The Shield of Righteousness, Title page – Dedication
THE SHIELD of the RIGHTEOVS: OR, The Ninety firſt Pſalme, expounded, with the addition of Doctrines and Vſes. Verie neceſſarie and comfortable in theſe dayes of heauineſſe, wherein the Pestilence rageth ſo ſore in LONDON, and other parts of this KINGDOME.
By ROBERT HORN, Minister of Gods Word.
PSAL. 3.3.
But thou Lord art a Shield for mee, my glory and the lifter vp of mine head.
PSAL. 91.3.
Surely, he ſhall deliuer thee from the ſnare of the Hunter and from the noiſome Peſtilence.
4.
—His truth ſhall be thy Shield and Buckler.
LONDON, Printed for Philemon Stephens and Chriſtopher Meredith, and are to be ſold at their ſhop at the golden Lyon in Pauls Church-yard, 1625.
TO THE RIGHT Worſhipful, EDWARD WATIES, Eſquire, one of his Maieſties Juſtices in attendance, at the Councell of the Marches of WALES.(*⁎*)
Worthie SIR,
THe firſt draught of theſe meditations on this whole Euangelicall Pſalme, I ſent (ſome yeeres agoe) to a friend and louer ofaOne of the Iuſtices in attendance at the Councel, in the Marches of Wales, and chiefe Iuſtice in one of the welſh Circuits. yours, Richard Atkins, Eſquire, now with God, yet without any meaning then, to bring (thus) vponupon the ſtage of publick iudgement. Howbeit, if he had ouerliued, this purpoſe in Mee of now ſending them abroad into the hands of men; I confeſſe, or profeſſe rather, they muſt hauehave carried his name with them into the world, to the Altar of which I did owe the Sacrifice of my beſt in this kinde: which must hauehave beene ſo, not onelyonly (though chiefly) in reſpect of himſelfe, who was vnreproueable in his place of Iuſtice, and priuate wayes as you know; but much in regard of my bond to him while he liued, whereofbIn my Epiſtle before my Sermons on Luke 15.13, 14, 15, 16, 17. (elſe where) I gaue true and plaine ſignification. But, being tranſlated ſince to the houſe of glory from his houſe of clay, whom could I finde out, next, fitter (vponupon iuſt matter) then your worſhips ſelfe to receiue the debt I owed him? your ſimilitudo morum with him, or profeſsion like his; your great reſpect and louelove to Me, with your eſteeme of all who, in the Miniſterie doe ſeruice faithfully and with paines, may rightly command Mee in this Dedication, which I eſteeme much leſſe then your owne. Add vntounto this, that (hauing long knowne you) I could neuer finde other minde in you then that which was of the ſide and part of goodneſſe, oppoſing euill and the workers thereof. Much elſe might bee ſpoken of you particularly and truly to the praiſe of God; but He that ſeeth in ſecret will reward you openly. This, at this time, made me bold with your Name, which is as an ointment of ſweet odour in the Countrie you liue in. And ſo I make humble tender of a mean Commentarie vponupon a Pſalme of grace: the Pſalme was Dauids; the Speakers, God and Dauid. God ſpake to Dauid with good words and comfortable, as Zacharie 1.13. and the ſame Almighty God in the ſame moſt gracious Pſalme, ſpeakes with like comfort to you, and to all his by Him. Reuerend Beza in his argument vponupon it, tells what comfort the had by it, when hee (firſt) heard it ſung in an aſſemblie of Chriſtians. It ſo carried him by diuine rape at that inſtant, that euer (after) he laid it vp grauen in his heart: for, as if it had lift him vp, from the earth, into heauen, it rauiſhed all his powers, making him to thinke hee heard God himſelfe to call vntounto him by particular. name: what that Worthy conceiued by the ſinging of the Pſalme, that may your worthy ſelfe gather by the meditation. The Shield of it is large enough to compaſſe you (alſo) with the like merciemercy. If you put on the defence of the Higheſt; this Pſalme will guide your wayes to peace, and finiſh your courſe with much true comfort. Thinke therefore (Chriſtian Sir) in reading of this Pſalme what godly Beza conceiued vponupon the ſinging of it: and that is, that God calleth you by Name, meaning to inueſt you in theſe priuiledges of his Saints, and to be on your right hand euer: wherefore, what is here ſpoken to the Saints, reade with faith, as ſpoken to your ſelfe, being a Saint by calling: with this meditation you may make your pillow, when you ſhall bee ready to make your bed in the darke, and the graue ſhall bee your houſe, Iob. 17.13. Then ſhall you goe with much contentment to your bed of earth, and in great peace to the Lord. Meane while, turne your purer eyes into this excellens Pſalme, ſet foot into it, rather walke through it in your deeper conſideration: and then confeſſe, with gladneſſe, what God hath done for your ſoule. May you not ſay that God hath been, or will bee (ſhortly) all that vntounto you that the Pſalme (ſo comfortable) ſpeaketh of? for, hath not God beene, in all remoues, your ſtanding houſe to remooue vntounto? verſe 1. hath hee not beene your hope from your youth, nay from your cradle? and hauehave you truſted in him, at any time, in vaine? verſe 2. hauehave not the feete of many beene taken in the Snare or Net of Peſtilence, and you deliuered? verſe 3. hauehave not thouſands fallen and you ſtood? verſe 7. and hauehave you not ſeene your hope, when there was nothing but deſtruction to ſinners? verſe 8, 9. hauehave not the Angels kept the Lords watch about you in your continuall ſafety to this day? verſe 11, 12. Is not the Dragon of hell, and that roaring Lion of the nethermoſt hell put vnderunder your feet for euer? verſe 13. In many troubles, hauehave not you beene quit, and not quit onelyonly, but raiſed to place and worſhip? verſe 14, 15. and, for length of dayes (though not full of daies, for I truſt there are many behinde) you are not farre from Dauids yeeres of ſeuenty? verſe 16. in which ſpace of time, I doubt not but you make your ſhort life a ſhort draught of the dayes euerlaſting: Finaly God hath ſhewed you his large ſaluation. But theſe few from the Text of the Pſalme may ſerue as ſo many fingers to point to much more, which your owne experience can better enlarge and gather; not to hee ſet downe in a ſhort Epiſtle. And now to God all-ſufficient, I commend the remnant of your dayes for his beſt bleſsings vponupon them; vponupon your Chriſtian yoke-fellow, and vponupon all the branches of you both. As I am much bound to pray, ſo I will, and doe daily for the true proſperity of you, and all yours, being
From Clon-bury neere Ludlow Iuly 1625. Your good Worſhips for my beſt ſeruice in the Goſpell, ROBERT HORN.