David's harp strung and tuned, or, An easie analysis of the whole book of Psalms cast into such a method, that the summe of every Psalm may quickly be collected and remembred : with a devout meditation or prayer at the end of each psalm, framed for the most part out of the words of the psalm, and fitted for several occasions / by the Reverend Father in God, William ... Lord Bishop of Gloucester.

PSAL. V. By occasion of his enemies. It consists of five parts.

• 1. AN introduction in which he petitions to be heard, and professeth his earnestness about it, vers. 1, 2, 3. and his confidence of au∣dience.
• 2. He delivers his Petition, vers. 8. and the reason of it: His enemies, ver. 8.
• 3. These his enemies he describes to the life, vers. 9.
• 4. He prayes against them, that God would destroy them, vers. 10.
• 5. He prayes for the Church, that God would preserve it, vers. 11, 12.

1. * 1.1 In the entrance he prayes very earnestly for audience; And the very Con∣geries shews, that he meant to be earnest and fervent in it. He chooseth such a Copy and variety of words to express the same thing, [Vers. 1] which yet have an Auxesis in them, [Vers. 2] and riseth by degrees, from words he comes to meditation, from thar to a voice, from a voice, to a cry. 2. Then he earnestly desires God, 1. To give ear. * 1.2 2. Then to consider. 3. To hearken to him. He gives ear, that would understand what the Supplicant means. He considers, that weighs the justice of the cause. He attends and hearkens to, that intends to satisfie the Petitioner. This therefore David desires earnestly, that his words be understood; his cause, suit and meditation consider'd; and his voice, and cry heard, granted, satisfied.

2. * 1.3 The reasons he useth here to beget audience, are very considerable.

• 1. [Vers. 2] The relation that was betwixt him and his God, Thou art my King, and my God. [Vers. 2]
• 2. 1 1.4 That he would sue to no other, To thee will I pray. Which he illu∣strates
  • 1. 2 1.5 From the time. A morning Petition, which the epikeuxis makes Emphatick.
  • 2. From the composure of it, it was a well composed and order'd prayer.
  • 3. [Vers. 3] He would lift up his eyes with it, My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct, dirigam di∣sponam, my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

3. 3 1.6 The third reason taken from the nature of God, to wit, whom he will, and whom he will not hear. Sinners God will not regard, to good men he is ready to look, [Vers. 4] and on that ground he desires also audience. The sinners which God would not hear, [Vers. 5] he describes to the life. 1. Men that delighted in wickedness, e∣vil, [Vers. 6] foolish men, workers of iniquity, lyars, blood-thirsty, and deceitful. Now 'twas not likely that God would hear such. * 1.7 For thou art not a God who hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall any evil dwell with thee. These should not stand in his sight. These he hated. These he would destroy. These he did abhor. 2. But he on the contrary was a faithful soul, that relied on his God; a fearful soul, [Vers. 7] that alwayes stood in awe; a religious soul, that was alwayes ready to come into his house, * 1.8 In thy fear will I worship; And yet not relying so much upon himself, as in the goodness and mercy of God, he professeth vers. 7. As for me, I will come into thy house upon the multitude of thy mercy, and in thy fear will I worship toward thy Holy Temple. In which observe

• 1. A difference betwixt bad and good men. In their wayes and hope. As for me. [Vers. 7]
• 2. * 1.9 That David would come to Gods house, the place of prayer.
• 3. But not presumptuously, or Pharisaically: Upon hope of mercy.
• 4. There he would worship, I will worship.
• 5. But with reverence, In thy fear I will worship.

And thus David having petitioned for audience, * 1.10 and deliver'd the grounds of his confidence, he brings forth his Petition. That his life be holy and innocent.

• 1. Lead me forth in thy righteousness.
• 2. Make thy way strait before me: of which he gives this reason, [Vers. 8] Because of his enemies, which dayly laid wait to intrap him, and subvert him in his goings.

These his enemies he describes to the life. * 1.11 By their

• ...Mouth.
• ...Heart.
• ...Throat.
• ...Tongue.

• 1. There is no faithfulness in his mouth.
• 2. Their inward parts are very wickedness. [Vers. 9]
• 3. Their throat is an open Sepulchre.
• 4. They flatter with their tongue.

And then he falls to prayer again. 1. Against his enemies. 2. * 1.12 Then for Gods people or the Church. 1. Against his enemies.

• 1. Destroy thou them, O God.
• 2. Let them fall by their own counsels.
• 3. Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions: [Vers. 10] Of which Impre∣cation he gives this reason, For they be Rebels. For they have re∣bell'd against thee. Rebels, not against David, but against God; for he that resists the power, resists the Ordinance of God. They have not reje∣cted thee, but they have rejectect me. * 1.13

The Conclusion contains his Prayer for Gods people, whom he here describes, and calls, The righteous. 2. They that put their trust in God. 3. They that love his Name. And he prayes for them, that [Vers. 11]

• 1. They may rejoyce, that they may shout for joy. [unspec 12]
• 2. They may be joyful in God. And he adds this reason, * 1.14 Because thou de∣fend'st them, thou wilt bless them, and with thy favour thou wilt compass them, as with a shield.

The Prayer collected out of the fifth Psalm.

O Most Gracious and Holy God, who hast saught us, that thou art not a God, [Vers. 4] who hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall any evil dwell with thee, [Vers. 5] in whose sight the foolish shall not stand, [Vers. 6] and by whom those who speak leasing shall be destroy'd: Thou that hatest all the workers of iniquity, and abhorrest both the blood-thirsty and deceitful man: We a sinful Nation press'd with the weight of these grievous sins, and sensible of thy heavy judgements: [Vers. 7] yet are bold to come into thy house upon the multitude of thy mercies, and in thy fear to worship toward thy holy Temple.

We beséech thée to give us a true sight and sense of these our heinous trans∣gressions, that so our true repentance and amendment may move thée to re∣pent of all the evil thou hast brought upon us. [Vers. 8] And hereafter lead us in thy righteousness i•• an innocent and harmless course of life, and make thy way strait before us, that we erre not in it, and fall not from it, and from thée. Thou who wast pleased to pay that dear ransome upon the Cross for us, on purpose, that thou might'st redéem us from all iniquity, and purisle unto thy self a pecu∣liar people zealovs of good works: We beséech thée write thy law, which is our way, in our hearts, that most excellent divine law of thine, that we may know it and do it, and turn every one from our iniquities.

Enemies, O good God, we have too many, [Vers. 9] besides the devil and the flesh to turn us out of this good way. Enemies in the way of truth: Enemies in the way of life: Enemies, in whose mouth there is no faithfulness: Enemies, [Vers. 10] whose inward parts are very wickedness: Roaring enemies, whose throat is an open Sepulchre to devour us: Lying crafty enemies, who flatter with their lips for to deceive us. Frustrate, Gracious God, their counsels, destroy their pow∣er

and forces, cast all those out in the multitude of their transgressions, who have rebell'd against thee.

Give ear, [Ver. 1] O Lord, to our words, and consider our Meditations; hearken to the voice of our cry, [Ver. 2] our King, and our God: For unto thee do we pray: To thee alone we fly. [Ver. 3] Our voice shalt thou hear in the morning: In the morning will we direct our prayer unto thee, and will look up, expecting thy comfort and help from heaven to descend upon us.

O let us then hear the voice of joy and deliverance be••ime in the morn∣ing, [Vers. 11] that those who love thy name, may rejoyce at thy justice done upon the wicked, and at thy goodness and mercy shew'd toward the righteous; let them glory and make their boast, that thou art a just and a merciful God; just to deliver thy people from evil, and merciful to reward them with the chiefest good.

Arise, [unspec 12] O Lord, to bless us, and compass us with thy loving-kindness as with a shield. Confirm us in faith and hope, that we may rejoice; make us love thy name, that we may once more shout for joy. Impute unto us thy righ∣teousness, that may make us just; and give us the graces of thy holy Spirit, that may make us righteous in our generation, so that thou may'st be moved to bless us in this valley of tears, and to crown us with blessings in the life to come; where we may live an everlasting blessed life of love and holiness with thée, O Father of mercies, and with thy Son, and holy Spirit for ever.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The first part. He prayes for audience.
• * 1.2

  Very earnestly.
• * 1.3

  Three reasons for it.
• 1 1.4

  His relation to God.
• 2 1.5

  To him alone he would sue.
• 3 1.6

  Who hears good men, not sinners.
• * 1.7

  These he de∣scribes. And shews his own conditions
• * 1.8

  Notwithstand∣ing which, he relies on Gods mercy.
• * 1.9

  And shews his demeanour in Gods service.
• * 1.10

  The second part. Davids Petiti∣on.
• * 1.11

  The third part. He farther de∣scribes his ene∣mies.
• * 1.12

  The fourth part. He again prayes against them.
• * 1.13

  The fifth part. And for Gods people.
• * 1.14

  Whom he knows God will favour.