A logicall analysis of twentie select Psalmes, performed by W. Temple

PSALM. 103.

MY soule: praise thou the Lord: and all that is within me, praise his holy name.

2 My soule: praise thou the Lord: and forget not any of his benefits.

3 Who forgiueth all thine iniquities: and healeth al thine in∣firmities.

4 Who redeemeth thy life from the graue: who couereth thee on euery side with mercie and compassions.

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things: who reneweth thy youth as the youth of an Eagle.

6 The Lord doth iustice and right to all that are oppressed.

7 He hath made his waies knowne to Moses: and his works to the children of Israel.

8 The Lord is full of compassion and mercie, slow to anger, and of great kindnes.

9 He will not alway chide, neither keepe his anger for euer.

10 He hath not dealt according to our sinnes, nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities.

11 For how high the heauens are aboue the earth: so great is his mercie to them that feare him.

12 As farre as the East is from the West: so farre hath he remoued our sinnes from vs.

13 With what compassion a father is carried towards his children: the same hath the Lord towards them that feare him.

14 For hee knoweth whereof wee are made, hee remembreth that we are but dust.

15 The daies of man are as grasse: as a flower of the field, so florisheth he.

16 When the winde hath passed ouer it, it is gone: and the place thereof knoweth it no more.

17 But the louing kindnesse of the Lord is from all eternity, and endureth for euer vpon them that feare him: and his righ∣teousnes vpon their childrens children:

18 Vpon them that keepe his couenant: and who remember his commandements to doe them.

19 The Lord hath established his throne in heauen: and his kingdome ruleth ouer all.

20 Praise the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength, and doe his commandement in obeying the voyce of his word.

21 Praise the Lord all ye his hosts, who are his ministers per∣forming his pleasure.

22 Praise the Lord all ye his workes in all places of his domi∣nion. My soule praise thou the Lord.

ANALYS. PSALM. 103.

There are of this Psalme two parts. In the former the Pro∣phet doth excite and prouoke himselfe to the magnify∣ing of the Lords name: from the beginning of the 1. verse to the ende of the 18. In the later hee inuiteth all other things to a concurrence with him in this duty of praising the Lord: from the beginning of the 19. verse to the end of the Psalme.

The subiect then handled in the former part is this:

• That Dauid ought with his whole heart to magnifie the name of the Lord, vers. 1. and 2.

This subiect the Prophet doth propound vnder a forme and figure of speech addressed to his soule and to al the facul∣ties therof: therby stirring vp himself to this worthy du∣tie of honoring the Lord, not in part or remisly, but most affectionatly and with each faculty of his mind and will. The ground and motiue inducing him to performe vn∣to the Lord this acknowledgement and seruice of glori∣fying his name, is (as may appeare by the latter member of the 2. verse) a suruey made by him of the Lords bles∣sings bestowed on himselfe in particular, & on the whole Church in generall. Out of this consideration he reaso∣neth and concludeth thus in honor of the Lord:

• Who hath blessed Dauid in particular, and the whole Church in generall, his name ought Dauid with his whole heart to magnifie.
• But it is the Lord who hath blessed Dauid in particular, and the whole Church in generall.
• Therefore the Lords name ought Dauid with his whole heart to magnifie.

The Prophet first setteth downe the conclusion verse 1. and 2. Then he proceedeth to the Assumption: which consi∣steth of two branches: The first whereof is verse 3.4.5: the second is from the beginning of the 6. verse to the end of the 18. verse.

The first branch of the Assumption concerning the blessings bestowed vpon Dauid in particular, is declared by an in∣duction, consisting partly of spirituall blessings, viz. Iusti∣fication and Sanctification, verse 3: and partly of tempo∣rall fauours, verse 4. and 5. The induction is concluded thus:

• The Lord hath bestowed on Dauid pardon of sinnes and sanctification of heart: he hath deliuered him from extreame perils: he so compasseth him on euery side with his fauour, that being deliuered he shall not mis∣carrie by any accident at any time or place: he doth furnish vnto him in plentifull sort all needfull proui∣sions for this life: he intertaineth him in vigor and strength of bodie for the lengthning of his daies.
• Therefore the Lord hath blessed Dauid in particular.

The first member of this induction is vers. 3. Where the par∣don of sinnes is first mentioned: and then vnder the phrase of healing thy infirmities, is implied the curing of the diseases which are in the vnderstanding and will: which being spirituall diseases, the cure is performed by the Spirit of sanctification. For it is the Spirit of the Lord that worketh vpon the vnderstanding to inlighten it with the knowledge of the Gospell, and vpon the will, to con∣forme it to some measure of obedience vnto the Gos∣pell.

The second is verse 4. in the beginning: where I take it hee meaneth a temporall deliuerance, hauing in the former verse recorded his spirituall deliuerance from sin and the punishment thereof.

The third is vers. 4. in the end. Where hee noteth the conti∣nuance of the Lords extraordinarie care and fauour to∣wards him being deliuered, which is such as couereth him on euery side, so as he can not miscarie.

The fourth and fifth are verse 5: which verse I doe with the French and M. Beza so interpret as I haue set downe. The said fift member of the induction hath an illustration from a Comparison of Similitude, thus:

• As the bodie of an Eagle is intertained in vigor and strength, whereby it liueth long:
• So the Lord intertaineth Dauid in vigor and strength to the lengthning of his age.

The Prophet hauing handled the first branch of the said Assumption concerning the blessings bestowed on him∣selfe in particular, doth now in like sort by an induction specifie the benefits bestowed on the Church in gene∣rall. The induction is this:

• The Lord relieueth and righteth the cause of the oppres∣sed: he hath deliuered vnto Moses the lawes and statutes wherein his people are to walke: he hath ho∣noured his people by his sundrie deliuerances of them: he is merciful vnto them in the pardon of their trans∣gressions.
• Therfore the Lord hath blessed his whole Church in ge∣nerall.

The first member of this induction is, vers. 6.

The second and third are verse 7. This verse is so expoun∣ded by the French and Beza.

The fourth is vers. 8.9.10. where the Prophet with variety of phrase doth set out the excellencie and greatnes of the Lords mercie in remitting the offences of his people. That this is the maine scope of those 3. verses, may ap∣peare, first by the termes and formes of speech vsed by the Prophet. Secondly, by comparing the 8. verse with that which is set downe Exod. 34.7: Numb. 14.18: Ne∣hem. 9.17. Thirdly, by the illustration, which the Pro∣phet in the verses following hath yeelded vnto this point of the excellencie and greatnes of the Lords mercie.

Let vs now see how the Prophet doth handle this last mem∣ber of the said induction. His purpose is (as I haue said) to make knowne vnto vs this sweete and comfortable position, viz.

• That the Lords mercie in pardoning the sinnes of his people is exceeding great.

This point he cleereth:

• ...First, by three comparisons of equalitie, thus:
  • 1. How great the distance of the highest heauen is from the earth: so great is the Lords mer∣cie in being reconciled vnto those who feare him, that is, vnto his people, vers. 11.
  • 2. As farre as the East is from the West: so far hath the Lord remooued from vs our offen∣ces, vers. 12.
  • 3. With how great and tender compassion a fa∣ther is carried towards his children: with so great and tender mercie the Lord embra∣ceth his, vers. 13.
• Secondly, by noting vnto vs a motiue inducing the Lord to the shewing of this exceeding mercie: which is an acknowledgement and consideration on the Lords part of the condition allotted vnto man by creation, vers. 14. A condition, in regard of the matter whereof man was formed, not onely base and contemptible, but most brittle also and apt to dissolution. By the consideration whereof the Lord is the rather moued to proceed with vs, not according to our desert in prouoking him, but according to that course which is most sutable to the glorie and excellencie of his gracious nature: that thereby he might the more magnifie the ri∣ches of his mercie, being shewed vpon so con∣temptible and brittle a worme as man is.
• Thirdly, by remembring vnto vs the eternitie of this mercie. Which argument is concluded thus:
  • The Lords mercie to his people for the pardon of their sinnes hath been from all eternitie, and doth endure for euer towards them, vers. 17.
  • Therefore it is exceeding great. vers. 8.9.10.

The Antecedent is amplified in this sort:

• 1. By a Dissimilitude, thus:
  • Man quickly passeth away, vers. 15. and 16. Of this sentence there is added an illustration from a double similitude: the one of grasse: the other of a flower of the field. Man is resem∣bled to either of them in this point of his speedie withering and vanishing.
  • But the Lords mercie to his people is eternall, v. 17.
• 2. By a comparison from the greater: wherein the obiect of the Lords mercie is noted, that thereby we might see the reach thereof. The comparison is this:
  • ...The Lords mercie is extended for euer to many generations of the posteritie of his people.
  • ...No marueile then if he extend it for euer to the persons of his people.

The first part of this comparison is verse 17. in the ende. Where the Prophet saith that the Lords righteousnes is vp∣on their Childrens children: meaning by righteousnesse the Lords fidelitie in keeping his couenant of mercie: and consequently the mercy performable by this couenant: which not determining in the persons of parents, but be∣ing extended also & presented to their posteritie, it doth thereby discouer it selfe to be very great and excellent.

Now whereas it may be obiected that by this course of ex∣tending mercy to so many generations, it will fall out to be extended to hypocrites and impious wretches: the Prophet verse 18. doth cleare this point by a description of those, to whom the said mercy is by the Lords coue∣nant extendable. The description of them, is

• 1. From an effect on their part: viz. their obseruing of the Lords couenant made with them: which consisteth in dependance on God, & in obedience to his statutes.
• 2. From their perseuerance in this care and endeuour to glorifie the Lord by their faith and obedience of life. Which I take to be meant by this clause, of retaining alwaies in memorie the Lords statutes to doe them.

Hitherto concerning the first part of the Psalme. The second followeth, wherein he inuiteth a concurrence with him in this dutie of praysing the Lord: so as the subiect hand∣led in this second part is this:

• That all things whatsoeuer ought to concurre with Da∣uid in praising the Lord, vers. 20.21.22.

The argument to perswade this concurrence is concluded thus:

• ...If the Lord doth by his imperiall scepter and soueraigne power gouerne all things in heauen and earth: then ought all things to concurre with Dauid in praising the Lord.
• But the Lord doth by his imperiall scepter and soue∣raigne power gouerne all things in heauen and earth, vers. 19. Where vnder these words (He hath esta∣blished his throne in heauen) is meant the Lords setled and absolute authoritie of commanding and ruling in heauen.
• Therefore ought all things to concurre with Dauid in praising the Lord. In liew of this generall conclu∣sion, there is set downe an induction of the parti∣culars which are inuited to this dutie of praising the Lord. The particulars are these:
  • 1. The Angels: which are described vers. 20.
    • 1. By their excee∣ding strength.
    • 2. By their action of executing with all readines the Lords comman∣dements.
  • 2. All other creatures in heauen & earth: which are described vers. 21.
    • 1. By comparing thē to Armies.
    • 2. By their imploy∣mēt in the Lords seruice.
  • 3. All the Lords workes of mercie and iustice in any part of the world whatsoeuer, vers. 22.