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LIBRARY
OF THE
Theological Seminary,
PRINCETON, N. J.
DivisiG.i
i
Case,
She7f,_y3j^3i
Book,
Section
■No,„.,.^....„...„....i^.
A DONATION
REMARKS
AND
REFLECTIONS
OH
Select Passages
IN THE
BOOK OF PSALMS,
PRINCIPALLY INTENDED, AND CALCULATED FOB. TB» EDIFICATION AND COMFORT OF SUCH OF TH» CHILDREN OF GOD AS ARE MUCH EXER- CISED WITH TEMPTATIONS, AND JN TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES.
'' Strmgthsn the weak Hands ^ and confirm thefeelk Kne6fP
ISAIAH, XXXV, 3.
« Comfort ye, comfort ys my People^ faith ysur God.**
ISAIAN, xl* I*
z
BY B. MARCHANT.
North SBisiDt :
f&^NTED BY T. APFIEBT.
ABVEmTISEMENT.
It is hoped the candid reader will excuse, and correct, any orthographical errors, 8(c, he may peixeive in this work, they being principally owing to the Author's residing at a distance from the printing-office,"^ which prevented his superintending the work as it advanced. And he also trusts, that every pious soul, into whose hands this Com- mentary may come, and who reads it with attention^ will readily perceive his motive for publishing it, and be disposed to cover its imperfections with the mantle of love, while at the same time, he looks beyond the instru- ment, to God alone for a blessing.
THE EPISTLE TO THE
READER.
^T^HE writing of this book has cod mc many ^^ thouglits, and thofe who would proiit by it muil not think much if it coil them fome; and if they cannot be contented to be- ilow fome ferious thoughts on it, it will be ioil labour to read it: As happinefs is the fole end of all our labours, fo this book aims at nothing elfe — liow is man to be lamented that is in a natural carnal ftate, and hath no undcr- ftanding ot the things that belong to his ever- lafiing peace. Jeremiah iAd^ ^^ they have nons underjianding^ they are wife to do evil; bui to do good they have no knowledge.^* Man in a natural fiate is abfolutely incapable of pracliiing holi- nefs or enjoying happinefs: If you afe, what is meant by a natural ftate ? It is that ftate in which we are under the suilt of iin, and the curfe of the lav/ ; are fubjecl to the power of Satan, and inSuenced by evil propenfities — from this ftate none arc rcleafed but by being united to Chrift. Man in a ftate of nature, if he only gets the evil deiire of the heart fulfilled with the iuft of the ftcfh, and the luft of the eyes, and the pride of life, iiow doth he think ail is we]l with him, and knoweft not that he is wretched, and miferabie, and poor, and blind, and naked — enquiries after happineis, and the rules for attaining it, are not fo necef- fary and ufeful to mankind as the arts of con- A folation
( iv )
fohtion, c-ind fupporting one's felf under af- uiclion, — convinced of this from experience, I thought 1 could not engage in a more bene- volent attempt, than that of offering comfort to my fuflering fellow creatures, in comment- ing on the Plalms of David ; the reading of which has been my daily practice, morning and evening for many years. 1 have made a feeble attempt to weave my remarks into a treatife, and lay them in a regular form before the world, for the benefit of fuch as might need, and v/ould be glad of the conHjlation afforded in them, and I hope they will be found Satisfac- tory to the chriftian labouring under any fpecies of afHiclion or diftrefs. I am under the r.eceiTity of confining my remarks on each rfalm v/ithin a narrow compafs : I claim no merit, and expecl no fame from this work, which I publifh from a fincere and lingle de- fign to blefs my fellow-creo-tures, and I hope God will not fail to make my humble endea- vours fubfervient to fo happy an end. And fhould that end be obtained, Ihould one tear be vviped from the eye of for row, one groan fuppreifed at the heart of grief, fliould any learn from hence, to fupport with patience the weight of calamity, and to look up under it with becomino: refumation to the Father of comforts; every good heart will allow, that an end fo delireable as this, will render alike in- figniiitant the breath of applaufe, or the blail of cenfure. I am fatisfied, there remains fo much candour and humanity amongfl us, that
( V )
the defign of the work is fuflicient to give k protection, if it cannot give it approbation :-— it hurts no body, and therefore may pals iticlr with more fafety; and it offers its fervice to do everybody good; which I tliink fliould be ta- ken kindly, even by thofe who ftand in no need of it. This work mecklles with no con- trover fies, fo alfo with no fides and parties—to the end that fo I might not offend any chriiti- an, but endeavour to profit him, which furely is befl done by advancing devotion and piety, not opinions and difputes; and I heartily wifh rJl my brethren would be pleafed eHt^cliually to profecute this plan.
I [hall give you the tc2\ov\^ of my appearing in print, and then a little counfel and direction, tliat the following may turn to your fouFs ad- vantage. The true reafons of my fending this piece into the world (fuch as it is) are thefe : Tirft, the wonderful deaUngs of God towards me, in the courie of his gracious and provi- dential difpenfations. Luther could ^ not un- derftand fome Pfalms till he was afflicted : — He obferved that the Chriil-crofs was no letter in the book, and yet (faith he) it hath taught me more than all the letters in the book. — Affliclions may be confidered as a golden key, by which the Lord opens the rich treafare of his word to the fouls of his people; and this in fome meafure, through grace, my foul hath experienced. When Sampfon had found honey, he gave fome to his father and mother to eat ; much honey 1 have found in God's deaUngs A 2 with
( vi )
With me, and tterefore I cannot be fuch i\ churl, as not to give others fome of my honey to tafte; the language of every believer Ihould be. Come, and I v/ill tell you the wonders of his grace, the faithfulnefs of his promifes, and the richejfe of his mercy to my foul: Gracious experiences are to be comm.unicated. When God hath dealt bountifully with us, others Ihould reap fome good by us. Our mercies and experiences £[yould be as a running fprln^ at our doors, which is not only for our own eafe, but alfo for our neighbours, yea, and for ftrangers too. Secondly, 1 confidered that what I committed to paper would be perma- nent, and fpread itfelf further bv' far, for time, place, and perfons, than my voice could reach. The pen may be faid to be an artificial tongue, it fpeaks to them afar oif, as well as to thofc that are near, it fpeaks not only to the prefent age, but alio to fucceeding -.iges : I may afiign another reafbn, few men, if any, have iron memories; how foon is a fermon preached for- ?rotlen, when a fermon written remains; molt men's memories are very treacherous, efpecial- ly in good things; few men's memories are an heavenly ftore-houfe or magazine for their fouls. In the Pialms every aflhded and diftrclled chrifliin may have a proper falve for their fore, every believer m.ay in this looking-glafs behold his face, his hand, his heart, his ways, his works, here he may lee all his difeafes difco- vered, and proper remedies propofed and ap- plied; here he mi ay find arguments to filence
liim
( vii )
him, and means to quiet him, when it is at the word with him; in every florm here he nuj fmd a tree to flielter him ; here he may have a light to guide him, and in every peril, liere he may find a buckler to defend him ; in every diftrefs, here he may find a cordial tb ilreng- then him, and in every trouble, here he may find A ftafF to fupport him; I wiili to act a friendly part — man is made to be a friend — he that is not friendly, is not worthy to have a friend. Chriftian friendfhip ties fuch a knot, that Great Alexander cannot cut. Summer friends arc of little value, but winter friends are worth their weight in gold ; I afk, who can deny this ? efpecially in thoie days, wherein real, faithful, conflant friends are fo rare to be found; are they not like Jonah's gourd in thefe days, at one time promifmg and flourifhing, at another fading and withering; their friendfliip may be compared to fome plants in the water, which have broad leaves on the furface, but fcarce ;my root at all; their friendfliip is like lemons, cold wij.hin, hot Vv^ithout; their exprefhons are high, but their afleclions are low; they fpeak much, but do little.
The fecond thing promifed, was the giving of you a little good couniel, that you may ib read the following practical commentary as that it may turn much to your foul^s advan- tage; many read good books and got nothing, becaufe they read them over curforily, iligiir.- ly, fuperficially; but he that would read to pro- fit muft: Firft, Read and lock up for a
A ^ blefiinz
( viii )
blefling I Cor. iii. 6. 7. Par.! may plant, and i^pollos may water, but all will be to no pur- pofe, except the Lord give the increafe, God niuft do the deed when all is done, or cKa all that is done will do you no good ; look off from man, and look up to God, who alone can make it a bleffing to you. Again, he that would read to profit, mufl: read and meditate : Meditation Ls the food of your fouls, it is the very flomachand natural heat whereby fpiritual truths are digcfted; prayer without meditation is dry and formal, and reading without medita- tion is ulelefs ^nd unprofitable. Meditation is a foul fattening duty, it is a grace-ftrength- ening duty, it is a duty-crowning duty. — Gerfon calls meditation, the nurfe of prayer. You may read much, and you may hear much, yet without meditation you will never be eminent chriilians. I exhort you to read and do, read and practice what you read, or clfc all your reading will do you no good. In di- vine account, a man knows no more than he doth. Profeilion without practice, will but make a man twice told a child of darknefs; to (peak well is to lound like a cymbal, but to do well is to act like an angel. He that practlfeth what he reads and underftands, God will li-lp him lO underilund what he underftands not. There is no fear of knowing too mucn, though there is much fear in pracl' fmg too little. — Luther profefTeth, that he profited more in the knowledge of the frri.tures by prayer, in a Ihort fpacc, then by Rudy in a longer. 1 charge
you
( i^ )
you to keep from falfe opinions ; from error and ledition; let your hearts be upright, your judgements found, and your lives holy; love the truth and obey the truth: Let me befeech you for God's fake, for Chrifi's fake, and for your foul's fake, keep yourfelves from falfe teachers, from falfe dodrine, from falfe -^.vor- fhip, and from falfe opinions. If you will be t?.fting and Tipping at Babylon's cup, you muft expecl to receive more or lefs of Babylon's plagues. Deteft a narrow, con traded, bigotted fpirit, it is difgraccful to tlie religion of Jefus Chrifl:, be one \\ir.h every one that is one with Chrift ; endeavour to keep the unity of the fpirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one fpirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one bap- tifm, one God and Father of all, and through all. Every one that loveth him that begot, loveth him alfo that is begotten of him ; by this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his com- mand ments. He that loveth not his brother whom he hath feen, how can he love God whom he hath not fccn. Oh! confidcr what a diilionour it is to the ffolbel, to fee thofe that profefs thcmfelves fons of the fame God, mem- bers of the fame Chriil, temples of the fame fpirit, heirs of the fame glory, jarring one with another : It is ftrange and unnatural, that lilies fhould prove thorns to one another; that thofe who are faints in profoiTion, fhould be devils in pradice one to another j that God's
diamonds
( ^ )
diamonds {Iiould cut one another: For wolves to devour the lambs, is no wonder; but for lambs to devour one another, is a wonder, and a difgrace to the religion of the gofpel. Oh ! that chriilians inftead of loving one another, fhould hate one another: O how unlike are v/e to that God, whom we profefs to be our God! lie is full of iove, full of goodnefs, and full of mercy and patience ; how lamentable, that chriftians cannot bear and forbear one with a- n other; do not wicked men warm themfelvcs at the fparks of our diviiions, and fay, it is as we wouki have it. O tliat you would lay this to heart, and throw away all difcord and divifions and heart-burnings, it is a difgrace to your profelTion; labour for love and afieCticn, and be one with every one that is one v/irh Chrift; labour for a healing fpirit: You cannot love God if you do not love the people of God. If any man faith he loveth God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar. Let brotherly love continue. There are many that cannot love a man unlefs he be of their opinion, or a mem- ber of their church, although he be a member of Chriil. Every man hath a good opinion of his own opinion; but alas! friends, it is not this opinion nor that opinion, nor this way, nor that way will bring a man to heaven with- out faith in Chrift; let me befecch you to love every man that is a godiy man, let him be of what way or form he will: " ^nd the muliiiude of them ihat believed were of one hearty and of one foul ^' Acts iv. 32.
A
A
PRACTICAL COMMENTARY, OR, EXPOSITION
UPON THE
BOOK of PSALMS.
P S A L M I.
VERSE I. " Bleffed is the man ihai walketb not in the coanfel of the ungodly^ nor Jlandeih in the way of /inner s^ nor fitleth in the feat ofths fcorryuir
'^I^HE firll \vords of tbe firft pfalm, and the X lait words of the lail, are the prophet David's Alpha and (3mcga of knowlege and I)ra(.Hice, The Pialrnift comprehends all that belongs to man's knowledi^e, and all that be- h)ngs to his praclice in thoic two; firfc, in un- derflanding true blelledneli^, and then in praif- ing God for it. David's Alpha is Beatus, vi«P C) the blelTcdnefs of riuhtcous men ! and his Omega is laudate Doniinum ; O that men would therefore blefs the Lord: He begins this book with God's bleiTmgof man, and he ends it with man's praifing of God; the lafl verfc of the laft pfalm is, " Let every thing that hath
breath
( ^ )
breath ^praife the Lcrd.*^ Yet he adds one note more to us in particular, " Prai/e yc the Lord*''' and there is the end of ail.
Verfe 3. " Andhe flHilihe like a tree planted by the ri'vers of water ^ that hr'tngeth forth hh fruit in his fea)on\ his Icafalfo foall not icither^ and ivkat- focver he doeih fhall profper^ All fruits of chriftians are not all of one fort, for fome of them are general, growing upon all the trees of the garden, upon all the branches grafted into the true vine, genera.1 duties of piety wliicli lie equally upon every man's flioulder, as love, joy, peace ; fome are Ipecial which e- very tree mufl bring forth according to his kind, as being his proper fruit, whereby he muil be known in that calling wherein God hath placed him; thus, the olive tree hath its fatnefs, the fig tree bringeth forth his own fruit in due feafon; and thus the houfehold of faith oweth a fervice to God after one fort in the general fruits of holinefs; and after another fort in the proper fruits of a particular calling, as they are the feveral heads of one niyftical body.
PSALM II.
Verfe 11. " Serve the Lord with fear^ and rejoice with trembling.^* Fear and fervice go hand in hand: Fear goes ufually before fervice; unlefs our fervice proceed from fear, it is hol- low and worthlefs ; inward difpofitions are as the kernel, outward acts are as the fhell; he is therefore but a rotten nut that hath outward
fervice
( 3 )
fervicc without inward fear: It is true that per- fe6l love thrufts out fear; but it is i\s true that fear brings in that pcrfe<5l love, whicli is joined with the reverence of fons; for there is nor^Ml fervant of God but fears filially ; and again, God hath no fon, hut that fon ferves him ; c- vcn the holy Son of God was fo in the form of a fervant that he ferved indeed; and fo fer- ved that he endured all forrov/, and -fulfiHtd all righteoufnefs: So every true chriftian, every real believer in Chrift is a fon and heir to the King of heaven ; and his language niuR; be,' I ferve.
Verfe 12. " Kifs the Son left be he angry. ^ and ys perijh from the way^ when his wrath is kindled but a little: blejjed are all they that put their truji in him,*' There were in former days more love to be feen among friends and relations than is to be difcerned in the prefcnt degenerate age; there \vere many good ufes made of killing one another in God's word : Firif , it was much praclifed among kins-folks, for inftance Jacob kiifed Rachel, and told how near of kin he was to her; but believer let me tell thee, there is no perfon fo near of kin to thee as Jefus Chriil, remember he is thy Father, as he provided an inheritance for thee ; and he is thy brother, as he divided thi^ inheritance with thee ; and never forget for one moment that he died to give thee poiieilion of that inheritance ; he is like wife thy twin-brother, and fo like thee, that your conditions are fo mingled, that the Father ihall find thy fms in him, and his righte-
oufaeii
( 4 )
oufnefs in thee, therefore I exhort tiiee to kifs this Son as thy kinlrr.an. This kifs \^'as in ule likevvife when friends parted; thus Lixban rofe up early in the morning and killed his fons and daughters; when thou departcft to thy worldly bufinefs, be fure that by faith and prayer ye kifs Chrift. And lafdy, they kiffed in reconciliation ; thus David kiffed Abfalom. If thou haft not difcharged thy ftewardihip well, a(5l the part of Zaccheus, confefs to God, reconcile thyfelf to him, and kifs him in his Son.
PSALM HI.
Verfe 6. " I will not be afrdld zf ten thoufands of people^ that have fet iheinfclves again/i ?iie round about J" The very heathen had obkrved, that God doth not love his children with a v/eak affection, but \^ith a ftrong mafcuUne love — There is not the leafl doubt that diftracling fear is the portion of wicked men: It is a truth, the troubles of the righteous are many, but their real fears are few. " / wilt not be afraid of ten thoufands of people ^' xi t]ie refolvc of faith; whofoever hath much fear hath but little faith; wherefore are ye afraid ; " 0 ye of little faith ^^ were the words of our Saviour to his diiciples; when fear encrcaleth, faith dec-reafcth,and when faith is at the height, fear is gone: where tlicre is no faith, there can be nothing but fear.
Verfe 8. " Salvation belongeth unto the Lord^ thy blejjmg is upon thy people," ' The cliurch's help is not in herfclf, and the dangers of it arc
far
fiir greater than fiXc is able without better help than her own to withftand, fo was it with the children of Ilrael at the red fea, fo with the 1 hree children in the fire, what help had they in themfelves, being bound? God is plcafed fomc- tinies to fufFer his church and children to be brou2:ht to thefe ftniits, that his children beintr driven out oi ail other expectation s, might he vehement in prayer, and fetch help from heaven which they want in themfeivcs: The extremity of the Ifraelites at the k^ made Mofes cry to the Lord with vehemency ; and wlien Jcho- faphat knev/ not what to do, his eyes were to- wards the Lord: We may further obferve that the church and people of Cod are never help- lefs, becaufc tiicy have an omnipotent power with them and for them; this is their privi- ledge and fmcl-uary. When Chrift was help- lels, and his difciples fled from him, yet thicn he had the prefence and pov/er of his Father ; and ib hath every child of God, as Vv^eil as Chrift himifslf, whicli is a mofi firm prop to ftay and lean upon in all extrematies*; happy for us when we can oppofe this help of God, again flail the threats and boificroiis pro- ccedings oi our enenues.
'PS A L M IV,
Verfe 8. '^ I will both lay iiie down in peace, and
Jlecp^ for thou, Lord^ only viahejl me dwell in
Jafcty** Does every rich man dwell in fafet) ?
Can every rich man lie down in peace and
lieep? No, nor everv poor n-an n either : —
3' . Thiit
( 6 )
Tliat jK>veTty which comes from the hand of God, is as rich a bleiling as any that comes from his hand; he that is poor with a good confcience, that hath laboured and yet not prof- pered, knows to whom to go, and what to fay, Lord thou haft put gladnefs into my heart, more than in the time when corn and wine in- creafed (more now than when I had more) I will therefore lay me down and lleep; he that is rich, and he that is poor, with a good con- fcience, m.ay enjoy peace, fleep, and fafety.
PSALM V.
Verfe 3. " My voice foalt thu hear in the morn^ ing^ 0 Lord; in the morning id II I direfl my prayer unto thee^ and will lock up.''' It is beft to begin with him who is beft ; it was an ancient cuf- tom with God's people to feek him in the morning, early in the morning, thou flialt lofe nothing by denying thyfelf that foft indul- gence in the morning, which too many im- moderately accuftom themfelvesto;the heathens attended to this good habit of riftng early, al- though their worfiiip was prophane and fuper- ftitious, yet by the light of nature they took this courfe; from whence we may learn, lirft, that God is to be fought unto without delay ; c^s it is with vows, fo with prayers, defer not to pay them, defer not to pray ; feek ye fir ft the kingdom of God, was delivered by our ^:aviour: Firft, in time, not only chiefly, but early. Then, fccondly, God muft be lought unto with diligence, " In the mormng will I
dire^
dircd my prayer^'* faith David, that is diligently; they that come in the mornidg about their worldly biifmefs, are confidered to be diligent in their bufmefs; we muil lay our ftrength and Ipirits out in fecking God. ' It is not a Tiiglit enquiry that finds out God; we read that he is found of fome that feek hina not at all, but that he is ibund of any v/ho -feek him negli- gently, we read not; free grace prevents thofe v/ho have not ability to feek him, but it ieldom if ever, meets thofe that will not lay out their abilities in feeking him.
PSALM VI.
Verfe i . " 0 Lord^ rebuke me not in thine an- ger^ neither chafUn me in thy hot dlfpleafurer To be rebuked was to be chidden, but to be chaRened was to be beaten ; and yet the Pfal- mift was heartily afraid of the firil,of the leail of them, when it was to be done in anger \ this v/ord that is here to rebuke, is for the moft part to convince by way of argument \ fo that this doth but amount to an inflrucfion and an amendment; yet David here would not be dif- puted withall, he would not be inftruded nor amended by God in his anger, the anger of God is fuch a catechifm, fuch a way of teach- ing as the law was; the law is a fchoolmaller, but fuch a fchoolmafter as brings not a rod but a fword; God's anger fliould inftruct us, but if we ufe it not aright, it hardens us; for when a fmner confiders himfelf to be under the an- ger of God, naturally he conceives fuch an B 2 horror
( s )
horror, as puts hiin further ofT. When Adam heard the voice of God in an accent of anger, he fled from his prefence, and hid himfelV a- mong the trees.
Verfe 2. " Have mercy upo?i we, 0 Lord, for I am weak : 0 Lord, herd mc^for my hones arc vex- ^^." The reafon of our own weaknefs is a good motive to God for mercy; tlvat thou art weak of thyfelf is a jufl rerJon to induce God to bring thee to himfeif, but to leave him a- gain, when he hath brought thee, not to make ufe of that flrength which he by his grace of- fers thee, this is not the aifeclion of the fpoufe, when the perfon langulfheth for the love of Chrlfl, but it is when the love of Chrift Ian- guifheth in that perfon, therefore if you have v/ith David arrived to this, " Have tnciYy O Lord^for I am urah^' that an spprclienfion of of your own Vv^eakncfi hath brought you to him in a prayer for mercy and more fl:iengtl\, go forward with him ftill to his next petition, *-' 0 Lord heal me^'' for God is always ready to build upon his own foundations, and accom.- pliHi his own beginnings.
P S A L M VII.
Verfe 6. " Arife^ 0 Lord, in ihinc anger, lift up thyjeif, hccaufe of the I'age of mine enemies.'' — David you Vv'ili obfervc, would hr.vc God to be angry with the tyrant, not v ith the flave that is oppreficd; with the fin, not with the foul that is inthrailed to it : Execrations and malediclions are not to be directed upon the
perfon
( 9 )
perfon, hut his fin, would David provoke God who is all fweetaefs and mildnefs, to anger a- gainft any man? No, not againfl any man. — Every fmner is a Have to his beloved fm, and therefore how bitterly foever 1 curfe that fin, yet I pray for that fmner, and fo, as the words may be a maledidion in David's mouth, we may likewife take them into our moutli, and fay, Arife, O Lord, in thine anger againll our enemies, our fms.
Verfe i6. '* His mifch'icf JJmU return upon his oivn bead^ and his violent dealing fhall\ come down upon his own paieP God hath a way to punifh the enemies of his church, with the fame ven- geance as they have infilcled on his church, or intended againll it, according to thispaffage of the pfalm. And this is moil juft with Qod, that the righteous law of retaliation might be turned on their own lieads; how juft is it, that he who breweth mifchief iliould drink of it ; this it that juft retaliation our Saviour tiireat- cns in Matthew vii. If the P'gyptlans make a wicked decree to drown the Ifraelites' chil- dren, and will needi follow them into the fea to drown the parents alfo, 'tis juft that theni- felves (hould be drowned by a memorable cle- ftruclion: And thus God repays the enemies ox his church, and ctoth many times order that the mifchief ihey have plotted againft his dear- ly beloved, ftiill recoil upon themfelves as a piece overcharged, and recoiling, beats down the gunner, not him it was aimed at.
B % PSALM
( 10 )
PSALM VIII.
Verfe 6. *' Thou madcft him /j han^e dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hafc put all things under his feet. ^* Man has a vei*)- great domi- nion and fovereignty given unto him; but how have we forfeited this jurifdiclion, this domi- nion, and what is more, our own elTence; now to reftore us again to our primitive fovereign powers, we fhall do well to confidcr the dignity of our fouls, v/hich only of all other creatures is capable, or fufceptible of grace j ii God would beflovv^ grace any where elfe, no creature could receive it but thou; thou art fo necelTary to God; as yet God had no utterance, no exercife, no empioym.ent for his grace and mercy but for thee; and if thou make thyfelf incapable of his mercy and grace, of which nothing but thou art capable, then thou deflroycft thy na- ture; if thou depart from thy nature, that ca- pacity of receiving grace; if thou degenerate fo from man to beaft, be allured, thou flialt not refl there in the ilate and nature of a beall, whofe foul breathes out to nothing, and va- n lilies with the life; there is no fuch happinefs ioi thee, but depend upon it, thy better nature will remain in defpite of thee, thine evcrial'dng loul muft fuffer cverlailing tornient.
P S A L M IX.
Verfe 8. ^^ And he JImU judge the world in righ- teciLfnefs^ he fhall rydnljier judycment to the people in i-prightncf.'" 1 he judges of the earth may ab-
folve
( «' )
folve the guilty, and condemn the innocent, which undoubtedly is fometimcs the cafe : — Pilate through fear of Gaefir condemned Chrift, whom the teflimony of his own confcience pronounced innocent: But this judge in the text, which is our blefled Saviour, can neither be corrupted nor mifliiken, wham fliiH he fear that if, omnipotent? 2nd what can be concealed from him who is omnilcieiH? This judge can- n(^t be corrupted ; if he would take a bribe, thou Ihalt ha\'e none to give him at that day; a good confcience will do more than a full purfe. " Riches profit net in the day of wrath; hut rightcoujnefs deliver eth from death** Proverbs xi. 4.
PSALM X.
Verfe 4. " The vjicked^ through ihe pride of his countenance^ zvill not feek after God: God is not in all his thoughts,'* Though wicked men do not find God in their affedions, yet, they often feel him in their confciences: God makes offers to wicked men, and though he be not active in all their thoughts, i. e. they do not willingly meditate and think of God, they maintain no correfpondt nee or communion with him in their inner-man, yet God doth (like an unbid- den and unwelcom.e gueft) put himfelf into their thoughts, and moves in their minds; this proves their trouble, and l)ecome3 a pain unto them. As.God is not far from every one of us; becaufe in him we live, and move, and have oui being j fo we .may fay, that he is not ^\'X from
many
( 12 )
many wicked men; becaufe he moves and flirs in them, he prefents to their minds fome mani- fcftations of himfelf, in his juftice, and holinefs, long fuftbring and goodnefs, in none of which I hey accept acquaintance with him; and there- fore fay to God, depart from us, trouble us not: and when once they can banifli thofe thou gilts, and Uve thus without God in the world, then they think they live indeed; and till then they reckon their lives a kind of death.
Verfe 14. '* Thcu hq/l feen it ^ for thou beboldeji mifchief and fpite to requite it with thy hand: the poor coinmitteth himfelf unto thce^ thou art the hel- per of the father lefs,^^ If there be any confider- tion beiides the caufe that draws and engages God, it is the weaknefs of the fide: God de- lights to help the poor ; he loves to take part with the beft, although the wcakeft fide, con- trary to the courfe of moft, who when a controverfy arifeth, uie to ftand in a kind of indifierency or neutrality, till they fee which part is ilrongeft, not which is mofl juft : He joins with many becaufe they are weak, not with any becaufe they are ftrong; therefore he is called the helper of the fatherlefs: By father- lefs we are to underftand not only fuch whofe fathers are dead, but any one in diflrefs ; as Chrift promifenh his difciples, " / will not leave you orphans:^^ that is helplefs, and as we tranflatc it, coinrortlefs; " Though you are as children with- cut a father^ yet I will be a father unto youJ'^-^ Men are often like thofe clouds which diflblve
into
' ( 13 )
into the fea, they ieiul prefents to the rich and alTill the lirong; but God fends his rain upon the dry land, and lends his llrength to thofe that are weak.
P S A L M XL
Verfe i. " hi the Lord put I tny iriijl: how fay ve to my foul, Flee as a bird to your mountain ?-^ hi this pfalm Drivid encourageth himfelf in God againil his er.ernles, and difplays the pro- vidence and juftice of God. Vv hen a founda- tion is laid in a })roportion geometrical, men cref): a building with fafety ; and the more weight is laid on, the foundation is the firmer; fo v/here the Lord jefus Chrift is the founda- tion, ibttlc thy building on him, build on him by failh, and be fecure, for he is able not only to fubdue all worldly and bodily enemies, but ghoHly 'iiro. and by his power can deliver ijatan into the chains of dirknefs, and can re- f(ave out of his kingdom ^-rhom he will, and keep thern, being fo delivered, unto falvation, iKlitver, gather thyfeif therefore under his wings, and ti'uil: in the Hiadow of his feathers. \ 'o we call acfs and o.cttdi'^ of men fecnrity, and fliall v/e not trull that wliicli God has fealed and delivered to us ; children rely wht^lly on iheii* parents, and fliaU not we rely wholly on our heavenly Father: In rJl our extremities therefore, wemuft be fare to fecure our faith and confidence in God. as the ferpent doth her head, the foldier his Ihteid; and this is the victory whereby we overcome the world,
(with
> ( 14 ) ^
(with all its allurements or affright men ts) c- ven our faith and truft in God.
Verfe 2. " For lo^ the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the firi77g; that they may privily (hoot at the upright in heart. It is worthy our notice, that before our enemies hit us, God gives us warning that they mci;n to do fo. "When God himfelf is fo far incenfed againft us that he is turned to be our enem)% and to fight againft us, as in Ifaiah ixiii. io, yet full he gives us warning before-hand, and ftill comes a lightning before his thunder : — God coraes feldom to that difpatch, a word and a blow; but to a blow without a word, to an execution without a warning, never.
PSALM XII.
Verfe i. '' Help^ Lord, for the godly man ceaf eth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men:' In this pfalm David feems deftitute of human comfort, in confequence of w^hich he craveth help of God, he confides in God's tried promifes, and comforts himfelf with God*s judgements on the wicked. It was faid to St Peter, when thou art converted ftrengthen thy brethren, that, is not to engrofs the gifts and graces of God to himfelf; but to employ them to a com.mon benefit. AH chriftians who have tailed the fweetnefs of God's graces in them- lelvcs, ought to be witneiies of the fame graces ot God unto others: To this end David prayed to beholpen, and fitved himfelf, but fo that he might fave othersj the fpiritual good of thofe
with
( li ;
with whom the righteous man liveth, is the chief eBiployment of his prayers and pains.
Verfe 6. " The zvcrds of the Lord are pure ivords: as filver tried in a j urn ace of earth purified feven times." Promifes are the foundation of faitli. When the people of God are low, then let them look for their raifing up; and let their low ftate be fo far from linking, that it fhould railb their faith in believing deliverance and exaltation: A low eftate be allured is a great advantage for faith; faith hath lureft footing when we lie proftrate upon the ground, then faith flands firmeft, becaufe there faith meets with moll promifes ; be likewife allured the people of God have never fo much of the word about them, as when they have cafl ofi the world about them. Miniflers of the gofpel, as well as private chriftians, are in general kept low in circumflances, the reafon is, that they might be kept in an humble dependant pollure. The covenant fits clofefl to us when we are divefled of the creature. When the river is at the lowefl ebb, we are fure that the tide is coming in; when the days are (horteft, and the winter fharpeft, then the fpring of mercy is at hand. The lowed downfal of the godly is ufually the immediate forerunner of their ad- vancement.
PSALM XIII.
Verfe i. " How long wilt thou forget me, 0 Lord, fir ever? how long wilt thou hide thy J ace from mc," David complaineth here of delay in JEielp.
Thou
( i6 )
Thou TpCiOY tempted, tried, diftrclfcd foul, ever remember, delays are not denials; God's time is always beil; mercy is never nearer, deliver- ance is at the door, when a man's heart is brouo'ht into ilich a frame, as to be freely wil- ling that God fhould time his mercy, and timiC his deliverance for him, but we are ready in all our troubles, when we find not prefent help at hand, to fiippofe the Lord to be far from us; we are impatient of delay, we cannot en- dure to wait the Lord's leifure, we are no foon- er put into the furnace of affliction, than we think God lliould inftantly help us out ; this made our prophet in the heat of aifliclion cry out, " How long wilt tkou forget me^ 0 Lord, for ever?** By which we fee that the children of God are wonderfully aHaulted, the llcfli wrcll- leth againft the fpirit and too often prcvaiicth, and for a time gets the upper hand. But what a comfortable affurancc, that God is never far from us, however he may feem to delay and defer his help, let us learn (hov/ great foever our afilicliions be,) not to defpair of God's mercy; but to conlidcr, that however God of<. ten defere]:h to help us, ^yet he is ilijl prefent with us. It is the will and plcafure of God to try our faitli, to far up our zeal, to exercifj our patience, and to teach us to make greater account of his bleiluigs when we have obtain- ed them.
P 3 A L M XIV.
Verfe 2. " The Lor J looked clown from heaven
upo.i
( '7 )
itpon the children of men', to fee if ihere were any that did underfland^ andfcek God. In this pfalm David defcribetli the corruption of a natural man, he convinceth the wicked by the light of their ccnfcience, and th«:n glorieth in the fal- vation of God. The fiood-gates of wickednefs are open, where the door of knov/ledge is lliut: Wickednefs and ignorance grow up to- gether : Ignorance is the mother of prophane- ncfs, not of devotion ; — therefore the pfahr/ill joineth thefe together ; there is none that un- derftandeth or feeketh after God. Would you know the reafon why they did not feek after God, it w^as becaufe they did not undcrftand. And in the fourth verfe, " Ha-ve all the ivorkers of iniquity no knowledge!" As if he had faid, it they had but a little knowledge among them all, they would not have devoured my people. If thefe trees th?.t bring not forth good fruit are threatned with fire; I a&, what fhall be- come of thofe trees whofe fruit, like the vines of Sodom and Gomorrah, is as bitter as gall? If he it now burning in torments, that would not vouchfafe his crumbs to hungry Lazarus, confider ferioufly, what fliaii become of them who eat up the poor as bread? and if he muft be call into the fire, tliat hath not given his own goods, whither iliail he be fent that hath preyed upon another mans? If he burn with the Devil that hath not clothed the naked, where thinkeft thou, fiiall he burn that hath diftreifed them ?
Verfe 6. " lou have foamed ibi courfd of the
( i8 )
peer; lecaufe the Lord is bis frfu^e,^* That is, ye are afliamcd of it. As the godly are far from the counfels of the wicked, fo the wicked are far from the counfel of the godly. By the poor, the prophet means here the godly poor, men fearing God, as it is plain by the end of the verfe; you are afhameJ of the counfel of the poor. Why ? Eecauf^ the Lord is his re- fuge. His counfel doth depend on the Lord; truft in the Lord, walk in his ways, fhelter yourfelves under his prote(5i:ion, this counfel our poor man gives ; and he mufl needs be a godly man that gives this counfel; this counfel you have fliunned, i. e. defpifed. What have we to do with this counfel, to make the Lord our refuge.
PSALM XV.
Verfe i. " Lord, vjhojioall abide in ihy taberna- cle? 'whojhall dwell in ihy holy hill T David in this pfalm gives us a defcription of a citizen of Zion. We are taught from hence, that only the Lord that fearcheth the heart, can put the dif- ference between the true and the falfe; for this caufe, the queftion is propofed to God. ''Lord, ivho frail abide in thy tabernacle? who Jkall dwell in ihy ho'y hilir
P S A L M XVL
Verfe 3. '' But to the faints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight,'' — David in diliruft of merits, and hr.tred of Ido- laii}-, fiecth to God for prefervation, he iike-
wilc
C 19 )
wife ilieweth the hope of his calling, of the refurredion, and of Ufe everlaftiaj : All ihz tielight of God*s children fhould be in fuch a-i excel in virtue; we fliould blefs their expref- fions, and defire their acquaintance; if they be Ciu'ifts, they fliould be ours; which may ferve to reprove them that leave Chrift's friends to liimfelf. Let a man be never fo fmgularly en- dowed with the graces of God, let him be the very reScx of his image, the print of his purity, yet for his mere fanclity he is little rcfpecled ; precious he may be in God's eye, but man hath no eye tor him; but true clirillian friend- fhip is for God's fake: For a good man will love in man nothing but God, that is the evi- dence of his rrace.
Verfe 5, " The Lord is the priion cf nu}ic in- J?entance^ and of my cup: thou mainiaineft my lot,^'' The prophet does not fpeak here fo narro\\']y, fo penuriouily, as to fay, God hath given me my portion, and I mud look for no more; but God is my portion, and as long as he is God he hath more to give; and as long as I am his I have more to receive. Believer, never fay God hath given me thefe and thefe temporal things, and I have fcattered them waftefully, furely he v.'ill give me no more; thefe and thefe fpiritual graces, and I have abufed them, furely he will give me no more. As for God's mercy and his fpiritual graces ; as that language in which God fpake, the Hebrew, hath no luper- lative; fo his mercy hath no fuperlative \ he fheweth no mercy which you can call his C 3 greatefl
( 20 )
greatefl mercy; his mercy is never at the high- cilj whatfoever he hath done for thy foul, or for any others, in applying himfelf to it, he can exceed it.
Verfe lo. ^' For thou wilt not leave my foul /;: hell; neither ivilt thou fitter thine holy One to fee corruption.^* The faith of Chrift here, in the refurreclion of his own body to life, is fpoken of prophetically, as that which bore up his fpirit in the hour of death. Faith in the re- furre'flion to life, encourageth us againlt all the troubles and affiiclions of this life; the hope of future good is a prefent comfort : — For this caufe we faint not, faith an apollle: — What cauie was that? becaufe we have this liope, this fair.iU that he v^hich raifed up the Lord Jefus, iliali raife us up alfo by Jefus. — Expeclations from Chrift, are the cordials which keep us from fainting under our bur- then and revive us in the for rows of death itfelf. Now as that was Chrift's fupport in his forrows and fufferings, that he Ihould not be left In the grave, that he Ihould not fee cor- ruption ; fo it is the fupporr of faints, that though they fee, yet they lliall not for ever lie under the power of corruption.
PSALM XVII.
Verfe 7. " Shew thy marvellous lovivgkindnefi^ 0 thou that favejl by thy right hand^ them which put their irufi in thee ^ from thofe that rife up againfl them'* God's mercy here is manifold, and it is marvellous, therefore this fwcet finger in
many
( 21 )
many places carries it above his judgments, above the heavens, above all his works.
Verfe 14. " From men lubich are thy hand^ 0 Lord, from men of tbe world,' which have their por- tio?2 in this life^ and -ivhrfe belly thoufillefl with ihy hid treafure, &c. Sometimes it is called God's hand, when it is the liand of a creature. It is God's hand in a creature's hand: God's hand when it is the hand of wicked men : God'i liand when it is fatau*s hand. So here you^ ice a wicked man is God's iword, and God's hand; for God's hand may be underuood of an inilrument; and thus Satan himfelf may be God's hand to puniih, in that fenfe as wicked nien are faid to be his hand, from the men that are tliy hand; though there be other readings of that place : Some read it, deliver me from men by thy hand; and others, deliver m.efrom men of thy hand; but the firll reading is mofl received.
Verfe 15. ^' As for me, I v/dl behold thy face in right eoufnefs: 1 [hall be fatisfisd, wheir I awake, vjith th^ likenefeJ'* One main fign and efpecial character of love, is to fuiTer for jel^as the fa- ther of fufFering, and king of the ailiicted :— Therefore the royal prophet faith here, I am well pleafed v^iien I fhiU behold myfelf mark- ed with the charader of thy flifFjrings. Jefus Chiill, in the great facrlfice of patience made in the beginning of ages^ fupplies the perfon of a great biihop, putting on Sefh wlioUy imprint- ed v/iih dolours, an heart drenched in acerbi- ties, a tongue fteeped in gall. Round about C -; " him
'( 22 )
him are all the moft elevated and courageous fouls, who all wear his Hvery, and both con- flantly and glorioufly difpofe themfelves to this great model and pattern of forrows : — Friends, fuffering is our trade, our vow, our profeiTion ; our fouls are engaged by oath to this warfare, when we firft enter into chrifti- anity. Love which cannot fuffer, is not love; and if it ceafe to love when it Ihould fuffer, it never was what it profeffed.
PSALM XVIIL
Verfe 2. " Tbe Lord is my rc^k, and my for- trej], and my deliverer : my God^ my Jirengih^ in ivhom I will truft^ my buckler^ and the born cf my Jahation, and my high towers David in this pfalm praifeth God for his manifold and mar- vellous bleflings. In all this inventory, in all this armory and furniture of the church, there is never a fword, no material fword in the church's hand: The primitive church fought with nothing but prayers and tears, and with this ardllery they did lay iiege to, and take e- ven heaven itfelf.
Verfe 25. " With the merciful thou wilt Jhew ihyf elf merciful^ with an upright man thou wilt f:)ew thyfelf upright'* But doth the Lord take colour from every one he meets, or change his temper as the company changes ? That is the wjaknefs of fmful man; he cannot do fo, with whom there is no variablenefs nor (hadow of chr.nging: Inunutabllity being one of the ef- iential attributes of his deity. God is pure
and
( 23 )
and upright with the unclean and hypocritical, as well as with the pure and upright ; and his actions iliew him to be fo, God (hews him- felf fro ward with the fro ward, when he deals with them as he hathfaid he \\'ill deal with the froward, deny them and reje(ft them. God Ihews himfelf pure with the pure, when he deals with them as he hath faid he will, hear them, and accept them. Though there be no- thing in our purity and ilncerity which defer- veth mercy, yet we cannot cxpedl mercy with- out them: Our comforts are not grounded up- on our graces, but our comforts are the fruits and confequents of our graces.
Verfe 37. " / have purfued mine enemies^ and overtaken them : neither did I turn aga'-n till they were conjumed'' He that ir^akes half repent- ances, makes none ; David places the confum- mation of his vidoiy in this, " I have purfued mine enemies^ Iffc,'* God requires a purfuing of the enemy; a fearch for the fai ; and not to ftay till an ciiirer, that is a ficknefs, or any o- ther calamity light upon that fin, and fo bring it before us : God requires an overtaking of the enemy, that we be not weary in the fearch of our confciences, and God requires a confum- ing of the enemy, not a weakening only, a diliodging and difpoifeiling of a fm, and the proht of that fin; but all the profit, and all the pleafure of ail the body of lin. For he that is forry with a godly Torrov/, he that confeiTes with a deliberate deteftalion, he that fatisfies with a full reilicution of all his fins, but one;
that
( 24 )
that man is in no better cafe, then if at fea he Ihould ftop all leaks but one, and perifh by that. If thou wilt be difcharged, cancel all thy bonds; one chain till broke, holds as fafl as ten.
PSALM XIX.
Verfe 6. " His going forth is from the end of the heaven^ and his circuit unto the ends of it : and there /j nothing hid from the heat thereof** As David faith of the fun of the firmament, the father of nature, there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. So we may fay of the Son of God, the Father of the faitliful, in a higher fenfe than Abraham was fo called, there is no- thing hid from him; no place, no perfon ex- cluded from the benefit of his death. The Son hath paid, the Fattier hath received enough for all, not in fingle money only for the difcharge cf thy lefTer debts, thy idle words, thy wanton thoughts, thy unchafle looks ; but in maffy talents to difcharge thy crying debts, the cla- mours of thofe poor whom thou haf^ opprelTed, and thy thundering debts, thole blaiphemies by which thou haft torn that Father that made thee, that Son tliat redeemed thee, that iioiy Ghoft that would comfort thee.
Verfe 12. " Who can wider ftand his errors? cleanfe thou me from ferret fiuhi** When we have paifcd many fcrutinies, my.ny inquifitions, of the confcience, we can never get beyond the jicceffity of this petition, Lord cleanfe me from my fecrct fins: We fhaii ever be guilty of fms
w^hich
( 25 )
which we fliall forget, not only becaufe they are lb little, but becaufe they are fo great ; that which fhould be compundion, will be confter- nation; and the an guiili which out of a natural tendernefs of confciencc, we iiiould have at the firll entering into tliofe fins, will make us dif- pute on the fins fidej and for fome prefent eafe and to give our heavy foul breath, we will find excufe for them; and at laft fide and wear into a cuilomary pradice of them; and though we can- not be ignorant that we do them, yet we fliall be ignorant that they are fins, but rather make them things indifferent, or recreations necef- fary to maintain a chearfulnefs, and fo to fin on; by which means, we fhall never be able to Ihut our mouths againfl this petition, cleanfe me from my fecret iaiilts ; for though the fin be manifefi, the various clrcumfi:ances that ag- gravate the fm \^'ill be fecret.
PSALM XX.
Verfe 7. ^' Some truft in charfots^ and fome in horfes: but we ivill remember the name of the Lord our GodP This teacheth us to live by faith at all times, efpecially in dangers, fi:ill looking be- yond the me^ns ; neither mull we reject the means; for God giveth means for our good, means then muft be ufed, but not truiied in; as here the prophet condenms not the ufe of cha- riots and horfes, but the trufi: and confidence in them: We muft ftand in, and ^^ upon the means as our helpers, but in the name of the Lord; who affords both them, and fuccefs in
them;
( 26 )
them;1ience it is that God many times v/orks his Gfreateft works bv weakeft nieans; that the means might be as a glafs through which we might behold the brightnefs of his power and majelly.
Verfe 8. " They are brought dozvji and fallen^ buiive are rifenfand ftand upright,** We muit not weigh God with leaden, or iron, or Rone weights; how much land, or metal, or riches he gives one man more than another, but how much grace in the ufc of thefe, or hov/ much patience in the want, or in the lofs of thefe \^'c have above others.
PSALM XXL
Verfe 4. " He afked life cf ihee^ and then gavejl it him J even length of days for ever and even'' — In regard that God*s.deareft children are cut off many times in the flower of their years; how doth God make good this promife to thofe that are his? I anfwer, God in fuch cafes makes his word good,*inftead of a lefs good he giveth a better, a greater; for fuppcfe thou comefl: to a landed man, and dealefl: with him for fome term of years in a farm; and when the deeds come to be drawn, he maketh over to thee, the fee fimple of a manor ; even fo deals the Lord here. The king, faith the pfalmift; God promifed long life; and for the leafe of that life of fome few years continuance, he beftow- rth a perpetuity ; inftead of a miferablc long life here, he giveth a bleffcd and eternal life hereafter; which may teach us to fufpend our
cenfures.
( 27 )
cenfures, in regard of, thofe that are taken a- way from us, and not to juftify ourfelves, be- c?.ufe we furvive and efcape, when others pcr- ifh; they may go for the better, and we be re- ferved for worfe matters; to fee and fairer that mifery wliich they are taken av/ay from.
Verfe 9. " Thoujhali make ihcm as a fiery o'ven in the ti?fie of t bine anger; the Lord Jljall Jkuallow them up in his UTath^ and the fire fioall devour thetn.''' Jefus Chrift the lord of hfe and glory always had, hath, and il12.ll have enemies, either openly, fitting, or fecretly plotting a- gainfl his church; but herein iieth our comfort , that they fhall at length be all deilroyed ; antl this deftruclion is commonly fet forth by moft hot, burning, and tormenting fire: Wlierefore let us patiently wait upon him, whatever we in the interim fuffer at their hands; and let all the enemies of the truth be difmayed, and whenfoever they think upon the mifchief they intend ngainll: God's church, let them alfo think on that judgment God intends againft them.
PSALM XXII.
Verfe 2. ''0 ?ny Gody I cry in the day -time ^ but thou heare/t 7iot; and in the night-feafon^ and arii notfiJeiii,'*' The not enjoying what we defire, v/hets our aflections, and makes us more eager in. the purfuit, and the gift more welcome at the receipt: For ufually what is hardly got is greatly fet by : And thus the child of^God prays iomeliuies on his knees, fometirnes on
his
( 28 )
his face, and that with fio-hs which ciinnot be uttered; and yet God feems not to regard. — O my God, fays David here, I have cried in the morning, and at night, but thou heareft not. What then is the Lord's hand fhortned, that it cannot fave? No, but our iniquities do feparate between us and our God. Sometimes we alk we know not what, v/ith the fons of Zebedee; fometimes wt aik with doubting and wavering; and fometimes we aik am.ifs, that we may confume it upon our lufts ; laftly, fometimes, nay, ahuoft always, w^ehave roving and ranging thoughts, and fo no marvel if w^e receive not. Quomodo te audiri a deo poflulas, cum te ipfe non audies;. how canil: thou expecl: that God iliouid hear thee, when thou dofi: not hear thyfelf.
Verfe 3. " But ikou art holy^ 0 thou that inha- hiteji the pralfes of IfraeL^* It argues much ftrength of grace, w^hen we maintain high thoughts of God, and fettled refolvcs that he is good; when he not only lets us fall low into trouble, but lets us lie unheard in the day of our trouble. Such was the ilrength of David's faith, or rather of Chrids, of w^hofc iufi^^rings this pfaim is a prophecy ; who as foon as he faid, *' 0 my God^ I cry in the day fime but thou heareft 7iot" adds in the next verfe, " But thou art holy^ 0 thou that inhahitefi the praifes ofIfrael*\ as if he had faid, I will not have an evil, or an uncomely thought of thee, though thou re- fufeft to hear, 1 know thou rat holy, andthere.
fore
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fore canft not but be jufl and ^ood, wliatfo- ever thou art plcafed to do with me.
Verfe 4. ." Our fathers irujlcd in ihee ; ihcy inijled^ and thou didft deliver them,^^ It is wif- dom to look at the carriage of the godly in former times; our fathers trufled in thee; and to look upon their patient dependance on God, doublino; their dilio-ence in callino; on him: as their difiiculties increafed, they cried, they trufted: and to remember that they did never feek God in vain, but every one of them were delivered and not confounded: For this di- rection is held forth to us in this example of Chrift and David.
PS ALM XXIII.
Verfe 1. " The Lord Is 7ny jloepherd^ IJloall iioi wantJ^ In the midil of our oireatefi: mifcries and afflictions our intereft in God will be our comfort. AHi David, and he will tell us in that pfalm, that feeing the Lord is hl.3 iliepherd he (hall not want any good thing, 'even then when things go never fo ill v/ith him. In his forrows he (hall have confolation, in his dan- gers, prefervation; fupply in his wants, both fpiritual and temporal; fafety in his ways, and whatever may be meet for him in any elLite that maybefai hiui.
Verfe 4. " 7ea^ though I zualk ihrczigh the 'valley of the JJjadow of deaths I zuill fear no evil : for thou art with me^ thy rod and thy Jlaff they comfort mcy See here believers, what a faith- ful God you have to ftand by ycu, one that D will
( 50 )
will net fall in greateft need: No fuch trial of a friend as in time of trouble; but here many tlmes friends will not, and fometimes they can- not help; the cafe is fometimes fo defperate. that the fociety of friends can only afford pity, not fuccour; they may look on, they cannot take clT; but the prefer ce of God is ever active and powerful; and whereas moft faithful friends part at death, this friend will not then leave us : — David knew he would be with him in the fhadow of death ; not only when we walk through the pleafant meadow of profperity, but when we go through the fait waters of af- fiiclion ; nay, when w^e pafs through mare mortuum, the fea of death, he will be with us.
Verfe 5. " Thou prepare/i a table before me in
ihe prefence of mine enemies: thou anointejl my head
with oil^ my cup runneth over" lii the moil pre-
fcnt dangers, God fhews the moft prefent help;
thou lliak fpread my table in the very face of
my enemies, even then, when my enemy is
neareft, and looketh on: As when the fvvord
is in the hand of the angel, fo w^hen it is in the
hand of nian, a thoufand fliall fall on thy right
hand, yet it fhall not come nigh thee: What,
doth ii not come nigh him, when they die on
every fide of hini? yes, nigh him, but not nigh
to hurt him ; the power of God can bring us
near to danger, and yet keep us far from harm:
Yet we are not to take this, or the like holy
writs of protecllon, as if God will deliver all his
pec pie from faniine or the fword : No, for the
Lord
( 31 )
Lord knows how to diRinguKli hn, when fi- mine and fword do not. If God's fervan:s are not delirercdfrom famine and fword, they are deUvered by them ; and while tlicy arc overcome by one trouble, they conquer all.
P S A L M XXIV,
Verfe i. " The earth is the Lords ^ and the ful- nefs thereof} the worid^ and they th.it dwsil there- if:,** The Devil told our Saviour that all was hi;>5 and to whomfoevcr he would he gave it, Luke iv. But the Devil lied in faying fo; for it is God alone that is the fole proprietor of the whole worldj he only can truly fay, I rule in the kingdom of men, and glv^e it to v^ho- foever I will ; how then can God do any man v%'rong, who is obliged to none, but all are indebt- ed to him for all they have. And again, how cm God's children w^ant any thing that is good for them, feeing they have fo rich a father, who feems to fay unto them as in Gen. xlr. Regard not your ftuff, for all the good of the land is yours.
Verfe 4. " H? thai hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lift up his foul unto vanity, nor fworn deceitfully*** God looketh not, nei- ther would he have us to look upon external titles, or outward ftate, but upon the upright- nefs of the heart. When David was anointed 1. Sam. xvi. Samuel was ready to pour the anointing oil upon Eliab, the eldefl brother, becaufe as the text fays, he was a goodly man. Not fo fays God, look not upon his counte- D 3 nance.
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nance. Abel offered, fo did Cain; but God rejected the offering of Cain ; becaufe he offer- ed not with an upright heart. The upright man is the firtl ingredient into that holy moun- tain. And indeed, what part of man is m.orc fit for God than that, which God himfelffhall ehoofe, and that is the heart : My fon give rne thy heart, not the eye, though it be pier- cing; nor the foot, though it be fwift; nor the hand, though it be flrong ; nor the tongue, though it be eloquent; nor the head, though it be politic; but the heart, an upright heart; he that hath an upright heart, fliall afcend into his holy mountain.
PSALM XXV.
Verfe 1 1. " For thy names fake 0 Lord, par- don mine iniquity: for it is great,''* It is well not- ed upon thefe words of David, for thy names fake, C) Lord, tiiat the word is Elohim, which is Gods, or Lords in the plural : For David, though he conceived not divers Gods, yet he knew three in one, and one in three ; and he knew that by the iin which hclamented here, he had offended all thofe three. For whereas we conlidcr principally in the Father, power; and in the Son, wifdom; and in the Holy Ghoft, goodnefs; David had finned againft the Father, in his notion, in abufmg his power and kingly authority to a mifchievous and Ijloody end in the murder of Uriah; and he had iinned againil the Son in his notion, in depraving and dif- torting true v. iidom into craft and treachery;
and
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and he had finned again (I the Holy Ghofl in his notion, when he would not be content with the goodnefs and piety of Uriah; who rcfufed to take the comforts of his own houfe, as long as God himfelf in his army lodged in tents, and flood in the face of his enemy.
Verfe i6. " Tur?i f bee unto me^ and have mercy upon me: for I am defolafe and ajflicled'' i^khough a chriiHan may be grown up to fuch a (Irength of devotion, as that he can boldiy go to God in fupplications, and interceiTions, and thankf- givlngs, yet, at firfi:, when he comes firfl to deprehend himfelf in a particular iin, or in a. courfo of lin, he comes bafli fully, fhamefully, tremblingly; he knows not what to afK, he is afraid to afrc any particular thing at God's hand: but although he be not come yet to par- ticular re quells for pardon of paft fins, nor for ftrength againft future, nor to a particular con- fideration of the weight of his lins, nor to a comparifon betwixt his fm and the mercy of God; yet he comes to amiferere mei Domine, to a fudden ejaculation, O Lord, be mercifal unto me, how dare I do this in the fight of my God.
PSALM XXVL
Verfe 3. " For thy loving kindnefs is he fore mine eyes: and I have 'lualkcd in thy truth'' David provokes God with all thofe emphai leal words, prove me, try me, examine me ; and more, bring not only a candle to f:arch me, but even fire CO melt me^ but upon v/hat conndence all D 3 thii?
C 34 )
this? for thy loving kindnefs is ever before mine eyes: If God's anger, and not his loving kindnefs had been before his eyes, it had been a fearful apparition, and a dangerous iflue to have gone upon; therefore it was not God's fearching, and trying, and correcling of him, that David deprecates here; but that anger which might change the nature of all, and make all the phyfic, poifon; all that which was intended for David's mollifying, to advance his ob- duration.
Verfe 5/ " / have hated the ccngregaficn of evil doers: and will not fit with the wicked.^* There is nothing that more difcovereth what iieth in the heart, than the company with whom we ordinarily refort. The heart of man is deceit- ful, and the fecret corners thereof are paft iind- ing out; but the company which we keep fliall try what is in it. If the heart be fet upon goodnefs, we will not incline ourfclves to any lewd converfation: The prophet David hereby juftilied his heart, in that he hated the com- pany of evil perfons; which may ferve to re- prove all fuch as are the conr^panions of the prophane: The crouding ourfelves into fuch company, argues a conformity in aife^lions. — We fee in the courfe of nature, that like will to like; and if they be not made like unto them, and corrupted by them, it is greatly to be fc::red they will be fo.
PSALM XXVIL
Verfe 3. " Though an hofi flmdd encamp a-
againfi
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gain/l me^ my heart Jhall not fear: though ivar Jhould rife aguinji me^ in this will I be confident,** Strange, but yet ftrong was the faith of the pfalmift in this verfe. See here a foul Hke the ark riling with the waters: The encamping of an hoil is terrible, and yet David fears not; the rifmg of war is yet more dangerous, yet David will not only not fear, but be confident; nor yet doth he fay in God, but in this, that is, in the very war itfelf will I be confident; as knowing that when the enemy did not only encamp about, but war againft me ; (fo that either he muft periih, or God muil helpj it would not be long 'ere the wifdcm of the Al- mighty would find out a way to refcue him. Not much unlike this, is that refolution of holy Job, " Though hejlay me ^ yet will 1 put my trufi in him,'* Death and hope leem to be at the greateil diftance,and yet here they are brought together; death could not kill Job's hope : — Death itfelf givcth life to his hope, and becomes a prop to his confidence.
Verfe 4. " One thing have I defired of the Lord, that will Ifeek after, that I may dwell in the houfe of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord^ afid to enquire in his temple.**-^ To this note David fets his harp in many pfaims. Sometimes that.God had fullered his cnen-iies to poffeis his tabernacle, as pfalm Ixifcviii. '' He forfook the tabcrjiacle of ShilohJ* But mofi: comiaonly he complained that God diiabled hin» t'om comino; to the fancluary: In whicn one tixirg he fums up all his dcfii*es.
( 36 )
all his prayers in this pfalm ; to this end he expreiTes an holy jealoufy, a religious envy, even to the fp arrows and fwallows (yea the fparrow hath found an houfe, and the fwallow a neft for herfelf, even thy altars, my King and my GodJ thou art my King and my God; and yet excludeil me from that which thou afTor- deft to fpajrrows.
Verfe 8. " When thoufaid/l^ Seek y 2 my face ; my heart Jaid unto thee^ Thy face^ Lord^ will I feck'' From this verfe you may know how to judge of yourfelves in the time of hearing, whether the word be mixt with faith ; if your hearts anfwer God's word as David's did ; \vhen God faid, " fcek ye my face ^* he anfwcr- ed, '^ Thy face,, Lord^ ivill I feek" for faith is fuch an afTciU to every word of God, as it produceth aifeclions and aclions anfwerable to the word whereunto the heart affenteth: So that when John Baptiil preached repentance, we grieve in the fenfe of fin; and when Chrift preacheth the gofpel, we are comforted in hope of forglvenefs. Hereby are condemned fuch, who are like thofe proud men who told Jere- miah that he fpoke falfly, when he delivered the word of God, which crofled their purpofes; . as alfo fuch as defpair in time of allliction, and do not live by faith.
P S A L IvI XXVIII.
Verfe 2. " Hear the voice of my fuppllcaiicns^ when I cry unto thee: when I lifi up my hands to- war di thy holy oracled' He mcntioneth tlic
lifting
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lifting up of his hands, as a Hgn of his feeking help only from God; which reproveth the re- millhefs of too many in praying, who lift up no hands, nor make any outward expreflion; furely it iheweth a dead heart; and yet if this be done in hypocrify, it availeth not, for with the hands the heart mud be Hfted up, that we may prevail.
Verfe 8. " Tbs Lcrd is their Jirengib^ and h: is the faxnngjlrengih of his anointed.*^ By this all power is afcribed unto Chrift, to fave at all times, all fuch as believe in him, to their af- fured comfort. And of David learn we like- wife, when we pray, and when we have vicf ory over our enemies, to afcribe the pov/er to him alone, and not to ourfelves; looking upon Chriil alfo, though defpifed by the Jews as weak and unable to fave himfelf, as being of all power moil able to fave both temporally and eternally.
P S A L M XXIX.
Verfe 9. " The voice of the Lord makeih tJ?e hinds to cahe^ aud difcorerelh the forejis : and in his temple doth every one j peak of his glory. ^^ God is worthy of all praife and honour ; not only when he doth enrich and flrengthen us, but alfo when he doth impoverifh and weaken us. When God thunders in judgments fo loud ; that he breaketh the cedars, and fhakes the wildernefs; then to give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name, argues a fpirit highly enobled and glorious in grace. Therefore the
children
( 3S )
cliildren of God mould not reft in this, that they bear afiiidions, but they fhould labour to bring their hearts, to blels and glorify God in, and for the afHiclions that they bear. And a foul that thus honoureth God, fliall affuredly receive lion our from God. That which the apoFtle fpeaks of the faints fufFeringperfecution, is true of them in any kind of holy fuffer- ing, the fpirit of glory and of God doth reft upon them.
Verfe 1 1. " The Lord ivill give fircngth unto hU people^ ihs LordzvlU hlefs his people with peace J^ ^ Peace is one of the greateft temporal bleilings' that a ftate or church can receive, and there- fore the prophet calls it here not barely i^eace, but biefling of peace ; and doubtlefs it is to teach the world, that all earthly bleffings are as it were unbleffed till peace be upon them, till then no enjoying of any ; therefore it was an ancient cuftom among the Jews, to falute them to whom they wiftied all happinefs, with this complim.ent, peace be unto you. For in- deed without peace we can have no folid tem- poral happinefs. Peace, or nothing: Peace, and every thing.
PSALM XXX.
Verfe 5. .*' For his anger endureth hut a mo- ment; in his fan^our isdife: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comet h in the morning,'* David doth not fay it muft endure for a night ; that God v/ill by no means Ihorten the time, per- chance God will wipe away all tears from
thine
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thine eyes at midniglit, if thou pray, try him that way then : If he do not, if woeping do endure for a night, all night, yet joy comet h in the morning: and then the prophet doth not fay, joy may come in the morning, but it cometh certainly, infallibly it comes, and comes in the morning : God is an early *rifer for the good of his children ; and therefore if God Tiiould at any time leave us in an Egypt or a Babylon, under any afSidtion without relief for a feafon; we may proceed to David's holy im- portunity, " 0 Lord 7nakehafte to help me. falls fy us early with thy mercy ^ Pfalm. xc. 14. that -ive may be glad and rejoice all our day:^^ and God will do fo.
Verfe 6. " And in my profperity I faid^ I f nail iiever be moved J^* As the body of man and confequently health, is befl underllood, and beft advanced by diffe^lions, and anatomiies, when the hand and knife of the furgeon hath paffed upon every part of the body, and laid it open; So when the hand or fword of God hath pierced our foul, we are brought to a better knowledge of ourfelves, than any degree of profperity would have raifed us to. David here was an example of this in the time of the law, who firft faid in his profperity he fhould never be moved; but when, faid he, thou hidefl thy face from me, I was troubled, and then I cried unto thee, O Lord ! then, but not till then. The fame art, the fame grammar con- tinues fliil; and Peter is an example of the fame rule in the time of grace, who was at firft fo
confident
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confident as to come to that, if all forfookhim, if he muft^die for him, yet he was ready; arid yet without any terror from an armed magi- ib'ate, without any furprifal of a fubtle exami- ner, upon the queftion of a poor maid he de- nied Ins mafter, but then the bitternels of his loui, taught him another temper afterwards.
P S A L M XXXL
Verfe 3. " For thou art my rock and myfortrefs^ therefore for thy na7r.es fake lead me ^ and ?^u:de tne.'* How imperfect, how weak foever our prayers be, yet ftill, if it be a prayer, it hath a reafon upon which it is grounded: For that prayer is very far from faith which is not nrade with reafon, with a coniideration of fome poffibility and fome conveniency in Chrifl. Every m^an that fays. Lord, Lord, enters not into heaven: A prayer muft be with a ferious purpofe to pray, or elfe the fafhionable and cultomary prayers are but falfe fires without {hot, tiiey batter not heaven; it is but an interjeclion that Hips in, it is but a parenthefis that might be left out.
Verfe 11. " / was a reproach among all mine enemies^ hut efpeclally. among my veigbboiirs^ and a fear to mine acquaintance^ they that did fee we iviih- out, fied from me*^ The alienation of friends is a very great increafe of our forrow in times of forrow : Hence David complains here, " / ivas a reproach,'' Sec, The prophet fpeaks here of three forts. Firfl, enemies, fecondly, neigh- bours, and thirdly, acquaintance. That his
enemies
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enemies reproach him was a trouble to him, yet the leaft of his troubles ; the thing which moil troubled him was, that his neighbours reproached him, and that his acquaintance were afraid of him; he was a fear to his acquain- tance; not that they were afraid he would do them any hurt, but they were afraid to own him, or to do him any good : And this was the ground of David's complaint, the abate- ment of his friends* love: For as their unkind- nefs leirens our comforts in good times, fo it adds to our forrow in evil times.
Verfe 16, " Make thy face to Jhine upon thy fewant: favc me for thy mercies fake." God will deliver my foul, God will fave me for his mer- cies fake, that is, becaufe his mercy is engaged in it; and if God were to fell me this delive- rance, this faving, and all that I pray for; what could I offer him fo great as his own mercy, in which I offer him the obedience, the innocency, the blood of his only fon. l^ I buy the king's land, I mufl pay for it in the king's money, 1 have no mine or mint of my own, therefore if I would have any thing of God, 1 mufl give him that which is his own for it, i. e.his mercy; and this is to give God his mercy, to give God thanks for his mercy, lo give all to his mercy ; and to acknowledge that if my works be ac- ceptable to him, nay, if my very faith be ac- ceptable to him, it is not becaufe my woi'ks, no, nor rny faith have any proportion of equiva- lency in them, or are worth the leaft flafli of joy, or the leail fpan^^le of dory in heaven : — E " But
( 42 )
But becaufe God in his mercy, only of his iTiCrcy, merely for the glory of his mercy, hath paffed fuch a covenant, believe this, and do this, and thou ftialt live ; not for thy deeds fake, no, nor for thy faiths fake, but for his mercies fake.
Verfe 19. "0 how great is thy goodnefs^ vjhich thou haft laid up for them that fear thee; which thou haft wrought for them thai truft in thee^ before ihefom of 7nen'^ Fathers lay up for their chil- dren, and how marvellous, fays David, is that goodnefs which the Lord hath laid up for his children, even before the fons of men ; and no wonder, for he that fpared not his own fon, but gave him up for us, how Ihould he not but with him give us all things. Are the children of God in want|; the Lord is ready to relieve them; and rather than they fhall lack, the fto- ney rock lliall yield them waters, the heavens Ihall rain quails and manna, the poor widow fliall relieve Elijah, and the ravens fhall feed him: Are they in danger and diftrefs, the angels fhall become their guard; and pitch their tents about them: Are they fick, the Lord will make their bed in their ficknefs : Are they in forrow and heavinefs, behold their heavenly Father is the Father of all mercies, and God of all confolation.
P S A L M XXXIL
Verfe i. " Bleffed is he zvhofe iranfgrejfion is furgt'ven^ whofe fax is coijercdJ' But what is blelledncfs any more than a confident expecta- tion
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tion of happinefs in the next world: Yes, blef- fednefs includes all that can be afkcd or con- ceived in the next world, and in this too. — Chrift in his iermon of bleiTednefs fays, firil, " Blejjed are they^ for theirs is the kingdom of heaven^^ and after " hleffed are they ^ for they Jhall inherit the earth'^ Remiffion of fms is bleilcd- nefs; and as godlinefs hath the promife of this world and the next, fo bleiTednefs hath the per- formance of both. He that hath peace in the remiiTion of fins is blefled already, and ihall have thofe bleflings infinitely multiplied in the world to come.
PSALM XXXIIi.
Verfe 15. " Ue fafoioneth their hearts alike; he confidereth all their works.'"* As a fuit of cloaths is fitted to a man's body; fo doth God £i{hion a good man's heart to his eftate, and makes it fuitable, fit, and convenient for him, and this affords him content. When there is an unfuitablenefs, a difproportion, or a difa- greement betwixt a man's mind and his means, he can have no fatisfadion, no comfort, as we fee by x^hab, and Haman, and divers others j who wanted for no means; yet becaufe their hearts did not agree with their eftates, fee how difcontentcdly they lived and died. If then thy eftate be not according to thy mind, de- fire of God to fit thy mind to thy eilate, then thou fhalt be contented in it, be it more or lefs. It is as eafy for God to give a man plenty as poverty, only he fees the one more conve- E a nient
( 44 )
nient for Toine men than the other, and he difpenfeth his favours accordingly.
Verfe i8. " Behold the eye of the Lord is upon •them that fear him : upon them that hope in his mercy, ^* 'rhere is an obferving eye, the eye of God's knowledge, which is upon all men, fo much i§ affirmed, verfe 13. But his prefcrving eye, the eye of his care, is only upon his righteous ones that fear him. Their eye is upon him in duty, as the eye of the handmaid is upon her miftrefs to ferve her: his eye is up- on them in mercy, as the eye of the owner is upon the cattle to feed them. Such is for the moft part the love of parents to their children when young, that they cannot endure them out of their fight, but would always have their own eye upon them; no lefs is the fatherly af- fection of God tov/ards his people, whom he adopts for his children, and keepeth ever in his fight.
Verfe 21." For our heart fhall rejoice in him : becaufe we have truflcd in his holy namc.^^ God will always do for them tliat depend on him, or elfe what would be done to his great and glorious name: How would the enemy infult, and the godly hang down their head, or how would any be bold to cail themfelves upon him in future. In their prelTures they may refolve with David in the words above ci: ::d. Wouidil thou, O chriilian, find fheltcr or fanduary in a florm, and a city of refuge again 11 the pur- fuer; in a word, Vv'hen the heavens fhali be on fire about thine ears, wouldll thou be able to
look
( 45 )
look upon the Son of Man ? let the Lord be thy reliance, and the mofl high thy confidence.
PSALM XXXIV.
Verfe 8. " 0 tqfte and fee that the Lord is good: blejed is the man that tnifteth in him'' The brighteil noon had a faint twilight or break of day: The fight of God which we fhall have in heaven, muft have a break of day here. If we will fee his face there, we muft fee it in fome beams here firft; and to that purpofe e- very fenfe is called fight : For there is tafte, and fee, and fmell, and fee what a favour of life the Lord is. So St John, Revel.^ i. Turned about to fee a voice, there hearing was fight, and fo Chrift fays in Luke xxiv. Feel and fee, there feeling is feeing: All things concur to this feeing ; and therefore in all the works of your fenfes and all your faculties fee the Lord. Hear him in his word, and fo fee him; fpeak to him in your prayers, and fo fee him; touch him in his facrr>ment, and fo fee him; prefent holy and religiou adions unto him, and fo fee him. 11ms hire, tafte and fee how good the Lord is, and thence long after him: For as he that taftes honey to be fweet, needs no argument to perfuade him to believe it: So here let a man but once tafte that the Lord is good, and he will thenceforth con- temn all the fooleries of the world as taftelefs, and as a new born babe delire the fmcere milk of the word, i. Pet. ii.
Verfe 19, " Many are the aJli6liom of the righ- E -:• icons:
C 46 )
ieous: but the Lcrd delivereth Llm out of them all''* Art thou righteous: arm thyfelf to bear brunts and blows like a foldier, but fear not vidory fo long as God is near thee, and thou near him, put on patience, and feek not to prevent trou- bles by laying afide integrity and a good con- fcience. This is the condition of divine pro- tection, 1. Pet. iii. 13. Let us therefore truft ourfelves with God in troubles as well as peace, cxpeding the accompliihiTient of this gracious promife. If thou art righteous, the number of croffes Ihall not foil thee : nor the power of perfecutors daunt thee, nor the con- tinuance of trials break thee ; nothing but iin can hinder thy deliverance. Be humbled for fin, and all Ihall be well.
PSALM XXXV.
Verfe 5. " Let them be as chaff before the ivind: and let the angel of the Lord chafe them,^^ Angels are mighty in power ; and not only good but evil angels receiving permillion or commilllon from God, can fcatter the wicked as ftubble before the wind: as ftubble, to fhew how eafy the wicked are dillipated, and liow quickly they are carried away. Stubble makes little oppofition againft the wind, the war is not great between the wind and the ftraw, between tlic chaff and the ftorm: Stubble and chaff are as much a match for winds and ftorms, as the wicked are for the wrath of God ; therefore when David faw his enemies defer ted of God, notwithftanding iheir fecming devotion, and
earneftncis
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earneftnefs in calling to him for help, he prefent- ly adds, then did 1 beat them Imall as the chaff before the wind. Pfalm xi. It is an eafy mat- ter to dcftroy thofe whom God rei'ufeth to help, and to make them as chaff, whofe rock the Lord refufeth to be. Every man is but duft and chaff, eafily carried away in regard of his natural conflitution. Lallly. chaff driven before the wind may refl againfl a wall ; but where Ihall the ungodly appear, I. Peter? iv, furely no where : Not before the faints and angels; for holinefs is their trade ; not before God, for he is of more pure eyes; nor, laflly, before C hrifl, for he fhall come in flaming fire, rendering vengeance on his enemies.
Verfe 18. " I will give thee thanks in the great congregation : I will praife thee among m uch people. ^^ I can build a church in my bofom, and can fcrve God in my heart, and never clothe my prayer in words God is often faid to hear and anfwer in fcripture, when they to whom he fpeaks have faid nothing. 1 can build a church at my bed fide ; when I proflrate my felf in humble prayer there, I do fo. lean praife God cheeifuily in my chapel, in every congregation will I blefs the Lord.
PSALM XXXVL
Verfe 6. " Thy right eoiifnefs is like the great moun-'difis ; thy iudgtments are a great deep: 0 Lord^ thou prej<rveji mc^n and beaji,*^ We are affurcd of i^ twofoid faivationby the interceflion of ChiiiL Firft, of a teuiporal falvation from
trouble
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troubles and outward evils : Secondly, of an eternal falvation from lin and condemnation. Therefore, faith St Paul " We both labour and andfuffer reproach^ becaufe we trufi in the Ihing God^ who is the Saviour of all men^ efpecially of ihofe that believe, ^.^ The living God is the Sa- viour of all men, yea, he faveth man and beaft by his general providence; but he faveth be- lievers by an ad of fpecial providence ; and therefore they are ready not only to do their utmofl for him, but to venture the lofs of all for him, who loveth them above other men ; and therefore they will venture more for God then other men will do.
PSALM XXXVII.
Verfe i. " Fret not thyfelf becaufe of evil doers ^ neither be thou envious agaiii/t the workers of ini^ quity,''^ It is fome trouble to good men to fee evil men fiourifh and live free from trouble.-— Many a good man hath had much ado to di- geft this morfelj and get above this temptation. While David admonilheth, fret not thyfelf be- caufe of the wicked man, he more than inti- mates, that the beft of men are ready to fret and envy, when they profper: and either he or Afaph tells us how he found it working on his own fpirit, and he ftaid not here, but was fo overborne by the ftrength of this temptation, as to make a very unbecoming and dangerous conclufion. and we arc informed, he could not get out of it till he Vv^ent into the fancluary of God, i. e. till he confulted witU God, and
then
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then, and not till then, he underftood the end of thcle men.
Verfe 3. " Truji in the Lord^ and do goody fo (l:>alt thou dwell in the land^ and 'verilj thou jhalt be fed:' That confidence is not a fpiritual reft but a carnal fecurity^ which hopes in the pro- miie, and yet obeyeth not the- precept. Very obfervable therefore is David's exliortation here, and his affertion elfewlierev lus aiibrtion Pfahii hi. concerns himfelf, " / am like a green olive tree, then I triift the more in God'/' intimat- ing, that the lamp of his confidence was fed with the oil of good works; his exhortation is to others in this veric, truft in the Lord and do good, implying, that a right truft in God ilimulates us in doing good, and a ledulous do- ing good emboldeneth to truil in God; fo that thefe two not only may, but mull meet together in every real child of God.
Verfe 5. " Co'imiit thy way unto the Lord: trufl aJfo in him^ and he fnall bring it io pafs^' Abra- ham when he beat the price with God from fmy to ten, rolled his petition upon God : It is in the margin, not commit, but roll; fo roll thy ways upon him, come to him in a thank- ful acknowledgement of what he hath done for thee in nature and grace; and then as it follows, trufl in him, and he Ihall bring it to pafs. — i3egin at Alpha and he fhall bring it to Omega: confider thyfelf but in the ftate of hope, and ipfc faciet, faith the texr^ God iliail do, God Ihall work; there is no more in the original ,but fo, ipfe faciet, not God fhall do it, or da
this
C 50 )
this, or do that, but do all ; do but confider what God hath done for thee, and he fliail do all.
Verfe 24. " Though he fall he fhall not he ut- terly cajl down: for the Lord iipholdeth him with his hand J' It was of Solomon, fay fome in- terpreters, that David his father prophefied in this text; if fenfible grace, yet not final grace was taken from that beloved of God : in the hardeft of this winter, the fap went down to the root, though it appeared not in the bran- ches. Even while Solomon removed, that word flood faft, he fhall be my fon, and I will be his father. He that forefaw_his fm, threatned and hmited his correction, " If he break my Jiatutes^ and keep not my commandments; then will Ivifj his iranfgrejfton with a rod^ and his inirjidty withjiripes,'^
Verfe 26. " Re is ever merciful^ and lendeth : end his feed is hie [fed'' Merciful as his Father in heaven is merciful, i. e. in perpetual, not tranfitory endowments (for God did not fet up his lights, his fun and his moon for a day, but for ever, and fuch Ihould our light, our good works be) He is merciful and he lendeth: To whom? to the poor he giveth, he looks for no return from them; for they are the waters upon which he calls his bread: Yet he lendeth *' He that hath pity on the poor lendeth to the Lord^' Pro. xix. and then as David adds there, his feed is bleffed. Bleflfed in this which fol- lows there, that he iliall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever; the righteous fliall be held in everlafling remembrance.
Verfe
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Verfe 35. " Ihanjefeen the wicked in great pow- er: Qnd fpreading himfdf like a green bay-tree,''^ — III this and the next verfe, David records his own experience of the wicked, and from thence encourageth us to obferve our own ex- perience of the good: thereby intimating to us, that as the way of the juft and unjuft is dl- reclly oppofite, fo their end fhall be manifeflly contrary; and v/ithal, that what he faw in his time might be obferved, and fliould be made good in the experience of all times: God is the fame, yefterday, and to-day, and for ever. The fame not only in his elTence, but in his operation, in his being, but in his working; what he hath done, that he ftill does and w'ill do. Divine Providence ever afe like itfelf; and though it vary in particular circumftances, yet ever keepeth the general courfe of rewar- ding every one at laft according to his works: therefore former experiences are juft grounds of future confidence; thofe difpenfations of God towards the righteous, and the wicked, which holy men of old have regiftered, may encourage us to expe^l the fame: to which end David in verfe ^j^ calls upon us to mark and behold.
Verfe 2)7- " Mark the perfed man^ and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.'* A fair day may have a foul evening: but a good life cannot have a bad death. Such as the pre- mifes are, fuch v^^ill the conclufion be. Old Hilarton when he lay a dying befpake his foul in this manner, " Get ibee out ofmCy 0 my foul;
get
^; 5- )
get ihce out ofme^ why fear eft ihou^ that haft ftrved God almrjt thcfc ) eve. tty years, ^^ And indeed what realbn hath ihch a foul to fear, when the end of that man is peace. It is true, the beginning and middle of the upri^:^]it man's days may be full of trouble, but his end is reft. The life of a faint Is a continual warfare with Satan's temptations, his own corruptions, and the w^orld's perfecutions; but at his death he fhall enter into peace; for the prefcnt none under worfe flavery than the good, but at the laft there fhall be a year of jubilee It is not un- worthy our obfervation, that the Hebrews ufe this word in the text to fignify both a reward and an end, thereby intimating to us, that the reward is not given till the end: when the evening was come, then the labourers received their wages, and at the end of our lives fiiail be the collation of our recompence.
P S A L M XXXVIII.
Verfe 8. " I am feeble and fore broken; I have roared by reafon of the dfquietnefs of my hearth — As God dealt here v/lth David, juft fo likewife deals he with all his fervants: he humbles them and brings them down by mifery and a51i6lion, that fo lie may bring them hom.e to himfelf. Thus alfo Chrift, who in his human nature had received from his Father all judgment and power, and dominion over this world, di.l receive all this upon the condition he fhould govern after this manner, " Thou JlMit or ufe them With a rod of iron, and break them in pieces
■ like
C 53 )
like a potters vefj'cl'* Now God meant well to the nations.
Verfc II. " My lover i and my friends Jland aloof from my fore: and my kinf men ft and afar off.'^ David's friends came near enough to him, when he was (as we may fay) in a whole fkin, or in a good condition: but when lores were upon him (he means it not of fores upon his ficlli, but of fores in a metaphor, troubles in his eftate,) then, as if his fore had been a plague fore, they ilood afar off; and this mull have been a great trouble to David, and that upon a double coniideration. Firft, becaufe it is probable thofe friends that were fuch friends to him now, were formerly obliged by receiv- ed courtefies; and, fecondiy, becaufe they o- bliged themfelves by promifed courtelies. It doth not trouble us nmch to fee them difcour- teous to U3, who never received court^Iie from us, or to fee them unwillins: to do us a kind- nefs, who never promifed any : But when we fee our courtefies loft upon any man, or him fitting loofe to us, notwithllanding all his own promifes, this goes to the liearr, and cuts deep; an unexpected crois is ru)t fo grievous unto us, as the croffing our expectation.
P S A L M XXXIX.
Verfe 9. " I was dumb^ I opened not rny mouth; hecaife thou didfi itJ* There is a iilence that is not always good, but occafionally and circum- ftantially, and this a forbearing to fpcak truth, which inav be eood then, when our fpeaking F of
( 54 )
of truth can do no good, and may do harm. Which was David's cafe in this vcrfe; though it were a vexation to him, though he had a fenfe and a remorfe, that this was fome degree of prevarication, to abandon the defence of God's honour at any time ; yet his religious difcrction made it appear to him, that this prefent abftinence would in the end conduce more to God's glory. It was the v^^ife man's iTile, " Kindle not the ccah offtnners^ when thou rehukeft them; leji thou be burnt in the fames of their fins"
Verfe 5. " Behold thou haf made 7ny days as an hand-breadth^ and mine age is as nothing before thee: "jerily every man at his befl Jlate is altogether va- jiify," David was here too prodigal in his fimilitude, when he beat out the age of man to the dimenlions of a fpan; an inch, a punc- tum had been bountiful enou2:h: the leaftatom types out his glory here, his glory of life here: 'tis breath on Iteel, no fooner on than off, fun- burnt flubble, at once flame and aihes.
PSALM XL.
Verfe 8. " I delight to do thy wiU^^ 0 my God: yea thy law is within my heart." Life and pro- fcflion together make a chriftian ; who mufl not have his ears only opened to hear Chrift's will, but his heart and hand ready to do it. — We mud: join with our profefiion, practice; with our hcariiig, doing; with our faith, virtue; with our fliew of godlinefs, the power of it in our lives; v/ith our knowledge of God the fer-
\ice
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vice of him; with a calling of Abraham, father, a doing of the works of Abraham. Profeifors of- the gofpel ftiould have their converfation as becomes the gofpel. But if with the Jews we cry the temple of the Lord, but obey not the Lord of the temple; if our voice be Jacob's but our hands Efau's; if we run towards hei- vcn one day, towards hell fix, and conrradicl the truth of thofe fermons we hear, by the error of our lives, this is to profefs a chriflian, but to live a pagan ; with the barren fig-tree in the gofpel, to have the leaves of outward profeflion, but want the fruits of an holy con- verfation; and therefore, with that fig-tree, fuch rnen Hiall be curfcd for liourifhing,
P S A L M XLL
Verfe 3. " The Lord will Jlrengt hen him upon the bed of langiiijJ)ing: thou wilt make all his bed in his f. chiefs,'' That you may obtain mercy from God, ihew mercy to others. It is a fweet promife to feed on in the time of fick nefs, this of the pfalmifl. That bed mull needs be eafy which God maketh, nor can he faint whom God flrengtheneth: but to whom is this promife made? him, and none but him, who confidereth the poor, fo is our tranflation; but the Hebrew word may as well be rendered lick, one that is weaknea by difeafe; he who confiders others in their ficknefs, ^liall be fup- ported by God in his. Which of us doth not defire that God would fhew mercy lo him in his diftrefs* But how can we cxped God F 2 fhould
( 56 )
Ihould grant that to us, which we deny to o- thers: Bleffed are the merciful, faith Chrift, for they fhall receive mercy: be then, O man, to thyfelf a pattern of mercy, and fliew with that fpeed, and in tliat degree, mercy to thy fick, weak, languifhing neighbour, which thou wouldft have God vouchfafeto thee in the like condition.
P S A L M XLII.
Vcrfe 3. " My tears have been my meat day and nighty while they continually fay unto me^ WJjere is thy God?*' David's fm came in at the win- dows of his eyes, and came in, in fire, in luft, and muft go out at thofe windows too ; and go out in water, in the water of repentant tears: and then for the time; as the night de- filed the- prophet's foul, fo the fm mull be ex- piated, and the foul wafhed in the night too. This may be fome emblem, fome ufeful inti- mation, how haftily repentance follows (in. — David's fin is placed in the beginning of the night, in the evening: in the evening he rofe and walked, and walked upon the terrace, and faw Bathflieba: and in the next part of time, in the night, he falls a weeping: no more be- tween the fweetnefs of fm, and the bitternefs of repentance, than between evening and night: no morning to cither of them till the fun of grace arife, and fhine out, and proceed to a meridional height; and make the repentance upon circumllance, to be a repentance upon the fubilance ; and bring it to be a repentance
for
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for the fin itfelf, which at firft was but a repentance upon feme calamity that that fin induced.
Verfe 5. '* lV,by art ihou c aft dew n^ 0 my foul!' and why art thou di/quieted tn me ? hope thou in God, for I f jail yet praife h'un for the help of bis countenance.^^ That foul that is diffcifled and anatomifcd to God in a linccre confefiion, waihcd in the tears of true contrition, em- banned in the blood of reconciliation, the blood of Jefus Chrift. can aiiign no reafon, can give no juft anfwer to that interrog.ctory, ''Why art ihou cafl down, 0 my foul V^
Verfe i o. " As with afword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me: while they fay daily unto 7ne^ Where is thy GodV* The voice of oppreiTors is the voice of fcorn, the voice of flander and re- proach, and David ihews us here from his own experience, how reproaches work: his oppref- fors fliarpened their tongues as well as their fwords againfl him: the tongue v/ounds deeper than the fword: the tongue wounds the fpirit, but the fword cannot reach beyond the fieili ; and God will take as deep, if not a deeper re- venge upon the enemies of his church for their tongue-woundings, than for their fvv'ord-woun- dings: hard words as well as hard bit)ws muil be accounted for: for as thefe wound the chil- dren of God deepeft, fo will God mod fcvcre- ly revenge them.
PSALM XLIII.
Verfe i. "• Judge me, 0 God, and plead my caufe F 3 again II
( 58 )
dgahi/i an ungodly nation ; 0 deliver vie from the deceitful and unjuji man. In this verfe David flicws, that deprecation is a branch of prayer, directed to God, either for the turning alidc and prevention of an evil before it comes, or for the removing and taking of it away v^hen it comes. And the evil v^hich V7c deprecate may be either the evil of fm, or the evil of punifhment. When we either fear or feel an evil, we muft not with Jonah, fit down, and in a fallen humour, wifh ourfelves cut of the world; but we muft pray as Chrift did for his difciples, John xvii. not that he would take us out of the world, but that he would keep us from the evil. And fo doing we have God's promife not to be tempted above our ftrength: For either he will abate the crofs, or increafe our ftrength to bear it; he will either remove the temptation, or give us his grace, which is fufficient for us.
Verfe 5. '''Why art thou caft do%vn, 0 my foul f and why art thou difquieted within me ? hope in God, for IJhall yet praife him, who is the health of my countenance, and my GodV In all dangers and afFiictions we muft wait upon God : for this is the ufe that we are to make of all our troubles and tribulations, thereby to be drawn nearer unto God and his word, and to ftoop down under his mighty hand. This humili- ation we fee in Job: he did not feek to God's fworn enemies for help, he afked not counfel of conjurers, he knew he muft apply to the Lord for a cure, and lift up his eyes to him
that
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that had made the wound, " The Lord hath given^ and the Lord hath take?! away, bleffed be the nanie of the Lord.'' We muft not therefore re- nounce the Lord in the day of our calamities, but cleave unto him with full purpofe of heart, confidcring that whatfoever our lolTcr. are, yet God is able to recompence them another way, and render them an hundred fold into our bofoms.
PSALM XLIV.
Verfe 4. " Thou art my King^ 0 God, command deliverances for Jacob,** All deliverance is of God: whatever the inllruments are by which deliverance is brought unto us, or in whofc hands fover deUverance is put, let us know that the work and procurement of it is from above. It is the privilege of God, and of God alone to 1 e a deliverer. And he hath deliverance at his command; command deliverance for Jacob, Man muft humbly petition for, and beg deli- verance; but God {lands not intreating the creature, or debating the matter with kings and princes, with the ftrongeft and moft hard- hearted Pharaoh to deliver his people ; but he fends forth a writ of deliverance, and authori- tatively commands delh'erance, when it is his pleafure a perfon or people Ciali be delivered.
Verfe 5. '-' TLrough thee will we pujh down our enemies: thrown}) thy name will we tread them un^ der that rife up againft us'' Navies of fhips, troops of horfes, regiments of foot, garrifons, ariiiivry, ammunition, and all military pro-
vifions,
( 6o )
vifions, without God, prevails nothing. He it is who directs the arrow and the bullet to the mark, w4io gives wifdom to the commander and courage to the foldier, who ftrengtheneth his arm, and covereth his head in the day of battle: therefore Gideon, in Judges vii. pre- fers the Lord's fword before his own ; the fword of the Lord and of Gideon : not the fword of Gideon without the fword of the Lord, nor the fword of Gideon in the firft place: but firfl the fword of the Lord, and then the fword of Gideon; the fword of the Lord to direct, and the fword of Gideon to exe- cute.
Vcrfe 9, " But thou hajl caft off^ and put us to Jhame; and g&e/l not forth ivith our armies. God to fenfe cafts off his own people when he cafts them into dangers ; but it is not fo in reality, only in appearance ; when they are thus fitu- atcd, their faith takes hold of God, and God's love takes hold of them : for God hath tied himielf to them in the bond of a covenant,. they are faft to him in the everlafling bonds of his own love, therefore they cannot be caft off. So he promifeth his people, Lev it. xxvi. — Though they fliould provoke him to afilid them, yet he would not forget them utterly ; he might put them into the hands of their enemies, but he would never ceafe to be their friend. Many think when God's children arc caft into trouble, that God hath cail them a- way: not fo, for when they are in their ene- mies' hand, God holds them fliil in his own
hand
( ^I )
hand, yea, in his heart : the covenant holds God and his people fo fad together, that they ihall never part.
PSALM XLV.
Verfe i . " My heart is enditing a good matter : I /peak of the things which I have made touching the king: jiiv tongue is the pen of a ready writer.** The good that is in the heart will come out at the mouth, " My heart is enditing a good matter** and what follows, " My tongue is the pen of a ready writer** Heavenly thoughts in the heart fhoot out at the tongue in heavenly words: — When the heart is devifing a good matter, the tongue will be fwift to fpeak, and fet all to a good tune. Thus alfo while the heart is en- diting an evil matter, the tongue runs to evil: fuch a man need not learn from others, he hath a root of bitternefs in himfelf. Hence our Sa- viour concludes, " By thy words thou fhalt be condemned; and by thy words thou fhalt bejuflified** a man is jullly condemned by evil words, be- caufe they teflify he is evil.
PSALM XLVL
Verfe ^.. *' Therefore will not we fear ^ though the earth be removed^ and though the mountains be carried into the midfi of the fea'* You fee what thoughts faith propofeth to itfclf, and yet fur- mounts them. Faith is not only a purifying, but a prevailing and a conquering grace; faith is our viclory over the woiid, and all worldly objections. As the grace of God towards man
triumphs
( C2 )
triumphs over all the unworthinefs of man, and will do man good, though many obftacles lie in tlie way. They underilood not his works, they remembered not the multitude of his mer- cies, Pfa. cvi. Every one of thefe were a flop in the way to do that people good, yet mercy got over them all : neverthelefs he faved them. — Now I fay as the grace of God triumphs over the unworthinefs of man ; fo faith triumphs over all the impoHibilities, and improbabilities tliat feem to lie in the way of God, to hinder him from doing any thing for us, when once we have his word or promife. Thus David here, I will not fear though the earth be mo- ved, though all the world fhould be reduced ngain into that firft chaos of confufion, becaufe God was with him, wliofe praife and promife is, to fee to his fervant's fafety in the greateft dangers.
Verfe 7. " The Lord of hofts is with us^ the God cfyacob is cur refuge," Why therefore are we difmayed with the humours and fears of the ftrorgeft oppofitions: Why are we appalled when we fee fpiritual wickednefs in high places? if we look at their number, they are legions; if to their ftrength, they are principalities and powers; if to their nature, they are fpirits that rule in the air : We are men, flefh and blood, fmgle, weak, fmful. Whatever we are, our God is in heaven, and doth whatfoevcr he will; he is the Lord of ho lis; though we are cowards in ourfeives, yet in him we are more than con- querors; he that is more than all power, than
aU
( <^3 )
all truth, hath faid it ; the gates of hell fhall not prevail againft his church. Thanks be to God that hath given us the victory, through our Lord Jefus Chrift.
PSALM XLVIL
Verfe 7. " For God is the King of all the earth, fing ye praifes %vith under/landing:' It is good to be full of afFeclion, but it is beft to work in the full affurance of underftanding. Affecliions without underflanding are blind; and quickly run us upon an hundred inconveniences. And therefore that duty which fummons all our affeclions here, at the fame time calls for a work of underflanding; fmg praifes with un- derflanding : as if we ought not to perform any public duty in the church (thofe ip par- ticular of praying and finging) fo as that o- thers cannot fet their underflanding on work; then much Icfs are we to perform any duty without the work of our own underflanding. He is a barbarian to others, who either fpeaketh or prayeth what he underflands not.
PSALM X:^IIL
Verfe 1 o. " According to thy name^ 0 Ccd, fa is thy pralfe unto the ends of the earth : thy right hand is full of righteoufnef . ' ' God is exiifl both in judgment and juftice: he is as curious in fearching out the caufe, as in fentencing the perfon; as ready to acquit the innocent, as to condemn the guilty; as careful to reheve the opprclTcd, ac to chailea the opprciTor; as zealous
in
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rewarding thofe wlio dcferve well, as in pu- niiliing thofc who do evil: not to rewp.rd, is as great injuilice as not to punilh. Vvhat God Lath proniifed fhall be pcrforn?,ed ; and what he threatens fhall be inflicted: He will neither difcourage goodiiefs by neglecling it, nor en- courage fin by winking at it. Thus we fee, the right hand of the Lord is full of righteouf- nefs: his power and might are his right hand; and that right hand hath nothing but righte- oufnefs in it. God hath all po\ver in his hand, but he wrongs no man : his hand is full of righteoufnefs.
Verfe 1 4. " For ibis God is our Cod for ev3r and ever; he will bs our guide cve?i vnto death* ^ — The bulinefs of faith is to draw the foul purely to God. The faints here are invited to walk about Sion: we are to l:ufy ourfelves, to em- ploy both lenfe and undcrilanding upon Sion: upon the towers and bulwarks, upon her pa- laces and walls; not as if the faints fhould be taken up merely in the adn-iraticn of the beauty and glory of Sion's ordinances, and privileges. Fob* this verfe informs us, we mufl nol flay in S!on's bulwarks and palaces; while it concludes thus, ** for this God is our God for ever and e^^er; he will be cur guide even unto death.'** He faith not it is this Sion^ thefc flrong walls and buiwarki;, thole goodly pa- laces, which 1 call you to look on, as your joy and bappinefs: no, this God, the God of Sion, you are chieflly to look on, and he is your chlefefl happinefii: unkfsyou fee God in Sion's
walls
C ^5 )
walls, bulwarks, and palaces, it is not worth your fight. " This God is our God ;" he quite flins the mention of W2ills and bulwarks, and palaces, and refts in the mention of God only.
PSALM XLIX.
Verfe i o. " For hefeeib that wife men die, like- wife the fool and the brnfi/h perfon perifh^ and leave their wealth to others^ Even they which were fo wife as to Ihun the corruptions of the world, yet they cannot fliun the corruption of nature; though they have the wifdom from above, yet they have the frailty from beneath; though their parts may, yet their conflitution is not more re- fined; they of the befl houfe (land but upon a weak pinning: we read that the faints full of gra- ces, full of virtues, departed: St Paul brings in a whole catalogue of faints, Heb. xi. but to me it is but as a burying bill : Which may teach us to endure the faints* death with patience: for why fliouid w^e be troubled at a common lot. If fuch a thing happened to them as never man endured, it were another matter; but when ail virtuous men that ever lived before them draw this blank: when nature hath no other lottery, W'hy fhould they be difquieted: it is well they have lived fo long as to defer ve well of the world, that they lent out their virtues before- hand, and have the age indebted to them; but that they ihould live ever, is beyond nature's covenant, or any divine grant ; though they have many privileges, yet they have not this in their charter.
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VciTe 20. *^ Man that is in honour^ and vn- dcrftandeih not^ is like the beajls that petiJJo.''^ — Man hath this privilege above beads, that he hath an undcrflanding; and not only fo, but in this he is Uke to angels, yea to God himielf; but unlefs he exercifeth his underftanding, he acl's as a beaft. " Man that is in honour^ and imdcrjiandeth nct^^ i. e. doth not exercife his underflanding, or a6i: fuitably to it, but is led merely by fenfe, or hurried by pafHon, this man is like the beads that perifh. Therefore let not pajQion have the upper-hand of your under- standing; but the more we fee others diftem- pered and heated with paflion, the more cool and compofed vjc fhould be, and we fhould exercife the higheft degree of patience when we fee others impatient.
PSALM L.
Verfe 8. " / ivill not reprove thee for thj fa- crifices^ or thy burnt-offerings^ to have been continu- ally before me,^^ There cannot be a more fear- ful commination upon man, nor a more aw- ful direliclion from God, than when God fays ^' I will not reprove thee for thy facrlfices ;" and v/hen he faith, as he doth here, If I were ]iungry, I would not tell thee, I will not a- waken thy charity, I will not excite nor pro- voke thee with any occafion of feeding me, in feeding the poor. When God fliall fay to thee I care not whether you attend my orduianccs or not, whether you pray or let it alone, repent ojr net, this i:i a fearful dirclicli jn.
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Verfe 12. ^^ If I were hungry^ I ivoidd not tell t bee y for the luorldis mine^ and the fulnefs thereof^ It is in this fcnfe only that God can be faid to hunger and thirft, namely, in the myllical members of his body.
Verfe 23. " Whofo offer eth praife^ glorifieth me : and to him that ordereth his ccnverfation aright^ will Iflnw thefalvation of God.'' The bed prai- fmg of God is not verbal but real, with the life rather than with the mouth. It is to be obferved, the prophet elfewhere faith, I will talk of thy doing, it is one part of our gratitude to declare what God hath done, and is ftill doing for us: but that is not all; we muft offer unto God the calves of our lips; but if nothing cife, if nothing more is done, they will prove but the lips of calves. Whofo offereth praife, faith God here, glorifieth me, but then it muft be by ordering his converfation aright. Many with Peter's fifli, have money in their mouths, thanks in their lips ; but while they honour God with their lips, they blafpheme him in their lives. O remember, he praifeth God who ordereth his converfation arieht: the life of thankfulnefs confifts in the thankfulnefs of the life: a good converfation is the moft effectual prayer and real praife.
PSALM LI.
Verfe i. " Have mercy upon me^ 0 God, accord* ing to thy loving kindnefs: according unto the multi- tude of thy tender mercies blot out my tranfgrejfions'* This pfalm was penned by David, upon his fin G 2 in
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in the matter of Uriah. It might have pleafed God to have fcnt Nathan to check David in his firft purpofe of finning; but the wifdom of the Almighty knew how to produce more glory by the permiilion of fo foul an evil, than by the prevention, yea, he knew how by the permiilion of one fm to prevent millions. — How many had finned in a vain prefuniption on their own flrength, if David had not thus offended, how many thoufands had defpaired from a confcioufnefs of their own wickednefs, if thefe horrible fins had not received forgive- nefs : it is therefore happy for all times^ that vv^e have fo holy a finner, and fo linful a. penitent.
Verfe 3. " For I acknowledge my tranfgrejftons: and my fm is ever before me,'' Wafh me and cleanfe me from my fins, fays David in the ie- cond verfe: For faith he in this verfe, I have acknowledged my fin; as if the confefTion of fms were the readiefl way for theremiflion of thofe lins: and indeed there is nothing wherein our folly is more difplayed than in thofe hurtful concealments; contrary to the proceedings of human juilice: It is with God, confcfs and live: no fooncr could David fay, " / have finned^' than Nathan inferred, " "The Lord alfo hath put away thy fn'' He that covereth his fms fhall not profpicr: but he that confeilcth and for- faketh them fhall find mercy. Who would not accufo himfclf to be acquitted of God ? O God, who would not tell his wickednefs to thee, that knoweth it better than his own
heart i
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heart; that his heart may be eafed of that wickednefs, which being not told killeth.
Verfe 17." The facrifices of God are a broken fpirit: a broken and a coiUrlte heart O God thou ivilt not defpife''' Thofe outward offerings were but the types of this inward: M^hat cares God for the flefh and blood of bullocks, rams, or goats: the facrificc of God is a contrite fpirit, a broken heart. Our humiliation is lacrificium penitentias, the facrifice of pennancc; our new obedience is facrificium juftitiae, the facrifice of juflice, or that juft and reafonable facrifice the apoftle fpeaks of; our thankful commemora- tions, are facrificium iaudis, the facrifice of praife and thankfgiving. Thefe are thofe fa- crifices, which as they {hould be frequent un- der the gofpel; fo moft fragrant unto God, and as perfumes in the noftrils of the Almighty. When Noah facrificed to God after the deluo-e, it is faid, God fmek a iavour of reft, but now the facrifices that wx offer are a favour of fweetnefs. So that the fame favour that Chrlil's oblations had, Eph. v. 2. the fame have our of- ferings. Phil. iv. 18.
P S A L M LIT.
Verfe 4. " Thou lovcji all devourino- words, 0 tboii deceitful tonpsy As there are devouring opinions, opinions w^hich not only hurt the judgments of men, but devour their confc'.en- ces, fo there are devouring words, words that eat up a man's reputation, and devour his good name as bread: flanderous mouths love G 3 the
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the fineft wheat, the firfl of the wheat; a man'i^ credit which hath not a bran in it, how fweet a morfel is it to fuch mouths: though in truth every name, by how much the more pure and fpotlefs it is, by fo much the more deadly will it be in the ftomachs of thefe devourers. A good name fwallowed by an ill man, v/ill (as Jonah did the whale) make him ftomach lick, if not confcience fick, and he iliall be for- ced to vomit it out fafe again.
Verfe 5. " God Jhall like-wife defiroy thee for ever, he Jhall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling-place, and root thee out of the land of the living" As the word is, they that fmite with the fword, fhall perilh by the fword; fo they that fmite by the tongue, fhall periih with the tongue. The tongues of the lamts are in fome fenfe fharper fcourges than the tono-ues of wicked men : the word of God is in their m.ouths, and this is fliarper than any two-edged fword ; the truth of the gofpel will fet home, will wound deeper than any ilander can: fome indeed are fermon proof, and do laudi at prefent at all the fpiritual artillery ot God; let whole volleys of threats be diicharged upon them; let them be hacked and hewed all day loner with the fword of the word, they feel it not: but let theib know, though now they-are hardned againil the fpiritual fcourge and fwoni, in the mouth of Chrift's nfimihers, yet at the laft Chrift himielF will Imite thera with the rod of his mouth, Ifa. xi. And win-i that rod he HiaU whip aU impenitent finnerj
ovc
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out of his prefence into hell; where they fliall gnaw their tongues which have fcourged his faithful fervants, only for doing or fpeaking their mafter's will.
PSALM LIIL
Verfe 3. '^ Every one of them is gone back^ they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doth good, no not one.'*^ Seeing all men by nature are concluded under fin without exception, and there is none doeth good, no not one : it is no wonder that the image of God appearing in his children, be ill entertained by natural men; and that God's children expedl no fruit from fuch trees : for this doctrine is delivered to quiet the hearts of the godly, when they are mo- leiled by the men of the world. And further, it (hould yield comfort to the godly, to behold the miferable condition wherein all men are by nature ; and themfelves called forth from this miferable ftate, and converted.
Verfe 4. " Have the tvorkers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people, as they eat bread; they have not called upon God'' Nothing doth more evidence the blindnefs, and beaftly be- fotting of the confcience of linners, than the perfecuting of the faints : it fufficeth not the ungodly to live a godlefs life themfelves, ex- cept they malign, and moft unreafonably op- pofe piety in others, " Have the tvorkers ofini^ quity no knowledge ? who eat up my people as they eat bread,'' In all this we are taught, that to vex, bear down, and deflroy the godly, is as
great
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great a pleafure to the wicked as to eat their
meat ; " They eat up my people^ as they eat bread:'
PSALM LIV.
Verfe i . '* Save me^ 0 God^ by thy name^ and judge me by tbyjirength^* Although David fays here, iave me, O Lord, for thy names fake ; yet you are to know that yourfelves have a part in thofe means which God ufeth to that purpofe; yourfelves are inftrurnents, though not caufes of your own falvation. Thy new creation, -by which thou art a new creature, is wrought as the firft creation was wrought.— God made heaven and earth of nothing ; but ht produced the other creatures out of that matter wliich he had made. Thou hadfl no- thing to do in the firft work of thy regenera- tion; thou couldfl not fo much as wilh it, but in all the r^ft thou art a fellow-worker with God : and therefore when thou com.cil to this petition, O Lord favc me, remember that thou haft fomething to do, as well ^s to fay, that thou mayeft have a comfortable anfwer to thy foul in all thy prayers.
Verfe 7. " For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hathfccn his dcfire upon mine ejiemies:* The fam.e light oi God's word, made lively by God's fpirit, is able to fliew a man both the deftruclion of his wicked enem.ies, and his own deliverance from them: and as a man may rejoice in God's n.crcy towards hinifclf, fo alfo may he rejoice in God's juftice
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againft his enemies, provided he be free of private revenge.
PSALM LV.
Vcrfe 2 . " Attend unto me^ and hear me : I mourn in my complaint^ and make a noifey Great and painful fufferings put the beft to conn- plaints: for though in a child of God the inor- dinate courfes of finful fiefli are (loped and mortified, yet fcnfitive flefh being pinched and pained will have its courfe. I mourn fays Da- vid in my complaints and make a noife; fuch confeilion was upon his fpirit, that he rather made a noife than fpoke: to utter a voice is an ad of reafon; inanimate or irrational creatures make a found, or a noife. David was fo dii^ turbed in his complaint, that he rather made a noife like the winds, or like a beaft, than form.ed an articulate voice like a man.
Verfe 12. " Tor ii vjcs not an enemy thai re* proached me^ then I could have borne it ; neither was it he that hated me^ that did magnify himfelf againft me, then I would have hid ?ny/elf from him** It is ill for any to deal deceitfully, but word of all for brethren: For when a brother de- ceives, the fm of the deceit is doubled, whe- ther he be a brother in the flelh, or a brother in friendfliip, or a brother in the profefGion of the faith: deceit in a brother is exceeding bad in all, but w^orft of all in the laft. David com- plains here of the wrong ho had received from fuch a brother, it was not an enemy, &c. — The reproach iiad not been half fo heavy and
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grievous unto me, if an enemy had reproached me: the wound had not been half fo wounding, if an enemy had fmitten me ; but it was thou my friend, 8zc. to be reproached and wronged by thee, this is the thing that Hes heavy upon my fpif it: and indeed there is no wound worfe than the treachery of a friend; he being fuch an enemy, whom we cannot eafily prevent, there- fore, pray to God to preferve you from your friends.
Verfe 13." Bui it zvas iboii, a ?i:a?i^ mine equals my guide^ and mine acquaintance.^'' AfllicHons prefs us moft when they are from our friends. " 'Wkat thou myfon^^ faid Cxfar, in the fenate: What thou my wife, is thy hand upon me in my own houfe, might Job fay. The height of enmity is thus exprell:, A viands enemies Jhall be the men of kis oivn houfe^'' Micah. vii. This caufed David to complain io bitterly in this pfalm: the friend wound more than the fword. I grant that in one fenfe, the wounds of a friend are precious : precious are the wounds of a friend, but the kiiTes of an enemy are de- ceitful: precious are the wounds of a friend, when a friend doth wound with holy re- proof; but when a friend w^ounds by iinful counfel, or folicitations unto fm, thofe are pernicious wounds. If that which is light in us be turned into darknefs, how great is that darknefs; fo if that which fliould be our com- fort, be turned into forrow, how great is our Ibrj'ow.
Verfe 22. " Cq/i thy burden upon the Lord, and
he
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he Jloall fujlain thee: he Jlmll never fuffcr the righlc- oils to he moved'^ It is a very great cafe to the ibul in affliction, to commit our caufe unto the Lord, and to put our afliurs into his hand. — JMan is not able to ftand alone under the weight of his afflictions ; both fin and forrow are burthens too heavy for him to bear : if you would have eafe, lay both upon Chriil; it is no unbecoming boldncfs to do fo : for he calls us to it, and bids us do it: Call thy bur- then upon the lord, and he Ihall fuilain thee: Chrift is willing to bear a part, and put his flioulder under this burthen ; yet it is his ilrength, and his ftrength only, that bears the whole: but here you muft take this caution, be fure the caufe you commit to God be a good caufe. The committing of a iinful caufe to God, is a diihonour to, and an high ftrain of prefumption againft God. A wicked man's prayer is always finful; but how abominable is it wlien he prays to be profpered or directed in ailing his fin: there is no gi'acious adt, but a wicked man at one time or another will imitate it: he will pray, and repent, and for- give, and commit his caufe unto God ; and when he dies, commit his foul unto God. — It is good always to commit our caufe and our foul unto God ; but a caufe or a foul are not therefore good, becaufe committed unto God.
P S A L M LVI.
Verfe "i. ^' V/hat ivne I cm afraid ^ I ivill triifi
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in thee.'' Hope and a right confidence is the daughter of faith, and fuch a daughter as is aifo a ftafT to her aged mother, when £he is compaiTed about with dangers, and ready to fink through fears : this confidence will pro- duce a wile and bold profefTion of the truth before men, as alfo earnefl prayer to God. k is as the cork upon the net: though the lead on the one lide fink it down, yet the cork on the other fide keeps it up. Therefore though a child of God hath his offs and ons, though he hath pafTed through feveral frames of heart, and tempers of foul in his trials; though fear and his enemies are ready to fw^allov/ him up, yet he will believe and truft in God flill, he will never let go his hold, his gripe of God, in any perturbation and diftrefs.
Verfe 8. " Tbou tellejl my wanderings ^ tut thou ?ny tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book V While we remain in this vale of iiiifery, God keeps all our tears in a bottle : fo precious is the water that is diftilled from penitent eyes; and becaufe h-e will be fure not to fail, he notes how many drops there be in his regifter. It was a precious ointment v,'hercv>'ith the wo- man in the Pharifees' houfe (it is thouglu Mary Magdalen) anointed the feet of Chrift; but her tears, wherewith flie vv allied them were more worth than her fpikenerd.
PSALM LVII.
Vcrfe I. " i)V 'merciful unio me^ 0 God^ be Jiier- elf id unto me^fcr myfoid irujleth in ibce:- yca^ in the
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fhadow of thy wings zvill I wake mj refuge^ vnfil thcfe calamities he overpaji^ The metaphor of wings fignifies chiefly in this proplict, refrefh- ment and confolation, yet not without a de- notation of power too. For as no acl of God, though it feems to imply fpiritual comfort is without power (^for it is the povv^er of God that comforts me, to overcome that fadn^fs of foul, and that dejeclion of ipirit, v/hich the adver- fary by temporal aflliflions would induce upon me, is an ad of his power,) fo this metaphor, the fliadow of his wings, fwhich in this place expreiles no more than confolation and re- frefhing in mifery) is fo often in fcripture made a denotation of power too, as that v/e can doubt of no a6l of power, if we have this fhadow of his win^^s : fo that, if I have the fliadow of his wings, I have the earned of t lie power of them too; if I ha^'e relrefliing and refpiration from them, I am able to 'fay, m.y God is able to deliver me, with thofe children, Dan. iii. and with them alfo to fay, if he do not, be it known unto tliec, () King, we will not ferve thy gods; be it kiiov/n unto thee, O Satan, how long foever God defer my delive- rance, I will not feek falfe comforts, the mifer- ablc comforts of this vv^orld: I will not, for I need not; for I can fubmit under the fliadow of thefe wings, though I have no more.
Verfe lo. '• For thy mercy is great unto the
heavens^ and thy truth unto the clouds*^ God'cJ
mercy reacheth unto the heavens, yea, and far
above them tooj and over all his own rood,
H ^and
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and iTien's bad works : other wife God could never endure fuch provocation of fmners : — who yet hve upon him, and fliare in his gene- ral mercy and goodnefs; but yet let the wicked have a care how they prefume upon God's mercy and goodnefs: for they may learn here, that God's mercy goeth ufually yoaked with his truth, and bounded by it ; God is faithful as w^ell as merciful ; faithful to fulfil both his promifes and menaces; and as he hath mercy unmeafurable for his faints, fo he hath righte- oufnefs and judgm.ents for the wicked.
PSALM LVIII.
Verfe lo. '' The righteous Jhall rejoice when he feeth the vengeance: he Jhall wajh his feet in the blood of the wicked." We may not thmk, that the joy and gladnefs here meant, was no more than that of prophane and carnal people, upon the receipt of fome fpecial mercy or fignal de- liverance. The wicked rejoice in the gift, but not in the giver; they nibble upon the fliell, but tafte not the kernel: the wicked revel, but the ricrhteous only rejoice: for their joy is the fruit of falling and prayer, according to that of our Saviour, afk, that your joy may be full, pray, 'hat you may rejbice; and the end of it IS a teftification of their hearty thankfulnefs to God, and a breaking forth into thefe, or the like words of the pHilmifl, ''BLfed be the Lord, who daily loadeth m with benefits.''
Verfe' ii." So that a man f mil fay. Verily ioere h a reward for the righteous : verily he is a God
that
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that judgeth in the earth'' Our good deeds, as they are well accepted of God, fo they fhall not go unrewarded; and what God will give, why may not we crave : doubtlefs as wc may ofl'er up our honed obedience to God, lb we may expecl and beg his promifed retributions; not out of a proud conceit of the worth of our earnings, who at the beft are no other than unprofitable fervants; but out of a faithful dc- pendance on his promifed bounty, who cannot be lefs than his word. O God, if we do ought that is good, it is thine act, and not ours: — crown thine ov/n work in us, and take thou the glory of thine own mercies.
P S A L M LIX.
Verie 4. " They run and prepare them/elves ivithout my fault : awake to help me^ and behold." David here prays to God, to behold and look upon his fad condition : for Hiould not God fee as well as hear, his children fliould want many things. We apprehend nol all our wants, and fo cannot pray for relief of all: God there- fore is wont of his own accord to aid and af- fifl his children : he feeth and weigheth the wrongs they fuftain for peace fake ; and they ftiall not lofe thereby, provided that their pur- fuit of peace proceed from the filial fear of God, God's eyes are intent, his ears attend to the prayers of his fervants : openly, fecretly, he will right them and recompence them.
Verfei3. " Confume them in wrath ^ confume
them^ i^at they may not he: and let them know that
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God ruleth nja /?, unto the ends of the earlL Selah." This word Selah, is a word of uncer- tain fenfe andiignincation: for the Jews them- felves do not know exactly and certainly what it fignifies: but to fpeak upon thebeft grounds in the Hebrew grammar, and upon the beil authority too, the word fignifies a veJiemient, a pathetical, an hyperbolical alTe^^eration, ancl atteftation, and ratification of fomething faid before : fuch in a proportion as our Saviour's amen; fuch as St Paul's fidelis fermiO, with which he feals fo m.any truths, this is a faith- ful faying, and fnr.ilar to that of Mofes, as I live faith the Lord; and as the Lord liveth : — Therefore, though God be in all his words, yea, and amen; yet in fetting this feal of Selah to this dodrine, he hath teftified his will, that he would have all thefe things the better un- derilood, and more deeply imprinted: that if the wicked proceed in perfecuting the godly: Selah; affuredly God will have them in deri- fion : Selah ; alTuredly God Ihall fhiver their bones, ihake their heft at1:ions, and difcover their impurity: Selah; affuredly God's hand lliall be heavy upon them, and they (hall not difcern it to be his hand till they are confum- ed : Selah ; alTuredly, veiily, amen, this is a faithful, an infallible truth, as the Lord liveth it fliall be fo.
PSALM LX.
Verfe i. " 0 God thou hqfl caji us of, thou haft fcattered us, thou haji been difpleafed ; 0 turn thy-
( 8i )
felfio us again.** Such a (late, fuch a decifion and fcattering, doth the heart and foul of an ha- bitual finner undergo. The wanton and li- centious man fighs out his foul, weeps out his foul, fwears out his foul in every place where his luft, or his cuiiom, or the glory of vidory in overcoming and deluding puts him upon fuch folicitations. In the corrupt takers, his foul goes out, that it may leave him infenfible of his fm, and not trouble him in his corrupt bargain; and in a corrupt giver, ambitious of preferment, his foul goes out with his money, which he loves well, but not fo well as his pre- ferment; this year his foul and his money go cut upon one office, and licxt year more foul and more money upon another; he knows how his money will come in again, for they will bring it, that have need of his corruptnefs in offices; but where will this man find his foul thus fcattered upon every woman corruptly won, upon every ofiice corruptly ufurped, up- on every fee corruptly taken : therefore you fee how necefiary it is to pray with David, " 0 Lordy thou hajl'^cafi us off\ <^c''
Verfe 1 1. " Give us help from trouble', for vain is the help of man.^* All creatures when in dif- trefs run to their refuge, and fo do the faints of God, for the fafety of their perfons. As here David is an exigent, and therefore fiieth to God for deliverance Faith wadeth out of trouble as the moon doth out of a cloud by hearty and affeclionate prayer. And David H 3 gives
( s. )
gives his reafon for applying ^himfelf to God, for, fays he, " vain is the help of manJ^
PSALM LXI.
Verfe 3. " For thou haft been a Jhelter for ine^ and a Jlhng tower from the enemy** Left any man in his deje6iion of fpirit, Ihould ftray into a jealoufy or fufpicion of God's power to di^\- ver him, as God hath fpangled the firmament with ftars, fo hath he his fcriptures with names and metaphors, and denotations of power. — Sometimes he fliines out in the name of a fword, of a target, of a wall, of a rock, and of a hill, as here of a ftrong tower. It is true, God, as God, is never reprefented to us with defenfive arms, he is invulnerable in himfelf, and therefore needs them not: but yet though God need no arms for himfelf, yet C^od is to us an helmet, a breaftplate, a ftrong tower, a rock, every thing that may give us afliftance and defence; and as often as he will, he can re- new that proclamation, our enemies fliall not touch us.
'Verfe 4. " I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trull in the covert of thy wings. Selah*' — Well might the prophet truft in the cover of God*3 wings, no man is fo great that thefe winj^s cannot reach him: to what temporal, to v;hat Ipiritual greatncfs foevcr we grov/ ; ftill let us pray God to fhidow us under his wings: for the poor need thofe wings againli opprel- ficn, and the rich ag.iin'^ envy. Ihc Holy Ghoft who is a dove, fliadowcd the whole
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world under his wings, incubabat aquis, he hovered over the waters, and he hatched all that was produced, becaufe he fat upon the waters, and all that was produced fo, was good. If thou wilt truft in thefe wings to overfliadow thee, and to be a covert and a refuge to thee in all dangers, they fhall hatch and produce joy in thy heart, in the midfl of thofe dangers.
PSALM LXII.
Verfe 2. '* He only is mj rock and my falvattoni he is ??iy defence; 1 foall not be greatly rmved,^^—^ This doth not deftroy, nor extinguifh, nor annihilate that affed:ion in men, of hope, and truft, and confidence in any thing: but it recti- fies that hope, and truft, and confidence, and directs it upon the right objecl. Truft not in flefti, but in fpiritual things, that neither bend our hopes downwards to infernal fpirits, to feek help in witches; nor mifcarry it upward, and fix it either in men or angels; but in him only that is nearer us than our own fouls, our bleifed, and gracious, and powerful God: who in this one pialm is prefented unto us, by fo many names ot aifurance and confidence, my expectation, my falvation, my rock, my de- fence, my glory, my ftrength, my refuge, and the reft. '
Verfe 7. " In God is my falvation and my glory: the rbck of my Jit ength^ and my refuge is in God.** There are fcveral nam:s of God given in this verfe, that fo every foul may take with him
that
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that name, which may minifter moft comfort to him. Let him that is purfued with any- particular temptation, inveft God, as God is a refuge, a fan6tuary; let him that is buffeted with Satan, battered with his own concupif- cence, receive God, as God is his defence and target; let him that is fhaked with preplexi- ties in his underftanding, or fcruples in his conlcience, lay hold on God, as God is his rock and his anchor; let him that hath any diiHdent jealoufy and fufpicion of the free and full mercy of God, apprehend God, as God is his falvation; and let him that walks in the in- glorioufnefs and contempt of the world, con- template God, as God is his glory. Any of thefe notions is enough to any man; but God is all thefe, and all elfe, that all fouls can think to any man.
Verfe 9. '' Surely ?7ien of lozv degree are vanity^ and men of high degree are a lie: to he laid in the balance^ they are altogether lighter than vanity'' — Vanity feems to be the lighteft thing that the Holy Ghoft could name, and when he had named that, he faith, and faith often, very often, " All is vanity.'' But when he comes to weigh man with vanity itfelf, he finds man lighter than vanity: take fays he, great men, and mean men altogether, they are lighter than vanity: fo inconfiderable a rag, a bubble of this world, is man. " Surely men of low degree are vanity'' that is fure enouidi, there is httle doubt of that; men of low degree can profit us nothing, they cannot pretend or promilc to do
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US good: but then fays David here, '• Me7i cf high degree are a lie^^ they pretend a power and purpofe to do us good, and then difap- point us: many times men cannot; many times, men will not; neither can we find in any, but God himfelf, a conftant power, and a conftant will, upon which we may rely.
P S A L M LXIII.
Verfe i . " 0 Gi?r/, ihou art my God^ early will 1 feek thee : my foid ihirjleth for thee, my fejh langeth for thee in a dry and thirjiy land, where no water isP In all teirporal calamities David is chiefly fenfible of fpi ritual lofs : it grieved him not that he was kept from Saul's court, but that he was kept from God's church ; that by being driven into the wildernefs of Judah, he had not accefs to the fan^luary of the Lord to facrificc his part in the praife, and to receive his part in the prayers of the congregation. — For when he fays by way of lamentation here, that he was in a dry ar.d thirfty land, where no water was: he exprefTes what penury, what barrennefs, and Vv^hat third he meant, in the next verfe: to fee thy glory, fo as I have feen thee in the fanctuary. From w^hence we may conclude, that fpiritual loifes are incomparably heavier than temporal: that the reftitution to our fpiritual happinefs, or the continuance of it, is rather to be made the fubject of our prayers to God, in all preffures and diftref- fes, than temporal. For let me wither and wear out mine age in an uncomfortable prifon,
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and fo pay my debts with my bones, and re- compence the waftefulnefs of my youth, with the beggary of mine age: let me wither in a fpittle under fliarp, and foul, and infamous difeafes, and fo recompence the wantonnefs of my youth, with the ioathfomenefs of mine age^ yet if God withdraw not his fpiritual bleflings, his grace, his patience; all that is temporal is but a caterpillar got into one corner of my garden j the body of ail, the fubilance of all is iafe, fo long as the foul is fafe.
Verfe 7. " Btcaufe thou hajl been nij help; there- fere in the Jhadcuo of thy wings ivill 1 rejoiee.'' — the furefc way, and the neareft way tolay hold upon God, is the confideration of that which he hath done already; which was David's way here: becaufe faith he, this was God's way be- fore, therefore will I look for God in this way ftiii. That language in which Goci fpake to man, the Ilebrew, hath no prefent tenfe, they form not their verbs, as cmr weftern lan- guages do, in the prefent tenfe; but they begin at that which is paft : God carries us in his language, in his fpeaking, upon that which is pafl, upon that which he hath done already : I cannot have better fecurity for prefent, nor future, than God'§ former mercies exhibited to me. Who doth not triumph with joy when he coniiders what God hath done; it is much that we have.feen done, and it is but a little that God hath rel'erved to our faith, to believe that it flial Ibe done. Every one of us can fay to God, when we come to church, Lord, thou broughteft
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me hither, therefore enable me to hear: Lord, thou doll that, therefore make me undcrPcandj and that, therefore let me believe; and that too, therefore ftrengthen me to the pradice; and all that, therefore continue me to a perfeverance.
PSALM LXIV.
Verfe i o.' " The righteous jhall he glad in the Lord J and Jhall truft in him; and all the upright in heart Jhall glory J^ God in this text expreiTes what his delight is for the moft part to do : — wliich is, rather to infift upon the rewards which the good fliall receive, than upon the judgments and condemnation of the wicked : If he could choofe, i. e. if his own glory, and the edification of his children would bear it, he would not fpeak at all of judgments, or of thofe perfons that draw necelTary judgments upon themfelves ; but he would exercife our contemplation wholly upon his mercy,and upon perfons qualified and prepared for his gracious retributions: for fo he does here, he fpeaks not at all of perverfe, and obliged men, men incapa- ble of his retributions ; but only of perfons pre- pared for them: and this retribution is fixed in the future, they fliall glory ; there arifes this confolation, that though we have not this glory yet, yet we fhall have it; though we be in diflionour and contempt, and under a cloud, of which we fee no end of ourfelves; yet there is a determined future in God, which fliall be made prefent, we fliall overcome this contempt, and we fliall glory.
PSALM
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PSALM LXV. Verfe 5. " By terrible things in righieoufntfs^ li't/t thou an fiver us^ 0 God of our falvafion : ivbo art the confidence of all the ends of the earthy and of them that are ajar off upon the fea^ God's converfation with us in the church, is culled an anfweriiig. Nov/ if we look that Gcd fliould anfwer ui, we rnuft fay fojiicthing to God : — and our way of fpeaking to God is by petition and prayer: if we prefent no petition, if we pray not, we can look for no anfwer, for we afk none. In a ffrnion, God fpeaks to the congregation, but he anfwers only that foul that prays to hinr. if they have joined in prayer wdth the congregation, they have their interell, and fhail feel their confolation in all the pro- jnifes of the gofpel, filed upon the congrega- tion in thefermon. Have you alked by prayer, is there no bahn in gilead ? God anfwers by his minilters, yes, there is balm, he was woun- ded for your trarngrcfiions, and with his ftripes ye are healed; liis blood is your bain], his facra- rnent is your gilead: have you afxvcd by prayer, is there no fmith in Ifrael ? no means to dif- charge me cf my fetters and chains, of my fpiritual and temporal incumbrances? God anf- wers thee, yes, there is : lie bids you look a- bov^e, and y^ou fhall find yourfelf in Peter's cafe: the angel of the Lord prefent, a liglit lliining, and his chairs falUng off: all your manacles locked upon the hands, all your chains loaded upon the feet, all your ftripes number- ed upon the back of Chrift Jefus.
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Verfe 7. " JVbicb Jlilkth the noife of the feas, the noife of their waijes^ and the tumult of the peo- ple'^ There are myftical waters which the Lord treadeth upon : people and nations are called waters, and many waters in the Revela- tion: the waves of the fea cannot be in a greater rage, than the nations of the earth fometimes are; and we may fay never more fo than at the prefent period. Now the power of Chriflj is as eminent in ftilling the rage of the myfd- cal as of the literal waters; and therefore they are here both joined together, he ftilieth the noife of the feas, and the tumults of the people. There are alfo myftical waves, even waves within us, which viill not be trodden upon by any foot but God's. There is a fea of wicked- nefs in every man's heart by nature, Ifaiah Ivii. And the winds blow from all quarters of the heavens, and ftrive upon the feas; fo there are divers lufts which ftrive upon the £ice of man's heart; the lufts of pride, of covetoufnefs, of ambition, of envy, thefe enrage and fwell the waters: the Lord treads upon the high waves of this fea alfo ; he reftrains and keeps luft down by his power, die it would drown us.
PSALM LXVL
Verfe 5. " Coine and fee the works of God : he is terrible in his doing towards the children ofmeru'' Not only come, but go; go out, go forth, go abroad, to confider God in his works ; go as far as you can, flop not in yourfelves, 1 nor
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nor flop not in any other, till you come to God himfeif. If you confider the fcriptures to be his works, make not fcriptures of your own, which you do, if you make them fubjecl to your private interpretation. My foul fpcaks in my tongue, elfe I could make no found : my tongue fpeaks in Englifli, elfe I could not be underdood by the congregation : fo God fpeaks by his Son in the gofpel; but then the gofpel fpeaks in the church, that every man may hear: go forth, flay not in yourfclves, if you will hear him: and fo for matters of aclion, and protection; come not home to your- fclves ; ftay not in yourfelves, not in a confi- dence of your own power and wifdom; but go forth, go forth into Egypt and Babylon, and look who delivered your predecelTors (prede- ceiTors in afflidion, predecelTors in mercy) and that God who is yeilerday, to-day, and the fame for ever, fliall do the fanie thing which he did yeflerday, to-day, and for ever.
PSALM LXVII.
Verfe 2. " That thy way may be known upon earth, thy faving health among all nations »^ As light, fo the participation of God*s light is communicative: We muft not pray for our- fclves alone, but for all others, that God's way may be known upon earth, and his faving health among all nations; thy way, that is, thy will, thy word, thy works: God's will may be known on earth; that it may be done on earth a: ■ t is in heaven : except we know our maf-
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ter's will, how fhall we do it : therefore, firft pray with David here,"L^/ thy way be known upon earthy'' and then, " Let all the people praife thee'' God's will is revealed in his word, and his w^ord is his way, wherein we mull walkj turn- ing neither to the right nor to the left.
Verfe 6. " Then Jhall the earth yield her in- creafe; and God, even our own GodJImll blefs 21s,'" Whofbever would go to God with any com- fort by prayer, mufl be fure that he hathfomc imtereil in God, that he is God's and God is his. No man praying, can hope for any happy fuccefs in his fuit, if he cannot entitle God to himfelf, and himfelf to God, andTay with Da- vid here, " that God, even our own God Jhall blefs us.^' Our royal prophet was a great man with God, few men had more fuits in heaven than he, we can fcarce fmd fuch another client in God's court of requefts as he was, none more ordinary, none more earned; his miferies were many and wonderful; and therefore he had need go the neareft and furefl way he could for comfort when he prayed, and above all others he took this: Whenever he made any requeft, he made fure of his right, and pleaded that in all his petitions; and there was good reafon for it ; for the ground and evi- dence of our confolation in any thing, is our right we have in the fame; wherewith may we be bold but with our own? what is any thing to us, if it be not ours: the dim light of na- ture in thofe perplexed Pagans, faw this, Jon. i. who prayed every one to his own god, and I 2 advifed
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3dvifed Jonah to pray to his God. A man can have no hope of luccefs in his prayer, unlefs he hath an intereil in that God to whom he prayeth.
PSALM LXVIII.
Verfe i . " Lei God ar'ife^ let his enemies befcaU tered: let them alfo that hate hini^ fee before b'lm.** The mercy of God is feen here, fir ft, in his pa- tience towards the wicked, implied in the w^ord arife; for he feems as if he were aileep, and doth not mark what is done amifs. The Lord is patient and would have none to perifh, but would that all m6n ihould come to repentance. He was longer in deftroying one city, the city Jericho, than in building the whole world ; flow to wrath, ready to forgive, and defireth not the death of a iinner: he doth not arife to particular punifliments, much lefs to general judgments, but after long fuffering and great goodnefs. Hear his precious words, " 0 yeru- falem^ *Jerufalem^ how often would /, faith the Lord, Mat. xxiii. ha've gathered thee together^ as an hen gaihereth her chickens under her wings ^ and ye would not.** Secondly, as God's mercies are manifefted in his patience tow^ards the wicked; fo likcwile in his actions towards the godly. We read in Matthew, that the fhip of the church is tolled with the waves of afflic- tion, and with the boifterous winds of con- trary doclrines, in the troubiefome fea of this world, and in the mean time, Chrifl our great xnafter fecms to fleep j yet when we call, and
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cry, Matter fave us, elfe we perifli, he doth a- rife and rebuke the winds and waves, and there followeth a great cahn. He that keepeth Ifrael doth neither flumber nor fleep; our watchmen fhould wake in vain, if the Lord did fleep; but the truth is, he doth arife while we reft. — When thou art tempted by the Devil to pri ^ vate revenge, then fay, let God arife, who fays exprefsly. Vengeance is mine. If he tempt thee to the fm of incontinence, let God arife, who commands in his law, " Thou JJoalt not commit adultery'* Know you not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghoft ; fliall I then take the members of Chrift, and make them the members of an harlot ? No, no, let God arife, and fo thefe raging lufts, and all our enemies fhall be difperfed.
Verfe 19. " Blejfed be the Lord, who dail'j loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our/aha* tion, SelahJ* In the midft of all our miferies and afflidions, feem they never fo many, our intereft in God will joy our fouls : and upon this account God cheers up his people, Ifaiah xli. Saying, fear not, be not difmayed; but up- on what ground? Why even upon this, which will bear them up in all bitternefs, for 1 am with thee, I am thy God. So here David comforteth himfelf and the church, becaufe God was the God of their falvation : and in the following verfe, this is our God, even the God that faveth us. When good King Afa came to God in great diftrefs; obferve how he fattens upon God v/ith this intereft^ and a- I 3 gain
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gain, and again; and Afa cried unto the Lord, his God, 2 Chron. xiv. And again, help us O Lord, our God: and the fuccefs did Ihew that fuch a prayer prevailed more than an army of men: the Lord being his God, was the God of his falv^ation.
PSALM LXIX.
Verfe 9. " For the zeal of thine houfe hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that re- proached thee^ are fallen upon vie,'' Zeal is de- rived from a Greek word, which fignifieth to burn as fire doth; and anfwerable to the three operations of fire, to heat, to burn, to confume. There are three forts of zeal ; the firfl: heateth us, by kindling a defire of grace: the fecond burneth, by inflaming our hearts with the love of God: the third confumeth, by drying up the heart, abfuming and wafting the fpirits with grief, hazarding our perfons and eftates, by removing of fcandals, reforming abufes and profanations of God's name and worfhip. No Sacrifice is acceptable to God, that is not faked with the fire of zeal: this was warm in David, Pfalm xlv. burned in the difciples, Luke xxiv. confumed and dried up the very fubftance of Chrift in this pfalm.
Verfe 26. " For they perfecute him whom thou haft 'mitten^ and they talk to the grief of t ho fe whom thou hajl wounded'^ They who have leaft help in themfelves, have ufually leaft help from o- thers. Hence we find Pfalm x. the opprefled and the fatherlefs put together; as if the father-
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lefs were to expect oppre/fion for their portion, and they who needed moft protedion fliould be fure to find moft vexation: When wicked men fee a man afflicted by the hand of God, they aflliclj him more; when they fee God hath wounded him, they would kill him: the trou- ble he is in makes their victory the more eafy. As when the Philiftines fell before Jonathan, I Sam. xiv. His armour-bearer flew after him; fo do thefe, they flay thofe, who are fallen be- fore the afflicting hand of God.
P S A L M LXX.
Verfe 5. " But I am poor and medy^ make hajle unto me^ 0 God: thou art my help and my deliver* ance^ 0 Lord make no tarrying^ I am poor and needy, faith David here, a ftark beggar: neither wiU I hide from my Lord my extreme indi- gence, my neceffitous condition; I am one that gets my living by begging; but yet here is my comfort, faith David, the Lord is my help and my deliverance, that is, the poor man's king : he grieves with the father, and at the fame time prays with the fuitor, who muft therefore be fure to fucceed. Therefore Chrift faith to the church, as in Revel, ii. 9. I know thy po- verty, but that is nothing, thou art rich : thy poverty is not penal but medicinal. God's difpenfation is by poverty, to fit his church for better riches: as a w-ifc phylician purgeth a foul body almoft to flcin and bone, that fo there may be a Ipring of better blood and fpirits.
PSALM
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PSALM LXXI.
Verfe i. " In thee^ 0 Lord^ do I put my irujiy let me never he put to confufton,^^ This pfalm is flrangely mixt and made up of divers pafllons and petitions, according to the change of times and eftate: in the time of alfliclion he prayeth, in the time of confolation he praifeth the Lord. Thus it was at this time with David, who had his interchanges of a v/orfe and a better con- dition, as it was but needful ; his profperity like chequered work, was intermingled with adverfity: fee the circle God goes with his fer- vant in this pfalm, in this and the following verfe David is afHided, in the third verfe he is delivered, and in the eighth verfe he gives thanks: again in the ninth verfe he is troubled, cries out in the twelfth verfe, and in the fif- teenth verfe he is dehvered, and praifeth God: thus God fets our troubles and our deliverances one againil the other, as it were in even ba- lance, for our greateft good. Sometime > he weighs us in the balance and finds us too light, then he thinks befl: to make us heavy through manifold temptations. Sometimes he finds our water fomewhat too high, and then as a phyfician no lefs cunning than loving ; he fits us with that which will reduce all to the healthful temper of a broken fpirit. Profperity fometimes makes the faints gather ruft, there- fore God fets his fculUons to fcour them and make them bright : and indeed, if we be pro- fperity proof, there is no fuch danger in ad- verfity,
Verfe
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Vcrfe II." Sayings God hath forfaken him : — pcrfecute and take hitn^for there is none to deliver him,'' The only way to feparatc God and his people, is to make his people iin againft him : this was Balaam's diabolical policy to Balak, to feparate Ifrael from God by finning, for then lie knew Balak might conquer them by fight- ing: the like thought no doubt poiTefTed Da- vid's enemies, wlien they faid in this verfe, '' God hath forfaken him: perfecute and take him^^ tacitly acknowledging, that while God is with his people, their enemies may purfue; but fhall not overtake them.
Verfe 21." Thou fhalt increafe my greatnefs^ and comfort me on every fide J* Confolation is the gift and proper work of God: he hath all comfort in his own power and difpofal : there is no creature in the world can adminifler the leafl dram of comfort to us, without the commiflion or leave of God : it is pollible for one man to give another man riches, but he cannot give him comfort: man may give ho- nour to man, but he cannot give him comfort: a man may have a pleafant dwelling, a loving wife, fweet children, and yet none of thefe a comfort to him : the confolation of all our re- lations, and poffeiHons, are from God : who- foever would have comfort, muft trade to heaven for it : to comfort, is to fpeak to the heart : now God only can fpeak to this part of man ; man can fpeak to the ear, he can fpeak words, but he can go no farther: therefore the acl and art of comforting, belongs properly to God.
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PSALM LXXII.
Verfe 3. « The mountains Jhall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by right e ovfaefs r— A righteous habitation Hiall be a profperous habitation. Whether we refped perfoiis, fa- milies, or nations, thus it is in the ordinary difpenfations of God: as in regard of cur fpi- ntual and eternal eftate, the work of righteouf- neis, IS peace, fo in regard of our temporal and outward, Chrift who is the prince of righteouf- nefs, IS alfo the prince of peace; he brouoht nghteoufnefs into the world, and peace follow- ed: if thou art an habitation for righteoufnefs, peace fliall reft upon thee : and as the fpiritual kingdom of God is righteoufnefs, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft: fo the peace of world- ly kingdoms is not meat and drink, but rio-hte- oufnefs: righteoufnefs is the pillar of a ftate, and the parent of peace : plant righteoufnefs upon barren hills and mountains, and peace will fpring up there : therefore, while we are hlled with all unrighteoufnefs, it is no won- der, if we are filled with all trouble.
Verfe 6. He jhall come down like rain upon the mown gra/s: as Jhowers that water the earths ~ The grace and favour of Chrift, is as a cloud of the latter rain, that refreflieth the ground after drought, and ripeneth the corn before harvcft: one caft of his countenance was of more worth to David in another pfalm, than all the world's wealth, Pfalm xiv. 7. 8. of more worth than the corporal prefence of Chrift :—
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therefore he tells his difciples, they fliall be great gainers by loiing of him: for I will fend you the comforter, faith Chrift, who fhall feal up my love to you, and Hied it abroad in your hearts. In the fpiritual dew and refreih- ing of this comforter, doth our Saviour daily defcend down upon the fouls of his fervants.
PSALM LXXIII.
Verfe 14." For all the day long have I been plagued^ and chajiened every morning,''* God's mercy reaches not fo far, that thou flialt have no affliction, though thou truft in God. Da- vid had been an unfit perfon to have delivered fuch a doclrine, who faith of himfelf here, daily have I been puniflied, and chaftened every morning: he had it every day, it was his daily bread; and it was the firft thing that he had, he had it in the morning: here is mention of a mor- ning, early forrows, even to the godly ; and mention of a day continuing forrow, even to the godly; but he fpeaks of no night here; the Son of grace, the Son of God, doth not fet in a cloud of anger upon him. Thus the primi- tive martyrs that abounded with zeal, and love, and righteoufnefs, abounded with thefe afflic- tions too.
Verfe 25. " Whoju have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that I defire bejides thee.*'* If a faint were in heaven and faw itot God's face there, he would fiy as Abfalom faid to Joab, 2 Sam. xiv. 32. " Wherefore am I ce?ne from Gcjlrar f it had been good for me^ to be there
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Jtill^ unlefs I may fee the King^s face."" Though heaven be God's dwelling place, yea, his pre- ence chamber, yet a faint could not be at reil, if hefaw not God. It is not the jafper, nor the chryflal, it is not the pure gold wherewith the ftreets are paved, it is not the pearls, nor the precious ftones that are precious in his fight, but the Lord Almighty and the Lamb, who are the light thereof. Whom have I in heaven but thee.
PSALM LXXIV.
Verfe i. " 0 God why haft thou cOft us cf for ever? why doth thine anger fmoke againjl the Jheep of thy paJiureJ' God feenis to his people to neg- lecl them when they are opprefTed by ungod- ly men. This is the practical obfei'varicn that may be gathered from this verfe: and the rea- fons are, firft, becaufe their mifery blinds them, and blind men when they are fmitten, fufpecl: every man that comes nigh them. Secondly, felf love makes us fufpecl every man rather than ourfelves: David and his people here faould have reflected on themfelves who were guilty; and yet in their afficdon they reflected upon God, who was innocent. We are all Adam and Eve*s children. When Eve did eat the forbidden fruit, flie tacitly lays the fault on God, " 'The fy pent beguiled me^ and I did eat ^^ as* if flic had laid, I had not infringed thy commandment, if thou hadil not made a fub- tle ferpcnt. x^idam lays it openly on God, hadil thou not given mc fuch a companion to
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betray me, I had been innocent. Thus we, their pofterity, when trouble and mifery is up- on us, fufpect God rather than ourfelves : we may lometimes obferve nurfes to beat the ftones, when children {tumble through their own neglect.
Verfe 1 9. " 0 deliver not the foul cf thy turtle- dove unto the multitude of the wicked ^forget riot the congregation of thy poor for ever^ Wicked poor are no more under God's protecting thoughts, than wicked oppreiTors, or wicked rich men are. " The poor man crieth^ and the Lordhears^^ fays the prophet, Pialm xxxiv. not every, not any poor man; fome poor men may cry, and the Lord hear them no more than he did the cry of Dives in hell: therefore fays David here, " forget 7iot the congregation of thy poor^^ thy poor by way of difcrimination ; thei*e may be a greater diftance between poor and poor, than there is between poor and rich. There are many ragged regiments, congregations of poor, whom the Lord vvill forget for ever, but his poor fhall be remem.berfd and faved : and thefe poor are of two forts; either poor in re- gard of wealth and outward fubftancc; or poor in regard of friends and outward aHiftance. — A rich man, efpecially a godly rich man. may be in a poor cafe, deftitute and forfaken, want- ing patronage and proteclion: God faveth his poor in both notions, both tliofe that have no friends, and thofe that have no eflates.
Verfe 20. " Have refpcd unto the covenant:-^
for the dark places of the earth arc full of the ha*
K bitations
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litations of cruelty ^ This teacheth us to plead God's covenant moft earneftly in the time of our greateft neceifity, in fuch troublefome times and d:\ys as thefe are wherein we nc^w live: thus did Jeremiah in the time of the chur- ches trouble, Jer. xiv. 21. God's covenant pleaded, was ever counted the faint's fan6luary to fly unto in times of danger : their greateft hope of deliverance was this, that God was theirs by covenant. Our prayers can have no other folld foundation: c-reat need there is for godly men to lay claim to God's covenant, when all places are like dens of thieves and robbers; and oppreHion reigns every where: — Secondly, this calls on us to blefs God for keep- ing his covenant with us, and fo much the rather, becaufe we have broke covenant with iiim, and given him jufl caufe to fail us. We muft therefore not only give him the glory of his truth, but of his mercy alfo : and when he at any time doth relieve us out of our diftrefs, we muft fay, not unto us, O Lord, but to thy name give the praife.
P S A L M LXXV.
Verfe 6. " For promotion conieih neither from the eaft^ nor from theiveft^ nor from the fouth,^^ Men obtain not their greatnefs whether in wealth, or authority by their own power : for every good gift cometh from God above, even the things of the Vv'-orld (which are good gifts, though of a lower fort of good gift^O are fent by an higher hand. Earth is dr opt dow^n to
us
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US out of heaven : outward comforts are not from the hand of man, either meritoriouily or cfliciently : and if the thing* of this worid are not in our hand, then much lefs are the thlng'i of heaven: if not temporals, then furely not fpirituals and eternals. It is an act of grace to fay our promotion is of God. That principle of policy, every man is the contriver of hii own condition, is fane in divinity : man may be confidored in a threefold capacity or ftatc, and God the author of them al!: in his natural, as a living man ; in his fpiritual Hate, as an holy man ; in his civil flatc, as a rich or great man; all that he is in any of, or all thcfe, is all from God.
Verfe 8. " For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup^ and the wine is red: it is full of mixture^ and he poureth out of the fame: hut the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth fhall wring them out^ and drink them J* The portion of the wicked mm is decreed and appointed of God. Ii^ the hand of the Lord there is a cup: it is the Lord that gives it J and the wine is red, (red with wrath, in the day of God's wTath) it is full of mix- ture, (it hath no mixture of good, no fweet- nefs at all in it, but all forts of evil are ming- led in that cup,) and he poureth out of the fame, (upon many occafions he pours it upon the world) but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth fhall wring them out and drink them: they have not only the cup, but the dregs of the cup, i. e. the worft of the cup: for as in a good cup, the deeper the fweeter, io in K 2 an
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an evil cup, the deeper the worfe ; the dregs are the wcrft, the bottom is the bittereft of this bitter cup.
PSALM LXXVI.
Verfe 2, " Jn Salem, alfo is bis tabernacle^ and his dwelling-place in Zion'^ As the city of Jeru- falem was an ornament to the v/hole country, fo was God to the city; as being a common re- fuge to both,and as having his holy temple there; not a profeiTed fancftuary of impiety, as Floras fpitefully ftiled it, but far more defer v- ing than Numa's new temple in Rome was, of being called the facrary of faith and peace. The church of which Sion v\^as a type, is called Jehovah Shaumah, the Lord is there, Ezek. xlviii. There he hath fet up a mercy- feat, a throne of grace, and paved for his people a new and living way by the blood of liis Son ; fo that they may come boldly, ob- tain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Heb. iv. 14. and becaufe the Lord is in Salem, in his church, therefore in thofe great comm.otions abroad in the world, liie {\rA\ not be moved : this bufh may burn, but fliail not be confumed; and that by the bleffing of him tliat dwelt in the bufh, Deut. xxxiii. Built Ihe is upon a rock, and fo invincible, that at any time flie is in diftrefs, God will help her, and in the nick of time when help fhall be moft feafonable, and moft welcome.
Verfe 1 o. " Surely the wrath of man JJ.hill praife ihee: the remainder of wrath pcUt thou rcjirain''
We
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•
We fliould confider this to help our faith in thefe times: God hath a negative voice upon thofe councils and conclufions, which are car- ried with one confcnt of man : the wrath of man fliall either turn to his pralle, or all that is beyond tl^t, he will ftop the remainder of wrath (that is fo much as remains over and a* bove what turns to the praife of God) ilralt thou rellrain. The fword is in motion a-^ mongfl us, even as the fun, and the fword feems to have received a commiflion to pafsfrom one land to another: yet a counter-cornmand from God will ftop the fword from proceed- ing: if he fpeak to the fword, the fWord fliall wound no more: a word from God draws, and a word from God Iheaths the fword : he . that commands the fun and it rifeth not, can command the fword and it fmiteth not.
PSALM LXXVII.
Verfe 4. " Thou holdejl mine eyes waking: I am fo troubled that I cannot /peak" Sorrow doth fometimes not only opprefs the fpirit, but flop the mouth," lamfo troubled that I cannot fpeak^^' fays David here : that he could not fpeak for trouble, fpeaks the greatnefs of his trouble. — Plenty of farrow makes a fcarcity of words : hence, fometimes God's children, in great af- iTiclion and trouble of mind, pray and cry nuich to God, when they Ipeak little. Hannah continued praying before the Lord, her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Would you know v/hy in 10 much praying there was K ^ no
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noTpeaklng? why her heart fpokeand not her tongue? herfelf gives thereafon at the fifteenth verfe, '' I am a ivoman of aforrozvfidfpirit.^'
Verfe i o. " J'^nd Ifaid^ This is my infirmity : but I will remember the years of the right hand of the mofi High" The vulgar editiot; reads this place thus, nunc c^epi, now I have taken out ray leflbn the right way, now I have laid hold upon God by the right handle: \vhat was that, plainly this, hxc mutatio dexterae Dei,^ to ack- nowledge that this change which 1 fee is an act of the right hand of God, and that it is a judg- ment and not an accident. Believers in Jefus, be not afraid of giving God too much glory, or of making God too imperious over us, by acknowledging that all our changes are ac1:s of the right hand of God, but we do the con- trary. An invincible navy hath been fent a- gainft us, and defeated; we facrifice to the gal- lant admiral, his officers, and his heroic men: or to tlie cafual florm, we fay the v/inds deli- vered us: if treafon hath been plotted and dif- covered, we facrifice to a cafual letter for that, we fay the letter delivered us: we are opprelTed Ly domefticincumbrance?, perfonal infirmities, fadnefs of heart, dejedion of fpint,:ill thefe wear out and paffes over; we facrifice to wine, firong drink, to mufic and good company, to all Job\s nafera^'le comforters; to any thing but to God.
Verfe i8. " The voice of thy thunder was in the lea-ven: the lightnings lighted the worlds the earth trembled andymkr Let us confider if in this world good and evil are given us as it were in
pi<5i:ure
I07 ;
piaiire, and fince God ufetli fuch rough rods to chaftiTe the vices of great men, what \vill that be in the ether world: It is in the original of this text, the arrows of chaftifenient do pre- fentiv pafr3 away, but the voice of thunder, the fentence of judgment, {hall go like a wheel, and the execution fnall have no end. If there hap- pen unto you lofs of goods, it is an arrow- that paiTeth; lois of children, an arrow that paUeth; ficknefs, an arrow that paflctli; difgrace, as an arrow that pallbth away; temporal death, a feathered arrow that. continually palTeth away; but eternal death is the thunder in the wheel,^ v;hich never paiTcth. To be drenched in a lake of fulphur, as a vjclim of vengeance, in a fire enkindled with the breath of God*s anger, to fee nothing but devils, to abide in nothing but torments, to fuffer pains in every fenfe, to find a hell in the confcience, to have no other life than an eternity of torments, is a thing to be feared, above all things moft dreadful.
Verie 19. " Thy way is in tbefea^ and thy path in the great waters, and thy foot-Jleps are not knownr Say to thyfelf, with David, O thou diftreffed faint, vvhy art thou caft down, O my foul, and why art thou difquiettd within me ? hope thou in God, not only when the waters of affliaion are low, but when they rife to the hio-hefl: for as the pfalmift fpeaks here, thy way O God is in the fea, not only in the flial- low rivers, but in the deep fea ; not only ^ m leiTer troubles, but in the greateft exigencies: it is further obfervuble, that God's ufual courfe is to manifefl hiniiclf, not in the fliallow river
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of a flight trouble, but in the deep fea of fomc defperate calamity. The difciples enter into a fhip, but C'hrift comes not j the wind blows, the ftorm rageth, the wind rifeth, and yet Chriil appears not, but when they had rowed thirty furlongs, beaig far from land, and in the depth of danger, then they beheld Jefus walking on the fea, and drawing nigh to the fliip tofuccour them.
Verfe 20. '* Thou kddeft thy people like a fioch^ by the hand of Mofes and ylaron." It is not to be wondered at, that the children of Ifrael wxre willing to follow Moles and Aaron, when God led th^^ni by the hand, that they duril follow him in the wildernefs, whom they fol- lowed through the fea: it is a great confirma- tion to any people, when they have feen the hand of God with their guide. O Saviour, who hath undertaken to carry me from Egypt unto the l:\nd of promife; how faithful, how powerful have I found thee: how fearltfsly fhouldl truft thee; how chearfully fhould I fol- low thee, through contempt, poverty, death its felf. Mailer, if it be thou5bid us come unto thee.
P S A L M l.XXVIII-
Verfe 4. " JVe ivill not hide them from their children^ fljewing to the generation to come^ the praifes of the Lord; and his Jirength .and his ivon- derful works that he hath done, 'fruth is a com- mon good, no man hath the fole property of it: every man may challenge his part of this jX>fi'eruon5 and the more of it we impart to o-
tlicrs
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thers, the more fhe fhall increafe our own polTellion: truth multiplies in its degrees to us, while we make diviuon of it to thoufands. A candle gives not the lefs light to the owner, becaufe many flanders by fee by the light of it. Our knowledge is perfected while communi- cated, this candle therefore is not to be put under a buihcl, but muft be fet on a candle- llick, that all may fee by the liglit of it : The Ifraelites were charged to conimunicate the wonders which God wrought for them, and the ordinances which he had appointed them, when they were delivered out of Egypt, Exod. xii. and here you fee it is our duty to preferve memorials of the v.'orks of God, and to de- clare his word to all about us.
Verfe 1 5. " He claie fhe rocks in the ivilder- nefs^ and gave them drink as out af the great depths ^^^ 1 wonder to fee tbelc Ifraelites fed with facra- ments: their bread \A^as facramental whereof they comnjunicated e\ery day; and their drink was facramental alfo. Twice had the rock yielded them v/2ters, refrefiiing water, to fig- nify, that the true fpiritual rock yields it al- ways: the rock that followed them was Chrift: out of thy fide, O Saviour, iflued the bloody llream, whereby the third of all believers is comfortably refrefhed. Let us but third, not . with repining but with faith, and this rock of thine (liall abundantly flow forth to our fouls, and follow us till this water be clianged into the new wine, which we fhall drink with thee in thy Father's kingdom,
■ Verfe
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Verfe i6. " He brought ftr earns alfo'ciit of the rock, and caufed waters to run down like rivers" The power tliat turned the wings of the quails to the wildernefs, turned the courfc .of the water through the rock: h.e might if he had pleafed, have caufed a fpringas well out of the plain earth ; but he will now caufe it to illue ou^t of the (tone, to convince and fhame their infidelity. What is more hard and dry than a rock? what more moift than water? that they might be afhamed to think they diftrufted God; and now unlefs their hearts had been more rocky than frone, they could not but have diflblvcd into tears for their diffidence.
Verfe 19. '' lea, they /pake agaiiifi God: ihey faid. Can God furnijh a table in the wildernefsV' The thirfl of Ifraei is well quenched, and now they complain as much of hunger. God hath much ado with us, either we want health, or children, or company, or meat, or drink. It is a wonder thefe men found not fault afterwards with the want of fauceto their quails. Nature is moderate in her defires, but conceit is infa- tiable: yet who can deny hunger to be a fore exercife ; but were it never fo grievous, it Ihould have been no argument for them to diftruft God's providence, and fay, " Can God furnijh a table in the ivildernefs?" Whereas they ihould have faid, he that flopped the mouth of the fea, that it could not devour us, cannot he as eafily flop the mouth of our flomachs : he that commanded the fea to fland ftill and guard us, can as eafily colnmand the earth to nourifh
us
( I.I ;
US. Why do we not wait on him whom we found fo powerful. Nature is jocund and cheerful while it hath enough, let God with- draw his hand, no light no truft: Thofe can praife him with timbrels for a prefent favour, that cannot depend upon him in the want o't means for a future. We are never weary Ol receiving, but foon weary of attending.
Verfe 27. " He rained ficJJ} alfo upon them as duji^ and feathered fowls like as the fand of ibs feaJ^ It was not (you here feel of any natu- ral inftin^b, but from the over-ruling power of their Creator, that thefe quails came to the de- fart: they muft needs come whom God brings; his hand is in all the motions of the meaneft creatures; not only we, but they move in him. As not many quails, fo not one fparrow failj without him; how much more are the anions of his beR: creature man dire^ed by his provi- dence; how afhamed might the Ifraelites have been, to fee thefe creatures fo obedient to their Creator, as to come and offer themfelves to their flaughter; while they went fo repiningiy to his'fervice and their own preferment : I afk, who can diftrufl the provifion of the great houfckeeper of the world ? when we fee how he can lurnifli his table at his pleafure : is he grown carelefs, or we grown faithlefs rather ? why do we not repofe upon his mercy? rather than we Ihall want when we truft him, he will command quails from all the coalls of heaven to our board: O Lord, thy hand is not fhorten- ed to give, let not ours be Ihort in receiving.
Verfe
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Verfe 70. " He cbofe David alfo his fervant^ and took him from the jheep-folds'^ When God fent Samuel to anoint a king out of the fa- mily of Jefle, all liis fons were prefented to the prophet, not one was omitted whom Jefle thought capable of any refpecl. Had it been left to the choice of Samuel or JeiTe, David fhould never have been king: his father thought him only fit to keep fheep, but his brethren fit to rule men; yet even David the youngeft fon is fetched from the fold, and by the choice of God deflined to the throne: nature, which is commonly partial to her own, could not fuggeft any thing to Jefie, to make him think David worthy to be remembered in any com- petition of honour ; yet him did God fingle out to rule. God will have his wifdom mag- nified in the unhkelihood of election, and choofeth not by appearance, but by the heart,
PSALM LXXIX.
Verfe 4. " We are become a reproach to our neighbours: a f corn and a derifion to them that are round about us.*' It is the height of reproach a father calls upon his child, when he commandfi his flave to beat him. Of all outward judg- ments this is the foreft, to have ftrangers rule over us, as being made up of fhame and cruelty. If once the heathen come into God's inheri- tance, no wonder the clmrch complain that file is become a reproacii to her neighbours, a fhame and derifion to ali round about her: — therefore it w^s not without a jufl caufe, that
put
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David being put to his choice by God, refolved ratlier to fall into the hands of God than man. Strange invaders can never find in their hearts to fay that to themfelves, which God did to his deftroying angel, it is enough, put up thy fword: yea, even their tender mercies are cruel, the greateil kindnefs they (hew, is but an infe- rior kind of crueky.
Verfe 8. "0 remember not again ft us former ini" qulties; let thy tender mercies fpeedily prevent us : for we are brought 'very low.'' As it is our duty to remember the Lord, fo it is our pri- vilege that we may put him in remembrance : great princes have an officer called their rememb- rancer, and they ftand in need of fuch; it is at once their honour, and their weaknefs to have them. Thus it is a kind of an honour to God, that he hath remembrancers, hut it is his greateft honour that he hath no need of them: himfelf is the living record of all that hath been done, or is to be done. Knowledge is fuperior to me- mory; and he that knov/eth all things is above remembrancers, God condefcends tobefpoken to by us after the manner of man, but we muil not conceive of him after the manner of man. We muft not think that he liath forgotten us, though we may bcfcech liim to remtober us,
r S A L M LXXX.
Verfe 3. " Turn us again, 0 God: and caufe
i thy face to pinc^ and we /ball he favcd'^ There
goes no more to filvation but IVxh a turning ;
L take
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talie notice, this turning of the Lord is an operative, an effectual turning, that turns our hearts, our eyes, our hands, our feet to the ways of God, and produces in us repentance and obedience: for thefe are the two legs which our converiion to God ftands upon : for fo Mofes ufed the word, Deut. xxx. i. 2. Return or turn unto the Lord and hear is voice: there is no turning without hearing, nor hearing without believing, nor believing without do- in e; turnino; is all thefe: therefore when Chrift lays, that if thefe works had been done in 1 yre and Sidon, they would have repented in Hickcloth and afiies: in the Syriack tranflation CI St Matthew, we have this very word fliubah, they would have turned in fackcloth and allies.
Verfe 14. " Return, we befeech thee, 0 God of hofts: look down from heaien, and behold and viftt this -Sine''' The church of God is oft fet forth by the iimilitude of a vine : and God is here prayed unto, to look down from heaven and vifit this vine, by digging, drelling, watering, and defending it from the wild boar tliat would root it up, and the foxes that would de- vour the fruit thereof: and v/ithout much care and looking, this vine, viz : the church of God, cannot be fife, much lefs thrive and ftourifli; as it is expred'ed in this pfalm, tliat her boughs may reach unto the fea, and her branches unto the rivers. Of all poffefHons, none requireth fo much pains to be taken with it as a vineyard : corn comes up and
grows
grows alone, ripeneth, and conieth to perfec- tion, without the hufbandmans looking after it, he knows not how, Mark iii. but vineyard? niufl be viHted, drciled, trimmed, pruned, pared, fenced, almoft every day, or elie it will be out of order. Chrift therefore, as a careful gardiner, looks down from heaven and viflts this vine, weeds it, lops it, prunes it. Let u-» therefore, that are the vines in the vineyard, be careful and zealous of good works ^ for Chrift walks in his vineyard, beholds and viflts how many raw, unripe, undigeiled prayers hang on fuch a branch. What gum of pride, what leaves and luxuriant fprigs, and rotten boughs there are ; therefore with his pruning knife, he cuts and ilalhes where he fees things amifs, and this out of a iingnlaf love to our fouls, which otherwife would foon be overgrown with tke weeds of fin, as a neg- lec1:ed garden.
PSALM LXXXL
Verfc 10. " / am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt : open thy mouth ivide^ and I will fill it.'* If I would make God's former working upon me; an argument of his future gracious purpofes, by acknow- ledging, that God hath done much for me, I mull find that I have done what I could (by the benefit of his grace) with him. For God never promifed to man to be more than his helper: to this purpofe faith God to David, open thy mouth (it is thy mouth, and there- L 2 fore
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fore thou mud open it) here David enters the 1 work with God; and I will fill it ; here God foconds the work with David. All beginnings and perfedings are of God; of God alone: but in the way there is a concurrence on our part, by a fucceflive continuation of God's grace, in v/hich God proceeds as a helper ; and I put him to more than that, if I do nothing.
Verfe 13. " 0 tkat tiiy people had hearkened mi- i") me^ and I/rael bad u'alked in my ways.** God fometimes doth not mind his children when they cry, that they may hereby take occalion to remember how oft he hath tiied and they have not mxinded iiim. Doth not the Lord cry out to his people of duty, and they do not hear him: doth he not complain here of this neglect, not only as a diilionour, but as a grief unto him.'' It is not to be wondered, if God let his people cry out of mifery, and dcAh not hear them. The Lord iliuts his ear, that we might confider how we have fhut our cars; yea, he fliuts his cars that he may open ours: if the Lord ihould always be fwift to hear us, how flow fhould we be in hearing him, and while we have all cur deiires, forget mod ot our duties.
PSALM LXXXIL
Verfe i. " God fiandeth in the congregation cf the mighty: bejudgeth a??wng the gods.*' To keep the judges themfclvcs in awe, God ilandeth over them, aiid tellelh them of liis prefence in the very entrance of this pfalm: he maketh one in
all
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courts, at all affizes, and feflions, and that which men wink at, he punifheth : the igno- rance of the judge will not excufe him •, for that God that is prefent with them if they do right, will be prefent.againil them, if they fuf- fer wickednefs to pafs unpuni(hed. Wherefore you fee, how expedient it is for men in autho- rity, to carry this prefence of the Lord in their memory; that by it they may be comforted in their jull proceedings; repreiled from cruelty, - and the cxercife of private revenge in their pubhc actions; and yet be ftirred up to be dili- gent and careful, becaufe the Lord himfelf is in the midil of them.
Verfe 4. " Ddiver the poor and needy: rid them cut of the hand of the wicked,'' God in judg- ment burthens them with oppreffion, who neglect the cry of the opprelTed: the greatnefs and provocation of the lin may be read in the threats denounced againil it, and in the judg- ments executed upon it. It is not enough (though it be more than many can, fay) for a magiftrate to fay by way of challenge, as old Samuel did, whom have I oppreiled? unlefs he can alfo fay, when did I not hear the cry of the oppreifed. It is indeed very finfui to make the poor cry, but not to hear their cry is molt fmful. To deliver the poor and needy; to rid him out of the hand of the wicked, is at once the duty and the honour of thofe that are in power. Th^ poor and nizAv are Goi's" clieats, and to deliver fuch is God's counfel, L 3 v/orihy
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worthy to be written in letters of gold on the walls of all judicatories.
Verfe 7. " But ye JIj all die like men ^ and fall like one of the princes,** Nebuchadnezzar's image had a head of gold, bread and arms of iilver, belly and thighs of brafs, but feet of clay; to fignify, that wliatfoever thy wealth, wifdom, birth, beauty, ftates, or flrcngth be, thy foun- dation is in the dull. There is great diiTerence betwixt a cedar and a flirub, a vine and a bramble; fo long as both grow ; but cut them down and burn them, and there will be no difference in their allies. In this life fome are fet upon the throne, others are grinding at the mill; fome are cloathed in purple and fare de- licioufly every day; others lie at the gates, and have not fo much as the crumbs of their tables. But in the grave, rich and poor meet together: and the ulcers of Lazarus will make as good dull as the paint of Jezebel. PSALM LXXXIII.
Verfe 18. " That men may knovj^ thai thou whofe name alone is jfebovab, art the mojl high o- i)er all the earth" Wicked men will not know the evil of fm till they feel it. \Vhen the pro- phet, in the name of the Lord, threatned the Jews with a day of evil, it is ufually added, they fhall know that I am the Lord: as if the Lord had find, they have been told this of- ten and often, they have hid line upon line, and threat upon threat, yet they would not know it, but they fhall know it ; I V, ill it be known unto them anoihcr way ^
I
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I will write their judgments upon their own backs, and with their own blood : and then they Ihall know, that I am the Lord. So here David calls down the wrath of God upon public enemies, let them be confounded and troubled forever: Why? that they may know that thou whofe name is Jehovah art the moll high over all the earth. Carnal men will not know the fovereignty of God, or tliey are aihamed to acknowledge it, till they fee luch as themfelves utterly confounded and put to iliame; they never exalt God till they fee men cad down.
PSALM LXXXIV.
Verfe ^. " Tea^ the /par row hath found an houfe^ and the fvu allow a neji for herfelf where Jhe may lay her youngs even thine altars^ 0 Lord of hofis^ my King, and my God," No afllidion, no mifery is fo great, as to be deprived of the prefence of God in his public worfhip and lervice: and this is that, which David laments here, tliat being baniflied and driven into the wildernefs of Judah, he had not accefs to the fancluary of the Lord, to ficrifice his part in the praife, and to receive his part in the prayers of the congregation. For angels pafs not to ends but by ways and means, nor man to the glory ot the triumphant church, but by parti- cipation of the communion of the militant ; and without this communion David did not expe<5l to enjoy the prefence of God. And as though David felt loaie falfe cafe, fome whif-
pering
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pering that way, that God is in the wildernefs of Judah, in every place, as well as in his fan- <5luary, it is true thou art here in the wilder- nefs, and I may fee thee here, but yet, O thine altars, O Lord of hofts, my King, and my God.
Verfe 6. " Who pajfing through the valley of Baca^ make it a well', the rain aljofilleih the pools ^" As thofe grounds that lie low are commonly iilooriih; fo this bafe part of the world where- in we live is a vale of tears, the true bochim, as the Ifraelites called their mourning place.— We begin our life with tears, therefore our lawyers define life by weeping ; if a child is heard to cry, it is a lawful proof of his living ; elfe if he be dead, we fay, he is ftill born ; and in our parting, God finds tears in our eyes, which he fhall v/ipe off. Thofe men therefore are miflaken, that think to go to heaven with dry eyes, that hope to leap immediately out of the pleafares of earth, into the paradife of God: but let them knov/ they mull have a time of tears, and if they do not begin with tears they fhall end with them. Woe be to them that laugh, for they fhall weep; and if they will not weep and fluke their heads here, they Hiall w^ep, and wail, and gnaih their teeth here- after.
Verfe 7. " They go from Jirength to firength^ every one of them in Zion appearcth before Gcd.^' — Grace is of an encrcafmg nature, it grows ftrongor and ftronger : true grace lives, there- fore it mufc ncedi3 grow : the grain of muilard-
fced
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feed proves a great tree: they go fromftrength to ilrength, or from company to company, that is from one good company to another, lUll gathering up goodnefs as they go : as the bee goes from ilovvtr to flower to gather ho- ney; fo believers go from duty to duty, from ordinance to ordinance, from praying to hear- ing, to gather grace and flrength, every grace has flrength; and the more grace the more ftrength, fill we come to that which is ftridly called ilrenojth of grace.
Vcrfe lo. " For a day in ihy courts is better than a thoufand : I had rather be a door-keeper in the houfe of my God^ than to divell in the tents of wicked-- ncfs,^^ Here the prophet fhevvs, that the fpen- ding of one day in public meetings and af- iembiies of the godly, was more fweet than a thoufand days cifewhere; he prefers the bafeft ofHce, and meaneil calling in the church, be- fore the dwelling in the mod; glorious palaces- If the fame mind be in us as was in the pro- phet, let it be our defire rather to be of the liieaneft account, and loweft reckoning in the church amongft the fervants of God, than to lje in the highefl: honour out of the church, vdiere nothing reigns but prophanenefs, and nothing is regarded but wickednefs. This v.'ill be a witnefs to our own hearts, that we are truly religious, and are pofieffed with a love of godlinefs; when we prefer the love of God's houfe, befcre all earthly things and are careful to frequent the exercifes there- in.
PSALM
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PSALM LXXXV.
Ytr(c 1. " Lord^ then baft been favour able iinfo thy land: thou haft hrcvght back the captivity of Jacob.*' All true believers are the fons t)f Jacob, and the feed of Abraham; as well as the believing Gentiles, who are the fons of Jacob, rxcordirg to the fpirit, as the believing Jews the fons of Jacob, according to the fie(h : and the church of thefe true Jacobines and IfraeUtes are the land of the Lord, and the captivity licre mentioned, is bondage under fin. In this captivity Satan is the goaler; the flelh is our^ prifon; ungodly lulls are the manacles ; a bad conicience the tormentor, all of them againil us: only Chrift is Emmanuel, God with us ; he tarneth away the captivity of Jacob, in for- giving ail his ofifences, and in covering all his iins. For the blelTed order of our redemption is briefly this: God out of mere mercy to the world, gave his Son; the Son by his death ap- peafed the wrath of his father, and abundantly latisfied divine juflice for the fins of the w4iolc world: God pieafed in his Son Jefus, forgiveth all our offences, and this remiilion of lin re- leafeth our captivity. Whofoever then is a true believer in Chrift, is the Lord's free man, in this life fo fet at liberty, that fin fhall not reign in his mortal members, Rom. vi. but in the world to come fully freed from all cor- ruption and concupifcence,
Verle 7. *' Shew m thy mercy^ 0 Lord, and ^rant us thyfalvation,^* This prayer is not only
. ( 1^3 )
a prayer of appropriation to ourfelves, but a charitable extenfion unto others alfo. Shew us all thy church, charity begins in ourfHves but it fhould not end there; it fhould dilate its- felf to others. True love and charity is to do the mod we can for the good of others. We are full of the mercies of the ::^orpel, prefent peace, and plenty in the preaching thereof:— We are full of mercy, and yet we pray for mercy; we pray that God wcmid continue the mercies of the gofpel where it is, I'ellore them where they were^ and transfer them where they have not yet been preached.
Verfe 8. " I will hear what God the Lord will /peak: for hs will f peak peace unto his people^ and to
his faints: but let thera not turn again to folly.''^
A praying foul is an exped:ing foul. Job, in his fixth chapter had prayed, and prayed ear- nellly; and though it was but a prayer to die, yet he lived in expectation oF an anfwer.— ^ When prayer is fent up to God, then the foul looks for its return. Prayer is a feed fown, after this fpiritual hufbandry, the foul waits for the precious fruits of heaven, " my foul waiteth upon God^'' fays this prophet, Pfalm Ixii. and I will wait what the i.ord will fay, were his words in this pfalm. Habakkuk, in the fecond of that prophecy, refolves thus, " I will ftand upon my watch^ and will wait to fee zvhat he will fay unto me^
Verfe lo. " Mercy and truth are met together: rightcoufnefs and peace have kiffed each other J" — Every worldly peace muil not ferve a chrilf ian's
turn:
( 'M )
turn: we mufl have peace and truth, peace and the purity of religion ; righteoufnefs and peace nmft kifs each other. That is a wicked peace where God is excluded the treaty, and he is the God of truth, as well as of peace.
P S A L TnI LXXXVI.
Verfe 5. " For thou^ Lo?'cI, art good^ and ready tofo7-give: and plenteous in mercy unio all them that call upon theeJ' Thofe men are to blame as will fo far abridge the great volumes of God's mer- cies, fo far contrail his general propofitions, as to reftrain thisialvation, not only in the eilecl, 'but in God's own purpofe, to a few, a very few fouls. When any fubje^ls complain of any prince, that he is too merciful, they do but think him too merciful to other men's faults ; for where they need his nicrcy for their own, they never think him too merciful. And which of us doth not need the mercy of God for all our lins ? and fupponng we did not in ourfelves, yet it were a new^ fm iii us, not to dciire that God fnould be as merciful to every other fmner as to ourfelves. As in heaven the joy of every foul fliall be my joy, fo the mercy of God to every foul here; is a mercy to my foul: by the exrenfion of his mercy to others, I argue the application of his mercy to myfelf. This contracilug and abridging of the mercy of God, will end in ciefpair of ourfelves. and that mercy reacheth not to us: or if we become confident, perchance prefumptious in ourfelves, we fliall defpair in the behalf of other men,
and
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and think they can receive no mercy : and when men come to allow an impoffibility of i'alvation in any, they will come to affign that impofiibility, nay, to aflign thofe men, and pro- nounce for this and this fm, this man cannot be faved: but this is not all, they do not hefitate to preach, that infants are in hell not a fpan long; from fuch an idea of a merciful God, good Lord, deliver us ; if infants go to hell, then the facrifice of Chrid did not fatisfy of- fended Deity for the tranfgreflion of Adam.
Verfe 1 1. " Teach me thy tvay^ 0 Lord^ I will zvalk In thy iruth: unite my heart to fear thy name>^ Teach me thy ways, was David's exprefiion here, inure me to thy paths, as a little one is taught to find his feet. God's way is both hard to hit, and dangerous to mifs; we muft therefore pray, " Teach fiie thy ivay^ 0 Lord^^' which we (hall foon forfake if God guide uf; not : for we can neither know nor do God's will, without divine light and aid : fo David in another place, Pfalm cxix. I will run thy way, when thou flialt enlarge my heart ; I fliall do thy work with utuioit diligence and delight, and come oii roundly and readily there- in; take long ilrides towards heaven, when thou fhalt have oiled my joints and nimbicd my feet. Our promifes of obedience mull be conditional, fmce without ChnPt we can do nothing. Again, David was a great proficient in God's fchool, and yet he would learn more, fo fw' eet is divine knowledge, the more a man M knov/s
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kncws of God, the more defirous he is to know him.
PSALM LXXXVII.
Verfe i. " His foundation is in the holy moun- tains'' The foundation of God's church, and of every member of his church, is in his holy mountiins, which cannot be removed, but a- bidc for ever : great is the itability of every believer's happinefs: winds and florms move not a mountain; an earthquake may, but not cafily remove it. That myflical mount Sion, the church, is immoveable ; fo is every part, every miember thereof, for the main of his happinefs. Jerufalem* was furrounded with many high mountains, wdiich w^re a great lifeguard to it, yet did not always defend it, as the Lord doth his, by being a w^all of fire round about them, Zach. ii, 5.
P S A L M LXXXVIIL
Verfe 11." Shall thy loving kindnefs be declared in the gra-ve? or thy faithfulnefs in dejiruclion** — When David fays here in appearance, by way of expoflulation, jealoufy, and fufpicion, will God Ihew w onders to the dead ? fhail the dead arife and praife him? fhall his loving kindnefs be ilacwed in the grave? or his faithfulnefs in de- ftruclion? all thefe pailionale interrogations, and vehement expoftulations, may fafely be refolved into thefe doctrinal proportions : yes, God vv-ill iiiew wonders to the d'.:.'.d, the dead inall arlfe and praife him, his lovuic^ kindnefs
, lli:dl
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fhall be declared in the grave, and his faitlifiil- nefs in deftruclion. For God will not forget the congregation of his poor for ever, the poor of this world i;; our poor: God's poor are they that lie in the duft, the dnft of the grave, the dead; of whom God hath a greater congrega- tion under ground, than of the living upon the face of the earth.
? S A L M LXXXIX.
Verfe i. " IzviJlJlng of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with ray mouth will 1 make known thy faithfulnefs to all generations''' The point aimed at mod, is undoubtedly, that in all our temp- tations, and tempefts of confticnce, we (hould fly to the fure mercies, and holy promifes of God in Chrift. If once we flay ourfelves in this anchor-hold, we ihall efcape the {hipwreck of faith. Ethan, who was either penner, or finger of this hymn, is by interpretation, ro- builus, one who is ftrong : now no man is ftrong in this world, but he who relieth on. the fure promifes of God. The confideration of our own merits is too uncertain and totter- ing, a foundation no ways able to bear the in- tolerable weight of our fins : but our truft is in the Lord's everlafting mercies, and this maketh us like mount Sion, which cannot be removed, but abideth faft and firm for ever- more.
Verfe 9. " Thou ruleji the raging of the fea ;—
when the waves thereof arife^ thou Jiilleji them.'*
The fea in its higheil rage is at the beck and
M 2 command
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command of G d. As to walk on the fea is an argument of divine power, likewife to command the fea. When Chrift rebuked the fea, and faid, Mark, vi. Peace and be flill, (as if one fliould hufh a child) the men mar- velled, what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the fea obey him ? Winds and waves feem the moft difobedient and ftubborn, and unteachable of any thing in the world : — yet a word from God calms the one, and fmooths the other : thus likewife, when the raging waves of luft fwell too high in his people, it is the work of his fpirit to tread thefe down; and when the winds of feveral temptations agitate thefe waves, he it is that commands them down. Who is there amongft us, that at one time or other finds not corrup- tion raging as the high waves of the fea? how mighty and powerful is the Lord in that great work of his efFeclual grace, treading upon the waves of the fea, remaining corruptions in his fervants and children.
Verfe 2>5* ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^'^^ 1 /worn by my hollnefs^ that I 'Will not lie unto David,'* God always fwear- eth either by his effcnce, or by his attributes : whence we may take up this obfervation, that God's attributes are his effcnce. and his effencc himfelf. Now what is God's oatli ? A folemn atteftation to his promife, for our greater al- furance, v/hereby he pawneth as it were his holinefs, and the like. Not to believe God upon his word, which is all that heaven and earth have to lliew for their continuance, were
incredulous
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incredulous impiety, to expecl or demand far- ther an oath of him, by whom we all fwear, were prefumptious infolency : yet we fee how the goodnefs of God overcomes the diilruftful- nefs^of man ; he gives us more fecurity than we could have had the face to aCv, or hope to obtain; he vouchfafeth net only a bill of his hand, his WTitten word, but alio entercth into bonds for the performance of all covenants and grants made to us in Chrift Jefu?. As often as I endeavour to flay my thoughts upon this point, they break out into this exclamation, O thrice happy v^e, for whofe fake God taketh an oath; but moO: wretched we, if we believe not God, no not upon Lis oath.
P S A L M XC.
Verfe i. " Lord, thou haft been our dwelling place in all generations.'' In the title of this pfalm, the Holy Ghoil calls this pfalm a prayer, and yet enters the pfalm in this firfl verfe with praife and thankfgiving: in v/nich if we com- pare thefe two incomparable duties, prayer and praife, it will ftand thus, our prayers befiegtj God, efpecially our public prayers in the con- gregation, but our praifes prefcribe in God, we urge liim and prefs him with his ancient mercies, his mercies of old: by prayer we in- cline him, we bend him, but by praife we bind him ; our thanks for former benefits, is a pro- ducing of a fpecialty, by winch he hath con- tracled with us for more ; in prayer we fue to him, but in our praife we fue iiim himfeif : M ^ prayer
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prayer ir> our petition, but praifc is our evi- dence, in that we beg, in this we plead ; God hath no law upon himfelf, but yet God him- felf proceeds by precedent: and whenfoever we prefent to him by thankfgiving what he hath done, he does the fame and exceeds it.
Verfe 10. '* The days of our years are three fcore years and ten: and if by reafon offlrength they he fourfcore years^ yet is their ftrength labour and for row: for it is foon cut off^ and %ve flee away,** When David fays here, that our years are threefcore and ten, if we deduct from that term, all the hours of our unneceiTary fleep, of fuperfluous fittings at feafl, of curiofity in drefling, of largenefs in recreations, in plotting and compafling of vanities or fuiSj fcarce any man of feventy^ would be ten years old when he dies.
Verfe 15." Make us glad according to the days wherein thou haft afflided us^ and the years ivhere- in we have feen evil** It is an ufual courfe in the difpenfations of God's providence, to let liis blefiings anfwer, and hold proportion with our croiTes; that fo his mercies may be accord- ing to the rate of our miferies : therefore wc ought to bear up and comfort ourfelves in the greatefl afiliclions and calamities that can be- fal us. Upon this account it was, that when God m.eant to give the Ifraelites Canaan, he fn ft gave them enough of the wi|dernefs, enough to carry fome proportion with their fuiurehappinefs: therefore it is fiid, Deut. ii. 3. " Te have compaffed this inountain long enough^
turn
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turn yc northward. ^^ They had been thirty years in compafling Mount Seer, vvhich might have been done in fo many weeks or days : — upon this ground it was, that here in this plalm, the people of God being in the wiider- nefs, plead the equity of this rule and courf(^ of heaven: Make us glad according to thofe days wherein thou haft affiicled us : It was their prayer; let Canaan countervail the wil- dtrnefs, and let the milk and honey of the one bear a proportion with the briars and thorns of the other.
PSALM XCI.
Verfe i " He that divelleth in the fecrei place of the mojl high^fball abide under the Jhadow of the Almighty.''^ God is fo with his people, that they are faid to be in him; therefore ye cannot injure the faints, unlefs ye ftrike through God, ye cannot wound them, but ye muft wound him. To this end it is David's character of a eodiv man in this verfe, that he dwelleth in the fecret place of the moft high; you muft deftroy God ere you can deftroy him. God is faid to bear his people upon Eagles' wings, Exod. xix. It is obferved of the eagle, that Hie carries not her young ones in her claws as other birds do, but being laid upon her flioul- ders, fhe covers them with the fpreading of her wings, fo that the fowler who Ihoots at them muft firft wound her : juft fo, they that will injure the church muft fight againft God.
Verfe
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Verfe i o. " Ihere Jhall no evil hefal ihee^ nei- ther Jhall any plague come nigh thy dwelling" — There is no ficknefs befals any man, which may not befal the bed man : there are fome indeed that affert a faint to be plague-free, grounding it upon God's promife in this verfe: but you muft know this promife hath a double condition annexed to it. Tlie one on the faints part, which is to make the Lord his habitation, verfe 9. If then good men in pefti- lential times, through a diftruftful fear, make the creature their refuge, no wonder if the plague infocl them and their dwellings. The oth^r in reg?rd of the thing itfelf; which is only allured fo far as it may make for God's g'ory, and the people's benefit, therefore it is faid in the former part of this verfe, there ilidl no evil come nigh him^: whereby is intimated, that the plague fliall not then come nigh too, when it is evil for a good man, but if at any time God fee it good, eitlier for the manifeilatlon of his own glory, or for the fpiritual advantage of his people, not the holieft perfon is in fuch cafes exempted from the plague. For it m.ay befal a faint to fliare in a calamity; as the good corn and weeds are cut down together, but for a different end and purpofe.
Verfe 14. " Bccaufe he hath fet his Icve upon vie^ therefore will I dcrfver him: I will fet hi?n on higb^ hccaufe he hath known my name.'' I'he foul is not fo miuch where it lives as wliere it loves, indeed love is a defire of union ; and furely God's love to his church, infinitely furpafiing
the
c ^^3 )
the love of any creature, mufl needs unite him to, and inake him one with her. To this end tlie pfalmift fpeaking of a righteous man, ren- ders this as the reafon of God's being with him, becaufe he hath fct his love upon God ; but doubt lefs the reafon holds far ftronger the other way, becaufe God hath fct his love upon his church, tlierefore he will be with her. — Such is God's tender nefs towards his people, that were it not for his own honour, and their good, he would not fuffer them to pafs through the waters of aiRiclion ; yea, for this caufe he is pleafed to bring them into the depths of mifery, that the glory, as of his pov/er, fo of his love, may be heightened in their delivery.
Verfe 15. " He JJoail call upon me^ and I will anpwer bird: I will be with him in trouble^ I will deliver him^ and honour him" God is with his fervants in their afPiiclions not only to guide and comfort them while they are under thcfe afilidions; but to dehver them alfo out of them. This is tlic promife w^hich the Lord makes to the believing Soul, ^'^ I will be with him in trou- ble^" and what follov^^s, as the bleiled eite<ft of his prefence, but liberation and exaltation, " / will deliver him and honour him.'* God is with his people, not only to comfort them in, and iupport them under, but to refcue them out and reward tliem after all their troubles.
Verfe 1 6. " With long life zvill I fatisfy hi7n^ and
jhew him my falvation*" In this verie is a ful-
nefs and a fatisfaclion likewife, a quitnefs, a
contentednefs
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contentecIneTs, an acquiefcence in that fullneis. Satisfy is, let us be full, and let us feel it, and rell in that fullnefs : thefe two make up all heaven, all the joy, and all the glory of heaven, fullnefs, and fatisfadlon in it: this text might be referred to the refurredion, and to that ful- nefs and that fatisfaclion Vv^hich vi^e fliall have then, and not till then. For though wc fhall have a fullnefi in heaven as foon as we come thither, yet that is not fully a facisfaclion, be- caufe we fliall defire and expecl a fuller fatif- faclion in the re-union of body and foul. And when heaven itfelf cannot give us this full fa- tisfaclion till then, in what can we look for it in this world? where there is no true fullnefs, nor any fatisfaclion in that kind of fullnefs which v/e feem to have.
PSALM xcir.
Verfe 13. " Tbofe that be planted in the hoiifi of the Lord^ jhall Jlourijh in the courts of our God,'* Saints are planted in the houfe of God ; they have a kind of rooting there, but though the tabernacle be a good rooting place, yet we cannot root firmly there, unlefs we are rooted in Jefus Chrift: to root in tabernacle work, or in the bare isfe of ordinances, as if that would carry it, and commend us to God, when there is no heart work, when there is no looking to the power of godlinefs, and to communion Avith Chrift, what is this but building upon the fand: many come often to the tabernacle, who are mere ftrangers to Chrift, they ufe
pure
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pure ordinances, but are themfelves im- pure: thefe may have a great name in llie ta- bernacle for a while, but God blots their names, and roots their hopes out of the tabcrriade.
Vcrfe 14. " They Jhall Jilll bring forth fruit in old age: they fh all he fat and flour ijljiug,'* A true difciple mull: not be like xhq barren fig-tree in the gofpel that Chri(l curf^d, that had leaves but no fruity but he muftbe like this treethcU flourifhed and brought forth fruit in the court of the Lord: the Scripture abounds in proofs of this; it was the common charge given by the Baptift to his hearers, when they began to make a good profeiIion,that they fhould bring- forth fruits meet for repentance. Your con- verts and profeffors of the New Teilament of fpecial note, their good works are mentioned. As St Matthew, his general good work is fpccified, he followed Chriil; and his particu- lars of bounty, he made Jefus a feaft; and of charity, he invited his fellow publicans to be guells. Math. ix. Zacheus, " Behold^ 0 Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor,** there were his works: the believers of Ephefus came, and confelled, and fhewed their w^orks, Acls xix. And thus it was generally with all true pro- felTors of religion, they ftill accompanied their holy profellion with good works.
PSALM xcm.
Vcrfe 4. " The Lord on high is mightier than the noife of many waters, yea, than the mighty wa-Vis ofthefca.^^ Chear up then thou difcon-
folatc
C ^36 )
folate foul; doubt net in the church's fafety in general, the Lord in the niidft of her is mighty; defpair not of thine own prefervation in particular; God is more powerful to pro- tect, than Satan and his inftruments can he malicious to deftroy. So true is this of the pfalmift, " the Lord on high is mightier than the noife of many waters.^'' Therefore confider not io much thy dillrefs, as thy deliverer; and when men's malicious combination may affright thee, let Divine aifociation fupport thee. The dan- ger m.ay exceed thy refiftance, but not God's alliflance; the enemies power may furpafs thy firength, their fubtiiity outwit thy prudence, but neither can excel the wifdom and might of God that is with thee. O learn therefore to try God in his ftrength, to truft him in difncultics, and when the mercilefs waves are ready to fwallow thee up, commit thyfelf to his cuftody. The mariner in Uraits looks up to heaven, do thou fb ; and remember that when the waters of afiiiclion are never fo high, yet the Lord on high is mightier than they,
Verfe 5. " Thy iefiimonies are very Jure: hGlinefs becometh thine honfe^ 0 Lord/or ever,'' Singular things are expeclcd of all that draw nigh to God in any cliity, but efpecially in the oflice of the minifiry: they muil fanctify themfelves with a fmgular care above that of the reft of the people: thole that ftand in the prefence of princes, muft be exact in their carriage. God appointed botii the weights and meafures of the ianctuary to be twice as large as thofe of
the
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the commonwealth, to fliew, that he expecVs much more of thofe that ferve him there, than he doth of others, Iloilnefs becomes every houfe well, but befl God's ; and every man, but moil of all the minifters; who is the mir- ror in which the people behold heaven, and the convoy to direcl them thither. Now if the glafs be fpotted, inftead of an angel they look upon a fury; and if the conduct be falfe, there is more danger in the guide than the way: none therefore are to walk fo ftriclly as the minifter.
PSALM XCIV.
Verfe 1 9. " In the 7nuhitude of mj thoughts^ within me^ thy comforts delight my foul'* How hiiY a beam of the joys of heaven is true com- fort in this life. If I know the mercies of God exhibited to others, and feel them not in my- felf, I am not of David's church, of David'j choir: I cannot fmg of the mercies of God: 1 may fee them, and I may ligh to fee the mer- cies of God determined in others, and not ex- tended to me; but I caimot ling of the mercies of God, if I fmd no mercy in myfelf : but when I come to this here, " in the mtdtiiude of my thoughts ivithln mc^ thy comforts delight my foul^' then the true comforters is defcended upon me, and the Holy Ghoft hath over- fhadowed m.e; and all that fhall be born of me, and proceed from me, lliall be holy and joyful.
Verfe 23. '^ And he f mil bring upon them their
own iniquity, and f)idl cut them off in their own
N ivickednefs}
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'■juickednefs ; yea, the Lord our God/hall cut them off'' As God threatens death to deter men from (in, fo fometimes he is as it were con- ftrained to fend death to keep or take men ofT from finning. A godly man faith, if God kill me, yet will I truft in him ; and fome wicked men fay in effect, though not in the let- ter, till God kill us, we will fin againft him. Upon this account the pfalmift afks the quef- tion here " ho^.v long fhall the wicked?'' and the anfvv^er is given in this verfe, " the Lord jhall bring upon them," ^c. as if he had faid , except the Lord cut them oft in their wickednefs, they will never leave off doing wickedly: upon this account, the punifliment of the wicked is eter- nal, becaufe if they fliould live always, they would (in always; and therefore moft juftly are they punifhed always.
PSALM XCV.
Verfe 7. " For he is our God, and we are the people of his pajlure, and the Jheep of his hand : to day if ye will hear his voice," A fheep faith Ariftotle, is a foolifh and lluggifh creatuie, apteil of any thing to wander, though it feel no want, and moil; unable to return : the ox knoweth his owners, and the afs his mailer's crib, faith the prophet Ifaiah: Twine in a ftorm run home and at night will make to the trough; but a flieep can make no fhift to fave its lelf from tempers and inundation, there it ftands and will perifn, if not driven away by the mepherd; fjch a fiily IhiFtlcfs thing is man left
to
( 139 )
to himfelf; but bleffed be God for Jefus Chrid that beft of fhepherds, who reftorcth the ioit foul, and reduceth it, when like a loft fheep it is gone ailray, giving it reft, and caufing it to fcrve him in liolinefs and righteoufnefs: there- fore though I walk through the dark valley of the fliadov/ of death, I fhail want nothing, was our royal prophet's cxprcHlon in- another pfalm.
Verfe S. " Harden not your hearty as in the provocation^ and as in the day of iemptation in the zutldevnefs.*^ One reafon v.'herefore we fliould praife God, is here t^^ken from his judgments, for God ufeth all means to win men unto him, the fum of which is, that we niuft not harden our hearts, and obftinateiy fettle ourfelves in lin, as our forefathers in the wilder nefs, but rather hear the voice of the Lord fpeaking un- to us out of his word all the day long, the whole time of our life generally, but on the Sabbath day more efpecially, left in his anger he fxvear we fhall not enter into his reft; thefc things are written for our example, upon w^hom the ends of the world are come. The judgments of God are like thunder-claps, the punifhment lights but on one, the fright upon all: and therefore as in commonwealths, places of execution are public for the terror of all; fo God in this huge theatre of the world doth make fome fpe6lacles unto others, that thofe others might take example by them, or elfe be made examples to the reft.
N 2 PSALM
( 140 ;
PSALM XCVL
Verfe lo. " Say among the heathen^ that the Lord reigneth : the world alfo Jhall he ejlahlijhed that it jhall not he moved\ he jhall judge the people righteoujly.'*^ The Lord reigns, that is in the Hebrew Adonai, the iuftainer and upholder of alL Chrift is King of kings, and Lord of lords, this name Chrift hath, been written upon his vefture, that they may fee it; and on his thigh, where hangs his fword, to fh^w his abfolute dominion; and it is in the prefent tenfe, the Lord doth reign, he is upon his throne, there is now no king but he: all the power of men is broken, all the thrones of men are Ihattered into duft, and this is matter of greateft joy to the righteous. I am glad; faid a confeffor, that Chrift is Lord of all ; for otherwife I fhould have been out of hope, when I behold the church's enemies.
PSALM XCVII.
Verfe 1 1. " Light is jown jor the righteous^ and gladnejsjor the upright in heart'' Ihe perfons to whom God prc^pofes here this retribution of joy and gladnels, are direft men, and plain men; and then this ftraightnefs and fmoothnefs muft be in the heart: all the upright in heart lliall have it, and none but they; for it is the heart that God looks after: and therefore fays the Holy Ghoft, Prov. xxili. " My fon give me thine heart J' Was he his Ion, and had he not his heart? that may very well be. there is a fihation
without
( 141 )
without the heart; not fuch a filiation as fhall ever make him partaker of the inheritance, but yet a filiation. The aflbciating ourfelves to the Ions of God in an outward profeflion of rcHgion, makes us fo far the fons of God, as that the judgment of man cannot, and the judgment of God doth not diftinguifh them ; as when Satan flood among the fons of God, God did not dlfivow him, God did not ex- communicate him; God make;> his ufe of him, and yet God knew his heart was far from him.
PSALM XCVIII.
Verfe 2. '' The Lord hath made, known his faU vatlofi: his right eoufncfs hath he openly fi jewed in the fight of the heathen'' David for our ex- ample, confiders here, and refers all faivation to faivation in Chriil, for what is the Lord's faivation ? Simeon makes a fafe anfwer, mine eyes have feen thy faivation, when he hadfeen Chriil Jefus: this then is he, who is not only falvator populi fui, the faviour of his people; but falutificator, fo the author of this faivation: as that from all eternity he was at the making of the decree, as well as in the fulneis of time he was at the executing of it. in the vv^ork of our faivation, if we confider the merit, Chriil was fole and alone, no Father, no Holy Ghotl trode the w^ine-prefs with him ; and if in the work of oui* faivation, we confider the mercy there, though Chriil was not fole and alone, yet even in that Chriil was equal to the Father N 3 and
( U2 )
Holy Ghoft, fo he is the verj^ author of this falvation: as that when it came to the ad, he, and not they, died for us ; and when it was in the counfel, he, as well as they, and as foon as they, decreed it for us.
Verfe 4. " Make a joyful noife unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noife, and rejoice andfing praife!' Poor Adam, that is his name, earth, poor man, poor earthly man, low earth ; the loweft of the creation, the bafefl and meaneft of the whole world, poor dark earth : let this creation which is earth, let it rejoice, make a loud noife, and fing praife, as it is in this verfe; all men, women, and children, relations and comforts; all the things of the world, religion, worfliip, gifts, trading, let all thefe things re- ioice : but what, muft not all thefe things he done away, that Chrift may reign? the evil of them, the iinfulnefs, the bafenefs, the corrup- tion, the infirmity fhall be done away, but this earth muft not be loft, the kingdom of God muft be eftablifhed in this earth, in the fons of men; and they fhall be taken up into the feliowfhip of God, purified, and fanclified, and reftored: every thing fhall be brought up *nto the holinefs of God, the being of God, the fpirit of God; therefore let the earth make a joyful noife, rejoice, and fing praife: this is good for the pooreft creatures that live below, tiiat arc ftrangers to heaven, that dwell at a great diftance from God, let them rejoice;, for God is come to reftore them, to make them all new, a new heaven and a new earth, there- fore kt them rejoice.
C U3 )
PSALM XCIX,
Verfe i. " The Lord reigneth^ kt the people tremble: he fitteth between the cherubims^ let the earth be movedP This is matter of greatefl joy to the righteous: I am glad that Chrifl is Lord of all, for otherwife 1 (hould utterly have been out of hope, fays one upon the view of the church's enemies : and yet, though the Lord reigneth, God's people muft not prefume fo much upon it, as to caft off all care and fear : let the people tremble, are the next words, even God's own people the Jews; tor fo commenta- tors underftand the words: therefore faith the pfalmift in another place, ^'ferve the Lord with fear^ and rejoice before him with trembling ;" a Grange mixture of contrary pafTions (for bafe fear hath torment, i. John, iv. i8.) but fuch as is ufual with God's fervants, whofe talk it is to work out their falvation with fear and trembling, Phil. ii. 12. The reafon that men ftill tremble, and are flill troubled with this doubt, and that fear, is, becaufe their falvation is not WTTOught out, fomething is left undone; and their confcience tells them fo ; therefore thofe venturous bojd fpirits that dare live in any evil, fo it flare not in their faces, and have not an heart fearful of the leaft evil, never care to work out their falvation, to afpire to im- mortality.
PSALM C.
Verfe 2. << Serve the Lord with gladnefs: come -^f^n his prejence with fi7iging'' God did in-
fmuate
( 144 )
fmuate himfelf to his people the Jews as a Lord, Exod. xx. " / am the Lord thy God^^ but to the Chriftians as a father, Math. vi. 9. " Our Father ivhich art in heaven:'^ therefore feeing we are tranflated from the bondage of fervants into the hberty of fons, having inftead of the law,, which was exceeding grievous, a burthen that is light, and a yoke that is eafy, let us ferve the Lord with gladnefs, and come before his prefence with a fong ; not in the bitter- nefs of murmuring, but with the joyful noife of love: the reafon, or rather motive of this is, becaufe his truth endureth from generation to generation; that is, he did in due timfe per- ibrm the mercy promifed to our forefathers, he remembered his holy covenant, and kept that oath which ne fwore to our fathers Abraham and his feed for ever : to what end ? that we might ferve God with gladnefs, as David here, that is, ferve him all the days of our hfc with- out fear, as Zacharias fung, Luke, i.
PSALM CL
Verfe i. " / willfing of mercy and judgment : unto thee, 0 Lord, will Ijhg'' Da\ad propofeth to himifeif, that he v/ould fing of mercy and judgment; but it is of mercy Brft, and not of judgment at all: the work then of minillers is to fmgof mercy and confolation; a work than which none is m.ore divine, nor more proper to God than thofe inftruments, whom lie i'cnds to work upon the fouls and confcienccs of o- thers. Who can conceive the fweetnefs of
that
( 145 )
that fah^ation, when the fpirit of God fays to a minifter on the Lord's day, go forth to-day and preachy and preach confolation, preach peace, preach mercy ; and fpare my people, {pare that people whom I have redeemed with my precious blood, and be not angry with them for ever ; do not grind them, do not wound them, do not aftonifh them with the bitternefs, with the heavinefs, with the fharp- nefs, with the eonfternation of my judgments. Verfe 5. 'Wbofo privily JIandereth his neighbour^ him will I cut off: him that hath an high look^and a proud hearty will not IfufferP The Holy Ghoft feems to be ftraitned, when he comes to exprefs here God's proceedings with a proud man, his deteftation of him, and averiion from him. God does not fay of the proud man, I cannot work upon him, I cannot mend him, I cannot pardon him, I cannot fufFer him, I cannot ftay with him; but m.erely, I cannot, and no more; the original tranflation is, I cannot, that word of fufFering is but a voluntary word fupplied by the tranllators ; in the original it is, as it were an abrupt breaking off on God's part from the proud man : pride is fo contrary to God, that the proud man and he can meet in nothing.
PSALM CIL
Verfe 9. " For 1 have eaten ajhes like breads and mingled my drink with weeping J" Here is fliewed tlie ftate and condition of many of God's chil- dren in their afflictions ; the phrafe imports
his
( 146 )
his ibrrows to have been without intermiffion; that he had no ftops, no breathing time which was not a fighing time, no, not for a meal- time : while he was eating, \^'ith every bit of meat he had a morfel of fbrrow. I mingled my drink with weeping, fays the prophet ; when I drink my tears fiow into my cup ; when I take in a few drops of comfort, I weep out ftreanis of forrow; or m.y fighings conrie and return fo fail upon me, that I have no time to eat my bread ; I am fo piied and followed with thefe afflictions, that I have no leifare to be comforted.
Verfe 24. " Ifaid^ 0 my God, take me not away in the midft of my days: thy years are throughout all generations'' Two of God*s faints. Job, and Jonah, defired to die out of difcontent ; two others, Simeon and St Paul, content to defire death; and two more, David and Heze- kiah, not difccntented, yet not content to die, as this text clears the cafe in refpecl of David, let this be the cafe of my foul, that while I live, I may live to thee, and then when I die, I fhall live with thee. We may further learn from, hence, that as no man can die before God's time, fo many a man may die before his own time, that is, before he is prepared by grace, or before he be ripened in the courfe of nature: thofe two ways a man dies before his time; firft, when he dies without any ilrength of grace; fecondly, when he dies in the Ilrength of nature; a godly man prays that he may not die out of feafon; but a wicked man never dies
in
( M7 )
in feafon: for a 'wicked man never lives out half his days; either he is cut ofT before he hath lived half the courfe of nature; or he is cut off before he hath lived a quarter of the courfe of his defires; either he lives not half fo long as he might; or not a tenth piirt fo long as be would.
Verfe 27. " But thou art the fame ^ and thy years fhall have no end'^ We may learn from her ce, that God is to be preferred before all creatures; they are changeable and fubjecl to alteration, which is contrary to the nature of God, v/ith God is no change, neither fhadow of change, the Almighty remaineth one and the fame for ever; herein is great comfort offered to the fervants of God; as on the other hand, horror to the wicked and difobedient: for feeing God is immutable, we may take flrong confolation from former examples of God's dealings to- wards his deareft children; in all our tempta- tions and trials we fhould build ourfelves upon that bleffed experience, as upon a fure founda- tion that can never fail us.
PSALM CIIL
Verfe 3. " Blefs the Lord, 0 7ny fouU and for^ get not all his benefits.'^ Man bleffeth God, when he praifeth God, when he takes notice of, and returns thanks for the bleilings receiv- ed of God, therefore David fays here, " blefs the Lord, 0 my foul,'' thankfully to remember benefits, is to blefs the Lord."
Verfe 3, " Whoforgrueth all thine iniquities zvha
healeih
( m8 )
healeth all ihy difeafesy How often doth God admit into his own name, this addition of univerfalitv ail, althougrh he would be known by that efpecially, he is omnipotent, there he can do all; he is omnifcient, there he can know all; he is omniprefent, there he can direcl all. Neither doth God extend hinifelf to all, that he may gather from all; but that he might ga- ther all, that all might meet in him, and enjoy him: fo God is all center, as that he looks to all; and fo ail circumference, as that he em- braces ail. There is no one word fo often in the bible as this word all ; neither 1 ith God fpread the word more liberally upon all the lines of this book, than he hath his glorious purpofes upon all the fons of men; therefore to withdraw God's general goodnefs out of his general proportions, (that he would have all repent, that he came to fave all) is to con- tract and abrid-re God himfelf in his mofc ex- tenfive attribute or denotation, that is, his mercy: and as there is a curfe laid upon them, that taketh away any part, any proportion out of this book ; to there is a curfe, or an ill af- fection and countenance from God on him, that prefles any of his general proportions to a narrower or lefs gracious fenfe than God meant in it: It were as eaiily believed, that God looks towards no man, as that there ihould be any man that he looks not towards: I could as eafily doubt of the univerjfil providence of God, as of the univerfal mercy of God, if men continued not in rebellion and oppolition.
Verfe
C 149 )
Verfe 15. " As for man^ his days are as grafs; m a flower ofthefleld^fo he flGiiriJhcthP It is an jirgument moving the Lord to compaffion, to pkad the fraiky of our condition: there is no argument from ourfelves fo efl'eclual to draw out the bowels of God*s compafiion toward us, either in regard of our fpiritual Or tem- poral eftate, as this, to tell him how frail we are: like as a father pitieth his children, fo doth the Lord, 8:c. verfe 13. Why, what ilirs up this pity ? he remembereth that we are but duft in the former verfe, and in this, that our days are as grafs. That which God makes the argument of his turning to us in mercy; that we fliould make our argument when we turn to him in prayer : fhould we plead before God our perfections, and fay. Lord, remember our holinefs, our zeal, our prayers, our tears, our fading, our humilia- tions; could any of thefe move God, or be any way attractive of his compaiTion towards us; if we will plead our perfections, God will def- pife our prayer: our flrongeft argument is, to fay v/e are weak, we are as grals, and to tell God we are finful, prevails more than to tell him we are righteous; we fhall gain moft by faying, we are unprofitable fervants ; and be received fooneil by crying with St Luke's pro- digal, " I am no more worthy to he called ihy fon^ make me as one of thy hired fervants,'^
PSALM CIV.
Verfe I. *' Blefs the Lord, 0 my foul: 0 Lord O 7:iy
( ^50 )
;;zy God, thou art very great, thou art clothed ivith honour and majejiy^ Blefs tlic Lord, O my foul, i. e. all my faculties and fenfes: the whole foul and body mud be engaged in this fervice of blefling God: the judgment to fet a right eftimate upon mercies, the memory to recog- nize and retain them; the will, which is the proper feat of thankfulnefs; the affections, love, defire, joy, confidence, all mull be actu- ated, that our praifes may be cordial, vocal, vital. Under the law, in the peace-oiTering thereof, God called for the fat and inwards ; and fo like wife in the peace-offerings of the gofpel, God calls for the inward man, the heart and foul: and indeed a godly man's work lies mofc within doors, he is more taken up with his own heart, than with all the world befides; neither can he ever be alone, fo long as he hath God and his own foul to converfe with. David's harp was not oftner out of tune than his heart, which- here he is fetting right, that he might make the better melody to the Lord.
Verfc 9. " Thou hajifet a hound that they may net pafs over: that they turn not again to cover the earlh'^ This fetting bounds to the waters, is an argument of God's power, of his great power and providence: the v/aters of aiHidion are often gathered together againil the godly; but by God's gracious appointment they have evermore their fet bounds put to them, wliich they may not pais. The rock of ecirnity whereupon we are fixed, is above ail billows:
wafhed
( '5' )
wafhed we may be, as St Paul \v;i3 in the fhlp- wreck, drowned wc cannot be, becaufe in the fame bottom with Chrift, who hath here let bounds to the fca, that it cannot pafs.
Verfe 13. " He watcreth the hiUs from his chambers: the earth is fathfiedt with the fruit of thy works,'' As our being, fo the means of it doth depend upon God*s providence; he muft feed us, we cannot feed ourfelves: the eyes- or all things wait upon him, and he fills all things with plenteoufnefs. We mud not therefore rely upon ourfelves, nor facrifice to our own net. • It is a vain thing to rife up early and fit up late, if the blelling of God be not upon our labours. Neither are we to diftruft his provi- dence for any of thefe outward means He that clotheth the grafs of the field, and feedeth the fowls of the air, fhall he not much more provide for us, for whofe fake the refl were created; let me tell you from fweet experience: he is a God, and therefore able; a Father, ai)d therefore willing to fupply our neceflities ; let us lay afide therefore all anxious vexing care, and reft wholly upon him with contentment of mind, whatever the eflate be in which we are.
Verfe 32. " He looketh ^on the earth and it tremhleth; he touch eth the hills and they f?noke»'* — It is a conftant univerfal effecf of the fight of God, this quaking and trembling, and what is the reafon that the whole creation fo lliivers and {hakes? the reafon is, the Lord looks upon them, the eye of God is over the hearts of
O 3 rnen
( '52 )
men, which makes them exceedingly to trem- ble and quake : and certainly, if men did but ferioufly think upon this truth, that they are always^ in God's light, it would be a very forcible inducement to deter them from fm. — If thou wilt needs fin, faith St Auguftine, find out fome place where God is not, and fin there, and then thou wilt never fin.
PSALM CV.
Verfe 3. " Glory ye in his holy name : let the heart of them rejoice that feek the Lord.''* If thou be dejedled and depreffed with the v/eight of thy fins; if the maledidion, and curfes of God's judgment upon finners lie heavy upon thee, raife thyfelf from it as faft as thou canfl, for it is a grave that will putrify, corrupt, and moulder away thy foul apace: let the heart of them rejoice that feek the Lord. Thou art not in the right way of finding the Lord, if thou dofi: not find a joy in leeking him. — Although thou canft not fettle thyfelf in a fenfe that thou hafi: found him, yet thou hafi: if thou canfi: find an holy melting and joy in fceking him.
Verfe 25. " He turned their heart to huic his people ^ to deal fuhiilly with his fervajifs.^* I'he changes of ailedion are from God. When Mofes defcribes the cruel ufage of the Lgyp- tians towards the people of Ifrael, he tells us here, God turned their hearts to hate his people, whicli feems an hard word to fay, God turned their hearts, God did not drop hatred
into
( 153 )
into their hearts; God turns the heart from fin, not to fin; but he is therefore faid to turn tlieir hearts to hate his people, becaufe he gave them up to the bafenefs and fufpicioufneis of their own hearts, which told them how the Ifraelites would bring them low, unlcfs them- felves were brought low by an impoiition of new burthens: this was enough, and this was nil that God did when he turned the hearts of the Egyptians to hate his people ; unlefs God hold our hearts, and keep them for us, we are not only unready in every duty to God and man, but u^e act quite contrary to our duty : we love where we iliould hate, and hate where we fliould love ; we help thole we fliould op- pofe, and oppofe thofe to Vv'hom we Ihould be helpful.
Verfe 31. '* He /pake, and there came divers forts of files, and lice in all their coaJlsT Lice a- bound every w^here, and make no difference between beggars and princes. Flow are the great wonder-mongers of Egypt abaflied, that they can neither make lice of their own, nor deliver themfelves from the lice that were made: now Pharaoh mufi; needs fee how im- potent a Devil he ferved, that could not make that vermin v/hich every day rifes out of cor- ruption: and befides thefe lice there were flies, the frogs creep upon their cloaths, the lice up- on tiidr {kins, and thofe Hinging hornets that fucked them, Ihall wound and kill : the water was anoyed with the firll plague, the earth with the fecond and third; the fourth iills the O 3 air.
C X54 )
air, and befides corruption, brings fmart; and that they may fee this winged army comes from an angry God, (not either from nature or what is called chancej even the very flies fliall make a difference betwixt Egypt and Golhen : they can no more fling an Ifraelite than favour an Egyptian : the very wings of flies are directed by a providence, and do acknowledge their limits. Now Pharaoh finds how impoffible it is for him to ftand out with God, fince all his power cannot refcue him from lice and flies.
Verfe 40. *' The people ajkedy and he brought quails y and fathfiedihem with the bread of heaven,^' They afls: meat, and receive quails, they deflred bread, and receive manna: to find quails in a wildernefs was unufual, but for bread to come down from heaven was yet more fo ; if they had partook of the coarfeft flefli, and bafefl pulfe, hunger would have made it dainty; but now God win pamper their famine, and gives them meat of kings, and bread of angels : — what a world of quails were but fuflicient to ferve 600000 perfons: what a table hath God prepared in the defart, for abundance, for de- licacy: never was any prince fo ferved in his greateft pomp, as thefe rebellious Ifraelites in the wildernefs: God loves to over-deferve of men, and to exceed not only their fins , but their very defires in mercy : how good fliall we find him to them that pleafe him, fince he is fo gracious to ofl^^nders. If the mofl grace- lefs liraelite be fed with quai!s and mannn, O what goodnefs is that which he hath laid up
for
( ^55 )
for them that love him. OLord, thou canii:, thou wilt make !this difference; and if thy mercy fometimes provoke the worft to repentance by thy temporal favour ; yet thou ever referveft fo much greater reward for the righteous, as eternity is beyond time, and heaven above earth.
PSALM CVI.
Verfe 6. " We have Jinned with our fathers ; we have commitied iniquity; we have done wicked' lyj' Let not any turn this into a ftubborn re- folution, and fay, we will err with our fathers; they who will do as their fathers, may fuffer with their fathers; they who will needs err by their lather's copy, may go to hell by their fa- ther's copy: the fathers are but children when they err, and they who will err with their fa- thers are worfe than children. Let us con- iider therefore to what antiquity we appeal before we ftand to it: many praclices are very old, yet very erroneous: many old fayings and old doings muif be unfaid and undone, or we Ihdl be undone for ever : as we muft take heed of novelties, fo we muft be cautious about antiquities : old fables and young fancies are are with me at the fame rate; no man having drank old wine, ftraight calls for new : old is better than new, if it be as good r.s new ; but any new tr.uth is better than the oldeft error; and every error the older it is, the worfe it is
Verfe 23. '' Therefore he faid that he would dejiroy ihem^ had not Mofcs his chofen flood before
him
( 156 )
h'nn in the breach^ to turn away his wrath^ left he Jhould dcftroy them," Good men turn away wrath, they ftand in the gap, and divert the difpleafure of God againft a city or nation. — Their pcrfons are in acceptation with heaven : God v;iil look upon them, and do. much for them, when he is moft angry of all with the wicked their prayers alfo are prevalent, the Lord will yield much to them, when moft bit- terly bentagainft a people. As one finner may defiroy much good, fo one praying faint may fave a whole country.
Verfe 45. "^ ^^nd he remembered for them his covenant^ and rcunied according to the multitude of his mercies,'' All tranfaclions and covenants between God and man are conditional, and where men will not be bound, God will not be bound neither: if man perlift in a habit niid purpofe of finning, God will ftudy a judgment againft that man; and do that, even in Ifrael, which fliall make ail our ears tingle, and all our hearts to ake: till that man repent, God will not, and when he does, God will repent too. For though God be not mrp, that he can repent, yet that God, who for man's fake become m.an, for our fakes, and his own glory, will fo far hecomx man again, as upon man's true repenta.nce, to repent the judgments intended againft that man, by changing his feverity into clemency. So that God's repentance is not a changing of liis will, but of his work.
PSALM
<. ^S7 ) P S A L M CVII.
Verl'e 8. " Oh that men would praife the Lord for his goodnefs and for his wonderful works to the children of ?nen /'* O that men would praife the Lord, is David's provocation to us all; but how? O that" men would therefore praife the Lord, and declare his wonderful works that he hath done for the fons of men: but not to go about to declare his unrevealed decrees, or fecret purpofes, is as good a v/ay of praiiing him as the other: O that men would therefore praife the Lord fo, forbear his majeily when he is retired into himfelf in his decrees, and magnify his majefty, as he manifells himfelf to us in the execution of thofe decrees.
Verfe 13. " Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble^ and he faved them in their difirefs,"** 1 he Lord knows how to ilrike us fo^ as that we fliall lay hold upon the hand that ftrikes us, and kifs the hand that wounds us: no man kills his enemy, that his enemy might have a better life in heaven; that is not his end in killing him, it is God's end; therefore he brings us to death, that by fuch a gate he might lead us into life everlafting: he hath made that northern paiTage, to pafs by the frozen fea of calamity and tribulation to para- dife, to the heavenly Jerufalem; there are fruits that rtpen not, but by froft; there are natures, (and indeed fcarce any other) that difpofe not themfelves to God but by affliction.
Verfe 1 9. " Then thty cry unto the Lord in
their
( ijs )
their trouble^ h efaveth thetnout of their diflrejfesy The way to be delivered is firft to be troubled, for a troubled foul or confcience, is like a troubled fea after a tenipeil ; the danger is paft, but yet the billow is great flill: the dan- ger was in the calm, in the fecurity; or in the temped, by mifrepreferiting God's cor- rcftions to our obduration, and to a remorf- lefs llupefadion ; but when a man is come to this holy vexation, to be troubled, to be Ihaken v^^ith a fenfe of the indicrnation of God, the florm is pail, and the indignation of God is blown over: that foul is in a fair and near wav of beins; reftored to a calmnefs, and to a repofed fecurity of confcience, that is come to this holy vexation.
Verfe 40. " He pcunth cordcmpi upon princes^ and caiifeth them to wander in the wildernefs^ where there is no wa\,'^ Men of high places lie open to greivous judgments as well as others; all forts of men, high and low, rich and poor, noble and ignoble, fliall tafte of the punifh- ments of God for lin: this the prophet pointeth unto, wheii he faith, God poureth contempt upon princes : and if we would enter into a confideration of examples, we have a plurality of teftimonies in the word of God : of Abi- melaech, the king of Gerar; Pharoah, king of Egypt ; Senacherib, king of Alliur ; Herod, king of Judea; and fundry princes and nobles, who have tafled of the judgments of God, punifhing them for their iins, and rewarding them according to their iniquities : neither
can
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can we marvel at this dealing of God, if we confidcr that he is no accepter of any man's pcrfon, and is fufliciently able to make all men hoop under his hand; which may fciive to inllrud princes to be fubjecl: to God, and to obey him in all things, feeing God will require the breach of his law at their hands: all fupe- riors and governors over others, mull look for God's wrath to fall upon them, wKcnfo- ever they walk in evil ways, and tranfgrcfs a- gainft God's commandments ; all their pov/er and policy, all their armies, and kingcraft, can- not fave thera.
PSALM CVIIL
Verie 12. " Give us help from trouble} for vain is the help of man.** Some think that the pfalmift here complains of the fad condition of the Ifraelites, after that Saul was flain in mount Gilboah, and the Philiflines tyrannizing at their pleafure; fo that vain was the help of mm, as the Ifraelites had now proved in Saul, a king of their own chooling, but not able to fave them from thofe proud Philiftines: no more could the Romans the Britons, opprefTed by their northern enemies; they fent to the Ro- man pro veil of Gaul, and thus complained to him. The barbarous enemy beateth us to the fea. the fea beateth us back to the enemy ; be- tween thefe two kinds of death we fhall be either murdered or drowned ; but their in-? treaties did not prevail. Tiie faint's comfort is, that where human help fails, divine begins.
When
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When our father and mother for fake us, then God takes us up.
PSALM CIX.
Verfe 5. " And they have rewarded me evil for good^ and hatred for my loveJ*^ They to whom we have done many good turns 5 turn many tmies not only from us, but againft us, and Ihew themfelves not only no friends, but ene- mies: when friends diflike in their love, they incline to hatred; and while they are not with us, they may be numbered with thofe that are againft us; of fuch David complains liere: for my love: they were my adverfaries : none prove worfe enemies than tliofe that have re- ceived the greateft kiudneffes when once they turn- unkind: as the iharpeil vinegar is made of the pureft wine; and pleafant meats turn to the bittereft humours in the ftomach, fo the higheft love beftowed upon friends, being ill digefted or corrupted, turns to the mofl un- friendly hatred: the dilTentions of brethren are hotteft, becaule they are nearefl; and the dif- fention of friends is hotter than that of breth- thren, becaufe the love of brethren, ftridly conhdcred, is founded only in nature, but the love of friends is founded in courtciies, and profeilions, which though not in themfelves, yet to us, becaufe we have been aclive or recep- tive in them, are the clofeft obligations to love.
Verfe 27. " That they may know that this is thy hand, that thou. Lord, hajl done it,'' This is peculiar to the children of God, that when the
hand
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liand of God h upon tlicni, they fliall know it to be the hnnd of God, .ind take Iiold even of tliat op])rel]ive heavy Ijand, and not let it go, till they liave received a !)lefling from it; that is, raifed thernfelves, even by that opprefliing hand of Crod's, in that alHiflion. When God fliall fill their faces with foame, yet they fliall feek his fice: yea, when God fhall kill them, yet will tliey trull: in him, ard feek their God: in a word, they fliall find the hand of God upon them in their adverlity, and love it, be- caufe it fhall deliver them; again, they fhall feel his hand in profperity likewife, and be 'afraid of it, becaufe that proiperity hath been before, and may again lead them into tertip- Utions.
P S A L M ex.
Verfe 2. " The Lord JImll fend the rod of thy Jlrength out of Zion : rule thou in the mldji of thine enemies" The rod of Chrift's power is, the power of his wovd, which works both in them that are faved, and in them that perifli: there ?st two forts of men under the fcepter and kingdom of Chrifl; the one loyal fubjecls, the other traitors and rebels; to the firft this rod is a fceptre of gold to govern them; to the o- ther a fceptre of iron to deftroy them ; and however, v/ords many times feem but wind, yet this - wind of the Lord oftentimes dotii aftonifh the hearts of fuch reprobates : this is the rod of Chrift's power, this is the power of his word; let us not reTift it, let us not defpife
P it
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it, left the judgment thereof fall upon us, as the fione of a mighty rock to grind us to powder. Let us not deceive ourfelves, we are but flefh, the edge of Chriil's fword will eafily pierce us; we are but duft and afhes, the breath of his difpleafure will ealily blow us away.
Verfe 4. " The Lord bath /worn and will net repent^ Thou art a prlsfi for ever after the order of MelchizedekJ' What dofb'ine doth the fcrip- ture afTord more comfortable to a drooping foul than this? that God hath fworn his Son a prieft for ever, to fantlify our perfons, to purge our ilns, and tender all our petitions to his Father: we may be fure, God will not be hard to be intreated of us, who himfelt hath ap- pointed us fuch an interceffor, to whom he can deny nothing; and to that end hath appointed him to fit at his right hand to make inter- ceilion for us.
PSALM CXL
Verfe 4. " He hath made his wonderful works io he remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of ccmpaffio7iJ' The fweet fpices of divine works muff be beaten to powder by meditation, and then laid up in the cabinet of our memories : therefore, laith the pfalmift here, God hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: he gives us the jewels of deUverances not (be- caufe they are cOmm.on) to wear them on our does, as the Romans did their pearls ; much lefs to tread them und^r our feet, but rather to tie them as a chain about our necks. The
impreflion
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irnpreflion of God's marvellous acls upon us., muft not be like that which the flone makea in the water, railing circles, beating one wavi; upon another, and for a time making a noifc, but foon after it fmks down, and the water returneth to its former fmoothnefs : and fo we, while judgment is frcfh, we publifii ic from man to man, and foon after let it fmk into the depth of oblivion, and we return to our old ilns.
Verle 8. " They Jland fajl for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightnefsr All the works of the Lord are done in truth ; as the word of God is a word of truth, fo all his works are works of truth: for his works are nothing elfc, but the making good of his word, and anfwerable to a threefold word of his : — firil, to his word of prophecy, whatfoever changes God makes in the world,they hit fome word of prophocy : fecondly, the works o: God are anfwerable to his word of threatning, God threatens before he fmites, and he never fmote any man with a rod, a fword, but ac- cording to his threatning: thirdly, the works of God are anfwerable to his word of promife; all mercies are promifed, and every work of mercy is the fulfilling of fome promife. Now feeing, all the works of God are reduceable, either to prophecies, threatnings, or promifesj they are done in truth. Grace and truth by Chrift, is the fum of all the good news in the world.
PSALM
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PSALM CXII. Verfe 2. " His feed jhall be mighty upon earth: the generation of \ke upright fnail he bleffcd'' — Children are the heritage of the Lord, and the reward he fometirnes gives to the upright : — this is that bleilednefs David proniifeth licrc, to the man that fears the Lord, his feed fhall be mighty: fome men count children bills of charges, but God puts them on the account of mercies. That was a pretty anfwer which Cornelia gave a noble lady, who hedging in her houfe, fliev/ed her all her jewels, with a defire to fee her riches: fhe bringing forth her children, which were nev^ly come from fchool, faid, thefe are my only treafure.
Verfe 4. " Unto the upright there arifeth light in the darknefs'. he is gracious, andfullofcornptiffLon^ and righteous** The day, that in the creation firft fprang from the night, may here fitly be applied to the upright j there arifeth the hght of comfort fometimes in, always after, nay, out of the darknefs of his forrow. It was a a pretty device of one Senzaro, an Italian, who, having been long in love, and much croiTed, filled a pot full of little black ftones, and one white, faying, there v/ill come one white day, (meaning that of marriage) which will make amends for all my black days. Let the up- rii^ht comfort himfclf in this aflurance : that although the kalender of his life may be full of mifcrablc days, yet the day of his death Hull be full of joy, and the end of his life a beginning of that biefs which fliali never end.
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Verfe 9. " He bath difperfed; he hath given td the poor: his right eoiifnefs endureth for ever ; his horn Jhall he exalted with honour, ^^ Rich men fhould be ready to diilribute, willing to com- municate; but it tails out otherwite; for com- monly, the richer the harder ; and thofe that Ihould be as clouds to water the earth, as a common bleiling, are either waterlefs clouds, (as St Jude hath it) or at the beft they are but as w^aterpots, to water a few fpots of ground only in a fmall garden. The earth is God's purfe.and rich men's houfesare his ilore-houfes. This the righteous rich man knoweth, there- fore (as a ileward from God) he difperfeth to the poor, and his righteoufnefs (and his riches too) endureth for ever : whereas the wicked rich man retalnethhis fulnefs to rot with him; he feedeth upon earth like a ferpent, and ilriveth like a toad, to die with much mould in his mouth: this man is bid by St James to weep and howl for the miferies that are coming upon him, for his curfed hoard of evil got- ten, and worfe kept goods : the rottenneis of his riches, the moth of his garments, (liall be a witnefs againil him, and eat up his llclh as fire, James, v. 1.
PSALM cxiir.
Verfe 7. " He raifeth up the poor out of the dufi^ and lift eth the needy out of the dung-hilL'' They that are low and mourning, are nearefl to ex- altation and fafety: to be very low, is to be as it were in a due p3ili4re and readinefs to be )^ 3 exiltjd
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exalted very high. He hath put down the mighty from their feat, and hath exalted the humble and the meek, Luke vii. which we are not to underftand only of thofe that are low, that is lowly in mind ; but we may un- fleriland it likewife of thofe who are low in their eflates, (many that are low in mind may be high in place ; a man may have great hu- mility in the height of outward eminency ;) therefore wc muft take in both the fenfes : — which fhould be a great comfort to us, when we coniider that our low eftate fliould be fo/ar from linking, that it Ihould raife our faith in believing deUverancc and exaltation ; remiem- bering always this truth, that our extremity is God's opportunity ; then he is moft ready when we have moft need.
F S A L M CXIV.
Verfe i. " JVben Ifrael ivsnt out of Egypt, the houfe of Jacob from a people of flrange language." Ifrael's bondage in Kgypt, in a hvely manner reprcfents our miferable thraldom under Sa- tan and fm : the black darknefs over all the bnd of Egypt, was no darknefs in comparifon of the kingdom of d:irknefs; out of which our bleffed Saviour hath brought us into mar- vellous light: the Devil is the prince of dark- r.efs; hell is a pit of darknefs; fm is a work of dcuknefs. But all the redeemed of the Lord have light where they dwell: God's word is a lanthorn unto their feet; his commandments, a light to their eyes; his fpirit, an illuminator
to
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to their underftanding; their works are called armour of light; and themfelves honellly walk- ing as in the day, children of light, John xii. The king of Egypt and his people fo vexed God's Ifrael, that they made them weary of their lives, by fore labour in mortar and brick, with all manner of flavery, fo the Devil and his accomplices have call infupportable bur- thens on the fons of m^n : b«t Chrift, our true Jofhua, faith unto Jacob'i^ houfe, " come unto me^ all ye that are iveary and heavy laden^ and I will eafe youJ** Divines obferve three kinds of burthens upon the t'^xt, the burthen of af- fliction, of the law, and of fin. In this Egypt of the world, great travel and trouble is cre- ated for all men ; every fon of Adam is born to labour and forrow; in labour to his adions, to forrow in his paiTions: as Ifrael went through Egypt, and the wilder nefs into the land of promifc; fo we mufl of necefhty pafs through many tribulations into the kingdom of God, which is our heavenly Canaan : now if we look unto Jcfus the founder and finiilier of our faith, he will in this world afford us, as he did Mofes upon the top of Pifgaii, a fight of the promifed land, making it ours in hope, though as yet not in hold, bringing us to the refolution of St Paul, Rom. viii. I count that the afPxictions are not worthy of the glory which fhall be revealed unto us hereafter. — As for the burthen of the law, which is a yoke of bondage grievous and heavy to be borne, Chriil eafeth us of that alfo, being made under
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the law, Gal. iv. 4. Laflily, touching fin, he who knew no iin, hath made himfelf fin for us, that we fhould be made the righteoufiiefs of God in him, 2 Cor. v. The Lord faith, (Micah vii.) according to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt, will I fhew marvellous things. Now when Ifrael went out of Egypt, he did overturn the chariots and horfemen, and deftroyed all the hoft of their enemies in the midfl of the fea; fo likewife will he fubdue our iniquities which are our greatefl enemies, and call: them all into the bottom of the fea, that they never confound our fouls in this v/orld, nor condemn them in the next.
PSALM CXV.
Verfe i. " Not ttnto iis^ 0 Lord^ not unto us^ but unto thy name give glory ^ for thy mercy ^ and for thy truths fake,' ' There is a natural difpofition in the creature to feek himfelf, his own ends and glory in every thing ; therefore the pfiil- mift cries here, not unto us, O Lord, not un- to us: and Chrift teaclieth all that are his fol- lowers, to lay down all felf-ends at his feet, and to feek him and his honour, {o that what- foever the chriilian doth, it is for Chrift, that the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift may be glorified in you>Thcif. i. 12, and why? we are not our own, but we are bought with a price, therefore we are to glorify God in our bodies and jfpirits, i Cor. vi. i 9, and fiiy with the royal prophet here, not unto us, O Lord: we mufi: deny ourfelves, all our gifts and graces;
by
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by doing all for God and not for ourfelves, for his glory and not our own : and again, as we are to deny our gifts and graces in refpedt of the means, by referring all to God, and not to ourfelves, to his ftrength and afiiftance, and not our own : as we mufl do all things for God as the end, fo alfo we mufl refer all things to him as the means, acknowledging ourfelves to do all things in his ftrength, and by his alllilance.
Verfc 17." The deadpraife not the Lord, net I her any that go dozvn into JilenceJ'* David confiders not here what men do, or not do in the next world; but he confiders only, that in this world he was bound to propagate God's truth; which he could not clo, if God took him a- w^ay by death: there is a double reafon given of l)avid and other holy men that deprecated death in the Old Tef-am.ent: iiril:, in relation to themfelves, becaufe Mofcs had conveyed to thofe men all God's future bleffings, all the joy and glory of heaven, only in tlie types of earthlv thinos, and faid little of the flate of the foul after this life, therefore the promifes belonging to the godly after this life were not fo clear, that in contemplation of them they could deliver themlelvcs confidently into the javv's of death: he that is not fully latisficd of the next world, will be contented with this : the other reafon was, becaufe God had a great harveft in hand, and few labourers in his vine- yard, therefore were loath to be taken from the work; and this reafon was not in relation to
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themfelves, but God's church, that they fhould not be able to do God's caufe any more good L€re:!Quid facies nomini tuo, faith Jofhua,in his prayer to God; if the Canaanites come in and defiroy us, and blafpheme thee, what wilt thou do unto thy mighty name ? what wilt thou do unto thy glorious church? faid the faints of God under the Old Teftament, if thou take thofe men out of the world, whom thou haft chofen, enabled, qualified, for the edification fuftenation, and propagation of the church ? upon this account David defired to live, not for his own fake, but God's glory, and his church's good: neither of which could be ad- vanced by him, being dead.
PSALM CXVI.
Verfe 7. " Return unto thy rejl^ 0 my/oul^for the Lord hath dealt beuntifully with thee.'' A believer, like Noah's dove, finds no reft all the world over for the feet of his foul: until he re- turns to Chrift, which is his ark of fafety and falvation: therefore after all his flights and fiutterings among the creatures, he fays with the pfalmift here, return unto thy reft, (thy Chrift) O my foul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee; thou haft been abroad in the world, and that Uke a narrow-hearted mafter, deals niggardly with thee : if thou fhouldeft ftay long, either in the fervice of, or dcpendance upon the world;! the world would ftarve thee, therefore return unto thy reft in
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the Lord, for the Lord will yet deal more bountifully with thee, O my foul.
Verfe 9* " / zvill walk before the Lord in the land of the living.''^ That is, by continuing in this world I fhall have opportunity of doing God fervice: the religious man rejoices to live, that he may walk before the Lord, and live unto him in the place where he hath fet him : indeed that joy, hope, and defire of life, which is founded upon this confideration, is not only lawful but commendable; and truly, here is a vaft difference betwixt the wdcked and the godly: to walk in the land of the living is the wicked man's deiire; yea, were it poflible, he would walk here for ever; but for what end ? only to enjoy his lulls, have his fill of pleafure, and encreafe his wealth : whereas the aim of the godly man in defiring to live, is, that he may walk before God, advance his glory, and perform his fervice : upon this account it is, that one doth fitly talie notice, that David doth not fay, I ftiall now fatiate myfelf in my royal city; but I fhall walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
PSALM CXVII.
Verfe i . " 0 praife the Lord, all ye nations: praife him all ye people.** The praife of God is here made both the beginning and end of the pfalm ; to (hew, that in praifmg God the faints are un- fatisfied; and would be infinite, as God*s per- fe<5lions are infinite : therefore David in the lail pfalm hath faid, " let every thing that hath
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hreaih^ fraife the Lord;'' fo in all likelihood had made an end, yet lie repeats the hallelujah again, and cries, '''- pratje ye the Lord.^^ The pfal- niiil had made an end, and yet he had not done; to iigniiy, that when we have faid our utmoil for God's praife, we muit reil unfatif- iied, and begin anew : and indeed, there is hardly any duty morepreifed in theOldTefta- ment upon us, though lefs practlfed, than this of prailing God: to quicken us therefore to fo neccfiary, but much neglected duty, this and many other pfalms were penned by David, purpofely to excite us, that are the nations here meant, to confecrate our whole hves to the linging and fetting forth of God's worthy praifes.
Verfe 2. " For his merciful kindnefs is great to- wards us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praife ye the Lord,^\ Here and in divers other pfalms, God's mercy and truth are join- ed together: to fliew, that all paii'ages and pro- ceedings, both ordinantial and providential, whereby he cometh and communicateth him- felf to his people, are not only m.ercy fthougli it is very fweet) but truth; they come to them in the way of a promdfe from God, as bound to them by the truth of his covenant : this is foul-fatisfying indeed, this turns all that a man liath to cream, when every mercy is a prefent fent from heaven, by virtue of a promifc: — upon this account God's mercy is ordinarily in the pfi'ms bounded by his truth; that none may either prefume him more merciful than
he
C 1/3 J
he hath declared hiirfelf in his word ; or elfe defpair of finding mercy gratis, according to rhe truth of his promife : therefore, although thy fins be great, the mercy of God is greater: the high heaven covereth as well tall moun- tains as fmall mole-hills ; the more defperate thy difeafe is, the greater is the glory of thy phyfician, who hath perfedly cured thee.
PSALM CXVIII.
Verfe 8. "7/ is better to iriijl- in the Lord^ than to put confidence in 7nan.*^ AVe may leai'n from this Text, not to depend on vain things, as riches, friends, honours, policies, but on God, who is unchangeable and immoveable; true it is, we are not to refufegood means cjfTered, and offered of God unto us, but are bound to ufe them as blef- lings and inilruments, by v/liich he will help us; but then we muft truft.not in the creature, but in the Creator himfclfjin whom only we muft confefs jis the power to help. It is a great caufe oftentimes why God blelTeth not means, when we trufl in them, robbing God of his glory, and not waiting for a bleiling at his hands this caufeth the Lord to crofs us, and to curfe his ov/n benefits, becaufe we feek not him, but facrlfice to our own nets, putting confidence in outward meansj therefore when we hope for help from them, God blowetli upon them, and turneth them to our hurt and deff ruction.
Verfe 9. " // is better to truji in the Lord^ than
to put confidence in princes,^' This vei fe David
C^ thought
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thought worthy of repeating, for he faith it againg in Pfalm cxlvi. " put not your iru/i in pr'mces;'' not that you may not truil their royal words, and gracious promifes to you; not that you may not truft their counfels, and executing of thofe counfels, and the diilribu- tions of your contribution for thofe executions; not that you may not truft the managing of affairs of ftate in their hands, without jealous inquifitions, or mifinterpretations of their ac- tions : in thefe you muft truft princes, and thofe great perfons whom princes truft : but when thefe great perfons are in the balance with God, then they muft not be trufted.
PSALM CXIX.
Verfe i8. " Open thou mine eyes: that I may he* hold wonder ous things out of thy law**' As man hath not an eye to fee the wonderful works of God fpiritually, until it be given, fo much lefs hath he an eye to fee the wonders of the word of God, till it be given him from above: therefore David prays, open thou, &c. And if the wonderous things of the law are not much feen till God give an eye, then much lefs arc the wonderous thhigs of the gofpel. The light of nature (hews us fomewhat of the law, but nothing of the gofpel was ever feen by the light of nature: many who have feen .and ad- mired fome excellendes in the law, could ne- ver fee, and therefore have derided, that which is the excellency of the gofpel, till God hath opened their hearts to underftand it. We
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have nothing of our own but fm and Igno- rance; wifdom is from God; and as God hide? all gofpel-trutlis and mytleries from worldly wife men; fo no gofpel-myftery is known to any man till God difcover and make it known.
Vcrfe 1 4. " Tby tefiimo7iies al/o are my delight^ and 7ny counfellors*' Though your proceedings be not either unconflalit or uncomfortable, deliberate long before you refolve on any en- terprize: advife with God, efpecially, who iiath fiid, woe be to the rebellious children, who take counfel, but not of me, Ifaiah, xxx. i.— David had able coufellors about him; but thofe he moft efteemed and made ufe of were God's teflimonies in this text, thy teflimonies are my delight, and the men of my counfel. The princes of old had learned men ever with them, called remembrancers, monitors, coun- fellors: as Th^miftoeles had his Anaxageras; Alexander his Ariftotle; Scipio his Pansetius, and Polybius, of which latter Paufanias tefti- fieth, that he was fo great a politician, that what he advanced never mifcarried : but we have a better example here, even the royal prophet, w^hom in all his ftraits, aiked counfel of the Lord, and he always anfwered him to purpofe, and advifed (you may be fure) for the bed: let us do fo, and God will not fail us: 9k he hath made his Son, not only righteuf- nefs and falvation, but alfo wifdom to us, and our wonderful counfellor.
Verfe 25. " My foul cleaveih unto the duji:-^- 0^3 quicken
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quicken thou me according to thy word.'' Many when they hear of a promife think to have it by and by; but they mark not that a promife and the fruition of it, is not always to be ex- pected inftantly, or all at once ; for the Lord will make them fit before they enjoy it: this caufeth many to fall from the promifes which leemed to believe, becaufe they have not help at the firft: but the children ot God melt and cleave to the duft, they yet trull in God and wait on him, and feel comfort : others in the beginning of trouble, pray and wait a little, but if help come not quickly, then they caft all away: but the chiid of God hath a patient fpirit, and therefore feeleth comfort : he mark- cth the deliverance of others, and hopeth for the fame, and fo waitcth Rill on God : the nature oiF man is ready to truft in means fo long as he hath them; therefore God puUeth all means from us, that we may only truft in him: let us think that God hath delivered o- thers, therefore he m ill deliver us; he hath de- livered Davidj therefore my truil is, he will deliver me.
Verfc 31." IhuvefiUik unto . thy teftlmonlcM — 0 Lord^ put me wA to jhamc'^ The proteibtion of: David's former affection is amplified by this; that as he had once chofen the tcftimonies of God, fo by a conilant afteclion he cleaved un- to them. David was no temporizer to makfc choice of the word to-day, and rejeci: it to- morrow; as were thofe Jews, who for a time rejoiced in the light of the gofpel, brought to
them
( >/7 )
tliem by the Baptift, and after rejeded his teftimony: true godUnefs never wants upon her head the garland of perfeverancc. I have fought a good fight, faith St Paul to Timothy; I have finiflied my courfe; and hencefortli there is laid up for me a crown of glory : ii we will wear the crown, we muft finifli the courfe, we muft fo run that we may obtain, and that is to the end of the race; he muft carry his goodnefs to his grave, who will have that goodnefs, through Chrift*s merits carry him to heaven.
Verfe 32. " / will run the way of thy command^ ments, when thouJJoalt enlarge my heart. ^^ David's aff^dion towards God's word is amphfied by this, that as in the former verfe he had cleaved unto it, fo in this he promifeth with joy and alacrity to continue in it, v%^hich is exprefied here by the word running: but alas ! we run not with David : O that we could halt to Ca- naan with Jacob, or at leaft creep forwards like children to our father's houfc! but many inftead of running lie down, or which is worfe, go back again, like carnal hl'aelites to their fleili-pots: for whom it had been better never to have gone tov/ards Canaan.
Verfe 38. " Stablijh thy word unto thy fervant, who is devoted to thy fear,^^ Pie v/ho hath re- ceived from the Lord grace to fear him with love, may be bold to leek any neceiliry good thing of him; becaufe the fear of God hath annexed the promiies of ail other bleffings" with it: fomeiimes David brings the reaibn of
0.3 l-'i-
( '7S ;
his petition from the Lord, as from his mercy and truth: fometimes from himfclf, as from this, that he trufls in the Lord, verfe 42, or that he fears God, as here; or that lie hath a great defire towards God, verfe 40. By which we are given to underiland, that all the pro- mifes of God are conditional; if the condition be no way in us, how fliall the promifes be performed unto us. It is true, the Lord is gracious and merciful, ready to forgive, &c. but what is thnt to thee, who repenteft not, believeft not, loveft him not, and truftefl not in him,
Verfe 47. '^ And I will delight viyfelf in thy commandments which I have loved,'*' It is no fmall progrefs in godUnefs to delight in the commandments of God : our corrupt nature counts them burthenfome : l)ut the grace of Chrift makes us find his yoke eafy and his burthen hght and indeed, fo do hij children eftcem it, who have found by experience, there is more folid joy in the obedience of God's commandments, than in all the perifhing plea- fures of fm : but this is not feit by natural men, who do fome external works of God's worfliip, but not with an inward delight; and therefore this is no acceptable fervice to God: they afienible themfelves on the fabbath v/ith the fervants of God to hear his word, and and perchance to receive the facrament : but what tho one doth of delight, the other doth of cuftom and compulfion, the Lord looks to tiie alijdi'jn more tliaa the action, and we
ihould
^ '79 J
fliould not only confider what wc do, but how we do it: fo to come to the temple like old Simeon, by motion of the fpirit; fo to hear the word, that it be with fpiritual joy and delight, as David did. Tiiis condemns thofe of our age, to whom God*s word is a reproach and wearinefs.
Verfe 49. '• Remember the vjord unto thy fer- vant^ upon which thou haft caufcd me to hope.''' — It was the praftice of God's iaints and chil- dren, moft of all to plead God's word and pro- mile in time of trouble: David pleads it here, for himfelf when he war> in deep afflidions : — Mofes pleads it for the children of Ifrael, when God was fo incenfed againft them, that he threatened to confume them, Exod. xxxii. 13. And the reafons are, firft, in refpedt of our- felves, becaufe we have no help in ourfelves ; our condition may be fo low, that we may fay with jehofliaphat, 1 Chron. xx. We know not, O Lord what to do, but our eyes are to- wards thee. Secondly, we may be forfaken of all others, as Ifrael was in Egypt, and then our eyes muft be fixed on God's prom.ife. — Laftly, when all fail us, we might link into defpair, had not God often promifed to make good his word unto us, tlierefore we have need to plead that moft when we need it moll: m.en feek not to their confederates for help till they have need, and then they claim it as due by promife and league ;^ fo we muft in our gf'.ateft miierios cry out moft earneftly, —
" Remember
( i8o )
" Re?nember the word unto thyfervant^ upon which thou hq/i caufed me to hope.**
Verfe 54. '' Th^Jiatutes have beenmyfong in the houfe of my pilgrimage** See how the Lord in his wife difpenfations, fuits himfelf to our infiriiiities: our Ufe is fubjed to many changes; and God by his word hath provided for us alfo many inftruclions and remedies : every crofs hath its own remedy, and every ftate of Ufe its own inflrudion : fometimes our grief may be fo great that we cannot ling, then let us pray: fometimes our deUverance fo joyful, that we muft break out into thankfgivings then let us iing: If any ntan among you, fays the Apoltle, be afflicted, let him pray; if any be merry, let him fing: prayers for every crofs, and praife for every deliverance, hath God by his own fpirit penned unto us ; fo that now we are more than inexcufable if we fail in this duty.
Verfe "^^^^ I know ^ 0 Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulnefs hajl afflicied me** When God flrikes his friends, he is their friend ftill, when he afflicts, it is in faith- fulnefs: he is good to us when he fends us evil, and he fends us evil for our good: to be fmit- ten by a friend, whofe very fmiting is friend- fiiip, and who heals us by wounding, cannot be offenfive: hence David's choice, let us now fall into the hands oF the Lord, tor his mercies are great, and not into the hands of men, 2 Sam. xxiv. David knew that God ufeth af- fliction as a remedy againft fm, and as he
flieweth
( i8i ) fliCN^eth his r|gB^, in that by anlidlions he
Verie '■]6. " Let^ I pray thee^ thy merciful kind- nefs be for my comfort^ according to thy word unto thy fervantJ^ Wc mufl labour to cure our un- belief by God's promife, tliat we fall not into del'pair: for we are ready to prefume in pro- fperity, or to deipair in trouble: but they muft be both cured, the one by the meditation of God's judgments in profperity; the other by liis promiies in trouble : the judgments have done with us, when they hase brought us to humble ourfelves to the Lord becaufe of our iin; and then we are to look for his rnercy, for then are we fit for it : we muft then couple juftice and mercy together, and make ufe of both.
Verfe 82. " Miiie eye.^ fail for thy word^ faying^ When wilt thcu con fort me.''* It is a iifual man- ner of God's dealinir with his children, to de- lay the anfwer of their prayers, and fufpend the performance of his promiies: not becaufe he is unwilling to give, but becaufe he will have them better prepared to receive: God is ilow to givx, that we ihould not feek flowly, but be inftant and fervent in prayer, which is moft acceptable to God, and profitable to our- felves.
Verfe 83. " For I am become like a bottle in the
fmoke: yet do J not forget thy Jlatutes,-' A bottle
in the fmoke, is ma.de very dry in time by
the heat thereof, as coming from the fire,
although not very great, by this is meant, that
through
( l82 )
through long continuance of troubles, he was in danger of having all fpiritual moifture dried up in him; wherein the life of piety con- Meth; but yet he continued conftant in the exercife of religion ftill; for grace is oftentimes fet forth, by water that never faileth in the drieft times : a notable example for our imi- tation, even when our affliclions continue without end: not to be difcouraged in the ways of godlinefs, much lefs to defpair: God's rod may be fharp, but his way is mercy : lie may appear to his children, as Jofeph did to his brethren, fpeak roughly to them, and make himfelf flrange towards them, but his loving affection fhall not always be hid from them.
Verfe 86. '' Jil thy commandments are faithful: they perfecute me w7'ong fully; help thou me*^* — Prophane politicians think that a man is weak when he is driven to God for help ; but in- deed, then he is ilrongeft when he is weakeft in himfelf, and feeks help in his God: fo long as we depend en the arm of fleih, whether it be our own or others, the Lord will do lefs for us; but when diftrulHng ourfelves we rely upon liim, then is he Ilrongeft to work for us: upon this ground it was, that David here fpake, I know thy commandments are true, and they cannot be deceived who depend up- on them; nor yet profper that are againft them: he fhall never want comfort in trouble, that refts himfelf, and builds upon God's word.
Verfe 1 05. " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet ^ and a light unto my path'' To his feet not his
eyes
( 1^3 )
eyes alone : if we ufe the word of God only to gaze on, it wants its ufe, and we v/ant our goodnefs, and fliall want our glory: God's word was a ilglit to David, to guide lum in all his actions, both inward and outward, of heart and tongue, and hand. A true child of God does not go a ftep further than the light goes before him, nor will he refufe to go wherefoever this lamp leacleth }iim: therefore, let us often afk our foul thefe queilions ; before whom do I walk? at whofe command am I ? what are my ways ? doth the fpirit or the flefli govern me ? is carnal reafon or God's word my rule ? and let this text inform us, that the character of a true faint is to be fuch as walketh before God, avoiding what he for- biddeth, performing what he commandeth : and fo making his law the rule and fquare of all his adlions; and be affured, only they that walk before God now, fhall with joy appear before him hereafter; and only they who make his word a light unto their paths in this hfe, fliall have the light of glory to guide them in the next.
Verfe 1 1 5 " Uphold me according unto thy tvord^ that I may live : and let w.e not be ajhamed of my hopeP Which of us, O God, dare ever hope to afpire unto thy graces without thy afliftance? which of us can promife to fecure ourfelves from eternal deftru6lion, if thou doft not guide our fteps, and order all our goings? We fall, O God, we fall to the loweil hell, if thoa prevent us not, if thou fuilain
us
( i84 )
us not: upholvi thou rne therefore according to thy word, that I may live : all our weak- nefs is in ourfelves, ail (^ur ilrength is in tliec: O God, be thou ftrong in our weakneis, that our weukncfs may be ever fleady in thy ilrength.
Veife 120." My fiejh tremhleih for fear of ihee\ and J am afraid of iky ji(dgn;ents^'' Chrift in his fir ft coming was a lamb, but in his fecond he fhall be a Hon: hence it is. that the very beft of faints tremble at the Pcppreheniion of the day of judgment : David was a m.an after God's own heart, yet this text informs us in what a condition he was, when he thought upon this day. Job was a man emi- nent for all graces, yet he Hood amazed at the confideration of this judge: Paul was a chofen vefTel, one that knew notliing by himfelf, yet faith he, I am not thereby juftified, for \i is the Lord that judge thme: St Jerome confeifcth that his whole body trembled fo oft as he thought upon this day: many there are who pafs current in the judgment of the worfd, who, when thev fiiall be weidied in Chrift's balances, will be found too light: good realbn than hath every man to pray, as the church teaches him, '- In the day cfjudgment^ good Lord deliver us'*
Verfe 139. " My zeal hath confumed me ; be caufe mine enemies have forgotten thy ivords" — Zeal is a divine grace,, p;rounded upon the knowledge of Goi's word, whkh inilameth all the d:Iires and aflectlons of the foul, in the
right
^ 185 )
right worfliip of the true God; and conftantly iHrreth them up to the prefcrving, advancing, and vindicatiiig God's honour, by all law- ful means within the compafsof our cilUng. — Now all men pretend to zeal, the choleric and furious, the quarrelibme and contentious, the malicious and envious, the jealous and fuper- flitious, the proud felf-admircr, and indif- crcct church-robber, the exorbitant zealot, nay, the feditious incendiary, all pretend to zeal: but all tliefe claimers are difapproved by this defmition of zeal: zeal is a divine gift,- or grace of the fpirit of God ; no natural or moral temper, much lefs any unnatural or vicious diftemper can commend us, or our beft aclions, to God and man, as zeal doth. — The fire of zeal, like the fire which confumed Solomon's facrifice, cometh down from heaven; and true zealots are not thofe falaraanders that always live in the fire of hatred and con- tention, but feraphims, burning with the fpiri- tual fire of divine love. If it be true zeal, then length of time, multitude of difcouragements, falfenefs of men, cleferting the caufe, nor ftrength of oppolitions wdll tire out a man's fpirit. Zeal makes men refolute; difficulties are but wiietftones to their fortitude, it fteels men's fpirits with an undaunted refoluticn: this was the zeal winch burned in the difciples, Luke xxiv. that confumed David here, and dried up the very marrow of Chrift.
Verfe 147. " / prcvaited the da^vning of the and cried: I hoped in thy ivord»** It is R an
( i86 )
m argument of an heroic mind, to hope al- wiys; and of a pious mind, to place that hope n God: David fays of himfelf here, I have iop,ed in thy word; we fliould add hope to hope, even when afHiclion is added to aillic- tion. When external means are leaft, let thy confidence be greateft; for then God difplayeth his power moft; not at the beginning, bat when things grow defperate, for this is tlie feafon of divine help. It is our great fault, that in difmal dangers, we open the eye of fenfe, and only pore upon the extremity of trouble; v/hereis it becomes a faint even then to open the eye of faith, and look upon the energy of God's power : thus let the depth of mifery be an encouragement of our confidence, in as much as that is a time of deliverance. — When the night is at the darkeft, we know day-break is neareft ; the lownefs of the ebb, argues the flowing of the tide to be at hand: fo may we conclude divine fuccour approach- ing from the premifes of a grievous calamity encompaQiug.
Verfe 164. " Seven tunes a day do Ipraifethee; hecaufe of thy rigJtieoas judgments.'* Thankigiving is abranch^ of prayer, which, like the leper in the gofpel, turns back to God with a confef- fion and annunciation of what the Lord hath done for us: and it is fo neceflCiry and effential a part of God*s worfhlp, that it is the very condition oF the obligation, wherein God hath bound himfelf by hii promlfe to hear u> : — " Call upon me in the day of trmblcy and I will
deliver
( iS7 )
deliver ihee; and then /halt praife me,'' Pfulm I, So that if we praife him not, \vc break the covenant, and are ufurpers upon all his bkf- lings and deliverances.
Verfe 173. '^ Let ih'me hand help we; for I have chofen thy precepts r David having be tore made promifes of tbankfulnefs, feeks new help from God that he may perform them. Our fufliciency is not of ourfelves but of God; to will and to do are both from him. In tem- poral things, men oftentimes take great pains with fmafl profit: liril, becaufe they feek not to make their coafcience good ; next, becaufe they crave not help from God: therefore they fpeed no better tiian Peter, who fifhed ail night and caught nothing, till he caft hsi net in the name of the Lord. But in fpiritual things we may far lefs expect to profper, if we call not for God's afliftance : the means will not profit us, unlefs God's bleffing accompany them, and his hand work with them. There is preaching, enough of it, but for the mofc part without profit ; there is prayer, but it prevails not; there is hearing of the word, but without edifying ; and all becaufe in fpiritual exercifes, inftant prayer is not made unto God, that his hand may be with us to help us.
Verfe 176. " / have gone ajiray like a lojl Jheep: feek thy fervant ; for I do not forget thy com- mandments'' There is not a more contemp- tible oflSce than that of a fhepherd : yet God difdaineth not to feed his flock, to guide, to govern, to defend them, to tend and take care R 3 of
( i88 )
of them; and all this he hath tied himfclf by covenant to do : well therefore might David here confidently fpeak, " / have gone ajiray like alo/lfideep: Lord feek thy fervantf^ as God will moft affuredly do: for none can take his iheep, his fervants, out of his hands; nor can Chrifi, to whom God hath committed the care of his flieep, difcharge his truil:, fiiould he fuffer any of them to wander and periih, as they un- doubtedly would if left to themfelves: fuch is their fheepifli limplicity, Ifaiah, liii, 6. There- fore Chriil's left hand is under us, and his right hand over us, and both his hands about us, to clafp and hold us fail to himfelf Let us ever remember this condition, that with David here^ we forget not God's command- ments.
• PSALM CXX.
Verfe 5. " Woe is me^ that Ifojouni in Mefech^ ■that I dwell in the tents of Kedar," " Woe is me^ that Ifcjourn in Mefech" i^c, that is with tlie fons and dcfcendants of lilimael, wJio have learned of their fathers to mock and perfecute; *' I dzvell in the tents of Kedar," but whatcaufed them to mock and perfecute? was it any pro- vocation that David had given them ? No, for he faith in the next verfe, 1 am for peace, (I would live quietly with all my heart,) but when I fpeak they are for war : a motion for peace, proves a provocation to war. Some will fpeak in a very difrefjpectful manner of thofe that never gave them any caufe. Water
runs
( \^9 )
runs clear till it is troubled and ftirred by fome outward violence; but the fpirits of Ibmc men run muddy though nothing from without difturbs them : it'is linful to fpeak raihly or harflily, though we are provoked; what is it then to fpeak fo, when we are not provoked ? Verfe 6. '' My foul bath lony dwelt with bim thatbateth peace:' The length^ and continuance of an afllidion is more grievous unto us, than the weight and burthen of it* David com- plains not here, that he had been amongil: thofe that hated peace; but that he had dwelt long with them, he could not extricate him- felf from their company. Many are ready to iiiy in thefe troublefome times, if we could but fee an end of our troublei; if we thought there would be an end of thefe wars, we could the more cheerfully bear the exp^nce both ol" our blood and treafure: when will there be an end? but what is all this length, to the endle-s length of thofe troubles, which are the portion of impenitent (inners? What will they fay where good (hail never bj enjoyed, and evil for ever felt? how long will be the cry in htll for ever? how long ihall we endure? when will this end be? no date, no period can be fet to the how long of that mifcry : and tliis makes every moment of miferyas miferable as etei- nity itfelf : and indeed every mo.ncnt of an eternal mifery hath an eternity in it; as every moment of eternal mercies ij likevife an eter- nity of mercy.
R X P3ALM
I 190 ;
PSALM CXXI.
Verfe 4. " Behold^ he that keepeth Ifrael JJjall neitlnr Jlumher nor Jieepy How happy is the condition of God's children. The ungodly ai*e Hke ftragling chickens, often fnatched up by the devouring kite, while the godly are clofe under the hen's wings ; thofe like ftray- Iheep, wander up and down, expofed to va- riety of dangers: while thefe, being under the ihepherd's care, feed fecurely. Indeed, no feli- city like that which is to be found in God's love; nor fafety to that of his protection: — " Behold^ he that keepeth Ifrael fball neither Jlum- her 72orJleep:*' that which Cain refufed to be to his brother, God is to his fervants, their keep- er; yea, fo watchful a keeper, that his eye is ever over them by day and night, it clofeth not, no not fo much as winketh ; it fleepeth not by night, nor ilumbreth by day; and there- fore well may they lie down and lleep in peace, yea, rife up and walk without fear.
Verfe 8. " The Lord jhall preferve thy going out^ and thy co?ning in, from this time forth and even for ever?nore.*' The prefer v in g peace of God over man, efpecially over his own people, is a perpetual care: prefervation is a continued acl: if God fiiould leave us one moment, and ftop providence, creation would be dilTolved : this continuance of his care is eminent towards his church. Ifaiah xxvii. " Lcjl; any hurt it^ I 'ivill keep it ni^ht and day;'' night and day divide all lime between them, to do any thing night
and
C 19^ ;
and day, is to do it continually : further, his love is without intermiflion, that knows no flops, therefore his care is fo too. His people's dangers are without intermiffion, therefore his prefervation is fo too. Enemies oppofe his people without intermiflion, therefore he pro- tects them fo too. The Devil goeth about like a roaring lion, he is ever in motion, the deflroyer and devourer of men: the care of Chrift prompts him to a like vigilancy ; he goeth about preferving, his acl of prefervation runs parallel with that of the enemies oppofi- tion; and as the Devil deflroys, fo God pre- ferves for ever and ever.
PSALM CXXII.
Verfe 6. " Pray for the peace of Jerufalem : — they Jhall pro/per that love thee'^ How neceflary it is to pray for peace, appears from the gene- ral ufe of peace in the world : for let the whole world be in thy conlideration as one houie 5 and then confider in that, in the peaceful har- mony of creatures, in the peaceful fucceflion and conneclion of caufes and effects, the peace of na- ture: let the nation where God hathbleffed thee with a being, be the gallery, the bell room of tliat houfe-j and confider in the two walls of that houfe, the church and flate, the peace of a royal and religious wifdom : let thine own family be a cabinet in this gallery; and find in all the boxes thereof, in the fevcral duties of wife, and children, and fervants; the peace of virtue, and of the father and mother of all
virtues,
( 192 )
virtues, aclive difcretion, paflive obedience. And then, laftiy, let thy own bofom be the box and referve in this cabinet ; then the beft jewel in the beft cabinet, and that in the beft gallery of the beft houfe that can be hadj peace with the creature, peace in the church, peace in the ftate, peace in thy houfe, peace in thy heart, is a fair model of the heavenly Jeru- falem, where there is no object but peace.
Verfe 7. " Peace be within thy walls ^ and prof- perity within thy palaces,'^* Where peace is planted in the borders, there is the flower of wheat, and when it is entertained within the walls, profperity takes up her habitation with- in the palaces. Health is not more beneficial to the natural body, than peace to the politic. Peace is the nurfe of piety,by it religion thrives and the church ftouriflies, as we read in Acls ix. When the unity of the fpirit is fo kept in the bonds of peace, that chriftians like thofe happy converts, Acls iv. are as it were one foul in fo many bodies, there the Lord promifeth his bleflings and life for evermore: and doubr- lefs, it is to teach the world, that all earthly bleilings are, as they were unbleiled, till peace be upon them; till then no enjoyment of any. For to have profperity wuhin the palaces, and not peace within the walls, is, at the beft, but an uncertain poifeilion of that, which men call happhicfs, without enjoying it. Again, as prolperity without peace is but an uncertain felicity ; fo peace without profperity, is but 1 fccure poirefuon cf mifcry: for did we dwell
ia
( '93 )
in a barren defart, or a peftilential air, or un- der the north pole, we Ihould find but cold comfort in our peace, and fcarce worth the praying for.
PSALM CXXIII.
Verfc I. " U7ito thee lift I up mine cyes^ 0 thou that diiuclleft in the heavens ^ Though God be every where, yet he is efpecially in heaven ; and though he be in all places, fo that where- foever God is, there is heaven, yet there is more in heaven than is common to all places. That is heaven properly, where the glory of God fhines moft, and where there is the fpecial revcalings of his honour and power; therefore it is called the habitation of his holinefs and glory. Heaven is, as we may fay, the place of God's glorious refidence : this heaven is not every where, for though God be every where yet God doth not n^.anifeft himfelf equally every where. God hath built heaven, as that great monarch fpake,^ boafting of Babylon, Dan. iv. for the houfe of his kingdom, and the glory of his majefty, and from thence he both can and will do much for the relief of his poor opprelTed: from thence he fends them help, and ftrikes a terror into their enemies ; and therefore David is here faid to lift up his eyes to God in the heavens.
PSALM CXXIV.
Verfe 4. " Then the waters had overwhelmed US9 thdjiream hath gone over our foul ^ Perfecu-
tors
( ^94 )
tors are i rod, but in God's hand ; fwelling waters but bounded by his commandment, thus far thou {halt go, and no further. In- deed, it is only an Almighty prefence can com- mand and IHII the proud waves. The ftory of Canutus, once king of England, is very memorable, who fitting at the time of low water by the river Thames, commanded the v/ater that it Ihould not comiC nigh him ; but the tide returning, ceafcd not to rife higher, till it wet his feet : he imm.ediately went home, and fet his crown upon the crucifix at Weftminfter. It is none but God can flay the courfe of the water; and it is the fame hand muft flop the current of wicked men's fury againfl his people: thus Gcd was with the three worthies, to quench the viol- ence of the fire ; with Daniel, to flop the mouths of the lions, and with Jacob, to bridle his brother's envy.
Verfe 8. " Our help is in the name of the Lord^ who made heaven arid earth.^^ A comfortable faying this ; for look at any thing in heaven and earth, that hath in it matter of flrength and comfort, he that made them hath power to command all things in them for thy fafety and good: he is a faithful helper, a very fure refuge in trouble: men may promife help and fail, but God will not. Secondly, he is a pow^erful helper: men would help oftentimes, but are weak and cannot, where the enemy hath fortified himfelf with advantages and rc- folutions ; but the Lord's name is a flrong
help
C '95 )
help. Laftly, here is a conftant help: men arc inconftant and fickle; one fpeech or fufpicion m ly deceive many, even from following Chrift himfelf; but the Lord helpeth conflantly, our help is even in the name of the Lord : he is unchangeable, and in his goodnefs towards his children never wearyof well-doing, as men are. Let therefore God*s almighty power be the pr >p of our faith; he hath made heaven and earth, and therefore let all the creatures of heaven and earth reft upon him ; commit we ourfelves unto him, as unto a faithful Creator of infinite might and merey ; and fay as thofe good fouls of Ebenezar, hitherto hath God helped us; he hath and therefore be will.
PSALM CXXV.
Verfe i. " They that truji in the Lordjhall be as Mount Zion^ which cannot be removed^ but abid- eth for ever.*' That which is deftrudive to o- thers, fhall not be hurtful to the church ; let perfecutions be as fire, yet the church is like Moles*s bufh, which was burnt but not con- fumed; let them be as the waters, the church lliall be as Noah's ark, which ftill rofe higher as the waters encreafed: thefe waters may rife from the ancles to the knees, from the knees to the breaft, from the breaft to the chin, but they fhall never overflow the head: we may be walhed, we ftiall not fink; cruflied we may be, killed we fliiU not be : the bowl or bladder may be dipped, but cannot be drowned; the houfe that is built upon the rock may be
fhak e
( '96 )
fliaken, but cnnnot be overthrown. For they that truil: in the Lord ihall ^be as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved.
Verle 3. " For the 7'od of the wicked Jhall not refl upon the lot of the righteous ; left the righteous put forth their bands unto iniquity '* By rod here, expofitors generally undcrftand a fceptre or dominion, to which the faithful are oftentimes fubjcd, and to fuifer in an high manner : and to luch they are lubjectfor their fins, but their comfort is, that God will put an end to thofe their fufferings; and fo keep them, that they fhall not (being overcome with the tedioufnefs thereof,) fall away from their godly care to ferve the Lord; but by experience finding, that to be thus afflicted was profitable for them, be the more confirmed herein ; therefore when fuch glorious promifes of ilifety are made as before, they are to be underftood of fafety from being moved, by enem.ies prevailing to call away their faith and hope in God, and confe- quently their care of godlineis ; for none, either men or devils, fhall ever thus prevail a- gainfl the truly fkitiiful, but they iliall {land firm as Mount Zion.
Verfe 5. " As for fuch as turn afide unto their crooked ways, the Lord Jhall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace Jhall be upon Jfraeiy There is a judirment denounced a- gainll all hypocritical prcfcflors of religion ; thofe that put on reliinon a? a cioak, to cover their worldly and wicked Jeliin^ and-ufe re- formation as a {talking horfc. i o fhoot at their
private
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private ends and intercfts, thcfe nncn fliall be led away with the workers o^ iniquity, and be carried to the ianie place with them, th;it is, to hell; where they ftiall receive their portion with their brethren and fellow hypocrites: as their ways have been crooked, fo fhall their end be, and thus they beconac miferablc by their own elecl:ion.
P S A L M CXXVL
Verfe i. " When the Lord turned again ib£ captivity of Zion^ we were like them that dreafn.** To carry a man from one extremity to another, puts him upon the greatefl extremity, to make the day of a man's greatefl rejoicing, to be the day of liis deepefl forrows, this is cut- ting, if not kiUing forrow: fo on the other hand, to be brought from extreme forrow to extreme joy fuddenly, doth rather amaze than comfort the fpiritsof a man: as it is faidhere, that v/hen the Lord turned again, &c. the change was fo fudden, that they were rather aftonifhed, and amazed, than comforted with it for a while: and thus to be hurried from extreme joy to extreme forrow; from the bor- ders of comfort to the brink of death on si fudden, is not fo much to afflict a man, as to confound and diftract him.
Verfe 5. '- They that Jow in tears, Jhail reap in
jcy,*^ There is a tenderneis of foul in every
regenerate man, to bewail his fms with tears-
When Peter had denied his m after, and heard
the cock crow, he did not (lay to make recan-
S tat ions.
K I9S )
tadons, he did not ftay to fatisfy them to whom he had denied Chrift, but he looked in- to hinii'elf firft; fays the Holy Ghoft, he wept bitterly; his foul was not withered as long as he could weep. The learned Poet hath given fome characters, fome exprelTion of the defpe- rate and irremediable ftate of arcprobate,when he calls the Devil, Plutonem illacrimabilem ; there is the mark of his incorrigiblenefs, and alfo of his irrecoverablenefs, that he cannot weep. God doth begin the new world (the chriftian church) as he devoured the old world, with water, with the facrament of baptifm. — Purfue God's example, and begin thy regene- ration with tears: if thou hail frozen eyes, thou haft a frozen heart too ; weep therefore here, that thou mayeft not weep, but rejoice licreafter, and that for evermore; for they that fow in tears, fays the text, fhall reap in joy : they that fow this feed pearl of penitent tears, fliall reap a w^hole liarvcft of never-fading joy: they that let drop but fome few drops of this precious water, iliall be filled and fatisfied v^ith whole rivers of that living water, which isfaid in another pfalm, to make glad the city of God.
• PSALM CXXVII.
Verfe i. " Except the Lord build the hou/e, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the lity, the ivaichjnan ivakeih but in vain.** God who vouchfifed to be man for man, vouchfafes alfo to do all the oiSces of man towards man:
he
KJ
he made us of clay, and {k-^ God is our potter, Rom. ix. 2 1. God ilamped his image upon us, and fo God is our minter or fliituary. Gen. i. 27. God gave us all the fruits of the earth to eat, and fd he is our fteward, Gen. i. 29. God pours his oil and wine into our wounds, and io he is that phyfician, that neighbour, that (limaritan intended in the parable, Luke X. God plants us, and waters us, and gives the incrcafe, and fo God is our gardener; and here God watches the city, and fo God is our fcntineL
\cxk 3, " Lo^ Children are an heritage cf the Lord : and the fruit of the womb is his reu-ard.^* Who would not have expected, that leven hundred wives, and three hundred concubine:i fiiould have furniilicd Solomon's palace with choice of heirSjand have peopled Ifracl with royal iiTue : and now behold! Solomon hath by all thefe but one fon: many a poor man hath an houfe full of children by one wife, while this great king had but one fon by a plurality of wives : fertility is not from nature, but its author; therefore it was upon this account that David fung here, children are an heritage of the Lord. How often doth God deny this heritage of heirs, where he gives the largeft heritage of lands; and gives moft of thefe living poirelli- ons where he gives lead of the dead ; that his blefUngs might be acknowledged i'ree unto both, entailed upon neither; therefore it is ad- ded, the fruit of the womb is his reward, that is, his free gift; and God will be their exceed- S 3 ing
,oo
ing great reward, if by their parents' prayers, and good education, they prove towardly as the Lord's heritage: for of fuch is this expref- fion fpecially meant, and the following fimili- tude; which imports, that children miift have more in them than nature: for arrows are not arrows by growth, but art ; fo children are God's heritage, when the knottinefs of^heir nature is reformed and fmoothed by grace.
PSALM CXXVIIL
Verfe 3. " Thy wife Jhall he as a fruitful vine by the fide of thine houfe: thy children like olive plants^ round about thy tabled* The right eftx- mation of a wife, is to account her as next to a man's felf, and to look upon her as a yoke- fellow and companion : in tliis refped the pfalmift here, comparing the wife to a vine, placeth her by the fides of the houfe; not on the top, nor upon the floor, but by the fides of the houfe, a middle place between both; they that go by our iide are our companions ; fuch is the wife to the hufband, and fo ought to be in his eftcem: indeed the formation of woman out of man's rib, clearly reprefents this truth; on the one hand, ihe was not made of the head, and therefore not domina, fhe muft not rule over the hufband; nor yet any interior part, and therefore not praelate, ihe m.ufl: not be before the hufband: on the other hand, fhe was not made of the foot, and therefore not ferva, to be kept under as a fervant, nor yet of any hinder part, therefore not poflpofita, to
be
be put behind as a child; but (he was made of a rib in his fide, and therefore focia, to be efteemcd and ufed as a fellow helper.
PSALM CXXIX.
Verfe i. " Many a time have they affli^ed me from my youth; may Ifrael now fay'* God had one Son, and but one Son without fin, but never any without forrow: we may be God's children, and yet ftill under perfecution, his Ifrael, and afHicled from our youth up. We may feel God's hand as a father upon us when he ftrikes us, as well as when he ftrokes us : When he ftrokes us it is lead we faint under his hand ; and when he ftrikes us, it is that we fhould know his hand. As God faw that way profper in the hand of Abialoni, i Sam. xiv. He fent for Joab, and Joab came not ; he came not when he fent a fecond time, but when the meilenger came to burn up his corn, then he caip^e, and then he complied with Ab- falom, feconded, and accompliined his defires. So God calls us in his own outward ordi- nances, and a fecond time in his temporal bleliings, and we come not; but we co:ne im- mediately if he burn our corn, if lie draw us by atHicting us; this is the way botii to make us and keep us the Ifrael, clie cliiidren of God.
PSALM -CXXX.
Verfe i. " Out of the depths bjve i cncu unto
the Lord'^ God fees it beft to let the penitent
dwell for a time under their fjrrow-. : \.z fees
S3 us
(^ 202 )
US linking all the while, yet he lets us alone till we be at the bottom, and when once we can fay, out of the depths have I cried unto thee, inftantly follows, the I ord heard me ; a vehement fuitor cannot but be heard of God, whatfoever he afks: if our prayers want fuc- cefs, they want heart: their bleffing is accor-^ ding to their vigour; we may call long enough' to God, if we cry not to him.
Verfe 4. " But there is forgivenefs with thee : that thou maycft be fear ed,^^ As the mercy of God is the caufe of all good, fo it is the life and ground of all repentance; for we believe and repent, not becaufe of the juftice of God, but becaule of his mercy : thus David here, there is mercy with thee, therefore we fear thee. Faith without the feelins: of love is carnal fecurity, and repentance without the feeling of mercy is dcfperation: let us make the ufe of it thus, — is it fo that we Ihould feek the love and favour of God; then mifer- able is the condition of thofe that provoke the Lord to anger: God is faid to be a confuming fire: fire is a devouring and mercilefs element; if it be before us, nothing more comfortable; if upon us, nothing more dev^ouring: nothing more merciful than God, but if he be pro- voked, nothing more fearful and confuming : for- lb the love of God is the caufe^of all happi- nefs, fo his wrath is the caufe of all con- lufio-i.
PSALM
( -^3 ) PSALM CXXXl.
Verfe r. " Lord^ my heart is not haughty^ nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercife my f elf in great matters^ or in things too high for me,'* No man is ordinarily to attempt any thing beyond his ftrength, tor that is to tempt God. Lord, fays 13avid, I do not exercife myfelf in things that be too high for me: the word is in things too wonderful for me; that is, I do not ordi- narily put myfelf upon things that are extraor- dinary, or beyond my ftrength and parts: it is the fa'eft and the moil: holy way, for a man in all his actions to be upon a level ; we cannot but difpleafe God, and hurt ourfelves, 'by clambering. The Lord will fometimes work wonders to relieve our necelTities, and help our faith; but he will never work wonders to pleafe our humours, or comply with our am- bition.
PSALM CXXXIL
Verfe 2. " How he fware unto the Lord^ and vowed unto the ?mghty God of Jacob.'* The fir ft holy votary that ever wc read of, was Jacob, here mentioned in the text, who is therefore called the father of vows : and upon this ac- count' fome think, David mentions God here, under the title of the mighty God of Jacob, rather than any other, becaule of his vow. — Now a vow is nothiiig elfe but a religious pro- mife made to God in prayer, and grounded upon the promife of God, whereby we tie our-
felves
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felves byway of thankfulnefs, to do fomething that is lawful, and within our power, with con- dition of obtaining fome further favour at the hands of God. As the truth oi: God is in me, fays St Paul, 2 Co. xi. 10. fo he binds himfelf with an oath, as the learned ohferve: and as God is true, our word unto you was not, yea and nay; but in him all the promifes of God are yea, and an^en. 2 Cor. i, now this implies, that what a chriftian promifes to man (hov/ much more to God) is bound by the earneft penny of God's fpirit to perform; and as he looks that God's promifes fhould be made good to him, fo he is careful to pay that he hath vowed unto God.
Verfe 4. " I will not give Jlsep io mine eya: ncr Jlumher to mine eye-lids J* It evidences a height in holinefs and i^race, to have a kind of un- quietnefs upon the fpirit till we can do good, and compafs holy defigns and purpofes: when we are not only pious but zealous, as Dayid refolving here; furely I will not come unto the tabernacle of my houfe, &c.
PSALM CXXXUI.
Verfe i. " Behold^ hozv good and bow plea fant it is ^ for brethren to dwell together with unity, '^^ — It is one of the m.oft delightful fpe<flacles to fee brethren to dwell together in unity : behold how good and pleafant it is. The prophet compares it here to the de » of Herman, and to the precious ointment upon the head, that run down to the beard, even Aaron's beard,
and
( 205 ;
and that went down to the Ikirts of his gar- ment. Now as it is a pleafure to behold the unity and harmony of brethren: fo it is very bitter to fee brethren broken off and disjoined from one another : whether they be brethren by blood, or by profeflion; but chiefly brethren in the faith and profeffion of the gofpel : — Abraham faid to Lot, Gen. xiii. Let there be no ftrife, &c. He would not only have no ftrifc between themfelves, but no ftrife be- tween their fcrvants ; and why, for we are brethren-
PSALM CXXXIV.
Verfe i. '' Behold, blefs ye the Lord^ all ye fervants of the Lcrd^ which by night Jiand in the houfe of the Lord.'' Not fervants of fin, but fervants of the Lord, which ftand continually before him : let not your frequent being in his prefence breed contempt in you; as the fay- ing lis, too much familiarity breeds con- tempt : but blcfs him always, acknowledge, and with reverence praife his excellency: this meant chiefly of the priefts and levites, who are exhorted in particular to blefs God,becaufe to them this office in public was committed, in the name of the other tribes: yet as others are God's fervants, as well as his miniflers, hereby is alfo intimated, that this duty mufl not be left to God's minifters, but if thou wilt be God's fcrvant, thou muft like wife acknow- ledge it to be thy duty to praife God as well as they.
Verfc
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Verfe 3. " The Lord that made heaven and earth, blefs thee out of Zion.'* It is not faid the Lord blefs thee out of heaven; but blefs thee out of Sion. As if he would teach us that all bleihngs come as immediately and primarily from heaven, as mediately and fecondariiy from Sion, where the temple flood: if ever therefore vve would have blefjings outward, inward, private, public, fecular, fpiritual ; if ever we would have bleffings in our eflate, blellings in our. land, in our fouls, we muft pray, and pray here, in Sion, in God*s houfe: for from the piety there exercifed, all bleilings flow, as from a fountain that can never be drawn dry.
PSALM CXXXV.
Verfe 7. " He caufeih the 'vapours to afcend from the ends of the earthy he maketh lightnings for the rain, he bringeth the wind out of his treaf- uriesJ' Ihofe vapours and clouds v/hich Da- vid fpeaks of here, St Auguftjine interprets of the miniffry of the church, that they are thofe clouds. Thofe minifters may have clouds in their underflanding and knowledge (fome may be lefs learned than others) and clouds in their elocution and utterance, (fomie may have an unacceptable deliverance) and clouds in their afped: and countenance (fome may have an unpieaiing prefcnce) and clouds in their refpe^ and maintainance (fome may be opprelTed in their fortunes) but Hill they are fuch clouds as are fent by Chrifl, to bring finners to him. —
As
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As the children of llVael received di region and benefit, as well by the pillar of cloud, as by the pillar of fire; io do the children of God in the church, as well by preachers ot inferior gifts, as of thofe whofe gitts are fuperior : further, they are called clouds, becaufe their bodies are feen; winds, becaufe their workings arc felt : as clouds they 'embrace the whole vifible church, and are vifible to it; as winds they pierce into the invifible church, the fouls of the true faints of God, and work (though in- vilibly) upon them.
Verfe 8. " Who /mote the firjl born of Egypt ^ both of man and beafi" This crolfetii not that in Ezekiel, xviii. The fon fhall not bear the iniquity of his father, for God never punifheth the innocent, becaufe all are guilty before him. Thefe Egyptians had flain Ifmaei, God's firil born; therefore when God came to make in- quifition for blood, he gave them blood again to drink, for they were worthy, they had made all Ifrael cry, therefore they themfelves did cry- afterwards. Thus God ufually retaliates fpoii to fpoil, Ezek; xxxix. lo, number to number, Ifa. Ixv. II, 12, choice to choice, Ifa. xvi. 3, cry to cry. La. v. i. And it is the obfervation of Theodoret, that when God fmote Pharaoh's firft born, he drew blood of the arm for the cure of the head, and becaufe it mended not, thereupon came all to confufion.
Verfe 10. " Who ffnotc great nations^ and flew mighty klngsJ* 7 he perfecutors and enemies of the church fliall perifh and come to con- fufion.
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fufion, be they kings or nations, fmgle perfons or common-vvcalths: they may lift their heads and horns on high, there liiall be a downfal, thcylhall be fmiiten, and flain^and confound- ed by God. Look upon Cain, who was the firll pcrfecutor of the church in his brother Abelj but did he efcape? No, the curfe of God canne upon him; he was made a vagabond and fugitive upon earth : thus God revenged the innocent blood of Abel: we may fee the like refpecling Pharaoh, an inveterate enemy of God's church in Egypt, who was overwhelmed in the red fea. In the fi-ril place,; this mull needs be a great comfort to the church, in con- fidering how mindful God is of his children in their diftrefs, he doth not forget their af- flictions, he obierves the injuries that are of- fered unto us, as he furely faw the trouble of his people in Egypt, therefore we ought not to fmk or faint under our troubles.. Secondly, this makes for our inftruclion, to teach us to refrain anger and revenge towards fuch as deal cruelly with us. We muft be more than a lump of ileili, if we w^ill be the children of God. We fee that Stephen Mhen he was floned, prayed for his peiiecutors, Acfs, viL The like we fee in our bieflbd Saviour towards, them that crucified him: and there is great reafon for this, becaufe it is the proper ofiice of God to right and revenge the quarrels of his children: upon this account, St. John, Rev. xiv. after the fortclling of the troubles and perfecutions of God*s church, adds, here is
the
( ^09 )
the patience of the faints ; declaring thereby wliat our armour and weapons of defence arc to give us victory over our enemies.
Verfe j 8. " They that make them are like im- io^ them : fo is every one that trujleth in thcm:'-^ The royal prophet here means not only tlie idols of the heathen, which have neither fight in their eyes, nor hearing in their ears, nor breath in their noilrils, nor help in their hands, to wipe away the duft from their own faces ; but even, thofe that make them, or trufc in them, fays he, are like unto them. Whatfoever the world hath, vifible or invifible, outward or inv/ard, robbing God of his riglit, and bearing cur hope and heart after it, 'it is our idol, in fome fort, and we make ourfelves
'ike
iiiiio it when wc worfiiip it : thus the covet- ous man is called an idolater, in plain terms, 1' ph. y. Job expreileih the right form of their canonization, whereby they make crdd ii ccoa; tliey fay to their wedge, 'thou ar? my confil dence.^ i\s treafon and rebcilion putteth up a new king, lo covetoufnefs a new god, Mam- .inon for Jehovah. Oilier idolaters there are, v/ho like thofe in Hab. i. facrifice to their own Bets ; and becaufe their cfiates arc encreafed by thefe inftruments and helps which they ufe in their trades of liihing and the like, they forget the right anchor of their thrift, and arrogate all to tlicmfeives and their ferviceable means. Some make an idol of their own Li-ain, as the king of 'J yre ^d., £zck. xxviii* '^ Such
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Such are the wicked politicians of our finful age. All thcfe idolaters are like the idols the)^ truft in, nothing; for yet a little while, and the moth, the worms, rottennefs and cor- ruption Hiall inherit them all.
PSALM CXXXVL
Verfe 4. " To him who alone doih great zvon- ders'. for his mercy mdureth for ever.*' God harh prefcrved to himfelf the power of miracles, as his prerogative; for the Devil does no miracles; the Devil and his inili uments do but haften nature, or pofl-date nature, bring things fcon- er to pafs or retard them : and however they pretend to oppofe nature, yet ftill it is but up- on nature, and by natural means that they work: only God fliakes. the w^hole frame of nature in pieces, and in a miracle proceeds fo, as if there w^re no creation yet accomplifhedj no courfe of nature yet eflabliflied. Facit niirabilia magna folus, fays David, here, there are mirabilia parva, fome lelTer miracles, that the Devil and his inftruments, Pharaoh's forcerers can do, but when it comes to mirabilia mngna, great w^onders,fo great, that they amount to the nature of a miracle; facit iblus, God, and Gcd only does them.
Verle 15. ''' But overthrew Pharaoh and his he ft in the Red Sea : for his mercy endureth for ever,'' I knovv that the gofpel is 3, book of mercy ; 1 know likewifc, that in the prophets there are many aiiertionB of mercy ; I know
likewifc
t ^-11 )
likcwife, that in tlic ten commandments, which are the miniilration of death, there is made exprefs mention of mercy, I will have mercy upon thoufands : yet, notwithilanding alj this, if every leaf and every line, and every word in the Bible were nothing but mercy, it would nothing avail the prefumptuous fmner: Our God is not an impotent God with one arm, but as he is flow to anger, fo is he great in power; and therefore though in this pfalni there is nothing but his mercy endureth for ever, which is twenty-fix times in twenty-fix verfes: yet mark what a ratling thunderclap there is in this verfe: in our addrelTes therefore unto God, let us fo look upon him as a juft God, as well as a merciful, and not either to defpair of, or prefume upon his mercy.
Verfe 20. " And Og the king of Bajloan : for his 77iercy endureth for e-verJ'* We fee here ano- ther judgment of God upon another enemy of the church, and the mercy of God in his overthrow, after the deftrudion of the for- mer enemy : God could have brought them together aud bound them in one bundle to be call into the fire, but they are deftroyed one after another, fome in the days of Mofes, o- thers are referved for Jofliua, who fucceeded Mofes in the government of the people; from whence we learn, that the enemies of God and his church are not confumed in a moment, but in the providence of God, by little and kittle, one after another, as they fin againft T 2 him:
( 2I2f )
him: and this is done to the end^ firft, that by them God may try the faith, and exercife the patience of his fervants ; God will have them proved, to declare to themfelves, and iiianifeft to others v/hat is in their hearts. — ■ "Wherefore it is necerfary, that fo long as we live in the world, we iliould be kept in a continual exercife of prayer, of faith, of re- pentance and obedience, as God's defign was Jud. ii. 2 0. Secondly, to teach the wickel that their profperity cannot allure them of the favour of Cod, nor fecure them from his pu- nilhments. It llieweth indeed the patience and long-fufFering of God towards the veffels of wrath, to make them without excufe ; but when they have filled up the meafure of their fins, they fliall know that God hath not forgiven nor forgotten them.
Verfe 22,'' Even an heritage unto Ifraehhisfervant: for his mercy endureih for ever,'^ God many times bringeth the godly and faithful that pleafe him, to inherit the lands and poffefiions of their enemies : howfoever God's ferv^ants are many times thrufl out of houfe and home, and have their lawful poffefiions taken from them, as we fee in Naboth's vineyard, and Abra- ham's well, yet fometimes God returns in mercy to the faithful, and makes the fubftance and inheritance of the wicked to defcend up- on them; this is confirmed, as here, fo in I^xodus, at the departure of Ifrael out of the land of Kgypt^ where they borrowed of the
Egyptians
( *i3 )
Egyptians jewels of filver and gold, v^ath change of raiment : this likewife is declared by the wife man, Prov. xiii. 22. The riches of the fmner, are laid up for the juft: as alfo by Job, xxvi 16, 17. Though the ungodl) heap up filver as [the 'duft, and prepare raimeni as iheday; he may prepare it, but the jufi: fliall put it on, and the innocent lliali divide the filver.
PSALM CXXXVIL
Verfe i. ^' By ibe rivers of Babylon^ there we fat down^ yea we wept^ivhen we remembered ZionJ* The term of fitting, here fignifies, the diutur- nity of thcfe Ifraelites mifery : they had fpent in lafcivious rioting and prophanenefs, v^hen they fat down to cat and drink, and rofe up to play; but now they have time enough to tame their flefh, and bring their bodies into fubjc6lion, their pride is turned into poverty, a lit livery for their fmful habits, for taking t^leir plealure above meafurc, they are now filled with forrow above meafure.
. Verfe 3. " lor there they that earned tfs away captive^ required of us afong; and they that wafted us, required of us ?n!rth, faying^ fmg us one of the fongs cfZion.'' If Zion be wept for, harps nuift be hung upon the willows; fid objccb require furrows in the cheeks and rivers in the eyes: away then ears wantoned to loofe fonnets ; offend not with unchaile attentions thcfe hal- lowed anthems: here is broken harmony, dir- T 3 gcs.
( 214 )
ges as fullen as they are facred, panting and heart-burning elegies, fuch as ftiould be rather groaned than fung: Ifrael's mufic muft be like Ifrael's condition, doleful and fad.
Verfe 7. " Remember^ 0 Lord^ the children of Edom, in the day of Jentfalein; who f aid ^ rafe it^ rafe it^ even to the foundation thereof^^ As it is our duty to remember the Lord, fo it is our priviledge that we may put him in remem- brance* There are four things which the faints ufually move the Lord to remember, — his own mercies, his covenant, tlieir own frail- ty, and lad of all the rage and blafphemies of his and their enemies. Thus the church of the Jews cry here unto the Lord, Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, &c. When a man is wronged, who intends revenge, he will fay to the party wronging him, I will remem- ber this: revengeful men have ftrong memo- ries, fo hath the God to whom vengeance be- longeth; he will certainly remember thefinful revengeful cry of Edom againft Jerufalem, though the fms of Jerufalem did cry to him for vengeance.
Verfe 9. " Happy fhall he he that iaketh and daJJjcth thy little ones againft thefiones,'' It was St Bernards advice to his iifter, to mark well what God faid of the woman to the ferpent, fl)e {hall bruife thy head ; the Father himfelf anfwers: The head of the ferpent is then faid to be bruifed, when fm is there {lilled, where it is firfl born. He is a religious Herod that
kills
( -'5 )
kills fuch infants, nor fhall he want the name of happy (as our royal prophet fpeaks here) that daiheth thy little ones againil the ftones, the Hebrew, and the margin of our Englifh Bibles have it, againft the rocks* A myftery that concerns us all, cried St Auguf- tine, for that rock is Chrift. Doth the tender confcience complain of young growing fins, away with them to the rock Chrift, that rock hath ftrength to bruife them. Doth luft kindle a flame in our heart of loofc lafcivious cogita- tions, away with them to the rock Chrift, that rock hath -^ ater to quench them. Laflly, do we find God's anger kindled againfl us for thefe fms, away again to the rock Chrifl, that rock hath holes to hide us in.
PSALM CXXXVIII.
Verfe i. " I will praife thee with my whole hearty before the gods will Iftng praife unto thee.'* Holy places being the refidence of God's name upon earth, there where he hath put it, God hath fent his agents to poifefs them in perfonj for him : churches and oratories arc regions and courts of angels ; and they are there, not only to miniflcr to the faints, but alfo, they poflefs them in the right of God ; and therefore holy David knew tliat liis ad- drefles to God were in the prefence of angels: I will praife thee before the angels: fo faith the feptuagint. Now were the rudiments of the law worthy of an attendance of angels,and
are
( 2l6 )
are the memorials of the gofpel deftitutc of fo brave a retinue : did thefe beatific fpirits wait upon, the types, and do they decline the ofTux at the miniitration of the fubftance; we have Httlc rcafon to think fo; therefore St Paul ftill makes ufe of the argument to prefs women to modeily and humility in churches bccaufe of the angels ; and upon the fame ftock St Chryfoltom cliideSj the people of his Dioccfs,for walking, a!id laughing, and prat- ing in churches; the church, faith he, is not a fliop of merchandife, but the place of angels, thecourt of God, and the image or fimilitude of heaven itfelf.
Verfe 3. " h the day ivhen I cried .^ thou anfweredji me^ and Jirengthenedji me with Jlrength in my fold J" As man is compounded of body and ioul, fo hath he a double flrength, the one in relation to the body, the other to the foul; and this ftrength of the foul is a good confci- ence, which is as marrow to the bones, as a back of fteei to a bended bov>7, as a bait by the way to a generous horfe; it beareth ail things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, cndurcth all things, as St Paul fpeaks of chari- ty, 1. Cor. xiii. And as a man that hath plen- ty of good blood and frcfli fpirits in his body, being well lined within, as we fay, can better endure heat and cold, than he that is other- wife; in like manner, he that hath his Iicart full of heaven, his confcience full of comfort, is in a cafe to do and fuffer much for and
from
( 2.7 )
from God, and man: the face of fuch a man's confcience will appear in his countenance, as St Stephen's did. Acts, vi. 15.
Verie 8. " The Lord will perfed that which concerneth me : thy mercy, 0 Lord, endureth for cver-y forfake not the works of thine ozvn hands,*^ It is an argument moving the Lord to much compaflion, to tell him that we are his works, as we are his creatures; and his works, efpeci- ally as we arc new creatures. When we are under fuch afFiiccions as threaten to ruin us, it is reafonable to tell the Lord he made us: David ftrengthens his prayer upon this argu- ment, forfake not the works of thine own hands: all men iove their own works, many doat upon them; and Ihall we think God will forfake his. There is but one argument ftronger than this among all the topicks of prayer, and that never fails, namely, that God hath redeemed us, or that we are his redeemed ones. God beftowed much coft upon us in the work of creation, and therefore under that title he can hardly cafl us off; but he hath bellowed fo much coft upon us in the work of redemption, that he will never caft us off.
PSALM CXXXIX.
Verfe 2. " Thou knoweji my down- fitting and wine up-rifmg, thou underjiande/l my thoughts afar off?* The Lord hears the leaft whifpering, the leaft breathing of the foul ; he doth not only hear our loweft fpeech, but he hears our very.
thoughts:
C 218 )
thoughts : thoughts are the firft born of the foul, the briguage of our hearts; this lani^uage of our heart is as loud in the ears of the Lord, as thunder is in ours. Yea, he underflandeth our thougliis afar off, i. e. k)Rg before we think then^. He to v.^hoir. all things are the prefent time, cannot but know that which to us is future ; and he from whom all things receive their being, underflands thofe things, which as yet have no being: now if God un- derflands our thoughts at this diftance, even before we think tlieni, then, fureh/ he hears all our words (which are thoughts formed and made up) as foon as we have Ipoken them.
Verfe 7. " IVhitherJhall I go from thy fpirit ; or whither Jloall If.ee from thy pre fence J"* There is no flying from the prefence of God, becaufe he is prefent every where : no adulterer that hath waited for the twilight, no whifpering calumniator, that hath fhot his arrow of flan- der, and wounded the righteous in fecret, can fay, God is not here, God fees not this ; for even in the ways of death and hell, (in all thy fmful courfes) though God be a God of pure eyes and cannot behold evil, he fees thee in thy way thither : and when thou fhalt make thy bed in hell, that is, enter into that perpetual prifon, there will he be felt though not feen.
Verfe 8. " If I afcend up into heaven^ thou art there', if I jnake my bed in helU behold^ thow art there.^^ 1 urpe quid aclurus te fine telle time, A man that is about any evil lliould ftand in
51WC
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awe, even ofhimfelf, how much more of God: leeing God is all eye, imd beholds the moit iccrct of all thine actions. Tiie proverb is, li lion cftc tamen caute; carry the iiiaticr, if not honeftly, yet fo clofely and clcai^ily, that the world may be never thcwifer. How cunning- ly did David act to hide his fin, but it would ■ot be: there is nothing covered that fliall not i:e revealed. If I make my bed in hclf (faith David here; as indeed the places where forni- cators lodge are little better) behold thou art there; and indeed, if men did but feriouiiy think upon this truth; that God is that eye of the world, evermore open to pry into all their actions, it would be the moft forcible periua- fion under heaven, to keep them from this or any other iin. If you will need fin (faith Sj: Bernard) make choice of fome place, where neither God nor his angels are; but if there be no corner fo dark, fo folitary, fo fecret, but that both God and his angels are there prefcnt, let there as Vv'eli be no corners ib dark, fo fe- ,cret, fo folitary for any of you to commit the leafl fin in.
Verfe 1 6. " Tb'inc eyes did fee my fuhjlance^ yet being unpcrftci^ and in ihy book^ all my incm- hers "-jjcre wriiicn^ i^'hich in continuance 'were fajhioned^ %uhen as yet there was none of tkcmP — A fkilful architect, before he builds, draws a model, or gives a draught of the building in his book, or upon a table ; there are all the parts of the building written, while as yet there
Vvcre
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were none of them, from whence we may learn, not to be proud of what we are, all is the work of God ; how^ beautiful, or comely, 4iow wife, or holy foever we are, it is not of ourfelves ; w^liat hath any man either in natu- rals, or fuper naturals, which lie hath not re- ceived ; defpife not what others are or have, though they are not fuch exacl pieces, though they have not fuch excellent endowments as yourfelves, yet they are w^hat God hath niade them : defpife not wdiat yourfelves are, many are aihamed to be feen as God hath made them; fev/ are afhamed to be feen v/hat the Devil hath made them ; many are troubled at fmall defects in the outward man, few are troubled at the greateft deformities of the inward man; many buy artificial beauty to fupply^the natu- ral, few fpiritual to fupply the defects of the fupernafurai beauty of the fouh
Verfe 20. " Search 7?w, 0 Gcd^ and kiioiv jny heart : fry me, and know my thf^ughis^^ As long as I have God by the hand, and feel his loving care of me, I can admit any v.'cight of liis hand, any furnace of his heating, any trial, any fearching of his; let God mould me, and then melt m.e again ; let God niake me and then break m.e again; as long as he eftabiifhes and maintains a rectified affurance in my foul, that at lad he means to make me a veiTel of honour, to his glory; howfoever he fearch. re- buke, or chafdfe me, yet he will not rebuke me in anger, much leis chaUen mc in hot dif- plcafurc.
^ 221 ;
PSALM. CXL.
Verfe i. '' Deliver me^ 0 Lord ^ from the e-vif man: preferve we from the violent mau.^* David prays here to be delivered from the evil man that w^as within him : the devil hath not lb powerful an infirument, nor lb lubtil an en- gine upon thee as thyfelf; who, in this world, is not troubled with this evil man? when thou prayeft with David, to be delivered from this evil man, if God aik thee whom thou meancll", mud thou not fay thyfeif, canil thou fhew God a worfc; if a man were not evil in him- it\^.^ the woril: thing, in the world could not hurt him; the Devil i^ould not offer to eive ilre il there were no powder in thy heart ; to be delivered therefore from the evil man, is to be delivered from the temptations vvithin thee. Now David repeats this from the evil man, twice in tliis piaim; in one place, a viro malc^, is in that name mciili, which is a name of man proper only to the fiTongcr lex, and in- timates fnares anci temptations of ifron'^er powers, or v^hen fear or,favour tempts a uv:a\ to come to a luperifitious and idolatrous fer- vicej in the other it is but m.eadam. and that is a name comjiion to men, womcn^ and children, intimating, that om.iiiions, nepjli- gences, infirmities, may incumber us, enihare us, even in the true place of God's fcrvice ^ 2uid the eye may be enfnared as dangerouily iu this place, as the ear iii 1:he tongue in -the U .ciiambcr
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chamber ; therefore good reafon have we to pray to be delivered from the vile man, from ourfelves, even then when we are at God's fervice and worfliip.
Verfc 7. ." 0 God, the Lord, the Jircngfh of my fahaiion; thou hajl covered my head in the day of battled Some interpret this of a fpiritual combat with temptations, that God would co- ver his head, that temptations fhould not prey upon him; aiid if at anytime they fliould, yet he would fo cover him, that thofe fms fliould not kill him outright, which is meant by co- vering the' head; where, as fome think, is the feat of life; therefore the ferpent is faid to take the chiefefl care of her head, that it be not wounded, and fo long as that is fecure ihe will iivc^ the fam.e is God's care for his fervants.
P S A L M CXLI.
Verfe 2. ^' Let my prayer be fet forth before thee as incenfe; and the Ift'ing up of my hands as the evening facrifice'' The lifting up of the hands was a gefture of prayer, even among the Heathens; amongft the Jews, prayer and the lifting up of hands was one and the fame thing, let the lifting of mine hands be an eveiaing facrifice : and longer than Mofes' hapds were Hfted up, bis prayer had no effecf: cm I think to receive eafe from God, with that lund that oppreiies another; mercy from God, with that hand that exercifes cruelty upon a- noiher; or bounty from that hand, that with- holds
V --J J
holds right from another: pniyer is our hand, but it mull be a dean hand, pure prayer.
Vcrfe 3. " Set a watch ^ 0 LonU before my ?mutb, keep the door of my lips'' Set a \vatch before my mouth, was David's prayer ; and in the law of Mofes, the veiFci that had not the covering faftened to it, \vas unclean; therefore the inner parts of a fool are rcfembled to a broken vcilel, which hath neither partition nor covering. Hereupon thofe more nobly bred among the Romans, learned firil to hold their peace, and afterwards to fpeak, for he is an ill treafurer of his tiioughts, that keeps not the door of his lips fhut; and -that heart is never locked faft upon any fecrct, when a profufe tongue lays interefl to the key.
Verfe 5. " Let the righteous f mite me^ it pall
be a kindnefs\ and let him reprove me^ it Jhall bs
an excellent oil ^ which Jhall 7iot break my head; for
yet my prayer alfo jhall be in their calamities, ^^ —
Sharp truth takes better with an honeil heart,
than a fmooth fuppofition. Seneca compares
flattery to a fong, but it is a Syren's fong, and
our ears beft be Hopped to it; for like the poi-
fon of afps, it cafts into a fleep, but that fleep
is deadly. Thofe that had the fweathig fick-
nefs, died affuredly, if fuffered to fleep, thofe
were their beft friends that kept them waking,
though happily they had no thanks for it; io
are wife and merciful reprovers ; faithful are
the wounds of a friend. Gerfon, that great
chancellor of Paris, was full glad of them, w ho
U 2 * never
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never took any thing more kindly than to be plainly dealt with. The bee can fuck fweet honey out of bitter thyme, yea out of poifon- ous hemlock, fo can a wife man make benefit of his friends, nay of his ei^iemies' reproof: it is good to have friends, fo they dare deal free- ly, this an enemy will do for fpite and malice, which thou gh it be an ill judge, yet may prove a good informer. St Auguftine, in an epiflle to Jerome, approves well of him that faid, — there is more good to be got by enemies' rail- ing, than friends' flattering, thcfehng lullabies that caft into a dead lethargy, and fhould there- fore he ferved as Alexander ferved a certain philofopher, whom he chafed out of his pre- i'ence, and gave this reafon, becaufe he had lived long with him, and never reproved any vice in him; upon this account David here would take knocks from a righteous man for kindnefs; but the precious oil of the wicked he did cry out againll as the breaking of his head: for fo divers commentators read this text.-^ Reproofs and corrections, though iliarp, and unplcafant, yet if looked upon as iilhing from love that lies hid in the heart, they are faithful, that is, fair and pleafant, as the Chaldee inter- prets it: but yet by the way, we are to take notice, that our prophet here allows reprehen- fion to be only a rod, and not a fbyl, a hand tolafh the tnnfgreflions of men, or times, but not (as fome do) to thrafh them; for it is with the word of the reprover, whether preachers,
or
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or others, as it is with fire, which both moli- fies and hardens Reel according to the variety of heats ; it is the temperate and gentle fire that fparkles into zeal, when that which is too high, grows in an inilant both to flame and afiies.
P S A L M. CXLII.
Verfe i. ^'^ I poured out my complaint before him: 1 Jheived before him my trouble.'^ The committing our caufe to Ood is at once our duty, our fafcty, and our eafe: thus David fays here, I poured out my complaint before him, I (hewed before him my trouble. David brought out his evils, and fet them as it were one by one in the fight of God, and told him, thus it is with me; wemiy fee David acting this to the hfe, when Abfalom had fomented a mod un- natural rebellion again ft him, his words to Zadok fhew the true picrure of him in this piu-iicular,^IL Sam. xv. 25, here uas felf-rehg- nation, and caufe-pommiitinG: to the hei-'-ht ; and when David had brought liis heart to this. Ills heart was unburthened, he (doubtlefs) found the weight" and flrefs of the whole buii- nefs lying upon God himfelf; his caufe v/aS with God, -^nd his cares vvcre with God ; and therefore, though his throne fnook, his heart was fixed; nor do 1 fmd his heait was ever more fixed than in ihis ftrefs, while his throne and crown wore tottering : he that com Vi lis his caufe to God, breaths a compofju fp ric, U 3 vv-ien
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when the greateft ftorms and diftraclions are upon his body or fortune, upon church or flate.
Verfe 3. " Wben my fpirit was overwhelmed within me^ then thou knewejl my path: in the way wherein I walked^ have they privily laid afnare forme'' When David was at a ftand, in a maze and labyrinth, then God prefented him with a clew of his providence, and led him out of thofe flraits; nothing lefs than overwhelm- ing, than utter deftruction of body and foul will fatisfy the perfecutors of God's church and children^ but the Lord knows how to de- liver his Peters out of the hands of Herod, and from all the expeflations of the people of the Jews: God hath ways of his own, fuch as we think not of; when we think there is no way but one with us, God appears as out of an engine, and pulls us out of the jaws of de- ilru^lion.
Verfe 5. " J cried unto thee^O Lord; I faid^ ihou art my refuge^ and my portion in the land of the living'* We may oblerye here the Lord's difpenfations in his manner of warking with his children, who not only iuifers them to be troubled, but brought fo low by ti ouble, that in their own fenfe they are alnioft confumed: b>ot]i in outward and inward troubles doth the Lord humble them fo £ir, that they are brought even to the door of death, that their f.iith, and his truth may be the more mini- ieiled. Thus, the Apoftle proteils, that he re-
ccivcd
( '^•^1 )
celved in himfelfthc fentence of death, i Cor. i. all for this end, that he might Icarn not to truft in himfdf, but in God, who ralfeth the dead : for fo long as in danger there is any hope of remedy, our infidelity calls her eye a wrong way; but when we are brought to fuch extremity, that with Peter we begin to fmk in affliction, then we look to the Lord, we crave the help of his hand and he relieveth us; then we cannot but acknowledge that our deliverance is come from him only; and fo by the greatnefs of our troubles our faith is ftrengthned, and the praife of God's truth more clearly manifeifed.
PSALM CXLIIL
Verfe 2. " And enter not into judgment with thy fervant; for in thy fight fnall no man livi?ig be jiijiified.'' To juftify is only a verdicl of not guilty, and a judgment entered upon that; that there is not evidence enough againft him, therefore he is juftified, that is acquitted; this is a judicial fenfe of the word, and in this fenfe if you confider us (landing in judgment be- fore God, no man can be acquitted for want of evidence. Therefore fays the prophet here, enter not into judgment with thy fervant, O 1 ,ord, for in thy fight fhall no man living be juftified. For if we had another foul to give the Devil, to bribe him to give no evidence a- gainft us; if we had another iron to fear up our conicieuces againil giving of evidence a-
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gainft ourfelves at the laft day; yet who can take oui: of God's liands thofe examinations, and thofe evidences, which he hath regifterecj. exa6lly, as often as we have thought, and faid, and done any thing ofFenfive in his light.
Verfe 6. " IJiretch forth my hands unto thee : niv foul thirfteih after thee^ as a thirjly land,^^ — The gifts of God given to us are as a fpark of fire kindled in our hearts, and our corruptions are as water feeking to quench them ; we fhould be careful in kindling this fire, and in blowing thofe coals, that the talents commit- ted to us may be increafed, and the Lord at his coming would receive his own with ad- vantage; »ve muft always grow in the graces of the fpirit, and defire new ftrength *to be given us 'to iupply our weaknefs : our fouls muft long after him as a thirfty land, and blef- fed are they that hunger and thiril after rightcoufncfs, for they Ihall be filled; if we have tliefe appetites, ufing all the means which God hath appointed, and being careful to hon- our him for that which v/e have already re- ceived, I am perfuaded that he who hath be- o:un this f;Ood work, will peifetl and finifli the fanie.
Verfe lo. " T^each me to do thy will, for thou art my God : thy fpirit is good, lead me into thj land of upright nejs,' We are not juif ified by ourfelves, we are not brought into the land of uprightnefs through our own power, the ftrength of our owa nature, but we are led
thither
( ^^9 )
thither by the fpirlt of God : thy fpirit, O Lord, is good, ivjth David here, lead me by that Ipirit into the land of uprightncfs : our will here being like the lower fphere, which moves not unlcfs firil nnovcd by anotlicr ; if no infpiration, no co-opcrarion; all our graces fpring fronj Chriil:, as the branches from the vine, and ceafe to be graces when they forget their author. Our llrer^ch is but borrowed, pur going but leading in God's hand, who is to us, what his cloud was to Ifrael, if he is pleafed to make a Hand, we know not which way to turn ourfelves; mere nature cannot direct to heaven.
Verfe 1 1 ^dcken me^ 0 Lor d^ for thy name's Jake: for thy righteoufnejY fake bring my foul out of trouble.'' When we are in trouble, we mull make to the righteoufnefs of Chrift Jefus, and wefliall be relieved: for, as in a flat map there goes no more to make weft, eaft, although they be diftant in an extremity, but to palle that flat map unto a round body, and then weft and eaft are all one: fo in a flat foul, in a dejeded confcience, in a troubled fpirit, there goes no more to the making of that trouble, peace, than to apply that trouble to the body of the m-erits, to the body of the righteoufnefs of Chrift jefus, and conform thee to him, and then thy weft is eaft, thy trouble of fpirit, is tranquility of fpirit.
PSALM
( ^30 ) t^ S A L n CXLIV.
Ycifc 3. " L'/rJ^ xi'bat is nian^ that thou takeH knowledge of him ? or the f on of man, that thou vuik(fi account of hin-V* 'iliough man be \o\v in himfelf, yet God beftows many thoughts and cares upon him, though there be no reafon at all in man, that God fhould miagnify him, yet God doth and will ; free grace overlooks all the diilance that is between God and us, as we are creatures; and it overlooks that greater diilance vhich is between God and us, as we are fmful creatures; a great rich man thinks he doth a poor man a very great favour, if he .turns about and fpeaks to him. We may well cry out with admiration, O the pride of man to man! and, O the love of God to man ! one man hath fcarce humility enough to fpeak to another, who in nature is equal to him ; and yet God (who is infinitely above us) hath love enough to magnify and fet his heart upon him: it is much that God will take knowledge of a man, or caft his eye upon him ; but it is a great deal more that God will make account of him.
Verfe 5. " Bow the heavens^ 0 Lord, and come down: Aouch the- fiiouniaim, and they Jhall fmoke.'*' The figurative meaning of this is, when God doth but lay his hand upon great men, he makes them fmoke or fume ; which fome undcrftand of their anger, they are pre- fentlv in a palTion, if God do but touch them.
Or
Or we may underftand it of their conlump- tion, a fmoking mountain will ioon be a burnt mountain, and befides, there are mountains in this jfigurativc fenfe within us,' as well as without us: the foul hath a mountain in itfelf; and it is an a6t of the great power' of God, yea, of an higher and greater power of God to move inward, than it is to remove, out- ward mountains. The prophet forefliewing the coming of Chrift, and the fending of the Baptift to prepare his way, tells us, every mountain and hill fliall beTaid low: Chriil did not throw down the outward power of men who withftood him, he let Herod and Pilate prevail; but mountains of fin and unbelief in the foul, which made his pafTage impaiiable, he overthrew.
Verfe 15. " Happy is that people, that is in fuch a cafe: yea, happy is that people whije God is the Lord,^* The firft part of this 'verfe hath relation to temporal blelTmgs, the fecond part to fpiritual : but as that man that hath no land to hold by it, nor title to recover by it, is never the better for finding or buying, or having a fair piece of evidence, a fair inftru- ment fairly written, duly fealed, authentically teifified; fo a man that hath not the grace of God, and fpiritual bleilings too, is nev^er the nearer happinefs, for all his abundance of temporal bleflings: evidences are evidences to fuch as have title; temporal blelHngs are evi- dences to them who have ;4 teilimony of
God'i
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God's fpiritual bicilings in the temporal, o- therwifcy as in his hands who hath no titled- it is a fulpicious thing to find evidences, and he will be thought to have puiloined them, or to have forged or counterfeited them, ard he wili be called to an account for them, how hecan.eby them, and what he meant to do with them: fo to th^m who have temporal blelhngs without fphitual, they arc but ufelefs bleffings, they are but counterfeit bleinngs, they fhall not purcliafe one njoments peace of confcience here^ nor a moments re- .frelLiing to the foul herezuier; and- there mud be an heavy account made for them, both how they were got and how employed.
P S A L M CXLV.
Verfe 2. '' Every Day will 1 blefs fbee : and praife thy name for ever and ever, '^^ Good men honour God and praife his m^me for ever and ever, in refpecl of their anections; as being defirous to fms- alv/?.vs the lovini; kindnefs of the Lord: and in refpect of their examples; for that others feeing their good works, are moved to tafle of God*s greatncfs and glory, from one generation to another. It is re- giftered, Heb. xi. 4. That Abel being dead many thouiand''years, yet fpeaketh, and as the blood of Abel, even fo the good deeds of the funts in heaven, as yet do (peak to us on earth: Abraham's obedience, Jofeph's cLaiiity Job's patience, preach full unto us.
Verfe
( 233 )
VeiTe 6. " And menjlmll fpealzcfthcimghi of ihy terrible a^s; wid I will declare thy greatncfsy David could not, at Icafl; David would not, have undertaken this for others, if he had not a true zeal for God's truth in his own heart: what he would have others do he docs him- fclf ; men fliall fpeak, fays David; they fliall, that is, they fhould, and I wifti all men would, fays David; ,but whether they do or not, I will declare thy power and greatnefs, I will not be defeclive in any particular.
Verfe 9. " The Lord is good to all: and his Under niereies are over all his works,*^ Faith, in* man is a o-reater. virtue than mercv, becaufc fixith uniteth us to God, who is above us, whereas mercy fuppliea xlie defects of fuch who are under us ; but in God, who is the greateil,and infinitely above all things created, mercy may be faid to be the greateil above all his virtues; I lay the greateft in efFcrl, thougk not in propriety: for whereas God's indig- nation is upon the fourth generation of them that hate him; his mercies ai'e upon ihouCand generations of fuch as love him and keep his commandments: the mercies of God towards us are more particularly feen in two things efpecially, in giving whatever is good for us, and in forgiving whatioever is evil in us, for the firil every good and perfect gift \s from above. In eternal life v/e cannot have fo much as the k&eping of a door. Pfalm hixxiv. ic. — in the fpiritual life, not fo much aii the tliink- X ing
( 234 )
ingof one good thought: in the natural life, not fo much as a morfel of bread ; but all is from above, fromGod alone: all our benefices are donatives, all our dignities are prebendaries: fecondly, as th(^ mercies of God are over all his works, in filling us with his goodnefs; fo likewife over all his works, in forgiving us our fins, and pardoning all our offences, great in number and grievous in nature. The Devil and his angels were thrown out of heaven for one fin; and that not acted neither, but only plotted: and our firfl parents wer'fe cafl out of Faradife, for con fen ting but once to the fug- geftion of the fubtle ferpent;- but we have a thoufand, thoufandtimes difpleafed God, by breaking all his commandments : how mer- ciful then is God towards us, in forgiving all our fins, and covering all our offences, infinite for their multitude, and no lefs infmite for %beir mao-nitude.
Verfe 1 7. " The Lord is righteous in all his ways^ and holy in all his works." Althought he will of God be the chief mover and director of all his councils, and all his projects, as the prime and peremptory caufe, doing this be- caufe he will: thereupon divines diflinguifh between the caufe of God*s will, and the rea- fon of his will; that although, there be no fu- perior caufe of it, yet there is a jufl reafon, and a right end and purpofe in it, in regard whereof, it is not fimply called the will of God, but the good will of God, Eph. i. i r.
So
( ^35 )
So that in Ills £icred refolullons and dcligns, though we meet with pafiagCvS fometimcs wound up in d.irkned terror, the caufe where- of we may admire, not fcan; yet the drift and main ends of the Almighty have been fo backed with the llrength of a juil reafon, that we may rather magnify his goodnefs than tax his power, and applaud the calmncfs of an indulgent mercy, than repine at the lalhes of an incenfed jullice.
Verfe 1 8. " Tbe Lord is nigh unto all the?n ihat call upon him: to all that call upon him in iruthJ' To ferve God, and not in truth, is but a mockery of God; thofe ferve God, and not in truth which (as Seneca fays of fome auditors ) come to hear and not to learn, which bring their tablets to write words, not their hearts for the fingers of God to write in :— whofe eyes are on their Bible, while their heart is in the count-book; which can play the faints in the church, ruffians in the tavern, tyrants in their houfes and cheats in their Ihop; this eye-fervice is a fault with men : let; us ferve God but while he fees us it is enough. Behold he fees us everywhere. If he did not fee our heart, it wxre enough to ferve him in the face; but now being ommfcient,and omni- prefent, he fees the very infide of the heart, therefore it is madnefs not to ferve him in truth,
X 2 PSALM
C 23^ )
P S A L M CXLVI.
Vcrfe 3r *' Pm not your iruji in princely norm ■if he fin of man,, in ivhajii there is. no help.^* God fafieretk meii to fail meii, tln^ wc may Isave a greaucr good omt of it^ ttldjaaa tlie i]^g^di: a^fitmg of tiidr love and laitbfipiliads cmsld fiate us IB, namdy, tl&at we stsay Icsm to trufi; QpoB God aJlone, and nsay betto" know wliat creatofes are: therefore^f^tli tiseF^imi^ tndi iicsl im pnoMm, &c. Wlay not ? fear "Ms isreath ^oeth fortb, that is one rolbn, lie miBfi: die, lae mia£ retiiTEi to tlae carttli, tlscreforc truii: Mna not; init bcQdes that, wc loay lay, iLru£ not m piinces wlale tiidbr brcatfe tarricth in thenij for it is po^Me, and -vciry prokaMs too, their iiclp amd fsltMulnsh may go fortli, though t'iadr breatla do sot : tfecreifbrc tndl only in the Hfring 0<^ lie will nsrver leave us' although men do: God only is iLii3'cli^ayr!g£:ab1e he only hath preferit^ed this hononr -without tonch or Hain, never to forfiike4:ht3ie thattmii: in him, how forlorn and IbrialsKn jfoever their condition was.
Varfe 4. '' H/j breath gotfh forth ^ he tur7ieth io his earthy in that very day his thoughts perifh^ "When great aiHiclions come, efpecially when death comes, all our purpoies arc broken off: it is of man to purpofe, but we muft afk leave of God before we can perform ; crofs provi- d-snces break many purpofes, but death breaks xll. V7heu the breath of great princes goeth
forth
( '^Zl )
forth, in that very day all their thoughts perifh; great princes are full of great thoughts; but they who cannot keep themfelves from perifhing, fhall never keep their thoughts froiti perifhing: the imaginary frames which they fet up, the contrivances, plots, and projects of their hearts, are all fwept away like the fpi- der's web, when themfelves are fwept away from the face of the earth. The thoughts of many princes and politicians die, while them- felves live: AchitopheFs purpofes were broken and difappointed while liimfelf looked on, and he was fo vexed to fee it, that he executed himfelfj becaufe his purpofes were not exe- cuted: and as the purpofes of all about world- ly things perifli in the approaches of death; fo do the purpofes of fome about fpiritual and heavenly things: how many have had pur- pofes to repent, to amend their lives, which have been prevented, and totally broken off by the extremity of pain and ficknefs, but chiefly by the ftroke of death: when they have, as they thought, been about to repent, and as we fay, turn over a new leaf in their lives, they have been turned into their grave, by death, and into hell by the juil wrath of God.
PSA L M CXLVII.
Verfe 4. " He telleth the number of ihe Jlars^
he callcth them all by their narnes,*^ God know-
eih the number, the names, and the nature of
X 3 aU
( 238 )
all the ftars: men are not able to tell the num- ber of the ftars, they tell diftindly but to a thouflind, three hundred, or a few more, and they are not able to call all thefe by diftind names^ but they are conftrained to reckon them by conftellations, when a whole family of ftars are called by one name: the Lord hath made it his fpecial priviledge to tell the num- ber of the ftars, and to call them all by their names. Now fome^ ftars are more excellent, of greater virtue and name than others : God hath made differences and degrees in all crea- tures, in the heavenly as well as earthly : and although ftars differ thus one from another,yet they envy not one another, which leflbns us to be content, though God makes our names lefs famed in the world than the names of many of our brethren; though fome are en- trufted with more talents, and others have more light than ourfelves. One ftar differs from another ftar in glory, but no ftar envies another's gloiy.
Verfe 9. " He giveth io the beqfl his food^ and io the young ravens %vhen they cry,'' V\/^hy fhould we diftruii God, fmce we know he careth for fparrows, yea, feedcth the young ravens, that cry unto him. If then in thy grcateft need, and moft pinching extremity, when thou haft not fo much as the mite to throw into the treafury, when all the. fubftancc thou haft cannot afford to buy thee meat for one meal to fatiiify thjii and thine, nor canft look or any
helj
( 239 )
help from others, and yet rely upon God in his gracious providence, then be aflbred, that he who fuftained liis ov\ni Son in the de<ert, by the miniftry of his angels, will fuftain thee too ; and before that thou flialt ftarve and perifli in thy extremity, God will fend his an- gel ro feed thee, as he fcnt his angel to feed Daniel in Babylon.
Verfe 20. " He hath not dealt fo ^vitb any jia- iio7i: and for his judgments they have not known them. Praife ye the Lordr The fcripture, or v/ord of God, is a priviledge belonging ])ro.
perly to the church, and the ufe thereof.
When God gave his lav/, it was given only to Ifrael: the church alone is honoured of God, to be the keeper and preferver, the holder forth and pubHflier of his word, and therefore none have to do with it but the church; hence it is, that it is called by the apollle, the pillar and ground of truth: and for this caufe the vifion offered to St John, of the Ibven golden candlefticks, is exprefsly and direc1:ly expound- ed to fignify the feven churches : this then is an honour peculiar to the church, to be the brazen pillar of truth, and the golden candle- flicks to hold the light of the word of God to the people, that they may ice how to walk in the ways of godlinefs : and again, all fuch as are thus honoured and bleiled', muft be careful to ufe the word as an honour and a bleiling, by embracing it, by entertaining it, by magnify- ing the blcffing of God in truth, and not in
. opinion,
( 240 )
opinion, in works, and not in words; that we may walk worthy of the gofpel, and Ihew our- felves careful to brins; forth the fruits thereof: and this is the bed praifing of God in the text, when our works praife him.
PSALM CXLVIII.
Verfe 8. " Fire aftd bail, /720W and vapour^ Jlormy wind fuIfilHng his word.'* Every creature obeys the command, and fubmits to the will of God. Men often fpeak, and fpeak in the higheft language of commanding, and yet the thing is not done, but whatfoev^er the Lord fpeaks is done. Every thing hath an ear to hear his voice, who made both voice and ear: how doth this rebuke man, if he moves not at the command of God, and as God commands. Shall the Lord fay to the fun, rife not, and it rifeth not, and to the hail or fnow, fall not, and they fall not; and fhall he fay to man, fwear not, and he will fwear; pray, and he will not pray; fhall the Lord have better obedience from the creatures without life, than from man, who hath not only life, but reafon : or from iaints, who have not only reafon, but grace: let it lliame us, that there fliould be any thing in us (who are chriilians) relifting, or not readily complying with all the com- mands of God, \\hen fnow, and hail, and winds which have not fo much as life, obey his voice, and fulfil his word.
Verfe 10. '* Beqfts^ and all cattle^ creeping
//jings
( 241 )
things ^ wid Jly'mg foivl.'^ The world, fiiith Ca- lamens Alexandriniis, is the firfl Bible that God made for his own glory and man's in- ftruchion ; it is a fheet of royal paper, written all over with the wifdom and power of God; it befpeaketh all people at once, as a catholic preacher of God's glory. Thus the heavens declare the glory of God, Pfalm xix. without found, by a dumb kind of eloquence; that is, they yield matter and occafion to man of glorifying God, bccaufe that in heaven, as in an open book, is written do^n the glory of the creator; the like alfo is done in other lefs con- fiderable creatures: every beaft and creeping thing in the worM doth write as well as fpeak, and hath a pen as well as a tongue to fct forth God's praife.
PSALM CXLIX.
Verfe 2. " Let Ifrael rejoice in him that made him^ let the children of Zion be joyful in their KingJ' God hath not only made us, but new made us, for we are his workmanfhip ; the fecond time created in Chrift Jefus, unto good works. We are God's artificial creatures, wherein he hath fliewed tranfccndant fkill, by creating the glorious fabric of the new man. WilHam of ji'lalmfbury, tcllcth of a certain Emperor, who coming into a church on the fabbath day, found there a mofl mifliapen prieft, infomuch that the emperor much fcorn- ed and contemned him : but when he heard
him
( 242 )
him read thofc words in the fervice, " for it is he that made us, and not v/q ourfclves ;" the emperor checked his own proud thoughts, and made enquiry into the qualities and gifts of the man, and finding him a very learned and devout man, he made him archbifnop of Cullen, which office he difcharged much to his credit, and with great commendations.
Verfe 6. " let the high praifis of God be in their mouth ^and a two edged fword in their handJ** What virtue in the law of God is more often rememberded than grathude, and the thank- ful acknowledgment of Cod's mercies: and therefore God gives not any benefits in Scrip- ture v^ithout preparing monuments ; if he delivers his people out of Egypt, a lamb of pafTover, under the title of gratitude, is to be offered for ever; if he gives manna, a pot of manna; a pot thereof is referved in the taber- nacle; if he works wonders with Mofes's rod, it is referved for an eternal memory. Gra- titude is the key of the land flowing with milk and honey : ingratitude is a chan- nel from whence all the plagues of heaven pour down upon rebellious and contumacious heads. It is very remarkable, that the Ifrael- ites were more careful to carry with them in- to the deferts timbrels to praife God with, than arms to defend themfelves; therefore, in this verfe, praifes go before two edged fwords, and all warlike engines.
• Verfe
( ^43 )
Verfc 8. *' 7b bind their kings uHb chains and ihelr nobles ivith fetters of iron'* The prophet iaith not to flay, but to bind them as enemies being fubdued or taken, and bound with chains, as that wicked king was bound and carried into Babylon; fo the fpiritually bound are brought captive to the pofTcdion of the church to their falvation ; fo Chrifl is faid to lead captivity captive, Eph. iv. and his prcacli- crs, by the weapons of their warfare, to brin^ into captivity to the obedience of Chriil, \ Cor. X. and when this is done, vengeance i:> taken upon them, v. 7. that is, upon their vile lufts, which held them captive before, they being mortified, and the Devil's power, which held them being broken: the lufts are as it were members, and filthy flefh, upon which ven- geance is now taken as a body of death, and now offered up in facrifice.
P S A L M CL.
Verfe i. " Prafe ye the Lord ^praife God in hisfanciuary: praife him in the firmament f his power J^ Praife him in the firmament of his power, that is, praife him in the firmament wherein appeareth his power : now God's power appears in the firmament, lirfl by the revolution of the flarry fky, which revolution caufeth a perpetual viciflitude of day and night, and fo declareth the glory of God:^ fecondly, in the conflant courfe of the fun, who with his motion enlighteneth alj things
• with
( -44 )
with his light, and pierceth all things by his heat: thus the heavens declare the glory, and the powcrof God is praifed in the firmament, that i?, they yield matter and occafion of glorifying and prailing God.
Verfe 2. " Fraije hm for his mighty aEls: — pra'ife him according to his excellent grcatnefs,'** — God's noble acts, as they are extended to- wards us, are fumerarily reduced into thefe two, his works of creation and redemption: — The work of creation is fo m.ighty, that none could bring it to pafs but the father Almighty: that God fhould have nothing, but nothing, whereof, wherewith, whereby, to build this high, huge, goodly, fair frame, is a principle which nature cannot teach, and philofophy will not believe. The work of redemption is of far greater might and mercy, for the mak- ing of the world was (as I may fo fpeak) only lip-iabour unto God, he fpakc the word, and it was done, Pfalrn xxxiii. but Chrift in re- deeming the world, faid many words, and per- formed many wonders, alfo fuflfered many wounds: He fuffered for us, and that death, that violent death, that accurfed death of the crofs: and here the greater our deliverance at any time, the greater our thanks fliould be ; for as it folio v/eth in the text, God is to be praifed according to his excellent greatnefs., — It is true, that our moft and beft praiics are few in number, and little for meifure; where- as God is infinite for his goodneis, -.md in his
greatneis
( 245 )
grcatncCsincomprehenfible: fothatthe meaning
of David is, that we fhould praifc him according
to our capacity, and not according to his im-
mcnfity, according to the grace beftowcd upon
us, and not according to the glory which is in him
Verlc 6. ''Let every thing that hath breath pralfe
the LordJ' Let every creature praife the Lord
for his eftate of convidion; every chriftian praife
the Lord for his eflate of reflection; every blef-
fed fpirit loofed out of the world's mifery, praife
the Lord for his eflate of perfedion : let every
creature, man above all the creatures, and the
foul of man above all that is in man praife the
Lord; let every thing that hath either the life of
nature, or of grace,'or of glory; let every fpirit
whetheritbe terreflrial or celeflial,of whatfoever
condition, age,orfex^praifethcLord: further \ve
may learn from hence, that whereas the prophet
here after a dozen hallelujahs hath notdone,but
addeth a thirteenth; he thereby infmuates, that
whenall our devotion is finifhed,it isourduty to
begin again with God's praife; for as of himfelf,
and throughhim,andforhim are all things, even
fo to him'^is due all glory for evermore, as his
mercies are from everlafling to everlafling, fo
likewi'fe his praifes are to be fung for ever and
ever, and in the world to come \» e fliall eternally
fmg, as it is in the Revelations, holy, holy, holy.
Lord God Almighty, which was, and which is,
and which is to come,praife and glory, and wif-
dom andpower, be unto our God for evermore.
Amen.
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BS1430.8.M31
Remarks and reflections on select
Princeton Theological Semmary-Speer Library
1 1012 00068 2544
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