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XLVIII. 8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts.

According to the relation of thy former deliverances of thy people, reported to us by our forefathers, so have our eyes been witnesses of thy present rescue of our city and nation.

XLVIII. 12, 13 Tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces.

Look well, O ye beholders, upon the many and goodly towers of Jerusalem, upon her strong fortifications, upon her fair palaces; and, as thereby you shall be excited to praise God for the deliverance of so noble and beautiful a pile, so take occasion thereby to think of the splendor and glory of that heavenly Jerusalem which is above.

XLIX. 5 Why should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

Why should I fear upon any occasion whatsoever? whether it be upon the conscience of the iniquity of my own footsteps; or whether upon the prosecution of those enemies, which follow me at the heels, and are ready to environ me?

XLIX. 7, 8 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever.

It is not in the power of the wealthy and great men of the world, to ransom another man from death, by all their riches and treasures; for the life of man is of greater price and value, than can be countervailed by any earthly thing; and therefore this redemption is a thing not to be effected, or hoped for at all.

XLIX. 14 And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

But, however they flourish and sway here, yet, after the long night of the grave is past, in the morning of the resurrection, the just and righteous servants of God, whom they have here trampled upon, shall so have dominion over them, that they shall sit as their judges: in the mean time, all their glory and bravery shall be consumed and rot away in the dust of their grave.

XLIX. 20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

That man, who lives in outward honour, and yet wants true wisdom and understanding, to know God and himself, lives as a beast, and dies as a beast, brutishly.

L. 1 The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the

same.

Hear, O ye inhabitants of the earth; the great and mighty God of Heaven, having taken just notice of the extreme depravedness of the ways of men, calls you to account of this your universal

wickedness, even all the world over, from one side of the earth to the other.

L. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Behold, God hath shewed himself in his holy hill of Zion, where his temple, the glory of the whole earth, standeth: there he exhibits his majesty, and thence shall he controul the wickedness of

men.

L. 3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

In great terror and majesty, shall God declare his displeasure against the presumptuous sins of men; for he shall come attended with fire and tempest: a devouring fire shall go before him, and a fearful tempest shall be round about him.

L. 4 He shall call to the heaven above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

He shall appeal both to the heavens and earth, as the witnesses of his just proceedings with men, and their too just deservings of judgments, and as the summoners of this great appearance.

L. 5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

Let that heaven and that earth, saith he, summon together before nic, that chosen people of mine, who have made an external profession of my name, and have, by the continual use of their sacrifices, outwardly renewed their covenant with me.

L. 6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.

Yea, those heavens shall not only summon his people and witness their wickedness, but shall also proclaim and declare to the world his apparent justice, both in giving his law and in exacting it of them; neither shall their hypocrisy any longer deceive the eyes of men, for now, God himself, who cannot be deluded, will unmask their wickedness before all the world.

L. 8, 9 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices, &c. I will take no bullock, &c.

Do not think to choke me with the formalities of thine outward sacrifices: these are not the things I stand upon.

LI. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

It is only thy prohibition, O God, that can make a sin: I have sinned against men, but it is thy law that I have violated, in that my offence; and if I have so carried my sin that the world takes not notice of it, yet I know it cannot be hid from thee; thon only, as thou canst charge ine with it, so canst remit it unto me: I do therefore freely acknowledge these horrible sins of mine, that I may clearly acquit thee in thy proceedings against me: the reproof of thy prophet, the menaces of thy judgment, are too

well deserved on my part: do what thou wilt with me, I must needs justify thy severe courses against me.

LI. 6 And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know xisdom.

Notwithstanding this darkness, that I have brought upon my soul by my sin, thou shalt in thy great mercy so enlighten me, that in the secret corners of my heart, I shall understand that wonderful mystery of my redemption and salvation in the blood of my

Saviour.

LI. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Oh, do thou then, by that precious blood, sprinkled upon my soul by a true faith, which was and is figured in the legal aspersions, cleanse me from mine iniquities; so shall I be pure and innocent in thy sight: wash me in that all-sufficient laver of the blood of my Saviour; so shall I be whiter than snow, before thee.

LI. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Do thou speak peace and reconciliation to thy servant: renew the joy of my heart, in the comfortable assurance of thy forgiveness; that so my soul, which is now dejected and justly grieved for my sin, may find cause of rejoicing in thee.

LI. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

Howsoever I have deserved that thou shouldest cast me off, and strip me of all the graces and gifts of thy Spirit, which thou hast blessed me with; yet, O Lord, do not thou deal thus with me, but continue me in thy presence, and continue thy graces in me. LI. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit.

How can I, O Lord, be other than pensive and miserable, whilst I stand in these terms with thee? What comfort can I find, till my heart be assured of thy favour? Oh, do thou restore to me that joy of thy Holy Ghost, which I have wont to feel in the clear and evident apprehension of my salvation; and though I have made myself a slave to my sin, yet do thou free me by thy good Spirit; and thereby do thou maintain me in this happy liberty of thy service.

LI. 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offerings.

O God, it is not the price, or the outward ceremony of legal sacrifices, that either thou takest pleasure in, or I affect to rest in; else I would be glad to come to thee with thousands of rams; but these bare external rites are not the thing thou requirest.

LI. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Here is another and a better sacrifice, which I present thee withal, even a broken and humbled soul; and this I know (such is thy wonderful mercy) cannot but be very acceptable unto thee.

LII. Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

O thou vain and foolish Doeg, why dost thou thus pride thyself in Saul's favour, as if thou wert now able to do what mischief thou listest? Know, that there is a higher hand, that can either stint thee, or cut thee off, at pleasure: in vain shalt thou strive against that Omnipotent Power and Goodness, which ever remains ready to assist and deliver his Church.

LIII. 1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. There is none so foolish, as an obdured sinner; and that fool doth herein most approve his folly, in that (though with his mouth he dare not, yet) in his heart he hath said, There is no God: so lewd are his imaginations, desires, and affections, as if he verily thought and resolved, there is no supreme power, that takes notice of and will revenge his lawless impieties.

LIII. 4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? &c. See Psalm xiv. 4. and so for the whole Psalm.

LIV. Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.

O God, do thou save me by thy mighty power; and stand out for me in my just vindication, by thy strength.

LV. 9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

O Lord, do thou destroy mine enemies; and, for this cause, do thou divide them in their plots and consultations, that they may cross each other in their conspiracies and attempts; for I have too well seen them apt, both to devise and execute violent practices against thy Church.

LV. 12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: &c.

It was not an open and professed enemy, that hath offered this cruel measure to me, for then I could have borne it off, and have wisely avoided it; or if I must needs have suffered it, I could have endured it with so much more patience, by how much I should have more expected it:

LV. 13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

But it was thou, O Ahithophel, a man of note, of noble rank, of great respect with me; whom I used familiarly;

LV. 1 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

With whom I did oft communicate my counsels, as with my bosom friend; yea, whom profession of religious devotion had, as I supposed, assured to me, as my true friend; while we oft walked unto the house of God, in a loving partnership of holy duties.

LV. 19 Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. Because their prosperity continues, and they find no change of their estate, no interposition of crosses and troubles, therefore their hearts are hardened against that God, by whom they are insensibly blessed; neither do they stand in awe of that hand of justice, whose smart they have never felt.

LVI. 3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

Howsoever, such as my weakness is, I cannot but be overtaken with some fear; yet my fear shall never transport me from my trust and confidence in thee; but in the midst of that my natural timorousness, I will cast myself upon thee, and repose my heart upon thy mercy.

LVI. 8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle are they not in thy book?

O God, thou takest full notice of all the persecutions, that I have undergone; thou notest every step of my long and forced wanderings: oh let not any of those tears which I shed, be spilt in the dust; keep thou them, as most precious liquor, in thy bottle: yea, Lord, thou hast done it already; thy favour hath prevented me; thou hast set down the number of all my tears, in thy book of everlasting record.

LVII. 4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongues a sharp sword.

O Lord, I am beset with cruel and bloody enemies, whose hearts are inflamed with deadly malice against me; even men given over to wickedness; whose mouths are full of mischievous slanders and reproaches, wherewith they endeavour to wound me to the death.

LVII. 7 My heart is fixed, O God (or, prepared), my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

O God, I do not suddenly and abruptly break forth into these praises of thy name, as a thing not before thought of, but I have seriously digested in my soul these my hearty thanksgivings uuto

thee.

LVII. 8 Awake.up, my glory; &c.

And therefore, O thou my tongue, which is the only instrument wherewith I can express the glory of my God, be thou stirred up cheerfully to utter the praises of my gracious deliverer.

LVIII. 2 Ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. Instead of balancing all things by justice, ye weigh them according to the violence of your own passions: that measure, which may satisfy your malice, and no other, is held sufficient. LVIII. 3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born.

Neither is this any sudden surprisal with evil, but it is a long con

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