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

ANALYS. PSALM. 49.

The position debated by the Prophet in this Psalme, I take to be this:

• That the godly should not feare the wicked, though abounding in riches and glorying in the strength of them, vers. 17.

That this is the position handled here by the Prophet, may appeare by comparing the 17. verse with the 6. and 7: where the Prophet professing this much, that there is no cause why himself should feare the wicked, namely, such as repose on their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches, though they beset him on each side, and be as it were at his heeles ready to surprize him. After he hath at large from the beginning of the 8. verse to the end of the 16. set downe an illustration and proofe of that which he so pro∣fesseth of himselfe: he doth in the 17. verse direct his speech to all godly men in generall, concluding by way of exhortation out of the argument and profession deli∣uered in the said 6. and 7. verse, That none of them ought to feare the wicked, though abounding in riches and glorying in the strength of them. This particle of the position, which concernes the glorying of the wicked in their wealth, is not in the 17. verse expressed in formall and distinct termes: but forasmuch as it is added by the Prophet to the argument vsed in the 6. and 7. for proofe of the 17: we must conceiue it to be a part of the position couched in the said 17. verse.

Now before he proceede to a reall discussing of the said po∣sition: forasmuch as it containes no vulgar and meane point of knowledge, but such a doctrine as is worthie of all regard, howsoeuer it may seeme in the eye of the car∣nall man a contemptible paradoxe: the Prophet hath thought meete to honour it with a preface.

In the preface, the Prophet

• 1. Summoneth such as are to be his auditors.
• 2. Soliciteth audience and attention at their hands.

The summons is performed by him,

• 1. In generall, vers. 2.
• 2. In particular, vers. 3.

In the generall summons, all people and inhabitants of the earth indistinctly are cited. But least any should thinke themselues priuiledged and exempted from tendering their appearance vpon this generall summons: hee doth in the 3. verse particulate the seuerall estates and degrees of persons, that are cited to appeare: namely, The vulgar people, the noble, the rich, and the poore. And these, as they are all equally and without partialitie summoned: so are they all indifferentlie and without personall regard bound to become auditors of the doctrine to bee pro∣pounded.

His soliciting of audience and attention at the hands of all people of what degree and qualitie soeuer is performed by presenting vnto their consideration:

• 1. The excellencie and worthines of the said doctrine, vers. 4. Where to note the singular value of it, and the instruction it doth minister, it is intitled by the name of wisedome and knowledge: and in the 5. verse, by the name of a parable and sen∣tence most worthie to be obserued.
• 2. His readines to concurre with them in a serious me∣ditation thereof, ver. 5. in the beginning. Where he professeth that in regard of the excellencie of the said doctrine, he will incline his eare thereto, that is, withall care and reuerence meditate thereon together with them.
• 3. The manner and forme of tendring and publishing the said doctrine, vers. 5. in the end. Where he saith, that he will deliuer and publish it on his harpe, that is, in such forme and manner as is very plea∣sing and delightfull.

These particular motiues vsed by the Prophet to solicite and

draw all the inhabitants of the earth to an attentiue hea∣ring of the said doctrine, are thus concluded:

• If the doctrine I propound, containe matter of excellent wisedome: if my selfe shall in person readily concurre with all men in the serious meditation of it: if I shall publish it in a pleasing forme and sort: then let all men attentiuely heare the said doctrine.
• But the doctrine I propound, containes matter of excel∣lent wisedome: my selfe shall in person readily con∣curre with all men in the serious meditation there∣of: I shall publish it in a pleasing forme and sort. vers. 4.5.
• Therefore let all men attentiuely heare the said doc∣trine, vers. 2.3.

The Prophet hauing thus summoned and solicited each condition and sort of people to the hearing of the said doctrine: hee doth now proceede to a particular and ac∣tuall demonstration of the same. The doctrine to bee demonstrated, is the position aboue remembred, namely:

• That the godly man should not feare the wicked, though abounding in riches and glorying in the strength of them, vers. 17.

The demonstration of this position is twofold:

• The one from an instance in the Prophets one person, deliuered in a comparison of paritie, vers. 6. and 7.
• The other is from the consideration of the wretched con∣dition whereto the wicked are subiect at their death. vers. 18.

The instance taken from the Prophets owne person for clee∣ring the said position is concluded thus:

• I the Prophet feare not the wicked, though abounding in wealth and glorying in the strength thereof, ver. 6.7.
• Therefore let no other godly man feare them, vers. 17.

The former part of this reason, which containes the in∣stance taken from the Prophets owne person, is cleered thus:

• If the wicked notwithstanding their wealth dye in their owne persons: in the memorie and honour of their names: and likewise in the persons of their posteritie: then is there no iust cause why I the Prophet should feare them, though glorying in the strength of their wealth.
• But the wicked, notwithstanding their wealth, die in their owne persons: they die in the memorie and ho∣nour of their names: they die also in the persons of their posteritie. The first branch of this Assump∣tion is vers. 8. & 10: the second is vers. 12. and 13: the third is vers. 15.
• Therefore there is no iust cause why I the Prophet should feare the wicked, though glorying in the strength of their wealth, vers. 6. and 7.

The first branch of the Assumption, which concernes the dying of the wicked in their owne persons, notwithstan∣ding the strength of their wealth, is expressed ver. 8. & 10. Where it is confidently auerred, that out of the strength of riches there cannot be presented vnto God a sufficient price whereby to deliuer the wicked from death into a state of immortalitie in this life. Which in summe and ef∣fect is all one, as if it were said: The wicked are vndoub∣tedly to dye in their owne persons, notwithstanding the strength of their wealth wherein they trust. Now this first branch of the said Assumption is proued by two se∣uerall arguments: whereof

• The one is set downe, vers. 9.
• The other is deliuered, vers. 11.

• In the 9. verse, the argument prouing that the wicked, notwithstanding their riches, die in their owne per∣sons, is concluded thus:
  • ...If it be impossible out of riches to present vnto the Lord a sufficient value whereby to deliuer the wicked from death: then are they, notwihhstan∣ding their riches, assuredly to die in their owne persons.
  • ...

• ...
  • But it is impossible out of riches to present vnto the Lord a sufficient value whereby to deliuer the wicked from death, vers. 9.
  • Therfore the wicked, notwithstanding their riches, are assuredly to die in their owne persons, vers. 8. and 10.
• In the 11. verse, the proofe that the wicked, notwith∣standing their riches, are to die in their own persons, is this:
  • All men, aswell the wise as the foolish, doe in per∣son die, vers. 11.
  • ...The wicked are in the number of the wise, or the foolish.
  • Therfore the wicked, notwithstanding their riches, doe in person die, vers. 8. and 10.

The proposition is confirmed:

• 1. By a testimonie from common experience and obseruation, vers. 11. in the beginning. Where it is said, That it is seene and obserued, that the wise and the foolish die: and therefore it is out of question that they die.
• 2. By a speciall act of leauing their goods to others either by testament and gift, or by way of other conueiance. The conclusion is this:
  • They leaue their wealth to others by way of testament, or other conueiance, vers. 11. in the end. But in case they had an immortalitie on earth; they would not leaue or abandon that, which is the intertainment of their life and the strength they repose on.
  • Therefore it is apparant that they are sub∣iect to death, ver. 11. in the beginning.

The second branch of the aboue mentioned Assumption im∣porting the dying of the wicked in the memory and honour of their names, is recorded in the beginning of the 13. verse. Where it is said: Yet man shall not continue in honor:

that is: he cannot make the memorie and honor of his name immortall: but the memory of his name shall pe∣rish. In this exposition, as being most sutable with the sense of the 12. verse immediately proceeding, I follow the French.

That the wicked die in the memorie and honour of their names, the Prophet sheweth:

• 1. By an argument of Diuersitie: wherein hee impar∣teth with vs, first the end which the wicked pro∣pound vnto themselues, namely the immortali∣tie of their names amongst men: secondly, the meanes vsed by them for attaining to this end: which is the building of magnificall houses, and intitling them with their names. Now the said ar∣gument is thus set downe:
  • The intention of the wicked is to eternize the memorie of their names, by building faire houses and calling them by their names vpon earth: that is, amongst men in the world, v. 12. Where by particulating this meanes of giuing immortalitie to their names, he vnderstandeth all other meanes to this purpose.
  • Yet shall they not make their memorie and ho∣nour of their names immortall, vers. 13. in the beginning.
• 2. By a Similitude: which being laid foorth in her parts, is this:
  • As brute beasts perish, and together with thē the remembrance of thē, ver. 13. in the end.
  • So the wicked who glorie in their riches shall perish, without leauing any memorie of their names, vers. 13. in the beginning, and end also.

The third and last branch of the aforesaid Assumption, con∣cerning the dying of the wicked in the persons of their poste∣rity, is deliuered in the 15. verse: where it is auouched

that the posteritie of the wicked shall lie in the graue and be deuoured by death. But before he proceed to a parti∣cular declaratiō of this point, he brandeth their posteritie in the 14. verse with a note of extreame madnes: in that discerning the folly and vanity of their ancesters procee∣dings, they doe notwithstanding approoue and follow them. Hereupon in the 15. verse the Prophet inferreth that it succedeth with them as with their predecessors. For death seazeth vpon them and consumeth them. The truth of this third branch the Prophet maketh evident.

• 1. By a Similitude, thus, vers. 15. in the beginning.
  • ...As death seazeth vpon cattell and consumeth them to nought:
  • ...So death seazeth vpon the posteritie of the wic∣ked, and consumeth thē in the graue to dust.
• 2. By a comparison from the greater, thus:
  • Hell shall seaze vpon them and eternally tor∣ment their persons raised from out the graue: that is, in the day of iudgement, vers. 15. in the end.
  • No marueile then if corporall death seaze on them, and consume them in their graues, v. 15 in the beginning.

The first part of this comparison from the greater, is ampli∣fied by a Dissimilitude, wherein the condition of miserie prepared and reserued for the wicked in that day of the general resurrection, is set forth vnto vs by notifying the different estate ordained for the righteous in the said day. The Dissimilitude is this:

• The righteous shall in that day of the generall resur∣rection eternally raigne in heauen ouer the wicked, vers. 15. in the middest. Where the said day is cal∣led the Morning.
• But hell shall eternally torment the wicked at the same day, vers. 15. in the end.

To the former sentence of the said Dissimilitude there is yeelded this proofe:

• Vndoubtedly I the Prophet shall in the last day by the mightie power of the Lord, both rise and be recei∣ued into heauen to raigne in glorie ouer the wicked, vers. 16.
• Therefore all other righteous men likewise shall in that day both rise and raigne in glorie ouer the wicked. For what appertaineth vnto the Prophet in re∣gard of his faith in the Messias, whereby he is righteous: the same belongeth to each other man that hath the same faith, whereby he is iu∣stified.

The Prophet hauing hitherto from the beginning of vers. 6, to the end of the 17. demonstrated the maine position of this Psalme by propounding and debating an instance taken from his owne person: hee doth now in the 18. verse proceed to a further illustration of the said positiō, by drawing into consideration the wretched condition whereto the wicked are subiect at their death. Hee reaso∣neth vpon this ground after this sort:

• If the wicked shall at their death rest naked and stripped of all their wealth and glorie, and so be in a most mi∣serable case: the godly ought not to feare them though they abound and glorie in their wealth.
• But the wicked shall at their death rest naked and strip∣ped of all their wealth and glorie, and so be in a most miserable case, vers. 18.
• Therfore the godly man ought not to feare them though they abound and glorie in their wealth, vers. 17.

The Assumption is amplified,

• 1. By an argument of Diuersitie, thus:
  • Though they liue an happie life in the world, both in their owne flattering conceit, and in the opinion of others who doe applaud them, vers. 19. Thus doth this verse (according to the French) cohere with the 18: and is thus expounded by Caluin and Marlo. It is said, that the wicked blesseth his soule in his life: that is, he flattereth himselfe

• ...
  • with a conceit that hee enioyeth an happie life in following his pleasures and commodities: yet shall they at their death rest naked and stripped of all their wealth and glorie, and so be in a most wretched case, vers. 18.
• 2. By a comparison from the greater, thus:
  • After this life, though neuer so long, they shall be ex∣cluded from eternall life, vers. 20. So I expound this verse according to Tremell.
  • No marueile then if at their death they rest naked and stripped of their wealth and glorie, vers. 18.

The first part of the said comparison, which concernes the exclusion of the wicked from eternall life, is cleared by a Similitude: wherein, touching this point of vncapablenes of eternall glory, they are resembled vnto brute beasts. The said Similitude distinguished into her parts, is this:

• As the brute beasts die and rest vncapable of eternall life, vers. 21.
• So shall the wicked die and rest vncapable of eternall life, vers. 20.21. Whereas in this 21. verse it is said: A man in honour hauing no vnderstanding: we must take it for a description onely of the wicked, which haue bin spoken of throughout this Psalm. But withall it containes the cause that maketh the wicked vncapable of eternall life: which is the want of the knowledge and feare of God: which be∣ing in the wealthie and honourable wicked, is a barre betwixt heauen and them.