A Brief Explication of the Last Fifty Psalms, Psalm 119
PSALME CXIX.
WE read of no man, who had more troubles and exercises of conscience, or greater vicissitude of changes outward and inward, or more frequent experiences of his owne weaknesse, witlesnesse and sinfulnesse, or of Gods merciful direction, consolation and deliverance, then David. This man did the Lord fit, by the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost, for the edification of the Church, to expresse his exercises, and good deliverances from them all: and in this Psalme as in a bundle, he hath collected the summe of his holy meditations, and of the profitable uses which he made of the revealed Will of God in Scripture, in all the conditions wherein he was, to teach all the faithful after him, to have the Word of God in special regard, and to have respect unto it, as the only rule whereby they might finde direction, consolation and salvation, however matters went. To this end, for memories sake, he hath filled the Hebrew Alphabet, with twenty two meditations, every one of them beginning with a several letter of the Alphabet, and every section having eight verses, beginning with the same letter, and every verse almost of every section, under some expression, making mention of the Scripture.
The words wherein the Scripture, or revealed Will of God in Scripture, here is expressed, is one of these ten. 1. The law or doctrine, which signifieth the Lords Will to be taught of God, that all men should learn it. 2. Statutes which signifieth, that this revealed Will of God containeth the duties which God hath appointed and prescribed for our rule. 3. Precepts, which signifieth that this Will of God is imposed by the authority of our sovereign Law-giver. The fourth is commands, which signifieth that this revealed Will is committed unto our trust to be kept. The fifth, testimonies, which signifieth that this revealed Will of God doth testifie of our dutie and our doings, whether conforme or not to the Rule, and testifieth also what event may be expected by our beleeving or misbelieving, by our obedience or disobedience thereof. 6. Iudgements which signifieth the Scripture to be Gods judicial decree, ordaining how our words, deeds and thoughts should be ordered, what shall be the execution of his will answerable thereto. 7. Oracle or speech, because the Scripture proceedeth, as it were, from the mouth of God. 8. The Word, which signifieth Gods expounding his minde to us, as if he were speaking unto us. 9. The way of God, which signifieth the Lords giving direction for our several actions how we should walk, as by so many steps unto the Kingdome of Heaven. 10. Righteousnesse, which signifieth that the Word of God hath in it, the way how a man shall be justified, to wit, by faith, and how a justified man should approve himself to God and man, as justified by faith, and that every sonne of wisdom, must and will justifie this Word of God, as the perfect Rule of righteousnesse.