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.

The first Psalm of Degrees, being the 120.

DAVID being oppressed by the Calumnies and flatteries of Sault Courtiers, especially of Doeg, composed this Psalm. In which he first prayes. 2. Then sets forth the mischief of a foul, false tongue. 3. Complains of his banishment.

1. David being in distresse, implores not the help of man, but of God.

• 1. [Ver. 1] When I was in distress I cried to the Lord. He took the best, and the right way.
• 2. [Ver. 2] And he heard me. So he had in all his distresses before, and therefore he did believe he would do so now.

2. And the Prayer he offered was this. O Lord I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

• 1. From lying lips, for from these come detractions, calumnies defama∣tions, &c. false testimonies, which are all against the rules of justice, and he had reason to pray against these, for he was accused for a seditious person, a disturber of the peace, a traytor to Saul.
• 3. And from a deceitful tongue. Which under the colour of friendship coucheth deceit, such a one will make you believe he is your friend, of∣fer you his service, that he may search out your secrets, to do a mischif. Flattering, dissembling, fraudulent words you shall have from him. There be lying lips without a deceitful tongue. For a detractor does his mischief openly, a flatterer secretly, so that when a deceitful tongue is joyn'd with lying lips, the mischief is intolerable.

3. [Ver. 3] Which David well understanding, expostulates with a kind of indignation.

• 1. What shall be given unto thee? Or, What shall be done unto thee, O thou false tongue?
• 2. To which he answers, sharp arrows of the mighty, with coales of Ju∣niper.

They that read the words thus, conceive the Prophets meaning to be, that a false tongue is such a mischief, that there cannot be a greater, nothing can be ad∣ded unto it. Lingua mali pars pessima servi. Which the Prophet amplifies by two similitudes, the first is of an arrow, sharp, and shot by a strong man. 2. The second of coals of Juniper.

• 1. Arrows, which wound a far off, and on such a sudden, that it is hard to void them. [unspec 4]

• 2. Sharp arrows prepared by the Artificer, and such as pierce deep.
• 3. Sharp arrows of the mighty shot by a strong hand, and so much the more dangerous.
• 4. With coals, they are fiery, they burn and destroy as fire, as lightning, especially when they are instruments of the Devil, who hath his fiery darts Ephes. 6.
• 5. With coals of Juniper, which of all coals are hottest, and keep fire longest, they say, that they glow within, or raked up in ashes keep fire a whole year.

But these words may be otherwayes read, and then the sense will be other.

What shall the decitful tongue give unto thee? or what shall it profit thee? [Ver. 3] They that calumniate, and do wrong to other, or moved to it upon some gain. But detractors gain nothing by it but hatred, for they make themselves suspected and contemned by wise men, nay, even odious to them to whom they tell the tale. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. What shall it profit thee? What? nothing. But this is not all, for Gods vengeance will overtake thee. Thy re∣ward is,

It is the sharp arrows of the mighty man, with coals of Juniper.

• 1. The mighty man is God, [Ver. 4] and he will pursue thee with his sharp arrows of wrath.
• 2. And shall consume thee with eternal fire, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, more hot and last∣ing than coals of Juniper
• 3. And now David falls upon his complaint, and laments his case. A case to which honest men are subject, for the more pious any man is; the more subject he is to ill tongues. [Ver. 5]
  • 1. Wo is me that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell in the tents of Ke∣dar.
    • 1. He laments his banishment, when he was forced to fly from Saul, and sojourn where he could get a place to abide, even among the Syrians, Ammonites, Philishims, and in the Wildernesse to lodge in Tents, as did those of Kedar, the Arabians.
    • 2. These men were inhumane, barbarous, impious, such as were the po∣sterity of Meshech, and Ishmael. It was then all one to him to live a∣mong those he did, as to live among them. It was a Wo to him, to live among so firece a people, enemies to piety, and civility.
  • 2. And he amplifies his complaint by the continuance of the evil, and ex∣pounds in plainer words, what he said in the former verse.

    My soul hath long dwelt among them that are enemies to peace. [Ver. 6] By peace they could not thrive, and therefore they hated the very name of it; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

  • 3. My disposition is quite contrary to theirs, 'tis not like then I live a conten∣ted life among them.
    • 1. I am for peace. I am a man of peace. Or, Pax eram, even peace it self.
    • 2. But when I speak unto them thereof, [Ver. 7] they make themselves ready to battel; or, they are for War. As Philip of Macedon said of his Macedonians, Illis pacem esse bellum, & bellum pacem.

The Prayer out of the one hundred and twentieth Psalm.

MAny are the afflictions and distresses, into which for my sins, thou, [Ver. 1] O Lord, hast justly brought me, but I murmur not against thy provi∣dence, I have not despaired, nor yet trusted to the arm of flesh for my deli∣verance, but with earnest and servent prayer I have cryed unto thee, and thou hast delivered me: Of which having had experience, and now being oppres∣sed

with a heavy misery, [Ver. 2] I again fly unto thee, O Lord, deliver my soul, that my enemies may not hurt me, who with slanderous calumnies, and a fraudulent tongue, seek to undo me, their words are smoother than oyle, but they have War in their hearts. [Ver. 3] These are very swords that wound near at hand, and these are as arrows that wound afar off, these are shot by the mighty, and sharp they are, [unspec 4] that wound my good name both déeply, and at unawares; as fire they consume my good name, as coals of Iuniper hoily invade, waste my reputation, and being set on fire by hell, they will not easily be quench'd, deliver then, O Lord, my soul from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.

Let the power of thy Word, and those sharp arrows, by which all the craft and subtility of Satan is wounded and pierced through, be sent forth a∣gainst their impiety, and the hot coals of thy anger burn up their malicious snares, [unspec 3] that they may sée, that no profit shall redound to them from a false tongue. It is a grief and corrasive to my soul, that I am forced to sojourn among these cruel, barbarous, impious and inhumane creatures in the shape of men, [unspec 5] it is, as if I sojourned in Mesech, and dwelt in the Tents of Kedar, even the Scythians would be more mild to me, the Sarracens more merciful; Help me therefore with thy powerful hand, or else my pilgrimage upon earth without end will be protracted and sadned by these evils and miseries. For they are enemies to peace, and my soul hath too long dwelt among them. Thou knowest, [unspec 6] O Lord, that I am a man of peace, nay peace it self, I seek peace and ensue it, [unspec 7] but when I speak for peace, they reject all treaties thereof, and make them ready for battel. Since then they are for War, and I and the rest of thy Servants, must hold a continual War against spiritual wickedness in high places; do not deny, O good Father, to those who call upon thée, thy aid and assistance, and with patience let us fight a good fight, being assured, that from henceforth is laid up for us an immortal Crown of glory, which thou wilt give unto all those that resist till death, for the merits of our Lord and Sa∣viour Iesus Christ. Amen.

Notes

• The first part. David flyes to God
• Prayes to be delivered.
• From a false tongue.
• The second part.
• The miscief of it.
• The vanity and revenge of it.
• The third part. To this the best men subject.
• Sometimes banished to live with wick∣ed people. Which was Davids case. This he la∣ments.
• And amplifies, shewing the unquiet nature of his enemies
• Davids dispo∣sition to peace.