration and content, his desire upon my enemies. Delivered I am, they confounded.

PSAL. LV. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

WHETHER David composed this Psalm upon the hard usage of Saul, or the rebellion of his son Absalom, is uncertain, sure it is, he was in some great distress, and upon it he makes his address to his God.

There are in genetal four parts of this Psalm.

• 1. He prays to God to hear his prayer, verse. 1, 2.
• 2. He complains of his trouble, from verse. 3. to 8.
• 3. He prays against his enemies, and shows the causes, from verse. 8. to 15.
• 4. He takes heart upon assurance of God's help: and his enemies overthrow, from verse. 15. to the end.

1. He first begs audience.

• 1. Give ear, hide not thyself, attend, hear me.
• 2. My prayer, supplication: that I mourn, complain, make a noise. Affected he was with the sense of that he prayed for, and therefore earnest he was in it.

2. This in General, but next in particular he mentions the causes of his complaint and earnestness to God, that he might be he • d, both in regard of his enemies. 2. And the condition that he now was in.

• 1. The danger he was in was very great; [Vers. 3] escape he could not without God's help, for his enemies prosecuted him very sore.
  • 1. They slander'd and calumniated him, and threatened him. Because of the voice, &c.
  • 2. They vexed, pressed upon him, and oppressed him. Because of the oppression of the wicked.
  • 3. They plotting his ruin, devol'd and cast iniquity upon him. Charg'd him home.
  • 4. They were implacable, angry, and hated him. In wrath they hate me.
• 2. Then for his own person, he was in a sad, heavy, doleful condition.
  • 1. My heart is sore pained within me. His grief was inward.
  • 2. The terrors of death are fallen upon me. [Vers. 4] He saw nothing but death before him. [unspec 5]
  • 3. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me. Which are the outward effects of fear.
  • 4. And an horrible dread within hath overwhelmed me. Amazement followed his fear.

And he illustrates this his condition by the counsel he took with his own heart: upon the deliberation, the result was, that he would speedily fly away, fly into the Wilderness, as if he might be safer among brute beasts, than such men.

• 1. And I said. That was his result upon the debate with himself. [unspec 6]
• 2. O that I had the wings of a Dove. It is a fearful creature, of a swift wing; in fear he was, and he would fly as fast, as far as the Dove from the Eagle.
• 3. As far, even to some remote land, where I should have rest from these wicked men.
• 4. And by an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he amplifies and explains himself again.
  • 1. That he would fly far away, [unspec 7] even to some desolate place out of their reach. Lo, then, would I wander far off, and remain in the Wilderness.
  • 2. [unspec 8] That he would do it with speed. I would hasten my escape, from the windy storm and tempest. Such turbulent and impetuous creatures his enemies were, that threw down all before them, as a wind, storm, tempest.

3. To his Prayer he adds an Imprecation.

• 1. Destroy them, O Lord. Destroy them in their own counsels.
• 2. Or else, Divide their tongue. Let them not agree in their counsels. [Vers. 9]

Of this he gives the reasons in the following words, viz. that they were a sort of violent, contentious, ungodly, troublesome, crafty and fraudulent people.

• 1. [unspec 10] Violent they were, and litigious. I have seen violence and strife in the City.
• 2. [unspec 11] Ungodly, and workers of iniquity they were, and uncessant in it. Day and night they go about the walls thereof, mischief and sorrow are in the midst of it.
• 3. Crafty and fraudulent also. Deceit and guile depart not from their streets. It was then a City, a Corporation, a Society of evil doers.

And of this he produceth an instance, which whether it were some bosom friend of David, that stole out of the City of Keilah and betrayed his counsels to Saul; or else Achitophel, that being formerly his great Favorite and Counselor, fell to Absalom, it is uncertain, whoever it was, such a treacherous person there was, and of him he complains, and well he might, for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

This treachery he exaggerates most eloquently by an Incrementum, and Apostrophe, drawing his aggravation from the Laws of friendship which he had broke; Had it been an enemy, he could have borne it, but that it was a friend, was intolerable and also inexcusable. Thus the Climax stands.

• 1. [unspec 12] For it was not my enemy that reproached me: Then I could have borne it.
• 2. Neither was it he that hated me: that did magnify himself, that is, arise and insult against me: Then I would have hid myself from him; Never admitted him to my bosom.
• 3. [unspec 13] But, mark this Emphatical Adversative, for now he turns his speeth to the Man.
  • 1. It was Thou. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Thou, precipue & per aliis. None but Thou.
  • 2. A man according to my own rank, mine equal. My guide, or counselor; my acquaintance, or own familiar friend.
  • 3. [unspec 14] We took sweet counsel together; One to whom I communicated my secrets.
  • 4. And walked in the house of God in company. Professors we were of the same Religion.

Now all these Circumstances much aggravate and heighten the treachery, that thou, my equal, my director, my familiar friend, one whom I made the Master of all my secrets, one who was a great Professor of the same Religion with me, that thou shouldst betray me, even breaks my heart; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Judas, betrayest Thou?

Being thus much wronged and moved, as he had just reason, he falls again upon an imprecation, not only on him, but all that did believe him, even upon the whole faction. [unspec 15] Let death seize upon them, let them go down quick into hell, have Corah, Dathan, and Abiram 's wages. And he adds the reason. They are signally and incorrigibly wicked. For wickedness is in their dwelings, and among them.

4. Hitherto hath David prayed, complained, imprecated, but now he shows how he recovered heart again, being certain of God's help, and a revenge to be taken on his enemies.

• 1. As for me, I will call upon God, fervently, and the L • rd shall save me.
• 2. Evening, and morning, and at noon-day, incessantly will I pray, and cry aloud, and he shall hear. [unspec 16]
• 3. And I pray in faith, experience I have of his deliverance; [unspec 17] He hath done it, and he will do it again: [unspec 18] He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me. Even in the midst of the battle, I was as safe, as in a time of peace. Miraculously delivered, as if there had been no danger.
• 4. For there were many with me. Many enemies, say some; other, many Angels. Those refer it to the danger, the other to the protection. Many enemies round about me, and then 'tis a wonder I should be delivered. Many Angels pressed to help me, and then 'twas no wonder that my life was saved.

But as for the ungodly, it is not so with them, for this Verse is opposed to the former.

• 1. God shall hear, viz. Me and my prayers, [unspec 19] and the wrongs they do me.
• 2. And shall afflict them, i. e. my enemies.
• 3. Even he that abideth of old. Selah. Mark that, for he is immutable, his power and strength is the same, and his care and love to his people. Therefore he will afflict them.

And besides, there is in them, that which will provoke him to it.

• 1. Because they have no changes. Obstinate they are, impenitent, and change not their ways: Or else they prosper, [Vers. 19] they have perpetual success, and meet with no alterations, and this makes them secure and proud.
• 2. They fear not God. They ask, Who is the Lord, that we should let Israel go?
• 3. They are truce-breakers, violators of Oaths, Leagues, Covenants, [unspec 20] Articles of War. He, that is, some chief Commander among them, hath put forth his hands, made war, and brued his hands with blood, against such as are at peace with him. He hath broken and profaned his Covenant. His Oath.
• 4. He is a gross Hypocrite, his deeds answer not his words. [unspec 21] The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but War was in his heart: His words were softer than oil, and yet they are drawn swords.

In the Epilogue of the Psalm he exhorts good men to rely upon God.

Cast thy burden, the cares, troubles, &c. with which thou art loaded, on the Lord; and he fits it to his present purpose, [unspec 22] both as it concerns the godly, and the ungodly.

• 1. To the Godly he gives this comfort.
  • 1. He, that is, God, shall sustain thee; He will uphold thee, and give thee strength under the heaviest burden. Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden.
  • 2. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. With the temptation he will give the issue, pressed they may be, but not oppressed to fall finally.
• 2. To the Ungodly.
  • 1. Overthrown they shall be, and utterly destroyed. Thou, O God, [unspec 23] shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction. The Grave. Hell.
  • 2. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. They come commonly to some untimely death. As Absalom, Achitophel, Saul, of whom the Psalm was composed.

He concludes with the use he would make of it. As if he had said, Let these bloody and deceitful men, repose their confidence in their Armies, in their violence, in the crafty and subtle ways, I will take another course. But I will trust in thee.

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

DAUID in banishment among the Philistines, and being there in great danger of his life, prays, complains of his, professeth his confidence in God.

The Contents of it are,

• 1. David's Prayer, verse. 1, 7, 8.
• 2. The cause, the fear of his enemies, whom he describes, verse. 1, 2, 5, 6.
• 3. His Confidence in God's Word, verse. 3, 4, 9, 10, 11.
• 4. His Thankfulness, verse. 4, 10, 12, 13.

• 1. He begins with a prayer for mercy, little he was like to find from man, from his God he expected it, and therefore he prays, Be merciful to me, O God.
• 2. And then presently be subjoins the cause, the danger he was in by his bloody and cruel enemies, whom he begins to describe,
  • 1. From their insatiable raven, like a gulf, they would swallow me up, [Vers. 1] which he repeats in the next verse, Man would swallow me, [unspec 2] my enemies at home and abroad would swallow me up.
  • 2. From the time, Daily they would do it without intermission.
  • 3. From their number, Many there be that fight against me.

Of these he gives us a farther Description at the fifth and sixth verses.

• 1. From their uncessantmalice. Every day they wrest my words. [Vers. 5] All their thoughts are against me for evil.
• 2. From their secret treachery, craft, vigilance. [Vers. 6] They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, their counsels, lying, as it were, in ambush for me. They mark my steps. Go whither I will, they are at my heels.
• 3. From their implacable hatred, nothing could satisfy them, but his blood. They lay wait for my soul.

In the very midst of this Complaint he inserts his courage and confidence.

• 1. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
• 2. I will not fear. He ariseth higher. Even when he fears, he will not fear. [unspec 3] His word, his promise is passed to me for protection, and I will trust to it. [unspec 4] In God I will praise his Word: In God have I put my trust, I will not fear, what flesh, for the proudest, the mightiest enemy I have, is but flesh, and all flesh is grass: I will not then fear, what flesh can do unto me.
• 3. [Vers. 10] This reason he repeats again, verse. 10, 11.
  • 1. [unspec 11] In God I will praise his Word: In the Lord I will praise his Word.
  • 2. In God have I put my trust, I will not fear what man can do to me.

And this his Confidence he quickens and animates.

• 1. First from his assurance, that God would punish and bring down his enemies. [Vers. 7] Shall they escape for their iniquity? No, no. In thine anger thou wilt cast them down.
• 2. From his assurance of God's Tutelage, and paternal eye over him in all his dangers, griefs, complaints, petitions, banishment. Men think, [Vers. 8] Non vacat exiguis rebus adesse Jovi, he knew otherwise.
  • 1. Thou tellest, and hast upon accompt my wanderings. My flights, [Vers. 9] exile.
  • 2. Thou putt'st my tears into thy bottle. Preserv'st them as rich Wine.
  • 3. Thou keep'st a Record of them. Are they not in thy book?
  • 4. Thou putt'st my enemies to flight. When I cry unto thee, then I know my enemies shall be turned back, for God is with me.

• 4. And therefore at last he concludes with thanks, to which he holds himself bound by Vow.
  • 1. Thy vows are upon me. Damnatus sum voti. I owe thee thanks by vow, and I will pay it. I will render praises unto thee.
  • 2. [Vers. 12] The reason is, For thou hast delivered my soul from death.
    • 2. [Vers. 13] Thou wilt deliver me. Wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling?
    • 3. And the end is, That I may walk before God in the light of the living. That I may live awhile, and walk as before thy eye, as in thy sight, uprightly, sincerely.

PSAL. LVII. Ne Perdas, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , aut Deprecatoriùs.

THIS Psalm was composed by David, when he hid himself from Saul in the Cave, 1 Sam. 24.

The contents of it are:

• His Petition, ver. 1.
• The Reasons that persuaded him to it, from v. 1. to 6.
• His profession of thanks, ver. 5, 7, 8, &c.

1. His Petition is ardent, the Epizeuxis shows it, and it is for grace and protection: Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me.

2. And he presently subjoins his Reasons to persuade God to be merciful. [unspec 1]

• 1. From his faith and confidence he had in God alone: For my soul trusteth in thee, and under the shadow of thy wings, as the Chicken doth under the wing of the Hen, shall be my refuge until this Tyranny be over-past.
• 2. From the sufficiency and efficiency of God: I will call upon God. [unspec 2]
  • 1. The most High; sufficient then he is, and able to deliver me.
  • 2. That performeth all things for me; and will therefore effect it.

And upon this Argument he insists in the following verse.

He shall send from Heaven, some miraculous way he shall do it; [unspec 3] send from Heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his Mercy and Truth; perform his word, and mercifully save me.

3. The third Reason of his Petition, was, the extreme danger he was then in by a cruel and merciless enemy.

• 1. My soul is among Lions; a ravenous, bloody creature. [Ver. 4]
• 2. I lie even among those that are set on fire; their anger and hatred to me is implacable.
• 3. Even among the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp Sword: They calumniate me, and wound deeper than these weapons: A Spear wounds near, an Arrow afar off, a Sword at hand; near or far off, they spare not to disgrace me, fortiter accusant.

4. And now he draws an Argument more strong than all the rest; for he puts God in mind of that which he will not part with, his Glory: A glory it would be to him to be merciful, to save and deliver, and therefore he prays:

Be thou exalted, O God, above the Heavens, and let thy Glory be above all the earth; that is, show thy Power, and assert thy Glory, let not the wicked thus exult, which if thou shalt do, thy Glory will be conspicuous above in Heaven, and below over all the earth.

And then he falls again upon his complaint, [unspec 6] describing the practices of his enemies.

• 1. They have prepared a Net for my steps; insidiantur, as Fowlers.
• 2. So that my soul is bowed down; my life is in great danger.
• 3. They have digged a Pit before me, intending to take me, as some wild Beast; but praised be God, I foresee the event; They are fallen into the Pit themselves.

Upon the confidence of which David gives thanks, which also may be a fourth Argument; for no such way to procure a new favor, as to be thankful; and by his example we may learn how to give thanks, two especial points our thanksgiving must consist of, and we meet with both of them here; the first is, Commemoration; the second, Annunciation.

• 1. [unspec 7] He that will be thankful, must treasure up in his heart and memory, the courtesy that is done him; so had David done, and therefore he mentions his heart; and to make it more emphatical, he names it again, My heart.
• 2. After he remembers it, he must be affected with it, and resolve upon it; so doth David, My heart is ready, or else, My heart is fixed, confirmed, I am in it to be thankful, and I cannot be altered.
• 3. 'It is not enough that a man carry about with him a thankful heart, he must anunciare, tell it abroad, and make it known publicly what God hath done for him; yea, and do it joyfully too: I will, saith David, sing and give praise.
• 4. [unspec 8] He must use all means he can to make it known, Tongue, Psaltery and Harp, are all little enough; whence by an Apostrophe, David turns to these, Awake my Glory; i.e. Tongue awake, Lute and Harp, I myself will awake.
• 5. He must not do it in a sleepy manner, but with contention, and earnestness of spirit: Awake, awake, I will awake.
• 6. He must take the first opportunity to do it, and not hang off, and delay it: I will awake early.
• 7. He must do it in such a place, and such an Assembly, as may most redound to God's honor: [unspec 9] I will praise thee, O God, among the people; I will sing of thee among the Nations.

Now that all this be done, David, ver. 10. gives a sufficient Reason, that which may move any man to do it, [unspec 10] God's Mercy and Truth; his Mercies, his infinite Mercies in promising; his Truth in performing, For thy Mercy is great to the Heavens, and thy Truth to the Clouds.

And then, as is usual in Poesie, he repeats the verse before, in which we meet with this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , [unspec 11] Be thou exalted Lord, above the Heavens, and thy Glory above the Earth.

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

DAUID deprecates the danger that hung over his head from Saul and his counsel.

The parts of the Psalm are three.

• A sharp Invective or Reprehension of his Adversaries, ver. 1.
• An Imprecation or Denunciation of God's judgments upon them, from ver. 6. to 9.
• The Benefits that the reby would redound to the righteous, ver. 10, 11.

1. David begins with an Apostrophe, and figures it with an Erotesis, which makes his reproof the sharper.

• 1. [Ver. 1] O Congregation, O ye counsel of Saul: By which he intimates, that indeed they did neither.
• 2. Do you indeed speak righteously? By which he intimates, that indeed they did neither.
• 3. Do you judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? By which he intimates, that indeed they did neither.

2. [Ver. 2] Which in the next verse in plain terms he affirms, and lays home to their charge: Yea, in heart you work wickedness: 2. You weigh the violence of your hands in the earth; heart and hand are bent to do evil; which the words well considered, do exaggerate.

• 1. They were iniquities, a plurality of them.
• 2. It was their work.
• 3. Their hearty work.
• 4. Their handy work.
• 5. Weighed out by their scale of justice.
• 6. Which indeed under the color of justice was but violence.
• 7. And it was in this earth, in Israel, where no such thing was to be done.

3. This their wickedness he amplifies, both from the Original, and the Progress of it.

• 1. [Ver. 3] The root of it was very old, into the World they brought it with them.
  • 1. The wicked are estranged from the womb: Alienati, from God, and all goodness.
  • 2. They go astray; even from their Cradle they take the wrong way.
  • 3. As soon as they be born, speaking lies, inclined from the very Birth to falsehood.
• 2. And in this their falsehood, they are malicious and obstinate.
  • 1. [Ver. 4] Malicious: The poison of their tongue is like the poison of a Serpent, innate, adanct, deadly.
  • 2. [unspec 5] Obstinate; for they will not be reclaimed by any counsel or admonition: They are like the deaf Adder, that stops her ear, which refuseth to hear the voice of the Charmer, charm he never so wisely.

2. Their wickedness, malice, and obstinacy being so great, now he prays against, and devotes them to God's judgments; he prays in general for their ruin, esteeming them no better than Lions; Saul the old Lyon, and his counsel Lions whelps.

• 1. To God he turns his speech, and he prays against their means to hurt, whether near at hand, or afar off.
• 2. And then against their persons.

O God, break their teeth in their mouth, breakout the great teeth of the Lions; O Lord, [unspec 6] remove their strength, their nearest instruments to hurt, to destroy.

Thus let it fall to their arms and offensive weapons; but as for their persons,

• 1. Let them melt away as waters, great Brooks, that run with a violent force from the Mountains, and over-run for a little while the Valleys, but quickly are received in the Channels, and run continually to the Sea, and so swallowed.
• 2. Let them be as a Snail, that melts in her passage, [unspec 8] and leaves a slimy filth behind, which yet quickly passeth away, so let them; or else like a Snail, whose shell being taken off, grows cold, and dies.
• 3. L • t them be as an Abortive, like the untimely fruit of a woman, that they may not see the Sun.
• 4. Before your pots can feel the thorns, ere they can do much mischief, he shall take them away, as with a whirl-wind, both living, and in his wrath.

3. The benefit that from this judgment upon the wicked should redound to the Church. [unspec 9]

• 1. Joyfulness: The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance. [unspec 10]
• 2. Amendment; being warned by their harms, [unspec 11] he shall wash his foot-steps in their blood.
• 3. Confirmation of their faith, and giving glory to God; So that a man shall say, verily there is a reward for the righteous; doubtless there is a God that judgeth the Earth.

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

THE Argument of this Psalm is the same with some of those before; but the occasion particular, Saul 's purpose to kill him in his house; against whose treachery and cruelty he here complains, and prays.

The Contents of this Psalm are four.

• 1. His prayer for deliverance, ver. 1, 2. and against them, ver. 5.
• 2. He complains of, and expresseth his enemies cruelty and improbity, from ver. 3. to 8.
• 3. He comforts himself, being confident of his own preservation, from ver. 8. to 10.
  • 1. And of their punishment, for which he prays, from ver. 11. to 14.
  • 2. And of their vain endeavors, for which he insults, ver. 14, 15.
• 4. He concludes with thanks, ver. 16, 17.

1. He begins with a Petition for deliverance, defense, salvation, and persuades it from the qualities of his enemies.

• 1. Deliver me, defend me, save me from
• 2. [Ver. 1] Mine enemies: 1. Them that rise up against me: 2. From the workers of iniquity: [unspec 2] 3. From bloody men. These considerations made him pray, O my God deliver, &c.

2. And yet more particularly he expresseth their cruelty and treachery, to aggravate which, he pleads his own innocence in respect of them.

• 1. Their cruelty was, Lo, they lie in wait for my soul.
• 2. [unspec 3] Their treachery this, The Mighty men are gathered against me. They run and prepare themselves. [unspec 4]
• 3. [unspec 6] They are diligent about it, They return at Evening: 2. Mad, and set to do it, they make a noise like a Dog, and threaten boldly: 3. Unwearied, and obstinate in their purpose, They go round about the City: 4. Impudent, and brag what they will do to me; Behold, they belch out with their mouth: 5. And their words are bloody, Swords are in their lips; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .
• 4. And the cause of this is, that they are proud and atheistical: Who, say they, doth hear? Secure they think themselves, supposing they may contemn God and man; neither regard what's done, or what becomes of poor David. [Ver. 3, 4.]
• 5. In the midst of which aggravations, he inserts his own innocence: They gather themselves together; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord; they run and prepare themselves without my fault.

And upon this he renews his Petition. [Ver. 4]

• 1. Awake to help me, and behold:
  • 1. Thou therefore the Lord God of Hosts, the God of Israel, the Lord God of Hosts, therefore powerful. [unspec 5]
  • 2. The God of Israel, therefore merciful.
• 2. Awake to visit all the Heathen: i.e. Punish the Heathen, and the Israelites in this no better.
• 3. And be not merciful to any wicked Transgressors: i. e. malicious, obstinate.

To this rage and implacable hatred of his enemies, he now begins to oppose the comfort he had upon the assurance of God's promises; this I know:

• 1. Thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; as it were, in sport destroy them, be their power never so great, yet thou wilt laugh them to scorn. [unspec 8]
• 2. Them, and all that are like them; Thou shalt have all the Heathen in derision.
• 3. I confess that Saul 's strength is great, but my Protector greater; Because of his strength I will wait upon thee, for God is my defense. [unspec 9]
• 4. This I am assured also, That the God of my mercy, [unspec 10] that hath hitherto shown me mercy, shall prevent me, come in feason to my help: 2. And God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.

And to the 16th. verse, he expresseth what his desires were. [unspec 11]

• 1. Negatively: He would not have them slain and eradicated, and be gives his Reason for it: Slay them not, lest my people forget; for a dead man is quickly out of mind, and his punishment out of mind, and so few are the better for it.
• 2. Positively: The first degree of which, is dispersion, vagrancy and banishment: Scatter them; which, how heavy a judgment it is, let the Jews be witness.
• 2. The second degree, is Humiliation: Bring them down, O Lord, our shield. Bring them from their power, command, honor, to a low degree, which is no small heart-breaking to a great spirit: Fuimus Troes, is never remembered without a groan.

And now he assigns the cause why he would have them scattered and brought low, that their blasphemies and lies may never be forgotten, [unspec 12] but they stand as a terror to all liars and blasphemers.

• 1. For the sins of their mouths, and the words of their lips, let them be taken in their pride: The Jews cried Beelzebub, Nolumus hum, and taken they were.
• 2. And for cursing and lying, which they speak: They cursed themselves, his blood be upon us, and upon them it is with a witness.
• 3. He goes on in his desires: Consume them, O Lord, emphatically, consume them in wrath that they may not be; [unspec 13] which at first sight seems contrary to his first desire, Slay them not: But it is not so, for he speaks not of their life, as if he would have them so consumed, that they should not remain alive; but he desires only a consumption of their power, royalty, command; &c. And so these words are a farther explication of his second desire, Bring them down: He would have them so brought down and consumed in their strength, dignity, command, wealth, riches, that made them proud, that they never be able anymore to oppose God, hurt his people, trample upon Religion, and his Church; he would have them live.
• 4. And shows the end why he would have them live and remain still, it is ut cognoscant, that they might know by their calamities and miseries, That it is God that ruleth in Jacob, and unto the ends of the Earth; that he doth wonderfully govern and preserve his Church that is scattered over all the Earth.
• 5. And now by a bitter Epitrope or Synchoresis rather, he insults over them; before at the 6th. verse, he shown their double diligence, threats, malice to do mischief.
  • 1. They return at Evening: Well, esto, be it so; And at Evening let them return. [unspec 14]
  • 2. They make a noise like a Dog: Well, Let them make a noise like a Dog.
  • 3. They go round about the City: Well, Let them go round about the City.

So withal, they know that they shall be but in a miserable, poor, mean condition.

• 1. [unspec 15] Let them wander up and down for meat: Let them find no settled habitation, but wander among strange Nations to seek for necessary food.
• 2. And grudge if they be not satisfied: Let them be famelici, so hungerbit, that is, nor little that will satisfy them, let them be always grudging, if they have not content; so that if they be not satisfied, they will stay all night, be importunate and unmannerly Beggars, vexed with a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

4. The Conclusion is a Doxology, and contains David's thanks, in which he acknowledgeth, That God is his defense, his refuge, his strength; of him therefore he would make his song.

• 1. But I will sing of thy power.
• 2. [unspec 16] I will sing of thy mercy: 1. Aloud: 2. In the morning.
• 3. The Reason he gives: For thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.

Both he repeats again.

• 1. [unspec 17] Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing.
• 2. The Reason: For God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.

And he joins these two Attributes, strength and mercy very well; for take away strength from him, and he cannot; remove morcy, and he will not protect; both must go together in any one that will defend: Power, that he can; mercy, that he will; otherwise 'tis but in vain to hope for help from him. David found God to be both, and for both he extolls him.

PSAL. LX. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 vel Triumphale.

B Efore David's time, and in the beginning of his reign, Israel was in a distressed condition. He composed and quieted all. And made War, and conquered the Moabites, &c. Edom only was not vanquished. In this Psalm then he gives thanks for his victories. And prays for assistance for the conquest of Edom.

The parts of it in general are,

• 1. A commemoration of the former lamentable distracted condition of the Israelites, verse. 1, 2, 3.
• 2. The condition of it under his reign: much better, from verse. 4. to 9.
• 3. His thankfulness in ascribing all his victories to God, from verse. 9. to 12.

1. In the first he shows that God was angry with Israel. 1. Of which he laments the effects of his anger. 2. And then prays for the aversion.

• 1. O Lord, thou hast, or hadst cast us off.
• 2. Thou hast scattered us abroad, thou hast been displeased.
• 3. [Vers. 1] Thou hast made the earth to tremble.
• 4. [unspec 1] Thou hast broken it.
• 5. [unspec 1] Thou hast showed thy people heavy things.
• 6. Thou hast given us a drink, the wine of astonishment. Every syllable of which Congeries will appear to be most true, to him that shall examine the story of the Israelites before Saul's reign, under his government, upon his death, and the first entrance of David to the Kingdom: The stirs he had, and wars with the house of Saul, until Ishbosheth was taken out of the way.

2. All which wars, civil and external, with the calamities that flowed from them, [Vers. 1] he imputes to God's anger, verse. 1. Thou hast been displeased.

3. And upon it prays,

• 1. O turn thee to us again. Let us enjoy thy countenance which was averted. [Vers. 1]
• 2. [Vers. 2] Heal the breaches of the Land. Close the wounds made by these contentions; and it seems they were not yet all perfectly closed. For he adds, It shaketh.

2. But now the condition of it was much better. All being brought under one King. 2. And he victorious over his foreign enemies.

1. Thou now hast given a Banner to them that fear thee. All Israel, all those that are thy servants are brought to acknowledge and fight under one standard, [Vers. 4] in effect, have received me for their sole King, the factions and parties being quieted.

2. That it may be displayed. Set up, that Israel may know under whom to fight, and whose part to take.

3. Because of thy Truth. Who by this hast made it appear, that it was no fiction, nor no ambition of mine to set up this standard. But a Truth, that I was by Samuel by thy special appointment Anointed to be King. And I am now invested with the Crown, for the performance of thy Truth and Promise.

4. [Vers. 5] And the end is especially, that I should bring deliverance to thy servants; it was, that thy beloved may be delivered. That the Godly, and good men, and those that fear thee, being hitherto oppressed, and in these distractions, harraz'd, robbed, kept low and under, might be delivered.

5. Which that it may be done, he inserts a short ejaculation for himself and them. Save with thy right-hand, and hear thou me.

And now he begins to commemorate the particulars that God had done by him, and the several victories he had gotten, as also in what manner he ruled these people. To all which he prefaceth with this Oracle. [Vers. 6]

God hath spoken in his holiness. He certainly and truly hath promised to save us. And as he is a Holy God, so certainly it shall be performed. And hath he so spoken? Laetabor. I will be glad and rejoice in it. With much joy and comfort I shall enter upon the Kingdom being confirmed by his promise, which I will administer in a different manner: My government shall be paternal to the Israelites, which are his people. But more severe and sharp to the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Syrians, because they are aliens from the Common-Wealth of Israel.

• 1. I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth. I will bring under my power those places of Israel, and as a true Lord of them, I will divide and measure out what portions I shall think fit to the inhabitants.
• 2. Gilead also is mine, and Manassch is mine, [unspec 7] the Israelites that followed the house of Saul, are come into my power, and I will divide and apportion them also. Yet, as being mine, I shall deal mildly with them.
• 3. Of Ephraim I shall make reckoning. Ephraim shall be the strength of my head; as this Tribe had more men than any other, so they were great Soldiers, these therefore David esteemed as his Life-Guard.
• 4. Judah is my Law-giver. His chief Counsel was of this Tribe, in whom, with himself, was the Legislative power, according to that old Prophecy of Jacob, The Scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Law-giver from between his feet, till Shiloh come.

And thus having showed his Kingdom, and the administration of it, over the Israelites, he passeth to the strangers whom he had conquered, over whom he would carry a more severe hand, putting them into a slavish subjection, [unspec 8] and to base Offices.

• 1. Moab is my Wash-pot. A servant to hold the Basen, and to wash my feet.
• 2. Over Edom I will cast my shoe. Trample upon their necks. • ick them, if I please, and expose them at my pleasure to scorn.
• 3. Philistia, triumph thou because of me. Which is either spoken Ironically; as if he should say, O Philistines, whom I have subdued, Go, go, triumph, because I have conquered thee. Or else: Triumph thou, that is, in the Triumph that I shall celebrate for my conquest, bear, though unwillingly, a part, and sing among the rest, Jo Paan. Follow the train with happy acclamations, and proclaim me thy King.

Lastly, After the enumeration of his victories, and form of government, that no man should take this for a vain boast of his own strength, he thankfully ascribes all the glory to God, both of what he had done, and what he was yet to do. One people he was yet to conquer, and that could not be done, except that God, who had hitherto gone our with his Armies, would again vouchsafe to lead them. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . And therefore he asks. [unspec 9]

• 1. Who will bring me into the strong City? Who will lead me into Edom? No question, had Joab, Abishai, &c. or any of his Worthies been by, they would have striven who should have profer'd his service. Everyone would have said, I will be the man. [unspec 10]
• 2. But he prevents them all, and returns this answer to himself, that none but God should do it, and that he was persuaded he would do it, even that God, who was formerly displeased with them, had cast them off, but was now reconciled and pacified. Wilt not thou, O God, lead us into the strong City, which had cast us off? and thou, O God, bring us into Edom, which didst not go forth with our Armies?
• 3. [unspec 11] And to that purppse he prays, Give us help from trouble; and he adds his Reason, that nothing can be well done without God's help and assistance; for the strength, power, prudence, skill of man without God, are to little purpose; for vain is the help of man.

And he concludes all with this Epiphonema, [unspec 12] In God we shall do great, or valiant Acts; for he it is that shall tread down our enemies: In War these two must be joined, and indeed in all actions: He, We, God and Man.

• 1. We must do valiantly; for God helps not remiss and cowardly men, or negligent.
• 2. And yet that being done, the work is his, He shall tread down, the blow and overthrow is not to be attributed to us, but to him.

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

IT is probable that this Psalm was composed by David, when he was forced from Jerusalem by Absalom: As therefore in other calamities, so now he prays, and vows perpetual service.

Two parts.

• 1. His prayer, ver. 1, 2, 3.
• 2. His vow, from ver. 3. to 8.

1. He begins with a prayer, in which he begs,

• 1. Audience; Hear my cry, O Lord, attend my prayer, ver. 1.
• 2. The Reason to enforce it. [Ver. 1]
  • 1. He was in banishment, in the farther part of the Land of Judah: From the farther part of the earth will I cry to thee. [Ver. 2]
  • 2. He was in great extremity; when my heart is over whelmed.
• 3. For defense; Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I: That is, to some safe and defensed place, to which my enemies may have no access; whither without thy help, I cannot ascend. And he adds a Reason also of this part of his prayer, [Ver. 3] drawn from his own experience: For thou hast been a shelter for me, a strong Tower from the enemy.

2. His faith now presents him as delivered, and therefore he vows.

• 1. I will abide in thy Tabernacle forever: I will return, and adore thee in thy Temple. [Ver. 4]
• 2. I will trust under the Covert of thy wings: He alludes to the Cherubims, whose wings covered the Ark.

And of this he assigns divers Reasons also,

• 1. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: i. e. my prayers.
• 2. Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy Name; made me King over thy people, [unspec 5] and more fully performed to me the promise made to Abraham of the Land of Canaan.
• 3. Thou wilt prolong the Kings life; make me longaevus. [unspec 6]
• 4. And his years, viz. in his posterity, as many Generations; of which, [unspec 7] the beginning of the next verse is the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He shall abide before God forever.

And now David assuring himself of his Crown, and that his posterity should inherit it, puts forth an earnest Vote for that which should establish it: O prepare thy Mercy and Truth which may preserve him: i. e. Me thy King: for these two virtues, [unspec 7] Mercy, i. e. Clemency and Truth, do commend a King, and make him dear to his Subjects; for in the practice of these, 'tis not possible that his Government should be harsh, unjust, or tyrannical.

Which if it please God to bestow on him, then he makes a new vow, So will I sing praise unto thy Name forever.

Which, however it seems to be a new vow here, yet it was that he had vowed before, and engaged to discharge; for in singing praise to God's Name, he should but pay what by vow he had often undertook. I will sing praise to thy Name forever, [unspec 8] that I may daily perform my vows.

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

THE intent of this Psalm, is to teach men to trust in God, and not to trust in wealth, strength, or in the power or promises of man.

The Contents of the Psalm.

• 1. David's confidence in God, ver. 1, 2.
• 2. The mischievous, but vain attempts of his enemies, ver. 3, 4.
• 3. He encourageth himself and others to the same confidence, from ver. 5. to 9.
• 4. That no trust is to be put in men or riches, ver. 9, 10.
• 5. The grounds of our confidence in God, ver. 11, 12.

1. In the two first verses, David expresseth, or rather labors to express (as appears by his often repetition of the same thing in divers words) his hope, trust and confidence in God. [Ver. 1]

• 1. Truly my soul waiteth upon God, or is silent; i.e. I do acquiesce in him.
• 2. From him comes my salvation: If I be safe in my greatest troubles, [Ver. 2] 'tis from him.
• 3. He only is my Rock, and my Salvation, he is my Defense, so that I shall not greatly be moved: He is to me, what a Rock or Tower of defense is to such as fly to them.

2. And upon it he infers, that the mischievous attempts of his bitterest adversaries, are but vain; with them he expostulates, them he checks, and over them he insults.

• 1. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? i. e. me? he chides their obstinacy. [Ver. 3]
• 2. Ye shall be slain all of you; and their ruin he declares by a double similitude; Ye shall be as a bowing wall, whence when some stones begin to shut out or fall, the rest follow; or, as a tottering fence, that is easily thrown down.

Next, by the description of their manners, he intimates the cause of their ruin. [Ver. 4]

• 1. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: Their counsels to destroy David.
• 2. They delight in lies; invent tales and lies to destroy me.
• 3. Flatterers and Dissemblers they are: They bless with their mouth, but curse inwardly; no marvel then if destined to the slaughter, if they be as a broken wall, &c.

3. And lest his heart faint and fail through the multitude of temptations, he first encourageth himself to be confident still; secondly, then persuades others to it.

• 1. He encourageth himself, [Ver. 5] making use of the words of the first and second verses for Reasons. My soul, wait thou only upon God, [unspec 6] for my expectation is from him; he only is my Rock, and my Salvation; he is my Defense, [unspec 7] I shall not be moved: In God is my Salvation, and my Glory, [unspec 8] the Rock of my strength, and refuge is in God.
• 2. He exhorts others to do the like: Trustin him ye people, which he amplifies.
  • 1. By assignation of the time, Trust in him at all times; in prosperity, that he be not secure; in adversity, that ye be not heartless.
  • 2. And in our saddest occasions he shows and exhorts what is to be done, that we bring our grievances and complaints to God, and with an honest heart open them: Pour out your heart; that is, the griefs of your heart before him.
  • 3. Adding this Reason, God is our Refuge for us.

4. So are not other things, whether men; secondly, wealth especially unjustly gotten.

• 1. Not men; there is no credit or trust to be put in them, of what degree soever. [unspec 9]
  • 1. Surely men of low degree are vanity: 2. And men of high degree are a lie: The low are notable, the high deceive and frustrate our hopes.
  • 2. Put them into the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity; make trial of them, [unspec 10] as you would of things in a Scale, and you shall find them so vain and light, that they carry no proportion to what is weighty; they ascend and flurt up, and away, as an empty Scale.
• 2. Nor riches and wealth, especially if unjustly heaped together, and therefore rely not on them: Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

5. In the Close, he sets down the grounds of his confidence, taken upon God's Word, [unspec 11] God hath spoken; 'twice have I heard the same: i. e. He hath often spoken it. [unspec 12]

• 1. That power belongs to God, and therefore he is to be trusted.
• 2. That mercy belongs to God, and therefore also he is to be trusted.

The consequent of both is, Thou renderest to everyone according to his works; bonis vera, malis male; rely upon him.

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

DAVID at this time being forced to fly into the Wilderness, complains of his condition, that he was compelled to be absent from the Assembly of God's servants, and expresseth his vehement desire to be again joined unto them.

The Contents are.

• 1. His ardent affection to be present in the Assembly of Saints, ver. 1. and the Reasons that moved him to it, 2, 3, 4, 5.
• 2. That being where he was, yet he forgot not his God, ver. 6, 7, 8.
• 3. A double Prophecy what should befall his enemies, ver. 9. & 10. and what to himself, ver. 11.

1. O God, thou art my God: He premiseth this phrase, as the foundation of his desires, contemplations, meditation, invocation, consolation.

2. Then he by a Congeries expresseth his ardent desire, and fervent affection.

• 1. Early will my soul seek thee; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Thee, not other things. [Ver. 1]
• 2. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth after thee in a barren, dry, and thirsty Land, where no water is: No question in this barren and dry Land, he must want many things; but of that he complains, 'tis only that he wanted the presence of God in his Sanctuary.

2. And so he expresseth himself in the following verse, Athirst his soul was, [Ver. 2] to see the power and glory of God; viz. The Ark of the Covenant, which was a Type of God's power and glory, as he had formerly done, so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary.

And the Reason of this he interserts by a Parenthesis (because thy loving-kindness is better than life) A life indeed I live, but it is not vita vitalis, [Ver. 3] I have not so much comfort in it, as long as I am absent from thy Sanctuary; then I should see thy goodness in the use of thy Ordinances, and that I account far beyond my life; could I be so happy to be admitted again thither, then these effects would follow: 1. Praise. 2. Invocation. 3. And Content. [Ver. 4]

• 1. Praise: For my lips shall praise thee, thus will I bless thee, &c.
• 2. Invocation and prayer: I will lift up my hands unto thee. [Ver. 5]
• 3. Content, great content and joy arising from these: My mouth shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness, when my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.

2. Yea, but doth David now being in the Wilderness forget his duty, did he not praise, and pray to his God? yes verily, and that he next signifies, that no man doubt of it; but it was not with such content, as in the company of God's people.

• 1. [Ver. 6] Even here; When I remember thee upon my Bed, and meditate on thee in the night-watches. [unspec 7]
• 2. [unspec 8] (Because thou hast been my help) therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
• 3. My soul followeth hard after thee, thy right hand hath upholden me: 'It is evident then, that David here wanted not his comfort; for,
  • 1. He meditates and remembers what God had done for him.
  • 2. He remembers that he had been his help, and therefore he rejoiceth in it.
  • 3. He still adheres to him, and follows hard after him for help still.

3. And now being secure of God's protection, he foretells what would happen to his enemies: 2. and what to himself.

• 1. To his enemies ruin: But those that seek after my soul to destroy it, they shall go (some of them) into the lower parts of the Earth, [unspec 9] or the Grave, or Hell: 2. They shall fall by the Sword, as did Saul, and be a portion for Foxes; [unspec 10] [unspec 11] be unburged, and be devoured by wild Beasts.
  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .
• 2. To himself honor and a Crown: But the King; i. e. David, shall rejoice in God; the Reason is,
  • 1. Everyone that swears by him, that is, by God, viz. that worships and fears him; an Oath being by a Synecedoche, for the whole worship of God.
  • 2. But on the contrary, the mouth of those that speak lies, utter blasphemies, curses, perjuries, shall be stopped; shamed he shall be, and confounded.

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

T HE Subject of this Psalm is the same with many that went before; for in this Psalm:

1. David being in danger by Saul, and his Courtiers, commends his cause to God, ver. 1, 2.

2. Complains of his enemies, of whose qualities he gives a a very lively description, from ver. 3. to 7.

3. He foretells their ruin, from ver. 7. and the event, to 10.

1. He prays in general, Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer.

2. Then in special, That his life may be safe: Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. [Ver. 1]

3. As also to be hid from their counsels and practices: [unspec 2] Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked, and from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity.

Thus in general he speaks of them:

• 1. That they were a sort of wicked men.
• 2. That they were workers of iniquity.
• 3. That they took secret counsel against him.
• 4. That their counsels broke out into act, and therefore he desires to be hid, as it were, in some secret place, where he might decline the danger, and their attempts.

2. And so having set a general character of iniquity upon them, as a Reason to persuade God to hear him, he descends in particular to describe their villainy.

• 1. They were great Calumniators, and false Accusers of him; [Ver. 3] no Sword sharper than their tongue, no Arrow swifter than their false aspersions; with this they were nimble to wound his credit and reputation, which he aggravates by two circumstances.
  • 1. That it was in secret.
  • 2. That it was against him who was innocent and upright.
    They whet their tongue like a Sword, and bend their Bows to shoot their arrows, bitter words. [unspec 4]

    That they may shoot in the secret at the perfect, suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
• 2. They were obstinate, and confirmed in mischief, no counsel, no persuasion could call them from it, so obdurate and hardened in it, That they encourage themselves in an evil matter: 2. They commune, and lay their heads together, of laying of snares privily; where the Lions Paw will not reach, they take the Foxes Tail.
• 3. [unspec 5] Atheistical and impudent they are, secure and proud, contemners of divine justice: They say, Who shall see them?
• 4. [unspec 6] Indefatigable they were, and carried on with an earnest desire to do mischief: They search out iniquities, they accomplish a diligent search; They invent all crafty ways to circumvent me.
• 5. And all this is done subtly, craftily, heartily, both the inward thought, and the heart of everyone of them is deep; 'tis no easy thing to find their intent.

3. And now he foretells their punishment: 2. And the event.

1. Their punishment was like to be hasty, sharp, deadly, and very just.

• 1. God shall shoot at them with an arrow, suddenly they shall be wounded.
• 2. [unspec 7] Most just: For they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves, verifying our Savior's words, With what measure you mete, with the same it shall be measured: [unspec 8] By their tongues they did the mischief, by their tongues they should fall.

2. The event should be double: 1. In general to all: 2. In particular to the righteous.

• 1. Universally, All that see them, should flee away; fear, desert, forsake them. [unspec 9]
• 2. And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God, for they shall then wisely consider it is his doing: Digitus hic Dei.

But the effect that this their punishment shall have on the righteous, will be other; viz. not only consider it, and fear, and acknowledge his justice; but,

• 1. [unspec 10] The righteous shall be glad in the Lord; rejoice for the revenge God hath taken.
• 2. And shall trust in him; that he will always protect, and deliver the innocent.
• 3. And all the upright in heart shall glory, make their boast of God, and tell it abroad what their God hath, what he will do for them.

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

THIS Psalm is wholly a Psalm of Thanksgiving, and 'tis the Prophets purpose to set us a pattern how, and for what we are to praise God, both for spiritual and temporal blessings, and that first for those, and then for these, and that this praise is most acceptable to him in his Church, viz. in Zion.

Two general parts of it.

• 1. He thanks God for his singular benefits to his Church, from ver. 1. to 6.
• 2. He thanks him for the common benefits to all Mankind, from ver. 6. to the end.

1. He sets forth the grace of God to his people, of which he reckons many particulars.

• 1. That he made choice of Israel to serve, worship, praise him: [Ver. 1] Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion, and unto thee shall the vow be performed. [unspec 2]
• 2. That he was so propitious to hear their prayers: Thou that hearest prayer, to thee shall all flesh come; all thy afflicted people in their distresses.
• 3. To admit men to confession, of which we have here a Form; My iniquities prevail against me; not to extenuate our sins before God, but to aggravate them. [unspec 3]
  • 1. For number, iniquities.
  • 2. For quantity, words, or matters of iniquities.
  • 3. For efficacy, They prevail against me, are too mighty for me to conquer without thy grace.
• 4. That he grants us remission and pardon: As for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. [unspec 4]
• 5. That he elects a peculiar people to himself, to whom also he will after an offense be reconciled, in which lies their happiness: Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy Courts.
• 6. That he satisfies those that dwell with an honest heart in his Courts, with the goodness of his House, even of his holy Temple; viz. by the comforts of his Word, and grace of his Sacraments. [unspec 5]
• 7. That he protects, defends, and governs his people: By terrible things in righteousness, wilt thou answer us; i. e. our prayers, O God of our salvation.
  • 1. Thou answerest us, when we cry and implore thy help.
  • 2. By terrible things, as in Egypt by signs and wonders.
  • 3. And the motive to it, is, thy justice, that there be a just revenge taken upon thy enemies, and a just retribution to thy people.

All which he concludes with a double Elogy of God.

• 1. Showing what he is peculiarly to his people, O God of our salvation.
• 2. What he is to all: The confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the Sea; for he sustains all, be they where they will; in him they live, and move, and have their being.

2. And so he descends from his peculiar Providence, viz. that care and love, and the benefits which from thence flows to his Church, to speak of his general Providence, [unspec 6] in ordering and sustaining the whole World, of which he gives several instances.

• 1. He by his strength setteth fast the Mountains, being girded with power; which literally is true, but tropologically, Kingdoms, Empires.
• 2. [unspec 7] He stilleth the noise of the Seas, the noise of their waves, for to that he sets bounds; and the tumult of the people. He stills Devils, Tyrants, Armies, Seditions; so that they that dwell in the uttermost parts, are afraid at thy tokens, viz. either the strange signs thou showest in Heaven above, or the Earth beneath; or else the vengeance thou bringest on tumultuous, [unspec 8] seditious men.
• 3. Thou makest the out-goings of the Morning and Evening to rejoice; orderest the course of the Sun, Moon, Stars.
• 4. [unspec 9] Thou visitest the Earth, and waterest it, thou greatly enrichest it with the River of God, which is full of water, &c. us{que} ad ver. 11. In which the Prophet amplifies this mercy of God, [unspec 10] viz. That the rain, that the Rivers which water the Earth are from God's store, his blessing; the riches it yields, [unspec 11] the corn it brings forth, the fatness, the crown of the year is from him.
• 5. [unspec 12] They, the Clouds, the Rivers of God drop upon the Wilderness, &c. ver. [unspec 13] 12, 13. the fertility of the Deserts, Hills, Valleys, Meadows, Pastures, is from thee, in all parts of the Earth thy riches are conspicuous; so much, That they, even the little Hills shall rejoice, they shall laugh and sing: Redebit ager, i. e. florebit. His meaning is, that men may plow, sow, dig, dung, &c. but it is God that gives the increase.

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

THE occasion of this Psalm, was some great deliverance which God showed to his people, for which, David invites the Church to give thanks, and proposeth himself for an example of Gratitude.

The parts are.

• 1. An Invitation.
  • 1. To praise God, from ver. 1. to 5.
  • 2. To consider his works, from ver. 5. to 8.
• 2. A Repetition of the Invitation, ver. 8. for the benefit and deliverance lately received, from ver. 9. to 12.
• 3. A Protestation and Vow for his own particular to serve God, ver. 13, 14, 15.
• 4. A Declaration of God's goodness to himself, from ver. 16. to 20.
• 5. His Doxology, ver. 20.

1. He invites all men to praise God, and to do it affectionately and heartily.

• 1. [Ver. 1] Make a joyful song unto God, all ye Lands.
• 2. [Ver. 2] Sing forth the honor of his Name.
• 3. Make his praise glorious.
• 4. Say unto God, where he prescribes a Form to be used in Thanksgiving, How, terrible art thou in thy works; viz. in redeeming and delivering thy people with a strong and powerful hand.

Of which consideration he shows a double effect, one upon God's enemies: 2. The other upon his people.

• 1. Upon his enemies, a feigned obedience, a service done indeed perforce, as the conquered do the Conquerors, done with lying lips, and an unwilling mind: [unspec 3] Through the greatness of thy power shall thy enemies submit themselves, or yield feigned obedience unto thee.
• 2. Upon his people, who willingly should magnify him for his terrible works: [unspec 4] All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee, they shall sing to thy Name: Selah.

2. At the fifth verse begins the other part of his Invitation, in which he exhorts men to consider God's ways, as if the cause of their ingratitude were, as it is indeed, their inconsideration; this idle carelessness he would have shaken off, Come and see the Works of God; not ite, but venite, Come and consider with me. [Ver. 5]

2. Then not his works at large, but his terrible Works, his Wonders, his strange doings in the deliverance of his people; of which he gives two instances.

• 1. The division of the red Sea; when Pharaoh pursued the Israelites, he turned the Sea into dry land.
• 2. [unspec 6] The other, the division of Jordan, Josh. 3. that Israel might pass through, They went through the flood on foot,

Which he closeth with this Acclamation, There did we rejoice in him; those miracles done for our Fathers, concerned us their children, we, even we, are the better for them; and therefore in their loins we did, and we will ever rejoice for it.

But being not satisfied with these instances, as being particular,