A right godly and learned exposition, vpon the whole booke of Psalmes: wherein is set forth the true diuision, sence, and doctrine contained in euery Psalme: for the great furtheraunce and necessarie instruction of euery Christian reader. Newly and faithfully set forth by a godly minister and preacher of the word of God.

Psalme 86.

I Suppose that this Psalme of Dauid full of very earnest affec∣tions and prayers may bée diuided into two partes. [Di.] In the first hee desireth the Lorde to haue mercy vppon, and to deli∣uer [unspec 1] him from all his afflictions, sometymes alleadging his owne misery, and sometymes Gods mercy and might to induce him thereto: and this reacheth from verse 1. to the ende of the 10. In the seconde hee prayeth for light and knowledge, de∣siring [unspec 2] also deliueraunce from his distresses, alleadging as reasons to moue the Lorde thereto, the fearcenes of his enemies, Gods owne mercy, and his thankefulnes to bee perfourmed to the Lorde, from ver. 11. to the end of the Psalme.

The title, [Se.] a prayer of Dauid [i. a prayer that Dauid made in the time of some grieuous affliction, that hée was in, the holy Ghost leauing the same in recorde, for vs to see it or the like.] Verse 1, Incline thine eare O Lorde [vz. vnto my prayers and supplications which I make before thée: and this is spo∣ken of god according to men, who if they bee disposed to graunt suites and re∣questes wil as a token thereof, be ready to hearken to the suppliaunts voyce] & heare me [i. graunt me such thinges, as I praying vnto thee, doe according to thy wil aske at thy hands, for otherwise it is not to be denyed, but that god con∣tinually heareth and séeth al thinges] for I am poore [i. miserable and in great distresse] and néedy [i. stand in néede of thy fauour and ayde, hee alleadgeth his afflictions, weaknes, and misery, to the end therby to moue god the more to fa∣uour him, for this is proper to his nature, to succor the miserable, Hosea 14.3.] Ver. 2. Preserue thou my soule [i. kéepe thou ••ay life & whole man, either from [unspec 2] the rage of mine enemies, or from the sharpnes of these afflictions] for I am merciful [vz. not only towards them that be in miserie, but euen to my very e∣nemies: and he speaketh thus, not as though hee would clayme somewhat, for his dignity or worthines, but to make his enemies more hatefull, as it were, to God, because they persecuted him that alwaies behaued himself curteously towards them, and therefore they had the lesse cause to persecute him. Imma∣nuel readeth it thus: for I am hée, whome thou pursuest with goodnes [i. I am he, whom thou tenderly louest, and therefore hope that thou wilt defende and kéepe me, euen as the apple of thine eye, both the senses are good] my God [Dauid speaketh not this, as though god were his god onely, but to testi∣fie the particular apprehension, that hee had in his perswasion of GOD and his goodnes] saue thou thy seruaunt [i. deliuer him from his present

dangers, distresses, and afflictions] that trusteth in thée [vz. alone, and in none [unspec 3] other but thée.] Ver. 3. Bée mercifull vnto me [vz. that am thus distressed, and compassed in on euery side: out of which I can not get, vnlesse thou shew great mercy] for I cry vpon thée [i. I do earnestly call and pray vnto thee] continu∣ally [i. dayly and without ceasing: setting out here two thinges in his praiers, the one is earnestnes and vehemency vnderstood by crying: the other is per∣seueraunce, [unspec 4] ment by the worde continually.] Verse 4. Reioyce [i. giue an oc∣casion of ioy vnto mee, by kéeping mée from mine enemies, by deliuering mée from the heauines wherein I am, and by graunting my requestes] the soule [i. the whole man, but specially the inward and mortal part sore afflicted with continuall assaults, & striken into heauines and sorrow] of thy seruant [i. of me whom thou hast vouchsaued to call to this honour, to make thy seruaunt: and marke here how hee speaketh of him selfe in the third person, presently chaun∣ging in the other part of this verse to the first] for vnto thée O Lord [vz. alone, and to no other but thée] do I lift vp my soule [i. I pray thy helpe and that not [unspec 5] with mouth only, but also with my heart.] Ver. 5. For thou Lord art good [vz. to all, and therefore much more to thine owne seruants and sonnes] and merci∣ful [vz. to those that turne vnto thée, after they haue strayed from thee, meaning that God pardoneth them their sinnes and transgressions] and of great kind∣nes [i. of wonderful and vnspeakable mercy] vnto al them [vz. of what condi∣tion or state soeuer they be] that cal vpon thée [i. that pray vnto thee, vz. alone: [unspec 6] and that in spirite and trueth.] Ver. 6. Giue eare O Lorde [vz. I beséech thee: and not as though Dauid commanded God] vnto my prayer [i. vnto my pray∣er which now I make vnto thée] and hearken to the voice [i. yéeld to the words] of my supplications [i. which I vse in my supplication: meaning by all this, the graunting of his requests, & it séemeth to be the same almost with ver. 1. of this [unspec 7] Psalm.] Ver. 7. In the day of my trouble [i. at what soeuer time, I shalbée in my trouble, affliction, or miserie] I will call vppon thée [i. I will pray vnto thee onely: Immanuel readeth it in the present tense, I cal vpon thée. q.d. nowe that I am in trouble, I pray vnto thée, and in déed it better agreeth with the circum∣stance of the place and person] for thou hearest me [i. I knowe that thou either doest graunt or wilt graunt me my request, wherby the Prophet sheweth what [unspec 8] a stedfast perswasion he had in God, and the word of his trueth.] Verse 8. A∣mong the Gods vz. of the Gentiles, and which they worship, as Gods, but yet are not so] there is none like thée O Lorde [vz. in any respect: hee sheweth that the Gentiles gods are false and counterfeit because they haue no testimony of their might and power, Sée Psalm. 115.2.3.4. &c. Sée also against the vanity of them Isaiah. 44. almost throughout] and there is none [vz. amongest either them, or amongst all the creatures in the worlde, no all the creatures set toge∣ther] that can doe like thy workes [i. can do such workes as thou hast done and dayly doest: for all that they doe, they do by thee, as in whom they liue, moue, and haue their being: whereas thou doest that of thy selfe only, whatsoeuer plea∣seth [unspec 9] thée both in heauen & in earth.] Ver. 9. All nations [vz. of the earth] whom

thou hast made [vz. by thy mighty power, for without thée, they were not, nei∣ther can be] shal come [vz. either willingly, or by constraint] and worship [i. ei∣ther truely or hipocritically serue thée] before thée [i. in thy presence, at thy pre∣sence, and in the assembly of thy Saints] and shal glorifie thy name [i. shall ei∣ther soundly, or else for fashion sake acknowledge thy might, maiesty, and pow∣er, for so is name taken here, as Psal. 20.1. Some vnderstande this of the cal∣ling of the Gentiles, I wil not greatly contend: but methinketh it were better to bée vnderstood of a constremed and counterfeit confession: such as you shal sée in Abimilech Gene. 20. throughout and in Pharaohs. Exod. 9.27. and in some other chapiters of that booke.] Ver. 10. For thou art great [vz. aboue all and [unspec 10] declarest that greatnes and excellency of thine, by many thinges, but specially by thy works] and doest [vz. dayly and continually] wonderous things [i. mat∣ter farre beyond the reach and compasse of mans wit and reason, and therefore very wonderful] thou art God alone [q.d. though many haue the name of God, yet in déede both the thing and the name doth only belong to thée.] Verse 11. [unspec 11] Teach me [q.d. I am blind and ignoraunt, and therefore humbly craue thy in∣struction] thy way, O Lord [i. the way that thou thy selfe hast prescribed, and is the onely way and manner to liue well and vprightly] and I will [vz. through thy goodnes, assistaunce and strength, for otherwise I can doe nothing of my selfe] walke [i. frame and fashion my conuersation] in thy trueth [i. according to that rule of trueth and righteousnes, which thou thy selfe hast prescribed in thy worde] knit [vz. fast and sure] mine heart [i. the affection and perswasion of my heart] vnto thée [vz. and the trueth of thy promises. q.d. bring to passe that my heart being fréed from all feare and care of my enemies it may rest wholly in thy feare. This manner of speach declareth, that mans heart is distracted, and as it were diuided into sundry partes, till God haue driuen it to himselfe, and helde it fast in his obedience, wherefore by this worde hee meaneth that e∣uen they that are wel affected, are yet notwithstanding subiect to so many stūb∣lings, that they should quickly vanish, and bee spilt as water, were it not that god strēgtened them w^t constancy] that I may fear thy name [i. beare a louing reuerence to thy maiesty and trueth.] Ver. 12. I wil praise thée O Lord my god [unspec 12] [vz. when thou shalt haue taught me thy trueth, and deliuered mee from mine enemies] with al my heart [i. vnfeignedly, and not outwardly in wordes onely but also inwardly in deed, and trueth] yea I wil glorifie thy name [i. set foorth the praise of thy maiesty, might, and power] for euer [i. both in this life, and in the world to come, or else it may be taken for continually.] Verse 13. For great [unspec 13] is thy mercy towardes me [i. thou hast and doest by effect declare the riches of thy goodnes towardes mee] and thou hast deliuered my soule [i. thou hast set my life or whole man frée [for otherwise nothing can touch the soule] from the lowest graue [i. from most great, deepe, and extreme dangers, it is a metaphor as they that are buried séeme in mans iudgement past hope of life, and yet God notwithstanding will rayse them vp againe, so when Dauid seemed to be past all recouery, by reason of his distresses, then did the Lorde most mightily deli∣uer

[unspec 14] him.] Ver. 14. O God the proude [vz. persons of the worlde, who are not prouoked by any wrong I haue done them, but only by their owne pride, for so much I suppose the Hebrewe word importeth] are risen against mee [vz. with great force, multitude, and counsel, thinking to destroy me] and the assemblies [i. great troupes and multitudes, of violent men] the Hebrewe worde in déede importeth them that trust in their owne strength, who are sayd to bée mighty or violent, because with a certaine violent outrage, they trouble all, and labour to destroy euery thing: experience teacheth the trueth of this, for we sée that there is no measure kept, where pride and violence, or outrage preuaileth] haue sought [vz. very diligently] my soule [i. my life, to wit, that they might take it from me, sée Matth. 2.20.] and haue not set thée [vz. who séest and knowest all wickednes, and wilt in good time punish the same] before them [hee meaneth that they had no feare or regarde of God at all, but supposed that God did not behold them, which is a manifest token of extreme licenciousnes and impiety] [unspec 15] Ver. 15. But thou O Lorde art a pitiful God, and merciful [vz. to them that turne to thée, and cal vpon thee in truth] slowe to anger [vz. against any though neuer so wicked, looking by long suffering for their amendment] and great in kindnes [i. of wonderfull great kindnes and loue specially to thy seruants] and trueth [he meaneth by trueth, the faithful accomplishment of all Gods promi∣ses, and this verse is a certaine description of the nature of God, and séemeth [unspec 16] to be taken out of Exod. 34.6.] Ver. 16. Turne [vz. thy fauourable and louing countenance] vnto me [vz. which am distressed on euery side, hee prayeth that hee may in this his misery, féele Gods goodnes and mercy] and haue mercy vpon me [i. make thy mercy appeare towardes me, in deliuering mee from the power of these violent men] giue thy strength [by this spéech he meaneth not to craue all the strength and power of God, but to intreate the Lord, to giue him strength and ability to passe through al the brunts hee should indure] vnto thy seruaunt [i. vnto him whome thou hast chosen, to be thy seruant: true it is the worde importeth slaue, or bond seruant, which word the Prophet also vseth to moue the Lorde to mercy] and saue [i. deliuer from daunger and distresse] the sonne of thy handmayd [i. such a one, as hath béene begotten of faithful parents, and brought vp in the couenaunt, and is as it were a houshold seruant of the [unspec 17] Church: Sée Psalm. 116.16.] Verse 17. Shew a token of thy goodnes towards mee [i. declare by some one signe or other, whatsoeuer pleaseth thée, that thou wilt bee good and mercifull vnto mee] that they which hate mee [vz. with∣out a cause] may sée it [i. plainely perceiue, acknowledge and confesse the same] and bee ashamed [vz. in themselues, and of that which they haue pur∣posed against mee, séeing that I haue not without cause trusted in thee] be∣cause thou O Lorde [vz. onely and no other] hast holpen mee [vz. out of all my daungers and distresses] and comforted mée [vz. in the time of miserie and trouble.]

[Do.] Ver. 1. Teacheth that the more our néed, misery, & wretchednes is, the grea∣ter occasion we haue, with earnestnes & spéed to repayre vnto God by prayer.]

Ver. 2. Teacheth that vnlesse God kéepe vs, we shal vtterly perish: also that we ought to haue a stedfast trust in Gods mercy and goodnes. Verse 3. Teacheth vs importunity in prayer, and not to leaue of, though God graunt not our re∣quests at the first: also that in our prayers, wee must flée to Gods mercy onely, and not to any thing in our selues. Ver. 4. Teacheth vs that vnlesse God make vs ioyfull, wée can neuer bée rightly glad: also that the hart as wel as the mouth must consent in prayer, or else our prayers are nothing. Ver. 5. Teacheth vs that Gods mercy rightly considered and felt, is an excellent spurre to pro∣uoke vs to prayer. Ver. 6. Teacheth that God onely is to be prayed vnto. Ver. 7. Teacheth vs in our afflictions to runne vnto God, and to comfort our selues in this, that if he haue once heard vs, he wil heare vs againe. Ver. 8. Expresseth the vanity of al idoles & images whatsoeuer. Ver. 9. Setteth forth Gods pow∣er in all, and ouer all, so that none is exempted from it. Ver. 10. Is a plaine proofe of the vnitye of the godhead. Ver. 11. Sheweth that vnlesse God do teach vs what is good, we are vtterly blinde: also that vnlesse he hold vs in obedience and feare of his maiesty, we shall easily decline, and runne aside. Ver. 12. Tea∣cheth vs not onely to cary with vs a purpose to prayse the Lorde, but also vn∣feignedly and continually to doe it. Ver. 13. Teacheth that then God worketh the deliueraunce of his, when there séemeth otherwise no way for them. Verse 14. Doeth not onely set out the mischieuous mindes of proude and outragious persons, but also declareth the fountaine of all their sinnes, vz. forgetfulnesse and contempt of god. Ver. 15. Is the same almost with verse 5. of this Psalm, and is a verse of great comfort, as in many respectes, so namely in this, that it setteth before vs, not onely Gods goodnes, but also the faithfull and assured perfourmaunce of all his promises. Ver. 16 Teacheth vs that Gods fauoura∣ble and louing countenance, is the onely matter of mirth, strength and deliue∣raunce to his seruants. Ver. 17. Sheweth that in the deliuery and safe kéeping of Gods Saintes, not onely Gods glory and power is manifested, & the good are thereby conforted, but also the enemies confounded and ashamed.