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 EIGHTH Psalm of Degrees, BEING The CXXVII. PSALM,

Was complied by Solomon, as a Compendium of his Ecclesiastes, shewing the vanity (and therein the vexation) of all worldly Travel and Care without God's Blessing, in the principal instan∣ces of this Life's concernment, which are the building of our Houses by strength and safety, as in the first Verse; by Fruga∣lity and Wealth, as in the second Verse; and chiefly by Chil∣dren and Heirs, to make our Habitations, Names, and Inheri∣tances to remain for ever, as much as in us lieth, as in the third: And this I take to be the meaning here of building an House, as it is the work of the Master of a Family in Oeconomy, rather than that of the Mathematician in Architecture: And in this sense the Phrase is taken oft in Scripture; as we read,* 1.1 God gave the Midwives for their Faith, Hope, and Charity, Protection, Riches, and Progeny, to support their Families: So likewise,* 1.2 the promise of God's building David's House, is explained by giving him Issue, which should establing his Kingdom better than Solo∣mon could do, notwithstanding all his Wisdom, Power, and number of Women; since we read but of one Son▪ (and he weak and infirm) which that mighty Builder raised up to sup∣port the Royal State, Crown and Dignity of the House of David.

Well then might the Author of this Psalm (who hath inserted his Name 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the second Verse) be a Type of the Messiah, and begin to affirm and reiterate the Nisi Dominus here, and infer that, Except the Lord (David's Lord, as well as Son) did build his House, Solomon, and other Kings, should but labour in vain.

This Psalm might be superscribed with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as being sung with loud and frequent Responses by the Levites, at the erecting and re-edifying of the Temple, and therefore intended by me 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as an Anthem for the Day of a Nativity, or Baptism.

For Shrove-Tuesday, or a Wedding.

〈♫〉〈♫〉

TIL God the House doth build, and Fa—mi∣ly maintain; Workmen, tho' ne're so strong, or skill'd, La—bour, a—las! in vain.

Fa—thers get Sons in vain; in vain the Watchmen ward our Gates, un—less the Lord or—dain his Host, to be our Guard.

In vain a Life we keep, Rise early, late take Rest; Fare hardly,* 1.3 lose our loved Sleep, 'Till God our Stock hath blest.

But they, whom God hath blest, Like Job, regain their Peace; * 1.4God gives his Jedidiahs Rest, And with their Rest, Encrease.

Look,* 1.5 ev'n our best Encrease, * 1.6Children come from the Lord; Those Fruits of th'Womb; which some may guess Man's Work; are God's Reward.

Children both give, and Ward A blow; for (though but young) To Parents they 're a double Guard, Like Weapons to the Strong.

Those Shafts help against wrong, Life against Death provide; Like Jonathan's, they home are flung To shield our threaten'd fide.

Happy the Man, whose side Bears Quivers of such Arms; For wheresoe're his Cause is try'd, He's quit of Shame and Harms.

Thus we, whom God hath Blest, Like Job, regain our Peace; Since God gives his Beloved Rest, And with our Rest encrease.

Gloria Patri, &c.

To God the Father, Son, And God the Holy-Ghost, Be Glory; and let every one Strive who shall praise God most.

HOSANNA.

CONTEMPLATIONS and COLLECTS ON THE Eighth PSALM of DEGREES, BEING The GXXVII. PSALM.

GRacious Father! who workest hitherto as thy Son also worketh, look upon us thy Workmanship, make us thy Building, who as lively Stones, well wrought and figured, would be built up a Spiritual House unto thee: And we know, except thy Divine Wisdom thus frame and raise us, bearing up the Pillars of our Strength, hewing out the Stones of our hard Hearts to be polished Corners of thy Temple, we shall prove but sorry Tabernacles, but foolish Builders, and Labourers in vain: For who amongst us can say, that he hath made his Heart clean? Who can come to the Rock to lay a good Foundation, except it be given him from above? Or who can keep himself so clean, as that the foul and wicked Spirit touch him not, nor enter in again after he hath been cast out of a Man, except thou, O Lord! who art stronger than the Enemy, dost watch and defend the House of the poor Soul? Thou must work all our Works in us, and for us, for without thee we can do nothing. O therefore! raise, strengthen, stablish, and compleat us thou glorious Solomon, thou who must edifie us by thy Apostles and Teachers, and instruct us how to be Temples for thy holiest Spirit, and the Heritage of the Lord for evermore.

We must acknowledge that our best Skill, and carefullest Actions, our Watchings and Fastings, our Righteousness and Charities, are as Stones which thou, O Master Builder! mightest refuse, being fit for nothing but to debase and throw us down to Hell, affording us no prop or safe reliance upon them. 'Tis thou alone, O truest Jedidiah! that foundest thy beloved Church upon the Corner-Stone of Faith, which edifies with joy and peace, with rest and firmness in believing. So build us up, we beseech thee, and watch over our Souls, that we may not be found to have watch'd, or to have work'd, to have instructed our Hearts, to have cleansed our Hands in vain, but to have done the Work, and compleated the Task which thou hast appointed us to do, by edifying both our selves and others in our most holy Faith. We throw our selves, Lord Jesus, on thy gentlest Bosom of Compassions, to be regarded and instructed by thee, and trust that we are not Judas's whilst we eat of thy Bread, and drink of thy Cup, but shall be unto thee Sons and Daughters, such an Inheritance as may be the Crown of thy Rejoycing, the purchase of thy Labours, the proof of thy Power, the Arrows in thy Quiver, with which thou mayest triumphantly come to the Almighty, and say, Behold me, and the Children which thou hast given me.

Let not thine Arms be full or weary, dear Lord, 'till thou hast enclo∣sed our Souls within them, and made us so the Children of thy strength, as that we may be able to come with boldness to the Throne of Grace, and neither be affrighted when we meet with our Enemies in the Gate of Death, nor when we shall speak with our Accuser, and our Judge, at the great Tribunal of the last day.

From the various Proofs of thy tenderness over thy Flock, in giving them repose and comfort, and blest content, in the midst of their hard fare, hard work, and harder want, O skilful Shepherd of our Souls, let us learn to cast our Care upon thee for our protection and provision, for thy presérvation of our Persons, and propagation of our Families; and if thou carest for us, we need take no more care than Abraham did, for God will provide for us, for our Off-spring, for our chief Good, and for his Glory. The Lord shall build his David a House, and he will be an exceeding great Reward (even above that of the Fruit of the Womb) unto his Friend Abraham, whose Children we are if we believe as he: Lord, we believe, help our unbelief, that we might not throw away our loved sleep, much less our best beloved Souls, in carking after the things of this Life, whether they be Pleasures, Profits, Power, Posterity, Preferments, or vain Past-times; for what are these in re∣spect of a Soul? But giving up our Souls, Estates, and Concernments, into the hands of a faithful Creator, who is able to keep them and us to the very uttermost, let us be preserved not only in perfect Peace and Prosperity in this Life, but also in a happy and safe Repose even in Death it self, when we expect to rest from our Labours, and to sleep in Jesus. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Exod. 1.21.
• * 1.2

  1 Chron. 17.10, 11.
• * 1.3

  For I take it with the 72 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, when others take pains with care to provide for their Fami∣lies, God's Beloved thrive better, and yet do not so much as lose their sleep, or rest, in pursuit of thòse enjoyments, which others incessantly toyl for. This shews the vanity of our Solicitude, as the other sence (viz. so he gives) speaks God's Blessing of honest Labour, whereby he brings Rest, and makes both it, and what else got by Labour, pleasant, according to Eccless. 5.11.
• * 1.4

  Nempe Dile∣ctis Domini, viz. Jedi∣diah's, such as Solomon.
• * 1.5

  All Children are given as an Inheri∣tance, passing from the Fa∣ther of Hea∣ven to us, not purchased by our own Ability; but the Wise and Good are more than David's plea∣sant and goodly Heri∣tage; for they are also a Reward (as here) and a Crown, especially such as are born to us in our stronger and youthful Age, who may be grown up, and able to give advice and assistance, and ready at hand to help or adorn, as Arrows in the Quiver of an Archer; so that we may go in or out of the Gates of our House, City, or Lie, with honour and safety, and speak either with Friends or Foes, strong or great, the Judge or General.

  Whether it be in public in the sight of all, (as Aben Ezra construes in Portâ) or whether it be in the place where the People assemble, where the Nobles meet, where the Thrones are set, the Prophets prophecy, the Right is pleaded, the Guards are kept, the Soldiers stand, and the Judges fit, as they did formerly in the Gate. Vide Ruth 4.1. 1 King. 22.10. 2 King. 7.20. Judg. 9.52. &c.
• * 1.6

  Ruth 4.13. Gen. 30.2.