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.

CONTEMPLATIONS and COLLECTS ON THE Fourth PSALM of DEGREES, BEING The CXXIII. PSALM.

O Thou great Lord and King, that dwellest in the Heavens! David hath taught me to lift up mine Eyes to thee, and the Son of David hath better instructed me to call thee by thy Spirit, Abba, Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, &c.

That gracious Name of Our Father, invites us, Lord, to call upon thee in the needful time of Trouble. For though thou dwellest in the highest Heavens, thou art not contained by them; but from that thy Throne, vouchsafest to look down upon what is done and suffered upon Earth. So that in the deepest evils of our Sufferance, as in all the good of our Enjoyment here, we may still look up, and see thy doing, and be satisfied in the Wonder that thou dost so much for our advantage.

Ah! how marvellous is it in our Eyes, that when Hope and Help both fail on Earth, we can seek much higher for them, and even then too, when we are justly corrected; because thou art a merciful King, and behold we are thy Servants for all that thou hast afforded us.

We submit to thee with humble Fear, and wait on thee with Thanks∣giving, and Praise thee for smiting and subduing us thy People under

thee. For thou dost as the King of Israel did to Benhadad; thou beatest, that thou mayest bring us to thy self; thou conquerest, that thou mayest be kind; taking away a little, that thou mightest give a better Kingdom. Wherefore we beg, and trust, that when thou hast convinced us how worthy we all are of Hate, Death, and Disgrace, that then thou wilt restore us to Life, Favour, and Prosperity.

Well may we be watchful Suppliants and Expectants for some Token of thy Pity, when thy left Hand, some sinister Providence is laid upon us, because thou hast still thy right Hand, the Man of thy right Hand to embrace thy Spouse, when thy afflicting Hand is never so heavy upon her, either by the Tyranny of Oppressors, or by the Rod of Tribulation.

Let us rightly hearken to this Rod, and see the Hand which hath appointed it, and not look awry by Pride, Uncharitableness, Impeni∣tence, or Impatience, on what thou dost; because as thy provoked Justice is the Author, so our Provocations are the just Original of our Sorrows, and the Springs of our Sufferings. And it is well for us in our Calamities when we are not thrown out, but fall into the Hands of God, who is no less pitiful, than powerful, to deliver us with David out of the Hands of all our Enemies, and out of the Hands of Saul too: From all our wicked Foes, (I mean) and from our most wicked selves also; from our own Unrighteousness, as well as others, which fills our Souls with Shame, our State with Contempt, and our Lives with Sorrow.

For is not proud Lucifer, as it were, at ease, when we tumble our selves down by diffidence in God, or self-deceit? And vile Oppressors, like the Devils themselves, are in their proper and pleasant work, when they are Lording it over thine Heritage.

Wherefore preserve us, we beseech thee, from our own Baseness and Falshood, as well as from the Tyranny and Treachery of thine other Enemies. And plead thou our Cause for us with others, and with our selves, for thy Son's, and for our Soul's sake.

And when we are driven by the Insolence of others, or by the Demerits of our own Actings, to implore thy Mercy, and thy Pity, with all the prostitute Submission, humble Confidence, and absolute Resignation of Obedient Servants. O! let us not be slothful in our Duties, or doubtful of thy Providence, but diligent in all the Labour that thou callest us to, thanking our selves for deserving Correction, as thee our Lord for correcting us so Father-like, and trusting by thy Cha∣stisements to prove in us more of thy Love, and of our Adoption.