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<DATE>2010-10-25</DATE>
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<NAME>Simon Charles</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<P><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="2 letters">E BOOK OF PSALMS PARAPHRAS'D; WITH ARGUMENTS to each PSALM.</P>
<P>The Second Volume.</P>
<P>By SYMON PATRICK, D. D. Dean of <HI>PETERB&V;RGH,</HI> and Chaplain in Ordinary to His MAJESTY.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>M. Fle&s;her,</HI> for <HI>R. Roy&s;ton,</HI> Book|&s;eller to His mo&s;t Sacred MAJESTY, <HI>An. Dom.</HI> MDCLXXX.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO The Right Honourable HENEAGE Lord <HI>FINCH,</HI> Baron of DAVENTRY, Lord High CHANCELLOUR OF <HI>ENGLAND,</HI> And one of His MAJESTY'S mo&s;t Honourable Privy Council.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My LORD,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>IT is &s;o unu&s;ual in this Age, to confer Benefits un&s;ought, e&s;pecially &s;uch as your Lord|&s;hip was plea&s;ed lately to think me worthy of; that I ought to have <PB REF="3">the higher e&s;teem, not merely of your Lord&s;hip's &s;ingular kindne&s;s to me, but chiefly of that noble principle of Vertue in your mind from whence it purely flowed. Which will excu&s;e, I hope, the pre&s;umption of this De|dication; to which I am prompted by nothing, but onely an eager de&s;ire, publickly to te&s;tifie my gratitude to your Lord&s;hip, as &s;oon as it was po&s;&s;ible. Which made me lay hold upon the very fir&s;t opportunity, that pre&s;ented it &s;elf: and chu&s;e rather to prefix your Lord&s;hip's great Name, to the remainder of this Work (part of which was publi&s;hed &s;ome months ago) then let any thing appear in the world under my name, which did not carry along with it a thank|full acknowledgment of my obliga|tions <PB REF="3">to your Lord&s;hip. To who&s;e Judgment knowing per&s;ons attribute &s;o much; that as it is a very great honour to receive any mark of your Lord&s;hip's good opinion, &s;o it is a preferment to which, whether I will or no, your Lord&s;hip hath advanced me.</P>
<P>I will endeavour not to fall from it by forgetfulne&s;s of your Lord&s;hip's favours; but pre&s;erve &s;uch a re|membrance of them, as is &s;utable to the pre&s;ent &s;en&s;e I have of them: which is as much beyond what I can expre&s;s, as they are beyond what I could de&s;erve.</P>
<P>The be&s;t expre&s;&s;ion I can make of it will be in my prayers to God, that, as the King hath made you the &s;u|preme Di&s;pen&s;er of his Ju&s;tice to his <PB REF="4">People, and his Divine Maje&s;ty hath made you a great Pattern of Piety and Devotion, as well as other exemplary Vertues; &s;o, He would be plea&s;ed to give you wi&s;e|dom and prudence to conduct your &s;elf with &s;uch dexterity as well as integrity in the management of all the publick Bu&s;ine&s;s, with the care of which you are intru&s;ted, that you may continue (as you are) a &s;up|porter of the Government, a Patron of Religion, a Friend of good Men, and, in a word, a Ble&s;&s;ing, not onely to your own vertuous Family but, to the whole Nation. For, though there are &s;ome &s;o imperfect, that they will allow no &s;uch words to be &s;aid of any, but tho&s;e that plea&s;e them in every thing; yet, the mo&s;t <PB REF="4">of good Men, or at lea&s;t the be&s;t, will thankfully acknowledge the hap|pine&s;s we enjoy in the Authority your Lord&s;hip hath, and will joyn in tho&s;e Prayers with,</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>My LORD,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Your Lord&s;hip's mo&s;t humble and mo&s;t obliged Servant, <HI>S. Patrick.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="5">
<PB N="1" REF="5">
<HEAD>A PARAPHRASE ON THE PSALMS.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="book">
<HEAD>The Third Book.</HEAD>
<DIV3 N="73" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXIII.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>Here begins a new Collection of XVII. P&s;alms, mo&s;t of them very di&s;con&s;olate and full of &s;ad Complaints, which make up the
<HI>Third</HI> Book of this Volume, as the Hebrews divide it. They were mo&s;t of them compo&s;ed by <HI>A&s;aph</HI> (and but one of them by <HI>David</HI>) though who he was, is not re&s;olved by In|terpreters: who &s;u&s;pect indeed there might be another Authour of &s;ome of the&s;e P&s;alms; but have no other
<HI>A&s;aph</HI> to name, but <HI>A&s;aph the Singer,</HI> who was famous in the days of <HI>David,</HI> 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> VI. 39. XVI. 5. 2 <HI>Chr.</HI> V. 12. And accordingly <HI>Apollinarius</HI> thus <PB N="2" REF="6">de&s;cants upon the Title, <HI>The Divine inven|tion of</HI> David <HI>failing in the compo&s;ing of Songs,</HI> A&s;aph <HI>aro&s;e and by the Divine Spi|rit re&s;ounded this Hymn.</HI> But it &s;eems to me that there is another per&s;on of this name mentioned in the holy Books (who may be more probably intituled to this Work) called <HI>A&s;aph the Seer</HI> (&s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> L.) who lived in the days of <HI>Hezekiah,</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXIX. 30. and who&s;e Son, I &s;uppo&s;e, was then Recor|der, 2 <HI>King.</HI> XVIII. 37. XXXVI.
<HI>I&s;a.</HI> 3. Some of them indeed (as I &s;hall take notice in due place) may be thought rather to be|long to another <HI>A&s;aph</HI> in after times: but for the pre&s;ent P&s;alm (and mo&s;t of the re&s;t) I can find no per&s;on &s;o likely to whom it may be intituled, as him now named: who compo&s;ed it, I conceive, either when he &s;aw the mi&s;erable havock which Strangers made among them in the days of <HI>Ahaz,</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXVIII. 17, 18, 19. XXIX. 8, 9. or when <HI>Senacherib</HI> invaded them, notwith|&s;tanding the reformation which <HI>Hezekiah</HI> had made: or, which is mo&s;t probable, upon the occa&s;ion that <HI>David</HI> wrote the XXXVII. <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> to comfort him&s;elf and good men, when they &s;aw the lewder &s;ort among them thrive and pro&s;per; and the pious &s;ometimes &s;orely afflicted: quite contrary to the Sanc|tions of their Law, which promi&s;ed all good things to tho&s;e that ob&s;erved it; and threat|ned the evil to tho&s;e that broke it. This <PB N="3" REF="6">extreamly afflicted his Spirit, and &s;taggered his Faith, till he con&s;idered the matter more deeply; and then he broke out into this Me|ditation, &s;aying,</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> TR&V;LY God <HI>is</HI> good to I&s;rael,
<HI>even</HI> to &s;uch as are of a clean heart.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. I Will never hereafter, what&s;oever Confu&s;i|ons I behold, que&s;ti|on the ju&s;tice of God's Pro|vidence; but con&s;tantly af|firm that He is not merely Ju&s;t, but very Good; yea hath a mo&s;t &s;ingular love to his faithfull people; who notwith&s;tanding the evils they indure, will never con|&s;ent to do any evil.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> But as for me, my feet were almo&s;t gone: my &s;teps had well-nigh &s;lipt.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Time was indeed, when I, even I, who have had &s;uch long experience of his care over me, began to doubt and &s;tagger in my Faith: nay, was in danger to tum|ble headlong into unbelief.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> For I was envious at the foo|li&s;h,
<HI>when</HI> I &s;aw the pro&s;perity of the wicked.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. The rea&s;on was, that having a ju&s;t indignation again&s;t the folly, or rather madne&s;s of wicked men, it fir&s;t vext me to &s;ee them, notwith&s;tanding their ill de&s;ervings, in a very flouri|&s;hing condition; and then <PB N="4" REF="7">tempted me to think it very hard that &s;ober men &s;hould not equal, if not exceed them, in &s;uch happine&s;s: e&s;pecially when I &s;aw no likelihood that it would end, but that they continue in their pro&s;perity.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> For <HI>there are</HI> no bands in their death: but their &s;trength <HI>is</HI> firm.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. For as they carry on all their de&s;igns &s;moothly and meet with no rub in their way, nor are in any danger (&s;o great is their power) to be bound over by humane ju&s;tice to an&s;wer for their crimes, how many &s;oever they commit: &s;o they are not afflicted with &s;ore di&s;ea&s;es by the hand of God, nor brought to their graves with pains and torment; but after a long life, in firm and vigorous health, depart ea&s;ily out of the world.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> They <HI>are</HI> not in trouble <HI>as other</HI> men: neither are they plagued like <HI>other</HI> men.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Their life is nothing &s;o laborious and toil&s;ome as that of many hone&s;t, but poor and wretched men: and they e&s;cape untouch'd, or are little hurt, by &s;uch calamities as are common to all mankind.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="5" REF="7">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Therefore pride compa&s;&s;eth them about as a chain: violence covereth them <HI>as</HI> a garment.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Which makes them &s;o un&s;ufferably proud, and vainly conceited of them|&s;elves, that they not onely tyrannize over their neigh|bours; but openly boa&s;t of the power they have to do them mi&s;chief: and glory in all the violence and cru|elty, whereby they main|tain and increa&s;e their pom|pous greatne&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Their eyes &s;tand out with fatne&s;s: they have more then heart could wi&s;h.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. In which they pamper them&s;elves to &s;uch an exce&s;s, that in their very counte|nance they expre&s;s the haughty &s;welling of their minds and hearts: which are &s;trangely puffed up, by their being rai&s;ed (not one|ly beyond the expectation of all other men; but) far above all that they them|&s;elves at fir&s;t imagined or could de&s;ign.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> They are corrupt and &s;peak wickedly
<HI>concer|ning</HI> oppre&s;&s;ion: they &s;peak loftily.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. They mock at all tho&s;e who &s;crupulou&s;ly tie them|&s;elves to the Rules of Ju|&s;tice, or tell them of the danger they run by their violation: for they threaten to undo all tho&s;e that op|po&s;e
<PB N="6" REF="8" MS="y">them; and publickly declare in the height of their arrogance, that they will not be bound by any Laws.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> They &s;et their mouth again&s;t the heavens; and their tongue walketh through the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. No, not tho&s;e of God him&s;elf, who (with all the invi&s;ible Powers of which men talk) they &s;ay is but a Name; which they do not dread: and therefore no wonder, if &s;uch bla&s;phe|mers of His Maje&s;ty &s;pare neither high nor low, but let their tongues loo&s;e, to abu&s;e and calumniate whom&s;oever they plea&s;e upon earth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Therefore his people return hither: and wa|ters of a full <HI>cup</HI> are wrung out to them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. And yet, as bad as they are, there is none of them but hath his followers and admirers; whom he fir&s;t invites and then re|tains, like bea&s;ts, by filling their bellies: which abun|dantly contents them, though others be &s;queezed and oppre&s;&s;ed, to give them this poor &s;atisfaction.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> And they &s;ay, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the mo&s;t High?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Nay, they drink in their opinions, and join with them in their impiety, <PB N="7" REF="8">&s;aying, How can God know what we do here? or if He do, why &s;hould we think that He, who is &s;o high, troubles Him&s;elf about our affairs?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Behold, the&s;e <HI>are</HI> the ungodly, who pro&s;per in the world, they in|crea&s;e <HI>in</HI> riches.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. For behold, there are none that contemn Him more then the&s;e men; and yet He is &s;o far from inflic|ting any puni&s;hment on them, that none enjoy &s;uch a continued cour&s;e of pro|&s;perity as they; who&s;e wealth and power increa|&s;es every day.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Verily I have clean&s;ed my heart in vain, and wa&s;hed my hands in innocency.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. And verily, if the&s;e men di&s;cour&s;e aright, I have taken a great deal of pains to little purpo&s;e; while I have &s;tudiou&s;ly endeavou|red to keep my heart pure from &s;o much as ill de&s;igns, as well as to refrain the do|ing of any evil actions; from the charge of which I can &s;afely purge my &s;elf.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> For all the day long have I been plagued, and cha&s;tened every morning.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. And yet I am pla|gued perpetually by the re&s;tle&s;s malice of the&s;e wic|ked doers; which as con|&s;tantly as the Sun ri&s;es falls <PB N="8" REF="9" MS="y">on me, a deal &s;ooner then on other men.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> If I &s;ay, I will &s;peak thus: behold, I &s;hould offend <HI>again&s;t</HI> the generation of thy children.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. But, what&s;oever con|fu&s;ed and fooli&s;h thoughts came on a &s;udden into my mind, I concluded upon more mature deliberation, that if I &s;aid as the&s;e men do, I &s;hould ba&s;ely betray the cau&s;e of all them, who are truly dear unto Thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> When I thought to know this, it
<HI>was</HI> too painfull for me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. And therefore re&s;ol|ved with my &s;elf, before I pronounced my &s;entence, to &s;tudy this point more &s;e|riou&s;ly; which at fir&s;t &s;ight appeared &s;o hard, that it grievou&s;ly perplexed me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> &V;ntill I went into the &s;anctuary of God; <HI>then</HI> under&s;tood I their end.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. And retiring my &s;elf into the holy places to con|&s;ult with Thee, and with tho&s;e to whom Thou com|municate&s;t thy Secrets, I was pre&s;ently &s;en&s;ible how &s;hort their felicity is; unto which death having put an utter end, it is followed with a di&s;mal after-recko|ning in another world.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> Surely thou did&s;t &s;et them in &s;lippery places: thou ca&s;ted&s;t them down into de&s;truc|tion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. And next I con&s;ide|red, that <HI>all</HI> of them do not &s;tand &s;o firm as they imagin, <PB N="9" REF="9">but merely flatter them|&s;elves with vain hopes of continuing in their &s;tation to the end of their days: for being rai&s;ed to the high|e&s;t preferments, they find them to be very &s;lippery places; from whence, to the amazement of them|&s;elves and of all &s;pectatours, they come tumbling down into a mo&s;t horrible ruin.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> How are they <HI>brought</HI> into de&s;olation, as in a moment! they are utterly con&s;umed with terrours.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. Oh what an a&s;toni|&s;hing change is this! which is the more frightfull, when on a &s;udden the Divine ven|geance &s;ei&s;es on them; and, when they lea&s;t expect it, an end is put to their great|ne&s;s: nay, they are quite de&s;troyed, in a mo&s;t terrible manner, as if they had ne|ver been.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> As a dream when <HI>one</HI> awa|keth;
<HI>&s;o,</HI> O LORD, when thou awa|ke&s;t, thou &s;halt de&s;pi&s;e their i|mage.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. So that it is but a dream of happine&s;s where|in they live, and they pride them&s;elves in a mere imagi|nary glory; which not onely vani&s;hes away, when Thou, O Lord, do&s;t ari&s;e to judge them, but becomes as contemptible, in that <PB N="10" REF="10">very City where they ap|peared in all their pomp and &s;plendour, as the fine things, which a man &s;ees in his &s;leep, are when he awa|keth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. And therefore when my &s;pirit boiled with vexa|tion, and grew &s;our at the &s;ight of their pro&s;perity; (Ver. 2, 3.) when I was &s;o vehemently provoked to pa&s;&s;ionate complaints, fee|ling the &s;harpe&s;t touches of grief and anger;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> So fooli&s;h <HI>was</HI> I, and igno|rant: I was <HI>as</HI> a bea&s;t before thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. I now ingenuou&s;ly acknowledg, it was for want of &s;uch manly and religious thoughts as the&s;e; which &s;hould have been in my mind, when I thought of thy Admini&s;trations, if I had not been dull and &s;tu|pid; as void of &s;en&s;e as the bea&s;ts, which look onely at things before their eyes, and have no regard to what is to come, or is not &s;een.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> Neverthe|le&s;s, I <HI>am</HI> conti|nually with thee: thou ha&s;t holden <HI>me</HI> by my right hand.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. For if I had looked beyond my &s;en&s;es, I might have &s;een that I am under the care of thy good Pro|vidence, <PB N="11" REF="10">and that Thou ha&s;t been my guide and my &s;up|porter, even when I had the&s;e bruiti&s;h thoughts, and did&s;t not &s;uffer the&s;e wicked men to de&s;troy me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> Thou &s;halt guide me with thy coun&s;el, and af|terward receive me <HI>to</HI> glory.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. And therefore I ought in all rea&s;on &s;till to con|clude, That Thou wilt di|rect me to behave my &s;elf &s;o wi&s;ely, that I &s;hall never fall into their &s;nares: but, after I have &s;uffered a while, be preferred to tho&s;e digni|ties from whence they fall; and, which is more, be &s;o graciou&s;ly accepted by Thee, as to continue in them unto immortal glory.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>25.</BIBL> Whom have I in heaven, <HI>but thee?</HI> and <HI>there is</HI> none upon earth, <HI>that</HI> I de&s;ire be|&s;ides thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>25. This I expect from thy Almighty Goodne&s;s, who art the &s;ole&s;t object of my hope: For thou knowe&s;t there is none in Heaven, whom I depend upon for help and protec|tion but Thee alone; none upon Earth who&s;e favour I &s;eek, but onely thine, which &s;hall perfectly content me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>26.</BIBL> My fle&s;h, and my heart fai|leth:
<HI>but</HI> God <HI>is</HI> the &s;trength of my heart, and my por|tion for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>26. It is po&s;&s;ible I may &s;till be pre&s;&s;ed with &s;uch <PB N="12" REF="11">&s;ore afflictions, that not one|ly my bodily &s;trength, but al&s;o my courage may begin again to fail me; but then I will recover my &s;elf, and fortifie my Soul by flying unto Thee, O God, for &s;afety: in who&s;e love I will alway think my &s;elf happy, and enjoy everla&s;ting &s;atis|faction.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>27.</BIBL> For lo, they that are far from thee, &s;hall peri&s;h: thou ha&s;t de&s;troy|ed all them that go a whoring from thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>27. For there is nothing more certain or more re|markable then this; that they who, by for&s;aking Thee, have put them&s;elves far from under thy care, will never be able, by any other means, to &s;ave them|&s;elves from peri&s;hing: For Thou ha&s;t already made &s;uch men a terrible Exam|ple of thy di&s;plea&s;ure; and utterly de&s;troyed tho&s;e, who, quitting thy &s;ervice, have devoted them&s;elves to the wor&s;hip of other Gods, 2
<HI>Chron.</HI> XXVIII. 6, 18, 19. XXIX. 7, 8, 9.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>28.</BIBL> But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my tru&s;t in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>28. And therefore I will learn by their mi&s;carriages, that it is the be&s;t and &s;afe&s;t <PB N="13" REF="11">cour&s;e for me, to adhere to my good God; and to make my humble addre&s;&s;es to Him alone. I have done &s;o hitherto, and no danger &s;hall tempt me hereafter to quit this hold, and to con|fide in any thing, but one|ly in the Sovereign of the World, who never fails tho&s;e that depend upon Him, and will, I hope, be &s;o gracious unto me, that I &s;hall have abundant cau&s;e to publi&s;h and proclaim to all others the Works of his Providence; in pre&s;erving the Good, and in throwing the wicked down, at la&s;t, to the ground.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="74" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="14" REF="12">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXIV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Ma&s;chil</HI> of <HI>A&s;aph.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The de&s;olation of <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> and of the Temple, as well as the re&s;t of the Country, made by <HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI> King of
<HI>Babylon,</HI> was the &s;ad occa&s;ion of this P&s;alm. For it is altogether improbable, that it hath re&s;pect to the days of <HI>Antiochus Epiphanes,</HI> as &s;ome fancy; becau&s;e, as <HI>Theodoret</HI> perrinently notes (to omit all other rea&s;ons) we reade nothing in any Hi&s;tory of his burning the Temple, or &s;o much as of his laying the City wa&s;te; which are both here mo&s;t &s;orrowfully bewailed by <HI>A&s;aph.</HI> Who was not therefore that <HI>A&s;aph</HI> in <HI>David</HI>'s time (unle&s;s we &s;hould grant him to have written by the &s;pi|rit of Prophecy, and predicted what &s;hould be in after-times, as a great many think) becau&s;e there was no &s;uch Temple in tho&s;e days, nor had been, as is here de&s;cribed: Nor was it
<HI>A&s;aph</HI> the Seer in <HI>Hezekiah</HI>'s days (of whom &s;ee Argument of the fore|going P&s;alm) who &s;aw no &s;uch de&s;olation made by
<HI>Senacherib</HI> (for he did not take <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> nor &s;hoot &s;o much as an arrow into it) nor, in all likelihood, prophe&s;ied of the de&s;truction here &s;poken of; becau&s;e <PB N="15" REF="12">the de&s;cription of it in this P&s;alm is &s;o plain, that we may mo&s;t rea&s;onably think the Au|thour of it had it before his eyes, and did not merely &s;ee it by the &s;pirit of Prophecy; which is not wont to foretell things in &s;o clear a manner, but more ob&s;curely and darkly.</P>
<P>I conclude therefore it was &s;ome other <HI>A&s;aph</HI> who compo&s;ed this P&s;alm, in the time of the Captivity, and in the middle, or rather toward the conclu&s;ion of it; becau&s;e he complains, Ver. 9. that they had no Pro|phet (as there was in the beginning of the Captivity, particularly <HI>Jeremiah</HI>) to tell them how long it &s;hould la&s;t. And con&s;ide|ring that in the <HI>&s;econd</HI> Ver&s;e he &s;peaks of him&s;elf as one that dwelt &s;till in the Land of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> pointing to Mount
<HI>Sion</HI> as a place near to him; I take him to have been &s;ome pious man of the po&s;terity of <HI>A&s;aph,</HI> who was &s;uffered to remain there with the <HI>Chal|daeans.</HI></P>
<P>And if it were fit to &s;uppo&s;e him to have written this P&s;alm very young, and to have lived to a great age, when I have no proof of either; I &s;hould gue&s;s him to be <HI>A&s;aph</HI> the Keeper of the King's Forre&s;t, in the days of <HI>Nehemiah:</HI> who de&s;ired <HI>Artaxerxes</HI> to write to him, to furni&s;h him with Timber out of <HI>Lebanon,</HI> for the rebuilding &s;ome of tho&s;e places, which the P&s;almi&s;t here com|plains were de&s;troyed. Among which, the <PB N="16" REF="13">Porch of the Court of the Sanctuary remai|ned unbuilt even unto tho&s;e times.</P>
<P>How&s;oever from the mention of Mount <HI>Sion</HI> in the
<HI>&s;econd</HI> Ver&s;e, it is manife&s;t <HI>Grotius</HI> forgot him&s;elf, when, in his Notes upon Ver. 6. he applies this P&s;alm to the de|&s;truction of <HI>Shiloh;</HI> which he &s;uppo&s;es <HI>A|&s;aph</HI> to have here bewailed. For Mount <HI>Sion</HI> had then never been in their po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, as it was afterward, and had lain &s;o long wa&s;te (Ver.
3.) when <HI>A&s;aph</HI> wrote this P&s;alm, that it look'd like a perpetual de&s;o|lation. Be&s;ides the <HI>Tabernacle</HI> was not burnt when
<HI>Shiloh</HI> was de&s;troyed, but re|mained, though without the Ark, till the days of <HI>Solomon,</HI> 2 Chron. I. 3. &s;ee <HI>P&s;alm</HI> LXVIII. And of the meaning of <HI>Ma&s;chil,</HI> &s;ee <HI>P&s;alm</HI> XXXII.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O God, why ha&s;t thou ca&s;t <HI>us</HI> off for e|ver? <HI>why</HI> doth thine anger &s;moke again&s;t the &s;heep of thy pa&s;ture?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O God, the Sove|reign Judge of the world, who ha&s;t ju&s;tly ex|pelled us out of our Land, and continued our bani&s;h|ment &s;o long, that little hope appears of our being re&s;tored to it again; be|hold the angui&s;h of our Souls, wherein we cry un|to Thee for mercy: For we are confounded to &s;ee Thee &s;o highly incen&s;ed again&s;t <PB N="17" REF="13">tho&s;e, who were once un|der thy mo&s;t indulgent care; as if Thou wert re|&s;olved never to be recon|ciled to us any more.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Remember thy congregation <HI>which</HI> thou ha&s;t purcha&s;ed of old: the rod of thine inheritance <HI>which</HI> thou ha&s;t redee|med, this mount Sion, wherein thou ha&s;t dwelt.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Thou ha&s;t not forgot|ten, we know, though it be very long ago, with the expence of how many Mi|racles Thou did&s;t make our Ance&s;tours thy peculiar people: For which rea&s;on, though we be exceedingly under&s;erving, we be&s;eech Thee to let all the world &s;ee, Thou wilt not utterly abandon the poor remain|ders of that Nation, which Thou did&s;t acquire at &s;o great a price; that King|dom which Thou did&s;t re|&s;cue out of the mo&s;t mi&s;e|rable &s;lavery, to be thy own po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion; and this Mount
<HI>Sion,</HI> wherein (af|ter Thou had&s;t by many wonders brought us into
<HI>Canaan,</HI> and routed out the old Inhabitants) Thou wa&s;t plea&s;ed at la&s;t, to &s;ettle thy abode among us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="18" REF="14" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Lift up thy feet unto the per|petual de&s;olations: <HI>even</HI> all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the &s;anctuary.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Make ha&s;te, good Lord, to come and vi&s;it the ruins of our Countrey and City, which have la|&s;ted exceeding long, and will never be repaired with|out thy powerfull help: which we implore again&s;t the Authours of them; who, to all the other mi&s;|chiefs they have done, have with a peculiar &s;pite, not onely defaced but, utterly de&s;troyed thy dwelling-place.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Thine ene|mies roar in the mid&s;t of thy con|gregations: they &s;et up their en|&s;igns <HI>for</HI> &s;igns.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. They are <HI>thy</HI> Enemies therefore as well as
<HI>ours,</HI> who&s;e fury and rage &s;o tran&s;ports them that they roar rather then &s;hout; whil&s;t they triumph in tho&s;e places where thy people were wont to meet to prai&s;e thy Name: There they have &s;et up their Banners in to|ken of their Victory; and bragg, as if their Gods were &s;uperiour unto Thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> <HI>A man</HI> was famous, according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Every one of them laid about him, and be&s;tir|red him&s;elf with all his might; as if he hoped to <PB N="19" REF="14">get renown by the mi&s;chief he did: which was com|mitted with no more re|mor&s;e, then if they had been lopping off boughs in the thickets of a Forre&s;t, where they may be &s;pared.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> But now they break down the carved work there|of at once with axes and ham|mers.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Ju&s;t &s;o methinks I &s;ee (as if it were now a doing) how they hacked and hew|ed with Axes, and knocked down with Hammers, the curious carved Work of the Temple: who&s;e elegance would have moved any but Barbarians, to have pre&s;er|ved it with as great a zeal, as they imployed to beat it in pieces.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> They have ca&s;t fire into thy &s;anctuary, they have defiled <HI>by ca&s;ting down</HI> the dwelling-place of thy name to the ground.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. But, &s;o mad was their rage, it was not &s;atisfied with this; but &s;et fire un|to thy holy place: And what that did not con&s;ume, they pull'd down; till they had utterly profaned the habitation con&s;ecrated to thy Maje&s;ty, by laying it level with the ground.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> They &s;aid in their hearts, Let us de&s;troy them to|gether: they have burnt up all the &s;ynagogues of God in the land.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Nor did all this give a &s;top unto their fury; but they rather grew the more <PB N="20" REF="15" MS="y">outragious: For de&s;igning quite to de&s;troy our Reli|gion, both in this and in future Generations, they left not &s;o much as one place, wherein we might meet to &s;ay our Prayers, or hear the Law, throughout the Land.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> We &s;ee not our &s;igns, <HI>there is</HI> no more any pro|phet, neither <HI>is there</HI> among us any that knoweth how long.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. And, which is the &s;adde&s;t thing of all, Thou &s;eeme&s;t to have left us too; and we &s;ee no token of thy Divine pre&s;ence with us: So far we are from behol|ding any miraculous works, as our Fathers did, for our deliverance; that there is not &s;o much as a Prophet to be found, to give us any advice, or &s;peak a word of comfort to us: not a man among us, that can tell when the&s;e calamities will have an end.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> O God, how long &s;hall the ad|ver&s;ary reproach? &s;hall the enemy bla&s;pheme thy name for ever?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. What a reproach is this, O God? which hath quite tired our patience; and makes us cry unto Thee to make ha&s;te, to avenge thy &s;elf of the&s;e in|&s;ulting Enemies: Stop their bla&s;phemous mouths, O
<PB N="21" REF="15">God; and let them not &s;ay any more, as they have done too long, that Thou art not able to deliver us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Why with|drawe&s;t thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck <HI>it</HI> out of thy bo|&s;om.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. For we are confoun|ded and know not what to &s;ay, while Thou thus with|drawe&s;t thy powerfull pre|&s;ence from us; that mighty power which was wont to do &s;uch wonders for us: exert it again we be&s;eech Thee, and &s;tretch it out for the de&s;truction of tho&s;e, who have &s;poken of it &s;o contemptuou&s;ly.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> For God <HI>is</HI> my King of old, working &s;alvation in the mid&s;t of the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Why &s;hould I de|&s;pair of it? &s;ince the great God, whom they deride, hath many Ages ago under|taken the Government and Protection of us: working for us &s;uch deliverances in this Land which now lyes wa&s;te, as a&s;toni&s;hed all the world.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Thou did&s;t divide the Sea by thy &s;trength: thou brake&s;t the heads of the dragons in the waters.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. Thou art that God, to who&s;e power the raging Sea is &s;ubject; which at thy command retired, and opened a way for us to pa&s;s thorough; but came back <PB N="22" REF="16">again, with its wonted vio|lence, and overwhelmed the <HI>Egyptians;</HI> who, like &s;o many Sea-mon&s;ters, thought to have devoured us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> Thou bra|ke&s;t the heads of leviathan in pie|ces, <HI>and</HI> gave&s;t him <HI>to be</HI> meat to the people inhabi|ting the wilder|ne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> that fierce Tyrant, as terrible as the va&s;te&s;t Whales, Thou did&s;t utterly de&s;troy there; with all his &s;tern Captains and Commanders: whom the Sea &s;pewed up (XIX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 30.) to find their Tombs in the bellies of the wild Bea&s;ts, and Birds; which people the neighbouring Wilderne&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> Thou did&s;t cleave the foun|tain and the floud: thou dried&s;t up mighty rivers.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Where, when our Fathers wanted drink, Thou made&s;t water to gu&s;h out of a Rock; (XVII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 6. XX. <HI>Numb.</HI> 9.) which fol|lowed them in a full &s;tream, till they came to the bor|ders of
<HI>Canaan:</HI> And then Thou dried&s;t up the waters of <HI>Jordan,</HI> at a time when they ran violently, and (as if many Rivers had been joined in one) it overflow|ed all its Banks, III. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 15, 17.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="23" REF="16">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> The day <HI>is</HI> thine, the night al&s;o
<HI>is</HI> thine: thou ha&s;t prepared the light and the &s;un.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. And &s;till there are &s;uch in&s;tances of thy pow|er, which the whole world, if they would but mind, have alway before their eyes. For as Thou did&s;t &s;ometimes change the dry Land into a River, and a River into dry Land; &s;o Thou do&s;t continually change the Day into Night, and the Night into Day: having &s;ettled the Moon to govern the one, and the Sun to govern the other, in their turns.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t &s;et all the borders of the earth: thou ha&s;t made &s;ummer and winter.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. By thy Almighty wi&s;edom al&s;o it is, that the motion of the Sun not onely makes the days and nights; but the different climates of the Earth, and the &s;ea&s;ons of the year: which are &s;ometimes hot, and &s;ometimes cold; &s;ome|times flouri&s;hing, as we &s;ee in the Summer, with all manner of fruit; and &s;ome|times &s;tript, as we &s;ee in the Winter, of all its orna|ments, that afterward it may be the more fruitfull.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="24" REF="17">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> Remember this, <HI>that</HI> the e|nemy hath reproa|ched, O LORD, and <HI>that</HI> the foo|li&s;h people have bla&s;phemed thy name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. And we &s;ure have indured a very tedious win|ter; wherein all things have lookt mo&s;t ruefully. May it plea&s;e Thee now to return, like the Sun, unto us, and let thy Enemies know Thou ha&s;t not for|gotten how they have re|proached Thee, O Lord; (whom they ought to have honoured as the mighty Creatour of all things) but wilt vindicate thy glory, by puni&s;hing the&s;e in&s;olent people, who, fooli&s;hly puft up with their Victories, have de&s;pi&s;ed and derided thy omnipotent Maje&s;ty.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> O deliver not the &s;oul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude <HI>of the wicked,</HI> for|get not the con|gregation of thy poor for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. Deliver, we be&s;eech Thee, thy Church, which like a Turtle-dove can do nothing but meekly mourn, and make her &s;ilent com|plaints unto Thee, from tho&s;e violent men, who, like Birds of prey, &s;eek ut|terly to de&s;troy her: Let them not take away its life and being; but, though we be at pre&s;ent de&s;erted by Thee yet, hear our crys, <PB N="25" REF="17">and at la&s;t relieve a poor helple&s;s company, who flee unto Thee, and depend up|on Thee alone for &s;afety.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> Have re|&s;pect unto the co|venant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. Though we are un|worthy to be regarded by Thee, yet have regard un|to thy own promi&s;es; wherein Thou ha&s;t enga|ged thy &s;elf unto our Fa|thers, to give to them and their po&s;terity the Land of
<HI>Canaan:</HI> which is &s;o far from being now inhabited by thy people, that every blind corner of it is a den of thieves and murtherers; who have filled it with ra|pine and cruelty.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> O let not the oppre&s;&s;ed re|turn a&s;hamed: let the poor and needy prai&s;e thy name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. O let not thy poor afflicted &s;ervant, who im|plores thy aid again&s;t the&s;e barbarous oppre&s;&s;ours, be denied his &s;uit; and go a|way a&s;hamed to &s;ee him|&s;elf di&s;appointed of his hope: but let him, and all the re&s;t of thy mi&s;erable people, who were never in greater need of thy help, be re&s;tored to prai&s;e thy goodne&s;s in their ancient
<PB N="26" REF="18">po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions; from whence they have been thus long bani&s;hed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> Ari&s;e, O God, plead thine own cau&s;e: re|member how the fooli&s;h man reproa|cheth thee daily.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. Appear, O God, in our behalf; and thereby vindicate thy &s;elf from re|proach: let me again be|&s;eech Thee, to &s;hew that Thou art not unmindfull of all the &s;coffs, which pro|&s;perous fools belch out again&s;t Thee, every day.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tu|mult of tho&s;e that ri&s;e up again&s;t thee, increa&s;eth continually.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. It is time to puni&s;h all the in&s;ulting language of thy Enemies: for the in&s;olent braggs, and furious threats of tho&s;e that op|po&s;e Thee, increa&s;e &s;till more and more; and ri&s;e up to a greater height of audacious impiety.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="75" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="27" REF="18">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">To the chief Mu&s;ician, <HI>Al-ta&s;chith.</HI> A P&s;alm or Song of <HI>A&s;aph.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>I take this P&s;alm to have been made by <HI>A&s;aph</HI> the <HI>Seer,</HI> mentioned 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXIX. 30. (&s;ee
<HI>P&s;al.</HI> LXXIII.) after the great delive|rance, which, by the &s;trange de&s;truction of <HI>Senacherib</HI>'s Army, God gave the good King
<HI>Hezekiah.</HI> For who&s;e u&s;e <HI>A&s;aph</HI> compo&s;ed this P&s;alm, and delivered it to the chief Ma&s;ter of the Mu&s;ick in the Taber|nacle; that he might therein make his pub|lick profe&s;&s;ion of his obligations to Almighty God, and his re&s;olution to &s;erve Him and to depend upon Him: as he advi&s;es all men el&s;e to do; if they would not be undone; or if they hoped for any good, of which He is the &s;ole and ab&s;olute Di&s;pen&s;er.</P>
<P>If <HI>Al-ta&s;chith</HI> be more then a note that this P&s;alm was to be &s;ung like to the LVII. and tho&s;e that follow; it may &s;ignifie as much, as <HI>thou &s;halt not,</HI> or <HI>wilt not de|&s;troy.</HI> And be applied either to <HI>Senache|rib,</HI> who, the Prophet told them, &s;hould not accompli&s;h his de&s;ign of de&s;troying them, as he had done other Nations (2 <HI>King.</HI> XIX. 17. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXVII. 14.) or to God, <PB N="28" REF="19">who had not given him Commi&s;&s;ion, as he pretended, to de&s;troy <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> (2
<HI>King.</HI> XVIII. 25.) but would defend it (2 <HI>King.</HI> XIX. 34.) and not &s;uffer it to be laid de|&s;olate.</P>
<P><HI>Symmachus</HI> gives a more &s;piritual &s;en&s;e of the word, and calls this a <HI>triumphal Song concerning Immortality.</HI> Becau&s;e it contains, as <HI>Theodoret</HI> explains it, a pre|diction of the righteous judgment of God in the de&s;truction of the wicked, and re|warding the lovers of vertue: which &s;hould admoni&s;h us, not to &s;uffer any godly thoughts, we have in our mind, to peri&s;h; but to pre|&s;erve them whole and intire, that we may inherit immortality.</P>
<P>What is to be under&s;tood by a <HI>P&s;alm-Song,</HI> &s;ee in the Argument of <HI>P&s;alm</HI> LXVII.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> UNto thee, O God, do we give thanks,
<HI>unto thee</HI> do we give thanks: for that thy name <HI>is</HI> near, thy wondrous works declare.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. UNTO Thee, O God, the righte|ous Judge, who art the &s;ole Authour of this great deli|verance, do I and all my people give mo&s;t &s;olemn thanks: Nor can we ever thank Thee enough, but we mu&s;t again and again renew our acknowledg|ments unto Thee; who&s;e Almighty Power is &s;till ready at hand, we clearly <PB N="29" REF="19" MS="y">&s;ee by the wonders Thou ha&s;t done, to &s;uccour all tho&s;e, who gratefully com|memorate thy benefits.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> When I &s;hall receive the congre|gation, I will judge uprightly.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. And I will not con|tent my &s;elf with the&s;e ver|bal prai&s;es alone; but as &s;oon as I &s;hall meet with a fit opportunity, and we can have our &s;olemn A&s;&s;emblies again (which by this inva|&s;ion have been interrupted, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXXII. 1.) I will perfect the Reformation which I have begun: and &s;ee that equal Ju&s;tice be done to all my people; as well as that they be pre|&s;erved in thy true Reli|gion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> The earth and all the inha|bitants thereof are di&s;&s;olved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. The whole Country hath been in a mi&s;erable confu&s;ion; while their hearts melted with fear of an utter de&s;olation: But as then I &s;upported their &s;pirits, and incouraged the Great men and the Officers to doe their duty (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXXII. 6, 7, 8.) So I will hereafter e&s;tabli&s;h &s;uch Ma|gi&s;trates and Judges, as &s;hall <PB N="30" REF="20">bring all into better order.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> I &s;aid unto the fools, Deal not fooli&s;hly; and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. I have told them my mind already, and do &s;till &s;olemnly proclaim and de|clare, that I will proceed with the utmo&s;t &s;everity again&s;t the contemners of thy Laws; and therefore I advi&s;e them not to be &s;o madly rude and in&s;olent: For the proude&s;t of them all &s;hall know, that it is &s;afe&s;t for them to be more mode&s;t, then to glory, as they do, in their impiety; or to boa&s;t of the power they have to be injurious to their neighbours.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Lift not up your horn on high: &s;peak
<HI>not</HI> with a &s;tiff neck.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Do not vaunt of this, I once more advi&s;e you, nor bear your &s;elves high, as if you would out-brave Heaven it &s;elf: be not re|fractory and &s;tubborn, nor arrogantly &s;ay, that you will have your way, and that none &s;hall curb you.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> For promo|tion <HI>cometh</HI> nei|ther from the ea&s;t, nor from the we&s;t, nor from the &s;outh.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. For which way &s;oever you turn your &s;elves, whe|ther to the Ea&s;t, or to the We&s;t, or to the mountai|nous De&s;arts that lie on the <PB N="31" REF="20" MS="y">North and South of us; in vain do you think to e&s;cape the righteous judgment of God.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> But God <HI>is</HI> the judge: he putteth down one, and &s;etteth up a|nother.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Who being the So|vereign Lord and Gover|nour of the world, ea&s;ily lays tho&s;e low that proudly exalt them&s;elves again&s;t his Authority; and lifts up tho&s;e that humbly &s;ubmit them&s;elves unto Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> For in the hand of the LORD <HI>there is</HI> a cup, and the wine is red: it is full of mix|ture, and he pou|reth out of the &s;ame: but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth &s;hall wring
<HI>them</HI> out, <HI>and</HI> drink <HI>them</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. For he never wants power to inflict the mo&s;t dreadfull puni&s;hments; which (like an intoxica|ting Wine full of &s;tupify|ing ingredients, that loo&s;ens the very joints, and takes away all a man's &s;trength to re&s;i&s;t) never fail to have their effect: And the god|ly may ta&s;te of them, nay &s;uffer &s;orely for a time; but the heavie&s;t and mo&s;t grievous puni&s;hments (like the dregs at the bottom of &s;uch Wine) &s;hall fall to the &s;hare of all the wicked of the Land; who &s;hall be forced to indure the utmo&s;t expre&s;&s;ions of the Divine <PB N="30" REF="21"> <GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="31" REF="21" MS="y"> <GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="32" REF="22" MS="y">vengeance upon their &s;ins.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> But I will declare for ever; I will &s;ing prai&s;es to the God of Ja|cob.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. And this I, who am His Mini&s;ter to execute his judgments, will not cea&s;e to declare as long as I live; that none may pretend ig|norance for their excu&s;e: And I will &s;ing prai&s;es un|to God (who delivered <HI>Ja|cob</HI> from all evil) not onely for his late miraculous pre|&s;ervation of us, by his vengeance on <HI>Senacherib</HI> (whom he hath made an Example of his wrath to all proud contemners of Him) but for making me the In|&s;trument of &s;o happy a Re|formation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> All the horns of the wic|ked al&s;o will I cut off; <HI>but</HI> the horns of the righteous &s;hall be exalted.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. For this is my re&s;o|lution, not merely, as I &s;aid, to prai&s;e Him; but to pull down the haughty &s;pirit, and cut &s;hort all the power of the wicked, that they &s;hall not be able to doe &s;uch mi&s;chief as they de&s;ire: and to rai&s;e the righteous into &s;uch Authority, that they &s;hall not fear what their mo&s;t in&s;olent enemies can doe unto them.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="76" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="33" REF="22">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXVI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">To the chief Mu&s;ician on <HI>Neginoth.</HI> A P&s;alm or Song of <HI>A&s;aph.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>It is vi&s;ible to every eye that the P&s;almi&s;t here commemorates &s;ome notable Victory, over very powerfull Enemies: whereby God delivered (when it was in great danger) the whole Country; particularly
<HI>Jeru&s;alem.</HI> Which is called here <HI>Salem,</HI> Ver. 2. by an u&s;ual form of &s;peech among the Hebrews, who are wont in names of places, to cut off the former part: in&s;tead of <HI>Abel-Sittim,</HI> &s;aying onely
<HI>Sittim;</HI> and <HI>Nimrim</HI> for <HI>Beth-Nimrim; Lechi</HI> for
<HI>Ramath-Lechi; Sheba</HI> for <HI>Beer-Sheba,</HI> and many &s;uch like; as
<HI>Bochartus</HI> hath &s;hewn in the <HI>Second</HI> Book of his
<HI>Pha|leg,</HI> chap. 24. and in the <HI>Fir&s;t</HI> part of his Work concerning the Animals named in Scripture, Book 2. ch. 25.</P>
<P>And there is as little rea&s;on to doubt that the particular deliverance here aimed at, is that from <HI>Senacherib</HI>'s Army; which
<HI>A&s;aph</HI> the <HI>Seer,</HI> mentioned 2 <HI>Chr.</HI> XXIX. 30. (&s;ee
<HI>P&s;al.</HI> LXXIII.) was not content to celebrate in the former Hymn, which he made for the u&s;e of the King; but added this al&s;o, for his own u&s;e, and all other pious <PB N="34" REF="23">per&s;ons. Who he hoped would join in it; e&s;pecially when it was &s;ung in the Temple, as he directed the Ma&s;ter of the Mu&s;ick, after the &s;ame manner as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> IV.</P>
<P>Some of the Greeks &s;eem to have percei|ved &s;omething of this: For, though there be no &s;uch Title in the ancient <HI>Hexaplus</HI> of
<HI>Origen;</HI> yet in after times <HI>Theodoret</HI> tells us, he found in &s;ome Copies this In&s;cription, which &s;till continues; <HI>An Ode again&s;t the A&s;&s;yrian:</HI> which <HI>Apollinarius</HI> follows.</P>
<P>Of a P&s;alm-Song, &s;ee <HI>P&s;alm</HI> LXVII.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> IN Judah is God known: his Name <HI>is</HI> great in I&s;rael.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. GOD hath &s;o illu&s;tri|ou&s;ly demon&s;trated him&s;elf among us (in this unexpected and terrible ex|ecution) to be the Sove|reign Ruler and Judge of the World; that he mu&s;t &s;hut his eyes that doth not &s;ee it: His Power and all his other glorious perfecti|ons, which are con&s;picuous every where, are in no Country &s;o magnified as they are in
<HI>I&s;rael.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> In Salem al&s;o is his Taber|nacle, and his dwelling-place in Sion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Our Enemies them|&s;elves, who reviled Him (2
<HI>Chron.</HI> XXXII. 17, 19.) and de&s;pi&s;ed <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> (<HI>Ib.</HI> Ver&s;e 10.) are now &s;ure <PB N="35" REF="23">convinced, that there this Mighty Lord maketh his abode: in the top of that Mountain where he hath cho&s;en to fix his dwelling-place.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> There brake he the arrows of the bow, the &s;hield, and the &s;word, and the battel. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Before the Walls of which He hath &s;lain with an invi&s;ible Dart, the fiery Archers (who have not &s;hot &s;o much as one Arrow into it, 2 <HI>King.</HI> XIX. 32.) and made the Shields, and Swords, and the re&s;t of their military preparations, alto|gether u&s;ele&s;s and unprofi|table.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Thou <HI>art</HI> more glorious <HI>and</HI> excellent then the mountains of prey.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Whereby thou, O Sion, art become more glo|rious then all the Moun|tains, where the fierce&s;t Bea&s;ts of prey, or the mo&s;t de&s;perate Robbers, have their re&s;ort: who never made &s;uch &s;laughters.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> The &s;tout-hearted are &s;poi|led, they have &s;lept their &s;leep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. For they, who&s;e cou|rage made them fear no danger, but confidently promi&s;ed them&s;elves the &s;poil of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> are gi|ven unto us for a &s;poil: They lay down to &s;leep, <PB N="36" REF="24">but never awaked; 2 <HI>King.</HI> XIX 35.) not a man, a|mong the mo&s;t mighty of them, was able to &s;trike a &s;troke; or do any thing to defend him&s;elf again&s;t that hand, which cut them off.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> At thy re|buke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and hor&s;e are ca&s;t into a dead &s;leep.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. But the mo&s;t experi|enced Hor&s;emen, as well as they that rode in Chariots, &s;unk down dead, at the &s;udden check, the &s;evere rebuke; which they re|ceived from Thee, O God of <HI>Jacob,</HI> whom they re|proached, 2 <HI>King.</HI> XIX. 22, 23.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Thou, <HI>even</HI> thou <HI>art</HI> to be fea|red, and who may &s;tand in thy &s;ight when once thou art angry?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Thou, and none but Thou, art to be dreaded: And what King is he, that is able, for &s;o &s;hort a time as a moment, to re&s;i&s;t thy power? which in an in|&s;tant can de&s;troy all tho&s;e, who incur thy heavy di&s;|plea&s;ure.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Thou did&s;t cau&s;e judgement to be heard from heaven; the earth feared and was &s;till,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. We have an Example of it before our eyes; for when we made our &s;olemn appeal to Thee (2 <HI>King.</HI> XIX. 3, 4, 15, 16.) Thou wa&s;t plea&s;ed to pronounce <PB N="37" REF="24" MS="y">a &s;entence of condemnation from heaven upon our ene|mies: which &s;truck &s;uch terrour into tho&s;e that &s;ur|vived, that they who be|fore were full of rage and made a tumultuous noi&s;e (Ver. 27, 28.) were as &s;till as Lambs; and dur&s;t not &s;tir a foot, but onely to re|turn from whence they came, Ver. 28, 36.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> When God aro&s;e to judgment, to &s;ave all the meek of the earth. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. They were afraid to continue their attempts a|gain&s;t us, when God, who had long &s;uffered their in|&s;olence, &s;ent an Angel to cha&s;ti&s;e it, and to do exe|cution upon them: and thereby delivered the help|le&s;s people of this Land; who had patiently born their horrible oppre&s;&s;ion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Surely the wrath of man &s;hall prai&s;e thee: the remainder of wrath &s;halt thou re&s;train.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Which may well be a warning to all fell Ty|rants, not to be &s;o fierce and outragious, which will onely pre&s;ent Thee with the fairer opportunity to glorifie thy &s;elf, and rai&s;e thy prai&s;e to a greater height; as Thou ha&s;t now <PB N="38" REF="25">done, by &s;uppre&s;&s;ing the
<HI>A&s;&s;yrians</HI> fury: who if they have any reliques of wrath, which may boil up again in their hearts; Thou &s;halt chain it up, and not &s;uffer it to break forth to our further di&s;turbance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God; let all that are round about him bring pre&s;ents un|to him that ought to be feared.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. And let this excite you all, who are thus mar|vellou&s;ly delivered, to make more liberal promi&s;es of gratefull Sacrifices; as well as to perform tho&s;e, which you have already vowed, to the great Lord your mo&s;t gracious God: who &s;o far excells all others, that the Nations round about us, who hear the fame of this, &s;hall reproach you (if you be forgetfull of his benefits) by the pre&s;ents which they &s;hall make to Him; (2 <HI>Chr.</HI> XXXII. 23.) who ought to be feared by all his Friends, and is mo&s;t terrible to his Enemies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> He &s;hall cut off the &s;pirit of princes:
<HI>he is</HI> terrible to the kings of the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. For he can ea&s;ily, with a &s;udden &s;troke, not onely take down the proud &s;tomach, but take away the <PB N="39" REF="25">life, of the fierce&s;t Captains and Commanders: (2 <HI>Chr.</HI> XXXII. 21.) yea, make the greate&s;t Monarchs (who keep the world in awe) quake and tremble at his dreadfull executions.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="77" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXVII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">To the chief Mu&s;ician, to <HI>Jeduthun.</HI> A P&s;alm of <HI>A&s;aph.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>A P&s;alm compo&s;ed by <HI>A&s;aph,</HI> and &s;ent by him to that Song-Ma&s;ter, who was over the Chil|dren of <HI>Jeduthun:</HI> in which I imagined, at fir&s;t &s;ight, that he repre&s;ented the &s;ad condition of <HI>Hezekiah,</HI> and the motions of his heart towards God, in his &s;ickne&s;s, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXXII. 24. XXXVIII. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1. But, upon further con&s;ideration, it appears from the latter part of it, that he bewails the calamity of all the Nation: either when <HI>Senacherib</HI> over-ran the Country; or el&s;e in the Captivity of <HI>Babylon.</HI> If we refer it to the latter, then it was not <HI>A&s;aph</HI> the <HI>Seer,</HI> whom I mentioned before <HI>P&s;alm</HI> LXXIII. that made this P&s;alm; but &s;ome other in after times (&s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> LXXIV.) <PB N="40" REF="26">who laments the long continuance of their Captivity: which looked like an utter for&s;a|king by God; but he comforts him&s;elf at la&s;t with the remembrance of what God had done formerly for them, when he delivered them out of the Egyptian bondage.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> I Cried unto God with my voice:
<HI>even</HI> unto God with my voice, and he gave ear unto me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. I Have ince&s;&s;antly made my prayer to God, and I will &s;till mo&s;t earne&s;tly in|treat his favour: To Him who hath ju&s;tly afflicted us, and can alone relieve us, have I again and again re|newed my importunate &s;uit; which I hope will at la&s;t prevail with Him for deli|verance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> In the day of my trouble I &s;ought the LORD; my &s;ore ran in the night, and cea&s;ed not: my &s;oul re|fu&s;ed to be com|forted.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. I have not negligent|ly di&s;charged this Duty; but as the di&s;tre&s;s is great wherein we are, &s;o I have re&s;tle&s;ly implored help from the Lord: In the night, when men are wont to bu|ry their troubles in &s;leep, I have with unwearied di|ligence, &s;pread out my hands unto Him (in token that all my dependence is upon His power alone) re|&s;olving to admit of no con|&s;olation, <PB N="41" REF="26">till I obtained a gracious An&s;wer from Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> I remem|bred God, and was troubled: I complained, and my &s;pirit was over|whelmed. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. I remembred indeed, how kind God had been unto us in former times; but this onely gave me the greater trouble, when I compared it with our pre|&s;ent mi&s;eries: and the more I mu&s;ed on it, the more my &s;pirit was di&s;turbed, and mi&s;erably afflicted.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Thou holde&s;t mine eyes waking: I am &s;o troubled that I cannot &s;peak.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. In&s;omuch that I could not clo&s;e my eyes, to take a wink of &s;leep; nor open my mouth (&s;uch was my perturbation and a&s;toni&s;h|ment) to expre&s;s the hea|vine&s;s of my grief.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> I have con|&s;idered the days of old, the years of aucient times.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. All that I could doe, was to recount thy merci|full Providences over our Forefathers in times pa&s;t; and ponder &s;eriou&s;ly what wonders Thou did&s;t for them, many ages agone.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> I call to re|membrance my &s;ong in the night: I commune with mine own heart, and my &s;pirit made diligent &s;earch.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. I called to mind all the Songs I had indited, to celebrate the memory of tho&s;e ancient benefits: and &s;pent whole nights in &s;ilent meditations, and diligent <PB N="42" REF="27">inquiries, which I revolved to and fro in my mind; why He who had taken &s;uch care of our Ance&s;tours, had &s;o long rejected us?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Will the LORD ca&s;t off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Will the Lord, thought I, abandon us for ever? Is He &s;o incen&s;ed again&s;t us, that He will never be recon|ciled, nor intend to &s;hew us any more favour?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Is his mercy clean gone for e|ver? doth
<HI>his</HI> pro|mi&s;e fail for ever|more?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Is his infinite mercy, which is the fountain of all his benefits, quite exhau|&s;ted? and will He never hereafter &s;peak a word of comfort to us?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger &s;hut up his tender mercies? Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Hath God, who&s;e property it is to &s;hew mer|cy, quite laid a&s;ide all thoughts of exerci&s;ing his clemency towards us? or have we &s;o highly provo|ked Him to anger, that He hath no regard at all unto our mi&s;eries?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> And I &s;aid, This <HI>is</HI> my infir|mity: <HI>but I will remember</HI> the years of the right hand of the mo&s;t High.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. But having thus complained, and &s;aid with|in my &s;elf, This is the thing which &s;orely afflicts me, to &s;ee &s;uch alterations in the proceedings of the mo&s;t <PB N="43" REF="27">High, that the &s;ame hand which formerly protected us, now &s;everely &s;courges us;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> I will re|member the works of the LORD: &s;urely I will re|member thy won|ders of old.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. I pre&s;ently con&s;ide|red that there might be a change again: and re&s;olved to comfort my &s;elf with the remembrance of the former works of the Lord; and to go back as far as the Miracle Thou did&s;t for us (in bring|ing us up out of the Land of <HI>Egypt</HI>) when our de&s;erts were as &s;mall as in the&s;e days.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> I will me|ditate al&s;o of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Of all the en&s;uing wonders I will think, ra|ther then on our pre&s;ent mi&s;eries: I will not omit one of them; but, in&s;tead of the&s;e complaints, make them the con&s;tant &s;ubject of my di&s;cour&s;e.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Thy way, O God, <HI>is</HI> in the &s;anctuary: who <HI>is &s;o</HI> great a God as <HI>our</HI> God?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. From which I can|not but conclude that the method of thy Providence, O God, is not onely per|fectly holy and ju&s;t; but quite out of our reach: nor is thy Power inferiour; but, as Thou do&s;t not pro|ceed in the common way of <PB N="44" REF="28">our thoughts, &s;o none can re&s;i&s;t what thy incompa|rable Maje&s;ty thinks fit to effect.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> Thou <HI>art</HI> the God that doe&s;t wonders; thou ha&s;t declared thy &s;trength among the people.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. For Thou art the mighty God, who can&s;t doe miracles, as ea&s;ily as the mo&s;t ordinary works: and ha&s;t made all the world &s;en&s;ible, that thy power exceeds, both the &s;trength and the opinion of all Creatures.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t with <HI>thine</HI> arm redeemed thy peo|ple the &s;ons of Jacob and Jo&s;eph. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Having delivered thy people, de&s;cended from
<HI>Jacob</HI> and miraculou&s;ly pre|&s;erved by <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> from the Egyptian bondage; by a long &s;eries of &s;tupendious judgments upon
<HI>Pharaoh</HI> and his Servants, VI. <HI>Exod.</HI> 6. VI. <HI>Deut.</HI> 21,
22. VII. 8.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> The waters &s;aw thee, O God, the waters &s;aw thee: they were afraid; the depths al&s;o were troubled.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. Which were follow|ed pre&s;ently with a greater wonder, when the waters of the Red Sea felt thy Power, O God: They felt thy power to the very bot|tom of them; which &s;o di&s;turbed them, that they retreated, as if they had been affrighted at thy pre|&s;ence; <PB N="45" REF="28">and left a plain way for thy people to march through, upon dry ground.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> The clouds poured out water, the skies &s;ent out a &s;ound: thine arrows al&s;o went abroad.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. But returned again upon the Egyptians (who pur&s;ued after us) accompa|nied with a terrible &s;torm of rain, and thunder, and hail&s;tones; which flew a|bout their ears, and brake the very Wheels of their Chariots, XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 24, 25.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> The voice of thy thunder <HI>was</HI> in the hea|ven: the light|nings lightned the world, the earth trembled and &s;hook.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. The noi&s;e of this thunder filled all the air thereabout; and &s;o did the lightning that fla&s;hed in their faces: which, toge|ther with a dreadfull Earth|quake, made the very in|habitants of
<HI>Canaan</HI> tremble, II. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 10, 11.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> Thy way <HI>is</HI> in the &s;ea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy foot-&s;teps are not known.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. We might well &s;ay then, that thy way is quite out of our reach; (Ver. 13.) who made&s;t a pa&s;&s;age through the Sea, a broad path through the boi&s;te|rous waters: which as none ever trod before or after, &s;o they cannot trace the foot&s;teps; which the wa|ters <PB N="46" REF="29">have overflown and obliterated, XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 26, 27.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> Thou led|de&s;t thy people like a flock, by the hand of Mo&s;es and Aaron.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. Nor did thy care o|ver thy people end there, but by the mini&s;try of thy &s;ervants <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron,</HI> Thou did&s;t conduct them with the &s;ame tenderne&s;s that a good Shepherd doth his Sheep; through a hor|rid Wilderne&s;s; in which Thou fedde&s;t them, till they came to
<HI>Canaan</HI> [And thither the &s;ame Power can, and the &s;ame Good|ne&s;s will, I hope, re&s;tore us: though now we &s;eem neglected by Thee, as our Fathers were, for a time, in the Land of <HI>Egypt.</HI>]</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="78" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="47" REF="29">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXVIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Ma&s;chil</HI> of <HI>A&s;aph.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>When God gave his Law to the I&s;raelites, He commanded them, not onely to be carefull to &s;tudy it them&s;elves but, to inculcate it upon their Children (as the P&s;almi&s;t here remembers, Ver. 5.) that they might propa|gate the knowledge of it to all future genera|tions, IV.
<HI>Deut.</HI> 9. VI. 7, 8, <HI>&amp;c</HI> XI. 18, 19, <HI>&amp;c</HI> And particularly to in&s;truct them in the rea&s;on of their Fea&s;ts; which were appointed for the commemoration of &s;everal benefits, which he would not have forgotten, XIII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 8, 14. In pro&s;ecution of which end, as
<HI>Theodoret</HI> well ob&s;erves, this P&s;alm was indited, by the Prophetical grace; (as his words are) that they and all their po&s;te|rity, might pre&s;erve in mind the wonderfull works of God. An Epitome of which (for the help of their memory) He here pre&s;ents them withall; from the time of their coming out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> till <HI>David</HI>'s promotion to the Throne.</P>
<P>Where this Narration concluding, it makes it probable this P&s;alm was compo&s;ed by that <HI>A&s;aph,</HI> &s;o often mentioned, as one of the principal Singers in tho&s;e days: who, &s;etting
<PB N="48" REF="30" MS="y">before the peoples eyes, as in a Table, the benefits their Fathers had received, with their &s;hamefull ingratitude, and the puni&s;h|ments inflicted upon them for it, teaches and in&s;tructs them who &s;ucceeded (for which rea&s;on &s;ome will have it called <HI>Ma&s;|chil:</HI> &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> XXXII.) to learn greater gratitude and fidelity to their Benefactour: for fear they &s;hould incur his higher di&s;plea|&s;ure, if they did not beware by &s;uch &s;ad Examples.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> GIve ear, O my people, <HI>to</HI> my law: in|cline your ears to the words of my mouth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. ATtend reverently, O my Country|men, for whom I have a particular affection, unto the Admonition, which now I intend to give you: li&s;ten diligently I be&s;eech you to the following in&s;truction.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> I will open my mouth in a pa|rable: I will utter dark &s;ayings of old: </P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. It is no vulgar le&s;&s;on, which I would have you learn; nor will I be &s;paring in my in&s;truction: but I will abundantly inform you in the mo&s;t remarkable pa&s;|&s;ages of God's Providence in former times; which are more worthy your knowledge then the skill of re&s;olving the darke&s;t Riddles.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="49" REF="30">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And I will not re|port uncertain or doubtfull things to you; or things done in another Nation: But &s;uch as are of unque|&s;tionable credit; which you have heard and know to be recorded in your ho|ly Books; and our Fore|fathers, who were eye|witne&s;&s;es of them, have faithfully regi&s;tred and tran&s;mitted unto us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> We will not hide <HI>them</HI> from their children, &s;hewing to the ge|neration to come the prai&s;es of the LORD; and his &s;trength, and his wonderfull works that he hath done.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Who will not be &s;o treacherous, as to lo&s;e the memory of them in our days; but diligently pro|pagate them to po&s;terity: endeavouring that all fu|ture generations may un|der&s;tand, how much the Lord de&s;erves to be prai&s;ed, for the mighty and &s;tupen|dious works, which He hath done in former Ages.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> For he e&s;ta|bli&s;hed a te&s;timony in Jacob, and ap|pointed a law in I&s;rael, which he commanded our fathers that they &s;hould make them known to their children.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. And indeed, when God gave us the Law, He &s;trictly charged our Fore|fathers, and made a parti|cular injunction about it, which He frequently re|peated (<HI>Deut.</HI> IV. VI. XI. <PB N="50" REF="31"><HI>&s;ee the Argument;</HI>) that they &s;hould be carefull to leave the knowledge of the&s;e things as a &s;acred le|gacy, or inheritance unto their Children.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> That the ge|neration to come might know
<HI>them, even</HI> the children <HI>which</HI> &s;hould be born: <HI>who</HI> &s;hould ari&s;e and declare <HI>them</HI> to their chil|dren:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. In order to the con|veying them, by their hands, to the next genera|tion; who were then un|born: who &s;hould be taught al&s;o when they were grown up, to deliver them with the &s;ame diligence to their de&s;cendants; and &s;o pre&s;erve the memory of them to all &s;ucceeding ge|nerations.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> That they might &s;et their hope in God, and not forget the works of God: but keep his com|mandments:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. To the end, that they might learn by &s;uch won|derfull in&s;tances of his powerfull goodne&s;s, to ad|here unto Him, and confide in Him alone; and by the con&s;tant commemoration of his benefits, be provoked religiou&s;ly to ob&s;erve his Precepts.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> And might not be as their fa|thers, a &s;tubborn and rebellious ge|neration; a gene|ration that &s;et not their heart aright: and who&s;e &s;pirit was not &s;tedfa&s;t with God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. And take warning by the puni&s;hments inflicted on them, not to imitate the ingratitude of their Fore|fathers; <PB N="51" REF="31">who were not one|ly a refractory generation, but &s;o fickle, that they fell off from God to the wor|&s;hip of Idols, pre&s;ently af|ter they came out of
<HI>Egypt:</HI> For they did not lay to heart what He had done for them, and &s;o were ne|ver rightly di&s;po&s;ed to his &s;ervice; or if, in a good fit, they were inclined to it, they &s;oon revolted from Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> The children of Ephraim <HI>being</HI> armed, <HI>and</HI> carry|ing bows, turned back in the day of battel.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. What could be more &s;hamefull, then their ba&s;e refu&s;al to go and ingage the <HI>Canaanites,</HI> when they were &s;o well appointed for the fight? and were com|manded by God, in who&s;e power they had no confi|dence, to go up and take po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Land? (I.
<HI>Deut.</HI> 26.) unle&s;s it were their foul cowardi&s;e when they did ingage them again&s;t his command; (I. <HI>Deut.</HI> 43, 44.) and the
<HI>Ephraimites</HI> them&s;elves, though a valiant Tribe and excellent Archers, ran <PB N="52" REF="32">away, and were cha&s;ed in a &s;hamefull manner by their enemies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> They kept not the covenant of God, and refu|&s;ed to walk in his law:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. For they brake their word with God; (who therefore would not be with them, XIV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 43.) and would not be gover|ned by
<HI>his</HI> will, but by their own.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had &s;hewed them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Never thinking of the illu&s;trious works, which their eyes had &s;een; and &s;o di&s;tru&s;ting his power, not|with&s;tanding all the Mi|racles, whereby He had de|mon&s;trated the greatne&s;s of it to them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Marvellous things did he in the &s;ight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, <HI>in</HI> the field of Zoan.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Nor were the next Generation any better; though the memory was then fre&s;h of that heap of wonders, which their Fa|thers &s;aw him doe publick|ly: not in a corner, but in all the Land of <HI>Egypt:</HI> yea, in and about the principal City of the Kingdom.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> He divided the &s;ea, and cau|&s;ed them to pa&s;s through, and he made the waters to &s;tand as an heap.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. From whence when He had delivered them, and they were in great di&s;tre&s;s at the red Sea; He made it <PB N="53" REF="32">give way to them, that they might walk through it on dry ground: the fluid waters &s;welling into little hills (XV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 8.) which &s;tood like a &s;olid wall on either hand, to &s;ecure them in that dangerous pa&s;&s;age (XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 22.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> In the day-time al&s;o he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Through which He conducted them, as He did at all other times, by a glorious Cloud: who&s;e dark &s;ide &s;erved al&s;o in the day-time, for a &s;hadow from the &s;corching rays of the Sun; and its bright &s;ide in the night, for a torch to guide them when they travelled; or if they re&s;ted, to light them in their Tents.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> He clave the rocks in the wilderne&s;s, and gave <HI>them</HI> drink as out of the great depths.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. And when they wan|ted water in the wilderne&s;s, He brought it out of the Rocks (which He comman|ded <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> to &s;mite more then once, fir&s;t at <HI>Rephidim</HI> (XVII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 6.) and then in <HI>Kade&s;h,</HI> XX. <HI>Numb.</HI> 8, 11.) And they had it in &s;uch plenty, both for them|&s;elves <PB N="54" REF="33">and their cattel; as if it had been a great pond or lake.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> He brought &s;treams al&s;o out of the rock, and cau|&s;ed waters to run down like rivers.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. And yet it was no &s;tanding, but a flowing wa|ter; which ran continually out of the dry Rock, as out of its Fountain, in &s;e|veral &s;treams: or rather, like unto Rivers; which followed them in their tra|vels.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> And they &s;inned yet more again&s;t him, by provoking the mo&s;t High in the wil|derne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. But all the&s;e mira|culous works, did not al|ter their depraved Nature; which broke out into new and greater provocations; in that very place, where, without the &s;ingular Pro|vidence of their mo&s;t high Benefactour, they had all been &s;tarved.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> And they tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their lu&s;t.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. For they were not content with the bountifull provi&s;ion which he had made for them; (XVI. <HI>Exod.</HI>) but muttered within them&s;elves again&s;t Him: And wi&s;ht, if He was &s;o powerfull and kind as was pretended, that He would give them a new proof of
<PB N="55" REF="33">it; by &s;ending them meat to &s;atisfie their wanton ap|petite.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> Yea, they &s;pake again&s;t God: they &s;aid, Can God furni&s;h a ta|ble in the wilder|ne&s;s?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. And at la&s;t, they openly declared that di&s;|tru&s;t of his power, which was in their hearts; &s;aying, Is God able to make us a fea&s;t here in this barren wilderne&s;s? XI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 4, 5,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> Behold, he &s;mote the rock that the waters gu&s;hed out, and the &s;treams overflow|ed; can he give bread al&s;o? can he provide fle&s;h for his people?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. It is true He hath brought water out of a Rock for us in great abun|dance; (which perhaps was lodged there before in the caverns of it, and might have flowed out of it &s;elf) but can he give us more &s;ub&s;tantial bread? (not &s;uch light &s;tuff as this Manna is, which He al&s;o hath &s;ent us, XI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 6.) here where no corn grows? and make an ample provi&s;ion for all this multitude, of &s;uch fle&s;h as this place doth not af|ford?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> Therefore the LORD heard <HI>this,</HI> and was wroth, &s;o a fire was kindled a|gain&s;t Jacob, and anger al&s;o came up again&s;t I&s;rael;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. Which rude and in|&s;olent language highly in|cen&s;ed the Divine di&s;plea|&s;ure; &s;o that He &s;ent light|ning <PB N="56" REF="34">from heaven (XI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 1.) to con&s;ume tho&s;e, whom He had be|fore cheri&s;hed: and He re|&s;olved al&s;o to puni&s;h them more &s;everely, before He had done with them (Ver. 33.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> Becau&s;e they believed not in God, and tru|&s;ted not in his &s;al|vation:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. Becau&s;e they had &s;o mean an opinion of Him, that they dur&s;t not confide in Him, and commend them&s;elves to his good pro|vidence; to pre&s;erve and conduct them &s;afe to <HI>Ca|naan.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of hea|ven,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. No, not after &s;uch extraordinary benefits, as they had received from Him: for He had under|taken in a miraculous man|ner (as is fit to be more particularly remembred) to di&s;pen&s;e food to them, from above; and to make the clouds their granary, who&s;e doors he opened to them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> And had rained down man|na upon them to eat, and had gi|ven them of the corn of heaven.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. And, in&s;tead of rain (to make the earth with long labour become fruit|full) to &s;end &s;howers of <PB N="57" REF="34">Manna out of the air (XVI. <HI>Exod.</HI> 4.) which was a kind of Corn ready prepared for them, XI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 8, 9.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>25.</BIBL> Man did eat angels food: he &s;ent them meat to the full.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>25. There was not a man among that va&s;t multitude, but was fed with that &s;trong and hearty, or rather princely food; brought to them from the habitation, and by the mini&s;try of An|gels: This was their daily entertainment, as long as their travels in the wilder|ne&s;s la&s;ted; and they had it in &s;uch abundance, that none of them could pretend they were not &s;ufficed, XVI. <HI>Exod.</HI> 16, 17, 35.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>26.</BIBL> He cau&s;ed an ea&s;t-wind to blow in the hea|ven: and by his power he brought in the &s;outh-wind.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>26. And therefore it was not to &s;atisfie their hunger, but to reprove their unbe|lief, that He was plea&s;ed to comply with their de&s;ires; and, when the wind blew violently out of the Ea&s;t, turned it by his power into the South:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>27.</BIBL> He rained fle&s;h al&s;o upon them as du&s;t, and feathered fowls like as the &s;and of the &s;ea.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>27. Which brought a great Cloud of Quails (a deli|cious Bird) from the coa&s;ts about the red Sea: which <PB N="58" REF="35">(either tired with long flight, or beaten down with the wind) came pou|ring down like &s;howres of rain; and lay on the ground, as thick as the du&s;t or the &s;and on the Sea &s;hore, from whence they came, XI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 31.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>28.</BIBL> And he let <HI>it</HI> fall in the mid&s;t of their camp, round about their habitations.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>28. There was no need of labour, or of any art to catch them; neither nee|ded they go far to take them up: for they dropt down in the mid&s;t of their Camp; and lay al&s;o many miles round it in &s;uch heaps, that they, who would, might fetch enough to &s;erve them for a whole month, XI.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 20, 31.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="29" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>29.</BIBL> So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own de&s;ire;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>29. So they had not one|ly a ta&s;te of his liberality; but were glutted and cram|med with them: for He &s;a|tisfied their longings to the full.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="30" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>30.</BIBL> They were not e&s;tranged from their lu&s;t: but while the meat <HI>was</HI> yet in their mouths,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>30. And they were not hindred from eating as much as they plea&s;ed; nor was this diet become at all nau&s;eous to them: but they
<PB N="59" REF="35">greedily fea&s;ted on the&s;e Birds to the end of the month; and at that very time had the&s;e &s;weet mor|&s;els in their mouths, (XI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 33.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="31" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>31.</BIBL> The wrath of God came upon them, and &s;lew the fatte&s;t of them, and &s;mote down the cho&s;en <HI>men</HI> of I&s;rael.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>31. When the Divine vengeance &s;ei&s;ed on them, by a very great pe&s;tilence: (XI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 33.) which &s;wept away the &s;tronge&s;t and goodlie&s;t per&s;ons that were in <HI>I&s;rael</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="32" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>32.</BIBL> For all this they &s;inned &s;till: and believed not for his wondrous works.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>32. But the&s;e puni&s;h|ments wrought no more change in their hearts, then his benefits: for they ad|ded new &s;ins to all the for|mer; and were not moved by any of his wonderfull works, to believe that He was able to bring them in|to the Land of promi&s;e, XIV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 2, 3, 4.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="33" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>33.</BIBL> Therefore their days did he con&s;ume in vanity, and their years in trouble.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>33. For which cau&s;e He re&s;olved they &s;hould never come thither, but be con|&s;umed in the wilderne&s;s: (XIV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 28, 33,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) Where, though they tra|velled up and down very much and long, yet it was <PB N="60" REF="36">to no purpo&s;e; for they were never the nearer to their journeys end; nor were ever free from one plague or other, till they were utterly de&s;troyed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="34" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>34.</BIBL> When he &s;lew them, then they &s;ought him: and they returned and enquired ear|ly after God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>34. They relented in|deed &s;ometime; and when God cut off &s;ome of them, the re&s;t began to deprecate his di&s;plea&s;ure: (XIV.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 39, 40.) and, by promi&s;ing amendment, mo&s;t earne&s;tly &s;ought to recover his favour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="35" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>35.</BIBL> And they remembred that God <HI>was</HI> their rock, and the high God their redee|mer.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>35. And profe&s;&s;ed that they would tru&s;t in God hereafter for &s;afety and de|liverance: who they ac|knowledged was &s;uperiour to all other Gods, and had been their mighty Redee|mer.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="36" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>36.</BIBL> Neverthe|le&s;s they did flat|ter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>36. But all this was little more then &s;peaking him fair, while they lay under his correcting hand: and they did not &s;incerely in|tend to doe as they promi|&s;ed, when it was removed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="37" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>37.</BIBL> For their heart was not right with him, neither were they &s;tedfa&s;t in his co|venant.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>37. For their hearts were not rightly di&s;po&s;ed, nor
<PB N="61" REF="36">firmly re&s;olved to adhere unto Him; as appears by their frequent revolts from their engagements: which they never faithfully ob&s;er|ved; but as con&s;tantly broke, as they renewed their Covenant with Him, XVI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 3. XX. 3, 4. XXI. 5, 7. XXV. 1, 2,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="38" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>38.</BIBL> But he <HI>be|ing</HI> full of compa&s;|&s;ion, forgave <HI>their</HI> iniquity, and de|&s;troyed
<HI>them</HI> not; yea, many a time turned he his an|ger away, and did not &s;tir up all his wrath.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>38. Yet He was &s;o full of compa&s;&s;ion, that, after He had threatned utterly to de&s;troy them, (XIV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 11, 12.) He remit|ted very much of the &s;eve|rity of the &s;entence: and did not cut them off at once, (<HI>Ib.</HI> Ver. 15, 17, 18.) but very often &s;pared them when they de&s;erved to be puni&s;hed; or, when He puni&s;hed them, did it le&s;s then their de&s;erts.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="39" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>39.</BIBL> For he re|membred that they <HI>were but</HI> fle&s;h; a wind that pa&s;|&s;eth away and co|meth not again.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>39. For He con&s;idered how frail they were, and that they could not con|tinue long (though He did not &s;natch them away) but would moulder of them|&s;elves into du&s;t; and vani&s;h like a bla&s;t of wind, which <PB N="62" REF="37">makes a bu&s;tle and noi&s;e for a little time, and then is di&s;per&s;ed and heard of no more.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="40" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>40.</BIBL> How oft did they provoke him in the wilder|ne&s;s, <HI>and</HI> grieve him in the de&s;ert?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>40. How many times, before this terrible threat|ning, did they provoke Him to anger in the wil|derne&s;s? (XIV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 22.) and afterward, did things exceeding offen&s;ive to Him, in other parts of the de&s;ert? <HI>Numb.</HI> XVI. XX. XXI. XXV.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="41" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>41.</BIBL> Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the holy One of I&s;rael.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>41. Being &s;o vilely un|gratefull, as to talk of re|turning into <HI>Egypt;</HI> (XIV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 4.) or requiring, upon every occa&s;ion, new proofs of his power: Nay, que&s;tioning whether it could doe all things, though He had wrought &s;o many wonders; and ap|pointing Him, who had &s;o often &s;hewn Him&s;elf to be incomparably greater then all other Gods, what He &s;hould doe (as I &s;aid before Ver. 19, 20.) if He inten|ded to have them believe on Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="42" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="63" REF="37">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>42.</BIBL> They re|membred not his hand, <HI>nor</HI> the day when he delivered them from the e|nemy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>42. For they quite for|got (this was the rea&s;on of their naughtine&s;s, Ver. 11, 12. which is fit again to be repeated) or never laid to heart, the mighty things He had done for them: e&s;pecially that memorable time, when He, by his power alone, delivered them from the tyranny of
<HI>Pharaoh,</HI> who mo&s;t mi&s;era|bly oppre&s;&s;ed them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="43" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>43.</BIBL> How he had wrought his &s;igns in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>43. They did not &s;eri|ou&s;ly ponder the evident demon&s;tration He gave of his uncontroulable power, in the miraculous judgments which He &s;ent upon the <HI>Egyptians;</HI> even upon the Court of
<HI>Pharaoh,</HI> and the principal City of the King|dom.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="44" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>44.</BIBL> And had turned their ri|vers into bloud; and their flouds, that they could not drink.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>44. When, for in&s;tance, He left them no water to quench their thir&s;t; by turning the River <HI>Nile</HI> (VII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 17, 19,
20.) with all the &s;treams that were derived from it, and all their Ponds and Pools of water, into bloud.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="45" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="64" REF="38">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>45.</BIBL> He &s;ent di|vers &s;orts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which de&s;troyed them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>45. And &s;ent an infinite &s;warm of the mo&s;t pe&s;tilent (and to them the mo&s;t odi|ous) &s;ort of Flyes (VIII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 21, 22.) which bit the Egyptians, as they u&s;ed to do their Dogs: As not long before He had &s;ent &s;uch an army of Frogs to invade all places (VIII. <HI>Exod.</HI>
3, 8, 9, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and &s;o to &s;poil their meat and drink, and every thing el&s;e; that if this plague had la|&s;ted, they mu&s;t have left their Country, or not have lived.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="46" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>46.</BIBL> He gave al|&s;o their increa&s;e unto the caterpil|ler, and their la|bour unto the lo|cu&s;t.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>46. After which He ex|po&s;ed the Fruits of the Earth, for which they had taken long pains, to be de|voured by various kinds of Locu&s;ts; with which the whole Country was &s;o o|ver&s;pread, that nothing el&s;e, but they, were to be &s;een upon the face of the earth (X. <HI>Exod.</HI> 5.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="47" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>47.</BIBL> He de&s;troy|ed their vines with hail, and their &s;ycomore|trees with fro&s;t.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>47. Which had been mi|&s;erably hara&s;&s;ed before, by &s;torms of Hail, both &s;mall and great: whereby not <PB N="65" REF="38">onely the Grapes and &s;uch like Fruit, were &s;mitten down; but the Trees them|&s;elves (for in&s;tance, the Vines, and the wild Fig|trees) quite killed, and corrupted at the very root, IX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 18, 19, 25.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="48" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>48.</BIBL> He gave up their cattel al|&s;o to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>48. For there was a dreadfull Thunder and Lightning mixt together with it: which let no li|ving Creature e&s;cape, but de&s;troyed even the Cattel and the Flocks, which were left abroad in the Field, IX.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 22, 23, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="49" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>49.</BIBL> He ca&s;t up|on them the fierce|ne&s;s of his anger, wrath, and indig|nation, and trou|ble, by &s;ending evil angels among them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>49. Many other ways He plagued them, which were tokens of his &s;evere&s;t di&s;plea&s;ure; by a grievous murrain, by fiery boils, by a mo&s;t di&s;mall darkne&s;s, (IX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 10.) till at length He &s;ent evil An|gels (who had frighted them in that darkne&s;s XVII. <HI>Wi&s;d.</HI>
3.) as the Mini&s;ters of his heavy wrath.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="50" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>50.</BIBL> He made a way to his anger, he &s;pared not their &s;oul from death: but gave their life over to the pe&s;ti|lence.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>50. Which irre&s;i&s;tibly and &s;peedily &s;ei&s;ed on them, where&s;oever He found <PB N="66" REF="39">them; and &s;pared not their lives: but took away the Fir&s;t-born of all their Cat|tel by a pe&s;tilential di&s;ea&s;e, XXI. <HI>Exod.</HI> 30.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="51" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>51.</BIBL> And &s;mote all the fir&s;t-born in Egypt: the chief of <HI>their</HI> &s;trength in the tabernacles of Ham:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>51. As well as the Fir&s;t|born of all their Children, (the prop of their Families, in whom the hope of fu|ture &s;ucce&s;&s;ion was princi|pally laid) throughout the dwellings of the po&s;terity of
<HI>Cham,</HI> the Father of the <HI>Egyptians,</HI> (X. <HI>Gen.</HI> 6. XII.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 30.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="52" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>52.</BIBL> But made his oron people to go forth like &s;heep: and guided them in the wilderne&s;s like a flock.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>52. And by that means brought forth his people from among them, (XII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 31.) as peaceably as a Shepherd doth his Sheep out of their Folds (not &s;o much as a Dog moving his tongue again&s;t them, XI.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 7.) and then directed them the way they &s;hould go in the wilderne&s;s (XIII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 18, 21.) where He graciou&s;ly provided for them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="53" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>53.</BIBL> And he led them on &s;afely, &s;o that they feared not: but the &s;ea overwhelmed their enemies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>53. He conducted them &s;ecurely even through the red Sea, without any ap|prehen&s;ion <PB N="67" REF="39">of danger, (XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI>
19, 22.) but over|whelmed <HI>Pharaoh</HI> and his followers, in that very path where they travelled in &s;afety.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="54" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>54.</BIBL> And he brought them to the border of his Sanctuary, <HI>even</HI> to this mountain <HI>which</HI> his right hand had pur|cha&s;ed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>54. And never cea&s;ed his care over them (notwith|&s;tanding all their provoca|tions) till He brought them into his holy Land; and (in the i&s;&s;ue) to this Mount <HI>Sion:</HI> which, not their prowe&s;s but, his mighty power, by the hand of <HI>Da|vid,</HI> won for them,
2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 6, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="55" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>55.</BIBL> He ca&s;t out the heathen al&s;o before them, and divided them an inheritance by line: and made the tribes of I&s;rael to dwell in their tents.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>55. And, after He had expelled the old inhabi|tants, who were not able to &s;tand before them (XII. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI>) He di&s;tributed by lot, to every Tribe their portion of Land, which they &s;hould inherit (XIV.
<HI>Jo&s;h.</HI>) and &s;ettled them in a quiet po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of it, XXI.
<HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 43, 44.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="56" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>56.</BIBL> Yet they tempted and pro|voked the mo&s;t high God: and kept not his te&s;ti|monies:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>56. Yet, after &s;o many and &s;o great benefits, they behaved them&s;elves no bet|ter, in that good Land; <PB N="68" REF="40">then they had done in the Wilderne&s;s: but as &s;oon as <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> and the Elders were dead (II. <HI>Judg.</HI> 7, 10.) they disbelieved the threatnings of their Law, and would make a trial whether they were true or no; provo|king the great Lord of all the world, by &s;lighting his Commandments, which He had &s;o &s;trictly injoined them to ob&s;erve.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="57" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>57.</BIBL> But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned a&s;ide like a deceitfull bow.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>57. They imitated their Fore-fathers, both in their frequent apo&s;ta&s;ies from God, and in their fal&s;ene&s;s to their promi&s;es, when they pretended to repent of them, (II. <HI>Judg.</HI> 13, 18, 19. III. 7,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) having de|praved minds and hearts, which (like an ill made Bow, that never tends the Arrow to the mark) would turn a&s;ide into crooked ways, and not be directed according to the will of God.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="58" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>58.</BIBL> For they provoked him to anger with their high places: and moved him to jea|lou&s;ie with their graven images.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>58. For they highly in|cen&s;ed Him, by their Altars and Images, (VI. <HI>Judg.</HI> 25.) <PB N="69" REF="40">which they built after the manner of the heathen (XXII. <HI>Numb.</HI> 41.) in the high places: where they wor&s;hipped a number of fal&s;e Gods, (X. <HI>Judg.</HI> 6.) to his great offence and di&s;|honour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="59" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>59.</BIBL> When God heard <HI>this,</HI> he was wroth and greatly abhorred I&s;rael:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>59. Which was &s;o noto|rious, that the Judge of the world could not but take notice of it, and &s;everely puni&s;h it; by abandoning that people, for whom He had done &s;uch wonders, into the hands of the
<HI>Sy|rians,</HI> the <HI>Moabites,</HI> the <HI>Midianites, Phili&s;tines,</HI> and the Children of <HI>Ammon, (&s;ee the Book of Judges)</HI> who made them as contemptible unto others, as they were loath&s;ome unto Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="60" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>60.</BIBL> So that he for&s;ook the taber|nacle of Shiloh, the tent <HI>which</HI> he placed among men:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>60. In&s;omuch that at la&s;t He quite for&s;ook the City of
<HI>Shiloh,</HI> where, in his Ta|bernacle, He had been gra|ciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to be pre&s;ent with them, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> IV. 3, 4.) and would never return un|to it any more, (VII. <HI>Jer,</HI> 12. and &s;ee <HI>Arg.</HI> of LXVIII.
<HI>P&s;.</HI>)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="61" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="70" REF="41">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>61.</BIBL> And deli|vered his &s;trength into captivity, and his glory into the enemies hand.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>61. Nay, He let the Ark of the Covenant, the &s;pe|cial token of his pre&s;ence with them, from whence his power was wont to ap|pear mo&s;t gloriou&s;ly for them, not onely fall into their hands; but be car|ried away captive by the <HI>Phili&s;tines</HI> (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> IV. 11, 22. V.
1.).</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="62" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>62.</BIBL> He gave his people over al&s;o to the &s;word: and was wroth with his inheritance.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>62. Who&s;e Sword &s;lew a great number of his peo|ple; (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> IV. 10.) &s;o exceeding angry was He with tho&s;e, whom He had formerly taken into his &s;pe|cial care above all other Nations; XXXII.
<HI>Deut.</HI> 8, 9.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="63" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>63.</BIBL> The fire con&s;umed their young men: and their maidens were not given to mar|riage.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>63. For it was by his Di|vine vengeance, more then the
<HI>Phili&s;tines</HI> valour, that they lo&s;t abundance of brave young men; the ve|ry flower of their Army: by which means many of their Virgins were con&s;trai|ned to remain unmarried; and they that found Hus|bands, were fain to omit all tokens of joy, in a time of publick &s;orrow.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="64" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="71" REF="41">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>64.</BIBL> Their prie&s;ts fell by the &s;word: and their widows made no lamenta|tion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>64. For &s;ome of their Prie&s;ts, who were peculiar|ly con&s;ecrated to God's &s;ervice, were &s;lain in this Battel, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> IV. 11.) and their Wives, oppre&s;&s;ed with grief, did not long &s;urvive, to make any pub|lick Funeral for them; 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> IV. 20.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="65" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>65.</BIBL> Then the LORD awaked as one out of &s;leep,
<HI>and</HI> like a mighty man that &s;houteth by rea&s;on of wine.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>65. The Lord Him&s;elf al&s;o (who was wont to &s;ight for us) &s;eemed no more concerned in all the&s;e calamities, which befell both us and our Religion; then a mighty Commander is at that, which is done to his Army when he is a&s;leep, or overcome with Wine: Till at la&s;t, like &s;uch a great Warriour (who be|ing awaked calls for his arms, and charges the ene|my with greater fury) He vindicated his honour in a terrible manner, and made a very great de&s;truction a|mong them, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 9, 11.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="66" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>66.</BIBL> And he &s;mote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpe|tual reproach.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>66. For be&s;ides the fall of <HI>Dagon</HI> before the Ark,
<PB N="72" REF="42">He &s;mote &s;everal Cities of the <HI>Phili&s;tines,</HI> with a grie|vous &s;ort of Haemorrhoids; whereof many died, and the re&s;t langui&s;hed under mo&s;t mi&s;erable torments: (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 6, 9, 12.) the monuments of which they them&s;elves were forced to make, and &s;end back with the Ark; to his great glo|ry, and their eternal re|proach, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> VI. 3, 4, 9.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="67" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>67.</BIBL> Moreover he refu&s;ed the ta|bernacle of Jo&s;eph: and cho&s;e not the tribe of Ephraim.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>67. Yet he would not return to <HI>Shiloh</HI> again (which was in the Tribe of <HI>Ephraim,</HI> the Son of <HI>Jo|&s;eph</HI>) nor have the Ark of his pre&s;ence placed there any more:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="68" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>68.</BIBL> But cho&s;e the tribe of Ju|dah, the mount Sion which he lo|ved.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>68. But fir&s;t it was brought to <HI>Kiriathaim,</HI> (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> VI. 21.) a City of the Tribe of <HI>Judah,</HI> XV.
<HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 6. where He re&s;olved hereafter to have his &s;pe|cial re&s;idence: and &s;o from thence (after a &s;hort &s;tay at the Hou&s;e of
<HI>Obed-Edom</HI>) unto Mount <HI>Sion</HI> (1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XIII. 6. XVI.
1, 3, 29.) which He preferred before <PB N="73" REF="42">the Hill of
<HI>Kiriathaim</HI> (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 1.) or any other place in all the Country.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="69" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>69.</BIBL> And he built his &s;anctua|ry like high
<HI>pala|ces,</HI> like the earth which he hath e|&s;tabli&s;hed for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>69. There <HI>Solomon</HI> built Him a &s;tately Temple, which, as it was a high and lofty Fabrick, &s;o was not moveable, like his former habitation; but remained perpetually fixed, like the earth on which it &s;tood.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="70" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>70.</BIBL> He cho&s;e David al&s;o his &s;ervant, and took him from the &s;heepfolds:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>70. For as He had rejec|ted <HI>Shiloh,</HI> and cho&s;en
<HI>Sion</HI> for the place of his dwell|ing; &s;o He had likewi&s;e rejected
<HI>Saul,</HI> and cho&s;en <HI>David</HI> (the Father of <HI>Solo|mon</HI>) to be the King of his people: A man who &s;er|ved Him as faithfully in that Office, as he had done his Father in keeping of his Sheep.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="71" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>71.</BIBL> From fol|lowing the ews great with young, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and I&s;rael his inheritance.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>71. From that mean im|ployment He took him, and rai&s;ed him to the highe&s;t charge and dignity: that the care he had imployed in looking after the Ews, and their Lambs when they &s;hould fall, he might exer|ci&s;e in governing his people; <PB N="74" REF="43">and endeavouring that they, whom He had cho&s;en for his own peculiar inheritance, did no way mi&s;carry.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="72" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>72.</BIBL> So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart: and gui|ded them by the skilfulne&s;s of his hands.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>72. And he did not de|ceive His expectation; but governed them with equal integrity and prudence: never de&s;igning any thing but their good; and dex|trou&s;ly accompli&s;hing what|&s;oever he de&s;igned.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="79" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXIX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm of <HI>A&s;aph.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm was penned, in all probability, upon the &s;ame occa&s;ion with the LXXIX. <HI>viz.</HI> The de&s;truction of
<HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> by <HI>Nebuchadnez|zar:</HI> &s;ee what I have &s;aid there, in the Ar|gument of that P&s;alm; and it will appear altogether unlikely, that this &s;hould have re|&s;pect to the times of <HI>Antiochus Epiphanes:</HI> as many imagin, and among the re&s;t <HI>Theo|doret:</HI> which is the more &s;trange, becau&s;e the &s;ame rea&s;on he gives there, why the LXXIV. <HI>P&s;alm</HI> doth not belong to tho&s;e times (which he repeats again upon LXXX. <PB N="75" REF="43"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 17.) lies as &s;trongly again&s;t the appli|cation of this P&s;alm to the fury and rage, wherewith that Prince fell upon the Jewi&s;h Nation. Who&s;e mi&s;erable calamity under
<HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI> we find bewailed by <HI>Je|remiah,</HI> who then lived (X. <HI>Jer.</HI> 25.) in the very words of the &s;ixth and &s;eventh ver&s;es of this P&s;alm: which is &s;ome indica|tion that they both belong to the &s;ame mat|ter: but whether <HI>Jeremiah</HI> took them from <HI>A&s;aph,</HI> or <HI>A&s;aph</HI> from him, I cannot cer|tainly determin. The latter is mo&s;t likely; becau&s;e this P&s;alm &s;eems to have been writ|ten, after that de&s;olation had for &s;ome time continued.</P>
<P>We reade indeed in the Book of <HI>Macca|bees</HI> (1. VII.
16, 17.) two other ver&s;es of this P&s;alm (<HI>viz.</HI> 2, 3.) applied to the &s;laugh|ter of three&s;core of the devouter &s;ort of Jews; pre&s;ently after <HI>Antiochus</HI> his death. But that Authour quotes them, it is plain, as words which had been written in former days; and by him onely made u&s;e of to his purpo&s;e: which was to &s;hew that the &s;ame cruelties were, in great part, acted over again, which their Fathers had &s;een at the de&s;truction of
<HI>Jeru&s;alem.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance, thy holy temple have they defiled: they have laid Jeru&s;a|lem on heaps.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O God, the &s;upreme Judge of the world, Thou art not ignorant, we know, of our calamity, for <PB N="74" REF="44">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page"> <PB N="75" REF="44">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page"> <PB N="76" REF="45">it comes by thy order; but give us leave to repre&s;ent unto thy Maje&s;ty, the &s;ad condition of the people and place, which was once very dear unto Thee; for pro|phane Nations have not onely invaded our (or rather thy) Country, to which Thou ha&s;t a peculiar Title; but polluted thy own Hou&s;e, which was &s;e|parated to thy &s;ervice a|lone; and laid it, together with
<HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> in ruinous heaps.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> The dead bodies of thy &s;er|vants have they given <HI>to be</HI> meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the fle&s;h of thy &s;aints unto the bea&s;ts of the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Under which thy &s;er|vants the Prie&s;ts, and o|ther holy men, whom they have &s;lain, could not have the honour to be buried; nor obtain the common ci|vility of a Grave: but the dead Bodies of tho&s;e whom Thou love&s;t, they have bar|barou&s;ly di&s;po&s;ed to be de|voured by ravenous Bea&s;ts and Birds.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Their bloud have they &s;hed like water round about Jeru&s;alem: and <HI>there was</HI> none to bury
<HI>them.</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. For they valued the &s;hedding of their bloud, no more then the pouring out of water: which flowed in <PB N="77" REF="45" MS="y">&s;uch abundance about <HI>Je|ru&s;alem;</HI> that they left not men enow alive, to take care of the Interment of the dead.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> We are be|come a reproach to our neighbours: a &s;corn and deri&s;ion to them that are round about us.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. And we, that remain, lead a mo&s;t de&s;picable life; being not onely &s;corned, and abu&s;ed, but openly de|rided, and made the &s;port of the <HI>Edomites</HI> and other Nations, which formerly &s;tood in awe of us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? &s;hall thy jealou&s;ie burn like fire?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. And which is &s;adde&s;t of all, we have long com|plained of this, and find no relief; but onely in our mo&s;t pa&s;&s;ionate cries to Thee, O Lord: the effects of who&s;e ju&s;t anger and jealou&s;ie, we groan under (becau&s;e we have for&s;aken Thee, and been unfaithfull to our Covenant with Thee) but hope it will not always la&s;t; nor proceed to make an utter end of us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the king|doms that have not called upon thy name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Pour it out rather (in as full a mea&s;ure, and with as little pity, as they did our bloud, Ver. 3.) up|on the <HI>Babylonians:</HI> who, <PB N="78" REF="46">though they have conque|red many Kingdoms, do not acknowledge Thee at all, nor a&s;cribe their &s;ucce&s;&s;es to thy Power; but to their Idols, whom they &s;erve, and honour with that wor|&s;hip which is due to Thee alone.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> For they have devoured Jacob, and laid wa&s;t his dwelling-place.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. They have been the In&s;truments indeed of thy vengeance, but have exe|cuted it with &s;uch cruelty; that, not content with the conque&s;t of us, they have &s;ought our total extirpati|on: having depopulated our Country, and made that plea&s;ant Land a Wil|derne&s;s; which Thou ga|ve&s;t to <HI>Jacob</HI> and his Seed for their habitation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> O Remember not again&s;t us for|mer iniquities: let thy tender mercies &s;peedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. O let not his vertue, and the Covenant Thou made&s;t with him, be for|gotten; when Thou recko|ne&s;t with us for the &s;ins of our Fore-fathers; the pu|ni&s;hment of which we be|&s;eech Thee, that we may bear no longer: &s;peed our deliverance, Good Lord; <PB N="79" REF="46">and how unworthy &s;oever we be, let thy tender com|pa&s;&s;ion prevail with Thee, to &s;ave us from utter ruin; which is very near, &s;o few, &s;o broken and &s;pent we are, unle&s;s &s;ea&s;onably prevented by thy mercy.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Help us, O God of our &s;alva|tion, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our &s;ins for thy names &s;ake.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Send us that &s;ea&s;o|nable help, O God, from whom alone we expect it, and have heretofore very often received it; for it will tend much to the ho|nour of thy almighty Good|ne&s;s (which in former times was much celebrated, but of late hath been excee|dingly di&s;paraged) to &s;ave us now, when none is able to pre&s;erve us: upon that account be plea&s;ed to pa&s;s by our &s;ins, and to inter|po&s;e for our deliverance; le&s;t Thou &s;uffer together with us:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Wherefore &s;hould the heathen &s;ay, Where
<HI>is</HI> their God? let him be known among the heathen in our &s;ight,
<HI>by</HI> the re|venging of the bloud of thy &s;er|vants <HI>which is</HI> &s;hed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. While the Idolatrous Nations utter this in&s;olent language (which is excee|ding grievous, nay in&s;up|portable to us) If their God be &s;o great in Him&s;elf, <PB N="80" REF="47">and &s;o kind to them, as they pretend; why doth He not take their part, and appear for their delive|rance? O that Thou would&s;t put them to &s;i|lence, by taking &s;uch an open, and remarkable ven|geance on the&s;e bla&s;phe|mous Nations, for the bloud they have &s;hed; that, not onely we but, all the world may &s;ee, Thou ha&s;t a care of us thy Servants.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Let the &s;ighing of the pri|&s;oner come before thee, according to the greatne&s;s of thy power: pre|&s;erve thou tho&s;e that are appointed to die.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Let the &s;ighs and groans of tho&s;e who lie in pri&s;on, be as prevalent with Thee, as thee prayers: and magnifie thy power, by pre&s;erving the lives of tho&s;e, whom they have condemned to die.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> And render unto our neigh|bours &s;even fold into their bo&s;om, their reproach wherewith they have reproached thee, O LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. And when Thou ha&s;t done with the
<HI>Baby|lonians,</HI> reckon with our neighbours al&s;o, who have in&s;ulted over us, and deri|ded us: or rather, have &s;poken &s;o reproachfully of Thee, O God, that they ju&s;tly de&s;erve, not onely <PB N="81" REF="47">to be paid home in their kind; but to be made &s;e|ven times more contemp|tible then we have been.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> So we thy people, and &s;heep of thy pa&s;ture, will give thee thanks for ever: we will &s;hew forth thy prai&s;e to all gene|rations.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. So we thy people, being conducted again to our Land, and happily re|&s;tored to live under thy Government there; will never cea&s;e to give thanks unto Thee, for thy bene|fits be&s;towed upon us: And be carefull to tran&s;|mit the memory of them, to tho&s;e, who &s;hall come after us; that all future Generations may perpe|tuate thy prai&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="80" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">To the chief-Mu&s;ician, upon <HI>Sho&s;hannim Eduth.</HI> A P&s;alm of <HI>A&s;aph.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm is &s;omething of kin to the former; deprecating the di&s;plea&s;ure of the Almighty in a time of great calamity. Which, as all that I have met withall think, was either in <PB N="82" REF="48">the captivity of <HI>Judah</HI> and <HI>Benjamin</HI> by
<HI>Nebuchadnezzar;</HI> or of the Ten Tribes, by <HI>Salmana&s;&s;ar.</HI> But it &s;eems to me rather to have been penned between the&s;e two, in the time of
<HI>Hezekiah:</HI> who had wrote a Letter you find (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXXI. 6.) to the rem|nant that were e&s;caped out of the hand of the King of
<HI>A&s;&s;yria;</HI> e&s;pecially to <HI>Ephraim</HI> and
<HI>Mana&s;&s;eh,</HI> the Tribes neare&s;t to them, that they would come to the Hou&s;e of the Lord at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and keep the Pa&s;&s;over with them: which &s;ummons, &s;everal of them obeyed, Ver. 11. 18. and kept the Fea&s;t as long again as they were wont, Ver. 23. And when this was fini&s;hed, they all went through the Coun|try, and threw down all the High places and Altars that they found: not onely in <HI>Judah;</HI> but in <HI>Benjamin</HI> al&s;o, <HI>Ephraim</HI> and <HI>Mana&s;|&s;eh,</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXXI.
1.</P>
<P>But after this happy &s;ettlement you reade there, XXXII. 1. that the Land was inva|ded by <HI>Senacherib,</HI> and &s;orely di&s;tre&s;&s;ed; to the great di&s;couragement no doubt of tho&s;e, who had joined in the Reformation: which moved <HI>A&s;aph</HI> (mentioned 2
<HI>Chron.</HI> XXIX. 30. &s;ee the Argument of LXXIII. <HI>P&s;al.</HI>) mo&s;t earne&s;tly to be&s;eech God (Ver. 2. of this P&s;alm) that he would be plea&s;ed to &s;tir up Him&s;elf before <HI>Ephraim,</HI> and
<HI>Mana&s;&s;eh,</HI> as well as <HI>Benjamin</HI> (who was &s;o linkt to
<HI>Ju|dah,</HI> that part of <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> and of the Temple &s;tood in that Tribe) and let them &s;ee, by a <PB N="83" REF="48">remarkable deliverance, that their zeal for the purity of their Religion, was acceptable to Him.</P>
<P>Another rea&s;on indeed there may be given (which I have not omitted in my Paraphra&s;e) why the&s;e <HI>three</HI> are joined together, rather then any other, becau&s;e they were the Tribes (as we reade in the
<HI>&s;econd</HI> of <HI>Numbers</HI>) who, when they were in the Wilderne&s;s, al|ways marched behind the Tabernacle, when it moved; and had that part, where the Propitiatory was, from whence God &s;ent his Oracles, and the tokens of his power; ju&s;t before them. But then there is this to be added, to make it probable that this P&s;alm was not penned in the time of the Captivity; becau&s;e, as then there was no Ark; nor did God <HI>&s;it between the Cherubins</HI> (concer|ning which phra&s;e the learned Reader may &s;ee
<HI>Lud. de Dieu,</HI> upon 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> IV. 4.) as He is &s;aid here to do; nor were <HI>Ephraim</HI> and <HI>Mana&s;&s;eh</HI> then mixed with them, that we reade of: &s;o, <HI>fir&s;t</HI> of all, it is too full of elegancies for that time of utter de&s;olation; and <HI>&s;econdly</HI> the Greek expre&s;ly calls it, <HI>A P&s;alm concerning the A&s;&s;yrian</HI> (who is the <HI>wild Boar</HI> I &s;uppo&s;e that broke into God's Vineyard, mentioned Ver. 13.) and
<HI>la&s;tly, Hezekiah,</HI> I ob&s;erve, applies him&s;elf to God (in the time of that di&s;tre&s;s by the King of <HI>A&s;&s;yria</HI>) in the very language of the P&s;al|mi&s;t; and begins his Prayer, ju&s;t as <HI>A&s;aph</HI>
<PB N="84" REF="49">doth here, to Him <HI>that &s;its between the Cherubins,</HI> de&s;iring Him to incline his ear to his reque&s;ts, 2
<HI>King.</HI> XIX. 15, 16. XXXVII. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 16, 17.</P>
<P>It was delivered to the chief Ma&s;ter of Mu&s;ick to be &s;ung as the LX. <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> upon the In&s;truments of &s;ix &s;trings: which were wont to be u&s;ed in &s;olemn Thanksgivings <HI>(&s;ee the Argument of that P&s;alm)</HI> for he nothing doubted God would hear their Pray|ers, and de&s;troy <HI>Senacherib:</HI> Or perhaps it was ordered afterward to be &s;ung in that manner.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> GIve ear, O &s;hepherd of I&s;rael, thou that leade&s;t Jo&s;eph like a flock, thou that dwelle&s;t <HI>between</HI> the cherubims, &s;hine forth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O Thou, who art the Ruler and Protec|tour of thy people
<HI>I&s;rael,</HI> who did&s;t long ago give a famous in&s;tance of thy pow|er; in pre&s;erving <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> when he fell, like an inno|cent Lamb, among a com|pany of Wolves, (XXXVII. <HI>Gen.</HI> 18, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and conduc|ting him to the highe&s;t preferment; reject not our humble petitions, which we put up unto Thee, in the like di&s;tre&s;s: but &s;hew that Thou favoure&s;t us, by &s;ome illu&s;trious token of thy pre&s;ence among us, in
<PB N="85" REF="49">thy Holy place; from whence Thou can&s;t &s;end Angels to defend and deli|ver us, 2 <HI>King.</HI> XIX. 35.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Before E|phraim, and Ben|jamin, and Ma|na&s;&s;eh, &s;tir up thy &s;trength, and come <HI>and</HI> &s;ave us.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Let the po&s;terity of <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> who beheld here|tofore &s;o many enemies fall before Thee, when they attended upon the Ark of thy pre&s;ence in the Wilder|ne&s;s, (II. <HI>Numb.</HI> 18, 20, 22.) and have lately been very zealous in thy &s;ervice, (2 <HI>Chr.</HI> XXX. 1. XXXI.
1.) &s;ee thy power to be as great as ever: (though for &s;ome time it hath not ap|peared at all for us) and that Thou art as forward, in due time, to grant us a glorious deliverance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Turn us a|gain, O God: and cau&s;e thy face to &s;hine, and we &s;hall be &s;aved.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Re&s;tore us, O God, to our former happine&s;s; and for that end re&s;tore us into thy favour: and then there will &s;oon be an end of our calamities.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> O LORD God of ho&s;ts, how long wilt thou be angry again&s;t the prayer of thy peo|ple?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. For what can the greate&s;t Armies (2 <HI>King.</HI> XVIII. 17.) doe again&s;t Thee, who art the &s;upreme Lord of all, the ab&s;olute <PB N="86" REF="50">Commander of the Ho&s;ts of Heaven? who&s;e help we have mo&s;t importunate|ly implored, and long wai|ted for, as men impatient to &s;ee our enemies &s;o pre|valent; though hitherto Thou ha&s;t been &s;o excee|ding angry with us, that Thou ha&s;t not heard the prayers of thy people.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Thou feede&s;t them with the bread of tears: and give&s;t them tears to drink in great mea&s;ure.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. But ha&s;t turned our joyfull Fea&s;ts unto fa&s;ting, and weeping; and our plenty, into &s;carcity of all things, but onely of tears: which we pour out in large mea&s;ure; when we think of the danger we are in, to peri&s;h by famine and by thir&s;t, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXXII. 21.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Thou make&s;t us a &s;trife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among them|&s;elves.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Our neighbours, the <HI>Edomites</HI> and others, either pick quarrels with us, or &s;trive among them&s;elves who &s;hall make the greate&s;t booty of us: while our enemies, that be&s;iege us, mock at our inability to help our &s;elves; and at our confidence, which we place in Thee,
2 <HI>King.</HI> XVIII. <PB N="87" REF="50">22, 23. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXXII.
15.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Turn us a|gain, O God of ho&s;ts, and cau&s;e thy face to &s;hine, and we &s;hall be &s;aved.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Convince them, O Lord, that it is not vainly placed, by re&s;toring us a|gain to our former happi|ne&s;s: which it is ea&s;ie for Thee to doe, who ha&s;t all the Ho&s;ts of Heaven at thy command; if Thou wilt but be plea&s;ed to favour us (as we again be&s;eech Thee, Thou wilt) and then no harm &s;hall befall us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t brought a vine out of Egypt: thou ha&s;t ca&s;t out the heathen, and plan|ted it.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. We were once very dear unto Thee, when Thou did&s;t tran&s;plant us, like a choice Vine, out of <HI>Egypt</HI> into this Country: from whence Thou did&s;t drive out the ancient Inha|bitants; that we might be &s;ettled in their place.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Thou prepa|red&s;t <HI>room</HI> before it, and did&s;t cau&s;e it to take deep root, and it filled the land.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Thou prepared&s;t the way for us, making our terrour fall upon them be|fore we came (II. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 9, 10, 11.) &s;o that we ea&s;ily expelled them; and being there firmly e&s;tabli&s;hed, like a Vine deeply rooted in a fruitfull &s;oil, we increa&s;ed <PB N="88" REF="51">and multiplied, till we peo|pled all the Land.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> The hills were covered with the &s;hadow of it, and the boughs thereof <HI>were like</HI> the goodly cedars.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. And as a rich Vine covers the Hill, on the &s;ide of which it is planted; or overtops the lofty Ce|dars, which &s;upport it: &s;o we ob&s;cured the &s;plendour of the greate&s;t Kingdoms; and made mighty Kings, become Tributaries to us, 1 <HI>King.</HI> IV. 24.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> She &s;ent out her boughs unto the &s;ea, and her branches un|to the river.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. For our Empire ex|tended it &s;elf (ju&s;t like &s;uch a luxuriant Vine which &s;preads its branches every way) from the mid-land Sea, to the River <HI>Euphra|tes,</HI> 1 <HI>King.</HI> IV. 21. (<HI>&s;ee</HI> LXXII. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 8.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Why ha&s;t thou <HI>then</HI> broken down her hedges, &s;o that all they which pa&s;s by the way, do pluck her?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. But now alas! Thou ha&s;t withdrawn thy pro|tection from us; and we are left like a Vineyard without its Hedges: All our &s;trong Holds, and fen|ced Cities are taken, (2 <HI>King.</HI> XVIII. 3.) &s;o that we lie open to be made a prey to every one that hath a mind to &s;poil us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="89" REF="51">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> The Boar out of the wood doth wa&s;te it, and the wild bea&s;t of the field doth de|vour it.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. The <HI>A&s;&s;yrian</HI> King, like a wild Boar, that breaks into a Vineyard, treads down all under his feet, and &s;eeks to root us up: There is no &s;avage Bea&s;t can make greater havock among the Vines, then his barbarous Souldiers have done throughout all the Land; which they have eaten up, 2 <HI>King.</HI> XIX. 29.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> Return, we he&s;eech thee, O God of ho&s;ts: look down from hea|ven, and behold, and vi&s;it this vine;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Our onely hope is, that Thou, the great Lord of Ho&s;ts, on whom the event of Wars, as of all things el&s;e, depends, wilt be reconciled unto us; and drive him out again: deny us not this reque&s;t, we be|&s;eech Thee, but though we be de&s;titute of all help on earth, yet &s;end us &s;ome from heaven; and, though very unworthy, yet graciou&s;ly take us into thy care, and repair the breaches which they have made.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch <HI>that</HI> thou made&s;t &s;trong for thy &s;elf.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Be favourable to the remnant of us, which, by thy powerfull pre&s;ervation, is &s;till left; like the root <PB N="90" REF="52">or &s;tock of a Vine, which may &s;prout out again: (2 <HI>King.</HI> XIX. 30,
31.) and e&s;pecially to our King, whom Thou ha&s;t endued with zeal and couragious re&s;olution for they &s;ervice, (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXX. 32.) and for our defence, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXXII. 5, 6, 7, 8.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> <HI>It is</HI> burnt with fire, <HI>it is</HI> out down: they peri&s;h at the rebuke of thy countenance.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. Great numbers of us are de&s;troyed already; and may be compared to the numerous branches of that remaining &s;tock, which, be|ing cut off, are burnt with fire: and all the re&s;t of us mu&s;t peri&s;h; if Thou wilt not be reconciled unto us, but &s;till per&s;evere in thy anger towards us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the &s;on of man <HI>whom</HI> thou made&s;t &s;trong for thy &s;elf.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. Which we be&s;eech Thee turn away; and be the mighty Helper of our Sovereign, who is dearly beloved by Thee; of that excellent Prince, whom Thou ha&s;t endued with zeal and couragious re&s;olu|tion, for thy &s;ervice and for our defence and pre&s;er|vation, (Ver. 15.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="91" REF="52">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. Which &s;hall be an everla&s;ting obligation upon us, never to revolt from Thee to our former Idola|try: Do but free us from the&s;e deadly enemies, and we will wor&s;hip Thee a|lone; and never cea&s;e to prai&s;e Thee, and acknow|ledge that we owe our ve|ry lives to thy almighty Goodne&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> Turn us a|gain, O LORD God of ho&s;ts: cau&s;e thy face to &s;hine, and we &s;hall be &s;a|ved.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. Hear us, O great Lord, who ha&s;t all the An|gels in Heaven at thy com|mand; hear us, we once more be&s;eech Thee, and re&s;tore us perfectly to our former happine&s;s: and in order to it, re&s;tore us to thy favour; and let there be a &s;peedy end of all the&s;e calamities.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="81" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="92" REF="53">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXXI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">To the chief Mu&s;ician upon Gittith. A P&s;alm of <HI>A&s;aph.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>There was a &s;pecial command of God, as the P&s;almi&s;t here takes notice Ver. 4. for the making a joyfull &s;ound with Trumpets, upon all their &s;olemn days, e&s;pecially their New Moons. (X. <HI>Numb.</HI> 10.) But more parti|cularly upon the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> day of the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> Month; which is called by this peculiar Name, above all other days, <HI>a day of blow|ing the Trumpets, i. e</HI> from Morning un|to Evening, XXIX.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 1. and <HI>a me|morial of blowing Trumpets,</HI> XXIII.
<HI>Lev.</HI> 24. For this &s;olemn day I &s;uppo&s;e this P&s;alm was compo&s;ed; and the rea&s;on is apparent why they were to blow with Trum|pets longer on this day then any other, be|cau&s;e it was the fir&s;t New Moon in the Year, (for according to their old computation be|fore they came out of
<HI>Egypt,</HI> their Year be|gan on this Day, as appears from XXIII.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 16. XXXIV. 22. where the Fea&s;t of ingathering their Fruits, is &s;aid to be in the <HI>revolution</HI> or <HI>the end of the year</HI>) and God intended, it is po&s;&s;ible, to awaken them (as <HI>Maimonides</HI> conjectures) to prepare <PB N="93" REF="53">them&s;elves, by &s;trict inquiry into their lives, and by hearty repentance, for the great day of Attonement, which was the <HI>tenth</HI> of this Month.</P>
<P>But of what this blowing Trumpets or Cornets was a
<HI>memorial</HI> is not ea&s;ie to re|&s;olve: the Hebrews them&s;elves being at &s;uch a lo&s;s about it, that they are fain to go as far back as the deliverance of <HI>I&s;aac</HI> and the offering a Ram in his &s;tead, for the rea&s;on of it. The cleare&s;t account of which, it &s;eems to me, may be fetcht from this P&s;alm; which plainly intimates that the <HI>blowing with Trumpets</HI> at that time, related to &s;omething which en&s;ued upon their happy deliverance out of <HI>Egypt</HI> Which though it began upon the fir&s;t day of the fir&s;t Month, according to their new Computation (which took its ori|ginal from that deliverance, in memory of which God ordained the Fea&s;t of the Pa&s;&s;e|over, to begin on that day, XXIII. <HI>Lev.</HI> 6.) yet they had not a compleat body of Laws de|livered to them by <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> till the
<HI>fir&s;t</HI> day of the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> Month, which was the Fea&s;t of blowing Trumpets.</P>
<P><HI>Mo&s;es</HI> received indeed &s;everal Laws in the
<HI>third</HI> Month, XIX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 1, 3, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> on the
<HI>third</HI> day whereof (Ver. 11, 16, 19, 20.) God him&s;elf appeared on the top of Mount <HI>Sinai,</HI> with the &s;ound of a Trumpet exceeding loud and prolonged (to which I believe this Fea&s;t hath re&s;pect) and &s;pake
<PB N="94" REF="54">the Ten Commandments; after which <HI>Mo|&s;es</HI> delivered them a body of civil Laws, <HI>Exod.</HI> XXI. XXII. XXIII. But they did not know the manner of the Divine Ser|vice, for which they came out of
<HI>Egypt</HI> in|to the Wilderne&s;s, till <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> had been twice forty days, one after the other, in the Mount; and likewi&s;e (as &s;everal of the <HI>Jews</HI> un|der&s;tand tho&s;e pa&s;&s;ages in IX. <HI>Deut.</HI> rela|ting to this matter) had <HI>forty</HI> days more bewailed their &s;in, in making the golden Calf. Which <HI>&s;ix&s;core</HI> days, if we add to the time between their coming out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> and the giving of the Law on Mount
<HI>Sinai,</HI> and to the <HI>&s;ix</HI> days, which pa&s;&s;ed before
<HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was called up into the Cloud, it will fall out exactly to be the <HI>fir&s;t day of the &s;eventh month,</HI> when he began to give or|ders for the building of the Tabernacle, and making all things belonging to God's Hou&s;e; according to the direction he had received in the Mount. I am &s;ure this was the pre|ci&s;e time of their &s;etting up the Altar and beginning to offer burnt Offerings, after their return from the Captivity of
<HI>Babylon;</HI> before the foundation of the Temple was laid. For you reade III. <HI>Ezra</HI> 1, 6. it was upon the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> day of the
<HI>&s;eventh month;</HI> in the middle of which they al&s;o kept the Fea&s;t of Tabernacles, as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> had appointed; in memory of their dwelling in Booths in the Wilderne&s;s, under the Government of the <PB N="95" REF="54">Almighty. The &s;ame day al&s;o was kept <HI>holy</HI> by
<HI>Nehemiah</HI> with great &s;olemnity, VIII. 1, 8, 9, 10. where you find how the Book of the Law was di&s;tinctly read to the people on this day, and the &s;en&s;e of it explained: &s;o that they came the next day again for further in&s;truction, Ver. 13.</P>
<P>Now that they might be more mindfull of tho&s;e Divine Benefits, which in this Month they commemorated, more then in any other Month in the Year, <HI>A&s;aph</HI> (in the days of <HI>David</HI> it is likely) compo&s;ed this P&s;alm, and directed it to the Ma&s;ter of Mu&s;ick to be &s;ung (as the VIII. <HI>P&s;alm</HI> upon <HI>Gittith</HI>) in the beginning of it, upon the Fea&s;t of Trumpets. And he introduces God Him&s;elf (before whom they were &s;ummoned, as I &s;aid, by the&s;e Trumpets to appear) in&s;tructing them in the end of this Solemnity; and complaining of their forgetfulne&s;s of his bene|fits, in giving them &s;o great a deliverance out of the Egyptian &s;lavery; and of their hard heartedne&s;s, in preferring their own Inventions, and the mi&s;eries they brought thereby upon them&s;elves, before his Coun&s;els, and the happine&s;s He intended for them. Which happine&s;s is expre&s;&s;ed, in the la&s;t Ver&s;e, by &s;atisfying them with
<HI>honey out of the rock:</HI> concerning which the learned may con&s;ult
<HI>Bochartus</HI> de Sacris Animal. Part. II. L. IV. c. 12.</P>
<PB N="94" REF="55">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="95" REF="55">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="96" REF="56">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> SIng aloud unto God our &s;trength: make a joyfull noi&s;e un|to the God of Ja|cob.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. SIng prai&s;es aloud unto God; to who&s;e migh|ty power alone we owe the Deliverance which we now Commemorate: &s;hout with the voice of triumph, in honour of Him; who was &s;o good unto your Fore|fathers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Take a p&s;alm, and bring hither the timbrel, the plea&s;ant harp with the p&s;altery.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Offer to Him your chearfull Hymns; and, to compleat the melody, and expre&s;s the greatne&s;s of your joy, let &s;ome with Timbrils, others with the plea&s;ant Harp, and others with the P&s;altery, celebrate the memory of his mercies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Blow up the trumpet in the new-moon, in the time appointed, on our &s;olemn fea&s;t-day.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And let the Prie&s;ts e&s;pecially (X. <HI>Numb.</HI> 8.) take care to blow with the Trumpets, at this &s;acred So|lemnity; on the fir&s;t day of the &s;eventh month, the principal New Moon in the year: that all the people may call to mind the Trump of God (XIX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 16, 19.) which our Fathers heard; at his dreadfull ap|pearance on Mount <HI>Sinai,</HI> to give his Law unto them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="97" REF="56">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> For this <HI>was</HI> a &s;tatute for I&s;ra|el, <HI>and</HI> a law of the God of Jacob.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. For thus hath the Lord decreed in that Law; where the God of our Fa|ther <HI>Jacob</HI> requires this &s;ervice of us, XXIII. Lev. 24,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> This he or|dained in Jo&s;eph <HI>for</HI> a te&s;timony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: <HI>where</HI> I heard a language <HI>that</HI> I under&s;tood not.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. This He appointed unto the Children of
<HI>Jo|&s;eph,</HI> as well as the re&s;t of the Tribes of <HI>I&s;rael;</HI> for a perpetual memorial of his benefits: when He going out over all the Land of <HI>Egypt,</HI> (XI. <HI>Exod.</HI> 4. XII. 23, 29.) and de&s;troying all their Fir&s;t-born, forced them to let us depart into the Wilderne&s;s; where we heard to our great a&s;toni&s;h|ment (for we were never before acquainted with it) the voice of God.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> I removed his &s;houlder from the burthen: his hands were deli|vered from the pots.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Who, con&s;idering with Him&s;elf what a title He had to our &s;ervice (having ta|ken off the heavy burthens which the
<HI>Egyptians</HI> laid upon our backs, and rid our hands of tho&s;e &s;ordid and dirty Imployments, wherein they made us la|bour)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="98" REF="57">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Thou called&s;t in trouble, and I delivered thee; I an&s;wered thee in the &s;ecret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Se|lah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Admoni&s;hed us to this effect, &s;aying; You cryed to me by rea&s;on of your cruel &s;ervitude under <HI>Pha|raoh</HI>'s Task-ma&s;ters (II. <HI>Ex|odus</HI> 23.) and I delivered you out of it (III. 8.) and again an&s;wered your pray|ers, when you cried unto me in a new di&s;tre&s;s, at the red Sea, (XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 10, 13.) but confounded the <HI>Egyptians,</HI> with Thunder and Lightning out of the cloudy Pillar (XIV. <HI>Exo.</HI> 24, 25. LXXVII. <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 18.) After all which I might well expect you &s;hould depend upon me: but pre&s;ently found you full of di&s;tru&s;t and infidelity at the waters of &s;trife; (XVII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 7.) where I gave you a new proof of my power.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Hear, O my people, and I will te&s;tifie unto thee: O I&s;rael, if thou wilt hearken unto me;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Of which if you will &s;till enjoy the benefit, then give ear, O my people, and I will &s;olemnly declare my will; and give a &s;evere charge unto you, O ye I&s;raelites, if you re&s;olve to be obedient to my admoni|tions.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="99" REF="57">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> There &s;hall no &s;trange god be in thee: neither &s;halt thou wor&s;hip any &s;trange god.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Then this is the prin|cipal thing upon which all the re&s;t depends, you &s;hall not &s;uffer any other Gods to be acknowledged among you, but onely me, (XX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 3. 23.) nor &s;hall you wor&s;hip the Gods of other Nations, XXIII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 13, 24, 32.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> I <HI>am</HI> the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. For I and I alone am the living Lord, the eternal God, who gave a Being to all things; and who am your peculiar Be|nefactour; having brought you out of the Egyptian Bondage: (XIX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 4. XX. 2.) And if you will be faithfull and obedient to me, inlarge your de&s;ires as far as you plea&s;e, and I will &s;atisfie them; for all the world is mine, XIX.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 5. XXIII. 25.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> But my people would not hearken to my voice: and I&s;rael would none of me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. But notwith&s;tanding their &s;eeming compliance with Him, and the fair pro|mi&s;es they made Him (XIX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 8. XX. 19. XXIV. 3, 7.) He pre&s;ently com|plained, (XXXII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 7,
<PB N="100" REF="58">8, 9. as I hear Him &s;till do at this day) my people would not be obedient to me; and <HI>I&s;rael</HI> would not re&s;t contented with me a|alone:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> So I gave them up unto their own hearts lu&s;t: <HI>and</HI> they walked in their own coun|&s;els.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. So, provoked by their long &s;tubborne&s;s, I took no further care of them; but left them to do as they plea&s;ed: &s;aying, let them follow their own in|ventions.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> O that my people had hear|kened unto me,
<HI>and</HI> I&s;rael had walked in my ways!</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. But it had been bet|ter for them to have adhe|red to me; who, out of my tender affection to their good, &s;till wi&s;hed, even when they were &s;o refrac|tory, that my people <HI>I&s;rael</HI> had been &s;o wi&s;e, as to have followed my directions, and been led by my advice; and not their own fooli&s;h imagi|nations.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> I &s;hould &s;oon have &s;ubdued their enemies, and turned my hand again&s;t their ad|ver&s;aries.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Then I &s;hould, in a &s;hort time, have quelled all their enemies; and, by one Victory after another, have quite de&s;troyed tho&s;e ad|ver&s;aries: which (&s;ince I brought them into <HI>Canaan</HI>)
<PB N="101" REF="58">have often mi&s;erably afflic|ted, and oppre&s;&s;ed them, II. <HI>Judg.</HI> 2, 3, 14, 15, 19, 20. III. 1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> IV. 2.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> The haters of the LORD &s;hould have &s;ub|mitted them&s;elves unto him: but their time &s;hould have endured for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. All that maligned their pro&s;perity, and &s;et them&s;elves again&s;t the de|&s;ign of the Lord to make them victorious over their enemies, &s;hould have been &s;o daunted; that they &s;hould have di&s;&s;embled their inward hatred, and been forced, at lea&s;t, to a counterfeit &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion: but his people &s;hould have &s;een ble&s;&s;ed days, and injoyed a &s;ub&s;tantial and durable hap|pine&s;s without any inter|ruption.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> He &s;hould have fed them al|&s;o with the fine&s;t of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock &s;hould I have &s;atisfied thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. He &s;hould have made their Country exceeding fruitfull, and fed them with the riche&s;t Wheat: And I my &s;elf, &s;aith the Lord, would have ble&s;&s;ed Thee with &s;uch plenty, that in the De&s;arts thou &s;houlde&s;t have found the &s;weete&s;t re|fre&s;hments; and without any care of thine, the Bees &s;hould have laboured honey <PB N="102" REF="59">for thee, in the Rocks, and holes of Trees, and &s;uch like places, XXXII. <HI>Deut.</HI>
13. XIV. <HI>Judg.</HI> 8. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XIV. 25, 26.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="82" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXXII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm of <HI>A&s;aph.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>Though there had been a notable Reformation made by
<HI>Jeho&s;aphat,</HI> (2 Chron. XIX. 5, 6, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) of tho&s;e corruptions, which had been growing in the &s;upreme Court of Judicature at
<HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> as well as in the le&s;&s;er in other Cities, ever &s;ince the times of <HI>David</HI> and <HI>Solomon</HI> (who took care to &s;ee Ju&s;tice done, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XVIII. 14. 1 <HI>King.</HI> III. 9,
28.) yet it appears, by the frequent complaints of <HI>I&s;aiah,</HI> that when
<HI>Hezekiah</HI> (in who&s;e days that Prophet lived) came to the Crown, there was a general depravation again; and that notwith&s;tanding the amendment he had made in matters of the Divine Wor&s;hip (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXX. XXXI.) and his re&s;olutions and indea|vours no que&s;tion, to reform the abu&s;es which were in their civil Judicatures, (as I have expounded <HI>P&s;al.</HI> LXXV. 2,
3.) they conti|nued <PB N="103" REF="59">&s;till exceeding corrupt. In&s;omuch that <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> calls their Judges <HI>Rulers of Sodom,</HI> I.
<HI>I&s;a.</HI> 10. (when he finds no fault with their religious Services, Ver.
11, 12, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and &s;ays <HI>their Princes were rebellious, compa|nions of thieves, loving gifts, and follow|ing after rewards,</HI> Ver.
23.</P>
<P>Where it is evident he de&s;cribes the Judges in the highe&s;t Court of all; who are called by the name of <HI>Princes</HI> in &s;everal places: particularly in <HI>Jeremiah:</HI> who being con|demned by the Prie&s;ts and Prophets and People, as a man worthy to die, XXVI.
<HI>Jer.</HI> 8, 9. was brought before the <HI>Princes</HI> Ver&s;e 10, 11. at who&s;e Bar he cleared him&s;elf &s;o well, that they acquitted him, Ver.
16.</P>
<P>And as there they are called <HI>Princes,</HI> with re&s;pect to their &s;uperiority over the people; &s;o here in this P&s;alm they are called <HI>Elohim</HI> Gods, in re&s;pect to the fountain of their power, which was from the mo&s;t High: who honoured them with his own Name; which is &s;o frequent for tho&s;e of the &s;upreme Court, that &s;ome, not unrea&s;onably, under&s;tand tho&s;e words, IX. <HI>Judges</HI> 13. which we ren|der, <HI>Cheers the heart of God and man,</HI> in this manner, Wine alike cheers both Princes and People, Judges and Clients, the meaner per&s;ons (called in this P&s;alm <HI>Adam</HI> Man, Ver. 6, 7.) as well as the greate&s;t, who in oppo&s;ition to them are called <HI>Gods.</HI> Whom
<HI>A&s;aph</HI> (who lived in the times of <HI>He|zekiah,</HI>
<PB N="104" REF="60">2 Chron. XXIX. 30. &s;ee <HI>P&s;alm</HI> LXXIII.) admoni&s;hes to be more carefull in their duty; and to remember that God ob&s;erved them, and would judge them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> GOD &s;tan|deth in the congregation of the mighty: he judgeth among the gods.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. REmember, O ye Judges, who&s;e Mi|ni&s;ters you are, (2
<HI>Chron.</HI> XIX. 6.) and con&s;ider, that you are not &s;o powerfull, but GOD who hath put you in his place, and ho|noured you with his Name, (XXII.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 28.) is far greater: and as He is pre|&s;ent in your Court to ob|&s;erve what you do; &s;o will call you to a &s;trict account, and &s;everely puni&s;h you, if you judge ami&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> How long will ye judge un|ju&s;tly, and accept the per&s;ons of the wicked? Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. How dare you then pronounce an unrighteous Sentence? Is it not time to leave off your partiality? and no longer to favour a bad cau&s;e, becau&s;e the man is rich and great; and can either give you a large bribe, if you will judge it for him; or doe you a mi&s;|chief, if you give &s;entence again&s;t him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="105" REF="60">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Defend the poor and father|le&s;s: do ju&s;tice to the afflicted and needy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Your duty is, to doe equal ju&s;tice to all men that come before you; and to take a particular care, that the poor and the fatherle&s;s do not &s;uffer, becau&s;e they have no money to give, nor any friend to &s;olicit, for the defence of a righte|ous Cau&s;e: and that the men of low condition, and &s;uch as are reduced to very great want, be not condem|ned; when they are inju|riou&s;ly pro&s;ecuted, by tho&s;e who are above them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Deliver the poor and needy: rid
<HI>them</HI> out of the hand of the wicked.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. See that you protect and deliver him, that is quite exhau&s;ted and mi&s;e|rably oppre&s;&s;ed with pover|ty: let them not become a prey to violent men, who have no con&s;cience; but put it out of their power to undoe them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> They know not, neither will they under&s;tand; they walk on in darkne&s;s: all the foundations of the earth are out of cour&s;e.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. The&s;e are the con&s;tant admonitions, which the men of God give the Judges; but alas! hitherto they have little prevailed. For they will not &s;tudy the Laws of God; or if they <PB N="106" REF="61" MS="y">do, will not think it their intere&s;t to be governed by them: but are blinded by bribes, or by their corrupt affections, to doe any thing that they would have them; in&s;omuch that the Foun|dations of the Kingdom, which are Ju&s;tice and Truth, are &s;haken; all things are in confu&s;ion, and in danger to come to utter ruin, V. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 23, 24. X. 1, 2, 3.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> I have &s;aid, Ye <HI>are</HI> gods: and all of you <HI>are</HI> chil|dren of the mo&s;t High.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Hear therefore the &s;entence of God upon you, (who&s;e words the&s;e are) I have put my Maje&s;ty upon you; and, though you be no more then other men in your &s;elves, have by my con&s;titution rai&s;ed you to &s;uch a dignity on earth, as my cele&s;tial mini&s;ters have in heaven:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> But ye &s;hall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Yet this &s;hall not pri|vilege you in your unju&s;t proceedings; but &s;ince you have no regard to me, nor to your Office, I will have as little regard to you: for you &s;hall peri&s;h like one of the common men, without <PB N="107" REF="61">any re&s;pect to your ho|nour; and be thrown down from your &s;eats, like the Tyrants and cruel Op|pre&s;&s;ours that have been before you.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Ari&s;e, O God, judge the earth: for thou &s;halt in|herit all nations.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Let us &s;ee this &s;en|tence fulfilled, O God, the righteous Judg; and do not &s;uffer the in&s;olent iniquity of the&s;e men any longer: but redre&s;s all tho&s;e evils wherewith &s;uch men have filled not onely this Nati|on, but all the world: which belongs to Thee, and Thou wilt one day &s;ure vindicate mankind, as the ju&s;t owner of them, from the tyranny of tho&s;e impious Governours; who now abu&s;e them, as if they had an ab&s;olute dominion over them.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="83" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="108" REF="62">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXXIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song or P&s;alm of <HI>A&s;aph.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>It is the common opinion, that the combination of powerfull enemies, again&s;t which they here implore the Divine a&s;&s;i&s;tance, was that men|tioned in the 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XX. in the days of
<HI>Jeho&s;aphat.</HI> The rea&s;on is becau&s;e <HI>the Chil|dren of Lot</HI> (Ver. 8.) <HI>viz.</HI> the <HI>Moabites</HI> and <HI>Ammonites</HI> (the ground of who&s;e quar|rel with the <HI>Jews</HI> is &s;et down in XI.
<HI>Judg.</HI>) &s;eem to have been the principal in this Con|federacy; and the other but a&s;&s;i&s;tants; as it is plain they were in that Inva&s;ion 2
<HI>Chr.</HI> XX. 1. And then the Authour of this P&s;alm, mu&s;t be either
<HI>Jehaziel</HI> one of <HI>A|&s;aph</HI>'s po&s;terity (upon whom you reade there, Ver. 14. the &s;pirit of the Lord then came) or &s;ome other in tho&s;e days, who&s;e proper name this was. Which is much more pro|bable then their conjecture, who think the Authour was <HI>A&s;aph</HI> in the days of
<HI>David;</HI> who &s;ubdued indeed the <HI>Moabites</HI> and
<HI>Edo|mites</HI> and other neighbouring Nations: but we do not reade of any Confederacy they made again&s;t him; much le&s;s that they &s;ent as far as
<HI>A&s;&s;yria</HI> for help; or that they be|gan the War as the people here mentioned did.</P>
<P><PB N="109" REF="62">The &s;ame may be &s;aid again&s;t the applica|tion of it, to the Conque&s;ts made in the days of <HI>Uzziah</HI> over &s;everal people here mentio|ned, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXVI. 6, 7, 8. Or to the Inva&s;ion made by <HI>Senacherib</HI> King of <HI>A&s;|&s;yria:</HI> who did not join him&s;elf (as we reade here, Ver. 8.) with other Nations; but by the forces of his own Kingdom alone, as far as appears, came up again&s;t them.</P>
<P>There are tho&s;e indeed that take in all the attempts made upon them, &s;ince that in <HI>Jeho&s;aphat</HI>'s days; by &s;everal Nations: the la&s;t of which was <HI>A&s;&s;yria;</HI> who&s;e King came to doe that which the re&s;t had not been able to effect. And then the Authour is ea&s;ily found to be the &s;ame, that I have named; in the Argument of the foregoing, and many other P&s;alms. And which way &s;oever we are plea&s;ed to determin the matter, it is plain, in general, that many Nations both near and remote, who had a hatred to the <HI>Jews,</HI> &s;et them&s;elves together, when this P&s;alm was penned, to de&s;troy them: a&s;&s;aul|ting them not onely &s;everally, but conjunct|ly; entring into con&s;ultation al&s;o, and con|&s;piring together how to effect it. Which ha|tred continuing after their return to their own Land, from the Captivity of <HI>Babylon,</HI> gave occa&s;ion to <HI>Theodoret</HI> to &s;ay (both in his Preface to this P&s;alm, and upon the twelfth Ver&s;e of it) that the P&s;almi&s;t here complains of the oppo&s;ition, which &s;everal of <PB N="110" REF="63">their neighbours made to the rebuilding of the Temple, and of <HI>Jeru&s;alem.</HI></P>
<P>But this &s;eems more improbable than all the re&s;t, many of tho&s;e Countries, here na|med, being before that time de&s;troyed: and the
<HI>A&s;&s;yrians</HI> them&s;elves (as he him&s;elf ob|&s;erves upon Ver. 8.) being not then extant. Though when&s;oever this Confederacy happe|ned, there was very great rea&s;on for that &s;o|licitous and vehement importunity wherewith this P&s;alm begins.</P>
<P>Why it was called a <HI>Song-P&s;alm</HI> &s;ee
<HI>P&s;alm</HI> LXVII.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> KEep not thou &s;i|lence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not &s;till, O God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O God, the &s;upreme Judge of the World, who&s;e power is &s;o great that the united forces of all men on earth, or An|gels in heaven, are not to be compared with it, (2 <HI>Chr.</HI> XX. 6, 12.) who with one word of thy mouth can&s;t di&s;&s;ipate this great Army; do not refu&s;e now to an|&s;wer our prayers in this &s;ore di&s;tre&s;s: O do not &s;hut thy mercifull ears to our cries; nor quietly &s;ee us peri&s;h, mo&s;t mighty God.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> For lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lift up the head.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. For we are &s;urpri&s;ed with a &s;udden Inva&s;ion of
<PB N="111" REF="63" MS="y">numerous Enemies (haters of Thee, and thy Wor&s;hip, as much as of our Nation) who make a dreadfull noi&s;e, like the waves of the Sea (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XX. 2.) and proudly promi&s;ing them|&s;elves a Victory, in&s;ult as if they had already won it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> They have taken crafty coun|&s;el again&s;t thy people, and con|&s;ulted again&s;t thy hidden ones.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. They have with e|qual malice and &s;ubtilty, carried on a clo&s;e de&s;ign again&s;t thy people: and with great &s;ecre&s;ie con&s;ul|ted how to de&s;troy, not onely us, whom Thou ha&s;t hitherto wonderfully pro|tected as thy Jewels; but thy Temple al&s;o, and the &s;ecret place wherein Thou there dwelle&s;t.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> They have &s;aid, Come, and let us cut them off from being a na|tion: that the name of I&s;rael may be no more in remembrance.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Come, &s;ay they one to another, Let us agree and join all the power we have together; not merely to make a Conque&s;t of them, but for their utter ex&s;tirpation, (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XX. 11.) that there may be no mention hereafter in the world, of &s;uch a people as the Commonwealth of
<HI>I&s;|rael.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="112" REF="64">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> For they have con&s;ulted to|gether with one con&s;ent: they are confederate a|gain&s;t thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. And accordingly, Ten &s;everal Nations are combi|ned heartily in this de&s;ign; and how different &s;oever their inclinations are upon other accounts, they have all entred into a &s;olemn league, and made a covenant of mutual help, and of im|ploying their joint indea|vours, totally to &s;ubvert that Government and Re|ligion, which Thou ha&s;t e&s;tabli&s;hed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> The Taber|nacles of Edom, and the I&s;hmae|lites: of Moah, and the Hagarens.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Tho&s;e warlike Nati|ons the <HI>Edomites,</HI> and
<HI>I&s;h|maelites,</HI> who dwell in Tents, are ingaged in this enterpri&s;e: and &s;o are the <HI>Moabites,</HI> and others de|&s;cended from
<HI>Hagar,</HI> the Mother of <HI>I&s;hmael.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Gebal, and Ammon, and A|malek: the Phili|&s;tines, with the inhabitants of Tyre.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. With whom are uni|ted our neighbours the
<HI>Giblites,</HI> (XIII. Jo&s;h. 5.) the <HI>Ammonites;</HI> our old e|nemies the <HI>Amalekites</HI> and <HI>Phili&s;tines;</HI> and they that dwell in and about the fa|mous City of <HI>Tyre.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> A&s;&s;ur al&s;o is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. And to add to their &s;trength they have called
<PB N="113" REF="64">the powerfull Nation of the <HI>A&s;&s;yrians,</HI> into their a&s;|&s;ociation: on who&s;e a&s;&s;i|&s;tance, the <HI>Moabites</HI> and
<HI>Ammonites</HI> (the Authours of this War) do principal|ly rely.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Doe unto them as <HI>unto</HI> the Midianites: as <HI>to</HI> Si&s;era: as <HI>to</HI> Ja|bin, at the brook of Ki&s;on:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. The greater need we have of thy a&s;&s;i&s;tance, and with the greater earne&s;tne&s;s we be&s;eech Thee to make them an example of humane weakne&s;s: by defeating them as Thou did&s;t that va&s;t Army of the
<HI>Midia|nites</HI> and their Confede|rates, (VI. <HI>Judg.</HI> 5. VII. 12.) whom <HI>Gideon</HI> overthrew with no greater power then three hundred men, (VII. <HI>Judg.</HI> 21, 22. compared with 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XX. 23.) and as Thou did&s;t in former times to that famous Captain <HI>Si|&s;era</HI> (who fell by the hand of a Woman, IV. <HI>Judg.</HI> 21.) and to <HI>Jabin</HI> his King: who, together with his Ar|my, was &s;wept away in the brook of
<HI>Ki&s;hon,</HI> IV. <HI>Judg.</HI> 21, 24. V. 21.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="114" REF="65" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> <HI>Which</HI> pe|ri&s;hed at Endor: they became <HI>as</HI> dung for the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. A great &s;laughter there was of them near
<HI>En|dor</HI> (compare V. <HI>Judg.</HI> 19. with XVII. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 11.) where their carka&s;es lay, and rot|ted; and &s;erved in&s;tead of dung, to fatten and inrich the earth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their Prin|ces as Zebah and as Zalmunna:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Let their Princes and Commanders fall like <HI>Oreb</HI> and <HI>Zeeb:</HI> (VII. <HI>Judg.</HI> 25.) and their Kings not be able to &s;ave them&s;elves by flight; but be taken and &s;lain, like <HI>Zebah,</HI> and <HI>Zalmunna,</HI> VIII. <HI>Judg.</HI> 12, 21.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Who &s;aid, Let us take to our &s;elves the hou&s;es of God in po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Who came with a de&s;ign (VI. <HI>Judg.</HI> 3, 4, 5.) as the&s;e Nations do now (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XX. 10, 11.) to po&s;&s;e&s;s them&s;elves of that plea&s;ant Land, wherein Thou dwelle&s;t among us, in thy holy habitation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> O my God, make them like a wheel: as the &s;tubble before the wind.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. O my God, who&s;e goodne&s;s hath never failed us, in di&s;tre&s;s, let them not be able to &s;tand their ground: but put them to flight, and make them run as &s;wiftly, as a ball down a hill; di&s;per&s;e all their forces <PB N="115" REF="65" MS="y">like the chaffe, when it is blown about with a furi|ous wind.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> As the fire burneth the wood, and as the flame &s;etteth the moun|tains on fire;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Bla&s;t and con&s;ume them utterly; as the light|ning, or the &s;corching rays of the Sun in a long drought do the leaves of the forre&s;t trees, or the gra&s;s upon the mountains, (I. <HI>Joel</HI> 19.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> So per&s;e|cute them with thy tempe&s;t, and make them afraid with thy &s;torm.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Rai&s;e a dreadfull tempe&s;t to affright them; and pur&s;ue them &s;o with thy vengeance, that they may be &s;hattered and dri|ven away uncertainly, as in a whirlwind: put them into &s;uch a pannick fear, that they may not know which way to turn, but cla&s;h again&s;t one another, in a terrible confu&s;ion, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XX. 22, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> Fill their faces with &s;hame: that they may &s;eek thy name, O Lord.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. And make tho&s;e that e&s;cape &s;o a&s;hamed, at this di&s;gracefull di&s;appointment; that they may not be able to hold up their heads, nor deny thy Power to be &s;u|periour to theirs: but hum|bly &s;eek thy favour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="116" REF="66">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> Let them be confounded and troubled for ever: yea, let them be put to &s;hame and peri&s;h:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. This is the wor&s;t we wi&s;h them, notwith&s;tanding their enmity to us; that they may be &s;o a&s;toni&s;hed and confounded at their defeat, as never to recover any courage to a&s;&s;ault us: nay, together with their credit and their courage, quite lo&s;e their power to give us any further trouble.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> That <HI>men</HI> may know that thou who&s;e name alone <HI>is</HI> JEHO|VAH, <HI>art</HI> the mo&s;t high over all the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. And thereby be con|vinced, which they would not believe before, that Thou art what Thou art called, the True and Onely God: who give&s;t Being to all things; and art the &s;u|preme Governour, not one|ly of us but, of all the Na|tions upon earth.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="84" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="117" REF="66">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXXIV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">To the chief Mu&s;ician upon <HI>Gittith.</HI> A P&s;alm for the Sons of <HI>Korah.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>It is uncertain to what times this P&s;alm be|longs: They &s;eem to have mo&s;t rea&s;on on their &s;ide, who think it was compo&s;ed upon the &s;ame occa&s;ion with the XLII. and XLIII. when <HI>David,</HI> forced from <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> by the rebellion of his Son
<HI>Ab&s;alom,</HI> mo&s;t pa&s;&s;io|nately long'd to be re&s;tor'd to the place of God's wor&s;hip. But it may as well, or bet|ter, in my judgment, be thought to have been compo&s;ed by &s;ome pious Levite, in the Country; when
<HI>Senacherib</HI>'s Army had blockt up the way to <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and hin|dred them from waiting upon the &s;ervice of God, at the Temple: where he judged the lowe&s;t Mini&s;try, that of a Porter (as we reade Ver. 10.) to be far more honourable; then the highe&s;t preferment among Pagan Nations. And thus I &s;hall take the liberty to expound it in my <HI>Paraphra&s;e:</HI> pointing the Reader to &s;uch places, in the Hi&s;tory of that &s;ad time, as I think will explain &s;ome pa&s;&s;ages of this P&s;alm: which, after their freedom was re&s;tored, by the de&s;truction of <HI>Senacherib</HI>'s Army, the Authour of it deli|vered <PB N="118" REF="67">to the Ma&s;ter of Mu&s;ick in the Temple, to be &s;ung as the VIII. <HI>P&s;alm.</HI> See there.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> HOW ami|able <HI>are</HI> thy tabernacles, O LORD of ho&s;ts!</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. IT is impo&s;&s;ible to ex|pre&s;s the affection I have to thy Dwelling-place, O Lord; who art attended there by the mini&s;try of the heavenly ho&s;t, (XXXVII. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 16.) and neede&s;t none of our &s;ervices:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> My &s;oul lon|geth, yea even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my fle&s;h crieth out for the living God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. But we cannot live, with any &s;atisfaction, while we are ab&s;ent from Thee; for I am ready to faint away in ardent longings, to tread again in the Courts of the Lord's Hou&s;e: where my tongue, and my hands, as well as my mind, would gladly be imployed, in the prai&s;es of our God; who in this excells all other, (2 <HI>King.</HI> XIX. 4, 16, 18.) that He lives for ever.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Yea the &s;par|row hath found an hou&s;e, and the &s;wallow a ne&s;t for her &s;elf, where &s;he may lay her young,
<HI>even</HI> thine altars, O LORD of ho&s;ts, my King and my God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. It grieves me, O mighty Lord of all the hea|venly ho&s;ts, who&s;e Subject I am, and infinitely enga|ged to Thee; to &s;ee the very Birds who know no|thing <PB N="119" REF="67">of Thee, injoy that liberty which is denied me: who am here lamenting my di&s;tance from Thee, when the Sparrows and the Ring|doves have their con&s;tant re&s;idence at thy Hou&s;e; and there live &s;o undi&s;tur|bed, that they build their ne&s;ts, and bring forth their young, in the rafters of it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>are</HI> they that dwell in thy hou&s;e: they will be &s;till prai&s;ing thee. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. O how happy are they who partake of &s;uch a pri|vilege! who live &s;o near thy Hou&s;e and frequent it &s;o much, as if it were their own! Their delightfull imployment is, with never|cea&s;ing prai&s;es, to pay their thankfull acknowledgments unto Thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>is</HI> the man who&s;e &s;trength <HI>is</HI> in thee: in who&s;e heart <HI>are</HI> the ways <HI>of them.</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. And happy al&s;o is that man (how mean &s;oever his outward condition be) who relying upon thy Divine protection, (XXXIV.
<HI>Ex|odus</HI> 24.) goes up three times a year to the &s;olemn Fea&s;t at
<HI>Jeru&s;alem:</HI> or when he is debarred that liberty, as I now am, is one of tho&s;e devout per&s;ons, who&s;e hearts <PB N="120" REF="68" MS="y">are more in the high-ways that lead thither; then at their own home.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> <HI>Who</HI> pa&s;&s;ing through the valley of Baca, make it a well: the rain al&s;o filleth the pools.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Who travelling through the trouble&s;ome valley of
<HI>Bacha,</HI> where there is no water, pa&s;s it as cheerfully, as if it abounded with plea|&s;ant Springs: and, depen|ding on God as the Foun|tain of what they want, re|ceive from Him the ble&s;&s;ing of plentifull and &s;ea&s;onable &s;howres, to refre&s;h them in their journey:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> They go from &s;trength to &s;trength,
<HI>every one of them</HI> in Zion appeareth before God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. So that the whole company, go from &s;tage to &s;tage, with an unwearied vigour; till they all pre&s;ent them&s;elves before God, to receive his ble&s;&s;ing in his Temple, upon the Hill of <HI>Sion</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> O LORD God of ho&s;ts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Ja|cob. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. O mighty Lord, who commande&s;t all the heaven|ly ho&s;ts, which attend in that holy place (and are far more numerous then the Armies that invade us, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXXII. 7.) make me one of that happy num|ber: and re&s;tore me, O <PB N="121" REF="68">God, who delivered&s;t
<HI>Jacob</HI> out of all his troubles, to the liberty of waiting upon Thee there.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Behold, O God our &s;hield, and look upon the face of thine a|nointed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Look graciou&s;ly upon me, O God, who ha&s;t hi|therto been our protectour again&s;t the mo&s;t powerfull enemies: and accept the prayer of our Sovereign, who petitions Thee &s;till, to be our Defender, 2
<HI>King.</HI> XIX. 19.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> For a day in thy courts <HI>is</HI> better then a thou|&s;and: I had ra|ther be a door|keeper in the hou&s;e of my God, then to dwell in the tents of wickedne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. For one day &s;pent in thy Courts is far more plea&s;ant, than a thou&s;and in any other place: and I had rather lie at the Gates of thy Hou&s;e, then live in the mo&s;t &s;plendid condition, in Idolatrous Countries.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> For the LORD God <HI>is</HI> a &s;un and &s;hield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good <HI>thing</HI> will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. For, though our happine&s;s be &s;ometimes clouded yet, the Lord, like the Sun, will di&s;pell the darkne&s;s of affliction; and, having brought us out of a di&s;con&s;olate condition, de|fend and &s;ecure us in a bet|ter: (2 <HI>King.</HI> XX. 6.) The Lord will give tho&s;e fa|vour with others, and ad|vance <PB N="122" REF="69">them to great ho|nour, (2
<HI>Chron.</HI> XXXII. 22, 23.) He will never be &s;paring of his ble&s;&s;ings, but heap them abundantly on tho&s;e, who &s;incerely doe his will in all things, 2 <HI>King.</HI> XVIII. 5, 6. XX. 3.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> O LORD of ho&s;ts, ble&s;&s;ed <HI>is</HI> the man that tru|&s;teth in thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. O mo&s;t mighty Lord, who commande&s;t all the ho&s;t of heaven, happy is that man, who by his in|tegrity, pre&s;erves this hope and confidence in Thee; though, for the pre&s;ent, he be re&s;trained from the de|lightfull injoyment of Thee, in thy Temple.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="85" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXXV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">To the chief Mu&s;ician. A P&s;alm for the Sons of <HI>Korah.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>It is thought by many that this P&s;alm was com|po&s;ed by &s;ome of the Sons of <HI>Korah,</HI> after <HI>David</HI>'s bani&s;hment from
<HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> by his Son <HI>Ab&s;alom</HI> (called a Captivity as we rea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> <PB N="123" REF="69" MS="y"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> XIV. <HI>ult.</HI>) and his happy re&s;tauration to his Kingdom; though not to &s;uch a &s;ettle|ment as they de&s;ired. But it may be as well, or better, applied to the miraculous provi|dence, which drove
<HI>Senacherib</HI> out of the Land (who had taken many Captives V.
<HI>I&s;a.</HI> 13.) and re&s;tored them to the happy liber|ty; who&s;e lo&s;s they bewailed in the P&s;alm foregoing.</P>
<P>Which way &s;oever we under&s;tand it, the compo&s;ure is &s;uch; that it might be much better u&s;ed by them after their return from the Captivity of <HI>Babylon,</HI> then at any other time: when they were infe&s;ted with many enemies, who di&s;turbed their peaceable in|joyment, of their Country and Religion. And therefore it is po&s;&s;ible it might be re|viewed, if not made, in tho&s;e days; and delivered to the chief Ma&s;ter of Mu&s;ick in the Temple: to be &s;ung pre&s;ently after the Foundation of it was laid; (III. <HI>Ezr.</HI> 10, 11, &amp;c.) but the Work hindred from procee|ding by the oppo&s;ition of their enemies. And &s;o I &s;hall interpret it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> LORD, thou ha&s;t been favourable unto thy land: thou ha&s;t brought back the captivity of Jacob.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. THou ha&s;t been ex|ceeding kind un|to us, O Lord; and we mo&s;t thankfully acknow|ledge the favour Thou ha&s;t done us: in delivering us, the po&s;terity of <HI>Jacob,</HI> out <PB N="124" REF="70">of our &s;ad Captivity; and re&s;toring us to the Land, in which Thou thy &s;elf ha&s;t cho&s;en to dwell, I. <HI>Ezra.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t forgiven the ini|quity of thy people, thou ha&s;t covered all their &s;in. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Our &s;ins kept us from it, in bani&s;hment, a long time; but now Thou ha&s;t graciou&s;ly pardoned, both our Idolatry, and all the other crimes, for which we ju&s;tly &s;uffered.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t taken away all thy wrath: thou ha&s;t turned <HI>thy &s;elf</HI> from the fiercene&s;s of thine anger.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Thou ha&s;t put an end to the &s;ore puni&s;hments, which in thy heavy di&s;|plea&s;ure Thou inflicted&s;t on us: and turned thy &s;everi|ty, which, like &s;ire, had almo&s;t con&s;umed us; into great clemency and mercy toward us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Turn us, O God of our &s;alva|tion, and cau&s;e thine anger to|wards us to cea&s;e.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Compleat, good Lord, our deliverance, which Thou ha&s;t thus gra|ciou&s;ly begun: and let not our ingratitude provoke Thee, to continue this new vexation and trouble that is befaln us, IV. <HI>Ezra</HI> 4, 5, 21,
23.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Which forces us to &s;igh, and &s;ay, in the an|gui&s;h of our Souls, will <PB N="125" REF="70">there never be an end of our mi&s;eries? Is it not e|nough that the foregoing generation hath felt the &s;ad effects of thine anger; but it mu&s;t extend it &s;elf to us al&s;o, and our po&s;terity?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Wilt thou not revive us a|gain: that thy people may rejoice in thee?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Will it not be more for thy honour, not onely to pre&s;erve this feeble life which Thou ha&s;t be&s;towed on us but, to give us a per|fect recovery? that thy people may have nothing to damp their joy, and in|tire &s;atisfaction, in thy good|ne&s;s to them?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy &s;alvation.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Make us &s;o happy, good Lord; and, though we de&s;erve indeed to be more mi&s;erable then we are yet, let thy mercy prevail with Thee, to grant us a compleat deliverance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> I will hear what God the LORD will &s;peak: for he will &s;peak peace unto his people, and to his &s;aints: but let them not turn a|gain to folly.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. I will wait patiently upon the Lord, the Judge of the world, for a gracious An&s;wer to the&s;e Prayers: hoping that He will not condemn us to further pu|ni&s;hment; but &s;ettle his people, who devoutly wor|&s;hip <PB N="126" REF="71" MS="y">Him, in a pro&s;perous tranquillity; provided they return not again to their old Idolatry.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Surely his &s;alvation <HI>is</HI> nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. He will be &s;o far from de&s;erting tho&s;e, who fear to offend Him; that I am confident the time approa|ches, when He will fini&s;h what He hath begun to doe for us: in rebuilding our Temple, (V. <HI>Ezra</HI>
2, 8. VI. 7, 8, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and re&s;to|ring our Country to its an|cient dignity and &s;plen|dour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Mercy and truth are met to|gether: righteou&s;|ne&s;s and peace have ki&s;&s;ed <HI>each other.</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. For, methinks, I &s;ee goodne&s;s and fidelity, ju&s;tice and concord (which are the principal glory of a Kingdom) meeting toge|ther, like ancient Friends, which have been long ab|&s;ent, and embracing each other.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Truth &s;hall &s;pring out of the earth: and righ|teou&s;ne&s;s &s;hall look down from hea|ven.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. And as Truth and Hone&s;ty, with all other Vertues, &s;hall grow and flouri&s;h among us (like Flowers and Herbs in the Spring, after a tedious Win|ter) &s;o God &s;hall faithfully <PB N="127" REF="71">fulfill his promi&s;es to us, and exerci&s;e a mo&s;t gracious providence over us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Yea, the LORD &s;hall give <HI>that which is</HI> good: and our land &s;hall yield her increa&s;e.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Yea, the Lord will doe us good beyond our expectation: and reward our fruitfulne&s;s in good works, with &s;uch a large and plentifull increa&s;e of the fruits of the earth; as &s;hall demon&s;trate the boun|ty of heaven to us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Righteou&s;|ne&s;s &s;hall go before him: and &s;hall &s;et <HI>us</HI> in the way of his &s;teps.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. He will govern us with great ju&s;tice and mer|cy; having his faithfull promi&s;es always before his eyes; from that rule He will never &s;werve; but &s;tedfa&s;tly proceed by it, as the con&s;tant method He will hold, in his Divine Admini&s;trations.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="86" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="128" REF="72">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXXVI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Prayer of <HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The Title &s;atisfies us that <HI>David</HI> was the Au|thour of this P&s;alm; which the Collectour of this <HI>third</HI> Book, found, I &s;uppo&s;e, after the other <HI>two</HI> were made up and publi&s;hed; and &s;o placed it here, among tho&s;e which belong to the &s;ame &s;ubject. For though it was compo&s;ed by <HI>David,</HI> when he was &s;o per&s;ecuted, either by <HI>Saul</HI> or <HI>Ab&s;alom,</HI> that he was &s;tript of all he had, and left in a mo&s;t forlorn condition (Ver. 1.) yet
<HI>Theo|doret</HI> thinks it was made with a pro&s;pect of the attempt, which the <HI>A&s;&s;yrians</HI> made upon <HI>Jeru&s;alem;</HI> and the hope which
<HI>Hezekiah</HI> then placed in God, for deliverance. Which Notion, it is likely he had from the <HI>Jews;</HI> who &s;ay that this <HI>Prayer</HI> was made u&s;e of by <HI>Hezekiah,</HI> in the time of that &s;ore di|&s;tre&s;s: for the fir&s;t words of this P&s;alm, are the &s;ame with his in 2
<HI>King.</HI> XIX. 16. and the eighth and ninth Ver&s;es may very fitly be accommodated to that Hi&s;tory (as I have there ob&s;erved) but the re&s;t a great deal bet|ter to <HI>David.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="129" REF="72" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> BOW down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I
<HI>am</HI> poor and needy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. THere cannot be a fitter object of thy Mercy, O Lord, then thy poor Supplicant, who be&s;eeches Thee graciou&s;ly to conde&s;cend to his re|que&s;t: for el&s;e he is utter|ly undone, being quite de|&s;titute of all humane help.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Pre&s;erve my &s;oul, for I <HI>am</HI> ho|ly: O thou my God, &s;ave thy &s;er|vant, that tru&s;teth in thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. And yet my life is in imminent danger, unle&s;s Thou do&s;t pre&s;erve it; as many rea&s;ons make me hope Thou wilt: for, as Thou the righteous Judge ha&s;t been long my benefactour, and I am perfectly innocent of that my enemies charge me withal; &s;o I my &s;elf have been a reliever of o|thers in their need; and be&s;ides, am a faithfull &s;er|vant of thine, who depends intirely upon Thee, and hath no confidence in any thing, but onely thy Al|mighty Goodne&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Be mercifull unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Who&s;e mercifull help I have al&s;o implored with mo&s;t importunate and in|ce&s;&s;ant prayers; which is another rea&s;on of my hope,
<PB N="130" REF="73">that Thou wilt take com|pa&s;&s;ion upon me, O Lord:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Rejoice the &s;oul of thy &s;er|vant: for unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. And turn the pre&s;ent &s;orrow of thy &s;ervant into joy and gladne&s;s: For I have placed my hope in|tirely in Thee, O Lord; and expect nothing but from Thee alone.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> For thou Lord <HI>art</HI> good, and ready to for|give: and plente|ous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Who art no le&s;s boun|tifull (which is another ex|ceeding great encourage|ment to me) then I am in|digent; ready al&s;o to pardon tho&s;e that have offended Thee: yea to &s;hew abun|dant kindne&s;s to every one of them, in their greate&s;t di&s;tre&s;s; when with un|feigned devotion they call upon Thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Give ear, O LORD unto my prayer: and at|tend to the voice of my &s;upplicati|ons.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. As I now do, O Lord; mo&s;t humbly be&s;eeching Thee with repeated intrea|ties, to give a favourable an&s;wer to the&s;e prayers and &s;upplications; whereby I deprecate thy di&s;plea&s;ure, and &s;ue unto Thee for fa|vour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt an|&s;wer me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Which I be&s;eech Thee let me the rather obtain,
<PB N="131" REF="73">becau&s;e my di&s;tre&s;s is &s;o great and &s;o urgent; that thy power will now be the more magnified in deli|vering me: as heretofore Thou ha&s;t been wont to doe, upon &s;uch earne&s;t pe|titions, as the&s;e are unto Thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Among the gods <HI>there is</HI> none like unto thee, O LORD, neither <HI>are there any works</HI> like unto thy works.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. For nothing is too hard for Thee; nor art Thou unwilling to doe more kindne&s;&s;es for us, be|cau&s;e Thou ha&s;t done &s;o many already: But, as ap|pears by thy unparallel'd works, do&s;t incomparably excell (what&s;oever &s;trangers think, 2 <HI>King.</HI> XVIII. 15.) all tho&s;e that are wor&s;hip|ped in the world as gods; who are not able &s;o much as to help, and pre&s;erve them&s;elves.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> All nations whom thou ha&s;t made, &s;hall come and wor&s;hip before thee, O LORD: and &s;hall glorifie thy name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Which &s;hall move all our neighbouring Nations (2
<HI>Chron.</HI> XXXII. 23.) as all the re&s;t &s;hall do in the days of that Great King which we expect, XV. <HI>Rom.</HI> 9.) to acknowledge Thee, O Lord, to be their <PB N="132" REF="74">Creatour; and with hum|ble veneration to &s;ubmit them&s;elves unto Thee, and to honour Thee with their highe&s;t prai&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> For thou <HI>art</HI> great, and doe&s;t wondrous things: thou <HI>art</HI> God alone.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. For they &s;hall clear|ly &s;ee, by the magnificence of thy marvellous works, that Thou art infinitely &s;u|periour, to all tho&s;e Pow|ers whom they adore: And that, in truth, there is no God, but Thou thy &s;elf alone.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Teach me thy way, O LORD, I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Which I &s;o firmly believe, that I de&s;ire no|thing more, then to be per|fectly in&s;tructed in all thy will; which I will &s;incere|ly ob&s;erve: knit my heart, O Lord, in &s;uch pious af|fections to Thee, that it may never in the lea&s;t di&s;|&s;ent from Thee; nor be di&s;turbed with any vain cares, but intirely bent to &s;tudy this alone, what is plea&s;ing unto Thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> I will prai&s;e thee, O LORD my God, with all my heart: and I will glorifie thy name for ever|more.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Whom I am bound to prai&s;e, both as the fu|preme Lord of all, and as my mo&s;t bountifull Bene|factour, <PB N="133" REF="74">with all the pow|ers of my Soul: and accor|dingly, I do now mo&s;t thankfully acknowledge Thee; and will never cea&s;e to honour Thee, and to doe Thee &s;ervice, as long as I have any Being.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> For great <HI>is</HI> thy mercy to|ward me: and thou ha&s;t delive|red my &s;oul from the lowe&s;t hell.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. For the benefits Thou ha&s;t be&s;towed on me, are as ine&s;timable, as they are in|numerable: I owe my ve|ry life to Thee, which hath been often &s;natched out of the extreame&s;t dangers; wherein I had inevitably peri&s;hed, if Thou had&s;t not mercifully delivered me, 1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XXIII, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> O God, the proud are ri&s;en a|gain&s;t me, and the a&s;&s;emblies of vio|lent <HI>men</HI> have &s;ought after my &s;oul: and have not &s;et thee before them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Behold, O God, a new opportunity to glorifie that mercy; for proud and ambitious men, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XV. 1, 2, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) have made an in|&s;urrection again&s;t me, and rai&s;ed a mo&s;t formidable Army (2
<HI>Sam.</HI> XV. 12, 13.) to take away that life, which Thou ha&s;t &s;o mira|culou&s;ly pre&s;erved: having no regard to thy Provi|dence; nor refu&s;ing any <PB N="134" REF="75">means, whereby they may &s;atisfie their unju&s;t de&s;ires.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> But thou, O LORD, <HI>art</HI> a God full of com|pa&s;&s;ion, and gra|cious: long-&s;uffer|ing, and plente|ous in mercy and truth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. All our comfort is, that Thou, not they, do&s;t govern the world: who art no le&s;s compa&s;&s;ionate, then Thou art powerfull; readily forgiving offences, or bearing long before Thou puni&s;he&s;t Them; chu&s;ing rather to heap thy benefits upon us, and never failing to perform thy faithfull pro|mi&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> O turn un|to me, and have mercy upon me, give thy &s;trength unto thy &s;ervant, and &s;ave the &s;on of thine hand|maid.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. In confidence of which I humbly be&s;eech thy favour, and gracious pardon, though I have highly offended Thee: A&s;|&s;i&s;t thy poor &s;ervant, by thy irre&s;i&s;tible power, a|gain&s;t tho&s;e mighty forces, which are ready to a&s;&s;ault me: O deliver me, who am here humbled in the lowe&s;t manner before Thee; looking upon my &s;elf as more ab&s;olutely thine, then any &s;lave that is born in our hou&s;e, can be ours.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> Shew me a token for good, that they which hate me may &s;ee <HI>it,</HI> and be a&s;ha|med: becau&s;e thou, LORD, ha&s;t holpen me, and comforted me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. Vouch&s;afe me now in this great di&s;tre&s;s, &s;uch
<PB N="135" REF="75">manife&s;t tokens of thy fa|vour towards me, that I may not onely be delive|red; but all may take no|tice of it: And good men thereby be encouraged to hope in Thee; but they that hate me, be utterly confounded; to &s;ee him whom they intended to de|&s;troy, not onely pre&s;erved but, ble&s;&s;ed with comforts proportionable to the &s;or|row he hath indured.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="87" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXXVII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm or Song, for the Sons of
<HI>Korah.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>It is as uncertain when this <HI>P&s;alm-Song</HI> (&s;ee LXVII.) was compo&s;ed, as which of the Sons of <HI>Korah</HI> was the Authour of it. But it is manife&s;t enough, that it was written in commendation of
<HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> &s;ituate in the holy Mountains; of <HI>Sion</HI> (where
<HI>David</HI> built his Palace, and afterward &s;ettled the Ark) and of
<HI>Moriah,</HI> where <HI>Solomon</HI> built the Temple. There are tho&s;e that think it <PB N="136" REF="76" MS="y">was compo&s;ed upon the Anniver&s;ary of the Birth, or Coronation of &s;ome great Prince; &s;uch as
<HI>Hezekiah:</HI> in who&s;e days this City was made more famous; by the glorious de|liverance which God gave it, from the power of the King of
<HI>A&s;&s;yria</HI>'s Army. But this is a mere conjecture; and I &s;hall follow the vulgar opinion: according to which, the be|ginning of this P&s;alm mu&s;t be lookt upon, as very abrupt; but expre&s;&s;es the greater rap|ture of joyfull admiration, wherein the P&s;al|mi&s;t was.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> HIS foun|dations <HI>is</HI> in the holy moun|tains.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. GReat is the &s;trength and beauty of this place! which is founded by God in the high Moun|tains; which He hath pe|culiarly cho&s;en for the &s;eat of his Kingdom, and of his Prie&s;thood.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> The LORD loveth the gates of Sion, more then all the dwellings of Jacob.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Though the Lord loves all the habitations of his people; yet none are &s;o dear unto Him, as tho&s;e within the Gates of
<HI>Jeru|&s;alem:</HI> A principal part of which is <HI>Sion.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Glorious things are &s;poken of thee, O city of God. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. There is no City in the world, of which &s;uch glorious things are foretold, or of which any thing can <PB N="137" REF="76">now be &s;aid, comparable to what we can truly boa&s;t of thee; that art the City, which God Him&s;elf hath &s;e|parated for his own habi|tation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> I will make mention of Ra|hab, and Babylon, to them that know me; behold, Phi|li&s;tia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: this
<HI>man</HI> was born there.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. I do not deny the due prai&s;es which belong to o|ther places and Countries; but rather am wont to make honourable mention, among my acquaintance and familiars, of <HI>Egypt</HI> and of <HI>Babylon;</HI> and of tho&s;e who are nearer to us, the <HI>Phili&s;tines, Tyrians,</HI> and
<HI>A|rabians:</HI> bidding them ob|&s;erve, that &s;uch a notable per&s;on was born among them:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> And of Si|on it &s;hall be &s;aid, This and that man was born in her: and the Highe&s;t him&s;elf &s;hall e&s;ta|bli&s;h her.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. But what is this to <HI>Sion?</HI> of whom it &s;hall be &s;aid in future times, that (not &s;uch a &s;ingle per&s;on, but) this and that man; a great many Worthies, and far more eminent, both in Learning and in Arms, but e&s;pecially in Piety, were born in her: for &s;he hath no meaner in&s;tructour than the mo&s;t high; who &s;hall <PB N="138" REF="77" MS="y">&s;ettle her in a flouri&s;hing e&s;tate, by educating and forming her inhabitants, to the mo&s;t excellent quali|ties.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> The LORD &s;hall count when he writeth up the people, <HI>that</HI> this <HI>man</HI> was born there. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. So that when He him|&s;elf, who&s;e eyes nothing can e&s;cape, &s;hall look over the regi&s;ter of tho&s;e Nati|ons, and count the famous men they have produced; He &s;hall find onely &s;ome one great man, and he compa|ratively of no great value, was born among them:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> As well the &s;ingers as the players on in&s;tru|ments <HI>&s;hall</HI> be there: all my &s;prings <HI>are</HI> in thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. But in thee, O City of God, He &s;hall find mul|titudes of excellent per&s;ons, all eminent in their kind, even among tho&s;e of lower rank, as well as in the high|er: And there &s;hall be a con&s;tant &s;ucce&s;&s;ion of &s;uch; as there is of water from a &s;pring.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="88" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="139" REF="77">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXXVIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song or P&s;alm for the Sons of
<HI>Korah,</HI> to the chief Mu&s;ician upon <HI>Mahalath Lean|noth. Ma&s;chil</HI> of <HI>Heman the</HI> Ezrahite.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>Who this <HI>Heman</HI> was is uncertain. Not he who was the famous Singer in <HI>David</HI>'s time; for he was of the Tribe of
<HI>Levi</HI> (1 <HI>Chron.</HI> VI. 32. XV. 17.) whereas this was de&s;cen|ded from <HI>Zerah,</HI> who was one of the Sons of <HI>Judah,</HI> 1
<HI>Chron.</HI> II. 6. where we find indeed not onely <HI>Heman,</HI> but
<HI>Ethan</HI> (to whom the next P&s;alm is a&s;cribed) mentio|ned as two of
<HI>Zerah</HI>'s Sons: But we cannot rea&s;onably think that they were, in tho&s;e early times, the Authours of the&s;e two P&s;alms; becau&s;e
<HI>Ethan</HI> plainly makes mention of <HI>Da|vid,</HI> and the promi&s;e which God had pa&s;&s;ed to him of a perpetual Kingdom.</P>
<P>It remains therefore that the&s;e two here mentioned, were of the po&s;terity of tho&s;e Sons of <HI>Zerah</HI> (and thence called
<HI>Ezrahites</HI>) and had the Names of their noble Ance&s;tours gi|ven them, to perpetuate the memory of tho&s;e, who were &s;o famous for wi&s;edom, 1
<HI>King.</HI> IV. 31.</P>
<P>But in what time they lived cannot be certainly determined. It is probable when <PB N="140" REF="78"><HI>Jechoniah,</HI> otherwi&s;e called
<HI>Jehojachin</HI> (or after him <HI>Zedekiah</HI>) was taken, and car|ried captive to <HI>Babylon;</HI> together with abundance of the Nobility, and the principal Commanders and Artizans, 2 <HI>King.</HI> XXIV. 14, 15, 16. In &s;ome of which ranks I &s;up|po&s;e this <HI>Heman</HI> was; who being ca&s;t into a dark pri&s;on (which hath made &s;ome fancy <HI>Jehojachin</HI> him&s;elf to have made it) Ver. 6, 8. or otherwi&s;e as mi&s;erably treated as if he had been in a dungeon; bewails his private calamity: as <HI>Ethan</HI> in the next P&s;alm doth the publick.</P>
<P>Why it is called a <HI>Song-P&s;alm</HI> &s;ee upon the Title of <HI>P&s;al.</HI> LXVII. It was to be &s;ung by the Sons of
<HI>Korah</HI> interchangeably which is the meaning of <HI>Leannoth</HI>) upon a Flute or Pipe (&s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> LIII.) to the known tune of
<HI>Ma&s;chil:</HI> &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> XXXII. Some pa&s;&s;ages in it may be applied to our Saviour's Death and Burial in his Grave, which the Prophet
<HI>I&s;aiah</HI> compares to a Pri&s;on; and &s;o is u&s;ed by our Church upon
<HI>Good Friday.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O LORD God of my &s;alvation, I have cried day <HI>and</HI> night before thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O Mighty Lord, by who&s;e gracious care and good providence, I have been hitherto pre|&s;erved, and on whom all my hopes of &s;afety &s;till de|pend; I have not failed in this &s;ore affliction to im|plore <PB N="141" REF="78" MS="y">thy mercy, with mo&s;t earne&s;t cries, without any intermi&s;&s;ion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Let my prayer come be|fore thee: incline thine ear unto my cry.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Let them at la&s;t pre|vail I be&s;eech Thee; and do not reject my petiti|on, accompanied with &s;ad moans and dolefull lamen|tations: but vouch&s;afe a favourable an&s;wer to it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> For my &s;oul is full of troubles: and my life draw|eth nigh unto the grave.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. For my Soul is over|charged with great variety of long continued evils: which have brought me &s;o low, that there is but a &s;tep between me and the grave.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> I am coun|ted with them that go down in|to the pit: I am as a man <HI>that hath</HI> no &s;trength.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. All that know my condition look upon me, as utterly lo&s;t; and I have no rea&s;on to think other|wi&s;e: being quite &s;pent, and having no power at all to help my &s;elf.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Free among the dead, like the &s;lain that lie in the grave, whom thou remembre&s;t no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. I am no longer one of this world, from who&s;e &s;o|ciety I am quite &s;eparated: there is little difference be|tween me, and tho&s;e, who being &s;lain in a Battel, and ca&s;t all together into one common grave, are no fur|ther regarded; or tho&s;e <PB N="142" REF="79">who&s;e families are &s;o wholly ex&s;tirpated, that there are none left to pre&s;erve their memory.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t laid me in the lowe&s;t pit, in darkne&s;s, in the deeps.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. For Thou ha&s;t thru&s;t me down into a deep and di&s;mal Dungeon (which I can compare to nothing but a Grave;) wherein I lie neglected, and &s;ee no hope of being delivered.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou ha&s;t afflicted <HI>me</HI> with all thy waves. Se|lah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. My &s;pirit is ready to &s;ink under the weight of thy di&s;plea&s;ure: while my calamities fall upon me &s;o fa&s;t, and &s;o heavily (like the mountainous waves of the Sea) one after another; that it is impo&s;&s;ible to ex|pre&s;s the &s;orene&s;s of my af|fliction.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t put away mine acquaintance far from me: thou ha&s;t made me an abomination unto them: <HI>I am</HI> &s;hut up, and I cannot come forth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. I am not allowed to have any familiarity with my friends or acquaintance; no more then if I were in another world: And as for other men, they abominate to come into &s;uch a loath|&s;ome place; where I am kept &s;o clo&s;e, that I have no means of getting out.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="143" REF="79">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Mine eye mourneth by rea|&s;on of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have &s;tretched out my hands unto thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Nor can I doe any thing there but weep, till I am almo&s;t blind by rea&s;on of the mi&s;eries I endure: onely I cea&s;e not to look up unto Thee, O Lord, continually, who art my onely companion in this &s;olitary and helple&s;s condi|tion; imploring thy aid with fervent prayers, and longing expectations; &s;ay|ing,</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Wilt thou &s;hew wonders to the dead? &s;hall the dead ari&s;e <HI>and</HI> prai&s;e thee? Se|lah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Make ha&s;te, good Lord, to deliver me, if Thou intende&s;t any kind|ne&s;s to me; otherwi&s;e I &s;hall pre&s;ently peri&s;h, and then, without the greate&s;t Miracle, there is no help for me: For can I with any rea&s;on expect, that Thou &s;houlde&s;t doe won|ders for me among the dead, when Thou woulde&s;t doe nothing for me, while I was alive? and rai&s;e me out of my grave, when Thou woulde&s;t not bring me out of pri&s;on?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Shall thy loving-kindne&s;s be declared in the grave? <HI>or</HI> thy faithfulne&s;s in de|&s;truction?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Now is the time to declare the love Thou bea|re&s;t
<PB N="144" REF="80">to me; and to perform the promi&s;e Thou ha&s;t made to them that faithfully &s;erve Thee: For if Thou do&s;t defer thy relief, I die; and what can I hope for, when I am rotten in my grave?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteou&s;ne&s;s in the land of for|getfulne&s;s?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Shall thy power be apparent there, where no|thing is &s;een? And wilt Thou convince men how good and how ju&s;t Thou art to thy &s;ervants, in the place where they are no more remembred?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> But unto thee have I cried, O LORD, and in the morning &s;hall my prayer prevent thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. Thus, O Lord, I cry unto Thee in the an|gui&s;h of my &s;oul: which keeps me awake to pre&s;ent my prayers unto Thee, be|fore the morning light.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> LORD, why ca&s;te&s;t thou off my &s;oul?
<HI>why</HI> hide&s;t thou thy face from me?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Though alas! they have no effect; but I &s;ee my &s;elf de&s;erted, notwith|&s;tanding all my prayers, in the&s;e mi&s;erable &s;traits: wherein I lie &s;ighing to think what the rea&s;on &s;hould be, that Thou de|nie&s;t me thy help, and ta|ke&s;t no notice of me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="145" REF="80">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> I <HI>am</HI> afflic|ted and ready to die from <HI>my</HI> youth up: <HI>while</HI> I &s;uf|fer thy terrours, I am di&s;tracted.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Which is the more &s;trange, becau&s;e I faint a|way under my mi&s;ery, which hath continued many years, and under the &s;ad pro&s;pect I have before me, of more dreadfull calamities: which &s;o a&s;toni&s;h me, that I know not what to doe with my &s;elf.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> Thy fierce wrath goeth over me, thy terrours have cut me off,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. I onely bemoan o|ver again my forlorn e&s;tate, which grows &s;till more de|plorable; I &s;uffer not mere|ly the effects of thy anger (Ver. 7.) but of thy &s;eve|re&s;t and mo&s;t terrible di&s;|plea&s;ure: wherewith I am &s;o overwhelmed and op|pre&s;&s;ed, that I am &s;carce able to fetch my breath.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> They came round about me daily like water, they compa&s;&s;ed me about together.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. Which way &s;oever I turn my &s;elf, I find that I am inviron'd with them: and they increa&s;e conti|nually, like flouds of wa|ter, coming from &s;everal places, and at la&s;t meeting all together, to inclo&s;e and &s;wallow me up.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> Lover and friend ha&s;t thou put far from me, <HI>and</HI> mine acquain|tance into dark|ne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. And there is no Friend, no Neighbour
<PB N="146" REF="81">comes near me, to give me the lea&s;t con&s;olation: But all they who&s;e &s;weet &s;ocie|ty was wont to help to mi|tigate my &s;orrow, are ei|ther dead; or kept from my &s;ight; or hide them|&s;elves for fear of being thru&s;t down together with me, into this dolefull place.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="89" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM LXXXIX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Ma&s;chil</HI> of <HI>Ethan</HI> the
<HI>Ezrahite.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The Authour of this P&s;alm was near of kin to him that made the former (&s;ee the Argument there) and they lived I &s;uppo&s;e in the &s;ame time. Onely <HI>Heman</HI> bewailed &s;ome private affliction, which was befallen him&s;elf; whereas <HI>Ethan</HI> (after a thankfull acknow|ledgment of the benefits God had be&s;towed upon them, and e&s;pecially of his promi&s;e made to <HI>David</HI> by <HI>Samuel,</HI> and <HI>Nathan,</HI> of &s;ettling the Kingdom upon him and his po&s;terity for ever) laments mo&s;t &s;adly the publick calamity; by the &s;ubver&s;ion of the Royal Family and Government, in the days <PB N="147" REF="81">of <HI>Jehojachin</HI> or of <HI>Zedekiah</HI> Who&s;e mi|&s;erable fate &s;eems in the conclu&s;ion of this P&s;alm, to be bewailed with the greater pa&s;|&s;ion; becau&s;e it looked like a breach of God's promi&s;e to <HI>David:</HI> and gave the <HI>Babyloni|ans</HI> and other Nations, who a&s;&s;i&s;ted in their de&s;truction, occa&s;ion to &s;ay; that notwith|&s;tanding all the promi&s;es they boa&s;ted of, and the fidelity of their God in the perfor|mance, there was now a period put to <HI>David</HI>'s Family and Kingdom.</P>
<P>That's the cleare&s;t account I can give of the meaning of the la&s;t clau&s;e of the la&s;t ver&s;e but one: where we reade that they
<HI>reproa|ched the foot-&s;teps of his Anointed.</HI> The word we render
<HI>foot-&s;teps,</HI> &s;ignifies proper|ly the <HI>heel of a mans foot:</HI> and from thence is tran&s;lated to &s;ignifie the <HI>end</HI> of any thing, as in <HI>P&s;al.</HI> CXIX. 33. Which notion of it, in my judgment, be&s;t &s;uits with all that goes before in this P&s;alm; concerning the &s;tabi|lity of <HI>David</HI>'s Kingdom: which their ene|mies now boa&s;ted (as we would expre&s;s it in our pre&s;ent language) they &s;aw upon its la&s;t legs. And the truth is, it was never re&s;tored to that Family, till <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> the great Son of <HI>David</HI> came: to whom &s;ome pa&s;&s;ages in this P&s;alm are applied by the <HI>Jews</HI> them|&s;elves; in both the
<HI>Bere&s;iths,</HI> and in other Books; to which <HI>Abenezra</HI> and <HI>R. Solo|mon</HI> con&s;ent.</P>
<P><PB N="148" REF="82">Why this P&s;alm is called
<HI>Ma&s;chil</HI> &s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> XXXII. But why any &s;hould fancy, as &s;ome have done, that it was made by <HI>Jehojachin</HI> after he came out of Pri&s;on (2 <HI>King.</HI> XXV. 27, 28.) I cannot conceive: unle&s;s the fir&s;t words moved them to think that he, who in the foregoing P&s;alm &s;peaks of him&s;elf as in a Dungeon, gives God thanks here for his deliverance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> I Will &s;ing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faith|fulne&s;s to all gene|rations.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. THE innumerable calamities that are befaln us &s;hall not blot out the memory of the innume|rable benefits, which the Lord hath formerly be|&s;towed on us: but I will &s;ing of them without cea|&s;ing; and indeavour to make all po&s;terity believe, notwith&s;tanding our pre|&s;ent de&s;olation, that Thou art faithfull and con&s;tant to thy word.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> For I have &s;aid, Mercy &s;hall be built up for e|ver: thy faithful|ne&s;s &s;halt thou e|&s;tabli&s;h in the ve|ry heavens.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. For I am confident thy Mercy, which is im|movable and indures for ever, will rai&s;e us out of the&s;e ruines: thy promi&s;es being as firm and &s;tedfa&s;t as the heavens; in which we &s;ee an image of the un|changeablene&s;s <PB N="149" REF="82">of thy Na|ture, and of thy will.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> I have made a convenant with my cho&s;en, I have &s;worn unto Da|vid my &s;ervant.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Which Thou did&s;t declare by thy Prophet, &s;aying, (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XVI. 13. 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> III. 9, 10. V. 2. VII. 15, 16, 28.) I have cho&s;en <HI>David</HI> my faithfull Servant, to be the Gover|nour of my people; and have made a Covenant with him, confirmed by an Oath:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Thy &s;eed will I e&s;tabli&s;h for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. That not onely he, but his Children after him &s;hall be &s;ettled in the Throne: which, though it totter &s;ometime, or be thrown down, &s;hall be rai&s;ed again; and conti|nued throughout all &s;uc|ceeding generations.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> And the heavens &s;hall prai&s;e thy won|ders, O LORD: thy faithfulne&s;s al&s;o in the congre|gation of the &s;aints.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. For which &s;tupendi|ous kindne&s;s, if we &s;hould forget to prai&s;e Thee, or in this our calamitous con|dition di&s;tru&s;t thy power and fidelity to make it good; the heavenly inha|bitants will not fail to doe it: but in their holy A&s;|&s;emblies confe&s;s them both, with their &s;olemn prai&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="150" REF="83">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? <HI>who</HI> a|mong the &s;ons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. For there are none of the powers of the air they know (much le&s;s any upon earth) that can re&s;i&s;t the Lord, and hinder the ful|filling of his will: The mightie&s;t among them&s;elves, they are &s;en&s;ible, are not to be compared with his Maje&s;ty, to whom they are but Mini&s;ters.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> God is great|ly to be feared in the a&s;&s;embly of the &s;aints: and to be had in reverence of all <HI>them that are</HI> about him.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. And when they a&s;|&s;emble, in the greate&s;t num|bers, and make the mo&s;t glorious Court, &s;tand in great fear and dread of Him: attending, with aw|full reverence, what com|mands He will be plea&s;ed to lay upon them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> O LORD God of ho&s;ts, who <HI>is</HI> a &s;trong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulne&s;s round about thee?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. With whom I will join, O Lord the Comman|der of all the&s;e heavenly Ho&s;ts; and celebrate thy Name on earth, as they do in heaven, &s;aying: Where is he among them all, that can equal Thee, O mo&s;t powerfull Lord; who&s;e Faithfulne&s;s is as rea|dy to fulfill thy Promi&s;es, as the Angels are to execute thy Commands.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="151" REF="83">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Thou rule&s;t the raging of the Sea: when the waves thereof a|ri&s;e, thou &s;tille&s;t them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. The Sea it &s;elf, which &s;ubmits to no body el&s;e, is under thy Government: who, when it is a calm, make&s;t it &s;well, as if it would overflow the earth; and reduce&s;t it, when it is in its greate&s;t rage, to a perfect &s;tilne&s;s again.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is &s;lain: thou ha&s;t &s;cattered thine e|nemies with thy &s;trong arm.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. There the <HI>Egyptians,</HI> who had been wounded before with many other grievous plagues, were ut|terly overthrown: and with the like irre&s;i&s;tible power the <HI>Canaanites</HI> were &s;catte|red; at the entrance of thy people, into the pro|mi&s;ed Land.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> The hea|vens <HI>are</HI> thine, the earth al&s;o <HI>is</HI> thine: <HI>as</HI> for the world, and the fulne&s;s thereof, thou ha&s;t founded them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. For Thou art the owner of things, both in heaven and earth, and ha&s;t the ju&s;te&s;t right to di&s;po&s;e of them, to whom Thou plea&s;e&s;t: becau&s;e the world, and all the inhabitants of it, are thy Creatures.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> The north and the &s;outh thou ha&s;t created them: Tabor and Her|mon &s;hall rejoice in thy name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Whether we ca&s;t our eyes to the Southern or Northern parts of the earth; to the We&s;t, towards <HI>Tabor,</HI> or Ea&s;twards towards <HI>Her|mon:</HI> <PB N="152" REF="84">they all acknowledge Thee their Creatour; and rejoice in thy bountifull Providence, which inriches them with all things need|full for them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t a mighty arm: &s;trong is thy hand, <HI>and</HI> high is thy right hand.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. And thy power ex|tending it &s;elf throughout the whole, always effects in every place, what&s;oever Thou de&s;igne&s;t: whether it be to puni&s;h evil-doers, or to pre&s;erve and exalt them that doe well.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> Ju&s;tice and judgment <HI>are</HI> the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth &s;hall go be|fore thy face.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. But none &s;hall be able to &s;ay Thou doe&s;t them any wrong: Becau&s;e Thou do&s;t not rule the world merely by thy ab&s;o|lute power; but ha&s;t pla|ced thy principal glory in ju&s;tice and equity, mercy and fidelity; from which Thou never &s;werve&s;t.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>is</HI> the people that know the joyfull &s;ound: they &s;hall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Happy then are the people who live under thy righteous and mercifull Go|vernment; and hear the Trumpet &s;ound, which &s;ig|nifies the royal pre&s;ence of thy Maje&s;ty among them, and calls them to attend
<PB N="153" REF="84">upon Thee (X. <HI>Numb.</HI> 10.) They &s;hall &s;pend their days mo&s;t chearfully, O Lord; being &s;ecure of thy favour, which will let them want nothing that is good for them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> In thy name &s;hall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righ|teou&s;ne&s;s &s;hall they be exalted.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. They &s;hall not bare|ly rejoice, but triumph, and that continually; in thy love to them, and thy power to defend them: and, walking in thy holy Laws, &s;hall by thy good|ne&s;s be highly exalted, and made &s;uperiour to all their enemies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> For thou <HI>art</HI> the glory of their &s;trength: and in thy favour our horn &s;hall be exalted.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. For they owe not their conque&s;ts to their own valour, or forces, though never &s;o great; but it is Thou who give&s;t illu&s;trious Victories, to the &s;malle&s;t Armies: And therefore by thy favour we hope that our Empire, which is now broken, &s;hall be rai&s;ed a|gain to its former &s;plen|dour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> For the LORD <HI>is</HI> our defence: and the holy One of I&s;rael <HI>is</HI> our King.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. For the Lord is &s;till our Protectour, though our Prince be taken, and made <PB N="154" REF="85" MS="y">unable to defend us: He whom <HI>I&s;rael</HI> adores, and acknowledges infinitely to tran&s;cend all other Beings, is our King and Governour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> Then thou &s;pake&s;t in vi&s;ion to the holy One, and &s;aide&s;t, I have laid help upon <HI>one that is</HI> mighty: I have exalted <HI>one</HI> cho|&s;en out of the people.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. Who then did&s;t re|veal thy mind, in a Vi&s;ion, to the holy Prophet <HI>Sa|muel,</HI> (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVI. 1.) when the
<HI>Phili&s;tines</HI> defied <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and grew terrible to them, (XVII. 10, 11, 24.) &s;aying; I have provided my&s;elf a valiant Champion, (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XVI. 18.) to be your deliverer, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> III. 18.) I have de&s;igned a per|&s;on of &s;ingular worth, from among the common people, (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XVI. 11.) to be promoted to the Kingdom.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> I have found David my &s;ervant: with my holy oil have I a|nointed him.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. I have ob&s;erved <HI>Da|vid</HI> (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVI.
1.) and find him a man that will faithfully &s;erve me: Go, and anoint him with the holy Oil; for I intend him for the Governour of my people.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> With whom my hand &s;hall be e&s;tabli&s;hed: mine arm al&s;o &s;hall &s;trengthen him.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. With whom I will always be powerfully pre|&s;ent, for his a&s;&s;i&s;tance <PB N="155" REF="85">(1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVII. 45,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and never de&s;ert him, as I did <HI>Saul:</HI> (XVIII. 12,
24, 28.) But my mighty power &s;hall extraordinarily &s;trengthen him, in all his enterpri&s;es, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXX. 6. 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VIII. 6, 14.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> The ene|my &s;hall not exact upon him: nor the &s;on of wickedne&s;s afflict him.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. The &s;ubtile&s;t of his enemies, &s;hall not be able to circumvent him; nor the mo&s;t malicious, how powerfull &s;oever, oppre&s;s him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. But after all their vain attempts I will not onely protect him, from their crafty violence; but &s;ubdue all his adver&s;aries under him, and de&s;troy tho&s;e that hate him, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 9.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> But my faithfulne&s;s and my mercy
<HI>&s;hall be</HI> with him: and in my name &s;hall his born be exalted.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. He &s;hall ever find me, not onely faithfull in my promi&s;e to him but, kind above his expectation: and, by my powerfull a&s;|&s;i&s;tance, and his confidence in it, his authority &s;hall be highly exalted, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XIV. 17. 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 9. VIII. 13.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="156" REF="86">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>25.</BIBL> I will &s;et his hand al&s;o in the &s;ea, and his right hand in the rivers.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>25. On one hand he &s;hall conquer the
<HI>Phili|&s;tines,</HI> and tho&s;e that live upon the coa&s;t of the Sea, (2
<HI>Sam.</HI> VIII. 1.) and on the other hand the <HI>Syrians,</HI> as far as
<HI>Tigris</HI> and <HI>Euphra|tes,</HI> (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VIII. 9,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI> X. 16, 19.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>26.</BIBL> He &s;hall cry unto me, Thou <HI>art</HI> my father, my God, and the rock of my &s;alvation.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>26. For he &s;hall intirely depend on me in all his di&s;tre&s;&s;es, and fly to me for &s;uccour, as a Child to his Parent; &s;aying, with more then u&s;ual love and confi|dence, Thou art my Father, as well as my omnipotent God, from whom alone I expect protection and deli|verance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>27.</BIBL> Al&s;o I will make him <HI>my</HI> fir&s;t-born, higher then the kings of the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>27. Which I will never fail to afford him, till I rai&s;e him to the prime dignity, a|mong all tho&s;e whom I call my Sons; and &s;et him &s;o high above all other Kings in the world, that he &s;hall be a mo&s;t eminent Type of my Son <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>28.</BIBL> My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant &s;hall &s;tand fa&s;t with him.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>28. Nothing &s;hall alter the&s;e kind intentions to|ward
<PB N="157" REF="86">him; but I will al|ways have a love for him, and faithfully perform my Covenant with him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="29" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>29.</BIBL> His &s;eed al&s;o will I make <HI>to endure for</HI> e|ver, and his throne as the days of hea|ven.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>29. Which is, that his Family &s;hall never be ex|tinct; but, notwith&s;tan|ding the changes which all things are &s;ubject unto here below, have the royal pow|er continued in it, as long as the heavens endure, 2
<HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 16, 28, 29. I. <HI>Luke</HI> 32, 33.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="30" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>30.</BIBL> If his chil|dren for&s;ake my law, and walk not in my judgments;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>30. If his Succe&s;&s;ours in|deed &s;hall depart from the Law, which I have given you by my Servant <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and not judge my people righteou&s;ly;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="31" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>31.</BIBL> If they break my &s;tatutes, and keep not my commandments:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>31. If they prophanely neglect, or corrupt my Re|ligion, and ob&s;erve not the re&s;t of the Rules of life, which I have enjoined them:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="32" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>32.</BIBL> Then will I vi&s;it their tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ion with the rod, and their ini|quity with &s;tripes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>32. Then will I execute the threatnings which are in my Law, (XXVI. <HI>Levit.</HI>) upon them; and puni&s;h their tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions with &s;ore di&s;ea&s;es, and their Ido|latries <PB N="158" REF="87">with &s;everal plagues, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 14.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="33" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>33.</BIBL> Neverthe|le&s;s, my loving-kindne&s;s will I not utterly take from him, nor &s;uffer my faithfulne&s;s to fail.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>33. But I will not &s;o cha&s;ti&s;e them, as never more to doe good to his Family; (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 25.) but will &s;till have a kindne&s;s for it, and faithfully keep my pro|mi&s;e with it, 1 <HI>King.</HI> XI. 34, 36. XV. 4. 2 <HI>King.</HI> VIII. 19, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="34" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>34.</BIBL> My cove|nant will I not break, nor alter the thing <HI>that is</HI> gone out of my lips.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>34. I will not violate the Covenant I have made with
<HI>David</HI> (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXI. 7.) nor retract the promi&s;e, which I have &s;olemnly pa&s;|&s;ed to his Family.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="35" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>35.</BIBL> Once have I &s;worn by my ho|line&s;s, that I will not lie unto Da|vid.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>35. For I have unaltera|bly &s;worn by my own in|communicable excellencies, that I will as &s;oon cea&s;e to be what I am, as deceive him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="36" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>36.</BIBL> His &s;eed &s;hall endure for ever, and his throne as the &s;un before me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>36. His Family (as I &s;aid Ver&s;e 29.) &s;hall never be quite extinct; but always remain in my favour, and hold the royal dignity, as long as the Sun &s;hineth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="37" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>37.</BIBL> It &s;hall be e&s;tabli&s;hed for ever as the moon, and <HI>as</HI> a faithfull wit|ne&s;s in heaven. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>37. The Moon may as well fall from her Orb, as his Authority fall to the <PB N="159" REF="87" MS="y">ground and ri&s;e no more: Let that be a witne&s;s of my fidelity, when you look upon it; (XXXIII. <HI>Jer.</HI> 20,
21.) and conclude, that af|ter all the changes and e|clip&s;es his Kingdom may &s;uf|fer, it &s;hall &s;tand as fa&s;t, as that and all the re&s;t of the heavenly bodies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="38" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>38.</BIBL> But thou ha&s;t ca&s;t off and abhorred, thou ha&s;t been wroth with thine anointed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>38. But all the&s;e pro|mi&s;es, alas! &s;o &s;acredly con|firmed, and oft repeated, have not &s;ecured it from a di&s;mal &s;ubver&s;ion: For Thou ha&s;t rejected, with the greate&s;t contempt and indignation, our Sovereign; one of the po&s;terity of <HI>Da|vid,</HI> and his lawfull &s;uc|ce&s;&s;our in the Kingdom, 2 <HI>King.</HI> XXIV. 20. XXV. 6, 7. IV. <HI>Lam.</HI> 20.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="39" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>39.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t made void the co|venant of thy &s;er|vant: thou ha&s;t prophaned his crown, <HI>by ca&s;ting it</HI> to the ground.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>39. Thou &s;eeme&s;t not to regard the Covenant made with that thy faithfull Ser|vant (which Thou promi|&s;ed&s;t not to break, Ver. 34.) and in&s;tead of rai&s;ing his Family higher then all other Kings (Ver. 27.) ha&s;t &s;uffe|red it to lo&s;e all its Autho|rity; <PB N="160" REF="88">which, together with the royal Diadem, is vilely trodden under foot.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="40" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>40.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t broken down all his hedges, thou ha&s;t brought his &s;trong holds to ruine.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>40. Thou ha&s;t broken down all the walls of
<HI>Je|ru&s;alem,</HI> (2 <HI>King.</HI> XXV. 10.) and made all his for|tified places a mere de&s;ola|tion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="41" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>41.</BIBL> All that pa&s;s by the way &s;poil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>41. So that he hath no defence again&s;t tho&s;e who have a mind to make a prey of him, (2 <HI>King.</HI> XXIV. 2.) and is now &s;cor|ned and derided by tho&s;e, who formerly dreaded him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="42" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>42.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t &s;et up the right hand of his ad|ver&s;aries: thou ha&s;t made all his enemies to rejoice.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>42. Thou ha&s;t made his adver&s;aries (whom Thou promi&s;ed&s;t to depre&s;s, Ver. 23.) far &s;tronger then him|&s;elf: they have executed all that they de&s;igned, and now triumph in his ruin.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="43" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>43.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t al&s;o turned the edge of his &s;word, and ha&s;t not made him to &s;tand in the battel.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>43. His forces have done him no &s;ervice; but, being &s;hamefully routed, dur&s;t never rally again, to make any oppo&s;ition to their e|nemies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="44" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>44.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t made his glory to cea&s;e, and ca&s;t his throne down to the ground.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>44. Thou ha&s;t put out that &s;plendour, which we thought &s;hould have been <PB N="161" REF="88">perpetual; (Ver. 37, 38.) and ha&s;t utterly overturned his Kingdom.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="45" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>45.</BIBL> The days of his youth ha&s;t thou &s;hortned: thou ha&s;t covered him with &s;hame. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>45. Thou ha&s;t made a &s;peedy end of the reign of
<HI>Jehojachin,</HI> who in his youth is made a &s;lave: (2 <HI>King.</HI> XXIV. 8, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and &s;uffe|red <HI>Zedekiah</HI> to be mo&s;t di&s;gracefully condemned as a rebel, to lo&s;e his eyes, and remain a pri&s;oner all the days of his life, 2 <HI>King.</HI> XXV. 6, 7.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="46" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>46.</BIBL> How long, LORD, wilt thou hide thy &s;elf for ever? &s;hall thy wrath burn like fire?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>46. O what a &s;ad condi|tion is this, in which Thou &s;eeme&s;t wholly to neglect us! But, O Lord, wilt Thou never appear for us again, and put a period to our mi&s;eries? wilt Thou let thy anger burn, till we be utterly con&s;umed?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="47" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>47.</BIBL> Remember how &s;hort my time is: wherefore ha&s;t thou made all men in vain?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>47. Our natural weak|ne&s;s pleads for &s;ome mercy; and imboldens us to be&s;eech Thee, that, &s;ince we mu&s;t not onely die unavoidably, but a &s;hort time will bring us to our graves, Thou wilt be plea&s;ed to let us &s;pend that little time in <PB N="160" REF="89">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page"> <PB N="161" REF="89">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page"> <PB N="162" REF="90">more ea&s;e; and not live, as if we were made for no|thing el&s;e, but onely to be mi&s;erable and to die.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="48" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>48.</BIBL> What man <HI>is he that</HI> liveth, and &s;hall not &s;ee death? &s;hall he deliver his &s;oul from the hand of the grave? Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>48. For where is the man, who&s;e con&s;titution is &s;o firm, that he &s;hall not yield to death? For what ability have we, though our enemies &s;hould not thus de&s;troy us, to defend our &s;elves from the power of the grave?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="49" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>49.</BIBL> LORD, where <HI>are</HI> thy for|mer loving-kind|ne&s;&s;es, <HI>which</HI> thou &s;ware&s;t unto David in thy truth?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>49. Lord! what a diffe|rence is there between our times, and tho&s;e, when Thou wa&s;t &s;o exceeding good to <HI>David?</HI> And &s;ware&s;t, mo&s;t faithfully to continue to him for ever thy loving-kindne&s;s? which we be&s;eech Thee now re|&s;tore unto us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="50" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>50.</BIBL> Remember, LORD, the re|proach of thy &s;er|vants; <HI>how</HI> I do bear in my bo&s;om <HI>the reproach</HI> of all the mighty people;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>50. Shew, O Lord, that Thou do&s;t not forget the &s;coffs and jeers; whereby our enemies augment the &s;ufferings of thy &s;ervants: there is nothing I lay to heart &s;o much, as all the reproaches of many and mighty Nations.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="51" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="163" REF="90" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>51.</BIBL> Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; where|with they have re|proached the foot|&s;teps of thine a|nointed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>51. Who are thy ene|mies as well as ours; and have bla&s;phemed Thee, O Lord, and mockt at Thee: as if our &s;lavery were the effect of thy inability to protect us; and as if there were an end of the Family and Kingdom of <HI>David,</HI> thine anointed, which Thou &s;aide&s;t &s;hould la&s;t for ever.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="52" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>52.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>be</HI> the LORD for evermore. Amen, and amen.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>52. But let them laugh on; neither their &s;coffs, nor our calamity, &s;hall hinder us from prai&s;ing the Lord, and &s;peaking good of Him continually; in a&s;&s;ured hope that He will at la&s;t deliver us. Let it be &s;o, we be&s;eech Thee; Let it be &s;o, as we de&s;ire and hope: that we may ever prai&s;e Thee for our happy re&s;tauration.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<TRAILER>The End of the THIRD Book of P&s;alms.</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="book">
<PB N="164" REF="91">
<HEAD>The Fourth BOOK OF PSALMS.</HEAD>
<DIV3 N="90" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM XC.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Prayer of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> the man of God.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>Here begins the FO&V;RTH Book of P&s;alms: in this differing from the re&s;t, that as tho&s;e of the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> Book are mo&s;t of them a&s;cribed to <HI>David,</HI> and tho&s;e of the <HI>&s;econd,</HI> in great part to the Sons of <HI>Korah,</HI> and tho&s;e of the <HI>third</HI> to
<HI>A&s;aph;</HI> &s;o there are few of the&s;e, who&s;e Authour is certainly known: and therefore, I &s;uppo&s;e, were all put together, in one and the &s;ame Collection. The fir&s;t of them indeed being made by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> the Hebrews have entertained a conceit (which Saint <HI>Hierom</HI> and Saint
<HI>Hilary</HI> al&s;o follow) that he was the Authour al&s;o of the
<HI>Ten</HI> next immediately in&s;uing. But, as there is no
<PB N="165" REF="91" MS="y">rea&s;on for that (it will appear in due place) &s;o I can &s;ee no cau&s;e why we &s;hould fancy <HI>David,</HI> or &s;ome of the Children of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> in his time, or a <HI>&s;inger</HI> of that name (as <HI>Aben Ezra</HI> conjectures) to have compo&s;ed this pre|&s;ent P&s;alm: when not onely the Title ex|pre&s;ly gives it to that <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> who was <HI>the Man of God</HI> (as their Law giver is called XXXIII.
<HI>Deut.</HI> 1.) or that famous Pro|phet, by whom God &s;pake to them; but the <HI>Chaldee</HI> Paraphra&s;e, and the very matter of the P&s;alm &s;ufficiently &s;hew, that it was a Meditation of his, when the people offended &s;o highly again&s;t God in the Wilderne&s;s (e&s;pecially by murmuring at the Relation the Spies brought them of the good Land, XIV.
<HI>Numb.</HI>) that He &s;hortned their lives, to <HI>&s;eventy</HI> or
<HI>eighty</HI> years at the mo&s;t; and &s;uffered them not to arrive at the age of their Ance&s;tours, or of <HI>Mo&s;es, Caleb</HI> and <HI>Jo&s;hua:</HI> who&s;e lives he prolonged to an <HI>hundred and twenty</HI> years.</P>
<P>Which grievous puni&s;hment <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> prays God, they may lay to heart &s;eriou&s;ly, and &s;o recover his favour, (Ver. 12,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) who is the eternal God, as he tells them (in the beginning of the P&s;alm) and had been, in a particular manner, kind to their Progeni|tours in former Generations.</P>
<P>This is the &s;ub&s;tance of the P&s;alm: which the Collectour of this Book, thought fit to place in the very beginning of it; becau&s;e of <PB N="166" REF="92">the great antiquity of this P&s;alm, and the dignity of its Authour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> LORD, thou ha&s;t been our dwelling-place in all generations.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O Lord, who &s;u&s;tai|ne&s;t and governe&s;t the whole world, Thou ha&s;t been the con&s;tant Pro|tectour of our Nation for many Ages: having affor|ded all things nece&s;&s;ary for the defence and &s;ecurity of our Forefathers, <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac</HI> and <HI>Jacob;</HI> when they had no certain dwelling-place, but were &s;trangers in the Land whither we are going: and &s;upported us in the Land of <HI>Egypt;</HI> where, in a time of dearth, Thou made&s;t an ample provi&s;ion for us; as Thou ha&s;t al&s;o done hitherto, in this bar|ren de&s;ert.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou had&s;t formed the earth and the world: even from ever|la&s;ting to everla|&s;ting thou <HI>art</HI> God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Where, though we have no Towns nor Hou&s;es, we ought to think our &s;elves &s;afe; and to tru&s;t in Thee, who art the &s;ame mighty God, Thou ever wa&s;t (not onely before we and our Forefathers were made, but before the mountains aro&s;e <PB N="167" REF="92">out of the waters, and Thou commanded&s;t the re&s;t of the earth, and this beautifull world to appear) and ever wilt be, whatever changes there be here, without any alteration.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Thou turne&s;t man to de&s;truction: and &s;aye&s;t, Return ye children of men.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. We have highly of|fended Thee indeed, and &s;o did our fir&s;t Parents; who became thereby mo&s;t wretched and mi&s;erable Creatures, and were doo|med by Thee to return to the du&s;t, out of which they were formed: as all their po&s;terity mu&s;t do, when|&s;oever Thou &s;ummone&s;t them to obey that &s;entence, Thou ha&s;t pa&s;&s;ed upon them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> For a thou|&s;and years in thy &s;ight
<HI>are but</HI> as ye&s;terday when it is pa&s;t, and <HI>as</HI> a watch in the night.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. And &s;hould we have a reprieve for a longer time, then our fir&s;t Father <HI>Adam,</HI> and &s;ome of his &s;ucce&s;&s;ours had, who lived near to a <HI>thou&s;and</HI> years; we &s;hould be wretched &s;till: e&s;pecial|ly, when we compared our &s;elves with Thee; in who&s;e account the longe&s;t life is as incon&s;iderable as one <PB N="168" REF="93" MS="y">day, and that when it is &s;pent and gone; nay, as three or four hours, which pa&s;s away in &s;leep.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Thou carri|e&s;t them away as with a floud, they are as a &s;leep: in the morning <HI>they are</HI> like gra&s;s
<HI>which</HI> groweth up.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. But alas! in the&s;e a|ges Thou carrie&s;t men away &s;uddenly; as a violent tor|rent doth tho&s;e things, it meets withall in its pa&s;&s;age: they vani&s;h like a dream, when we awake; and are as gra&s;s, which in the mor|ning is grown higher and &s;tronger then it was;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> In the mor|ning it flouri&s;heth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down and withereth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. But, how flouri&s;hing and fre&s;h &s;oever it then ap|pear, is cut down before night, and lo&s;es all its beau|ty: &s;uch is the frailty of man; who now is in vigo|rous health, and anon lan|gui&s;hes, and falls to the earth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> For we are con&s;umed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we trou|bled.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. This, I am &s;ure, is our condition; who have &s;o provoked Thee to an|ger by our &s;ins, that we peri&s;h in an in&s;tant, (XVI.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 35, 46.) and are perpetually di&s;turbed with dreadfull apprehen&s;ions of thy heavie&s;t di&s;plea&s;ure, XVII. <HI>Numb.</HI> 12,
13.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="169" REF="93" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t &s;et our iniquities before thee: our &s;ecret <HI>&s;ins</HI> in the light of thy coun|tenance.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. After many threat|nings, Thou ha&s;t procee|ded, as a righteous Judge, to call us to a &s;evere account for all our foul crimes; though never &s;o &s;ecretly committed: and make&s;t it appear, by our puni&s;hments, to all the world (XIV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 20, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) that we are a perver&s;e generation; though we pretend to thy &s;ervice.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> For all our days are pa&s;&s;ed a|way in thy wrath: we &s;pend our years as a tale <HI>that is told.</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. For we con&s;tantly feel &s;ome effects or other of thine anger; whereby our lives decline exceeding fa&s;t, and many times, before we can &s;ay what's this, is at an end.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> The days of our year <HI>are</HI> three&s;core years and ten, and if by rea&s;on of &s;trength <HI>they be</HI> four&s;core years, yet is their &s;trength labour and &s;orrow: for it is &s;oon cut off, and we flie away.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. We fall &s;hort of the days of our Forefathers; being now all doomed to peri&s;h in the Wilderne&s;s, and not to exceed, com|monly, the age of LXX. or (if men be of a vigorous con&s;titution) at mo&s;t of LXXX. years: the be&s;t part of which al&s;o, is &s;pent in toil&s;ome travels (XX.
<HI>Num.</HI> 14. XXI. 4. XXXI. 11. <PB N="170" REF="94" MS="y">II.
<HI>Deut.</HI> 1, 3, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and much &s;orrow and vexation; to &s;ee the &s;tronge&s;t among us, cut down like gra&s;s in a moment, or at lea&s;t ma|king great ha&s;te unto their graves.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Who know|eth the power of thine anger? e|ven according to thy fear, <HI>&s;o</HI> is thy wrath.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. And yet alas! who is there that &s;eriou&s;ly con|&s;iders and lays to heart, the dreadfull effects of thy di&s;|plea&s;ure; which irre&s;i&s;tibly falls upon us? (XXV. <HI>Num.</HI> 1, 2, 3,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) or with &s;uch a pious fear, as it ought to excite, takes any care to prevent more terrible pu|ni&s;hments, then tho&s;e we have felt already?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> So teach us to number our days, that we may apply <HI>our</HI> hearts unto wi&s;edom.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Lord, do Thou touch us with a &s;en&s;e of thy judgments; that we may not pre&s;ume thus foo|li&s;hly to offend Thee, as our Fathers have done: but, making a ju&s;t account of the &s;hortne&s;s and uncer|tainty of our lives, may wi&s;ely apply our &s;elves to make the be&s;t u&s;e we can of them, in repenting of our &s;ins.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="171" REF="94">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy &s;ervants.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. And then be plea&s;ed to turn thy &s;everity into kindne&s;s towards us: Let it &s;uffice, good Lord, that we have indured &s;o many and long puni&s;hments; and now at la&s;t revoke or mi|tigate the &s;entence Thou ha&s;t pa&s;t upon us, who, though very di&s;obedient, are thy &s;ervants.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> O &s;atisfie us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. O let us &s;ee &s;ome ap|pearance of thy love to us; which may &s;atisfie and chear our langui&s;hing &s;ouls, like the morning light after a tedious night: and in&s;tead of &s;ighs and groans, fill us with &s;houts of joy, all the remainder of our days.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> Make us glad according to the days
<HI>wherein</HI> thou ha&s;t afflicted us, <HI>and</HI> the years
<HI>wherein</HI> we have &s;een evil.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Compen&s;ate our pa&s;t troubles with future com|forts; and make our hap|pine&s;s to equal, if not ex|ceed, the mi&s;ery we have &s;uffered.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> Let thy work appear unto thy &s;ervants, and thy glory unto their children.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. Declare to all the world, that Thou ha&s;t not quite for&s;aken us thy &s;er|vants: but wilt &s;till work wonders for us; and doe more glorious and magni|ficent <PB N="172" REF="95">things for our Chil|dren, though we have &s;in|ned again&s;t Thee, XX. <HI>Numb.</HI> 17, 18,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI> XXXI. 2. II. <HI>Deut.</HI> 25. III. 24.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and e&s;tabli&s;h thou the work of our hands upon us, yea, the work of our hands e&s;tabli&s;h thou it.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. Let them inherit, by the &s;pecial favour of the Lord our God, that lovely and plea&s;ant Land, (XLIX. <HI>Gen.</HI> 15. VIII.
<HI>Deut.</HI> 7, 8, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) which He hath promi&s;ed to give us: and, for that end, direct and pro&s;per our arms; that what we &s;hall attempt in vain, if we be left to our &s;elves, may &s;ucce&s;sfully be atchieved by thy a&s;&s;i&s;tence, (VIII. <HI>Deut.</HI> 17, 18, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> XXXI. 6,
7, 8.) O pro&s;per Thou our undertaking; and make our arms victo|rious.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="91" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="173" REF="95">
<HEAD>PSALM XCI.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The Authour of this P&s;alm is not known: but the occa&s;ion &s;eems to have been &s;ome great Pe&s;ti|lence; in which the P&s;almi&s;t commends an humble confidence in God, and ardent love to Him, as the be&s;t &s;ecurity both in that, and in all other dangers. <HI>Maimonides</HI> thinks (as other of the Rabbins al&s;o do) that the P&s;almi&s;t hath a peculiar re&s;pect to the incur&s;ions of evil &s;pirits, Ver. 5, 6. as in the following Ver&s;es, 7, 8. to tho&s;e mi&s;chiefs which may come from the hand of evil men. And as far as tho&s;e Spirits had any hand in the Pe&s;tilence here &s;poken of, his opinion is true; and his words in general are very &s;ignificant, that the P&s;almi&s;t here <HI>treats elegantly of that great Providence, which protects and keeps us from all evils, both univer&s;al and particular,</HI> &amp;c. Thus he di&s;|cour&s;es in his <HI>More Nevochim</HI> Part III. Chap. 51. where we have the rea&s;on of that name which is given to this P&s;alm by the <HI>Talmudi&s;ts;</HI> who call it <HI>A Song of evil Spirits.</HI> See <HI>Buxtorf</HI> Lex. Talmud. in the word
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word">.</P>
<P>Now there is no Pe&s;tilence &s;o likely to have given occa&s;ion to this P&s;alm, as that in the latter end of <HI>David</HI>'s Reign: <PB N="174" REF="96">who having numbred the people, and not made tho&s;e acknowledgments to God which the Law in that ca&s;e pre&s;cribed, (XXX.
<HI>Ex|odus</HI> 12.) had this &s;ad choice given him by the Prophet
<HI>Gad,</HI> whether he would be pu|ni&s;hed for his negligence by Famine, or by the Sword of his Enemies, or by Pe&s;tilence. And &s;ubmitting to the la&s;t (which God &s;ent a de&s;troying Angel to inflict, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 15,
16.) was taught, it is not unlikely, by that Prophet, called <HI>David</HI>'s
<HI>Seer,</HI> to re|commend him&s;elf to the Divine Protection, in the words of this P&s;alm. For that <HI>Da|vid</HI> him&s;elf was the Authour, as &s;ome con|ceive, is not &s;o probable; becau&s;e there is no &s;uch confe&s;&s;ion of his Sin, and depreca|tion of the Divine Di&s;plea&s;ure in this P&s;alm, as we reade he made on that occa&s;ion, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXI. unle&s;s we will ima|gine that he made this P&s;alm after that Plague; to direct and excite all others, to make God their refuge, as he had done, in &s;uch like calamities.</P>
<P>And this is far more probable, then that it &s;hould be made by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> as &s;ome of the He|brews fancy; for none of the plagues in his time were &s;o great as that in <HI>Davids:</HI> and the mo&s;t of them fell on tho&s;e whom God had condemned to die in the Wilderne&s;s, (as he in the foregoing P&s;alm commemorates) and therefore he could not promi&s;e long life to them upon any terms; as the P&s;almi&s;t <PB N="175" REF="96">here doth to the man that confides in God, Ver. la&s;t.</P>
<P>The ancient Interpreters by <HI>Schacal</HI> (which commonly &s;ignifies a Lion) do &s;o unanimou&s;ly under&s;tand &s;ome kind of Serpent, and not without rea&s;on (as <HI>Bochartus</HI> hath demon|&s;trated) that I have followed them, in my Paraphra&s;e of Ver&s;e 13. and made no men|tion of tho&s;e Bea&s;ts of prey, but onely of venomous Creatures.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> HE that dwelleth in the &s;ecret place of the mo&s;t High, &s;hall abide under the &s;hadow of the Almighty.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. IT is an undoubted truth, that he who always makes the Divine Providence his Sanctuary, and, commending him&s;elf to the protection of the mo&s;t High, re&s;ts in that and troubles him&s;elf no further; need not fear any danger what&s;oever: but think him|&s;elf &s;afe and &s;ecure in his cu&s;tody; who, as He is Almighty &s;o, will never fail tho&s;e that piou&s;ly confide in Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> I will &s;ay of the LORD, <HI>He is</HI> my refuge and my fortre&s;s: my God, in him will I tru&s;t.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. And therefore I will now incourage my &s;oul, to flee unto the Lord for &s;hel|ter, &s;aying; I have no con|fidence in any thing but Him alone: He is a better <PB N="176" REF="97">defence then the mo&s;t im|pregnable fortre&s;s; being the Sovereign of the world, and &s;o good to me upon all occa&s;ions, that I will never di&s;tru&s;t his kindne&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Surely he &s;hall deliver thee from the &s;nare of the fowler: <HI>and</HI> from the noi&s;ome pe&s;tilence.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. I doubt not but He will deliver thee from all un&s;een dangers; particular|ly from this mo&s;t de&s;tructive Pe&s;tilence: who&s;e venom catches men as in&s;en&s;ibly and &s;uddenly; as the &s;nare doth the Bird, when it is laid by a cunning Fowler.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> He &s;hall co|ver thee with his feathers, and un|der his wings &s;halt thou tru&s;t: his truth <HI>&s;hall be thy</HI> &s;hield and buckler.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. He will affectionately defend thee, as a Hen doth her young ones under her wings: And therefore tru&s;t to his benign Providence, and depend upon his faith|full word; oppo&s;ing that to all the dangers which threaten thee, as a Souldier doth his Shield and Buckler to the Darts and thru&s;ts of his enemies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Thou &s;halt not be afraid for the terrour by night: <HI>nor</HI> for the arrow <HI>that</HI> flieth by day:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Then thou neede&s;t not to be afraid, either of murtherers and robbers; who&s;e &s;udden attempts in the night, make them more
<PB N="177" REF="97">dreadfull: nor of in&s;urrec|tions, and popular tumults, and the open a&s;&s;aults of any adver&s;aries.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Nor for the pe&s;tilence <HI>that</HI> wal|keth in darkne&s;s: <HI>nor</HI> for the de|&s;truction <HI>that</HI> wa|&s;teth at noon-day.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. No, nor of tho&s;e in|fectious di&s;ea&s;es, which ari&s;e from unknown cau&s;es: nor of tho&s;e malignant fevers, which rage in the hotte&s;t &s;ea&s;on of the year.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> A thou&s;and &s;hall fall at thy &s;ide, and ten thou|&s;and at thy right hand: <HI>but it</HI> &s;hall not come nigh thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Whereby though whole Towns and Coun|tries be depopulated, a thou&s;and falling on the left hand, and ten thou&s;and on the right hand of thee; thou &s;halt remain untou|ched in that mortality.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Onely with thine eyes &s;halt thou behold and &s;ee the reward of the wicked.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. And onely be a &s;pec|tatour of the Divine ven|geance, in puni&s;hing wic|ked offenders &s;o vi&s;ibly; that thou can&s;t not but ob|&s;erve his righteous Judg|ments, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 15, 16.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Becau&s;e thou ha&s;t made the LORD
<HI>which is</HI> my refuge, <HI>even</HI> the mo&s;t High thy habitation:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Becau&s;e I have placed my confidence and hope in Thee, O Lord; who art a &s;anctuary, to which no vio|lence can approach.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="178" REF="98" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> There &s;hall no evil befall thee, neither &s;hall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Therefore re&s;t &s;till a&s;&s;ured, O my Soul, that He will &s;uffer no mi&s;chief to befall thee: nor let this plague &s;eize upon thy Fa|mily.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> For he &s;hall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. But give his Angels, who are always ready to obey his commands, a &s;trict charge to take care of thee; and to pre&s;erve thee whi|ther &s;oever thou goe&s;t.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> They &s;hall bear thee up in <HI>their</HI> hands, le&s;t thou da&s;h thy foot again&s;t a &s;tone.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. They &s;hall as dili|gently attend thee, as a Nur&s;e doth her Child: guiding, &s;upporting and defending thee, with &s;uch a &s;olicitous affection; that the lea&s;t harm &s;hall not be|fall thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Thou &s;halt tread upon the li|on and adder: the young lion and the dragon &s;halt thou trample under feet.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. No, &s;hould&s;t thou come among Serpents, A&s;ps and Dragons, with all the re&s;t of tho&s;e venemous &s;ort of Creatures, they &s;hall not be able to doe thee hurt: but thou &s;halt victoriou&s;ly trample upon them, and triumph over them, X. <HI>Luk.</HI> 19. XVI. <HI>Mark</HI>
18.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> Becau&s;e he hath &s;et his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will &s;et him on high, becau&s;e he hath known my name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. For &s;o hath the Lord declared his will and plea|&s;ure
<PB N="179" REF="98">to be, when He gave commi&s;&s;ion to his Angels concerning me, &s;aying; Becau&s;e he heartily loves Me, and delights in Me, therefore will I deliver him from all pre&s;ent danger, and rai&s;e him above the reach of all future: becau&s;e he hath acknowledged Me, to be the onely &s;afe refuge, and relied on My power for his protection;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> He &s;hall call upon me, and I will an&s;wer him: I <HI>will be</HI> with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and honour him.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. I will grant him all his petitions; e&s;pecially when he is in any di&s;tre&s;s, I will be pre&s;ent with him, to afford him &s;utable com|fort: and not onely pre|&s;erve him from peri&s;hing; but, after a happy delive|rance, make him great and illu&s;trious.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> With long life will I &s;atisfie him, and &s;hew him my &s;alvation.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. And more then that he &s;hall have the &s;atisfaction of injoying his honour to a great old Age: and when his &s;trength fails him, I will not; but &s;till give him evi|dent proofs of my care of him, and kindne&s;s towards him.</P>
<PB N="178" REF="99">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="179" REF="99">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="92" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="180" REF="100">
<HEAD>PSALM XCII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm or Song for the Sabbath-day.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>If Adam had made this P&s;alm, pre&s;ently after he was created in the evening of the Sabbath (which is a Rabbinical fancy, mentioned in the <HI>Midra&s;h</HI> upon this place) &s;ure it would have been &s;et in this <HI>fourth</HI> Book of P&s;alms, before that of <HI>Mo&s;es:</HI> who may more pro|bably be conceived to have compo&s;ed it; to rai&s;e the hearts of the I&s;raelites to the proper bu&s;ine&s;s of the <HI>Sabbath-day:</HI> which was to prai&s;e God, when they meditated upon his wonderfull works, not onely of Creation but of Providence in the government of the world. Several in&s;tances of which, in re|warding the good, and puni&s;hing the wicked, they them&s;elves had &s;een &s;ince they came out of <HI>Egypt:</HI> and were to &s;ee more when they came into the Land of <HI>Canaan;</HI> to keep their <HI>Sabbath</HI> or
<HI>re&s;t</HI> there, after their long tra|vels in the De&s;erts: with re&s;pect to which, &s;ome thing <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> might call this <HI>A P&s;alm for the Sabbath-day.</HI></P>
<P>But there is no certainty of the&s;e things, or rather it is certain that neither of the&s;e conjectures are true. For as <HI>Adam</HI> in Pa|radi&s;e had no enemies to ri&s;e up again&s;t him, <PB N="181" REF="100">nor was troubled with any workers of ini|quity (&s;uch as we reade of Ver. 7, 11.) and there were no P&s;alteries, Harps and In&s;tru|ments of Mu&s;ick then made, which <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> him&s;elf tells us were found out by
<HI>Jubal:</HI> &s;o tho&s;e In&s;truments were not imployed in the &s;ervice of God till the days of <HI>David:</HI> who may therefore more rea&s;onably be thought to have made this <HI>P&s;alm for the Sabbath,</HI> then either of the other; after God had gi|ven him &s;uch <HI>Re&s;t round about from all his enemies,</HI> (2 Sam. VII. 1.) that he con|cluded he &s;hould be able to &s;ubdue tho&s;e who &s;hould hereafter adventure to oppo&s;e him: &s;uch as tho&s;e mentioned in the following Chapters, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VIII. X.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> <HI>IT is a</HI> good <HI>thing</HI> to give thanks unto the LORD, and to &s;ing prai&s;es unto thy name, O mo&s;t High:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. NOW is the proper &s;ea&s;on to give thanks unto the Lord, for all the benefits we have re|ceived from Him: and it is no le&s;s delightfull, then it is profitable, to &s;ing Hymns in the prai&s;e of the Divine perfections; which infinite|ly tran&s;cend all that can be &s;aid, or thought of them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> To &s;hew forth thy loving-kind|ne&s;s in the mor|ning, and thy faithfulne&s;s every night;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. This is the &s;weete&s;t imployment in the mor|ning; and no entertain|ment equal to it at night: <PB N="182" REF="101">to commemorate and de|clare to all, how bountifull Thou art; and how faith|full in performing thy pro|mi&s;es to tho&s;e, who depend on thy Almighty Good|ne&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> &V;pon an in|&s;trument of ten &s;trings, and upon the p&s;altery; upon the harp with a &s;olemn &s;ound.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Which ought to be celebrated, with a full Con|&s;ort, not onely of our chear|full Voices but, of all the In&s;truments of Mu&s;ick.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> For thou LORD, ha&s;t made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. For all are too little, O Lord, to expre&s;s the joy I have in the acts of thy Providence; by whom, as the world was made &s;o, it is &s;till governed: it ravi&s;hes my &s;pirit, and makes me &s;hout for joy, to think how excellently Thou ordere&s;t and di&s;po&s;e&s;t all things.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> O LORD, how great are thy works!
<HI>and</HI> thy thoughts are very deep.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Who&s;e admini&s;tration, though I cannot fully com|prehend; yet, I admire and applaud the a&s;toni&s;hing greatne&s;s of thy works: and reverence the un&s;ear|chable depth of thy coun|&s;els and de&s;igns.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> A bruiti&s;h man knoweth not: neither doth a fool under&s;tand this.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Of which a &s;tupid man, who looks not be|yond
<PB N="183" REF="101">his &s;en&s;es, is &s;o whol|ly ignorant; that &s;eeing him&s;elf, and other &s;uch like fools, pro&s;per and thrive, while better men are in trouble and affliction; He pre&s;ently concludes, Thou do&s;t not meddle in our af|fairs; but leave&s;t all to chance: For he doth not under&s;tand, &s;o much as this &s;ecret;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> When the wicked &s;pring as the gra&s;s, and when all the wor|kers of iniquity do flouri&s;h: <HI>it is</HI> that they &s;hall be de|&s;troyed for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. That when the lew|de&s;t men grow rich, high and powerfull; and their intere&s;t is &s;uch, that by their means all the workers of iniquity, and few other men, are promoted; the rea&s;on is: becau&s;e nothing in this world is of any great value, nor of any long con|tinuance; but after they have flouri&s;hed a while in an empty glory, they &s;hall be cut down like gra&s;s; and, which is more, never ri&s;e up again:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> But thou, LORD, <HI>art mo&s;t</HI> high for evermore.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. And that, Thou, who rule&s;t all things, though far out of their &s;ight, can&s;t as well puni&s;h or reward men <PB N="184" REF="102">hereafter, as at pre&s;ent; being the eternal Lord.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> For lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for lo, thine ene|mies &s;hall peri&s;h: all the workers of iniquity &s;hall be &s;cattered.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Who &s;hewe&s;t Thou do&s;t not intend to let the wicked e&s;cape, though now they flouri&s;h; for Thou ha&s;t begun already to give thy enemies, who have long pro&s;pered, a remarkable de|feat: they have received &s;uch a notable blow, that I am confident they &s;hall peri&s;h; and all their par|takers, though never &s;o nu|merous and &s;trongly linkt together, be di&s;per&s;ed and utterly de&s;troyed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> But my horn &s;halt thou exalt like <HI>the horn of</HI> an unicorn: I &s;hall be anointed with fre&s;h oil.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. But my power and authority Thou &s;halt rai&s;e to a formidable height: and crown that dignity with &s;uch undi&s;turbed joy and plea&s;ure; as &s;hall prove, the pious are not always mi&s;erable:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Mine eye al&s;o &s;hall &s;ee <HI>my de&s;ire</HI> on mine e|nemies: <HI>and</HI> mine ears &s;hall hear <HI>my de&s;ire</HI> of the wick|ed that ri&s;e up again&s;t me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Nor the wicked al|way pro&s;perous. For to all other plea&s;ures this &s;hall be added, that I &s;hall &s;ee tho&s;e deprived of all power, who have long watched to doe me mi&s;chief: or certainly
<PB N="185" REF="102">hear of the ruin of tho&s;e malicious men, who &s;et them&s;elves with all their might to de&s;troy me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> The righ|teous &s;hall flouri&s;h like the palm-tree: he &s;hall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Which may be an in|couragement to every good man to hope in God, and not que&s;tion the ju&s;tice of his Providence; if at pre|&s;ent he be afflicted: for as He &s;hall overturn all his enemies at the la&s;t; &s;o He will make the righteous flouri&s;h (not as the wicked do like the gra&s;s, Ver.
7. but) in a durable pro&s;peri|ty, like the fruitfull Palm, and the &s;tately Cedar in <HI>Lebanon.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Tho&s;e that be planted in the hou&s;e of the LORD, &s;hall flou|ri&s;h in the courts of our God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. For they are under the care of the Lord our God; who&s;e Hou&s;e they frequent: and there par|take of his Divine ble&s;&s;ing, for the growth and increa&s;e of their happine&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> They &s;hall &s;till bring forth fruit in old age: they &s;hall be fat and flouri&s;hing:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Which &s;hall not de|cay, as the &s;trength and fre&s;hne&s;s of tho&s;e Trees will do with age; but the ol|der they grow, the more happy fruits &s;hall their <PB N="186" REF="103">piety produce: and they &s;hall abound in wealth and honour; as much as they do in that.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> To &s;hew that the LORD <HI>is</HI> upright: <HI>he is</HI> my rock, and <HI>there is</HI> no unrighteou&s;|ne&s;s in him.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. To demon&s;trate to all the world, that the Lord is a mo&s;t impartial Gover|nour; whom I have found my firm unmoveable Friend: and, a&s;&s;ure your &s;elves, is &s;o ju&s;t and kind; that he will never let wickedne&s;s go un|puni&s;hed, nor vertue be al|ways unrewarded.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="93" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM XCIII.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>There is no Title in the Hebrew to tell<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> us who was the Authour of this P&s;alm: Nor was there any in <HI>Origen</HI>'s Hexaplus, or in <HI>Eu|&s;ebius</HI> as
<HI>Theodoret</HI> confe&s;&s;es: who found in the Greek Copy which he u&s;ed, this P&s;alm called <HI>An Ode of David, in prai&s;e of God:</HI> To which hath been &s;ince added, <HI>in the day before the Sabbath, when the earth began to be inhabited.</HI> Which <HI>Mu&s;culus</HI> thinks was not ra&s;hly done by the Greeks: but &s;u|&s;pects they were moved to it; becau&s;e they
<PB N="187" REF="103">knew perhaps, that the Jews u&s;ed this P&s;alm upon that day. As indeed they did; for the words of the <HI>Talmud,</HI> in the Title
<HI>Ke|di&s;him</HI> confirm his &s;u&s;picions: which are the&s;e (as I find them &s;et down by <HI>de Dieu,</HI> upon the foregoing P&s;alm.) <HI>The Canticles which the Levites &s;ung in the Sanctuary, were as follow; on the</HI> fir&s;t <HI>day of the week, the</HI> XXIV. <HI>on the</HI> &s;econd
<HI>the</HI> XLVIII. <HI>on the</HI> third <HI>the</HI> LXXXII. <HI>on the</HI> fourth <HI>the</HI> XCIV. <HI>on the</HI> fifth <HI>the</HI> LXXXI. <HI>on the</HI> &s;ixth <HI>the</HI> XCIII. <HI>and on the</HI> &s;eventh <HI>the</HI> XCII.</P>
<P>Nor is the matter of this P&s;alm more di|&s;tant from the foregoing, then the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> day is from the <HI>&s;eventh;</HI> for it &s;eems to me to have been compo&s;ed, when &s;ome of tho&s;e po|tent enemies began to take heart again, and threaten to di&s;turb <HI>David</HI>'s peace and tran|quillity: which, in the foregoing P&s;alm, he had &s;aid he was confident, they &s;hould never be able to overthrow. Though in the more &s;ublime &s;en&s;e, it ought to be applied to the &s;tability of Chri&s;t Kingdom: which &s;eve|ral of the Jews acknowledge is prophe&s;ied of; in this, and in all the P&s;alms that fol|low unto the <HI>Hundredth.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> THe LORD reigneth, he is cloathed with maje&s;ty, the LORD is cloathed with &s;trength, <HI>where|with</HI> he hath gir|ded him&s;elf: the world al&s;o is &s;ta|bli&s;hed, that it cannot be moved.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. LET the Nations boa&s;t of the power and &s;plendour of their Kings, and tru&s;t to their <PB N="188" REF="104">military preparations; this is our glory and our confi|dence, that the LORD reigneth over us: who&s;e royal ornaments are not gold and precious &s;tones, but Maje&s;ty it &s;elf; and is not armed with &s;word and &s;pear, but with almighty &s;trength, which is ready to fight for us: who have this comfort al&s;o, that He who made the world, will &s;up|port that excellent order wherein we are &s;ettled; &s;o that it &s;hall not be in the power of man, to di&s;turb what He hath e&s;tabli&s;hed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Thy throne <HI>is</HI> e&s;tabli&s;hed of old: thou <HI>art</HI> from everla&s;ting.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. This we know, be|cau&s;e thy Kingdom O Lord is fixed, and immoveable: and did not begin now, when we were made thy peculiar people; but was, as Thou art, from everla|&s;ting.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> The flouds have lifted up, O Lord, the flouds have lifted up their voice: the flouds lift up their waves.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. We will not be afraid therefore, though multi|tudes of combined enemies threaten to break in upon us like a floud: though they &s;torm, and rage, and <PB N="189" REF="104" MS="y">in&s;olently vaunt, as if they were &s;ure to overwhelm us:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> The LORD on high <HI>is</HI> migh|tier then the noi&s;e of many waters, <HI>yea, then</HI> the mighty waves of the &s;ea.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Though they roar terribly, and be as nume|rous as the waters of the Sea; &s;welling like its boi|&s;terous waves, in a furious tempe&s;t: the great Lord is above them all; and can in&s;tantly depre&s;s them, as low as He plea&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Thy te&s;timo|nies are very &s;ure: holine&s;s becometh thine hou&s;e, O LORD, for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. And thy fidelity, in performing the promi&s;es, wherein Thou ha&s;t te&s;tified thy good will to us, is as unque&s;tionable as thy pow|er: no age &s;hall find it fail: for it becomes not Thee to &s;tart from thy word delivered to us, by thy Oracle; but it is thy glory to ob&s;erve it &s;acred|ly for ever.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="94" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="190" REF="105">
<HEAD>PSALM XCIV.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm al&s;o wants an in&s;cription in the Hebrew, to tell us who was the Authour of it: but the later Greeks intitle <HI>David</HI> to it; and call it <HI>A P&s;alm of his for the fourth day of the week:</HI> which they had (as I &s;hewed in the Argument of the foregoing P&s;alm) from the Hebrew Tradition in the <HI>Talmud:</HI> And he hath little acquaintance with the Hi&s;tory of <HI>David,</HI> who doth not &s;ee that here is an exact de&s;cription of the Court of <HI>Saul,</HI> who abu&s;ed their Authority to all manner of oppre&s;&s;ion and violence (e&s;pecially again&s;t
<HI>David</HI>) without any fear of God, or thought that He would call them to any account for it; as he complains in &s;everal other P&s;alms; particularly LVII. LVIII. LIX.</P>
<P>But it might as well be penned by any other holy man, who lived in times of ge|neral corruption; when (as <HI>Theodoret</HI> expre&s;&s;es it) their Kings, and their Prin|ces (<HI>i. e.</HI> Judges) loved not to be tied to the Law; but pronounced unju&s;t &s;entences, and committed murthers; &s;elling the bloud of innocents for bribes: of whom the Pro|phet
<HI>I&s;aiah</HI> &s;adly complains, Ver. 21. of the fir&s;t Chapter; where Ver. 10. he calls them <PB N="191" REF="105"><HI>Rulers of Sodom.</HI> Certain it is, the P&s;al|mi&s;t, who&s;oever he was, de&s;ires he may &s;ee ju&s;tice done upon &s;uch Athei&s;tical Oppre&s;|&s;ours; and de&s;ires good men not to be di&s;|couraged under their tyranny: but patiently expect an happy i&s;&s;ue, of all the vexation which they gave them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth: O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, &s;hew thy &s;elf.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O Eternal Lord, the Sovereign of the world, in who&s;e power it is to puni&s;h the highe&s;t of|fendors; and to whom a|lone it belongs, to take re|venge on tho&s;e who oppre&s;s thy people, when they &s;hould protect them: make thy ju&s;tice con&s;picuous in a &s;evere vengeance upon them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Lift up thy &s;elf, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Call them to an ac|count, O Thou righteous Judge of the whole earth: And, by making them &s;uf|fer according to the wrong they have done, let tho&s;e proud men, who have acted as if they thought none could controle them, know they have a Superiour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> LORD, how long &s;hall the wicked, how long &s;hall the wicked triumph?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. We can &s;carce behold the&s;e wicked men without
<PB N="192" REF="106">indignation: it tempts us to impatience, O Lord, to &s;ee how they pro&s;per and triumph in their injurious proceedings;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> <HI>How long</HI> &s;hall they utter
<HI>and</HI> &s;peak hard things? <HI>and</HI> all the workers of iniquity boa&s;t them&s;elves.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. And to hear their in|&s;olent, and provoking lan|guage; for they care not what they &s;ay; but as they intolerably abu&s;e us, &s;o they audaciou&s;ly bla&s;pheme Thee: the whole company of them, priding them&s;elves in the mi&s;chief they doe; and &s;cornfully deriding tho&s;e, that tell them thy judgments will overtake them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> They break in pieces thy peo|ple, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. They have cru&s;hed thy people &s;o, that they dare &s;carce complain of their tyranny: which cru|elly afflicts tho&s;e who are dear unto Thee, with all manner of rapines and ex|tortions.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> They &s;lay the widow and the &s;tranger, and mur|ther the fatherle&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. They have no com|pa&s;&s;ion upon the widow or the &s;tranger; but the rather &s;poil them, nay condemn them to die upon fal&s;e ac|cu&s;ations (that they may <PB N="193" REF="106">po&s;&s;e&s;s them&s;elves of their e&s;tates) becau&s;e they have no Patron to defend them: and in the &s;ame manner they murther, for it is no better, the poor fatherle&s;s children; whom they ought to protect from violence.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Yet they &s;ay, The LORD &s;hall not &s;ee: neither &s;hall the God of Jacob regard <HI>it.</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. And to harden them|&s;elves in their wickedne&s;s, they &s;ay; what do you tell us of the Lord? He knows not, or minds not, what we doe here: though there are &s;uch evident demon&s;tra|tions of the Divine provi|dence over <HI>Jacob,</HI> and his po&s;terity; yet, for all that, they fancy He doth not re|gard, nor will call them to any account for their do|ings.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> &V;nder&s;tand, ye bruti&s;h among the people: and <HI>ye</HI> fools, when will ye be wi&s;e?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. What &s;tupid wretches are the&s;e? who think them|&s;elves the wi&s;e&s;t, but are in truth the mo&s;t bruti&s;h of all mankind: whom I would advi&s;e, if they have not perfectly lo&s;t their rea&s;on, to con&s;ider this, (and &s;ure they are not &s;uch fools, but they may &s;oon under&s;tand it)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="194" REF="107">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> He that plan|ted the ear, &s;hall he not hear? He that formed the eye, &s;hall he not &s;ee?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Shall not He hear your bla&s;phemies, who gave you the faculty of hearing? and &s;hall not He &s;ee all you doe, who gave you the power of &s;eeing? Is it po&s;&s;ible He &s;hould give to others, what he wants Him&s;elf?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> He that cha&s;ti&s;eth the hea|then, &s;hall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, <HI>&s;hall not he know?</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. He that taught all Nations his will, &s;hall not He correct them when they tran&s;gre&s;s it? To what pur|po&s;e did he make man to know the difference be|tween good and evil, but that he &s;hould ob&s;erve it; and expect, if he did not, to &s;uffer for it?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they <HI>are</HI> va|nity.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Let them devi&s;e what ways they plea&s;e, and flat|ter them&s;elves with hopes to e&s;cape his vengeance: the Lord knows them all; and will make them &s;ee one day, that all &s;uch coun&s;els and contrivances are but mere folly and vanity.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>is</HI> the man whom thou cha&s;tene&s;t, O LORD, and tea|che&s;t him out of thy law:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. And far better had it been for them to have been puni&s;hed &s;ooner: For not he that pro&s;pers in his <PB N="195" REF="107">wickedne&s;s is happy, but he whom Thou cha&s;tene&s;t, O Lord, when he doth a|mi&s;s; and thereby teache&s;t to &s;tudy and obey thy Law with greater care and dili|gence.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> That thou maye&s;t give him re&s;t from the days of adver&s;ity, untill the pit be digged for the wicked.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. Which will quiet his mind under all his troubles, and at la&s;t procure the re|moval of them: when ab|&s;olute de&s;truction and ruin, mean time, is preparing for the ungodly.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> For the LORD will not ca&s;t off his people, neither will he for&s;ake his inheri|tance.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. For the Lord will never abandon the care of his people; nor leave tho&s;e whom He owns for his pe|culiar po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, to be ut|terly undone by the op|pre&s;&s;ions, which for a time they may endure.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> But judg|ment &s;hall return unto righteou&s;|ne&s;s: and all the upright in heart &s;hall follow it.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. But how much &s;o|ever his judgments may &s;eem to depart from the rules of righteou&s;ne&s;s, while the wicked flouri&s;h and the godly are afflicted; they &s;hall at la&s;t return to &s;uch a perfect conformity with them: that all hone&s;t hear|ted men &s;hall be incouraged
<PB N="196" REF="108" MS="y">thereby &s;till to follow the Lord; and by no means to depart from their integrity, though all things look as if they were unequally car|ried.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> Who will ri&s;e up for me a|gain&s;t the evil do|ers? <HI>or</HI> who will &s;tand up for me a|gain&s;t the workers of iniquity?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. Let them learn by my example not to de&s;pond; for who is it but He alone, from whom I have expec|ted, and &s;till do expect to receive protection and help again&s;t the&s;e malicious men? who make no con&s;cience of what they doe, and de&s;ign my utter ruin.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> &V;nle&s;s the LORD <HI>had been</HI> my help, my &s;oul had almo&s;t dwelt in &s;ilence.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. Who&s;e power al&s;o is &s;o great, that if the Lord had not &s;ea&s;onably interpo|&s;ed for my a&s;&s;i&s;tance and deliverance, I had not now been praying to Him; but laid in a &s;ilent grave.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> When I &s;aid, My foot &s;lip|peth: thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. This was my con|&s;tant &s;upport, if at any time my heart even failed me, and I was ready to con|clude, I cannot &s;ub&s;i&s;t any longer; then thy mercy, O Lord, &s;ent me relief, and pre&s;erved me from the dan|ger, wherein I was afraid <PB N="197" REF="108">I &s;hould have unavoidably peri&s;hed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> In the mul|titude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. I have had innume|rable perplexed thoughts, and anxious cares, which have extreamly di&s;quieted me: But as &s;oon as ever I reflected on thy goodne&s;s, ju&s;tice and truth, they all vani&s;hed; and I felt &s;uch con&s;olation from thence, as revived my dejected &s;oul:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> Shall the throne of iniquity have fellow&s;hip with thee: which frameth mi&s;chief by a law?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. And made me &s;ay, I will never imagin it po&s;|&s;ible, that Thou &s;houlde&s;t favour the tyrannical pro|ceedings of the&s;e unrighte|ous Judges: who not one|ly oppre&s;s thy people, but doe it in a form of ju&s;tice; and under the colour and pretext of law, make them mi&s;erable.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> They ga|ther them&s;elves together again&s;t the &s;oul of the righteous: and condemn the in|nocent bloud.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. They a&s;&s;emble them|&s;elves together, and in full council combine to de&s;troy the righteous: upon whom they pa&s;s a &s;olemn &s;entence, though he be perfectly guilt|le&s;s, to lo&s;e his life.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> But the LORD <HI>is</HI> my de|fence: and my God <HI>is</HI> the rock of my refuge.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. But this doth not di&s;courage me (who&s;e ca&s;e
<PB N="198" REF="109">this is;) let them decree what they plea&s;e, and be too hard for all laws: the Lord, who hates un|righteou&s;ne&s;s, will be my defence; He, who hath been long very gracious to me, I am confident will &s;ecure me from their vio|lence.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> And he &s;hall bring upon them their own iniquity, and &s;hall cut them off in their own wicked|ne&s;s: <HI>yea,</HI> the LORD our God &s;hall cut them off.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. And more then that, retort it upon them&s;elves; for the mi&s;chief they in|tended again&s;t me, &s;hall fall upon their own head: He &s;hall cut them off in their own wicked contri|vances; though it be not in our power, yet the Lord our God, who hath undertaken the patronage of tho&s;e that confide in Him, &s;hall cut them off.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="95" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="199" REF="109">
<HEAD>PSALM XCV.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm likewi&s;e is without any Title in the Hebrew, but the Greeks call it <HI>A P&s;alm of David;</HI> becau&s;e the Apo&s;tle to the Hebrews cites a pa&s;&s;age out of it, under his Name, <HI>IV.</HI> 7. Though that, it mu&s;t be confe&s;&s;ed, is no concluding Argument of its being com|po&s;ed by him; becau&s;e it is u&s;ual to call the whole <HI>Five</HI> Books by the name of the P&s;alms of <HI>David;</HI> when it is certain he did not make them all, but onely the greater part.</P>
<P>Whoever was the Authour, it looks as if it were intended to be a <GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> or &s;olemn invitation of the people (when they were all a&s;&s;embled together on the <HI>Sabbath</HI> or &s;ome publick occa&s;ion) to prai&s;e the Lord their God, and hear in&s;tructions out of his Law: And is ju&s;tly imployed &s;till by the Church, in the entrance of our Morning Service for the very &s;ame purpo&s;e. For it plainly re|lates to the days of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> as the <HI>Jews</HI> con|fe&s;s, and the Apo&s;tle proves, III. IV. to the <HI>Hebrews:</HI> where he demon&s;trates to them of that Nation, that the <HI>Re&s;t</HI> here &s;poken of could not be merely that in the Land of <HI>Canaan,</HI> which their Forefathers fell &s;hort of, by their di&s;obedience to God in the Wil|derne&s;s: but another, far better, into which <PB N="198" REF="110">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page"> <PB N="199" REF="110">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page"> <PB N="200" REF="111">they in
<HI>that day</HI> were to be brought, by the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah,</HI> a far greater Captain of Salvation then <HI>Jo&s;hua.</HI> And therefore it concerned them <HI>then,</HI> he &s;hews, above all other times, to take care they did not harden their hearts again&s;t Him; when He came to invite them to a participation of the greate&s;t ble&s;&s;edne&s;s: but entertain his holy Go&s;pel, with a chear|full and joyfull obedience to it. <HI>Theodoret</HI> is of opinion that it was particularly de&s;igned for the times of
<HI>Jo&s;iah;</HI> when he made that notable reformation (which we reade of 2
<HI>Chron.</HI> XXXIV. XXXV.) and called them from the wor&s;hip of Idols, to the &s;er|vice of the true God. But it could never be more properly u&s;ed by that Nation, then when the Lord Chri&s;t came to call them to repentance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O Come, let us &s;ing unto the LORD: let us make a joy|full noi&s;e to the rock of our &s;alva|tion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. OStir up your &s;elves, all ye that are come hither to wor&s;hip the Lord, and with united affections let us chearfully &s;ing his prai&s;es: Let us lift up our voices and triumphantly laud the Authour of all the good we enjoy; and in whom we may &s;afely con|fide for ever.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Let us come before his pre&s;ence with thanksgiving, and make a joyfull noi&s;e unto him with p&s;alms.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Let us approach into his pre&s;ence with thankfull
<PB N="201" REF="111">hearts, to acknowledge the benefits we have received from Him: and devoutly proclaim with triumphant hymns, what a joy it is to us, that we may addre&s;s our &s;elves unto Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> For the LORD <HI>is</HI> a great God, and a great King above all gods.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. For the Lord is infi|nitely powerfull, and hath a &s;overeign authority; not onely over all the Princes on the earth, but all the Angels and principalities in heaven.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> In his hand <HI>are</HI> the deep places of the earth: the &s;trength of the hills is his al&s;o.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. All tho&s;e Trea&s;ures are in his po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, which lie in the deepe&s;t and mo&s;t &s;ecret parts of the earth; whither none of our Mo|narchs can extend their power: and the loftie&s;t hills, which none but the clouds can touch, are part of his dominion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> The &s;ea <HI>is</HI> his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. The Sea al&s;o obeys Him alone; who hath an unque&s;tionable title to it, and to all the re&s;t of his wide Empire: for He made both it, and the dry Land; with all the things contai|ned therein.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="202" REF="112">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> O come, let us wor&s;hip and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. O be not backward then to comply with this renewed invitation; but let us all with the lowe&s;t pro&s;trations devoutly adore his Maje&s;ty: Let it not &s;uffice us to doe it once, but again let us, with hum|ble reverence, bow both our bodies and &s;ouls, in token of our &s;ubjection to Him: Let us fall on our knees, and &s;ubmi&s;&s;ively ac|knowledge the duty we owe, to the great Lord, who gave us our Being.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> For he <HI>is</HI> our God, and we
<HI>are</HI> the people of his pa&s;ture, and the &s;heep of his hand: to day if ye will hear his voice,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Which we above all people have rea&s;on to doe, becau&s;e He hath a peculiar relation to us, and kindne&s;s for us; providing for all our wants mo&s;t liberally, and continually defending us from all dangers: O that you would therefore with|out delay li&s;ten to Him, and be obedient to the voice of your Creatour, Con&s;erver and Benefactour, who calls upon you mo&s;t graciou&s;ly (by his own Son, III. <HI>Heb.</HI> 6, 7. IV. 7) &s;aying;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="203" REF="112">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, <HI>and</HI> as <HI>in</HI> the day of temptation in the wilderne&s;s:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Lay to heart what I have done for you, and be not &s;o &s;tupidly in&s;en&s;ible, as your Fathers were; at that place, who&s;e Name (<HI>Meribah</HI> and <HI>Ma&s;&s;ah</HI>) pre|&s;erves the memory of their provoking &s;trife with <HI>Mo|&s;es,</HI> and temptation of <HI>God,</HI> in the Wilderne&s;s, XVII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 2, 7.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and &s;aw my work.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. When they doubted of my power, and deman|ded new proofs of my pre|&s;ence among them (XVII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 7.) though they had &s;een my wonderfull works, in their late deliverance at the red Sea; and in making the bitter waters &s;weet; and &s;ending them bread from heaven, <HI>Exod.</HI> XIV. XV. XVI.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Forty years long was I grieved with
<HI>this</HI> genera|tion, and &s;aid, <HI>It is</HI> a people that do erre in their heart, and they have not known my ways.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Nor did they then cea&s;e their di&s;contented murmurings, and di&s;tru&s;t of me; but continued their &s;tubborn infidelity, vexing, nay tiring my patience for the &s;pace of forty years: long before the end of which I conclu|ded <PB N="204" REF="113" MS="y">that they were a peo|ple who&s;e heart would ne|ver be &s;tedfa&s;tly re&s;olved to adhere unto me; for they did not mind what wonder|full things I did for them, nor what I commanded them to doe for me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> &V;nto whom I &s;ware in my wrath, that they &s;hould not enter into my re&s;t.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Which &s;o highly di&s;|plea&s;ed me, that I &s;ware they &s;hould wander all their days, and die at la&s;t, in the Wilderne&s;s, (XIV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 28, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and never enter into that good Land, where I intended to give them re&s;t after all their travels, XII.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="96" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM XCVI.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm al&s;o wants a Title in the Hebrew: but the Greeks are ju&s;tified in the former part of their In&s;cription (which calls it <HI>An Ode of David</HI>'s) by the 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XVI. where we find, that at the bringing up the Ark from the hou&s;e of <HI>Obed Edom,</HI> to the place he had prepared for it on Mount <HI>Sion;</HI> <PB N="205" REF="113"><HI>David</HI> delivered this P&s;alm (together with the CV.) into the hand of <HI>A&s;aph,</HI> to ex|pre&s;s the joy he had in God's &s;pecial pre&s;ence among them: which, all their neighbours round about, he foretells, &s;hould be made &s;en&s;ible of, as well as them&s;elves.</P>
<P>This P&s;alm indeed is not exactly the very &s;ame with that; but there is a difference in &s;ome expre&s;&s;ions: <HI>ex. gr.</HI> it is called here <HI>A new Song,</HI> but not there; which &s;hews it was afterward altered by &s;ome divine per&s;on, who accommodated it to other u&s;es. And very probably by <HI>Ezra,</HI> when they came out of
<HI>Babylon:</HI> which occa&s;ioned the Greeks to add, in the latter part of the In&s;cription of this P&s;alm, the&s;e words; <HI>when the hou&s;e was built after the Captivity. Ezra,</HI> that is, made u&s;e of it to expre&s;s their joy at the re-edification of the Temple.</P>
<P>But it never had a compleat fulfilling, an&s;werable to the height of it, till the <HI>Me&s;|&s;iah</HI> (who was indeed the Temple of God) came to dwell among us; to give eternal Salvation to us. Several of the Jewi&s;h Writers acknowledge that it belongs to His times: and accordingly we not onely may, but ought, to have Him in our minds, when we &s;ay <HI>Sing unto the Lord a new Song</HI> (for his new Grace, that is, in &s;ending Him to give Salvation to all Nations) and <HI>the Lord reigneth,</HI> Ver. 10. and hath all things put under his feet. See <HI>Eu&s;eb.</HI> in his <HI>Demon|&s;trat. Evangelica,</HI> L. 1. c. 4.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="206" REF="114">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O Sing un|to the LORD a new &s;ong: &s;ing unto the LORD, all the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O Sing prai&s;es unto the Lord, for his new and extraordinary be|nefits, which He hath be|&s;towed upon us: Let all the earth join together with us, to &s;ing his prai&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Sing unto the LORD, ble&s;s his name: &s;hew forth his &s;alvation from day to day.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. We can never prai&s;e Him enough; and therefore cea&s;e not to ble&s;s his Name, and to &s;pread the fame of his Almighty Goodne&s;s to|wards us: but publi&s;h eve|ry day, with joyfull hearts, the great deliverances He hath wrought for us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Declare his glory among the heathen, his won|ders among all people.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Tell the Nations round about how He hath glori|fied Him&s;elf: let none of them be ignorant of the wonderfull things He hath done among us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> For the LORD <HI>is</HI> great, and greatly to be prai&s;ed: he <HI>is</HI> to be feared above all gods.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. For all our prai&s;es fall infinitely &s;hort of the great|ne&s;s of the Lord; who is worthy of the highe&s;t prai&s;e of the whole world: and hath &s;hewn both to us (1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XIII. 10, 12. 1
<HI>Sam.</HI> VI. 20.) and to others (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 3, 4,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) how dreadfull He is above <PB N="207" REF="114">all that are called Gods.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> For all the gods of the nations <HI>are</HI> idols: but the LORD made the heavens.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. For all the Gods of the Nations are nothing worth; being able to doe neither good nor harm: But the Lord not onely made the earth, but the heavens too; which abun|dantly declare the great|ne&s;s and the &s;plendour of his Maje&s;ty.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Honour and maje&s;ty <HI>are</HI> before him: &s;trength and beauty <HI>are</HI> in his &s;anctuary.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Who&s;e heavenly Court infinitely out-&s;hines all the &s;tate and pomp, wherein the greate&s;t earthly Mo|narchs live, (1.
<HI>E&s;ther</HI> 4.) For all the words we have, are not able to expre&s;s the brightne&s;s and magnificence, the power and comely or|der, of &s;o much as his Mi|ni&s;ters: an image of which we have in his holy place; wherein He manife&s;ts Him|&s;elf among us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and &s;trength.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. A&s;cribe therefore un|to the Lord, O ye people, from what&s;oever Family ye come; a&s;cribe unto Him, that incomparable Maje&s;ty, and &s;upreme Dominion and Authority; which you <PB N="208" REF="115" MS="y">give to imaginary gods.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Give unto the LORD the glory <HI>due unto</HI> his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. And renounce them all; and acknowledging the Lord alone to be the omnipotent King of all the world, doe Him honour &s;u|table to the excellency of his Maje&s;ty: bring Him an oblation, in token of your &s;ubjection to Him; and humbly wor&s;hip Him in his Temple.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> O wor&s;hip the LORD in the beauty of ho|line&s;s: fear before him all the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. O come and ca&s;t down your &s;elves before the Lord in his Sanctuary; where He hath fixed his glorious re&s;idence among us: Adore his tran&s;cendent perfecti|ons; and let all the people approach into his pre&s;ence, with a pious trembling and dread, to offend their So|vereign.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Say among the heathen, <HI>that</HI> the LORD reign|eth: the world al&s;o &s;hall be e&s;ta|bli&s;hed that it &s;hall not be moved; he &s;hall judge the people righteou&s;ly.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Go ye, that are al|ready become Pro&s;elytes unto Him, and publi&s;h eve|ry where, in all Countries; that the Lord [<HI>CHRIST</HI>] is the Sovereign of the World, who alone can make it happy: For He &s;hall &s;ettle tho&s;e in peace <PB N="209" REF="115">that &s;ubmit unto his Go|vernment; and they &s;hall not be &s;o di&s;turbed as they were wont, with wars and tumults: He &s;hall admini|&s;ter equal ju&s;tice unto all; and neither &s;uffer the good to be unrewarded, nor the evil to e&s;cape unpuni&s;hed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad: let the &s;ea roar, and the fulne&s;s thereof.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Let the whole Uni|ver&s;e therefore be filled with joy, at this ble&s;&s;ed news; which the Angels them&s;elves &s;hall gladly receive, (I. <HI>Luk.</HI> 30, 32.) much more ought all mankind, where&s;oever they are di&s;per&s;ed, on the Earth, or on the Sea, and the I&s;lands thereof, exceeding|ly rejoice; and fill all pla|ces with the loud &s;ound of their joyfull prai&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Let the field be joyfull, and all that
<HI>is</HI> therein: then &s;hall all the trees of the wood rejoice.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Let the husbandmen, and the &s;hepherds, and all that dwell in the fields, leap for joy: and the wood|men and fore&s;ters &s;hout for joy, to &s;ee the happy day approaching; when all the Idols that are wor&s;hipped there, &s;hall be thrown down together with their groves.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="210" REF="116">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Before the LORD; for he cometh, for he co|meth to judge the earth: he &s;hall judge the world with righteou&s;|ne&s;s, and the peo|ple with his truth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. Let them welcome that day; and meet the Lord with forward affec|tion, who is coming to them: For he comes to re|form the earth, and will govern mankind by righ|teous and mercifull Laws; and faithfully keep his word with all tho&s;e that truly ob&s;erve them.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="97" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM XCVII.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>Some of the Hebrews conceive (as I ob&s;erved upon P&s;alm XC.) that <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was the Au|thour of this, as well as the re&s;t of the&s;e P&s;alms which want an In&s;cription. And indeed he excelled in this faculty of compo|&s;ing Hymns, as we learn from <HI>Exod.</HI> XV. and
<HI>Deut.</HI> XXXII. and might upon &s;ome other occa&s;ion, as well as the overthrow of <HI>Pharaoh</HI> in the red Sea, make a Song of triumph, after &s;ome of tho&s;e great victories which God gave them over their enemies. Which was a thing in u&s;e before his time, as it appears by the fragments of ancient Songs recorded in his Books: particularly <PB N="211" REF="116">that
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> made by &s;ome Poet among the
<HI>Amorites,</HI> after <HI>Sihon</HI> had taken <HI>He&s;hbon</HI> from the
<HI>Moabites,</HI> to whom it formerly be|longed; wherein they triumph over their God <HI>Chemo&s;h,</HI> as unable to deliver his wor|&s;hippers, XXI.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 27, &amp;c. And if we could be &s;ure this P&s;alm was made by
<HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> I &s;hould think it to have been compo&s;ed af|ter the
<HI>I&s;raelites</HI> had conquered <HI>Sihon</HI> and his Land: over whom they triumphed as he had done over the former po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ours of that Country. But the P&s;alm &s;eems &s;o plainly to have been compo&s;ed, in pur&s;uance of what was &s;aid in the foregoing P&s;alm, that <HI>the Lord reigneth,</HI> and is King, not onely over <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> but all the earth; that one cannot but think they had the &s;ame Authour: who &s;hews the truth of that, by the illu&s;trious Victories, which God, as their King, had given them over all tho&s;e that oppo&s;ed them. For the <HI>eighth ver&s;e</HI> makes it manife&s;t that this P&s;alm hath re&s;pect to &s;ome Conque&s;ts, they had lately made over the heathen: which, I &s;uppo&s;e, were no other then tho&s;e which <HI>David</HI> won over divers Nations; not long after (1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XVIII. 1.) he had brought the Ark to <HI>Sion,</HI> and delivered the foregoing Hymn to be &s;ung, to put the <HI>I&s;rae|lites</HI> in hope, and their enemies in fear, of the great things which would in&s;ue, upon this &s;pecial pre&s;ence of God among them.</P>
<P>Which moved the Greeks to call this <HI>A</HI>
<PB N="212" REF="117"><HI>P&s;alm of David, after his Land was re&s;to|red unto him:</HI> that is, after he was made Ma&s;ter of all tho&s;e Countries, which God anciently de&s;igned to be the inheritance of <HI>I&s;rael.</HI> For that it &s;hould relate to the re|&s;toring his Kingdom to him, after
<HI>Ab&s;aloms</HI> rebellion, is not probable; becau&s;e the men|tion of
<HI>Idolaters</HI> and of their <HI>gods,</HI> Ver. 7. &s;eem to determine it to other Countries. In the &s;ubduing of which, God, it is likely, fought for them by &s;ome &s;uch tempe&s;t as we reade of (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 20, 21, 24.) whereby their enemies Armies were &s;hat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ered, and &s;o terrified; that they not onely fled, but left their images behind them (&s;uch was their ha&s;te) and gave the
<HI>I&s;raelites</HI> an ea&s;ie Victory over them.</P>
<P>But whatever was the carnal &s;en&s;e, it be|longs, in the diviner meaning, to Chri&s;t's triumph over the grave, and all the powers of darkne&s;s; at his Re&s;urrection and A&s;cen|&s;ion to his throne in heaven: as appears by tho&s;e words, which the Apo&s;tle to the <HI>He|brews</HI> alledges out of the <HI>&s;eventh ver&s;e,</HI> and applies to Chri&s;t's royal power and au|thority over Angels. Which the Hebrew Doctours them&s;elves, as
<HI>Kimchi</HI> confe&s;&s;es, take to be there intended: and may be fur|ther ju&s;tified from that expo&s;ition, which we meet withall in <HI>Midra&s;ch Tanchuma,</HI> of the words of the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> LII. 13.
<HI>Be|hold my &s;ervant &s;hall pro&s;per: He &s;hall</HI>
<PB N="213" REF="117"><HI>be exalted, and extolled, and be very high.</HI> This is the King <HI>Me&s;&s;iah,</HI> &s;ays that glo&s;s; who &s;hall be
<HI>exalted</HI> above <HI>Abraham,</HI> and <HI>extolled</HI> above
<HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and <HI>be very high</HI> above the Angels of the Mini&s;try.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> THe LORD reigneth, let the earth re|joice: let the mul|titude of I&s;les be glad <HI>thereof</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. THE Lord, it is ma|nife&s;t, is the Sove|reign of the world: under who&s;e happy Government, not onely we, and they who are already become &s;ubject to Him in other places, ought to rejoice; but the mo&s;t di&s;tant Coun|tries have the greate&s;t rea|&s;on to be glad thereof.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Clouds and darkne&s;s <HI>are</HI> round about him: righ|teou&s;ne&s;s and judgment <HI>are</HI> the habitation of his throne.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. His Maje&s;ty is mo&s;t dreadfull; and hath appea|red in great terrour again&s;t tho&s;e that oppo&s;e Him: whom, as he will not wrong &s;o, He will certainly pu|ni&s;h; for He maintains his Authority and &s;upports his Government, by doing ex|act and equal ju&s;tice.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his e|nemies round a|bout.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Let none therefore re&s;i&s;t Him, for flames of fire proceed<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> from his pre|&s;ence; which make the battel too hot for his ene|mies: <PB N="214" REF="118">who can turn no way but they feel them fla&s;hing in their faces.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> His light|nings enlightned the world: the earth &s;aw and trembled.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. It was his thunder and lightning, the brightne&s;s of which the world lately &s;aw; and were &s;o amazed, that &s;hivering pains took hold upon them, as upon a woman in her travail.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> The hills melted like wax at the pre&s;ence of the LORD: at the pre&s;ence of the LORD of the whole earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. The hearts of the &s;toute&s;t Kings and Captains failed them; and melted, like wax before the fire, at this terrible appearance of the Lord: at the ap|pearance of Him, who&s;e dominion extends over all the earth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> The heavens declare his righ|teou&s;ne&s;s: and all the people &s;ee his glory.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. For He is the Lord of the heavens: which have declared by this dreadfull tempe&s;t (excited by his Angelical Mini&s;ters) his &s;everity again&s;t his enemies; and made all the people &s;en&s;ible of the incomparable &s;plendour of his Maje&s;ty.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Confounded be all they that &s;erve graven ima|ges: that boa&s;t them&s;elves of i|dols: wor&s;hip him all <HI>ye</HI> gods.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Which may well make them all a&s;hamed (and they &s;hall be confounded by Him, if they will not re|nounce <PB N="215" REF="118">their errours) who wor&s;hip graven Images (though of gold and &s;ilver) 2
<HI>Sam.</HI> V. 21. and boa&s;t them&s;elves in vain gods who can doe nothing for them: Let all that are cal|led gods, whether Princes on earth, or Angels in hea|ven, bow down to Him, as the onely Saviour (1. <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.) and acknowledge his &s;upreme authority over them all.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Sion heard, and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced; becau&s;e of thy judgments, O LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> the mother City, hath received the news of thy Victories with a joyfull heart: after who&s;e example, all the other Ci|ties of <HI>Judah</HI> are exceeding glad, O Lord; becau&s;e Thou ha&s;t judged righteou&s;ly, in de&s;troying our idolatrous enemies, and defending thy faithfull &s;ervants.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> For thou, LORD, <HI>art</HI> high above all the earth: thou <HI>art</HI> exalted far above all gods.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Who&s;e hearts are fil|led with the greater joy; becau&s;e Thou, O Lord, ha&s;t manife&s;ted thy &s;elf hereby, to be the &s;upreme and one|ly Potentate: who rule&s;t over all the earth, and art
<PB N="216" REF="119">infinitely &s;uperiour to all that have the name of gods.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he pre&s;erveth the &s;ouls of his &s;aints, he delive|reth them out of the hand of the wicked.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. But do not content your &s;elves merely with this pa&s;&s;ion of joy: if you tru|ly love the Lord, hate e|very thing which you know is di&s;plea&s;ing to Him: &s;o &s;hall you have the Lord of all things for your continual keeper; who pre&s;erves the lives of &s;incerely pious men, and watches over them, with &s;uch a carefull provi|dence, that when they are in the power of the wicked, He will not &s;uffer them to de&s;troy them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Light <HI>is</HI> &s;owe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> for the righteous: and gladne&s;s for the upright in heart.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Be not di&s;couraged, though the world &s;hould frown upon you; but re&s;t a&s;&s;ured that God de&s;igns you, in due time, more chearfull and happy days: which, if you continue faithfull and &s;erve Him with upright hearts, &s;hall as cer|tainly come; as the corn, at la&s;t, &s;prings up, after it hath lain all winter in the ground.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="217" REF="119">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous: and give thanks at the remembrance of his holine&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Let all truly good men rely on this, and re|joice in their wor&s;t e&s;tate; that they &s;erve &s;uch a gra|cious Lord: Let them give thanks unto Him for his be|nefits, and gratefully com|memorate how kind and gracious He hath been un|to them; that it may be kept in perpetual remem|brance.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="98" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM XCVIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>There is no Title here but onely this, <HI>A P&s;alm:</HI> to which the Greeks add, <HI>of David:</HI> who it is very probable was the Authour; or if he was not, it was made by &s;ome holy man in imitation of what
<HI>David</HI> &s;aith in the XCVI. (of many of who&s;e expre&s;&s;ions this P&s;alm con&s;i&s;ts) upon occa&s;ion of &s;ome remar|kable deliverance, which God had newly granted to <HI>I&s;rael:</HI> as an earne&s;t of future ble&s;&s;ings; e&s;pecially of the coming of that great ble&s;&s;ing, the Lord
<HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> to give com|pleat Salvation to his people.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="218" REF="120">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O Sing un|to the LORD a new &s;ong, for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his ho|ly arm hath gotten him the victory.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O Let the new and extraordinary be|nefits, which the Lord hath be&s;towed upon us, provoke you to &s;ing prai&s;es unto Him with fre&s;h devotion: for He hath done &s;tupendi|ous things, and by his Al|mighty goodne&s;s alone, and incomparable &s;trength, hath wrought &s;alvation for tho&s;e; who were as unworthy to be helped by <HI>Him,</HI> as they were unable to help them|&s;elves.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> The LORD hath made known his &s;alvation: his righteou&s;ne&s;s hath he openly &s;hewed in the &s;ight of the heathen.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. The Lord hath decla|red by the wonders He hath done, how mighty He is to &s;ave and deliver: He made the Gentile world apparent|ly &s;ee, that He is the ju&s;t rewarder of all tho&s;e who piou&s;ly obey Him; and will not let the wicked e&s;cape unpuni&s;hed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> He hath re|membred his mer|cy and his truth toward the hou&s;e of I&s;rael: all the ends of the earth have &s;een the &s;al|vation of our God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. He hath not forgot his ancient Covenant with our Forefathers: but &s;o faithfully performed, what his mere mercy moved Him to promi&s;e, (1. <HI>Luke</HI> 54, 72.) that all mankind have &s;een
<PB N="219" REF="120">what our gracious God hath done, and partake of his Divine benefits.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Make a joy|full noi&s;e unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noi&s;e, and rejoice, and &s;ing prai&s;e.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Let them all therefore &s;hout for joy; let them cry aloud: and with &s;trong and chearfull voices &s;ing hymns of thanks and prai&s;e unto the Lord.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a p&s;alm.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Let nothing be wan|ting to expre&s;s your joyfull &s;en&s;e of the goodne&s;s of the Lord: but let the Harp ac|company your &s;ongs; let the &s;weet &s;ound of the Harp, I &s;ay, and the &s;ound of your voices be mixt together with your P&s;alms.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> With trum|pets and &s;ound of cornet make a joy|full noi&s;e before the LORD the King.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. And let the Trumpet al&s;o, and Cornet proclaim with a louder &s;ound, the exceeding greatne&s;s of your joy: while you &s;hout with triumphant acclamations to Him, and acknowledge the Lord to be your King.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Let the &s;ea roar, and the ful|ne&s;s thereof: the world, and they that dwell therein.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Let the noi&s;e of his prai&s;es be heard like thun|der, throughout all the ha|bitable world: both among tho&s;e that live on the Sea, and tho&s;e that are upon the Land.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="220" REF="121">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Let the flouds clap <HI>their</HI> hands: let the hills be joyfull to|gether.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Let high, as well as low, applaud their happi|ne&s;s, and joyn together with one con&s;ent; to ex|pre&s;s by all the tokens of joy, the &s;ingular plea&s;ure and &s;atisfaction they feel in their hearts.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteou&s;ne&s;s &s;hall he judge the world, and the people with equi|ty.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Let them meet the Lord with forward affecti|ons; who is coming to re|form the earth: and will govern mankind, by righ|teous and mercifull Laws; di&s;tributing to every man according to his works.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="99" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM XCIX.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The Greeks intitle <HI>David</HI> to this P&s;alm: which &s;eems to have been made upon the &s;ame occa&s;ion, and to the &s;ame end, with the <HI>three</HI> foregoing: onely with the&s;e <HI>two</HI> differences;
<HI>Fir&s;t</HI> that from the con&s;idera|tion of the royal power of the Lord (who had manife&s;ted him&s;elf by &s;ome notable conque&s;ts over his enemies, to be the onely Monarch; who&s;e Sovereignty extends over <PB N="221" REF="121">all the world) they &s;hould mix fear, and trembling together with that joy and exul|tation, to which in the former P&s;alm, he had excited them: And <HI>&s;econdly,</HI> that he doth not &s;o plainly, as in tho&s;e P&s;alms, prophe&s;ie of the Kingdom of the Lord <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>But there are many pa&s;&s;ages, as <HI>Theo|doret</HI> ob&s;erves, which may be applied to the appearing of our Saviour, and the infi|delity of the <HI>Jews.</HI> Saint <HI>Au&s;tin,</HI> and Saint
<HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> apply to him that pa&s;&s;age, upon which the Roman Church builds the lawful|ne&s;s of wor&s;hipping Images, Ver. 5. where the vulgar Latin reading <HI>adorate &s;cabellum pedum ejus, wor&s;hip his foot&s;tool,</HI> tho&s;e two Fathers think there is no way to recon|cile this, with that command, <HI>Thou &s;halt wor&s;hip the Lord thy God, and Him one|ly &s;halt thou &s;erve:</HI> but by expounding this of <HI>the fle&s;h</HI> of
<HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> which is the <HI>foot|&s;tool</HI> they &s;ay, which the P&s;almi&s;t exhorts all men to wor&s;hip (&s;o far were tho&s;e holy men from allowing adoration to any thing, that is not God, or hath not a per&s;onal union with Him) And indeed <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was repre&s;ented by the Ark; which was the Divine foot&s;tool (here &s;poken of,) but not to be adored, no more then the <HI>Hill</HI> on which it &s;tood: concerning which the P&s;al|mi&s;t &s;peaks, in the la&s;t Ver&s;e, ju&s;t as he doth of the Ark in this; and therefore we <PB N="222" REF="122">ought to under&s;tand both pa&s;&s;ages alike (the particle in the Hebrew, being the very &s;ame before
<HI>foot&s;tool,</HI> and before <HI>Hill</HI>) and tran&s;late them thus, wor&s;hip <HI>at</HI> or <HI>before,</HI> or <HI>towards</HI> his foot&s;tool and holy Hill: as el&s;ewhere he &s;peaks of wor&s;hipping towards his Temple,
<HI>V.</HI> 8. CXXXVIII. 2. And &s;o <HI>Menochius</HI> very hone&s;tly here expounds this pa&s;&s;age, in the&s;e words; <HI>wor&s;hip in his Temple, turning your faces towards the Ark; on which is the propitiatory, which is his foot&s;tool; &s;ince he &s;its on the wings of the Cherubins.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> THe LORD reigneth, let the people tremble: he &s;it|teth <HI>between</HI> the cherubims, let the earth be moved.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. LET the people fret and be tumultuous, if they plea&s;e; it will do them no &s;ervice; for the Lord is the &s;upreme Gover|nour of the world whether they will or no, and they had better with a pious fear &s;ubmit them&s;elves unto Him: Though the whole earth &s;hould be in an up|roar, we are &s;afe and &s;e|cure; for the Lord is at|tended with innumerable heavenly Mini&s;ters, who are a Guard to his faithfull wor&s;hippers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="223" REF="122">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> The LORD <HI>is</HI> great in Sion, and he
<HI>is</HI> high a|bove all people.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. The Lord, who&s;e Pa|lace is in <HI>Sion,</HI> is tran&s;cen|dently great: there is no power on earth able to op|po&s;e Him; who infinitely &s;urpa&s;&s;es the united &s;trength of all people.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Let them prai&s;e thy great and terrible name: <HI>for</HI> it <HI>is</HI> holy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Let them all therefore prai&s;e and reverently ac|knowledge thy mighty and dreadfull Maje&s;ty: for that alone is every way mo&s;t ex|cellent, and hath no equal; and therefore worthy of all veneration.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> The Kings &s;trength al&s;o loveth judgment, thou do&s;t e&s;tabli&s;h equi|ty, thou execute&s;t judgment, and righteou&s;ne&s;s in Jacob.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. For, though none can re&s;i&s;t Him yet, He is not a King that u&s;es his power to wrong or oppre&s;s his Subjects; but to do them right, and give them relief, in which He delights: This is thy character, O Lord, who ha&s;t e&s;tabli&s;hed mo&s;t equal Laws among us; and hitherto governed the &s;eed of <HI>Jacob,</HI> with exact ju&s;tice and &s;ingular mercy.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Exalt ye the LORD our God, and wor&s;hip at his foot&s;tool: <HI>for</HI> he <HI>is</HI> holy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Do you therefore, a|bove all other people, ex|toll the Lord our God, both in your thoughts, af|fections <PB N="224" REF="123">and words; and, turning your faces towards the Ark of his pre&s;ence, pro&s;trate your &s;elves before his Maje&s;ty, in token of your ab&s;olute &s;ubjection to Him: For He is incompa|rably above all other Be|ings, and the proper object of your adoration.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Mo&s;es and Aaron among his prie&s;ts, and Sa|muel among them that call upon his name: they called upon the LORD, and he an&s;wered them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Thus did <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron,</HI> two of his principal, and mo&s;t famous Mini&s;ters, (XXXII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 11. XVI.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 45, 46.) and thus did <HI>Samuel,</HI> one of his grea|te&s;t Prophets, that were wont to intercede for you, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 5, 8, 9. VIII. 5. XII. 19.) The&s;e holy men fell down before Him, to make their humble &s;up|plications to Him; and He gave them what they de|&s;ired.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> He &s;pake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his te&s;timo|nies, and the or|dinance <HI>that</HI> he gave them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. He &s;pake to them in a familiar manner, telling them his mind, out of a pillar of cloud; where|in He appeared to them (XXXIII.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 9, 10. XII. <HI>Numb.</HI> 5. XVI. 42.
<PB N="225" REF="123" MS="y">1 <HI>Sam.</HI> III. 10.) and they, like faithfull &s;ervants of his, conformed them&s;elves to his precepts, by which He te|&s;tified his will to them; and wor&s;hipped him after that manner, that He appointed them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Thou an|&s;wered&s;t them, O LORD our God: thou wa&s;t a God that forgave&s;t them, though thou tooke&s;t vengeance of their inventi|ons.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Whereby they obtai|ned great favour with Thee, O Lord our God; for when they prayed to Thee, Thou fulfilled&s;t their peti|tions: pa&s;&s;ing by, for their &s;akes, the &s;ins of tho&s;e who had highly offended Thee; but taking a mo&s;t &s;evere vengeance on all tho&s;e, who contemned their au|thority, and were contri|ving how to depo&s;e them, XII.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 2, 9, 10. XVI. 3, 31, 35. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> VIII. 7, 8, 9,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Exalt the LORD our God, and wor&s;hip at his holy hill: for the LORD our God is holy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Imitate therefore the piety of tho&s;e admirable men; and rai&s;e your thoughts, and affections, and voices, to extoll and magnifie the Lord our God, as much as you are able; for you can never do it
<PB N="226" REF="124">enough: And in token of your ab&s;olute &s;ubjection to Him, go and pro&s;trate your &s;elves before Him, at his hou&s;e on the holy hill of <HI>Sion;</HI> for the Lord our God is incomparably above all other Beings, and alone worthy of your adoration.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="100" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM C.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm of Prai&s;e.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>There is no other P&s;alm hath the like Title with this; which is called a P&s;alm of <HI>Prai&s;e:</HI> or rather of
<HI>Thank&s;giving,</HI> and acknow|ledgment, for Divine ble&s;&s;ings; as the word is tran&s;lated below, Ver&s;e 4. and in mo&s;t other places. For which rea&s;on, I &s;uppo&s;e, it is, that the Hebrews imagin (as the Chaldee Paraphra&s;e, as well as other of their Authours, tells us) it was peculiarly ap|pointed to be &s;ung, when their &s;acrifices of thanksgiving were offered; mentioned VII. <HI>Levit.</HI> 12, 13. The Companies al&s;o or Quires of them, who gave thanks to God, are called by this Name, XII. <HI>Nehem.</HI> 31, 38. Which <PB N="227" REF="124" MS="y">makes it probable that the Levites &s;ang this Song upon that occa&s;ion: which the Greeks think was made by
<HI>David:</HI> who invites all the world to join with the I&s;raelites, in the &s;ervice of Him, who was kind and gracious to them beyond expre&s;&s;ion Ac|cordingly we Chri&s;tians now properly u&s;e it, in acknowledgment of God's wonderfull love to us in Chri&s;t: by whom we offer up conti|nually &s;piritual &s;acrifices; for redeeming us by the &s;acrifice He made of him&s;elf, for making the world anew, and creating us again unto good works; according to his faithfull promi&s;es, which we may depend up|on for ever.</P>
<P>I do not know but the word
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> <HI>made</HI> Ver. 3. may be u&s;ed here as it is, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XII. 6. for <HI>advancing, rai&s;ing</HI> or <HI>preferring</HI> them (as He is there &s;aid to have done
<HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron</HI>) <HI>making</HI> them to be what they then were, a famous people, in a good Land: which &s;eems to agree be&s;t with the following words, <HI>and not we our &s;elves</HI> (and therefore I have not omitted that &s;en&s;e) For to deny that we created our &s;elves, is altogether needle&s;s; but that it is not to be a&s;cribed to our indu&s;try or wit, that we are rai&s;ed to a happy condition, is a proper expre&s;&s;ion of humility.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="228" REF="125">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> MAKE a joyfull noi&s;e unto the LORD, all ye lands.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. LET all the people of the earth lift up their voices, in triumphant Songs to the honour of the Lord; who de&s;erves all our prai&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Serve the LORD with glad|ne&s;s: come before his pre&s;ence with &s;inging.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Make the &s;ervice of the Lord your delight, nay greate&s;t plea&s;ure; and when you approach into his Ta|bernacle, &s;hout for joy that you are admitted into his ble&s;&s;ed pre&s;ence, to prai&s;e Him with your chearfull hymns.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Know ye that the LORD he <HI>is</HI> God,
<HI>it is</HI> he <HI>that</HI> hath made us, and not we our &s;elves; <HI>we are</HI> his people, and the &s;heep of his pa&s;ture.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Con&s;ider that the Lord, whom you wor&s;hip, is the Creatour and the Gover|nour of the world; who gave us our Being, and all the good things we enjoy: His we are, and by his power and goodne&s;s, not our own, we are become &s;o great and mighty a Na|tion; whom out of his own mere good will alone, He hath made his peculiar people, of whom He takes a tender care.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
<HI>and</HI> into his courts with prai&s;e: be thankfull unto him, <HI>and</HI> ble&s;s his name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. When you enter there|fore into the gates of his
<PB N="229" REF="125">Sanctuary, pre&s;ent Him, not merely with the &s;acri|fices of bea&s;ts but, with the mo&s;t acceptable &s;acri|fice of hearty Thank&s;gi|ving; and, as you &s;tand in his Courts, attending on Him, cea&s;e not to &s;ing his prai&s;es: Thank Him, I &s;ay, for all his benefits, and prai&s;e his incomparable per|fections.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> For the LORD <HI>is</HI> good; his mercy
<HI>is</HI> ever|la&s;ting: and his truth <HI>endureth</HI> to all generations.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. For as his power is tran&s;cendent, &s;o is his good|ne&s;s; as appears by his ne|ver-failing bounty towards us, and his &s;tedfa&s;t faith|fulne&s;s to his word: for the mercy promi&s;ed to our Forefathers He hath exactly fulfilled in our days; and will continue to all &s;uccee|ding generations.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="101" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="230" REF="126">
<HEAD>PSALM CI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm of <HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The Title tells us who made this P&s;alm; and the matter of it is &s;o plain, that any body may &s;ee it is a pious re&s;olution of
<HI>David</HI> to govern fir&s;t him&s;elf, and then his Court, and then his Kingdom, with &s;o much care; that the good might expect all favour from him, but no wicked man, of any &s;ort, have the lea&s;t countenance or incouragement.</P>
<P>The onely difficulty is to know, when he compo&s;ed it; whether before, or after he was &s;ettled in his Kingdom. The fir&s;t words of it &s;eem to countenance tho&s;e, who think he was po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed of it; and newly en|tred upon the Government: which he thank|fully acknowledges. But the words that fol|low, ver&s;e 2. <HI>O when wilt Thou come un|to me,</HI> &s;eem to ju&s;tifie their opinion who think he was now under <HI>Saul</HI>'s per&s;ecution: yet, having confidence in God's promi&s;es (which he long'd to &s;ee fulfilled) made this religious Vow, of being a good King; and propo&s;ed to him&s;elf an excellent form and manner of life, when God &s;hould be plea&s;ed to perform them. To reconcile both the&s;e, there is a middle way lies open to every ones <PB N="231" REF="126">view, that reads his hi&s;tory. For upon the death of <HI>Saul</HI> he was immediately promoted to the Kingdom; though not intirely: but re&s;olved then with him&s;elf how well he would govern; when God &s;hould make him King over all <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> as He had done over <HI>Judah.</HI> And &s;o I &s;hall order my Paraphra&s;e, &s;up|po&s;ing him to reign now in <HI>Hebron,</HI> (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> II. 1, 2,
3, 4.) and expecting to reign in <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> (2 <HI>Sam</HI> V. 3, 4,
5.) which I pre&s;ume he here calls <HI>the City of God,</HI> Ver. 8. becau&s;e there he intended to &s;ettle the Ark, as well as to fix his Court; when he &s;hould be po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed of it.</P>
<P>That pa&s;&s;age indeed hath induced &s;ome to think, that he compo&s;ed this P&s;alm, after he had made an attempt to bring the Ark thither; but failing in it, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VI. 9, 10.) &s;ighs here for its enjoyment. Which I &s;hall not di&s;pute; becau&s;e I would not pro|long this preface unnece&s;&s;arily. It is &s;uffi|cient in my judgment to &s;ay; that it doth not &s;eem likely, he would defer this re&s;olu|tion &s;o long after he was in&s;talled in his Kingdom. For it required time, to pre|pare a place for the reception of the Ark, &s;utable to the Maje&s;ty it repre&s;ented.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> I Will &s;ing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I &s;ing.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. I Will never forget, but celebrate with perpe|tual prai&s;es, that mercy which hath rai&s;ed me from <PB N="232" REF="127">a low condition, unto the Throne; and that ju&s;t pu|ni&s;hment, which I &s;ee in|flicted upon all my oppo|&s;ers: both which I a&s;cribe, O Lord, to Thee alone, and not to my vertue or valour; and therefore to Thee will I &s;ing my grate|full Hymns.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> I will behave my &s;elf wi&s;ely in a perfect way; O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my hou&s;e with a perfect heart.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Nor will I &s;atifie my &s;elf merely with Songs of prai&s;e; but &s;tudy, with all diligence, integrity of life, and purity of manners: O when wilt Thou perfect, what Thou ha&s;t begun for me? and &s;ettle me peace|ably in my Kingdom? Then I &s;hall be able to live more regularly, then now in this &s;tate of war and confu&s;ion, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> III. 1, 39.) and &s;o I re&s;olve to doe; &s;incerely indeavouring to make my &s;elf an ab&s;olute pattern of piety, and vertue to all my Court.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> I will &s;et no wicked thing be|fore mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn a|&s;ide, <HI>it</HI> &s;hall not cleave to me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. No pretended rea&s;ons of &s;tate and politick ends, &s;hall make me &s;o much as project any thing again&s;t <PB N="233" REF="127">the Law; to which I will ever tie my &s;elf: For I ab|hor the practices of tho&s;e, who decline that Rule, to pur&s;ue their own private de&s;ires; no &s;uch corrupt principles &s;hall be entertai|ned in my mind.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> A froward heart &s;hall depart from me: I will not know a wicked <HI>per&s;on</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. I will turn him in|&s;tantly out of my &s;ervice, who &s;hall dare to &s;ugge&s;t to me any crooked coun|&s;els: I will have no fami|liarity with him, much le&s;s make him my favourite; who makes no con&s;cience how he compa&s;&s;es his ends.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Who&s;o pri|vily &s;landereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look, and a proud heart, will not I &s;uffer.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. I will be &s;o far from li&s;tening to their private whi&s;pers, who, by &s;ecret calumnies and detractions, indeavour to &s;upplant their fellow-&s;ervants; that I will &s;everely puni&s;h, and bani&s;h them my Court: nor will I indure tho&s;e, who&s;e pride makes them overlook all o|thers, as if they were ano|ther &s;ort of Creatures; or who&s;e un&s;atiable covetou&s;|ne&s;s and ambition, makes them &s;tudy their own ad|vancement,
<PB N="234" REF="128">more then the publick good.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Mine eyes <HI>&s;hall be</HI> upon the faithfull of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that wal|keth in a perfect way, he &s;hall &s;erve me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. I will look out for tru&s;ty per&s;ons, men fearing God, and of clear integrity; and, in what part of the Country &s;oever I find them, make them of my Privy Council: and no man &s;hall bear any other Office in my Court, but he that lives unblameably.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> He that wor|keth deceit &s;hall not dwell within my hou&s;e: he that telleth lies, &s;hall not tarry in my &s;ight.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. No &s;ubtil knave, that is made up of &s;hifts and tricks, or that devi&s;es cun|ning cheats to oppre&s;s my &s;ubjects, &s;hall remain in my &s;ervice: Though he have craftily got into it, under a gui&s;e of &s;implicity; yet no fal&s;e informer, flatterer, or any other &s;ort of Liar, &s;hall continue in my favour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> I will early de&s;troy all the wic|ked of the land: that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. As &s;oon as ever I am &s;ettled in my Throne, I will u&s;e my utmo&s;t diligence to reform the whole Nation; e&s;pecially the place of thy peculiar re&s;idence, which ought to be an example to the re&s;t of the Kingdom: taking care that all offen|ders <PB N="235" REF="128">be &s;everely puni&s;hed in the Courts of Ju&s;tice; and, if there be no other remedy, cutting off tho&s;e evil members, who have got an incurable habit of doing wickedly.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="102" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is over|whelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>A Prayer compo&s;ed by &s;ome pious per&s;on (to|ward the latter end of the Captivity of <HI>Ba|bylon,</HI> or rather pre&s;ently after their return from thence, to their own Country (Ver. 13, 14.) who was extreamly afflicted, and even overwhelmed with grief, and trouble; to &s;ee the Temple &s;till lie in its rubbi&s;h, and the rebuilding of it hindred by many enemies. This was the cau&s;e of tho&s;e &s;ad complaints and lamentations, wherein he takes the li|berty to repre&s;ent their condition unto the Lord; and thereby give &s;ome ea&s;e to his oppre&s;&s;ed &s;pirit: which began to lift up it &s;elf in &s;ome comfortable hopes, when he con|&s;idered,
<PB N="236" REF="129">both the faithfulne&s;s of God to his promi&s;es; and the honour it would be to Him, when the Nations round about &s;hould &s;ee their wonderfull re&s;tauration happily com|pleated, and thereby be invited to embrace their Religion. Which proved a lively em|blem of the coming of the Gentiles into the Church of <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> the eternity of who&s;e Kingdom is here prophe&s;ied of, in the con|clu&s;ion of the P&s;alm. Which, as
<HI>Theodo|ret</HI> well expre&s;&s;es it, may &s;erve for any mans u&s;e, who wre&s;tles with any great calamity; and implores the Divine favour, for his help and deliverance. It may be applied al&s;o to his &s;ad condition, who groans under the burthen of his &s;ins; and cries for mer|cy: being the Fifth among tho&s;e Seven which are called <HI>Penitential P&s;alms.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> HEar my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. REject not my humble &s;upplication, O Lord; but graciou&s;ly ad|mit the earne&s;t reque&s;t, which, with lamentable cries, I pre&s;ent unto thy Maje&s;ty.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Hide not thy face from me in the day
<HI>when</HI> I am in trouble, in|cline thine ear unto me: in the day
<HI>when</HI> I call, an&s;wer me &s;pee|dily.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. The di&s;tre&s;s wherein I am is exceeding great; which will move Thee, I hope, to moderate thy an|ger, and not ab&s;olutely re|fu&s;e my petition: but ra|ther <PB N="237" REF="129">to grant me the more favourable audience, and to &s;end me the &s;peedier re|lief; when I implore it in a time of the &s;ore&s;t cala|mity.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> For my days are con&s;umed like &s;moak: and my bones are burnt as an hearth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. For my days are &s;pent as di&s;mally, as if I lived and breathed in &s;moak; and the angui&s;h I &s;uffer is &s;o &s;harp that it penetrates to my very bones: and makes them as parcht and dry, as the fire doth the hearth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> My heart is &s;mitten and wi|thered like gra&s;s: &s;o that I forget to eat my bread.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. My vital &s;pirits are exhau&s;ted; and flag like the gra&s;s, when it is &s;truck with a pe&s;tilent bla&s;t: For, together with my appetite, I have lo&s;t even the thoughts of my nece&s;&s;ary food.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> By rea&s;on of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Sadne&s;s hath &s;ei&s;ed on me to &s;uch a degree, that I do nothing but groan and &s;igh: which hath wa&s;ted me away to skin and bone.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> I am like a pelican of the wil|derne&s;s: I am like an owl of the de|&s;art.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. I take no delight in the company of my friends; but &s;eek for lone&s;ome pla|ces, like a Pelican in the wilderne&s;s: where I may
<PB N="238" REF="130">bemoan my &s;elf, like the Bittern in the de&s;art.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> I watch, and am as a &s;parrow alone upon the hou&s;e-top.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Grief and &s;orrow ba|ni&s;h &s;leep from mine eyes: and make me like tho&s;e &s;o|litary birds, which &s;pend the night on the tops of hou&s;es, in dolefull &s;hrieks and cries.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Mine ene|mies reproach me all the day:
<HI>and</HI> they that are mad again&s;t me, are &s;worn again&s;t me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. This hath expo&s;ed me to the &s;corn of my enemies, who do nothing but up|braid me with my mi&s;ery: and, not content therewith, are &s;o furiou&s;ly bent upon my ruin; that they have entred into a combination, and &s;worn they will de&s;troy me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> For I have eaten a&s;hes like bread, and min|gled my drink with weeping:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Which hath &s;till more increa&s;ed my affliction, and made me lie down in the a&s;hes: where, while I mourn and weep, they mingle them&s;elves with my bread; as tears do with my drink.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Becau&s;e of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou ha&s;t lifted me up, and ca&s;t me down.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Becau&s;e thy anger &s;till continues in great &s;e|verity again&s;t us; for after Thou had&s;t lifted me up in glorious hopes (I. <HI>Ezra</HI> 5. <PB N="239" REF="130">II. <HI>Ezra</HI> 68. III. 10.) Thou ha&s;t da&s;ht them all in pieces (IV. <HI>Ezra</HI> 4, 24.) and there|by given me the &s;orer fall.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> My days <HI>are</HI> like a &s;hadow that declineth: and I am withe|red like gra&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. And whil&s;t I wait for better times, my life declines apace; like a &s;ha|dow, which being come near to its utmo&s;t length, is ready to vani&s;h: For I have very little &s;trength re|maining; but droop and langui&s;h, like the dried gra&s;s; which is ripe for the mowers hand.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> But thou, O LORD, &s;halt endure for ever, and thy remem|brance unto all ge|nerations.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. All my comfort is, that though I die, Thou abide&s;t to all eternity; and can&s;t hereafter remedy all the&s;e evils, which Thou do&s;t not think fit to redre&s;s at pre&s;ent: and wilt, I am confident; for all genera|tions have tran&s;mitted down unto us, the memorial of thy faithfulne&s;s, and the glorious things Thou ha&s;t done for thy people.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Thou &s;halt ari&s;e, <HI>and</HI> have mercy upon Sion: for the time to fa|vour her, yea the &s;et time is come.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. It will not be long, before Thou do&s;t take pity upon the de&s;olations of <HI>Si|on,</HI> and rai&s;e her out of her
<PB N="240" REF="131">ruins: For the time prefix|ed for her puni&s;hment be|ing expired, (XXIX. <HI>Jer.</HI> 10, 11.) it is the &s;ea&s;on now, the appointed &s;ea&s;on, for thy mercy in her re&s;tau|ration.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> For thy &s;ervants take plea|&s;ure in her &s;tones, and favour the du&s;t thereof.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. For her &s;cattered &s;tones are far more dear to thy pious Wor&s;hippers, then the goodlie&s;t palaces in <HI>Ba|bylon:</HI> and therefore they cannot look upon her du&s;t and rubbi&s;h, without the mo&s;t &s;en&s;ible grief and com|mi&s;eration.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> So the hea|then &s;hall fear the name of the LORD: and all the kings of the earth thy glory.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. E&s;pecially when they con&s;ider, how thy glory &s;uffers thereby: whereas the Nations who now con|temn Thee, will &s;tand in awe of Thee; O Lord, all their Kings and Princes will reverence thy glorious pow|er, the fame of which now &s;eems to lie buried in her ruins;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> When the LORD &s;hall build up Sion, he &s;hall appear in his glo|ry.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. When they &s;hall &s;ee <HI>Sion</HI> rebuilt (which the Lord alone can bring a|bout) and his glorious Maje&s;ty there wor&s;hipped
<PB N="241" REF="131">with the ancient &s;olemni|ties:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> He will re|gard the prayer of the de&s;titute, and not de&s;pi&s;e their prayer.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. And the prayers of mi&s;erable captives, who were &s;tripped of all, pre|vail with Him, not onely for their liberty; but for their intire re&s;titution to their former &s;plendour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> This &s;hall be written for the generation to come: and the people which &s;hall be created, &s;hall prai&s;e the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. This wonderfull de|liverance &s;hall never be forgotten, but remain up|on record to the following generation: who &s;hall tran&s;|mit the memory of it to their po&s;terity; that they may al&s;o look upon them|&s;elves, as a people created a-new to prai&s;e the Lord.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> For he hath looked down from the height of his &s;anctuary: from heaven did the LORD behold the earth:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. Becau&s;e, in much mercy, He hath been plea|&s;ed to pre&s;erve a mi&s;erable Nation, from utter de&s;truc|tion: and, though He be infinitely exalted above all our thoughts, yet the Lord hath graciou&s;ly conde&s;cen|ded to mind the afflicted condition of this di&s;tre&s;&s;ed Country:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> To hear the groaning of the pri&s;oner, to loo&s;e tho&s;e that are ap|pointed to death;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. And to be moved by our groans to deliver us
<PB N="242" REF="132">out of a &s;ad captivity: and to revive us, when we had rea&s;on to look upon our &s;elves as dead and hope|le&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> To declare the name of the LORD in Sion, and his prai&s;e in Jeru&s;alem:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. That we might go, and recount in his Temple the famous things which He hath done: and make the holy City &s;ound with the prai&s;es of his power, good|ne&s;s and truth; which He hath declared in our re&s;tau|ration.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> When the people are gathe|red together, and the kingdoms to &s;erve the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. When all the people &s;hall be gathered together, there to wor&s;hip the Divine Maje&s;ty: and other King|doms join with us unani|mou&s;ly in his &s;ervice.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> He weake|ned my &s;trength in the way; he &s;hortned my days.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. I had hopes to have lived to &s;ee this ble&s;&s;ed time; and thought I had been in the way to it (III. <HI>Ezra</HI> 8,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) But He hath &s;topt our vigorous begin|nings, (IV.
<HI>Ezra</HI> 4.) and thereby &s;o &s;orely afflicted me, that I feel I am like to fall &s;hort of my expecta|tions.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="243" REF="132">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> I &s;aid, O my God, take me not away in the mid&s;t of my days: thy years <HI>are</HI> throughout all ge|nerations.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. Though I prayed mo&s;t earne&s;tly to Him, and &s;aid; O my God, who ha&s;t &s;o graciou&s;ly begun our de|liverance, take me not a|way before it be compleat|ly fini&s;hed; but let me &s;ee thy promi&s;e fulfilled, which, Thou who die&s;t not (as we do) I am &s;ure wilt not fail to make good:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>25.</BIBL> Of old ha&s;t thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens <HI>are</HI> the work of thy hands.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>25. For it cannot be too hard for Thee, to rai&s;e
<HI>Si|on</HI> out of her ruins; who ha&s;t, many ages ago, crea|ted this goodly fabrick of heaven and earth (by thy eternal Word, I. <HI>Heb.</HI>
10.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>26.</BIBL> They &s;hall peri&s;h, but thou &s;halt endure: yea, all of them &s;hall wax old like a garment; as a ve|&s;ture &s;halt thou change them, and they &s;hall be chan|ged.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>26. And Thou do&s;t nei|ther decay, nor alter, in proce&s;s of time, as thy crea|tures do; &s;ome of which &s;hall peri&s;h, but Thou &s;halt eternally &s;ub&s;i&s;t; and all of them &s;hall grow old, like our garments with long wearing: even the heavens them&s;elves, which now en|wrap the earth, as our cloaths do our bodies, &s;hall be folded up, (I.
<HI>Heb.</HI> 12.) and laid a&s;ide, like a tatte|red <PB N="244" REF="133">garment, when Thou &s;halt command that altera|tion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>27.</BIBL> But thou <HI>art</HI> the &s;ame, and thy years &s;hall have no end.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>27. But Thou (and thy Word) art &s;till the very &s;ame: and &s;halt always continue &s;o, without any, the lea&s;t, variation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>28.</BIBL> The chil|dren of thy &s;er|vants &s;hall conti|nue, and their &s;eed &s;hall be e&s;tabli&s;hed before thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>28. Yet all that I con|clude from hence is onely this; that, though I do not live to &s;ee our perfect re&s;tauration yet, according to thy unalterable purpo&s;e, the Temple and <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> &s;hall be rebuilt; and the children of thy &s;ervants, who now are in great di|&s;tre&s;s, be peaceably &s;ettled there: yea their po&s;terity after them, remain unmo|vable in thy favour; and enjoy the tokens of thy Divine pre&s;ence among them.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="103" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="245" REF="133">
<HEAD>PSALM CIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm of <HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The Title tells us this P&s;alm is one of <HI>Davids:</HI> and the third, fourth and fifth Ver&s;es may &s;atisfie us, that he compo&s;ed it, after his re|covery, from a dangerous &s;ickne&s;s, to &s;uch a vigorous health; as the Eagles have, when they renew their plumes. To that he alludes Ver. 5. as <HI>Euthymius</HI> and Saint <HI>Hierom</HI> under&s;tand it. The latter of which &s;ays, upon XL. <HI>I&s;aiah,</HI> that he had often taught, the Eagles do no otherway return to youth|fulne&s;s, when they are old; but onely <HI>mu|tatione pennarum</HI> by change of their fea|thers. I have expre&s;&s;ed this a little more largely then ordinary, in the Paraphra&s;e (as I have done in the re&s;t of the P&s;alm) to fit it the better to their u&s;e now, that have e&s;ca|ped the like danger: who &s;hould take occa|&s;ion, when they thank God for &s;uch a ble&s;|&s;ing, to imitate <HI>David;</HI> in making a thank|full commemoration of the re&s;t of his mer|cies: both to him and to others; both in the pre&s;ent and in pa&s;t ages. And the more to excite devout &s;ouls to this, and that I might make their thankfulne&s;s the more af|fectionate (if they plea&s;e to make u&s;e of this <PB N="246" REF="134">Hymn for that purpo&s;e) I have oft repeated the beginning of the P&s;alm, which I think re|fers to the whole: and likewi&s;e put it into a little different form (of a &s;oul actually prai|&s;ing God) without the lea&s;t alteration of the &s;en&s;e.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> BLe&s;s the LORD, O my &s;oul: and all that is within me, <HI>ble&s;s</HI> his holy name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. BLe&s;&s;ed, for ever ble&s;|&s;ed, be the Lord of life and health, and all o|ther ble&s;&s;ings; Ble&s;&s;ed be his eternal power, wi&s;edom and goodne&s;s: with my whole heart, do I ble&s;s Him; with my mo&s;t ardent love, and the devoute&s;t af|fections of my &s;oul.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Ble&s;s the LORD, O my &s;oul, and forget not all his bene|fits.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Which &s;hall be every day thus employed, and prai&s;e his name, with con|tinual plea&s;ure: I will ne|ver forget (how &s;hould&s;t thou prove &s;o ungratefull, O my &s;oul! as not) to ac|knowledge the ine&s;timable benefits I have received from his bounty; which are more then thought can number.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Who forgi|veth all thine ini|quities: who hea|leth all thy di&s;|ea&s;es.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. More particularly, I render Thee, O Lord, my mo&s;t hearty thanks, for thy <PB N="247" REF="134">late mercies vouch&s;afed to me: Ble&s;&s;ed be thy merci|full kindne&s;s, that after a &s;hort correction for my faults, Thou ha&s;t graciou&s;ly pardoned them; and hea|led all the &s;ores and grie|vous wounds, which they had made.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Who redee|meth thy life from de&s;truction: who crowneth thee with loving kind|ne&s;s and tender mercies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Ble&s;&s;ed be God, who hath &s;aved me from death; and not onely &s;pared my life, but &s;urrounded it mo&s;t graciou&s;ly with, I know not how, many benefits; which make it exceeding delightfull to me. (I owe my friends, lovers and ac|quaintance, my carefull at|tendants, my warm and quiet habitation, the plen|tifull e&s;tate Thou ha&s;t given me, the liberal provi&s;ion Thou make&s;t for me, with all the re&s;t of thy mercies, to the bowels of thy ten|der compa&s;&s;ions towards me.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Who &s;atisfi|eth thy mouth with good
<HI>things: &s;o that</HI> thy youth is renewed like the eagles.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Ble&s;&s;ed be thy almigh|ty Goodne&s;s, that my, mouth (which lately di&s;gu&s;ted all things, or was re&s;trained
<PB N="248" REF="135" MS="y">from what is de&s;ired, or was pre&s;cribed that which was di&s;gu&s;tfull to it) can now reli&s;h its food again; and is &s;atisfied with many good things: I can never &s;ufficiently ble&s;s thy Good|ne&s;s, who by this means do&s;t re&s;tore my &s;trength, and make&s;t my youth and fre&s;hne&s;s return like the Eagles. (O that I may with fre&s;h delight and joy be &s;till prai&s;ing Thee! and be lif|ted up to heaven, (as they are when they have renew|ed their plumes) in more vigorous love, and affectio|nate de&s;ires and indeavours; to imploy all my renewed &s;trength in thy faithfull &s;ervice.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> The LORD executeth righte|ou&s;ne&s;s and judg|ment for all <HI>that are</HI> oppre&s;&s;ed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Nor am I alone, obli|ged to my gracious Lord for his &s;ingular favour to me: but, ble&s;&s;ed be his name, He relieves all tho&s;e who &s;uffer wrong; and doth ju&s;tice upon their op|pre&s;&s;ours, who are too mighty for them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="249" REF="135">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> He made known his ways unto Mo&s;es, his acts unto the chil|dren of I&s;rael.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the re&s;t of our Forefathers, are wit|ne&s;&s;es of this: whom the Lord delivered, in a &s;tu|pendious manner, out of the hou&s;e of bondage.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> The LORD <HI>is</HI> mercifull and gracious, &s;low to anger, and plen|teous in mercy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. And by other me|thods of his Providence to|wards them, and dealings with them, declared how bountifull his ble&s;&s;ed na|ture is; and how ready to forgive: forbearing long when men de&s;erve to be puni&s;hed; and &s;oon relea|&s;ing them from their pain, when they heartily repent of their folly.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> He will not always chide: neither will he keep <HI>his anger</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. He doth not love, ble&s;&s;ed be his Name, to be always cha&s;ti&s;ing us for our faults: And when He doth cha&s;ti&s;e us, He neither loves to prolong our mi&s;eries; nor to inflict them propor|tionable to our de&s;erts.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> He hath not dealt with us after our &s;ins: nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. No, Ble&s;&s;ed be his holy Name, there is mercy even in our puni&s;hments: our &s;ufferings are never &s;o great as our &s;ins; but we might ju&s;tly &s;uffer a great <PB N="250" REF="136">deal more, then we do, for our faults.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> For as the heaven is high a|bove the earth:
<HI>&s;o</HI> great is his mercy toward them that fear him.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. And were we never &s;o obedient, there is not a greater di&s;proportion be|tween the va&s;t circumfe|rence of the heavens, and this little &s;pot of earth; then there is between his mercies towards us, and our &s;mall &s;ervices.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> As far as the ea&s;t is from the we&s;t:
<HI>&s;o</HI> far hath he removed our tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions from us.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. To tho&s;e mercies a|lone it is to be a&s;cribed, that we are not bemoaning our &s;elves under innume|rable mi&s;eries: but He hath quite taken away his wrath from us; and, adored be his goodne&s;s, perfectly re|mitted the puni&s;hment due to our manifold offences.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Like as a father pitieth <HI>his</HI> children: <HI>&s;o</HI> the LORD pitieth them that fear him.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. O what bowels of mercy are the&s;e! No father can be more indulgent and tender-hearted, to his re|turning children; then the Lord, ble&s;&s;ed be his Name, is to tho&s;e who &s;o reform by his cha&s;ti&s;ements, as to fear hereafter to offend Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="251" REF="136">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> For he know|eth our frame: he remembreth that we <HI>are</HI> du&s;t.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. He ea&s;ily relents and takes compa&s;&s;ion on them: con&s;idering how frail he hath made them; and how &s;oon of them&s;elves they will moulder into the du&s;t, out of which He took them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> <HI>As for</HI> man, his days <HI>are</HI> as gra&s;s: as a flower of the field, &s;o he flouri&s;heth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. For what is man that the Almighty &s;hould con|tend with him? He looks fre&s;h and fair; but alas! is as feeble as the gra&s;s, and as a flower in the field; who&s;e beauty is far greater then its &s;trength.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> For the wind pa&s;&s;eth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof &s;hall know it no more.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. Many accidents &s;natch him away, even in his prime: Ju&s;t as the biting wind, to which the field flowers are expo&s;ed, bla&s;ts them on a &s;udden; and they &s;pring up no more, in the place that was adorned with them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> But the mercy of the LORD is from everla&s;ting to e|verla&s;ting upon them that fear him: and his righteou&s;ne&s;s un|to childrens chil|dren:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. O how much doth this magnifie the wonder|full mercy of our God! who de&s;igns to be everla|&s;tingly kind (ble&s;&s;ed be his Goodne&s;s) to &s;uch &s;hort-liv'd creatures as we are: rewarding the faithfull &s;er|vices <PB N="252" REF="137">of a few years, with eternal life to our &s;elves; and with many ble&s;&s;ings to our po&s;terity, in future ge|nerations.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> To &s;uch as keep his covenant, and to tho&s;e that remember his com|mandments to doe them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. There is no doubt of this; which hath been verified in tho&s;e who have &s;incerely kept their faith with Him; and, not onely promi&s;ed but, con&s;tantly performed the obedience they owed Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> The LORD hath prepared his throne in the hea|vens: and his kingdom ruleth o|ver all.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. For none can hinder Thee, O mo&s;t mighty Lord, from being as kind as Thou plea&s;e&s;t: who art the uni|ver&s;al Monarch; the ble&s;&s;ed and onely Potentate; to whom, not onely the grea|te&s;t men on earth but, the highe&s;t powers in heaven are &s;ubject.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> Ble&s;s the LORD, ye his angels, that excell in &s;trength, that doe his command|ments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. Let the Angels there|fore, who know his great|ne&s;s, power and gracious Providence, better then I, ble&s;s his holy Name: Let tho&s;e mighty ones, who&s;e &s;trength &s;urpa&s;&s;es all the powers on earth, and yet never di&s;pute his &s;acred <PB N="253" REF="137">commands, give prai&s;e un|to Him, with all their might; and with the &s;ame chearfulne&s;s, wherewith they obey his word.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> Ble&s;s ye the LORD, all <HI>ye</HI> his ho&s;ts, <HI>ye</HI> mini&s;ters of his that doe his plea&s;ure.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. Let the whole com|pany of heaven, all the &s;e|veral ho&s;ts of tho&s;e glori|ous creatures, who have been imployed by His Ma|je&s;ty &s;o many ways for our good, and under&s;tand how much we are beholden to his love; &s;peak good of his Name, and ble&s;s his Mercy, both to them&s;elves and unto us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> Ble&s;s the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: ble&s;s the LORD, O my &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. Yea let every crea|ture throughout the wide world, proclaim as well as it is able, the loving kind|ne&s;s of the Lord: let none of them be &s;ilent, but all with one con&s;ent ble&s;s his holy Name: And thou, O my &s;oul, be &s;ure thou ne|ver forget to make one; O fail not to bear thy part in this joyfull quire, that dai|ly &s;ing his prai&s;e.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="104" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="254" REF="138">
<HEAD>PSALM CIV.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The foregoing and the following P&s;alm being certainly compo&s;ed by <HI>David,</HI> the Greeks, and from them &s;everal other ancient inter|preters, have a&s;cribed this al&s;o to the &s;ame Authour. For which they had this further rea&s;on; that it begins (as <HI>Aben Ezra</HI> ob|&s;erves) ju&s;t as the foregoing P&s;alm ends: and celebrates the mighty power and good|ne&s;s of God, in the fabrick of the world; as the CIII. doth his benefits to him&s;elf, and to the re&s;t of the children of men.</P>
<P>As for the occa&s;ion of it, we may look up|on it as a probable opinion, that when <HI>Da|vid</HI> thought of building a Hou&s;e for the Di|vine Service, and God &s;ent <HI>Nathan</HI> to for|bid him; (2
<HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 5.) he fell not long after into the contemplation of the Maje&s;ty of God; who having built this great world, as his Temple, needed none of his erecting; though He would be plea&s;ed to accept one for the burning Sacrifice before Him, as <HI>Solo|mon</HI> afterward &s;peaks 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> II. 6. To &s;trengthen this conjecture of mine, it may be ob&s;erved; that he begins this P&s;alm, with &s;uch an Admiration of God's mo&s;t ex|cellent perfection, as we meet withall in <HI>David</HI>'s prayer; immediately after God <PB N="255" REF="138">had certified him of his love towards him, though he would not let him build Him an Hou&s;e 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 22. <HI>Thou art great, O Lord, for there is none like unto Thee.</HI> In the &s;ame manner he &s;aith here, <HI>O Lord my God, Thou art very great:</HI> as he pro|ceeds to demon&s;trate, from his wonderfull works. And fir&s;t he begins with the Hea|vens, the Clouds and the Angels: and then comes down to the Earth, the Sea, the Mountains, Valleys, Fountains and other inferiour things: Which depend &s;o much upon the Sun, the Moon and heavenly Bo|dies; that all of them together declare the mo&s;t admirable wi&s;edom of Him by whom they were compo&s;ed: and &s;hould excite all mankind to his perpetual prai&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> BLe&s;s the LORD, O my &s;oul: O LORD my God, thou art very great, thou art cloathed with ho|nour and maje&s;ty.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. STir up thy &s;elf, O my Soul, with all thy might to meditate the prai|&s;es of the Lord. For the highe&s;t of all our thoughts are infinitely below thy Greatne&s;s, O Lord, my mo&s;t gracious God: who ha&s;t &s;hewn in thy mo&s;t ad|mirable works, the &s;urpa&s;|&s;ing excellence of thy Ma|je&s;ty; which we can never worthily celebrate with all our prai&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="256" REF="139">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Who covere&s;t <HI>thy &s;elf</HI> with light, as <HI>with</HI> a gar|ment: who &s;tret|che&s;t out the hea|vens like a cur|tain.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. The light, which dazles our eyes with its &s;plendour, is the royal robe, wherein thy invi&s;ible and incomprehen&s;ible bright|ne&s;s appears unto us: and the &s;pacious heavens are the royal Pavilion, which thy Sovereign power hath extended, like a Canopy, for thy Maje&s;ty, in this great Palace of the world.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters, who ma|keth the clouds his chariot, who wal|keth upon the wings of the wind.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. The floor of who&s;e Chambers, which the Lord hath laid in the upper re|gion of the Air; O how highly is it advanced above the top of the &s;tatelie&s;t piles that are rai&s;ed by earthly Monarchs: who&s;e pompous Chariots (whereof they boa&s;t) fall infinitely &s;hort of tho&s;e glorious Clouds, wherein He makes Him&s;elf pre&s;ent to us; as their &s;wifte&s;t Hor&s;es are &s;low-paced, in compari&s;on with the quick motion, more &s;peedy then the wind, wherewith He vi&s;its every part of his Dominion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="257" REF="139">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Who maketh his angels &s;pirits: his mini&s;ters a fla|ming fire.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Into which He &s;ends his Angels (and what King is there that hath &s;uch noble Mini&s;ters?) &s;ometimes in vehement winds, and &s;ome|time in lightning and thun|der; whereby they execute his royal plea&s;ure.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> <HI>Who</HI> laid the foundations of the earth, <HI>that</HI> it &s;hould not be re|moved for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Who hath &s;ettled the ma&s;&s;y globe of earth, even in the liquid air, upon &s;uch firm foundations; that none of tho&s;e &s;torms and tempe&s;ts, which beat upon it from without, nor any commo|tions from within, can ever &s;tir it out of the place He hath fixed for it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Thou cove|red&s;t it with the deep, as
<HI>with</HI> a garment: the wa|ters &s;tood above the mountains.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. It was all covered o|ver at the fir&s;t with waters (I.
<HI>Gen.</HI> 2.) which were &s;o deep, that there was no appearance of the highe&s;t Mountains.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> At thy re|buke they fled: at the voice of thy thunder they ha|&s;ted away.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Till thy omnipotent word charged them to re|tire (I.
<HI>Gen.</HI> 9.) at which they &s;tarted back, and &s;ud|denly &s;hrunk away; as an affrighted Slave doth, when he hears the thunder of his Ma&s;ters threatnings, if his <PB N="258" REF="140" MS="y">commands be not obeyed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> They go up by the mountains: they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou ha&s;t founded for them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Immediately the dry land was &s;een; part of which (by thy wonderfull contrivance, O Lord) ro&s;e up in lofty hills; and the re&s;t &s;unk down in lowly valleys: where Thou ha&s;t cut channels, for the wa|ters to run into the main Ocean; the place Thou ha&s;t appointed for them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t &s;et a bound that they may not pa&s;s over: that they turn not again to cover the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. And there, though they re&s;tle&s;ly to&s;s and &s;well yet, they cannot get over the &s;hores, wherein Thou ha&s;t inclo&s;ed them: nor &s;hall they ever recover their former liberty, to overflow the earth again.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> He &s;endeth the &s;prings into the valleys, <HI>which</HI> run among the hills.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. But &s;till, &s;uch is the admirable Providence of the Lord, they climb, through the hollow places of the earth, up the &s;teepe&s;t parts of it; and there break out in &s;prings: which fall down into the valleys, to make brooks and rivers, that run between the hills; which, on either &s;ide, &s;end into them fre&s;h &s;upplies to inlarge their &s;treams.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="259" REF="140">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> They give drink to every bea&s;t of the field: the wild a&s;&s;es quench their thir&s;t.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Which afford, not onely to us but to all the bea&s;ts of the earth &s;uch a|bundant refre&s;hment, when they are dry; that even the dull A&s;&s;es, who live in parched de&s;arts, find them out to quench their thir&s;t.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> By them &s;hall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, <HI>which</HI> &s;ing among the branches.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. The birds of the air al&s;o delight to re&s;ort thi|ther: where, having wet their throats, they &s;it and chaunt their various notes; among the thick boughs of the trees, which grow upon the banks.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> He wate|reth the hills from his chambers: the earth is &s;atisfied with the fruit of thy works.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. As for the hills, which con&s;tantly thus in|rich the lower grounds, He waters them from the regi|ons above: whence dews di&s;till, and &s;howres of rain come pouring down, by thy marvellous contrivance, O Lord, unto the &s;atisfacti|on of them, and of all the re&s;t of the earth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> He cau&s;eth the gra&s;s to grow for the cattel, and herb for the &s;er|vice of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. O ble&s;s the Lord, my Soul, who, by this means, provideth the bea&s;ts with gra&s;s and hay; and us with all variety of herbs, and <PB N="260" REF="141">roots, and fruit and pul&s;e: which He cau&s;es to &s;prout out of the earth; that we may never want what is nece&s;&s;ary for our food, or for our phy&s;ick.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> And wine <HI>that</HI> maketh glad the heart of man, <HI>and</HI> oil to make <HI>his</HI> face to &s;hine, an bread
<HI>which</HI> &s;trengtheneth mans heart.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. But rather take our plea&s;ure, and delight in the rich wines, which He pro|duces to chear the drooping &s;pirits of mi&s;erable men: together with oil to anoint their heads; and bread to recruit their &s;trength, when it is &s;pent with toil and la|bour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> The trees of the LORD are full <HI>of &s;ap:</HI> the cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. Ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord, who by this means al&s;o &s;up|plies, with abundant nou|ri&s;hment, the large&s;t trees; which are not planted by the art, nor watered by the care of men, but by his al|mighty Providence: who makes whole Fore&s;ts of them grow, as the Cedars in
<HI>Libanus</HI> do, even upon the mo&s;t barren and &s;tony Mountains.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> Where the birds make their ne&s;ts: <HI>as for</HI> the &s;tork, the fir-trees <HI>are</HI> her hou&s;e.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. In the&s;e trees the birds both &s;mall and great, build them&s;elves convenient <PB N="261" REF="141">habitations: and &s;ome of them (as the Stork, for in|&s;tance, who &s;eats her ne&s;t on the top of lofty Pines and Fir-trees) with admi|rable artifice.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> The high hills <HI>are</HI> a refuge for the wild goats, <HI>and</HI> the rocks for the conies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. And with no le&s;s &s;afety the wild Goats de|po&s;ite their young, in the top of tho&s;e craggy Moun|tains; whither they can climb as ea&s;ily, as the birds fly to the tops of trees: and other feeble creatures creep into the rocks; and there lie &s;ecure from the violence, that &s;tronger bea&s;ts would offer to them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> He appoin|teth the moon for &s;ea&s;ons; the &s;un knoweth his going down.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. By his mo&s;t wi&s;e contrivance, the Moon hath her full, and her wane: and the Sun doth not al|ways &s;hine; but ob&s;erves a con&s;tant time for its going down.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> Thou ma|ke&s;t darkne&s;s, and it is night: where|in all the bea&s;ts of the fore&s;t do creep
<HI>forth</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. And then darkne&s;s covering the face of the earth, and inviting us to re&s;t, gives the wolves, and other wild bea&s;ts of the Fore&s;t (&s;uch is thy care, O Lord, of all creatures)
<PB N="262" REF="142" MS="y">who were afraid to venture abroad before, &s;ecurity and confidence; to come out of their lurking places, and &s;eek their food.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> The young lions roar after their prey, and &s;eek their meat from God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. Which the ravening young Lions then meet withall; falling upon their prey with a horrible noi&s;e: whereby they expre&s;s the eagerne&s;s of their hunger; which is not &s;o &s;harp and devouring, but, by the Di|vine Providence, it finds full &s;atisfaction before the morning.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> The &s;un a|ri&s;eth, they gather them&s;elves toge|ther, and lay them down in their dens.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. When the Sun again appearing, and rouzing us out of our &s;leep, they all return with one con&s;ent; and lay them&s;elves down in their &s;everal dens.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour untill the evening.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. And &s;o man, refre|&s;hed by the nights repo&s;e, goes forth, without any danger, about his bu&s;ine&s;s in the fields: and continues his labours, till the night call him to re&s;t again.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wi&s;edom ha&s;t thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. O eternal Lord! how many and how great are thy works? and with <PB N="263" REF="142">what admirable wi&s;edom ha&s;t Thou contrived them all? If we look no further then this Earth, what a&s;to|ni&s;hing variety of good things do we behold, where|with Thy bounty hath in|riched it?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>25.</BIBL> <HI>So is</HI> this great and wide &s;ea, wherein <HI>are</HI> things creeping innumerable, both &s;mall and great bea&s;ts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>25. And this great and &s;pacious Sea al&s;o, which &s;eems to embrace the Earth in its arms, is no le&s;s full of thy wonderfull works: For there &s;wim Fi&s;h with|out number; &s;ome of which a&s;toni&s;h us, as much with the art Thou ha&s;t &s;hewn in their &s;mall bodies, as others do with the prodigious greatne&s;s of their bulk.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>26.</BIBL> There go the &s;hips; <HI>there is</HI> that leviathan, <HI>whom</HI> thou ha&s;t made to play therein.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>26. There the Ships &s;ail as &s;wiftly, as the Fi&s;hes &s;wim; fetching us the ri|ches both of Sea and Land: and there that great Levia|than (in forming whom Thou ha&s;t &s;hewn thy migh|ty power) finds room e|nough to tumble up and down; and &s;port him&s;elf, in his ab&s;olute dominion o|ver all that the Sea contains.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="264" REF="143">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>27.</BIBL> The&s;e wait all upon thee: that thou maye&s;t give <HI>them</HI> their meat in due &s;ea&s;on.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>27. O how liberal is thy Goodne&s;s, which provides convenient &s;u&s;tenance for &s;uch a va&s;t world of crea|tures? Every one of which, though they know not their Benefactour, is duly and &s;ea&s;onably &s;upplied, with the food they &s;eek, by the care Thou take&s;t of them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>28.</BIBL> <HI>That</HI> thou give&s;t them, they gather: thou ope|ne&s;t thine hand, they are filled with good.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>28. For they onely ga|ther what Thou, without any care of theirs, di&s;pen|&s;e&s;t to them: And Thou art not &s;paring of thy ble&s;|&s;ings; but ha&s;t made a mo&s;t plentifull provi&s;ion, which Thou &s;cattere&s;t every where for them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="29" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>29.</BIBL> Thou hide&s;t thy face, they are troubled; thou ta|ke&s;t away their breath, they die, and return to their du&s;t.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>29. If it fail at any time, by the &s;u&s;pen&s;e of thy hea|venly influences, all things look mo&s;t ruefully: they grow weak, nay die; and are di&s;&s;olved into the ele|ments out of which they were made.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="30" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>30.</BIBL> Thou &s;en|de&s;t forth thy &s;pi|rit, they are crea|ted: and thou re|newe&s;t the face of the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>30. But then Thou &s;en|de&s;t forth again thy quick|ning power; whereby new ones are produced, in the room of tho&s;e that are dead:
<PB N="265" REF="143">ju&s;t as the earth, after a &s;harp winter hath made it bare, looks fre&s;h and green again at the return of the &s;pring.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="31" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>31.</BIBL> The glory of the LORD &s;hall endure for ever: the LORD &s;hall rejoice in his works.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>31. Thus the world is &s;till as full, as ever it was; and all future ages &s;hall prai&s;e, as well as we, the &s;ame power, and wi&s;edom, and goodne&s;s of the Lord: which appears &s;o gloriou&s;ly in all his works, that He him&s;elf is &s;till plea&s;ed, and delighted in the continu|ance of them; as He was at fir&s;t in their contrivance, 1.
<HI>Gen.</HI> 31.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="32" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>32.</BIBL> He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; he toucheth the hills, and they &s;moke.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>32. El&s;e they would all &s;oon vani&s;h, and come to nothing: for at his pre&s;ence the very earth trembles; and the mountains, as our Fa|thers &s;aw at mount <HI>Sinai,</HI> are full of fire and &s;moke.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="33" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>33.</BIBL> I will &s;ing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will &s;ing prai&s;e un|to my God, while I have my being.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>33. I will never cea&s;e therefore to &s;ing the prai&s;es of the Lord; who as He created, &s;o &s;upports and maintains the whole fabrick of heaven and earth, and all the creatures contained <PB N="264" REF="144">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page"> <PB N="265" REF="144">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page"> <PB N="266" REF="145">in them: And I will never forget his particular kind|ne&s;s to me, among the re&s;t; but acknowledge to my ve|ry la&s;t breath, the innume|rable benefits I have recei|ved from his bounty.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="34" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>34.</BIBL> My medi|tation of him &s;hall be &s;weet: I will be glad in the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>34. With &s;uch affection will I prai&s;e Him; that all my thankfull meditations and di&s;cour&s;es, &s;hall be, I hope, no le&s;s plea&s;ing to Him, then they &s;hall be to my &s;elf: who will take the highe&s;t &s;atisfaction, in think|ing and &s;peaking of the Goodne&s;s of the Lord; from whom I &s;hall &s;till re|ceive more abundant cau&s;e to rejoice in Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="35" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>35.</BIBL> Let the &s;in|ners be con&s;umed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more: ble&s;s thou the LORD, O my &s;oul. Prai&s;e ye the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>35. But as for them, who&s;e onely plea&s;ure it is to &s;atisfie their bruti&s;h lu&s;ts, and abu&s;e the many good things they enjoy, (either denying, or never acknow|ledging Him who is the do|nor of them) they &s;hall utterly peri&s;h; and be no longer the care of that Pro|vidence, to which they are &s;o ungratefull; O my Soul <PB N="267" REF="145">never imitate their impiety, or negligence; but be ex|cited thereby to the grea|ter diligence, in prai&s;ing thy great Creatour and Bene|factour. And let all tho&s;e, who have any &s;en&s;e of Him, &s;tir up them&s;elves and join with me in his prai&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="105" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CV.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>Though this P&s;alm have no Title, yet we are a&s;&s;ured by what we reade in the 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XVI. 8, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> that the fir&s;t part of it, at lea&s;t (to the end of Ver. 15.) was made by
<HI>David;</HI> and delivered by Him to <HI>A&s;aph</HI> and his Brethren, for the con&s;tant &s;ervice of God in the Tabernacle: when, after &s;e|veral Victories over the <HI>Phili&s;tins,</HI> (1 <HI>Chr.</HI> XIV.) he had &s;ettled the Ark of God in <HI>Sion.</HI> And it is mo&s;t probable that he af|terward inlarged this P&s;alm (for who el&s;e would adventure to doe it?) that it might be a more compleat commemoration of all the mercies of God, towards their Nation; from the days of <HI>Abraham</HI> to their taking po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Land of <HI>Canaan.</HI> Into <PB N="268" REF="146">which he &s;hews, their gracious Lord conduc|ted them by &s;o many miraculous providences, in &s;everal ages (according to his faithfull promi&s;e, made to <HI>Abraham</HI> his faithfull Ser|vant) that it de&s;erved their mo&s;t hearty ac|knowledgments: to which he excites them, by <HI>ten</HI> &s;everal expre&s;&s;ions, in the <HI>five</HI> fir&s;t ver&s;es of the P&s;alm.</P>
<P>To which the Greeks praefix an <HI>Hallelujah</HI> (for they take the la&s;t word of the foregoing P&s;alm, and &s;et it on the head of this) as a note how much they were obliged to <HI>prai&s;e the Lord,</HI> according to that exhortation; when they remembred, in this P&s;alm, the benefits, that He had be&s;towed upon their Forefathers: which were &s;ufficient to excite and whet their minds, to the imitation of their vertue.</P>
<P>And it may &s;erve to admoni&s;h the new people of God, (as
<HI>Theodoret</HI> &s;peaks) that is, us Chri&s;tians, how much we ought to re|joice in God's goodne&s;s to us; and how dangerous it is to be ungratefull to Him: which provoked Him to deprive the <HI>Jews</HI> of that fatherly care which He had taken of their Ance&s;tours.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O Give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the people.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. STir up your &s;elves, all ye that are here a&s;|&s;embled, to make your mo&s;t gratefull acknowledgments unto the great Lord; who <PB N="269" REF="146">is plea&s;ed to come, and dwell among you: never approach his pre&s;ence to make your petitions to Him, but join his prai&s;es together with them; and proclaim to all the people round about, what great things He hath done for you, and for your Forefa|thers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Sing unto him, &s;ing p&s;alms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Sing his prai&s;e with a chearfull voice, and with all the In&s;truments of Mu|&s;ick: and let the &s;ubject of your hymns, and of your ordinary di&s;cour&s;e, be his many marvellous acts; of which let not one be forgotten.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that &s;eek the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. For nothing can be &s;o great an honour to you, as that you are the &s;ervants of &s;uch a mighty Lord; who infinitely tran&s;cends all other Beings: triumph therefore, and make your boa&s;t of this, as a greater happine&s;s then all worldly goods; let it fill the hearts of all his faithfull wor&s;hip|pers with the highe&s;t joy and gladne&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="270" REF="147">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Seek the LORD and his &s;trength: &s;eek his face evermore.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Let it incourage them to addre&s;s them&s;elves unto Him, upon all occa&s;ions; and, pro&s;trating them&s;elves before the Ark of his pre|&s;ence, (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> VI. 41.) commend them&s;elves to his powerfull protection: let them unweariedly &s;eek his favour, and implore his gra|cious a&s;&s;i&s;tance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Which you may with the greater confidence ex|pect, if you call to mind, and thankfully commemo|rate the marvellous things He hath done for your de|liverance; and his terrible executions, (III. <HI>Exod.</HI> 20.) according to his ju&s;t &s;en|tence pa&s;&s;ed, (VII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 4.) upon your enemies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> O ye &s;eed of Abraham his &s;er|vant, ye children of Jacob his cho|&s;en.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. The benefit of which you &s;till enjoy, O ye who are the po&s;terity of his &s;er|vant <HI>Abraham;</HI> (who&s;e faith and obedience you ought to imitate) the chil|dren of <HI>Jacob,</HI> whom He cho&s;e (rejecting <HI>E&s;au</HI>) to inherit the promi&s;ed ble&s;|&s;ing.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="271" REF="147">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> He is the LORD our God, his judgments
<HI>are</HI> in all the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. He is &s;till the &s;ame mighty Lord, and our mo&s;t gracious God; who conti|nues to execute his judg|ments every where, upon our enemies, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 7, 10, 17, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and therefore let us never cea&s;e to prai&s;e Him, and chearfully &s;erve Him, and faithfully depend upon Him.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> He hath re|membred his cove|nant for ever, the word <HI>which</HI> he commanded to a thou&s;and genera|tions.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. For He is never un|mindfull of his ingagements to us; but punctually per|forms in all ages, what He hath promi&s;ed in his Cove|nant.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Which <HI>co|venant</HI> he made with Abraham, and his oath unto I&s;aac:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Which He fir&s;t &s;o|lemnly made, (XV. <HI>Gen.</HI> 17,
18.) and then &s;ware, (XXII. 16.) unto <HI>Abraham:</HI> and renewed with his Son <HI>I&s;aac;</HI> to whom He promi|&s;ed to perform that Oath, which He &s;ware unto <HI>Abra|ham,</HI> XXVI. <HI>Gen.</HI> 3.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> And con|firmed the &s;ame unto Jacob for a law, <HI>and</HI> to I&s;rael <HI>for</HI> an everla&s;ting covenant:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. And again confirmed it to <HI>Jacob,</HI> both when he went to <HI>Haran,</HI> (XXVIII. <HI>Gen.</HI> 13, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and at his return, when He changed his name into <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> (XXXV.
<PB N="272" REF="148"><HI>Gen.</HI> 10, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and at la&s;t pa&s;&s;ed it into a Law, in that Covenant which He made with their po&s;terity, (XXIII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 22, 23, 31, 32.) never to be altered, if they keep their Covenant with Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Saying, &V;nto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. The &s;um of which was this; I be&s;tow upon thee, and will bring thee into that good Land, the Land of <HI>Canaan:</HI> which according to this faithfull Covenant, you now po&s;|&s;e&s;s; as by lot it was di&s;tri|buted to your &s;everal Tribes, for their inheritance, XIV.
<HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 1, 2.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> When they were <HI>but</HI> a few men in number: yea, very few, and &s;trangers in it.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. This Covenant He began to make with your Forefathers, (and &s;hew'd his intention to perform it, by his &s;ingular care over them) when their Family was very &s;mall, (XII. <HI>Gen.</HI> 1, 5.) and con&s;equently &s;o weak, that they might ea|&s;ily have been de&s;troyed in the Land, where they were &s;trangers, (XXIII. <HI>Gen.</HI> 4.) and had no friends, nor al|lies to &s;upport them:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="273" REF="148">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> When they went from one na|tion to another, from <HI>one</HI> kingdom to another people.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. Nor any &s;ettled ha|bitation; but were forced to wander to and fro, from one part of <HI>Canaan</HI> into a|nother, (XII. <HI>Gen.</HI>
6, 8, 9.) and then to &s;ojourn in o|ther Kingdoms; &s;ometimes in
<HI>Egypt,</HI> (XII. <HI>Gen.</HI> 10.) &s;ometimes in <HI>Gerar,</HI> (XX.
<HI>Gen.</HI> 1. XXVI.) and &s;ome|times in the Ea&s;tern Coun|try from whence they came, XXIX. <HI>Gen.</HI> 1.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> He &s;uffered no man to doe them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their &s;akes:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. And where&s;oever they &s;ojourned, He took them into his protection, and &s;uffered no man to doe them any injury, (XXXI.
<HI>Gen.</HI> 24, 42.) but gave &s;e|vere checks, even to the King of
<HI>Egypt,</HI> (XII. <HI>Gen.</HI> 16.) and the King of <HI>Ge|rar,</HI> (XX.
3, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) to pre|vent the mi&s;chief, which they were de&s;igning to them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> <HI>Saying,</HI> Touch not mine anointed, and doe my prophets no harm.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. For He told them, the&s;e were &s;acred per&s;ons, whom He de&s;igned to make greater men then them|&s;elves: and therefore char|ged them not to burt them; <PB N="274" REF="149">but to honour them, not merely as
<HI>Princes,</HI> (XXIII. <HI>Gen.</HI> 6.) but as <HI>Prophets,</HI> (XX. 7.) by who&s;e prayers they &s;hould receive great ble&s;&s;ings, if they were kind to them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> Moreover, he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole &s;taff of bread.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. And when, in the days of <HI>Jacob,</HI> He puni&s;hed the Land of <HI>Canaan,</HI> as well as other Countries, with &s;uch a dearth, (XLI. <HI>Gen.</HI> 54, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) that the earth brought forth no kind of grain, for the &s;upport of humane life;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> He &s;ent a man before them, <HI>even</HI> Jo&s;eph, <HI>who</HI> was &s;old for a &s;er|vant.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. He took a &s;pecial care, in a mo&s;t wonderfull way, to provide both for him and for his family: for <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> (whom his Brethren fir&s;t con&s;pired to de&s;troy, but afterward were diver|ted from their purpo&s;e and onely &s;old for a &s;lave) was brought into
<HI>Egypt,</HI> by the &s;ecret Coun&s;el of God, (XLV. <HI>Gen.</HI> 5, 7,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) to be the in&s;trument of their pre&s;ervation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> Who&s;e feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. He was oppre&s;&s;ed indeed, for a long time, by
<PB N="275" REF="149" MS="y">a mo&s;t grievous calumny: which was a &s;orer affliction to him, then the chains and fetters, that were, at fir&s;t, laid upon him in pri&s;on.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> &V;ntill the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. Till mention at la&s;t was made of him to
<HI>Pha|raoh,</HI> by one of his Officers: who related how exactly
<HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> predicted what had befaln him, and another of his Fellow-&s;ervants; as if he were a man in&s;pired, XL. <HI>Gen.</HI> 21, 22. XLI. 12, 13.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> The king &s;ent and loo&s;ed him:
<HI>even</HI> the ruler of the peo|ple, and let him go free.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. Whereupon the King pre&s;ently &s;ent for him, (XLI.
<HI>Gen.</HI> 14.) that great Prince, who&s;e Dominion extended over many Provinces, com|manded him to be &s;et at liberty.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> He made him lord of his hou&s;e, and ruler of all his &s;ub&s;tance:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. And received &s;uch &s;atisfaction from him, about his dream, which none of his Wi&s;e men could inter|pret; that he not onely wholly di&s;charged him from his impri&s;onment, but made him the chief Officer in the Court: and, under him&s;elf, the &s;upreme Governour of
<PB N="276" REF="150" MS="y">his whole Kingdom, XLI. <HI>Gen.</HI> 40, 41.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> To bind his princes at his plea|&s;ure: and teach his &s;enatours wi&s;e|dom.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. Yea intru&s;ted him with an ab&s;olute power, to command all the Rulers of his &s;everal Provinces, what he plea&s;ed; and to puni&s;h their di&s;obedience according to his di&s;cretion: The mo&s;t ancient and wi&s;e&s;t Coun&s;el|lours in the Realm, were or|dered to repair to him; and to doe nothing without his In&s;tructions, XLI. <HI>Gen.</HI> 44.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> I&s;rael al&s;o came into Egypt: and Jacob &s;ojour|ned in the land of Ham.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. By which great Au|thority he procured not onely the leave, but the in|vitation of <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> (XLV. <HI>Gen.</HI> 16, 17,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) to his Fa|ther, to come and bring all his Family with him in|to <HI>Egypt:</HI> and accordingly he came, and dwelt in the be&s;t part of all the Country, XLVI. <HI>Gen.</HI> 26, 28.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> And he in|crea&s;ed his people greatly: and made them &s;tronger then their enemies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. Where, according to his promi&s;e, when He bad
<HI>Jacob</HI> accept that invitation, (XLVI. <HI>Gen.</HI> 3, 4.) the Lord multiplied them exceeding|ly, (I. <HI>Exod.</HI> 7.) and made them mightier then the <HI>E|gyptians,</HI> <PB N="277" REF="150">(I. <HI>Exod.</HI> 9.) who, of Friends, were now be|come their Enemies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>25.</BIBL> He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal &s;ubtilly with his &s;ervants.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>25. For the kinder God was to the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> and the more He increa&s;ed their Numbers, the greater jea|lou&s;ie it begat in the heart of the <HI>Egyptians;</HI> which turned at la&s;t into an ab&s;o|lute hatred of them: and provoked their malice to invent the cruelle&s;t ways, fir&s;t to dimini&s;h, (I. <HI>Exod.</HI> 10, 11, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and then to de&s;troy them, (Ver. 15, 16.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>26.</BIBL> He &s;ent Mo&s;es his &s;ervant,
<HI>and</HI> Aaron whom he had cho&s;en.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>26. This moved the Di|vine compa&s;&s;ion, when He &s;aw their oppre&s;&s;ion grew intolerable, to give com|mi&s;&s;ion to
<HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> whom He had in an extraordinary manner pre&s;erved from pe|ri&s;hing, (III. <HI>Exod.</HI> 10.) and to <HI>Aaron,</HI> whom He cho&s;e to be his A&s;&s;i&s;tant, (IV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 15.) to go and demand their liberty of <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> IV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 23. V. 1.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>27.</BIBL> They &s;hew|ed his &s;igns among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>27. And, he di&s;puting their Commi&s;&s;ion, (and re|fu&s;ing to let <HI>I&s;rael</HI> go) they <PB N="278" REF="151" MS="y">proved it, and per&s;waded him to obey it, by many miraculous works: which God commanded them to doe, as tokens that He had &s;ent them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>28.</BIBL> He &s;ent darkne&s;s, and made it dark: and they rebelled not again&s;t his word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>28. Among which the pitchy darkne&s;s, which o|ver&s;pread the whole Land three days (except onely where the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> dwelt) was a very remarkable pu|ni&s;hment of <HI>Pharaoh</HI>'s blind|ne&s;s: who would not &s;ee the hand of God in all tho&s;e other plagues, which
<HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron,</HI> not fearing his di&s;plea&s;ure, but pur&s;uing their orders, had inflicted on him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="29" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>29.</BIBL> He turned their waters into bloud, and &s;lew their fi&s;h.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>29. As fir&s;t of all, the Lord commanded them to &s;tretch their hand upon all the waters of <HI>Egypt;</HI> which He turned into bloud: and made them &s;o putrid, that the fi&s;h which was in the river died, VII.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 20, 21.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="30" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>30.</BIBL> Their land brought forth frogs in abun|dance, in the chambers of their kings.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>30. And, at the next &s;troke, produced &s;uch a va&s;t number of frogs out of the &s;tinking waters and <PB N="279" REF="151">mudd; that not onely the whole earth was covered with them, but no hou&s;e, no room in their hou&s;es; no, not the Cabinets of their King and his Princes, were free from their annoy|ance, VIII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 3, 6.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="31" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>31.</BIBL> He &s;pake, and there came divers &s;orts of flies, <HI>and</HI> lice in all their coa&s;ts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>31. And then followed an infinite &s;warm of the mo&s;t pe&s;tilent &s;ort of flies, (&s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> LXXVIII. 45.) after a trouble&s;ome and fil|thy plague of lice, which had infe&s;ted all the Coun|try, VIII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 17, 24.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="32" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>32.</BIBL> He gave them hail for rain: <HI>and</HI> flaming fire in their land.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>32. Which was &s;uccee|ded (after a murrain upon their Cattel, and a fiery ul|cer on their own bodies) by a dreadfull &s;torm of hail, (when fruitfull &s;howrs of rain were mo&s;t de&s;irable) together with &s;uch light|ning, as was never &s;een: for it ran upon the ground, and burnt up all that was not de&s;troyed by the hail, IX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 23, 24,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="33" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>33.</BIBL> He &s;mote their vines al&s;o, and their fig-trees: and brake the trees of their coa&s;ts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>33. Which not onely &s;truck down the grapes, and the figgs: but &s;hattered <PB N="280" REF="152">the vines and fig-trees them&s;elves; together with many other fruit-trees in the Land.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="34" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>34.</BIBL> He &s;pake, and the locu&s;ts came: and cater|pillers, and that without number,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>34. And what&s;oever e|&s;caped this tempe&s;tuous &s;torm (for &s;ome things were not then grown up, IX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 31.) was, not long after, devoured by an innumerable army of vari|ous &s;orts of locu&s;ts, X. <HI>Exod.</HI> 5, 12, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="35" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>35.</BIBL> And did eat up all the herbs in their land: and devoured the fruit of their ground.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>35. Which, by his com|mand, came and covered the whole face of the Coun|try: eating up the very leaves of the trees, as well as all the gra&s;s and herbs upon the ground, X. <HI>Exod.</HI> 15.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="36" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>36.</BIBL> He &s;mote al&s;o all the fir&s;t-born in their land: the chief of all their &s;trength.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>36. And at la&s;t He fini|&s;hed the&s;e plagues, in the &s;laughter of all the fir&s;t-born, both of man and bea&s;t: the Angel of the Lord killing, in one and the &s;ame night, (XII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 29.) the principal prop of every Family; and the be&s;t of all their flocks and their herds.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="37" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="281" REF="152">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>37.</BIBL> He brought them forth al&s;o with &s;ilver and gold: and <HI>there was</HI> not one feeble <HI>per&s;on</HI> among their tribes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>37. Which terrible de|&s;truction &s;o affrighted them, that they not onely let <HI>I&s;|rael</HI> go; but were forward to thru&s;t them out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> and that loaded with &s;ilver and gold, (XII. <HI>Exod.</HI>
31, 35.) And, which is very wonderfull, among &s;o many thou&s;and per&s;ons, (Ver. 37.) there was not one, at that time, &s;o feeble, as to be unable to travel.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="38" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>38.</BIBL> Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>38. And great was the joy at their departure; not onely among the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> but among the <HI>Egyptians:</HI> who thought them&s;elves not &s;afe till the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> had their liberty; but were in dread of another plague, which they thought might kill them, as the former had done their children, XII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 33.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="39" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>39.</BIBL> He &s;pread a cloud for a cove|ring: and fire to give light in the night.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>39. Nor did the Divine providence de&s;ert our Fa|thers after it had brought them out of <HI>Egypt;</HI> but le&s;t they &s;hould &s;uffer any prejudice by the exceeding great heats, or mi&s;take their
<PB N="282" REF="153">way, in a de&s;olate wilder|ne&s;s, He defended them in the day, from the &s;corching rays of the Sun, by a cloud: which it &s;elf gave them light to comfort, and (if need were) to guide them in the night, XIII.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 21, 22.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="40" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>40.</BIBL> The people <HI>asked,</HI> and he brought quails: and &s;atisfied them with the bread of heaven.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>40. He provided al&s;o a delicate food, for that va&s;t multitude; even when they were &s;o ungratefull as to murmur again&s;t Him: (XVI. <HI>Exod.</HI> 12, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) &s;ending them, in the evening, &s;uch flights of quails, and, in the mor|ning, &s;uch &s;howrs of corn, out of the clouds; as abun|dantly &s;atisfied every one of them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="41" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>41.</BIBL> He opened the rock, and the waters gu&s;hed out: they ran in the dry places <HI>like</HI> a river,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>41. And when they mur|mured again for want of drink, (XVII.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 2, 6.) He was &s;o kind as to &s;top their complaints, by making water to &s;pring out of a rock: from whence it gu&s;ht &s;o con&s;tantly, and in &s;uch abundance, that it made a &s;tream; which followed them in all the parched grounds, through which they marched.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="42" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="283" REF="153">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>42.</BIBL> For he re|membred his holy promi&s;e,
<HI>and</HI> A|braham his &s;er|vant.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>42. For the Lord was re&s;olved punctually to per|form his promi&s;e, pa&s;&s;ed in former ages, (XV. <HI>Gen.</HI> 18. II. <HI>Exod.</HI>
24.) which made Him reward the fidelity of his &s;ervant <HI>Abraham</HI> even upon his incredulous po|&s;terity; at that very time which He had prefixed for it, XV. <HI>Gen.</HI> 13. XII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 41.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="43" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>43.</BIBL> And he brought forth his people with joy,
<HI>and</HI> his cho&s;en with gladne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>43. When, with much mirth and joy, He brought his people out of the Egyp|tian bondage; and made them &s;hout to &s;ee the diffe|rence He made between them and the Egyptians: who were drowned in the red Sea; while they were conducted &s;afe through it on dry Land, XV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 1, 13,
19.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="44" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>44.</BIBL> And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the peo|ple:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>44. And, in conclu&s;ion, He ca&s;t out &s;even Nations, to make room for them in the Land of <HI>Canaan:</HI> where their po&s;terity took po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ion of Cities and Towns, Fields and Vineyards; which the labour of others had <PB N="284" REF="154">built and planted for them, VI.
<HI>Deut.</HI> 10, 11. XXIV. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 13.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="45" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>45.</BIBL> That they might ob&s;erve his &s;tatutes, and keep his laws. Prai&s;e ye the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>45. That they might have the more lei&s;ure, to purge the Country of all its ancient &s;uper&s;tition, and filthine&s;s: and &s;et them|&s;elves heartily to wor&s;hip God, after that manner that He pre&s;cribed; in a &s;trict ob&s;ervance of all the re&s;t of his holy Laws.</P>
<P>For which, and all other his benefits, excite your &s;elves to prai&s;e the Lord.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="106" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CVI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Hallelujah, <HI>i. e. Prai&s;e the Lord.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>There is little doubt to be made, but this is the Title of the P&s;alm, as it is of many other, (CXI, &amp;c.) whereby the Authour excites them to acknowledge God's bounty to their ungratefull Forefathers. For as in the foregoing P&s;alm (they are the words of <HI>Theodoret</HI>) the Divine Benefits are com|memorated; <PB N="285" REF="154">&s;o in this the P&s;almi&s;t both commemorates them, and al&s;o upbraids the ingratitude of tho&s;e that received them. Which magnified the mercies of God the more; in being &s;o very kind to tho&s;e wicked people, that when He puni&s;hed them, He did not utterly de&s;troy them.</P>
<P>The opinion of that Father is, that the P&s;alm was compo&s;ed in the per&s;on of the more pious &s;ort of people; who bewail the common calamities, and implore the Divine indulgence. And mo&s;t Interpreters, that I have met withall, imagin it to have been made in the time of the Captivity of <HI>Baby|lon:</HI> but the proof of it is very weak. For the la&s;t ver&s;e but one, upon which they ground that conjecture, may have another con&s;truc|tion; and mean no more but this: that God would be plea&s;ed when the Nation, or any part of it, &s;hould be carried captive, to take pity upon them; and re&s;tore them again to their Country. Or rather, in my opinion, it refers to tho&s;e who, in the days of <HI>Saul,</HI> or before, were taken pri&s;oners by the <HI>Phi|li&s;tines,</HI> and other Nations: whom
<HI>David</HI> prays God to gather to their own Land again; that they might wor&s;hip Him in that place, which He had prepared for the Ark of his pre&s;ence. For it &s;eems plain enough, that this was one of the P&s;alms, which he delivered then to <HI>A&s;aph:</HI> the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> ver&s;e and the <HI>two la&s;t</HI> being &s;et down in the <PB N="286" REF="155">1
<HI>Chron.</HI> XVI. 36, 37, as the beginning and ending of another P&s;alm, (which can be none but this) which he then gave in with the other two there mentioned, (XCVI. and CV.) to prai&s;e the Lord withall.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> PRai&s;e ye the LORD, O give thanks unto the LORD, for <HI>he is</HI> good, for his mercy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O Make your thank|full acknowledg|ments, to the great Lord of all the World; who was exceeding gracious to your Forefathers, and will con|tinue his kindne&s;s, you may hope, unto all &s;uccee|ding ages.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Who can ut|ter the mighty acts of the LORD?
<HI>who</HI> can &s;hew forth all his prai&s;e?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Prai&s;e Him with all your might; for when you have done your be&s;t, you mu&s;t acknowledge that it is impo&s;&s;ible to expre&s;s your obligations to his omnipo|tent Goodne&s;s. For who is able to tell how miracu|lous that power was, which wrought &s;uch wonders for us in
<HI>Egypt;</HI> and in the Wilderne&s;s, and in the Land of <HI>Canaan?</HI> where &s;hall we find a man, that can &s;et forth, as they de&s;erve, all the prai&s;e-worthy acts of the Lord?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="287" REF="155">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>are</HI> they that keep judgment: <HI>and</HI> he that doeth righteou&s;ne&s;s at all times.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Which are &s;o great and many, that they are mo&s;t happy men, who by faithfull obedience to all his precepts, (not onely when they have newly received his benefits, but throughout the whole cour&s;e of their lives) pre|&s;erve them&s;elves in the fa|vour of &s;o gracious a Lord and Ma&s;ter (which our Fore|fathers fooli&s;hly lo&s;t, by re|volting pre&s;ently from their mercifull Deliverer.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Remember me, O LORD, with the favour
<HI>that thou beare&s;t unto</HI> thy people: O vi&s;it me with thy &s;alvation:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Make me, good Lord, one of this happy number; and let me partake of the favour Thou &s;till de&s;igne&s;t for thy people; and find Thee ready at hand, in all dangers, to pre&s;erve and deliver me (1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XVIII. 6, 13, 14.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> That I may &s;ee the good of thy cho&s;en, that I may rejoice in the glad|ne&s;s of thy nation: that I may glory with thine inheri|tance.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. That I may live to &s;ee thy cho&s;en people
<HI>I&s;ra|el,</HI> &s;ettled in a peaceable enjoyment of all thy ble&s;|&s;ings, (1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXII. 18.) and have my &s;hare in their joy and felicity, (1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXIX. 9.) nay triumph to|gether
<PB N="288" REF="156">with them, in the highe&s;t prai&s;es of thy boun|ty towards thy own Nati|on, and peculiar inheritance, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXIX. 10,
11, 12, 13, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> We have &s;in|ned with our fa|thers; we have committed iniqui|ty, we have done wickedly.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Our &s;ins indeed may hinder the&s;e ble&s;&s;ings from us; for we are no better then our Forefathers, but have offended after their example; by which we ought to have been amen|ded: we are guilty of ma|ny iniquities again&s;t one another, and much impiety again&s;t Thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Our fathers under&s;tood not thy wonders in Egypt, they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies, but provoked
<HI>him</HI> at the &s;ea, <HI>even</HI> at the Red &s;ea.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. We are the wicked off&s;pring of tho&s;e, who were &s;o &s;tupid, as not to be affected with the prodi|gious Works Thou did&s;t in
<HI>Egypt;</HI> or pre&s;ently to for|get that long &s;eries of mi|raculous pre&s;ervations and deliverances, by which they were brought from thence: But in the very next &s;trait into which they fell (at the borders of the Sea, that remarkable place, the red Sea) di&s;tru&s;ted his power; <PB N="289" REF="156">and wi&s;ht He had left them in that cruel &s;ervitude, of which before they &s;o hea|vily complained, XIV. <HI>Ex|odus</HI> 11, 12.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Neverthele&s;s, he &s;aved them for his names &s;ake: that he might make his mighty power to be known.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. And yet (&s;uch was his &s;tupendious Goodne&s;s) He would not let them peri&s;h in their ingratitude; but to pre&s;erve the name He had gotten of their mighty Saviour, gave them a new deliverance: that the world might not imagin He wan|ted power, to compleat what He had begun to doe for them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> He rebuked the Red &s;ea al&s;o, and it was dried up: &s;o he led them through the depths as through the wil|derne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. On this con&s;ideration, He checkt the cour&s;e of that Sea by &s;o &s;trong a wind, that He made a path in the mid&s;t of it: and led them through tho&s;e depths on as hard and dry ground, as they trod upon in their march, through the parched de&s;arts, XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 21, 22.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> And he &s;a|ved them from the hand of him that hated <HI>them:</HI> and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. By which means He &s;aved them from <HI>Pharaoh</HI>'s Army; which pre&s;&s;ed hard upon their backs, as the Sea was before their face, <PB N="290" REF="157">(XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 9, 10.) He re|&s;cued them from the power of tho&s;e implacable enemies, who&s;e hatred carried them, to pur&s;ue them eagerly even into the Sea, (XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 23.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> And the waters covered their enemies; there was not one of them left.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Where they were drowned, every man of them; the Sea, which had &s;tood fixed as a wall to &s;ave the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> returning back with a mighty violence to overwhelm their adver&s;a|ries.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Then be|lieved they his words, they &s;ang his prai&s;e.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Which was &s;o evi|dent a token of his power and goodne&s;s, that they were per&s;waded by it, at that pre&s;ent, to believe God's promi&s;es, (XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 31.) and to &s;ing a Song of prai&s;e to Him, for this mi|raculous deliverance, XV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 1,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> They &s;oon forgat his works, they waited not for his coun&s;el:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. But within three days they grew impatient again, (XV.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 22, 24.) and forgetting the great and many pledges they had received of his Divine power, quarrelled with his <PB N="291" REF="157">Servants; and would not expect till He &s;hewed, what way He intended to relieve them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> But lu&s;ted exceedingly in the wilderne&s;s, and tempted God in the de&s;art.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. But not long after this, murmured again; (XVI.
<HI>Exod.</HI>) And though, in&s;tead of puni&s;hing them for it, He &s;atisfied them with bread from heaven, and gave them &s;everal other demon&s;trations of his Divine pre&s;ence among them, in the wilderne&s;s, (<HI>Exod.</HI> XVI. XX. XXIV, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) yet, to plea&s;e their wanton appe|tite, they mutined another time, and cried out vehe|mently for fle&s;h to eat, (XI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 4, 5, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and de&s;ired new proofs of his power to &s;upply them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> And he gave them their reque&s;t, but &s;ent leanne&s;s into their &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Which He was plea|&s;ed to grant in &s;uch abun|dance, that they &s;urfeited of the Quails, which He &s;ent them: and, in&s;tead of being nouri&s;hed, fell into a grievous di&s;ea&s;e, where|by great numbers of them were wa&s;ted and con&s;umed, XI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 31, 32,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="292" REF="158" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> They en|vied Mo&s;es al&s;o in the camp,
<HI>and</HI> Aaron the &s;aint of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. And they that e&s;ca|ped were not cured of their rebellious humour; but &s;e|ditiou&s;ly di&s;puted the Au|thority of
<HI>Mo&s;es:</HI> And ac|cu&s;ed both him and <HI>Aaron,</HI> whom the Lord had con&s;e|crated for the &s;ervice of his Altar, as ambitious men, that took too much upon them, XVI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 3.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> The earth opened and &s;wal|lowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abi|ram.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. Which moved the Divine Ju&s;tice to puni&s;h their pre&s;umption, with a mo&s;t terrible vengeance: for the earth opened, and buried alive <HI>Dathan</HI> and <HI>Abiram,</HI> and the faction that adhered to them, XVI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 32, 33.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burnt up the wicked.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. And the other com|pany rai&s;ed by <HI>Korah,</HI> were &s;mitten with lightning from heaven; which burnt up tho&s;e impious men, who were &s;o bold as to invade the Office of the Prie&s;ts of the Lord, XVI.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 35.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> They made a calf in Horeb, and wor&s;hipped the molten image.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. Who&s;e anger they began very early to incen&s;e; for even at that very place where the Lord had newly <PB N="293" REF="158">appeared to them, in a&s;to|ni&s;hing thunder and light|ning and clouds, (XX.
<HI>Ex|odus</HI> 18.) and had &s;poken to them with an audible voice, and at the &s;econd word He &s;pake had charged them not to make any gra|ven image, (XX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 4.) and had called <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> up in|to the Mount to receive the re&s;t of his Laws (which He had begun in a mo&s;t dreadfull manner to deli|ver to them) they &s;tupidly made a golden Calf, and pro&s;trated them&s;elves be|fore the work of their own hands:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> Thus they changed their glo|ry into the &s;imili|tude of an ox that cateth gra&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. Slighting that Glo|rious pre&s;ence of the Maje|&s;ty of God, (XXIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 16, 17.) which, appearing in the Cloud, had done many wonders for them: and chu&s;ing rathe to com|mend them&s;elves to the pro|tection of an Image, in which they &s;aw no glory; the Image of a dull Ox, a creature without rea&s;on, a &s;ervant of man, that is &s;up|ported
<PB N="294" REF="159">it &s;elf, by &s;o weak a thing as hay, XXXII.
<HI>Ex|odus</HI> 14.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> They for|gat God their &s;a|viour, which had done great things in Egypt:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. The root of which &s;otti&s;h Apo&s;ta&s;ie was, that they did not keep in mind what deliverances God had granted them, under the con|duct of <HI>Mo&s;es;</HI> whom they now de&s;pi&s;ed: (XXXII.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 1.) But forgat his great works in the Land of <HI>Egypt,</HI> where they never &s;aw any &s;imilitude of Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> Wondrous works in the land of Ham,
<HI>and</HI> ter|rible things by the Red &s;ea.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. Miraculous works; which filled the whole Country with wonder and a&s;toni&s;hment; and conclu|ded at la&s;t in the fearfull overthrow of <HI>Pharaoh</HI> and all his ho&s;t in the red Sea, through which they pa&s;&s;ed &s;afely.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> Therefore he &s;aid that he would de&s;troy them, had not Mo&s;es his cho&s;en &s;tood before him in the breach: to turn away his wrath, le&s;t he &s;hould de|&s;troy <HI>them.</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. Which provoked the Divine di&s;plea&s;ure &s;o high|ly, that He re&s;olved to de|&s;troy them, (XXXII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 9, 10.) and had done it, if <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> for whom He had a great re&s;pect, had not, by his earne&s;t interce&s;&s;i|on, made up this breach; <PB N="295" REF="159">and reconciled Him &s;o far to them, that He did not proceed then to take &s;uch vengeance on them, XXXII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 11, 12, 14, 35.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> Yea, they de&s;pi&s;ed the plea|&s;ant land: they believed not his word:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. But when after this they de&s;pi&s;ed (XIII.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 32.) that goodly Country, to the borders of which He had brought them, (I. <HI>Deut.</HI> 19, 20.) which the Spies them&s;elves confe&s;&s;ed was rich and de&s;irable: (XIII. <HI>Numb.</HI> 27. XIV. 32.) and would not believe that God intended, or was able to perform his promi&s;e to them, XIII.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 37:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>25.</BIBL> But mur|mured in their tents, <HI>and</HI> hear|kened not unto the voice of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>25. But murmured a|gain&s;t <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and
<HI>Aaron</HI> in their Tents, as if they had deluded them, (XIV.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 1, 2, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) refu&s;ing to march, when the Lord commanded them to go up, and take po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of it, I. <HI>Deut.</HI>
21, 26, 32:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>26.</BIBL> Therefore he lifted up his hand again&s;t them, to overthrow them in the wilderne&s;s:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>26. Then he &s;olemnly &s;ware, that not one of that wicked generation, who had &s;o often rebelled again&s;t Him, &s;hould ever come there; <PB N="296" REF="160">but all peri&s;h in the wilder|ne&s;s, XIV.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 21, 22, 35. I. <HI>Deut.</HI> 34:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>27.</BIBL> To over|throw their &s;eed al&s;o among the na|tions, and to &s;cat|ter them in the lands.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>27. And &s;ome of them be overthrown by the hea|then, whom the Lord would have delivered up into their hand, (XIV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 45.) and others di&s;per&s;ed in &s;e|veral parts of that Country, which they de&s;pi&s;ed, XXI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 1.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>28.</BIBL> They joined them&s;elves al&s;o unto Baal-peor, and ate the &s;acri|fices of the dead.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>28. Nor did they grow much better, by the&s;e dread|full threatnings and execu|tions; but, not onely mo&s;t &s;hamefully committed whoredom with the daugh|ters of <HI>Moah</HI> but, embraced their Religion: devoting them&s;elves to the vile &s;er|vice of <HI>Baal,</HI> who&s;e Temple &s;tood upon Mount <HI>Peor;</HI> and partaking with them, in the Sacrifices which they offered to dead men, XXV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 1, 2, 3.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="29" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>29.</BIBL> Thus they provoked <HI>him</HI> to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>29. Which abominable wickedne&s;s incen&s;ed the Divine di&s;plea&s;ure to &s;uch a degree; that He com|manded the Offenders to
<PB N="297" REF="160" MS="y">be kill'd and hang'd up, in the face of the Sun: and al&s;o &s;ent a grievous plague among the people, XXV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 4, 5,
9.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="30" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>30.</BIBL> Then &s;tood up Phinehas, and executed judg|ment: and <HI>&s;o</HI> the plague was &s;tayed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>30. Which raged in the Camp, till <HI>Phinehas,</HI> in a holy zeal, went as boldly to puni&s;h, as others did to commit their crimes: and thru&s;t through the body, one of the Princes of the people, whom the Judges feared to meddle withall; and then the plague cea&s;ed, XXV.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 5, 6, 7, 8.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="31" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>31.</BIBL> And that was counted unto him for righteou&s;|ne&s;s, unto all ge|nerations for ever|more.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>31. Which &s;ea&s;onable piece of Ju&s;tice, the Lord, not onely approved as a prai&s;e-worthy Act but, re|warded al&s;o with the pro|mi&s;e of the Prie&s;thood: which He intailed upon his po&s;terity, throughout all generations, XXV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 12, 13.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="32" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>32.</BIBL> They angred <HI>him</HI> al&s;o at the waters of &s;trife, &s;o that it went ill with Mo&s;es for their &s;akes;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>32. And, before this, they had been &s;o unbelie|ving and rebellious, as, ha|ving had long experience of God's power and goodne&s;s in providing for them, to <PB N="298" REF="161">murmur for want of water; at that place, which took its name from their quarrel with <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> (XX.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 3, 13.) who &s;adly &s;uffered upon their account, XX.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 12.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="33" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>33.</BIBL> Becau&s;e they provoked his &s;pirit, &s;o that he &s;pake unadvi&s;edly with his lips.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>33. For, being exa&s;pera|ted by their frequent mu|tinies, he let fall &s;ome pa&s;|&s;ionate words; which ex|pre&s;&s;ed &s;uch di&s;tru&s;t and impatience, as did not be|come &s;o great a Mini&s;ter of God, (XX. <HI>Numb.</HI> 12.) who thereupon re&s;olved, he &s;hould not have the ho|nour to accompli&s;h his pro|mi&s;e, of bringing them to their re&s;t, XXVII. <HI>Numb.</HI> 24. I. <HI>Deut.</HI> 37.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="34" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>34.</BIBL> They did not de&s;troy the na|tions, concerning whom the LORD commanded them:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>34. In which, being &s;et|tled, they did not de&s;troy tho&s;e <HI>&s;even</HI> Nations, (I. <HI>Judg.</HI> 21, 27, 29,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) who&s;e abo|minations were &s;o foul; that the Lord gave them a &s;trict charge, not to &s;uffer them to live there any longer, XXIII.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 30, 33. VII. <HI>Deut.</HI> 2.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="35" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="299" REF="161">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>35.</BIBL> But were mingled among the heathen, and lear|ned their works.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>35. But, quite contrary, they not onely let them live but, again&s;t Gods ex|pre&s;s commandment (XXIII. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 7, 12.) entred into fa|miliarity, and made a Co|venant and League with them, (II.
<HI>Judg.</HI> 1, 2.) and &s;o at la&s;t learnt to doe as they did, and imitated their evil manners.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="36" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>36.</BIBL> And they &s;erved their idols: which were a &s;nare unto them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>36. For they for&s;ook the Lord who had brought them thither; and wor|&s;hipped the Gods of tho&s;e people, whom they had conquered, (II. <HI>Judg.</HI> 11, 12. III. 5, 6.) which pro|ved their utter ruin, and de&s;truction, VII. <HI>Deut.</HI> 16, 26. II. <HI>Judg.</HI> 3.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="37" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>37.</BIBL> Yea, they &s;acrificed their &s;ons and their daughters unto devils,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>37. For they were &s;o be|&s;otted with their Idolatry, as to imitate their mo&s;t bar|barous Rites: &s;acrificing to infernal &s;pirits, not onely their bea&s;ts, but (as the cu|&s;tom of that Country was, XII.
<HI>Deut.</HI> 30, 31.) their &s;ons and their daughters.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="38" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>38.</BIBL> And &s;hed innocent bloud, <HI>even</HI> the bloud of their &s;ons and of their daughters, whom they &s;acri|ficed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was pol|luted with bloud.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>38. Whom they did not merely con&s;ecrate to the
<PB N="300" REF="162">&s;ervice of Devils; but of|fered their bloud, the bloud of innocent babes, even of their own &s;ons and daugh|ters (as I &s;aid) upon the Altars of the Idols of <HI>Cana|an:</HI> prophaning thereby the holy Land, with the mo&s;t impious and unnatural Mur|thers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="39" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>39.</BIBL> Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a who|ring with their own inventions.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>39. Be&s;ides other abomi|nable works wherewith they defiled them&s;elves; &s;uch as Whoredom, and all manner of bea&s;tly lu&s;ts: which were the filthy vices of tho&s;e Nations, whom God ca&s;t out before them, XVIII. <HI>Lev.</HI> 24, 25, 27, 28, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="40" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>40.</BIBL> Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kin|dled again&s;t his people, in&s;omuch that he abhorred his own inheri|tance.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>40. And &s;o contrary to nature as well as his Law, that the Lord was excee|ding angry with them, (II. <HI>Judg.</HI> 14, 20.) and the more, becau&s;e He had made them his people: whom He now abominated, as im|pure and unclean; though once they had been very dear unto Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="41" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="301" REF="162">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>41.</BIBL> And he gave them into the hand of the hea|then; and they that hated them, ruled over them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>41. And thereupon de|livered them up to the power of tho&s;e impious Nations; with whom they contracted friend&s;hip, when they &s;hould have de&s;troyed them, (III. <HI>Judg.</HI> 3, 5. IV. 2. XIII. 1.) who retaining &s;till their ancient hatred, exerci&s;ed a rigorous tyran|ny over them, IV. <HI>Judg.</HI> 3.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="42" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>42.</BIBL> Their ene|mies al&s;o oppre&s;&s;ed them, and they were brought into &s;ubjection under their hand.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>42. And &s;o did many other of their neighbouring enemies, the <HI>Me&s;opotamians</HI> and <HI>Moabites,</HI> (III. <HI>Judg.</HI> 8,
12.) the <HI>Midianites</HI> and <HI>A|malekites,</HI> (VI. 2, 3,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and &s;uch like, (X. 7, 8.) who not onely grievou&s;ly afflicted them; but de&s;er|vedly made tho&s;e their &s;ub|jects, nay &s;laves, who would not &s;erve their gracious God.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="43" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>43.</BIBL> Many times did he deliver them, but they provoked <HI>him</HI> with their coun&s;el, and were brought low for their iniquity.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>43. Who &s;till continued &s;o kind to them, that upon the fir&s;t &s;ign of their repen|tance, He con&s;tantly rai&s;ed up the &s;pirit of &s;ome great Man or other; to re&s;cue them from every one of the&s;e Oppre&s;&s;ours: though <PB N="302" REF="163">they as con&s;tantly provo|ked Him again, by relap|&s;ing to their former Idola|try; which in the i&s;&s;ue brought them exceeding low, X. <HI>Judg.</HI> 8, 9.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="44" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>44.</BIBL> Neverthe|le&s;s, he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>44. And yet, &s;uch was his tender compa&s;&s;ion to|wards them, He did not ab&s;olutely refu&s;e to help even the&s;e ba&s;e revolters, (X. <HI>Judg.</HI> 14, 15, 16.) when, in their di&s;tre&s;s, they made a lamentable moan and promi&s;ed amendment.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="45" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>45.</BIBL> And he re|membred for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>45. For He was not un|mindfull of the Covenant He had made with their Forefathers, (XXVI. <HI>Levit.</HI> 42, 44, 45. XXX. <HI>Deut.</HI>
1, 2, 3.) but let them reap the benefit of it: in cea&s;ing to puni&s;h them; and, when they de&s;erved to be utterly de&s;troyed, be&s;towing many and exceeding great ble&s;|&s;ings on them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="46" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>46.</BIBL> He made them al&s;o to be pi|tied of all tho&s;e that carried them captives.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>46. For He inclined the hearts, even of tho&s;e who had &s;ubdued, and implaca|bly hated them, unto &s;ome compa&s;&s;ion towards them:
<PB N="303" REF="163">&s;o that they did not indea|vour their total extirpati|on, XIII. <HI>Judg.</HI> 1. XIV. 2. XV. 9, 10, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="47" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>47.</BIBL> Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, <HI>and</HI> to triumph in thy prai&s;e.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>47. And therefore we humbly hope &s;till in the &s;ame great mercies; and be&s;eech Thee, O mo&s;t migh|ty Lord, who ha&s;t been wont to doe our Nation good, to deliver us, how unworthy &s;oever, from all our pre&s;ent enemies: and to re&s;tore &s;uch of us as are faln into their hands, unto their own Country; that they may join with us in giving thanks to thy in|comparable goodne&s;s, and &s;etting forth thy prai&s;es with the greate&s;t joy and triumph, &s;aying;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="48" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>48.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>be</HI> the LORD God of
<HI>I&s;rael</HI> from e|verla&s;ting to ever|la&s;ting: and let all the people &s;ay, A|men. Prai&s;e ye the LORD,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>48. Let the great Lord of all the world, who hath been &s;o gracious unto <HI>I&s;|rael,</HI> as to chu&s;e them for his own peculiar people, be mo&s;t heartily ble&s;&s;ed and prai&s;ed: Let all gene|rations ble&s;s Him, as long as the world &s;hall la&s;t, and unto all eternity: and let <PB N="304" REF="164">all his people concur in the&s;e de&s;ires, and wi&s;h it may be &s;o; let them all prai&s;e the Lord, and de&s;ire He may be ever prai&s;ed.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<TRAILER>The End of the FO&V;RTH Book of P&s;alms.</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="book">
<PB N="305" REF="164">
<HEAD>The Fifth BOOK OF PSALMS.</HEAD>
<DIV3 N="107" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CVII.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The <HI>Fifth</HI> Book of P&s;alms (which con&s;i&s;ts mo&s;t of Prai&s;es and Thanksgivings) begins here; with an exhortation to tho&s;e whom God (according to the Prayer foregoing CVI. 47.) had delivered from Pagan &s;ervitude, to acknowledge that &s;ingular benefit with their hearty Thanksgivings: and thence to take occa&s;ion to magnifie his mercifull Pro|vidence over all other men, not onely of that but of all Nations, when they addre&s;&s;ed them&s;elves unto Him in their di&s;tre&s;&s;es. For in&s;tance, Travellers in the de&s;art who have lo&s;t their way, Pri&s;oners, Sick people, Mariners, Husbandmen, even whole Coun|tries the P&s;almi&s;t &s;hews are made &s;trangely pro&s;perous, if they have a regard to God; <PB N="306" REF="165">and on the other &s;ide fall into great mi&s;ery, if they neglect Him. It had been endle&s;s to enumerate all other ca&s;es; but by the&s;e any man may under&s;tand, if he plea&s;e (as he ob&s;erves in the conclu&s;ion) how good the Lord is, and ready to help tho&s;e who fly un|to Him for &s;uccour, what&s;oever their con|dition be.</P>
<P>The Authour of the P&s;alm is unknown; but if I have gue&s;&s;ed aright at the connexion of this with the foregoing P&s;alm, it is mo&s;t probable it was compo&s;ed by <HI>David:</HI> who having in the CV. put them in mind (as <HI>Theodoret</HI> ob&s;erves) of the promi&s;es made to the Patriarchs, and of the ble&s;&s;ings be|&s;towed on their po&s;terity; and in the CVI. of their horrid ingratitude for &s;uch benefits, and the puni&s;hments, for that cau&s;e, inflic|ted upon them: declares in this P&s;alm the inexplicable kindne&s;s of God, in their free|dom from &s;lavery; and in his carefull Pro|vidence, as I &s;aid, over all mankind: which might give them the greater incouragement to hope in Him, if they &s;erved Him faith|fully, who had taken them for his peculiar people.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O Give thanks unto the LORD, for <HI>he is</HI> good: for his mercy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O Make your grate|full acknowledg|ments to the great Lord of the world; of who&s;e Good|ne&s;s you and your Forefa|thers
<PB N="307" REF="165">have had &s;uch long experience, that you may conclude his loving kind|ne&s;s will extend it &s;elf to all &s;ucceeding ages.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Let the re|deemed of the LORD &s;ay
<HI>&s;o,</HI> whom he hath re|deemed from the hand of the ene|my:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Let them e&s;pecially call upon one another to give thanks unto his Good|ne&s;s, whom the Lord hath graciou&s;ly redeemed from a &s;ad Captivity; into which they were reduced by their prevailing enemies:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> And gathe|red them out of the lands, from the ea&s;t and from the we&s;t, from the north and from the &s;outh.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And hath brought them back to their own Country again; from all the Lands, on every &s;ide, into which they were di&s;|per&s;ed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> They wan|dred in the wil|derne&s;s in a &s;oli|tary way, they found no city to dwell in.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. And they al&s;o, who, travelling through va&s;t wil|derne&s;&s;es and &s;andy de&s;arts, lo&s;t their way, and could find no tract to lead them to a City inhabited;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Hungry and thir&s;ty, their &s;oul fainted in them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. But, in this perplexi|ty, wandred up and down &s;o long, that all their Pro|vi&s;ion was &s;pent, and they were ready to dye with hunger and thir&s;t:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="308" REF="166">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, <HI>and</HI> he delivered them out of their di&s;tre&s;&s;es.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Yet then recommen|ding them&s;elves to the Lord, and earne&s;tly implo|ring his help in this mi&s;e|rable &s;trait; He mercifully delivered them out of it, and freed them from all their anxieties:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Directing them, when they were in a Maze, into the right path again; which brought them to a place in|habited, where they found relief for their nece&s;&s;ities.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Oh that <HI>men</HI> would prai&s;e the LORD
<HI>for</HI> his goodne&s;s, and <HI>for</HI> his wonderfull works to the chil|dren of men!</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. O that &s;uch men would never forget to make their thankfull acknowledgments to the Lord, for this &s;ingu|lar kindne&s;s; but every where proclaim his won|derfull works.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> For he &s;a|tisfieth the long|ing &s;oul, and fil|leth the hungry &s;oul with good|ne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Who thus &s;ea&s;onably pre&s;erved them from &s;tar|ving, by providing, in this langui&s;hing condition, drink to quench their thir&s;t, and plenty of good things to &s;a|tisfie their hungry appetite.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Such as &s;it in darkne&s;s, and in the &s;hadow of death, <HI>being</HI> bound in affliction and iron:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. They al&s;o who have no other dwelling but a dark pri&s;on, nay a horrible dungeon; where, to add <PB N="309" REF="166">to their affliction, they are loaded with iron manacles or fetters;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Becau&s;e they rebelled a|gain&s;t the words of God, and con|temned the coun|&s;el of the mo&s;t High:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. As a ju&s;t puni&s;hment for the crimes they had re|belliou&s;ly committed, a|gain&s;t the expre&s;s commands of God, and the plain dic|tates and frequent checks of their own con&s;ciences; which were the voice of the mo&s;t High, giving them whol&s;ome coun&s;el; though they contemned and de&s;pi|&s;ed it:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Therefore he brought down their heart with labour, they fell down, and <HI>there was</HI> none to help.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. And thereby provo|ked Him to throw them into that mi&s;erable condi|tion, to humble their proud hearts by the hard&s;hip of a tedious and painfull impri|&s;onment; in which they lay &s;o dejected and help|le&s;s, that they &s;aw no hu|mane means whereby they &s;hould be delivered.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, <HI>and</HI> he &s;aved them out of their di&s;tre&s;&s;es.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. Yet they then ma|king their addre&s;&s;es to the Lord, and earne&s;tly be&s;ee|ching Him to take pity up|on their wretched e&s;tate; He was plea&s;ed mercifully <PB N="310" REF="167">to hear their prayers, and free them from tho&s;e mi&s;e|rable &s;traits:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> He brought them out of dark|ne&s;s, and the &s;ha|dow of dea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">h, and brake their bands in &s;under.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Bringing them out of their &s;ad confinement in that di&s;mall dungeon; and &s;etting their hands and feet at liberty, from the chains wherewith they were bound.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> Oh that <HI>men</HI> would prai&s;e the LORD <HI>for</HI> his goodne&s;s, and <HI>for</HI> his wonderfull works to the chil|dren of men!</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. O that &s;uch men would never forget to make their thankfull acknowledg|ments to the Lord, for his &s;ingular kindne&s;s; but eve|ry where proclaim his won|derfull works:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> For he hath broken the gates of bra&s;s, and cut the bars of iron in &s;under.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. Who when their ca&s;e was de&s;perate, removed the greate&s;t ob&s;tacles; and made even bra&s;en gates, and iron bars give way to their e|&s;cape.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> Fools be|cau&s;e of their tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, and becau&s;e of their iniquities, are af|flicted.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. In like manner we &s;ee others, who forgetting God, and &s;otti&s;hly giving them&s;elves up to all kind of debauchery, in an irre|gular way of living, fall in|to grievous di&s;ea&s;es:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> Their &s;oul abhorreth all man|ner of meat, and they draw near unto the gates of death.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. Which not onely quite take away their ap|petite,
<PB N="311" REF="167">but make them nau|&s;eate all manner of food, which they formerly abu|&s;ed; and thereby lay them &s;o low, that they are at the very brink of the grave:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, he &s;aveth them out of their di&s;tre&s;&s;es.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. Yet even the&s;e men, when they make their ad|dre&s;&s;es unto the Lord, and in the weak e&s;tate into which they have brought them&s;elves pray earne&s;tly to Him, are wont to find relief from Him; when no Medicines what&s;oever will avail them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> He &s;ent his word and healed them, and deli|vered <HI>them</HI> from their de&s;truction.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. He orders their re|covery, when all the pre|&s;criptions of Phy&s;icians prove ineffectual: nay, when they are left for dead, rai&s;es them up to life and health again.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> Oh that <HI>men</HI> would prai&s;e the LORD <HI>for</HI> his goodne&s;s, and <HI>for</HI> his wonderfull works to the chil|dren of men!</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. O that the&s;e men would be &s;o gratefull to the Lord, as never to for|get his &s;ingular kindne&s;s to them; but every where proclaim &s;uch wonderfull works as the&s;e.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> And let them &s;acrifice the &s;acrifices of thanks|giving, and declare his works with re|joicing.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. And not content them&s;elves with the Sacri|fices
<PB N="312" REF="168" MS="y">of bea&s;ts (which in their &s;ickne&s;s they were apt to vow unto Him) but of|fer tho&s;e far more accep|table &s;acrifices of a grate|full heart: acknowledging his Goodne&s;s, and telling every body they meet with|all, in &s;uch a manner as may expre&s;s how much they are affected with it, what great things the Lord hath done for them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> They that go down to the &s;ea in &s;hips, that doe bu&s;ine&s;s in great waters:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. Who &s;hews no le&s;s kindne&s;s to tho&s;e that have occa&s;ion to be much upon the Sea; to fi&s;h, or to traf|fique, upon the main O|cean.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> The&s;e &s;ee the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. Where they behold remarkable acts of Divine Providence; in the won|derfull alterations which He makes in that va&s;t col|lection of waters.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>25.</BIBL> For he com|mandeth, and rai|&s;eth the &s;tormy wind, which lif|teth up the waves thereof.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>25. For when they are &s;mooth and &s;till, a &s;udden tempe&s;t ari&s;es by his com|mand; which puts them into &s;uch a rage, that they are turned into &s;welling waves and billows.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="313" REF="168">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>26.</BIBL> They mount up to the heaven, they go down a|gain to the depths, their &s;oul is melted becau&s;e of trouble.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>26. On which the &s;hips are &s;ometimes mounted up as high, as if they would touch the clouds; and then &s;ink down as low, as if they would be buried in the bottom of the Sea: to the great a&s;toni&s;hment of the pa&s;&s;engers, who are rea|dy to die with fear.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>27.</BIBL> They reel to and fro, and &s;tagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits end.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>27. For they are &s;o to&s;|&s;ed and whirled about, that as they are not able to &s;tand upon the decks; &s;o the mo&s;t skilfull Mariners do not know which way to &s;teer; or what cour&s;e to take, to &s;ave them&s;elves from peri&s;hing.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>28.</BIBL> Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their di&s;tre&s;&s;es.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>28. And yet, when in the mid&s;t of this great &s;trait they make their addre&s;&s;es to the Lord, with earne&s;t prayers for his protection, He is graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to hear their cry; and to free them from that angui&s;h of mind, which &s;orely oppre&s;|&s;es them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="29" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>29.</BIBL> He maketh the &s;torm a calm, &s;o that the waves thereof are &s;till.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>29. For He &s;ilences the blu&s;tring wind, and makes &s;o great a calm; that the <PB N="314" REF="169" MS="y">&s;welling waves lie quiet and &s;till.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="30" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>30.</BIBL> Then are they glad becau&s;e they be quiet; &s;o he bringeth them unto their de&s;ired haven.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>30. Which happy change turns their fear into joy; when they &s;ee, not onely the &s;torm appea&s;ed but, gentle gales ari&s;ing to car|ry them directly to the port, for which they are bound.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="31" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>31.</BIBL> Oh that <HI>men</HI> would prai&s;e the LORD <HI>for</HI> his goodne&s;s, and <HI>for</HI> his wonderfull works to the chil|dren of men!</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>31. O that they who are thus unexpectedly pre&s;er|ved, would never forget to make their thankfull ac|knowledgments to the Lord, for this &s;ingular kindne&s;s! But every where proclaim what wonders He hath done for them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="32" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>32.</BIBL> Let them exalt him al&s;o in the congregation of the people, and prai&s;e him in the a&s;&s;embly of the el|ders.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>32. Let them magnifie his power and goodne&s;s in the greate&s;t a&s;&s;emblies of the people; e&s;pecially in his Temple: Let them prai&s;e Him in the &s;upreme Court of the Kingdom; that the Judges and Gover|nours may be excited, to make Him their tru&s;t and confidence.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="33" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>33.</BIBL> He turneth rivers into a wil|derne&s;s, and the water-&s;prings into dry ground:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>33. Who turns well wa|tered Countries into a mere
<PB N="315" REF="169">wilderne&s;s, and makes moi&s;t and fertil &s;oils become dry and barren ground:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="34" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>34.</BIBL> A fruitfull land into barren|ne&s;s, for the wic|kedne&s;s of them that dwell therein.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>34. Where none of tho&s;e fruits will grow which be|fore it plentifully yielded; becau&s;e of the ill di&s;po&s;iti|on of the inhabitants, who produce nothing but all manner of vice and wicked|ne&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="35" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>35.</BIBL> He turneth the wilderne&s;s in|to a &s;tanding wa|ter, and dry ground into wa|ter-&s;prings,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>35. And on the other &s;ide He turns a barren de|&s;art (for none of the&s;e things come by chance) in|to rich and fruitfull pa|&s;tures: and &s;ends &s;uch plen|ty of water into dry and &s;andy grounds;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="36" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>36.</BIBL> And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may pre|pare a city for ha|bitation;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>36. That there they, who lived wretchedly before, find a comfortable habita|tion: and are invited to build Towns and Cities in tho&s;e formerly de&s;olate pla|ces.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="37" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>37.</BIBL> And &s;ow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increa&s;e.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>37. Where they &s;ow all manner of grain, and plant vineyards: which recom|pen&s;e their pains, with a plentifull harve&s;t and a joy|full vintage.</P>
<PB N="314" REF="170">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="315" REF="170">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="38" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="316" REF="171">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>38.</BIBL> He ble&s;&s;eth them al&s;o, &s;o that they are multipli|ed greatly, and &s;uffereth not their cattel to decrea&s;e.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>38. His ble&s;&s;ing al&s;o makes the inhabitants fruit|full, as well as their ground: they grow exceeding popu|lous, together with their flocks and their herds; which by the increa&s;e of people are not dimini&s;hed.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="39" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>39.</BIBL> Again they are mini&s;hed and brought low through oppre&s;&s;i|on, affliction, and &s;orrow.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>39. But when they prove ungratefull to Him, He quite alters the cour&s;e of his Providence; and on a &s;udden &s;ends &s;ome grievous pe&s;tilence, which le&s;&s;ens their numbers: or lays them low by tyrannical oppre&s;&s;ours, (into who&s;e hands He delivers them) by dearth, and other cala|mities, which make them pine away in grief and &s;or|row.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="40" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>40.</BIBL> He poureth contempt upon princes, and cau|&s;eth them to wan|der in the wilder|ne&s;s, <HI>where there is</HI> no way.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>40. Their Princes and the mo&s;t eminent per&s;ons in their Country, are not able to pre&s;erve them&s;elves from contempt and &s;corn: To which they are &s;o open|ly expo&s;ed, that they who had troops of followers and attendants, are utterly de|&s;erted; and forced to walk
<PB N="317" REF="171">in &s;olitary places to hide their &s;hame; without any means, that they can &s;ee, to recover their thrones out of which they are di&s;grace|fully thrown.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="41" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>41.</BIBL> Yet &s;etteth he the poor on high from afflicti|on, and maketh <HI>him</HI> families like a flock.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>41. Which he be&s;tows upon &s;ome poor de&s;picable per&s;on, whom, from a low condition, He rai&s;es to the highe&s;t dignity; and gives him a very numerous i&s;tue, to maintain and continue the honour He hath con|ferred on him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="42" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>42.</BIBL> The righ|teous &s;hall &s;ee <HI>it,</HI> and rejoice; and all iniquity &s;hall &s;top her mouth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>42. Which is a great in|couragement to the righte|ous; who herein behold with joy the wi&s;e and ju&s;t providence of Almighty God: But gives the wicked (who under tho&s;e bad Prin|ces were in&s;olent, and full of proud boa&s;ts) &s;uch a re|buke; that they hang down their heads, and are con|four dedly put to &s;ilence.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="43" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>43.</BIBL> Who&s;o <HI>is</HI> wi&s;e, and will ob|&s;erve tho&s;e <HI>things,</HI> even they &s;hall un|der&s;tand the loving kindne&s;s of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>43. And therefore, who|&s;oever will be truly wi&s;e, ought to mark and ponder &s;uch pa&s;&s;ages as the&s;e in the Divine Government: that <PB N="318" REF="172" MS="y">they may make others, who are le&s;s con&s;iderate, under|&s;tand how very kind and gracious the Lord is; to tho&s;e who &s;tudy to plea&s;e Him, and to obtain his fa|vour by dutifull obedience and humble &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to Him.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="108" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CVIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song or P&s;alm of <HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The Title tells us this <HI>Song-P&s;alm</HI> (&s;ee the rea&s;on of this name upon <HI>P&s;al.</HI> LXVII.) was made by <HI>David:</HI> and was placed here, as I conjecture, becau&s;e now he was in a hopefull way to perfect &s;ome Victories, which he had begun to win; whereby &s;ome of tho&s;e Cap|tives in &s;trange Lands (mentioned Ver. 2. and 3. of the foregoing P&s;alm) were re&s;cued and &s;et at liberty. What tho&s;e Nations were, over whom he was about to triumph, &s;ee in the Title of <HI>P&s;alm</HI> LX: For the lat|ter part of this P&s;alm from Ver. 6. to the end, is the very &s;ame (with &s;ome light va|riations) with the eight la&s;t Ver&s;es of that;
<PB N="319" REF="172">As the former part of it, is very little dif|ferent from the five la&s;t Ver&s;es of <HI>P&s;alm</HI> LVII. Which the P&s;almi&s;t I &s;uppo&s;e here placed in&s;tead of tho&s;e, wherewith the LX. begins (though he retains all the latter end of it) becau&s;e now, as I &s;aid, he had made &s;ome progre&s;s in tho&s;e Wars, which he was but entring upon, when he made that LX. <HI>P&s;alm</HI> And therefore here he begins with thanks to God for his mercy, as there he laments the ill condition, wherein he found the affairs of the Kingdom, when he came to the Crown.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O God, my heart is fixed, I will &s;ing and give prai&s;e, even with my glo|ry.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. MY heart is ready, O mo&s;t gracious God; it is firmly re&s;olved to give Thee mo&s;t &s;olemn thanks: My tongue al&s;o, wherewith I ought to glo|rifie Thee, &s;hall &s;ing of thy Goodne&s;s; and, with all the expre&s;&s;ions of joy, &s;et forth thy prai&s;e.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Awake p&s;al|tery and harp: I <HI>my &s;elf</HI> will awake early.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Nor &s;hall any of the in&s;truments of Mu&s;ick be &s;ilent, but accompany my Hymns: which I will &s;ing unto Thee &s;o early, that I will prevent the ri&s;ing of the Sun.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="320" REF="173">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> I will prai&s;e thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will &s;ing prai&s;es unto thee among the nations.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Nor will I merely make Thee my private ac|knowledgments; but pub|li&s;h thy prai&s;e in the greate&s;t a&s;&s;emblies of thy people, among whom this Song &s;hall be &s;ung: yea, other Nations &s;hall reade therein, how thankfull I am for what Thou ha&s;t begun to doe for us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> For thy mer|cy <HI>is</HI> great above the heavens: and thy truth <HI>reacheth</HI> unto the clouds.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. For it is fit my thank|fulne&s;s &s;hould be as bound|le&s;s as thy mercy: which infinitely tran&s;cends all my expre&s;&s;ions; and hath no|thing equal to it, but thy faithfulne&s;s and truth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Be thou ex|alted, O God a|bove the heavens: and thy glory a|bove all the earth;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Be Thou more and more exalted in the&s;e, O God; and rai&s;e to thy &s;elf thereby the highe&s;t prai&s;es: &s;pread the fame of them every where, that Thou maye&s;t be glorified through|out the world.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> That thy be|loved may be deli|vered: &s;ave
<HI>with</HI> thy right hand, and an&s;wer me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. E&s;pecially now, I be|&s;eech Thee, to grant my humble petitions, that by thy mighty power accompa|nying my Arms, I may be an in&s;trument of delivering <PB N="321" REF="173">thy beloved people from their Oppre&s;&s;ours.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> God hath &s;poken in his ho|line&s;s, I will re|joice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Why &s;hould I doubt of it, and not rather re|joice in a&s;&s;ured hope of a perfect Victory? &s;ince God who is mo&s;t holy and can|not lie, hath &s;aid He will deliver them by my hand; (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> III.
18.) and hath already put me in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;i|on, (as He al&s;o promi&s;ed, Ver. 2.) of all the Country about <HI>Samaria;</HI> which I will di&s;tribute under &s;uch Officers, as I think fit to &s;et over them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Gilead <HI>is</HI> mine, Mana&s;&s;eh
<HI>is</HI> mine, Ephraim al|&s;o <HI>is</HI> the &s;trength of mine head, Ju|dah <HI>is</HI> my lawgi|ver.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. <HI>Gilead</HI> al&s;o and <HI>Ma|na&s;&s;eh,</HI> who were lately un|der another King, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> II. 9.) have &s;ubmitted them|&s;elves to me; and &s;o hath the of <HI>Ephraim,</HI> which is a main &s;upport of my Au|thority: The&s;e, and all the re&s;t of the Tribes of
<HI>I&s;rael,</HI> are united to the royal Tribe of <HI>Judah;</HI> which (according to the prophecy of our Forefather, XLIX. <HI>Gen.</HI> 10.) &s;upplies me with wi&s;e and able men to ad|mini&s;ter <PB N="322" REF="174">the Laws, and or|der the affairs of my King|dom.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Moab <HI>is</HI> my wa&s;hpot, over E|dom will I ca&s;t out my &s;hoe: over Phi|li&s;tia will I tri|umph.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Which &s;hall now ex|tend it &s;elf beyond the bounds of this Country; for I will tread the <HI>Moa|bites</HI> under my feet, and reduce them to the vile&s;t &s;ervitude; (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VIII. 2.) I will trample al&s;o upon the <HI>Edomites,</HI> and make them my &s;laves: (<HI>Ib.</HI> Ver&s;e 14.) the <HI>Phili&s;tines</HI> al&s;o, whom I have begun to &s;mite, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 17, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> 22.) &s;hall add to my Tri|umphs, and be forced to &s;ubmit unto me, as their conquering Lord, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VIII.
1.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Who will bring me into the &s;trong city? who will lead me into Edom?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. The&s;e are difficult things indeed, and I may well ask, when I con&s;ider how potent the&s;e Nations are, by what power or force I &s;hall be able to en|ter that &s;trongly fenced Ci|ty, in the frontiers of their Country? Who is it that will conduct me into <HI>Idu|maea,</HI> and make me Ma&s;ter of it?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="323" REF="174">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> <HI>Wilt</HI> not <HI>thou,</HI> O God,
<HI>who</HI> ha&s;t ca&s;t us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our ho&s;ts?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. But I can &s;oon an|&s;wer my &s;elf: For why &s;hould I de&s;pair of thy pre|&s;ence with us, O God of all power and might? who formerly indeed did&s;t re|ject us, and for&s;ake the conduct of our Armies, (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XXXI. 1, 7.) but now, I hope, wilt graci|ou&s;ly aid us, and make us victorious.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Give us help from trouble: for vain
<HI>is</HI> the help of man.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Do not fru&s;trate the&s;e hopes; but afford us thy help again&s;t the <HI>Syrians</HI> al|&s;o (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VIII. 5.) now that they di&s;tre&s;s us: for no humane force is able to deliver us; nor have we any confidence in it, but in Thee alone.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Through God we &s;hall doe valiantly: for he <HI>it is that</HI> &s;hall tread down our enemies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. By who&s;e a&s;&s;i&s;tance we will behave our &s;elves couragiou&s;ly, and doe va|liant Acts: For God will utterly rout our Enemies; and tread them down, like the mire in the &s;treets.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="109" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="324" REF="175">
<HEAD>PSALM CIX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">To the chief Mu&s;ician. A P&s;alm of
<HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>Mo&s;t Interpreters con&s;ent to the opinion of <HI>Aben Ezra,</HI> and <HI>D. Kimchi,</HI> that <HI>David</HI> (to whom the Title a&s;cribes this P&s;alm) hath re&s;pect here, in the fir&s;t place, to the grievous per&s;ecution which he &s;uffered by <HI>Saul,</HI> and &s;ome of his Court: who would let him enjoy no re&s;t, but having driven him from his own hou&s;e, pur&s;ued him &s;o clo&s;e, where&s;oever they heard he was; that he could have no certain dwelling: but be|came like a Locu&s;t (as he &s;peaks Ver&s;e 23.) which having no ne&s;t (as <HI>Bochartus</HI> ob&s;erves, P. II. L. IV. <HI>de Animal. &s;ac. cap.</HI> 2.) leaps or flies from hedge to hedge; as he did from place to place. To provoke <HI>Saul</HI> to this rage again&s;t him, as they all loaded him with many calumnies; (which made <HI>David</HI> cur&s;e them, to <HI>Saul</HI>'s face, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXVI. 10.) &s;o one e&s;pecially among the re&s;t, who is ge|nerally thought to be <HI>Doeg</HI> the <HI>Edomite,</HI> was notoriou&s;ly guilty of this wickedne&s;s: whom, by a prophetical Spirit, he here mo&s;t &s;olemnly cur&s;es, in a direfull manner; and pronounces the heavie&s;t judgment upon him and his Family: his inhumane villany <PB N="325" REF="175" MS="y">being &s;o great, that it made him an exact picture of the Traitour <HI>Judas,</HI> to whom the Apo&s;tle Saint
<HI>Peter,</HI> I. <HI>Act.</HI> 20. applies the eighth Ver&s;e of this P&s;alm. The re&s;t of which is &s;pent in Prayer to God, again&s;t &s;uch fal&s;e accu&s;ers; and in vows of the Prai&s;es he would give Him, when he was delivered from the mi&s;chief, which thereby they de&s;igned to him. Accordingly, when he was &s;ettled in his Throne, he &s;ent this P&s;alm among others, unto the Ma&s;ter of Mu&s;ick in the Tabernacle; to perpetuate the memory of God's mercy to him.</P>
<P>Concerning &s;uch Imprecations, as we here meet withall, &s;ee the Argument of <HI>P&s;alm</HI> XXXV. which is of the &s;ame nature with this.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> HOld not thy peace, O God of my prai&s;e.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O God, the &s;upreme Judge of the world, who, as Thou ha&s;t given me hitherto continual cau&s;e to prai&s;e Thee &s;o, I hope wilt &s;till vindicate my ho|nour; I appeal unto thy Maje&s;ty: be&s;eeching Thee to declare thy &s;elf on my &s;ide; and make it appear that I am innocent.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> For the mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of the de|ceitfull are opened again&s;t me: they have &s;poken a|gain&s;t me with a lying tongue.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. For men of no con|&s;cience, have taken the li|berty to invent the mo&s;t <PB N="326" REF="176">mi&s;chievous lies of me; whereby, though they al|ways &s;pake me fair to my face, they have wickedly traduced me to <HI>Saul,</HI> be|hind my back.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> They com|pa&s;&s;ed me about al&s;o with words of hatred: and fought again&s;t me without a cau&s;e.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And &s;pread tho&s;e fal&s;e reports &s;o diligently, that I find they have made me odious every where: and thereupon, without any provocation from me, have levied war again&s;t me, to take away my life, 1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XXIII. 8, 25.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> For my love they are my ad|ver&s;aries: but I <HI>give my &s;elf unto</HI> prayer.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Who have been &s;o far from doing them any harm, that I have de&s;erved well of them: (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XIX. 4, 5.) and even now, when they requite my kindne&s;s with indeavours to de&s;troy me, do nothing but recom|mend my &s;elf by prayer to thy protection; refu&s;ing to make u&s;e of the opportuni|ty I had to revenge my &s;elf upon them, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 9,
10, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. And yet this will not mollifie them; but &s;till they are &s;o extreamly un|gratefull, <PB N="327" REF="176" MS="y">as to repay my kindne&s;s, with new attempts to doe me mi&s;chief, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXVI. 2.) And the more affection I expre&s;s, with the greater hatred am I pro&s;e|cuted.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Sa|tan &s;tand at his right hand.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. So implacable is his malice, who is the principal Authour of the calumnies wherewith I am loaded, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXII. 9, 11.) a|gain&s;t whom therefore I implore thy ju&s;tice, O mo&s;t righteous Judge of the world: Let the wor&s;t man that can be found, be appointed to hear his cau&s;e when he is accu&s;ed; and his mo&s;t malicious Adver|&s;ary plead again&s;t him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> When he &s;hall be judged, let him be condem|ned, and let his prayer become &s;in.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. When &s;entence is gi|ven, let him be condemned to be as guilty, as really he is: and if he petition for a pardon, let it not onely be rejected, but prove an ag|gravation of his crimes.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Let his days be few, <HI>and</HI> let another take his office.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Let him (and the fal&s;e Traitour, who in future times will u&s;e the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah,</HI> as now they do me) be cut
<PB N="328" REF="177">off before his time: and his Office, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXI. 7. XXII. 9.) wherein he be|haves him&s;elf with &s;uch in&s;ufferable in&s;olence and fal&s;hood, be transferred to a better man.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Let his chil|dren be fatherle&s;s, and his wife a wi|dow.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Let not his Fatherle&s;s Children &s;ucceed him, in any thing that he hath: nor his Widow, have any thing left to maintain her.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Let his children be conti|nually vagabonds, and beg: let them &s;eek <HI>their bread</HI> al&s;o out of their de&s;olate places.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Let them not have &s;o much as an hou&s;e, where|in to put their heads: but be perpetual Vagabonds, &s;upporting a mi&s;erable life by begging an Alms; and &s;eeking where to lodge, becau&s;e their own dwel|lings are laid wa&s;te and de|&s;olate.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Let the ex|tortioner catch all that he hath: and let the &s;tranger &s;poil his labour.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Let his Creditour (pretending a judgment) &s;eize on all his e&s;tate: and a &s;tranger, by that means, reap the fruit of all his care and labour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherle&s;s children.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Let no man &s;hew the lea&s;t kindne&s;s to his memory; or upon that account be&s;tow an Alms <PB N="329" REF="177">upon his Fatherle&s;s Chil|dren.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Let his po|&s;terity be cut off,
<HI>and</HI> in the genera|tion following let their name be blot|ted out.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. Let them rather be odious for his &s;ake, and the &s;ooner de&s;troyed: &s;o that they be the la&s;t of the name; and, in the next ge|neration, not one of that family be found.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> Let the ini|quity of his fathers be remembred with the LORD: and let not the &s;in of his mother be blot|ted out.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. But, according to the ju&s;t &s;entence of thy Law, (XX.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 5.) let the puni&s;hments (which were due long ago, but thy patience moved Thee to forbear) fall all upon him: let him &s;uffer for the &s;ins of his progenitours on both &s;ide; in who&s;e wic|ked &s;teps he would not cea&s;e to tread.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the me|mory of them from the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Let it be &s;een that their wickedne&s;s is not for|gotten, though committed many years ago: but pro|&s;ecute it with a continued vengeance; till no body remember, that there were &s;uch people in the world.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> Becau&s;e that he remembred not to &s;hew mercy, but per&s;ecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even &s;lay the broken in heart.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. This will be but a de&s;erved recompen&s;e of all his cruelties: For as he let <PB N="330" REF="178">all benefits &s;lip out of his mind, and was ungratefull to tho&s;e, who had obliged him: &s;o he had no &s;en&s;e of that common compa&s;&s;ion, which is due to the cala|mitous; but when he &s;aw me in a nece&s;&s;itous condi|tion, de&s;titute of Friends, and dejected in &s;pirit, made no other u&s;e of it but to per&s;ecute me to the death.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> As he lo|ved cur&s;ing, &s;o let it come unto him: as he delighted not in ble&s;&s;ing, &s;o let it be far from him.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. What can be more ju&s;t, then that the mi&s;chief, in which he delighted, and both wi&s;hed and de&s;igned to others, &s;hould fall upon him&s;elf? and that he &s;hould never meet with the ble&s;|&s;ing of tho&s;e righteous cour|&s;es, which he always hated and avoided?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> As he clo|thed him&s;elf with cur&s;ing, like as with his garment: &s;o let it come into his bowels like water, and like oyl into his bones.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. His very bu&s;ine&s;s was to &s;lander others every where; taking a pride in the mi&s;chievous effects of his cur&s;ed lies: and there|fore let him feel the mi&s;e|rable fruit of this wicked|ne&s;s, &s;preading him&s;elf, like the water he drinks, into every vein of him; and
<PB N="331" REF="178">&s;ticking as clo&s;e to him, as oyl unto the bones.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> Let it be unto him as the garment
<HI>which</HI> covereth him, and for a girdle where|with he is girded continually.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. Let him be involved in perpetual misfortunes and mi&s;eries; and never be able to &s;hake them off: Let him be hampered in &s;traits and difficulties; with|out any po&s;&s;ibility of get|ting out.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> <HI>Let</HI> this <HI>be</HI> the reward of mine adver&s;aries from the LORD, and of them that &s;peak evil again&s;t my &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. This &s;hall mo&s;t cer|tainly be the reward, which the righteous Lord will give to my malicious adver&s;aries; for all the pains they have taken, by &s;landerous reports and calumnies, to take away my life.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy names &s;ake: be|cau&s;e thy mercy <HI>is</HI> good, deliver thou me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. Which I commend to thy protection, O Lord, the Governour of all things; be&s;eeching Thee to take my part, and appear for me: though not for my honour, yet for thy own; who&s;e kindne&s;s is &s;o exceeding bountifull unto all, that for that rea&s;on I am incou|raged to hope Thou wilt deliver me; to whom Thou ha&s;t engaged thy &s;elf, by many promi&s;es of mercy.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="332" REF="179">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> For I <HI>am</HI> poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. Which I never nee|ded more then now: for I am &s;o poor, and for&s;aken of all my friends, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXV. 8, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) that I am ready to faint away with grief and &s;orrow, like one that is wounded at the very heart.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> I am gone like the &s;hadow when it declineth: I am to&s;&s;ed up and down as the locu&s;t.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. The evening &s;hadow doth not vani&s;h &s;ooner then I, from the place of my pre|&s;ent abode, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXII. 1, 3, 5. XXIII.
13, 14.) which I am forced to quit on a &s;udden; and to wan|der like the Locu&s;t, which flies, or is driven, with the wind, uncertainly from place to place.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> My knees are weak through fa&s;ting: and my fle&s;h faileth of fat|ne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. And for want of food in tho&s;e de&s;art places, I am &s;ometimes &s;carce able to re|move: for my body, which heretofore was plump and fat, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVI. 12.) is now grown lank and thin; like one of tho&s;e mi&s;erable lean Creatures.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>25.</BIBL> I became al&s;o a reproach unto them:
<HI>when</HI> they looked upon me, they &s;haked their heads.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>25. Which, in&s;tead of moving their pity, hath ex|po&s;ed me to &s;uch contempt <PB N="333" REF="179">and &s;corn; that when I am &s;een by any of them, they deride and &s;coff at me as an undone wretch, that vainly hopes to e&s;cape their hands.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>26.</BIBL> Help me, O LORD my God: O &s;ave me according to thy mercy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>26. But my hope is, that Thou, O Lord, who ha&s;t hitherto been my mo&s;t gra|cious God, wilt &s;ea&s;onably interpo&s;e for my relief: and deliver me, out of that tender mercy, which is wont to extend it &s;elf to tho&s;e who have nothing el&s;e to depend upon.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>27.</BIBL> That they may know that this <HI>is</HI> thy hand: <HI>that</HI> thou LORD ha&s;t done it.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>27. Whereby they them|&s;elves may be convinced, and forced to acknowledge; that, not by chance, no more then by my &s;mall for|ces, but by thy Almighty power alone, and thy care of me, O Lord, I am deli|vered.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>28.</BIBL> Let them cur&s;e, but ble&s;s thou: when they ari&s;e, let them be a&s;hamed: but let thy &s;ervant rejoice.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>28. Thy ble&s;&s;ing and pro|tection I implore; which if Thou wilt vouch&s;afe me, let them go on to cur&s;e and &s;lander me as long as they plea&s;e; it &s;hall not hurt me: nay, let them a&s;&s;ault
<PB N="334" REF="180">me with armed force, they &s;hall onely be confounded at their vain attempt; and give thy &s;ervant the grea|ter cau&s;e, to rejoice at their di&s;appointment.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="29" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>29.</BIBL> Let mine adver&s;aries be clo|thed with &s;hame: and let them cover them&s;elves with their own confu|&s;ion, as with a mantle.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>29. Which &s;hall &s;o in|crea&s;e the confu&s;ion of my malicious adver&s;aries; that they &s;hall not be able to bear the di&s;grace: but wi&s;h they could hide them&s;elves from the &s;ight of their &s;hame, which their own wickedne&s;s hath brought upon them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="30" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>30.</BIBL> I will greatly prai&s;e the LORD with my mouth: yea, I will prai&s;e him among the multitude.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>30. In hope of which defeat, I now beforehand to the Lord the be&s;t expre&s;|&s;ions of my gratitude, that I am able to make: not onely in private, but in the greate&s;t A&s;&s;emblies; where I will not cea&s;e to prai&s;e his Almighty love.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="31" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>31.</BIBL> For he &s;hall &s;tand at the right hand of the poor, to &s;ave <HI>him</HI> from tho&s;e that condemn his &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>31. And bid them tru&s;t in God; who hath pleaded my cau&s;e, and re&s;cued me from death: and will ever be the Advocate of him that hath no helper; but depends on his goodne&s;s, to <PB N="335" REF="180">deliver him from the hands of tho&s;e Judges, who pro|&s;ecute the unju&s;t &s;entence, they have pa&s;&s;ed upon him to lo&s;e his life.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="110" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm of <HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>There is the &s;ame rea&s;on to think this P&s;alm was compo&s;ed by <HI>David</HI> (not by &s;ome other concerning <HI>David</HI>) that there is to con|clude all the re&s;t to be &s;o, which have the &s;ame Title. And then, as it is very plain he &s;peaks of &s;ome per&s;on much greater then him&s;elf, whom he calls his <HI>Lord,</HI> &s;o it can be no other, but the <HI>Lord Chri&s;t,</HI> of whom he here prophe&s;ies. Not, as he is wont to doe el&s;ewhere, with re&s;pect to him&s;elf in the fir&s;t place, as His type and figure; but in plain words, which can belong to none but
<HI>Chri&s;t</HI> alone. For no other King but He, can be &s;aid, in any &s;en&s;e, to &s;it at God's right hand: nor was there any Prie&s;t of the order of <HI>Melchi&s;edek,</HI> that could be a &s;hadow of him.</P>
<P><HI>David</HI> indeed &s;eems once to have exer|ci&s;ed
<PB N="336" REF="181">the Office of a Prie&s;t, when he <HI>ble&s;&s;ed the people,</HI> at the bringing of the Ark to <HI>Sion,</HI> (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VI.
18.) and &s;o to have been then both King and Prie&s;t, in one per&s;on, as
<HI>Melchifedek</HI> was: but not a <HI>Prie&s;t for ever,</HI> on whom the Office was perpetually e&s;tabli&s;hed, and that <HI>by an Oath;</HI> as it was on the Prie&s;t here mentioned.</P>
<P>And therefore it is in vain, to endeavour to accommodate any part of this P&s;alm to <HI>David;</HI> who conquered many of the neigh|bouring Countries, &s;mote their Kings, made them bring him tributes, and at la&s;t &s;mote <HI>the head of the Country of Rabbah</HI> (as &s;ome render the la&s;t words of the <HI>&s;ixth ver&s;e</HI> of this P&s;alm) that is, the King of the Chil|dren of <HI>Ammon:</HI> But &s;till we are to &s;eek, how the re&s;t can be applied to him; who ne|ver had any pretence to &s;uch an authority as is here de&s;cribed; nor can in any &s;en&s;e call him&s;elf, my Lord; but as our Lord <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hath demon&s;trated &s;pake concerning Him, (XXII.
<HI>Matt.</HI> 43, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and his Exaltation, after his Re&s;urrection from the dead, (as Saint <HI>Peter</HI> and Saint <HI>Paul</HI> al&s;o &s;hew, II. <HI>Act.</HI> 34, 35. 1 <HI>Cor</HI> XV. 25. IV.
<HI>Hebr.</HI> 1, 13. V. 6.) when He &s;et up another Prie&s;t|hood, and aboli&s;hed that of <HI>Mo&s;es:</HI> which change is here predicted.</P>
<P>And though the <HI>Jews</HI> have taken a great deal of pains, to wre&s;t this P&s;alm to another &s;en&s;e; yet they are &s;o divided in their opi|nions <PB N="337" REF="181">about it, (&s;peaking incon&s;i&s;tent things, like drunken men, as Saint <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom</HI>'s words are, or rather, &s;ays he, like men in the dark, running again&s;t one another) that from thence alone we may be &s;atisfied they are in the wrong, and have their eyes blin|ded: el&s;e they would not have embraced &s;uch interpretations, as tho&s;e which may be &s;een in them, that have written upon this P&s;alm. Which &s;ome of the <HI>Jews</HI> them&s;elves (&s;uch as <HI>R. Mo&s;es Hadar&s;an, Saadias Gaon,</HI> and divers others whom I might mention) have been forced to acknowledge belongs to <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> and is a very plain prediction of his Divi|nity, his royal Dignity, his Prie&s;thood, and his victories and triumphs; which the P&s;al|mi&s;t &s;ets forth as follows.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> THe LORD &s;aid unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, untill I make thine enemies thy foot|&s;tool.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. THis is the decree of the eternal LORD, that the great per&s;on, whom we expect, and whom I ho|nour as my Lord and Ma|&s;ter, &s;hall be advanced (af|ter his &s;ufferings) to the highe&s;t dignity (1
<HI>King.</HI> II. 19.) in the heavens: and reign with Him, as the King of all the world; till He have perfectly &s;ubdued (X. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 24.) the mo&s;t powerfull oppo&s;ers of his <PB N="338" REF="182">Kingdom; and overcome death it &s;elf, by whom all mankind are conquered, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> XV. 25,
26.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> The LORD &s;hall &s;end the rod of thy &s;trength out of Sion: rule thou in the mids of thine enemies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. The eternal Lord, w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> hath thus decreed to ho|nour Thee, O mo&s;t mighty Prince, will make <HI>Sion,</HI> fir&s;t of all, to feel how power|full thy Scepter is, (I. <HI>Act.</HI> 8. II. 34, 37.) and thence extend thy Empire over all the Earth: where I wi&s;h Thou maye&s;t, and foretell Thou wilt, prevail over all Infidelity, Idolatry, Super|&s;tition and Impiety; which will &s;et them&s;elves again&s;t thy Authority.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Thy people <HI>&s;hall be</HI> willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holi|ne&s;s from the womb of the mor|ning: thou ha&s;t the dew of thy youth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. For in the day when thy forces, (2 <HI>Tim.</HI> II. 3.) compleatly armed with a Divine power, (IV. <HI>Act.</HI> 33.) &s;hall march forth to &s;ubdue the world, unto thy obedi|ence; they that are fit for thy Kingdom (IX. <HI>Luk.</HI> 62. XIII. <HI>Act.</HI> 48.) &s;hall chear|fully &s;ubmit them&s;elves, and pre&s;ent Thee with free-will Offerings, in token of their ab&s;olute &s;ubjection to Thee: <PB N="339" REF="182">(II. <HI>Act.</HI>
45. IV. 34.) And great &s;hall be the number of cho&s;en men, (1 <HI>Joh.</HI> II. 13.) who, glad to &s;ee the night of Ignorance gone, &s;hall at thy fir&s;t appearance, by the cele&s;tial ble&s;&s;ing, fall unto Thee, as thick as the morning dew.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> The LORD hath &s;worn, and will not repent, Thou <HI>art</HI> a prie&s;t for ever, after the order of Melchi&s;e|dek.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. And happy are they who live under thy Govern|ment; for the Lord hath unchangeably re&s;olved, that Thou &s;halt be a Prie&s;t as well as a King; with full power to ble&s;s all thy Sub|jects, not onely in that, but in all future Ages, even to all Eternity: For Thou &s;halt not be a Prie&s;t like tho&s;e after <HI>Aaron</HI>'s order, who die to make room for others; but, like that great King and Prie&s;t <HI>Melchi&s;edek,</HI> &s;halt neither have any Pre|dece&s;&s;our, nor Succe&s;&s;our in thine Office; but continue a royal Prie&s;t for evermore. <HI>Hebr.</HI> VII.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> The Lord at thy right hand &s;hall &s;trike through kings in the day of his wrath.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Who, as he will be mo&s;t compa&s;&s;ionate to all tho&s;e, that heartily acknow|ledge <PB N="340" REF="183">Him for their Lord, and &s;ubmit unto His Go|vernment; &s;o will break in pieces the greate&s;t powers on earth that provoke his di&s;plea&s;ure, by ob&s;tinate oppo&s;al of his Authority at thy right hand.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> He &s;hall judg among the hea|then, he &s;hall fill <HI>the places</HI> with the dead bodies: he &s;hall wound the heads over many countries.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. From whence He &s;hall demon&s;trate Him&s;elf to all the heathen world, to be their Law-giver and their Judge: taking a &s;evere ven|geance on tho&s;e that per|&s;ecute his Subjects; and de&s;troying, at la&s;t, even that mighty Empire, which &s;hall then rule over many Coun|tries.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> He &s;hall drink of the brook in the way: therefore &s;hall he lift up the head.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. But before all this, He &s;hall fir&s;t humble Him|&s;elf to the meane&s;t condi|tion; not living in the &s;tate of a King here in this world, but of a way-faring man, (IX. <HI>Luk.</HI> 56.) who is con|tent with &s;uch provi&s;ion as he meets withall: For which cau&s;e, after the enduring many hard&s;hips, even death it &s;elf, He &s;hall be highly exalted to his Royal and <PB N="341" REF="183">Prie&s;tly dignity in the Hea|vens; from whence He &s;hall never fall.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="111" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Hallelujah, <HI>i. e. Prai&s;e the Lord.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>It is certain this is the Title of the P&s;alm: which con&s;i&s;ts of as many &s;hort Metres as there are Letters in the Hebrew Alphabet; and therefore cannot begin with <HI>Hallelujah,</HI> who&s;e fir&s;t Letter is the <HI>fifth,</HI> not the fir&s;t Letter in that Alphabet. In which order it proceeds for the better help of the memory: being compo&s;ed thus artificially, that every one, as well as the &s;ingers (to whom the
<HI>Hallelujah</HI> perhaps is particularly directed) might have in their minds a brief form of thanking God (e&s;pecially upon fe&s;tival days) for the wonderfull things He had done for that Nation.</P>
<P>It was a meditation which the Authour had in time of peace and quiet; for in di|&s;tre&s;s, or immediately after a great delive|rance, mens &s;pirits are not at liberty to u&s;e &s;uch art and curio&s;ity in their compo&s;ures, as there is in this P&s;alm: being full, at <PB N="342" REF="184">tho&s;e &s;ea&s;ons, of &s;uch pa&s;&s;ions, as make them neglect it, even when they are inclined to u&s;e it. (&s;ee <HI>P&s;alm</HI> XXV.) For which rea|&s;on I think <HI>Theodoret</HI>'s opinion hath no ground; that the P&s;almi&s;t hath re&s;pect to the great Victory obtained by
<HI>Jeho&s;haphat</HI> over the <HI>Ammonites</HI> and other Nations, who invaded his Kingdom: for which they gave thanks to God, pre&s;ently after, 2
<HI>Chr.</HI> XX. It is more likely that <HI>David</HI> who com|po&s;ed tho&s;e larger forms of commemoration, <HI>P&s;alm</HI> CV. and CVI. made this (as I &s;aid) for a compendious remembrance of what is there more largely delivered. And that He might not exceed the number of the Ten Commandments (as &s;ome give the rea&s;on of it) in the Ver&s;es of this P&s;alm, the Metres of the two la&s;t are &s;o &s;hort; that they have, each of them, <HI>three</HI> Letters of the Alphabet in them, whereas all the former have but <HI>two.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> PRai&s;e ye the LORD. I will prai&s;e the LORD with <HI>my</HI> whole heart, in the a&s;&s;embly of the upright, and
<HI>in</HI> the congregation.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. I Will make my thank|full acknowledgments to the Lord, not onely with my lips, or with &s;ome &s;light affections of my mind; but with all my heart and &s;oul: And that not onely in the private &s;ociety of tho&s;e good <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">en, whom I am more in|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">mately acquainted with|all;
<PB N="343" REF="184">but in the publick con|gregation of all his people.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> The works of the LORD <HI>are</HI> great, &s;ought out of all them that have plea&s;ure therein.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Who ought to join together to prai&s;e the Lord, for his mighty and wonder|full works; which it will not co&s;t them much labour to under&s;tand; for they are ea&s;ily found out by all tho&s;e, who take any plea|&s;ure in &s;uch inquiries.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> His work <HI>is</HI> honourable and glorious: and his righteou&s;ne&s;s en|dureth for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And there is not one of them but is full of ma|je&s;ty and &s;plendour; and the fruit of his infinite boun|ty, and faithfulne&s;s to his promi&s;e: which He &s;till expre&s;&s;es towards us; and will doe &s;o for ever.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> He hath made his wonder|full works to be remembred: the LORD <HI>is</HI> gracious and full of compa&s;|&s;ion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. And, &s;uch is his Good|ne&s;s, le&s;t we &s;hould forget his Benefits, He hath in&s;ti|tuted &s;olemn times for the commemoration of the won|ders He hath done for us, (XII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 14. XIII. 3, 9,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) which are everla|&s;ting te&s;timonies, that we &s;erve a mo&s;t gracious and compa&s;&s;ionate Lord.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> He hath gi|ven meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindfull of his covenant.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Who gave our Fore|fathers (whom by his won|derfull
<PB N="344" REF="185">works He po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with the fear of Him, XIV.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 31.) the &s;poil of the <HI>Egyptians,</HI> (XII. <HI>Exod.</HI>
35, 36.) and afterward fed them with Manna in the wilderne&s;s, (XVI.
<HI>Exod.</HI>) according to his Covenant, which He had made long before, (XV.
<HI>Gen.</HI> 14.) and will never forget in future Ages.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> He hath &s;hewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. He hath evidently de|mon&s;trated to his people the greatne&s;s of his power, in de&s;troying <HI>Sihon</HI> the <HI>A|morite,</HI> (II. <HI>Deut.</HI> 24, 25.) and <HI>Og</HI> the King of <HI>Ba&s;han,</HI> (III. <HI>Deut.</HI> 21, 24.) with the re&s;t of the <HI>Amorites</HI> and other Nations, in the Land of <HI>Canaan:</HI> (X. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 6, 11, 12,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) which He took from the ancient Inhabi|tants, that He might give it us for our po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> The works of his hands <HI>are</HI> verity and judg|ment; all his com|mandments <HI>are</HI> &s;ure.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. In which He did them no wrong; but was exactly ju&s;t in fulfilling his promi&s;e to us, and in executing his judgments upon tho&s;e wic|ked wretches: (IX. <HI>Deut.</HI> 5. <PB N="345" REF="185">XV.
<HI>Gen.</HI> 16.) For all his orders of either kind, are in pur&s;uance of mo&s;t righteous decrees.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> They &s;tand fa&s;t for ever and ever,
<HI>and are</HI> done in truth and up|rightne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Which He doth not alter and change at plea|&s;ure; but hath &s;ettled as eternal Rules: becau&s;e there is no partiality, or iniquity in them; but they were enacted with a &s;incere re|&s;pect to all mens good and happine&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> He &s;ent re|demption unto his people, he hath commanded his co|venant for ever: holy and reverend <HI>is</HI> his name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. And it was in confor|mity to the&s;e that He at fir&s;t &s;ent <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron,</HI> to bring our Fathers out of
<HI>Egypt,</HI> (VI. <HI>Exod.</HI> 6.) and then exerci&s;ed his &s;upreme authority over them, in giving them a Law, which He tied them by a Cove|nant perpetually to ob&s;erve; (XIX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 4, 5. XXIV. 8.) Appearing in &s;uch Maje&s;ty to them, (XX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 18. XXIV. 10, 11.) as might po&s;&s;e&s;s them with an awfull regard to Him; and make them for ever dread, by any profanene&s;s, to offend Him, who infinitely excells all other Beings.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="346" REF="186">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> The fear of the Lord is the be|ginning of wi&s;e|dom: a good un|der&s;tanding have all they that doe <HI>his command|ments:</HI> his prai&s;e endureth for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. And indeed, it is the fir&s;t and principal point of wi&s;edom to fear the Lord, and carefully ob&s;erve his Commandments: the prac|tice of which give, men a better under&s;tanding of what is good for them, then any politick maximes can infu&s;e into them. Therefore let the Lord be for ever prai&s;ed, who hath given us the&s;e good and whol&s;ome Laws; and thereby &s;hewn us the way to eternal ho|nour and prai&s;e.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="112" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXII.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm is compo&s;ed after the very &s;ame manner with the former; and &s;eems to be intended for a &s;hort Commentary upon the la&s;t Ver&s;e of it: &s;hewing how well and wi&s;e|ly they con&s;ult their own good and happine&s;s, who ob&s;erve God's Commandments; e&s;pe|cially tho&s;e about Charity, or doing good to others. Of which that they might be always mindfull the P&s;alm is contrived, for the help <PB N="347" REF="186">of their memories, into as many &s;hort Ver|&s;icles, as there are Letters in the Hebrew Alphabet. Hallelujah therefore is no part of them, but the Title prefixt to the P&s;alm, (&s;ee upon <HI>P&s;alm</HI> CXI.) to excite them to prai&s;e the Lord; who had made it their pre&s;ent intere&s;t to be religious.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> PRai&s;e ye the LORD. Ble&s;&s;ed
<HI>is</HI> the man <HI>that</HI> feareth the LORD, <HI>that</HI> de|lighteth greatly in his command|ments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. HAppy is that man who&s;e chiefe&s;t care it is to plea&s;e the Lord; by ob&s;erving his Command|ments: which will yield, in the i&s;&s;ue, the highe&s;t plea&s;ure and &s;atisfaction of mind to him&s;elf.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> His &s;eed &s;hall be mighty upon earth: the gene|ration of the up|right &s;hall be ble&s;|&s;ed,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. And procure a ble&s;|&s;ing al&s;o upon all belonging to him: fir&s;t, upon his Children, and tho&s;e that &s;hall de&s;cend from them in future times; who &s;hall fare the better, and be more powerfull and pro&s;perous, for the &s;incere vertue of their pious Forefathers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Wealth and riches <HI>&s;hall be</HI> in his hou&s;e: and his righteou&s;ne&s;s endureth for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And next on his E|&s;tate: which &s;hall not one|ly be rich and plentifull, but &s;o firmly &s;ettled and intailed on his po&s;terity; that they &s;hall reap the per|petual <PB N="348" REF="187">fruit of his ju&s;tice and charity.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> &V;nto the up|right there ari&s;eth light in the dark|ne&s;s: <HI>he is</HI> graci|ous, and full of compa&s;&s;ion, and righteous.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Or if any affliction come, it will be &s;o far from making him unhappy; that, be&s;ides the Divine comforts imparted to him for his &s;up|port, it will make the ver|tue of upright men the more illu&s;trious: while one exerci&s;es meekne&s;s and &s;weetne&s;s to tho&s;e that pro|voke him; another forgives offences, and pities the in|&s;truments of his trouble; and a third exerci&s;es the greater ju&s;tice or mercy, and will not be tempted to doe any di&s;hone&s;t or cruel thing for his own delive|rance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> A good man &s;heweth favour, and lendeth; he will guide his af|fairs with di&s;cre|tion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. But, above all other men, he leads the mo&s;t com|fortable life, who is &s;o kind, that he &s;upplies the needs of others; giving to one, and lending to another, as occa&s;ion &s;erves: and yet ordering all his affairs &s;o judiciou&s;ly, that he doth not impair, but rather main|tain, the good e&s;tate of his own family.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="349" REF="187">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Surely he &s;hall not be moved for ever: the righ|teous &s;hall be in everla&s;ting remem|brance.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Sure, it will not be in the power of the mo&s;t mighty and malicious ene|mies (though they may di&s;|turb him) quite to over|throw him: and, when they are forgotten, or mentio|ned with contempt, the worthy actions of this &s;ort of righteous men, &s;hall be celebrated with never-cea|&s;ing prai&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> He &s;hall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, tru&s;ting in the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. He is not affrighted and di&s;compo&s;ed at the fal&s;e reports that are rai&s;ed of him; nor at the rumour of dangers which threaten him: being prepared for &s;uch things as the&s;e, by a &s;ettled tru&s;t and hope in God; that He will take care of him, who hath been as kind as he could to others in their di&s;tre&s;&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> His heart <HI>is</HI> e&s;tabli&s;hed, he &s;hall not be afraid, un|till he &s;ee <HI>his de|&s;ire</HI> upon his ene|mies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. This confidence is the prop and &s;upport of his &s;oul; which will not let him be di&s;maied: but makes him expect the time, when he &s;hall be able &s;ecurely to look upon all his ene|mies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="350" REF="188">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> He hath di&s;|per&s;ed, he hath gi|ven to the poor; his righteou&s;ne&s;s endureth for ever; his born &s;hall be exalted with ho|nour.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. He doth not merely heap up riches for him&s;elf; but di&s;pen&s;es them to others, di&s;pen&s;es them to others, e&s;pecially to the poor and needy, with a liberal hand: Nor is he weary of well|doing, but ever producing &s;ome new fruit of his cha|rity; which &s;hall gain him the greate&s;t honour, and rai&s;e him to an illu&s;trious degree of power and au|thority.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> The wicked &s;hall &s;ee <HI>it,</HI> and be grieved; he &s;hall gna&s;h with his teeth, and melt away: the de&s;ire of the wicked &s;hall peri&s;h.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. At the &s;ight of which the wicked (who &s;hall not be able not to ob&s;erve it) &s;hall be extreamly vexed; or rather furiou&s;ly inraged: he &s;hall pine away with grief, envy and impatience, to &s;ee him&s;elf, and his com|panions, di&s;appointed in all that they wi&s;hed; either of good to them&s;elves, or evil to the righteous.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="113" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="351" REF="188">
<HEAD>PSALM CXIII.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm, with the <HI>Five</HI> next which follow, the Hebrews call by the name of <HI>Hallel,</HI> or <HI>Hymn:</HI> which they recited at their Table (as in the New Moons, and other Fea&s;ts &s;o) in the Pa&s;chal Night, after they had eaten the Lamb; concluding it with
<HI>Halle|lujah:</HI> which is the Title of this P&s;alm (as of the two foregoing) to excite all God's people, e&s;pecially tho&s;e that con&s;tantly atten|ded in the Tabernacle, to the prai&s;es of Gods good Providence; which extends it &s;elf, as far as this Earth where we live: &s;everal in|&s;tances of which the P&s;almi&s;t here mentions.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> PRai&s;e ye the LORD. Prai&s;e, O ye &s;er|vants of the LORD, prai&s;e the name of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O Ye Mini&s;ters of the Lord, and who&s;oever you are that love his Service, prai&s;e his eternal Maje&s;ty: be not re|mi&s;s in this heavenly im|ployment; but, with your be&s;t affections, prai&s;e the power, wi&s;edom and good|ne&s;s of his eternal Provi|dence.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed be the name of the LORD, from this time forth and for evermore.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Prai&s;e him now in this pre&s;ent Age; and wi&s;h
<PB N="352" REF="189">that tho&s;e incomparable perfections of his, may be celebrated with the prai&s;es of tho&s;e, that live in future times as long as the world &s;hall la&s;t.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> From the ri|&s;ing of the &s;un un|to the going down of the &s;ame, the LORD's name <HI>is</HI> to be prai&s;ed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And not onely here in this little &s;pot of earth; but where&s;oever the Sun &s;hines, and lets men &s;ee how &s;plendid and glorious his Maje&s;ty is.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> The LORD <HI>is</HI> high above all nations,
<HI>and</HI> his glory above the heavens.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. For all the Nations of the earth are his; and but a little parcel of his &s;u|preme Dominion: which extends far beyond the Sun, and Moon, and Stars; who&s;e light is but a dim re&s;em|blance of the brightne&s;s of his glory.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Who <HI>is</HI> like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Do not think that any of them (though wor|&s;hipped by other Nations as gods) is comparable to that great Lord, and our mo&s;t gracious God, whom we adore: for the very place where his glorious Maje&s;ty re&s;ides, is far higher then they.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="353" REF="189">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Who hum|bleth <HI>him&s;elf</HI> to behold
<HI>the things that are</HI> in heaven and in the earth?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. And it is a great con|de&s;cen&s;ion in him, that He will have any re&s;pect to the mo&s;t illu&s;trious of tho&s;e ce|le&s;tial bodies: though He be &s;o gracious al&s;o, as to extend his kind and care|full Providence, even to us who dwell upon this earth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> He rai&s;eth up the poor out of the du&s;t,
<HI>and</HI> lif|teth the needy out of the dunghill:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Where, among other manife&s;t tokens of his &s;tu|pendious goodne&s;s, He is plea&s;ed to take &s;pecial no|tice of tho&s;e, whom the world de&s;pi&s;es: and to rai&s;e them out of a mean, nay &s;ordid, condition, to &s;uch a pitch of honour and dig|nity;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> That he may &s;et <HI>him</HI> with prin|ces, <HI>even</HI> with the princes of his peo|ple.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. That at la&s;t they are advanced to &s;it upon a Throne; and made the Governours of his own people: (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> II. 8. 2
<HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 8, 9. compared with 1. XXIV. 14.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> He maketh the barren woman to keep hou&s;e,
<HI>and to be</HI> a joyfull mo|ther of children. Prai&s;e ye the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. And, which is &s;till more &s;trange, He opens the barren womb, (which ac|cording to the cour&s;e of na|ture would have brought
<PB N="354" REF="190" MS="y">forth nothing) and makes a numerous Family &s;pring from thence; to the great joy of her that bears them, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> I. 20. II. 21. Prai&s;e the Lord in the&s;e, and &s;uch like wonderfull works of his.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="114" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXIV.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>As the foregoing P&s;alm puts them in mind of &s;everal works of the Divine Providence, about particular per&s;ons: &s;o this makes a brief narration of &s;ome miraculous works; wherein the Lord declared his power, when He brought the whole Jewi&s;h Nation out of the Egyptian bondage.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> WHen I&s;|rael went out of Egypt, the hou&s;e of Jacob from a people of &s;trange language;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. WHen our Forefa|thers, with their whole Family were brought out of <HI>Egypt;</HI> and not one of them left behind among that barbarous people who had long oppre&s;&s;ed them:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Judah was his &s;anctuary, <HI>and</HI> I&s;rael his domi|nion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. There was a mo&s;t glo|rious appearance of God
<PB N="355" REF="190">among them; by that bright cloud, the token of his pre|&s;ence: which then had no other peculiar place for its &s;anctuary; but &s;tood over the whole Camp of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> (XIII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 21. XIV. <HI>Numb.</HI> 14.) whom He then took for his peculiar Kingdom, (XIX.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 6.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> The &s;ea &s;aw <HI>it,</HI> and fled; For|dan was driven back.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. At which appearance the red Sea for&s;ook its chan|nel, and left a dry path for them to march through: (XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 21, 24.) and &s;o did <HI>Jordan</HI> al&s;o after|wards; to make way for their ea&s;ie entrance into <HI>Ca|naan,</HI> III. <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 15, 16.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> The moun|tains skipped like rams,
<HI>and</HI> the little hills like lambs.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. All the Mountains great and &s;mall, which ad|joined unto
<HI>Sinai,</HI> trembled and leaped, like &s;o many affrighted rams, or little lambs; before the &s;ame mo&s;t dreadfull Maje&s;ty, (XIX. <HI>Exod.</HI>
18.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> What <HI>ailed</HI> thee, O thou &s;ea, that thou fledde&s;t? thou Jordan, <HI>that</HI> thou wa&s;t driven back?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. To what el&s;e &s;hall we a&s;cribe that &s;udden ebb of the Sea? and that, no le&s;s &s;trange, retreat of <HI>Jordan,</HI> when it overflowed all its banks?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="356" REF="191">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Ye moun|tains, <HI>that</HI> ye skip|ped like rams; <HI>and</HI> ye little hills like lambs?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. What made the moun|tains and hills leap up, like affrighted rams or lambs? as if they would run away from the place, where they were &s;o firmly fixed?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Tremble thou earth at the pre|&s;ence of the Lord, at the pre&s;ence of the God of Jacob,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. But onely the glori|ous pre&s;ence of the Divine Maje&s;ty, who was then bringing his people to the re&s;t He had promi&s;ed to give them. And let the whole earth be afraid and tremble before that great Lord; who hath honoured us &s;o far, as peculiarly to be our God:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Which tur|ned the tock <HI>into</HI> a &s;tanding water, the flint into a fountain of wa|ters.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. And was &s;o kind as to &s;upply the nece&s;&s;ities of our Forefathers, even when they murmured again&s;t Him, by a new Miracle: bringing out of hard rocks, as hard as flint, &s;uch plenty of wa|ter; as if they had been di&s;&s;olved into lakes or rivers, XVII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 8. XX.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 11.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="115" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="357" REF="191">
<HEAD>PSALM CXV.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>There is great rea&s;on to think, that this P&s;alm was made in &s;ome time of &s;ore di&s;tre&s;s; when their Pagan Enemies began to boa&s;t and brag, as if their gods were too hard for the God of
<HI>I&s;rael.</HI> But by whom it was made, or on what particular occa&s;ion, there are &s;o many conjectures; that it will be no pre&s;umption to interpo&s;e mine: which is this. That when <HI>Jeho&s;haphat</HI> &s;aw that va&s;t Army (which we reade of 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XX. 2.) com|po&s;ed of &s;everal Nations, coming again&s;t him; and after his prayer to God for deliverance, was incouraged by a Prophet to hope for it; (Ver. 14, 15.) and had by the Levites gi|ven Him thanks for this hope; he, or that Prophet, compo&s;ed this Hymn, to quicken and confirm their faith in God: unto which you reade he exhorted them, Ver. 20. And it is likely that this was the Hymn, which by common con&s;ent the Singers were appointed to u&s;e, when they went out to en|counter tho&s;e Enemies: &s;aying not onely tho&s;e words, which we reade there, Ver. 21. <HI>Prai&s;e the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever;</HI> but the&s;e, <HI>Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give glo|ry; for thy mercy, and for thy truths &s;ake,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="358" REF="192">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> NOT unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, <HI>and</HI> for thy truths &s;ake.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. PRo&s;per our arms, O Lord, and give us the victory over the&s;e ene|mies that invade us: not that <HI>we</HI> may grow more fa|mous; (no, we have no thoughts of the glory that will accrue to our &s;elves thereby) but that thy Di|vine Maje&s;ty may be ho|noured, and thy goodne&s;s and faithfulne&s;s to thy pro|mi&s;es be made the more il|lu&s;trious.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Wherefore &s;hould the heathen &s;ay, Where
<HI>is</HI> now their God?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. What a &s;ad thing will it be, to hear the Nations that &s;urround us in&s;ult, not &s;o much over us as, over Thee; &s;aying, what is be|come of their God, in whom they tru&s;ted? If He be &s;o powerfull as they boa&s;t, why doth He not deliver them?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> But our God <HI>is</HI> in the heavens, he hath done what|&s;oever he plea&s;ed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Let them know that Thou art infinitely &s;uperi|our to them, and all their gods; being the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;our of the heavens, as well as the earth, (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XX. 6.) whom no power of theirs can hurt, or &s;o much as re|&s;train; <PB N="359" REF="192">but art able to doe what&s;oever Thou plea&s;e&s;t, for their confu&s;ion and for our deliverance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Their idols <HI>are</HI> &s;ilver and gold, the work of mens hands.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Their Idols cannot hinder it in the lea&s;t: who are of no more value, then the &s;ilver and gold of which they are made: and are &s;o far from being the makers of things, that they them|&s;elves are the work of tho&s;e that adore them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> They have mouths, but they &s;peak not; eyes have they, but they &s;ee not.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. They are mere lifele&s;s Images; that have mouths, but cannot give a word of advice, or of incourage|ment and comfort to their &s;upplicants: and eyes al&s;o, but cannot &s;ee the devotion wherewith they look up unto them, or pro&s;trate them&s;elves before them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> They have ears, but they hear not; no&s;es have they, but they &s;mell not.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Let their wor&s;hippers cry to them never &s;o loud|ly, they cannot hear a word: All the Frankincen&s;e and &s;weet Odours which they burn to them, are merely lo&s;t; for they cannot &s;mell them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="360" REF="193">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> They have hands, but they handle not; feet have they, but they walk not; neither &s;peak they through their throat.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Though they have thunderbolts in their hands, they feel them not; nor are able to doe either good or harm: They cannot &s;tir a foot from the place where they &s;tand, unle&s;s they be carried; nor make &s;o much noi&s;e as a fly; being utter|ly void of breath, as well as of &s;en&s;e and rea&s;on.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> They that make them are like unto them;
<HI>&s;o is</HI> every one that tru&s;teth in them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. To what then, but to tho&s;e Idols, &s;hall we com|pare the makers of them, and &s;uch as confide in them? who are mere Images of men: having eyes, but do not &s;ee that the brutes are more excellent then &s;uch gods; and that the lea&s;t help is not to be expected from them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> O I&s;rael, tru&s;t thou in the LORD: he
<HI>is</HI> their help and their &s;hield.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. O ye <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> who by the Divine Favour are better in&s;tructed, repo&s;e that confidence in the eternal Lord, which they do in tho&s;e Vanities: And He will not onely protect and defend you, again&s;t all the a&s;&s;aults of your enemies; but help you to overcome
<PB N="361" REF="193">them, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XX. 9.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> O hou&s;e of Aaron, tru&s;t in the LORD: he
<HI>is</HI> their help and their &s;hield.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. O ye Prie&s;ts and Levites, do you above all others rely upon that eter|nal Lord; who&s;e prai&s;e you &s;ing, and to whom you of|fer continual Sacrifice: For He will never fail, not one|ly to protect but, to a&s;&s;i&s;t all &s;uch as piou&s;ly confide in Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Ye that fear the LORD, tru&s;t in the LORD: he <HI>is</HI> their help and their &s;hield.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. And let all that fear the Lord and devoutly wor|&s;hip Him, (of what&s;oever Nation they be) place the like confidence in his Al|mighty Goodne&s;s: For He will never for&s;ake tho&s;e that depend on Him alone, (though they be not of the &s;eed of <HI>Abraham</HI>) but de|fend them al&s;o in all dan|gers, and aid them again&s;t all their enemies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> The LORD hath been mind|full of us, he will ble&s;s <HI>us,</HI> he will ble&s;s the hou&s;e of I&s;rael, he will ble&s;s the hou&s;e of Aaron.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. We have had abun|dant experience of his care over us in all ages; and therefore, though now for the pre&s;ent, our enemies afflict us yet, let us believe that the Lord will doe us good, and ble&s;s us with a
<PB N="362" REF="194">glorious deliverance: All the hou&s;e of
<HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;hall &s;ee how kind He is; e&s;pecially they that mini&s;ter unto Him in his holy Temple.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> He will ble&s;s them that fear the LORD,
<HI>both</HI> &s;mall and great.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. And He will not for|get tho&s;e pious Pro&s;elytes, that are come to wor&s;hip Him there, as the onely God; but, without any re&s;pect of per&s;ons, give them his ble&s;&s;ing al&s;o: which &s;hall not be denied, either to old or young, to rich or poor.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> The LORD &s;hall increa&s;e you more and more, you and your chil|dren.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Nor will He grant you onely a &s;ingle ble&s;&s;ing, by &s;ending a pre&s;ent deli|verance: but heap his be|nefits, and multiply his mer|cies upon you; and upon all tho&s;e that &s;hall &s;ucceed you.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> You <HI>are</HI> ble&s;|&s;ed of the LORD, which made hea|ven and earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Ye are a happy peo|ple, who live under the care, and love, and bene|diction, of that mighty Lord; who&s;e power no|thing can confine: for He is not made (like the Gen|tile gods) but Him&s;elf crea|ted both the Heaven and the Earth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="363" REF="194" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> The heaven, <HI>even</HI> the heavens
<HI>are</HI> the LORD's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. In which He cannot be comprehended neither; for his Empire extends fur|ther then you can &s;ee; to the heavens, which are a|bove the&s;e vi&s;ible heavens: from whence his Providence reaches down, even to us the children of men; whom He hath placed upon this earth, to admire and prai&s;e his infinite Maje&s;ty.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> The dead prai&s;e not the LORD, neither any that go down into &s;ilence.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. And therefore will not &s;uffer us to be rooted out, as our enemies de&s;ign, (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XX. 11.) for then the earth would have none in it, to &s;ing his prai&s;es: which the dead, who dwell in the &s;ilent grave, cannot celebrate:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> But we will ble&s;s the LORD, from this time forth and for ever|more. Prai&s;e the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. But will continue us &s;till alive, that we may prai&s;e the Lord, and &s;peak good of his Name, as we do at this time, (2
<HI>Chron.</HI> XX. 21, 22.) and leave tho&s;e to &s;ucceed us, who &s;hall continue his prai&s;es in all future generations, to the worlds end.
<HI>Hallelujah,</HI> Prai&s;e the Lord.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="116" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="364" REF="195">
<HEAD>PSALM CXVI.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>I do not under&s;tand the rea&s;on why <HI>Theodoret</HI> applies this P&s;alm to the times of <HI>Antiochus Epiphanes,</HI> when it agrees &s;o exactly to the condition of <HI>David</HI> in his flight from his Son <HI>Ab&s;alom,</HI> (which &s;eems to be mentioned Ver. 11.) when
<HI>Ahitophel</HI> and others pro|ved very fal&s;e to him; and he had little or nothing to depend upon, but onely the Good|ne&s;s of the Almighty; who was plea&s;ed to plead his cau&s;e, and deliver him. For which he re&s;olved to be very thankfull, and to call all his Friends to rejoice with him, as I have expre&s;&s;ed it Ver. 13. where the fir&s;t words &s;ufficiently declare the &s;en&s;e; but I have added more to explain the phra&s;e, which is borrowed from the cu&s;tom of tho&s;e days: about which the Reader may con&s;ult Mr.
<HI>Mede,</HI> p. 483. la&s;t Edit. In this re|&s;olution he was &s;o &s;erious, that he repeats it again in the conclu&s;ion; and &s;aith he will pay his vows in the mid&s;t of <HI>Jeru&s;alem:</HI> from whence the Hi&s;tory tells us he was for|ced to fly in great ha&s;te, to &s;ave his life, 2
<HI>Sam.</HI> XV. 14, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>This &s;eems to be the occa&s;ion of the P&s;alm, which may very well befit any other per&s;ons, that receive any great deliverance from God; <PB N="365" REF="195">and accordingly I will order the Paraphra&s;e, and fit it for the expre&s;&s;ing of their devout affections.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> I Love the LORD, becau&s;e he hath heard my veice, <HI>and</HI> my &s;upplica|tions.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O How I love the Lord! He knows that I love Him exceeding|ly: and there is the grea|te&s;t rea&s;on for it; becau&s;e He hath &s;o graciou&s;ly heard my prayer, when in my di|&s;tre&s;s I cried unto Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Becau&s;e he hath inclined his ear unto me, there|fore will I call upon <HI>him</HI> as long as I live.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. I cannot chu&s;e but mention again this love of his, in granting &s;o readily my de&s;ires: which incoura|ges, and ingages me, on all &s;uch occa&s;ions, to addre&s;s my &s;elf, with thankfull ac|knowledgments, unto Him; and, to the la&s;t breath of my life, to expect delive|rance from Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> The &s;orrows of death compa&s;&s;ed me, and the pains of hell gat hold up|on me: I found trouble and &s;or|row.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Great was my mi&s;ery; exceeding great: Death it &s;elf, and the grave were ready to &s;eize on me; and I &s;aw no way to e&s;cape: nay, I my &s;elf, in the an|gui&s;h of my Soul, incon|&s;iderately ca&s;t my &s;elf into danger.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="366" REF="196">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I be|&s;eech thee, deliver my &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Yet I did not de&s;pond in the&s;e &s;traits; but made the mighty, wi&s;e and good Providence of God my re|fuge; to whom I cryed, &s;aying; O Lord, who wa&s;t before all things, and com|mande&s;t them as Thou plea|&s;e&s;t; re&s;cue me, I mo&s;t humbly be&s;eech Thee, from tho&s;e dangers, which threa|ten my de&s;truction.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Gracious <HI>is</HI> the LORD, and righteous: yea, our God <HI>is</HI> merci|full.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. And it was not in vain that I cryed unto Him; for the Lord hath &s;hewn me how ready He is to doe good, and how faithfull in his promi&s;es: and withall how gentle in his puni&s;h|ments, and inclinable to pardon our faults; which demon&s;trates that no people &s;erve &s;uch a gracious Ma|&s;ter, as our mercifull God.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> The LORD pre&s;erveth the &s;im|ple: I was brought low, and he helped me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. I had peri&s;hed, I am &s;ure, if I had relied onely on my own Wi&s;edom, or the skill and policy of o|thers: But the Lord was my hope, who pre&s;erves the mo&s;t &s;imple and incau|tious Souls, when they com|mit
<PB N="367" REF="196" MS="y">them&s;elves to Him, and wholly depend on his Pro|vidence. I ought to &s;ay &s;o; who was reduced to a mo&s;t forlorn e&s;tate, and then, by his a&s;&s;i&s;tance, in a wonder|full manner delivered.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Return unto thy re&s;t, O my &s;oul, for the LORD hath dealt boun|tifully with thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. What ha&s;t Thou then to doe, O my Soul, who ha&s;t been &s;o tempe&s;tuou&s;ly to&s;&s;ed, but to &s;ettle thy &s;elf again in peace and tranquil|lity? loving and prai&s;ing the Lord, who hath very many ways expre&s;&s;ed his bounty mo&s;t liberally to thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> For thou ha&s;t delivered my &s;oul from death, mine eyes from tears, <HI>and</HI> my feet from falling.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. For when the dangers of death &s;urrounded me, Thou, O my God, did&s;t deliver me: when ever any &s;adne&s;s &s;eized on me, Thou ha&s;t been my Comforter: and when I have been in danger of hurts, maims, or brui&s;es (or of falling into the hands of my enemies) Thou &s;till ha&s;t been my Protectour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. I ought therefore, and I am re&s;olved to imploy all that health and chearfulne&s;s, <PB N="368" REF="197" MS="y">that &s;oundne&s;s of body and mind, that peace and &s;afety, which Thou ha&s;t thus gra|ciou&s;ly be&s;towed on me, in doing Thee (to whom as my Sovereign Lord I owe) all faithfull &s;ervice; as long as I &s;tay in this world.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> I believed, therefore have I &s;poken: I was greatly afflicted.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. I had nothing, I will thankfully remember, to depend upon, but onely thy kind Providence: In this I placed my tru&s;t; in this I placed my tru&s;t; in this I gloried to others, when I was in my greate&s;t &s;traits: for the truth is I was extreamly mi&s;erable;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> I &s;aid in my ha&s;te, All men
<HI>are</HI> liars.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Pre&s;&s;ed on all &s;ides with dangers; from which when I fled as fa&s;t as I was able, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XV. 14. XVII. 16. 22.) I conclu|ded it was vain to rely on the friend&s;hip and help of men: For they in whom I tru&s;ted proved &s;o fal&s;e and treacherous, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XV. 31.) that I had rea&s;on to think the re&s;t would de|ceive and fail my expecta|tion; when I was in the greate&s;t need of them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="369" REF="197" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> What &s;hall I render unto the LORD
<HI>for</HI> all his benefits towards me?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. O the greatne&s;s of thy love! who even then did&s;t interpo&s;e and deliver me, by the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of &s;ome faithfull Friends, who &s;till &s;tuck to me! (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVII. 13,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) What &s;hall I render unto the Lord, who heard my prayer? (2
<HI>Sam.</HI> XV. 31.) How &s;hall I &s;hew my &s;elf grate|full to Him, for this, and for all other his benefits, which He hath heaped up|on me?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> I will take the cup of &s;alva|tion, and call upon the name of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. All that I can doe, cannot make Him more happy: But, as my duty binds me, I will prai&s;e the Lord, and &s;peak good of his Name, and give Him thanks, in the be&s;t and mo&s;t &s;olemn manner I am able: I will call all my Friends together to rejoice with me, and taking the Cup, which we call the <HI>Cup of Deliverance,</HI> (becau&s;e when ble&s;&s;ed and &s;et apart, we are wont to commemorate the ble&s;&s;ings we have received) I will magnifie the Power, <PB N="370" REF="198">Goodne&s;s and Faithfulne&s;s of God my Saviour before all the company; and will drink my &s;elf, and then give it to them, that they may prai&s;e his Name together with me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> I will pay my vows unto the LORD, now in the pre&s;ence of all his people.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. And what&s;oever I have promi&s;ed Thee, O Lord, in the time of my di&s;tre&s;s, I will faithfully ingage my &s;elf to perform before them all: They &s;hall &s;ee I am not forgetfull of Thee, who wa&s;t &s;o mindfull of me in my trouble.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> Precious in the &s;ight of the LORD
<HI>is</HI> the death of his &s;aints.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. As indeed Thou art of all good men, who&s;e lives Thou pre&s;erve&s;t as a precious Jewel: and wilt not give them up to the plea&s;ure of their enemies; nor &s;uffer them to be lo&s;t, but by thy &s;pecial Provi|dence.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> Oh LORD, truly I <HI>am</HI> thy &s;er|vant, I <HI>am</HI> thy &s;er|vant, <HI>and</HI> the &s;on of thy handmaid: thou ha&s;t loo&s;ed my bonds.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. Accept, good Lord, of the&s;e my re&s;olutions; for I am &s;en&s;ible that I am thy &s;ervant; every way thy &s;ervant, and intirely obliged to be faithfull to Thee: both by my Birth, and by <PB N="371" REF="198">my Education; and by this marvellous Deliverance, whereby Thou ha&s;t re&s;cued me from the power of death, which had, in a manner, ta|ken hold of me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> I will offer to thee the &s;acrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. I can never &s;ure prove ungratefull to Thee, unto whom I am tied by &s;o many bonds; But will al|ways be making Thee my mo&s;t thankfull, &s;olemn ac|knowledgments, for the be|nefits I have received: And together with tho&s;e prai&s;es, and thank&s;givings, wait up|on thy Goodne&s;s, for the like mercies in time to come.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> I will pay my vows unto the LORD, now in the pre&s;ence of all his people:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. I re&s;olve again, reli|giou&s;ly to make good the&s;e, and all other my vows, wherein I &s;tand ingaged to the Lord: and that not onely in private; but here at this &s;olemnity, in the face of all his people:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> In the courts of the LORD's hou&s;e in the mid&s;t of thee O Jeru&s;a|lem. Prai&s;e ye the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. When they are ga|thered together at his Hou&s;e, in the mid&s;t of the holy Ci|ty of our God; where they meet to wor&s;hip Him, and
<PB N="372" REF="199">to doe Him honour. There let them all join with me, to ble&s;s and prai&s;e the great Creatour and Pre&s;er|ver of all things.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="117" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXVII.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm (like the CX.) &s;eems to be alto|gether Prophetical, of the joy that all the world &s;hould conceive, at the coming of the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah:</HI> to give Salvation, fir&s;t to the <HI>Jews,</HI> and then to all other Nations; accor|ding to his faithfull promi&s;e. Saint
<HI>Paul</HI> applies the fir&s;t words of it to this bu&s;ine&s;s,
<HI>Rom.</HI> XV. 11. and &s;ome of the Hebrews ju&s;tifie his application; confe&s;&s;ing that this P&s;alm belongs to that matter. The brevity of it makes it the more remarkable; and ea&s;ier to be remembred both by
<HI>Jews</HI> and Gentiles.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O Prai&s;e the LORD, all ye nations: prai&s;e him, all ye people.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. LET not the prai&s;es, which are due to the great Lord of all, be confi|ned to our Nation; but let all people upon the face of the earth prai&s;e Him: Let <PB N="373" REF="199" MS="y">all mankind &s;ing thankfull hymns unto Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> For his mer|cifull kindne&s;s is great towards us: and the truth of the LORD <HI>en|dureth</HI> for ever. Prai&s;e ye the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. For they are all con|cerned in his tran&s;cendent kindne&s;s; which hath done mighty things for us: and the Lord, who changes not, will never fail to perform his faithfull promi&s;es to the worlds end. Therefore let us all join our prai&s;es, to our common Benefactour.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="118" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXVIII.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>There is nothing more probable then that <HI>David</HI> compo&s;ed this P&s;alm, after God had &s;ettled him upon the Throne of
<HI>I&s;rael</HI> as well as <HI>Ju|dah;</HI> and al&s;o &s;ubdued the
<HI>Phili&s;tines</HI> (who hoped to have cru&s;ht him before he grew too powerfull, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 17.) together with other enemies round about him, who, though they are not mentioned yet, in all likelihood joy|ned with them; as we may gather from Ver. 10, 11. of this P&s;alm, compared with 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 1. For that it was written after he had brought the Ark to
<HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> (men|tioned there Chap. VI.) and placed it in the
<PB N="374" REF="200">Hou&s;e he had prepared for it; &s;eems very plain from Ver. 19. of this P&s;alm: Where he begins to prai&s;e God in &s;uch words, as had not their compleat fulfilling till the Lord's <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> (whom the
<HI>Jews</HI> rejected, and &s;aid, He &s;hall not reign over us) was made King of the World. For to Him <HI>R. Solomon</HI> him&s;elf acknowledges tho&s;e words, <HI>The &s;tone which the builders refu|&s;ed,</HI> &amp;c. are to be applied.</P>
<P>And as the latter part of the P&s;alm is a Prophecy of
<HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> in <HI>David</HI> his Type; &s;o the former part may be accommodated to all Chri&s;tians: who, being per&s;ecuted (as
<HI>Theo|doret</HI> &s;peaks) and tormented, and di&s;grace|fully treated, by many Princes and their people, by Kings and Governours; got a glorious Victory over them all, after they had indured a thou&s;and deaths.</P>
<P>It &s;eems al&s;o to have been pronounced, at fir&s;t, in &s;ome &s;olemn a&s;&s;embly of all the people, met together to prai&s;e the Lord for his bene|fits. And, it is the common opinion of mo&s;t Interpreters, that they all had a part in this P&s;alm. The greate&s;t part of which was &s;po|ken by <HI>David;</HI> who begins with a declara|tion how much he was indebted to God, de&s;iring all to a&s;&s;i&s;t him in his prai&s;es: And then coming in a &s;olemn proce&s;&s;ion, I &s;uppo&s;e, to the Gates of the Tabernacle, calls upon the <HI>Porters,</HI> Ver&s;e 19. to open them to him; that he might prai&s;e God in his Sanctuary: <PB N="375" REF="200">which he doth in the very entrance, Ver. 20; and then in the Courts of his Hou&s;e Ver.
21. After which all the people &s;hout, and mag|nifie the Divine Goodne&s;s; in making him, who was bani&s;hed from his Country, their King, Ver. 22,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI> And then the Prie&s;ts come forth, and ble&s;s both the King and people in the Name of the Lord, Ver. 26; and exhort them to be thankfull, Ver. 27: And then <HI>David</HI> &s;eems to take the words out of their mouth, and to declare that he will never be unmindfull of God's benefits; de|&s;iring all the people al&s;o to remember them, Ver. 28, 29. According to which account of the P&s;alm, I have ordered the Para|phra&s;e.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O Give thanks unto the LORD, for <HI>he is</HI> good: becau&s;e his mercy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O Make your thank|full acknowledg|ments to the great Lord of all the world: who, as He is the Authour of all good, and hath been ex|ceeding bountifull unto us; &s;o will continue his kind|ne&s;s to all &s;ucceeding gene|rations.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Let I&s;rael now &s;ay, that his mercy
<HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Let the Children of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> who have had &s;uch long experience of his love, and now &s;ee his promi&s;es fulfilled; let them confe&s;s <PB N="376" REF="201" MS="y">and thankfully acknow|ledge, that his kindne&s;s continues to all genera|tions.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Let the hou&s;e of Aaron now &s;ay, that his mercy <HI>en|dureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Let the Prie&s;ts and the Levites, who&s;e bu&s;ine&s;s it is to attend upon His &s;ervice, confe&s;s now and thankfully acknowledge; that his kindne&s;s extends unto all ages.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Let them now that fear the LORD, &s;ay, that his mercy <HI>endu|reth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. And let all the de|vout Wor&s;hippers of the Lord, of what&s;oever Nati|on they be, join together with us, (for there is one Lord of all, who di&s;pen&s;es various benefits to every one of us) and confe&s;s now mo&s;t thankfully, that there is no end of his kindne&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> I called up|on the LORD in di&s;tre&s;s: the LORD an&s;wered me, <HI>and &s;et me</HI> in a large place.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. You may &s;ee an ex|ample of it in me, who was in grievous &s;traits and dan|gers, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIII. 26. XXVII. 1.) but then im|ploring the Divine Protec|tion, the Lord not onely delivered me; but placed me in a &s;ecure e&s;tate, free from all &s;uch mole&s;tation, 2
<HI>Sam.</HI> V. 3. VII. 1.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="377" REF="201">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> The LORD <HI>is</HI> on my &s;ide, I will not fear: what can man doe unto me?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. For the Lord, it is e|vident, takes my part; and therefore, though I have many enemies, I am not a|fraid of them: for, when He is for me, what di&s;tur|bance can men, be they never &s;o powerfull, give me?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: there|fore &s;hall I &s;ee <HI>my de&s;ire</HI> upon them that hate me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. It is &s;ufficient that the Lord, who hath done great things for me by weak in|&s;truments, is &s;till aiding to me: therefore I dare look the mo&s;t malicious enemies in the face; and doubt not to &s;ee them turn their backs upon me, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VIII.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> <HI>It is</HI> better to tru&s;t in the LORD, then to put confidence in man.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. This is my hope; and long experience hath taught me, that it is much &s;afer to relie upon Him, then upon the mo&s;t numerous Armies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> <HI>It is</HI> better to tru&s;t in the LORD, then to put confidence in princes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Far more &s;afe to de|pend upon his help and protection, (who as He can doe what He plea&s;es, and is con&s;tant to his word, &s;o never dies) then to confide in the aid of the greate&s;t Princes; who&s;e mind may change, or their forces fail, <PB N="378" REF="202">or they them&s;elves, on a &s;udden, leave the world.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> All nations compa&s;&s;ed me a|bout: but in the name of the LORD will I de&s;troy them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. All the neighbou|ring Nations, round about (2
<HI>Sam.</HI> V. 17, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> VII. 1.) combined with the
<HI>Phili|&s;tines</HI> to inviron me: but, by the Almighty power of the Lord, I was con&s;ident, that I &s;hould hew them in pieces.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> They com|pa&s;&s;ed me about, yea, they compa&s;|&s;ed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will de|&s;troy them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Again they made a new inva&s;ion, and be&s;et me with &s;tronger forces; (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 22, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) but &s;till, by the Almighty power of the Lord, I doubted not, that I &s;hould cut them off, and utterly defeat them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> They com|pa&s;&s;ed me about like bees, they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will de|&s;troy them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Though they were exceeding numerous, &s;war|ming about me like angry bees, and flaming with &s;uch rage and fury, as if they would pre&s;ently con&s;ume me: yet it was but like the blaze of fire among thorns, for, by the Almighty pow|er of the Lord, I was con|fident I &s;hould de&s;troy them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="379" REF="202" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t thru&s;t &s;ore at me, that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. They pre&s;&s;ed me ex|ceeding hard, and, as one man, con&s;pired with all their might to throw me down from the Throne, to which I was advanced: But, though they &s;haked it and it was ready to fall yet, by the help of the Lord it was &s;upported.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> The LORD <HI>is</HI> my &s;trength and &s;ong, and is become my &s;alvation.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. To Him alone I a|&s;cribe my pre&s;ent happine&s;s, &s;aying with our Forefathers in their triumphant Song, (XV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 2.) the Lord hath armed me with invin|cible &s;trength; He, and He alone, is to be prai&s;ed, who hath given me a mo&s;t glo|rious deliverance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> The voice of rejoycing and &s;alvation
<HI>is</HI> in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth vali|antly.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Which comforts the hearts of all righteous men; who&s;e hou&s;es &s;ound with &s;uch joyfull &s;houts of prai&s;e, for my deliverance, as the&s;e; <HI>The mighty power of the Lord hath done mo&s;t &s;tupendious things:</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth va|liantly.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. <HI>He hath made his mighty power appear to be &s;uperiour to all other; for not by man, but by that</HI>
<PB N="380" REF="203"><HI>power we have, again and again, obtained illu&s;trious victories over our enemies,</HI> 2 Sam. XIX. 9.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> I &s;hall not die but live, and declare the works of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. From whence I con|clude, that I &s;hall not fall into the hands of tho&s;e, that would take away my life; but &s;till prolong it, to declare what wonderfull works the Lord hath done for me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> The LORD hath cha&s;tened me &s;ore: but he hath not given me over unto death.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. Who hath let my enemies have power to af|flict me very &s;orely; but not to proceed &s;o far, as to de&s;troy me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> Open to me the gates of righ|teou&s;ne&s;s: I will go in to them, <HI>and</HI> I will prai&s;e the LORD:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. No, in&s;tead of that He hath brought me to his own Hou&s;e again, from which I was bani&s;hed, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXVI. 19.) where I will return thanks unto Him: And therefore, O ye that mini&s;ter in the Tabernacle, open the Gates at which the righteous enter into the Courts of the Lord; that I may go in, and make Him my acknowledgments, for bringing me from a mo&s;t forlorn condition to a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span">.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="381" REF="203" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous &s;hall en|ter.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. This is the Gate (which I behold and ap|proach with joy) that leads to the Courts of the Lord: at which the righteous &s;hall enter together with me, and hear me &s;ay;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> I will prai&s;e thee, for thou ha&s;t heard me, and art become my &s;alva|tion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. <HI>I will never cea&s;e to prai&s;e and acknowledge Thy goodne&s;s, O Lord: who ha&s;t graciou&s;ly heard my prayer, when I implored thy help; and delivered me out of all my di&s;tre&s;&s;es.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> The &s;tone <HI>which</HI> the buil|ders refu&s;ed, is become the head <HI>&s;tone</HI> of the cor|ner.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. And let them bear a part with me in this my P&s;alm of prai&s;e, &s;aying; <HI>He whom the great men and Rulers of the people rejected,</HI> (1 Sam. XXVI. 19.) <HI>as the builders of a hou&s;e do a &s;tone unfit to be employed in it; is now become our King, to whom we mu&s;t all join our &s;elves, if we hope for &s;afety, (in whom we &s;ee a figure of that glorious King, who &s;hall hereafter be in like manner refu&s;ed,</HI> (XIX. Luke 14. XX. 17.) <HI>and then by God exalted to be the Lord of all the world, and the foun|dation</HI> <PB N="382" REF="204"><HI>of all mens happine&s;s,</HI> IV. Act. 11, 12.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> This is the LORD's doing, it <HI>is</HI> marvellous in our eyes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. <HI>This is the &s;ole work of the Lord, (not the effect of humane coun&s;els, who op|po&s;ed and ob&s;tructed it) which &s;urpri&s;es us with the greate&s;t admiration; to &s;ee a de&s;pi&s;ed per&s;on become on a &s;udden &s;o renowned.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> This <HI>is</HI> the day <HI>which</HI> the LORD hath made, we will re|joice and be glad in it.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. <HI>This is the happy day, which the Lord him&s;elf hath made illu&s;trious by this mar|vellous work; and which it becomes us to celebrate with joyfull hearts, and with all outward expre&s;&s;ions of glad|ne&s;s for &s;o great a benefit:</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>25.</BIBL> Save now, I be&s;eech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I be&s;eech thee, &s;end now pro&s;perity.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>25. <HI>Mo&s;t humbly be&s;eech|ing Thee, O Lord, to pre|&s;erve our King, and to ad|vance and perpetuate his Kingdom: (e&s;pecially the Kingdom of</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>which &s;hall be welcom'd into the world with the&s;e words,</HI> XXI. Matt. 9, &amp;c.) <HI>It be|gins mo&s;t gloriou&s;ly; be plea|&s;ed now, O Lord, to give it an&s;werable &s;ucce&s;s and pro|&s;perity.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="383" REF="204" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>26.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have ble&s;&s;ed you out of the hou&s;e of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>26. Which acclamations of the people, let the Prie&s;ts of the Lord meet with their approbation, &s;aying; <HI>Ble&s;|&s;ed be the King, which is &s;et over us by the Divine ap|pointment; and Ble&s;&s;ed be all the people, who live un|der his happy Government: we, who&s;e Office it is to mi|ni&s;ter to the Lord, give you his Ble&s;&s;ing from the holy place; into which you are come to wor&s;hip Him.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>27.</BIBL> God <HI>is</HI> the LORD, which hath &s;hewed us light; bind the &s;a|crifice with cords, <HI>even</HI> unto the horns of the al|tar.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>27. <HI>Who is the omnipotent Lord, mo&s;t faithfull to his promi&s;e; who hath put an end to our troubles, and made peace among us: O be not ungratefull to Him, but &s;olemnize this day with fe|&s;tival joys; bind your &s;acri|fices with cords, and bring them to the corners of the Altar, to be offered, as te&s;ti|monies of your love and thankfulne&s;s, unto Him.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>28.</BIBL> Thou <HI>art</HI> my God, and I wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">i&s;e thee; <HI>th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"></HI> my God, I will exalt thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>28. And &s;o, for my part, I am re&s;olved; who mu&s;t own Thee to be my mo&s;t gracious God, and almigh|ty Deliverer; to whom
<PB N="384" REF="205">therefore I will make con|tinually my mo&s;t thankfull acknowledgments: to thy almighty Goodne&s;s alone I owe this greatne&s;s to which I am promoted; and there|fore I will never cea&s;e, to &s;peak the highe&s;t things I am able in thy prai&s;e,</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="29" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>29.</BIBL> O give thanks unto the LORD, for <HI>he is</HI> good: for his mercy <HI>endu|reth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>29. And let all good men join together with me, and make their thankfull acknowledgments to the great Lord of the world: who as He is the Authour of all good, and hath been exceeding bountifull unto us; &s;o will continue his kindne&s;s unto all &s;uccee|ding generations.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="119" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="385" REF="205">
<HEAD>PSALM CXIX.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm is contrived &s;o artificially, that one would think, at fir&s;t &s;ight, it was made after the foregoing: when God had &s;ubdued the re&s;t of <HI>David</HI>'s enemies, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VIII. X.) and given him lei&s;ure for &s;uch curious compo&s;ures. For it is divided into as many Parts as there are Letters in the Hebrew Alphabet; each Part containing
<HI>eight</HI> Ver|&s;es; and every one of tho&s;e ver&s;es begin|ning with that Letter, wherewith that Part begins. The Ver&s;es, for in&s;tance, of the Fir&s;t Part all begin with <HI>Aleph,</HI> or A; and all of the Second with
<HI>Beth,</HI> or B, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And thence this P&s;alm is called in the
<HI>Ma&s;ora,</HI> the <HI>great Alphabet:</HI> which is an indica|tion that
<HI>David</HI> was now in a very &s;edate condition, under no extraordinary motions, when he penned this P&s;alm: but quietly con|&s;idered things, as they were repre&s;ented to his remembrance.</P>
<P>But when we ob&s;erve how frequently he mentions his affliction as lying actually upon him, now w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> he wrote the&s;e Meditations; it forces u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word">
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">onclude that it was penned during Sa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">s per&s;ecution. In which there were, I &s;uppo&s;e, &s;ome quiet intervals; (&s;ee Ver&s;e 54.) either between the time that <PB N="384" REF="206">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page"> <PB N="385" REF="206">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page"> <PB N="386" REF="207"><HI>Saul,</HI> (having his life given him by <HI>David</HI>) re&s;olved to per&s;ecute him no more, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV; and his renewed attempts to de|&s;troy him, upon the information the <HI>Ziphites</HI> again gave him, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXVI: or after <HI>David</HI>'s fre&s;h demon&s;tration of his loyalty to him, before he went to <HI>Gath:</HI> or while he was in that City: where he had liberty to meditate on the excellence of God's Laws, and the happine&s;s of tho&s;e that kept them; and the comfort they were to him in his afflic|tion: which he found to be &s;o &s;weet and &s;o great, that he begs of God little el&s;e, but that he might be more and more in love with them: which were already &s;o much his de|light, that he mentions them, under one name or other, in every Ver&s;e of this P&s;alm: none excepted, but one Ver. 122; or two at the mo&s;t Ver. 90: where he celebrating God's
<HI>Faithfulne&s;s,</HI> which relates to the &s;tedfa&s;t|ne&s;s of his
<HI>promi&s;e,</HI> (called in this P&s;alm his <HI>word</HI>) it may well be thought to be no exception, to that ob&s;ervation.</P>
<P>I &s;hall not be &s;o curious as to examine the nice difference which is made by &s;ome, be|tween <HI>Laws, Statutes, Te&s;timonies, Judg|ments, Precepts,</HI> &amp;c. becau&s;e they &s;eem here to be u&s;ed promi&s;cuou&s;ly: or if there be any peculiar meaning in &s;ome Ver&s;es, I &s;hall en|deavour to expre&s;s it plainly in the <HI>Para|phra&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Theodoret</HI> hath a conjecture concerning
<PB N="387" REF="207"><HI>David</HI>'s de&s;ign in this P&s;alm, (both in his preface to it, and upon Ver. 157.) which I &s;hall mention, that the Reader may take his choice. <HI>David,</HI> it is well known, had great varieties in his condition; for he both fled from enemies, and cha&s;ed them; lived &s;ome|times very melancholy, and again mo&s;t plea|&s;antly; ran in God's ways, and &s;tumbled, and ro&s;e again to run that good cour&s;e. Now all the&s;e things, &s;ays he (and it is not improbable) <HI>David</HI> afterward collected into this one P&s;alm; connecting all the Prayers
<Q REND="inline">"which He had made to God, at &s;everal times and on &s;everal occa&s;ions, and put|ting them together in this admirable Me|ditation, divided into XXII. Parts: which propound one and the &s;ame mo&s;t profitable le&s;&s;on to all men; and teaches them how it is po&s;&s;ible to live vertuou&s;ly in the wor&s;t condition. Nor doth he neg|lect dogmatical in&s;truction, as he &s;peaks; but adds it to the other: &s;o that this P&s;alm is &s;ufficient to perfect tho&s;e that &s;tudy exqui&s;ite vertue; and to &s;tir up the diligence of tho&s;e that are lazy; to com|fort tho&s;e that are &s;ad; to correct the neg|ligent, and in one word to afford all man|ner of medicines for the cure of the vari|ous di&s;ea&s;es of mankind.</Q> And if it would not have made this Book too big, I &s;hould have taken the pains to &s;hew the de&s;ign of every Part, in an Argument before it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="part">
<PB N="388" REF="208">
<HEAD><HI>ALEPH.</HI> PART I.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> BLe&s;&s;ed <HI>are</HI> the unde|filed in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. HAppy, more happy then can be ex|pre&s;&s;ed, are tho&s;e men, who do not take the liberty to live as they li&s;t: but, ma|king the Law of the Lord their Rule, order their life in an exact conformity therewith.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>are</HI> they that keep his te&s;timonies, <HI>and that</HI> &s;eek him with the whole heart.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. The &s;tricter they keep unto that Rule, (wherein He hath te&s;tified his will unto us) mo&s;t heartily &s;tu|dying to plea&s;e Him; in|tirely devoting them&s;elves to &s;eek his favour, in this way alone; the Happier &s;till they are.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> They al&s;o doe no iniquity: they walk in his ways.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. E&s;pecially when they will not be tempted to doe an evil action, though it were to gain the greate&s;t good in this world: but con&s;tantly adhere to Him, in the way which He hath pre&s;cribed them.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t commanded <HI>us</HI> to keep thy precepts diligently.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. We are infinitely be|holden to Thee therefore, O Lord, that Thou ha&s;t <PB N="389" REF="208">obliged us to be &s;o happy: by requiring us to u&s;e our utmo&s;t diligence to ob&s;erve thy Precepts, (which we our &s;elves know to be good for us) with all care, and exactne&s;s.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> O that my ways were direc|ted to keep thy &s;ta|tutes!</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. O that I may ever be one of tho&s;e happy men! I have no greater wi&s;h then this; that all the actions of my life, may be ordered and governed according to thy Will.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Then &s;hall I not be a&s;hamed, when I have re|&s;pect unto all thy commandments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Then &s;hall I never be di&s;appointed of my hopes, nor blu&s;h at the crimes which are laid to my charge: when my own con&s;cience tells me, that there is not one of thy Commandments, but is e|ver before my eyes, as the rule of my actions:</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> I will prai&s;e thee with upright|ne&s;s of heart, when I &s;hall have learned thy righteous judg|ments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. And is &s;o dear unto me; that nothing can give me &s;uch a joy, as to have learnt effectually, how ju&s;t and how good they all are: for which I will mo&s;t &s;in|cerely thank Thee, as the greate&s;t benefit.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="390" REF="209">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> I will keep thy &s;tatutes: O for&s;ake me not ut|terly.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Deal with me, accor|ding to the uprightne&s;s of my heart in this re&s;olution; that I will ob&s;erve even tho&s;e Statutes, for which I &s;ee no other rea&s;on, but onely thy will: O do not abandon me too far; (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXVII. 1.) but &s;tick to me, as I purpo&s;e to do to thy Statutes.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>BETH.</HI> II.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Wherewith &s;hall a young man clean&s;e his way? by taking heed <HI>thereto</HI> according to thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. But how &s;hall a young man, &s;uch as I am, (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XVII. 33. 2. V. 4.) in an age that is prone to evil, be able to doe as he re|&s;olves? keeping him&s;elf &s;o pure in all his ways, that they maintain an exact con|formity unto thy Word?</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> With my whole heart have I &s;ought thee: O let me not wander from thy com|mandments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Fir&s;t, I implore, with all my Soul, thy gracious a&s;&s;i&s;tence: be&s;eeching Thee to afford me &s;uch a mea&s;ure of it; that, for want of tho&s;e heavenly &s;upplies, I may not be drawn a&s;ide at any time, from thy Com|mandments.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="391" REF="209">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not &s;in again&s;t thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Next, I have laid up thy Word in my heart, as the mo&s;t precious trea&s;ure: hoping that will be a &s;ecu|rity to me, and pre&s;erve me from offending Thee, who&s;e promi&s;es are no le&s;s comfor|table, then thy threatnings are dreadfull.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>art</HI> thou, O LORD: teach me thy &s;ta|tutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. And I know al&s;o, that Thou, O Lord, art kind, and do&s;t not envy thy favours to any of us; but wilt for ever be prai&s;ed for thy bounty towards us: and therefore I expect that Thou wilt hear my prayer, and inable me effectually to learn thy Statutes.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> With my lips have I decla|red all the judg|ments of thy mouth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. On which I have &s;o much &s;et my heart; that I have not &s;pared to declare to others, the great regard I have to every thing, which Thou ha&s;t pronoun|ced ju&s;t, or condemned as unrighteous.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> I have re|joyced in the way of thy te&s;timonies, as <HI>much as</HI> in all riches.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. I can &s;afely &s;ay like|wi&s;e, that I have taken more &s;atisfaction, now that I am poor, in doing that which Thou ha&s;t te&s;tified <PB N="392" REF="210">to be acceptable to Thee: then I &s;hould in all the wealth of the world, were it heaped on me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> I will me|ditate in thy pre|cepts, and have re&s;pect unto thy ways.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. I will ruminate al&s;o often on thy Precepts, (which will be another means I tru&s;t to pre&s;erve me undefiled:) and never doe any thing, but con&s;ider beforehand; how it agrees with the Rules which Thou ha&s;t pre&s;cribed me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> I will de|light my &s;elf in thy &s;tatutes: I will not forget thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. The &s;tudy of thy Statutes (&s;ee Ver. 8.) &s;hall be my delight: and I will not let &s;lip any word of thine; but pre&s;erve it in faithfull remembrance.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>GIMEL.</HI> III.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> Deal boun|tifully with thy &s;ervant,
<HI>that</HI> I may live, and keep thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. Let the&s;e rea&s;ons move Thee to deal graci|ou&s;ly with me, who am devoted to thy &s;ervice: Render to me according to my integrity; and let not my enemies take away my life, which I intend to im|ploy in doing what&s;oever Thou ha&s;t commanded.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="393" REF="210" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold won|drous things out of thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. For which end, I be&s;eech Thee to illuminate the eyes of my mind: that I may clearly di&s;cern the admirable wi&s;edom, which di&s;covers it &s;elf in thy Law.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> I <HI>am</HI> a &s;tranger in the earth, hide not thy command|ments from me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. I am no better then a &s;tranger in the Land, wandring from place to place, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIII. 13.) and having no po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions: But do not let me want the knowledge of thy Will; and then I &s;hall not think my &s;elf de&s;titute of an in|heritance.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> My &s;oul breaketh for the longing
<HI>that it hath</HI> unto thy judgments at all times.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. For which my Soul longs &s;o vehemently, that I am not more broken with the hard&s;hips of my bani&s;h|ment; then with my con|tinual labour, and earne&s;t application of my mind, to have a full under&s;tanding of thy Judgments.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t rebuked the proud <HI>that are</HI> cur&s;ed, which do err from thy command|ments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. According to which, Thou ha&s;t already given a &s;evere rebuke to tho&s;e haughty men, who, with|out any re&s;pect to right or wrong, per&s;ecute and abu&s;e thy &s;ervant: (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV.
<PB N="394" REF="211">II, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> XXV. 10, 37.) And the cur&s;e which Thou ha&s;t pronounced (XXVII. <HI>Deut.</HI> 26.) &s;hall light on all &s;uch men, as take the boldne&s;s to tran&s;gre&s;s tho&s;e bounds, which Thou ha&s;t &s;et them.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> Remove from me reproach and contempt, for I have kept thy te|&s;timonies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. And thereby remove from me that di&s;grace and &s;hame, unto which they expo&s;e me; as a Traitour to my King and Country: For I am not guilty of any &s;uch wickedne&s;s; but care|fully ob&s;erve thy Te&s;timo|nies, (Ver. 14.) 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XII. 17.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> Princes al&s;o did &s;it <HI>and</HI> &s;peak again&s;t me: <HI>but</HI> thy &s;ervant did meditate in thy &s;tatutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. Though the Rulers and principal Senatours of the Kingdom, &s;ate in con|&s;ultation how to ruin me; declaring me guilty of the greate&s;t crimes: the onely care of thy &s;ervant hath been to &s;tudy how to be|have him&s;elf unblameably according to thy Statutes.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> Thy te&s;ti|monies al&s;o <HI>are</HI> my delight, <HI>and</HI> my coun&s;ellers.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. Of which I have not been weary; but made the &s;tudy of thy Te&s;timonies my recreation: and never <PB N="395" REF="211">took advice of any other coun&s;ellers.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>DALETH.</HI> IV.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>25.</BIBL> My &s;oul eleaveth unto the du&s;t: quicken thou me according to thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>25. Con&s;ider therefore the forlorn condition where|in I lie, &s;truggling for life and utterly unable to help my &s;elf: and be plea&s;ed to revive and rai&s;e me out of it, according to thy pro|mi&s;e, 1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XVI. 12.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>26.</BIBL> I have de|clared my ways, and thou hearde&s;t me: teach me thy &s;tatutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>26. Thou knowe&s;t both my manner of life, and all the dangers to which I am expo&s;ed; for I have ever laid them both before Thee, and found Thee ready on all occa&s;ions to a&s;&s;i&s;t and re|lieve me: And therefore I hope Thou wilt not now leave me; but more per|fectly in&s;truct me in my Du|ty, as the &s;ure&s;t way to &s;afety.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="27" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>27.</BIBL> Make me to under&s;tand the way of thy pre|cepts: &s;o &s;hall I talk of thy won|drous works.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>27. Give me &s;uch a right under&s;tanding, that I may ever be pre&s;erved in the way of thy Precepts: then &s;hall I e&s;cape the &s;nares of my enemies; and my or|dinary <PB N="396" REF="212">di&s;cour&s;e &s;hall be, what wonderfull delive|rances Thou ha&s;t given me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="28" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>28.</BIBL> My &s;oul melteth for hea|vine&s;s: &s;trengthen thou me according unto thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>28. Pity my &s;ad condi|tion; and now that my heart &s;inks under the weight of my affliction, &s;upport and &s;trengthen me according to thy promi&s;e; that I may never take any undue cour&s;e for ea&s;e and relief.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="29" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>29.</BIBL> Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graci|ou&s;ly.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>29. Far be all fraud and fal&s;hood from me, whereby my enemies contrive to undo me: I de&s;ire not to learn any of their wicked Arts; but onely be&s;eech Thee to give me grace to ob&s;erve thy Laws con|&s;tantly.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="30" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>30.</BIBL> I have cho|&s;en the way of truth: thy judg|ments have I laid before me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>30. That's the way I have re&s;olved upon, to deal truly and &s;incerely: &s;qua|ring all my actions accor|ding to thy judgments; which I have laid before me, as the mo&s;t equal Rule of my life.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="31" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>31.</BIBL> I have &s;tuck unto thy te&s;timo|nies: O LORD, put me not to &s;hame.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>31. And hitherto I have kept my re&s;olution, and never &s;tarted from thy Te|&s;timonies: Pre&s;erve me, <PB N="397" REF="212">good Lord, that I may not hereafter di&s;grace my &s;elf, by doing any thing contra|ry to them; nor be di&s;ap|pointed of my hope, by falling into the hands of tho&s;e that &s;eek my ruin.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="32" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>32.</BIBL> I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou &s;halt enlarge my heart.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>32. And when Thou &s;halt have filled my heart with joy, by freeing me from the&s;e grievous &s;traits, I will doe Thee better &s;er|vice; and be more forward chearfully to execute all thy Commandments.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>HE.</HI> V.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="33" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>33.</BIBL> Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy &s;ta|tutes, and I &s;hall keep it <HI>unto</HI> the end.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>33. In&s;truct me there|fore, good Lord, more and more in the right way of &s;erving Thee; and I will &s;hew my &s;elf mo&s;t thank|full for it, by keeping ex|actly to it all the days of my life.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="34" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>34.</BIBL> Give me un|der&s;tanding, and I &s;hall keep thy law, yea, I &s;hall ob&s;erve it with <HI>my</HI> whole heart.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>34. Illuminate my mind to under&s;tand the excel|lence of thy Law: and then I &s;hall not onely ob|&s;erve it; but &s;et my &s;elf to doe it, with a watchfull, <PB N="398" REF="213">impartial and mo&s;t affectio|nate diligence.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="35" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>35.</BIBL> Make me to go in the path of thy command|ments, for therein do I delight.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>35. Be Thou my Leader and Guide; that I may not &s;tray from the path of thy Commandments: wherein I find the greate&s;t &s;atisfac|tion.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="36" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>36.</BIBL> Incline my heart unto thy te|&s;timonies, and not to covetou&s;ne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>36. Incline my heart al|ways to &s;eek its content|ment, in thy te&s;timonies: and &s;uffer it not to be drawn away, by the de&s;ire of worldly goods; which, having no mea&s;ure, is ne|ver &s;atisfied.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="37" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>37.</BIBL> Turn away mine eyes from be|holding vanity: <HI>and</HI> quicken thou me in thy way.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>37. Help me to over|look tho&s;e empty honours, and fading beauties; which we are apt to behold with too much admiration: and with lively affections and vigorous indeavours, to per&s;i&s;t in the pur&s;uit of thy favour, in the way Thou ha&s;t &s;et before me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="38" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>38.</BIBL> Stabli&s;h thy word unto thy &s;er|vant, who <HI>is de|voted</HI> to thy fear.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>38. And at la&s;t make good thy promi&s;e to thy &s;ervant, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 2.) who fears to doe any thing to offend Thee; though there|by he might win a Crown.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="39" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="399" REF="213" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>39.</BIBL> Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments <HI>are</HI> good.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>39. Turn from me that di&s;grace, of which I can|not but be &s;ometime afraid, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXVII. 1.) and mu&s;t certainly &s;uffer, if I fall into my enemies hands: for Thou wilt proceed I know, according to thy own judgments; which are all equitable, mercifull and gracious.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="40" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>40.</BIBL> Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteou&s;ne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>40. I appeal to Thee, whether I have not a great zeal for thy Precepts; un|to which I de&s;ire above all things to be conform'd: let me not peri&s;h therefore in the&s;e troubles; but in much mercy, revive me, accor|ding to thy faithfull pro|mi&s;e.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>VA&V;.</HI> VI.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="41" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>41.</BIBL> Let thy mercies come al|&s;o unto me, O LORD; <HI>even</HI> thy &s;alvation ac|cording to thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>41. To tho&s;e infinite mer|cies of thine, which moved Thee to make me &s;uch gra|cious promi&s;es, I betake my &s;elf: and be&s;eech Thee to let me feel the happy ef|fects of both in my delive|rance.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="42" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="400" REF="214" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>42.</BIBL> So &s;hall I have wherewith to an&s;wer him that reproacheth me: for I tru&s;t in thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>42. So &s;hall I be able to put to &s;ilence, tho&s;e that reproach me for my confi|dence in Thee: which they call a vain pre&s;umption; but is a humble reliance on thy own gracious promi&s;es to me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="43" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>43.</BIBL> And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>43. Which till Thou art plea&s;ed to fulfill, do not &s;o far abandon me, as to let me be di&s;heartned in a&s;&s;er|ting their truth and faith|fulne&s;s, (which I am wont to oppo&s;e to all the threats of my enemies) for my whole dependance is on this, that Thou wilt not fail me; but pronounce a righteous &s;entence for me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="44" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>44.</BIBL> So &s;hall I keep thy law con|tinually, for ever and ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>44. And I for my part promi&s;e, when Thou &s;halt be &s;o gracious to me, not to &s;uffer my &s;elf to grow more negligent in thy &s;er|vice: but to be more care|full then ever in the ob&s;er|vance of thy Laws, to the very end of my days.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="45" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>45.</BIBL> And I will walk at liberty: for I &s;eek thy pre|cepts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>45. For then I &s;hall have no &s;uch incumbrances on me, as I now have in the&s;e <PB N="401" REF="214" MS="y">&s;traits and difficulties; from which when Thou free&s;t me, I will doe my duty with the greater chearful|ne&s;s and joy: for it is not liberty, no, nor a Kingdom that I &s;eek, &s;o much as bet|ter advantages to fulfill thy Precepts.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="46" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>46.</BIBL> I will &s;peak of thy te&s;timonies al&s;o before kings, and will not be a|&s;hamed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>46. Which I will not be a&s;hamed to ju&s;tifie before the greate&s;t per&s;ons in the world, to be the mo&s;t ex|cellent Rule of life, and the be&s;t te&s;timony of thy love to us: and will doe it with &s;uch rea&s;ons, that they &s;hall never be able to di&s;|prove me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="47" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>47.</BIBL> And I will delight my &s;elf in thy command|ments which I have loved.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>47. Nor will I confute my &s;elf, by leading a vo|luptuous life; when I have liberty to doe as I li&s;t: but as I have hitherto preferred thy Commandments before all other things, &s;o then will I take the highe&s;t plea|&s;ure in them:</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="48" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>48.</BIBL> My hands al&s;o will I lift up unto thy com|mandments which I have loved: and I will meditate in thy &s;tatutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>48. Not onely in their &s;tudy; but &s;hew the truth of my love to them, by a diligent and zealous prac|tice <PB N="402" REF="215">of them: which &s;hall be the end of my medita|tion in them.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>ZAIN.</HI> VII.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="49" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>49.</BIBL> Remember the word unto thy &s;ervant, upon which thou ha&s;t cau&s;ed me to hope.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>49. Be plea&s;ed therefore in due time, to perform the promi&s;e, which Thou ha&s;t long ago made unto thy &s;ervant, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 2.) and, when I thought of no &s;uch thing, given me an a&s;&s;ured hope of it, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVI. 11, 12, 13.)</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="50" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>50.</BIBL> This <HI>is</HI> my comfort in my af|fliction: for thy word hath quick|ned me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>50. Which as it hath been the occa&s;ion of many and great troubles to me, &s;o hath comforted me under them all: and, even when I de&s;paired of &s;afety, revi|ved my &s;pirit, and re&s;tored my courage to life again.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="51" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>51.</BIBL> The proud have had me greatly in deri&s;i|on; <HI>yet</HI> have I not declined from thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>51. Though my in&s;ulting enemies mocked exceeding|ly at my hope, and, in the pride of their hearts, at|tempted by the mo&s;t un|ju&s;t means to de&s;troy me; it never moved me to imi|tate them, by taking any unlawfull method for my pre&s;ervation.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="52" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="403" REF="215">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>52.</BIBL> I remem|bred thy judg|ments of old, O LORD; and have comforted my &s;elf.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>52. But I called to mind, O Lord, how, in all fore|going ages, Thou ha&s;t &s;uf|fered good men to fall into great calamities; thereby to render them, at la&s;t, the more illu&s;trious: and with this con&s;ideration al&s;o I comforted my &s;elf.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="53" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>53.</BIBL> Horrour hath taken hold upon me, becau&s;e of the wicked that for&s;ake thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>53. I have been &s;ei&s;ed indeed &s;ometime with an horrible fear, when I thought what &s;ort of men were my per&s;ecutours: who &s;tuck at nothing, which would &s;erve their ends; having no regard to right or wrong;</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="54" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>54.</BIBL> Thy &s;tatutes have been my &s;ongs in the hou&s;e of my pilgrimage.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>54. Yet in all my wan|drings up and down, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXII. 1, 2, 5. XXIII. 13.) I never tarried long in any place; but I pa&s;&s;ed the time delightfully, in com|po&s;ing &s;ome &s;uch Song as this in prai&s;e of thy Sta|tutes.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="55" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>55.</BIBL> I have remembred thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>55. When others were a&s;leep, I was calling to mind, how good, how powerfull, and how faith|full Thou art: and re&s;ol|ving
<PB N="404" REF="216">with my &s;elf &s;till to ob&s;erve thy Laws.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="56" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>56.</BIBL> This I had, becau&s;e I kept thy precepts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>56. Which make tho&s;e &s;o happy that obey them; that I a&s;cribe this &s;weet compo&s;ure of mind, and chearfulne&s;s of &s;pirit, under all my grievous afflictions, to my &s;trict ob&s;ervance of them.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>CHETH.</HI> VIII.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="57" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>57.</BIBL> <HI>Thou art</HI> my portion, O LORD: I have &s;aid that I would keep thy words.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>57. I have no po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions in this world, (I
<HI>Sam.</HI> XXVI. 19.) which I &s;ee others gree|dily &s;haring among them: But I do not think my &s;elf poor, as long as I have an intere&s;t in thy love, and in thy promi&s;es, O Lord; who&s;e words I have re&s;ol|ved to keep as the greate&s;t trea&s;ure.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="58" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>58.</BIBL> I intreated thy favour with <HI>my</HI> whole heart: be mercifull unto me according to thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>58. For there is nothing comparable to thy favour; which I have be&s;ought with the heartie&s;t affection, and the mo&s;t importunate pray|ers: and do again be&s;eech Thee, to deal mercifully with me, according to thy <PB N="405" REF="216">repeated promi&s;es unto me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="59" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>59.</BIBL> I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy te&s;timo|nies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>59. For upon &s;erious de|liberation, what cour&s;e of life it was be&s;t to take; I rejected all other, which with &s;pecious &s;hews of worldly advantages would have &s;educed me: and deter|mined to be guided whol|ly by thy Te&s;timonies.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="60" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>60.</BIBL> I made ha&s;te, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>60. And being thus re|&s;olved, I admitted no fur|ther debate about it; but in&s;tantly, without any de|lay, &s;et my &s;elf to the &s;trict ob&s;ervance of thy Com|mandments.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="61" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>61.</BIBL> The bands of the wicked have robbed me:
<HI>but</HI> I have not forgotten thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>61. Nor hath any thing been able to remove me from this re&s;olution; but, though I have been be&s;et with troops of wicked men, who &s;tript me of all I had, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIII. 26.) it did not make me forget my du|ty; nor put me upon any unlawfull means of being revenged of them: (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 6, 7.)</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="62" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>62.</BIBL> At mid|night I will ri&s;e to give thanks un|to thee: becau&s;e of thy righteous judgments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>62. But have ble&s;&s;ed Thee, both night and day, and aro&s;e at midnight to <PB N="406" REF="217">give Thee thanks; for tho&s;e ju&s;t and good Laws, which Thou ha&s;t taught me to ob&s;erve.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="63" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>63.</BIBL> I <HI>am</HI> a companion of all
<HI>them</HI> that fear thee, and of them that keep thy pre|cepts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>63. A&s;&s;ociating my &s;elf willingly, with none but &s;uch, as fear to offend Thee; and do religiou&s;ly ob&s;erve thy Precepts: who are all truly dear unto me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="64" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>64.</BIBL> The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy &s;tatutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>64. And no other thing do I de&s;ire of Thee, O Lord, who&s;e kindne&s;s is &s;o great that it di&s;pen&s;es its ble&s;&s;ings plentifully throughout all the earth, but that Thou wilt in&s;truct me &s;till to &s;erve Thee as I ought.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>TETH.</HI> IX.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="65" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>65.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t dealt well with thy &s;ervant, O LORD, according unto thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>65. Many other benefits, I will thankfull acknow|ledge, O Lord, Thou ha&s;t be&s;towed upon thy &s;ervant: with whom Thou ha&s;t faith|fully kept thy Word.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="66" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>66.</BIBL> Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>66. And I am not igno|rant of thy Commandments, which, by thy grace, I have believed to be the onely way to happine&s;s: but &s;till I need <PB N="407" REF="217">thy further a&s;&s;i&s;tance, to give me a delightfull ta&s;te and thorough &s;en&s;e of what I know; which I be&s;eech Thee add to the re&s;t of the benefits I have received from Thee.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="67" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>67.</BIBL> Before I was afflicted, I went a&s;tray: but now have I kept thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>67. And if it be nece&s;|&s;ary for this end, to deprive me &s;till of all other delights, I &s;ubmit unto it: for I mu&s;t confe&s;s I committed many errours before I was thus afflicted; which &s;ince I have corrected, and grown more &s;trictly ob&s;ervant of thy Word.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="68" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>68.</BIBL> Thou <HI>art</HI> good, and doe&s;t good; teach me thy &s;tatutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>68. Thou art in thy own nature kind and good; and nothing el&s;e can proceed from Thee, who de&s;igne&s;t our good even when Thou afflicte&s;t us: Take what methods Thou plea&s;e&s;t with me; onely teach me effec|tually, to doe as Thou would&s;t have me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="69" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>69.</BIBL> The proud have forged a lie again&s;t me:
<HI>but</HI> I will keep thy precepts with <HI>my</HI> whole heart.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>69. They that di&s;dain to be tied to the common and plain rules of hone&s;ty, have taken a great deal of pains to invent a lie again&s;t me: <PB N="408" REF="218" MS="y">(1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 9.) but as I am hitherto con&s;cious of no &s;uch guilt, &s;o I will al|ways confute them by an impartial and mo&s;t hearty ob&s;ervance of thy Precepts.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="70" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>70.</BIBL> Their heart is as far as grea&s;e,
<HI>but</HI> I delight in thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>70. Which give me infi|nitely greater &s;atisfaction in a poor &s;tarved condition; then all the dull delights of &s;en&s;e, which they enjoy in the fulle&s;t plenty of worldly pro&s;perity.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="71" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>71.</BIBL> <HI>It is</HI> good for me that I have been afflicted: that I might learn thy &s;tatutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>71. This they &s;tupidly imagin is the onely happi|ne&s;s; but I can truly &s;ay, it was more happy for me that I was afflicted: for thereby I learnt to apply my &s;elf more &s;eriou&s;ly to thy Statutes.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="72" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>72.</BIBL> The law of thy mouth <HI>is</HI> bet|ter unto me then thou&s;ands of gold and &s;ilver.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>72. Whereby thy will is declared unto us by a voice from heaven: (XX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 1.) which I prefer before all the gold and &s;ilver in the Kingdom.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>JOD.</HI> X.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="73" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>73.</BIBL> Thy hands have made me, and fa&s;hioned me: give me under&s;tanding, that I may learn thy command|ments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>73. De&s;ert me not then, who am thine own work|man&s;hip;
<PB N="409" REF="218">that neither hath nor hopeth for any thing but thy almighty Power: and de&s;ires above all things, to comprehend fully what thy will is, that he may obey it.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="74" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>74.</BIBL> They that fear thee will be glad when they &s;ee me: becau&s;e I have hoped in thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>74. It will be a very great comfort and incou|ragement to all good men, when they &s;ee me delivered out of all the&s;e troubles: For thereby they will be confirmed in their belief, of thy faithfulne&s;s to thy promi&s;es; on which, it will appear, I have not vainly depended, though I &s;tay long for the performance.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="75" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>75.</BIBL> I know, O LORD, that thy judgements
<HI>are</HI> right, and <HI>that</HI> thou in faithful|ne&s;s ha&s;t afflicted me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>75. And I am &s;atisfied, O Lord, that while Thou make&s;t me wait for the per|formance, Thou doe&s;t no|thing contrary to thy ju|&s;tice, or to thy fidelity: but that all the&s;e cro&s;s di&s;|pen&s;ations of thy Provi|dence, in the heavy afflic|tions which have befaln me, are perfectly righteous: and will onely make thy truth and faithfulne&s;s, at la&s;t, the more illu&s;trious.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="76" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="410" REF="219">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>76.</BIBL> Let, I pray thee, thy mercifull kindne&s;s be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy &s;ervant.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>76. O ha&s;ten that happy time; when I &s;hall &s;ee thy loving kindne&s;s, turning this di&s;con&s;olate into a more comfortable condition: ac|cording to the promi&s;es which Thou ha&s;t made un|to thy &s;ervant, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVI. 12, 13.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="77" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>77.</BIBL> Let thy ten|der mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law <HI>is</HI> my delight.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>77. Let me feel the &s;pee|dy effects of thy compa&s;&s;io|nate mercy; re&s;cuing me from tho&s;e that &s;eek my life, and rai&s;ing me out of this forlorn e&s;tate, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 14.) For how&s;oever I am repre&s;ented, my high|e&s;t &s;atisfaction is in obedi|ence to thy Law.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="78" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>78.</BIBL> Let the proud be a&s;hamed, for they dealt per|ver&s;ly with me without a cau&s;e; <HI>but</HI> I will meditate in thy precepts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>78. Confound all tho&s;e proud contemners of it, who, making no con&s;cience of what they &s;ay, have op|pre&s;&s;ed and overthrown me with lies and calumnies; as if I &s;tudied to di&s;turb the Kingdom, when my onely &s;tudy is to ob&s;erve thy Pre|cepts.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="79" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>79.</BIBL> Let tho&s;e that fear thee, turn unto me, and tho&s;e that have known thy te&s;ti|monies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>79. Let all pious men, who have a due regard to thy te&s;timonies, be convin|ced <PB N="411" REF="219">of this: and be no lon|ger abu&s;ed by the&s;e &s;landers; but turn to my &s;ide, and become my Friends.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="80" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>80.</BIBL> Let my heart be &s;ound in thy &s;tatutes; that I be not a&s;hamed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>80. And in order to it pre&s;erve me &s;o blamele&s;s be|fore Thee, in &s;uch integri|ty of heart as well as life; that I may not be a&s;hamed of the hope I have, that Thou and all good men will take my part.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>CAPH.</HI> XI.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="81" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>81.</BIBL> My &s;oul fainteth for thy &s;alvation:
<HI>but</HI> I hope in thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>81. For which ble&s;&s;ing I have now attended &s;o many years, that I am rea|dy &s;ometime to faint away with vehement de&s;ire; to &s;ee thy long expected pro|mi&s;e fulfilled, of deliverance from all my enemies.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="82" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>82.</BIBL> Mine eyes fail for thy word, &s;aying, When wilt thou comfort me?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>82. That joyfull &s;ight I have looked for, till I am in danger to be weary with expectation; &s;aying, When will the time come, of my deliverance from this di&s;|con&s;olate condition?</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="83" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>83.</BIBL> For I am become like a bottle in the &s;moke: <HI>yet</HI> do I not forget thy &s;tatutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>83. I hope it will not be long delayed; for I am
<PB N="412" REF="220" MS="y">worn away, and my skin, (like an empty leathern bag that hath hung a great while in the &s;moke) is &s;hrivelled up with toil and grief: and yet I have never taken any unlawfull cour&s;e, to rid my &s;elf of all this mi&s;ery.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="84" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>84.</BIBL> How many <HI>are</HI> the days of thy &s;ervant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that per&s;ecute me?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>84. I leave that to Thee, O Lord; be&s;eeching Thee to con&s;ider how my days &s;pend apace in trouble and &s;orrow: which force me to &s;igh and &s;ay; How long mu&s;t thy poor &s;ervant &s;till lie in this calamitous condi|tion? O when wilt Thou doe me right again&s;t my per&s;ecutours?</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="85" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>85.</BIBL> The proud have digged pits for me, which
<HI>are</HI> not after thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>85. Who proudly con|trive, by all manner of frauds and treachery, to take away my life: directly contrary to thy Law; to which they are as injurious as unto me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="86" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>86.</BIBL> All thy com|mandments <HI>are</HI> faithfull: they per|&s;ecute me wrong|fully; help thou me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>86. For all thy Com|mandments teach us to be ju&s;t and true; being as faithfull, as tho&s;e men are fal&s;e and perfidious: there|fore
<PB N="413" REF="220">make good thy pro|mi&s;es to me; and deliver me from tho&s;e who per&s;e|cute me with lies and for|geries.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="87" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>87.</BIBL> They had almo&s;t con&s;umed me upon earth: but I for&s;ook not thy precepts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>87. Which they have imployed &s;o &s;ucce&s;sfully, that I e&s;caped very hardly with my life, when I was in the Land of <HI>Judah;</HI> (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIII. 26.) and yet for all this I &s;tuck to thy Precepts; and would not take away the life of him that &s;ought mine; when I could have ea&s;ily done it, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 6, 7.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="88" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>88.</BIBL> Quicken me after thy loving kindne&s;s, &s;o &s;hall I keep the te&s;timony of thy mouth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>88. Deal as kindly with me, O Lord; and not one|ly &s;pare my life, but rai&s;e me out of this forlorn e|&s;tate, wherein I lie, like a man that is dead; (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 14.) and I will in|deavour the more carefully to ob&s;erve the Te&s;timonies, which Thou ha&s;t &s;olemnly (Ver&s;e
72.) given us in charge.</P>
<PB N="412" REF="221" MS="y">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="413" REF="221">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="part">
<PB N="414" REF="222" MS="y">
<HEAD><HI>LAMED.</HI> XII.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="89" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>89.</BIBL> For ever, O LORD, thy word is &s;ettled in heaven.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>89. Thou art eternal, O Lord, and change&s;t not; and thy promi&s;es are like thy &s;elf, fixed and &s;ettled in the heavens: which are a lively emblem of their con&s;tancy, and unvariable truth.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="90" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>90.</BIBL> Thy faith|fulne&s;s <HI>is</HI> unto all generations: thou ha&s;t e&s;tabli&s;hed the earth, and it abi|deth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>90. One generation goes, and another comes; but thy fidelity is &s;till the &s;ame to all: and alters no more then the earth; which Thou ha&s;t firmly and immoveably e&s;tabli&s;hed, while all tho&s;e creatures that live upon it, pa&s;s away and peri&s;h.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="91" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>91.</BIBL> They con|tinue this day ac|cording to thine ordinances: for all <HI>are</HI> thy &s;ervants.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>91. All things remain to this day in the order at fir&s;t appointed; and never vary from the Laws which Thou ha&s;t &s;et them: for they are intirely &s;ubject to thy will and plea&s;ure.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="92" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>92.</BIBL> &V;nle&s;s thy law <HI>had been</HI> my delights, I &s;hould then have peri&s;hed in mine affliction.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>92. Which was a mo&s;t comfortable Meditation in my afflicted condition: when my heart would have failed me, and I &s;hould have
<PB N="415" REF="222">been undone; if thy Laws (which &s;tand as fa&s;t as hea|ven and earth) had not given me con&s;tant con&s;ola|tion.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="93" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>93.</BIBL> I will never forget thy pre|cepts: for with them thou ha&s;t quickened me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>93. I will never there|fore be guilty of neglecting thy Precepts: which have revived me, (by the faith|full promi&s;es Thou ha&s;t an|nexed to the ob&s;ervance of them) when I looked upon my &s;elf, as a dead man, that could not e&s;cape the hands of tho&s;e that &s;ought to de|&s;troy me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="94" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>94.</BIBL> I <HI>am</HI> thine, &s;ave me: for I have &s;ought thy precepts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>94. And be Thou plea|&s;ed &s;till to deliver me from falling into their hands: For, though they have dri|ven me from thy inheritance (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXVI. 19.) I &s;till continue thine, and &s;erve no other God; but have diligently inquired, in my greate&s;t dangers, what would be mo&s;t plea&s;ing to Thee, as mo&s;t advantagious to my &s;elf.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="95" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>95.</BIBL> The wicked have waited for me to de&s;troy me: <HI>but</HI> I will con&s;ider thy te&s;timonies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>95. Tho&s;e wicked men, who are combined to de|&s;troy me, have long watched <PB N="416" REF="223">for an opportunity; which they confidently expect to meet withall: but it doth not di&s;courage my &s;tudy of thy Te&s;timonies; as the be&s;t defence again&s;t their bloudy attempts.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="96" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>96.</BIBL> I have &s;een an end of all per|fection,
<HI>but</HI> thy commandment <HI>is</HI> exceeding broad.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>96. For had I greater forces then my enemies, alas! I never yet &s;aw any thing &s;o compleat, but as it had its bounds and limits, &s;o it is exceeding frail; and when it is arrived at per|fection, comes to a &s;peedy end: whereas the wi&s;edom which Thou ha&s;t revealed to us, hath infinite &s;atisfac|tion in it, durable and la|&s;ting &s;atisfaction; which never fails tho&s;e that de|pend upon it.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>MEM.</HI> XIII.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="97" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>97.</BIBL> O how love I thy law! it <HI>is</HI> my meditation all the day.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>97. It is impo&s;&s;ible to expre&s;s the love I have to thy Law: which entertains my Meditation, or inables me to entertain others, with admirable variety, whole days together.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="98" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="417" REF="223" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>98.</BIBL> Thou through thy commandments ha&s;t made me wi&s;er then mine enemies: for they <HI>are</HI> ever with me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>98. My enemies are very crafty, and u&s;e many arti|fices to de&s;troy me: But, by ob&s;erving thy Com|mandments, I have defea|ted all their &s;ubtil devices; and confounded them, even by refu&s;ing (becau&s;e thy Commandments, which are ever before my eyes re&s;trai|ned me) to be avenged on them, I <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 17, 18, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> XXVI. 21.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="99" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>99.</BIBL> I have more under&s;tan|ding then all my teachers: for thy te&s;timonies <HI>are</HI> my meditation.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>99. I have out&s;tripped all the Doctours of the Law, of whom I formerly learnt; and under&s;tand more per|fectly then they, the be&s;t means of &s;ecuring my &s;elf: becau&s;e my mind is &s;till im|ployed in thy Te&s;timonies, as the Rule of all my de|&s;igns and undertakings.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="100" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>100.</BIBL> I under|&s;tand more then the ancients: be|cau&s;e I keep thy precepts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>100. Though I am but young, yet I have more under&s;tanding in things, then the Judges and grave privy Coun&s;ellours: be|cau&s;e my Maxime is, &s;trict|ly to ob&s;erve thy Precepts.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="101" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>101.</BIBL> I have re|frained my feet from every evil way: that I might keep thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>101. What&s;oever advan|tage it promi&s;ed me, I have
<PB N="418" REF="224">never proceeded in any evil cour&s;e to obtain my end: but refu&s;ed the &s;eeming gain; that I might not of|fend again&s;t thy Word.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="102" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>102.</BIBL> I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou ha&s;t taught me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>102. My re&s;pect to Thee, hath hindred me from do|ing any injury unto others: becau&s;e I know Thou art the Authour of tho&s;e Laws which forbid it; and in the ob&s;ervance of them, I have learnt, con&s;i&s;ts my happi|ne&s;s.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="103" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>103.</BIBL> How &s;weet are thy words un|to my ta&s;te! <HI>yea, &s;weeter</HI> then hony to my mouth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>103. And a happine&s;s it is, I feel already, incompa|rably above all other: the plea&s;ure I take in every word of thine, is inexpre&s;|&s;ibly far to be preferred, before all the delights of &s;en&s;e; though never &s;o &s;weet and lu&s;cious.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="104" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>104.</BIBL> Through thy precepts I get under&s;tanding: therefore I hate every fal&s;e way.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>104. And by thy Pre|cepts I am &s;o fully in&s;truc|ted how to behave my &s;elf; that I need not to betake my &s;elf to any di&s;hone&s;t ways, which I utterly ab|hor.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="part">
<PB N="419" REF="224">
<HEAD><HI>N&V;N.</HI> XIV.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="105" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>105.</BIBL> Thy word <HI>is</HI> a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>105. Thy word is my onely Guide; who&s;e direc|tions I follow in all the dark and difficult pa&s;&s;ages of my life.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="106" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>106.</BIBL> I have &s;worn, and I will perform
<HI>it,</HI> that I will keep thy righ|teous judgments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>106. I have &s;olemnly re|&s;olved, and bound my &s;elf by the mo&s;t &s;acred ties, which I will never break but do now confirm; that I will carefully ob&s;erve thy Decrees, which I find to be both ju&s;t and good.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="107" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>107.</BIBL> I am af|flicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>107. I have &s;uffered ve|ry much upon that account, and am &s;till &s;orely afflicted: But I comfort my &s;elf, O Lord, with thy promi&s;e; according to which I be&s;eech Thee to deliver me from tho&s;e that &s;eek to de&s;troy me; and rai&s;e me out of this forlorn condition, wherein I can &s;carce be &s;aid to live.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="108" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>108.</BIBL> Accept, I be&s;eech thee, the free-will-offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>108. I have no other &s;a|crifices that I am able in this exile to offer to Thee, but the&s;e of Prayer, and <PB N="420" REF="225" MS="y">thankful acknowledgments, and vows of &s;incere and chearfull obedience; with which I do mo&s;t freely and heartily pre&s;ent Thee, O Lord: be&s;eeching Thee to teach me &s;till more effectu|ally thy Judgments; that I may never fail to be confor|med to thy will.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="109" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>109.</BIBL> My &s;oul <HI>is</HI> continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>109. To which I have hitherto &s;o clo&s;ely adhered, that, though I go in con|tinual danger of my life, (XII. <HI>Judg.</HI> 3.) it doth not move me in the lea&s;t (what|&s;oever &s;hifts I am forced to make) to &s;ave my &s;elf by for&s;aking thy Law.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="110" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>110.</BIBL> The wic|ked have laid a &s;nare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>110. They that make no con&s;cience of their actions, have contrived a &s;ubtil plot to ruin me: But I have never &s;tepped out of the way of thy Precepts, to avoid the &s;nares they have laid for me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="111" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>111.</BIBL> Thy te&s;ti|monies have I ta|ken as an heritage for ever: for they <HI>are</HI> the rejoicing of my heart.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>111. I had rather alway continue as poor as I am, then doe any thing a|gain&s;t thy Te&s;timonies; which I hold to be my
<PB N="421" REF="225">chiefe&s;t good, and &s;ure&s;t po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion: out of which none can expell me; and which always yield me that inward &s;atisfaction and joy, which none can take from me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="112" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>112.</BIBL> I have in|clined mine heart to perform thy &s;ta|tutes alway, <HI>even unto</HI> the end.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>112. This infinitely out|weighs all other con&s;idera|tions; and hath inclined my heart to re&s;olve, to doe alway as Thou bidde&s;t me, (what&s;oever I may lo&s;e by it) to the very end of my days.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>SAMECH.</HI> XV.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="113" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>113.</BIBL> I hate <HI>vain</HI> thoughts: but thy law do I love.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>113. I hate all double dealing, and crafty devices, that are not warranted by thy Law: to which I have re&s;olved to &s;tick with hear|ty affection.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="114" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>114.</BIBL> Thou <HI>art</HI> my hiding-place, and my &s;hield: I hope in thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>114. In that way I will tru&s;t to Thee for &s;afety, and protection: having a firm hope, that Thou wilt be as good unto me as thy Word.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="115" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>115.</BIBL> Depart from me, ye evil doers; for I will keep the command|ments of my God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>115. Do not per&s;wade me any longer, O ye evil
<PB N="422" REF="226">doers, to join with you; but get you gone from me: for I will follow none of your coun&s;els; but &s;trictly ob&s;erve the Commandments of my God, who hath hither|to mo&s;t graciou&s;ly delivered me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="116" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>116.</BIBL> &V;phold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be a&s;hamed of my hope.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>116. And on whom I &s;till depend, that Thou wilt &s;upport me, O Lord, accor|ding to thy promi&s;e, again&s;t all the a&s;&s;aults of my ene|mies that &s;eek my life: and not let me be a&s;hamed of the hope and expectation I have, that Thou wilt de|fend and deliver me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="117" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>117.</BIBL> Hold thou me up, and I &s;hall be &s;afe: and I will have re&s;pect unto thy &s;tatutes conti|nually.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>117. Be Thou my &s;up|port in this weak conditi|on, I humbly again be&s;eech Thee: and then they &s;hall not be able to throw me down; but, in &s;afety and &s;ecurity, I &s;hall make thy Statutes my perpetual &s;tudy.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="118" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>118.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t troden down all them that ere from thy &s;tatutes: for their deceit <HI>is</HI> fal&s;hood.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>118. They &s;hall fall to the ground, and not I; for Thou art wont, I ob&s;erve, to aba&s;e and lay as low as the mire in the &s;treets, all th&s;oe that pre&s;ume to go <PB N="423" REF="226">out of the plain way of thy Statutes: for all their crafty tricks, and crooked arts, on which they rely, at la&s;t prove fal&s;e unto them and deceive them.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="119" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>119.</BIBL> Thou put|te&s;t away all the wicked of the earth <HI>like</HI> dro&s;s: therefore I love thy te&s;timonies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>119. Thou ca&s;te&s;t all &s;uch wicked men out of the Land like dro&s;s, that is good for nothing: which makes me addict my &s;elf, with the greater love unto thy Te|&s;timonies:</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="120" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>120.</BIBL> My fle&s;h trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judg|ments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>120. Trembling all over with fear le&s;t I &s;hould, by any di&s;obedience to Thee, incurr thy &s;evere di&s;plea|&s;ure; and dreading, above all things, thy judgments: which are threatned in the Law, and which I &s;ee exe|cuted upon the contemners of it.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>AIN.</HI> XVI.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="121" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>121.</BIBL> I have done judgment and ju&s;tice: leave me not to mine op|pre&s;&s;ours.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>121. This pious fear laid &s;uch a re&s;traint upon me, that I never did any wrong to them, nor &s;o much as dealt hardly with them, that now injure me: there|fore <PB N="424" REF="227">&s;uffer me not to fall into the hands of tho&s;e, who oppre&s;s me with their calumnies.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="122" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>122.</BIBL> Be &s;urety to thy &s;ervant for good: let not the proud oppre&s;s me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>122. Their pride is great, and, having power equal to their malice, they hope to prevail over me: but do Thou graciou&s;ly undertake my protection, and be my &s;ecurity, again&s;t the mi&s;chief they de&s;ign me; that in|&s;tead of being my ruin, their calumnies may turn to my greater good and advan|tage.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="123" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>123.</BIBL> Mine eyes fail for thy &s;alva|tion, and for the word of thy righ|teou&s;ne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>123. I believe they will; but I have looked &s;o long for that happy time, when Thou wilt deliver me (and yet am &s;till in apparent danger to fall into the hands of my enemies) that I am almo&s;t tired with expectance of thy promi&s;e: though I know it is faithfull and true; and &s;hall certainly be per|formed.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="124" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>124.</BIBL> Deal with thy &s;ervant accor|ding unto thy mer|cy, and teach me thy &s;tatutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>124. Pity my infirmity, and, in much mercy, &s;end &s;peedy relief unto thy &s;er|vant: and in the mean time <PB N="425" REF="227">in&s;truct me more perfectly in thy Statutes; that I may make the better u&s;e of that deliverance.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="125" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>125.</BIBL> I <HI>am</HI> thy &s;ervant, give me under&s;tanding, that I may know by te&s;timonies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>125. I am devoted to thy &s;ervice, and de&s;igned by Thee to a high imploy|ment: inlighten my under|&s;tanding therefore, that I may fully know my duty.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="126" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>126.</BIBL> <HI>It is</HI> time for <HI>thee,</HI> LORD, to work: <HI>for</HI> they have made void thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>126. For now is the time to doe all I can for the Lord (who may be plea&s;ed then to take this opportunity to perform his promi&s;e) when wicked men not onely tran&s;|gre&s;s; but are &s;o prophane, that they reject, and would wholly lay a&s;ide thy Law.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="127" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>127.</BIBL> Therefore I love thy com|mandments above gold, yea, above fine gold.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>127. This inflames my zeal, and heightens my love to thy Commandments: which I value far more then all the riches in the world; which &s;hall not tempt me to violate one of them, or &s;uffer them, if I can help it, to be contemned by others.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="128" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>128.</BIBL> Therefore I e&s;teem all <HI>thy</HI> precepts <HI>concer|ning</HI> all <HI>things to be</HI> right; <HI>and</HI> I hate every fal&s;e way.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>128. For the more I con|&s;ider them, the more I ap|prove every one of them, (as the exacte&s;t and be&s;t <PB N="426" REF="228">Rule whereby I &s;quare all my actions) and abhor all tho&s;e ba&s;e and di&s;hone&s;t ways, whereby others &s;tu|dy to advance them&s;elves to riches and honours.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>PE.</HI> XVII.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="129" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>129.</BIBL> Thy re&s;ti|monies <HI>are</HI> won|derfull: therefore doth my &s;oul keep them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>129. I cannot &s;ufficient|ly admire and extoll the ex|cellent wi&s;edom al&s;o of thy Laws; whereby Thou ha&s;t te&s;tified thy will unto us: which makes me the more carefull faithfully to ob&s;erve them.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="130" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>130.</BIBL> The en|trance of thy words giveth light: it giveth under&s;tan|ding unto the &s;im|ple.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>130. When a man doth but begin to be acquainted with thy Word, he finds his mind marvellou&s;ly in|lightned with &s;uch clear and u&s;efull knowledge; as directs the mo&s;t &s;imple peo|ple how to live happily.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="131" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>131.</BIBL> I opened my mouth, and panted: for I lon|ged for thy com|mandments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>131. Which hath excited me to the mo&s;t eager pur|&s;uit of this mo&s;t excellent Wi&s;edom: for I longed to have a perfect under&s;tand|ing of thy Commandments; which at fir&s;t &s;ight afford
<PB N="427" REF="228">&s;uch abundant &s;atisfaction.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="132" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>132.</BIBL> Look thou upon me, and be mercifull unto me, as thou u&s;e&s;t to do unto tho&s;e that love thy name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>132. Favour my de&s;ires, I mo&s;t humbly be&s;eech Thee; and vouch&s;afe me the &s;ame grace, which Thou art wont to be&s;tow on tho&s;e that &s;incerely love Thee; and &s;tudy, as I do, thy ho|nour and glory.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="133" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>133.</BIBL> Order my &s;teps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have do|minion over me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>133. And fir&s;t of all in|able me to walk &s;teadily, according to the rule of thy Word; that I may not be a &s;lave to any &s;in what&s;o|ever:</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="134" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>134.</BIBL> Deliver me from the op|pre&s;&s;ion of man: &s;o will I keep thy pre|cepts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>134. And then deliver me from the oppre&s;&s;ion of him (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XXVI. 24.) who unju&s;tly &s;eeks to de|&s;troy me; that I may have the greater liberty to &s;tudy and ob&s;erve thy Precepts.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="135" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>135.</BIBL> Make thy face to &s;hine upon thy &s;ervant: and teach me thy &s;ta|tutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>135. Put an end to the troubles of thy &s;ervant: who is devoted to thy obe|dience; and for this rea&s;on, above all others, de&s;ires to &s;ee better days, that he may have better opportunities to learn thy Statutes;</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="136" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>136.</BIBL> Rivers of waters run down mine eyes: be|cau&s;e they keep not thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>136. Which it is a very great grief to me, to behold
<PB N="428" REF="229">&s;o univer&s;ally neglected: and hath co&s;t me many a tear; when I con&s;ider, not merely the per&s;ecution which I &s;uffer, but how thereby my enemies violate thy Law.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>TSADDI.</HI> XVIII.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="137" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>137.</BIBL> Righteous <HI>art</HI> thou, O LORD, and upright <HI>are</HI> thy judgments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>137. I leave it to Thee, O Lord, to redre&s;s the&s;e evils: who art both ju&s;t and good; and governe&s;t all things with an unerring equity.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="138" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>138.</BIBL> Thy te&s;ti|monies <HI>that</HI> thou ha&s;t commanded, <HI>are</HI> righteous, and very faithfull.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>138. For as all the Laws Thou ha&s;t given us are per|fectly righteous: &s;o Thou do&s;t exactly and mo&s;t faith|fully fulfill all the promi&s;es or threatnings; which Thou ha&s;t made to the ob&s;ervers, or again&s;t the breakers of them.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="139" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>139.</BIBL> My zeal hath con&s;umed me: becau&s;e mine ene|mies have forgot|ten thy words.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>139. The con&s;ideration of which moves my indig|nation to &s;uch a degree; that I am tormented to &s;ee my enemies &s;o forgetfull of their own intere&s;t, as not to regard thy words.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="140" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="429" REF="229" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>140.</BIBL> Thy word <HI>is</HI> very pure: there|fore thy &s;ervant loveth it.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>140. Which I know to be infallibly true, and per|fectly free from all fal&s;hood and deceit: which is the rea&s;on of that ardent affec|tion thy &s;ervant hath unto them.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="141" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>141.</BIBL> I <HI>am</HI> &s;mall and de&s;pi&s;ed:
<HI>yet</HI> do not I forget thy precepts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>141. Which will not &s;uf|fer me, though I am mean and contemptible, in the eyes of my enemies (who are honourable and mighty) to be guilty of neglecting any of thy Precepts.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="142" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>142.</BIBL> Thy righ|teou&s;ne&s;s <HI>is</HI> an e|verla&s;ting righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, and thy law <HI>is</HI> the truth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>142. For &s;till I think with my &s;elf that thy ju|&s;tice, goodne&s;s and fideli|ty are unchangeable; and what&s;oever Thou ha&s;t &s;aid in thy Law is the very truth: upon which we may certainly depend, and never be deceived.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="143" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>143.</BIBL> Trouble and angui&s;h have taken hold on me: <HI>yet</HI> thy command|ments <HI>are</HI> my de|lights.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>143. And therefore, though I am unexpectedly (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XX. 3.) involved in very &s;ore &s;traits and dif|ficulties; yet I do not for|&s;ake, but find great con&s;o|lation in the &s;tudy of thy Commandments.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="144" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="430" REF="230">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>144.</BIBL> The righ|teou&s;ne&s;s of thy te|&s;timonies <HI>is</HI> ever|la&s;ting: give me under&s;tanding, and I &s;hall live.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>144. E&s;pecially in this con&s;ideration, (which comes often into my mind, Ver&s;e 140, 142.) that all the de|clarations Thou ha&s;t made of thy will to us, are &s;o ju&s;t and true; that they will never fail our expectation: O give me wi&s;edom to or|der my life according to them; and then it &s;hall not be in the power of my ene|mies, to make me mi&s;erable.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>KOPH.</HI> XIX.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="145" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>145.</BIBL> I cried with <HI>my</HI> whole heart, hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy &s;tatutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>145. I have be&s;ought thy favour, in this &s;orrow|full and di&s;tre&s;&s;ed conditi|on, with mo&s;t vehement cries and hearty affection: Be plea&s;ed to re&s;cue me out of it, O Lord, and I pro|mi&s;e with the greater care to ob&s;erve thy Statutes.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="146" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>146.</BIBL> I cried unto thee, &s;ave me, and I &s;hall keep thy te&s;timo|nies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>146. I have made it my con&s;tant bu&s;ine&s;s to cry un|to Thee for help; from whom alone I &s;eek it: de|liver me, I again be&s;eech Thee, and I will not fail to make good my promi&s;e of
<PB N="431" REF="230">ob&s;erving thy Te&s;timonies.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="147" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>147.</BIBL> I preven|ted the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>147. I have &s;ent up early cries unto Thee, before the morning light appeared: con&s;tantly expecting the performance of thy promi&s;e to me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="148" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>148.</BIBL> Mine eyes prevent the <HI>night</HI> watches, that I might meditate in thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>148. Nor have I been le&s;s forward in the &s;tu|dy of my duty, then in the imploring of thy mer|cy: but have awaked, be|fore all the watches were &s;et, to meditate in thy word.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="149" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>149.</BIBL> Hear my voice, according unto thy loving kindne&s;s: O LORD, quicken me according to thy judgment.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>149. Let my prayer pre|vail with Thee, O Lord, for that favour and kind|ne&s;s, which I have oft ex|perienced: and pre&s;erve my life, as Thou ha&s;t done hitherto, by &s;uch means as Thou judge&s;t be&s;t for me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="150" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>150.</BIBL> They draw nigh that follow after mi&s;chief: they are far from thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>150. I am clo&s;ely be&s;et Thou &s;ee&s;t, and in danger to be &s;eized (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIII. 26.) by tho&s;e, who as they per&s;ecute me and &s;eek my ruin, &s;o care not by what wicked arts they compa&s;s their de&s;ign: for they have no regard at all to thy Law.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="151" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="432" REF="231">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>151.</BIBL> Thou <HI>art</HI> near, O LORD: and all thy com|mandments <HI>are</HI> truth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>151. My onely comfort is, that they cannot ap|proach &s;o near to hurt me, as Thou, O Lord, art to defend and pre&s;erve me: and that all thy promi&s;es annexed to thy Command|ments (&s;till I think of that Ver. 142.) &s;hall faithfully be fulfilled.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="152" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>152.</BIBL> Concer|ning thy te&s;timo|nies, I have known of old, that thou ha&s;t founded them for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>152. This hath ever been my &s;upport, long before I fell into the&s;e troubles; that what&s;oever Thou ha&s;t te&s;tified to be thy will and plea&s;ure is firm and &s;tedfa&s;t; and &s;hall never fail tho&s;e that depend upon it, Ver&s;e 144.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>RESH.</HI> XX.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="153" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>153.</BIBL> Con&s;ider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>153. Shew then that Thou do&s;t not neglect me; but art as mindfull of me, as I am of thy Law in this af|flicted condition: out of which I be&s;eech Thee to deliver me; for none of the evils that have befaln me, have made me forget my duty to Thee.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="154" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="433" REF="231">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>153.</BIBL> Con&s;ider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>154. I appeal to Thee, whether I have not a righ|teous cau&s;e; be&s;eeching Thee to doe me ju&s;tice up|on my enemies, (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 15.) and re&s;cue me from their per&s;ecutions: for I am in great danger of pe|ri&s;hing; but depend upon thy promi&s;e for my &s;afety.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="155" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>155.</BIBL> Salvation <HI>is</HI> far from the wicked: for they &s;eek not thy &s;ta|tutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>155. Far be it from Thee to afford any help to the wicked: for they have no regard to thy Statutes; but &s;eek onely how they may &s;atisfie their own lewd, and cruel de&s;ires.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="156" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>156.</BIBL> Great <HI>are</HI> thy tender mercies, O LORD: quic|ken me according to thy judgments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>156. To which I oppo&s;e the bowels of thy compa&s;|&s;ion, O Lord; who&s;e ten|der mercies are many and great: and will pre&s;erve my life, I hope, according to thy wonted care over me, and kindne&s;s to me, Ver. 149.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="157" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>157.</BIBL> Many <HI>are</HI> my per&s;ecutours, and mine enemies: <HI>yet</HI> do I not de|cline from thy te|&s;timonies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>157. I am not di&s;coura|ged, either by the number or the &s;trength (which are both very great) of tho&s;e that per&s;ecute me, with a deadly enmity: which doth <PB N="434" REF="232">not move me in the lea&s;t to depart from thy Te&s;ti|monies (XIX. <HI>Lev.</HI> 18.) by &s;eeking their de&s;truction, as they do mine, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. XXVI.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="158" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>158.</BIBL> I beheld the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ours, and was grieved: becau&s;e they kept not thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>158. It onely provokes my &s;orrow, to &s;ee that there is no faith, nor truth, nor gratitude in them, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 17,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI> XXVI. 2.) and troubles me beyond mea&s;ure, that they have no regard to what Thou commande&s;t, or forbidde&s;t.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="159" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>159.</BIBL> Con&s;ider how I love thy pre|cepts: quicken me, O LORD, accor|ding to thy loving kindne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>159. Such is the love I have to thy Precepts; which, I be&s;eech Thee, let the world &s;ee Thou do&s;t ob&s;erve: and both pre&s;erve my life, O Lord, and, ac|cording to the exceeding greatne&s;s of thy goodne&s;s, deliver me out of this &s;ad condition.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="160" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>160.</BIBL> Thy word <HI>is</HI> true <HI>from</HI> the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judge|ments <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>160. As I doubt not Thou wilt; for none of thy promi&s;es have ever fai|led: but the very fir&s;t of them which Thou made&s;t to our Forefather <HI>Abraham</HI> (XII. <HI>Gen.</HI> 2.) hath been
<PB N="435" REF="232">faithfully fulfilled; and &s;o &s;hall every thing el&s;e, which Thou ha&s;t re&s;olved and de|clared to be thy will, be punctually performed to the end of the world.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>SCHIN.</HI> XXI.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="161" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>161.</BIBL> Princes have per&s;ecuted me without a cau&s;e: but my heart &s;tandeth in awe of thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>161. The Rulers, and prime Coun&s;ellours of the Kingdom per&s;ecute me, for pretended crimes: of which as I am not guilty; &s;o I do not fear &s;o much what they can doe again&s;t me, as le&s;t I &s;hould doe any thing, in my own vindication, again&s;t thy word, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 6. XXVI. 9.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="162" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>162.</BIBL> I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great &s;poil.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>162. I would not pur|cha&s;e my liberty, my peace, or the honour they enjoy, by any unlawfull actions: for I take far more joy in doing thy will, and in what Thou ha&s;t promi&s;ed to doe for me; then in the compleate&s;t Victory o|ver all my enemies.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="163" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>163.</BIBL> I hate and abhor lying: <HI>but</HI> thy law do I love.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>163. I hate all fraud and deceit; even to the degree
<PB N="436" REF="233">of abhorrence and abomi|nation: but mo&s;t heartily love tho&s;e hone&s;t cour&s;es, to which thy Law directs me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="164" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>164.</BIBL> Seven times a day do I prai&s;e thee: be|cau&s;e of thy righ|teous judgments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>164. It is the &s;ubject of my perpetual thanks and prai&s;e; that I have the hap|pine&s;s to be acquainted with the ju&s;tice and good|ne&s;s of tho&s;e Laws, where|by Thou governe&s;t us.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="165" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>165.</BIBL> Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing &s;hall offend them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>165. The ob&s;ervance of which gives &s;uch inward &s;a|tisfaction, and brings &s;o ma|ny and great ble&s;&s;ings to tho&s;e who truly love them: that they take all things which befall them in good part; and nothing will tempt them to turn a&s;ide, and leave tho&s;e vertuous paths wherein they lead them.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="166" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>166.</BIBL> LORD, I have hoped for thy &s;alvation, and done thy com|mandments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>166. I have met with the mo&s;t grievous di&s;cou|ragements: But, Lord, in the mid&s;t of the greate&s;t &s;traits I have expected de|liverance onely from Thee; and never done any thing, for my pre&s;ervation, con|trary <PB N="437" REF="233">to thy Command|ments.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="167" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>167.</BIBL> My &s;oul hath kept thy te|&s;timonies: and I love them excee|dingly.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>167. All my care hath been, &s;till mo&s;t heartily to ob&s;erve thy Te&s;timonies: which I prefer infinitely before all earthly injoy|ments.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="168" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>168.</BIBL> I have kept thy precepts and thy te&s;timo|nies: for all my ways <HI>are</HI> before thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>168. There is not one of thy Laws, of any &s;ort, but I have carefully ob&s;erved; even then when I might have privily broken them, and been a gainer by it: (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 4, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) for I knew that nothing can be done &s;o &s;ecretly, but Thou art perfectly acquainted with it.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>TA&V;.</HI> XXII.</HEAD>
<DIV5 N="169" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>169.</BIBL> Let my cry come near be|fore thee, O LORD: give me under&s;tanding ac|cording to thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>169. As Thou art al&s;o with my mo&s;t earne&s;t pe|titions; to which I be&s;eech Thee, O Lord, vouch&s;afe a gracious an&s;wer: and in the fir&s;t place teach me, ac|cording as Thou ha&s;t pro|mi&s;ed, to walk, not onely innocently, but prudently, in the mid&s;t of all the
<PB N="438" REF="234">&s;nares that are laid for me.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="170" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>170.</BIBL> Let my &s;upplication come before thee: deli|ver me according to thy word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>170. Do not deny ad|mittance to this humble &s;uit; but in due time grant this further reque&s;t: that I may, according to the &s;ame promi&s;e, be perfectly deli|vered from this long per&s;e|cution.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="171" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>171.</BIBL> My lips &s;hall utter prai&s;e, when thou ha&s;t taught me thy &s;tatutes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>171. Then will I prai&s;e Thee without cea&s;ing: fir&s;t for in&s;tructing me how to plea&s;e Thee in all things:</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="172" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>172.</BIBL> My tongue &s;hall &s;peak of thy word: for all thy commandments <HI>are</HI> righteou&s;ne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>172. And next for ful|filling thy promi&s;e to me: which I will loudly pro|claim, with my thankfull acknowledgments; that what&s;oever Thou ha&s;t &s;aid is truly and faithfully per|formed.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="173" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>173.</BIBL> Let thine hand help me: for I have cho&s;en thy precepts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>173. Let thy Divine power therefore &s;uccour me, in this weak and di|&s;tre&s;&s;ed condition wherein I am: for I relie on that alone; having re&s;olved to be guided wholly by thy Precepts.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="174" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>174.</BIBL> I have longed for thy &s;al|vation, O LORD: and thy law <HI>is</HI> my delight.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>174. And I have long expected, with mo&s;t ardent de&s;ires, thy help, O Lord, <PB N="439" REF="234">for my deliverance: deligh|ting my &s;elf, in the mean time, in thy Laws; while Thou art plea&s;ed to de|lay it.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="175" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>175.</BIBL> Let my &s;oul live, and it &s;hall prai&s;e thee: and let thy judg|ments help me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>175. O let me not peri&s;h in the&s;e &s;traits, wherein I am involved; but &s;pare my life, according to thy won|ted kindne&s;s, and I will &s;pend it in thy prai&s;es: Send me relief, by executing the judgments, Thou ha&s;t de|creed again&s;t my enemies.</P>
</DIV5>
<DIV5 N="176" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>176.</BIBL> I have gone a&s;tray like a lo&s;t &s;heep, &s;eek thy &s;ervant: for I do not forget thy com|mandments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>176. Who have &s;o cha|&s;ed me from place to place, during this tedious bani&s;h|ment; that like a wandring &s;heep, which hath lo&s;t its way, I know not whither to betake my &s;elf for &s;afe|ty: But be Thou plea&s;ed, like a carefull &s;hepherd, to look after me, and to put thy &s;ervant into the right way of e&s;caping all the dan|gers to which I am expo&s;ed, and of recovering my liber|ty, re&s;t and peace again: For, how hard &s;oever my condition hath been (I can &s;till &s;eriou&s;ly profe&s;s it) I
<PB N="440" REF="235" MS="y">have not been carele&s;s in the ob&s;ervance of thy Com|mandments.</P>
</DIV5>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="120" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>There can no certain account be given, why this and XIV. other P&s;alms, which follow, are called Songs of <HI>degrees,</HI> or
<HI>a&s;cents.</HI> Their conjecture &s;eems to me mo&s;t probable, who think this Title denotes, either the <HI>ele|vation</HI> of the voice in the &s;inging the&s;e Songs; or the <HI>excellence</HI> of the compo&s;ure, or of the Mu&s;ick to which they were &s;et; or the <HI>high e&s;teem</HI> they had of them upon &s;ome account or other: particularly becau&s;e they were &s;o fit for their u&s;e (though mo&s;t of them compo&s;ed in former times) at and af|ter their return from the Captivity of <HI>Baby|lon.</HI> Then, &s;ome think, this Title was gi|ven to them; becau&s;e they &s;ung them, as they
<HI>went up</HI> to their own Country again.</P>
<P>But this pre&s;ent P&s;alm &s;eems to have been made by
<HI>David,</HI> when the calumnies of <HI>Doeg,</HI> and others forced him to flee his Country; and to go as far as the <HI>Kedarens</HI>
<PB N="441" REF="235">or <HI>Arabians</HI> (Ver. 6.) who&s;e company was very irk&s;ome to him. We do not reade in|deed in his Hi&s;tory, that he was there: but we may well think he &s;ought for &s;afety, in more places then are particularly mentioned; and might as well be there, as among the
<HI>Moabites,</HI> and in the wilderne&s;s of <HI>Paran,</HI> (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXV. 1.) which was not far from them. As for <HI>Me&s;ech,</HI> I take that to &s;ig|nifie not a place, but the length of time, which he &s;taid there, before he dur&s;t &s;tir from thence; or, which he was forced to &s;pend in exile: as all the ancient Interpre|ters, except one, under&s;tand it. See
<HI>Bochart</HI> in his <HI>Phaleg.</HI> L. III. Cap. 12.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> IN my di&s;tre&s;s I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. I Have had frequent experience of the goodne&s;s of the Lord; who, when I have earne&s;tly im|plored his help in my &s;traits and difficulties, hath con|&s;tantly relieved me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Deliver my &s;oul, O LORD, from lying lips,
<HI>and</HI> from a deceit|full tongue.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. May it plea&s;e Thee, O Lord, &s;till to continue thy mercy toward me: and now that men &s;trike at my life, by calumnies, and cun|ningly devi&s;ed lies, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXII. 9. XXIV. 9.) to pre|&s;erve me from the danger, into which they have thrown me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="442" REF="236" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> What &s;hall be given unto thee? or what &s;hall be done unto thee, thou fal&s;e tongue?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. O thou fal&s;e accu&s;er! what do&s;t Thou hope to get by the&s;e &s;pecious tales which thou ha&s;t forged? what will They add to that heap of wealth, which thou trea&s;ure&s;t up? (LII. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 7.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Sharp arrows of the almighty, with coals of juni|per.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. They &s;hall be &s;o far from turning to thy advan|tage, that they &s;hall prove thy undoing: for the migh|ty Lord (whom none can re&s;i&s;t) &s;hall take a &s;harp and a &s;wift vengeance on thee; which &s;hall never cea&s;e, till it hath utterly con&s;umed thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Wo is me that I &s;ojourn in Me&s;ech,
<HI>that</HI> I dwell in the tents of Kedar.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. For it is but fit thou &s;hould&s;t &s;mart for the mi&s;|chief thou ha&s;t done; un|der which I groan mo&s;t &s;adly: not onely in a te|dious bani&s;hment from my own Country; but in that I am forced to &s;eek for &s;hel|ter, among the barbarous <HI>Arabs.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> My &s;oul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Where my mind can|not but perpetually reflect upon the implacable &s;pirit of my enemies: who&s;e bit|ter hatred will not &s;uffer
<PB N="443" REF="236">them, to come to any terms of agreement.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> I <HI>am for</HI> peace: but when I &s;peak, they <HI>are</HI> for war.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. As I never gave them the lea&s;t offence; &s;o there is nothing that I more ve|hemently de&s;ire, then peace and reconciliation: but when I make a motion for it, they are the more exa|&s;perated; and, as if I di&s;|tru&s;ted my cau&s;e, or crafti|ly &s;ought advantage by a treaty, betake them&s;elves more fiercely and re&s;olutely to their arms.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="121" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>If <HI>David</HI> was the Authour of this P&s;alm (and to whom can we with &s;o much likelihood a&s;cribe it?) it is an expre&s;&s;ion of the high tru&s;t and confidence, which he repo&s;ed in God; when he was in great &s;traits, and &s;aw no hope of humane help: being either inviron'd by
<HI>Saul</HI>'s Forces, or pur&s;ued by his Son <HI>Ab&s;alom.</HI> It is hard to &s;ay, to which <PB N="444" REF="237">it belongs; but if by <HI>hills,</HI> in the fir&s;t Ver&s;e, we under&s;tand <HI>Sion,</HI> and <HI>Moriah,</HI> where <HI>David</HI>'s Palace and the Ark of God were placed; then it mu&s;t be referred to the lat|ter: for <HI>Sion</HI> was not theirs, during
<HI>Saul</HI>'s per&s;ecution.</P>
<P>There are tho&s;e indeed, who, following <HI>Kimchi,</HI> take the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> Ver&s;e to be a military form of &s;peech; and &s;uppo&s;e <HI>David</HI> to have looked round about him, as a Captain in danger doth; to &s;ee if he could &s;pie any a&s;|&s;i&s;tance coming to him, down the neighbour|ing hills wherewith he was encompa&s;&s;ed. But the other &s;en&s;e &s;eems to me more &s;imple; which therefore I have followed: though, if we &s;hould adhere to that conjecture, &s;till it will be&s;t agree to the di&s;tre&s;s into which <HI>Ab&s;alom</HI> had reduced him. For then he might well look to &s;ee if any of his Subjects, continuing their fidelity to him, would appear to defend him. Why called <HI>A Song of de|grees,</HI> &s;ee, CXX.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> I Will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. THough I am dri|ven, not onely from my own Palace, but from God's Dwelling place, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XV. 14, 25.) yet my eyes &s;hall be ever di|rected thitherward: from whence I expect a power|full aid again&s;t tho&s;e nume|rous <PB N="445" REF="237">enemies that are com|bined to de&s;troy me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> My help <HI>co|meth</HI> from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. I have no dependance on any other help, but wait for deliverance wholly from the pre&s;ence of the Lord: to whom all Creatures are &s;ubject, and who hath An|gels at his command, to &s;end to the &s;uccour of his &s;ervants; for he made the heaven, as well as the earth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> He will not &s;uffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not &s;lumber.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And me thinks I hear his Mini&s;ters calling to me out of his holy place, and &s;aying; Fear not; &s;ince Thou ha&s;t placed thy con|fidence in the Lord alone, He will not let thee be &s;ubverted: thou ha&s;t a &s;tronger guard, then the mo&s;t valiant Army would be to thee; for they may be tired and fall a&s;leep, but He that hath thee in his cu&s;tody will exerci&s;e a mo&s;t unwearied care over thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Behold, he that keepeth I&s;ra|el, &s;hall neither &s;lumber nor &s;leep.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Be confident of it; He that is the protectour of all good men, will never in the lea&s;t neglect thee; much le&s;s abandon the care of
<PB N="446" REF="238" MS="y">thee: but, by a mo&s;t watch|full providence, keep thee in &s;afety.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> The LORD <HI>is</HI> thy keeper: the LORD
<HI>is</HI> thy &s;hade upon thy right hand.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. The omnipotent Lord of the world is thy Guardi|an: the very &s;ame Lord that covered your Forefa|thers with a glorious cloud (XIII.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 21.) is always pre&s;ent with thee; to de|fend and a&s;&s;i&s;t thee, again&s;t all the enemies that a&s;&s;ault thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> The &s;un &s;hall not &s;mite thee by day; nor the moon by night.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Be not troubled that thou art forced to take up thy quarters in the open field: for the Sun &s;hall doe thee no hurt, by its vehe|ment heat in the day; nor the Moon by its cold and moi&s;ture in the night, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVII. 1, 6, 22.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> The LORD &s;hall pre&s;erve thee from all evil: he &s;hall pre&s;erve thy &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. The Lord &s;hall pre|&s;erve thee from all manner of harm: He will pre&s;erve thy life; and not &s;uffer thee to fall into the hands of tho&s;e, that contrive to take it away, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVII. 1, 2,
14.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> The LORD &s;hall pre&s;erve thy going out, and thy coming in, from this time forth and even for ever|more.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. The Lord &s;hall &s;ecure thee, whither&s;oever thou
<PB N="447" REF="238">marche&s;t; and pro&s;per thee all along, in all thy under|takings, either abroad or within doors: not onely now; but in all future times, to the end of thy days.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="122" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees of <HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The Title &s;atisfies us that <HI>David</HI> was the Au|thour of this P&s;alm: who having &s;ettled the Ark (which before had no certain place) at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and being, at this time, upon &s;ome occa&s;ion in the Country; heard the good people there &s;peak one to another, as &s;ome of them did to him, of going to wor&s;hip God; at &s;ome of the three &s;olemn Fea&s;ts. Which devotion of theirs, as it rejoiced his heart, &s;o it moved him, I conjecture, to com|po&s;e this P&s;alm for their u&s;e; at &s;uch times.</P>
<P>If the <HI>Talmudi&s;ts</HI> may be believed, they were wont to &s;ing the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> Ver&s;e of this P&s;alm, as they went out of the Country towards <HI>Je|ru&s;alem,</HI> carrying their fir&s;t-fruits to the Hou&s;e of the Lord; as the Law (XXVI. <PB N="448" REF="239"><HI>Deut.</HI> 2.) directed them. And when they entred within the Gates of the City, they &s;ang the <HI>&s;econd</HI> Ver&s;e. There they were met by &s;ome of the Citizens; who, if this be true, &s;ang the re&s;t of the P&s;alm, it is likely, together with them; as they went toward the Temple. Of this cu&s;tom Mr. <HI>Selden</HI> treats L. III. de Synedr. Cap. 13. Of <HI>A Song of degrees,</HI> &s;ee CXX.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> I Was glad when they &s;aid unto me, Let us go into the hou&s;e of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. I Was exceedingly plea|&s;ed with the chearfull devotion of tho&s;e, who came unto me, before the approaching Fea&s;t, and &s;aid; Let us go and pay our thankfull acknowledgments to the Lord, in the place where He dwells, and makes Him&s;elf pre&s;ent among us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Our feet &s;hall &s;tand within thy gates, O Jeru&s;a|lem.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Which motion ought to be the more readily em|braced, becau&s;e now He hath fixed his habitation: and we need not travel fur|ther then <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> to en|quire after the Ark of his pre&s;ence.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Jeru&s;alem is builded as a city, that is com|pact together:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. To <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> I &s;ay, that fair and beautifull Ci|ty; who&s;e buildings do not now lie &s;cattered and di|vided:
<PB N="449" REF="239" MS="y">but are all compac|ted, and united together (as we ought to be) in a goodly order, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 9. 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XI.
8.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the te&s;timony of I&s;rael, to give thanks un|to the name of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Thither all the XII. Tribes of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> who own the great LORD for their God, go up from all the parts of the Country, by his &s;pecial Commandment: (XXIII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 17.) to ac|knowledge before the Ark of his Te&s;timony, (XXV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 21, 22.) all the be|nefits they have received from his almighty Good|ne&s;s; and this above the re&s;t, that He thereby te&s;ti|fies his &s;ingular care and providence over them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> For there are &s;et thrones of judgment: the thrones of the hou&s;e of David.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Thither al&s;o they re|pair for Ju&s;tice; for the &s;upreme Judicatory of the Kingdom &s;its there, (2 <HI>Chr.</HI> XIX. 8.) and there is the &s;eat of the Royal Family (where <HI>David</HI> and his Sons have their re&s;idence, and govern the people, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VIII. 15, 18.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="450" REF="240">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Pray for the peace of Jeru&s;a|lem: they &s;hall pro&s;per that love thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. O let this be part of your devout prayers, when you come there; that God would pre&s;erve <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> in peace: Happy &s;hall they be, who out of love to the Religion and Ju&s;tice which is admini&s;tred in thee, (O beloved City) contribute their indeavours, as well as their prayers, for thy &s;afety and pro&s;perity.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Peace be with|in thy walls, <HI>and</HI> pro&s;perity within thy palaces.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Let no enemy (this &s;hall be my con&s;tant prayer) approach &s;o much as to thy out-works to di&s;turb thee: and let plenty of all good things abound within thy Palaces.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> For my bre|thren and com|panions &s;akes, I will now &s;ay, Peace <HI>be</HI> within thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. The kindne&s;s I have for my kindred, and my neighbours and friends, whe|ther in the City, or the Country, will not let me cea&s;e my earne&s;t prayers to God; that He will confer his ble&s;&s;ings on thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Becau&s;e of the hou&s;e of the LORD our God, I will &s;eek thy good.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. But above all, the love I have to the Lord our God, who&s;e hou&s;e is here, (whither all his de|vout &s;ervants re&s;ort to wor|&s;hip <PB N="451" REF="240">Him and celebrate his Name) &s;hall excite not onely my prayers, but my &s;tudy to promote thy wel|fare.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="123" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm, it is certain, was compo&s;ed in a time of great di&s;tre&s;s; when they were ex|treamly afflicted by &s;ome haughty and in&s;o|lent enemies, Ver. 3, 4. who tho&s;e enemies were, there are &s;everal conjectures; And I will add mine: that this &s;hort form of prayer was made by &s;ome pious per&s;on, when the King of <HI>A&s;&s;yria</HI> (who&s;e pride the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> de&s;cribes VIII. 7. and many other places) &s;ent
<HI>Rab&s;hakeh</HI> and other of his Captains, to be&s;iege
<HI>Jeru&s;alem:</HI> where they poured out mo&s;t contemptuous, nay bla&s;phe|mous words, again&s;t God, and his people, 2 <HI>King.</HI> XVIII, XIX. It is probable, if this conjecture be admitted, that it was made by
<HI>I&s;aiah,</HI> whom <HI>Hezekiah</HI> de&s;ired <HI>to lift up</HI> his prayer for the remnant that was left, 2 <HI>King.</HI> XIX. 4. XXXVII.
<HI>I&s;a.</HI> 4. <PB N="452" REF="241">Accordingly we reade, (2
<HI>Chron.</HI> XXXII. 20.) both he and <HI>Hezekiah</HI> cried unto the Lord: and we may &s;uppo&s;e lift up his eyes to heaven, and &s;aid the&s;e words.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> UNto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwelle&s;t in the heavens.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. THough all humane help fail us in this &s;ore di&s;tre&s;s; yet I do not de&s;pair of relief from Thee, O Lord: who&s;e Maje&s;ty and Power, incomparably excells all earthly Mo|narchs.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Behold, as the eyes of &s;er|vants
<HI>look</HI> unto the hand of their ma&s;ters, <HI>and</HI> as the eyes of a mai|den unto the hand of her mi&s;tre&s;s: &s;o our eyes <HI>wait</HI> up|on the LORD our God, untill that he have mercy upon us.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Behold, how, not onely I, but the re&s;t of thy faithfull people wait upon Thee: &s;ubmitting our &s;elves to this &s;evere puni&s;hment, as poor &s;laves do to the &s;troke of their offended Ma&s;ter or Mi&s;tre&s;s; and re|&s;olving to bear it patiently, till Thou our LORD who doe&s;t inflict it, wilt be plea|&s;ed to &s;hew thy &s;elf our mo&s;t gracious God; and in much pity towards us re|move it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are ex|ceedingly filled with contempt.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. O be gracious unto us, good Lord, be gracious unto us; and in much mer|cy take away this heavy <PB N="453" REF="241">&s;courge from us: for we are become &s;o beyond all mea|&s;ure contemptible, (2
<HI>King.</HI> XVIII. 23, 24. XIX. 34.) that we can &s;carce any lon|ger indure it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Our &s;oul is exceedingly filled with the &s;corning of tho&s;e that are at ea&s;e, <HI>and</HI> with the contempt of the proud.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. We have a long time groaned under the intolle|rable load of the deri&s;ion and contempt of tho&s;e; who&s;e con&s;tant pro&s;perity puffs them up with pride: nay, makes them in&s;olently oppre&s;s all tho&s;e, who are unable to re&s;i&s;t them.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="124" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXIV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees of <HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>If the Title had not told us that this is a P&s;alm of
<HI>David</HI>'s; I &s;hould have thought it had been compo&s;ed by the Authour of the former; to acknowledge the wonderfull power and goodne&s;s of God in delivering them from <HI>Senacherib</HI>'s Army; which came in <HI>like a floud,</HI> (LIX, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 19.) and had over|flown all the Country as far as <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> <PB N="454" REF="242">(VIII. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 7,
8.) which might well make them be called <HI>proud waters</HI> (as the P&s;al|mi&s;t here &s;peaks, Ver. 5.) becau&s;e they fan|cied nothing could &s;tand before them. Such it &s;eems were, either the <HI>Phili&s;tines;</HI> upon whom, when they &s;pread them&s;elves in the valley of <HI>Rephaim,</HI> the Lord broke forth <HI>as a breach of waters,</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 19: or the <HI>Ammonites</HI> and their A&s;&s;ociates, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> X. 6, 15, 16. Of <HI>A Song of degrees,</HI> &s;ee CXX.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> IF <HI>it had not been</HI> the LORD who was on our &s;ide, now may I&s;rael &s;ay:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. IF we had not had &s;uch a mighty helper as the Lord; who took our part, may <HI>I&s;rael</HI> now mo&s;t thank|fully acknowledge,</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> If <HI>it had not been</HI> the LORD who was on our &s;ide, when men ro&s;e up again&s;t us:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. If it had not been the Lord (whom none can re&s;i&s;t) who took our part, when &s;uch numerous ene|mies united their forces, as one man, to make war up|on us;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Then they had &s;wallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled again&s;t us,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. They would then have made but one mor&s;el of our &s;mall Army: and in the furious rage wherein they were, have immediate|ly devoured us; as mon|&s;trous bea&s;ts doe their prey, which they greedily &s;wal|low down alive.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="455" REF="242">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Then the waters had over|whelmed us, the &s;tream had gone over our &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Then they would have overrun all the Coun|try like a violent torrent: and we &s;hould have been buried in the floud.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Then the proud waters had gone over our &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Having once made a wide breach, by the over|throw of our Army; they would have poured in more numerous forces upon us: till, like an inundation of water, which &s;wells more and more, they had wholly overwhelmed us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>be</HI> the LORD, who hath not given us <HI>as</HI> a prey to their teeth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Thanks be to the Lord, to who&s;e infinite mercies we ought to a&s;cribe it; that He hath not per|mitted them to domineer over us, and execute their cruel intentions again&s;t us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Our &s;oul is e&s;caped as a bird out of the &s;nare of the fowlers; the &s;nare is broken, and we are e&s;ca|ped.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. They thought they had laid their de&s;ign &s;o &s;trongly, that we could not e&s;cape; no more then a little bird, which a fowler hath taken in his &s;nare: but, ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord, who hath a&s;&s;i&s;ted our weakne&s;s; their plot is defeated, they are broken in pieces; and we thereby <PB N="456" REF="243">mo&s;t wonderfully delive|red.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Our help <HI>is</HI> in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. This was not a work of our wit, no more then of our power; nor were we beholden to the help of any of our neighbours: but we owe it wholly to his almighty Goodne&s;s; who commands, becau&s;e He made, all Creatures: in whom we ought to place our confi|dence for ever.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="125" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>We may well look upon this P&s;alm, as a pious Exhortation to the people to tru&s;t in God; when <HI>Senacherib</HI>'s Army threatned to de|&s;troy <HI>Jeru&s;alem.</HI> And perhaps the&s;e were &s;ome of the comfortable words, which we reade, (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXXII. 6, 7, 8.)
<HI>Heze|kiah</HI> then &s;pake to them; when God cha&s;ti|&s;ed them by that rod of his anger, (as He calls <HI>Senacherib,</HI> X. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 5.) which the P&s;almi&s;t here foretold (Ver. 3.) &s;hould not
<PB N="457" REF="243">long afflict them. Of <HI>A Song of degrees,</HI> &s;ee CXX.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> THey that tru&s;t in the LORD <HI>&s;hall be</HI> as mount Sion, <HI>which</HI> cannot be remo|ved, <HI>but</HI> abideth for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. THere are none &s;o &s;afe, as they that repo&s;e a pious confidence in the Lord: by which they &s;hall both maintain them|&s;elves in a &s;ettled peace and tranquillity; and remain for ever, as unmoveable, con&s;picuous and illu&s;trious, as mount <HI>Sion.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> <HI>As</HI> the moun|tains <HI>are</HI> round a|bout Jeru&s;alem, &s;o the LORD <HI>is</HI> round about his people, from hence|forth even for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. For as <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> is &s;urrounded with high hills, which make it not ea&s;ily acce&s;&s;ible by any enemies; &s;o the Divine providence incompa&s;&s;es his people, who depend upon Him: to guard and defend them from all dangers; not one|ly now, but in all &s;uccee|ding ages, to the end of the world.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> For the rod of the wicked &s;hall not re&s;t upon the lot of the righte|ous: le&s;t the righ|teous put forth their hands unto iniquity.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. The power of wicked Tyrants indeed may heavi|ly afflict the righteous for a time: but they &s;hall not always harra&s;s their Coun|try, nor continue their op|pre&s;&s;ion &s;o long; as quite <PB N="458" REF="244">to tire out the patience of the righteous, and tempt them to for&s;ake their pious confidence in Him, and lay hold on any means, though never &s;o unju&s;t of obtai|ning deliverance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Do good, O LORD, unto <HI>tho&s;e that be</HI> good, and to <HI>them that are</HI> upright in their hearts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. To prevent &s;o great an evil, be plea&s;ed now, good Lord, to deal well with tho&s;e who are truly good: and reward their fi|delity; who notwith&s;tan|ding all the&s;e calamities &s;in|cerely per&s;i&s;t in thy ways, and pre&s;erve their integrity.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> As for &s;uch as turn a&s;ide unto their crooked ways, the LORD &s;hall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity:
<HI>but</HI> peace <HI>&s;hall be</HI> up|on I&s;rael.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. But as for tho&s;e, who, in&s;tead of growing bettter by the&s;e oppre&s;&s;ions, de|cline more and more from the ways of piety; unto the mo&s;t perver&s;e, and croo|ked cour&s;es: the Lord &s;hall deliver them over to be pu|ni&s;hed with their oppre&s;|&s;ours; when <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> after all the&s;e &s;ore afflictions, &s;hall be &s;ettled again in peace and happine&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="126" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="459" REF="244">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXVI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm is &s;o univer&s;ally thought to be a joyfull Song compo&s;ed by <HI>Ezra,</HI> or &s;ome &s;uch good man, when they returned out of <HI>Baby|lon;</HI> that I &s;hall &s;eek for no other interpre|tation. But ob&s;erve, with <HI>Theodoret;</HI> that when <HI>Cyrus</HI> gave them all leave to return to their own Land, &s;ome were &s;o ill minded that they cho&s;e to continue where they were: But &s;uch as had any &s;en&s;e of the piety of their Forefathers, and de&s;ired to &s;ee the wor&s;hip of God, according to the Law, re&s;tored, gladly embraced the opportunity of returning to their own Country. Where they thought them&s;elves &s;o happy in the liberty which they enjoyed, that they pray (Ver. 4.) all the re&s;t of the Nation who remained &s;till behind, would come and partake of it.</P>
<P>This is the mo&s;t received &s;en&s;e; el&s;e I &s;hould have thought the deliverance from <HI>Senacherib</HI> might be here celebrated: who had carried many of them Captive, (V. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 13. and other places) and when they were delivered from his oppre&s;&s;ion, they were in|deed
<HI>like men that dreamed,</HI> as the P&s;al|mi&s;t here &s;peaks. For awaking in the mor|ning <PB N="460" REF="245">and &s;eeing his va&s;t Army to be dead Corp&s;es, (2 <HI>King.</HI> XIX. 35.) they could &s;carce believe, what they beheld with their eyes; it was &s;o wonderfull.</P>
<P>And perhaps it was fir&s;t made then, and afterward applied, with &s;ome alteration, to their return from <HI>Babylon.</HI> See CXXXIII.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> WHen the LORD turned again the captivity of Sion, we were like them that dream.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. TO the Lord alone mu&s;t we a&s;cribe this wonderfull change; (which is like the &s;udden recovery of health, out of a tedious and de&s;perate &s;ick|ne&s;s) For when the procla|mation unexpectedly came forth, to give us liberty to return to our own Country, out of a long captivity, (I.
<HI>Ezra</HI> 2, 3.) we could &s;carce believe it; but were apt to look upon our &s;elves, as onely in a dream of &s;o great a happine&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with &s;inging: then &s;aid they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Which pre&s;ently tur|ned our heavine&s;s into &s;uch a heighth of joy, that it filled all places with our mirth; e&s;pecially with chear|full hymns: in which the heathen them&s;elves accom|panied us, &s;aying; This <PB N="461" REF="245" MS="y">truly is the Lord's work, who hath magnified his power in the &s;trange deli|verance of this Nation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> The LORD hath done great things for us:
<HI>whereof</HI> we are glad.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And truly &s;o He hath (we &s;hould be very un|gratefull, if we &s;hould not thankfull, if we &s;hould not thankfully acknowledge the &s;ingular benefits, which &s;trangers admire) the Lord hath not onely re&s;tored our liberty; but declared the greatne&s;s of his power in this deliverance; which ju&s;tly fills us with joy and triumph.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the &s;treams in the &s;outh.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. O that the Lord would be plea&s;ed to perfect what He hath begun! and bring back, in greater numbers, the re&s;t of our brethren that &s;till remain in <HI>Babylon:</HI> which would be as wel|come to this de&s;olate Coun|try, as &s;treams of water to the dry and thir&s;ty grounds.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> They that &s;ow in tears, &s;hall reap in joy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Then this &s;mall hand|full of people, who are come to plant them&s;elves here a|gain, and have laid the foundation of the Temple, with a great mixture of &s;ad|ne&s;s <PB N="462" REF="246">and tears, (III.
<HI>Ezra</HI> 12.) &s;hall &s;hout for joy, to &s;ee &s;o great an increa&s;e, and this pious work, by their help, brought unto perfec|tion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> He that go|eth forth and wee|peth, bearing pre|cious &s;eed, &s;hall doubtle&s;s come a|gain with rejoy|cing, bringing his &s;heaves <HI>with him.</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Ju&s;t as we behold the poor husbandman, going to and fro with a little &s;eed, which in a &s;carce year he throws with an heavy heart into the ground, returning again and again from the field, with &s;ongs of joy in his mouth; when the har|ve&s;t comes to reward his pa&s;t labours, with a plen|tifull crop of corn.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="127" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXVII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees for <HI>Solomon. See</HI> CXX.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The Hebrew particle which here we tran&s;late <HI>for,</HI> is thought by our Interpreters, in mo&s;t other places, to &s;ignifie
<HI>of:</HI> and &s;o they tran&s;late it a little before, in the Title of
<HI>P&s;al.</HI> CXXIV. and a little after, in that of <PB N="463" REF="246">CXXXI. Therefore I &s;hall look upon this P&s;alm as compo&s;ed by
<HI>Solomon;</HI> who, you reade, 1 <HI>King.</HI> IV. 32. made above three thou&s;and Songs: though none of them (ex|cept that large Poem called the
<HI>Song of Songs,</HI> and as &s;ome think <HI>P&s;al.</HI> CXXXII. and, as I &s;uppo&s;e, the next to this) have been tran&s;mitted to po&s;terity, but onely this: which is a commentary upon a pious Maxime of his, often repeated in the Book of his <HI>Proverbs;</HI> that it is in vain to attempt any thing, if the Lord do not pro&s;per it. Teach|ing us therefore in all our ways to acknow|ledge Him, (III. <HI>Prov.</HI> 6. XVI. 3.) and not to pre&s;ume, that it is in our power <HI>to direct our own way</HI> (that is, our de&s;igns, enterpri&s;es and actions) to what i&s;&s;ue we plea&s;e. For <HI>Though a man's heart devi&s;eth his way, yet it is the Lord that directeth his &s;teps,</HI> XVI. Prov. 9. XX. 24. XXI. 30, 31. A truth to be deeply pondered by all; e&s;pecially by Princes: in who&s;e affairs, this over-ruling Providence is mo&s;t vi&s;ible. Of <HI>A Song of degrees,</HI> &s;ee CXX.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> EXcept the LORD build the hou&s;e, they labour in vain that build it: ex|cept the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh <HI>but</HI> in vain.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. THE &s;ucce&s;s of all our undertakings depends &s;o intirely upon the Lord's ble&s;&s;ing, that it is in vain, by building Hou|&s;es and Cities, to enter into Societies; unle&s;s He pro&s;per
<PB N="464" REF="247">the de&s;ign: and when they are framed, all the care of the Souldier and the Magi|&s;trate is to no purpo&s;e; unle&s;s his good Providence be their guard.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> <HI>It is</HI> vain for you to ri&s;e up early, to &s;it up late to eat the bread of &s;orrows: <HI>for</HI> &s;o he giveth his beloved &s;leep.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. And as fruitle&s;s, un|le&s;s He favour it, is the toil and &s;olicitude of you, the Artificers and Trade&s;men in the City; who ri&s;e betime, and go to bed late, and fare hardly: when they whom He loves (becau&s;e they own his Providence, and depend upon his Ble&s;|&s;ing, more then their own diligence) live &s;ecurely, and want nothing that is fit for them; though they have no &s;uch &s;trong guard of Souldiers to defend them; nor break their &s;leep with labour and care, to &s;upply their nece&s;&s;ities.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Lo, children <HI>are</HI> an heritage of the LORD: <HI>and</HI> the fruit of the womb <HI>is his</HI> re|ward.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Ob&s;erve it al&s;o; it is not in the power of the &s;tronge&s;t and mo&s;t health|full per&s;ons (though nature de&s;igns above all things the propagation of mankind) to have Children when they
<PB N="465" REF="247" MS="y">plea&s;e; to inherit the ri|ches they have got: but the Lord be&s;tows them as freely, as Parents do their e&s;tates; and makes tho&s;e women fruitfull, who&s;e pious reliance upon Him, He thinks good to reward.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> As arrows <HI>are</HI> in the hand of a mighty man: &s;o <HI>are</HI> children of the youth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. And yet there is no|thing of which we are more de&s;irous, then a numerous i&s;&s;ue; e&s;pecially in the flower and vigour of our youth: for they will be no le&s;s defence to us in our age; then arrows or darts are in the hand of a vali|ant Champion, to beat off his A&s;&s;ailants.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Happy <HI>is</HI> the man that hath his quiver full of them, they &s;hall not be a&s;hamed: but they &s;hall &s;peake with the enemies in the gate.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Happy is that man who hath obtained &s;o much favour of the Lord, as to have his hou&s;e as full of them, as the Champions quiver is of arrows: they will undauntedly appear for him, to an&s;wer any challenge &s;ent him by his Enemies<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">See <HI>Theodoret.</HI></NOTE>; or any accu&s;a|tion put in again&s;t him be|fore the Judges.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="128" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="466" REF="248">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXVIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>It is not unlikely, that this P&s;alm was compo|&s;ed by the &s;ame Authour that made the for|mer; to excite men to be truly Religious, as the onely way to obtain the ble&s;&s;ings there mentioned of the Lord. Which as he there &s;hews we mu&s;t have from his free gift, and not think to acquire merely by our own in|du&s;try: &s;o here he &s;hews the Lord is wont to be&s;tow on tho&s;e; who, fearing to offend Him, &s;incerely keep his Commandments.</P>
<P>Some think this was a form pre&s;cribed to be u&s;ed at the ble&s;&s;ing of their Marriages: when they wi&s;hed the new married couple all manner of happine&s;s; e&s;pecially a long life in peaceable times, Ver&s;. 5,
6. Of <HI>A Song of degrees,</HI> &s;ee CXX.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> BLe&s;&s;ed <HI>is</HI> every one
<HI>that</HI> feareth the LORD: that walketh in his ways.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. WHo&s;oever thou art that de&s;ire&s;t to be happy, be &s;ure to add unto the devout Wor&s;hip of the Lord, the practice of Ju&s;tice and Charity, and all other Vertues: and thou &s;halt never mi&s;s of it,</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="467" REF="248" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> For thou &s;halt eat the labour of thine hands: hap|py <HI>&s;halt</HI> thou <HI>be,</HI> and it <HI>&s;hall be</HI> well with thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. For then He will pro|&s;per thy hone&s;t labours; and give thee an heart al&s;o to enjoy the fruit of them: yea, this will &s;eem no &s;mall part of thy happine&s;s; that thou art able to live of thy &s;elf, and not be beholden unto others.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Thy wife <HI>&s;hall be</HI> as a fruitfull vine by the &s;ides of thine hou&s;e, thy chil|dren like olive plants: round a|bout thy Table.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. He will ble&s;s thee al|&s;o in thy Wife; and make her as fruitfull as the Vine, which &s;preads it &s;elf, laden with full clu&s;ters, over all the &s;ides of thy Hou&s;e: and in thy hopefull Chil|dren too; who &s;hall grow up and flouri&s;h like the young Olive plants, that are &s;et in thy Arbour, round about thy Table.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Behold, that thus &s;hall the man be ble&s;&s;ed: that feareth the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Ob&s;erve it, that this &s;hall be the comfortable portion of the Man that religiou&s;ly &s;erveth the Lord: who alone can ble&s;s our labours; and continue the product of them in our Families.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> The LORD &s;hall ble&s;s thee out of Zion: and thou &s;halt &s;ee the good of Jeru&s;alem, all the days of thy life.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Addre&s;s thy &s;elf unto Him in his holy place; and the Lord &s;hall be&s;tow <PB N="468" REF="249">on thee, what&s;oever ble&s;|&s;ings thou aske&s;t of Him: yea, mai&s;t thou be &s;o hap|py, as to &s;ee <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> the Seat of Ju&s;tice and Religi|on, in a flouri&s;hing condi|tion, all thy life long.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Yea, thou &s;halt &s;ee thy chil|drens children: <HI>and</HI> peace upon I&s;rael.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. And long mai&s;t thou live, to &s;uch a good old age, as to &s;ee thy Chil|drens Children: and the whole Nation, all the time, in a pro&s;perous tranquillity.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="129" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXIX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees. <HI>See</HI> CXX.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm was made when &s;ome new Ca|lamity threatned them: either by <HI>Senache|rib,</HI> or as <HI>Theodoret</HI> thinks, by tho&s;e Nations which combined to de&s;troy the <HI>Jews,</HI> as &s;oon as they returned from the Captivity of <HI>Babylon.</HI> When they were taught by
<HI>Ezra,</HI> or &s;ome &s;uch holy man, to recount what God had done for them, ever &s;ince they were a people; and to denounce the divine Vengeance again&s;t tho&s;e, that now <PB N="469" REF="249">&s;ought their ruine. The former conjecture &s;eems the truer; becau&s;e as yet, he &s;aith ver&s;. 2. their Enemies had not prevailed again&s;t them: unle&s;s we expound that phra&s;e, as I have done in the Paraphra&s;e (according to the received interpretation of the P&s;alm) that they had not quite de|&s;troyed them, and made them cea&s;e to be a Nation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> MAny a time have they afflicted me from my youth: may I&s;rael now &s;ay.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. OUR Adver&s;aries, may <HI>I&s;rael</HI> now upon this occa&s;ion &s;ay, have very often, and very &s;orely di&s;tre&s;&s;ed us; ever &s;ince we began to be a People.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed again&s;t me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. It is hard to number how oft, or to tell into how great &s;traits they have reduced us; ever &s;ince we began to be a Nation: and yet, by the &s;pecial favour of God, they have not been able to compa&s;s their de&s;ire, of our utter extir|pation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their fur|rows.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. They have laid us &s;ometimes exceeding low: and not onely &s;courged us &s;o &s;everely, that the marks of it might be &s;een as plain|ly, <PB N="470" REF="250">as the furrows are which the Plough makes in the ground; but long conti|nued al&s;o our vexation and torment.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> The LORD <HI>is</HI> righteous: he hath cut a&s;under the cords of the wicked.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. But the Lord, at la&s;t, in much mercy hath made good his faithfull Promi&s;es, and broken in pieces the power of wicked Oppre&s;|&s;ours: that they might not always hold us under their yoke, and thus mi&s;erably tyrannize over us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Let them all be confounded and turned back, that hate Zion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. And may all tho&s;e that &s;till hate us and our Religion, never have bet|ter &s;ucce&s;s: but be &s;hame|fully defeated; and forced to de&s;i&s;t in all their at|tempts upon us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Let them be as the gra&s;s <HI>upon</HI> the hou&s;e tops: which withereth afore it groweth up:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Let none of their de|&s;igns ever come to maturi|ty; but be bla&s;ted like the gra&s;s upon the hou&s;e-top: which having no root, wi|thers of it &s;elf; and needs no bodies hand to pluck it up.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand: nor he that bindeth &s;heaves, his bo|&s;ome.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. And as it lies unre|garded by tho&s;e that reap or that carry in the fruits <PB N="471" REF="250">of the Earth; &s;o let the&s;e men and all their enterpri|&s;es become contemptible, and be looked upon as good for nothing.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Neither do they which goe by, &s;ay, The ble&s;&s;ing of the LORD <HI>be</HI> upon you: we ble&s;s you in the Name of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Let all their hopes &s;o &s;peedily vani&s;h, that there be none to favour them; nor &s;o much as to wi&s;h pro&s;perity to them: No more then there are gathe|thers of &s;uch withered gra&s;s appear, to whom the Pa&s;|&s;ingers (after the u&s;ual form, II. <HI>Ruth</HI> 4.) &s;hould &s;ay; The Lord give you a good harve&s;t; We pray God you may reape the fruit of your labours.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="130" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees. <HI>See</HI> CXX.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>Some think <HI>David</HI> made this Prayer, after he had plunged him&s;elf into a very deep guilt, by his &s;in with
<HI>Bath&s;heba.</HI> I rather think, when he was per&s;ecuted by
<HI>Saul,</HI> <PB N="472" REF="251">and reduced to &s;o low a condition; that his heart began to &s;ink within him. For <HI>the flouds of ungodly men</HI> (as he &s;peaks XVIII. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 4.) <HI>made him afraid,</HI> that he &s;hould one day peri&s;h in them, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIX. 1.) and he complains el&s;ewhere, <HI>that he &s;unk in the mire, where there was no &s;tanding,</HI> &amp;c. LXIX. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2, 14, 15.</P>
<P>In this condition he implores the divine Mercy with great earne&s;tne&s;s: and be&s;ee|ches him to pardon his &s;ins, and the &s;ins of all the people: which made them de&s;erve that ill government, under
<HI>Saul</HI> and his Flatterers.</P>
<P>It is the la&s;t but one, of the VII. peni|tential P&s;alms.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O&V;T of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. IN the greate&s;t &s;traits, when I can &s;ee no bottom, no end of my troubles, but I &s;till &s;ink lower and lower into them; I never de&s;pair of thy mercy, O Lord: but cry unto Thee mo&s;t ear|ne&s;tly to deliver me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> LORD here my voice; let thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> ears be at|t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> to the voice of my &s;up|plications.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Vouch&s;afe, good Lord, the Governour of all things, to grant my Pe|tition: Do not reject it, I humbly be&s;eech Thee; but
<PB N="473" REF="251">give me a favourable an|&s;wer, when I deprecate thy di&s;plea&s;ure.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> If thou, LORD, &s;houlde&s;t mark iniquities: O Lord, who &s;hall &s;tand?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P> 3. I do not plead any merits of mine, but rather accu&s;e my &s;elf before Thee: knowing that if I were the mo&s;t innocent per&s;on in the world, yet if Thou, Lord, &s;houlde&s;t &s;trictly ex|amine my life, and proceed again&s;t me, according to my de&s;erts (Lord, what would become of me?) I &s;hould certainly be con|demned.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> But <HI>there is</HI> forgivene&s;s with thee: that thou mai&s;t be feared.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. But Thou mo&s;t gra|ciou&s;ly invite&s;t us unto thy &s;ervice, by thy readine&s;s to pardon all tho&s;e that are truly penitent: without the hope of which, we could not &s;o much as think of becoming religious.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> I wait for the LORD, my &s;oul doth wait: and in his word do I hope.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. This incourages me to wait and expect, when the Lord will deliver me: my Soul is earne&s;tly bent to expect this happy time: which I believe will come; becau&s;e I have his Promi&s;e for it, on which I depend.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="474" REF="252" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> My &s;oul <HI>waiteth</HI> for the Lord, more then they that watch for the morning: <HI>I &s;ay, more then</HI> they that watch for the morning.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. I direct my thoughts to the Lord alone for &s;afe|ty and relief; which I im|plore ince&s;&s;antly with my early Prayers: For they that watch in the Temple for the break of day; I &s;ay the Prie&s;ts that watch in the Temple for the break of day; are not more for|ward then I, to offer up their morning Sacrifice to the Lord.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Let I&s;rael hope in the LORD, for with the LORD <HI>there is</HI> mercy: and with him <HI>is</HI> plen|teous redemption.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. In whom let all his People place their tru&s;t and confidence: for the Lord is very ready to doe good; and hath more ways then we can imagine, to re&s;cue tho&s;e that hope in Him out of the &s;ore&s;t di&s;tre&s;&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> And he &s;hall redeem I&s;rael, from all his ini|quities.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. And He will at la&s;t free them from all tho&s;e troubles; which He hath inflicted on them, as a pu|ni&s;hment for their iniqui|ties.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="131" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="475" REF="252">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXXI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees of <HI>David. See</HI> CXX.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>Though <HI>David</HI> could not purge him&s;elf from all manner of guilt (as he confe&s;&s;es in the foregoing P&s;alm ver&s;. 3.) yet in that mat|ter, which he was charged withall by his Enemies (of affecting the Kingdome) he could &s;afely prote&s;t he was as innocent as a little Child. Which he doth in this P&s;alm particularly; and in &s;everal parts of other P&s;alms.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exer|ci&s;e my &s;elf in great matters, or in things too high for me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O Lord, I am accu|&s;ed of traiterous de&s;igns again&s;t my Sove|reign, and of a&s;piring to the Throne wherein Thou ha&s;t placed him: But Thou, who &s;earche&s;t the hearts, knowe&s;t that I harbour no &s;uch ambitious thoughts; nor hath my behaviour be|trayed any &s;uch intentions: For I never looked upon any man &s;uperciliou&s;ly; nor medled with affairs of State; or any thing el&s;e, <PB N="476" REF="253">that is above my place and calling.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Surely I have behaved and quie|ted my &s;elf as a child that is wea|ned of his mother: my &s;oul is even as a weaned child.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. But have levelled my mind (el&s;e let me peri&s;h) to an equality with my condition; and re&s;olved to acquie&s;ce in the pre&s;ent &s;tate of things: committing my &s;elf unto thy care, and depending on thy Provi|dence, as a Child that is newly weaned, doth upon its Mother: ju&s;t &s;o, do I &s;ilence my natural de&s;ires; and am content to be di&s;|po&s;ed of, as Thou plea&s;e&s;t.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Let I&s;rael hope in the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And let all good men, in like manner, mode&s;tly place their confidence and hope in the Lord, as long as they live: and choo&s;e rather to be depre&s;&s;ed, then by any undue means rai&s;e them&s;elves to greatne&s;s and honour.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="132" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="477" REF="253">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXXII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees. <HI>See</HI> CXX.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm &s;eems to have been compo&s;ed by &s;ome holy man; after God had given com|mandment to <HI>David,</HI> by <HI>Gad</HI> the
<HI>Seer,</HI> to build an Altar in the thre&s;hing-floor of <HI>Arau|nah</HI> the <HI>Jebu&s;ite;</HI> (where the de&s;troying An|gel &s;tood) and the Lord had an&s;wered him by fire upon that Altar, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXI. 18, 26. whereby <HI>David</HI> knew, what he had till now been ignorant of, that this was the place where God would be wor&s;hipped and have his Temple built, XXII.
1. Accordingly we reade expre&s;ly, that <HI>Solomon</HI> therefore built the Temple in this place; becau&s;e God here appeared to <HI>David</HI> his father, and <HI>Da|vid</HI> de&s;igned and prepared this place for it: (2
<HI>Chron.</HI> III. 1.) that there God's habi|tation might be fixed; and not removed, from place to place, uncertainly, as it had been in former times. For the Tabernacle, which the Hebrews call <HI>Mi&s;chkan,</HI> had been in an un&s;ettled condition, except one period of time, ever &s;ince they came into the Land of <HI>Canaan.</HI> It was fir&s;t pitched in <HI>Gilgal,</HI> and &s;taid there 24. years. Then it was re|moved to <HI>Shiloh,</HI> where it remained, to the <PB N="478" REF="254">death of <HI>Eli,</HI> 369. years. After his death, <HI>Shiloh</HI> being laid wa&s;te, it was tran&s;lated to
<HI>Nob:</HI> where it remained, they &s;ay, 13. years: (but was now no better then a Cabinet with|out its Jewel; the Ark being in another place and never re&s;tored to it, after that de|&s;olation of <HI>Shiloh;</HI> &s;ee
<HI>P&s;al.</HI> LXVIII.) And then it was carried to <HI>Gibeon,</HI> where
<HI>Solomon</HI> found it, and from thence fetcht it, when he had fini&s;hed the Temple. Which the Hebrews therefore call <HI>Beth Olamim,</HI> the eternal Hou&s;e; becau&s;e it was fixed to a place, and out of it the Ark never depar|ted, as it had done out of the Tabernacle: but there (as the P&s;almi&s;t here &s;peaks Ver&s;e 14.) the Lord took up <HI>his re&s;t for ever:</HI> Never to depart, that is, to any other place, till the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah</HI> came; who was <HI>the Temple of God, in whom the fulne&s;s of the God|head dwelt bodily.</HI></P>
<P>There are tho&s;e that think <HI>Solomon</HI> pen|ned this P&s;alm; becau&s;e (in the 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> VI. the two la&s;t Ver&s;es) he concludes his prayer, at the con&s;ecration of the Temple, with &s;ome part of it, <HI>viz.</HI> Ver. 8, 9, 10. And truly, &s;ince he &s;peaks as if the Prie&s;ts were ju&s;t taking up the Ark to carry it into this re&s;ting place, and there begs that God would not, for <HI>David</HI>'s &s;ake, turn away the face of his Anointed, (<HI>i.e.</HI> refu&s;e to hear his prayer) it is not an improbable conjecture: which I &s;hall follow in my Paraphra&s;e. And con|nect
<PB N="479" REF="254" MS="y">al&s;o this P&s;alm with the former; to which it &s;eems to have re&s;pect: if we render the <HI>la&s;t</HI> word of the
<HI>fir&s;t</HI> Ver&s;e, as the an|cient Interpreters doe; not
<HI>affliction,</HI> but <HI>humility, meekne&s;s</HI> or <HI>mode&s;ty.</HI> Yet I have not forgot to take notice of the other &s;ignifi|cation: and in like manner, have expoun|ded that phra&s;e <HI>the mighty God of Jacob,</HI> two &s;everal ways, Ver. 2. and 5.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> LORD, re|member David, <HI>and</HI> all his afflictions:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. LET it appear, O Lord, that Thou art not unmindfull of the pious humility of my Father <HI>David</HI> (CXXXI. 1.) who cho&s;e to endure many af|flictions; rather then by unlawfull means to prefer him&s;elf to a Kingdom.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> How he &s;ware unto the LORD, <HI>and</HI> vowed unto the mighty <HI>God</HI> of Jacob.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Which when he en|joyed, his principal care was to provide a &s;ettled place for the wor&s;hip of God: for he bound him&s;elf with a &s;olemn Oath unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty One, who had pre&s;erved him as He did <HI>Ja|cob,</HI> in all his troubles:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my hou&s;e, nor go up into my bed:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Saying, I am re&s;olved, as I hope to pro&s;per, that I will not come into the <PB N="480" REF="255" MS="y">new Palace, which I have built for my &s;elf, (1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XIV. 1.) much le&s;s go to dwell, and take up my lodging there;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> I will not give &s;leep to mine eyes,
<HI>or</HI> &s;lumber to mine eye-lids,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Nay, I will not lay my &s;elf down to re&s;t, nor take a wink of &s;leep;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> &V;ntill I find out a place for the LORD, an ha|bitation for the mighty <HI>God</HI> of Jacob.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Untill I have found out a convenient place for the Ark of the Lord, (1 <HI>Chr.</HI> XV. 1. XVI. 1, 43.) an habitation for that mighty One; who there makes Him&s;elf pre&s;ent to his peo|ple, the po&s;terity of
<HI>Jacob.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. And now, behold, the Lord Him&s;elf, to our great joy, hath told us the very place; where He will fix his habitation, (1
<HI>Chron.</HI> XXI. 18, 26.) in the ter|ritory of <HI>Bethlem Ephrata,</HI> (XXXV. <HI>Gen.</HI> 16, 19.) in the fields of that Fore&s;t, where the Angel &s;tood; and directed <HI>David</HI> to build an Altar unto the Lord, 1
<HI>Chron.</HI> XXI. 18. XXII.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> We will go into his taberna|cles: we will wor|&s;hip at his foot&s;tool.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Let us go therefore into his Tabernacles; and pro&s;trating our &s;elves before <PB N="481" REF="255" MS="y">his Maje&s;ty, let us take up the Ark, on which his Glo|ry &s;tands, (1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXVIII. 2.) with humble reverence: and bring it into the Temple, which is now built for it, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> V. 2, 3, 4, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Ari&s;e, O LORD, into thy re&s;t: thou, and the Ark of thy &s;trength.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. And be plea&s;ed, O Lord, together with the Ark, the token of thy pow|erfull pre&s;ence among us, to tran&s;late thy Divine Glo|ry thither: (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> V. 13, 14. VII. 1, 2, 3.) there to &s;ettle it &s;elf, and &s;tir from thence no more for ever.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Let thy prie&s;ts be cloathed with righteou&s;ne&s;s: and let thy &s;aints &s;hout for joy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Guard al&s;o thy Prie&s;ts, who mini&s;ter unto Thee here, and incompa&s;s them with thy Goodne&s;s: (2 <HI>Chr.</HI> VI. 41.) that they may pro|cure thy ble&s;&s;ings for others; and make all thy pious Wor|&s;hippers, who are dear unto Thee, triumph in thy kind|ne&s;s to them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> For thy &s;er|vant David's &s;ake, turn not away the face of thine a|nointed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. I be&s;eech Thee, have a re&s;pect to the &s;incere pie|ty of my Father <HI>David,</HI> and thy gracious promi&s;e to him: (1
<HI>Chron.</HI> XXII. 2, 10, 14. XXVIII. 2, 6, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>)
<PB N="482" REF="256">and upon that account de|ny me not; but grant the petitions of thy &s;ervant, who by thy &s;pecial appoint|ment, &s;ucceeds him in the government of thy people.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> The LORD hath &s;worn <HI>in</HI> truth unto David, he will not turn from it, Of the the fruit of thy body will I &s;et up|on thy throne.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. According to that Oath, whereby the Lord &s;ecured the Kingdom to his Family; that faithfull Oath, which He will never break, &s;aying; One of thy Sons will I advance to &s;it upon thy Throne, when thou &s;halt leave it, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XVII. 11. XXVIII. 5. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> VI.
10.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> If thy chil|dren will keep my covenant and my te&s;timony, that I &s;hall teach them; their children al&s;o &s;hall &s;it upon thy throne for ever|more.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Yea, I will perpe|tuate this royal Dignity, to thy Children in all &s;uccee|ding generations, (and not take it from them, as I did from <HI>Saul,</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 15, 16.) if they prove faithfull and con&s;tant in their Reli|gion; and ob&s;erve all the Commandments, whereby I will teach and in&s;truct them, how my plea&s;ure is, that they &s;hould wor&s;hip and &s;erve me, 1 <HI>King.</HI> II. 4. IX. 4, 5, 6.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="483" REF="256">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> For the LORD hath cho|&s;en Sion: he hath de&s;ired <HI>it</HI> for his habitation.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. For the Lord hath &s;uch a love to <HI>Sion,</HI> the &s;eat of the royal Family, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 7, 9.) that He hath cho&s;en to place his own dwelling very near unto it, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> III. 1. VII.
12.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> This <HI>is</HI> my re&s;t for ever: here will I dwell, for I have de&s;ired it.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Saying, this is the place where my Glory &s;hall fix it &s;elf for ever (2 <HI>Chron.</HI> VII. 16.) I will remove no more; but here will I take up my abode: for I have pitched on this place; and declared that it is acceptable unto me, above all other, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXI. 26. XXII. 2.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> I will abun|dantly ble&s;s her provi&s;ion: I will &s;atisfie her poor with bread.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. From whence I will di&s;pen&s;e my ble&s;&s;ings &s;o abundantly; that <HI>Sion,</HI> (which is become the City of <HI>God,</HI> as well as of <HI>Da|vid</HI>) &s;hall never be in any want: But I will make &s;uch liberal provi&s;ion for it, by fruitfull years; that the poore&s;t per&s;on there &s;hall be &s;atisfied with food, 2 <HI>Chr.</HI> VII. 13,
14.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> I will al&s;o clothe her prie&s;ts with &s;alvation: and her &s;aints &s;hall &s;hout aloud for joy,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. I will al&s;o defend her Prie&s;ts, and they &s;hall
<PB N="484" REF="257">be giving continual thanks and prai&s;e, for the ble&s;&s;ings they &s;hall procure for my pious Wor&s;hippers: who &s;hall exceedingly triumph in my kindne&s;s towards them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine a|nointed.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. There will I make the Regal Power and Ma|je&s;ty of
<HI>David,</HI> to put forth it &s;elf afre&s;h in his royal Succe&s;&s;ours: no &s;ooner &s;hall one be extingui&s;hed, but another &s;hall &s;hine (1
<HI>King.</HI> XI. 36. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XXI. 7.) in &s;uch &s;plendour, as &s;hall give a lu&s;tre to the name of that anointed Servant of mine; till the great Prince, the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah,</HI> appear.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> His enemies will I clothe with &s;hame: but upon him&s;elf &s;hall his crown flouri&s;h.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. And who&s;oever they be that go about to de&s;troy this &s;ucce&s;&s;ion, they &s;hall be &s;o mi&s;erably defeated; that they &s;hall not be able to &s;hew their faces: while, with &s;hame and confu&s;ion, they behold the regal Dig|nity in his Family (not|with&s;tanding all their at|tempts again&s;t it) in an unfading glory.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="133" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="485" REF="257">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXXIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees of <HI>David, &s;ee</HI> CXX.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>When there was no other &s;trife among all the Tribes of
<HI>I&s;rael,</HI> then who &s;hould be mo&s;t forward in returning to their allegiance; and the Children of <HI>Judah</HI> al&s;o were incli|ned as one man to bring back <HI>David</HI> to his Kingdom, from which his Son
<HI>Ab&s;alom</HI> had driven him, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XIX. 9, 14.) he fell into a rapturous admiration of that happy unity and concord: which he commended to them afterwards in this P&s;alm, as their be&s;t pre&s;ervative and &s;ecurity in future ages. This &s;eems to me more probable to be the occa&s;ion of it, then the concurrence of all the Tribes to make him King after <HI>Saul</HI>'s death, (which is the common account that is given of it) for then <HI>Sion</HI> was not in his po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ion: and it is not likely he would then have made &s;uch mention of it as he doth here, while it remained in the hands of the <HI>Je|bu&s;ites.</HI> But what&s;oever was the fir&s;t occa|&s;ion, it was aptly applied to their condition after the return of their Captivity from
<HI>Ba|bylon;</HI> when, as <HI>Theodoret</HI> notes, the Tribes, which had been divided by the im|prudence of <HI>Rehoboam,</HI> were then again
<PB N="486" REF="258">united: living under one and the &s;ame Go|vernment; and wor&s;hipping God in the &s;ame place, and the &s;ame manner, as the Law pre&s;cribed.</P>
<P>It was as fitly u&s;ed by the fir&s;t Chri&s;tians, to expre&s;s their joy for the ble&s;&s;ed union of Jews and Gentiles; and may now &s;erve the u&s;es of all Chri&s;tian Societies, who&s;e happine&s;s lies in holy peace and concord.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> BEhold, how good and how plea&s;ant <HI>it is,</HI> for brethren to dwell together in unity.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. O Con&s;ider, how be|neficial and delight|full it is, beyond all expre&s;|&s;ion, for tho&s;e that come from the &s;ame &s;tock, and are of the &s;ame Religion; to have no differences one with another: but to live together in &s;uch a friendly agreement, as if they had but one Soul among them all.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> <HI>It is</HI> like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, <HI>even</HI> Aarons beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. I cannot re&s;emble it to any thing better, then to that excellent ointment compounded of &s;everal &s;pi|ces, (XXX. <HI>Exod.</HI> 21,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) which con&s;ecrated the high Prie&s;t to the Divine Service, (VIII. <HI>Levit.</HI> 12.) and was poured in &s;uch plenty, that running over all his face <PB N="487" REF="258">even to the collar of his gar|ment, (where he did bear the names of all the Tribes of <HI>I&s;rael</HI>) it perfumed all the place with its fragrant odour: for ju&s;t &s;o doth this holy concord make you both dear to God, and procure you an excellent fame a|mong men; who cannot but be plea&s;ed to &s;ee &s;uch variety of humours and inclinations all con&s;piring with one accord, to pro|mote the common good of the whole Society.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> As the dew of Hermon, <HI>and as the dew</HI> that de|&s;cended upon the mountains of Si|on; for there the LORD comman|ded the ble&s;&s;ing, <HI>even</HI> life for ever|more.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. The dew of heaven is not more nece&s;&s;ary for the parched mountains, which though never &s;o di&s;tant one from another, (as far as from <HI>Hermon</HI> to <HI>Sion</HI>) are refre&s;hed with it, then this is for men of all ranks and conditions, who every where perceive the comfortable fruits of it: for to this the Divine fa|vour is immutably annexed, which will pour upon &s;uch Societies innumerable ble&s;|&s;ings; giving them an hap|py
<PB N="488" REF="259" MS="y">and long life, (an earne&s;t of endle&s;s felicity) in a con|&s;tant enjoyment of all man|ner of good things.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="134" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXXIV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A Song of degrees.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>It is uncertain by whom this P&s;alm was compo|&s;ed, but it &s;eems to have been made to be &s;ung by &s;ome one or more of the Levites, at the &s;hutting up of the Gates of the Temple: to excite the re&s;t, who&s;e turn it was to watch that night, to be diligent in their office of &s;inging P&s;alms, and making devout prayers for the people. It is the la&s;t of tho&s;e that have the Title of <HI>A Song of degrees,</HI> con|cerning which &s;ee CXX.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> BEHOLD, be&s;s ye the LORD, all <HI>ye</HI> &s;ervants of the LORD, which by night &s;tand in the hou&s;e of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. ATtend to your du|ty, O ye Mini&s;ters of the Lord; who not one|ly by day, but by night al|&s;o reverently wait upon Him in his Hou&s;e: (1 <HI>Chron.</HI> IX. 33.) cea&s;e not to declare how great, and how good the Lord is.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="489" REF="259" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Lift up your hands <HI>in</HI> the &s;anc|tuary: and ble&s;s the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Be fervent in your devotion; and, di&s;claiming all dependance on any thing el&s;e, prai&s;e the Lord in his Sanctuary with pure hearts and clean hands; and give thanks for all his benefits.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> The LORD that made heaven and earth, ble&s;s thee out of Sion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Pray al&s;o for his peo|ple <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and &s;ay; The great Lord, who, though He cannot be confined, be|ing the Creatour of all things yet, hath his &s;pecial re&s;idence in this place, di&s;|pen&s;e his ble&s;&s;ings both heavenly and earthly from hence, unto every one of you.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="135" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXXV.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This perhaps was the morning Hymn, which the
<HI>Praecentor</HI> (Ver. 4, 5.) called upon the Levites to &s;ing, at the opening of the Gates of the Temple: as the former was &s;ung at the &s;hutting up of the Gates in the evening. It recounts &s;everal of the great works of the Lord; e&s;pecially towards that Nation: <PB N="490" REF="260">whom it excites to &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;s in their Re|ligion; and to contempt of Idols and Idola|ters. It both begins and concludes with an Exhortation to give prai&s;e to God; and &s;o was intituled, as &s;everal other P&s;alms are, (CVI. CXI, &amp;c.) <HI>Hallelujah,</HI> or <HI>Prai&s;e the Lord.</HI> That is, by this Hymn &s;et forth the mo&s;t excellent perfections, and works of the Lord.</P>
<P>There are tho&s;e who conjecture, from what we reade Ver.
14. of this P&s;alm, that when it was compo&s;ed they were (or rather, had been lately) infe&s;ted by &s;ome of their idola|trous neighbours. Who&s;e gods the P&s;almi&s;t derides in the very &s;ame manner as he doth P&s;alm CXV. For the
<HI>four</HI> following Ver|&s;es of this P&s;alm (15, 16, 17, 18.) differ very little from the 4, 5, 6, 8. of that: which it is certain was compo&s;ed in a time of great di&s;tre&s;s; as this was, when it was over.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> PRai&s;e ye the LORD, prai&s;e ye the name of the LORD, prai&s;e <HI>him,</HI> O ye &s;ervants of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. LET all here pre&s;ent, prai&s;e the mo&s;t wi&s;e and omnipotent goodne&s;s of the Lord: Let Him e&s;pe|cially be prai&s;ed, by you his Prie&s;ts, who mini&s;ter unto his Maje&s;ty:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Ye that &s;tand in the hou&s;e of the LORD, in the courts of the hou&s;e of. our God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. And by the Levites, who attend upon Him in his Hou&s;e: together with <PB N="491" REF="260">all the re&s;t of his people, that frequent the Courts of God's Hou&s;e; who is our con&s;tant and mo&s;t liberal benefactour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Prai&s;e ye the LORD, for the LORD
<HI>is</HI> good: &s;ing prai&s;es unto his name, for <HI>it is</HI> plea&s;ant.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Let this excite you all to prai&s;e the Lord: For as his Nature is mo&s;t excellent, &s;o He is the fountain of all the good we enjoy: and no imployment is &s;o delight|full as to acknowledge his perfections, and commemo|rate the benefits we have received from Him; by &s;inging P&s;alms and Hymns of prai&s;e and thanks unto Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> For the LORD hath cho&s;en Jacob unto him&s;elf, <HI>and</HI> I&s;rael for his pecu|liar trea&s;ure.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. I invite you above all other people to this hea|venly duty: both becau&s;e the Lord had a peculiar kindne&s;s for <HI>Jacob</HI> your Forefather; and doth &s;till exerci&s;e a &s;pecial providence over you his Children, as far more dear and precious to Him, then the re&s;t of mankind, who are under his care:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> For I know that the LORD <HI>is</HI> great, and <HI>that</HI> our Lord <HI>is</HI> above all gods.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. And becau&s;e I am &s;en|&s;ible that the Lord, under
<PB N="492" REF="261">who&s;e government we are, is &s;o great and powerfull above all other Beings, though called by the name of gods; that you can ne|ver prai&s;e his Maje&s;ty e|nough.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> What&s;oever the LORD plea|&s;ed,
<HI>that</HI> did he in heaven and in earth, in the &s;eas and all deep places.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. His own will alone gives bounds to his power: for, as none can act with|out his leave, &s;o none can hinder Him from doing what plea&s;es Him&s;elf; in the heavens as well as in the earth, and the &s;eas, and other deep waters.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> He cau&s;eth the vapours to a|&s;cend from the ends of the earth, he maketh light|nings for the rain: he bringeth the wind out of his trea&s;uries.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. He rai&s;es vapours, for in&s;tance, from any quarter of the earth, and makes them go up into the air: where &s;ome of them break forth in fla&s;hes of lightning; and that (which is &s;trange) is followed with great &s;howres of rain: and, from unknown places and cau&s;es, &s;trong and violent winds blow with &s;uch continu|ance; as if they came out of &s;ome Trea&s;ury, where He had gathered, and long lockt them up, till He had
<PB N="493" REF="261">occa&s;ion to bring them forth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Who &s;mote the fir&s;t-born of Egypt, both of man and bea&s;t.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. He made the <HI>Egyptians</HI> feel how much &s;uperiour He was to all their gods; (XII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 12.) who could not defend them from his &s;troke: but He &s;ent his Angel, and, in one night, &s;lew all the fir&s;t-born in the Country, both of man and bea&s;t, XII. <HI>Exod.</HI>
29.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> <HI>Who</HI> &s;ent tokens and won|ders into the mid&s;t of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his &s;er|vants.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Before which terrible blow, He had given many other wonderfull demon|&s;trations of his power, in &s;everal miraculous plagues; which He openly inflicted on thee, O <HI>Egypt;</HI> not one|ly on the meaner &s;ort, but upon the King and all his Court, <HI>Exod.</HI> VII, VIII, IX,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Who &s;mote great nations, and &s;lew mighty kings:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. And after He had by the&s;e means brought you out of their bondage, He overthrew &s;everal great Na|tions, and &s;lew potent Kings: who, pre&s;uming of their &s;trength, oppo&s;ed the ac|compli&s;hment of his promi|&s;es to you.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="494" REF="262">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Ba&s;han, and all the kingdoms of Ca|naan:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Fir&s;t of all <HI>Sihon</HI> King of the
<HI>Amorites,</HI> who were e&s;teemed invincible, (XXI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 24. II.
<HI>Amos</HI> 9.) and then <HI>Og,</HI> that giant|ly King of
<HI>Ba&s;han,</HI> (XXI. <HI>Numb.</HI> 33. III. <HI>Deut.</HI> II.) and at la&s;t all the Kingdoms and Kings of the Land of <HI>Canaan,</HI> XII.
<HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 7, 24.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> And gave their land <HI>for</HI> an heritage, an heri|tage unto I&s;rael his people.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Which He graciou&s;ly be&s;towed upon us, the Chil|dren of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> as an inheri|tance we &s;hould hold of Him, by a Divine right: of which none, while we continue his obedient peo|ple, &s;hall be able to di&s;po&s;|&s;e&s;s us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Thy name, O LORD, <HI>endu|reth</HI> for ever, <HI>and</HI> thy memorial, O LORD, through|out all generations.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. O Lord, how a&s;toni|&s;hing is this thy omnipotent Goodne&s;s! the fame of which &s;hall never be for|gotten: But an illu&s;trious memory, O Lord, &s;hall be continued of it, from gene|ration to generation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent him&s;elf concerning his &s;er|vants.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. For though our ene|mies may &s;ometimes oppre&s;s us, when we offend Him, yet the Lord at la&s;t will take the part of his people,
<PB N="495" REF="262">and deliver them: and, be|ing reconciled unto his &s;er|vants, will turn his &s;everi|ty into kindne&s;s towards them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> The idols of the heathen <HI>are</HI> &s;ilver and gold, the work of mens hands.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. It is not in the power of the Idols, which the hea|then wor&s;hip, to divert his kindne&s;s from us; for they are of no more value then the &s;ilver, and the gold of which they are made: and are &s;o far from being able to doe any thing, that they them&s;elves are made by tho&s;e that adore them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> They have mouths, but they &s;peak not; eyes have they, but they &s;ee not.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. They are mere Ima|ges of things, without their life: having mouths; but cannot give a word of ad|vice, or comfort to their &s;upplicants: and eyes al&s;o; but cannot &s;ee, much le&s;s prevent, any danger that doth approach them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there <HI>any</HI> breath in their mouths.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. Ears they have; but cannot hear a word that is &s;aid to them: and no&s;es al|&s;o; but they do not &s;o much as breathe, much le&s;s can they &s;mell the odours, that are offered to them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="496" REF="263">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> They that make them are like unto them:
<HI>&s;o is</HI> every one that tru|&s;teth in them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. They that make them therefore, or put any con|fidence in them, are as &s;en&s;e|le&s;s as them&s;elves: having eyes, for in&s;tance, but do not &s;ee, that brutes are more excellent then &s;uch gods; and that no help is to be expected from them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> Ble&s;s the LORD, O hou&s;e of I&s;rael: ble&s;s the LORD, O hou&s;e of Aaron.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. O how much then are we all bound to ble&s;s the Lord, the Creatour of all! who hath freed us from this &s;tupid blindne&s;s. Let the whole Nation of the Children of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> e&s;pecial|ly the Prie&s;ts of the Lord, prai&s;e Him and give thanks to Him; who hath better in&s;tructed them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> Ble&s;s the LORD, O hou&s;e of Levi; ye that fear the LORD, ble&s;s the LORD,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. Let all the Levites declare how gracious He is: yea, let all his pious Wor|&s;hippers, of what&s;oever Na|tion they be, join in this heavenly imployment, of &s;peaking good of the Lord.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> Ble&s;&s;ed be the LORD out of Sion, which dwel|leth at Jeru&s;alem. Prai&s;e ye the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. Let them all &s;ay, with one accord, the Lord be ever prai&s;ed in this holy place; who, though He be the owner of all the World,
<PB N="497" REF="263">yet, makes his &s;pecial re&s;i|dence at
<HI>Jeru&s;alem.</HI></P>
<P>The honour the heathens give to their lifele&s;s Images, ought to excite you all, with the greater devotion, to prai&s;e the Lord of the World.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="136" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXXVI.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm, like the former, is a commemora|tion of the goodne&s;s of God, expre&s;&s;ed in his wonderfull works: particularly tho&s;e He had done for that Nation. And, it is like|ly, was compo&s;ed to be &s;ung upon the great Fe&s;tivals; as every day I &s;uppo&s;e they &s;ung the foregoing: which is of the &s;ame &s;train with this, and contains much of the &s;ame matter: onely here, at every half Ver&s;e, one half of the Quire an&s;wers to the other in the&s;e words; <HI>For his mercy endureth for ever.</HI> A form of acknowledgment pre&s;cribed by <HI>David</HI> to be u&s;ed continually in the Di|vine Service, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XVI. 41: and ac|cordingly followed by <HI>Solomon,</HI> 2. <HI>Chron.</HI> VII. 3, 6. when he dedicated the Temple; and by <HI>Jeho&s;haphat,</HI> when by the incourage|ment
<PB N="498" REF="264">of a Prophet he went out to incounter a va&s;t Army with &s;mall Forces, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XX. 21. and here is repeated <HI>&s;ix and twen|ty</HI> times, to make them the more &s;en&s;ible that they owed all they had to the mere bounty of God; and to excite them to depend intire|ly upon it; and re&s;t a&s;&s;ured it would never fail them if they did piou&s;ly and mo&s;t hear|tily acknowledge it. Such repetitions we u&s;e now in our earne&s;t Prayers, when we &s;ay; <HI>Lord have mercy upon us,</HI> &amp;c. which are no more vain then the&s;e. I have variou&s;ly expre&s;&s;ed the &s;en&s;e of this repeated acknowledgment, according as the other part of the &s;everal ver&s;es &s;eemed to direct me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O Give thanks unto the LORD, for he
<HI>is</HI> good: for his mer|cy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. OFfer your thankfull Hymns unto the Lord of all; who is as good as He is great: and will continue his kindne&s;s (which hath been excee|ding abundant towards us) unto all &s;ucceeding gene|rations.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mer|cy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. He is the Sovereign of all the heavenly Ho&s;ts; and therefore prai&s;e Him, and give thanks unto Him: for He can imploy them all for your help and protec|tion (as He hath in former <PB N="499" REF="264">times) and you need not doubt of his kindne&s;s, which continues unto all Ages.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> O give thanks unto the Lord of lords: for his mercy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. All the Kings and Princes of the Earth are his Subjects; upon which account al&s;o, give Him prai&s;e and thanks: For his kindne&s;s endures through|out all Ages, to defend you, as He hath done hi|therto, from their tyranni|cal violence.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> To him who alone doth great wonders: for his mercy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P> 4. He it is, and He alone who&s;e Works are &s;o great that they &s;urpri&s;e all tho&s;e who &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;ider them, with wonder and a&s;toni&s;hment; and there|fore give Him prai&s;e and thanks: For his kindne&s;s will never fail, &s;till to im|ploy his infinite Power for the good of tho&s;e, who are truly gratefull to Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> To him that by wi&s;dome made the heavens: for his mercy <HI>endu|reth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Look upon the Hea|vens, and behold, with ad|miration and prai&s;e, the &s;plendour and the order wherein his wi&s;dome hath contrived and &s;etled them: <PB N="500" REF="265">For his kindne&s;s is as large, and as firm and durable as they.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> To him that &s;tretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. And then look down to the Earth, and thank|fully prai&s;e Him; who brought it out of the wa|ters, and pre&s;erves it, in its ju&s;t extent, from being again overflowed by them: for his kindne&s;s is no le&s;s immoveable, and by length of time can never be im|paired.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> To him that made great lights: for his mercy
<HI>en|dureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Witne&s;s tho&s;e great Lights, which never go out; but always call upon us to prai&s;e, and give thanks to Him: who made them to illuminate the world; and to be the emblems of his kindne&s;s; which &s;ends its benign influences conti|nually upon us, unto all generations.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> The Sun to rule by day: for his mercy
<HI>endu|reth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. By day the Sun ex|erts his power to quicken all inferiour Beings; and excites us to prai&s;e Him, and be thankfull to Him: who&s;e kindne&s;s thereby, perpetually admini&s;ters to <PB N="501" REF="265">us all nece&s;&s;ary things; and will do &s;o, to the end of the world.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> The Moon and Stars to rule by night: for his mercy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. And by night the Moon, or the Stars &s;upply its place; and let us &s;ee how much we are bound to prai&s;e and thank Him: who&s;e kindne&s;s is &s;o con|&s;tant, that, in the wor&s;t condition, it will never quite for&s;ake us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> To him that &s;mote Egypt in their fir&s;t-born: for his mercy <HI>en|dureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. We mu&s;t needs &s;ay &s;o, and think our &s;elves in|gaged above all others, to give Him thanks; if we call to mind that memo|rable night (XII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 29.) when He puni&s;hed the
<HI>Egyptians</HI> with the lo&s;s of all their fir&s;t-born: For his kindne&s;s &s;till continues, for ever to relieve tho&s;e that are injured; and to puni&s;h their in&s;olent Oppre&s;&s;ours.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> And brought out I&s;rael from a|mong them: for his mercy <HI>endu|reth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Let us not forget how after that &s;troke, He brought our Forefathers out of the cruel Bondage, wherein they had long held them (XII.
<HI>Exod.</HI> 41, 42.) but thankfully acknowledg <PB N="502" REF="266">that wonderfull deliverance: For it is an argument why we &s;hould never di&s;tru&s;t his kindne&s;s, in the &s;ore&s;t &s;traits that can befall us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> With a &s;trong hand, and with a &s;tretched out arm: for his mercy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. His Power, let us remember, is irre&s;i&s;tible, which fir&s;t by le&s;&s;er, then by greater &s;igns and won|ders delivered us out of their hands (VI. <HI>Exod.</HI> 5, 6. VII, VIII, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) to prai&s;e and magnify Him, who&s;e kindne&s;s is &s;tupendiou&s;ly great, and will never cea&s;e to &s;uccour tho&s;e who de|pend upon Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> To him which divided the red Sea into parts: for his mercy <HI>en|dureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. Let us therefore give thanks to him; who when our Forefathers utterly de|&s;paired of &s;afety (XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 10, 11.) commanded the red Sea to retire, and leave a broad way for them to pa&s;s, (<HI>v.</HI> 21.) which plain|ly proves that his kindne&s;s is inexhau&s;ted, and alway ready to help us in the mo&s;t dreadfull dangers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> And made I&s;rael to pa&s;s tho|rough the mid&s;t of it: for his mercy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. For he led them &s;afe|ly through the very mid&s;t of the Sea (which ro&s;e up like <PB N="503" REF="266">a wall on either hand of them, XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 22.) and will by his kindne&s;s eter|nally &s;ecure all tho&s;e, that piou&s;ly confide in Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> But over|threw Pharaoh and his ho&s;t in the red Sea: for his mercy <HI>endu|reth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P> 15. But throw tho&s;e that oppo&s;e Him, headlong into de&s;truction, as He did <HI>Pha|raoh</HI> and his Ho&s;t, in the very &s;ame place, where <HI>I&s;|rael</HI> was pre&s;erved; (XIV. <HI>Exod.</HI> 27,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) For his kindne&s;s loves to compleat his favours, and perfect what He hath begun for his people.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> To him which led his peo|ple through the wilderne&s;s: for his mercy <HI>endu|reth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. And accordingly, when He had thus delive|red them, He led his peo|ple by the direction of a glorious Cloud, through an untrodden De&s;ert; and there (with our thankfull prai&s;es let it be remembred) made a miraculous provi&s;i|on for them, (<HI>Exod.</HI> XVI.) For his endle&s;s kindne&s;s, where&s;oever they went, &s;till with new Benefits pur|&s;ued them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> To him which &s;mote great Kings: for his mercy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. When potent Kings oppo&s;ed their pa&s;&s;age to the
<PB N="504" REF="267">promi&s;ed Land, He utterly di&s;comfited them (to his prai&s;e be it thankfully ac|knowledged) For his kind|ne&s;s was not &s;topt by diffi|culties, but ever overcame them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> And &s;lew famous kings: for his mercy
<HI>endu|reth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. Though they were Kings famous for their prowe&s;s; yet, &s;uch was his for ever to be prai&s;ed kind|ne&s;s towards us, He gave us as ea&s;y and as ab&s;olute a victory over them; as He had done before over
<HI>Pha|raoh</HI> and his Ho&s;t.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy
<HI>en|dureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. Over <HI>Sihon,</HI> King of that fierce Nation of the
<HI>Amorites,</HI> who were thought invincible, (II. <HI>Amos</HI> 9.) For his kindne&s;s was mightier then they, and gave us this as an earne&s;t of future conque&s;ts over our Enemies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> And Og the king of Ba|&s;han: for his mer|cy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. Over that huge Ty|rant <HI>Og</HI> the King of
<HI>Ba&s;han,</HI> (III. <HI>Deut.</HI> 11.) For his kindne&s;s added that, as a new pledge of what He in|tended to doe for us, when we came into
<HI>Canaan.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="505" REF="267">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy <HI>endureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. And gave both their Countries to be held of Him, as a perpetual inhe|ritance: For his kindne&s;s doth not decay (nor loves to revoke his Favours) but continues to the late&s;t Po|&s;terity.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> <HI>Even</HI> an heritage unto I&s;|rael his &s;ervant: for his mercy <HI>en|dureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. An Inheritance they were, which he &s;etled upon us the Children of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> as long as we continue his faithfull Servants: For his kindne&s;s hath no end; but delights to perpetuate his Mercies to tho&s;e, who are worthy of them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> Who re|membred us in our low e&s;tate: for his mercy <HI>endu|reth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. Nay, when for our Sins we were &s;everely af|flicted, and in danger to be thrown out of this good Land into which at la&s;t He brought us; (<HI>Judg.</HI> II, III, IV, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) He was plea&s;ed graciou&s;ly to relieve us: For his kindne&s;s pardoned our ingratitude, and was as forward as ever, to be|&s;tow fre&s;h Benefits upon us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy <HI>endu|reth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. And re&s;cued us, ma|ny a time, when we cryed
<PB N="506" REF="268">unto Him, from the pow|er of tho&s;e that tyrannized over us: For his kindne&s;s was not &s;pent, by the fre|quent deliverances it had given us; but &s;till granted new matter for our thank&s;|givings to Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="25" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>25.</BIBL> Who giveth food to all fle&s;h: for his mercy <HI>en|dureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>25. Who&s;e Bounty is not confined to us alone, but &s;upplies the wants of all mankind; yea, of all living Creatures: For his kindne&s;s hath no bounds; nor will ever cea&s;e to make a plentifull provi&s;ion for them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="26" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>26.</BIBL> O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy <HI>en|dureth</HI> for ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>26. O rai&s;e your hearts to give Him thanks with the highe&s;t prai&s;es; who&s;e power extends it &s;elf be|yond this Earth, even unto the highe&s;t Heavens: For his kindne&s;s is &s;o unweari|ed; that we may hope from thence to be ever receiving, more and more of his Ble&s;|&s;ings.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="137" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="507" REF="268">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXXVII.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This is a mournfull Song, compo&s;ed by &s;ome of the captive <HI>Levites</HI> in Babylon; when he reflected upon their &s;ad parting with their dear Country, and the &s;corn wherewith their in&s;ulting Enemies treated them, in that &s;trange land. Which he fore&s;aw God would &s;everely puni&s;h, by the hand of &s;ome other cruel People: who &s;hould &s;hew them as little mercy, as they had &s;hewed the <HI>I&s;raelites.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>vulgar Latine</HI> a&s;cribes this P&s;alm to
<HI>Jeremiah:</HI> upon which In&s;cription, <HI>Theo|doret</HI> (who found it al&s;o in &s;ome <HI>Greek</HI> Copies in his time) pa&s;&s;es this cen&s;ure; that the bold Authour of it wanted wit, as the In&s;cription it &s;elf openly proclaims: for <HI>Jeremiah</HI> was not carried captive into
<HI>Ba|bylon;</HI> but, when he had &s;taid &s;ome time in <HI>Judea,</HI> was compelled by the di&s;obedient <HI>Jews</HI> to go down with them into
<HI>Egypt.</HI> Yet there are tho&s;e, who to excu&s;e this, would have us think that <HI>Jeremiah</HI> &s;ent this P&s;alm to the Captives in
<HI>Babylon:</HI> and that it is called a P&s;alm of <HI>David;</HI> (for &s;o it is in the <HI>vulgar Latine</HI> al&s;o) becau&s;e made after the example of his P&s;alms: As <HI>Virgil</HI> &s;aid he &s;ung <HI>A&s;croe|um carmen</HI> among the <HI>Romans;</HI> when he <PB N="508" REF="269">made his
<HI>Georgicks</HI> in imitation of <HI>He&s;iod.</HI></P>
<P>In the Paraphra&s;e of the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> Ver&s;e I have followed a conjecture of Saint <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom</HI>'s: that the Captives were not &s;uffered (at their fir&s;t coming thither) to dwell within any of their Towns or Cities; but were di&s;per&s;ed all along &s;everal Rivers of the Country; where they built Tabernacles or Cottages for them&s;elves: and perhaps were forced to drain tho&s;e moi&s;t places, to make them whole|&s;ome.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> BY the ri|vers of Ba|bylon, there we &s;at down, yea, we wept, when we re|membred Sion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. WHen we were tran&s;ported from our own Country into the Land of <HI>Babylon,</HI> and had the &s;ides of <HI>Euphrates,</HI> and &s;everal of its Rivers (I. <HI>Ezek.</HI> 1.) a&s;&s;igned for our habita|tion, there we &s;ate down in a &s;orrowfull po&s;ture; and could not refrain from tears, when we called to mind the happy days which we enjoyed in the holy Hill of <HI>Sion.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> We hanged our harps upon the willows, in the mid&s;t thereof.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. We brought our harps along with us, wherewith we were wont to prai&s;e the Lord: (1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XV. 16.) But, as our fruitfull vines and figtrees, under which <PB N="509" REF="269">we formerly &s;ate, were tur|ned into barren willows and o&s;iers; &s;o all our mirth and joy was turned into &s;uch heavine&s;s and &s;orrow of heart, that we let all our In&s;truments of Mu&s;ick hang neglected, upon the boughs of tho&s;e dolefull trees.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> For there they that carried us away, captive, required of us a &s;ong; and they that wa&s;ted us, <HI>required of us</HI> mirth, <HI>&s;aying,</HI> Sing us <HI>one of</HI> the &s;ongs of Sion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. For when our new Ma&s;ters, who had carried us away captive, they that had laid <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> on heaps, and had power to doe what they plea&s;ed with us, re|quired us (between je&s;t and earne&s;t) to entertain them with our Mu&s;ick; and to let them hear one of tho&s;e Songs, which were wont to be &s;ung in the Temple;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> How &s;hall we &s;ing the LORD's &s;ong in a &s;trange land?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Neither fear nor fa|vour could extort this &s;er|vice from our Levites, but they re&s;olutely an&s;wered; As tho&s;e Songs were not made for pa&s;time and &s;port, but in honour of the great Lord of the world; So how can you imagin that mi&s;e|rable &s;laves are di&s;po&s;ed to &s;ing? and to &s;ing tho&s;e <PB N="510" REF="270">Songs in the Land where we are exiles; which re|count the mercies of God unto us, in our once mo&s;t flouri&s;hing Countrey?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> If I forget thee, O Jeru&s;a|lem, let my right hand forget <HI>her cunning</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. No (&s;aid I then with|in my &s;elf) if I forget thy de&s;olations, O <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> (though never &s;o far remo|ved from thee) &s;o as to gra|tifie their de&s;ires, by pro|phaning thy Mu&s;ick and thy Songs; then let my right hand be benummed, or quite lo&s;e its skill of tou|ching the harp any more.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I pre|fer not Jeru&s;alem above my chief joy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Let me be &s;truck dumb, and never be able to move my tongue; if I be not &s;o mindfull of thee, as never to &s;ing again; till I &s;ee <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and her ho|ly Solemnities re&s;tored.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom, in the day of Je|ru&s;alem; who &s;aid, Ra&s;e <HI>it,</HI> ra&s;e <HI>it, even</HI> to the foun|dation thereof.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Which joyfull day I hope will come; when Thou, O Lord, wilt call our enemies to an account: And, fir&s;t of all, reckon with the
<HI>Edomites,</HI> (XLIX. <HI>Jer.</HI> 10. XXV. <HI>Ezek.</HI> 12.) who in&s;tead of pitying <HI>Je|ru&s;alem,</HI> as became kind
<PB N="511" REF="270">neighbours and relations, were glad to &s;ee the day of its de&s;olations; and incou|raged our de&s;troyers with their acclamations, &s;aying; Lay it flat, lay it even with the ground upon which it &s;tands.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> O daughter of Babylon, who art to be de&s;troyed: happy <HI>&s;hall he be</HI> that rewardeth thee, as thou ha&s;t &s;erved us.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. And then &s;hall your turns come, O ye
<HI>Babylo|nians;</HI> who have laid wa&s;te &s;o many Nations, but &s;hall, one day, be made de&s;olate your &s;elves, (XIII. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 19,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI>) And may that Prince and people pro&s;per and be happy, (L.
<HI>Jer.</HI> 9, 41.) who &s;hall pay you in your kind; and u&s;e you as barbarou&s;ly, as you u&s;ed us, (LI. <HI>Jer.</HI> 24, 35, 49.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Happy <HI>&s;hall he be</HI> that taketh and da&s;heth thy little ones again&s;t the &s;tones.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. He &s;hall be prai&s;ed, and thought to have done a worthy work, who &s;hall &s;natch your &s;ucking chil|dren from their mothers brea&s;ts; and have no more mercy on them, then upon the whelps of wolves, or &s;uch like creatures: but &s;hall da&s;h out their brains, again&s;t the walls of your <PB N="512" REF="271" MS="y">hou&s;es, or &s;tones in the &s;treet, (XIII. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 16.) that there may be no remains of &s;uch a cruel generation, LI. <HI>Jer.</HI> 62.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="138" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXXVIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm of <HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This is one of <HI>David</HI>'s P&s;alms, (as the Title a&s;&s;ures us) wherein he thankfully acknow|ledges God's Goodne&s;s to him, in advancing him from a low and afflicted condition to the royal dignity: which remarkable change would invite, he thought, other Kings and Princes to have a very great regard to his Divine Maje&s;ty: who, he hoped therefore, would &s;upport and defend him, in his new-gotten Kingdom; by the &s;ame Almighty power, which rai&s;ed him unto it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> I Will prai&s;e thee with my whole heart, before the gods will I &s;ing prai&s;e unto thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. I Will make Thee my thankfull acknow|ledgments, O Lord, with the devoute&s;t affections of my heart: thy holy Angels &s;hall be witne&s;&s;es of my <PB N="513" REF="271" MS="y">gratitude, which I will ex|pre&s;s in P&s;alms and Hymns, in the pre&s;ence of the great A&s;&s;embly of the Judges, (XXII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 9. LXXXII. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 1, 6.) that they may remember, to whom they owe their power and au|thority.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> I will wor|&s;hip towards thy holy temple, and prai&s;e thy name, for thy loving kind|ne&s;s, and for thy truth: for thou ha&s;t magnified thy word above all thy name.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. I will pro&s;trate my &s;elf in the humble&s;t adorations of Thee, toward the place where the Monument of thy Divine Pre&s;ence is; and acknowledge how much I am indebted to thy almigh|ty Goodne&s;s: fir&s;t for pro|mi&s;ing me, out of thy mere grace and favour, the roy|al Dignity; and then for performing thy promi&s;e mo&s;t faithfully: For Thou ha&s;t manife&s;ted thy mo&s;t excellent power and good|ne&s;s to me in nothing &s;o much, as in punctually ful|filling thy promi&s;e, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVI. 13.) nowith&s;tanding all the oppo&s;ition which was made to it; nay in rai|&s;ing me higher then I ex|pected.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="514" REF="272">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> In the day when I cried, thou an&s;wered&s;t me: <HI>and</HI> &s;trengthened&s;t me <HI>with</HI> &s;trength in my &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. I had long ago faln &s;hort of this honour, to which I am advanced, had&s;t not Thou, during all the time of <HI>Saul</HI>'s per&s;ecution, as readily relieved me, as I cried to Thee: and migh|tily &s;upported my &s;pirit, by a couragious faith and hope in Thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> All the kings of the earth &s;hall prai&s;e thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Which will move, &s;ure, all our neighbouring Kings, who have any know|ledge of my affairs, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 11, 12. VIII. 10.) to join with me, in prai&s;ing Thee, O Lord: when they &s;hall hear, by how many &s;trange providences Thou ha&s;t brought to pa&s;s, that which Thou promi&s;ed&s;t to me by thy Prophet.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Yea, they &s;hall &s;ing in the ways of the LORD: for great <HI>is</HI> the glory of the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. The wonderfull ways, whereby the Lord brings things about, &s;hall be the &s;ubject of their Songs; and they &s;hall think it their greate&s;t happine&s;s to be guided and governed by Him: for they &s;hall con|fe&s;s, that none can doe &s;uch glorious things, as the Lord hath wrought.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="515" REF="272">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Though the LORD <HI>be</HI> high, yet hath he re&s;pect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Who&s;e &s;ublime great|ne&s;s doth not make Him neglect (as they &s;ee in me) the meane&s;t per&s;ons; e&s;pe|cially when their minds are as humble as their con|ditions: but will not let Him &s;toop to the loftie&s;t Princes (as they may &s;ee in <HI>Saul</HI>) whom He de&s;pi&s;es, when they are forgetfull of Him, and ungratefull to Him for his benefits.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Though I walk in the mids of trouble, thou wilt revive me, thou &s;halt &s;tretch forth thine hand again&s;t the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand &s;hall &s;ave me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Which have been &s;o great to me, that &s;hould I fall again into the &s;ame &s;traits, wherein I was be|fore, and be incompa&s;&s;ed with them; I &s;hould hope that Thou would&s;t pre&s;erve me, and bring me &s;afe out of them all: Thy power, I am confident, will repre&s;s the violent a&s;&s;aults of my enemies; and by thy al|mighty Goodne&s;s I &s;hall be delivered from their wrath and fury, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 17, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> VIII. 1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> The LORD will perfect <HI>that which</HI> concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, <HI>endureth</HI> for ever: for&s;ake not the works of thine own hands.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. The Lord who hath begun, will go on to fini&s;h his gracious intentions to|wards <PB N="516" REF="273">me: not for my me|rits (I know they are none at all) but for thy own mercy &s;ake, O Lord; which as it was the &s;ole motive to what Thou ha&s;t done for me, &s;o will I hope (for it is &s;till the &s;ame, and ever will be) incline Thee to pre&s;erve and &s;ettle me in that dignity; to which not my ambition, but thy own good will and plea&s;ure hath promoted me.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="139" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXXXIX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">To the chief Mu&s;ician. A P&s;alm of
<HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The <HI>two</HI> la&s;t Ver&s;es of this P&s;alm &s;eem to me a &s;ufficient indication that <HI>David</HI> (to whom the Title a&s;cribes it) compo&s;ed it, when he lay under the imputation of having evil de|&s;igns upon <HI>Saul,</HI> 1. Sam. XXIV. 9. which as he prote&s;ts again&s;t, in &s;everal parts of other P&s;alms, and calls God often to witne&s;s his integrity; &s;o here he appeals unto Him in a &s;et and &s;olemn meditation, compo&s;ed on pur|po&s;ed <PB N="517" REF="273">to repre&s;ent before Him the clearne&s;s of his intentions: which never &s;uffered &s;uch de&s;igns to enter into his thoughts. And who could believe that a man who &s;eriou&s;ly ac|knowledged, it was impo&s;&s;ible to conceal any thing from God's all-&s;eeing eye, who formes us in the womb; &s;hould be &s;o impudent as to make this appeal unto Him; if he were con|&s;cious to him&s;elf of any &s;uch guilt? And which is more, how could he be confident (as he declares he was Ver.
19.) that God would make his innocence evidently appear, by de|&s;troying his oppo&s;ers; if he did not know they were calumniatours? who&s;e vile a&s;per&s;i|ons when God had effectually confuted, he delivered this P&s;alm to the Ma&s;ter of the Mu&s;ick; as a la&s;ting te&s;timony of his &s;ince|rity all along before he came to the King|dom; and a con&s;tant admoni&s;hment to him|&s;elf and others, never to promote any de&s;igns for the future by &s;ini&s;ter arts, though managed &s;o &s;ecretly that they lay hid from the eyes of all the world: &s;ince God cannot but be privy to them; who loves righteou&s;ne&s;s, and hates all iniquity.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> O LORD, thou ha&s;t &s;earched me, and known
<HI>me.</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. I Am accu&s;ed, O Lord, of grievous crimes; but my comfort is, Thou &s;ee&s;t I am not guilty of them: For the exacte&s;t &s;ur|vey cannot make any thing <PB N="518" REF="274">&s;o well known to us, as I am to Thee; who art tho|roughly acquainted with me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Thou know|e&s;t my down-&s;it|ting, and mine up|ri&s;ing, thou under|&s;tande&s;t my thought afar off.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Thou knowe&s;t what de&s;igns I have, when I &s;it mu&s;ing at home; and what I go about when I &s;tir a|broad: nay my inclinations are &s;o perfectly under&s;tood by Thee; that before I have conceived any de&s;ign, it is vi&s;ible unto Thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Thou com|pa&s;&s;e&s;t my path, and my lying down, and art ac|quainted <HI>with</HI> all my ways.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Nothing can be &s;o narrowly &s;ifted, as all the motions of my body and mind, both by day and by night, are &s;canned by thy all-penetrating eye: which comprehends, and is inti|mately privy, to all the ends which I pur&s;ue.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> For <HI>there is</HI> not a word in my tongue, <HI>but</HI> lo, O LORD, thou knowe&s;t it altoge|ther.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. When I am about to &s;peak, Thou, O Lord (&s;uch is thy mo&s;t admirable wi&s;e|dom) neede&s;t not to be informed what it is: but knowe&s;t before I open my mouth, every thing I intend to utter.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Thou ha&s;t be&s;et me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. What&s;oever I have done long ago, is as well
<PB N="519" REF="274">known to Thee, as that which is lately pa&s;t, or which I am about to doe: For I am &s;o invironed, by Thee, and &s;o ab&s;olutely in thy power; that I cannot po&s;&s;ibly e&s;cape thy notice, nor &s;o much as &s;tir without thy leave.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> <HI>Such</HI> know|ledge <HI>is</HI> too won|derfull for me; it is high, I cannot <HI>attain</HI> unto it.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. O amazing height of under&s;tanding! It is in vain to think I can hide any thing from it: which &s;o far &s;urpa&s;&s;es all I can &s;ay or conceive; that it excells even my admiration.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Whither &s;hall I go from thy &s;pi|rit? or whither &s;hall I flee from thy pre&s;ence?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Into what world &s;hall I go, where Thou art not as pre&s;ent as Thou art in this? It is impo&s;&s;ible for me, &s;hould I make never &s;o much ha&s;te, to get out of thy &s;ight.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> If I a&s;cend up into heaven, thou
<HI>art</HI> there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou <HI>art there.</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. If I could get up into the highe&s;t part of heaven, I &s;hould not be out of thy reach: or go down and lie in the lowe&s;t depth of the earth, I &s;hould find Thee &s;till as near unto me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> <HI>If</HI> I take the wings of the mor|ning, <HI>and</HI> dwell in the uttermo&s;t parts of the &s;ea:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. If I could move as &s;wiftly as the light of the
<PB N="520" REF="275">ri&s;ing Sun; and in an in|&s;tant flie from hence, and take up my dwelling in the remote&s;t parts of the world:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Even there &s;hall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand &s;hall hold me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. I &s;hould not be a jot the further from Thee; without whom as I could not get thither, &s;o I &s;hould be &s;till &s;ubject to thy Go|vernment, and beholden to thy Providence to &s;upport me there.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> If I &s;ay, Surely the dark|ne&s;s &s;hall cover me: even the night &s;hall be light about me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. If I &s;hould have &s;uch a thought as this in my mind, that, though Thou art pre&s;ent every where yet, in the dark I may lie undi&s;|covered by Thee; it would be very fooli&s;h: For when the Sun is gone down, all that is in me is as apparent unto Thee, as if it were noon day.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Yea, the darkne&s;s hideth not from thee; but the night &s;hineth as the day: the darkne&s;s and the light <HI>are</HI> both alike <HI>to thee.</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. The darkne&s;s cannot conceal any thing from Thee; who, being the Fountain of light, fee&s;t as well in the blacke&s;t night as in the brighte&s;t day: the night and the day, the mo&s;t open and the mo&s;t covert practices, are equally clear unto thy view.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="521" REF="275">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> For thou ha&s;t po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed my reins: thou ha&s;t covered me in my mothers womb.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. For my very thoughts (and what is there more ab|&s;tru&s;e then they) my mo&s;t retired thoughts and contri|vances, and my mo&s;t &s;ecret de&s;ires, are apparent to Thee: who&s;e I am, and by whom I was wrapt up in tho&s;e skins, which inclo&s;ed me in my mothers womb; then which there is nothing more hid|den and dark.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> I will prai&s;e thee, for I am fear|fully
<HI>and</HI> wonder|fully made; mar|vellous <HI>are</HI> thy works, and
<HI>that</HI> my &s;oul knoweth right well.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Yet there (&s;uch is thy &s;tupendious wi&s;edom, which I will never cea&s;e to prai&s;e, and thankfully ac|knowledge) I was, I know not how, in &s;uch a wonder|full manner, formed; that the thoughts of it &s;trike me with a&s;toni&s;hment: thy o|perations in that work are mo&s;t admirable; and of that I am exceeding &s;en&s;ible, but I can &s;ay no more; for they are incomprehen&s;ible.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> My &s;ub|&s;tance was not hid from thee, when I was made in &s;e|cret; <HI>and</HI> curi|ou&s;ly wrought in the lowe&s;t parts of the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Though I was made in &s;o &s;ecret a place, yet not the lea&s;t joint in my body was concealed from thy eyes: but I received from Thee there (where no more <PB N="522" REF="276">light can come, then there doth into the lowe&s;t depths of the earth) &s;uch a comely di&s;tinction of parts, and va|riety of powers; that no embroidery can be &s;o curi|ou&s;ly wrought.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> Thine eyes did &s;ee my &s;ub|&s;tance yet being unperfect, and in thy book all <HI>my members</HI> were written,
<HI>which</HI> in continuance were fa&s;hioned, when <HI>as yet there was</HI> none of them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. For when the matter out of which I was made, was without any form, it was vi&s;ible to Thee how every mu&s;cle, vein and ar|tery, with all the re&s;t of my body &s;hould be wrought; out of the pattern of them, which was in thy mind: and accordingly in time, when there was not &s;o much as one of them, they were all fa&s;hioned, for the &s;eve|ral u&s;es to which they are de&s;igned; and not the &s;mal|le&s;t of them omitted, or left imperfect.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> How pre|cious al&s;o are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the &s;um of them!</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. How invaluable al&s;o, and incomprehen&s;ible (O God, I am not able to ex|pre&s;s the high and gratefull &s;en&s;e I have of it) is thy tender care and providence, which Thou ha&s;t exerci&s;ed over me ever &s;ince I was <PB N="523" REF="276">born! All the &s;ecret pa&s;&s;a|ges of it amount to &s;uch a &s;umme; that I am not able to give an account of them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> If I &s;hould count them, they are mo in number then the &s;and: when I wake, I am &s;till with thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. When I attempt to reckon how many they are, I find that I may as well un|dertake to number the &s;and: For, though I continue the whole day in this employ|ment, and, after a nights re&s;t, begin again the next morning to think how nu|merous thy mercies are; I am &s;till as far as ever from &s;eeing any end of them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> Surely thou wilt &s;lay the wic|ked, O God: de|part from me therefore ye blou|dy men.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. Which makes me con&s;ident, O God, Thou wilt not now de&s;ert me; but rather de&s;troy that wic|ked man, (CXL. 1.) who, forgetting thy all&s;eeing eye, regards not by what means he plots my ruin: And therefore it will be be&s;t for you all, O ye men of bloud, who have &s;lain the Prie&s;ts of the Lord, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXII. 18.) and now thir&s;t after my life, to make your re|treat, and de&s;i&s;t from per|&s;ecuting me any further.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="524" REF="277">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> For they &s;peak again&s;t thee wickedly,
<HI>and</HI> thine enemies take <HI>thy name</HI> in vain.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. For it is not &s;o much me that they per&s;ecute, as Vertue and Piety; to which, though they are not open yet, they are the mo&s;t dan|gerous enemies, becau&s;e they make it &s;erve their wicked ends: having god|ly pretences for their doing mi&s;chief; and not &s;ticking (&s;o little belief have they of thy Omni&s;cience) to call Thee to witne&s;s the truth of their lies and calum|nies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with tho&s;e that ri&s;e up again&s;t thee?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. And have I not rea|&s;on then, O Lord, to hate tho&s;e, who have &s;uch an inveterate hatred unto Thee? and to take the greate&s;t di&s;ta&s;te to them, that oppo&s;e them&s;elves &s;o indu&s;triou&s;ly to thy holy Laws?</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="22" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>22.</BIBL> I hate them with perfect ha|tred: I count them mine enemies.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>22. I dete&s;t them with all my heart; and as their impiety is the onely cau&s;e of it, &s;o I cannot loathe them more then I do: but declare my &s;elf upon that account, to be their utter enemy.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="23" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="525" REF="277">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>23.</BIBL> Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>23. If I have any other ground of my enmity, or am guilty of &s;o much as de&s;igning any evil to them, merely becau&s;e they have done &s;o much evil to me; I de&s;ire to find it out, and &s;ubmit my &s;elf to the &s;eve|re&s;t trials, which may di&s;|cover to me any &s;uch thought that lurketh in my heart.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="24" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>24.</BIBL> And &s;ee if <HI>there be any</HI> wic|ked way in me, and lead me in the way everla|&s;ting.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>24. For I would not continue in &s;uch a perni|cious cour&s;e: But if in any thing I doe I intend them any hurt, or &s;o much as to be grievous to them; my humble reque&s;t is, either that I may not live, or live more exactly by the un|changeable rules of righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, &s;incerity and truth.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="140" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="526" REF="278">
<HEAD>PSALM CXL.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">To the chief Mu&s;ician. A P&s;alm of
<HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>There is no doubt (for the Title a&s;cribes it to him) but this P&s;alm was made by <HI>David</HI> And it is little le&s;s undoubted that he com|po&s;ed it (as <HI>Theodoret</HI> well judges) when he was per&s;ecuted by <HI>Saul:</HI> who was in&s;tiga|ted thereunto by the calumnies of
<HI>Doeg,</HI> and the information of the <HI>Ziphites:</HI> who&s;e fal&s;ene&s;s, and pe&s;tilent malice he here de|&s;cribes; be&s;eeching God to pre&s;erve him from the mi&s;chief they intended him, and to turn it upon them&s;elves: as he re&s;ts a&s;&s;u|red He would. When he came to his King|dom, and had &s;ettled the &s;ervice of God in that manner, which we reade
1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XVI, XXIII, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> he delivered it to the Ma&s;ter of the Mu&s;ick; to be &s;ung at certain times in the Tabernacle. But it was not found, I &s;uppo&s;e (no more then the <HI>two</HI> foregoing, and the
<HI>four</HI> following) till &s;ome time after the other Books of P&s;alms were publi&s;hed; and &s;o were placed here all together, by him that collected this Book.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="527" REF="278">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> DEliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: pre&s;erve me from the violent man.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. DEfeat, O Lord, the wicked de&s;igns of that naughty man, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXII. 9, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) who makes no con&s;cience of what he &s;aith or doeth, to compa&s;s his ends: and let me not fall into the hands of that injurious Prince, (XXIII. 7.) whom I have never wronged; but done him faithfull &s;ervice.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Which ima|gine mi&s;chiefs in <HI>their</HI> hearts; con|tinually are they gathered together <HI>for</HI> war.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. They are zealou&s;ly bent to doe me all the mi&s;|chief they are able: which they &s;tudiou&s;ly plot, and doe nothing all the day but contrive how to op|pre&s;s me with armed force; which in &s;everal places they have laid to intercept me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> They have &s;harpened their tongues like a &s;er|pent; adders poi|&s;on <HI>is</HI> under their lips. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And they have &s;o tra|duced me by their calum|nies, and fal&s;e accu&s;ations, that they have already gi|ven my reputation a deadly wound: for the tongue of the Serpent, or the teeth of the Adder or Viper, doth not more effectually con|vey their poi&s;on into mens bodies; then they have in|fu&s;ed <PB N="528" REF="279">the&s;e venomous &s;lan|ders into the peoples minds.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wic|ked, pre&s;erve me from the violent man, who have purpo&s;ed to over|throw my goings.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. And therefore I mo&s;t humbly again be&s;eech Thee, O Lord, to keep me from falling into the power of that naughty man, (Ver. 1.) who in&s;tigates his Prince to the mo&s;t injurious procee|dings again&s;t me: Be Thou my pre&s;erver, O Lord; for otherwi&s;e I &s;hall never e|&s;cape the trains they have devi&s;ed and laid, to &s;up|plant and utterly undoe me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> The proud have hid a &s;nare for me, and cords, they have &s;pread a net by the way|&s;ide: they have &s;et grins for me. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. There is no hunter or fowler, more indu&s;trious and cunning, in laying &s;nares and toils, in &s;prea|ding nets or &s;etting gins and traps, for the bea&s;ts or the birds in the places which they are wont to fre|quent; then they are to trace me in all my motions, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIII.
23.) and to invent all manner of wiles and &s;ubtle arts, to &s;urpri&s;e me: which they proudly pre&s;ume will have their de&s;ired &s;ucce&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="529" REF="279">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> I &s;aid unto the LORD, Thou <HI>art</HI> my God: hear the voice of my &s;upplications, O LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. To which I have nei|ther cunning, nor power of my own to oppo&s;e, no Friend who&s;e aid I can im|plore; but onely commend my &s;elf unto the Lord, &s;aying; I have always ow|ned Thee for my Protee|tour, and Thou ha&s;t hither|to owned me, and been my mercifull deliverer: Do not now, O Lord of all power and might, deny my earne&s;t reque&s;t; who de|pend on Thee alone for &s;uccour.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> O GOD the Lord, the &s;trength of my &s;alvation; thou ha&s;t covered my head in the day of battel.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. O mo&s;t mighty Lord, whom no Creature what|&s;oever can with&s;tand; O Thou who di&s;po&s;e&s;t of all events; I again profe&s;s that I look for &s;afety from thy almighty Power alone: by which I was protected (ha|ving no other helmet or armour, but onely that 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVII. 39,
40, 50.) in the day when I fought with <HI>Goliath.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Grant not, O LORD, the de&s;ires of the wic|ked, further not his wicked device, <HI>le&s;t</HI> they exalt them&s;elves. Selah.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Suffer not him, O mo&s;t mighty Lord, who now &s;eeks my de&s;truction, <PB N="530" REF="280">to effect his de&s;ire; let him not &s;ucceed in any of his mi&s;chievous de&s;igns and pro|jects again&s;t me: le&s;t he and his partakers grow &s;o in&s;o|lent; as to dare to attempt all manner of violence a|gain&s;t other innocents.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> <HI>As for</HI> the head of tho&s;e that compa&s;s me about, let the mi&s;chief of their own lips eo|ver them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Let the poi&s;onous and pernicious calumnies, of tho&s;e that now be&s;et me round, retort upon them|&s;elves: and let them be o|verwhelmed by tho&s;e very devices, which, with labo|rious lies, they have con|trived for my ruin.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Let burning coals fall upon them, let them be ca&s;t into the fire; into deep pits, that they ri&s;e not up again.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Let their &s;landers (which I can compare to nothing better then bur|ning coals, that are not ea|&s;ily quenched) be the in|&s;truments of their own de|&s;truction: let them peri&s;h in the flames, which they them&s;elves have kindled; and be irrecoverably thrown headlong into tho&s;e dangers and mi&s;chiefs, which, like dreadfully deep pits, they prepared for my de&s;truc|tion.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="531" REF="280">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Let not an evil &s;peaker be e|&s;tabli&s;hed in the earth: evil &s;hall hunt the violent man to overthrow
<HI>him.</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. This I am confident &s;hall be their portion; for, though a fal&s;e Informer may for a time be believed, and thrive by his lies and &s;lan|ders yet, Truth will at la&s;t prevail; and not &s;uffer him to e&s;tabli&s;h his great|ne&s;s by &s;uch ba&s;e and wic|ked practices: And as little &s;hall violence and inju&s;tice avail him, that relies upon it; but bring upon him one evil after another: which &s;hall pur&s;ue him to his ruin; as the hounds do the wild bea&s;t, which, af|ter all its windings and turnings, becomes a prey unto them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> I know that the LORD will maintain the cau&s;e of the afflicted, <HI>and</HI> the right of the poor.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. For I am &s;ure the Lord, who is &s;tronger then all, will a&s;&s;ert the cau&s;e of the Oppre&s;&s;ed: and doe right to tho&s;e who are de|&s;titute of humane help; by puni&s;hing all that are in|jurious to them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Surely the righteous &s;hall give thanks unto thy name, the upright &s;hall dwell in thy pre&s;ence.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. Let the righteous re|ly on this, as an undoubted truth, that they &s;hall give thanks to thy almighty <PB N="532" REF="281">Goodne&s;s, for appearing in their vindication: and, when the&s;e fal&s;e and vio|lent men &s;hall be extinct, they that are &s;incerely ho|ne&s;t &s;hall remain in thy favour; and receive the marks of it, in thy con|&s;tant care and providence over them.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="141" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXLI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm of <HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>If the Title had not told us that <HI>David</HI> was the Authour of this P&s;alm, the matter of it would have led our minds to think of him, and of his many &s;ufferings; during the per|&s;ecution of <HI>Saul.</HI> Which he prays to God (as <HI>Theodoret</HI> ob&s;erves upon the third and fourth Ver&s;es) he may be able to bear &s;o patiently; that it may not exa&s;perate his &s;pirit to &s;peak irreverently of <HI>Saul;</HI> much le&s;s to doe him any mi&s;chief: but leave it unto God, to take his enemies in the &s;nare they had laid for him.</P>
<P><PB N="533" REF="281">No body need wonder, that there are &s;o many prayers found upon the &s;ame Subject; for that per&s;ecution endured long, and they were made upon different occa&s;ions, or to different purpo&s;es: and if they had been all to the &s;ame purpo&s;e, it would not have been &s;trange to him that con&s;iders the pious di&s;po|&s;ition of
<HI>David;</HI> who loved to &s;pend his time in &s;uch devout Meditations. And this &s;eems to have been compo&s;ed about the time of the offering of the evening Sacrifice, Ver. 2: when his afflictions al&s;o pre&s;&s;ed him &s;orely, that they tempted him to &s;peak &s;ome thing, which was
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span"> (as <HI>Theodoret</HI>'s phra&s;e is) unbecoming God's Anointed <HI>(Saul)</HI> and the profe&s;&s;ion he made of duty to him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> LORD, I cry unto thee, make ha&s;te unto me; give ear un|to my voice, when I cry unto thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. THE danger where|in I am, O Lord, is exceeding great, (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XXIII. 25. or XXIV. 1, 2.) which makes me double my cries, and be&s;eech Thee, the more importunately, &s;peedily to &s;uccour me (when my di&s;tre&s;&s;es call for it) with &s;ea&s;onable relief.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Let my pray|er be &s;et forth be|fore thee
<HI>as</HI> in|cen&s;e; <HI>and</HI> the lifting up of my hands, <HI>as</HI> the e|vening &s;acrifice.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Though I am now in a Wilderne&s;s, and thereby di&s;abled from offering Thee any other Sacrifice but my <PB N="534" REF="282" MS="y">Prayers; yet they &s;hall be as acceptable to Thee, as if they were accompanied with the &s;weete&s;t Odours: and my fervent devotion in them, with intire depen|dance on Thee alone for help, be as prevalent; as if I could now pre&s;ent Thee, at the Tabernacle, with an evening Oblation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And, in the fir&s;t place, I humbly de&s;ire Thee, O Lord, to lay &s;uch re&s;traints upon my tongue, and to enable me &s;o vigilantly to ob&s;erve all the motions of it; that none of the trou|bles I endure, though ne|ver &s;o grievous, may make me bur&s;t out into any in|temperate &s;peeches: which may give a ju&s;t offence un|to them that per&s;ecute me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Incline not my heart to <HI>any</HI> evil thing, to prac|ti&s;e wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dain|ties.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Yea, govern all the motions of my will &s;o &s;tea|dily, that I may not li&s;ten to evil coun&s;els, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 4, 6, 7.) much le&s;s ingage with men, who have no regard to right and ju|&s;tice, in any evil practices: <PB N="535" REF="282" MS="y">but alway refu&s;e to partake in their de&s;igns; though invited with the &s;pecious promi&s;es of the greate&s;t fe|licity.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Let the righ|teous &s;mite me, <HI>it &s;hall be</HI> a kind|ne&s;s; and let him reprove me, <HI>it &s;hall be</HI> an excellent oyl, <HI>which</HI> &s;hall not break my head: for yet my prayer al&s;o <HI>&s;hall be</HI> in their calamities.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. I had rather much that a righteous man &s;hould give me a &s;evere rebuke, then be inticed by evil doers to accompany them in their &s;ins: For it will do me a real kindne&s;s, and be &s;o far from giving me any vexa|tion, that it will be as ac|ceptable to me as the mo&s;t excellent ointments are un|to the head; and onely make me continue my pray|ers with the greater ear|ne&s;tne&s;s, that I may not run into tho&s;e mi&s;chievous cour|&s;es, from which I am deter|red by their pious reproofs and admonitions.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> When their judges are over|thrown in &s;tony places, they &s;hall hear my words, for they are &s;weet.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. The effect of which their greate&s;t Rulers have &s;een when, being left by their Ma&s;ter on the &s;ides of the Rock, (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 2, 3.) while he went into a hole of it to uncover his feet, they heard that I &s;pake <PB N="536" REF="283">not a reviling word (much le&s;s did I &s;tretch out my hand again&s;t him) but in the milde&s;t, and mo&s;t duti|full language addre&s;&s;ed my &s;elf unto him, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 8, 9,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Our bones are &s;cattered at the graves mouth, as when one cut|teth and cleaveth <HI>wood</HI> upon the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. And yet this gentle|ne&s;s hath been &s;o far from mollifying their hearts; that they &s;till per&s;ecute me, and the &s;mall body of men that follow me: (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXVI. 2. XXVII. 1.) whom they have reduced to &s;uch extre|mities, that like the earth, when it is ploughed up, we break in pieces; and are ready to di&s;per&s;e, and flee for our lives, with little hope of &s;afety.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> But mine eyes <HI>are</HI> unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my tru&s;t, leave not my &s;oul de&s;titute.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. But in this &s;ore di&s;tre&s;s, I fix my thoughts on Thee, O mighty Lord, the Gover|nour of all things; in whom I repo&s;e an a&s;&s;ured confi|dence, that Thou wilt not abandon me to the malice of tho&s;e, that &s;eek to take away my life from me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Keep me from the &s;nare <HI>which</HI> they have laid for me, and the grins of the workers of iniquities.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Pre&s;erve me, I be&s;eech Thee, from all the &s;ubtle
<PB N="537" REF="283">plots, which they have laid to de&s;troy me: and though they &s;tick at no|thing (though never &s;o unju&s;t) and have various arts to blind the world and hide their perfidious de|&s;igns; &s;uffer me not to be in&s;nared by them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Let the wicked fall into their own nets: whil&s;t that I with|all e&s;cape.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. But let all the con|trivances of &s;uch wicked men prove pernicious to them&s;elves; and bring up|on them the evils which they intended me: whil&s;t I, and they that are with me, by thy care of us, e&s;|cape untouched by any of them.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="142" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="538" REF="284">
<HEAD>PSALM CXLII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>Ma&s;chil of David.</HI> A Prayer when he was in the Cave.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>When <HI>David</HI> hid him&s;elf for fear of <HI>Saul,</HI> in the Cave of <HI>Adullam,</HI> (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXII. 1.) or as others think, more probably, in the Cave of <HI>Engaddi,</HI> (1 <HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 1, 2,
3.) this was the meditation he had in that di&s;|con&s;olate place; before
<HI>Saul</HI> came thither to uncover his feet, in it. Which was &s;et af|terward to the tune of <HI>Ma&s;chil,</HI> (See <HI>P&s;al.</HI> XXXII.) or called by that name, becau&s;e it admirably in&s;tructs Po&s;terity, in the mo&s;t forlorn, nay de&s;perate condition, to recom|mend them&s;elves to God, and to depend on Him with a re&s;olved Faith. Who, by an unexpected means granted the de&s;ire of <HI>Da|vid,</HI> which he makes in the conclu&s;ion of this P&s;alm (ver&s;. 7.) and brought him out of tho&s;e &s;traits wherein he was impri&s;oned. I &s;ay, <HI>re&s;olved Faith;</HI> becau&s;e in the He|brew, the words of the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> and <HI>&s;econd</HI> ver|&s;es run thus;
<HI>I will cry unto the Lord; I will make my &s;upplication; I will pour out my complaint before Him,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="539" REF="284">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> I Cried unto the LORD with my voice: with my voice un|to the LORD did I make my &s;uppli|cation.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. THough I am de&s;ti|tute of humane help, I will not de&s;pair of &s;afety: but with the more fervent cryes, implore the divine Succour; and with vehement &s;ighs and groans, deprecate the Lords di&s;|plea&s;ure.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> I poured out my complaint be|fore him: I &s;hew|ed before him my trouble.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. I will lay before Him at large, all the &s;ad thoughts which perplex my heart: and repre&s;enting the inex|tricable &s;traits and difficul|ties wherein I am, expo&s;e my &s;elf unto Him; as an object of his pity.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> When my &s;pirit was over|whelmed within me, then thou knewe&s;t my path: in the may where|in I walked, have they privily laid a &s;nare for me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Now that I am utter|ly at a lo&s;s, and ready to faint away in a confu&s;ion of thoughts, Thou knowe&s;t very well a way for my e&s;|cape: though by the intel|ligence they hold with my Enemies, (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XXIV. 1.) they have blockt up all the Pa&s;&s;ages, which I am ac|quainted withall; and laid Ambu&s;hes for me in every Rode.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but
<HI>there was</HI> no man that would know me, refuge failed me: no man cared for my &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Look about thee, O my Soul, and &s;ee if thou
<PB N="540" REF="285">can&s;t &s;py any hope of relief from thy be&s;t and mo&s;t powerfull Friends: there are none of them that dare own thee; nor do I know whither to fly for &s;afety, if any of them would be &s;o kind as to invent a means, and open a way, for my deliverance from the pre|&s;ent danger.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> I cried unto thee, O LORD, I &s;aid, Thou
<HI>art</HI> my refuge, <HI>and</HI> my portion in the land of the living.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. All that I can doe, is to recommend my &s;elf to Thee, O Lord, by fervent Prayers, &s;aying; I tru&s;t my &s;elf with thy Almighty Goodne&s;s, as in a &s;ure Sanctuary: I have nothing el&s;e in the world to depend upon, but Thee alone; by whom I will hope to be protected and provided for, as long as I live.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Attend un|to my cry, for I am brought very low, deliver me from my per&s;ecu|tors: for they are &s;tronger then I.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. O let my importunate cry prevail for &s;ome relief; which will come mo&s;t &s;ea|&s;onably, in this exceeding great nece&s;&s;ity: re&s;cue me now, that I may not fall into the hands of my Per|&s;ecutours; who are every way (except in the&s;e cries <PB N="541" REF="285">unto, and confidence in Thee) much too &s;trong for me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Bring my &s;oul out of pri&s;on, that I may prai&s;e thy Name: the righteous &s;hall com|pa&s;s me about; for thou &s;halt deal bountifully with me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Bring me, with life and liberty, out of this di&s;|mal cave, wherein I am pent up; that I may make my thankfull acknowledgments to thy Almighty Goodne&s;s: which &s;hall attract the admi|ration of all good men, and provoke them unanimou&s;ly to joyn together with me, in prai&s;ing Thee; when they &s;ee that Thou art the mo&s;t righteous Judge, and bountifull Benefactour of tho&s;e, that commit them|&s;elves unto Thee.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="143" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXLIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm of <HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>To the Title of <HI>A P&s;alm of David, Theodo|ret</HI> &s;ays he found, in &s;ome Greek Copies, the&s;e words added (to explain the time of its compo&s;ition) <HI>when Ab&s;alom his Son</HI>
<PB N="542" REF="286"><HI>per&s;ecuted him.</HI> Which he confe&s;&s;es was not then in the Hebrew (no more then it is now) nor in other Interpreters of the P&s;alms: but agrees well enough, he thinks, with the truth of the &s;tory. So he that was the Authour of the <HI>vulgar Latine</HI> thought al&s;o: though there are &s;ome pa&s;&s;ages in the P&s;alm, which &s;ound as if it had been made during the per&s;ecution of <HI>Saul;</HI> at &s;ome time, when he was in the like di&s;tre&s;s with that de&s;cribed in the foregoing. For v. 3, 4. he u&s;es &s;ome of the &s;ame expre&s;&s;ions, which we find there; and repre&s;ents him&s;elf as in danger to be buried, in &s;ome &s;uch Cave as that mentioned in the la&s;t ver&s;e of <HI>P&s;alm</HI> CVLII; where he begs, as he doth here, for a &s;peedy deliverance. Yet, for all this, there are other pa&s;&s;ages which will incline us to adhere to the forenamed Addition; and apply the P&s;alm, to his flight from <HI>Ab&s;alom.</HI> For then it was he had mo&s;t rea&s;on to fear, le&s;t God &s;hould deal with him according to his &s;ins: which he deprecates (v. 2.) with &s;uch a deep &s;en&s;e of his unworthine&s;s, that it hath made this to be numbred among the penitential P&s;alms; and is the la&s;t of them. The memory of al&s;o of God's former deliveran|ces of him, a great while before (v. 5.) may well refer to what He had done for him not onely again&s;t <HI>Saul,</HI> but before he knew him: which as he doth not forget, &s;o he ho|ped the Lord would now remember; and
<PB N="543" REF="286">grant him the like again, when he was in the like di&s;tre&s;&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> HEar my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my &s;uppli|cations: in thy faithfulne&s;s an|&s;wer me, <HI>and</HI> in thy righteou&s;ne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. I Renew my reque&s;ts, and my earne&s;t &s;up|plications unto Thee, O Lord, for &s;ome relief, in the&s;e new &s;traits and diffi|culties into which I am faln: hoping, though I am very unworthy, yet in thy abundant mercy, Thou wilt faithfully fulfil the promi&s;es Thou ha&s;t made to me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> And enter not into judgment with thy &s;ervant: for in thy &s;ight &s;hall no man li|ving be ju&s;tified.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. My &s;ins indeed (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XII. 9, 10, 11.) have ju&s;t|ly brought the&s;e troubles upon me; but I humbly be&s;eech Thee to own me &s;till for thy Servant, and not to call me unto a &s;e|vere account for what I have done ami&s;s, but to deal favourably with me: For if thou &s;houlde&s;t pro|ceed according to the ri|gour of the Law, the be&s;t man living (much le&s;s &s;o great a Sinner as I) will not be acquitted at thy Tri|bunal.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="544" REF="287">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> For the ene|my hath per&s;ecu|ted my &s;oul, he hath &s;mitten my life down to the ground: he hath made me to dwell in darkne&s;s, as tho&s;e that have been long dead.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And I am not &s;o bad, but my Enemy that per|&s;ecutes me is far wor&s;e: who without any provoca|tion &s;eeks my life, and hath already utterly de&s;poiled me of all the comforts of it, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XV. 30.) and for|ced me to &s;eek my &s;afety in holes and ob&s;cure places, in the Wilderne&s;s (XVII. 16.) where I &s;eem to be buried alive, without any hope of a re&s;urrection.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Therefore is my &s;pirit over|whelmed within me: my heart within me is de|&s;olate.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Which, as it calls to mind the di&s;tre&s;s wherein I was, when in my flight from <HI>Saul</HI> I hid my &s;elf in Caves (&s;ee CXLII. 3.) &s;o it hath the &s;ame effect up|on me: for I am ready to &s;woun away in this great perplexity; which hath &s;truck me with &s;uch a&s;to|ni&s;hment, that I have no &s;trength remaining in me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> I remember the days of old, I meditate on all thy works: I mu&s;e on the work of thy hands.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Till I call to mind, withall, not onely what Thou did&s;t for me in that former per&s;ecution; but long before in my younger days; when I was delive|red <PB N="545" REF="287">by Thee from the greate&s;t dangers (1
<HI>Sam.</HI> XVII. 34, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) on the&s;e wonderfull works I medi|tate; and con&s;ider with my &s;elf, that not by my own &s;trength, but by thy &s;tu|pendious power I was then pre&s;erved.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> I &s;tretch forth my hands unto thee: my &s;oul <HI>thir&s;teth</HI> after thee as a thir&s;ty land.
<HI>Selah</HI></P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. And then I feel my fainting Spirits return a|gain; and though I de&s;pair of humane help, I make my prayer unto Thee, with a cherefull confidence, for thy relief: which I long for and expect with as ea|ger de&s;ire, as the parched ground ga&s;ps for a refre&s;h|ing &s;howre.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Hear me &s;pee|dily, O LORD, my &s;pirit faileth, hide not thy face from me: le&s;t I be like unto them that goe down in|to the pit.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Do not delay it, O Lord, I mo&s;t earne&s;tly be|&s;eech Thee; for I am not able to hold out much lon|ger in this great extremity: deny not my humble re|que&s;t, le&s;t I be utterly lo&s;t (as I am in danger) with|out all hope of recovery, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVII. 16.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Cau&s;e me to hear thy loving kindne&s;s in the morning, for in thee do I tru&s;t, cau&s;e me to know the way wherein I &s;hould walk: for I lift up my &s;oul unto thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Though this night be very &s;ad, yet let me hear
<PB N="546" REF="288">(according to the confi|dence I repo&s;e in thy mer|cy) better news, and &s;ee my Affairs in a more com|fortable po&s;ture in the mor|ning, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> XVII. 22, 23.) &s;hew me which way I &s;hall direct my cour&s;e, and provide for my &s;afety, (v. 24, 27.) for I depend intirely upon Thee.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Let me not fall into the hand of my Enemies; from whom I am now fly|ing: but know not whi|ther to go, but onely to Thee, for &s;helter and pro|tection.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Teach me to doe thy will, for thou
<HI>art</HI> my God, thy Spirit is good: lead me into the land of upright|ne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Who&s;e guidance I be&s;eech, as well as defence, that I may doe nothing (no not for my pre&s;ervation) but what is perfectly agreea|ble to thy Laws; for thy favour is my &s;ecurity, which I know is not otherways to be obtained: and therefore I de&s;ire the conduct of thy good Spirit (which is rea|dy to a&s;&s;i&s;t tho&s;e that &s;eek it) as well to lead me in the plain path of ju&s;tice <PB N="547" REF="288">and piety, as to &s;ugge&s;t to me the way and means of e&s;caping the &s;nares of my Enemies; and of coming into an hone&s;t Country, where I may be free from the fear of being betrayed to them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Quicken me, O LORD, for thy Names &s;ake: for thy righteou&s;ne&s;s &s;ake bring my &s;oul out of trouble.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. I have nothing to move Thee to it, but one|ly the honour it will be un|to thy Maje&s;ty; in re&s;pect to which I hope, O Lord, Thou wilt pre&s;erve me from peri&s;hing, and re&s;tore me again to my Kingdome: For though my &s;traits are &s;o great, that my life is in extream danger; yet no|thing can hinder the per|formance of thy ju&s;t and faithfull promi&s;e to me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and de|&s;troy all them that afflict my &s;oul: for I <HI>am</HI> thy &s;ervant.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Thy mercy al&s;o &s;ur|pa&s;&s;es all the malice of my Enemies; whom I tru&s;t Thou wilt cut off, and de|&s;troy, rather then let me continue in the&s;e hazzards: for I am thy Mini&s;ter, and though never &s;o unworthy, am appointed by Thee to govern thy people; in <PB N="548" REF="289">which office, I will doe Thee all faithfull &s;ervice.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="144" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXLIV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">A P&s;alm of <HI>David.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>The In&s;cription will not let us doubt, that <HI>David</HI> was the Authour of this P&s;alm: but that it was a Triumph after his victory over <HI>Goliath</HI> (as the <HI>vulgar Latine</HI> hath it) is a&s;&s;erted without ground. For though &s;ome Greek Copies have &s;uch an addition to the In&s;cription; yet <HI>Theodoret</HI> &s;ays, that as he could find it in the Hebrew, &s;o it was not to be met withall in any other In|terpreters; no not in the LXX. in the <HI>Hexaplus.</HI> And it plainly appears by the
<HI>&s;econd</HI> Ver&s;e that it was compo&s;ed after he came to the Kingdome: and not then, till he had got &s;ome victories over tho&s;e that op|po&s;ed him. Nay, there are &s;o many ex|pre&s;&s;ions here, like to tho&s;e we meet withall in the XVIII. P&s;alm; that it hath incli|ned &s;ome to think, it was made at the &s;ame time, and for the &s;ame purpo&s;e with that: of which it looks like a compendium, and might be intended for a &s;hort form of
<PB N="549" REF="289">thanksgiving, for his deliverance from all his Enemies. But if the expre&s;&s;ions be carefully examined, their opinion will ap|pear to be truer, who think it was compo&s;ed, not after God had given him re&s;t from all his Enemies; but after tho&s;e two victories over the
<HI>Phili&s;tines,</HI> mentioned 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. if not before them: For as he &s;till men|tions more oppo&s;ers, who were un&s;ubdued, v. 7, 11; &s;o he doth not &s;ay, as in the XVIII. P&s;alm, that God had ca&s;t forth lightnings, and &s;hot his arrows again&s;t them, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> but de&s;ires Him here (v. 5, 6.) that He would appear in that manner for him: acknowledging that not onely his Kingdome, but his Courage, his Victories, and Succe&s;&s;es were all to be a&s;cribed unto God.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> BLe&s;&s;ed <HI>be</HI> the LORD my &s;trength, which teacheth my hands to war, <HI>and</HI> my fingers to fight.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. PRai&s;ed be the Lord, by me and by all men el&s;e; by whom I have been kept in &s;afety, as in an impregnable fortre&s;s: and who hath given me both &s;trength and skill to handle my Arms; when&s;oe|ver I ingaged, either in &s;in|gle combate or in battles.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> My goodne&s;s and my fortre&s;s, my high tower, and my deliverer, my &s;hield, and <HI>he</HI> in whom I tru&s;t, who &s;ubdueth my under me.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. I ever found Him ve|ry mercifull unto me, when I was in any danger; for <PB N="550" REF="290">He &s;till pre&s;erved me as in a &s;trong hold; nay &s;et me out of the reach of the mo&s;t po|tent Enemies; either making a way for my e&s;cape when they &s;urrounded me, or pro|tecting me in their mo&s;t fu|rious a&s;&s;aults upon me: and as I repo&s;ed a con&s;tant tru&s;t in Him, &s;o He hath never failed my expectation; but after long conte&s;ts, made all <HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;ubmit them&s;elves unto my Empire, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> LORD, what <HI>is</HI> man, that thou take&s;t know|ledge of him? <HI>or</HI> the &s;on of man, that thou make&s;t account of him?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. I am a&s;toni&s;hed, O Lord, at this thy wonder|full Goodne&s;s; and know not what to &s;ay, but onely admire that Thou &s;hould&s;t take &s;uch care of &s;o poor a thing as man is, at the be&s;t: e&s;pecially of me, a mi&s;era|ble wretch: whom Thou ha&s;t honoured with mo&s;t glorious Succe&s;&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Man is like to vanity: his days <HI>are</HI> as a &s;ha|dow that pa&s;&s;eth away.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Man, alas! is but a breath, which pre&s;ently va|ni&s;hes: what a marvel is it then, that I &s;hould have &s;trength to atchieve &s;uch things? his life is excee|ding <PB N="551" REF="290">&s;hort and uncertain; and yet, &s;uch is thy &s;tupen|dious Goodne&s;s, I am not onely alive, notwith&s;tan|ding all the hazzards through which I have run; but in a little time have performed &s;uch memorable acts, that the &s;ame of them will la&s;t for ever.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Bow they hea|vens, O LORD, and come down: touch the moun|tains, and they &s;hall &s;moke.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Proceed, O Lord, to perfect my conque&s;t, and now that new Enemies are combined again&s;t me, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VIII.) let thy Ma|je&s;ty appear as it hath done formerly (&s;ee <HI>P&s;al.</HI> XVIII. 9.) for my a&s;&s;i&s;tance and defence: and as &s;oon as the proude&s;t oppo&s;ers feel that Thou art pre&s;ent, they will vani&s;h away like &s;moak.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Ca&s;t forth lightning and &s;cat|ter them: &s;hoot out thine arrows and de&s;troy them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P> 6. Let them be di&s;per&s;ed by fla&s;hes of Lightning in their faces: and &s;o terrified with Thunder and Hail, that they may not be able to recollect their Forces.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Send thine hand from above, rid me, and deli|ver me out of great waters: from the hand of &s;trange children,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Send powerfull aid unto me from Heaven (XVIII.
<HI>P&s;al.</HI> 16.) for I <PB N="552" REF="291">rely upon nothing on Earth: relieve me in all my &s;traits; and deliver me out of the&s;e great and ma|nifold dangers, wherewith I am threatned, by a for|reign power of Idolatrous people, which now invade me:</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Who&s;e mouth &s;peaketh vanity: and their right hand <HI>is</HI> a right hand of fal&s;hood.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Who, as they have been wont to brag of more then they doe, &s;o promi&s;e more then they will ever perform: For what&s;oever treaties of peace and leagues of friend&s;hip I make with them, they break them all; and fal&s;ify &s;o &s;hamefully both their words and their oaths, that there is no tru&s;t to be given to them, (v. 11.)</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> I will &s;ing a new &s;ong unto thee, O God: up|on a p&s;altery, <HI>and</HI> an in&s;trument of ten &s;trings will I &s;ing prai&s;es unto thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. I will never prove ungratefull to Thee, for &s;o great a benefit: but here &s;olemnly vow to compo&s;e, with my be&s;t skill, new Hymns of thanks unto Thee, O God; and with the u&s;ual in&s;truments of Mu&s;ick &s;ing thy Prai&s;es, &s;aying;</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="553" REF="291">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> <HI>It is he</HI> that giveth &s;alva|tion to kings, who delivereth David his &s;ervant from the hurtfull &s;word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. It is not merely by the conduct, and valour of our Captains and Soul|diers that we have over|come; but the mo&s;t pow|erfull Kings owe their &s;afe|ty, and their victories un|to the Lord: To whom I am more particularly bound; fir&s;t for the high honour He hath done me, in making me his Mini|&s;ter; and now for this deliverance form the&s;e mighty Armies, which threaten my de&s;truction, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VIII.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of &s;trange children, who&s;e mouth &s;pea|keth vanity: and their right hand
<HI>is</HI> a right hand of fal&s;hood.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. Grant my renewed reque&s;ts therefore, I be|&s;eech Thee (v. 7, 8.) and &s;end me &s;ea&s;onable relief and deliverance from this forreign inva&s;ion of an I|dolatrous people: who have no faith nor hone|&s;ty; but &s;hamefully fal&s;ify both their words and their oaths; and when they &s;hake hands with others, as if they were their Friends, intend thereby to deceive them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="554" REF="292" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> That our &s;ons <HI>may be</HI> as plants grown up in their youth, <HI>that</HI> our daugh|ters <HI>may be</HI> as corner &s;tones, po|li&s;hed <HI>after</HI> the &s;i|militude of a pa|lace:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Let not our Coun|try be overrun by &s;uch barbarians; but be &s;o pre|&s;erved by Thee in peace and tranquillity, that our hopefull Sons may grow up like young flouri&s;hing Trees, till they attain their full &s;trength and &s;tature; and our Daughters be tall and beautifull, like tho&s;e poli&s;hed Pillars, which are the ornaments of a royal Palace.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> <HI>That</HI> our garners <HI>may be</HI> full, affording all manner of &s;tore, <HI>that</HI> our &s;heep may bring forth thou|&s;ands, and ten thou&s;ands in our &s;treets.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. Our Granaries al&s;o and Store-hou&s;es being as full as they can hold, may afford us all &s;orts of Pro|vi&s;ion from year to year: and our flocks of Sheep bring forth thou&s;ands; which may multiply into ten thou&s;ands, in their walks.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> That our oxen <HI>may be</HI> &s;trong to labour, that <HI>there be</HI> no breaking in, nor going out: that <HI>there be</HI> no com|plaining in our &s;treets.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Our Cows al&s;o, be|ing great with young, may neither be driven away by the irruption of our Ene|mies; nor ca&s;t their Calves at home: but we may be free from this, and all o|ther cau&s;es of crying,
<PB N="555" REF="292">or complaining in our &s;treets.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> Happy <HI>is</HI> that, that is in &s;uch a ca&s;e: <HI>yea,</HI> happy <HI>is</HI> that people, who&s;e God is the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. Happy is that Na|tion, which is &s;etled in &s;uch a pro&s;perous condi|tion! That is, happy is that Nation, which truly wor&s;hips the great Lord of the World; who hath promi&s;ed (<HI>Deut.</HI> XXVIII.) to ble&s;s his faithfull &s;er|vants, with the&s;e, and all other, fruits of his love.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="145" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="556" REF="293">
<HEAD>PSALM CXLV.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub"><HI>David</HI>'s P&s;alm of Prai&s;e.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>After <HI>David</HI> had obtained the&s;e favours of God for him&s;elf and for the Nation, which he begs in the foregoing P&s;alm; he compo|&s;ed (according to his promi&s;e there Ver. 9.) this admirable Hymn: which is contrived with &s;uch Art, that, it is manife&s;t from thence, he made it when he was much at lea&s;ure; and God had given him re&s;t from all his enemies: (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VII. 1.) For every Ver&s;e begins with a new Letter of the Alphabet in order: which are all here, except the Letter <HI>Nun;</HI> which is wanting, Ver&s;e 13. I &s;up|po&s;e it was lo&s;t, when this P&s;alm came to the hands of the Collectour of this Book: and he would not adventure to &s;upply it, with one of his own inventing. The <HI>Greek</HI> in|deed (that is, the pre&s;ent Greek Copies; for <HI>Theodotion,</HI> and <HI>Aquila,</HI> and the an|cient LXX. had it not) and <HI>Latin</HI> and <HI>Arabick</HI> (which in effect are but one and the &s;ame) have another Ver&s;e, which we may well think, if it ever were in the <HI>He|brew,</HI> began with that Letter
<HI>Nun:</HI> But it differs &s;o little from the &s;eventeenth Ver&s;e (when there is no repetition, in any other part <PB N="557" REF="293">of the P&s;alm) that it doth not, in my opi|nion, look like the true original Ver&s;e. And it may be doubted, whether there ever was any &s;uch Ver&s;e in that place (where we &s;up|po&s;e one wanting) for the P&s;almi&s;t might be carried (&s;ee
<HI>P&s;alm</HI> XXV.) by the &s;trength of the in&s;piration, which was upon him, out of the method he had at fir&s;t propo&s;ed to him&s;elf.</P>
<P>Certain it is, this P&s;alm was always e&s;tee|med &s;o excellent, that the Title of the whole Book of P&s;alms, is taken from this: which is wholly &s;pent in prai&s;ing God, with &s;uch admirable devotion; that the ancient <HI>He|brews</HI> were wont to &s;ay (as <HI>Valentine Schindler</HI> hath long ago ob&s;erved) <HI>He could not fail to be a child of the world to come, who would &s;ay this P&s;alm three times every day.</HI> And for that rea&s;on per|haps it was compo&s;ed Alphabetically; that &s;o u&s;efull a P&s;alm might be the more ea&s;ily learnt, and remembred by every body.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> I Will extoll thee, my God, O King, and I will ble&s;s thy name for ever and ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. I Will proclaime to all the world, O my God, the &s;upreme Governour of heaven and earth, how ex|cellent thy Maje&s;ty is; in|finitely &s;urpa&s;&s;ing the high|e&s;t of our thoughts: and will never cea&s;e to expre&s;s the delightfull &s;en&s;e I have <PB N="558" REF="294">of all thy glorious Attri|butes; whereby Thou art made known unto us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Every day will I ble&s;s thee, and I will prai&s;e thy name for ever and ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. This &s;hall be my daily imployment; and I will &s;ing joyfull Hymns in prai&s;e of thy glorious perfections, without any end.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Great <HI>is</HI> the LORD, and great|ly to be prai&s;ed; and his greatne&s;s <HI>is</HI> un&s;earchable.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. For the Lord is im|men&s;ely great, in power and dominion, and all other ways; and therefore to be honoured with our highe&s;t, and with our endle&s;s prai|&s;es: But when we have &s;aid all we can, our be&s;t prai&s;e of Him will be, to confe&s;s that his tran&s;cendent excel|lencies cannot be compre|hended.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> One genera|tion &s;hall prai&s;e thy works to another, and &s;hall declare thy mighty acts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. For there are none of thy works, which we &s;ee, that we are able to under|&s;tand; but, though this Age tran&s;mit its ob&s;ervati|ons to the next, and that recommend the &s;tudy of them to po&s;terity yet, &s;till we are ignorant and cannot prai&s;e them enough: no, nor &s;ufficiently declare the prodigious acts of thy mi|raculous <PB N="559" REF="294">Providence, for the pre&s;ervation of thy people, which &s;hall be perpetually commemorated.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> I will &s;peak of the glorious ho|nour of thy maje|&s;ty, and of thy wondrous works.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. It &s;hall be my bu&s;ine&s;s, in this pre&s;ent age, to &s;peak of the dazling &s;plendour and beauty of thy Maje&s;ty: which I want words to ex|pre&s;s, but appears in thy &s;tupendious works.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> And <HI>men</HI> &s;hall &s;peak of the might of thy ter|rible acts: and I will declare thy greatne&s;s,</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Which they that come after &s;hall rehear&s;e; and, from the narratives that I &s;hall make of thy magnifi|cent greatne&s;s, declare to their po&s;terity, what dread|full things were done by thy irre&s;i&s;table power, for the &s;ubver&s;ion of our ene|mies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> They &s;hall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodne&s;s, and &s;hall &s;ing of thy righteou&s;ne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. And with the &s;ame diligence &s;hall they con|tinue the con&s;tant memory of thy numerous benefits to us: which they &s;hall no more cea&s;e to celebrate with their prai&s;es, then a &s;pring doth to pour out water; but publi&s;h, in their per|petual Hymns, how ju&s;t and faithfull Thou art to thy word.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="560" REF="295">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> The LORD <HI>is</HI> gracious, and full of compa&s;&s;ion; &s;low to anger and of great mercy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. For the Lord (this &s;hall be the &s;ubject of their, and of my Song) is excee|ding propen&s;e to doe us good; and very indulgent when we doe ami&s;s: which makes Him that He doth not pre&s;ently puni&s;h, but rather chu&s;es to be&s;tow new and greater benefits upon us; if we repent of our faults.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> The LORD <HI>is</HI> good to all: and his tender mercies <HI>are</HI> over all his works.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. Nor is his goodne&s;s confined unto us; but ex|tends it &s;elf in various acts of bounty to all mankind: who need not doubt of his kindne&s;s; when they &s;ee He takes &s;o tender a care of all his Creatures,</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> All thy works &s;hall prai&s;e thee, O LORD, and thy &s;aints &s;hall ble&s;s thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Who all in their &s;e|veral kinds declare, O Lord, throughout all generations, how great, how wi&s;e, how powerfull and provident Thou art: which &s;uch as we, who are particularly bound unto Thee for &s;pe|cial favours be&s;towed upon us, ought mo&s;t &s;en&s;ibly to acknowledge with thank|full prai&s;es.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="561" REF="295">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> They &s;hall &s;peak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. It is their duty to di&s;cour&s;e of the incompa|rable wi&s;edom, and good|ne&s;s, and care, which Thou exerci&s;e&s;t in the government of the whole world; e&s;pe|cially of us: and to re|count the memorable acts of thy invincible power among us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> To make known to the &s;ons of men his mighty acts, and the glo|rious maje&s;ty of his kingdom.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. That all mankind, who regard not &s;uch things &s;o much as they ought, may be made &s;en&s;ible how migh|ty the Lord is: and adore the amazing &s;plendour of his illu&s;trious works; and the admirable order He ob|&s;erves in his government of all things.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Thy king|dom <HI>is</HI> an everla|&s;ting kingdom, and thy dominion <HI>en|dureth</HI> throughout all generations.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. Which as they are all intirely &s;ubject to Him, &s;o his Empire over them is immoveable; and neither ends nor decays: but, when earthly Kingdoms fail and are transferred from one to another, his dominion is &s;till the &s;ame throughout all &s;ucce&s;&s;ions.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and rai&s;eth up all <HI>tho&s;e that be</HI> bowed down.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. In which He doth not neglect any of his &s;ub|jects
<PB N="562" REF="296">that depend upon Him (as mortal Princes too fre|quently doe) but &s;upports and comforts the meane&s;t of them, that are oppre&s;&s;ed with grievous afflictions: and gives them a &s;ea&s;onable deliverance; when they are in danger to &s;ink and peri&s;h under the heavy weight of their burthens.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou give&s;t them their meat in due &s;ea&s;on.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. He makes a con&s;tant provi&s;ion al&s;o for them: which every Creature, when their nece&s;&s;ities call for &s;up|ply, daily receive from Thee, O Lord; in the proper &s;ea|&s;on for it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> Thou ope|ne&s;t thy hand, and &s;atisfie&s;t the de&s;ire of every living thing.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. And Thou art not &s;paring of thy ble&s;&s;ings; but di&s;pen&s;e&s;t them with &s;uch a bountifull hand, that there are none of them live without &s;atisfaction: but have all their appetites fil|led; by thy liberality to the &s;malle&s;t of them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> The LORD <HI>is</HI> righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. And therefore let us not doubt, but thankfully ac|knowledge, that the Lord is not onely ju&s;t in all the di&s;|pen&s;ations of his Providence <PB N="563" REF="296">to us; (though perhaps we do not apprehend it) but exceeding mercifull, and kind, in every thing that befalls us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> The LORD <HI>is</HI> nigh unto all them that call up|on him, to all that call upon him in truth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. We need doe no more but piou&s;ly commend our &s;elves to Him, and He will take care of us: for He is ready on all occa&s;ions, to relieve every one that addre&s;&s;es him&s;elf unto Him; with a &s;incere heart, truly di&s;po&s;ed to be faithfull to Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> He will ful|fill the de&s;ire of them that fear him: he al&s;o will hear their cry, and will &s;ave them.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. He that &s;atisfies the appetite of all Creatures, (Ver.
16.) will not fail, we may be confident, to grati|fie in their de&s;ires, &s;uch re|ligious per&s;ons as fear to offend Him: But though He let them fall into trou|bles and &s;traits, in due time will be moved, by their importunate prayers, to &s;end them a &s;ea&s;onable delive|rance.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> The LORD pre&s;erveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he de&s;troy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. For &s;ince they love Him &s;o well, that they had rather &s;uffer any thing, then di&s;obey Him; the Lord un|doubtedly
<PB N="564" REF="297">will pre&s;erve them: and de&s;troy all tho&s;e impious men, who have no regard to his Laws; nor make any &s;cruple to abu&s;e and oppre&s;s &s;uch vertuous per&s;ons.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="21" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>21.</BIBL> My mouth &s;hall &s;peak the prai&s;e of the LORD: and let all fle&s;h ble&s;s his holy name for e|ver and ever.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>21. For which, and all the re&s;t of his benefits, I will never cea&s;e to &s;ing Hymns of prai&s;e unto the Lord: and let all mankind (remembring how weak and frail they are) join to|gether with me in this im|ployment, (as the greate&s;t &s;upport, and comfort, and &s;ecurity they have) to ble&s;s his incomparable Goodne&s;s, and Power, and carefull Providence, for ever and ever.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="146" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="565" REF="297">
<HEAD>PSALM CXLVI.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Hallelujah.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>This P&s;alm and the other four, which follow, both begin and conclude, with the word <HI>Hal|lelujah,</HI> i. e. Prai&s;e ye the Lord. And there|fore might, if the <HI>Jews</HI> had plea&s;ed, have been called
<HI>The great Hallelujah:</HI> being all of them exhortations and incitements to the people; to &s;tir up them&s;elves unto that hea|venly imployment: which this P&s;alm re|commends to them, from the con&s;ideration of &s;everal of the Divine Excellencies: which make Him the proper object of our confidence in all conditions. The vulgar <HI>Latin,</HI> and the pre&s;ent <HI>Greek</HI> intitle it to <HI>Haggai</HI> and <HI>Zachariah:</HI> but there is no &s;uch thing in the <HI>Hebrew,</HI> nor in other ancient Interpre|ters, nor in the LXX. in the
<HI>Hexaplus,</HI> as <HI>Theodoret</HI> tells us. And we might rather think it not unlikely, to have been compo&s;ed by <HI>David;</HI> when <HI>Saul,</HI> who at fir&s;t had a great kindne&s;s for him, afterward turned his mo&s;t bitter enemy: were it not for one word, <HI>viz.</HI> the mention of
<HI>Sion;</HI> which was not then in <HI>David</HI>'s po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion. This it is po&s;&s;ible inclined tho&s;e that made the fore|going Title, to think it was not compo&s;ed <PB N="566" REF="298">till after-times; and they could find none &s;o likely as that after the Captivity: when they &s;oon found it was in vain to rely upon the favour of Princes; &s;ome of which hin|dred the building of the Temple, as much as <HI>Cyrus</HI> at the fir&s;t had furthered it. I &s;hall not trouble the Reader with any other conjectures: but onely note that the eighth Ver&s;e was mo&s;t exactly and literally fulfilled in our Lord
<HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> when he came to give Salvation to us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> PRai&s;e ye the LORD. Prai&s;e the LORD, O my &s;oul.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. STir up thy &s;elf, O my Soul, to give the Lord, who gave Being to all things, tho&s;e affectionate prai&s;es which are due unto Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> While I live will I prai&s;e the LORD: I will &s;ing prai&s;es unto my God, while I have any being.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. The be&s;t re&s;olution Thou can&s;t make is this; I will prai&s;e the Lord all my life long: and never cea&s;e to give thanks unto my God, who never cea&s;es to be&s;tow his benefits on me.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Put not your tru&s;t in princes,
<HI>nor</HI> in the &s;on of man, in whom <HI>there is</HI> no help.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. And let all mankind, if they would be happy, pre&s;erve his favour, by be|ing gratefull to Him; and not (with the neglect of his &s;ervice) court the fa|vour <PB N="567" REF="298">of Princes, and &s;ettle upon them their depen|dance: For the greate&s;t King on earth, though ne|ver &s;o ju&s;t, never &s;o boun|tifull, as well as rich and powerfull, is &s;till but a man; who cannot be pre|&s;ent every where when we are in danger, nor be able always to help us in our greate&s;t needs.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth: in that ve|ry day his thoughts peri&s;h.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. For there is a time when he cannot help him|&s;elf, nor by the whole pow|er of his Empire keep his &s;oul from leaving his body: nay a &s;mall accident may carry him away &s;uddenly; and then a clod of earth can do as much as he, and what&s;oever de&s;igns and pro|jects he had laid, (for any mans preferment, &s;uppo&s;e) they all die together with him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Happy <HI>is he</HI> that <HI>hath</HI> the God of Jacob for his help, who&s;e hope <HI>is</HI> in the LORD his God:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. He, and he alone, is the truly happy man, who expects help from the migh|ty God, by whom <HI>Jacob</HI> was fed all his life long, (XLVIII. <HI>Gen.</HI> 15.) who <PB N="568" REF="299">tru&s;ts to Him that is Lord of the World; and hath made Him his Friend &s;o much, that he can call Him his God.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Which made heaven and earth, the &s;ea, and all that therein <HI>is:</HI> which keepeth truth for ever:</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. For, as He never dies &s;o, there can be no defect in his power, nor want of his pre&s;ence in every place; the heavens, the earth and the &s;ea, and all that is in them, being his own works: and, as nothing can hinder Him from doing what He plea&s;es &s;o, He will never alter his mind, nor go back with his word; but faith|fully keep his promi&s;es for ever, with tho&s;e that rely upon them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Which exe|cuteth judgment for the oppre&s;&s;ed, which giveth food to the hungry: the LORD loo&s;eth the pri&s;oners.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. There are innume|rable in&s;tances of the care|full Providence of this great King; who doth not &s;light or forget the cries of his grieved Subjects; but in due time a&s;&s;erts the right of tho&s;e who are oppre&s;&s;ed, and can find no relief in other Courts of Judgment: He &s;upplies al&s;o the needs of poor hungry wretches,
<PB N="569" REF="299" MS="y">who are ready to fami&s;h: and is &s;o gracious a Lord, that He &s;ets them at liber|ty, who by unju&s;t or piti|le&s;s men have been held in mi&s;erable Captivity.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> The LORD openeth <HI>the eyes of</HI> the blind: the LORD rai&s;eth <HI>them that are</HI> bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. The Lord &s;ends help, when there are no hopes of humane cure: for He re|&s;tores &s;ight to the blind, (as we &s;hall &s;ee mo&s;t re|markably when the Lord <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> appears) and lifts up tho&s;e who are bowed to|gether, by tedious weak|ne&s;&s;es, (XIII. <HI>Luke</HI> 11.) or cru&s;ht under other in&s;up|portable burthens: and a|bove all the Lord delights to doe good to them, who have done good to others.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> The LORD pre&s;erveth the &s;trangers; he re|lieveth the father|le&s;s and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth up&s;ide down.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. The friendle&s;s &s;trangers are pre&s;erved by the Lord, from tho&s;e injuries which men are apt to doe them; when they commit them|&s;elves to his protection: And &s;o do the di&s;con&s;olate Widows and Fatherle&s;s Chil|dren find &s;upport and re|lief from Him, again&s;t the inju&s;tice and violence of <PB N="570" REF="300">their wicked oppre&s;&s;ours; who&s;e de&s;igns and practices He utterly confoundeth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> The LORD &s;hall reign for e|ver,
<HI>even</HI> thy God, O Sion, unto all generations. Prai&s;e ye the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Be of good comfort then, O ye inhabitants of
<HI>Sion,</HI> who &s;incerely wor&s;hip this great Lord, that doeth all the&s;e wondrous things: For his power and autho|rity never fails; but from age to age will ever &s;uccour tho&s;e pious &s;ouls, who are de&s;titute of humane help: therefore prai&s;e perpetually this everla&s;ting King.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="147" TYPE="Psalm">
<HEAD>PSALM CXLVII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Hallelujah. <HI>See</HI> CXLVI.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>Saint <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> and <HI>Theodoret</HI> think this P&s;alm hath re&s;pect to the return of the Jew|i&s;h Nation from the Captivity of <HI>Babylon;</HI> and the in&s;tauration of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> which followed upon it. And the <HI>&s;econd</HI> and <HI>thir|teenth</HI> Ver&s;es, may well incline us to be of the opinion, that it was made by &s;ome holy man at that time, (<HI>Haggai</HI> or <HI>Zachariah</HI>
<PB N="571" REF="300">&s;ome ancient Interpreters imagin; or rather
<HI>Nehemiah,</HI> who built the Walls and &s;et up the Gates) e&s;pecially if we ob&s;erve that there are &s;ome phra&s;es in it, which &s;avour of the
<HI>Chaldaean</HI> language. And though this can be no more then a conjecture; yet it is very certain and evident that in that deliverance, God gave &s;uch illu&s;trious proofs of his power, wi&s;edom, mercy and ju&s;tice, as the P&s;almi&s;t here exhorts the people to celebrate with their thankfull prai&s;es. I &s;hall follow it therefore in my Paraphra&s;e; it being rea&s;onable to &s;uppo&s;e that devout per&s;ons would be as for|ward to acknowledge the wonderfull Provi|dence of God in their re&s;tauration, as they were to bewail (which they do <HI>P&s;.</HI> CXXXVII.) the ruin of their Country; and that po&s;terity would be no le&s;s carefull to pre&s;erve what was compo&s;ed in memory of the one, then they had been to continue the memory of the other: And there is no Hymn, we can find, &s;o &s;utable to that occa&s;ion as this.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> PRai&s;e ye the LORD: for <HI>it is</HI> good to &s;ing prai&s;es unto our God; for <HI>it is</HI> plea&s;ant,
<HI>and</HI> prai&s;e is comely.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. LET all the Nations prai&s;e the Lord; who will &s;end us new be|nefits, when we are truly thankfull to Him our great Benefactour, for the old: For it is a thing highly ac|ceptable to Him, as well as delightfull to tho&s;e who are <PB N="572" REF="301">imployed therein; and be&s;t becomes us of all other things, there being nothing &s;o decent as to &s;ee men gratefull to Him that hath obliged them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> The LORD doth build up Je|ru&s;alem: he ga|thereth together the outca&s;ts of I&s;|rael.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. To which we &s;tand bound above all other men; for the Lord hath not one|ly delivered us out of a &s;ad Captivity; but, in &s;pite of all the oppo&s;ition our ene|mies have made to it, (IV. <HI>Ezra</HI> 12.) hath rai&s;ed <HI>Je|ru&s;alem</HI> out of its ruines: whereby He invites the re&s;t of our Brethren, who re|main behind, to return to their own Country from whence they are expelled.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> He healeth the broken in heart, and bin|deth up their wounds.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. He comforts us after our long &s;orrows, which had in a manner broken our heart with grief and &s;adne&s;s: and hath in &s;ome mea&s;ure repaired our brea|ches, which like a fe&s;tering wound, indangered the life of our Nation.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> He telleth the number of the &s;tars: he calleth them all by <HI>their</HI> names.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Whom He knows how to gather, out of all their di&s;per&s;ions, and to find every <PB N="573" REF="301">one of them where&s;oever they are, though as nume|rous as the &s;tars of heaven: (XV.
<HI>Gen.</HI> 5.) which He as di&s;tinctly and exactly un|der&s;tands (how confu&s;edly &s;oever they &s;eem to us, to be &s;cattered in the skie) as we do tho&s;e things, which we call by their proper names.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Great <HI>is</HI> our Lord, and of great power: his under|&s;tanding <HI>is</HI> infinite.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Let us not de&s;pair of it; for nothing is impo&s;&s;ible with our Lord and Gover|nour: who is not like earthly Kings, that rule o|ver a few petty Provinces; but the great Sovereign of the whole world; who&s;e power and wi&s;edom are &s;o unlimited, that He is able to doe what&s;oever He plea|&s;es, and knows how to com|pa&s;s what&s;oever He de&s;igns.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> The LORD lifteth up the meek: he ca&s;teth the wicked down to the ground.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. And doth not, becau&s;e He is &s;o great, de&s;pi&s;e the afflicted: but, if they meek|ly commit them&s;elves to his care, will rai&s;e them up to a better condition; and throw down the mightie&s;t Princes that proudly oppre&s;s them, <PB N="574" REF="302">as low as the very ground.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving: &s;ing prai&s;e upon the harp unto our God.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Celebrate therefore with your thankfull Songs (you cannot make a le&s;s re|turn unto Him) this infinite Power, and Wi&s;edom, and Goodne&s;s: Begin now, with the u&s;ual In&s;truments of Mu|&s;ick, to &s;ing Hymns of prai&s;e unto our God, for all his benefits.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Who cove|reth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh gra&s;s to grow upon the mountains.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Particularly for the great plenty He hath given us by his almighty Good|ne&s;s; (II. <HI>Haggai</HI> 1.) which &s;hews it &s;elf, fir&s;t in rai&s;ing vapours from the earth; and then turning them into clouds, wherewith He co|vers the face of heaven; and then bringing forth rain out of tho&s;e clouds: which He &s;ends back to the earth again; and makes not onely the green pa&s;tures, but the parched mountains and de&s;art places, become fruitfull.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> He giveth to the bea&s;t his food,
<HI>and</HI> to the young ravens which cry.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. By which wonderfull Providence He provides food, even for the wild goats and &s;uck like bea&s;ts; <PB N="575" REF="302">that live upon the top of craggy rocks: For He neg|lects not the vile&s;t creatures, but &s;atisfies the hunger of the young ravens; though it be &s;o ravenous, that they are continually crying for new &s;upplies.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> He deligh|teth not in the &s;trength of the hor&s;e: he taketh not plea&s;ure in the legs of a man.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. Let us not doubt then, but He that takes care of crows, will much more take care of us; and not be afraid, though we are of little force, (IV. <HI>Nehem.</HI> 3, 4. VII. 4.) and have no armies of hor&s;e and foot to defend us: For the Lord (who fights for us, IV. <HI>Nehem.</HI> 20.) hath no need of the&s;e; and will not take part with our enemies, becau&s;e they are &s;uperiour to us in the &s;trength of their hor&s;es, and the nimblene&s;s of their &s;ouldiers.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> The LORD taketh plea&s;ure in them that fear him, in tho&s;e that hope in his mercy.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. But delights to give tho&s;e his a&s;&s;i&s;tance and pro|tection, who, wor&s;hipping Him devoutly, fear to of|fend Him: and, having no help in them&s;elves, nor any earthly refuge to fly unto,
<PB N="576" REF="303">depend notwith&s;tanding with a &s;tedfa&s;t faith on his infinite mercy.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Prai&s;e the LORD, O Jeru|&s;alem: prai&s;e thy God, O Sion.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Prai&s;e the Lord, O ye inhabitants of
<HI>Jeru&s;alem;</HI> &s;ing joyfull Hymns unto your God, O ye people of
<HI>Sion,</HI> (XII. <HI>Nehem.</HI> 27, 31, 40, 43.) who have &s;een this truth abundantly de|mon&s;trated in your days.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> For he hath &s;trengthened the bars of thy gates: he hath ble&s;&s;ed thy children within thee.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. For He hath made this City, which was lately without Walls and Gates, &s;o &s;trong a place; that no enemy dare a&s;&s;ualt it, (VI.
<HI>Nehem.</HI> 15, 16.) and hath increa&s;ed the number of thy Citizens which were but few, (VII. <HI>Nehem.</HI> 4. XI. 1, 2.) by the manifold ble&s;&s;ings He hath poured on them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> He maketh peace <HI>in</HI> thy bor|ders,
<HI>and</HI> filleth thee with the fine&s;t of the wheat.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. Which are not con|fined within the Walls of that City, but He hath &s;ettled all the Country in peace: no enemy appea|ring to infe&s;t thy borders, and to di&s;turb the husband|men in their labours; which have produced &s;o rich a <PB N="577" REF="303">crop, that plentifull provi|&s;ion is made for all our &s;a|tisfaction.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="15" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>15.</BIBL> He &s;endeth forth his com|mandment
<HI>upon</HI> earth: his word runneth very &s;wiftly.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>15. This we ought to a&s;cribe to his mercifull Pro|vidence, who &s;hews by the fruitfull &s;ea&s;ons He &s;ends, after all things &s;eem to be killed by a hard winter, that He doth not intend by our affliction to de&s;troy us; and that He can ea&s;ily bring all our Brethren hither, who remain &s;till in Captivity: For when He would have any alteration made in the earth, it is done as &s;peedily as we can &s;peak.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="16" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>16.</BIBL> He giveth &s;now like wooll: he &s;cattereth the hoar fro&s;t like a|&s;hes.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>16. He &s;ends, for in&s;tance, a &s;udden cold: which &s;ome|times turns the moi&s;t va|pours, in the air, into flakes of &s;now, to cover the earth as with a fleece of wool, and defend the corn from the biting winds; and &s;ome|times into hoary fro&s;t, which He gently &s;catters and &s;traws, like a&s;hes, up|on the earth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="17" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>17.</BIBL> He ca&s;teth forth his ice like mor&s;els: who can &s;tand before his cold?</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>17. And &s;ometimes con|geals them into ice; which
<PB N="578" REF="304">He breaks into bits, and throws down in violent hail: accompanied with &s;uch extremity of cold, that neither man nor bea&s;t nor the fi&s;hes in the ponds and rivers are able long to en|dure it.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="18" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>18.</BIBL> He &s;endeth out his word, and melteth them: he cau&s;eth his wind to blow, <HI>and</HI> the waters flow.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>18. But then, to prevent the hurt that might in&s;ue by its continuance, He i&s;|&s;ues forth another com|mand, which as &s;uddenly (Ver.
15.) makes a thaw; and, by the warm breath of &s;ofter winds, loo&s;ens the waters which were bound up; and cau&s;es them to flow again.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="19" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>19.</BIBL> He &s;heweth his word unto Ja|cob, his &s;tatutes and his judgments unto I&s;rael.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>19. In &s;uch things as the&s;e the whole world &s;ee how powerfull, and how good He is: But we have more peculiar rea&s;ons to depend upon Him for a happy return of our Na|tion; whom He doth not teach merely by the &s;now, the hoar fro&s;t, and the ice; but by another &s;ort of word then that which &s;ends them upon the earth: (Ver. 15.) <PB N="579" REF="304">even by His <HI>Ten Command|ments</HI> delivered from hea|ven (XX. <HI>Exod.</HI>
1.) in a mo&s;t glorious and a&s;toni|&s;hing manner, (Ver. 18.) and by Laws of all &s;orts, which He hath given us for the government of our life.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="20" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>20.</BIBL> He hath not dealt &s;o with any nation: and
<HI>as for his</HI> judg|ments, they have not known them. Prai&s;e ye the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>20. This is a privilege which no other Nation in the world enjoys, (IV. <HI>Deut.</HI> 32, 33.) For, though they all receive the &s;howres and &s;now out of the clouds yet, Laws from thence they have no acquaintance with|all. Therefore let not us di&s;honour Him &s;o much, as to di&s;tru&s;t his Providence; but continually prai&s;e the Lord, and acknowledge his bounty to us.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="148" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="580" REF="305">
<HEAD>PSALM CXLVIII.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Hallelujah. <HI>See</HI> CXLVI.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P>It doth not appear who was the Authour of this Hymn, nor upon what occa&s;ion it was com|po&s;ed. But the la&s;t Ver&s;e &s;ufficiently &s;hews the Nation was then in a very flouri&s;hing condition; and therefore probably it was made by <HI>David;</HI> when God had given him re&s;t from all his Enemies: which filled his heart with &s;uch love to God, that it tran|&s;ported him into this rapture. Wherein, finding how &s;hort his own prai&s;es were, he wi&s;hes all Creatures in heaven and earth would con&s;pire in a &s;weet &s;ymphony, as <HI>The|odoret</HI> &s;peaks, of &s;inging Hymns unto Him. And <HI>fir&s;t</HI> he calls upon the world above, and all that is therein from the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> Ver&s;e to the <HI>&s;eventh:</HI> where he de&s;cends to the world here below; and calls upon all things on the earth to prai&s;e the Lord: concluding (v. 13.) that as there is one Maker of both; &s;o all that they can &s;ay of Him, when they have joyned all their powers together in one Quire, falls infinitely &s;hort of his mo&s;t excellent Maje&s;ty. Who hath &s;et forth his mo&s;t tran&s;cendent wi&s;dome, power, and mu|nificence, in &s;uch variety of &s;tupendious <PB N="581" REF="305">work, that there is not the &s;malle&s;t of them, but mini&s;ters &s;uch matter of prai&s;e, nay admiration, to tho&s;e that attentively con&s;ider them; that they cannot but wi&s;h with the P&s;almi&s;h here, that every one of them were able to tell us, how much skill, and kindne&s;s He hath &s;hown in their contrivance: or that we were able to find it out, and comprehend it. Thus He is to be under&s;tood when he calls upon all Creatures to prai&s;e the Lord: or it is as if he had &s;aid,
<HI>The Lord is to be prai&s;ed by</HI> or <HI>in</HI> all the&s;e things, as long as the world la&s;ts.</P>
<P>This I take to be the true account of this P&s;alm, which I refer to the times of <HI>David,</HI> becau&s;e the two following &s;eem to have been then made; and there is no other we can &s;o well fix upon: unle&s;s we will conceive that it was a Meditation, when they were per|fectly &s;ettled in a peaceable enjoyment of their Religion, after the Captivity; of which there is not the lea&s;t intimation in the P&s;alm.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> PRai&s;e ye the LORD, prai&s;e ye the LORD from the heavens: prai&s;e him in the heights.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. LET all Creatures prai&s;e the Lord. Fir&s;t, let the Cele&s;tial Quire begin, and &s;ing their thank|full Hymns to Him: who hath rai&s;ed them &s;o high above us in power and might, as well as in dignity and place.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="582" REF="306">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Prai&s;e ye him, all his An|gels, prai&s;e ye him all his ho&s;ts.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Prai&s;e Him all ye An|gels, who have the honour to be the prime Mini&s;ters of his mo&s;t excellent Maje&s;ty: O let their &s;everal Ho&s;ts and Companies, in what&s;oever rank or order they &s;tand, prai&s;e Him; who&s;e Sove|reign Authority commands them all.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Prai&s;e ye him Sun and Moon: prai&s;e him all ye &s;tars of light.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Prai&s;e Him ye Sun and Moon, who are his greate&s;t vi&s;ible Mini&s;ters, and unwearied in his &s;er|vice: Prai&s;e Him all the re&s;t of the &s;hining Stars; and declare to all future generations, as ye have done for &s;o many Ages pa&s;t, how glorious He is.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Prai&s;e him ye heavens of heavens: and ye waters that <HI>be</HI> a|bove the heavens.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Let all the heavenly Regions prai&s;e Him: parti|cularly the Clouds; which hang in the Aire, and di&s;|&s;till in fruitfull &s;howres to inrich the Earth.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Let them prai&s;e the Name of the LORD, for he comman|ded, and they were created.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Let all the&s;e &s;et forth the adorable wi&s;dome, and power, and goodne&s;s of the Lord: For by his omnipo|tent word, the&s;e, whom the mi&s;taken world calls Gods, <PB N="583" REF="306">were created; not to be wor&s;hipped, but perpetu|ally to proclaim his prai&s;e.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> He hath al|&s;o e&s;tabli&s;hed them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree, which &s;hall not pa&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. who hath made them not onely illu&s;trious, but everla&s;ting monuments of his &s;plendour and glory: having fixt and &s;ettled them in an admirable order, which they con&s;tantly ob&s;erve; and pre&s;cribed them Laws, which they never tran&s;gre&s;s.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> Prai&s;e the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. O Let all Creatures here below accompany tho&s;e cele&s;tial ho&s;ts, in their prai|&s;es of the Lord: who&s;e power the va&s;t Whales in their &s;everal kinds, and all that moves in the profound depth of the Sea, abundant|ly declare.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> Fire and hail, &s;now and vapour: &s;tormy wind fulfilling his word.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. Let the Lightnings, Thunder, and Hail; the Snow, hoary Fro&s;t, and Ice; the Winds, Storms, and Tempe&s;ts; all make a part of this Song: for they con&s;tantly execute his So|vereign Will, and &s;erve his wi&s;e De&s;igns.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> Mountains and all hills: fruitfull trees, and all cedars.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. The lofty Mountains al&s;o, and the le&s;&s;er Hills;
<PB N="584" REF="307">the Fruit-bearing Trees, with the &s;tately Cedars; the Pines, the firrs, and all the re&s;t (which He hath created for &s;everal ends and u&s;es) let them all be called upon to tell, how great, and how bountiful He is.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="10" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>10.</BIBL> Bea&s;ts and all cattel: creep|ing things, and flying fowl.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>10. The wild Bea&s;ts al&s;o of the Fore&s;t, and all the Cattel that feed in the Fields; what&s;oever creeps upon the Earth, or &s;wims in the Sea, or flies in the Aire; let it joyn in this Hymn of prai&s;e to Him: who hath &s;hown his mani|fold wi&s;dome, and diffu|&s;ive goodne&s;s in them all.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="11" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>11.</BIBL> Kings of the earth, and all people: Princes, and all Judges of the earth.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>11. But e&s;pecially let Mankind prai&s;e Him; who (after He had made the&s;e things) brought them into the world, la&s;t of all, to contemplate his wonderfull works: And fir&s;t let Kings (who here on Earth re&s;em|ble the Angels or the Sun in Heaven) and then let their Mini&s;ters of State and Lieutenants in their &s;everal Provinces; and next, all
<PB N="585" REF="307">the Judges of the Earth (who are like the Moon and the Stars) give a good example unto all the Sub|jects; and &s;tir them up, to meditate his prai&s;e.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="12" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>12.</BIBL> Both young men and maidens: old men and chil|dren.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>12. Let no Sex, no Age think them&s;elves exempted from this heavenly imploy|ment: But let the Young men prai&s;e Him for their &s;trength, and the Virgins for their beauty; they that are going out of the world, for all that they have &s;een and heard of Him; and they that are newly come into it, for all the goodly &s;pectacles that are before them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="13" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>13.</BIBL> Let them prai&s;e the Name of the LORD, for his Name alone is excellent: and his glory <HI>is</HI> above the earth and heaven.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>13. Let them prai&s;e the incomparable Wi&s;edom, Goodne&s;s, and Power of the Lord: For how great &s;oever any other Beings are, there is no other God but He; who&s;e mo&s;t excellent Maje&s;ty, infinitely &s;urpa&s;|&s;es, all that the Earth or the Heavens can tell us of Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="14" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>14.</BIBL> He al&s;o ex|alteth the horn of his people, the prai&s;e of all his Saints, even of the children of I&s;rael, a people near who him. Prai&s;e ye the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>14. And yet &s;o great is his conde&s;cention unto us (who are bound therefore <PB N="586" REF="308">more particularly to prai&s;e Him) He takes a peculiar care of us; and hath &s;et over us a powerfull Prince, for the defence and &s;afety of his People, (LXXXIX. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 19.) Who&s;e fame He hath thereby rai&s;ed to the highe&s;t pitch of honour; having obliged the Children of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> by many peculiar benefits, e&s;pecially this; that they are a people more nearly related to Him, then any other what&s;oever: for He dwells among them, in his holy place, where they approach to Him. O prai&s;e Him there, for this &s;ingular favour.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="149" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="587" REF="308">
<HEAD>PSALM CXLIX.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Hallelujah. <HI>See</HI> CXLVI.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Theodoret</HI> thinks this P&s;alm was made for them, that, after their return from Captivi|ty, had many oppo&s;ers; but, by the Divine A&s;&s;i&s;tance overcame them: And that it is a praediction of tho&s;e great things, which were done by the <HI>Maccabees.</HI> Certain it is, that &s;ome &s;ignal Victory was the occa&s;ion of it; and thence Saint
<HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> hath here given us a full account, I think, of the mea|ning of <HI>A new Song:</HI> which, according to the u&s;e of the word
<HI>new</HI> in other places, (when they would expre&s;s a thing very won|derfull, &s;uch as hath not been &s;een or heard of before, XVI.
<HI>Numb.</HI> 30. XXXI. <HI>Jer.</HI> 22.) he takes to denote <HI>An illu&s;trious and famous Hymn, made for Victories, for great At|chievements and Trophies.</HI> Which were never more remarkable in this Nation, then in the days of <HI>David;</HI> and therefore this P&s;alm may very well relate to his reign: who &s;ubdued &s;everal Kingdoms; which had &s;tood out, and would not &s;ubmit to <HI>I&s;rael</HI> till his time, though God had promi&s;ed to give their Countries to them, XV. <HI>Gen.</HI> 18. XXIII. <HI>Exod.</HI> 31. 2.
<HI>Sam.</HI> VIII. 1, 2, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> X. 19.</P>
<P><PB N="588" REF="309">The interpretation which I have given of the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> Ver&s;e, need not &s;eem &s;trange to any one; who con&s;iders that it hath been, and is the cu&s;tom of all Nations, to &s;tir up them|&s;elves to fight by the &s;ound of &s;ome mu&s;ical In&s;trument or other.
<Q REND="inline">"The ancient inhabi|tants of
<HI>Etruria,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Clemens Alex|andrinus</HI> (in the
<HI>&s;econd</HI> Book of his <HI>Pae|dagogus,</HI> chap. 4.) u&s;ed the Trumpet for this purpo&s;e; the <HI>Arcadians</HI> the Whi&s;tle; the
<HI>Sicilians</HI> an In&s;trument called <HI>Pectids;</HI> the
<HI>Cretians</HI> the Harp; the <HI>Lacedaemo|nians</HI> the Pipe; the
<HI>Thracians</HI> the Cornet; the <HI>Egyptians</HI> the Drum; the
<HI>Arabians</HI> the Cymball:</Q> But it was proper to the
<HI>I&s;raelites</HI> to go forth again&s;t their Enemies, &s;inging P&s;alms of Prai&s;e to God, (as we reade, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> XX. 21, 22.) who had gi|ven great Victories to their Ance&s;tours, and had promi&s;ed never to for&s;ake their Po&s;te|rity; while they &s;erved Him onely, and pi|ou&s;ly confided in Him.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> PRai&s;e ye the LORD: Sing unto the LORD a new &s;ong, <HI>and</HI> his prai&s;e in the congregati|on of &s;aint<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. SIng a new Hymn un|to the Lord, for the fre&s;h and &s;ingular benefits He hath be&s;towed upon us: Let Him be prai&s;ed not onely in private, but in the publick a&s;&s;emblies of tho&s;e, who have received &s;pecial marks of his favour to them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="589" REF="309" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Let I&s;rael rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Sion be joyfull in their king.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Let all the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> rejoice in Him, that made them his peculiar people; and hath now rai&s;ed them to great &s;plendour among the Nations of the world: let the inhabitants of <HI>Sion,</HI> more particularly, be excee|ding glad, that the Lord, who is our King, hath there &s;ettled his royal Throne, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> V. 9. VI. 12.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Let them prai&s;e his name in the dance: let them &s;ing prai&s;es unto him with the tim|brel and harp.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Let them leap for joy, and unanimou&s;ly prai&s;e his mo&s;t excellent Maje&s;ty, in their Dances to the Flute: (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> VI.
16.) let them te&s;tifie their gratitude to Him, by &s;inging P&s;alms, with the Timbrel and the Harp.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> For the LORD taketh plea&s;ure in his people: he will beautifie the meek with &s;alvation.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. For the Lord taketh plea&s;ure in doing good un|to his people: and will not onely deliver them after they have been oppre&s;&s;ed many years; but, if they meekly depend upon Him, make them as great and il|lu&s;trious, as they have been contemptible and mean, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XIV.
2.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="590" REF="310">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Let the &s;aints be joyfull in glory: let them &s;ing aloud upon their beds.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Which &s;hall fill the hearts of good men (who are dear to Him) with the highe&s;t triumph, in the ho|nour that He hath done them: and make them &s;hout for joy, in the &s;ecurity and peace He &s;hall be&s;tow upon them.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> <HI>Let</HI> the high prai&s;es of God
<HI>be</HI> in their mouth, and a two-edged &s;word in their hand;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Which they &s;hall not doubt to maintain again&s;t all oppo&s;ers; for in a&s;&s;ured hope of Victory they &s;hall go to War, with P&s;alms, and Hymns in their mouths, concerning the great acts of the Lord: which they &s;hall couragiou&s;ly &s;ing with a loud voice, when they fall upon their enemies; and prefer to the two edged &s;word wich they carry in their hand.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="7" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> To execute vengeance upon the heathen,
<HI>and</HI> puni&s;hments upon the people;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>7. Wherewith they &s;hall take a ju&s;t revenge upon the heathen, for all the in|juries they have done us: and &s;o cha&s;ti&s;e the in&s;olence of the people, that they &s;hall fear again to mole&s;t us, 1
<HI>Chron.</HI> XIV. 17.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="8" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="591" REF="310" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>8.</BIBL> To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>8. For their Victories &s;hall be &s;o compleat, that they &s;hall not onely rout their enemies and put them to flight; but lead away their Kings captive in chains; and take their great Captains and Com|manders pri&s;oners, and keep them fa&s;t in fetters of iron.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="9" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>9.</BIBL> To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his &s;aints. Prai&s;e ye the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>9. In order to the exe|cuting upon them the judg|ment, which God hath long ago decreed, and is recor|ded in his Law, VII. <HI>Deut.</HI> 24. XXXII. 41, 42, 43. This is the honour which all <HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;hall have, when they are in favour with God; and &s;uch &s;hall be their glorious Victories, and &s;uch Hymns and melo|dious Songs &s;hall they &s;ing, &s;aying;
<HI>Hallelujah,</HI> prai&s;e the Lord, by who&s;e power and might we have done all this.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="150" TYPE="Psalm">
<PB N="592" REF="311">
<HEAD>PSALM CL.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Hallelujah. <HI>See</HI> CXLVI.</HEAD>
<DIV4 TYPE="argument">
<HEAD>ARGUMENT.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Theodoret</HI> takes this al&s;o to be
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span">, a Song of Triumph after &s;ome Victo|ry: and the mention of the <HI>mighty acts of the Lord</HI> Ver. 2. &s;eems to countenance this conjecture: which con&s;i&s;ts well enough with what others conceive; that it was at fir&s;t particularly directed to the
<HI>Levites,</HI> (by <HI>David</HI> I &s;uppo&s;e) who&s;e office it was to prai&s;e the Lord with mu&s;ical In&s;truments, (1 <HI>Chron.</HI> XVI. 4, 5.) and excite others to his prai&s;es, not onely for Victory; but for all other his benefits. For if the Tradition of the <HI>Jews</HI> be true, which we reade at large in <HI>Maimo|nides,</HI> (in a Treati&s;e on that &s;ubject) when the people of any place brought up their fir&s;t fruits to pre&s;ent them to the Lord at <HI>Jeru|&s;alem</HI> (according to the Law, XXVI. <HI>Deut.</HI>) with a pipe going before them; as &s;oon as they came to the mountain of the Temple, every one took his basket into his hand, and &s;ung this whole P&s;alm: till they came to the courts of the Lord's hou&s;e; where the <HI>Le|vites</HI> met them &s;inging the XXX. <HI>P&s;alm.</HI></P>
<P>And indeed it might well be u&s;ed upon occa&s;ion of any exceeding great joy; for it <PB N="593" REF="311">&s;eems to be intended (by the repetition of the&s;e words <HI>prai&s;e the Lord,</HI> or <HI>prai&s;e Him; thirteen</HI> times; and by the calling for no le&s;s then <HI>ten</HI> In&s;truments of Mu&s;ick) to expre&s;s the height and fulne&s;s of their joy, and thankfulne&s;s to God for his benefits: nor can Mu&s;ick be &s;o well imployed to any other u&s;e, as this Divine and heavenly exerci&s;e of prai&s;ing God, by Hymns, and P&s;alms, and &s;piritual Songs: to which the P&s;almi&s;t &s;eems to me to excite all Creatures, in heaven and in earth; from the highe&s;t to the lowe&s;t. And with this the Collectour of the&s;e
<HI>five Books</HI> of P&s;alms, thought good to conclude the whole; and not unfitly: For in what&s;oever condition we be (as there are P&s;alms adapted to &s;everal purpo&s;es) we &s;hould never forget to prai&s;e the Lord; but after we have prayed, or complained, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> &s;till end with thankfull acknowledgments to God for his goodne&s;s to us.</P>
<P>Here are &s;everal &s;orts of mu&s;ical In&s;tru|ments mentioned; which I have not adven|tured to explain: becau&s;e the
<HI>Hebrews</HI> them&s;elves acknowledge they do not under|&s;tand them. We have no way (&s;aith <HI>Aben Ezra</HI> upon tho&s;e words Ver. 5. which we tran&s;late <HI>loud Cymbals</HI>) to know what the&s;e mu&s;ical In&s;truments were: there be|ing many found in the Country of the <HI>I&s;|maelites</HI> (i. e. <HI>Mahometans</HI>) which are not among the men of <HI>Edom</HI> (i. e.
<HI>Chri&s;tians</HI>) <PB N="594" REF="312" MS="y">and others among them, which the wi&s;e men of <HI>I&s;hmael</HI> never heard of.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>1.</BIBL> PRai&s;e ye the LORD. Prai&s;e God in his &s;anctuary: prai&s;e him in the firma|ment of his power.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>1. PRai&s;e the mighty God, ye Angelical Mini&s;ters that attend upon Him in his cele&s;tial Sanctua|ry: Prai&s;e Him all ye inha|bitants of heaven, where you &s;ee the brighte&s;t de|mon&s;trations (and mo&s;t la|&s;ting monuments) of his power.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>2.</BIBL> Prai&s;e him for his mighty acts: prai&s;e him according to his excellent greatne&s;s.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>2. Prai&s;e Him all ye Mi|ni&s;ters of his upon earth; for the miraculous things which He hath done, for our deliverance and exalta|tion: let your prai&s;es bear &s;ome proportion to the ex|cellence of his Maje&s;ty, and the multitude of tho&s;e great and magnificent acts of mercy towards us.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>3.</BIBL> Prai&s;e him with the &s;ound of the trumpet: prai&s;e him with the p&s;al|tery and harp.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>3. Let the Prie&s;ts of the Lord (X. <HI>Numb.</HI> 8.) prai&s;e Him with the &s;ound of the Trumpet: and let the Le|vites (1
<HI>Chron.</HI> XXV. 6.) prai&s;e Him with P&s;alteries and Harps.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="verse">
<PB N="595" REF="312" MS="y">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>4.</BIBL> Prai&s;e him with the timbrel and dance: prai&s;e him with &s;tringed in&s;truments, and organs.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>4. Let &s;ome prai&s;e Him with the Timbrel and the Flute; and others prai&s;e Him with the &s;tringed In|&s;truments and Organs.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> Prai&s;e him upon the loud cym|bals: prai&s;e him upon the high-&s;ounding cymbals.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>5. Let all &s;ort of Cym|bals accompany their P&s;alms and Hymns in his prai&s;e: both tho&s;e of daily u&s;e, and tho&s;e that are wont to be imployed in times of the highe&s;t joy and triumph.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="6" TYPE="verse">
<HEAD><Q><P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Let every thing that hath breath, prai&s;e the LORD. Prai&s;e ye the LORD.</P></Q></HEAD>
<P>6. Finally, Let every man living join him&s;elf to this &s;acred Quire; and at every breath prai&s;e the Lord, the giver of life and of all good things. To Him let all the world, with one con&s;ent, give perpetual prai&s;e.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>THE END.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="313">
<PB REF="313">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
