Remarks and reflections on select passages in the book of Psalms

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LIBRARY

OF THE

Theological Seminary,

PRINCETON, N. J.

DivisiG.i

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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

( 29 )

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.

( 32 )

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

( 33 )

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

( 35 )

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

( 37 )

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

( 39 )

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

( 40 )

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

( 41 )

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

( 43 )

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

( 47 )

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

( 48 )

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

( 49 )

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

( 51 )

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

( 55 )

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

( 57 )

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

( 59 )

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

( 64 )

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.

G Vcrfc

( 66 )

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.

cr:e

( 67 )

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

( 68 )

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

( ^9 )

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

( 70 )

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

( 7^ )

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

( n )

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

r.o-ainfl

( 73 )

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

grievous

( 74 ) -

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

( 75 )

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

in

( 76 )

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

foadovj

( 77 )

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

( 78 )

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

( 79 )

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

H 2 Cod

( 8o )

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

world

( 83 )

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

X

( 84 )

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

us

( ^5 )

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,

and

( 86 )

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

me

( S; )

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

( S8 )

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.

Verfe

( 89 )

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

( 90 )

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-

tor b

( 91 )

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

( 9^ )

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

cry

( 93 )

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

( 94 )

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-

lefs

( 95 )

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

( 9^ )

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

( 97 )

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.

( 98 )

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 :—

therefore

( 99 )

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

M

( lOO )

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

betray

( loi )

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

( I02 )

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

( 103 )

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

( 104 )

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

( i^5 )

•

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

( io6 )

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

( io8 )

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

( 1^9 ;

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

( iio )

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

( '12 )

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

( "3 )

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

( ^14 ;

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

( i'5 )

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

( 1^7 )

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

( '^8 )

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

( 119 ;

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

( I20 )

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

( '21 )

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

( ^22 )

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

( »25 )

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

( 126 )

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

( 127 )

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

( I^^3 )

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

( 1-9 )

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

( 130 )

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

( 13' )

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

( 13^ )

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

- ( '34 )

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

( 135 )

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

( 157 )

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}

( 138 )

'■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

( '59 )

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

( i^o )

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

( i6i )

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

( i62 )

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

( '63 )

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

' ( 1(^4 )

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.

Verfe

( i65 )

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

( i66 )

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

( '67 )

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

the

( i68 )

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

( «69 )

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

themfelves,

( 170 )

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

the

( '7« )

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

breathy

( 17^- )

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

( 174 )

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

have

( ^75 )

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

( 1/6 )

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

( ^97 )

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

( 204 )

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

( 206 )

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

( 207 )

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.

( 2C8 )

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

( 210 )

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

( 219 J

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

( 220 )

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

( 222 )

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

( 224 )

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

( 225 )

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

( 226 )

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-

( 223 )

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

( 232 )

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.

FINIS.

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Remarks and reflections on select

Princeton Theological Semmary-Speer Library

1 1012 00068 2544

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