La scala santa, or, A scale of devotions musical and gradual being descants on the fifteen Psalms of Degrees, in metre : with contemplations and collects upon them, in prose, 1670.

THE FIRST Psalm of Degrees, BEING The CXX. PSALM.

It is a Complaint, and Prayer against the falsness, fraud, and impious Designs, rather than the force, of inhumane Adversaries: Because their Strength and Power may (at least for a Time) be from God's Will and Permission; but Deceit and Perfidious∣ness owe their Birth to Men's Prevarications, and the subtil Temptations of the Evil One: And therefore ought the rather to be deprecated.

The Author of this Psalm is not known, but supposed to be David, and made by him upon the like occasion that the 7^th, the 34^th, and the 52^d were Composed, when he fled to Gath, ob Aethiopem Jeminiensem, (as* 1.1 Castalio phraseth it) or upon the implacable Fury of Saul; truly and civilly, as well as elegantly stiled, A melan∣choly terrible Man: Or else upon the malicious Information of a Cushite or Edomite against an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile; which seems very probable from his Description of the Parties, who were after the way of Mesech (as the Aethiopians Cushites were) and allied to the sordid Tents of Kedar, or Arabia; of which Country Doeg was a Native.

This Psalm likewise looks Prophetically at the sworn Enemies of Jerusalem's Peace; such as were the confederate Arabians and Asiaticks at the building the Temple, and afterwards with Antiochus, at the defacing of the same: All which cruel and cunning Foes are expressed by* 1.2 God and Magog.

For S. Steven's day, or some time of Trial.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,&c.

〈♫〉〈♫〉

IN my di—stress and fear, I cry'd unto the Lord; who soon did help, as hear, when I this wish did word;

From Lips, made foul by guile and wrongs, and from false Tongues, Lord save my Soul.

What Praise?* 1.3 what Profit shall The treachérous Tongue bring thee? Poor Soul! 'twill scorch and Gall Thy self, as well as me.

* 1.4'Twill doubly harm, By Fire; and Shot Like Darts made hot From some strong Arm.

Why then? O why so long Do I protract my Woes? By wand'ring still among War's Friends, and Peace's Foes:

I'm in a Tent Who are on Theft, Of Arabs left, And Murder bent.

At me their Bows are bent, Their Malice doth encrease; They say no good I meant, When I did seek their Peace:

When I speak fair, And straight the Swarm I them all-arm, Their Stings prepare.

Corollarium 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉:

Which may be used, or omitted;

It being another

• ...Repetition
• ...Return
• ...Recollection

of the

• ...Sence
• ...Musick
• ...Psalm.

* 1.5BUT though the Sland'rers sting, Like Lightning, pierc'd and burn'd: The Stones which he did sling, Heav'n in his Face return'd.

Live Coals from Hell, By his bad Tongue, And Javelings flung On his Head fell.

* 1.6Therefore no more will I Be of such Bruits afraid; No more I'll sigh,* 1.7 or cry, Though I'm in Deserts stay'd:

In all my Ways Who dost afford I'll Bless Thee,* 1.8 Lord, Such cause of Praise.

Though I'm in Deserts stay'd, No more I'll sigh, or cry: Or be of Bruits afraid, No longer now will I.

Such cause of Praise We'll Bless Thee, Lord, Thou dost afford; In all our Ways.

Gloria Patri, &c.

Glory be to our King, Who shall be, was, and is; Loud Hallelujahs sing To God, the God of Peace:

The Lord of Hosts; The Father, Son, The Three in One, And Holy Ghost.

AMEN.

CONTEMPLATIONS and COLLECTS ON THE First PSALM of DEGREES, BEING The CXX. PSALM.

O Lord, our Redeemer! a very present help in trouble, as I have found thee heretofore, blessed be thy powerful Com∣passion, so I desire to approve thee whensoever, as at this time, I cry unto thee to deliver my Soul. O God! I see that I am fallen into a dangerous Condition, by the Lies of the Serpent, the Treacheries of my own Flesh, and the Falshoods of the World, which I have sought and served, listened and trusted to, and so am justly appay'd with Cousenage and Disgrace, with Calumnies and Accusation. For what can be had from the Accuser of the Brethren, from the deceitfulness of Riches, and from the Cheats of all things here below, but disappointments, and vexation for such as follow lying Vanities; forsaking thy Mercies, and their own?

Alas! then woe is me! that I have heaped up such Coals of Ven∣geance on my own Head, and pierced my Heart through with so many Darts of Sorrow, by not delighting in the Tents of the Righteous, nor in the Tabernacles of thy Holiness, but in the Dwellings of Un∣godliness, and in the House of the Accursed; so that I have deserved indeed to be made a Vagabond like Cain, and a Slave like Cham, in a perpetual Banishment from Comfort, and in a Captivity unto Sin, by having my Conversation according to the evil fashion of this Age.

But, Lord! how long; how long shall I sojourn, either amongst the Enemies of thy Grace, or of my Peace? Amongst the Superstitious or Idolatrous? Amongst those who are after the way of Mesech? Or those who dwell in the black aboads of Kedar? O! prolong not my Danger and Unhappiness any more among them, nor protract my Wandrings with a backsliding People; for I seek Peace, Peace with Thee, with my own Conscience, and with all the World.

But can the Egyptian change his Skin? Had Zimri Peace, who slew his Master? No Lord. There is no Peace (thou hast said it) to the Wicked, who are at defiance with thee, and with themselves, and make War in the face of Heaven.

Therefore that I may find Peace, I seek thy Pardon, and my Soul's Purity, and desire thee to preserve me from the Pollutions and Snares of a perverse Generation, that dissemble as strange Children, that so (having no fellowship with the workers of Iniquity) I might live in the sweet Communion of thy Saints, and to be furthered by their Examples and Conversation in the way of Peace and Holiness.

For, Lord! I would be a pacifick Jacob, and dwell under the shadow of thy Wings, there accounting my self secure though I have no other

Covering. Thou art the best place to hide me in, and 'tis not my Sword or Bow shall settle or secure me, but thy Mercy, thy Grace, and thy Spirit. No strange Arms here can give me a certain or safe Abode, unless thou be on my side.

Therefore, dear God! whilst many rise up against me to trouble me, in saying, Where is thy God? (seeking to destroy me with their own quiet) be thou a God nigh at hand to deliver me from Treachery, Malice, Turbulence, and Hypocrisie. And while my Foes heap Coals of Fire on their own Heads by unjust Actions, and hard Speeches, let my Mouth be touched with a Coal from thine Altar, that I may know how to keep the Door of my Lips from all Cursing and Bitterness, Lying and Blasphemies, fraudulent and filthy Communication, and how to open it in Praying to thee, that I may find the Blessings of Peace within, above, abroad, about me, by Repentance of my Sins, Reforma∣tion of my Life, Regeneration of my Nature, and Reconciliation to thy Love.

O! let it suffice that I have stayed so long in their Habitations, where the Instruments of Cruelty remain, where I might have been drawn either unto base Earthly Sorrow and Distraction, or to foul Hellish Guilt and Desperation, and so to inevitable Destruction both of Soul and Body. Let it pity thee to see my poor Soul in such a Sink, such a Gaol and Mill, in such a nasty, vile, and slavish State as it hath endured. And do thou cover my Head while my Foes make them ready to Battel.

Then shall I be guarded from the strife of Tongues, from the contra∣diction of Sinners, from the reproach that I fear, and from Satan that is come forth against me with great wrath, because I have called on thy Name; while thou art not angry that I cry unto thee,

Our Father, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In Psal. 7.
• * 1.2

  Ezek. 38.2.
• * 1.3

  Quid tibi da∣bit? aut quid addet tibi? Spoken as to Saul (perhaps) by the Psal∣mist, upon the account of Doeg.
• * 1.4

  Having been streightned in my Verse, I de∣sire to observe in Prose the rare Elegancy of the Psalmist here; who speaking of a desert state and place among the Sons of Ismael, (the great Archer) he tells his savage Foes, (though Companions) that they shall be struck with their own Weapons, as Saul was; and burnt with the Coals of the Wilderness, where Juniper most abounds, which was the most desolate and grievous Fire, from the nature of the Wood; and so proper fuel for the black Tents of Kedar, and for Mesech; (the Asiaticks) if taken for a People wild, and wandering about in Wagons, or living in Tents covered with Skins: But if it referrs to a place, it is well rendered by the LXXII. whom I follow, with Symachus and Aquila, &c,
• * 1.5

  Ver. 3, 4.
• * 1.6

  Ver. 2, 7.
• * 1.7

  Ver. 5, 6.
• * 1.8

  Ver. 1, 2.