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 SIXTH Psalm of Degrees, BEING The CXXV. PSALM,

Like the 11^th Psalm, sheweth David's Trust and Recourse to God, not like Saul to the Witch of Endor, or Wealth of Amalek, but where Believers are established and secured in the Presence of the Almighty, and perpetuity of the Church, whereby they find the goodness of their Portion, and the evil Lot of the Wicked, whatsoever he be, whether Hypocritical, Profane, or Backsliding.

It is applied by the Rabbins to the Days of the Messiah; and so by us it may be appositely used on Sacramental Days, or any such time of greater manifestation and experience of God's Integrity, and the Faith of Man.

For S. John's day.

〈♫〉〈♫〉

WHO on the Lord do build their Trust, like Si—on they command; up in—to Heav'n their Heads they thrust, their Feet un—mo-ved stand.

Right safe, high, strong, they always stand, Like God's most Holy ground; The Rock of Ages on each hand Doth shade them, and surround.

As Hills Jerusalem surround To deck her, and defend; So God encircles, and hath crown'd His folk, World without end. As Hill, &c.

For least in Sin their Suff'rings end, Though an Egyptian* 1.1 Rod To th' Goshen of the good extend; 'Tis thence remov'd by God.

Do good still to the Good, O Lord, To him whose Heart and Line Bend not to wrong; whose Feet ne're trod Ways which to Hell encline.

Since such, as crooked ways encline To do, or cherish ill, God shall drive from him; but design Peace to his Israel. For such, &c.

Gloria Patri, &c.

To Father, Son, and* 1.2 Ghost, we bow, One glorious God w' adore: As in beginning was, is now, And shall be evermore.

CONTEMPLATIONS and COLLECTS ON THE Sixth PSALM of DEGREES, BEING The CXXV. PSALM.

O Thou immutable Lord God, most faithful Creator, Redee∣mer, and Comforter, I desire not only to believe of thee in the world, to credit what thou art in thy self; but to trust to what thou sayest in thy Gospel, to rely on thee for what thou dost at present, and acquiesce in thee for what thou wilt do hereafter, and stay my self on thee through thine everlasting good pleasure: For thou art the Lord that dost not change, and therefore we are not consumed, but are converted from Creatures to thy Children, confirmed from our weaknesses by thy Spirit, and continued in thy service with thy self.

Ah the safety! the assurance, the steadiness, the solace, the sole and supernatural satisfaction that is in fulness of Faith upon thee the Messiah, the Lamb of God, who makest us thereby the Temples of the living God, the City of the Lamb, the New Jerusalem that shall ascend up above, and be made illustrious with all the Jewels of the concord, regularity, and brightness of Spiritual Graces, as with the eternal Riches of ineffable Love, and heavenly Glory: So that we shall never be removed from our Abode in Jesus Christ (thou hast made our Rock so strong), and if we believe surely we shall be establish'd for ever, for the foundation of God stands sure. As we shall here be sur∣rounded with the munition of Rocks, (the Rock of Ages, and all his Angels) like Jerusalem the holy City; so also we shall be wholly blest, and saved to the very uttermost: For neither the blasts of Tem∣ptation (the Spirit that rules in the Children of Disobedience) shall attack the corners of our Dwellings, as he did Job's Sons; nor from the Wilderness assault us (as he did our Saviour) to spoil our La∣bours, or our hopes. Nor shall the storms of Tribulation be able to beat upon our House, so as to make it shake or totter: For though our building of Faith be raised high, even unto the Heavens; yet it is no Babel, it is no Jericho, but a Fabrick that the Lord will bless and defend, and because it stands upright, it shall stand fast for ever. The strength of our confidence in God shall put to flight the Armies of those Aliens that would enter and destroy its strong holds; for there are Mountains of Horses, and Chariots of Fire, round about the Faithful to secure them; so that they cannot be immur'd or shut up, when never so closely begirt by Adversaries. They can still look up, nay, go up to the Hill of Sion, from whence comes their help, even to Jesus, the Author and finisher of their Faith, who not only pitched the forces of his Word and Miracles, but the red Standard of his Cross,

and the first Camp of his Martyrs and Apostles upon the Hills of Jeru∣salem, to Convoy all Comers to the City of our God, and to draw all to him from the Center of the World.

Oh therefore! let neither the Rod, nor the Staff of the Wicked, be laid or left upon my score or part, lest I do or suffer the evil of Sinners; but let thy Rod, and thy Shepherds Staff, both thy Cross and mine, dear Jesu, comfort and fill up my Cup, and make mine Heritage and Lot like thine: For then it shall be good, and thou that art so, ever wilt do good to me, making and keeping me upright in Heart, clean in my Hands, single in mine Eye of Faith, and sound in the Feet of mine Affections, steady in the ways of thy Commandments.

Lord! if thy hand be not graciously (when most heavily) upon me, how soon may I put forth my hand unto wickedness, like Cain, Pharaoh, Balaam, Achan, and Jeroboam, and like Judas, Ananias, and Simon Magus.

This makes me yet pray more earnestly, that Christ may still pray for me, since he that Christ prays for shall believe aright; and he that so believes, shall not find upon his lot the Scepter of Unrighteousness, the Rule of Satan, the Domination of Sin, the Rod of the Wicked, the Guilt or Punishment of Reprobates.

Oh then! that my lot and last end may be in the Righteousness of Jesus my Lord, that I may not fall presumptuously, nor fear greatly, nor be driven forth with evil doers; but be led forth into the Paths of Peace into the straight way that leads to life, there to taste of the Brook in the way (the quiet and sufficiency thou affordest thy Flock here) and to drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures hereafter; to lye down like thy Sheep in the green Pastures of Hope, in the never fading, never failing enclosure of thine Arms, and to rise in Glory with thine Inheritance for evermore. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  For the Rod or Scepter of Wickedness is the Tyranny of a Pharaonick Oppression over the lot of the Righteous, that is, the Church of God; which he may lay on, but will not leave, nor suffer to lye still, God having the Rod of their Portion in his hand, (alluding to the old way of Sor∣tition by Staves, whereof see Numb. 17. and Josh. 18.)

  For the Reasons mentioned, ob∣serve how aptly the Portions of the Wicked (let them be never so fat or fair, like Esau's here) are termed Rods to plague oft∣times both themselves and others, as Divers's Portion did: But the Portion of the Godly is stiled a Lot and a pleasant one, as David's 16 Psal. 6. or a Cup of Blessing indeed, like Jacob's; and of abun∣dance, like Benjamin's Gin. 33.11. Gen. 44.2.
• * 1.2

  The suddain change in the expression of God, from the second Person to the third: As it is an elegancy in the Original, so it may note, such shall not know God (in the second Person of the Trinity) as a Saviour, but at a far greater distance as a Judge; Hib. 10.38, 39. who draw back, and turn aside (per∣verting their way which is already crooked, Prov. 14.2.) to more depraved Obliquities, and desperate Apo∣stacy, after a profession of the right way: But they shall be tortured with Hypocrites and Unbelievers, while he shall be kept (like Israel, Gen. 32.) in perfect Peace, whose Mind is stayed on God, Isa. 26.3. to the greater vexation of those Edomites, who perhaps sometime persecuted him.